TUNIC invites us to explore an intricate land in an unparalleled adventure. The mysterious island captivates [players] with a journey filled with the right amount of challenge, such as tough, vigorous combats, many interconnected, detailed areas and many puzzles. The isometric visual that evokes a miniature world, soft music and enigmatic atmosphere turn the experience into something even more charming. The main attraction is the way information is shown: most concepts and hints are in a manual full of runes and cryptic illustrations. Also, the island has countless enigmas to solve, many of which are very subtle and complex. For that reason, creativity and experimentation are necessary to advance, and there's a constant dazzling feeling of finding something new. Sometimes, the indications are too vague, and this can hinder the pacing, but by persisting some more and with the help of other people, it's possible to proceed. In the end, the combination of so many interesting elements makes TUNIC a must-play.
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FAR: Changing Tides fascinates [players] with a contemplative journey through an abandoned world. Manually controlling a vehicle that's simultaneously a ship and a submarine is really intuitive, and the various puzzles along the way helps the game offer some variety. Beautiful backgrounds and a well placed soundtrack intensify emotions such as loneliness and feeling small before the vast locales. This sequel to FAR: Lone Sails has brand new mechanics and concepts, adding to the adventure's longevity. However, these new features aren't only positive: the rhythm is boring sometimes and some tasks related to the machine control can be tiresome due to their repetitiveness and other issues. In the end, FAR: Changing Tides manages to create a pleasant experience, though far from being perfect.
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Grapple Dog uses charisma and lots of color to create a nice 2D adventure. Swing through the scenarios using a grappling hook is very intuitive and agile. In addition, the constant introduction of elements and hazards maintains the feeling of novelty throughout the creative stages. Some points are annoying, such as the uninteresting bosses and the jump inaccuracy in certain situations, but overall, the experience is competent. In the end, Grapple Dog captivates and is a great option for those who want to enjoy a platform game inspired by the classic 16-bits.
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OlliOlli World combines different genres to offer an accelerated and compelling experience. The simple controls and stages filled with varied elements make the matches exciting and there are various advanced mechanics to master. The changes [when compared to previous games], such as the inclusion of checkpoints, turn the game into a more accessible experience, and at the same time it still offers the complex content for those who seek bigger challenges. Beyond that, its universe is mesmerizing with beautiful cartoonish aesthetics, soft Lo-fi hip-hop soundtrack, exotic locations, and many customization possibilities for the character. Some issues from previous games still persist, such as the trial and error moments; however, the feeling of frustration is minimized thanks to the new options. In the end, OlliOlli World is a must-play.
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Please, Touch the Artwork is like visiting an interactive art gallery. The three minigames are simple but captivating thanks to their charming audiovisual elements. The puzzles, especially those in The Style, gain complexity layers little by little, making them very interesting. However, some puzzles are complicated enough to be frustrating, going against its general relaxing nature. In the end, the game offers a unique short experience, even though it isn't particularly memorable.
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Nobody Saves the World is a creative and over-the-top interpretation of action RPGs. The biggest highlight is the variety of bizarre transformations with different abilities and characteristics, and the customization options open up several possibilities when facing the challenges. In addition, the vibrant, humorous and content-filled world encourages us to constantly experiment. Even so, some details are problematic, such as the uncreative dungeons, superficiality of some combats and the moments of repetition. However, the charismatic and colorful atmosphere, together with the agile mechanics, mitigate the problems. In the end, Nobody Saves the World is a light and fun experience.
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Blade Assault is a competent and exciting 2D action adventure to some extent. The biggest highlight is the fast-paced combat, and different weapons and elemental powers help bring variety to the stages. Also, the atmosphere is pleasant with great sci-fi pixel art visuals. However, after a few runs the various issues become apparent, such as limited content diversity, unregulated difficulty and technical issues. In the end, Blade Assault even has a good base and is fun, but there is a feeling that many of its features needed to be better developed.
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Picross S7 offers an addicting and content-rich experience for people who love logic puzzles. The main idea of Picross is explored through a varied selection of puzzles, with some modes that change the rules a little to bring more variety. The new touch controls make the matches really fast, though this option is a little imprecise in the larger puzzles. The lack of notable changes when compared to previous entries is a shame but its vast amount of content is enough to compensate the issue. Overall, Picross S7 is once again a solid entry in the series.
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Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon turns the charismatic universe of the knight with the shovel in an excellent and addicting action puzzle. The main concept of running into enemies to attack them is simple, but, in order to survive, it's essential to make combos to attack various opponents simultaneously, which isn't always [an] easy [task] to execute. Some of the fun comes from being able to make huge combinations able to clear a big chunk of the screen. Different types of monsters, heroes with unique skills and many items add diversity to the adventure, and so do the game modes. As a negative point, sometimes the matches are way too similar and the action gets confusing in the midst of the visual chaos of certain situations, however those details can be overlooked. In the end, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is captivating with its creativity and is a recommendation for people who appreciate action puzzles.
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Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is an RPG that lavishly executes the best features of the genre, but conservatism compromises its notoriety. The highlight, without a doubt, is the turn-based combat system, which offers many strategic options with its Lane mechanics and character customization. In addition, the heroes ooze charisma and captivate even those unfamiliar with Runeterra's legacy. Besides that, the title turns out to be a tepid RPG. There's even a lot of content to explore, but maps, puzzles and trivial missions make things tiresome. Furthermore, the pace is unnecessarily slow and technical issues hinder the fluidity of the adventure. In the end, Ruined King is competent and will mainly please League of Legends fans, however, it is far from unforgettable.
