Lawrence Le's Reviews
The Uncertain: Light At The End is a heap of derivative themes and ideas missing the narrative and mechanical buttresses needed to hold it together.
From its opening moments to its final seconds, Paws and Soul fails to establish any semblance of harmony between its gameplay and story.
Trion Worlds' “reimagined” Defiance does little to fix the crippled MMO and instead, uses the opportunity to try and capture a new audience with the same bland experience of yesteryear. Defiance 2050 has nothing to leverage but its free-to-play status, nothing to separate itself from the competition, and nothing of quality for new players to latch onto.
More often than not, What Happened is a better sight-seeing trip than it is an exploration of anxiety and depression.
Top-down, two-player food fights sure sound like a recipe for success, but Nom Nom Apocalypse lacks the mechanical garnish to distinguish itself in the competitive rogue-lite space. There's challenging battles, there's tactics, but nary enough depth to sustain long-term play.
The Fabled Woods collects all the necessary ingredients for a solid, meditative casual adventure, but its awkward execution leaves its narrative beats without any real weight.
A mediocre, meandering mystery game hiding under the mask of something greater. While it has a competent story to tell, it lacks the means to tell it in an engaging manner.
An FMV interactive thriller that's rather light on the "interactive" element. Choices are sparse and do little to promote player agency but some solid production and a stylish, campy aesthetic save the experience.
There are a decent amount of weapons, enemy types, and environments, but those are cold comforts in the face of frustrating issues like awkward weapon management, unpolished platforming, wonky enemy AI, and tedious combat encounters. A good first attempt, but the game suffers from poor design all around.
God Eater 3 bears a superficial resemblance to Monster Hunter, boasting many of its features, but none of its depth. It offers nothing but diluted versions of what it has tried to poach from better games.
It's a solid distillation of pro cycling, but not engaging enough to justify playing so many stage races in succession.
Overpass's unique physics system and emphasis on balance might be enough to win over the most dedicated of off-road racing fans, but its shallow progression systems and monotonous gameplay loop greatly limit its appeal.
Sky-high ambition meets sub-par execution in this roguelike fantasy-epic. Vambrace: Cold Soul delivers a large helping of worldbuilding but fails to provide engaging gameplay to accompany it.
State of Mind is so obsessed with its story that it forgets what medium it's in. While a strong storyline and adept world-building can't be denied, the game can't escape its undercooked mechanics and puzzles.
Unparalleled presentation and atmosphere spoiled by unwieldly combat and clumsy level design. The most memorable moments happen when your hands are off the controls.
Rich gameplay concepts and lush aesthetics caged by suffocating level design and a weak story. The constant clash between free, flowing movement and repetitive, often claustrophobic levels puts a damper on the entire experience.
The turmoil of a revolution gone wrong is conveyed through nothing more than a few mouse clicks and quick decisions. It's flawed and frustrating, but there's an undeniable elegance to the game.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-reckoning is a handful of solid gameplay systems trapped in a world that's lost its magic. There's plenty to play with as far as combat and crafting are concerned, but the game is defined by its decision to choose quantity over quality.
When all the profanities have been said and all the odd jobs have been done, Orangeblood is a one-of-a-kind experience that's equal parts endearing and incoherent. There's just enough to see, hear, and do to warrant a two-day getaway to New Koza.
Superliminal is a short, sweet, but superficial exploration of one the most interesting mechanics to find its way into a puzzle game. It excites with the possibility of what could be, but fails to deliver on the challenges its mechanics beg for.