Withering Rooms

Moonless Formless Steam

Date finished 11/9/24 (29 hrs), 12/14/24, 52hrs for the true(?) ending

Withering Rooms is a "2.5D" survival horror game with soulslike and rougelike elements. The story follows Nightingale, a young Victorian girl recently admitted to the Mostyn House asylum. However, this is no ordinary asylum; after her first night, she finds herself trapped in a shared dream inhabited by the other residents turned witches, ghosts, zombies and more. With no objective but to find a way to wake up, Nightingale delves ever deeper into the inner workings of the dream.

The overall premise of the game being set in a dream is truly fascinating. While I wont spoil the details, the mechanics of how it all works are so well explained and thought out; they even play into the mechanics of the game without feeling out of place. The world and story this game presents is really one of the most unique things I've seen in quite some time! I was hooked start to finish to uncover every little detail. Though the "True" ending makes me wonder If there's an even more secret ending.

I was also pleased to find out that while there are rougelike elements, it's really not that kind of game. Withering Rooms leans more heavily on its Dark Souls influence. So while there is some level of loot randomization and death will set you back non-essential items, for the most part, progression is fair and linear; I never felt like my deaths were due to RNG but rather me overextending in combat. There are also a wide variety of mechanics that can circumvent loss such as shrines that can preserve items, candles that act as temporary save points for boss fights, stackable purses which preserve your coins, etc.

The aesthetics are also wonderful! The visuals of any given area have a multitude of variations depending on the players cursed level, turning any normal looking room into a nightmarish amalgam. The soundtrack, as you would expect from the setting and themes, consists of a variety of regal piano, harpsichord and violin tracks as well as unnerving otherworldy tracks and ambiance for the game's darker tones. Most impressive however are the handful of tracks that deviate from all expectations. I won't describe them because to do so, would ruin the experience! They really catch you off guard and steal the show!

Withering Rooms is in all honestly, a brilliant game! For a small indie project that came out of seemingly nowhere, it tackles gameplay, story, lore and aesthetic perfectly! I really hope to see more from this developer!

Thirsty Suitors

Outerloop Games Steam

Date finished 8/4/24 (12 hrs)

When I saw the launch trailer for Thirsty Suitors, I really had no idea what to expect. QTEs, cooking, skating, and some kind of battle system? I thought I was looking at a minigame-athon with a dating sim spin. I honestly wasn't all that interested, but I did install it out of sheer curiosity I just never launched it. That is until a few days ago when I was really at wits end with nothing to do.

And wow, am I surprised! I was not expecting a fully voice-acted narrative packed with so much flair, wit and charm! The premise is simple enough; our protagonist Jala, is returning to her hometown on an apology tour to set things right with her family and a group of her exes. Oh and she also has to investigate a cult of skaters led by a guy in a bear costume, normal stuff. So Jala cooks to reconnect with her family, skates to meet the challenges of the cult leader, and has "psychodramatic" JRPG battles with her exes as a way to reflect and hopefully patch up old wounds.

The visuals are vibrant and cartoony, the voice acting is superb and the animation is over-the-top. Seriously, every action is excessively dramatic! It's both slick and hilarious. Jala literally cartwheels her jacket off into a battle stance. That's badass! This is all while the narrative is able to maintain itself as earnest and grounded in reality.

Most surprising of all however, was just the sheer production value and effort that clearly went into the game. Nearly all dialogue is voice acted and there's even a taunt system during battles, one taunt type for each of the 5 status effects you can inflict. Each of these taunts has lines tailored to the opponent you are facing, for both exes and minor enemies; the devs really went above and beyond! While the game is relatively small in scale, everything is tightly packed with charm, humor and detail!

"Do you really have to make a big production out of simple tasks like lighting the stove?" "I really do, yeah."

Kwaidan ~Azuma manor story~

gudouan Steam

Date finished 6/30/24 (7 hrs)

It's a real shame how bloated Steam's store is. Kwaidan came out in 2020 and I only happened upon it late last year after looking at some online list of retro and retro inspired games my friend found and shared with me (You can check it out here. Note that it is hosted on a google drive spreadsheet so it's advised to copy the link in an incog tab). I got a lot of games from this list; keeping them in my library, waiting to break the glass in case of emergency. Today was one of those days; I beat the whole game in a single sitting!

Kwaidan is a survival horror game with a point and click twist. It follows a hososhi (a demon slayer), Haruka, as she is tasked with cleansing the titular Azuma manor of evil. The game is played from a mostly fixed camera position perspective but in a fully 3D rendered world and allows for the option between traditional tank controls and standard free movement. I played with the tank controls.

On the survival horror side of things; Haruka is equipped with all the tools of the trade from the start of the game: A naginata, magatama, and mirror. What's unique about this full arsenal approach is that each weapon corresponds to a specific attack height. The naginata, strikes enemies at torso level, the magatama, at the ground and the mirror for those above. This makes combat a little more difficult and involved but is more immersive for it!

