I was sent Pixel Ripped 1978 as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review.
The evil Cyblin Lord is back! This time he has gone back in time to change the course of history and make himself the hero. It is up to Dot to go back and stop him before it is too late. With the help of Bug, a programmer for Atari, Dot must fight familiar enemies, find the time crystals, and fix bugs along the way. Can they stop the Cyblin Lord before it is too late?
Pixel Ripped is an interesting concept for a VR simulation game. It is a meta experience where gamers play a game within a game that pays homage to classic eras in gaming. Thanks to the official partnership, this game pays homage to the Atari era of gaming. In Pixel Ripped 1978, players switch between the two characters, each offering a unique experience.
As Bug, players pick up an Atari controller and play through a classic game in order to find bugs to fix. As they play, they will encounter real-world distractions that offer a different level of difficulty than the platforming. Bug has to deal with coworkers, answer phone calls, and deal with people blocking the tv screen while she is trying to beat the game. This mechanic is neat until the novelty wears off. If you are good at classic platformers, the distractions only pose minor inconveniences. But if you aren’t, the loop of distractions becomes tedious.
Don’t get me wrong, the distractions are fun and an interesting mechanic. The interactions are quirky, silly, and there are some fun little easter eggs sprinkled throughout. My issue isn’t that there aren’t more kinds of interactions because that isn’t feasible. My issue has to do with my skill level. Because I am not good at platforming, the interactions become an annoying taunt that got worse the longer I was trapped in the level. If you are good at platformers, this might not be an issue.
As Dot, you get to travel into the game and fix bugs. The world is vibrant, colorful, and cool. But as I mentioned before, once the novelty wears off, the gameplay feels a bit one note. Dot walks around the game world, shooting enemies and breaking pots. It isn’t a bad experience, but there isn’t anything special to it either. Combat is point-and-shoot, the movement is slow, and while I appreciate the humor involved in the melee attack, it isn’t any more fun. It’s okay for the first few minutes, but nothing that you should be rushing to try.
The boss fights are where this game earns some of its charms back. Boss fights start with playing a classic Atari title that will suddenly turn to life in a cool AR-like experience. Now players must beat a special level of the game by defeating the evil Cyblin Lord at the end. This introduces new mechanics. Players must control Dot through the level while dealing with real-world obstacles. For example, on one level, players have to throw paper balls at the boss while controlling Dot. I appreciate the creativity of the boss fights, but I wish the rest of the game had this level of energy.
It’s hard to recommend because once the novelty of the experience wears off, the game falls flat. The graphics are great, the music is fantastic, and the game runs smoothly, but the gameplay isn’t there for me. As platformers go, unless you have nostalgia for the Atari era, it isn’t great. As a VR experience, it has its moments, but there are certainly better titles. It isn’t a bad game, but it isn’t something I would be rushing to.
You can pick up for the Meta Quest, Steam VR, and PlayStation VR on June 16.
Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-16
If you’ve been keeping up with the story on the official website, it’s become clear that Bandai isn’t putting much effort into the English translation for Digimon Seekers. I have taken it upon myself to fix the Google translation we get stuck with every week. I’ll be keeping the core story the same, but I will hopefully fix some of its mechanical awkwardness. I will be posting my version the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always read the original chapter. If you enjoy what I do, make sure you like and subscribe, and don’t forget to start on chapter 1-1!
Numemon lands with a loud thud, kicking up dust around it. The large slug was the size of a small truck. On its head, a rotating police light shines splashes of red and blue light around the Digimon. It turns its attention to Logamon and Eiji who stand meters away, ready for a fight.
Satsuki smiles as she suddenly appears on Numemon’s back. Her hologram shimmers in the same translucent blue Eiji does. “You’ve done it now code cracker. You and forehead don’t stand a chance against my Numemon!”
“Don’t call me Forehead!” Loogamon snarls. Its fur stands angrily down its back.
Eiji watches as the Cargodramon hovers over them, the blinding white light of the spotlight washing over them. Eiji can make out its cannons still fixed on Loogamon. Eiji watches as the Commandramon continue to move into position around them. He feels the muzzles of countless guns pointing in their direction. And Eiji watches the curious pair in charge of it all. Eiji tries to calm himself with a breath, but his heart continues to race.
