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video game reviews

Clean up the City in Rough Justice ’84

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I was sent Rough Justice 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, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee. 

What is Rough Justice

In a city run by corruption, its citizens have banded together to create private agencies to keep their own peace. Now its time to take your city back. Lead your agency through cases as you administer the justice the police can’t. Can you clean up the city and make your agency the best there is?

Gameplay

Players start as the head of an agency. They hire freelancers and start talking cases around town. The cases get harder over time, but the freelancers you can hire also get better. Players send out their agents to cases where they are presented with skill challenges. Skill challenges are either dice roles or a timed mini-game. Mini-games are small puzzles for the players, while skill checks are dice rolls based on a character’s stats. There are items and buffs that a player can earn over time to make things easier. The goal of the game is to keep the agency running efficiently without going bankrupt.

Review

While I did enjoy the game and concept, I don’t know if it is worth $20. There are definitely better options at this price point. I loved the flavor and the music, but it doesn’t do enough to stand out. When you compare it to other games like it, you simply have better options. 

My biggest issue with the game is that after a while, gameplay started growing stale. While there is enough variety in missions to keep the game from feeling repetitive, the grind involved ruined it for me. Some of the timers felt unfair, some of the rolls were hard for no reason, and I didn’t care enough about the story to become invested. Rough Justice ’84 isn’t a bad game. If you like the flavor and don’t mind the grind or randomness, you’re going to have a better time with the title. Even if you can overlook the issues, you simply have better options. You can pick it up on Steam and the Nintendo eShop, but I would wait for a sale. 

video game reviews

The Book of Warriors: A Cute Little Roguelike for $8

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I was sent The Book of Warriors 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, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

What is The Book of Warriors

The Book of Warriors is a cute little fantasy roguelike RPG out now for PC. Lead your party through the dungeon as you search for power, treasure, and fame. How much of the dungeon can you clear before your adventure ends? 

Gameplay

You start each run by choosing a hero. There are nine different classes, each with unique abilities. Your run won’t end if you lose your initial hero. You then make your way through your dungeon, clearing procedurally generated rooms, unlocking upgrades, and recruiting heroes to your party. Upgrades, loot, and heroes you recruit are random, but occasionally you can choose the type of upgrade you can unlock. For the most part, the RNG is fair, but there are runs I lost because I was unlucky.

To clear a room, you either need to clear the room of enemies or lose your heroes. Maps will have hazards or cover that offer buffs and debuffs. Although not all the maps are fun, it does give combat enough complexity to keep things engaging.

Combat is simple. Heroes can move and perform one action per turn. The type of action changes as the characters level. The game feels a bit like a mobile game, but it is fine for the casual experience that it represents.

Like most games in this genre, the game is a little grindy, especially at later levels. You do unlock permanent upgrades the more you play, but enemies at later levels do feel like damage sponges. This is only a problem when you’re stuck on a bad run.

Thoughts

I enjoyed The Book of Warriors. The art is cute and the gameplay is relaxing. I enjoyed it for the change of pace that it offered, but I don’t see it being my main roguelike. While I appreciate the simplicity, the grind gets old after a while. You’ll get $8 worth of fun from this game, but it isn’t replacing anything in your current library. I would pick this up if you want a break from your current rotation but don’t want a massive commitment. If you enjoy tactical RPGs, or simply want to get into a new one, this is a solid option. You can pick up The Book of Warriors on Steam now for $7.99. It is currently on sale for $5.59 for the next 48 hours of writing this.

video game reviews

KONOSUBA:Love For These Clothes Of Desire! is for the Fans

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UPDATE: So I watched the Anime immediately after playing this game and I have to say, this game does a fantastic job at adapting the characters to this new adventure. If you’re a fan of the anime, you’re going to enjoy the game.

I was sent KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

What is it?

KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! is a visual novel based on the anime of the same name available now on Steam, PlayStation and Switch. . I haven’t had a chance to see the anime yet, but it is on the list/ Kazuma and the gang have found a mysterious black slab that curses them with desires contrary to their personality. They must now use it to create outfits to fulfill those desires and break the curse. What quirky adventure awaits our heroes?

