AltChar's Reviews
An unforgiving alien planet, brutal bullet-hell combat, and a mystery slowly eating away at reality - Housemarque came back with another game full of chaotic combat and eerie atmosphere that demands your full attention.
Directive 8020 is a compelling, frequently terrifying, and occasionally flawed piece of interactive horror that confirms Supermassive Games as the undisputed masters of their particular craft. The story is excellent, the atmosphere is exceptional, and the sound design is frankly some of the best work the genre has ever produced. The repetitive stealth mechanics and the stiff character animations can be characterised as weaknesses, and they hold the game back from going even higher on my scale, but they do not come close to undoing what the game gets so right.
Mixtape is a remarkable piece of work. It is the kind of game that reminds you why storytelling in this medium can be so extraordinary when the right people are given the freedom to follow their instincts all the way to the end. Beethoven and Dinosaur have created something deeply felt, visually inventive, and musically brilliant, and Annapurna Interactive have once again demonstrated why they are the publisher I trust above all others to deliver games that mean something.
Wax Heads brings an offbeat art style, a rich soundtrack, and an emotional story behind the simple act of recommending records to unknown people.
Adorable Adventures is exactly what it says on the cover, a warm, charming, and surprisingly varied game that asks nothing more of you than to follow your nose and enjoy the ride.
Vampire Crawlers is a well-constructed dungeon looter with quite an engaging card combat system, let down by repetitiveness that arrives a little too soon and a complete absence of any story whatsoever.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss has a story worth being part of and a mystery worth following, but everything surrounding it struggles to keep pace with its own ambitions.
I've never played as an octopus before, and Darwin's Paradox makes a compelling case for the concept. A cute protagonist, gorgeous environments, and a Pixar-like presentation that brings back the feeling of watching an animated movie as a kid, the difference being that the antagonist isn't a character, but the systems of the game.
Replaced is a stunning achievement in art direction and atmosphere that just needed a bit more time in the oven - but what's here is well worth your time despite the rough edges.
Pragmata is a triumph of incredible video game design that nails almost every aspect of what makes games such a fun and engaging experience.
At $24.99 (which is a great price to be fair), it's a solid deal if you're desperate for something GTA-lite. Just go in knowing that Samson never fully delivers on its own potential, and given how promising that potential is, that's the most frustrating thing about it.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a well-assembled package of games that time has treated unevenly. The combat system still holds on, even for today's standards; the first game's story holds a quiet emotional weight, and the quality-of-life additions make the trilogy more approachable than it has ever been. For fans who remember these games fondly, the collection is an easy recommendation at its price point.
Grind Survivors is a roguelike capable of hooking you with its addictive loop and clever systems to the point where you'll simply want more. Why? Well, because it is genuinely fun.
Pearl Abyss's long-awaited RPG, Crimson Desert, had sort of a rough landing but eventually delivers one of the most absorbing open worlds in recent memory.
Deck Nine's finale to the story of Max and Chloe brings us gorgeous environments, meaningful choices, and a rewind mechanic that never gets stale. Technical bugs and occasional confusion can't diminish the emotional weight of a reunion that has been years in the making.
If you want a charming, nostalgic trip back to English football's golden era wrapped up in a surprisingly enjoyable card game, Nutmeg delivers exactly what it promises.
Screamer manages to capture the breathtaking aesthetic of neon-lit cyberpunk cities with speed demon hypercars.
1348 Ex Voto is a short medieval adventure whose powerful story is perfectly capable of overshadowing every gameplay flaw it obviously possesses.
Despite some drawbacks, I'm glad I've spent time with Greedfall 2 and do recommend this for fans of these kinds of games. I think they'll get their fun from Greedfall 2, for certain.
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a game of extremes. On one hand, it delivers an outstanding horror atmosphere supported by a genuinely intriguing story, haunting visuals, and exceptional sound design. Unfortunately, the experience is heavily dragged down by a deeply frustrating combat system that kills much of the game’s potential.