Unlike a traditional survival horror however, Haruka interacts with the world by using the mouse to examine and pickup objects. And I have to say, the point and click inspired interactions were truly amazing! Particularly, I loved this one puzzle that required the use of switching to a first person perspective to find 12 pieces of a code scattered throughout the mansion. It's a neat way of utilizing the world that's outside of the fixed camera perspectives! Puzzle logic and level design was also very coherent; I never felt lost or confused. Though, I did need to use a guide to find the golden key since I misinterpreted the hint related to it.

My only gripe with the game was how enemies respawn during map changes; it doesn't mesh well when healing items are limited. This is only amplified when you reach the cave near the end; enemies here respawn while you wander the area regardless of map changes. Plus there is also an escort mission which slows you down to a crawl while fast moving enemies spawn practically on top of you in addition to a boulder trap you have to avoid. It was a major hurdle that used up nearly all my healing items which made the final boss a chore.

Still, even with that; Kwaidan was a wonderful little game. One of the very few survival horror games where I was determined to solve the puzzles without a guide (save for that one moment >_<)! I hope we get to see more of Haruka's adventures in the future!

Bullet Witch

Marvelous, Inc. Steam

Date finished 6/29/24 (5 hrs)

Alicia's a witch, her broomstick is a gun! Hey, don't give me that look! Sometimes I just want to play mid 2000's shlock!

I'm not going to say Bullet Witch is some overlooked classic but when you've played as many games as I have, you have both a higher tolerance of the unpleasant and a greater appreciation of things that are unorthodox. So sure; the gameplay is simple, the maps are needlessly large with poor signposting, and there are one hit kill snipers... but, I can't say I wasn't mildly entertained as I was gunning through dudes and casting massively OP spells.

Seriously, one of the coolest parts of the game is your set of greater magics. There are 3 in total and they unlock as you progress in the game. Each of these spells has a cinematic that plays out each time they are cast, a build up to the devastation you are about to cause! Like you literally summon a tornado that just throws shit around in a game from 2006? Blows my mind! Then there's Meteor, you unlock in the last level which takes place in a city. Casting it rains down absolute hell! Meteors explode on impact, buildings collapse, rubble crushes everything in its path! Like sure, these spells might not be the most efficient way to progress, the building collapses might even kill you, but damn its a spectacle to see!

Now I'll admit, there was a certain saving grace that prevented my opinion from going sour. The PC port actually has a little debug tool grafted into normal gameplay; the dash. Remember what I said about the levels? They are empty and HUGE; some levels like the city even have paths that just lead to dead ends! If I had to navigate these maps without the dash, my playtime would be doubled and I'd be pissed!

"You're wrong. I never smile."

Wanted: Dead

Soleil Ltd. Steam

Date finished 6/21/24 (10 hrs)

Wanted: Dead is kind of a game that just seemed to appear. I heard the name in passing when it came out but didn't think much about it. Sometime later I see a video of like a ramen eating mini-game and was like "huh.. interesting". So I look up the game and watch the trailer. It looked really cool! It seemed like it would be something on the level of Metal Gear Solid. To my surprise however, the Steam reviews were negative. (I didn't read them though as to not spoil my opinion) but given the price was $60 at the time, I thought I'd best hold off for a price drop.

Skip ahead to November of 2023, I was able to get it for around $20. But I left it in my library waiting for the right Moment(TM). Now, just a month ago in April, a major update released so I knew now was the time! After playing it, what I want to say most of all, is that I want more! The game is rough, but it's fun and has heart!

While I'm notoriously bad at character action games; I can still confidently say that the combat here is well developed and satisfying! There's this one level that's basically the Kill Bill Crazy 88 fight and it is so fun to just cut through the hoard of guards, you feel like a total badass! It's a real shame you cant replay specific levels as there are some more great combat encounters like this that I'd like to replay without having to go through the entire game again.

One weak point of the game however was the audio. Cutscene voices always seemed to be quiet while enemy taunts were loud. I never could seem to find the right balance in the settings. The music also isn't very reactive and never seemed to match the tone of battle. However there is a great 80's inspired OST by Stefanie Joosten and Bella and the Switchblades, though these songs are mostly reserved for when you are wandering around the Police HQ. If they played the Maniac cover during a boss fight, that would have been golden!

In regard to story, there are some interesting bits and the characters themselves are very charming; however, the game never gives them enough time to develop. The narrative is disjointed and cuts out way too early. Yet, I don't even feel let down, I just want to see more! I want more of these characters and for Stone's story to get a proper conclusion! I seriously hope that the developers work on a sequel. There's a foundation of something great here, with enough time, I'm sure they can perfect it!

