Reviews

As a Magic: The Gathering fan, I found this card game had an incredible level of depth to the strategy and gameplay. Yes, there is variance through random loot and the randomised dungeon. However, it doesn't feel punishing, but rather creates an enjoying experience of having to strategise card choices and synergies on the fly. The Ascension mode is the endgame, which adds a lot of replayability where a very high skillcap is needed to survive the higher levels.

My first impressions of the game was that the combat was fun, but the game itself was too grindy. This improved somewhat as I persisted. It definitely takes a few hours of dying prematurely to unlock enough upgrades for the game to become an enjoyable challenge. The pace of the gameplay makes for a riveting combat experience. Each move feels crisp and every encounter feels like there is a way to outskill the enemy with enough skill and speed.  Once you are desensitised to dying and starting over, the game itself becomes quite mesmerising and it is easy to whittle away a few hours without even realising it. 

The successor to Limbo. This is such a creative world. I consider the puzzles less hard than Limbo. The suffocating atmosphere creates a tense gaming experience. The art direction is excellent. As I get older, I appreciate a game that does not require too much of a time investment and that gives a rich experience. This game can be picked up and put down again without too much time investment and it feels rewarding nonetheless.

This game holds up well with time. The art direction creates an eerie atmosphere. The puzzles themselves can be very challenging. I had to resort to using an online guide for a number of obstacles. The beauty of this game is that the world is so rich, but it is also easy to pick up and put down and still have a rewarding gaming experience.

Pushed my patience a bit towards the end but all in all a solid layton adventure.

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Faithful sequel to Shenmue fans.

Wonderful bitchip soundtrack that is very catchy. This platformer/side-scrolling metroid game is peppered with humour in a genre that often takes itself too seriously. Gameplay is on point with with polished mechanics and develops a sense of mastery as you find your way through the world. Can be challenging at times, but more accessible than Hollow Knight in terms of difficulty.

Spectacular. The animation and music are on another level that becomes more and more captivating as the game goes on. The platforming gameplay is compelling as well. Highly enjoyable boss fights. Best in class, IMO, of the 2D platforming genre.

Excellent game from a small Oceanic developer studio. Amazing art, immersive lore and environments. A real maze of a Metroidvania, with lots of charm and surprise along the way. Excellent soundtrack. Extremely challenging boss fights, that are rewarding when beaten. Was often too hard for me, so had to put it down for sometimes a few weeks to build up the motivation to try again. Finished the game after about a year. Gets better with age.

Wonderful Diablo-esque game with elements from Dead Cells. Takes all my favourite gameplay moves from World of Warcraft, i.e. shadowstep rogue, and puts it into a pixellated package. Awesome pixel art. The game has a novel skill system that takes the sting out of the grind normally associated with roguelites. The only downside is that it comes to and end eventually without any real endgame.

Gameplay 10/10. Graphics 10/10. Soundtrack 8/10. Storyline 8/10. OVERALL 9.0/10.0 (A 9.0)

Gameplay 5/10. Graphics 6/10. Soundtrack 7/10. Storyline 4/10. OVERALL 5.5/10. (A 6.0)

Gameplay 7/10. Graphics 7/10. Soundtrack 6/10. Storyline 7/10. OVERALL 6.75/10. (A 6.0)

Gameplay 8/10. Graphics 8/10. Soundtrack 6/10. Storyline 7/10. OVERALL 7.25/10.0 (A 7.0)

Gameplay 5/10. Graphics 6/10. Soundtrack 6/10. Storyline 7/10. OVERALL 6.0/10.0 (A 5.0)

Gameplay 8/10. Graphics 5/10. Soundtrack 5/10. Storyline 7/10. OVERALL 6.25/10.0 (A 5.0)

Gameplay 8/10. Graphics 6/10. Soundtrack 5/10. Storyline 6/10. OVERALL 6.25/10.0 (A 7.5)

Gameplay 9/10. Graphics 8/10. Soundtrack 9/10. Storyline 10/10. OVERALL 9/10. (A 9.0)

Gameplay 6/10. Graphics 8/10. Soundtrack 6/10. Storyline 5/10. OVERALL 6.25/10. (A 7.5)