I was sent a free copy of Veritusto review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
Veritus is an adorable 2D retro RPG out now on Steam.
You are a miner asked to explore the mysterious temple of the god of shadows. This won’t be an easy task. Dangerous monsters lurk its halls, dark secrets hide in its shadows, and locked away somewhere deep inside, there is treasure to be had. Explore the temple, fight off its monsters, solve its many puzzles, and try to make it out alive. What secrets will you uncover? Do you have what it takes to conquer the god of shadow’s dungeon?
Gameplay
Fans of old-school hack-n-slash RPGs need to buy this game. Combat feels like a simple button mash, but there is a neat crafting system to keep things interesting. Boss fights are creative, manageable, and fun. Puzzles in this game are incredibly satisfying. They were hard enough to keep things engaging, but never so hard that I needed to look up the solution. Exploration can feel tedious, but the grind isn’t as soul-crushing as it could be. Overall, it is a solid RPG for those looking for something with a cool retro vibe.
Review
If you are a fan of old-school Zelda, this game should be in your collection. Veritus has a decent story, beautiful pixel art, and a fun gameplay loop. I loved it for its much-needed change of pace, and I appreciate it for its creativity. I love how they handled cutscenes, and won’t mind sitting through them again. Combat is fun, puzzles feel good, and the boss fights are creative.
That said, the game isn’t perfect. Exploration can feel tedious, especially when you have to move between checkpoints after dying. The simple dungeon and combat design can make the game feel monotonous. Most importantly, despite its modern mechanics and pacing, the game does feel old. As someone who loves the old-school hack-n-slash genre, I found the repetition soothing and the combat relaxing. These complaints aren’t dealbreakers, but it is something to consider before taking your dive.
If you’re looking for a casual new game with a lot of charm and some solid gameplay, I recommend you pick up Veritus. The game is cute, fun, and only $7. Pick up your copy on Steam today!
I was sent a free copy of Deathbound to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
Deathbound is a party-based soulslike coming to Deathbound releases on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG on August 8. Make sure you add Deathbound to your wishlist and join the official Discord.
Long ago, the Goddess of Life tricked the Goddess of Death, stealing her power and creating a race of immortal men. From these men, an advanced and powerful civilization Zieminal formed. For a while, the Zieminal thrived in their immortality. But the Goddess of Death did not sit idly by while her sister made a fool of her. Slowly, she seduced the Zieminal to give up their immortality. Her seduction worked, and the civilization crumbled overnight.
Centuries pass, and a new civilization rises from the wreckage, one hungry for the immortality they once had. A zealot group of scholars work tirelessly to perfect the ritual for immortality but at a terrible cost. You are a result of these experiments.
Awakened by strange forces, you find yourself as one conflicting soul in a body. Now you must fight your way through the city of Akratya discover the truth of your existence, and put an end to the heresy. What secrets will you uncover?
Gameplay
Deathbound plays like Dark Souls, but with a well-implemented and unique party system to spice things up. The game features the same attack, parry, dodge, and item mechanics to make even the most casual Souls’ fan comfortable. There is a campfire mechanic for rest and leveling, and players drop their experience when they die. The party mechanic is what keeps Deathbound from being a soulless clone.
Players have access to four characters with unique abilities and values that they can swap between freely. Party placement gives characters buffs and debuffs based on their personal beliefs. Each character has a unique set of combat skills and utility. Switching between characters is not only circumstantial but also an important combat mechanic. Players can switch to a character with higher hp to heal an injured one, or they can use the switch to trigger powerful attacks and combos. It gives combat its unique flavor, and it felt more engaging than the traditional soulslike.
I particularly liked how stamina was tied to health. stamina is the energy a character uses to perform his or her actions. Running, attacking, dodging, and blocking all use stamina. A character who runs out of stamina can’t perform an action. Characters have as much stamina as they do health. stamina refills over time, but a damaged character has access to a smaller pool of stamina. Health becomes the most important resource because it keeps a character alive and allows him to do stuff.
