Tag Archives: pixel art

video game reviews

Urban Myth Dissolution Center Review: A Must-Play Visual Novel

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Urban Myth Dissolution Center 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 the Urban Myth Dissolution Center?

Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a horror mystery visual novel out now on Steam, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch.

Azani has a supernatural gift she doesn’t want. In an attempt to become normal, she seeks the help of Ayumu Meguria, a level S psychic and the director of the Urban Myth Dissolution Center. In a strange turn of events, she finds herself under his employ. She must now use her powers to help the Center investigate Myths, and put an end to anything supernatural. What truths will she uncover? Will she ever get rid of this power and be a normal girl?

Gameplay

Players explore a 2D pixel art world, collecting clues, solving cases, and piecing together the overarching narrative. Players start by combing social media for leads on a new case. They follow up by interrogating the people involved, and looking for signs of supernatural activity. As they collect clues and details, players begin filling out a field journal with useful information. Azumi will periodically stop to piece the clues together. Players must be able to piece the clues together to progress through the story. When enough clues are gathered, Meguria will use his psychic abilities to guide the players towards a truth.

Review

If you can only buy one visual novel this year, it should be Urban Myth Dissolution Center. This is by far my favorite visual novel, and I have played some award winning games. Players will fall in love with the retro pixel art aesthetic and the breath taking visuals. I love how creative this game gets with its style, and it is able to successfully create the ideal atmosphere for its mystery. The game also has an amazing sound track ready to complete the mood.

The gameplay is simple, yet relaxing. The fact that the game takes the time to quiz players on key elements of the mystery keep the game engaging. There didn’t seem to be any real drawback from guessing wrong other than the inability to progress the story, but it is a good idea to keep notes if necessary. It makes things go by faster.

The best part of this game is its story. I haven’t been this intrigued by a mystery in a while, and I whole heartily recommend this to anyone in need of a good read. This is a well paced story with a fun quirky tone, memorable characters, and interesting mysteries. Best of all, the experience is pretty solid on the Steam Deck.

If you are looking for a good visual novel, it doesn’t get much better than Urban Myth Dissolution Center. Pick it up today on Steam, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch. There is a Steam demo if you don’t believe me.

video game reviews

Bandit Knight: The Cute and Creative Game You Need to Try Once

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I was asked to check out the Bandit Knight demo for my blog. I understand the game isn’t finished, so I will be more lenient with my review. That said, these will be my honest first impressions.

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What is Bandit Knight

Bandit Knight is an arcade beat-em-up stealth game coming soon to Steam, but a Demo is available in the meantime.

Take on the role of the world-renowned Bandit Knight as you steal, pickpocket, and pillage anything that has value. Earn coin to buy upgrades, weapons, and anything you need to become an even better thief. Whether you sneak through your jobs or raise hell, that loot is yours for the taking. Do you have what it takes?

Gameplay

Players use their thieving skills to move through areas stealing anything that isn’t bolted down. But this won’t be an easy task. Guards will want to catch the legendary Bandit Knight, and creative bosses will want it done quickly. Combat is cartoonishly chaotic in the best possible way, and the boss fights have interesting mechanics that will keep players engaged. Players can sneak, stealth is encouraged, but there is nothing wrong with raising a little hell here and there.

Impressions

Bandit Knight is a lot of fun, and I can’t wait for a full version. This game is a cute and fun casual game you can pull out anytime you want to have fun. The art is adorable, the mechanics are simple but will require some mastery, and the gameplay is unique and memorable. The game also features an incredible soundtrack. I can’t wait to hear the whole thing. Best of all, the game works great on the Steam Deck. While there is nothing wrong with the PC version, I prefer the handheld experience for a game like this. Nothing is going to beat being able to sit on my couch as I try to beat my high score.

The Demo is only available for a short time, so make sure you try this game out today. The demo is only the tutorial, which is short, but is more than enough to get you hooked. If you want a wacky and fun game that is different and action-packed, go check out Bandit Knight today!

video game reviews

You Need to Be Playing Shogun Showdown

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I was sent a free copy of Shogun Showdown 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 Shogun Showdown?

Shogun Showdown is an amazing roguelike deckbuilder out now on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC via Steam and Itch.io.

A warrior’s journey is full of parallel, but legend has it you have what it takes. Grab your weapons, hone your skills, and kill anyone that gets in your way. Do you have what it takes to defeat the Shogun?

Gameplay

A warrior’s journey is full of parallel, but legend has it you have what it takes. Grab your weapons, hone your skills, and kill anyone that gets in your way. Do you have what it takes to defeat the Shogun?

Players start their journey with basic weapons and abilities. As they kill enemies and earn experience, they can purchase more powerful cards. I am sure there is an efficient build for speedrunning, but the game gives players the freedom to build their character to fit their playstyle.

Like most roguelikes, players will earn temporary skills and buffs at certain nodes of their journey. These rewards are random, but they felt fair for the most part. I never felt like I had a weak or useless ability. The levels are the same each, so there is a bit of repetition. The RNG helps break up some of the monthly, and players will eventually unlock new areas to explore. New content just dropped, and there is more planned for future releases.

