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video game reviews

You Should Be Playing the Minds Beneath Us Visual Novel

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I was sent a free copy of Minds Beneath Us 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’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Minds Beneath Us?

Minds Beneath Us is a very pretty cyberpunk visual novel out now on Steam.

The World is run by AI, and this AI is powered by the poor souls who can’t afford to work anywhere else. You are an AI designed to infiltrate the mind of a target and gather crucial information. But your first mission doesn’t go smoothly. Suddenly, you find yourself in the body of a mysterious man and having to live his life.

You find yourself working for a company responsible for hiring the poor souls that power the city. As you work to make sense of this new world, you find yourself making the choices that will influence the rest of your life. This life is yours to live now. What choices will you make? What secrets will you uncover?

Gameplay

Minds Beneath Us is a beautiful point-and-click visual novel. While there is some action, you are reading a beautifully illustrated mystery. Exploration in this game is limited to two dimensions and is very important to the story’s development. Missing clues or interactions with the environment will close off story paths, so make sure you click on everything.

Player choices affect the outcome of the story. The choices you make in conversation will dictate the type of story you enjoy. You can always restart from a checkpoint if you don’t like the outcome, but this system gives the game its replay value.

There is no voice acting in this game, but I don’t think it needs it. Players who don’t like to read might find it difficult to stay attentive, but the story is well-written and enjoyable for those looking for a new sci-fi visual novel.

Review

I loved the Minds Beneath Us and recommend it to anyone looking for a visual novel. This is a very pretty game with some beautiful illustrations that you have to look through once. This game has a simple art style, but one that successfully captures the complexities and tone of its narrative. Aside from a few awkward translation issues, the story is well-written. The pacing is solid, the themes are great, and the choices get hard when they need to be.

My only real complaint is that the save points are too far apart. If you have to leave halfway through a scene, you’ll have to go through the entire dialogue until you find your spot. This is only a real issue if you’re not able to play continuously, so it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker.

Minds Beneath Us is a cool story with some fantastically developed themes. This game should be in your library if it isn’t already.

You can pick up Minds Beneath Us on Steam for only $19.99.

video game reviews

Earl vs. the Mutants is a Very Addicting Twin-Stick Shooter

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I was sent a free copy of Earl vs. the Mutants 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’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Earl Vs. the Mutants

Earl vs. the Mutants is a post-apocalyptic twin-stick shooter out now on Steam. The world has become overrun by mutants and it is up to the licensed hunters to keep them at bay. Play as Earl as he drives through the wasteland ramming, shooting, and blowing up mutants for that sweet reward. Can Earl bring peace to this world, or will he become another forgotten casualty?

Gameplay

You can play Earl vs. the Mutants like your traditional twin-stick shooter, left stick maneuvers your car aims your gun. Players can also opt to play the game like a top-down driving game. Both methods work well, it all comes down to preference. I liked changing between modes for the variability. It made the runs feel fresh, not that the game needed much refreshing.

Runs start with Earl driving a basic version of his car. As you kill mutants, he picks up experience points that can be traded in for random skill upgrades at level up. The RNG is pretty fair, but bad slots will ruin your run. Players can pay to refresh their choices. While these upgrades disappear after each run, players can buy permanent upgrades in between runs from Granny’s shop. These upgrades are purchased with coins picked up through a run or earned by completing quests. The more time a player spends with the game, the stronger Earl’s car becomes. The nice thing about this feature is that these skills can be refunded if a player ever gets buyer’s remorse.

The loop is simple. Players survive and kill mutants for a set time before the boss appears. The longer a player stays alive, the harder the enemies become. There are three distinct levels to play and a few unlockable cars to work towards. If you’re looking for something simple and fun, this might be your game.

Review

Earl vs. the Mutants is simple but incredibly addicting. I loved that I could choose between driving modes. Sometimes you want to play a quirky driving game, but other times you want to sit back and enjoy a twin-stick shooter. The driving mechanics is what makes this game feel different from other games in the genre. Driving feels very good in this game. While it may not be a driving sim, it is a nice change of pace from other twin-stick shooters because of how you need to maneuver the car through the wasteland.