"I'm no psychic but I think you probably want me to pull some trigger in the name of democracy or something"

UPDATE 6/29/24 - I beat Japanese Hard Mode (the hardest difficulty) today!

Cento

Hoshimadara Lab. Steam

Hours played as of writing (6/19/24): 5 hrs (+ 5 more in the demo)

A week or so ago there was a kind of Anthro focused sale/event on Steam. It's nice to see more furry games that aren't visual novels! Though, Cento actually wasn't apart of the event, at least I don't think. It just popped into my recommended while I was browsing around. The game's cute pixel art style is what first drew me in but when I learned that it was a type of rhythm game, I was a little hesitant. Still, the game had a demo so I thought I'd give it a fair chance!

5 or so hours passed when it had occurred to me the demo didn't like end or anything? No cutoff point, no timer, nothing. It was nearly the entire game save for additional characters and maps. Needless to say, with all the fun I was having, it felt wrong to continue playing the demo So I went ahead and bought it!

So, how could I of all people actually enjoy a rhythm game? Well Cento is a bit unconventional; it's not about memorizing and hitting keys at a certain time. Rather, it's a sort of tug of war battle with rhythm, rougelite and deckbuilding elements. While I wont go into the details since it would take the entire write-up to paint a clear picture, the general mechanics are simple enough to pickup and play without a guide.

There's also tons of replay value with the game's heart mechanic and in-game achievements. At the end of each run, you distribute hearts (basically your score) across all characters you encountered during that run (including your own character). Filling someone's heart meter for the first time unlocks them as a playable character and has their associated map unlocked in freeplay. Further heart fulfillments on the same character also let you add their unique abilities to your custom decks. And any achievements earned will not only expand the upgrades pool but also unlock drawings in the game's gallery! I think that's neat!

Overall, Cento is an addicting game with a cute art style; it's one of those games you can just pick up and play for a run or two at a time!

Sonar Shock

Raphael Bossniak Steam

Date finished 6/14/24 (10 hrs)

I've had a lucky streak of Steam recommending me great indie games lately! Picture it: it's 12 in the morning and it had just occurred to me that I forgot to buy this game, Cento, which I had been playing the demo of all night. I add it to my cart and stop for a moment to look at the little recommendation area. "Sonar Shock", I saw; the thumbnail image was pretty inconspicuous but I decide to hover over it anyway. I was greeted with an image that had a UI just like System Shock 1! So, in my tired stupor I was like "buddy, you got yourself a deal!" Bought both games and then promptly passed out.

So what did I find in front of me when I awoke? A dungeon crawler onboard a giant soviet submarine with a survival horror spin! To say it's SS1 in a different setting would be a massive disservice. Sonar Shock is actually quite unique and plays into its influence on new mechanical levels. This is primarily through the game's UI and control scheme. With your mouse being used for all interactions in real-time and limited control in every other aspect (no side strafing, lean, jump, hotkeys, etc), your reaction time is just as limited a resource as your ammo and saves!

With the exception of your health/sanity, all UI elements can only be viewed and accessed one at a time. So, If you want to reload your gun, you must click on the weapon menu icon then drag ammo to the gun and manually chamber it. I.e an emptied pistol will need to have the slide pulled for a fresh mag and a lever action will need to be cocked EVERY shot. Jams can also occur which means that leaving your weapon menu closed during combat for any reason, even to use a healing item, can be a huge gamble! Now I for one, LOVE this; not only does this make combat frantic, it's also just fun and interactive UI design! I cannot stress enough how much I love clunky and interactive UI!

Overall, Sonar Shock is brilliant! It takes a lot of debatably archaic elements from its influences and utilizes them in new and engaging ways!

Deus Ex: Invisible War

Ion Storm Steam

Date finished 5/20/24 (Could not keep track of hours. Roughly 3 & 1/2 evenings)

I've held off playing Invisible War for years. I won't say I was pleasantly surprised, but it wasn't as bad as they say either. While the game still has some of that Deus Ex charm with conspiracies, ideological debate, and humor stemming from the absurdity of its world, the biggest problem is that it lacks its own identity. It feels like it was made purely in service of the first game. It needlessly expands the plot, and ends exactly where the first game ended with the same cliffhangers and questions. Everything between feels hastily put together; the protagonist, Alex, is never developed and has no real personality outside of being a plot device and a vessel for the player (maybe there's something to be said about that in the context of the game? Eh, I don't think that justifies it though). Major reveals are confined to single conversation info dumps without much build up, and there is a lack of player input in dialog. The soundtrack is also bland; where Deus Ex had memorable and unique tracks for each of its locations, Invisible War is reduced to an amalgamation of uninspired ambiance making the world feel lifeless.

