Chalgyr's Game Room
HomepageChalgyr's Game Room's Reviews
Overall, while Blue Fire does fall a bit more on the harder side of things which could turn some people away, it’s enjoyable and the challenges were welcome as it wasn’t simply another action, adventure, 3D Platformer. The skills that you learn only ever compile on top of one another and are never really just for the current set of challenges or dungeons that you find yourself in. As an added bonus, you look adorable while doing it!
To conclude, I have to ask myself. Did I enjoy the game? The answer is: Yes! I did enjoy it. Even if I had no clue at first what was going on. But the way these short stories were written were still oowey, goowey and warm. It definitely got my heart pumping. And to anyone who had the joy of enjoying the base game, you’ll simply fall in love with these extra stories. Overall, I’m giving this game 8 out of 10. It would have made it to a 9 if I had a better understand of the main game. Hopefully, you won’t jump into this blind like I did. *Giggle*
Overall though, Squeaky Wheel Studio Inc have done a great job for even a newbie like me to have enjoyed my time with Academia: School Simulator. With loads of options and easy ways to put them into place, who knew building a school could both be easy and fun while also being the biggest nightmare that I’ve ever imposed upon other living beings?
Overall, Tadpole Treble Encore is a cute title that is about as sweet as it is short. While less of a game to sit down to for an extended length of time, there is a sort of old-school cartoon nostalgia from the art style, and the music tracks are well arranged. Despite a few quirks with the gameplay, the progression is rather smooth and fairly intuitive. Tadpole Treble Encore is definitely a niche title, but not one you should shy away from. Yes it may be short, but it's rather endearing and maybe a good starter if you're interested in getting into rhythm style games.
There is a lot of potential in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, I just wish more of it had been fully realized. There are moments of excitement to be had, especially in the game’s earlier hours as you take on your werewolf form and lay waste to your opponents. However, the combat and many of the environments become repetitive relatively quick. Given the game’s tie-in to the well-established RPG property of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, I do wish there had been more depth in both character development and the story itself. There is a ton of potential lore to draw from here, but it misses some of those opportunities. The end result? A decent enough weekend action-RPG binge, but not much else.
Having enjoying the racing game Redout, I was looking forward to seeing the developer’s take on the space shooting genre. They got some things right, especially the on-rails sections and creating a nice sense of speed, but there’s enough rough edges coupled with a lack of depth that relegates Redout: Space Assault to simply being an average, budget entry into the genre.
Sword of the Necromancer is a solid Rogue-Lite action RPG title that has a clever resurrection mechanic, but otherwise doesn’t do much new and different. That said, what Sword of the Necromancer does, it does pretty well and makes it one of the more enjoyable enters into the genre.
Overall, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox sets up for some rather interesting possibilities to the eventual Ys X that I’m already stupidly excited for. The change of direction from the rest of the series and having Adol explore one city and its surroundings instead of unknown and untamed wildlands with loads of ancient runes and various villages and towns isn’t a bad one but I do hope for more of a mix of the two in the next adventure.
While I don’t generally sit down to horror, or horror like experiences, the Bloober Team with their atmospheric and psychological horror The Medium had me hooked from start to finish. With a very well paced story and solid mechanics that let you explore the run down resort that Marianne finds herself in, it was really hard to put down the controller as the secrets that often lay right around the corner just begged to be answered.
Overall though, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy is an excellent sequel to Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout. While the refinements to the gameplay’s perspective of the adventure alone are worth the return, the return of the original cast and of the protagonist for another adventure was something that the series has been missing for a long time. It’s not to say that most of the sequels in the various trilogies weren’t worth it as Atelier Firis remains just about my number one entry, but seeing first hand the growth of the protagonist on their next adventure was something that this series needed and it did it very well.
Overall, while not quite at the level of its predecessor in terms of either length or script, Professor Lupo: Ocean still delivers a great puzzle solving adventure with water physics that won't make you cry, challenging yet reasonable puzzles, and a slew of bonus objectives to keep you entertained. There are plenty of puzzles, new monsters to avoid, and it was a great time to be had.
Despite the game issues, I had a fun time managing my empire, making deals with other bosses, and laughing at the discourse between people. Sure, the combat was weird at times, but it's not really difficult. And even though I played Empire of Sin for a decent amount of time, I can't in good conscience rate it very high. It needs some more time to hammer out the bugs and give players a few more options - or breathing room. Overall, I give this title a 7 out of 10.
On a final note, Shady Part of Me should have been on my Game of the Year list but with how late it was released, it sadly won’t be making it as I quite literally got to experience this tale this past weekend. It’s not a very long adventure, but it packs a punch both from the visuals and the musical score, to the emotions coming through both of your protagonists as they try to find the exit that they’ve been searching for together.
Overall, I really love Per Aspera. It is a fantastic game that keeps players on their toes. Unlike other colony builders, players feel a connection to the colonists and to the mission. It is a spectacular game like no other and I absolutely adore it. Per Aspera has amazing audio and voice acting that are well suited to the title and I can't get enough of it! For me, there are some minor UI issues, but I give Per Aspera a 9 out of 10. Do yourselves a favor and buy it now. Take out the weird aliens. The mission depends on it!
Suzerain is a fantastic political simulator that illustrates the complexity of ruling a country. It is a very clean game with plenty of intrigue to keep players interested, just like in real-world politics. I had a great time playing a President and learning about Sordland. Despite my issues with the auto-saving not registering, I give Suzerain an 8 out of 10. Don't let this title fool you into thinking it's easy to reform ideas or preventing civil war. So, don't sleep on Suzerain because the country of Sordland needs you!
Swords of Gargantua is one of those games that feels like a missed opportunity. There is some solid potential to have an interesting story, but the narrative bits never really develop. I am a pretty easy sell on the idea of a VR melee combat game, and to its credit Swords of Gargantua handles pretty well the majority of the time, but there just is not much reason to continue playing after awhile. Progression is shallow and the gameplay really never develops in a meaningful way. Swords of Gargantua is a perfectly adequate game without a lot of incentive to keep coming back for more. It's a perfectly average VR experience, but I had hoped for a bit more.
Space Invaders Forever is a cool collection of games based on the classic alien blasting classic. They all serve a slightly different function from single player, to multiplayer to an almost puzzle-y mashup with Arkanoid. None of these titles has a ton of depth to them, but at the same time they all manage to scratch that addictive arcade shooter itch that Space Invaders is so well known for.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is an excellent strategy / RPG hybrid that recalls some of my favorite old school games of the genre, but benefits from some modern updates and solid storytelling. The presentation didn’t wow me, but the progression is rewarding and the combat meaty enough that I stayed engaged for dozens of hours. This was the perfect holiday gift for me (if not my spare time, which Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia soaked up a lot of).
Overall, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is a great roguelike, albeit a rather tough roguelike. There is plenty of variety to be had, and the difficulty isn't artificial. With a wide breadth of items and effects to manage, some fun mini games, and stages that don't drag on too long, Shiren is definitely a really fun roguelike for those familiar with the genre. Those new to the scene may be in for a bit of a challenge though, as Shiren doesn't pull many punches. So buckle up and try to change the fate of a poor village girl in this title that rolled rather well on the old D10.
So on the note that it ends, I believe we can expect more unexpected quests in the future. In order to progress though, the series will need a few modifications to be done to the style in order to make it more interesting as the current formula gets a little stale after a few hours as the only thing changing was the stage layouts and puzzle aspects of what had to be done before what. Otherwise if you've been looking for something in the real time strategy vein that's been very slim pickings of late and are up for a little bit of puzzle solving, The Unexpected Quest may just be worth checking out.