LadiesGamers.com's Reviews
Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams is the best jigsaw puzzle game I have ever played. It only has one issue: it is pretty graphics intensive. It seems to run my computer a little hot, but nothing my gaming laptop can’t handle. I feel that most people’s computers would have a little trouble keeping this running well. But if you like jigsaw puzzles and you have a fairly decent machine, you cannot go wrong with Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams.
Rainbow Cotton is okay but not great. The developers have had a valiant crack at bringing the game to Nintendo Switch and adding a few modern touches. Unfortunately, some core problems with the game still persist. Like many games that started strong in 2D, the transition to 3D hasn’t worked great for Cotton. Shooting doesn’t feel that satisfying; movement is sluggish, and difficulty is very unbalanced in places. The game does shine with its presentation and graphics. Overall, I settled on liking the game myself. But I would say this is really only for the retro and die-hard Cotton fans. If you’re starting your Cotton adventure, I would suggest trying Cotton Reboot and circling back to this if the series clicks with you.
While writing my review, I kept going back and forth in my verdict on the game. I’m having a grand time playing Endless Ocean Luminous. Writing about it made me want to play it, which is always a good sign. The Story Mode, however, is a big letdown. It does an awful job as a tutorial, and it feels grindy to unlock the chapters. The treasures you can find and things you can do with your coins seem a bit meagre. I wonder if people will feel enough incentive to return once the novelty wears off. The game will have to prove itself with the upcoming Dive Festivals, as the Shared Dives are the star of the show. Looking at the price point, I feel it’s too high to warrant an I Like it a Lot. I’m enjoying Endless Ocean Luminous, but it needs some more oomph.
Shockman 3 will not appeal to everyone, but I liked this game. The gameplay formula is very simple and probably hasn’t aged as well as other entries in the series. However, with its over-exaggerated anime presentation and tight controls, I had an absolute blast with it. Easy to recommend to fans of the series or retro gamers. But if retro is not your thing, you can give this one a miss. Still, for a low price point, even the curious should consider giving this a go just to see how great the PC Engine CD was.
Hexguardian won me over with its simple but addictive gameplay. While the familiar foundations of a tower defence game are all here, the random generation and ability to manipulate the terrain made this a game I was keen to jump back into run after run. I guess if you absolutely despise the tower defence genre, this may not be the case for you. But if you’re looking for a fun game to enjoy in long or short bursts and you don’t mind playing on PC, then this is well worth picking up or at least adding to your wishlist. For me, the game is Hex-Cellent. If you want to try it first, there is a free demo available on Steam.
I was delighted to find that Surmount was more than just a platforming adventure of climbing a single mountain. The side expeditions, storyline and humorous interactions with other climbers make it a joyful experience, even for those of us whose climbing skills are lacking. The coordination needed to control your little climber grabbing the rock face and flinging them in the right direction is harder than it looks and makes this a challenging adventure. The option of a local co-op is a great addition and makes Surmount a fun game to share. Unfortunately, my co-op player and I glitched a few too many times to give Surmount a Two Thumbs Up (our initial thoughts). But it made us smile and laugh, especially with low gravity, so it’s a:
I’m having a blast playing this game while I know nothing about other Touhou Projects, or Gensokyo for that matter. For fans of the games who love a bit of time management simulation, Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya is a must-play. It’s not just about cooking dishes quickly and sufficiently; the simulation aspect is fleshed out nicely as well. Chatting with characters during the day and serving them the best dishes at night ensures their friendship level rises. Which in turn leads to hearing their unique stories and their help in getting recipes, ingredients and so on. Add a great soundtrack and good graphics to all that, and you’ll understand why I love this game.
Another Crab’s Treasure has some bugs and some issues, it has some platforming challenges I prefer to never do again if I can help it, but overall, it’s a wonderful game. There is a lot of humor, a lot of beauty, and a wonderful story and music in this title (oh man, this review is already over 2,000 words, and I didn’t even talk about how good the story and music were! I have so much more I could say about this game). It’s a triumph of a Souls-like that is welcoming, accessible, and funny. I love this game more than I can say, and I think it’s art. But sadly, I can’t give it a very good rating based on the version I played. I can say that I recommend this game to everyone who has ever wanted to play a Souls-like but couldn’t get through it. I recommend this to everyone who ever loved absurdist SpongeBob SquarePants humor. I recommend this to anyone who loves Little Mermaid. If you want to laugh, cry, and have a really good time, pick up Another Crab’s Treasure. But if you have a choice, don’t pick it up on the Nintendo Switch.
I don’t love The Lullaby of Life, but I do like it, and I did get quite attached to Bombo while playing the game. I enjoyed the music and how the game looks. But at times, it certainly was not as relaxing as the blurb on the Steam page would lead you to believe. However, if you have high dexterity and are quick off the mark when pressing the right buttons to send out the soundwaves, then The Lullaby of Life might be for you.