Gameplay

This is a visual novel where you’ll read a non-cannon quirky story about characters from the anime. There is some job management mechanic in between used for gathering materials, but you’re mostly reading a story. This means you either like the anime and want more stories in the universe or don’t like the anime, and the game isn’t for you.

Thoughts

KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! is a well-produced game with fantastic voice acting and terrific artwork. The art and tone are a bit on the fan service side, but they are pandering to a specific audience. This means that this game is niche and unless you’re a fan of the anime, I wouldn’t touch it until you are. 

I haven’t seen the anime and couldn’t get engaged. I didn’t catch any of the nuances or references. The production value makes me assume that the characters are truly represented in this quirky adventure, but there is no way of knowing without watching the anime first. There is nothing essentially wrong with the game, but its not for everyone. This is for the fans of the series who want to see their favorite characters go on another adventure and don’t mind the fan service. 

If you’re looking for a web novel and love the series, you can pick up KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! on steam for $49.99 on Steam, PlayStation and Switch.

video game reviews

Enshrouded Early Access is a Solid Survival Sandbox Experience

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I was sent Enshrouded to review for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not 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. 

What is Enshrouded?

Enshrouded is a sandbox survival game out now in Steam early access. The game supports single and multiplayer gameplay, but I like to play my survival games alone. This review will be on the solo experience only, but hosting and joining a game isn’t difficult. I recommend joining the official discord for news, tips, and to find new friends.

I got to play the demo for Steam’s Next Fest earlier this year and enjoyed it. If you are looking for a new survival game to sink some time into, Enshrouded is a solid choice, but know that the game is a little rough because it is still in development.

Players wake up in a world in a depressing state of destitution. The Shroud plagues the land. Bloodthirsty monsters and marauders roam its hills. The only sense of civilization you’ll find is the one you create with your own two hands. How far can your determination take you? Can you rid the world of its blight, or are you merely prolonging complete demise?

Impressions

The game is still in early access, so I’ll try not to review it too harshly. The game runs well, but there is some noticeable roughness. Monsters get stuck, frames drop, and artifacts sometimes don’t render correctly. None of the issues are game-breaking, but they are noticeable. 

The game itself is fun, and a solid title to add to your collection. There is a good amount to do without it ever feeling overwhelming. I like that there is a quest line that guides players through the fundamentals. You will eventually need to reference a guide for farming locations and recipes, but the solo experience is pretty beginner-friendly. I went without a guide and while I do see the benefits of having a guide, it never felt like I was locked out of content for lacking one. 

Aside from a few kinks, combat feels good. There are a good amount of weapons to help players have the adventure they want. I was a huge fan of fighting with magic, but I didn’t mind when I was forced to switch to my secondary. The boss fights in this game was perfect for my skill level, and beating them was satisfying. 

What I liked most about this game is how much there is to do. If I wanted to relax, I could farm or build my base. If I wanted to fight, I could find shrowded zones and kill monsters. If I got stuck, I could follow the quest line. Most importantly, the game is fun. I love that I can sit back and enjoy the game at my own pace.

If you’re thinking of getting Enshrouded, do it. Aside from a bit of early access roughness, it is a solid survival sandbox. It looks good, feels good, and sounds good. I’ll be coming back to it from time to time, and reviewing it again when it comes out of early access. Stay tuned for that. Until then, you can pick it up on Steam for $29.99, or at the very least, add it to your Wishlist. 

video game reviews

Cookie Cutter was a Decent Metroidvania, but you can do better

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I was sent Cookie Cutter for free to review on my site. 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.

What is Cookie Cutter

Cookie Cutter is a chaotic cyberpunk Metroidvania out now on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and Epic Games.  

Left for dead, Cherry watches as her lover and creator is torn away from her, and dragged into the dark depths of the megastructure. But Cherry’s will is too strong. With help from the renegade mechanic Raz, Cherry gets her chance at revenge. Filled with rage, Cherry chases after those who stole her peace through a dystopian, fighting the mindless masses that follow INFONET blindly. She will get Shinji back. The question is, what secrets will she find along the way?

