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video game reviews

A Pizza Delivery Review: Is It Worth Playing?

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of a A Pizza Delivery 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.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is A Pizza Delivery

A Pizza Delivery is a surreal narrative exploration game out now on Steam.

Story

B is a pizza delivery person on her last delivery of the day. Little does she know, this is no ordinary delivery. She finds herself in a surreal world where nothing makes sense, and the world keeps changing. With only her trusty Vespa, B must venture through this new world and deliver this final pizza. But the road won’t be easy, and there is a chance B will be trapped for ever. Solve puzzles, collect clues, and share a slice of pizza with anyone who needs it. Can B make her last delivery and get out of this place, or will she get lost like everything else here.

Gameplay

A Pizza Delivery is a walking simulator with the occasional puzzle or dialogue to break up the journey. Players will ride their Vespa through dream like landscapes, collecting clues and solving puzzles to move forward with the story. Sometimes, delivering pizza means chatting with a lost soul, and offering a slice that will help them move on from a world they’ve become stuck in. There is no voice acting, so it really is more like a novel with a few extra steps.

Review

I loved A Pizza Delivery for its unique narrative style and dreamlike aesthetic. Unfortunately, the lenghth of the game and bugs make it difficult to recommend. If you want a unique narrative game that leans a bit into surrealism and don’t mind a buggy game, check out A Pizza Delivery.

Story

A Pizza Delivery is a twisting journey about learning to let go. B will find people along the way who have become trapped in this world by their anxieties. She helps them let go by talking through their problems and offering them a slice of cold pizza. It is a neat adventure, but a very slow burn. What I like about this game is how the complete story is scattered through the level as clues, puzzles, and dialogue. The problem I have with this story is that not everything you collect feels important. There are some clues that don’t add anything to the story. Overall, it is a cool story about letting go, but I don’t think there is enough of it to be worth buying the game at full price. The game takes about two hours to complete, and a lot of it feels like filler.

Gameplay Loop

The gameplay is where a l lot of people will have issue. The walking is slow, and while the Vespa speeds things up, driving gets old pretty fast. The game feels very tedious because you have to walk back and forth in a zone, collecting bits and pieces of the various puzzles. When they work properly, there are some interesting puzzles that kept me invested, but the game’s buggniness is a problem. If you can get past the bugs, you can appreciate the games creative experimental approach to narrative.

Performance

A Pizza Delivery is very buggy. The game is made by a small team so I am willing to overlook a lot of the issues, but the bugs are problematic.

The Camera

The camera is the biggest issue. Raw, the camera sensitivity is too high. I got motion sickness and had to lower the sensitivity. The camera control still feels a little awkward, but the game does become more playable. The camera also becomes hard to control when you get too close to a wall. This made some of the puzzles annoying. The camera is a pain point that I see turning players off the game.

Glitches

A Pizza Delivery doesn’t always feel stable. Frames will drop, and the game stutters a lot. There are a few awkward animations that break a bit of the immersion. I did hit a few bugs that made one of the puzzles frustrating almost to the point where I dropped the game, but I am glad I pressed through. You can tell the game needs more work, but if you can look through it, the game has a solid enough story.

Conclusion

I have a soft spot for games like these because I respect when people try something out of the norm. A Pizza Delivery tries some very interesting concept around a cool narrative, but I don’t think there is enough substance to make the game worth it. The game feels a little too tedious to recommend to the average gamer, and the payoff doesn’t feel worth it. While the message is good, there is just too much work required.

In its current state, I can’t recommend the game. It isn’t a bad game, but it needs a bit more substance. There needs to be more clues, more dialogue, and a bit more story. You can do a lot worse, I’ve played Nightmare Shift, but you can definitely play better. Go check out Once Alive instead if you want to see a cool single dev project, or Go Home Annie if you want something a little more trippy.

You can pick up A Pizza Delivery on Steam.

Board Games and TCGs

Is the Doomlings Castle Glass Expansion Worth It?

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of the Doomlings expansion, Castle Glass. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure you also check out my review for the Doomlings Base Game and the Shadow Puppets expansion. I’ll be using my Amazon Affiliate link where possible. It really helps me out if you use it before you buy anything.

Table of Contents

What’s in the Box?

  • 30 x New Traits
  • 7 x New Dominant Traits
  • 2 x New Ages
  • 1 x New Catastrophe
  • 1 x Mystery Foil

What is Castle Glass?

Castle Glass is Doomlings‘ ocean themed expansion. It features vibrant sea themed cards for a fun and colorful upgrade to your Doomlings deck. You will need the base game to play with these cards.