Satsuki lifts the watch to her mouth and lets out a devilish smile. “All units, on my command…”
“My name is Eiji Nagasumi” he blurts desperately “What’s your name?” His voice shakes as he waits for an answer.
“Not that it matters, but I am deputy squad leader Satsuki Tamahime of the Metropolitan Police, Cybercrime division and..”
“That’s a pretty name. What kanji do you use for your name, Stasuki?”
Satsuki thinks for a moment. “It’s ‘tama’ from shogi, ‘hime’ from princess, and… stop trying to distract me! I know you’re an ‘A’ level code cracker…”
Eiji smiles as he cuts her off again. “You hear that Loogamon. I’m an elite-level code cracker! Satsuki approved.” Satsuki becomes more annoyed with each interruption. Eiji can’t help but enjoy messing with the officer.
“Your days living a normal life are over Eiji Nagasumi..”
“Call me Fang”
“You have been placed on the departments blacklist. There is nowhere you can hide Nagasumi. Come quietly or things are going to get… icky” she lets out a giggle.
“Nume!” the slug cries out as if on command. Eiji can see the slug clearly now. Its shiny skin shines under the flashing lights as slime sweats down its body.
“You got this Loogamon,” Eiji says unconvincingly, trying to reassure his partner.
“I hate slimy foods!” Loogamon growls as it begins to tense up a reaction.
Blap-blap-blap-blap!
Numemon rapidly fires bullets of poo toward the pair. Eiji and Loogamon jump to dodge the fire, narrowly missing the attack. Satsuki laughs loudly.
“What a disgusting attack,” Loogamon snaps as it lands. “Fitting for a trash Digimon and its loudmouth companion.”
Eiji had been looking himself over for traces of poo. “Um Loogamon?” he begins as a bead of sweat makes its way down his forehead, “she can hear you”
But it was too late. Satsuki stops laughing. Her expression becomes stern. “You Mangy mutt! Don’t talk about Numemon like that!” Numemon launches a large blast of sewage toward Loogamon. Loogamon swiftly jumps out of the way as the sewage explodes against the wall behind it. The explosion catches Eiji, covering him in a disgusting sludge.
“Loogamon!”
Loogamon smirks at the site. “You’re lucky it was only a richochet”
Unfortunately, being Mindlinked made the sensation too real. Eiji could smell the foul stench as it stuck to his skin and feel the gross slimy warmth as it settled around him. Eiji retches as he tries to regain his composure.
Numemon and Satsuki burst out laughing. Eiji struggles to find the will to fight. Eiji can hear the snickers of the Commandramon far off in the shadows. Even the Cargodramon lets out an involuntary snicker as it continues to hover.
Eiji tries to wipe away the gunk, but the act only seems to smear deeper into his skin. “Hey, Satsuki?” Eiji says as he scrapes a clump of poo from his hair, “Why’d you pick Numemon?”
Satsuki thinks for a moment before cuddling against the Numemon. “Because it’s so cute! It’s slimy, shiny, and it’s got a ferocity that I find…Fascinating.” The Numemon smiles as it nuzzles against Satsuki. Suddenly, she sits up straight and turns to Eiji. “Hey, Eiji?” She says in a serious tone.
“Yeah?” Eiji replies, scraping off another chunk of poo from his arm, and dropping it to the ground.
“I’m bored now. I’m done with this”
“Dammit!” Loogamon snaps “Eiji, end the hologram!”
Eiji freezes for a moment, unsure what to do. He ends the hologram and Eiji and Loogamon become one.
Eiji finds himself suspended in an empty virtual space, surrounded by monitors. At the center, Eiji has a clear view of the battlefield through Loogamon’s eyes. The surrounding screens were filled with stats, menus, and programs.
“Commandramon! Fire!” Satsuki commands gleefully.
DCD BOMB!
The Commandramon start tossing bombs towards the space Loogamon stood. Before the bombs get a chance to explore, Loogamon is in the air above an unsuspecting group of Commandramon.
“Howling Fire!”
A wall of fire rains down over the Commandramon, leaving them blackened and unconscious.
Satsuki and Numemon are unphased by the sudden burst of flames.
“Let’s see how you handle my flame!” Loogamon roars as he lets out a burst of flame towards the advancing slug. The flames engulf the pair, but the fire has no effect. The attack doesn’t break the slug’s stride as it slowly closes the gap between them.
