Heidi Hawes


167 games reviewed
72.6 average score
75 median score
61.1% of games recommended
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7 / 10.0 - Ravenlok
Jun 7, 2023

Ravenlok won’t be to everyone’s liking, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience when you’re looking for a palette cleanser in between so many of the other AAA RPGs in the market right now. Sometimes it’s nice to get away from a massive hundred hour epic adventure, and have a short jaunt with something fun and whimsical. Hardcore gamers will likely find its shallow gameplay lacking, but it’s the perfect game to introduce younger children to for their first fantasy adventure. Ravenlok won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I was happy to partake in this tea party.

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Jun 6, 2023

It’s a shame that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor suffered from so many bugs upon its release, because it’s an absolutely fantastic game. I am beyond grateful that my time with it was largely unaffected by those issues, so I was able to enjoy the game the way it was intended. Nearly every aspect of Survivor has been improved upon from Fallen Order, making this one of the most enjoyable entries into the Star Wars franchise to date.

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7 / 10.0 - Call of the Sea
Jun 3, 2023

There have been several VR ports for games originally released on PC or consoles, but the ones that are successful are few and far between. Thankfully, Call of the Sea VR falls into the successful category. Despite some flaws, mainly with its visuals due to the limited hardware, Call of the Sea VR is an incredible addition to the VR gaming library. It’s an amazingly immersive experience that’s a must play for fans of VR and adventure/puzzles games in general. When it beckons, will you answer the call?

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Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is not just an incredible DLC, but it’s an absolutely crucial part of the entire Horizon story.

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7 / 10.0 - The Last Worker
Apr 28, 2023

The Last Worker is an enjoyable time, despite some flaws with its gameplay. The regular package handling sections are a lot of fun, especially when discovering the crazy contents within each one, but the stealth and hacking sections can get pretty frustrating. Thankfully, the story is compelling enough to overlook the gameplay shortcomings, and the performances are wonderful all around. If you’ve ever worked as a low employee for a large retailer, then The Last Worker will definitely speak to you on some level.

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Apr 19, 2023

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened was a fun, albeit uneven, experience. Several of the flaws from Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One were addressed, such as removing the clunky combat system, while others, like pinning specific evidence to uncover clues, remain a frustrating gameplay feature. The overarching story is compelling and will keep you invested all the way through. Although, it does bear repeating to expect some pretty uneven pacing, especially when your leads take Sherlock away from the Lovecraftian elements. Still, this remake is an impressive feat, essentially completely rebuilding the original game from the ground up, with all new story beats never seen in the original.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Tchia
Apr 9, 2023

It’s a casual experience, with some fantastic exploration, diverse challenges and tasks, a rich setting, and a surprisingly deep story. The entire game has been lovingly crafted and steeped in lore from New Caledonia. The only thing keeping Tchia out of the realm of greatness are the amount of bugs affecting it, at least on the PC version. With that being said, I wholeheartedly recommend playing it, as long as you either play it on a console, or wait until they’ve patched up the bugs on the PC version.

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7 / 10.0 - Road 96: Mile 0
Apr 4, 2023

For anyone who was a fan of Road 96, then I would recommend giving Road 96: Mile 0 a go. Honestly, I am disappointed that they got rid of the procedurally generated interactions, which made Road 96 so unique. Road 96: Mile 0 is a still an enjoyable time, and I appreciate that DigixArt continued to try new things, but it wasn’t able to capture the same magic as its predecessor. Still, it was fun getting to learn more about Petria and some of the motley residents within its borders.

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Mar 17, 2023

The developers proved they listened to their fans by including more travel banter and all-new companion sidequests, giving them believable reasons as to why they would be traveling with each other. All the new features enhanced an already great concept, making Octopath Traveler II a true masterpiece of a RPG.

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6 / 10.0 - The Wreck
Mar 14, 2023

The Wreck is definitely not a game for everyone. Admittedly, it’s pretty tough to get through, for a variety of reasons. It has a somewhat slow start, which might turn some people off. It also covers several mature topics and themes, such as grief, death, self-harm, and toxic relationships. However, for those who love a compelling narrative, The Wreck has that in spades.

