Ben Lombardo


52 games reviewed
66.4 average score
75 median score
40.4% of games recommended
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Jul 15, 2020

I expected ELEA: Paradigm Shift to at least be an interesting and artistic game for the Nintendo Switch. As it turns out, it's no way near that level. Not only that, but it's plagued with problems in its controls, its visuals, and its gameplay. Though the beginning of the game showed promise, I was left with a resounding feeling of disappointment.

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10 / 100 - Abermore
Apr 23, 2022

Abermore is an immense disappointment. The bugs and glitches can be cataloged so extremely clearly that it's incredible that this game even got released, let alone past playtesting. Hell, was it playtested? Why did this game get released even if it wasn't finished? These questions stuck in my mind as I played through this dumpster fire. Maybe this game will see all its bugs patched? Sure, but that doesn't mean that there's nearly enough interesting, let alone unique, content throughout the levels to warrant any recommendation from me.

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15 / 100 - Flow Weaver
Mar 14, 2021

There are not many games that are marred with so many issues as Flow Weaver. The gameplay is boring, the texture quality is akin to a PS1 game, the story is barely interesting, and there are far too many bugs and glitches to count. Trudging through the mess that this game is, the only redeemable quality is the dimension-hopping --- a great idea that definitely needs to be implemented properly. As for now, Flow Weaver is not one I'd recommend getting your hands on.

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20 / 100 - Red Bow
Jul 11, 2020

Red Bow has a lot of potential to be great, but it's simply not. There are a lot of strange technical issues and downright poor creative decisions that make up for a dismal experience. While the story is effectively the only thing holding this title together, it's not nearly enough to warrant a recommendation.

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35 / 100 - Old Gods Rising
May 30, 2020

Old Gods Rising is an unfortunate mess. While it has a story that immediately hooks the player, a world that's begging to be explored and understood, and boasts fantastic environmental sound design, the current state of the game is unplayable. The numerous bugs and glitches restrict this game from being a great title. Until those bugs are patched out, you're better off spending your money elsewhere.

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40 / 100 - Aragami 2
Sep 18, 2021

Aragami 2 is so ridiculously easy that you can breathe in its general direction and you've exploited some gameplay mechanic. It's great for those who like speedrunning, or those who might not have a lot of time in their day, but if you're hoping for the slow and methodical stealth gameplay of Aragami 1 then you won't find it in the sequel. Just like most developers (eyeing you Ubisoft over Splinter Cell) it seems working gameplay formulas mean bugger all.

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Dec 3, 2020

Spirit of the North may look beautiful, sound beautiful, but is a confusing and boring mess. It tries too hard to be artsy while disregarding the importance of fun gameplay and an interesting story. During their short playtime, players are required to interpret the weak narrative and their overall purpose in the game. The only replayability comes from completing the collect-a-thon. However, that provides zero satisfaction to the player and has a hard time trying to stay relevant to the gameplay and story at large.

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40 / 100 - Cloudpunk
Nov 23, 2020

Cloudpunk started off unique and interesting; you're new to its world and are exploring it alongside the main character, Rania. Eventually, you'll realize it's only a cyberpunk delivery simulator with cringey voice acting and an even worse script. By that point, the game loses any redeemable qualities and becomes a burden to play. Just like the main character, and the mechanics, the game has little to no substance to offer.

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Dec 11, 2022

Need for Speed Unbound is an arduous experience, and not one I'd recommend if you're looking for an arcade racer. The only good aspects are the refined handling system and the aesthetic customization of your cars, which is really brought to light via community creations. However, this experience is quickly overshadowed by the boring open-world, a meaningless collect-a-thon, unbalanced AI, and some of the cringiest story and dialogue I've experienced. It's The Room of racing games.

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45 / 100 - 911 Operator
May 8, 2020

911 Operator really misses the mark. It's a good attempt at showing what a 911 operator may do, but you're effectively playing a mobile game on for the cost of a PC game.