The graphics might be an issue for some folks. The game is on the simple low-res side of gaming, but that shouldn’t matter because the game is fun. Once a run starts to get chaotic, you’ll appreciate the game’s charm and solid performance. It is a short game, but one that you can pick up anytime to enjoy a relaxing, quirky, good time.

If you’re looking for a fun twin-stick shooter, or are in the market for some fun casual gaming, you need to pick up Earl vs. the Mutants.

You can pick up Earl vs. The Mutants on Steam for only $6.99 ($5.59 until August 1st)

video game reviews

Galactic Glitch is the Most Fun You’ll Have in Space This Year!

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I was sent a free copy of Galactic Glitch to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions of the game. This will be my honest review. If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Galactic Glitch?

Galactic Glitch is a colorful and unique twin-stick roguelike shooter where you can throw your enemies into other enemies. The game has launched on Steam Early Access.

Travel through beautiful 2D maps full of enemies, mystery, and debris. Fight off swarms of enemies in unique space battles and upgrade your ship to be the best in the galaxy. How far into the darkness of space will you be able to reach?

Gameplay

Galactic Glitch starts in the traditional roguelike fashion. Players begin their campaign with a basic ship that they can upgrade along the way. The more you play, the better the ship becomes. You will die a lot, so be prepared for some repetition.

The ship comes with three weapons that can be swapped out and upgraded later in the game. Each weapon swap makes a meaningful change to combat, allowing players the ability to find a loadout that fits their playstyle. Players will also encounter random events that drop stat upgrades when completed. These are harder encounters and a very welcomed change of pace.

Combat feels like your typical twin-stick bullet hell, but the physics give it enough of a unique flare to set it apart from other games in the genre. Maneuvering around rooms and throwing objects into enemies feels so good once you get the hang of things.

Progress in this game is set up like a dungeon crawler. Players crawl through the vastness of space, clearing one room at a time. Rooms feel unique enough that the repetition doesn’t get stale, but to be fair, I do enjoy my repetition.

There is a story to this game, but it isn’t anything deep that you’ll need to follow thoroughly. At least it didn’t do enough to catch my attention. Instead, you’ll be picking up this game for the unique space-crawling goodness that it is.

Review

I loved every minute of Galactic Glitch. The art is great, the soundtrack is amazing, and the gameplay is so much fun. Geometry Wars was my favorite game growing up, and Galactic Glitch feels like that with a bit more purpose. I liked that I could switch my weapons but still pick up some RNG abilities along the way. I love that I could upgrade a home base for more powerups. I am sure I could have been a lot more efficient with my playthrough, but I had a lot of fun figuring things out.

If you’re looking for a fun game that will certainly become an addiction, pick up Galactic Glitch. It is a neat casual game with enough substance to keep players engaged, without it becoming a huge commitment. I love Twin-Stick shooters, and Galactic Glitch is definitely one of my favorites.

You can pick up Galactic Glitch on Steam for $12.99 (currently $9.74 until July 29).

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Drakantos Gets Closer to Release and a Solid Gameplay Teaser

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This month’s Dev log was a little late, but it was juicy. While we don’t have a firm release date, we do have a time frame. Drakantos plans its release for 2025. This seems like a long time, especially for those of us following from the beginning, but I’ve made it this far, what is a couple of more months. I rather have a finished game than a rushed one. Make sure you check out the official log for all the details, and don’t forget to Wishlist!

In a bit of sad news, dev logs will be moved to a three-month schedule. This means longer waits between devlogs, but it also means we’ll be getting juicier ones. There will be a consistent stream of teasers on the official Drakantos Discord, so make sure you join up and check regularly. I’ll try to do a monthly update of the teasers of they are juicy enough.

Liam Teaser

This month’s teaser was fantastic. We not only got to see Liam gameplay, but we got to get a good look at how the world of Drakantos works. We get a peak at the player hub and how questing works. I like the clean UI and the guild hall has a fantastic vibe to it. Most importantly, we got to see group combat. I love the art and am always impressed with how good they make the attack animations. I can see it being a little too busy for some folks, but I find it the perfect amount of world-shattering chaos without it ever being too distracting. I am curious to see how it things will work with busier instances like PvP and World Bosses.

