Steven Cipriano's Reviews
Despite VA-11 Hall-A’s commendable ability to create an elaborate, futuristic environment via a relatively simple medium, it’s ultimately a frustrating endeavor. The unique characters are not enough to overcome the exasperating surprises and a story that tapers off. As such, VA-11 Hall-A misses an opportunity to be an engaging, memorable experience.
The visual stimulation is stunning, especially in the earlier portions of the game. Coupled with the enhanced movement abilities the L.E.A.F. suit affords, Valley is not altogether unenjoyable. The game had the potential to be quite impactful, making its failure to do so all the more disappointing. There are many good elements, but they’re too shallow and loosely tied together. The game fails to relate to anything the player could care about, leaving it immemorable beyond some impressive visuals and high-intensity maneuvering – hardly justifying its $20 sticker price.
Despite its imperfections, Alwa’s Awakening is an enjoyable experience. The retro art style, rich colors, and music accompany gameplay that is quaint, yet engaging. Those who grew up on the NES will find it a fine tribute to games of yesteryear and those who did not will still enjoy a pleasant, playable adventure.
Seasons After Fall has many elements of a fantastic experience. The rich, vibrant world, excellent artistic elements, and novel environmental interactions make it worth playing. Yet as I retraced my steps searching for the next objective just out of reach, it was a fitting parallel to the game as a whole – constantly coming so close to extraordinary but falling continually short.
Despite its imperfections, Jotun is a great game. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can easily see myself being enticed back to its wondrous realms. However, it is held back by the underwhelming start and oversights related to camera and movement. It seems a bit short for the price of $15, but was worth it for the art alone.
OneShot is a great game overall. It’s a lovely, surprisingly captivating experience that does more than enough to overcome its shortcomings. While not as revolutionary as the aforementioned Undertale or Pony Island, it borrows concepts from these games well, and molds them into an experience that is often more satisfying on the whole.
Simply put, DEADBOLT is a great game. There are engaging achievements and harsh challenges. There is quirky humor and excellent design. There is fantastic art and rich atmosphere. It won't hold your hand, it will punch you in the face repeatedly, and you'll be grateful for it.
In most ways this game hardly shows its age (almost 4 years old at the time of this writing), sure the graphics could be slightly cleaner, but the the most important aspects (mechanics, gameplay, and puzzles) hold up quite well. In the same vein as Braid, the core of The Swapper is the geometric and logic challenges, which are not hindered by its age. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys puzzles, logic challenges, or atmospheric space games, The Swapper is a solid experience, even by 2017 standards.