I was sent Extremely Powerful Capybaras for free as a review code. 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 reviews, please comment, like, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Extremely Powerful Capybaras is a cute bullet hell roguelike available now on Steam. Players can team up with friends or brave it alone as they defend their village from endless hordes of monsters. Do you have what it takes to become the most powerful capybara on the island?
Players choose from four classes of capybara before queuing up to survive against the horde. Each capybara has a unique weapon to start with. As players level through combat, they unlock access to other weapons and upgrades. The weapons and upgrades are RNG-reliant, but the RNG is fair. The classes did feel unbalanced, but later upgrades helped mitigate that a bit.
Unfortunately, Extremely Powerful Capybaras aren’t fun. The game runs great and looks adorable, but the gameplay feels slow, even in the crazier stages. I appreciate how much work went into the flavor and creativity of the weapons and upgrades, but they were often more work than they were worth. Maybe the game is better in multiplayer, but even then, there are better party games.
Extremely Powerful Capybaras is cute with some terrific flavor, but it isn’t fun enough to recommend. If you are looking for a bullet hell roguelike, Brotatodoes it better for cheaper. Otherwise, you can pick up Extremely Powerful Capybaras on Steam for $5.99.
I was sent Realm Protectorfor free as a review code. 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 reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Realm Protector is a creative tower defense game for the Meta Quest 2 and above. As a Realm Protector, players build towers to stop hoards of monsters from getting through the portal and wreaking havoc on humanity. Where other games in the genre let you sit back and watch, Realm Protector places players in the towers. Do you have what it takes to keep the realm safe from evil?
Realm Protector’s gimmick is that players can control the towers in a first-person mini-game after building them. While unmanned towers do auto attack, towers controlled by players do more damage. Each tower has a unique quirk for combat. The Ice Tower has a drum mini-game to cast ice spells, which might be a reference to Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Arcane lets players blast away monsters with a minigun, the Flame lets players explode them with fireballs, and the Electric tower lets you shock them with chain lightning gloves. The key to this game is to plan accordingly and switch between towers efficiently.
I like that each level lets you see the monster’s stats to give players a chance to plan their tower placement. I love that selling towers doesn’t ruin you financially. There is enough strategy involved in this game to keep players engaged, but its interactive mechanics are what sets Realm Protector apart from other games in the genre. That said, the game still feels like a tower defense, and unless you enjoy the genre, it’s going to be a hard sell. You’ll enjoy it for what it is, but whether or not you play it for the long term depends on how much you enjoy the genre.
I like the game, but I enjoy the genre. I find the repetition soothing, but enjoy the change of pace the game brings to the genre. The art is on the cartoony side, but it shouldn’t matter when it runs fine. I never had issues switching between towers, changing upgrades, or doing combat. The strategy involved is a lot more intense than the art and flavor imply, but manageable even for the most casual of gamers.
Realm Protector is fine for what is, and for $7, you can’t go wrong. It’s a little short, but again, $7. You can pick up Realm Protector on the official Meta Quest store.
Free League Publishing releases their Building Better Worldsmodule for their award-winning Alien: The Roleplaying Game on January 16th. You can preorder your copy of Building Better Worlds ($46.03) from the official shop today.
Build Better Worlds is the RPG’s second story module. It promises a new action pact adventure as players explore uncharted loss worlds and face never-before-seen Xenomorphic creatures. The module introduces new gear, ships, and character options to freshen up your next campaign.
Building Better Worlds is only an expansion. You’ll need to core the rule book in either physical or digital format to play the game. Keep in mind that buying any of the physical copies gives you instant access to the PDF version. You can pick up copies of the Core Rulebook ($54.70), Starter Set ($51.81), or any other expansions on the official Free League Publishing website.
I got an early copy of the book, and it looks amazing. I am always amazed at how full of authentic flavor these movie-themed games always turn out to be. I haven’t had a chance to play this game but will review it as soon as I can. Probably after all my Dragonbane content. Until then, if you’re a fan of the Alien franchise, or simply looking for a horror RPG to bring to your table, you should definitely look into Alien: The Roleplaying Game. Don’t forget to preorder your copy of Building Better Worldswhile you’re at it.