Gameplay

Cookie Cutter is a chaotic Metroidvania game, with lots of explosions, blood, and gore. Combat feels fine, but the lack of diversity in enemies makes it nothing exciting. The weapons, attacks, and animations are incredibly creative. I appreciate the amount of work that went into making this theme work.

I will say that this is one of easier and least grindy games in the genre, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While the gameplay is nothing revolutionary, it is a solid entry to the genre.

Thoughts

This game has a fantastic aesthetic and flavor. I love the Gorollaz-esq art style, the epic soundtrack, and the explosive and chaotic feel of combat. I am also a huge fan of its dark overtones and appreciate its attempt at narrative. The voice acting is bad in parts, but it’s not the worst. Overall, this is a game that feels good and looks cool, but its level design and lack of diversity in enemies made the game feel bland in parts.  

This is a game you play to appreciate the art and world-building, but maybe at a discount. If you love the cyberpunk aesthetic and are in the mood for something loud and explosive, pick this game up. This is a solid Metroidvania, but one that didn’t do enough to leave me too excited. You can get $20 of fun from this game, but you also have better options at this price point.

You can pick up Cookie Cutter on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and Epic Games.  

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Drakantos: January Dev Log Brings us the Orbryn Teaser!

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I’ve been excited about Drakantos for a while now. With the January dev log out, my excitement continues to grow. I can’t wait to finally play Drakantos, but until then, let’s just get hyped about the current progress. 

Make sure you check out the official dev log and join Discord if you want to stay up to date. If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Most importantly, add Drakantos to your wishlist!

Orbryn Hero Teaser

The community has voted. This month’s hero teaser is Orbry, an Engineer from Garmorli. The dwarf has access to several gadgets and traps to help him fend off enemies. If you like dwarves, traps, and explosions, this is the champ for you.

I was a bit disappointed with the teaser’s slow start, but the more traps and gadgets I saw, the more impressed I became. I don’t think I am smart enough to run this champ, but I can see the potential. With the amount of debuffs and traps, Orbry can help control the battlefield and tempo of battle. It seems like this will be one of the trickier heroes to learn, but one that I am sure will be rewarding in the right hands.

I love how every hero teased so far feels unique and different, and with each release, I have trouble choosing who I want to play.

And Mount Animation!

Cooldowns Changed to Charges

Drakantos will feature artifacts that will act as interchangeable abilities for further customization. These artifacts were initially intended to be cooldowns, but they were changed to charges based on the event players run. The official explication from the devs:

I have to agree with the devs on this change. From a gameplay perspective, it makes the artifact feel more impactful. Players are now forced to use their charges efficiently instead of mashing buttons. From a flavor perspective, it makes the artifact feel more special and magical. It’s something rare that only a hero can use, and I am all about feeling special in my fantasy.

More Cities!

More of the world has been created, and I gotta say I am a huge fan of the art style. Here are some samples of the major cities. I can’t wait to explore what else they have in store:

Pet Contest

If you’re feeling artistic, head over to the official discord and join the “Create a Pet Contest” for a chance to have your creation featured in the game. I love that the devs are working with their community, I just wish I was at least a little artistic.

Conclusion

There were some other balancing changes for combat and more pets added to the game, but you can always read about it on the official dev log. I am still excited and I hope we get a beta soon. This game looks like a lot of fun, so make sure you go add it to your wishlist!

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Check out the Realm of Ink Demo Today!

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The Realm of Ink demo is now live on Steam. If you are looking for a new action roguelike to sink some time into, download this demo today! The demo is only 40 minutes long, but you’re going to want more. 

If you enjoy my content, please leave a comment, like, follow, and share this with your friends!

Hook

Realm of Ink is a short story collection controlled by the Book Spirit. For the most part, characters within its pages live their lives as written. This changes when on a hunt for a cunning Fox Spirit, Red discovers that everything around her is a fabrication. After her awakening, Red makes her journey through this fictional world to find out the truth of the Book Spirit. What secrets will she learn along the way?