Eiji watches the battlefield helplessly from his void. Numemon was a Champion-level Digimon. Even if it is just a slug, the difference in power level is clear. Loogamon needed to be stronger to stand a chance. But what could he do from in here?
“Calm down Eiji!” Loogamon’s voice comes from within Eiji’s head.
Eiji tries to calm himself. “If we don’t give it our all, we’re toast”
There is a brief silence before Loogamon answers, “Ever since we arrived in the Wall Slum, I’ve been feeling this strange surge of power growing within me. I can feel it about to overflow, and I think it’s because of you. Can you feel it too?”
Eiji tries to calm himself further as he tries to concentrate. At first, he is hit with the overwhelming senses of the world around him. His nose fills with the burnt scent of gunpowder mixed with the foul order of sewage. He can hear the sound of the rotors slicing through the air and the sound of the remaining Comandramon moving their injured comrades. And he can feel the stinging pain of the bullet wounds on Loogamon’s flesh. Beneath all of this, Eiji feels a strange sensation. A power shared between the too ready to overflow.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Elder Scrolls Call To Arms Starter Set is Coming!
I would like to take a moment and talk about the board game Elder Scrolls Call to Arms. I have spent way too many hours on Skyrim, and own it on every console. Today I found out that there is also a board game, not for Skyrim, but for Elder Scrolls. While I may not have friends to play with, I enjoy window shopping games I can’t play. Call to Arms looks like a lot of fun, and if you are looking for a new tabletop wargame to play with your friends, this might be worth looking into.
The game lets players explore Tamriel with absolute freedom. You can complete quests, join the civil war, or go treasure hunting. You can even use the minis to play some other tabletop games. It has options for co-op, PVP, and even solo play, and there are already quite a few expansions and scenarios. A great place to start is the upcoming Call to Arms Starter set.
The starter set includes everything you need to get started such as:
- 1 x The Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms Core Rules
- Core rule book, Quests book, Escape from Helgen Quickstart
- More than 200 cards including heroes, followers, adversaries, quests and more
- 2 die cut counter sheets
- 13 special game dice
- Imperial Plastic Starter set
- 1 x Hadvar, Hero of Helgen
- 1 x Imperial Mage
- 3 x Imperial Soldiers
- Stormcloak Plastic Starter Set
- 1 x Ralof, Warrior of the Resistance
- 1 x Ysrald Thrice Pierced, Stormcloak Commander
- 3 x Stormcloak Warriors with Greatswords
- Bleak Falls Barrow Plastic Delve
- 1 x Dragonborn, Champion of Skyrim
- 1 x Draugr Deathlord
- 3 x Skeleton Archers
- 3 x Draugr Warrior with Greatsword
The figures come unpainted and unassembled, and I am very excited to see what the community comes up with. There are some pretty cool paint jobs displayed on the official website.
As of writing this, you can only preorder the starter set in the UK for 110 GBP, which is a pretty good deal for what you are getting. I assume that the price in the US will be around $136 if Google did the conversion right.
There is already quite a bit of content out for this game, so it might be a good idea to look at that while you wait for the starter set. Chapters 1 and 2 content is currently 15% off until June 30th. It’s a good way to save a couple bucks on some minis, but it might be best to wait for the starter set. They’ll be announcing chapter 4 preorders any day now.
Before you go spending any money, it might be a good idea to try out the game. You can download the rulebook for free, and the rules are pretty simple to pick up. There is also a good amount of print-and-play content to help you get started with the system on the official website. You can print out adventures, character cards, and even the dice. This is a very cool thing the publishers are doing because nothing sucks more than buying into a system you don’t like. You can also check out the store page for free content as well.
Make sure you check out some of the tutorials to see how some of the mechanics work.
Movement
Damage
Melee
Ranged
I’ve seen a bit of the gameplay, and I like what I saw. The combat looks fun, the magic and gear system look interesting, and the AI and leveling seem to be well-designed. The game pieces look like they are great quality. I would be interested in using some of the pieces for my D&D sessions as well. I’d love some hands-on experience with the game, so if I can find some folks to play with or carve out some time for myself, I’ll let you know.
