Ship of Fools turns a sea journey into a great roguelike. Trying to survive the attacks of monsters while sailing is a complicated task, as we are always at a disadvantage and we have to run to move cannons, shoot and attack creatures with a paddle — the action is frenetic and part of the fun is being able to handle so much chaos. Co-op multiplayer for two sailors is the focus, but tackling the seas alone is also a great option. The matches have many items and events that invite us to experiment and think strategically. However, the limited variety of content and slow progression of unlocks is a bit of a nuisance. Luckily, the action is fast and the universe is charismatic, which alleviates these problems. In the end, Ship of Fools is a great adventure through the dark oceans, whether alone or in the company of a friend.
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Little to the Left turns arranging and organizing objects into a nice puzzle. It might not seem like it, but it's fun and relaxing to line up pictures, methodically store items in boxes, and clean tables, mostly because of the simple mechanics and intuitive puzzles. Soft colors and a light soundtrack complement the atmosphere of tranquility. The game aims to be calm and contemplative, but certain points go against this philosophy. Some puzzles have obscure solutions, the more abstract stages are unnecessarily complicated, and some ideas are reused frequently, disrupting the otherwise relaxing experience. Otherwise, A Little to the Left is exactly like tidying up: sometimes rewarding, sometimes irritating.
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The Pinball Wizard tries to offer a unique interpretation of the classic arcade, but fails with its limited and problematic execution. Moving the mage with the help of flippers is intuitive, however the stages are uninteresting, the variety of content is very limited and the difficulty is unbalanced. In the end, this mix of pinball and dungeon crawler didn't stick and is completely forgettable.
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Vampire Survivors use a few simple concepts to create an addictive experience. Facing hordes of enemies controlling a character that attacks alone can seem tedious, but the fun is precisely in trying to assemble a set of interesting skills to survive. An extensive variety of content makes runs exciting and fun. The focus on uncomplicated systems makes the title accessible, but this is also the biggest problem: the action is sometimes boring and repetitive. However, the constant introduction of novelties and some subtle variations of the formula are enough to make the adventure constantly mesmerizing. In the end, Vampire Survivors is exceptional. Don't be fooled by the minimalist look and mechanics, this title is hard to put down.
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Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 combines the best ideas in the series into an excellent action title. It's thrilling to go through a stage quickly, especially thanks to the protagonist's smooth and versatile abilities — with some technique, it's possible to do impressive combos barely ever touching the surface. The expressive atmosphere reminiscent of anime complements that energetic tone, even though the story and characters aren't all that good. The effort spent into offering a versatile experience is also notable: newbies will have fun with its soft difficulty while veterans will have trouble mastering its systems and reaching high scores. However, even in the highest difficulties, it lacks challenge a little. Besides that, some mechanics end up underutilized as the focus is on just a few ideas. However, even with those issues, the result is positive. Overall, Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is a must play for those who love action and 2D platforming titles.
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Dome Keeper mixes mining, base defense and resource management into a simple and creative experience. The game alternates between calm moments mining resources and frantic combats to create interesting situations in which the challenge is to manage time and items. However, the game is very shallow in content, which makes the runs very similar to each other. Some options, like different upgrades and planets, try to diversify things, but they aren't enough to end the feeling of repetition. In the end, Dome Keeper is great, if only for a short time.
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Moonscars uses agile action to create a good interpretation of the soulslike genre. The fast-paced combat is the highlight and, as usual, the difficulty is intense, but fair. The maps are not memorable and the battle mechanics evolve little over the course of the journey, but the constant frenzy and tension manages to compensate for these imperfections. The dark fantasy universe envelops us with the elaborate visuals and bleak atmosphere, reinforcing the dark themes. The setting is cryptic and thought-provoking, but the excess of obscure dialogue hinders the pace. In the end, Moonscars is a remarkable experience.
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Shovel Knight Dig proves the knight's versatility in a great roguelike action title. Digging ever deeper is addicting, and the mix of platform moments, battles and exploration makes the stages quite frantic. Besides that, there's a good variety of content to explore and an atmosphere full of charisma with a great 16-bits pixel art style. Even with so many qualities, the game has really annoying issues, such as dangers that show up out of nowhere, unbalanced aspects and the camera position gets in the way of some movements. It's important to be ready to ignore those negative points, but, overall, the result is positive. In the end, Shovel Knight Dig is yet another great addition to the franchise.
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Foretales combines cards, puzzle elements and a bit of RPG to create a compelling narrative experience. The journey of the thief Volepain is filled with intriguing situations and their solutions include more than one possibility — experimentation and creativity are essential to advance the plot. Combat, puzzles and the variety of events enrich the experience, but there are a few issues: some objectives have way too complicated answers, navigating through some areas is tiresome and its reuse of locales and situations bring some repetition to it. Luckily, the ambientation includes an awesome dub, vibrant visuals, and charismatic characters, compensating the negative points. Overall, Foretales is a unique adventure worth checking out.
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Isle of Arrows is an interesting and unpredictable tower defense. The game works with the traditional formula of the genre and adds interesting concepts, such as fortress building and random elements to offer an acceptable experience. Matches can be complicated but the real fun is mounting good defenses with what can be found along the way — a challenge that demands planning, improvisation and luck. However, the title ends up abusing a little in its [overreliance on] random elements, creating frustrating situations that seem to lack strategy. Besides that, some mechanics are way too restrictive, hindering the tactical planning. Nonetheless, many of its issues can be fixed with balancing and patches. In the end, Isle of Arrows is a great tower defense, as long as the player is ready to deal with unpredictability.