Gameplay

Thoughts

The full version of the game will give players access to different characters, spirits, and upgrades, but the demo is limited to one character, chapter, and a limited selection of upgrades and spirits. While I was left wanting more, the provides players with a solid grasp of the gameplay loop. 

Real of Ink plays like your traditional Rogulike. Players start each round with a random spirit and earn random upgrades as they move through the levels. Champions have access to a light attack, a heavy attack, and two spirit abilities. 

These types of games are repetitive by design, but there is enough RNG in this game to make each run feel different. I ran through the demo version a few times and never had the same build twice. Some builds are better than others, but that is the nature of RNG. 

Red is a cool champion with three loadouts. Players start the demo with the single sword but can unlock a duel wield version for faster attacks and a ranged attack after you end your first run. Each loadout plays differently, which keeps the game feeling fresh. I preferred the ranged version of Red because I had a lot of fun kitting in this game. 

Realm of Ink is beautiful, and I recommend you check it out to appreciate its art style. The demo also has fun flavor, and an amazing soundtrack. The gameplay was fun. Combat was great, leveling was fast and easy, RNG seemed fair, and the spirits gave fun abilities. I don’t like that you start the game with one spirit and have to find the second through RNG. 

The only complaint I have is that in some runs, I only had access to one spirit ability. This felt like a disadvantage, especially when it came to the boss fight. I hope spirits are easier to collect on full release because it is the mechanic that gave the game its unique flavor.

The demo is short, but it was long enough to get me excited. I need a little more story and gameplay before I can form a full opinion. If you’re looking for something new to play, check out the Real of Ink demo. It’s free, it’s fun, and it isn’t a huge commitment. 

We don’t have an official release date, but I will be trying to get my hands on a copy when it comes out. Stay tuned for that. If you enjoy my content, please leave a comment, like, follow, and share this with your friends!

video game reviews

New Cycle: The Survival Village Builder You Should Consider

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I was sent New Cycle for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. These will be my honest impressions of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

New Cycle is a survival village builder coming to early access to Steam on January 18. Because the game will be in early access, this will just be my initial impression of the game. I’ll revisit and review the game when they release 1.0. 

Concept

A solar flare has destroyed society as we once knew it, sending the world into post-apocalyptic chaos. Those who remain must now build a new society from the wreckage of the old. This won’t be an easy task. Resources are limited, illnesses are rampant, nature is unrelenting, and morale is low. Can you usher your people into a new age, and rebuild society to its former glory?

Aesthetic and Performance

For an Early Access game, New Cycle runs fine. It still needs a bit of polish, but the game never crashed on me. The Aesthetic is a little dark, but I enjoy the sepia color scheme. It makes the game feel a lot more gritty and bleak.

Game Modes

The game offers most of its content through its game modes. You can enjoy the freedom of Sandbox, Manage a built city ravaged by a mysterious illness, or you can start from scratch in a campaign. The campaign has a few maps you can start from that affect gameplay. For example, you can start on a mountain where you have access to better mining but don’t have less food to work with. I love the work that went into the flavor. At the moment, the game has enough content to keep players busy till the full release.

Gameplay

Thoughts

New Cycle is the most technical village builder I’ve ever played, which isn’t a bad thing. At its core, it shares a lot of the core elements of other games in the genre. This game isn’t any more difficult to learn, but it is a bit more difficult to master. Where in other games I would sit back and watch my villagers live their lives, New Cyle had me worrying about all the elements that could end my civilization. 

Just like any survival game, you need to worry about resources, hunger, morale, and the elements. This is a game where you have to be very careful about your efficiency because random events will set back your progress. There was a game where I ran out of food and my buildings got struck by lightning, and I had to start over because I planned poorly. I still recommend you go in blindly and learn from your mistakes, but having a guide handy doesn’t hurt. 