The gameplay is about what I expected; an oversimplification of the first game, no meaningful character building and stealth/non-lethal gameplay that's hardly viable or worthwhile. That said, the gunplay is serviceable, it's only bogged down by the universal ammo mechanic. Every non-grenade weapon in the game feeds off the same ammo pool. While on paper this could work, there never seemed to be enough ammo to balance out the variety of weapons you get. Then, when the game introduces heavily armored enemies that explode on death, saving ammo with melee becomes out of the question, forcing the use of high ammo consuming weapons such as the rail gun.

As much as I've focused on the negatives; I still had a decent time playing Invisible War; it's short and doesn't overstay its welcome. If I had played this as intended on the Xbox back in the day, I would have probably liked it. But as it stands, there's really nothing worthwhile that would bring me back to it.

Brigand: Oaxaca

Brian Lancaster / Laughing Coyote Software Steam Itch

Date finished 5/5/24 (30 hrs)

How do I even begin to explain that which is Brigand: Oaxaca? Perhaps that it is one of the most captivating FPS RPGs I have played since the original Deus Ex? Seriously, I was hooked from start to finish with Brigand's unique setting, art style and tough but (mostly) fair gameplay. I mean come on, your in post-apocalyptic Oaxaca where cyborg ninjas, voodoo priests, demons and the remnants of old world intelligence agencies are vying for power! There's nothing else like it!

To address the invisible exploding ninja in the room; yes, the game is difficult and there's no quicksaving; but I think that only made the game more enjoyable despite moments of frustration. When I play games in this genre, I'm reliant on the F5 and F9 keys, at that point you don't really think about the mechanics, you just reiterate until something works. Brigand gives a much needed kick; if you want to survive you have to learn from your mistakes and find ways to reliably exploit the game's systems. While this is harder during the first quarter of the game due to a limited arsenal, this is quickly made up for once you get a long range rifle and access to a plethora of cybernetics and voodoo tomes!

Overall, Brigand: Oaxaca is clearly a passion project with lots of heart. Brian has been constantly bug fixing for as long as the game has been out and there's still a big chunk of game after the main story with separate side stories and a DLC that's a straight up sequel! I'm serious when I believe this is going to be one of the greats of the genre that will not be named (due to it being overused to the point of meaninglessness lately). Going to be replaying Brigand like I do with Deus Ex every couple of years!

Chaos is restless

Goodbye Volcano High

KO_OP Steam

Date finished 4/7/24 (7 hrs)

I'm speechless; I don't think words can do justice. Go play it for yourself!

Maybe I should finally learn how to play that gutair I got a long time ago...

Felvidek

Jozef Pavelka Steam

Date finished 3/30/24 (8 hrs)

Felvidek immediately caught my attention when a friend shared the demo with me. A bite-sized JRPG set in 15th century Slovakia with a miserable knight and priest duo? Sign me up! I played the demo and was immediately sold; the art style is wonderful with little 3D cutscenes sprinkled in, the music is surprisingly chill and punkish, sometimes otherworldly; not quite what I expected from a game set in the 15th century, but I think it's better for that as the game never takes itself too seriously. It's weird and has fun with it. Not to mention some of the banter between you, Pavol, and your reluctant priest buddy, Matej, is comedy gold!

The combat is what you would expect from a RPG Maker game; nothing crazy but enjoyable. I especially like the first person animations used for each action! It's a nice little convention that I see being used more and more in JRPGs

Methinks I finally understand pexeso. You have to match 2 cards.

Heartless & Dreadful : Return by 72 Hours

Kirillian Steam

Date finished 12/30/23 (14 hrs)

Heartless & Dreadful is a character action game with all of the staples of the genre; combos, different weapons, style, and tons of edge! However, as I played more I kept having my expectations surpassed as there's a lot of gameplay variety, a huge helping of extra content, an interesting story, and all around likable characters! I happened upon this game completely by chance by trudging through Steam's endless library of games, and I am so glad I did! I played the demo, fell in love and immediately bought it to continue playing!

While I'm not too great at games like this, quite bad actually; I was able to get into the rhythm of this one far faster than others of the genre. Particularly, I really enjoyed how melee weapons are handled. While each weapon has its own set of combos, the real meat of the gameplay comes from chaining attacks from different weapons by cycling through them instantly.

I also want to take a moment and appreciate how Kirillian handled the aesthetics and overall edge. So often do you see people who misinterpret edge as ultraviolence and being offensive for childish shock value. This is not the case here; this is the truest example of 2000's edge that I have seen in a long time. There are dark themes at times, yes, however, Kirillian clearly knows that the true heart of being "edgy" comes from having moments of genuine warmth, not being afraid to be silly and embracing the dramatic. As one loading screen hint so aptly puts it "Don't kill the part of you that is cringe. Kill the one that cringes."

Overall, Heartless & Dreadful was the most surprising game I played this year. Clearly a project with tons of passion. Would highly recommend checking it out! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try my damnedest to beat the Tower of Blood challenge mode so I can unlock more outfits! Wish me luck, I'll need it!