Castle Glass introduces three trait classes to the game: Shells, Coral, and Fish. With these new classes comes the trait system, an additional way to rack up points. If you collect two or more of the same class, you get a class score bonus. The class bonus are as follows:

  • Regular Shells, Fish & Corals are each worth +1
  • Curious Shells, Fish & Corals are each worth +2
  • Exotic Shells, Fish & Corals are each worth +3

This means that if at the end of the game you have 2 shells, one exotic and one regular, you get an additional four points added to your total.

Review

I love Doomlings. It is easily one of my favorite board games, and will bring it out often at my table. Castle Glass is a fantastic addition to my collection, but I do have a couple reservations.

Art

I love the fun and vibrant oceanic theme in Castle Glass. Despite the simple design, Doomling cards always have a lot of flavor and whimsy. The fish are cute and they very creative with their shell and coral designs. Castle Glass has the prettiest Ages cards I’ve seen so far. I love the scene of the sand castles at sun rise/sun set.

Gameplay

I believe Castle Glass adds interesting mechanics to the game. I had a lot of fun with the fish cards. Fish cards had abilities that let you play multiple cards a turn, letting players build their school of fish quickly. You can use fish to cheat out other cards in your hand, draw for better cards, or get that trait bonus at the end. It was very flavorful. Coral cards seem to add some disruption. It would have players discard cards, or it would let you get bonuses for cards in your opponents gene pools. Shells lets players peak at the next age, which is very valuable information if used correctly.

The only issue I see with this expansion is that it adds a new scoring mechanic to the end game tracking. It is not a hard mechanic to track, but some people aren’t going to like having to count the number of shells and worry about the types. Honestly, I don’t think it will complicate the game too much, depending on your deck size. If you have a massive Doomlings deck and cards aren’t clustered, it will add a couple of points, but nothing that will get out of hand. I played with a small deck to make sure they came out more frequently, and it never felt like scoring got out of hand. Even if you don’t like the extra math, the mechanics in this set are worth it.

Conclusion

The Doomlings base game is perfect, and if you are trying to get into this game, start there. Now if you’re looking for expansions to spice up your deck, Castle Glass is solid. It has a fun oceanic theme with some interesting mechanics to shake up the meta. Whether or not you should buy this expansion really comes down to if you are willing to do the extra math at the end. I don’t see it as a huge problem, but I also see hot it takes away from the casual vibe the draws people to the base game. I will say I do prefer the Shadow Puppets expansion a little more, but I won’t be taking Castle Glass out of my massive Doomlings deck any time soon.

You can pick up your copy of Castle Glass on the official Doomlings store, or on Amazon through my affiliate link.

video game reviews

Why Reus 2 Expansions Are Worth Your Time

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of both Reus 2 expansions: Ice Age and Everglades. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure you also check out my review for the base game. If you enjoy my content, please share this with your friends and check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Gaming Accessories

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

Table of Contents

What is Reus 2

Reus 2 is a unique village management game where you control the mighty titans and use their powers to terraform and fill the planet while a civilization thrives in response to your actions. The game is currently available on Steam, with a demo that you should definitely try. Make sure you check out the review for the base game. I will be combining my reviews for both expansions because it would feel too repetitive otherwise.

Ice Age Expansion

The Ice Age expansion brings frigid new elements into the world of Reus. This expansion brings the chilling new biome, Ice Age Tundra wich includes over 40 new biotica and the mighty Frost Giant (variation of Aegir) to summon them. This new biome also introduces the new archetypes evolve and extinct for those early level building.

Humanity also receive a couple new features this expansion. They get four new leaders to lead them into greatness:

  • The Painter – Wants to unlock as much as possible
  • The General – Gains bonuses to military
  • The Poet – Improves projects
  • The Villain – Thrives in a hateful world

There are also four new eras to play through for some added variety:

  • Hunter Age – Crops don’t grow easily in this weather so humans must hunt to survive.
  • Enlightenment – Minds brimming with ideas, embrace an age of invention!
  • Nuclear War – Create nuclear weapons and potentially blow up the entire planet.
  • Age of Discovery – A planet full of biomes and adventures, humans love to collect oddities.

Everglades

Reus 2’s latest expansion, Everglades, brings the wetlands biome to your planets. This beautiful biome combines both underwater and land areas for some interesting combination. The expansion introduces over 60 new biotica to mix like reptiles, amphibious biotica, and anything else you associate with the everglades. Everglades also introduces a new titan, Reginald the swamp giant.

Humanity gets three new leaders this expansion: the entomologist, the romantic, and the ranger.