It wouldn’t be an RPG without a skill tree, and Deathbound has an expansive one. There is probably a right way to build, but I had fun building to my tastes. I felt like I had enough choices without the experience become overwhelming. Filling the skill tree is a grind, but it is expected for the genre.
Impressions
Deathbound is a fantastic soulslike with a solid story, amazing flavor, and a cool mechanic. I love its dark atmosphere, and the story was a good watch. Combat felt wonderful, but it is easier than Dark Souls. At least I found it a lot more forgiving, and that isn’t a bad thing.
Deathbound‘s combat system is so much fun. I am a huge fan of the party system, and the switching mechanic made for some satisfying combos. My only complaint is with the health/stamina system. I think the system is brilliant, but there is one annoying issue. Sometimes, an enemy will push you into a crate, wall, or other artifact. There isn’t enough room to perform actions either because your weapon gets stuck on a wall or the enemy keeps pushing you into it, and then you run out of stamina to attempt your escape. It didn’t happen often, but it happened enough to be worth mentioning.
Aside from that, the game is a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a casual soulslike with unique flavor, you’re going to want Deathbound. Deathbound releases on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG on August 8, so make sure its on your wishlist!
MRC is looking to be a fantastic season for wind. Wind allies continue to make their sweep with Tristan and Lorraine clinging to their spot as the big bad decks of the format. With Ascent Chicago around the corner, it might be a good idea to start teching against wind. Make sure you get your tickets if you haven’t done so.
Here are the top three decks for the IanTCG regionals. I’ll leave TCG Player affiliate links for those who need them.
I was sent the Vaesen: Mythic Britain & Ireland expansion for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review.
What is Vaesen: Mythic Britain & Ireland?
Vaesen is a monster-of-the-week type game. In a world where fairytale and reality blend, there is sometimes chaos. Fairies, ghosts, and other Vaesen will sometimes cause havoc in the world of man, and it is up to the members of the Society to stop them. Not everyone can see Vaesen, and those who can battle their own demons. These select few are tasked with traveling to the far corners of the world to investigate local myths and bring peace to both the people and Vaesen.
Vaesen: Mythic Britain & Ireland is a supplement setting to the Vaesen roleplaying game. You will need the core rulebook to use this source.The source offers players access to three new classes and a few new abilities. GMs get access to a new setting and more Vaesen to use in their campaign. There are also three prewritten mysteries for those who need them.
Mythic Britain & Irelandtakes Vaesen to the industrial period of the British empire. The events aren’t historically accurate, there aren’t enough pages for that, but it does a decent job of setting up the world for a campaign. The book offers various ideas for settings like cities or areas in cities with a solid overview of what it would have been like. Rising tension between classes and ethnic groups can help bring the world to life. I enjoy the different myths and legends sprinkled into each setting as hooks.
The Book
This book is beautiful, and printed with the high quality and care that I have come to expect from Free League Publishing. The pages and cover are textured to give it that old storybook feel. The illustrations are incredible. I love the use of color and style. If you enjoy physical media, you’re going to want a copy of this on your shelf.
Impression
While I love this book, you don’t need it. This is a supplement, only for those who are looking for ideas to spice up their next campaign. The ideas are interesting. There are some great ideas for settings, hunts, and how to run NPCs. The history is a nice touch and can give a campaign its flavor. As a GM, I think it’s a great resource, even if you don’t run the prewritten adventures.
The prewritten adventures are fine. I didn’t run through them, but I did read through them. They have interesting hooks, mysteries, and Vaesen. I like that there isn’t a railroad or structure. You get a bunch of information and it is up to the players to run their investigation. There are certain events a GM can trigger to create tension, but it isn’t a railroad. I always like having prewritten adventures around in case I need them, and this will not be the exception.