I wasn’t too impressed with Liam’s gameplay, but I don’t tank. He seems too slow for my taste, but in the right hands, he can be a menace. Liam has a solid taunt, access to valuable debuffs, AOE, and he can close gaps quickly when needed. The cherry on top is his cool animations and voice acting. If you are looking to tank in Drakantos, you definitely need to consider Liam.

Game Info

Drakantos will be an MMO with dungeon-crawler elements. It will have an open world to explore, quest, and make friends in. There will be an overarching story which I am very excited to dive into. The game already has a solid amount of lore, I can’t wait to see what they do with it. There will also be a traditional player market. As long as players aren’t allowed to sell real money items, I’m cool with a player-run economy.

Drakantos will include character-specific prologues that will eventually lead to the starting zone. This will include a character story, a great way to start the game. The devs talk about moving away from the traditional linear system of questing in the hopes of giving the system purpose. Quests will reward players with gold and experience, but it will also unlock new systems, shops, and areas for the players. Some side quests will be class-specific, requiring players to use a character that knows magic for example. Most importantly, these types of quests will offer horizontal progression, which means completing a mission counts for the entire account. I like that the game isn’t forcing a tedious grind with their unique system.

The Dungeon Crawl

We got to see a bit of the Adventurer’s Guild in the Liam teaser above. The Guild is the main player hub where players can gather and queue for instances. Instances will take players to over 120 different maps and have them complete different quests. The intention is to always have players complete a different quest every time, even if they queue up for the same map. This is a very cool feature. While I do find comfort in repetition, the grind can get soul-crushing and monotonous. I can’t wait to see how this system is implemented. There will also be a random secondary objective or rare event to make things extra spicy. This can be a random encounter or a golden gnome for example. Completing side quests will net you more rewards, but they are optional.

Some instance bosses

Matchmaking

Matchmaking for an instance is tied to a player’s power level. There is no lobby. Instead of waiting for others to join, the game jumps you to the instance as it continues to look for other players. Difficulty scales based on the number of players in an instance (max 3), and rescales if someone drops suddenly. This is fantastic for a mobile game where internet connection can be spotty. Premade groups can be up to four for when you eventually join your guild and make your friends.

Conclusion

I continue to get hyped for the Drakantos release because this game looks fantastic. I’ve been waiting for an MMO to fill the void PSO left behind, and I am hoping this will be it. I love the art, the flavor, and the fact that this thing is portable. I can play it anywhere! Each month brings us closer to a release, and I’m just waiting for a beta. Make sure you join the official Drakantos Discord to stay up to date on all the news, and don’t forget to add the game to your Wishlist.

video game reviews

Noreya: The Gold Project is a Solid Metroidvania

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I was sent a free copy of Noreya: The Gold Project 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. If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset and the AM8 Streaming Microphone if you are looking for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Noreya: The Gold Project?

Noreya: The Gold Project is a 2D-pixel art dark fantasy Metroidvania game out now on PC.

Salluste, the God of Avarice, has taken over the city of Lemia and imprisoned the Goddess of Light. Once a glowing city, Lemia now stands as a twisted and tortured version of itself. Its inhabitants, smitten by greed, have sold themselves to Salluste and now roam the city as twisted shadowy creatures. Kali, with nothing left to lose, travels to Lemia in search of answers.

Travel through the City of Gold, battle creatures of shadow and gold, and pledge your allegiance to the god of your choice. Where will your devotion take you?

Gameplay

Noreya is your typical 2D action platformer. What makes this game unique is that you can use the gold you collect to heal at any time, and the god you devote yourself to controls your narrative. Choices do matter in this game, which may give the game replayability if you become invested enough in the story.

I am terrible at platforming, but found it very manageable in this game. Enemies are cool, but they will get repetitive. The game will spice things up with special events and boss fights. Special events change the flow of the game. In one instance, a giant snake chases Kali through the map, and it is up to you to navigate through the city and find her sanctuary. Boss fights are creative, but not unrelenting. I didn’t feel like I ever needed a guide to beat the bosses, I just needed to be better. That said, this game feels like a very casual entry to the genre, perfect for those newbies trying to find their start in the genre.

