Tag Archives: open world

Shadows of Doubt is a Fantastic Open World Detective Game

September 30, 2024 josechurape 1 Comment

I was sent a free copy of Shadows of Doubt 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.

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What is Shadows of Doubt?

Shadows of Doubt is a unique open world detective on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation.

You are a detective in a bustling and chaotic city tasked with restoring peace to its crime-ridden streets. Use your elite detective skills to gather clues, chase criminals, interrogate suspects, and solve crimes. In this town, you can use whatever means to catch the perpetrator. Will you play by the rules and do everything by the book, or will you break the rules that need to get things done?

Gameplay

Shadows of Doubt is the detective Minecraft game you didn’t know you needed.

The game comes with two modes: a prewritten mystery to solve and an open-world sandbox. The prewritten mystery acts like the game’s tutorial. It is a decent mystery that offers the player direction, but enough freedom to explore the game at their own pace. The sandbox is where the game is like Minecraft. Players are given a randomly generated city to clean up and absolute freedom. Players must find their own cases and explore the city with a lot less guidance.

To solve a case, players will need to collect clues using various tools, interrogate NPCs, and piece the clues together on their murder board. Sometimes players will need to sneak around, turning Shadows of Doubt into an intense stealth game. Other times, players might need to break the law and avoid getting fined. What gives Shadows of Doubt its true unique flavor is that it provides its players the freedom to solve a case in whatever way best fits their playstyle.

Does it work on the Steam Deck?

Shadows of Doubt works fine on the Steam Deck, but it is a few updates short of being perfect. The game is playable on the Steam Deck, but players will experience bugs, glitches, and frame drops. I thought the game worked well enough to have fun, and I am sure it will be the perfect casual experience once the developers get the performance issues sorted. The game is still in 1.0, with more updates planned for the future.

Review

Shadows of Doubt is a fantastic sandbox with a lot going for it. Fans of Minecraft will appreciate the vibe and aesthetic, but will also enjoy the questing aspect of it. While the mysteries do start to feel a bit repetitive after a while, the freedom to pull some absurd nonsense to solve a case more than makes up for it.

For one of my missions, I broke every law I could and shamelessly racked up a fine I could never pay back. When the cops came searching for me, I hid in the closet before playing the most intense stealth game of my life. This isn’t a hard stealth game, but it is a memorable one.

The detective mechanics are fine. This game does feel a bit more casual than other games in the genre, but the game does enough to keep things interesting. Performance issues can be a problem. I never had the game crash on me, nor any of the bug’s game-breaking, but it does feel unfinished. The roughness gives the game its character. With a few more updates, which the devs have been updating, Shadows of Doubt will be a fantastic casual game for any mood.

If you don’t mind the roughness, like detective games, and want a casual open-world experience, Shadows of Doubt should at least be on your wishlist. This is the game you get when you need a break from Minecraft, or want something that feels like Minecraft without the building. This is great for kids, and even better for adults who want a game that isn’t a huge commitment and gives them the freedom to mess around.

You can pick up Shadows of Doubt on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation for $24.99

video game reviews

Underspace Might Just Be the Space Sim You’re Looking for

September 3, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent a free copy of Underspace 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.

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What is Underspace?

Underspace is an arcade style flight sim for PC via Steam and GoG. It claims to be the spiritual successor to Freelancer. I have never played Freelancer and can’t confirm or deny this claim, a lot of people seem to agree.

You are now one of the galaxy’s star chasers, one of the crazy few who chase storms, fight against eldritch horrors, and take on any job that comes your way. Your goal is to make money and stay alive. Navigate the cold dark vastness of space, upgrade your ship, and become the best star chaser the world has ever known. Do you have what it takes?

Gameplay

Underspace is a space-themed sandbox RPG. Players take on quests and fly their ships through space to complete them. There is a main story that is said to take about 15 hours to complete, and countless side quests and exploration hundreds more.

If you’re looking for a realistic space simulator, you’ll need Elite Dangerous or hope Star Citizen isn’t a scam. Underspace has more of an arcade feel in its flight and combat system. That said, Underspace is still a valid space game experience. Combat and flight in this game are fine for the casual who doesn’t worry about the physics of space travel, but they are still challenging enough to keep things engaging.

What makes this game a unique space game is its storms. Occasionally, a storm will break out that raises the price of goods and releases eldritch horrors into the universe. A player can fight these horrors and attempt to close the rifts that cause these storms. Doing so earns the player valuable resources for trade and reputation amongst the Galaxy’s citizens. It is a hard job, but someone has to do it.