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Tinykin is an endearing action and 3D platforming adventure. Fast exploration is its biggest trump card, and the stages entice us to explore everywhere with its well thought locations. Besides that, there are many interesting puzzles that demand finding and using different tinykin — the challenge is low but it's fun to solve its creative puzzles. A soft atmosphere filled with charisma turns the experience into something even more enchanting. The areas are expansive and it has some fascinating and unique concepts, but the game suffers with some issues, such as the simplicity of tinykin usage and situations that repeat themselves from the very beginning to the end [of the game]. This doesn't hinder the journey as a whole but it still feels like a missed opportunity [to make something even better]. Overall, Tinykin is really worth a try.
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Islets is a metroidvania that enchants with its charisma. Exploring floating islands is quite enjoyable as there is a great balance and variety between combat, exploration and platforming. The boss battles, in particular, are very creative and interesting. Also, the atmosphere is lovely, with humorous characters and beautiful visuals. The game competently executes the main platform concepts, but leaves something to be desired as metroidvania with some underdeveloped ideas. However, the intention is clear to offer a friendly and relaxed experience, and in that the title gets it right. In the end, Islets is a simple and captivating adventure.
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Rollerdrome combines shooting and extreme sports in one spectacular experience. It's exciting to skate through arenas as we shoot and stunt in stages with varied and interesting challenges. The difficulty is steep, requiring a lot of skill and insistence to emerge victorious, but customization options make the game accessible. In addition, the striking visuals, fast-paced soundtrack and countless stylish moments bring identity to the title and its dystopian universe. In the end, Rollerdrome is an unmissable creative competition.
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Cult of the Lamb combines two genres in a mesmerizing journey. The dungeon exploration moments stand out with their agile and uncomplicated action, while the cult administration is relaxing and with good possibilities — the synergy between the activities makes the game cycle very addictive. Plus, it's hard not to be impressed by the simultaneously cute and macabre atmosphere. The two styles complement each other reasonably well, but alone they prove to be a bit shallow: the game lack variety and more challenge options, which hinders the experience, especially in the final stretches. However, it is undeniable that the concept of the title is creative and unique. In the end, Cult of the Lamb is a pilgrimage worth experiencing.
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Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony transforms the Touhou universe in a very competent platforming adventure. The focus here is action in simple stages filled with enemies. The best part is the boss battles, as they fill the screen with projectiles in their complex attack patterns. Naturally, the difficulty is high, but there are options for various kinds of players. Originally released in 2009, the game comes to the west with new additions, such as a remastered visual and extras. However, some aspects are still inconvenient, such as the stages having unappealing maps and precision issues with the controls. Overall, Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony is a fast and classic experience recommended for people who want a good challenge.
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TombStar focuses on the basics to create a reasonable action roguelike adventure. The biggest highlight is the firefights, which have intense moments and a good challenge. Also, the introduction of new features is constant because of a lot of unlockable content. However, the game lacks personality, variety of situations and unique mechanics, which makes the runs repetitive over time. In the end, TombStar is fun, but not very memorable.
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Little Noah: Scion of Paradise is a charismatic roguelite with unique ideas. The combat is enticing with its fast-paced action and the system that allows players to combine attacks and spells for combos — a part of the fun is exploring the various possibilities and combinations. Besides that, there are many options to unlock and its colorful atmosphere exudes charisma. The simplicity of the concepts makes it clear that the experience is more casual, though there are options for players who are fond of more intense challenges. Even so, some issues get in the way on the long run, such as its basic level design and limited content variety. The expectation is that these negative points are fixed in the future. Overall, Little Noah: Scion of Paradise is a light and fun experience. It's nothing as elaborate as other roguelites but it executes well everything it sets out to do.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge offers quality brawling with some retro touches. Its biggest highlight is the agile and accessible gameplay that allows you to create impressive combos, and the variety of moves and enemies brings diversity to combat. In addition, multiplayer for up to six players is frenetic and chaotic, making it a great option to enjoy with friends. The new Turtles adventure is heavily inspired by the past and even modernizes some concepts. However, the title is too conservative – which is a shame, as other current beat 'em ups have already proven that it is possible to innovate. In any case, the nostalgic ambiance with elaborate pixel art visuals and the uncomplicated action are enough reasons to check out the game.
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Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles manages to transform the stylish anime action into a good fighting game. In addition to the stunning visuals, the game has accessible systems capable of pleasing different audiences. Besides that, the story mode captivates by offering great recreations of important plot facts, even though the exploration snippets are a little boring. Like other anime adaptations, The Hinokami Chronicles suffers from superficial mechanics and limited diversity content - possibly a sequel will improve these aspects. In the end, Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles is recommended for those looking for an uncompromising fighting title and for fans of the anime and manga.
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Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix+ is a full-on, frenetic rhythm experience. The game explores established mechanics in an immense variety of music and difficulties. The content impresses with the vast amount of music of different styles, and the colorful and whimsical atmosphere offers an immersive experience. The PC adaptation is basic and competent, but it's hard not to be bothered by the absence of some options and significant new content, especially for series veterans. In the end, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix+ is an excellent rhythmic title.
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