Combat feels fine, but I found the skill tree customization limiting compared to other titles. The skill tree can only be accessed at shrines throughout the city. Players can buy levels of their skill tree with gold at shrines around the city. The skill tree is expansive and gives players the freedom to build toward their play style. I don’t think the build matters in normal mode. I built towards what I thought would be fun and never felt I needed a guide. However, harder difficulties and speed runs will probably need a more efficient build.

Impressions

I like Noreya: The Gold Project. I love the art, the mechanics are manageable, and the flavor is neat. Choosing between Light and gold and the god you worship is a very cool idea. That said, Noreya isn’t the best Metroidvania on the market. After a while, it starts to feel stale. While I enjoyed the environment and music of each level, it started to feel repetitive. I understand repetition is somewhat expected, but the more I played, the less I wanted to keep playing. There just wasn’t enough to hold my attention.

Noreya isn’t a bad game. The game runs fine and has a few good moments, but you have better options. If you’re looking for a new Metroidvania game to add to your rotation, Noreya: The Gold Project is a solid choice, but I would wait for a sale.

You can pick up Noreya: The Gold Project on Steam for $24.99.

video game reviews

Tarisland Launches as the Most Disappointing WOW Killer

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I followed Tarisland since its announcement. I got into the beta and played as much as possible before realizing that this alleged WOW killer failed to deliver on its promises. While I vowed never to pick this game up again, I wanted to give it another chance since it had just gone live. After giving the mobile MMO my fairest attempts, I continue to be disappointed.

Tarisland was meant to be the WOW killer, but this claim typically tends to be a buzzword used to aid in a game’s visibility. Such a bold claim is good for a game’s marketing, and it didn’t hurt that Tarisland’s art style is reminiscent of wows. I was drawn to the game because it was a good-looking MMO I could play on my phone. I understand the stigma behind mobile gaming, but sometimes I can’t or don’t want to be in front of my computer. Sometimes I just want to chill on the couch and play games on my phone.

Tarisland started its journey by promising to be the first free-to-play game that wouldn’t be pay-to-win. This promise was broken after their first beta when they introduced their cash shop featuring pay-to-win items. All mentions of this promise were quickly scrubbed from all their media. These events came as no surprise and should have been a huge flag. I kept playing because I was planning to run this game so casually, the pay-to-win aspect would never affect me. I also didn’t feel like the cash shop was as predatory as other mobile games.

Another issue I have with the game is its customization. While the game looks good, character creation is limited to their premade models. You can change their hairstyle and skin color, but these options are limited. The characters are fine, but people who like to spend hours on character creation will be disappointed by the abysmal amounts of choices. I understand that this is due to the limitations of mobile gaming, but why include character creation if all players are limited to the same pool of choices? Why have character creation when there are gender-locked classes? I feel like those resources could have been spent elsewhere, like making better-looking characters.

The story is rather generic and does little to hook its players. Most players will probably skip through the dialogue in their race to the end game, but the dozens of us who want to be immersed in this new fantasy, Tarisland leave us hanging. The voice acting is either lazy and robotic, or missing altogether. I wasn’t expecting a deep compelling story from a free-to-play mobile game, but I expected the story to at least be interesting enough to be engaging.

I wouldn’t mind the lack of the story if the game was fun, but the game is boring. Tarisland feels like a cheap mobile MMO. Combat is slow, clunky, and uninteresting. It felt like I was waiting for mashing buttons and waiting on cooldowns. What few dungeons I forced myself through were boring, and the whole experience didn’t feel rewarding. Once you get past the graphics and aesthetic, the game is pretty shallow.

I took the game’s limitations going into this game. I wasn’t expecting a genre-defining title from the gate, but I did expect it to be fun. Ultimately when it comes down to it, there are better games on the market that deserve more of your attention. You can try it since it’s free, but it isn’t worth your time.

If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like comment, and share this with your friends. Check out my reviews for the Fifine H9 Gaming Headset and the AM8 Streaming Microphone if you are looking for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

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The Final Shape Made Fall in Love With Destiny 2 Again

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I was sent a free copy of Destiny 2’s latest expansion, The Final Shape, to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like comment, and share this with your friends. Check out my reviews for the Fifine H9 Gaming Headset and the AM8 Streaming Microphone if you are looking for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

I know this review is a little late, but I chose the wrong time to have a baby. Between all the diaper changes, feedings, and cuddles, I was somehow able to find time to play through the expansion story. Unfortunately, fatherhood doesn’t allow me for any of the multiplayer content. This review will focus on the single-player content.

