Josh Speer's Reviews
I really was hoping to fall in love with Criminal Dissidia, but as it is now it feels woefully incomplete. Though it does feature attractive artwork, tons of cards to use and a metric ton of Steam achievements, it nevertheless was held back by poor translation, confusing combat mechanics and inconsistent difficulty. Fans of rogue-likes and deck builders might enjoy the game more, but even then it’s a hard title to recommend unless the developer makes a lot of quality of life improvements.
I was really hoping for more from Sofiya and the Ancient Clan. While it wasn’t all bad, it’s still a disappointing platformer with boring combat to boot. Sure, the artwork is fine, even Sofiya’s amorous journal entries. It just doesn’t do enough to make this a better game, despite the surprisingly enjoyable music. If you like platformers and want something inexpensive, you might enjoy this. If nothing else, it’s a very short burn that can be completed in a lazy afternoon. For everyone else, stay away from this absurd little witch.
If you’re a fan of twin-stick shooters and bullet hell and love hideous monsters, this might be for you.
While I can see what Castle Morihisa was going for, and appreciate many elements of the game, the overbearing difficulty kept me from enjoying it more. It may have mimicked the style of Slay the Spire, but it’s a long way from reaching the lofty heights of that game. But if you don’t mind an ego-bruising challenge and enjoy rogue deckbuilders, I’d still check the game out. Unfortunately, for everyone else, it’s probably going to prove too frustrating.
Weapon of Choice DX is a wild ride with a lot of ambition. While I don’t feel it quite lived up to its potential, and felt that Shoot 1-UP DX was the better game by Super Soul, there’s still a lot here for fans to enjoy. If you miss Contra and want something similar, I’d give Weapon of Choice DX a shot. Just get ready for one insane rollercoaster of a game with a zany plot to match.
I think that Sludge Life is a great example of video games as art.
I know I sound like I’m being hard on The Shadow You, but that’s only cause I see the potential for it to be something better. I do admire Topchan Games for what they obviously accomplished with a limited budget. And they definitely succeeded in the horror parts of the game. Perhaps if they can invest more time and care into their writing and focus more on their horror, their next game could be outstanding. As things sit now, The Shadow You is a promising game held back by its narrative. If nothing else, it’s a short and inexpensive experience. I managed to get the True ending in about 4 hours, and that’s only because I got lost in a couple of puzzles. Horror fans might still find something worthwhile here, warts and all.
Despite my problems with it, I still enjoyed my time with The Wind and Wilting Blossom. It’s very much a mixed experience, but my irritation is softened somewhat by the knowledge that Picklefeet is constantly working on improving the game. I know they’re a small team, which makes their dedication all the more admirable. So if you’re willing to wait for the game to reach its ideal version, it’s not asking too much to buy the game now. Just don’t expect to win very often as you face off against Takiyasha’s monstrous hordes.
I really wanted to love Ponpu. The zany premise, delicious artwork, and Bomberman-inspired gameplay could have resulted in a triumphant indie classic. Instead, it was held back by glitches, occasionally sloppy game design, and a lack of real progress. But when you consider this was only the second time mobile developer Purple Tree tried their hand at consoles, I can moderate some of my frustration. If you’re a fan of Bomberman looking for something weird, then this still might be the game for you. As for myself, I find myself eagerly awaiting the next game from Purple Tree, and hoping it patches over any annoying imperfections.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with The Shivah: Kosher Edition, but can only recommend it to big adventure game fans. There’s just not a lot of content there, and even for $4.99, it was disappointingly short. Though the Steam achievements do add some replay value, I just wish there was a bigger story. That said, it is a bargain, so if you like quick and cheap adventure games, give The Shivah a shot.
Overall, I found Legends to be much easier than Origins. Maybe it’s because I’m an old school platforming nut, and my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. But I was anticipating Legends being more difficult than Origins, not easier and shorter. Which isn’t to say Rayman Legends is a cakewalk, just that it was noticeably easier. However, I don’t want to give everyone the impression that the game was horrible. That’s simply not the case. In fact, I rather enjoyed my time with the game, and have yet to unlock some 200 or so Teensies. It is possible, though unlikely, that my opinion will change after I have had a chance to fight the hidden boss, and beaten all the stages fully. Until then, though, I can only base my review on my experience prior to playing the game. For those who enjoy platforming, Rayman Legends is a great choice. Especially since it is easier than it’s brother, Rayman Origins. But for those who like their platformers to be tough as nails and brutal, perhaps hold off on your legendary expectations until Ubisoft announces another game.
While I did enjoy my time with Super Mutant Alien Assault, I was a little surprised at how short the game was. Granted, you can and should put in more hours if you want replay value, but not every gamer will care about that. Some are just here for the main mission, and if that’s all that interests you, I can’t highly recommend Super Mutant Alien Assault for the asking price of $9.99. However, if you like hardcore retro games and want to unlock all the achievements and other goodies, then this game may just be for you. If nothing else, I look forward to the next title that Surprise Attack Games manages to cook up. Perhaps they’ll take what they learned from this game and use it to make a truly epic Metroidvania in a similar vein!
