Hey Poor Player
HomepageHey Poor Player's Reviews
There’s very little to criticize about Space Otter Charlie; cute, charming, addicting, with solid gameplay to boot. Add in the fact that you’re an adorable otter working hard to save the rest of animal-kind, there’s a lot to love in this little gem.
Although I feel like I didn’t quite understand all of what Genesis Noir was trying to accomplish in story, I absolutely understood the emotional journey it took me on. From the joyous beginnings to the urgently depressing ending and even the loneliness, hope, and determination that came after, Genesis Noir is a celebration of humanity, the universe, and of life itself. Genesis Noir is a church for the religious and non-religious alike, and a spiritual experience worth undertaking at any price. Will you traverse time and space for the one you love? Or will you find love among the cosmos along the way? Genesis Noir knows the answer — find out by pursuing this mesmerizing journey on console or PC.
While Balan Wonderworld has a few interesting ideas tucked up its costumed sleeves, none of them are executed particularly well, which makes the game feel like a real chore to play. From its dozens of forgettable costumes and frustrating mechanics to its uninspired visuals, it’s hard to recommend adding this one to your PS5 library, especially when there are much better platformers like Astro’s Playroom and Sackboy: A Big Adventure already available.
Retrace: Memories of Death attempts to recreate a horror game along the same vein as Corpse Party or escape themes like Zero Escape, and to an extent it succeeds; at the same time, its repetitive nature with few hints in sight meant way too much backtracking with too little reward. There’s only so many times I can read through the exact same text, solve the exact same puzzles, and pick up the exact same items only to receive an end I’d already seen, forcing me to walk in circles in perpetuity, when even death’s sweet embrace can’t release me.
Little Kite’s powerful portrayal of domestic violence is going to stay with me for a long time. Although the imagery was intense and the music divine, the point and click mechanics were frustrating for the console — as is unfortunately par for the course when it comes to this hardware and genre combination.
Sometimes it’s hard to determine what the best game in a series is. This time, it’s not. Regardless of what charms the Monster Hunter games of the past might have to offer, they’re no match for Rise‘s huge jump in overall quality and polish. I’m sure that Capcom will make a new Monster Hunter game someday and, when they do, maybe it will dethrone this one. But, until that time comes, Rise will be sitting at the top—and I’m very happy that it’s there.
Liberated is a great comic book turned video game. Dark and dystopian, almost absurdly gorgeous visuals, and a compelling story make this a surprising, but welcome, entry in the Switch library. Although you can beat the game within a few hours, don’t let the short run-time turn you off. There’s a lot of game packed into that those few hours.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a deeply beautiful, daringly emotional journey, tackling grief from a child’s point of view that still resonates strongly in adulthood. Clever wordplay spanning two different sections come together to create one touching story about an aspiring writer’s method of coping with the loss of a loved one. It may not be the most exciting game you’ve ever played, but it will be one of the more therapeutic ones. If you are looking for a lovely, healing game that will get you right in the feels, be sure to check out Lost Words: Beyond the Page.
Evil Genius 2 is a surprisingly addictive (evil) management sim. Despite there being a bit of repetitive busywork to do, there’s plenty of global domination wickedness for even the most power-hungry megalomaniac to sink their avaricious teeth into.
If you’ve yet to pick up the six previously-released games on this collection, then Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is easy to recommend. Packed with hours upon hours of retro-gaming goodness, it’s as close as it gets to a definitive look at SNK’s 16-bit handheld. I only hope that Big Tournament Golf, Dark Arms, and Metal Slug: 1st & Second Mission are added to the eShop down the road so that those who purchased the earlier releases don’t have to shell out another $40 to play these titles.
Synergia has a slow start, a scintillating middle, and some odd ends, but as an entire package it’s a solid yuri cyberpunk visual novel that has some forgivable offenses. With incredible aesthetics and real, raw characters, Synergia paints a dark and moody picture and, for the most part, delivers on its promises. If you’re interested in a cyberpunk love story that pulls heavily from classics like Blade Runner, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell that is perhaps too interesting for its own good, give Synergia a download.
If you’re a fan of Bomberman or roguelikes games in general, Cave Bad is worth the price of admission.
Paradise Lost is a grim alternate history lesson that asks tough philosophical questions about humanity and sacrifice. With a fascinating story and a genuinely engaging setting, it’s a game that’s easy to recommend to fans of the adventure genre. If you don’t mind the game’s lack of puzzles and plodding pacing, then be sure to make your way underground to uncover the bunker’s dark secrets. You won’t be disappointed.
Can’t Drive This is an absolute riot. It’s ridiculous, over the top, and you’re practically guaranteed to laugh until you can’t breathe. It’s unfortunate that it runs out of gas so quickly, though.
This game made some really strange choices, and I can’t say that I agree with all of them. And, to that end, I feel like some of you out there will end up feeling that way as well. You’ll still be able to find all of the traditional SoS garnishings within Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town if you’re willing to dig deep enough—just be prepared to do a whole lot of crafting along the way.
A short but fun escape room sort of puzzle-solver, Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a refreshing take on a found-footage horror story that replaces the camera with a cellphone. Fans of Doctor Who, regardless of which was your favorite Doctor, should try it. Especially at this price.
Dragonborne may not be perfect, but, if I’m being honest, its imperfections are kind of a part of its charm. While I obviously can’t say this for certain, it feels like everything in this game—both the bad and the good—was designed specifically to make this game feel like it was released in the early-mid 90s, just like any other Game Boy game out there. So, if you’re in the market for a new Game Boy game (remember, you can actually buy a cart of this!), then Dragonborne‘s probably right up your alley.
I enjoyed Bob Help Them’s wholesome nature and the action/puzzle/time management dynamic is an interesting idea. Unfortunately, the gameplay is too simplistic for its own good. Every action is performed the exact same way, and the gameplay doesn’t evolve over the course of its thirty-five levels. You’ll do the same thing in level one that you do in level thirty-five. There’s just nothing to spice up the gameplay, and the only real challenge is time management. It’s not a bad way to spend a lunch break, but it’s difficult to not want something more from it.
If you thought Among Us needed more storyline, mechanics, and a single-player mode and you enjoy beautiful graphics with a compelling story, you absolutely must pick up Gnosia. The fate of the universe rests on your sleuthing skills, lest you become doomed to repeat history again and again and again and again and again
Overall, I’m still pretty happy with Bravely Default II. I’ve been waiting for this game for a while now, and I’d say it mostly lived up to my expectations. There’s everything I love about the series here, from the characters to the challenging bosses to the well-organized systems. Sure, it’s mostly a linear experience, but there’s enough variety and sidequests to keep things fresh. And like any good Bravely Default game, there’s a handful of big twists to shock and amaze you.