Make sure you follow the publisher on their socials to stay up to date on all the news: Facebook, Twitter, and Discord
Movie Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
I wasn’t going to write about The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but I needed to talk about something that bothered me about the movie. It’s not a bad kids’ movie. If you have to sit through this with your kids, you’ve probably already sat through it, and it wasn’t too bad. If you haven’t and can stream it later, you won’t hate it. It’s colorful, there are a lot of fun references to the games, and the soundtrack is amazing. The plot is simple and could use better character development, but it is a kids’ movie. It certainly isn’t the worst video game movie to date.
My issue with this movie is with the choice of voice actors. I have nothing against Pratt or the rest of the cast, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the performances. Most of the characters sounded like the actors talking through the script. Scenes with Bowser are especially jarring because while Jack Black is giving a fantastic performance, the rest of the cast wasn’t. They should have hired real voice actors. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is full of amazing talent, but unfortunately, that talent didn’t translate into the voice acting.
I am getting tired of these kinds of miscasting and movies written around named brand actors. I hate that the business has turned into tricking people into watching mediocre and lazy movies because of who is in them. I wish that instead, the focus would be on better writing and actors that fit the role. It is a lot to ask for, especially with the writer’s strike going on, but it shouldn’t be unreasonable. I sit through a lot of garbage and will continue to do so, but the homogony wears on me, and we deserve better.
Anyways, if you haven’t watched this movie, I would wait till you can stream it or watch it for free. If you have kids, it’s a great movie to throw on. You will zone out, but it isn’t terrible. If you are trying to watch a good animated movie, I suggest you look elsewhere. I suggest throwing this movie on in the background because the soundtrack has some bangers, but the rest is pretty mediocre.
By Universal, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68810546https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGl01FkMMo&ab_channel=Illumination
Magic the Gathering Arena is now on Steam
I know I am a little late on this news, but Magic the Gathering Arena is now on Steam. If you are looking for the most convenient way to play MTG standard, this is a solid option. The app works well enough, and you can always find a match when you need one.
I don’t have the longest history with Magic the Gathering, but I love card games. I grew up collecting Pokemon and playing Yugioh. I got into MTG during the Return to Ravnica set when there were still base sets. One of my coworkers at the time found out I liked Yugioh, and he convinced me to get into Magic. He took me to my first Friday Night Magic, and we made it our ritual to go every Friday after. I didn’t do well, but it quickly became my favorite part of the week. I always had weird decks people enjoyed playing against, and I met some very cool people. Unfortunately, my schedule changed, and I haven’t played in person in years. I did try getting into MTGO, but it was too much of a hassle to be worth it. It didn’t capture what I loved most about Friday Night Magic.
Since then, I’ve played a lot of Hearthstone and every other CCG on the app store. It took me until Brother’s War to take MTGA more seriously. I may not be a high-ranking player, but I’ve been enjoying it for the casual magic experience that it has become for me. I don’t have friends, time, or money to get into paper Magic. As it is, I only have time for my dailies and an odd-ranked match here and there. I would love to have the time to see how high I could rank, but I am content with where I am.
I am a mostly free-to-play player. I have only spent $20 total on this game to unlock the battle pass, but I had already built my competitive standard deck without spending any money. The battle pass is a great way to build your collection if you play enough to make it worth it. You can use real money or earn gems through drafts. Be warned, the grind in this game can be soul-crushing. You will lose a lot in the beginning. Once you’ve been placed in your ELO and earned enough Wild Cards to build your deck, it gets better.
I didn’t feel like the grind was bad because I just wanted to play Magic, even if I lost. I jumped straight into ranked. I was able to get into gold casually, and it became a lot easier once I built a better deck. The starter decks get a lot of bad press, but they aren’t bad if you are just trying to play and earn your dailies. If you care about rank, just play casual. It will match you with people with the same deck level. But if you are trying to play this game seriously, there are some pretty good guides out there that will help you play efficiently.
If you’ve been thinking about getting into Magic the Gathering, MTGA is a great place to start. The color challenges give players a solid foundation for how the game works and the game does a great job of teaching players the different mechanics. The grind can be a little soul-crushing, but if you are just playing for fun, it isn’t too bad. Once you get a solid understanding of the basics and want to play with real people, I would look into getting a precon commander and finding an LGS to play at.