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Free League Publishing has just released a copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror, and it looks amazing! The book is illustrated by François Baranger, and the images are terrifyingly beautiful.
Synopsis
In the remote Massachusetts village of Dunwich, lost in the depths of the inhospitable countryside with its dark, bramble-covered valleys, ancient witch stories live on and strange underground noises sometimes echo beneath the hills topped by mysterious stone circles.
On an isolated farm in the area, the simple-minded Lavinia Whateley gives birth to a child, Wilbur, whose father is unknown. Old Whateley, Lavinia’s father, raises Wilbur with the distrust of the locals, who are frightened by the child’s rapid growth and repulsive face. Rumors of witchcraft have always circulated about old Whateley, and after his death, Wilbur, as an adult, seems determined to increase the ungodly knowledge that was passed to him.
To this end, he travels to Miskatonic University in Arkham to borrow the copy of the sinister Necronomicon that resides in its famous library. Professor Armitage, understanding the malicious intentions of his visitor, refuses to grant his request. Determined to get the book, Wilbur tries to break into the library at night, triggering a series of tragic events…
The Book
The book looks amazing, and I like the concept of bringing classic stories like these into the modern lens in such a cool format. I’ve never read any Lovecraft, but I appreciate the media it has inspired. I’ll be getting my copy over the weekend, and I am excited to start on a journey that I have been putting off for some time now. Stay tuned for that!
You can pick up your special copy of The Dunwich Horror, and other special illustrated versions of classic Lovecraftian stories from the official Free League Publishing site for $33.14 each. I’ll have to get my hands on it first, but this seems like a fantastic addition to the book shelf.
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I know this is late, but work has been crazy. Make sure you always support the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Thank you for reading!
“My real name is Kosuke Kisakata,” the man says, fiddling with the half-empty coffee can in his hands.
Dorumon shoots Kosuke a worried look. Kosuke continues, “It’s only fair you know my real name. I don’t get to use it much these days.”
Eiji bows respectfully. He remains silent as he struggles to find the right words to say. “So…” he begins awkwardly. “Who are you looking for?”
Kosuke sighs as the room around him grows silent. “it all started back in college. In the early days of the Digital world. I was one of the first people to mindlink, but back then it was a much more…limited experience. It was far less precise, and a lot more dangerous.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “I was part of the first people to see the Digital world and…” his voice trails off.
Kosuke clears his throat. “That’s why I became a Code Cracker and dedicated my life to finding…them.”
Something in Kosuke’s story triggers a sudden memory for Eiji. “Black Agumon!” he shouts.
Kosuke nods his head. “Black Agumon was…their Digimon.”
“So your friend has been in a coma all this time?” Loogamon asks.
“Yes. They’re in a special facility overseas.” The room grows silent.
“Suppose you find Black Agumon, can you save the person who went DMIA?” Eiji asks.
“We believe that people who DMIA lose the capacity for self-awareness.” Dorumon answers.
“In theory, the person’s fusion to a Digimon’s Digicore would cause several issues for them as well. If a person who DMIA merely went unconscious, the Digimon would be able to communicate with the outside world. Unfortunately, there is no real way of testing this.”
“And even if they somehow maintain their consciousness,” Dorumon begins, “Leon and Kauchimon fell into the vortex, past the firewall. There is almost no hope of him finding his way back.”
“But there is some hope,” Kosuke says as he flips through the options on his Digimon Linker. He sends some data to Eiji.
“A Syringe?” Eiji says, examining the hologram spinning from his watch.
Kosuke nods his head. “It’s medicine tailormade for DMIA patientes?”
“A cure?” Eiji asks in awe.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“Of sorts. It contains a medical-grade stimulant. In theory, it should peel the human consciousness away from the Digicore, granting the person enough self-awareness to return to the real world.”
“And this works?”
“Well, it was originally designed to extend the amount of time one can safely mindlink. In simple terms, the medicine increases focus. That focus should also bring a person back.”
“That’s awesome!”
“Sort of,” Kosuke continues. “The side effects make it…difficult to get approval. But the trails have shown promise.”
“So giving this stuff to Leon…”
“We can’t give this to Leon’s physical body. It has to be administered to his Digimon, wherever it may be.”
