Ali Hashmi's Reviews
En Garde! is a really fun action game full of heart that rewards skillful play, and mastery of its mechanics. Adalia is a charming protagonist, and her unmatched wit cripples her opponents as she kicks, parries, and dodges her way through a series of hilarious episodes. The beautiful presentation, varied levels, and excellent pacing add up to a solid adventure worth taking. The boss fights are a bit disappointing due to the reliance on mobs, but En Garde! does way more right than wrong.
My Friendly Neighborhood pays a fitting homage to classic and modern Resident Evil titles with a polished, well-paced experience and plenty of creativity on display. The solid voice acting, coupled with a believable setting, strategic combat, and some fun puzzles result in an extremely memorable survival horror experience that doesn't always deliver on the scares.
Planet of Lana is a lovely puzzle platformer with a lot of heart. The lead characters, Lana and Mui are meaningfully integrated into each puzzle, and their journey across different regions of a beautiful world is equally touching and compelling. The puzzles lack the creative punch you'd see in similar titles and don't fully leverage the setting, but the strong presentation depicting the resilience of nature rejecting an alien invasion is breathtaking.
Wo Lang Fallen Dynasty is a challenging action RPG that stands out with its excellent deflection based combat, and tense morale system. It forces you to perfect its core mechanics and offers a rewarding experience with a lot of freedom in traversal and exploration. The uneven presentation and subpar PC port keep it from being perfect, but it's a worthy addition to Team Ninja's action RPG catalog.
All in all, I’m having a great time with Power Chord. I really like the playable characters, their designs, and how I have to account for multiple synergies. The presentation and attention to detail put it way above most other deck builders, and the dedication to heavy metal aesthetics encompassing every part of the game is truly commendable. With some balancing, especially with how it handles difficulty, I think Power Chord can become an even better title with hours of enjoyment and replayability.
A Little to the Left celebrates tidiness and observation with excellent presentation. Its comforting gameplay loop relaxes and engages your mind with a balanced difficulty curve. The generous hint system doesn’t ruin the fun of figuring things out on your own, and despite minor annoyances with a few puzzles, this is a cozy, beautifully crafted experience that’s hard to come by in the genre.
Serial Cleaners is a fun stealth action game that pairs varied gameplay with excellent art direction. It doesn’t have the best enemy AI in the world but makes up for it with its smart level design, great pacing, and engaging narrative. It manages to do a lot with its premise and makes cleaning crime scenes a cleansing experience.
Project Hel is a great addition to the Ghostrunner universe and gives fans an excuse to jump back in. Hel is a killing machine with a new set of abilities and extended traversal. While the story is the weakest link again, there’s nothing better than playing as a ruthless combat android in the beautifully rendered world of Dharma.
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a charming, and cozy rogue-lite that will provide you the nostalgia trip you’re looking for, and more. It features gorgeous artwork, with a laidback experience, and allows you to play with up to 4 friends. While it doesn’t quite have the mechanical depth other games in the genre have, it certainly has the charm.
Mighty Goose is a fantastic run and gun shooter, with tight controls, a variety of guns, and secondary abilities. It features some excellent pixel-art, with a fairly memorable soundtrack, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. However, it’s brought down by a lack of enemy variety, and uninspired level design. Highly recommended for fans of the Metal Slug series, and classic 2D shooters.
The Artful Escape is a fantastic musical experience with an incredible presentation. It tells a very personal story, full of memorable characters, and performances. The actual gameplay is a bit lacking, but the game makes up for it with its spectacle.
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem is a standalone expansion that takes Sam Stone to the icy land of Siberia. The expansion introduces new weapons, enemies, and gadgets for Sam to use against hordes of enemies of an unmatched scale.
Shadow Warrior 3 is a fantastic shooter that shows a great sense of focus. Its creative enemy designs, excellent progression, tight pacing, and satisfying combat continue to keep the series fresh. Lo Wang is better than ever and managed to make me laugh more than once. It’s held back by occasional bugs in both combat and traversal, but nothing that was too detrimental to the experience.
Inspector Waffles has charm, sharp writing, and an absorbing story. It features a wide cast of characters with their unique personalities and a rich noir atmosphere. It’s light in tone but doesn’t shy away from serious moments either. The game doesn’t overstay its welcome and provides accessibility options for different types of players. While simplistic in gameplay, it’s paced well enough throughout its campaign.
Mind Scanners is an emotional ride, full of tough decisions, excellent characters, and a haunting world. The game shines when all its elements are working in harmony, immersing players in its rich, evocative world. The art style is excellent, and its interface-based gameplay is engaging. There’s enough to chew on, and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Twelve Minutes is a bold adventure, one with shocking revelations, tense moments, and some very human interactions. It’s a point-and-click title that doesn’t do much to add to the genre, but there are enough encounters to make it worth playing. It’s a visually distinct game, with an excellent cast that truly makes up for an unforgettable experience.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is an excellent addition to the MudRunner series that retains the core experience of trekking through hazardous terrain while adding new tools that push you to become creative with how you maneuver around all sorts of obstacles. Its scientific research backdrop lends to greater mission variety, and deeper customization allows you to make each truck your own. It's a great place for newcomers to the series, and a fantastic new adventure for veterans alike.
Persona 3 Reload is a fantastic remake that cleverly integrates mechanics from subsequent entries to provide an experience that's polished, expertly paced, and full of heart. Its fast-paced combat, quality-of-life additions, and host of activities always keep you engaged no matter where you are in the story. The darker tone lends to an overall narrative that feels more consequential, and Tatsumi Port Island is a joy to explore. It's an excellent place for newcomers to the series and a must-buy for RPG fans.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a return to form for the franchise, and an excellent game that takes the series back to its 2D roots wrapped in a polished Metroidvania experience that's clever, engaging, and full of meaningful content to explore. The fast-paced combat rewards skillful play and the gorgeous art direction brings Mount Qaf to life. I just hope we don't have to wait another 13 years for another Prince of Persia title.
Outer Wilds is a masterpiece, and it's still a masterpiece on the Nintendo Switch. The unmatched sense of exploration and discovery is preserved on the platform. The superb soundtrack and excellent art direction persist despite some aliasing concerns. There are some minor performance issues in complex scenes, but none of those detract from the overall experience.