Cyberpunk 2077

CD PROJEKT REDSteam

Date finished 10/13/23 (62 hrs)

Yeah... I caved and got Cyberpunk 2077 despite my best judgement; granted, I did get it on sale XD!

It's hard to say if this is because of that 2.0 update or whatever; but I'm suprised. This is actually a really good game with an engaging story that actually feels true to the cyberpunk genre. I can't speak for the Cyberpunk tabletop series; but I can say that it really felt alliged with some of the themes of the original cyberpunk story, Neuromancer. Sure, there are critques to be had with 2077's story and gameplay but it has really left me thinking these past few weeks, and likely will contuine to do so for some time.

I realize I'm not really saying much about the game itself; but it impacted me, inspired me. I guess that's really the only thing I want out of any media. And sure, I've felt this way about other games/stories in the past until those feelings have inevitably faded away; but it means something in this moment. Isn't that what a website is kind of about? A collection of things that meant something to me at some point; even if those feelings are gone and the page all but abandoned, they are still here; documented, a memory of a feeling.

Jagged Alliance 3

Haemimont Games Steam

Date finished 8/19/23 (57 hrs)

You know my "Never pay more than 20 bucks for a game" rule, but every now and then I make an exception; a keen eye or desperation? Who's to say why!

I noticed JA3 on the day of its release; I was surprised but skeptical as the series has had some rough releases in recent years. However, the trailers looked promising. I sat on it for 2 days and decided to take a leap of faith, and I have to say I'm happy I did! Jagged Alliance 3 is everything I wanted out of a JA game; likable characters, management elements, engaging plot and sidequests; but most importantly, humor and an over the top 80's action movie vibe. There are serious moments sure, but overall it's just so fun!

My only qualms are that stealth and combat can be a bit wonky and there is a huge difficulty spike mid-game; but these are all common issues that I've come to expect from TBS games. I also have the perfectionist mentality of spamming quickload when something goes wrong; so I can spend 1-2 hours on a single combat encounter XD.

Fox is the best merc btw :3. Her lines are just so on the nose that I couldn't stop laughing every time she said something when I first hired her!

Redfall

Arkane Austin Steam

Hours played before giving up: 11

I kind of want to phase out this section of the site because it felt unhealthy to have to come up with something to say about every game I've played recently (I've played a bunch since Inscryption). Sometimes you just want to play a game or watch a movie and not turn it into a review project that takes a couple days of introspection. But I don't know, this time I want to talk at the void about Redfall.

I played Redfall with a friend recently and it's really as bad as everyone says it is. I tried to stay positive and give it the benefit of the doubt; but the more we played the more miserable it became. It's just plain boring, everything can be considered sparse; sparse story, sparse combat, sparse world. There's no driving force, you get thrown into the game and things just happen around you. We ended up wandering around in the open world for the majority of our time, and even then; there's really nothing to do, there are barely even enemy patrols! Quests were far too tedious and difficult to manage for us to bother with; you can only carry one primary mission at a time which all boil down to the most basic objectives anyway. I could go on and on, but with people calling it the worst game of 2023; I'm sure you can find 100's of comprehensive forum posts and essay videos that will list everything out.

Honestly, I didn't really have any particular expectations for Redfall even with Arkane's name on it. During the first teaser trailer, we actually thought it would be a co-op horde shooter XD. Anyways, good thing we didn't pay $70.00 for it!

Inscryption

Daniel Mullins Games Steam

Date finished 1/13/23

Having played several Daniel Mullins games, including the previous two mainline entries, I knew what to expect from Inscryption. However, as always I found myself pleasantly surprised at how he manages to tell his stories. I was absolutely hooked during my entire playthorugh! I also really want to commend how polished the gameplay was this time around; I'm not typically a fan of card-based games but the way Inscryption plays with card and rougelike tropes was very well done and enjoyable!

If you aren't familiar with Daniel's work, well... I can only say what you've probably heard everyone else say - the less you know going in, the better! I highly recommend playing Inscryption. Also, if you haven't already, be sure to give Pony Island and The Hex a shot too; they deserve the attention!

Keep up the great work, Daniel; I'm always looking forward to your next release!

SIGNALIS

rose-engine Steam

Date finished 1/3/23

SIGNALIS is a love letter to the survival horror genre, proudly wearing its influences. That's not to say SIGNALIS is even the slightest bit derivative, it stands tall on its own merit. I would even go as far to say that it has established itself as one of the greats of the genre.

SIGNALIS is stunning visually and acoustically; the visuals alone make it worth playing! There is a heavy emphasis on retro-futuristic tech with many UI elements mimicking CRTs. There's even the way that your screen plays into the story/gameplay with distortion effects and text pop-ups. Cutscenes are beautifully crafted and deeply provoking. Sometimes they are broken up into first person exploration segments to add to the immersion or 2D closeups of characters to focus on their emotions. The soundtrack is also superb! I'm sure I'll be listening it for the next month or two :D! SIGNALIS is simply perfect in it's audio/visual delivery, nothing I can say will do it justice; you really need to experience it yourself!