The hologram continues to spin slowly in the air between them.
“Did you come up with this medicine?” Eiji asks.
“No. It came from a lab.”
“What…What lab?” Eiji asks, already knowing the answer.
“Professor Rysenji’s” Dorumon replies.
“But why..why would he give us something like this?”
“We made a deal with the professor,” Dorumon explains.
“What kind of deal?”
“If we share the data, we get access to the vaccine. Simple as that.”
“Are you okay with that Kosuke?” Eiji turns his attention to the silent man across from him. He remains silent for a moment before pulling up a video on a virtual monitor. The video was a security camera feed of a hospital room. The room is full of large tubes filled with liquids, and devices busy measuring vitals. At the center of the group, Eiji could make out the fuzzy image of a young woman.
“Is that the person you lost?” Eiji asks.
Kosuke sighs sadly. “This is the only way I can see her now. We don’t know what will happen if we successfully administer the drug and she regains consciousness…” His voice trails for a bit. “But the drug gives me hope.” He closes the virtual monitors.
“Do you trust the professor?” Eiji asks suddenly.
“Do you not?”
“I do!” Eiji replies without hesitation. “If you two say there’s a chance, that’s enough for me!”
“So can we count on you two?” Dorumon asks.
“What do you say Loogamon?”
Loogamon smirks. “Like I’d let you do this on your own!”
Dorumon chuckles.
“So we’re after Leon and the Black Agumon. How much of that medicine do we have?”
“Just the one,” Dorumon says gravely.
“Cool, I’m sure the professor will give us another after…”
“No. All you have to do is recover the Digimon. The lab will take care of the rest,” adds Dorumon.
“Ok. Simple enough. Do you have a plan?”
Kosuke smiles. “I’m glad you asked. I’ve got a car waiting. Gather your things and come with me. I’ll explain on the way.”
“Right now?” Eiji asks, surprised by the sudden urgency.
“It’s not safe here. The Digipolice will be here any minute.”
“Wait.What?!”
Kosuke nods his head. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a safehouse nearby, but you do need to hurry,” Kosuke says calmly as he walks out the door.
Eiji quickly throws a few things into a bag and chases after Kosuke. Koske is already sitting in the car when Eiji walks out. Before Eiji can get in, Kosuke stops him. “Before you get in this car, you have to be sure about what you’re doing. Once you get in, there is no going back to your old life.” Kosuke waits for an answer as the severity of the situation hits Eiji.
“So what’s it going to be Eiji? Are you coming or not?” Koske asks politely.
Eiji looks back at his apartment. It looks so small from where he stands. He thinks about the life he’s leaving behind. “In that case,” Eiji says, turning to Kosuke, “I’ll have no regrets!”
Eiji steps into the car and shuts the door the door behind him.
I was sent the Lord of NothingDLC for Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous as a review code. 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 reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is the perfect translation of the popular Tabletop RPG into a video game. If you enjoy TTRPGs, you need to win either of the Pathfinder games. You can pick up both Wrath of the Righteous and Kingmaker in a bundle on Steam for $53.98. I would wait for the winter sale coming December 21 to January 4, 2024, for the nice discount.
The Pathfinder games offer a unique and authentic RPG experience. They feature interesting stories, great character design, and fun mechanics. You’ll have enough content to work with to get more than your money back.
What I enjoyed most about the game is that the choices matter. Dialogue, skill checks, and combat affect how the story unfolds. You can fail checks, and death is permanent, so think carefully. Playing at lower difficulties does mitigate some of the more difficult decisions if you only care about the story. The story is fine, but the level of customization available in this game makes it stand out against the genre.
Players have the ability to play the characters they want at the level of difficulty that works best for them. There is RNG to consider. You can always fail a check or miss an attack, but that’s half the fun of the tabletop.
The combat system is unique. Starting an encounter pauses the game, and players queue up their attacks and spells. You can pause at any point in combat. I am terrible at strategy games, and this feature made the game manageable. While I still had trouble being tactical, I appreciated that I could get a time out and think things through. This game isn’t your traditional turn-based RPG. Characters will perform their actions automatically, and your resources are limited. If you are someone who enjoys the more logistical and tactical side of the RPG, these games should already be in your library.