  • The Entomologist specializes in science and Micros. His spirit power boosts Micro Havens. He’s not very impressed by mystery, though!
  • The Romantic likes biotica that have 2 or more base stats. Look at the game through a different lens!
  • The Ranger is all about having animals around – Biotica that do good with animals, do good with the ranger!

There are also three new eras to play through: secret conspiracy, bug age, and great nation.

  • Secret Conspiracy: Help reptilians take over the world with mystery and metals!
  • Bug Age: Spread the micro love, and bring gold and glory to the bug statue.
  • Great Nation: Try to create a nation that has 3 magnificent biomes to enjoy and marvel at!

Which ever expansion you end up choosing, you get a lot more content for a game that already has a lot for you to do.

Review

I love the base game Reus 2, and recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy little village builder that will have them thinking. I don’t think the expansions are necessary, but they are a great way to support the developer and they add some good variety. I did prefer the flavor and mechanics for the Evergrade expansion more if you can only choose one expansion, but I definitely feel like you get your money’s worth if you buy both with through the expansion.

Both expansions introduce ages with interesting win conditions, and allow players a good amount of options to get there. I love that none of the expansions take away from the chill vibe I’ve loved about the game so far, but do change up the strategies enough to give the game a bit more variety in both its aesthetic and gameplay loop.

Conclusion

I have a very casual approach to Reus 2. There are settings to make the game harder for those who like a little more effort in their campaigns, but as a filthy casual, this is one of my favorite games. Reus 2 has an interesting concept, and the base game alone has a ton of content to keep players busy. The expansions are a fantastic addition that only prolongue the game’s longevity. They introduce fun and flavorful variety to a game that is already a ton of fun to play, and I think that is reason enough to buy into it. Both expansions are worth playing, but if you can only buy one, I think Everglade is a little better. It really comes down to the flavor you want in your game. Do you want to manage a swamp or an ice age?

You can pick up Rues 2 and the two expansion, Ice Age and Everglades, on Steam.

Ice Age Trailer

Everglades Trailer

video game reviews

Reus 2: A Cozy Village Builder You Can’t Miss

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Reus 2 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. If you enjoy my content, please share this with your friends and check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Gaming Accessories

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Reus 2?

Reus 2 is a unique village management game where you control the mighty titans of a world to help its inhabitants turn into a powerful civilization. The game is currently available on Steam, with a demo that you should definitely try.

Hook

Before man could walk, titans roamed the vast empty rock. Using their mastery over the elements, they will fill the world with the diverse ecosystems that will cause and fall of many civilizations. Everything from the mountains that line the horizon to the fish that fill the oceans must be strategically placed for a mighty civilization to flourish. Will your choices be the catalyst for the greatest group of man to fill the universe, or will they be stunted by your many wrong choices?

Gameplay Loop

Players will take control of three different titans. Each titan controls an aspect of the planet. The earth titan creates minerals and rises deserts, the grass titan creates plants and rises forests, and the water titan fills the oceans and creates animals. Space is limited on the planet, and players must decide how to spread each type of land, resource and tribe. Each tribe will spend time interacting with the environment players construct around them, and grow accordingly. Players will guide the people on their planet through the different ages.

While the game does look cute and simple, Reus 2 has a lot of nuanced mechanics that players will need to master in order to succeed. The game features a very helpful tutorial and an easy to access guide to help players. I recommend reading the guide often or looking up other helpful guides online. I went in blind, and while I had a lot of fun, I definitely bricked my runs.

Review

Reus 2 is a cozy feeling village builder with enough depth and difficulty to keep players engaged. With the recent free Keuger update and a couple of fresh expansions to freshen up the content, now is a fantastic time to pick up the title.

Aesthetic

I love the simple 2.5D artstyle. The game has a very cozy vibe, and simple effective animations that not only make the game run smooth, but give the game its charm. Reus 2 also has a fantastic sound track, and the soundscape is very immersive. I would recommend you check out the game for the art itself, but the gameplay is why you need to try this game at least once.

Gameplay

The game runs very smooth, especially on my Nvidia 3060. It may not be the best card on the market, but it gets the job done.

The gameplay loop itself is the perfect blend of relaxing idle game with enough difficult resource management to keep players engaged. The game can be difficult, especially if you aren’t paying attention or take the time to learn the mechanics. This is very smart game with flavorful mechanics to help it stand out against the rest of the genre. I usually go into village builders blind and learn by trial and error, but I hit a wall very fast because I was clearly not paying attention. Your millage my vary.

Does it work on the Steam Deck?