Conclusion

This game isn’t going to be for everyone. The survival mechanics will turn away the more casual village builder fans. That said, the game is doing a good job of combining the survival and village builder genres. If you’re a technical person who enjoys the economics of survival but doesn’t mind the roughness of Early Access, you might want to look into New Cycle. To be clear, this isn’t a daunting technical game that requires good notes and a Ph.D., but it is less casual than the other games in the genre. I liked it, and can’t wait to see where they take it. Don’t forget to add it to your Wishlist!

Trailer

video game reviews

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is simply adorable!

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I was sent Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic for free to review for my site. 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.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is an adorable hidden objects game with terrific flavor and a ton of content. If you ever enjoyed the I Spy books or have kids who do, this is a great game to add to your collection. The game features an adorable art style, a relaxing soundtrack, and simple but challenging gameplay.

The gameplay loop is simple: load up a map and find the hidden objects. You’ll need to actively change the environment like digging up holes, opening doors, or changing the weather to find some objects. While the game may appear cute and childish, there is enough of a challenge to stump players. There are clues available for when you get stuck, but even then it takes a bit of work to find everything. It isn’t an impossible game, but it is a lot harder than it looks. 

There are a few ways to play this game: play through the campaign, create your own maps, or play through the community maps. 

The campaign has themed levels based on popular myths and legends. I enjoyed the flavor, but I loved the rate of progression. Players start each level with a small map and a small list of items to find. The maps and lists get bigger the more levels they play through, and finding the objects gets progressively harder. 

The map editor is easy to use and offers a lot of customization options. I am not creative when it comes to map-making, so I only messed around with it for a bit. I was overwhelmed with how many options were available, but was even more impressed by the community content that is already available. Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is a game whose longevity hinges on its community, and the community is vibrant. I was blown away by the amount of fun and creative maps already available. There is always a danger of inconsistency with these types of games, but it’s not so much an issue with games. At least for now, you’ll be busy for a while.

I enjoyed this game for the relaxing change of pace that it is. The game is cute, simple, and relaxing, but it isn’t a game I can spend hours on. I don’t have the attention span for this kind of game, but that is a personal problem. The game runs great, and If you enjoy the genre or are looking for a change of pace, Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is a solid choice. This is also a fantastic game for kids, but it might be a little difficult if they are on the younger side. 

You can pick up Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic on Steam for $12.99. 

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Drakantos December Dev Log Teases a new Hero

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I’ve been following Drakantos‘ development closely for a while now because I can see the promise. Drakantos is a cute pixel art MMO that is very reminiscent of the classic era of the genre, but this time on mobile devices. I’ve written about it before, so I won’t get into too much detail. 

The December Dev log just released, and while the month was short, there was a lot to be excited about. I’ll be summarizing it here, but make sure you go check out the official post, join the Discord, and add Drakantos to your wishlist. 

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. 

New Hero Teased!

The most exciting news from the dev log is the announcement of a 21st hero. The Devs are currently working on the last hero, but the identity remains a mystery. I’m hoping it’s another mage, but we’re going to have to wait for the official announcement.

Faendar’s Trailer

We also got a gameplay trailer for Faendar, and the gameplay looks sick! If you like playing Druids, you are going to want to main Faedar. 

He can transform into animals, summon walls of vines for control, and summon trees to fight for him! They did a great job with the flavor of this hero, and he is going to be crazy in PvP. We also got some backstory. 

From the official Discord:

Ojore the Geomancing Brawler

The devs have finished the work on Ojore. Ojere gives me tanky earth bender vibes, and I love it. I am not a huge tank fan, but I am open to it. We got few animations teased to get you excited!

Artifacts

Drakantos will have an interesting Artifact system. Artifacts are equipable items that give players passive and active abilities across their heroes. This month they finished their active artifacts, leaving players the option of 160 new active abilities on top of a hero’s kit. I am very excited to see how this works in action and hope to see some of them teased next month.

Mount Animation

All 20 heroes now have their mount animation, and I appreciate all the detail put into it.

Conclusion

The game has made some promising progress. They’ve added new pets, locations and abilities. I just hope we can get a beta soon. Until then, I’ll be following it closely.