As far as the DLC goes, I enjoyed Lord of Nothing. The hook was interesting, the quests were fun, and I liked all the new characters. Lord of Nothing picks up where the last DLC ends, but it exists as its own standalone narrative. You’re going to want to enjoy the DLC in order, but you won’t need to have played them all to understand what is going on. The adventures travel to the Icy Tundra in search of Demonic shards to stop the summoning of the Big Bad. It is a fun adventure that will have you wanting more.
This game isn’t going to be for everyone. If you don’t like strategy games like Total War, combat might be a bit overwhelming. If you don’t like the randomness of skill checks, the game can be frustrating when you fail a roll. Get these games because you love tabletops and want an authentic experience outside of your sessions. You can pick up the Lord of NothingDLC on Steam. While I doubt it will go on sale, I would still wait for the Winter Sale to pick up everything you need.
The Holiday season is here, and now is the best time to introduce the kids in your life to a nerdy hobby. Whatever the hobby is, nothing beats sitting down with a loved one and just having fun.
For me, the hobby is Heroclix. Heroclix is a superhero miniatures game that should definitely be at your table. It features nice quality miniatures of popular heroes, a creative dial system for streamlined gameplay, and creative mechanics. If you enjoy wargames and superheroes, you need to check out Heroclix.
I’ve tried multiple times to get into the hobby but have never had anyone to play with. My work schedule prevented me from going to the locals, so my collection remained boxed up. Most of my collection is gone now, but I still have the Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary set from the last time I tried picking up the hobby. Sad that it was just picking up dust in the closet, I decided to teach one of my younger cousins how to play. The kid is ten and has never played a miniatures game.
The most important thing to remember when bringing someone into a hobby is to keep things simple. You don’t want to overwhelm them and risk scaring them away. Start small and slowly add rules over time for retention. Everyone learns at a different pace, so be patient.
The Game
My cousin loves video games and superheroes, so selling him on Heroclix wasn’t an issue. I didn’t even have to tell him what we were playing, he was just happy to spend time with me. I explained the basic action economy, line of sight, and terrain, but we ignored her skills and abilities. We started with one of the basic scenarios included with the set but quickly abandoned it. He wanted to make his own team, and I wanted him to have fun. We reset, and he demolished me. I wasn’t taking it easy on him. He was thinking tactically, using cover, and got super lucky on all his attack rolls. We changed a few rules on the fly because he had some cool ideas. The goal was to have fun and not to win a tournament. I’ll teach him the rules if we get more serious.
My cousin loved Heroclix and definitely wants to play again. He asked about other heroes and even hinted about wanting to play Iron Man. I guess I’ll have to find money for that. He even asked me about my abilities and got excited to try playing with them next time. The experiment was a success, and I am excited to see what else we can get into.
Where to Start
If you are trying to get into the hobby, or want to teach someone how to play, the starter kit is the best place to start. The sets come with enough minis for two balanced teams, maps, dice, and a copy of the rule book. You can buy into a booster you want to start collecting, but it’s always cheaper to buy the minis you want. Opening boosters is the most fun way to get started, but you are gambling.
Wonder Woman Starter Set
If you aren’t going to tournaments and only want to play Heroclix for fun, the Wonder Woman 80th anniversary is the cheapest way to get into this hobby. I like the minis and map it comes with are high quality, and the dice are cool. I wasn’t too crazy about the scenarios, but that might be a personal issue. The rule book is outdated so you’ll need to go the Rules | HeroClix (wizkids.com) to download the most current edition.
The set comes with:
A meaty multi-session campaign for 2 players that pivots and turns based on the results of the last session
10 Premium Quality Pre-Painted Miniatures each with TWO ways to play for beginner or advanced play
20 Character Cards
18 Object, Terrain, and Bystander tokens
6 Double-Sided Thick Map Tiles. No folds!
2 Custom Wonder Woman six-sided dice
2 All-new Powers and Abilities Cards with Wonder Woman imagery
The Wonder Woman Starter set goes for $39.99 MSRP, but you can get pick it up for $19.79 at Macy’s or $18.50 at Walmart.