It does, but the font is a little small. Some people will not mind, but I am old and couldn’t read a lot of the text. It became more effort than it was worth, but it does work if you have good eyes. I prefer using a key board and mouse personally though, and having a big scream made the expience a lot more comfortable.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a new village builder, Reus 2 is an incredibly unique option that you shouldn’t sleep on. The game has a very cozy vibe, but offers enough of a challenge to keep you thinking. This game looks good, feels good, and is going to be hard to put down, especially when you get so close to the next age. I recommend you get this even as a first village builder because it is a fantastic example.

You can pick up Reus 2 on Steam, or check out the demo if you don’t believe me. I will be trying out the first expansion soon, so stay tuned for that review. If you’re looking for a fun and quirky village builder, check out SteamWorld, or Fabledom if you want a little fantasy.

video game reviews

Onirism Review: A Whimsical Action Adventure

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Onirism 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. If you enjoy my content, please share this with your friends and check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Onirism

Onirism is a is an adorable action RPG out now on Steam.

Story

Bunbun has been stolen, and Carol will do anything in her power to get her stuffed rabbit back. Armed with the worlds most unique and powerful weapons, Carol will fight her way through endless waves of enemies to get her bunny back. Jump through the different zones, master the different genres, and get back what’s yours. How long before Carol and Bunbun can be reuinited?

Gameplay Loop

Onirism is a fast paced action adventure game. Carol travels across an open world, fighting off monsters, and collecting different weapons and abilities to help her on her journey. Combat in this game is a third person shooter, where players have access to a vast arsenal of weapons to choose from. Each gun feels different and changes the combat enough to keep things fresh and exciting. Enemies are all fun and unique, providing enough of a challenge to keep players on their toes. Remember, the game does not save automatically. Players will need to find save points to heal Carol and save their progress. Dying before hitting one of these zones will reset the game to the last save on file. Plan accordingly.

Review

Onirism is a cute and fun game with a lot of spirit, but it is not finished. Although there have been daily updates since I’ve downloaded the game, there is is some noticeable roughness. Sometimes the game will break, other times times you will lose a lot of frames. When the game works well, the game is as addicting as it is adorable.

Aesthetics

The game is a flavorful adventure through childish wonder and whimsy. Each zone is unique with a lot of content to explore. The monsters are cute and creative, with frightening bosses controlling them. The artstyle only adds to the stories playful and silly tone in a way that makes the game incredibly wholesome. It is the game’s art and tone that drew me to the game, but it is the gameplay that does it for me.

Gameplay

When the game works, it is a lot of fun. Combat is fast paced and exciting, the boss fights are creative, and the jumping puzzles are manageable. There is also a good amount of exploration to be done. The problem is the game doesn’t feel finished. There are a lot of bugs and noticeable performance issues that do take away from the immersion. Frames will drop, there is a bit of stuttering, and the game crashed once or twice during my playthrough.

Although there is controller support, the tutorial is only for keyboard and mouse. The game isn’t really optimized for controller at this stage of development. You might have to do a bit of tweaking, but aiming feels bad compared to keyboard and mouse. If you are playing with keyboard and mouse, you might need to do some remapping. On my playthrough, left was mapped to the wrong key by default. It is an easy fix, but it means the game isn’t ready to play out of the box.

While Onirism does feel unfinished, there have been daily patches since I’ve downloaded the game. The devs are hard at work on a game they are clearly passionate about. While the game will need a couple of updates before it can be in a good position, I at least have some confidence that they are working on it.

Conclusion

Onirism is a cute adventure game, and I loved every minute of it. Now keep in mind the game is not finished yet. The roughness is the biggest factor of whether or not you buy this game. If you don’t mind the immersion breaking bugs and performance issues, the game has enough substance and heart to keep you engaged. There is a lot of content to explore, and a lot of interesting ideas to keep the game interesting. But if the roughness is going to be a problem, I would wait for a couple of patches. This might be a very ambitious game, and the devs clearly need more time and support. I loved it, but it can definitely be better.

You can pick up Onirism on Steam. If you are in the market for another janky action adventure game, check out Star Overdrive.

video game reviews

Exploring Forgotten Eras: A Metroidvania Preview

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Disclaimer

I was asked to review an early demo for Forgotten Eras. I understand the game is not finished yet, and will be a bit more lenient. That said, this will be my honest impression of the game.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Table of Contents

What is Forgotten Eras?

Forgotten Eras is a 2.5d metroidvania coming to Steam sometime soon. No date has been announced yet, but you can go play the demo now.

Story

A group of shamans has broken the seal of the forgotten rune magic and unleashed an evil upon the world. The magic spreads catastrophe across the land, it is up to the young hero Ivan to step it. With the aid of Grey Wolf, Ivan will need to travel long distances, solve puzzles, and defeat anything that stands in his way. Can he harness the power of Gray Wolf before it is too late? Can he make it to the Baba Yaga hut?