I’ve been playing Destiny on and off since its release. Like most, some expansions grabbed my attention and I did all I could to complete the content. Other expansions have sat in my library untouched, or unfinished. I honestly wouldn’t have bothered with the new expansion if it weren’t free. The Final Shape was the first Destiny expansion where I cared about what was happening in the story and sat attentively through the cut scenes. Most cruelly, however, The Final Shape made me care about Destiny when I didn’t have the time to play it.

The Final Shape brings guardians into The Traveler as they prepare for the final confrontation with the witness. It introduces the new Prismatic subclass that allows players for a truly customizable experience. I thought the new subclass was fine, but this will come to preference.

As a casual fan of the series, I have a vague understanding of the lore. There are great recap videos up on YouTube, but I went into the Final Shape completely blind. I did manage to get through the Beyond Light expansion beforehand and thought that was pretty cool. I didn’t have much time to do anything else. You will need to know some of the important figures and plot points to understand what is going on, but you can always watch a summary to prepare and go back to play through the playable expansions later. I don’t think I would have become as invested if I didn’t have any prior exposure to the story.

I like that you can play through the story like an offline single-player game with the options for multiplayer. You can either play through the story mode or choose to play a harder heroic mode if you need the added challenge. I played through the story and thought the challenge was appropriate for my skill level.

The story itself is fantastic. The voice acting is terrific, as it generally is with Destiny. The pacing is solid, and the plot is interesting. This was the first time in a while that I found myself trying hard. Not because I was grinding for a seasonal weapon, but because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. If you’ve been disappointed by Destiny’s storytelling before, The Final Shape might be the expansion that gives you hope for the future of the franchise. If I didn’t have other responsibilities, I could easily see myself no-lifing till completion.

Gameplay-wise, the game still feels like destiny. The enemy design is unique and interesting, but the game still has bullet sponges. The invulnerability mechanic was fun at first, but it does get old and it does slow down some of the fights. That said, there were some interesting boss mechanics that helped keep my attention.

The Final Shape blew me away with its aesthetics. The new armor and weapons are cool, but the world and maps are breathtaking. I love the creativity that went into breaking and rearranging the world to the almost surreal adventure it became. This expansion made me appreciate the fact that I have a computer that can handle the game’s graphics at a high setting. Even if you’ve had your reservations, you won’t be able to deny the fact that Destiny at its current iteration looks good.

I know there were a lot of performance and connection issues at launch. There was an announced maintenance that was a little annoying. I didn’t experience any of that, probably because I was always playing in the weirdest hours, but it is something to consider, especially since you can’t replay any of the cutscenes. I think it is great as is, and if you are looking to get into Destiny, or just want to close the loop, I say you pull the trigger and enjoy one of the game’s best expansions.

You can pick up the Final Shape for $49.99 on Steam, Epic Games, Xbox, and PlayStation.

video game reviews

Kid Pilot is the Cutest VR Game You Should Be Playing!

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I was sent a free copy of Kid Pilot 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 these reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking for a quality budget headset, check out the Fifine H9 Gaming Headset using my Amazon Affiliate link. Make sure you check out my full review. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is Kid Pilot?

Kid Pilot is a unique VR experience where players fly a toy airplane using their hand and travel through creative and beautiful environments. Grab your favorite toy plane and solve puzzles, maneuver through obstacles, and occasionally fight your way through what promises to be the coziest VR experience. Do you have what it takes to put this game down?

Gameplay

Kid Pilot is not a flight simulator, but rather a play simulor. Instead of having a cockpit, players control a toy plane from a third-person view and only through the use of one of their hands. It is very reminiscent of a simpler time when we used to pretend everything could fly.

The game starts simple as it eases players into the fundamental mechanics, but eventually ramps up the difficulty to keep things fun and engaging. Players will have to do things like fly through creative courses, shoot targets, avoid hazards, and solve puzzles. It is a very simple loop, but one that is consistently kept fresh and engaging.

