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Is Mortal Rite Worth Playing? Honest Review

March 12, 2025 josechurape Leave a comment

Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Mortal Rite 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.

Shameless Self-Promotions

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What is Mortal Rite?

Mortal Rite is a class-based Souls-like available on Steam Early Access.

You have been granted the ability to take over different champions and use them to defeat the evil that plagues the land. Make your way through a monster infested land, master your powers, and defeat the bosses. Will you be the hero this world needs, or will you fall to the darkness like so many before you?

Gameplay

Players will fight their way through a dungeon, learning to harness their powers. This journey can be made alone, but the game supports up to five player co-op. The first hero a player selects is free, but players will need to buy additional characters with farmable resources. Each character has its unique playstyle can can be further customized through the game’s attribute system.

Combat is straight forward and follows the traditional Souls-like formula. Players get access to a heavy/light attack, a doge, block, and a few character specific abilities to change things up. Dying resets players to checkpoints, and killing the bosses progresses the story. Aside from the class system, the game doesn’t do much too different.

Review

Mortal Rite shows its players that it is still an Early Access game. Booting up the game, players will immediately notice that the game isn’t finished. The biggest issue I have with the game is the performance. Frames drop, FPS isn’t great, and worst of all, combat isn’t smooth. I get that bugs can be part of the charm, but not when combat feels as clunky as it does in Mortal Rite. Swimming feels slow and looks bad, and the lack of fluid motion will get players killed. A lot of the time I felt like I was fighting the controls and the game more than I was fighting my enemies.

I could forgive a janky unfinished combat system if the lore were good, but it isn’t. The story feels a little generic, and it did little to keep my attention. At least the characters seem thematic, but I wouldn’t play this game just for the characters.

Even if you like backing Early Access games, I would wait for a couple more updates. Even then, I would wait for a full release because you simply have better options at this price point. Go play Void Sols instead. It’s cheaper, better, and it has a demo.

You can pick up Mortal Rite on Steam for $24.99.

video game reviews

Slime Heroes Review: A Whimsical Souls-Like Adventure

March 7, 2025 josechurape Leave a comment

Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of slime Heroes 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.

Shameless Self-Promotions

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out the new Epomaker HE75 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone Syste m. I’ve also started a web novel that I update weekly.

What is Slime Heroes?

Slime Heroes is an adorable souls-like out now on Steam and Xbox.

A mysterious corruption spreads across the land, and it is up to a few brave slimes to clear it. Travel across a whimsical world as you solve puzzles, clear dungeons, and defeat monsters. Can you save the guardians from the strange corruption? Can you restore peace to this world?

Gameplay

Slime Heroes is your standard souls-like with a few fun elements to help it stand out against the genre. Players start buy customizing their slime before sending them off on a grand adventure. All slimes start with the same basic abilities, but can be customized throughout their legend. After their sudden call to action, heroes will fight for their lives in order to become stronger.

Players will fight their way between “campfires” as they collect currency and skills to level up their slime. The grind can feel repetitive if players aren’t efficient in their combat. Combat is strait forward. Players have access to two basic attacks (heavy and light), four customizable magic abilities, and a dodge. What makes Slime Heroes unique is that it allows players to combine magical abilities to create a truly unique slime hero.

To break up combat, players can enjoy a bit of lore and story, fun puzzles, explore dungeons, and fight creative puzzles. While the game looks like an adorable kids game, there is enough content and it requires enough skill to keep things engaging.

Review

The initial delay made me a bit nervous about the game. It is typically never a good sign, but this wasn’t true this time around. The game isn’t perfect. There are bits where the character gets stuck, places where I lost frames, and bits where there is no sound. But I would argue that the flaws give the game its charm. While the issues are noticeable, they didn’t matter because I was having fun.

The slimes are cute. The monsters and the world are a little plain, but it works. The story is cozy and fun. This is a very aesthetically pleasing game, but the reason you play is for the gameplay. This is the souls-like game you play when you want a challenge, but you don’t want to end up frustrated. Aside from a few performance issues, combat is fluid. Bosses are unique, but the grind can feel a bit repetitive.

To break up the monotony, the game does a good job at blending other mechanics. There is a bit of platforming, a few challenging puzzles to solve, and some interesting boss fights and challenges to overcome. There was enough variety of content to keep things interesting, and the grind never felt bad. .

What I enjoyed most about the game is skill crafting system. Monsters will drop abilities throughout the adventure, and players can combine these to craft a unique experience. Experimenting with the different combinations is so much fun, and finding the right combination that fits your play style is incredibly satisfying.

If you are looking for a new fun and comforting game to add to your collection, get Slime Heroes. The game has terrific flavor, fun mechanics, and a casual vibe that will fit in any collection. You can brave the world on your own, or team up with friends, and it has a great Steam Deck experience. While there are a few performance issues that are hard to ignore, the devs seem to be pushing out consistent updates that make the game better. This is easily one of my favorite games of the year so far, and it can be one of your too.

You can pick up Slime Heroes on Steam and Xbox for $29.99.

video game reviews

Mea Culpa DLC Review: Is It Worth Your Money?

January 3, 2025 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent a free copy of the Mea Culpa DLC for Blasphemous 2 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. Make sure you check out my review for the base game.

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What is Mea Culpa?

Mea Culpa is DCL for the 2D side scrolling Souls-like, Blasphemous 2. You will need to already own Blasphemous 2 to play the DLC. This DLC adds new abilities, quests, and alternate ending. There are also two new zones to explore and bosses to fight. If you enjoyed Blasphemous 2, it might be worth checking out for a bit of extra content.