If you are new to MTGA, make sure you reroll your dailies. You can reroll one quest a day, reroll anything that gives you 500g and keep anything worth 750g. The most efficient way to build your collection is by playing draft. You get the most cards from drafts, and you can earn gems that you can use to unlock the battle pass or cosmetics. You also get a free pack each month by participating in a draft. If you aren’t good at draft, go download the untapped.gg companion. It has a nifty little overlay that gives tips on what to draft. If you are playing on PC, you should also be running this app. It has a fantastic feature deck building feature that sorts deck lists by what you can afford based on your collection and the number of wild cards you own.
The best advice I can give players going into this game is to not let the grind become more important than your fun. This is a game run by a greedy corporation, and they are constantly making choices that make it hard to support the game. The game is buggy and there is a huge grind in this game by design, especially if you are free-to-play. There are efficient ways to tackle this grind, but you have to evaluate if the amount of time you need to spend on that grind is worth it. If you enjoy the grind, or if the end goal is worth it, by all means, go for it. But if playing Magic becomes soul-crushing, and you find yourself logging into this game because you have to and not because you want to, it’s okay to step away, take a break, and play a different card game. Come back after you take your break, this game isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I have read all the guides and watched all the videos. I know how to grind efficiently, but I choose to play this game in a way that is fun for me. I hate playing drafts, so I don’t draft. I know it’s more efficient than buying and opening packs, but I have more fun opening packs than drafting. What I am saying is, pick and choose the advice that helps you enjoy the game the most. Games should be fun, and Magic is no exception.
You can now play Magic the Gathering Arena on the official client, Android and IOS devices, and Steam.
Outerplane Now Live Globally
I talked about Outerplane in a previous post sharing my excitement for the new turn-based gotcha game coming to us from our friends at Smilegate. The game has some great art, fantastic voice acting, and some phenomenal animations. I won’t repeat too many of my initial thoughts, so make sure you go read my original post if you’d like to know more.
Outerplane has officially had its global launch, available now in more than 170 countries for IOS and Android devices. New players are guaranteed 80 hero pulls. Those who complete the Start Dash and Guide quest events are guaranteed a three-star hero for each event.
To commemorate the event, the Outerplane team has released special coupons to redeem for in-game gifts. Use the codes:
PLAYOUTERPLANE1 for 500 Ether
PLAYOUTERPLANE2 for 120 Stamina + 20 Cake Slice
I am excited for this game because I am always looking for a gotcha game to fill the void Dragalia Lost left behind. This game looks very promising. I will be testing it out and be back with my first impressions once I get a bit deeper into the game. Until then, it doesn’t hurt to go start your journey now. You can download Outerplane free on the Google Play store and App Store today!
Make sure you follow the socials to stay up to date on all the news: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-14
While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1
Eiji steps out of the subway and stands hesitantly at the edge of Ninth Avenue. He keeps one foot in the subway tunnel and contemplates abandoning the mission. Eiji looks at the cramped, dirty, sketchy alleys reminiscent of Kolwoon or Showa-Era Kabukicho and can’t help but feel uneasy. He feels small at the bottom of this valley of towering slums. Illegible signs and advertisements clutter the skyline, spilling their sickly vibrant neon against the dirty walls. The air seems thick with danger, and it makes Eiji uneasy.
Eiji takes a deep breath as he takes it all. “Hey Loogamon?” his voice shakes with a bit of worry, “What is this place?”
Loogamon shoots an annoyed glance at Eiji. “Seriously? Are you dumb?”
“Hey be nice, it’s my time in the Digital world. You have to guide me…”Eiji follows close behind as he continues surveying his surroundings. “Wait, aren’t you a king or something?” Loogamon doesn’t respond. “Am I supposed to bow down to you?” Eiji stops to give a joking curtsy “Your Majesty”
“Quit it!” Loogamon growls.
“As you wish your highness,” Eiji laughs.
“This is why your dog didn’t like you. Hurry up and get serious! You have work to do.”
Eiji scrolls through his screen, looking for the mapping tool. “I love you Loogamon!” he sings. Loogamon shakes its head and continues to move through the alley. Eiji launches the mapping tool.
“The guy said we just need to walk around and leave the tool running.”