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50 / 100 - Bandit Point
May 8, 2020

It's an ok VR title on its own that most should consider buying if they're new to the platform to ease into VR controls. Though the story is very bland and it feels more like a concept than a fully-fledged title, it's the gameplay that keeps you playing just that bit longer before you release how repetitive those levels are.

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Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos has a lot of obstacles in its way from becoming a solid gem worth your time. The first few hours are a bit of a drag to get through since the majority of this time you'll spend either hating the dialogue or hating the difficulty from the (more predetermined than random) RNG that this game employs. Trudge through this and you'll find that the learning curve gets easier, the writing simmers down a bit, but the difficulty still remains the same.

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55 / 100 - Thief Simulator
Dec 1, 2020

Thief Simulator VR is just Thief Simulator as a VR port. There have been no improvements made over the original PC version to justify getting it in VR. Even if the gameplay is fun, and the sense of realism has been carried over from the PC game, there are numerous VR-specific problems that will quickly break the immersion. It's a largely uncomfortable experience that has a lot of technical issues.

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55 / 100 - PositronX
Nov 17, 2020

PositronX starts off as an amazing FPS game that's marketed as a rogue-lite, but players will quickly realize that it's more attuned to being a roguelike. Progressing through the four levels and it's quickly evident that a high level of artificial difficulty is added, with enemies getting more health and damage, while you're stuck with abilities and bonuses that don't scale accurately against the rest of the gameplay. The game ends up becoming a grindy mess with its only salvation being the music design and the occasional new weapon or ability for the player to experience.

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55 / 100 - Relicta
Sep 13, 2020

Relicta is a puzzle game that tries to be like The Talos Principle and Portal, but falls flat. The gameplay mechanics, as well as the physics, are a solid and fun experience. However, it falls short due to a weak story, terribly written dialogue, repetitive puzzle design, and various technical issues. If you're looking for a puzzler that you can easily find exploits in for a speedrun, check this out. But, if you're looking for a puzzler with replayability, where you have to utilize creative thinking, and the puzzles are all uniquely designed, then look far, far elsewhere.

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55 / 100 - Liberated
Jul 2, 2020

Liberated wants to be so much, but it trips on its own feet within the first comic issue. The idea to read a comic book on your Nintendo Switch, and also play within those same panels, was a fantastic creative decision. However, the developers seem to have put more effort into that idea than filling out the rest of the gameplay, which is nothing short of lacklustre. If, at times, the cliche story didn't read like a low quality YA novel, then I'd have appreciated it more.

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60 / 100 - Teardown
May 14, 2022

Teardown tears down the fabric of what a demolition physics game can be, yet replaces that with too many restrictions. All your fun will come from the creativity of your imagination, but that satisfaction falls apart when you're limited by the tools the game has to offer. It's such a shame when this game can offer so much more.

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60 / 100 - Dread Hunger
Feb 17, 2022

While Dread Hunger aims to freshen up a rather burnt-out genre due to the likes of TTT and Among us, there isn't enough reason to keep playing over and over again. Roleplaying is moreso encouraged than required, causing games to get repetitive quickly. Not only that, but the lack of story leaves this game ending on a disappointing note, especially since it immediately promises that it will play a key role throughout the experience.

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Feb 20, 2023

We Were Here Forever is a step back from the rest of the series. It's hard to find the motivation to keep playing when you're completing the same puzzle three, sometimes four times. Quantity doesn't mean quality, and when you're in control of a unique genre like coop puzzlers you don't want to step on the quality of what made this series great. Plus, the lack of a compelling story is disappointing when it's the only thing that's meant to encourage you to keep playing.

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65 / 100 - Hellbound
Aug 25, 2020

Hellbound is a fun shooter that's got all the hallmarks of what made the 90s FPS genre so great. Unfortunately, just like the 90s games before it, it's pretty dated in both optimization and graphics. There's a large number of bugs and game-breaking glitches to be experienced, all of which tarnish what is otherwise an incredible experience.

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