Jordan Helm


247 games reviewed
69.0 average score
70 median score
41.7% of games recommended
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Feb 28, 2024

Wielding enough creativity and originality in its approach, Penny's Big Breakaway is a classic case of the good of its premise outmatching the occasional bad of its execution. As annoying the technical state in parts is, let alone some of the misjudged application of additional, incentivizing challenge runs a greater risk of putting players off entirely. Even so, flawed and lacking a touch of polish it may be, Evening Star have done well establishing a new IP that is not only reminiscent of past years, but eagerly wants to build something new out of it. What it ends up creating may not be the most fluid or immediately-enticing take on traversal, but Penny's Big Breakaway is a small, but promising start crammed full of fresh ideas and endearing style alike.

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5 / 5.0 - Balatro
Feb 19, 2024

Wielding nothing more than a deck of cards and a poker-themed twist on proceedings, developer LocalThunk has conjured something incredible and awe-inspiring with Balatro. What starts as a relatively-novel twist on the deckbuilding format quickly blossoms into an experience that's equal parts methodical, experimental, chaotic but satisfying all the same. A game that rewards clever thinking, mathematical meddling and having the courage to be just that bit braver in uncovering just how far one can push its systems at play. Wherein success and failure alike stand as equally memorable moments to build off. A paradigm for what roguelikes and deckbuilders should aspire towards, Balatro is addictive, expertly-crafted and the new front-runner for what is easily the best gaming experience of 2024.

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2.5 / 5.0 - Foamstars
Feb 15, 2024

As promising a foundation there may be here, Foamstars sadly finds itself buried beneath a malaise of lackluster content and an underdeveloped world alike. Occasionally enjoyable and suggestive of greater potential the foam-centric mechanics can be, as both an offensive and defensive tool alike, it's everything going on in and around the core gameplay, that ultimately makes the experience feel hollow and at worst, jarring to deal with. From its all-too-cheery presentation, to its laughably one-dimensional attempt at instilling personality into its world and characters. Right down to the horrid monetization practices at the very start of its life-cycle. A commitment to further updates and new content may stave off a small amount of concern, but it's hard to see where Foamstars' longevity will land. By no means the worst attempt at a multiplayer-centric experience by way of its handful of hopeful, admirable elements here and there, but still one that could've been far better given the promise.

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Jan 23, 2024

A game that's celebratory not just of the characters and the world it's focused on, but too the fanbase that's helped build it up to this point. Even a terrible voice casting choice and handful of other small nitpicks aren't enough to hamper too much of the experience. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth bets big -- in both gameplay and narrative alike -- and unsurprisingly, has won big once again.

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4 / 5.0 - Worldless
Nov 20, 2023

Though its turn-based combat may end up doing most of the heavy-lifting, that Noname Studios have cleverly crafted something that's both fleshed out and as appealing as it is, means Worldless still winds up a delightful studio debut.

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Nov 14, 2023

Even without the niceties of a new mode or that significant an addition to the overarching plot, The Awakened King's exciting array of loot to acquire, an impressively-built setting to explore and fights to conquer serve as a promising start to Gunfire's post-launch support for Remnant II. That the team have proven once again they can offer even more means for players to further experiment and tinker with their set-up is a testament to just how impressive a delivery the sequel remains and how exciting future prospects may look in the coming months.

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4.5 / 5.0 - Jusant
Nov 8, 2023

Combining a gorgeous art style, intriguing setting and a surprisingly old-school yet welcome nod to platforming of the past, Jusant is a terrific adventure full of accomplished set-pieces and smart design throughout.

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Treading the path well-traveled, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - far from the most radical of entries in the series - remains a delightful example of Ryu Ga Goktoku's knack for high drama, wild antics and all-round time thoroughly well spent.

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Nov 2, 2023

Though an occasional lack of polish and size for size's sake approach doesn't always prove beneficial, a brilliant assortment of puzzles nestled amidst a thought-provoking but compelling narrative still grants The Talos Principle II status as a sequel well worth the near-decade wait.

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Oct 12, 2023

A far more confident and competent iteration of the Souls template than what came before, Lords of the Fallen's all-round impressive design is marred by occasional technical issues and all-too-frequent questions on its very philosophy around challenge.

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3 / 5.0 - Long Gone Days
Oct 10, 2023

Briefly enticing the mechanics governing Morale might be in and out of combat, Long Gone Days' inconsistent tone and unconvincing meshing of visual styles doesn't pull through for a narrative deserving of a more refined focus.

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3.5 / 5.0 - Cocoon
Sep 28, 2023

Geometric Interactive's debut in Cocoon, though lacking in the kind of imagination and surreal creativity its premise might entail, still winds up a pleasant and solid-enough first attempt.

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4 / 5.0 - F-Zero 99
Sep 21, 2023

Despite its smaller and unfortunately limited pool of content, F-Zero 99 still stands not just as another terrific application of the 99-player Royale format, but one that goes as far as to redefine any and all prior knowledge people may have had of the original SNES debut.

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4 / 5.0 - Gunbrella
Sep 13, 2023

Less a case of reinvention for reinventions' sake, it's the mix of familiar genre staples with a widened focus on smaller details that ends up with Gunbrella proving to be a brief, yet highly-satisfying entrant for action-platformer fans.

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5 / 5.0 - Void Stranger
Sep 11, 2023

A constantly-rewarding, brilliantly-structured and simply mind-blowing series of rug-pulls, Void Stranger isn't just special, it's a phenomenal showcase of what might be some of the best design in a puzzle game for some time.

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Aug 22, 2023

Less a case of biting off more than it can chew, Immortals of Aveum instead serves up a mixed bag of notable creativity, dragged down by issues both narrative and technical alike.

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Aug 8, 2023

A platforming-puzzler with a keen eye for intricacy and trickery alike, UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects' addictive nature is somewhat dragged down by its occasional lack of appreciation for a players' own time.

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3 / 5.0 - Exoprimal
Jul 27, 2023

Surprisingly effective it may be at crafting a simple-but-enticing loop of gameplay, Exoprimal's shallow variety and unclear methods of progression land Capcom's latest in a middle-ground of being both entertaining and heavily flawed.

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4 / 5.0 - Remnant II
Jul 20, 2023

Building on everything that was great about the original - from enemy variety to boss design to the means by which one can customize their play-style - Remnant II just about scrapes by with a follow-up that befits the mantle of "bigger, better, bolder" in numerous ways.

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4 / 5.0 - Viewfinder
Jul 17, 2023

Some occasional frustration with mechanics and personal expectations not met aren't enough to prevent Viewfinder from winding up an all-round terrific debut from Sad Owl Studios. Crafting a game that is confident not only in the ideas it wants to explore, but in the execution that underpins it all.

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