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Feb 24, 2023

Backbone was already a compelling game, but after gaining some insight into some of its main characters, it has been elevated to a new level because of the existence of Tails: The Backbone Preludes. Now if we could get a proper sequel to finally wrap up some of the loose ends in Backbone, fans will be elated. I am ready to have my heart ripped out yet again.

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9 / 10.0 - Chained Echoes
Jan 31, 2023

I went in with high expectations from Chained Echoes, but remarkably, it managed to exceed every one of them. The characters are enjoyable (although Robb can be a bit insufferable at times), and most of them are fleshed out pretty well by the end. The storyline isn’t overly convoluted either, and has just enough depth and twists to keep it interesting. The combat in particular surprised me with how engaging it was, all thanks to its inventive Overdrive system.

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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an all around fantastic game. I was genuinely impressed by the sheer amount of variety in the level designs, gameplay mechanics, and minigames.

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8 / 10.0 - Colossal Cave
Jan 18, 2023

There’s no denying the love and passion that went into recreating Colossal Cave into a 3D experience. The fact that the Williams’ came out of retirement to undertake this project, just proves how special the game is. However, I can see it being divisive among gamers. Older players (like myself) and veterans of the early adventure game genre, will more than likely revel in its faithfulness to its source material. I was completely hooked by its mysteries, and have gone back several times to try to discover everything Colossal Cave has to offer. Younger players, on the other hand, might be put off by its lack of narrative, complex puzzles, and very minimal hand-holding. I hope I’m wrong, and that Roberta Williams gets the appreciation she deserves from a whole new generation.

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8.5 / 10.0 - NORCO
Jan 10, 2023

I knew I was going to in for an interesting ride when I started Norco, but I had no idea just how insane it would get. I do honestly mean insane, but in the best of ways. I’ve never had a game make me ask “what the hell is going on?” quite as much as Norco.

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Jan 10, 2023

Children of Silentown is a dark and beautiful tale, that went in directions I wasn’t expecting. It gets surprisingly deep, especially in its final moments. It left me with some unanswered questions, but since there are multiple endings, I’m sure the others will touch upon certain aspects more than the ending I got. I guess I’ll just have to pay it again to find out! For now, I can’t help but sing the praises of Children of Silentown enough to everyone.

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8 / 10.0 - High on Life
Dec 29, 2022

Even though I know it won’t be to everyone’s liking, I still highly recommend High on Life. It’s a fairly accessible first-person shooter for those who aren’t die-hard fans of the genre, while still offering enough variety to make veterans feel satisfied. While on its surface it’s a raunchy, outrageous first-person shooter, at its core there’s a surprisingly emotional heart. There’s a ton of fun to be had in simply exploring the various planets, and even more joy when you discover something as unexpected as Tammy and the T-Rex playing in your living room.

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4.5 / 10.0 - Aka
Dec 22, 2022

Aka is a big disappointment for me, because I was actually really loving what I was able to play of the game until it essentially broke. It’s far more than just a casual slice of life sim, especially if you choose to help the other inhabitants you come across. I really wanted to see what the rest of Aka had in store, but at this point, I can’t. I can’t in good conscience recommend this game in its current state, even if it feels so promising. As of right now, I have to say to hold off until the game breaking bugs are all patched before picking it up.

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I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by The Devil in Me, mainly because the past two Supermassive games were both so outstanding. The controls and visuals took a big step backward, with the controls in particular being extremely annoying. It feels like they rushed to get The Devil in Me out before it was fully ready, which is odd considering they already had two very successful titles released over the course of a year.

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7 / 10.0 - The Chant
Nov 29, 2022

The Chant is a promising start for new development team, Brass Token. Its premise on the most basic level might not be something unheard of, but the way that it’s implemented and explored is quite original. I was impressed by the diversity of the enemy designs and the efficient use of a relatively small map.

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