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The Thirsty Mage

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79 games reviewed
78.8 average score
80 median score
65.8% of games recommended

The Thirsty Mage's Reviews

6 / 10.0 - Royal Frontier
Mar 23, 2022

Royal Frontier has the foundation for a capable rogue-like but ultimately doesn’t do enough with its formula. It has the road map for a fulfilling journey, but it doesn’t provide enough interesting stops along the way to provide a reason to make the trip more than once. It isn’t a bad journey, but it isn’t one worth boasting about in the tavern at the end.

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Taro follows in the footsteps of Shakespeare by following his masterful comedy with a breath-taking tragedy.

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9 / 10.0 - Monark
Feb 16, 2022

The amazing thing about these moment to moment battles is that they always end in euphoria and rarely cause fatigue. The sense of victory that comes from figuring out the next location to explore or that final blow on a boss always provides a boost of energy before the next challenge. In every way possible, Monark succeeds in providing an amazing experience that always keeps you on the edge of your seat.

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8 / 10.0 - Grapple Dog
Feb 12, 2022

Between the cute graphics, enjoyable platforming, and terrific soundtrack, Grapple Dog is a great first offer from Super Rare Games and matches the spirit that the company projects with its selections of indie games.

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Feb 9, 2022

Rise of the Third Power succeeds in both presenting a combat system that’s worth exploring, and a group of characters worth getting emotionally invested in.

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Despite some dated design elements that could have used a few modern adjustments, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is as playable and engaging today as it was when it was released in 2003. The core gameplay mechanics still work well with the excellent world-building and storytelling, and being able to play a classic in handheld mode makes it an attractive purchase on the Nintendo Switch.

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At the end of the day, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a solid effort despite its flaws.

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Nov 1, 2021

Yomi, the labyrinth itself, is the star of this game. Intricately-designed, the labyrinth is a sprawling, deadly complex with plenty of mysteries propelled by an intriguing narrative that will keep players hooked.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Backbone
Oct 27, 2021

Backbone sells itself as a new kind of point-and-click adventure that includes dialogue choices and some light stealth mechanics. It does technically have these, but whether they help Backbone stand out over traditional games in the genre is a matter of debate. The main attraction here is definitely the masterful pixel art design that is head and shoulders above the crowd.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Shadow Corridor
Oct 24, 2021

Shadow Corridor is a low-budget, digital haunted house experience that delivers exactly what it promises and is good for a night of spooky fun as a novelty experience.  It’s thrills might not be enough to sustain the experience past the first few levels, but the experience provided by the early portion of the game might be worth the low price of entry alone.

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9 / 10.0 - Metroid Dread
Oct 18, 2021

Metroid Dread is a phenomenal journey that goes from zero to sixty and hardly ever lets up on the throttle. A compelling rush from its initial moments right up until the last epic battle, most if not all of my criticisms of Dread are mere nitpicks in the overall picture.

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Oct 15, 2021

The Caligula Effect 2 is a big, content-heavy, competent game that suffers from poor graphical presentation. The premise and characters are interesting and the combat system is engaging, which helps make up for lackluster dungeons and world design and sub-par visual presentation on the Nintendo Switch.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Steel Assault
Oct 6, 2021

As recommendations go, Steel Assault is certainly fun for an hour or so, but the price at launch seems high for the amount of content provided. If money isn’t a factor and you’re simply looking for a short and sweet side-scroller with fun combat and nice graphics, then this may be up your alley.

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6 / 10.0 - Aeon Drive
Oct 4, 2021

Normally my competitive nature would compel me to work towards becoming first in as many levels as possible, but the lack of variety of level design left me feeling like I had played enough. The mechanics of movement driving the platforming and the lovely pixel graphics deserve praise, but the short shelf life of speedrunning left me wanting something more.

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6 / 10.0 - Eastward
Oct 3, 2021

The game’s outer shell, the visuals and audio that still tantalize me at first (and second, and third) glance, are really incredible. Beneath the exterior, however, there is only a game that barely manages to surpass my notions of mediocrity. I guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

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8 / 10.0 - UnMetal
Sep 27, 2021

UnMetal is an entertaining adventure.  While the brash, joke-a-minute pace and low-brow adult humor might not be to everyone's taste, the stealth gameplay and variety of challenges are enough to recommend at least taking a look or trying a demo.

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Hindsight 20/20: Wrath of the Raakshasa is an average throwback action adventure with promising choice mechanics that are undermined by dull characters and shallow world-building. If you are interested in the pure mechanics of seeing how your choices branch, there may be enough here to enjoy. If you are like me and you need a better reason to replay to see the choice mechanics at work, there is still a competent, old-fashioned game that you can complete quickly and still have time to dive into a visual novel afterward.

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WitchSpring 3 [Re:Fine]: The Story of Euridy is a pleasant and engaging game on the Nintendo Switch. The delightful story pairs well with the flexible playstyle and character development options. WitchSpring 3 [Re:Fine]: The Story of Euridy is a bit shorter than a typical console role-playing game, but I found it was just the right length before its systems and narrative lost their sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Toodee and Topdee
Aug 3, 2021

Between the seamless mechanics, delightful graphics, and enjoyable humour in the writing, Toodee and Topdee is a whole lot of fun for folks of all ages.

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6 / 10.0 - King of Seas
Jun 8, 2021

King of Seas feels like an early-access version of a game that doesn’t want to admit it’s still in early-access. There’s an interesting game waiting to be played beneath a sea of performance issues and incomplete design choices. When everything works and the design comes together, King of Seas is a delightful pirate romp that briefly holds in its hand the map leading to the treasure of a portable pirate adventure.

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