Echoes of the Plum Grove is a charming addition to the well-populated farming/survival sim games genre. While none of the gameplay mechanics are particularly novel, the game’s unique look is sure to attract quite a few fans. At the same time, the game offers more than enough content to make you stay in-game for several seasons.
RoboSync is a short, sweet puzzle game that is cheap and offers a unique little gaming experience. It’s fun, challenging, and simple to learn. If you enjoy these kinds of puzzles that hyperfocus on one type of puzzle, you will most likely get a kick out of RoboSync.
Cats Balance is a delightful little puzzle game created entirely in a cozy color palette and pixel graphics. The music is pleasant enough, but it can be played with music off while doing something else, as I did.
In all honesty, I was pretty disappointed with Doctor Cat. I like the idea, and the artwork is spectacular, but the execution is not amazing. If you are looking for a jigsaw puzzle-type game and you are willing to shell out $6 USD for 12-24 puzzles, I can recommend this game. The puzzles are pretty fun. However, the rest of the game, from the music to the text, kind of let me down. I’m not sure how I feel about Doctor Cat. I am certainly not in love with it, and I know I am disappointed at what was missing, but I did have some fun with the actual puzzles. However, I’m not sure I can recommend this game.
Poorzzle – Puzzle Alive is one of those puzzle games that is particularly frustrating. It’s clean, the action is great, and the sound design is okay, but the overall product is not as much fun as it could easily be. I was very disappointed with how this turned out, considering how good the basic idea, look, and feel of the game was. Free or not, I think this developer needs a few more playtesters and translation help.
Sagres feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch, especially in handheld mode. It is an addictive adventure that can be picked up in long and short bursts that will particularly appeal to players who like numbers and stats. The difficulty can spike a bit unfairly in places, and missions can sometimes feel repetitive. But with an addictive gameplay loop and impressive detail to history and geography, Sagres is currently looking like one of the best hidden gems this year. If you’re looking for something different to become immersed in, then I highly recommend sailing the seas of the eShop to find this.
If you like Sokoban-inspired puzzles, then Sokobalien is a great buy. For the price asked, you can have the game on your handheld device and take it with you. A great pick-up and play puzzler!
Lunar Lander Beyond was a mixed experience for me. On the one hand, I liked how the game maintained the control scheme from the original, requiring patience and careful control to succeed in missions. The different ships, upgrades and pilot perks also add some satisfying variety to keep you interested till the end of the game. The reasonably short mission structure would also appeal to busy gamers who can only fit a few short sessions in here and there. Features I wasn’t so fond of was the stress meter which felt more like a nuisance than a rewarding challenge to overcome. Also, the missions, while showing some variety, felt a bit repetitive at times. Do I recommend the game? Yes. Lunar Lander Beyond is different from a lot of games on the market, and so long as you go in with a patient mindset, I think you’ll have fun with it.
Ready, Steady, Ship! is another example of a game that turns a real-world occupation into something silly but ultimately fun. That is provided you’re playing in co-op. Single-player is not awful, but it highlights some of the game’s niggles, such as floaty controls, wonky physics and the experience feeling more mundane. But throw a controller at another player, and much of this is overlooked since you can just sit back and have fun with the silliness on screen. Add to the star system not being tied to a time limit, and you also have an experience that’s welcoming to those who have found other co-op games a tad stressful. Need another game night for two? Then consider Ready, Steady, Ship! for your next purchase.
It won’t take long to fall in love with Nowa and his initial teammates on the Watch, and the bittersweet story beats come achingly fast in the first act of the game. Those who played the prologue game, Eiyuden Chronicles Rising, won’t have to wait long to meet some familiar faces and learn the answers to some of the questions left hanging there. From there, the journey is a comfortably familiar but emotional one, where power-hungry villains separate friends and family under the banner of a war that threatens to grow out of control. It’s a beefy game, too, with backers who already got their copy claiming that they’re clocking 60 hours on a fast-paced playthrough, and I’m suggesting that around 80 is going to be a fair hour count for most players. Chock full of stuff to do, things to explore, and characters to meet and collect; for some of us, this is the game we wanted when we were teens and still enjoying our last free summers. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a fantastic JRPG, wearing its old-school quirks like a badge of pride, with even its deliberate annoyances feeling like a wool flannel shirt. I can safely say it’s a terrific game and one its backers will welcome home with delight.
Paragon Pioneers 2 is an idle simulation ideal for patient players who enjoy making small changes and returning later to see the larger effects. However, I’m not a particularly patient person, and while I took delight upon returning to Paragon Pioneers 2, seeing that my little pioneers had been busy at work during the time I was absent, I’m not into idle gameplay. I much prefer to play a game and see the effects there and then. But for those players who enjoy idle gameplay, Paragon Pioneers 2 is definitely a game to try either on PC or mobile.