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video game reviews

The Fame Game: A Cheesy but Fun FMV Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of The Fame Game: Welcome to Hollywood 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-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is The Fame Game: Welcome to Hollywood

The Fame Game is a dating sim FMV out now on Steam.

You find yourself in a leading role in a hit show. While you do your best to rise into your stardom, you find yourself the center of attention. Seven beautiful woman will compete for your attention, but only one can take the role. You will flirt, go on dates, and get to know each girl as you try as you jump start your acting career. Who will you choose? How far will you go?

Gameplay

The game is essentially a choose your own adventure game made into a movie. Players watch the story unfold and make the choices that will shape the overall story. There are multiple endings, and the game makes it easy to play for them all. The game lets players skip scenes they’ve already seen, and even rewind to a previous choice if they mess up a choice.

The game has two goals:

  1. Become a great actor
  2. Get the girl

Players must earn a certain amount of acting points by the end of the story for the great actor ending. The game offers players scenes with choices that affect how well they do in the series. The choices made during these segments determine if Jonathan’s trip to Hollywood leaves him a star, or sends him back to Ohio.

The main loop of the game is getting the girl. Each girl has a unique personality and affection meter. Players are given the opportunity to get to know each girl, and try to romance them. If players are able to fill the affection meter, they end up with the girl. The choices they make during the story affects the girls and endings they have access to by the end.

Review

The people behind The Fame Game: Welcome to Hollywood did a fantastic job at creating what is easily one of my favorite FMVs. While the game and story is incredibly cheesy, I can’t deny that I loved every minute of it.

The story is fine, but very cheesy. All the girls have an unexplainable affection for Jonathan and will chase him down, even when it feels forced. It reminds me of the cheesy harem anime’s of my youth, with almost as much fan service. If you like cheesy drama’s, this has that vibe.

The girls are each unique and memorable, but there are clearly some that are better actors. Some actors will bring their characters to life in very fun and memorable scenes, while others will leave with awkward yet passable performances. The acting doesn’t take away from the enjoyment, and honestly gives the game its charm.

The one thing to look out for is the fan service. While none it felt inappropriate, I wouldn’t play this in public for fear of being judged. Other than that, the game is a solid FMV. The story is fun, the characters are memorable, and the production is solid. If you like cheesy dramas and FMVs, this is a game you should at least play once. It is short enough to play in a sitting, and the game makes it easy to explore different narratives.

You can pick The Fame Game: Welcome to Hollywood for only $9.99 on Steam.

video game reviews

Rally Arcade Classics Review: Best Arcade Racer of 2025

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Rally Arcade Classics 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-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Rally Arcade Classics?

Rally Arcade Classics is an arcade racer out now on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Hop into your favorite car and race across some beautiful trail in an authentic arcade rally car experience. This game puts its players behind the wheel of iconic cars from the era in a experience fit for veteran and newbies alike. Whether you are setting the course record, taking first place in a race, or driving through one of the other many challenges, you won’t be siting at idle. Can you master your control over the elements and be the best racer to hit the leader boards?

Review

Rally Arcade Classics is the best arcade racer you can pick up on PC. It has a fun ratro aesthetic that takes me back to the days I spent at arcades with a fun sound track to get me into the racing mood. The game runs very well. While it does feel like an arcade racer, I didn’t notice any game changing dips in performance. This is a game that fills its niche well. If you like rally cars and enjoy arcade racers, this needs to be in your library.

Personally, I felt the game was too repetitive. There is a grind as you work your way to faster cars. On one hand, this does a good job at easing players into the more complex mechanics of the more advanced races. On the other, it can get stale if you don’t love the car you’re driving or just want to go fast. I wish it let me experience other game modes without having to unlock so much, but there is also a good amount of content to work through.

This is a good arcade racer that is worth $20. If you like the aesthetic and don’t mind the grind, this should be in your library. I am pretty indifferent when it comes to racing games, but I enjoyed my time with Rally Arcade Classics.

You can pick up Rally Arcade Classics on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation for $19.99.

video game reviews

Dfiance Review: A Unique Tactical Card Game Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent some free in-game currency to review Dfiance 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-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Dfiance?