Gameplay

Forgotten Eras is your classic metropolitan. Players will move across 2D jumping puzzles and collecting the rune magic they need to save the world. What makes this game unique are the Grey Wolf powers that bumps the game up half a dimension. Gray Wolf can climb, jump across long distances, and bend the environment.

Combat

Combat is simple. Players can attack with their sword and sure a few different skills to defeat their enemies. The key to any fight is learning the enemies attack pattern, and knowing when to dodge and attack. The if you’ve played any metroidvania, this game does little outside of the usual formula.

Review

In its current state, Forgotten Eras is a hard to recommend because it didn’t leave much of an impression. There nothing tangible, outside of the wolf, that makes it stand out against other games in the genre. Bugs aside, the game wasn’t fun enough nor the hook good enough to keep me engaged. The problem with this game is that there are better metroidvania games you could be playing Dragon is Dead. Unless the game comes out with smooth performance and some more engaging and memorable content, it will be one of those games you’ll have to wait for to go on sale. I am willing to give it another try because the game isn’t bad, it just isn’t very memorable.

If you are looking for a new metroidvania game to play, check out the Forgotten Eras demo, but I would wait for a couple more updates. If you need a good metroidvania to try before the game releases, check out Astlibra Revision, Tevi, or my personal favorite, Worldless.

video game reviews

UltraGirl Alters Demo Review: First Impressions and Gameplay

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Disclaimer

I was asked to cover the UltraGirl Alters demo for my blog. I understand this isn’t the full game, and will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, this will be my honest review of the demo.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Table of Contents

What is UltraGirl Alters?

Ultragirl Alters is an SRPG out now on Steam, with a demo available for anyone who wants to try it.

You have been hired as the manager for the virtual idol group, Alters. When you aren’t busy helping each girl navigate their hectic social lives, you’ll be guiding through battle against the waves of enemies that threaten the city. Each girl Each girl where’s her unique Tokusatsu-style hero suit that you can upgrade as you gain experience. Can you keep the world safe from monsters while becoming the world’s greatest idol group? What secrets will you uncover along the way?

Gamplay

UltraGirl Alters is a turn based strategy game with a few social mechanics to break up the story.

Social Events

The game has a cute chibi mode where the player can experience the story. During this part of the game, players will build their relationship with each of the girls helping them through the game’s many side missions. Leveling these bonds unlock special events that add a bit of flavor or world building. Players also get to explore a bit of the world, but it is very limited. Mostly, the chibi half of the game is where the player collects the story and learns the dark secrets behind the evil corporation that controls everything.

Combat

Players take control of the girls in their Tokusatsu-style suits as they fight off waves of monsters. Each girl has their unique set of abilities and skill that can be leveled up through experience. Each girl can move and take an action per round. Girls can either make a basic attack or use one of their abilities during their action, if they have enough energy. Basic attacks generate the energy needed to cast an ability. The key to combat is to position effectively while using your resources efficiently.

Impressions

While there are a few aspects of this game that I liked and got me interested, I definitely need to see more. Overall, the game is fine, but I can see it being a niche game made for an intended audience.

Art

If you like anime, then you will appreciate the character design. UltraGirl Alters definitely has its waifu bait, and that isn’t a bad thing. The girls are cute, but there is a bit of fan service. I like when I can play my waifu games in public. For the combat part, I think the level design is too busy. It was hard to make out what was going on most of the time, and the suits don’t look very cool. As for the exploration parts, you are either going to love the chibi design or hate it. I think the chibi art is cute, but found the story a little lacking.

Story

The Demo only plays through the tutorial a bit of the intro. While it isn’t enough to judge the quality of the story, there is nothing in the intro that hooked me. The biggest issue I have with what is available is the writing. It is a little awkward in parts and a little cheesy in others. This might be due to translation issues. Unless the full game leans into the silliness and carries a light-hearted narrative with fun characters I care about, I don’t see me finishing this game. The story isn’t the worst, but considering art, tone, and gameplay, I rather be playing Disgea 7.

Gameplay

Combat is interesting for the first few round before it grows a little stale. Enemies feel a little unfair, and the busy map makes it hard to tell what is going on. You are either going to enjoy this type of combat or hate it, and I certainly wasn’t a fan. Maybe it gets better in later levels, and I am willing to give it a try just in case. Unfortunately, based on the demo alone, when it comes to chibi turn-based combat, I rather be play Disgea 7.

