As with many small independent games, The Almost Gone walks the line between gaming entertainment and art. The subject matter is far darker than you would think from just looking at the art style, but the message is bound to evoke some deeper emotions for certain players.
As a huge fan of both puzzle games and Harry Potter, I’m definitely a part of their target audience. What I wasn’t prepared for was just how creative and clever the puzzles would be.
I wasn’t expecting Goosebumps Dead of Night to be particularly great, but I had no idea it was going to be this disastrous. The gameplay is beyond basic and uninspired, even for a children’s game. The graphics are all over place and even made me sick at times. It’s like they blew most of their budget on Jack Black, who only agreed to take the part because he was contractually obligated.
Potata: Fairy Flower isn’t a bad game, not by any means. It’s just simply nothing remarkable in any way. You’ve seen this story before in other games, only told better.
I was pleasantly surprised with Skelattack. It’s far from perfect, but it’s still a lot more enjoyable than I would have thought for a game that wasn’t advertised at all before release. There are definitely problems with the hit detection areas and random increases in difficulty, but the charm and tight controls help to combat those issues.
I appreciate the bravery of DREAMFEEL for releasing such a personal game about a topic that not a lot of people understand. I only wish it were delivered in a more captivating way. The symbolism is great, but without any other facets of gameplay or ways in which to deliver the narrative, it loses its potency before too long.
I wanted to like it, I really did, especially since the true premise of the game is pretty original. It could lend itself very well to other games in the future. Unfortunately, its fleeting moments of brilliance are lost within the dregs of tired horror tropes, inconsistency with its rules, uninspired gameplay mechanics, and an unfulfilling ending.
Anyone who is a fan of Monty Python, or sarcastic British humor in general, needs to play it. This game had me cracking up all the way through. It’s a breath of fresh air in an otherwise quagmire of mediocrity that is the current point-and-click scene.
On the whole, I was disappointed by Boreal Tales. There might have been some potential for an interesting game in here, but that’s all buried beneath strange design choices, frustrating controls, an overly convoluted story, and a myriad of bugs. I can’t imagine it would be worth your time, even if the bugs were fixed.
If you’ve ever wondered what made Myst one of the best-selling PC games of all time, or just want to travel back to the mysterious island and relive the magic, there’s no better time than now. Pick up realMyst: Masterpiece Edition and experience the complex and curious adventure for yourself.
All in all, I do have to say that Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee was a nice nostalgic experience, but its quirkiness isn’t quite enough to make up for its frustrating controls and terrible early 3D platforming camera problems. It’s a shame that the recent ports have only given it a facelift and not some desperately needed quality of life improvements.
There are some problems with the pacing, especially when you get lost in the forest or stuck on a puzzle, but the story is so compelling you’ll have to see it through to the end. It’s one of those games that sticks with you long after it’s over. The way the story unfolds and is presented to you is brilliant.
At the end of the day, Telling Lies is good concept that stumbles a bit in its execution. It would have worked better if there was an actual mystery to solve like in Her Story. Instead of piecing together an elaborate puzzle, we’re left sifting through the drama of a few people.
The Shattering is a game that unfortunately suffers from a lot of the same problems as a lot of other walking sims and psychological horror games. It has a good premise and gorgeous details in the explorable areas, but it has too many pointless things to interact with, no payoff for thorough exploration, nothing hidden beneath the surface, terrible pacing, and tedious level designs.
FFVII Remake impressed me in every possible way. The level of detail to the world building and character development is some of the best I’ve ever seen in a video game. There are several trophies that you can only acquire after a few playthroughs with making different choices, so there is a huge replayability factor. Square Enix took a big chance by taking one of the most influential video games of all time and completely revamping it.
A Fold Apart is an enjoyable time, but I feel like it’s promoted in a slightly deceiving way. It’s not a cutesie upbeat game about two people missing each other. In fact, it’s a serious look into the hardships of being in a long distance relationship and how quickly things can go wrong when you can’t express yourself properly.
All in all, I really did enjoy my time with Obduction, even if there were a few issues that hampered the experience. It’s beautiful, fascinating, and creative. Although, the second half definitely slows down a lot due to huge backtracking sections and long loading times.
Inops is a game that has a lot of really great ideas, but doesn’t manage to pull them off as well as they would have liked. The main concept is wonderful, but the controls hinder it from turning into a new classic.
Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition is everything fans of retro RPGs are looking for. It has well written characters, beautiful environments, decent combat and class systems, a fantastic musical score, and a story that gets deeper and more compelling the farther you delve into it.
Neon City Riders is an absolute blast to play, especially if you’re a fan of retro-gaming and 80’s pop culture. Much like games from that time, it can be difficult with its fast pace and precise timing, but it’s punishingly fun. For gamers from that era, like myself, it’s one giant nostalgia bomb.