The story is told sparsely and often in disjointed images and words. Still, the delivery alone makes it so unique that I didn't mind if I was a little confused. It's a game you need to play multiple times in different ways to get every drop of information.

The game itself is much of what you would expect from a survival horror title; limited resources, puzzle solving, etc. I personally had trouble with most of the puzzles and had to refer to a walkthrough often. I'm sure if I invested more time I could have solved them, but my patience has been pretty thin lately and I didn't want risk having to backtrack to see if I missed a key-item or anything :/. I didn't rush either, my first run was about 13 hours; I tried my best to explore every nook and cranny, but I still managed to miss out on a couple of weapons. I'll see if I can find em on my next playthrough!

Remember our promise - Denken Sie an unser Versprechen

Persona 5 Royal

ATLUS Steam

Date finished 12/31/22

I've been playing Persona 5 for about three months now. It's the first Shin Megami Tensei game I've played since a very brief stint with Imagine in like 2010. Right off the bat, I was in awe of how stylish the game was, there are all these fanciful graphics and transitions making something as simple as navigating the pause menu a fun experience! But that's really the only positive thing I can say. :/

The game is simply way too loooong and it insists on treating you like a child the entire time (This is an M-rated game btw)! There is so much fluff, from repetitive dialogue explicitly pointing out the most mundane of things no matter how far you are in the game (I.e "Joker, you just unlocked a door, now we can move forward. Yes other teammate, I agree, this will make our infiltration much easier!") to characters being woefully oblivious to everything; your team will always be shocked at how evil a boss is despite having targeted them for being evil in the first place. The game's themes are also very surface level and end on a message that feels so sterile despite building up to more complex themes at several points. They really like to beat these themes over your head too by having every character explicitly spell out what they are feeling. There's really no space for subtext.

Then there's the combat, at first it's fun; using your team's different elemental affinities to exploit weaknesses but once you reach the late game, it seems like most of these mechanics are thrown out the door. It just became a game of using 1 character to heal every turn while the others slowly chip away at the enemy's health.

I really wanted to like this game; I was invested in the story at first, but it goes on and on without any payoff. Every time I thought it was finally over, it throws another plot twist and 5 hour dungeon at you. I just wanted it to end so I could move on with my life and because of that, my opinion of the game has completely soured.

ULTRAKILL

Arsi "Hakita" Patala Steam

Currently in development. Piece written as of early access version "Patch 11B" (12/4/22)

ULTRAKILL is a movement shooter with a focus on stylish gameplay; wracking up combos, not relying on any one weapon, deflecting attacks, etc. When I first played the demo, I was put off thinking this game would be too skill heavy; but I gave the demo another shot recently and found myself getting into the rhythm of things and was excited to play more! ULTRAKILL definitely has a higher skill floor than your typical FPS, but that's what makes it so unique and fun to play! Experimentation is encouraged and there's a lot of cool stuff you can pull off once you understand the mechanics!

The presentation of ULTRAKILL is great! The soundtrack has a lot of variety but the break heavy tracks in particular stole the show for me x3. Story elements are sparse, but I found myself invested in the text walls at the end of each act. I'm excited to see how the story concludes in act 3! In the meantime, I'm going to try to find more secret areas; who knows what I could have missed!

"Mankind is dead: Blood is fuel: Hell is full"

The Forgotten City

Modern Storyteller Steam

Date finished 10/18/22

Just when I thought I had exhausted all options, I find another great time loop game :D!

The Forgotten City follows an unnamed protagonist from the modern day as they find themselves in an ancient Roman city separated from time. The residents all adhere to one dictum laid out by an unknown god "The many shall suffer for the sins of the one" which they title "The Golden Rule". In other words, if any resident is to commit a sin, all of them will die as punishment. Funny you should arrive on this day in particular, because someone is about to break The Golden Rule and condemn the entire city! Talk to the residents, utilize the loop and stop this from happening.

I really enjoyed The Forgotten City, so much so that I finished it in one sitting! I was so intrigued by all the ancient mythology; even though I don't really know much about that kinda stuff, the game provides enough background to be immersed in the residents' understanding of things. Utilizing this historical view point, the game also raises a lot of interesting insights and questions about human culture and morality.

We Happy Few

Compulsion Games Steam

Date finished 10/13/22

Continuing with the 60's theme, I decided to give We Happy Few a play. The story follows 3 characters as they dissent against a 1984/Equilibrium government that controls the population with the use of a drug called Joy.