Conclusion

If you like the SRPG style combat and don’t mind the over-the-top (sometimes poorly written) cutesy tones of the story, I still recommend you check out the demo first. I think the combat is a little too simple for what you’re getting. The social chibi bits are cute, but they don’t add enough to the game to make them worth it. I think the game is cute and has its potential, but I need to see more of it before I can recommend it. For now, I recommend you check out the demo and wait for the sale.

You can pick up your copy of UltraGirl Alters on Steam.

video game reviews

Discover the Thrills of Godbreakers: A Co-op Adventure

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Godbreakers to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Table of Contents

What is Godbreakers?

Godbreakers is a co-op action roguelike coming to Steam on October 23rd. Make sure you check out the demo, and don’t forget to wishlist!

Hook

Humanity is gone, but fate still has use for its existence. The AI we created to save the world has taken over. It now spreads across the universe, devouring planets. You have been resurrected from the void of eternity to stop its spread. Use your newly found powers to travel across the universe and destroy the AI before it is too late. Can you save the universe from something you created?

Game

Experience fast-paced fluid combat in this action-packed roguelike adventure. Team up with your friends or brave the universe alone in this chaotic story of salvation. There are six distinct planets to conquer, each with unique and memorial bosses guarding them. Be careful, the path to the boss will be full of traps and enemies who thirst for your blood. Customize your champion with powers and abilities you discover through play and become the ultimate warrior. What secrets will you uncover along the way?

Gameplay

I played this game solo, and can only talk about the solo experience, but the essence of the game is the same for both modes.

The Lobby

Players will all start in a lobby where they can customize their character’s appearance, abilities, and archetypes. Everyone starts with the same character, the spear, and unlock more as they complete the various objectives through normal play. Additional characters can be unlocked by beating certain bosses for example. There are cosmetic unlocks that don’t affect the gameplay, but offer players the opportunity to add some personality. When players are ready for a run, they can start a countdown that can be cancelled at any time. The Lobby is a good place to plan for the next run, or take a break.

The Run

Players will start a run by choosing a planet to explore. Players run through the level, beating the various waves of enemies. Each world has a boss and mini-boss with their unique flavor and attack pattern. In true roguelike fashion, players will unlock random abilities, skills, and upgrades from enemies they defeat. They can also buy upgrades and abilities from the vendor at the end of the level if they have enough currency.

Health

Healing in this game is extremely limited. Players can only heal through the pots given to them at the start of a run. There is no way to refill. Once you run out, you are on your own. You can buy some at the vendor at the end, but resources are so limited, it sort of feels like a waste. The run is over when the players HP drops to zero, a run is successful if they manage to beat the bosses.

Combat

Godbreakers has a very fast-paced combat system. Players have access to a basic/heavy attack, a special ability based on their archetype, and a dodge. There is a combo system in place that tests the players efficiency. For maximum DPS, players need to know how to dodge and combo efficiently. It helps to learn enemy attack animation and patterns, especially in the boss fights. Each archetype has their unique playstyle and strategy, so make sure you test them all out on the test dummy in the lobby.

Review

I really enjoyed Godbreakers for its flavor, story, and unique fast-paced combat sytstem. Although the game has its bugs, the game works well enough to earn at least a demo run.

Flavor

I love the cartoonist style because it gives the game its almost whimsical vibe. While the worlds are a little empty, the devs do a good job at making it work. While players can’t explore worlds outside the predetermined path, the maps do enough to feel expansive. The simple design helps shift the focus on smoother combat, especially multiplayer combat. I would say in that regard, it is mostly successful.

Players are either going to love the character art or hate it. The customization does have some ugly pieces I will never touch, but I am sure there is an audience for every piece. I found some pieces to work towards, and the art animation is cool enough where it all works. The bosses are all cool and flavorful, and I liked exploring the different zones to find out more.

Story

Godbreakers has a fun story with an interesting hook and fantastic voice actors. Each world had messages that players can collect and decode. Decoding them unlocks voice lines from the different bosses. I had a lot of fun collecting these because it not only gave the bosses their personality, but it did a good amount of world building. The game may not have very deep lore and story, but it does enough to give it substance as you plug away at the grind.

Unique Combat

Godbreakes‘ unique combat system is why you should buy this game. I love that each archetype feels different, and switching between characters, and even just changing the abilities breathed new life to the game. There is a bit of a repetitive grind, but nothing out of the ordinary for the genre. The RNG does a decent job at making the runs feel unique, without the bad RNG to ruin a run.

Combat is a lot of fun, but it offers enough of a challenge to keep things engaging. I was constantly having to think about my moves in order to conserve my HP for the final boss. The Godbreak mechanic is a lot of fun. Getting to take an enemies ability and use it during battle is not only such a cool idea, it gave combat at bit of depth.