Review

Kid Pilot is the cutest and coziest VR experience that I can’t recommend enough. I enjoyed flying the cute toy plane through the game’s creative stages and loved the cozy environment. The game has a great aesthetic, a fantastic soundtrack, and fun gameplay. If you’re looking for a relaxing and engaging title with a bit of whimsy, you need to pick up Kid Pilot.

Kid Pilot is great for kids. The gameplay is simple enough to grasp, the concept is cool, and the game is overall inoffensive. Adults will appreciate the unforgettably cute and chill experience. I promise you’ve never played a game like Kid Pilot, and you’re going to have trouble putting it down.

Kid Pilot is available now on Steam VR for only $19.99 (currently $17.99 until June 5th).

video game reviews

Ikki Unite is a Cute Little Game to Play with Friends

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I was sent a free copy of Ikki Unite 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 of the game. If you enjoy these reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking for a quality budget headset, check out the Fifine H9 Gaming Headset using my Amazon Affiliate link. Make sure you check out my full review. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is Ikki Unite?


Ikki Unite is a pixel art, bullet hell action roguelike out now on Steam ($11.99) and Switch ($14.99).

Join up with your friends and fight against hordes of enemies in the most time-crunching and intense fight of your life. Try it solo, or team up with up to 16 as you defend the town from locusts, monkeys, and other beasts. Make sure you beat the bosses before time runs out. How far can you and your friends get?

Gameplay

The loop for this game is simple. If you play solo, you choose your character, load in, and start fighting swarms of enemies as you attempt to complete the quest before time runs out. The loop is the same in multiplayer, but you get a random hero that you can reroll once.

The game auto attacks, but players need to maneuver characters carefully to keep them alive. Enemies will occasionally drop coins, and players use these coins to buy random upgrades. Players can buy a random weapon, stat boost, or companion to make runs easier. As enemies get tougher, the choices you make for upgrades start to matter more. Make sure you always choose carefully. You won’t need a guide to get through this game, but it pays off to be mindful from the start.

The run is over when a player’s life points go to zero, or time runs out. Players can extend the time limit by completing quests. Quests are not marked. Ikki Unite’s main challenge is finding the balance between farming the endless mobs of enemies and searching for the bosses within the always fleeting time limit.

Bad RNG will absolutely ruin a run. While I do feel the RNG is consistently fair, there were one or two runs that were impossible from the start. Some heroes are worse than others. While this may be an issue with playstyle preference, a bad hero will ruin a run just as badly as the game’s RNG. I recommend you try all the heroes out in single-player first so that you know when to reroll if you ever find yourself in a multiplayer game.

Multiplayer in my region is dead, and I can’t speak about the online experience. From what I’ve read, the game’s performance varies by region. If you want to play this game in multiplayer, you’ll need to play with friends. The solo experience is valid, but I can see this game being more fun with friends.

Review

I enjoyed this Ikki Unite. Not as much as Brotato, but well enough that I can recommend it. The game has an adorable retro vibe with a terrific soundtrack. The gameplay is chill, but it can be challenging if you aren’t paying attention. The characters are unique and the attacks are quirky and flavorful. This is a solid game for those looking for a game with a retro vibe with a modern feel. I see this game being better if you have friends to go in with you, but the solo experience is valid. I am a little disappointed that I never found an online match, but maybe you’ll get lucky.

I found the gameplay relaxing but with enough of a challenge to keep things engaging. While this isn’t a game I can nolife, it is a game I can pick up when I want a change of pace or want to have a wacky time with my friends. If you’re in the mood for an action roguelike, Ikki Unite is a solid choice.

You can pick up Ikki Unite on Steam ($11.99) and Switch ($14.99).

video game reviews

Terra Memoria: The Cute RPG You Should Already be Playing

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I was sent a free copy of Terra Memoria 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 these reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking for a quality budget headset, check out the Fifine H9 Gaming Headset using my Amazon Affiliate link. Make sure you check out my full review. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is Terra Memoria?

