Petr Polák


116 games reviewed
75.3 average score
75 median score
98.3% of games recommended
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Jul 17, 2022

Ghostrunner – Project_Hel is a perfect expansion that adds another piece to the Ghostrunner puzzle. Hel is a brutal and relentless killing machine, and the DLC sheds more light on why she was so difficult to defeat in the main story. The gameplay is more aggressive than in the main game, while also offering greater freedom. Hel is simply no guardian of good, as evidenced not only by her abilities but also by the overall pace of the game. Unfortunately, like the main game, the DLC is relatively short, and in some cases, there is also a certain imbalance in the levels. Project_Hel is definitely not recommended if you haven’t completed the main game yet, as the beginning of Hel is similar to the advanced levels of Ghostrunner.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Dune: Spice Wars
Jul 9, 2022

Dune: Spice Wars is a well-crafted 4X strategy game set in the world of Dune. The diversity and balance of the factions—including the tech tree, buildings, and, to some extent, units—is truly impressive. What one faction lacks in combat, it makes up for in counterintelligence, sabotage, or politics. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into this, and the game’s balance is flawless. However, as you play, you’ll eventually get the feeling that something is missing to make you fully satisfied. There are very few units and the sound design is rather lackluster. The absence of a deeper story is noticeable, so you’re playing pure strategy, trying to capture as much territory as possible to launch the final assault.

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9 / 10.0 - Kingdom Rush
Jul 4, 2022

Kingdom Rush is hugely popular on Steam. The numbers speak for themselves—an extremely positive rating, with 97% of 7,665 reviews, is a good indicator. The game is very well-balanced, smooth, sufficiently challenging, and features charming visuals. Really, if you’re looking for a solid, fun, and satisfying tower defense game, you should definitely give it a try; for me, it’s number one.

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7 / 10.0 - Line War
Jul 2, 2022

Line War undoubtedly offers innovative gameplay concepts, but they seem to be severely underutilized. I would understand if this were an early access game, but as it stands, it strikes me as odd. The gameplay is very well-executed within the overall concept and definitely has potential, since there’s no need for perfect micro-management—you just need to think through your strategy, outline your commands, and focus on other things. The biggest downside, aside from the small player community, is clearly the absence of a classic mode where you can play against the AI. As it stands, it’s essentially a case of “playing chess against yourself."

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Jun 30, 2022

Achilles: Legends Untold does a fantastic job of working with the legend of Achilles and seamlessly integrating it into an isometric, Souls-like RPG. The graphics are appealing, the story is engaging and keeps you hooked, and at the same time, the game gives you the freedom to explore beautiful locations and enjoy battles against mythological creatures. The variety of enemies is truly diverse, as is the range of weapons and equipment. It’s a real shame there’s no map in the game, because the locations are very well-designed with seamless transitions—but wandering around blindly just isn’t the same. But if you use the hint to tell you which way to go while completing a quest, you’ll miss out on a lot of fun and great battles. You can tell the game is in early access, as there are a few technical bugs and occasionally some odd AI behavior—mostly with weaker enemies. Mythological creatures and bosses behave as expected and in line with their nature, and they are really well-designed. Given that the developers are very active and communicate with the community, they fix reported issues very quickly while also adding new content. The game will definitely entertain fans of solid Souls-style RPGs as well as lovers of mythology.

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Jun 25, 2022

Trigon: Space Story is a well-crafted rogue-like set in a space setting. You play as the captain, commanding the crew of your spaceship as they strive to survive in this hostile galaxy at all costs. It’s entirely up to you which path you take and what tactics you use to destroy enemy ships. Every action here has a reaction, and every decision will have consequences. You can go from being the galaxy’s darling to having a hefty bounty on your head in the blink of an eye. The game currently features a total of four distinct races, each with different specializations and additional perks. Combat takes place in split-screen mode and is quite dynamic, though sometimes heavily unbalanced. There’s also a wide array of weapons and equipment, all presented in a nice 3D isometric style complemented by a great soundtrack that perfectly enhances the atmosphere. Compared to the aforementioned FTL, there is definitely a greater emphasis on the crew here. However, this well-made game is let down by significant imbalance and the need for a lot of grinding for resources so that, over time, you’ll be able to upgrade your ship and survive at all. But if you save up enough, you’ll make it to the end of this space story.