2024 Starter Sets
If you’re trying to go to locals or tournaments, your best bet is to pick up one of the two starter sets for 2024: Marvel or DC. Both kits retail at $39.99 and will have mostly everything you need to get started. The map isn’t tournament legal. Both kits come with:
4 Premium Painted Figures
8 Character Cards
8 Map Tiles
2 All-New Dice
2 Token Sheets
1 Powers and Abilities Card
1 Starter Rulebook
Marvel Starter Set 2024
The Marvel Starter set comes with Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and Black Panther. I love the Spideman mini, but you can’t go wrong with the kit. Always support your LGS, but you can pick up the Marvel starter sets from
The DC Starter Set comes with Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and Harley Quinn. Check with your LGS to see if they carry Heroclix, but you can get them online from:
Paldean Fates is coming to us on January 26th, so let’s look at the alt art cards. This set has some pretty cards you aren’t going to want to miss. I love the gold cards, and I definitely need some of the shiny ex’s for a few of my decks. Check with your LGS to preorder any product, but I’ve collected some links if that isn’t an option.
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Eldritch Automata launches its campaign on Kickstarter on January 2nd, and it just might be the horror RPG you need at your table. Eldritch Automata uses the Year Zero Engine that combines anime, science fiction, and horror in what promises to be a frightening and memorable experience. I’ve gotten a taste of the Year Zero System through Dragonbane, and I’ve been enjoying it. It’s easy to learn, and unique enough to provide a memorable experience. Putting this into a world of Kaijus, mechs, and other abominations seems like a good time.
Society has fallen. Eldritch Horrors and nightmarish Seraphs reign chaos over a dying world. Humanity’s only hope rests on the shoulders of pilots and their Automota, but this is no easy task. Pilots must brave the monsters that terrorize them and the demons that dwell inside them. Do you have the willpower and fortitude to be the hero the world needs, or will you be another resource in this game of survival?
The game will be revealed at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia happening this weekend. If you’re attending, make sure you hit up the Gehenna Gaming game room to try it for yourself or head over to their booth (3750) to ask them any questions. I have to see more before I buy into the system, but I am interested. I love that it will introduce mech combat, but the moral mechanic adds a level of complexity I am here for.
Make sure you add the Eldritch Automata Kickstarter to your watch list so you get notified the moment it goes live. If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
I was sent Tevias a review code. 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 reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Tevi is a cute bullet hell Metroidvania releasing on Steam later today, but you can try out the demo in the meantime. You play as Tevi as she fights her way through intricate dungeons in search of ancient tech.
If nothing else, Tevi will be one of the cutest games you’ll play this year. I am a huge fan of the art and ethics, but the story didn’t do enough to hook me. I found the story a bit generic as it spent more time hitting certain anime tropes than developing an interesting story. There is voice acting, which is nice, but it is much more efficient to read through the cut scenes. If you aren’t already skipping them.
The main draw to this game should be the gameplay. The game runs great, and the gameplay has a retro vibe that I enjoyed until the novelty wore off. The game starts to feel repetitive after a bit, even when new bosses and skills are introduced to shake things up. I like how the game slowly introduces new combos and abilities as you progress through the game. It makes progression feel more fluid and manageable.
Combat is simple, but it has its charm. After memorizing enemy patterns, this turns into your traditional Metroidvania with the occasional boss to mix things up. Bosses are unique in flavor and strategy, and they never felt unwinnable. I played the game on Normal difficulty and found it too easy, but the game offers an easy way to change the difficulty in game when you need to.
Honestly, I am somewhat in the middle when it comes to Tevi. While I enjoyed the casual retro vibe, the pacing of the combat, and the cute aesthetic, this isn’t a game I can spend too much time on. I certainly wouldn’t finish the game if I bought it with my own money. The problem with Tevi is that if you don’t care about the aesthetic, there are simply better options. Even then, I would wait for a sale and play something like Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortuneif you want to play some good Waifuvania, or Nocturnalfor something more serious. Don’t get me wrong, the game isn’t bad, but you have better options.
You can pick up Tevi on Steam later today. There is also a physical collectors edition available for $106.39 on the official website.
The Collectors edition includes:
Original Soundtrack SteelBook x1 (4 discs with a total of 72 tracks)