Terra Memoria is a pixel art turn based RPG out now for PC, Xbox, Switch, and PlayStation

Terra is a world of magic and magical technology. For years, innovation has been powered by magical crystals mined from the earth. But a shortage has hit Terra, and access to these crystals grows increasingly scarce by the minute. The citizens of Terra grow uneasy as the world around them begins to shut down. Luckily, Fate has willed a group together a group with the power to change everything. What secrets will they uncover? Can Terra ever be restored to what it used to be?

Gameplay

Terra Memoria is an adorable RPG with interesting mechanics that help it stand out against other titles in the genre. I particularly enjoyed how the game handles crafting, gear, and combat.

Crafting and leveling are done at campfires or inns in town. Make sure you visit them often. As you battle monsters in the field, you’ll collect materials and experience points. Getting to a rest area automatically levels your character, and I appreciate that simplicity. Crafting is what makes the rest areas an interesting mechanic.

Crafting armor and cooking is done during a party’s rest, provided you have the right amount of materials. This is not only flavorful, but it means you don’t have to keep running back to town for upgrades if you plan accordingly. Cooking is done through a simple rhythm mini-game that you can fail if you’re not paying attention. Failing a recipe means you lose the materials, and materials can be scarce in the beginning. Cooking permanently raises your party’s HP, so eat often. This is the only way to raise your HP, and tougher enemies will wipe your party if you haven’t been easy. I appreciate that cooking isn’t just a gimmick, and I didn’t mind the mini-game.

Crafting weapons is just a press of a button. Unlike most games, gear in Terra Memoria comes in the form of stickers. This is such a cute idea, and I wanted to craft them all. Stickers grant buffs to the elements a character can use. Each attaching character can only carry three stickers at a time, and these stickers make a difference.

Terra Memoria’s combat system is the reason why you should play this game. When combat starts, characters and enemies are placed in a space on the timeline. When a character uses an attack, they are moved several spaces on the timeline based on the attack. For example, casting a punch attack will move a character four spaces in the timeline.

Characters have access to fast and slow actions. Fast actions are weaker, but they cost less spaces. Slow actions are more powerful, but move your character to the end of the order. Landing in an occupied space means you go after. The key to combat in Terra Memoria is taking advantage of the action economy, enemy weaknesses, and shield breaks. Breaking an enemy’s shield moves them to the end of the combat round, so try to do so often.

What makes combat exciting is the RNG. The party is made up of three main attackers and three characters to support them as pairs. While the three main attackers are always the same, the pairs are chosen randomly at the start of each combat. You can restrict the pairs you don’t want, but you can never choose your pairs. Each support character has a unique ability that changes how the main character attacks. This gives the party a very diverse move pool, but it also means you’re going to get pairings that don’t feel optimal. Make sure you restrict your choices as soon as the option is available.

Some abilities are stagnant, but Opals is also driven by RNG. Sometimes you’ll pull the exact pairings with the correct elements, and others you’ll have to deal with what you are given. I never felt like the RNG was unfair, and it always felt amazing when the stars aligned perfectly.

There is a grind to this game, as there typical for the genre, but it doesn’t feel soul-crushing. The RNG kept things interesting, and there was always a chance I would mess up and have to start over.

Review

I loved Terra Memoria. If you’re looking for a new RPG, this game should be on your list. This game is cute, quirky, and a whole lot of fun. The story for this game is well written. It is a little on the silly side, but I appreciate the dedication to its tone and theme. It made the game feel like a wholesome good time.

If it wasn’t clear, I enjoyed the game’s mechanics immensely. Combat was engaging and fun, crafting didn’t feel like busy work, and collecting the cute stickers became an obsession. I didn’t even mind the grind. You can over-level, so be mindful. The bosses always seemed to offer a decent challenge, so it wasn’t a huge issue.

Puzzles in this game are creative, and challenging, but don’t require a guide. There is a building mechanic. I don’t care much for building, but it is cute and is sure to eat away at your life. My only complaint is that I would get lost a lot, but I am famously bad at directions. If you’re a fan of classic RPGs without waypoints, this game is for you.

I loved Terra Memoria, and I think you will do. It is cute, fun, and very addicting.

You can pick up Terra Memoria PC, Xbox, Switch, and PlayStation for $19.99.