I was a bit torn complaining as much as I did, since I truly did enjoy Mercenary Kings Reloaded. But often I am more critical on things I enjoy, especially when I feel they didn’t fulfill their utmost potential. That said, for $19.99 I got 20 hours of gameplay out of it, which is pretty impressive for a smaller indie title. I can still appreciate all the hard work and heart that Tribute Games put into this, and would still recommend Reloaded for those who missed out on the initial release. It’s a fun game hampered by some design issues, but it’s still a fulfilling experience if you can look past its flaws.
Overall, I’m somewhat torn about Sleep Tight. There are things I legitimately enjoyed about the game. It had all the elements it needed to truly be a great new indie hit, but I feel the execution was flawed. I consider myself a huge fan of twin-stick shooters, and as such it’s not a great sign that I started to get a bit bored about five hours in. If it had found a way to have more variety and more of a sense of constantly unlocking content, I feel it would have fared better. As it is now, I can only really recommend it to hardcore fans of twin-stick and tower defense games. Here’s hoping We Are Fuzzy manage to tweak the game after the fact to round things out and add more content. Until that happens though, you might want to consider getting it while on sale.
I end with mixed feelings for 2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL. On the one hand, I love the visual design for the game, and really grew to appreciate the character of Turing. That said, I feel all the other characters were hasty sketches instead of fully fleshed out characters. Combined with a gender discussion that usually feels like it’s condescending or attacking heterosexual characters, it’s hard to be fully enthused by things. I realize my opinion is only one side of the coin, and I know there are legitimate complaints by the LGBTQ community. Life can be difficult for everyone, especially a community that is often cruelly marginalized. That said, I feel there are much better ways to make your plight heard besides yelling at other people. For $20.64, you’ll get at least 10 hours of content and a compelling story, but it’s bogged down by some questionable decisions by the developers. I wish I could wholeheartedly recommend this for what it does well, but as it is, I feel it’s only targeting a very niche community of gamers. Here’s hoping future projects by MidBoss use more honey and less vinegar.
In the end result, while I didn’t love everything about The Midnight Sanctuary, I do feel it’s a story worth experiencing. There’s a lot of poorly designed elements, but they are outweighed by the good. For $9.99, you get a 3 hour adventure that’s perfect for playing while you’re trying to unwind. There are plenty of quirky and interesting characters, and a subtly unnerving plot here. Despite wishing the ending was less abrupt, I do feel the main story gets resolved. I just wish there was more story to draw us further into the strange village of Daiusu. If you enjoy VNs or just want to support a strange story this Halloween season, you might enjoy The Midnight Sanctuary.
Despite my issues with Joggernauts, I still had fun with it. It’s a short game for $14.99, but it can keep you entertained for 2-5 hours. I managed to beat the game with 55% of everything unlocked, but sadly have little desire to spend hours trying to find those Glowtonium trophies. Still, it’s a colorful and enjoyable experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed the character of C.O.A.C.H. The domineering little robot was the cherry on top of a brightly colored sundae. That said, I don’t think Joggernauts is for everyone, and would only really recommend it to hardcore fans of the genre. For everybody else, there’s probably more frustration than satisfaction to be found here. But I still applaud this effort from Space Mace and Graffiti Games, and look forward to the next game they come up with.
Regardless of how many people you play the game with, a match of BATTLLOON generally takes less than 5 minutes, or possibly up to 7 minutes. As such, I was able to encounter all the features of the game in less than an hour, spread across two different play sessions. While that may dismay some, since usually more content is always a good thing, I still think that’s fair for a game that only costs $6.99 on Switch. If you think that’s too much, I suppose you could always wait for a sale. That said, I was mostly pretty pleased with the game. It may not be the strongest UNTIES title to date, but it’s a lot of simple fun for a low price. Sure, I wish it had a bit more content, and it seems a huge missed opportunity it doesn’t have online play, but this could still be a fantastic party game when played with drinks and a group of close friends. If you’re looking for a relaxing and colorful title, then BATTLLOON might just be for you.
Much as I enjoyed playing the game, it left me a little conflicted. While the style and controls are fantastic, there just isn’t a lot of meat on the bone for ravenous Metroidvania fans. That said, I enjoyed all the time I spent with Gato Roboto, and other than the aforementioned glitches, it played effortlessly. For $7.99 I couldn’t put the game down, and that says a lot. Once the developers manage to fix that glitch, you can add another star to my score. But for now, I could only highly recommend this one to other hardcore Metroidvania addicts like myself. Here’s hoping we see more adventures with Kiki from doinksoft in the near future.
All in all, I did enjoy my time with Space War Arena. It wasn’t perfect, but for $14.99 this is a very solid and enjoyable game. Though I would have loved a few things to be different, I’d say this is an easy recommendation to any strategy fan. Granted, the game isn’t for everybody. But if you want a complex yet simple game that’s easy to play in quick bursts, then Space War Arena is the game for you.