Nothing made sense in Ninth Avenue. The streets wound into zagging mazes of uneven streets and alleys. Some buildings looked as if they were on the verge of collapsing, while others leaned to a degree that made Eiji uncomfortable. There were signs that dangled loosely from a single rusted bolt. It looked as if the lightest gust of wind could bring them crashing to the ground. There were old dirty wires that hung from walls like dirty dying ivy, and widows blacked out with filth. The streets were littered with bits of dirty shattered glass. They walked over and around mounds of trash.
Eiji checks the map as he walks.
“There are Digimon here, but they are hiding,” Loogamon explains as they move through the seemingly abandoned maze of decay. Eiji shivers as he feels hidden stares over him.
“Ninth Avenue is the worst neighborhood in the Wall Slums. Most newcomers get robbed the moment the step foot on these grounds. Those foolish enough to go deeper don’t make it out,” Loogamon says coldly.
“This place is scary.”
“Come on. We have to make it to the Castle of the Nine Wolves. It’s at the heart of all of this.” Eijie and Loogamon continue their work. Their mapping goes uneventfully. Eiji begins to relax, but a hint of disappointment sneaks into him. There were no Digimon or much of anything despite Loogamon’s insisting.
The pair empty into a cul-de-sac. At the head sits an old run-down red building reminiscent of a Chinatown mausoleum.
“That’s the Castle of Nine Wolves? All we have to do is map that and were done? This test is easy!” Eiji exclaims as he walks towards the mausoleum.
Loogamon stops.
“What’s wrong Loogamon?” Eiji stops his advance and looks down at the wolf.
“This…This is my home…Or it used to be” Loogamon explains as he struggles to force a memory.
Eiji looks at Loogamon and then at the red building. “Did you remember something?”
Loogamon shakes its head. “There’s a faint smell. Markings I left behind…It’s me, but not me. It’s something much stronger…” Loogamon’s voice trails off as it takes a big whiff of the air.
“Do you think maybe…” Eiji begins as he examines his surroundings with a new understanding, “do you think it might have been an evolved you?”
Suddenly, Loogamon tenses up. “Somethings coming!”
ROAAARRRRRR
A booming roar spills from the building, carrying with it a howling wind that forces Eiji to his knees. Loogamon digs his paws into the ground and braces itself.
“Loogamon? What was that?”
A winged monstrosity rushed from the shadows and takes to the sky above the two. Dust, dirt, and trash swirl violently around them. As the wind and dust settle, Eiji begins searching the sky for the source.
“Was that a bird? A Dragon?”
“Neither, look”
Eiji turns to the space Loogamon points to. It was a metallic Digimon with the head of a Dragon and the body of a helicopter. It has two rotors that hold it up above them.
Across the side, Eiji can read the word “Police” clearly.
“Crap” Eiji yells, his voice barely louder than the rotors. “It’s the DigiPolice!”
The doors from the hovering Cargodramon open. From it descends a squad of Commandramon.
A screeching siren sounds loudly. Eiji looks at the map and sees it fill with red dots. The DigiPolice were surrounding the castle. Panic starts to creep over Eiji. “They want us to open voice chat on the GriMM channel!?!” he shouts to Loogamon. “What should we de?”
“Open up chat code craker!” commands a voice from the Cargodramon.
“Um, I don’t have the password…” Eiji grows more anxious as the dots continue to close in on his location.
“Don’t play dumb with me. Surrender now. We have you surrounded!”
Tamarak Trail: The Roguelike Deck-builder You Didn’t Know You Needed
Tamarak Trail is an interesting rogue-like deck builder coming to all major consoles and PC that looks like it will redefine the genre. A corruption is spreading across the Canadian Shield, and it is up to you to find the cause and put an end to it. The journey won’t be easy, and you won’t make it on your first try. Do you have what it takes to be the hero, or will you buckle under the weight of the mysterious corruption?
Players can choose from three classes: the tracker, magician, and detective. Each class has its unique sets of skills and abilities. What makes this game unique is its deck-building mechanic. Instead of decks, you customize dice that you roll to cast abilities. You can fully customize each dice to fit your play style, although the RNG might be a limiting factor. The devs have published an informative walkthrough video that best explains the game’s mechanics. I recommend you watch it and become as excited as I am for this title.
Tamarak Trail is looking really cool. The mechanics look like a lot of fun, and the art is beautiful. I love deck-builders, so there might be a bit of bias in my excitement. Regardless, I think this unique game deserves some love and attention. I’ll definitely be trying to get a copy to review.