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Jun 18, 2022

Aircraft Carrier Survival is a pretty entertaining game that gives you a lighthearted taste of the tough life of an aircraft carrier commander. However, it’s more of an action card game with management elements than a simulator. The game’s action sequences are often provided by enemy attacks, during which you have to quickly prepare your defenses. At that moment, you’ll often find yourself not knowing where to click first. Managing aircraft, crew, and supplies is enjoyable, though the user interface could be a bit more intuitive. The World War II theme, viewed through the lens of life on an aircraft carrier, is quite original, but some mechanics and elements could use a rework or a bit of improvement. Graphically, the game lacks depth and polish. The requirement to use cards for attacks can feel a bit clunky, and the controls could be less complicated. You’ll also often have issues with the camera—when you want to look at a specific part of your ship, the camera either doesn’t respond or makes an unpredictable movement.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Wildermyth
Jun 7, 2022

Wildermyth is a very charming turn-based RPG with a rich story. What kind of story? The game’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it doesn’t tell just a single story, but weaves together the random adventures of random characters like pieces of a mosaic. Thanks to the characters’ diverse traits, their random generation, and their interactions with one another, you’ll find yourself in funny, suspenseful, romantic, and even sad situations and interpersonal relationships that sometimes feel all too much like real life. All of this is spiced up by an exciting combat system.

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7 / 10.0 - Kao the Kangaroo
May 30, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is a fun game that revives an old title about a kangaroo who loves to box and collect gold coins. While the story isn’t anything new, the simple mechanics help keep the game engaging and fun to play. It’s clear that the game has no deeper ambitions; rather, it aims to entertain a wide range of players while evoking a sense of nostalgia for older gamers. It certainly succeeds in doing so, because the gameplay is what really draws you in.

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5 / 10.0 - Winter Ember
May 17, 2022

Winter Ember is a dark isometric stealth game inspired by the Thief series. You can roam a gloomy Victorian city, occasionally break into a house, kill enemies, or trade on the black market while searching for secret paths and hidden corners. Unfortunately, the game also has quite a few shortcomings. Setting aside technical bugs, the main issue is the complete lack of any deeper purpose for civilian NPCs. The stealth mechanics—the core of the game—are designed quite well, and the overall gameplay is solid. The upside is that the developers have faced the heavy criticism head-on and have already confirmed changes and fixes. As it stands, the game is truly on a fine line between being recommended and not—at its core, it’s not a bad game, but it still has many shortcomings.

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8 / 10.0 - Gloomhaven
May 3, 2022

Gloomhaven is a highly successful digital adaptation of the globally popular and acclaimed board game. The game offers hours of mental challenges with a sophisticated combat system and fairly interesting stories and objectives for each mercenary. However, the Guildmaster mode is clearly the standout feature of the video game, as it has a more dynamic pace compared to the classic campaign—especially since fatigue sets in over time, as the vast number of missions eventually becomes repetitive. As a board game adaptation, you’ll likely enjoy the game more in a relaxed atmosphere with friends in co-op mode than by trying to rush through it.

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May 1, 2022

Endzone - A World Apart is an engaging post-apocalyptic building strategy game that will keep you glued to your screen for hours on end. It particularly stands out for its appealing and fairly original design of certain buildings and mechanics. Thanks to the changing conditions—notably unstable weather, radiation, and the ability to send scouts into the ruins—it’s a lot of fun. However, the settlement’s defense could be a bit more in-depth, and it wouldn’t hurt to have more building upgrade options or a larger research tree. Even so, it’s a very well-made game within its category.

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8 / 10.0 - Nebuchadnezzar
Apr 20, 2022

Nebuchadnezzar is a very enjoyable city-building strategy game that involves micromanagement and focuses on infrastructure and the needs of the population. However, in certain phases, setting the route for every merchant or water carrier can be a bit tedious. It’s also a bit of a shame that the game, especially in its later stages, lacks elements that could significantly impact or disrupt gameplay, such as storms or other environmental factors. Despite this, it’s a well-made title that you’ll spend plenty of time with—provided you’re a fan of city-building strategy games with micromanagement. However, if you’ve played Pharaoh, you might be slightly disappointed by some elements in the game and the visual absence of monument construction.

