Entertainium's Reviews
Essays on Empathy is a fairly niche product – the projects here are more intriguing than entertaining, and the relative lack of interactivity will be a red line for many people. On the other hand, for those with a strong interest in narrative design and on the joys and pitfalls of indie development, this collection is a rare and valuable insight into a team who are undoubtedly forging their own unique and admirable path.
Although it covers fairly deep emotional subject matter, The Magnificent Trufflepigs is generally an extremely relaxing, easy-going game with no fail states; a “walk-‘em-up” where you wander across several fields, digging up old bits of rubbish while reminiscing with an old friend.
Without a doubt, if you’ve never touched Mass Effect before, the Legendary Edition is by far the best way to enjoy the series. Yeah, the original Mass Effect might not be to everyone’s taste even with the added improvements, but on the other hand, it’s probably as playable now as it’s ever going to be.
Hitchhiker can take you on a journey, but even it doesn’t seem too sure where it’s actually going.
SOMA is still a stronger narrative experience through and through, and if I had to rank their games, it would sit solidly somewhere between SOMA and the original Amnesia. In terms of crafting moody psychological horror first-person games, Frictional is one of the best there is, and I hope there’s more to come from them soon.
Resident Evil Village is a bombastic action horror ride that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and patience.
Biomutant sags under the weight of its various disparate elements, leading to a game which looks gorgeous, but is frustratingly mediocre.
Operation Eagle doesn’t particularly change the Iron Harvest formula, but it does add another very enjoyable campaign, complete air units for all factions.
With a bigger emphasis on speeding up the action and progression, Monster Hunter Rise is an excellent gateway into the franchise for newer players.
All in all, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is an entertaining sim with an incredibly fun premise that while slow at times is still rewarding to stick with and see through to the end. It’s also great to see developer Rebellion go out of their comfort zone and try something besides a shooter every now and then. They’ve managed to build quite a catalog during their run, and if Evil Genius 2 is any indication, they are more than welcome to experiment with their other hits of old.
If you’re a newcomer to Blizzard or have only gotten to know them over the last couple decades, the Blizzard Arcade Collection is an excellent way to discover more of their history, going to show that there’s more to them than only their catalog of established franchises. Even the (arguably) biggest companies in the business had to start small, and as the collection proves, creativity and passion can go a long way, even if the Blizzard of today might seem like a far cry from what it was back then.
Hopefully there will be more to be seen in the universe built for the game, but under much better circumstances. What Bloober Team has achieved left me with mixed feelings by the time I reached its conclusion, almost 8 hours in. I adored the setting and fiction that’s been created for The Medium but I struggle to think of a single section of it that I truly enjoyed playing. It’s surely a weird place to be when it comes to a game I’m writing a review for, and one I’m not used to having to deal with. While I’m glad I got to see what it’s all about, I’m in no hurry to replaying it anytime soon; but then again, I want to see what could be in store in the story if there’s ever a (mercifully much better conceived) sequel.
If you’ve the patience of a saint to be at the whim of the gods, Gods Will Fall is your kind of game.
Death by absolute frustration.
Loop Hero is a satisfyingly rich experience, and you don’t have to be a Roguelike masochist to enjoy it.
Sometimes it’s good to get into a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome and can be beaten as quickly as Olija. It’s got very little fat and values the time you spend with it by dropping you into a very tightly designed journey, and honestly I can’t fault Skeleton Crew Studios for how short this game can be if it’s as beautiful and enjoyable as it is. I could think of worse ways to spend the short hours it took to get through Olija, and I’m glad that I did.
Looked at as a puzzle game, or as a strictly entry-level stealth adventure, El Hijo has a lot to recommend it. It has a distinctive and attractive look, and a charm all of its own. Those looking for a genuinely emergent or inventive stealth experience, however, will be better served elsewhere.
All in all, while I would have been happier with a more complete set of open levels like in the last game, I can’t say I did not enjoy what was there in that regard in Hitman III. There’s plenty of more enjoyment to be hopefully had with all the post-game activities, as well as discovering the mastery objectives in the main story mode. It’s definitely not the best entry in the new trilogy in any stretch, but it’s a good spot for the series to take a breather and let us kids have our fun in its ever-growing sandbox. If we have a say in it, 47 will never be out of a job.
Monstrum Nox might play close to the vest in just about every aspect, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a quality JRPG. Sometimes a comfort game like this is just what’s needed, and Ys IX certainly fits the bill checking all the boxes that you can expect out of a game of its kind. It’s a very fun and straight to the point adventure that’s well worth your time even if it doesn’t break the norm in any sort of way whatsoever.
It may be more modest in its aspirations than the sprawling open-ended RPG some may have expected, but like a wolfpack on the hunt Earthblood is very efficient at what it does. Its story, characters and scope may leave something to be desired but its use of the lore is intriguing and its stealth and combat components are equally compelling. A pleasant surprise, Earthblood hopefully bodes well for future World of Darkness games.