Dfiance is a free-to-play pvp tactical cardgame out now on steam.

Choose one of three unique factions as you command a battlefield of powerful allies in your quest for conquest. Dominate your enemies by strategically placing your enemies your enemies in a way that gives you the advantage. What faction will you choose? How far up the ladder can you climb?

Gameplay

Dfiance reminds me of Gwent, with a few extra steps. Players build a deck based on their favorite faction and try to build synergy through their interactions. All players start with the same three starter decks and can use currency they earn by playing the game to buy more cards. There is a ranked and casual mode for pvp and an AI mode for those who want to practice.

The game itself requires some unique strategy. I recommend looking up videos on YouTube after finishing the tutorial because there are some mechanics and nuances that aren’t very intuitive, especially when it comes to the upgrade system. I recommend checking out the game’s official YouTube page. Players essentially take turns placing units on the battlefield. The battlefield is split into four sections, two flanks, a frontline, and a backline. Each card has a cost, and players must navigate the game’s unique mana system efficiently to earn the most points before the end of the game. Some cards have effects that create unique interactions with other cards on the board, (their own or the opponents). Its a unique game that makes more sense the more you play it.

Review

Dfiance game that you need to stick with past the initial slump. The game does not have enough of a player base for consistent fair matchmaking, so new players will have a hard time with all the loses. Others will take issue with how different the gameplay loop is, especially when compared when coming from one of the big three TCGs. It took me a couple of hours before the gameplay was able to click and I was able to enjoy the game. So what do I think? Let me start with the good.

The game will draw players with its flavor and art. The game looks fantastic! The battlefield gave me the impression that I was commanding a powerful army, even though I lacked the skill to do so. The art on the cards is beautiful, especially if you are fan of fantasy. I love how each faction looks and feels different. I enjoyed looking through each card and appreciate the amount of flavor that went into each faction.

The game itself runs great. I never encountered noticeable performance issues. The game is in a good place, but it needs more players. A lot of my matches did feel unfair. There is some skill issue that needs to be factored into this as well, but I was at a clear disadvantage trying to climb the ladder with the starter decks. The starter decks are fine for teaching players the fundamentals, but they’re missing a few key mechanics that will win you games. Again, this could be a skill issue.

Players can upgrade their decks or their existing cards by buying packs., but it does feel like a grind to do so. I don’t know how I feel about game’s monetization. On one hand, it is nice that there seems to be a limit to keep the whales from running away from the game, on the other, the free-to-play grind feels a little steep. Again, this could be a skill issue, but it didn’t feel very casual. This could be because I was always losing.

Another issue I have with the grind is that packs don’t give enough cards. Players can buy into their favorite faction which is nice, but only have two options: a starter pack for 100g and a regular pack for 600g. For 100 gold, players can open 5 card packs without a chance at a legendary. This is a good way to build a collection for a faction, but lacks a bit of key power. For 600g, players get that chance at higher rarities, but that price just seems too high. I got enough currency for two normal packs and feel like I wasted my money and that is bad for the player who spends money, and worse for the player who grinds for it. When everyone feels like they have a better deck on the ladder, not getting enough cards for a proper upgrade is going to turn off some players. Packs should have more cards.

Buying into a faction you like is cool, but finding what that is another story. The starter decks give players a proper preview of each faction’s unique mechanics. Not being able to find a fair match makes it hard to choose a faction. Players can practice against the game’s AI or thug it out in casual PvP to find a solution, but choosing wrong feels bad when the card packs are so expensive. This is an issue that will fix itself with more players, the problem is, will players stick around long enough for that to happen?

Honestly, the game is a unique take on the genre that more players need to try. The game has very cool flavor with very neat interactions. At the moment, the only issue I have with the game is that the new player experience isn’t great, especially if you’ve never played card games before. With a healthier playerbase, a lot of the issues I have with the game won’t be as bad.It just needs more players. If you are a new player, try to stick with it until you get past the hump before deciding to step away. Watch videos to ensure you aren’t wasting valuable resources. I personally don’t like the loop, but it is a game that will carve out its niche.