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6 / 10.0 - INDUSTRIA
Apr 18, 2022

INDUSTRIA is a game that, in certain situations, undoubtedly offers interesting visuals and sound design. However, while playing, you’ll encounter a large number of graphical glitches in particular, and aside from a few moments where the atmosphere feels more immersive, it’s an average FPS game. Its inspiration from Half-Life 2 promised an interesting gaming experience. Setting the story in an alternative steampunk city had great potential, but this potential went largely untapped—especially since practically nothing happens for the first 30 minutes, and before you know it, the game is over. Furthermore, even though it’s been a few months since the game’s release and many fixes have been implemented, the Steam achievement for completing the game on Hardcore is still not working.

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Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr is a well-crafted game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which clearly focuses on solid gameplay, action, and "blood and gore" elements. The characters and their specializations are complemented by a weapon-based skill system that is very well-designed and adds even more variety. However, after a few hours of initial excitement, the game can start to feel very repetitive, mainly due to the generic, repetitive tasks.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Ghostwire: Tokyo
Mar 21, 2022

Ghostwire: Tokyo is undoubtedly one of this year’s most pleasant surprises. The combination of an open-world action-adventure and an RPG is a success. The game’s story makes you want to keep going and uncover the secrets of its world. In some situations, the tension is palpable—not just because of the combat, but also due to the various terrifying encounters you’ll face. Completing side missions assigned by spirits, yokai, nekomata, or tanuki also has its own charm and fits perfectly into the game. It’s clear that a great deal of care was put into the side missions as well. In terms of gameplay and the absence of weapons, this is a relatively fresh take on the FPS genre that simply captivates. However, the game is slightly let down by minor bugs and, at times, unbalanced combat in certain situations. It will most excite fans of Japan and its local folklore and legends.

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Mar 12, 2022

King Arthur: Knight's Tale is undoubtedly a very interesting game that offers players a fantastic take on the legend of King Arthur. Given the various moral choices that influence your journey and your companions, it’s a game with great replay value—you simply won’t be able to resist trying to play through everything with different companions and a different playstyle. The icing on the cake is the graphics, sound design, and fantastic soundtrack. However, what drags the game down are non-functional subtitles in some sections and minor bugs. The game also takes up an incredible 125 GB of disk space.

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9 / 10.0 - Project Wingman
Mar 8, 2022

Project Wingman is a very well-made flight arcade game that can proudly hold its own against AAA titles. While it’s occasionally evident that this is a one-man project with a limited budget, it’s a refreshing change of pace that will win you over with its gameplay, mission design, and graphics. The AI behaves exactly according to the selected difficulty level, and your teammates aren’t just there for show. In Conquest mode, you can also build your own mercenary air force army according to your own preferences and focus. The only real criticism is the menu controls and interface. If you can get past that, you’ll have a game that will keep you entertained for hours, whether it’s through dogfights, free flight, or the graphics.

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7.5 / 10.0 - ELEX II
Feb 28, 2022

Elex 2 is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise that skillfully builds on its predecessor. The story itself and its subsequent impact on the world, the old factions, and the characters are truly well-done; they feel believable and solid. The gameplay is enjoyable, and the game simply draws you in, making you want to keep going and complete various tasks, explore the world, craft gear, negotiate with factions, and take down enemies. It’s clear that the developers have learned from their previous mistakes and are striving to improve the open-world RPG style they’re so familiar with. While there are still a few bugs, they aren’t anything so extreme that they would significantly spoil the experience or dampen the desire to play.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Aeon Must Die!
Feb 20, 2022

Aeon Must Die! is undoubtedly a highly innovative and distinctive title that breathes new life into the genre. However, it certainly isn’t a classic beat ’em up, as many of the combat sequences and action scenes are interrupted by dialogue windows. To top it all off, the gameplay is a bit clunky, and the combat feels awkward. Even so, it’s a well-made game that’s innovative, with distinctive visuals and a perfect soundtrack—that is, if you’re a fan of synthwave. Once you get the hang of the combat and game mechanics, you’ll keep coming back, even if you keep getting your butt kicked, because you’ll just want to take down that ever-improving, tougher-than-ever monster.

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