The boss fights were a lot of fun. Once I memorized the patterns, it just became a skill issue and that is perfectly fine. I love how the bosses change their tactics and become more aggressive the lower you get. This not only adds to the flavor and fantasy, but it makes combat more intense. It was very satisfying to finally beat a boss that I had trouble with. Unlocking the cosmetic was a nice bonus.

Bugs

The game does have a few noticeable bugs that I need to mention. Frames would drop randomly, the game would stutter, but I never got it to crash. I never hit a run ending bug, but there were enough of them present that they became hard to ignore. The devs are aware of the bugs and are working on fixing them, but if this sounds like an issue, I’d wait for a few patches.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an action roguelike with a fun combat system and cool flavor, grab your friends and pick up Godbreakers. You can pick your copy or check out the demo on Steam. If you want to check out another one cool action game, check out Strayed Lights.

video game reviews

Bye Sweet Carol Review: A Darkly Beautiful Puzzle Adventure

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Bye Sweet Carole 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.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Table of Contents

What is Bye Sweet Carol?

Bye Sweet Carol is a hand drawn narrative-horror puzzle game that takes players down a long and twisted mystery. It blends fantasy and reality with its Disney inspired art styles to tell a dark and compelling narrative.

The Story

Lana Benton lives in Bunny Hall with a group of other girls as the suffrage movement folds around them in 20th century England. Once a prominent institution where girls learned to be the “ideal” woman, now crumbles and rots with age. Lana and the girls feel the pressure of the oppressive traditions crumbling around them and do their best to get by.

The only light Lana has in her cold and dark life at Bunny Hall is her friendship with Carol. All seems good until the day Carol disappears. Lana suddenly finds herself being torn between two worlds, hers and Corolla, as she tries to find out the truth behind Carol’s disappearance.

Both worlds are full of danger. Although Lana has help, her path won’t be easy. Fight against the encroaching darkness, follow all the clues, and uncover the truth. What really happened to Carol?

Gameplay

Players take control of Lana as they move through the world, looking for clues, and solving puzzles. The game is a 2D side stroller, with the occasional jump scare and quick time event for added tension. As the player progresses through the story, they begin to unlock powers and abilities thanks to their connection to the Kingdom of Corolla. For example, players will get the ability to turn into a rabbit to help them explore the world and solve puzzles. Players can also take control of their allies for additional support. After completing their laundry list of tasks and puzzles, players will be able to find out the truth. If you get stuck, Intoindiegames has a very good guide you can use.

Review

Bye Sweet Carole is one of my favorite games. I love its unique look and feel, and the narrative is fantastic. There are few games that keep it from being perfect, but I was able to overlook them through my playthough. I was fortunate enough to not hit one of the game breaking bugs.

The Art

The art is Bye Sweet Carol‘s biggest draw. I love the classic-style, hand drawn art and the Disney feel. It makes the perfect contrast to the game’s dark story. Behind the cute and wholesome art, is a dark story with a creepy tone that makes it the perfect game for the spooky season. I admire the dev’s ability to make a beautiful Disney-looking game that feels creepy.

The Horror

While I did not have to play this game with all the lights on, it made my heart race. The game has some good jump scares that had me off my seat. The music knows exactly when to change into something more intense to set the mood, and those monsters that chase you are terrifying. There are a good amount of quick time events to player engaged. As someone who is really bad at quick time events, these made the game intense. When the game worked, Bye Sweet Carol is a solid horror game.

Performance

The game runs fine on my Nvidia RTX 3060 and Ryzen 5 5600x. There are a few bugs, and some made the game a little harder, but nothing that was game breaking. At least not for me. I’ve read a few comments that said their game became unplayable, so your mileage may vary. When the story is as good as it is, I am overlook a few bugs to get to the end.

Story

The story is what kept me playing the game. It is a dark and twisted story with a fantastic hook and a great ending. The story does get a little political as it deals with women suffrage. The message is delivered well without being preachy, but don’t play this game if you’re just going to hate on women. To everyone else, this a cool thematic story that deals with loss, grief, and the empowerment of woman. I love the blend of fantasy as a way to hyperbolize and personify the emotions and situations Lana struggles with. Lana’s grief is so powerful that it causes her to dissociate into the fantasy world of Corolla. The blending of the two worlds is very well done, and builds this powerful narrative of grief.

The Puzzles

Most of the puzzles in this game are fine. They are straight forward, creative, and work to tell the stories. Some of the puzzles felt like chore, like having to walk across a map to grab something you forgot because the game isn’t always clear. You are meant to find everything through clever exploration, but there are elements that don’t show up properly and can be easily missed. You might need look up a few solutions, and do a bit of trouble shooting. I never had to restart the game, but I did have to take a few breaks.