If you’re thinking of getting the supplement, you should consider if you need a new setting. I don’t believe any of the ideas introduced in this book are necessary for running a good Vaesen campaign, but there are some good ideas to build from. I like the setting and Vaesen in this book enough to think it is worth it. The prewritten adventures are a nice bonus. But if you’re looking to get into Vaesen RPG for the first time, you need to start at the beginning.
You can pick up your copy of Vaesen: Mythic Britan & Ireland on the official website ($51.35) or on Amazon ($49.99) using my affiliate link. If you don’t care for physical media, the PDF is on DriveThru RPG for ($21.99).
I was sent a free copy of Earl vs. the Mutantsto review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
Earl vs. the Mutants is a post-apocalyptic twin-stick shooter out now on Steam. The world has become overrun by mutants and it is up to the licensed hunters to keep them at bay. Play as Earl as he drives through the wasteland ramming, shooting, and blowing up mutants for that sweet reward. Can Earl bring peace to this world, or will he become another forgotten casualty?
Gameplay
You can play Earl vs. the Mutantslike your traditional twin-stick shooter, left stick maneuvers your car aims your gun. Players can also opt to play the game like a top-down driving game. Both methods work well, it all comes down to preference. I liked changing between modes for the variability. It made the runs feel fresh, not that the game needed much refreshing.
Runs start with Earl driving a basic version of his car. As you kill mutants, he picks up experience points that can be traded in for random skill upgrades at level up. The RNG is pretty fair, but bad slots will ruin your run. Players can pay to refresh their choices. While these upgrades disappear after each run, players can buy permanent upgrades in between runs from Granny’s shop. These upgrades are purchased with coins picked up through a run or earned by completing quests. The more time a player spends with the game, the stronger Earl’s car becomes. The nice thing about this feature is that these skills can be refunded if a player ever gets buyer’s remorse.
The loop is simple. Players survive and kill mutants for a set time before the boss appears. The longer a player stays alive, the harder the enemies become. There are three distinct levels to play and a few unlockable cars to work towards. If you’re looking for something simple and fun, this might be your game.
Review
Earl vs. the Mutants is simple but incredibly addicting. I loved that I could choose between driving modes. Sometimes you want to play a quirky driving game, but other times you want to sit back and enjoy a twin-stick shooter. The driving mechanics is what makes this game feel different from other games in the genre. Driving feels very good in this game. While it may not be a driving sim, it is a nice change of pace from other twin-stick shooters because of how you need to maneuver the car through the wasteland.
The graphics might be an issue for some folks. The game is on the simple low-res side of gaming, but that shouldn’t matter because the game is fun. Once a run starts to get chaotic, you’ll appreciate the game’s charm and solid performance. It is a short game, but one that you can pick up anytime to enjoy a relaxing, quirky, good time.
If you’re looking for a fun twin-stick shooter, or are in the market for some fun casual gaming, you need to pick up Earl vs. the Mutants.
You can pick up Earl vs. The Mutantson Steam for only $6.99 ($5.59 until August 1st)
The Escape Tales: The Awakening demo is officially on Steam, and I recommend you pick it up if you enjoy puzzles, escape rooms, or the board game it is based on. Full disclosure, I was asked to cover the demo, but these will be my honest impressions.
Escape Tales is a series of escape room board games. Bluekey Games has taken it upon themselves to turn the popular series into a video game. Players must solve puzzles to progress through a story where their choices matter.
You play as Sam who has lost his wife is on the verge of losing his daughter. His daughter has fallen into a mysterious coma without a cure in sight. A man gives him “The Book of Rituals”. Desperate for a solution, Sam embarks on the most frightening night of his life as he has to solve puzzles and face off against dark forces. Will he be able to get his little girl back, or will they both become lost to the darkness?