The combat is the best part of this game. Players can perform one action per turn, and actions alternate between the player and enemies. During a turn, players can move one space, turn their character in the opposite direction, or perform an activity or set of abilities. Players can see the enemy’s actions between turns to plan accordingly. The key to this game is efficiently moving, dodging attacks, and setting up killing blows. A run ends when a player’s health drops to zero, and the goal is to get to the end of the run and beat the one true boss.

Review

I loved every minute of this game. Shogun Showdown is the most creative deckbuilder I’ve ever played. It has great flavor, beautiful art, a fantastic soundtrack, and fun gameplay. If you’re looking for a deckbuilding roguelike that breaks away from the norm, this is the game you need to get.

I love that it always feels like I am doing something. I am a huge fan of deck builders, but they all are starting to feel the same. The flavor may change, but it always feels like I am playing Slay the Spire. It is nice to play a game that changes up the strategy in a unique and fun way that looks good and plays flawlessly.

I recommend this game on any system because this is a game you need to try once. It is the perfect game for those who want something new without having it be a huge commitment, just be prepared to sink a respectable amount of time into it.

You can pick up Shogun Showdown on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC via Steam and Itch.io for $14.99.

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

Check out the Cute 3D Pixel art Survival Game Voxlands

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I was sent an early demo of Voxlands to cover on my blog. While the game is playable, it is still rough. It wouldn’t be fair to review the game at its current stage of development, so I will limit my post to my initial impressions. I am hoping to get a full copy upon release, stay tuned for that. 

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What is Voxlands

Voxlands is a pixel art survival game coming to PC. The game gives off Minecraft vibes but with enough of a twist to be its own thing. Travel through an open world, go on quests, fight monsters, stave off starvation, and craft what you need for survival in this cute and casual experience.

Gameplay

Thoughts

I was excited to get Voxlands because I love pixel art games. Voxlands has an adorable design with a fun and quirky tone that just works. I can’t really talk about its performance because the game isn’t finished. The demo is more than playable, but there is some roughness that I am sure will be ironed out on release. 

The game feels like Minecraft, but the guns and combat give it the unexpected retro Doom feel. I love how fast-paced everything is, and the combat, although a bit clunky at the moment, feels good. I didn’t do much with crafting, and the demo doesn’t have multiplayer. Not that I have friends to play with. 

This game is cute, and I am excited to see what it turns into. I still need to see a more fleshed-out crafting system, more weapons, and a bigger world before I can make my review, but I am curious. It is a short demo, but it does enough. Make sure you check it out when it goes live. There is no release date at the moment, but you can always add it to your Wishlist until then!

video game reviews

Tevi: The cute metroidvania game that almost could

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I was sent Tevi 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.

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 Fortune if you want to play some good Waifuvania, or Nocturnal for 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)
  • Enamel Pin x1
  • Art Board (Shikishi) x1
  • Astral Gear Wireless Charger x1
  • Commemorative Number Card x1
  • Collecter Box x1
gaming news

Discover Drakantos: New character art, lore, and gifs revealed

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The Drakantos devs have created a special channel on their official discord dedicated to the lore and characters of the upcoming pixel art MMO. Make sure you give it a follow if you want to stay up to date on all the Drakantos news. The devs have been busy filling this new section with character art, gifs, and back story. After sifting through the updates, I am disappointed that there isn’t more, but remain hyped for the release. There is still no release date, but I’ll keep you posted when the information becomes available. Make sure you check out my original post if you want a more detailed first impression. 

I am going to post what is available because I want to help promote it. This game looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. I love the art, and the bit of gameplay I’ve seen looks interesting. I can’t wait for its release, but until then, I’ll be following it closely. Make sure you add it to your Wishlist and follow the Discord!

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

Iris

Ozul

Yura

Liam

Zeugladius

Thomas

Yuki

Ophis

Kavras

Arryn

Orbryn

Urijor

Ojore

Reya

Mohazus

Korz

Byron

Faendar

Marly

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Sea of Stars trailer reveals a new character: The Portal Assassin

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The new trailer introduces the new character Serai, and she is bringing with her a whole new dimension to combat. She can portal around the battle field and back stab enemies! It honestly doesn’t get cooler than that. I love how creative the combat system is in Sea of Stars. This isn’t your traditional turn-based RPG, it is a lot more involved than that. I haven’t had this much fun with a demo in a while, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the full game.

I’ve been excited to play Sea of Stars for a while now. The game looks very good, and the demo is a lot of fun. I you haven’t tried the demo yet, I highly recommend you do so now. If you weren’t thinking about buying it before, you will after the demo. The demo is available for Xbox, Steam, PlayStation, and on the Nintendo Switch. Make sure you check out my impressions of the demo.

Sea of Stars launches on August 29th. I’m hoping to pick it up on the Switch day one, and will be back with the review as soon as I can.

gaming news

Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross: The beautiful pixel art deck builder coming to steam July 20th!