Review

The Mea Culpa DLC was okay. It wasn’t bad, but it is hard to justify the price. I enjoyed the new areas, and the bosses were challenging and fun, but I don’t think it is a mandatory step into Blasphemy. If you are a fan of the series and are looking to support a great title in the genre, it is a solid buy and you will get your money’s worth in fun. If you are new to the genre and on a budget, the base game is all you need. I would wait for a sale because I don’t believe it adds enough to be worth the full price of admission. It isn’t a bad DLC, but it doesn’t stand out as hard as it needs to.

You can buy Mea Culpa on Steam, Xbox ($30.39), Nintendo, PlayStation for $11.99, but I recommend waiting for the next big sale.

video game reviews

Loot River is the Souls-like Tetris Game You May Need to Try Once

December 16, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent Loot River for free to review. 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.

Loot River is a unique roguelike that combines the bleak and unforgiving grind of a Dark Souls game with Tetris. Players must fight through endless and dangerous catacombs where they fight monsters, find treasure, and defeat bosses. With the power of the Relic, players can move the ground to travel through its darkness, solve puzzles, and manipulate enemies. Can you find the end before you meet yours?

The game does a fantastic job of blending the two genres to create a unique and memorable experience. The souls-like elements are simple but unforgiving. The Tetris part creates the game’s unique movement and adds dimension to the combat. The combat is simple but with enough strategy to make it engaging.

Players start each run with a simple weapon and have access to a basic attack, thrust, parry, and dodge. You can move your character, but you can also move the platform you’re standing on independently. You must use a combination of these actions to defeat your enemies and clear each level. These elements come together to create Loot River’s creative combat system.

Throughout a run, you will pick up weapons and gear. This gear is randomly generated, and you lose it when you die. I felt like the RNG was fair enough, but some runs were easier than others. You can also find and buy permanent upgrades to make runs easier. The more you play, the more upgrades you’ll have access to.

Like most games in the genre, Loot River’s gameplay is repetitive. The RNG and procedurally generated levels help mitigate some of the monotony, but you’re still repeating the same actions. I find comfort in the repetition, but it isn’t going to be for everyone. There is also a leaderboard and level editor coming on December 19 with the PlayStation release.

My favorite aspect of the game is the aesthetic. I love the minimalistic pixel art, and the soundtrack is amazing. Most importantly, the game is fun. If you’re looking for a new roguelike to fill some time, check out Loot River. The game is $25, which I find a little high, but the devs continue to release updates so take that as you will. I’d wait for a sale personally.

Loot River is available now on Xbox and Steam for $24.99. It’s free if you have Game Pass.

video game reviews

Hellsweeper VR was okay, but I could have been playing something better

September 22, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I was sent Hellsweeper VR as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let this sway my opinions. This will be an honest review of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Hellsweeper VR is a roguelike hack-and-slash game for Steam, Quest, and PlayStation VR. You play as a dammed soul trying to repent for your sins. You are tasked with spending your afterlife hunting down demons until your depth is paid, earning your passage to heaven.

The game has cool flavor and a solid concept, but Hellsweeper is a bit too simple for its own good. Once the novelty of the experience wears off, the game becomes repetitive and boring. You dive into the dungeon and try to get as far as possible before dying and starting over. You start with simple weapons or magic and find upgrades throughout your run or you can buy them in between them. Combat feels clunky, and it grows stale after a while. You have options on how you fight the forces of hell, but I always felt the guns were the best way to go about it. The game tries to shake things up by having you complete different missions during each run, but not all of them are fun. By the end of my first run, there wasn’t any real reason to keep playing.

The game isn’t bad, but there are better games you can play. Hellsweeper VR isn’t worth the $29.99 it asks for, and even at a discount, your money is better spent elsewhere.

video game reviews

Game Review: Strayed Lights

April 25, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

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I was sent Strayed Lights as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but I will be sure to keep my review honest.

Strayed Lights is the most beautiful adventure game you can play on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC via Steam, GoG, and Epic Games.

You play as a being of light and darkness as they go on an adventure of self-discovery and personal growth. You must travel across a dream-like landscape and face off against deadly monsters. Do you have what it takes to complete this journey?

This game is by far the prettiest game I have played by far. I spent too long admiring the wildlife, enjoying the colors, and appreciating the composition. And the music? This game has a soundtrack that will be winning awards. I cannot express how perfectly this soundtrack was composed to elevate this already stunning game to the experience that should be mandatory for all gamers. I see the word atmospheric thrown around a lot to describe games, but Strayed Lights has finally given the word its proper definition.

1 / 7

Exploration in this game is fantastic because the world is beautiful, but the combat is what makes this game fun. Battles are fast-paced and engaging. You have your traditional attack and dodge action, but the parry sets this system apart. Your character can swap between two colors, but monsters can swap between three. Matching your color with the monster’s while you complete a successful parry heals your character and fills your energy bar. Combat becomes this elegant dance as you learn when to attack, dodge, change color, and parry till you meet the win condition. This system kept combat feeling fresh, even when I learned a monster’s attack patterns.

Finally, I need to mention the game’s story. Strayed Lights has a fantastic story. You get to watch your character grow as it makes its way through the world helping others from the darkness. There is no dialogue, but it isn’t necessary. I am blown away by how much narrative exists without the use of words. You aren’t killing monsters, but rather helping other beings of light get rid of their darkness. I loved watching the different ways the main character heals the monsters. Each time you heal a monster, the character will grow from the experience. You will see the main character complete a full life cycle, and how that growth manifests into the world is something you need to see to appreciate.

I can’t stress how much you need to play this game. It is a beautiful and unique adventure game that deserves your attention, even if you aren’t a fan of the genre. It has a great story, beautiful art, fantastic music, and fun gameplay. Strayed Lights is $24.99, which is a great price for what you are getting. You can pick up Strayed Lights on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC via Steam, GoG, and Epic Games.

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