Gameplay
The demo has you clearing the first room of the story. It is a short demo. If you’re good at puzzles, it shouldn’t take you more than an hour. Players receive a solid hook to the story and must gather clues to solve the room. The game is a giant point-and-click puzzle game with no time limit. I appreciate that there is no time limit because it allows me to enjoy the game at my own pace. The game boasts having multiple answers, endings, and choices that matter. That is yet to be seen, but it is an exciting feature if done correctly.
The puzzle is hard, and creative, but manageable if you’re paying attention. The game is very generous with clues and will offer solutions if you get stuck. People who do a lot of escape rooms shouldn’t have a problem with the puzzle, but it’s nice to have for some of the less obvious solutions.
The game features tools to help them on their journey. Players can use the on-screen notepad to jot down notes or use their mouse to write over the puzzle. I know some people will prefer the feel of pencil and paper, but this is a great feature for those who like to have everything in one place.
Impressions
I know I’ve only played the demo, but I am already addicted. The flavor is great, the puzzles are challenging, and the story is interesting. My only complaint is that one of the puzzles was hard to make out. It might have been a personal issue, but I felt like the image was a bit too blurry, other than that, the game feels like it is going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to try out the whole game. Stay tuned for that.
If you like puzzle games, love escape rooms, or enjoy the board game series, you need to try this demo. It offers a solid taste of what to expect and will leave you wanting more. You can download the Escape Tales: The Awakening demo now on Steam.
I was sent a free copy of Galactic Glitchto review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions of the game. This will be my honest review. If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.
What is Galactic Glitch?
Galactic Glitch is a colorful and unique twin-stick roguelike shooter where you can throw your enemies into other enemies. The game has launched on Steam Early Access.
Travel through beautiful 2D maps full of enemies, mystery, and debris. Fight off swarms of enemies in unique space battles and upgrade your ship to be the best in the galaxy. How far into the darkness of space will you be able to reach?
Gameplay
Galactic Glitch starts in the traditional roguelike fashion. Players begin their campaign with a basic ship that they can upgrade along the way. The more you play, the better the ship becomes. You will die a lot, so be prepared for some repetition.
The ship comes with three weapons that can be swapped out and upgraded later in the game. Each weapon swap makes a meaningful change to combat, allowing players the ability to find a loadout that fits their playstyle. Players will also encounter random events that drop stat upgrades when completed. These are harder encounters and a very welcomed change of pace.
Combat feels like your typical twin-stick bullet hell, but the physics give it enough of a unique flare to set it apart from other games in the genre. Maneuvering around rooms and throwing objects into enemies feels so good once you get the hang of things.
Progress in this game is set up like a dungeon crawler. Players crawl through the vastness of space, clearing one room at a time. Rooms feel unique enough that the repetition doesn’t get stale, but to be fair, I do enjoy my repetition.
There is a story to this game, but it isn’t anything deep that you’ll need to follow thoroughly. At least it didn’t do enough to catch my attention. Instead, you’ll be picking up this game for the unique space-crawling goodness that it is.
Review
I loved every minute of Galactic Glitch. The art is great, the soundtrack is amazing, and the gameplay is so much fun. Geometry Wars was my favorite game growing up, and Galactic Glitch feels like that with a bit more purpose. I liked that I could switch my weapons but still pick up some RNG abilities along the way. I love that I could upgrade a home base for more powerups. I am sure I could have been a lot more efficient with my playthrough, but I had a lot of fun figuring things out.
If you’re looking for a fun game that will certainly become an addiction, pick up Galactic Glitch. It is a neat casual game with enough substance to keep players engaged, without it becoming a huge commitment. I love Twin-Stick shooters, and Galactic Glitch is definitely one of my favorites.
You can pick up Galactic Glitchon Steam for $12.99 (currently $9.74 until July 29).