Review

This game looks dated when compared to other games in the genre, but that shouldn’t be discouraging. The game runs smoothly, it has a solid story, and the gameplay loop is a lot of fun. I was blown away by how creative the game gets with its horrors, and I found myself rushing towards every storm just to see the type of creature I would encounter. Although I am not the best pilot, I did well enough to have fun. Most importantly, there is so much to do in this game that you will definitely get your money’s worth.

Keep in mind that the game is still in early access, so there are bound to be problems. Some people have pointed out that the game drops too many frames or straight up doesn’t work. Aside from a few hiccups here and there, the game never became unplayable. There is still some roughness, but there seems to be continued support. I feel confident that there will be fixes in future updates. I think the roughness gave it its charm, and it made it feel like a retro space game without ever feeling like a slog.

If you’re looking for a new space sim, Underspace is a solid casual one with a decent story, great flavor, and fun gameplay. If you are a Freelancer fan, this might be worth looking into. If you’ve never played a space sim, this is a great place to start. I loved it, and recommend it, even if its only early access.

You can grab your copy of Underspace on Steam or GOG for $19.99. There is a Steam demo available if you need a bit more convincing.

video game reviews

Life is Feudal MMO Should Have Stayed Dead

April 25, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent some free game time for the Life is Feudal: MMO. 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, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is Life is Feudal

Life is Feudal promises players the freedom to enjoy the massive open-world sandbox as they like. Players can build cities and settlements, fight in massive guild conflicts, or explore everything this world has to offer. This is a game where the action and gameplay is driven by the players. See what adventures await.

Gameplay

Life is Feudal felt like a generic survival game. I liked that the structures were destructible, but everything else felt dull and unimpressive. It doesn’t help that the game looks ugly.

The game runs fine, but it feels empty. It isn’t dead. There were always people online when I played, but it always felt like I was playing alone. this is a bad sign for a game where its content is driven by its player base. This wasn’t a huge problem since I usually play survival games solo, but Life is Feudal is an underwhelming survival game. Gathering and building was okay, the crafting system was unique, but the combat felt clunky. I spent my entire time in Life is Feudal wishing I was playing something better.

I tried to record video of the gameplay, but it was all too boring to keep.

Impressions

I tried to like this game, but I couldn’t find a single thing to keep my attention. The game looks ugly, the survival grind is boring, and there aren’t enough people for the epic adventure it promises. I can see this game carving out its niche because of what it attempts to do as a survival MMO. Unfortunately, the game feels dated and frankly, you have better options. Go check out Enshrouded instead.

The $15 monthly subscription is what is going to hurt this game. I understand that the game needs to make its money, but I couldn’t find enough substance to justify its cost. It isn’t a bad game, but it is a bland and unimpressive one. Even if you like the theme and find the gameplay interesting, you have better options.

You can find Life is Feudal: MMO on Steam, but I would wait for a free weekend before dropping any money. I don’t see this game getting enough traction to be worth it.

video game reviews

Myth of Empires is a Beautiful Game, but is it Worth it?

March 12, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent a copy of Myth of Empires for free 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 reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is Myth of Empires?

Myth of Empires is a beautiful open-world survivor sandbox game out on Steam. It gives players the absolute freedom of a sandbox with the promise of epic PvP battles. Gather your resources, build your base, work together to defend against enemy players, and build the Empire that will dominate them all.

Gameplay

Myth of Empires features massive maps filled with content. Players start the game with a blank character. Slowly, they’ll gather resources, level their character, and build their empire. The game does have a hunger mechanic, but it isn’t as punishing as something like Don’t Starve. The game gives players the freedom to enjoy the content they want by creating PvE and PvP-specific servers. I don’t really like PvP in these kinds of games, and I appreciate it when I have the option to enjoy a chill survival game.

The game offers beginner friendly settings and a tutorial to help ease new players into the game and its mechanics. Unfortunately, there is a bit of griefing that occurs, but that is to be expected with games of this genre. There are options for solo play, but you’ll need to have your own server.

Thoughts

Myth of Empires is a beautiful game. I love all the detail that went into making this game look so good from the way the wind moves the plants to the way the sun creeps over the mountains. I dig the aesthetic of the world from the weapons and armor to the structures. The character creation has a decent amount of options, and the character design is pretty cool. This game is going to make your computer hot, but it’s going to look amazing if it can render everything.

Unfortunately, I found the gameplay disappointing. While I did enjoy the survival aspect of the game like gathering, hunting, and crafting, the combat system in this game needs some work. The swings feel wild and clunky, and the hitboxes are weird. Fights are decided by who can land the first hit, and it is frustrating. I didn’t even try PvP because the system frustrated me so much. Maybe it isn’t so bad in more experienced hands, but Enshrouded does it better.

Another issue I had with the game was the gathering. While it starts as a relaxing experience, the busy environment made it difficult to see what I was gathering. Eventually, I would just run around the map spamming the gather button in the hopes I was picking up materials I needed.