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Nuclear Blaze offers an interesting firefighting adventure. The various stages, whose challenges creatively mix action, puzzle and a bit of platforming, are immersive. In addition, the game has a well-crafted environment with a visual in pixel art and good lighting effects. However, the difficulty is not always fair and the content is very limited. In the end, Nuclear Blaze is intense and brief game.
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Moncage captivates with its imaginative concept. The puzzles, which are focused on manipulating the cube to align objects in different universes, are impressive in their ingenuity and diversity. Sometimes the riddles demand confusing or very specific steps. However, the flexible tips system makes it easier to deal with this issue. The atmosphere is also remarkable with many elaborate areas and an unconventionally developed narrative that rewards our attention to details. In the end, Moncage is an outstanding puzzle that's very much worth your time.
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Where Cards Fall uses unique concepts to create a pleasant puzzle. The mechanic of expanding decks to create buildings is explored through interesting puzzles that are more complex than they seem. The controls and camera have issues, but it's possible to get around those. Besides that, the game is captivating thanks to its soft atmosphere and beautiful visuals. The narrative explores an universal theme, but it hinders the experience by being boring and sluggish. Overall, Where Cards Fall is creative and pleasant despite its imperfections.
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The Legend of Tianding is a great adventure that celebrates a charismatic character from Taiwanese folklore. Agile pace and a good variety of challenges are spread throughout the stages, and combat excites with its versatility — it's fun to launch enemies into the air and steal their weapons to create different combos. Other than that, the colorful universe captivates with great visuals inspired by Chinese manga, charismatic characters and a light interpretation of an important historical moment in the country. The game only suffers a bit with pacing issues and limited opponent diversity, but the fast-paced action helps to minimize these issues. Otherwise, I highly recommend The Legend of Tianding.
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Dungeon Deathball is an agile and unique interpretation of turn-based strategy games. It's exciting to use your fists and a ball to overcome the challenges of a sport that resembles a miniature puzzle. The mechanics are simple, but there is a good deal of complexity, especially when it comes to manipulating enemies' actions in order to advance. Even so, after a few matches the limitations become apparent and the stages become repetitive. Certain details help to alleviate this problem, such as different teams, modes and competitive options, however they may not be enough for some players. In the end, Dungeon Deathball has fun with your creativity, even for a short time.
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Aeon Must Die! offers a unique interpretation of beat ‘em ups, but its weak execution of those concepts undermines the game as a whole. The combat and its temperature system is creative, and specific battles utilize interesting strategic aspects. Besides that, the atmosphere is fascinating, using great visuals with neon colors and a synthwave soundtrack. Unfortunately, that's all the major qualities the title has to offer. The list of issues is big: the gameplay flow is constantly broken by meaningless conversations, the story isn't exciting, the battles soon become shallow and repetitive, and many mechanics need some balancing. Those who are more dedicated may find something enjoyable, but, in the end, Aeon Must Die! is an underwhelming experience.
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Tetris Effect: Connected uses elaborate audiovisual aspects to turn the puzzle into a dizzying sensory experience. The simple and precise mechanics of Tetris remain untouched, and the difference is the intricate and immersive atmosphere — the combination of vibrations from the controls, soundtrack that reacts to our actions and surreal visuals results in immersive matches. In addition to being stunningly beautiful, the game includes a wide variety of creative modes and robust multiplayer. In the end, Tetris Effect: Connected is impressive and essential for puzzle fans.
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Metroid Dread refines the franchise's 2D formula into one great game. The vast ZDR planet has an elaborate map full of alternative routes and secrets, and the agile movement make the journey very pleasant. In addition, E.M.M.I. encounters excite and terrify in tension-filled stretches. The battles are also more varied, difficult and intense, however the bosses are a bit problematic because of some questionable choices. The feeling of being alone and lost in a strange world is strong, but irregular the rhythm at times makes the experience a bit tiring. The plot is simple and has intriguing developments that are portrayed in elaborate scenes. Visually the title is competent, it just lacked a little more personality in certain locations. In the end, Metroid Dread maintains the 2D essence of the series in an immersive adventure, it's just a shame that the opportunity to dare a little was wasted.
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Rogue Lords is a roguelike that stands out with its unique ideas. Matches feature a good mix of activities and the battle has many strategic nuances and possibilities. The most notable element is Devil Mode, which allows the alteration of multiple game aspects, such as enemies' life points and the result of events. Demon powers may seem like cheats, but its good implementation makes it a valuable asset that must be used wisely to achieve victory. Despite its creativity, the game still has some issues that need to be fixed, such as the unbalanced difficulty, really long matches, and the feeling of repetition. At least, its elaborated gothic ambience and excellent voice-acting help minimize the issues. In the end, Rogue Lords is a great representative of its genre and has everything to become even better after a few patches.
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Astria Ascending is a JRPG of remarkable ideas and great visuals, but, unfortunately, its execution leaves much to be desired. The combat system that rewards exploiting enemies' weaknesses is promising, though the fact it's deeply unbalanced and the pattern repetition makes the battles frustrating. There are many options to customize and develop characters, nonetheless, a lot of grinding is necessary to make the most out of these resources. Orcanon's many activities and an elaborate minigame may satisfy eager players but it's a shame the plot, characters, dungeons and locales lack inspiration. At least, the universe has a really beautiful visual and quality music. In the end, its meager qualities aren't enough to save Astria Ascending.
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