The Genesis TCG returns to Kickstarter with a unique campaign, a new design, and a lot of ambition. The state of the Genesis TCG has been a mystery since its abrupt end in April 2023 when its parent company, Haunted Castle Gaming, announced its closure. Since then, a group of dedicated and passionate fans have come together to keep the game they love alive. The game is now under the proud ownership of Edge of Exile Entertainment. We will have to see if their passion and love for the game will translate to its success.
Since the change of ownership, Genesis has seen a new impressive card design. I am impressed with the game’s new identity, but I’ll have to see the cards in person before I can make a definitive claim.
The canceled invitation set was also released under Edge of Exile’s leadership and new design., and the set looks good. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to get any product, so I’ll just settle for looking at the list online.
The game will have to rebuild trust as it competes for a player base. The game’s sudden initial closure has left the game with some sour connotations. Nobody wants to invest in a game with no future. Edge of Exile has addressed this issue on their Kickstarter page. The company has successfully released an expansion since its induction, albeit one that was already done before the closure. The company also has an established and proven relationship with distributors and a few game stores. They are also trying to get back onto TCG Player, and hopefully give more players access to the game.
The Kickstarter
Backing the Metamorphosis Kickstarter gets you a set of the alt art cards for all the champions featured in the set. $50 gets you a non-foil set and $92 gets you both foil and non-foil. There is additional swag and goodies at higher tiers. The money earned from this campaign goes to paying the printers. Metamorphosis will go to printing once the $29, 311 has been pledged.
What is Genesis TCG
Genesis TCG is a 5×6 grid based tactical TCG. Players move their champions through the arena, and the first player to kill all enemy champions wins. This is a very unique way of dealing with the TCG.Check out the tutorial to see if the game is right for you:
Thoughts
I’ve always been interested in Genesis because I found it to be an interesting concept for a trading card game. Unfortunately, the game died right as I was about to start buying product. I was surprised to see the Kickstarter. I had stopped following the game, and sort of forgot about it. It’s cool to see that the game hasn’t been abandoned, especially by its most loyal fans. It makes it easy to root for.
Most Kickstarter TCGs sell boxes and starter decks, but Edge of Exile is limited by their established agreement with their distributors. They don’t want to take away sales from the stores that will carry their game. While this is an admirable act, it makes the campaign hard to sell.
Having alt-art versions of the champions is awesome if you already have a deck to play with. New players trying to pick up the game will have to hope they can also find product after launch, and it’s a bit discouraging. While $50 is reasonable for a set of exclusive alt-art cards, it is a steep price for someone who hasn’t played the game before. It would be cool if they had a print-n-play option to help people decide. This seems like a campaign geared toward those hopeful for the longevity of the game or established fans of the game.
The fans of the game will be divided by this campaign. Those who are loyal and dedicated have already pledged and secured their exclusive playsets, some even at a discount. Other fans have been made weary by the string of dead and dying indie TCGs. The TCG space is unforgiving. If Edge of Exile doesn’t do enough, Genesis isn’t getting the resurgence it deserves.
I’ll be rooting for the success of the campaign because I like the idea of a game company run by its players. There seems to be a lot of ambition and passion behind this attempt at resurrection, and I will be following it closely for its definitive outcome.
If you’ve played Genesis, want to bling out your deck, or want to get into the game, you’re going to want to help with this Kickstarter. It is the only way Metamorphasis gets printed. Even though there is a proven record, there is always risk when backing a Kickstarter. Follow your gut.
The new Shadowverse: Evolveset is out, and it’s making me want to get into the hobby. I’ve played the mobile version in passing, but it never really clicked. The release of Omens Eternal made me download the app, and I am ready to give it a chance. The art in this set is so cool, I might just have to start collecting.
I was sent the Fifine SC3 Gaming Audio Mixer to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
What’s in the Box?
The mixer comes neatly and safely packaged in a plain box. Inside, you get a copy of the instruction manual, a USB-C to USB-A cable, an aux cord, and the mixer. The instructions are easy to read, but the device is even easier to use with very little guidance. The USB cable and Aux cord are a decent length, but you might want to invest in a better aux cord if you want better sound.