The biggest issue people have with this game is the griefing. I didn’t experience any when I played, but I also tried to pick empty servers to get a feel for the rest of the mechanics. If you do get into this game, bring some friends.

Another issue people will have with this game is the grind. Myth of Empires feels slower and more grindy than other sandbox games I’ve played. I enjoyed it for the first hour, but it started to feel repetitive. Joining a more populated server might remedy this, but I rather be playing Enshrouded.

It’s difficult to recommend this game because while it looks pretty, there are games that do this better. The only reason to get Myth of Empires is for the massive PvP battles it promises, but that doesn’t seem possible at the moment. Maybe it will get there with enough support, but I don’t have the time to wait for that future. If you like the aesthetic, have the friends to back you up, and don’t mind the grind, go for it. Otherwise, you have better options.

You can pick up Myth of Empires on Steam for $49.99.

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If you are looking for your next survival game, check out the Enshrouded demo

October 12, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

There are so many games featured in the Steam Next Fest that it can be a bit overwhelming. If you are looking for a game to try, I recommend you check out the Enshrouded demo. Enshrouded is an open-world survival game coming soon to PC. The demo is only available until the 22nd, so I suggest you download it now!

I dabble in survival games from time to time, but I am by no means an expert. I enjoy them as casual experiences, but I am sure there will be guides available for efficient survival. The demo has a multiplayer mode option, but I stuck with solo play because I keep strange hours. My impressions will be on the solo experience. Feel free to try the multiplayer, I hope there isn’t much griefing.

The demo runs great. I rarely encountered bugs, but there is an easy-to-use report feature available if you encounter any. The game plays like any other survival game with a few unique gimmicks. Farming is relaxing, crafting is simple, and combat is fun. I liked that with minimal crafting I was able to test out different weapons and find one that worked best for me. I loved using making the wand and blasting my enemies with magic. The combat is smooth, and dodging was really fun.

The tutorial and starting missions do a fantastic job of getting players set up. New players can learn the game’s fundamentals, but veterans have the freedom to do whatever is within the limitations of the demo. The world feels big with lots to do and explore. This can be overwhelming at times, but there are available quests if you need some direction. I spent a lot of time running around without focus because I was having fun trying out the different systems.

What is unique about this game are the shrouded areas. These are areas on the map that are afflicted by a mysterious curse. Your character can only exist within these zones, so travel carefully. Other than that, it is exactly what I would expect and want from a survival game.

If you are in the market for a new survival game, Enshrouded might be for you. There is no release date set, but you can try the robust demo in the mean time.

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Sign ups to test Amazon’s new MMO, Thorne and Liberty, are now live

September 3, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

Sign-ups to test Amazon’s upcoming MMO, Throne and Liberty, are now live. Throne and Liberty is an MMO coming to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, but no date has been announced yet. Selected players will get the first look at what seems to be a truly massive and beautiful new world. The test will be running from September 19 to October 3rd, and those selected will be notified on the 14th. The test will be for all platforms, but please be aware that you will need an Amazon account to sign up.

I’ve already signed up and have my fingers crossed that I get in. There will be an NDA, so there won’t be a follow-up post, but I am still excited to have a first look. The combat system looks fun, there looks to be massive open-world events, solid PVP, and I am a fan of the art style. I am a bit hesitant because it is an Amazon game, but I’ll reserve my judgment until I try the finished product. Amazon games tend to be a bit too grindy for what I have time for, but Throne and Liberty could be different.

If you are interested in trying Thrones of Liberty, make sure you sign up for the test on the official page. And if you’ve been enjoying these updates, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. Good luck!

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Solarpunk: The beautiful survival game that might be worth looking into.

June 30, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

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If you enjoy the survivor game genre, you might want to look into Solarpunk. Destroying its Kickstarter goals, this beautiful game is looking like the relaxing experience I am always down for. Players can build and design unique bases, gather resources, craft gadgets, and fly airships! The trailer gave me some serious Stardew Valley vibes, and I can play Stardew Valley for hours.

Solarpunk promises a vast open-world sandbox experience that you can share with your friends, or brave on your own. Although the game looks beautiful and relaxing, there are survival elements you should pay close attention to. Players will have to worry about health, hunger, thirst, and dangers that roam the wilderness. Solarpunk is making a lot of promises without having a finished product. I am sharing this preview because the game looks cool, but I am always weary of Kickstarter promises. Don’t get me wrong, I will keep watching this project closely, but I’ll need to see more of the game before I fomo in. Nevertheless, the devs have laid out a realistic roadmap and made impressive partnerships that ease my doubts a bit. We’ll have to wait and see how the devs deliver.