Frank Streva
It nails the aesthetic and gameplay of Genesis era side scrollers, and looks like something that could have been released during that era and go down in history as a fondly remembered classic. Even if you’re sick of retro-inspired action-platformers, you should still consider giving Valfaris a shot.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find a decent amount of things to like in The Outer Worlds, but at the same time I can’t help but feel like it has the potential to be so much better.
For now, it’s still a recommendation, albeit a recommendation that comes with some caveats.
The story is through and through a classic Star Wars tale, set within the first and second trilogies, and yet it falls short of truly being a must-buy due to its technical problems and its somewhat disappointing combat and mechanics. I simply wanted more, and a more polished game.
While I would have preferred to see the franchise to return as a nice and proper sim like the old days, MechWarrior 5 still scratches my itch to stomp around the battlefields of the future in a giant robotic war machine.
Despite all its faults, I still really enjoy Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. It simply does such a good job translating the core events of Dragon Ball Z into a game that it’s impossible not to recommend it to nostalgic fans.
A fairly chill and relaxing visual novel that has some decent worldbuilding and a likeable cast of characters.
The game’s setting, presentation, and themes are also all pretty engaging. It’s just a shame that the poor English translation will often pull you out of the experience.
Lumote is a wonderful and relaxing puzzle-platformer. It has a fantastic, vibrant aesthetic that helps create an interesting and creative world to explore.
Even with its flaws, Bloodroots is worth checking out if you are in the mood for a challenging action game that rewards skillful play, and lots of practice.
Even though the DLC doesn’t expand upon the main story of Bloody Chronicles, its worth playing through to hold you over until the next act or canonical side story.
As the campaign drags on, the tedium and repetition starts to become increasingly apparent. If you are desperate for a new dungeon crawler, then Conglomerate 451 isn’t exactly a horrible deal.
There is a lot to like in Bright Memory, and I can’t help but wonder how fantastic it could be as an eight or ten hour experience with a coherent storyline and some extra polish. Hopefully the next game will deliver a more complete package, whenever that might be.
Even if you like the character designs or core gameplay, there just isn’t enough in the game to keep most people playing long term. You can already see this from the Steam numbers. I suspect that Bleeding Edge will soon become 2020’s LawBreakers, Gigantic, or Battleborn at this rate.
If Element Space worked as intended, it would be a fairly bland but otherwise playable tactical RPG. You know, one of those games that you might pick up because its 75% off on Steam. A game that you wouldn’t quite call “good,” but it isn’t so bad that you’d go through the trouble of asking Father Gaben for a refund. Unfortunately, “doesn’t work as intended” is the definition of “normal” for Element Space.
If you like the premise, then you’ll probably still find some things to enjoy about the game. Just know that Creature in the Well is short and runs out of content and mechanics fairly early on.
If you want four hours of fun puzzles based around manipulating light and dispersing killer shadows, then you really can’t go wrong with Lightmatter.
If you like the idea of an alternate 1940s with steampunk mecha, demons, and a harem of cute anime girls, then you’ll probably find a lot to like in Sakura Wars, despite its flaws.
Fort Triumph has enough content and replayability to keep you hooked for a while. If you are looking for a more lighthearted and quirky take on the XCOM formula, with some really interesting physics-based combat mechanics, then you should give Fort Triumph a try.
Gears Tactics kept me entertained for the full 30 or so hours it took me to finish the campaign. Hopefully, the developers take the issues I and many others have brought up to heart, and deliver an excellent sequel a few years down the road.