Impulsegamer
HomepageImpulsegamer's Reviews
Hotel Barcelona delivers a wild, stylish, and often thrilling experience, blending the best of SUDA51 and Swery65's chaotic sensibilities with clever mechanics, gorgeous visuals, and an audacious sense of humor. Its combat is fun, its world is memorable, and its story, though flawed at times, is engaging in all the right ways. However, the game's brevity and underused mechanics leave it feeling like it's missing a larger piece of the puzzle, hinting at the potential for something far greater. Playing through it feels like being promised a full-course steak dinner, only to get a quick salad, a bite of steak with some potatoes, and then being rushed out before dessert. The pieces are there, and what you taste is good, but the meal ends just as it starts to get satisfying. Fans of offbeat, over-the-top action-horror with a cerebral twist will find much to enjoy here, while those expecting a fully realized roguelite epic may leave wanting just a bit more. Nevertheless, for those who revel in the bizarre, the bloody, and the brilliant, Hotel Barcelona provides a uniquely satisfying experience that rewards exploration, experimentation, and repeated play, even if it occasionally teases more than it delivers.
All in all, it’s a let down, but not a failure. It’s gorgeously rendered, and a direct evolution from the first game, but it’s left some of the grit and grime behind. If you are the type to love a city-builder, then you’ll likely love it more than the first, just know that there are some technical difficulties when your build number gets too high (you can drop your graphics settings to offset this). But if you were hoping for some hard choices and tough scenarios, the first game (plus DLCs) is the better choice.
I enjoyed Formula Legends for the most part, despite all the little oddities and quirks. It's a fun game that, with a little bit more work, could be great. The developers have announced that they're working on fixes to various bugs that exist. This, along with mod support out of the box, should hopefully keep this game interesting for a while to come.
Byte Barrel returns with another explosive love letter to all things Lovecraftian.
Time to grow out that stache and boogie like it's 1974 as Poirot returns for a freaky deaky trip down the Nile.
AAA samurai action with style, depth and thrilling combat; an open-world triumph.
I reckon this Tactics remaster is one of the few games I'll come back to each year just to re-fill my cup and remind myself how good this kind of gaming can be.
Midnight Murder Club is an original, fun party game with a compelling concept and price, marred by duds of gamemodes and quality of life issues that take away from the experience, but do not ruin it.
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is an island exploration title, where you'll meet and befriend characters and unlock their memories. There are many secrets to unearth and relationships to build-up as you play the game.
A dumb fun Retro RPG with smart mechanics and a sense of humour as salty as South Park.
Call of the Sea on the Nintendo Switch is not a flawless game, and may not be the best place to try to experience the heaviness and brevity of the story trying to be told, but you can still jump into this world just fine on this system. The flexibility of playing on a handheld and taking it anywhere is a major advantage that helps offset many of the game's shortcomings. It is a modest, heartfelt adventure that blends puzzles, story, and atmosphere into something earnestly memorable. While the Switch struggles to do justice to its presentation, the underlying experience is still worth a look, particularly for those eager to uncover what lies beneath the waves before the sequel surfaces.
A surprisingly touching cyberpunk thriller that will stick with you long after the credits roll
Super Robot Wars Y has fully sold me on the franchise. It's a deep and fun tactical RPG with loads to do. Excellent performance on both desktop and Steam Deck, and a stunning soundtrack make this one an easy one to recommend for anime and tactical RPG fans alike.
Weltenbauer should be commended for creating such an immersive and exciting experience, one that respects the profession it simulates while delivering tense, rewarding gameplay. With additional DLC planned for later this year - promising new missions, vehicles, and gear - there's plenty to look forward to for those ready to don their virtual firefighting gear and answer the call.
Indy returns to Rome with a more cerebral side story featuring some of the best brainteasers in the whole adventure.
Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots is fine. It's filled with minor annoyances that on their own aren't anything massive, but when added up, detract from the experience somewhat. With that said, it's fine. By no means the worst golf game I've ever played, it's just that it isn't the best, either.
Whisper of the House is a cosy decorating sim where unpacking rooms slowly reveals hidden secrets and unsettling anomalies.
Triangle Strategy serves up plenty of treats for players. An intrigue-filled story with well-written characters and deep combat are just a few. Classic pixel-art visuals and excellent sound design definitely add to it. Is the game worth picking up? In my opinion – yes, even several years after its release.
Otherskin does have some interesting game mechanics, the core idea is indeed pretty cool. For me it was just a bit too rough around the edges and lacking polish to keep me interested. If you are after a game with a slightly different approach that adds some new ways to play and complete levels (light puzzle solving)… it might be worth your time. I would probably recommend at least waiting for a sale though.
Ultimately, Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek succeeds as a gateway horror game. It isn't designed to terrify; instead, it captures the feeling of kids pushing past their curfew, sticking their noses where they don't belong, and discovering something just a little too strange. While adults may find the gameplay easy and the scares mild, younger players (and parents looking for something spooky, but safe) will likely find it just right. With its mix of exploration, light puzzle-solving, and approachable scares, this game feels like Goosebumps brought to life in the way it always should have been. If PHL Collective gets a chance to expand on these ideas in a sequel, the future of Goosebumps games looks brighter, and creepier, than ever.