Bogdan Robert Mateș's Reviews
Kentucky Route Zero is an experience unlike any other. “There’s dignity in being forgotten” says one character at one point. Yet, when it comes to Kentucky Route Zero, being forgotten would be a loss. The quantity of beauty, its ability to make the player feel so very intimate, yet strangely distant from what’s being shown, alongside all the feelings it evokes make it very, very unique.
A gripping, unforgiving, complex dungeon crawler that translates lovecraftian themes excellently into its world. There are few indies out there that do everything as well as Darkest Dungeon. From art style to gameplay, from sound design and narrator, which is truly exceptional, and the writing Darkest Dungeon oozes quality.
Gris is art in motion and arguably the most gorgeous game I've played this year.
They all laughed, except for the king; choking on his food, he had lost his voice
Lovers in a Shattered Land
The psychedelia-infused trip inside the Psi King's Sensorium.
Total War: Warhammer 3's only major "downside" comes from it being the final part of an established trilogy that (successfully) iterates on its predecessor's structure without changing it fundamentally. If you're not a fan of its streamlined empire management, fantasy setting, and sometimes floaty-feeling combat, there's not much here that will change your mind.
After more than 55 hours spent playing, I'm still awed by just how great God of War is. This is the result of a clear, determined vision, its separate elements harmonizing almost perfectly to deliver an experience that understands the series' blood-soaked origins but is also not afraid to push it into a more mature and nuanced direction.
A masterpiece in terms of atmosphere building and one of the few games in a long while that effortlessly kept me fully engrossed in its world, Alan Wake 2 is Remedy Entertainment's best game yet. Expert use of the contrast between light and dark works in tandem with spot-on sound design and deadly enemies to successfully insert horror even in the most inoffensive of places.
Complex under its minimalistic shell, Into The Breach is an excellent turn-based tactics game.
FAR: Lone Sails is an excellent journey through silence and desolation in puzzle-platformer clothing.
The Crimson Court enriches the game’s aesthetics with its fairly original take on the new, vampiric additions. The Crimson Curse adds another layer of unpredictability, requiring players to work around a mechanic that cannot be avoided.
It nails down atmosphere like few other games do, providing some truly haunting ruins and boss fights that, once learned, become akin to a violent balet that unfurls in front of you. In the end, Hollow Knight is a title which was given much attention and care by its developers and which grew into a Metroidvania experience worth going through at least once.
After reading this review, Dust: An Elysian Tail will not seem to be innovative or part of a special breed. And it’s true, there’s no real innovation to speak of. The game uses tried and tested mechanics and concepts in a very successful way.
Book of Demons is both an excellent tribute to Diablo and a great ARPG on its own.
Attention to detail that extends past its strong tactical core makes Desperados III a must-play, despite its niche appeal.
Endless Space 2 takes elements from both the first game in the series and its planet-bound cousin, mixing them together into a great package. It has its flaws, as I mentioned when discussing heroes, diplomacy and the bugs that gravitate around quests.
Pavilion is a competent puzzler with exceptionally good visual design and a wonderful soundtrack. I’d also recommend it to everyone else, for the overall experience of passing through a brilliantly designed world, while having a wonderful soundtrack as faithful companion.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls aims to provide fun and ultimately manages it quite well. The flexible skill system opens way for experimentation. The addition of the Crusader adds some extra bulkiness to the class roster.
Bigger, brutal and visually striking, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is an insanely fun co-op title.