I really wanted to like this game; I love the aesthetic and world they have established. The story is intriguing, main characters are well voiced and likable, it's all very charming. At the end of the day, however, I just can't say I enjoyed actually playing it; it's far too tedious! The game utilizes an open world with survival mechanics sprinkled in; you have all these statuses to keep track of that are all in place seemingly just to slow you down. Most of my 25 hr playthrough must have been spent waiting around for statuses to clear and traveling from one quest marker to another. >:(

I want to make clear that there is something wonderful here; it's just really hard to appreciate all of it when the gameplay itself felt like a part time job with an hourly payment of a couple minutes worth of story. Too many games feel like work, and I already gotta deal with that 40+ hrs a week :|

When life annoys, pop a joy!

DEATHLOOP

Arkane Studios Steam

Date finished 9/28/22

I love a good time loop story. I've seen em all: Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day, Twelve Minutes, Russian Doll, etc!

DEATHLOOP follows Colt, an amnesiac who only remembers that he must break the loop; conversely, he finds himself hunted by Julianna, who seeks to preserve the loop at all costs. A simple premise that is exceptionally delivered by great writing, likeable characters and an awesome 60's aesthetic! The voice acting was also just so well performed; Colt was one of the most believable characters I've played in a while, his reactions are so natural!

The invasion PVP was also cool, being invaded made things really tense, as failure meant restarting the current loop! It blends well with the story as it becomes this cartoonish game of cat and mouse. One time I was backstabbing an NPC, and Julianna snuck up behind me to try and backstab me, but I heard her coming and sidestepped away to backstab her! XD.

The Procession to Calvary

Joe Richardson Steam

Date finished 9/18/22

Short and sweet comedy point & click adventure game with art made from renaissance era paintings. The humor is absurdist; it knows it's a game and has a lot of fun with it! Good way to spend about 3 hours, though you're likely going to need to look up a guide for some of the later puzzles. I don't really want to say much more as it's really something you need to experience for yourself!

LOOK AT HIS MASSIVE KEY!

Max Payne 3

Rockstar Steam

Date finished 9/10/22

You're probably wondering why I took so long to play this one. *Max Payne voice* I still ask myself that question. Maybe I was trying to avoid the truth, hoping to live in a dream where Mona was still alive. Like all dreams, eventually you have to wake up. In an instant, everything is gone except a faint sense of loss; it leaves you cold, bitter and alone.

My new job took me away from the city I lived and died in; another layer of hell, except this time it wasn't so cold. I could have picked easier work to fuel these old and new habits, but I was already knee deep in bodies, and I was too much of a stubborn old bastard to let this go unpunished.

I didn't know if there was a happy ending down this road, no one ever does; I had no choice but to push on.

Resident Evil Village

CAPCOM Steam

Date finished 8/21/22

Resident Evil Village is the sequel to RE7; it follows the first-person format while also adding elements from RE4 such as inventory management, weapon upgrades, etc.

Now, I don't usually play new games as I follow "Never pay more than 20 bucks for a video game" like religious doctrine; but I found Village for $16 so I thought I'd try something new for a change XD. (I know if my friends read this, they will be all like "Melvin, that game came out a year ago! it's not new!" >_>)

My favorite thing about Village was how balanced the mood was. There are some genuinely horrifying and tense moments and yet, the experience felt like a cartoon. This game is absurd; even with in-universe justifications. There are vampires, lycans, giants, and more! Ethan, our protagonist, while having previous experience in such situations is very nonchalant about some of the gruesome things that happen to him. He even finds the time to throw out a few (lame) quips! It's all intentional though, as this is clearly the horror movie victim accidentally being placed in the role of the survivor/hero.

Disco Elysium

ZA/UM Steam

Date finished 6/8/22

Disco Elysium is a narrative-focused RPG developed by ZA/UM. It follows an amnesiac detective and his partner, Kim Kitsuragi as they investigate a hanging in the city of Revachol.

Disco Elysium is for me, the perfect RPG! It's all the dialogue and character building I love, without the tedious combat loop. The world is full of interesting and dynamic characters and the writing throughout was surprisingly witty and endearing. I found myself smiling and laughing quite a lot! The relationship between you; a disaster of a man who has internal dialogue with 24 different voices in his head and your partner, Kim, who is a stickler for procedure but patient with your eccentrics, makes for a perfect team dynamic! It's just overall such a pleasant game to play, I was hooked from start to finish in my 37-hour playthrough. Now that it's over... all I can think about is playing it again!

THIS GAME IS ULTRA HARDCORE TO THE MEGA! YEEEEEEEAGH!!!!

Weird West

WolfEye Studios Steam

Date finished 4/6/22

Weird West is a real-time isometric RPG set in a paranormal version of the Wild West. It follows 5 characters dealing with their own dilemmas as they seek answers to the mysterious brand that connects them.

