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The Thirsty Mage

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75 games reviewed
78.5 average score
80 median score
64.0% of games recommended

The Thirsty Mage's Reviews

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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8 / 10.0 - Star Renegades
Mar 25, 2021

With its beautiful visuals and solid combat mechanics, Star Renegades provides a solid strategic combat focused roguelite experience. With any roguelite, mileage will depend on the satisfaction gained from restarting each new loop. With story progression being minimal at best, figuring out how best to stagger an opponent is the main fuel that determines whether it’s worth sending that robot back in time, or just taking the first win and letting the rest of the multiverse deal with the Imperium threat on their own.

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8 / 10.0 - Gnosia
Mar 10, 2021

Gnosia on Nintendo Switch successfully creates a single player experience from the elements of the Werewolf style, social deduction genre that typically requires a group of people to play. The need for other human beings is made irrelevant by utilizing layers of randomly generated mechanics to control the actions of each individual character. A focus on an overall narrative and character development helps to keep the experience fresh during each subsequent playthrough, so long as the minimal variety of responses don’t grate on your nerves.

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9 / 10.0 - Littlewood
Mar 1, 2021

I am looking forward to spending many seasons in my own village of Littlewood. The ease of play and streamlined mechanics make it a near-perfect fantasy world to escape into a hectic day. It is Stardew Valley without the stress of time; Animal Crossing: New Horizon, without the byzantine limits to work through; Ultima Online without the threat of being killed by, well, everything.

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Feb 15, 2021

Enjoyment of Fallen Legion largely comes down to whether fighting battle after battle continues to feel fresh and if the prospect of panic inducing boss fights elevates your heart rate in a good way. The story is interesting and learning the fate of both Rowena and Lucien provides a degree of motivation to continue but certainly isn’t enough if combat becomes to feel like a slog.

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