Robin Baird's Reviews
Overall Landmark is fun and really interesting. I enjoy making things and figuring out how everything works a lot more than I thought I would. Unfortunately, there are a number of areas where the game just doesn’t feel entirely complete or polished. I don’t have an old or out dated computer and the load times were incredible and having lag when working with the build tools is really frustrating. However, Landmark is only ten dollars and does provide a fair amount of entertainment.
Overall A Pixel Story is a ton of fun and aside from some minor glitches here and there it was a delight to play. Though I do recommend taking breaks if you’re struggling with any of the puzzles because it can get quite frustrating.
One of the other joys of Little Nightmares is Tarsier did a great job of instilling a sense of dread and foreboding throughout the game without really employing a lot of the standard horror tropes. There’s no real gore in the game and precious few jump scares; instead, there are environments disturbingly covered in what appears to be blood, creatures which have apparently killed themselves, some extremely creepy monsters to avoid, and a brilliant soundscape.
Overall What Remains of Edith Finch is a masterfully executed story and experience. If you are looking for an intriguing story to take an active part in and experience this is a great game to check out. I know I’ll be thinking about this game and going back to it to look closer at various aspects for a long time to come and is well worth anyone’s time.
For fans of tactical RPGs Regalia of Men and Monarchs is a must buy. The combat can be challenging and frustrating at times though there is a story mode available for people who would like a bit of a simpler game experience. Regalia had far more story and content in general than I was expecting going into the game and everything is executed really well.
The art and setting of Inner Chains in incredibly beautiful and detailed, I often would stop and just look around everywhere there was an overlook because everything was so breathtaking. There’s so much detail in every part of the game it’s impressive. Unfortunately, all this detail might be a reason I had some issues with the performance of the game. My computer isn’t top of the line anymore, it’s a few years old at this point, but it also isn’t a toaster and there were a lot of areas where the background would be flickering. In addition to this, I had significant drops in FPS while playing where things would suddenly grind to a bit of a halt.
Overall Valkyria Revolution is an interesting and fun game, but it does take a while to really get going. The introduction and early chapters are really the low points of the game so if you can make it through those you should be good. I had no real issues with anything in terms of anything not working correctly or performing badly. There are however a lot of loading screens and they can sometimes feel like they take forever, but none were very long. For anyone who enjoys action RPGs with a heavy focus on storytelling, this game will be a winner.
Looking back at this point I can see a clear progression From Bastion to Transistor, to Pyre and this is not only the best story they have told but it is also most well-executed game on all fronts. For anyone who enjoys party based RPGs, this is one game you really shouldn’t pass up.
Overall, I had a lot more fun in Albion Online than I would have expected because I generally don't enjoy sandbox games a whole lot. They seem to have struck a wonderful balance between pointing player towards activities and letting them wander and find adventures on their own.
Metronomicon Slay the Dance Floor is a ton of fun and I hope to see more rhythm RPGs in the future. The soundtrack is also top notch and I often had various songs stuck in my head long after I stopped playing. For anyone who likes RPGs and Rhythm games, this is one you won't want to pass up.
Overall Ys VIII the Lacrimosa of Dana is a compelling and entertaining JRPG. I often found myself torn between pushing the main story forward and doing all the side activities, but the real tell was I just really enjoyed spending time in the game no matter what I was doing. The graphics, music, and game mechanics all work well together to provide many hours of delightful and fun entertainment.
Overall Hob is a fantastic game and just be on a play list for anyone who enjoys puzzle platformers and wouldn't mind some light RPG elements thrown in. The story is told organically and beautifully through gameplay and has some of the best sound design I've seen in a game.
Etrian Odyssey V is a fun and interesting game for anyone who likes a bit of challenge and isn’t put off by having to create your own maps. There’s a good balance between explaining enough to get the player started in figuring things out and leaving a lot to be discovered. The combat system is also deep and allows for a lot of customization and strategic choices.
Assassin's Creed is one of those franchises which started out strong but after a few games the shine began to tarnish. I'm not sure what state Origins was in when Ubisoft decided to give it extra time to iterate, but it was clearly time well spent. Origins is exactly what the series needed to make it new and wonderful again. It's not perfect, but it sets a great roadmap for the future and the imperfections can be honed into something even more incredible.
One of the first things I noticed about World of Final Fantasy is it exudes copious amounts of cuteness. From the adorable chibi versions of monsters which have been staples of Final Fantasy games for decades to the main two characters in the story everything is just adorable and sweet. Of course, since it’s also a Final Fantasy game it’s also filled with danger and a bad guy trying to do bad things, but also being adorable while doing it. This is our World of Final Fantasy Review.
Moss is a charming and fun mixture of aspects of both Redwall and Neverending Story but also feels refreshingly fresh. Polyarc has managed to combine concepts from a lot of other VR games and make it all into one fun and interesting game the whole family can enjoy. The only real disappointment I have about this game is that it is so short. This is our Moss Review for the PSVR.
If a murder mystery action game sounds like a game you might like, I highly recommend playing Omensight. From beginning to end it just doesn't stop on delivering a solid experience. Although the story seems to be straightforward and simple at first it opens into an interesting tale with complicated characters helming the ship the whole way through.
Overall Anamorphine is a touching and interesting story which is infinitely relatable. I wish the storytelling had been a bit more varied and I hadn't had my issue with motion sickness. All of that said, if you enjoy narrative exploration games this is a good one to check out.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the best game in this trilogy and was well worth the wait. I've been trying to hold myself back with gushing about all the things so I don't spoil it for everyone, but seriously this game is a masterpiece. Yes there are somethings which bothered me while playing but overall the experience was magnificent and should not be missed.
I've only really scratched the surface of things which are going on in this game and trust me I haven't covered everything by far. This game has a ton to offer to both new CRPG players and players who have been around the genre for a while.