Tamarak Trail is coming to PS4, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam and GoG. Don’t forget to add it to your Wishlist. There is also an official wiki you should bookmark that I am sure will have lots of useful tips and tricks at launch. Make sure you join the game’s Discord and follow the official Twitter to stay up to date on all the news.
Game Review: Volcano Princess
I was sent Volcano Princess as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity but won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.
Volcano Princess is a visual novel life sim for PC. You play as a single father who must raise a daughter in a fantasy world where demons and man are at war. You make the choices that will foster her growth into a functioning adult. How you choose to raise her is up to you, but the choices you make affect her future.
The gameplay loop is simple. Each day you are given a limited amount of action points to spend where you do activities with your daughter that increase her stats. What you choose to do is up to you, but the limits affect your relationship with her and what she grows up being. The game slowly introduces more mechanics as your daughter ages and choices become harder. When she is old enough, there will be a lite dating sim where she can choose from 18 romantic partners and a mini turn-based rpg game. The pacing is fantastic, and the different game mechanics give the game much-needed diversity. Your first playthrough will take about eight hours, but there are more than 50 endings to work toward.
This game is surprisingly addicting. I stressed over my choices because I needed to be a great father the first time around. I think I was successful, but I already have some ideas for future runs. The amount of choices available is what makes this game so much fun. Eventually, you be forced to think tactically about how you spend time with your daughter. Do you help her through a difficult time at the cost of some important attributes? Do you let her date? Become a writer? An actor? A warrior? It is all up to you, and it is such a wholesome good time.
My biggest tip for new players is to go in as blind as possible. I recommend not looking up a guide unless you want to collect every ending. Even then, I recommend you get some of your own endings first. The story is a little cheesy, but it is a good kind of cheesy worth experiencing at least once.
I love this game and would buy it if I hadn’t gotten it already. The art is cute, the story is wholesome, and the mechanics are relaxing and fun. That said, it isn’t for everyone. This game is great for players who love life sims and don’t mind visual novels. This game involves a lot of reading and waiting for timers. The timers aren’t long, but it doesn’t make for the most exciting gameplay. The story is fine, but there are noticeable grammatical errors. I didn’t mind the grammatical errors and loved the gameplay, but it is something to think about before you make the purchase.
Volcano Princess is $10.99 on Steam, and it is totally worth it for what you are getting.
The Quirky Puzzle Game: A Knight in the Attic
I was sent A Knight in the Attic as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review of the game.
A Knight in the Attic is a unique VR puzzle game designed for the Meta Quest. It is available on both the Meta Store and Steam VR. I played the Steam VR version.
King Arthur has gone missing, and it is up to Queen Guinevere to find him. Guide Guinevere through the many marble mazes and help her bring King Arthur back.
The game is cute, and the mechanics are creative. You can use the motion controls to move the board for a more immersive experience or use the sticks for a slightly easier one. I preferred the motion controls because it felt like a truer experience, but both are valid approaches with their own set of difficulties. If you do use the motion controls, make sure you are in a well-lit room otherwise the tracking will ruin your runs.
The Steam VR has a distinct bug that you should know about before purchasing. If you try to run A Knight in the Attic via the Virtual Desktop app on the Quest, the game won’t launch. You get a black screen and the game won’t load. You can only play this game through Quest Link. I also recommend you play with a wired connection. I have fast internet, but the wireless experience isn’t good enough for the type of puzzle game you are playing.
The most difficult part of this game is having the patience to move Guinevere through the maze. The puzzles aren’t necessarily hard, but it is easy to mess up, especially if you lose track. My ADHD made this game more difficult than it had to be.
This game isn’t bad. The art is cute, the mechanics are creative, and the music is fantastic. The problem with this game is that it fills a niche that won’t exist in most gamers. If you like relaxing puzzle games and have the patience for marble mazes, this game is fine. This is a great game for kids, especially young ones. It isn’t offensive, and the gameplay is engaging enough without being impossible. Starting this game isn’t very intuitive, so check the Steam comments if you get stuck. I don’t think it’s worth it because I couldn’t vibe with the gameplay, but $9.99 isn’t bad for something that will keep your kids busy for a couple of hours.
You can buy this game directly on Meta or Steam.
Images and gifs taken from the press kit