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If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning or have seen the recent state of my blog, it is no secret that I love card games. I’ve spent way too much money on trading cards and am always looking for a new deck builder to add to my collection. The latest to catch my eye is a little game called Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross, coming to Steam on July 20, 2023.

Play as a knight who must help his people defeat the Teutonic Knights. The game is based on an award-winning story of the same name that covers the conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian people and the Teutonic Knights in the 15th century. I haven’t read the book, but I hope that means the story is good. I also hope the game is an accurate adaptation because I love learning about history.

As the knight, you travel the real collecting companions to fight with you and cards to make your deck stronger. There are 30 characters you can collect and level, and the freedom to build a deck that fits your playstyle. The combat looks like a strait forward deck builder but with a story and some RPG elements that might help it stand out against the genre. The game has seven chapters, 200 side quests, and a roguelite mode for hours of gameplay. That probably means this game is going to take me forever to complete.

1 / 50

What excites me most about this game is the art style. I love pixel art, and the design for Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is amazing! The sprites are cute, the characters are cool, and the animation looks fun. There is a bit of fan service, but I don’t mind it. I’ve seen a lot worse, and the characters are too cool for it to matter. 

I just received my review code for this game, and am super excited to try it out. I haven’t started the game, but I am also under embargo so I won’t be able to share my thoughts on the game just yet. I’ll get my review out as soon as I am able, so make sure you’re subscribed. Until then, make sure you add Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross to your wishlist. 

video game reviews

GDC Recap: Portal Fantasy

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GDC showed me that the era of Web3 gaming is here. At the very least, we are in the early stages of its development, and it is time for gamers to accept it is the future of gaming. There has been resistance to this shift, but from what I saw at GDC, there is no stopping it. Gaming on the Blockchain will be the standard like loot crates and battle passes are now. The big publishers have already taken steps to slowly implement the shift to Web3 so that when it does become mainstream, we won’t notice the change.

I know there is a lot of stigma surrounding Web3 because of all the negative press, but the early era of the internet wasn’t without its faults either. Now the internet is essential and useful if you are smart about it, and Web3 will be the same. I am not here to convince you to buy NFTs or get into crypto, but I am here to tell you that you shouldn’t be as afraid to look into the projects coming out for this new era of gaming. You might even find your new favorite game.

There were a lot of Web3 games featured at GDC, and a couple piqued my interest. One game I am particularly excited about is the cute monster-catching game, Portal Fantasy. Portal Fantasy is a browser-based pixel art monster catcher game that has some clear inspiration from Pokémon. The art is great, and the gameplay reminds me of the best era of Pokémon. But Portal Fantasy isn’t another Pokémon clone gunning for your money. The story is a lot darker, and the game has a few promising features that will set it apart from Pokemon.  

The Pyli kingdom is under threat by an unknown evil force. The Porbles that fill its land have suddenly grown murderous. In retaliation to this new threat, the kingdom uses its last bit of magic to summon the heroes from another realm to ait them. With the help of the Porbles that catch along the way, the heroes must work together to rid the world of this evil. Only when this land knows peace will they be able to return home. 

If you want to know more about the lore, go check out the webcomic. It comes out every two weeks, and the story is pretty solid. I love the art style, but I was not expecting the story to get so dark. This isn’t going to be another Pokémon clone, at least not lore-wise. The webcomic is free to read, and I think it’s worth checking out. Who knows? It might even get you interested in trying the game. I know it did for me. 

I didn’t get enough time with the game to form an opinion about its mechanics or gameplay. The art looks great and has a unique aesthetic I can get behind. The game will have two classes at launch, Architect and Adventurer. Adventurers are players who roam the land catching, trading, and battling Porbles. Architects will have access to what seems to be a promising world-building mechanic that I am sure will excite you creative folk out there. Architects will be able to create bases, quests, and even stories that adventurers can enjoy. This feature has me the most excited for this game because of the potential for content this game will have. Nothing is worse than finishing the story content in an MMO and having nothing to do. If this game is as community-driven as I hope it will be, there will always be something to do or try. I am very interested in seeing what the community can come up with.

The game is currently entering beta for blockchain users only. I am still trying to get into the beta. I will return with my impressions as soon as I get enough data. If you don’t want to get a wallet, the game will be free-to-play at launch, so make sure you keep tabs on the official Twitter for news on that release. For those who don’t mind, setting up a wallet isn’t hard. There are easy-to-follow instructions on how to do so on the official website. 

The biggest barrier I see for this game and Web3 games is overcoming the stigma that surrounds it. There are also a few too many steps to gain admission that the average player won’t want to take. As Web3 becomes the norm, many of the hurdles will eventually disappear. It is great to be cautious, but it is also good to learn new things. Now is a great time to start educating yourself on the future of gaming and maybe even start following projects that interest you. 

I will be following Portal Fantasy closely. If you are a fan of monster catcher games, I suggest you do the same. I think the art is great and the lore is cool so far. The game will be free-to-play, but there will be some monetization. The game license will be $20, and you will get a cute avatar NFT to play as. Follow them on Twitter to stay up to date on all the news. I will be back with more news as soon as I can get it.

Pictures were taken from the official site

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