Gameplay Loop

The game itself does feel a little bland. There is a lot of walking, and the NPCs aren’t coded very well. NPCs are either godlike and impossible to defeat, or they are dumb. Bugs in this game makes some of the chase sequences annoying. Sometimes, NPCs would pull me out of hiding even when I had done everything right. Other times, I could just trick the NPCs so easily it was like they didn’t exist. Then there are times when I got caught because the input didn’t register. These issues get more apparent the deeper you get into the game. Since the focus is on the art and the story, I guess I can’t expect too much from the game. Just think of Bye Sweet Carole as interactive fiction you have to work extra to unlock.

Conclusion

Despite the game’s flaws, I still loved Bye Sweet Carole. The game has its unique and interesting flare that tells a very important story. It has a cast of fantastic voice actors and beautifully illustrated cut scenes to tell its well written story. If you want to play a cool looking game with a powerful message and can overlook a few bugs in your walking simulator, go pick up Bye Sweet Carole on Steam.

If you’re looking for another beautiful narrative puzzle game, check out Planet of Lana, or Murder on Space Station 52 if you want something sillier.

video game reviews

Is Formula Legends Worth Your Time? Honest Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Formula Legends 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.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee!

Table of Contents

What is Formula Legends?

Formula Legends is an arcade-style Formula one racing game out now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG.

Formula Legends plays playful homage to 60 years of Formula 1 by bringing the action to your fingertips. Experience 16 iconic cars through 14 evolving circuits in a series of unforgettable races. Master control of your car through any weather, across any track, and around every opponent. Do you have what it takes to be a racing legend?

Gameplay

Formula Legends has players race through a campaign races based on different periods of formula one history. Players will need to win races to unlock the games different cars and tracks.

Races

Each race is themed after a period in Formula One history, with historically accurate cars to race them. Each car has its unique quirks to overcome, and the game does a good job and making each period feel different. The game does have an adjustable difficulty for players who need need the adjustment. The track is also marked by the dark tire trails to help players see the ideal path to victory. What makes the game unique is the pitstop mechanic.

Pitstop and Resources

Despite the cartoonish feel of the game, Formula Legends has a very realistic resource and pitstop mechanic to add depth to the racing. As players make their way across the track, they will use up fuel and their tires will wear out. Players will eventually need make a pitstop where there is a quickaction mini-game to complete. Completing the game correctly the first time saves time on a players run. This means that not only do players need to maneuver quickly and efficiently around the course, they will also need to know when to make their pitstop if they want to win.

Review

Formula One is a cute little racing game with a lot of heart, but one that lacks the performance to earn my recommendation. Unless you are a hardcore racing fan who wants to see more games likes this get made, I would wait for a sale.

The Artstyle

The aststyle is what drew me to the game originally. I like the low-poly, whimsical take on the genre. The cars and the people are very cute. The world is a little simple, but there is enough detail to make each track feel different and full. After sitting with the game for a bit, that whimsy lost its appeal as I slowly realized that the game isn’t ready.

Performance

The game performs poorly on my Nvidia RTX 3060, running the default settings. The cars in this game have the worst control I’ve felt in any driving game. There was an update after I got the key that was meant to fix the performance issue, but I didn’t notice a difference. Some of the issue may be a skill issue, but a lot of the issue is with the game design. Not only do these cars feel like they are driving on ice, but hitting anything will stop the car in its tracks. To make matters worse, the AI seems to be coded to ram into you constantly. This made racing, even on the easiest difficulty, frustrating.

Difficulty

I am bad at racing games so take this with a grain of salt. This game is hard, but not because of the skillful AI that rips down the track with masterful precision. No, this game is hard because everything rams into you, or the car would randomly turn off the track. Playing on easy did not fix any of these issues. As someone who only plays racing games casually, this was incredibly hard to sit through. I like to start on easy and slowly make my way through the difficulties until I am at a comfortable medium, but the game doesn’t give me the option. This game might be fun for the veterans of the genre who understand the math behind every turn, but Formula Legends’ forced difficulty is going to lose its casual players. I am not asking for the game to be easy, I am just asking for it to be playable.

Conclusion

In its current state, I can’t recomend Formula Legends, even if you’re a fan of Formula One. I like a lot of the ideas that exist within the game like the adorable art and the pitstop/resource system, but the game clearly needs more work. With a few more performance updates, maybe it will be worth your time and hard earned money. It’s not the worst racing game, but there is no real reason to buy this over Rally Arcade Classics if you enjoy arcade racers, or my personal favorite Inertial Drift if you want something a little crazier.

You can pick up Formula Legends on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG for $19.99.