Sound Quality
The SC3 Mixer is going to elevate your setup. You will get better sound than plugging your headphones into the motherboard, but most importantly, you’re getting amazing voice recordings out of the box. I used the mixer with the Fifine H9 gaming headset and am very impressed with the sound quality I got. You can use something like a voice meter to get a more professional sound, but I don’t think you need to. If you’re looking for the easiest and cheapest way to upgrade your sound for streams, the SC3 is what you need. I’ll leave a sample of the sound below:
The SC3 comes with a voice changer feature. This feature includes six easily toggleable presets: male, female, robot, monster, baby, and elder. This feature isn’t great, but it is fun. The male, female, and elder presets are the most usable of the batch. I’ll leave samples of the different profiles below.
There are volume-controlling sliders for the mic, line-in, headphones, and line-out with corresponding mute buttons for each. There is also an autotune feature. I can’t sing to save my life and didn’t mess around too much with me. It feels a little basic, but it’s a fun and silly feature like the voice changer.
Of course, the SC3 wouldn’t be a gaming accessory without any RGB. The mixer has a solid collection of light profiles so you can always have a matching setup. The soft underflow is a very nice touch. I like the fact that I can toggle off the RGB if I need my desk to look less busy.
My favorite feature is the four programmable soundboard buttons. Each button can easily record and store your favorite sound bite to play during your stream or podcast. I already have my profiles loaded and ready for D&D silliness.
Quality
The SC3 mixer looks cheap, but the construction is sturdy. The sliders make the device feel cheap. I never had any issues with the sliders, but it feels like they will break after extensive use. That said, the SC3 will survive enough normal wear and tear to be worth the money you spend on it.
The buttons feel good and make up for the quality of the sliders. All buttons are easy to read, responsive, and soft. I like that the buttons glow white when they are in use, and make great use of their RGB lighting effects when not.
You are getting what you pay for, but it won’t break after a week of use.
Review
The SC3 mixer has become my daily driver for my home setup. It not only looks good on my desk, but it is also practical. The SC3 provides a decent soundstage. I would have liked a little more bass, but there is enough of it to make it an enjoyable experience. Most people who aren’t audiophiles will be content with the sound.
Voice recordings through the mixer is a fantastic experience. You aren’t getting studio quality, but the quality you’re getting is good enough for most cases. Without any tinkering or third-party software, you’re getting a good sound recording. The experience will vary based on the mic, but I did feel like I was getting a better-sounding recording from my Fifine H9 gaming headset. You can use something like voicemeter to make it sound more professional, but I don’t think it’s necessary. The SC3 mixer is an upgrade out of the box.
Quality isn’t an issue. The build looks solid, and it looks fine on the table. It does feel cheap, but I am not afraid of it breaking any time soon. This isn’t a buy-it-for-life situation, but it is a quality budget-friendly option. This is the device you buy while you save up for the expensive upgrade.
The SC3 is a very user-friendly and responsive mixer. Setup is easy, but there are some quality tutorials out there if you need them. I appreciate how responsive the controls are, especially if you’re using it for commercial purposes.
My only real complaint is that having your phone connected with the included aux cord sounds bad. There was a lot of static. A better AUX cord might fix this, but I wasn’t able to test one.
If you’re looking for a quality mixer that isn’t going to break your bank, check out the Fifine SC3. This mixer is a fantastic option for those looking to get into streaming or podcasting. You’re getting a decent amount of features for a good device that will hold you over till you’re ready for the upgrade. It doesn’t offer much customization in terms of equalizers, but you don’t really need them yet. While I do see some everyday use, this might be a bit overkill for everyone else. Unless you need the features, I would go with the Fifine H9 Gaming headset if you’re looking to upgrade your mic and sound. I am happy with the SC3, and recommend it to anyone in the market for a mixer.