The game boasts a dynamic world but not a lot of viable ways to approach dialogue and combat scenarios. The open world also felt barren, a lot of locations are reused and don't offer much in the way of unique areas, items, or quests. However, the atmosphere and character stories under the backdrop of a greater mystery more than made up for this! I found combat to be fun as well, having it be real-time instead of turn-based was a brilliant choice! I felt like I was playing a reimagining of classic Fallout! The soundtrack was also really good! Not your typical western stuff, a lot of glitchy noise, and electronic ambience.

Overall, I enjoyed Weird West; it's gameplay may have not been fully realized, but the story was engaging enough that I never found myself bored or frustrated during my 22-hour playthrough

HROT

Spytihněv Steam

Currently in development. Piece written as of early access build 0.4.8 (3/6/22)

HROT is a Quake-like FPS set in an alternate soviet era Czechoslovakia. It is currently being developed by indie dev Spytihněv.

HROT oozes atmosphere. Everything is brown and dingy; the music is haunting; the world feels undead. Strange creatures; both humanoid and paranormal, are the only remaining inhabitants. There's a looming sense of dread as you explore; you never know what to expect as you delve deeper into this horrifying world!

I'm really impressed so far; the gameplay is solid; it plays exactly how an old-school FPS should. There are limited resources, secrets, boss fights and tons of little details scattered throughout! The levels are also very well designed; I hardly found myself lost. Velhartice (E2M2) in particular, is brilliant! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Spytihněv is clearly passionate about this project; I'm excited to see how this game grows!

Outer Wilds

Mobius Digital Steam

Date finished 2/25/22

I went into this game blind. During the little tutorial I was honestly confused and a bit hesitant to continue, however I am so glad I did. This game is beautiful, the sounds the sights, and the story! Space always brings about this confusing stew of emotions, it should be terrifying, however you just can't help but be enthralled by its beauty.

My only caveat is that it can feel frustrating at times; I implore you to pull through, the ending is worth it!

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Steam

Date finished 2/14/22

Despite being so late to the party, I managed to go in blind! As a Rockstar game, I avoided it since I'm not keen on Rockstar's brand of humor & writing. A friend of mine however, recommended it to me while it was on sale, so I thought I'd give it a shot! I was pleasantly surprised at how mature this game was and how real each character felt. Arthur himself is a great protagonist; his personality is dynamic and you just kind of synchronize with him! Even with a linear story and limited customization options I can watch a video and be like "That's not my Arthur" if that makes sense XD. Overall, I would definitely recommend RDR2 it tells a great western story without feeling generic.

Just be aware it's a long ride! (Took me nearly 60 hours to finish!)

Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines

Troika Games Steam

THE roleplaying vampire PC game. Built on the Source engine, sustained by the blood of a dedicated modding community. While combat can be a bit clunky, the writing and atmosphere are unmatched, you're really going to feel immersed in this world! Malkavians FTW!!

P.S I'm sorry to say it, but I have no confidence for Bloodlines 2 :(

The Cat Lady

Harvester Games Steam

The Cat Lady is a beautifully dark game. It's tactful and the main character, Susan is written so well. Susan is relatable and it's easy to sympathize and invest yourself in her story. I don't want to say much, as this is definitely a game you'll want to go into blind. Also look at that gorgeous art style, it's so unique!

Mirror's Edge

DICE Steam

There's nothing quite like Mirror's Edge. Every little detail in the game contributes to this unexplainable feeling of beauty and freedom. The art direction is some of the best I've ever seen, it's sleek and utilitarian yet stunning and impactful. The gameplay is fulfilling, there is triumph in maintaining a "flow" state. Don't even get me started on the music, "Still Alive" is iconic! There won't ever be another game like Mirror's Edge, and that's okay because there doesn't have to be.

Sewer Rave

Autumn Rain Itch.io

Fun little exploration game with a charming blend of nihilism and chill vibes

E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy

Streum On Studio Steam

Very strange FPS-RPG on the Source engine. large range of mechanics from hacking to slashing! a unique albeit unpolished experience worth going through atleast once.

System Shock

Looking Glass Studios Steam

The pioneer of the 0451 immersive sim genre. Clunky controls by today's standards but enjoyable and addictive. Also lets be honest here, SHODAN steals the show!

Deadly Premonition

Access Games Steam

A quirky, charming and unforgettable game akin to Twin Peaks. If I may be so brazen, you would do well to be wary of clunky mechanics and poor optimization. So says Mr Stewart.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R Series

GSC Gameworld Steam

Based on the Strugatsky brother's novel "A Roadside Picnic" (A great book btw), the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games are immersive shooters with a dreadful and lonely atmosphere. Having just barely pulled through a tumultuous development hell, the games were a bit rough around the edges but quickly spawned a dedicated cult following!

Hypnospace Outlaw

Tendershoot Steam

An absolute must play if you are into 90's web design. Step into a alternate reality of the years preceding Y2K. Fun mechanics and engaging storyline. A lovely expereince.