Go check Dfiance out on Steam. It is free-to-play.

video game reviews

Inertial Drift Review: Unique Racing Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Inertial Drift to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Inertial Drift?

Inertial Drift is a twin stick arcade racer out now on Steam.

Hop into a nostolgic future where racing is life. Get behind the wheel of your favorite car and master the drift. Take on foes, beat set course records, and become the best racer in town. When your rubber hits the concrete, will it only be headlights in the rear view mirror?

Gameplay

Inertial Drift has a story that takes you through different courses, mastering different techiniques that will make you the ultimate racer. Each course has three modes: time attack, ghost mode, and a 1v1 race to the finish. Each course has players master a new mechanic, keeping things fresh as players progress through the story. What makes Inertial Drift unique are its twin stick mechanics for drifting. It is something you need to try to understand, but it makes it a fun arcade racer.

Review

I don’t like racing games too much. I will play them and enjoy the easier levels before I lose interest and forget I have them in my library. I haven’t hit that point with Inertial Drift yet. While the game is a little hard for skill level, I am a terrible driver, I find it hard to set down.

Booting up the game, I fell in love with the vibrant neon colors and the retro aesthetic. I love the car designs, and the game has a killer sound track. The story itself isn’t anything too special, but it does give the game its flavor. The main reason I stuck around however is the gameplay.

Inertial Drift is one of the most unique arcade racers I’ve played. The controls may take some time to get used to, but once you figure out the mechanics, it has one of the most satisfying driving experiences. Everything feels fast, quick and epic. I got the feeling that I was a cool street racer even though I never got close to being good. Most importantly, it runs great on the Steam Deck. I loved being able to play this game on the go because it wasn’t a huge commitment and it was a ton of fun.

I do want to say that this game made me want to rewatch Initial D, and I’m loving every minute of it. If you are looking for a fun arcade racer with a unique twist and cool looking cars, go pick up Inertial Drift.

You can pick up Inertial Drift on Steam for $19.99.

video game reviews

Drakantos Closed Beta is Live: First Day Impressions

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Intro

The wait is finally over. After years of waiting and following this game, I finally got my hands on beta. The Drakantos closed beta will run from July 25 – 27th and it is looking like a very successful run. With over 150k applications for entry, this game is getting a proper test. Make sure you apply over on the official Steam page if you haven’t done so, and don’t forget to wishlist. It looks like they are still rolling out keys in waves. Make sure you also join the official Discord, you might get lucky with a giveaway.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Drakantos?

Drakantos is a free-to-play pixel-art MMORPG coming to Steam and mobile devices. Players can choose from a collection of 20 diverse heroes as they explore the world of Eldras. Players can enjoy the worlds facinating story, fight players in a competative PvP Arena, or help each other out on PvE content. There are plans for raids, world bosses, and everything you’ve come to love from a PvP, but accessible to everyone. One thing to note is that all characters will not be playable at first. Characters will need to be unlocked through play or a battle pass, but I hope that none of it is locked behind a pay wall. I was assured that the cash shop would only be cosmetic last I spoke to the devs, but we will have to wait and see. I’ve been covering this game in great detail for a while now, make sure you check out my other articles on the subject.

Impressions

I have beta test a few of the newer MMO’s in recent years, and none have gotten me as excited as Drakantos. I know I’ve only played the game a day, but I am prepared to spend my Saturday playing this game. I love how alive the game feels in the hubs and in missions, which gives me hope for its success. I love the art. The game does a good job of creating fantasy through its pixel-art, and it has been a lot of fun exploring the world. Some of the maps do feel a little busy, but its nothing that will get me to quit. Playing this game on the Steam Deck gives me the nostolgic feeling of the gameboy days I spent playing JRPGs, and I am here for it. The fact that I can play this game properly on the Steam Deck during a beta is also a huge plus. Everything feels snappy and optimized, and I am preferring the handheld experience.

The combat uses a simple cooldown system. Instead of mana, players will need to wait on cooldowns. While the game looks simple, there are some nuances in rotation, and some skills you need to aim or hold. Make sure you read your spells

The grind so far has been pretty fun. Players have story content to play through that slowly introduces different mechanics. There are also a few side quests to fill space and unlock more content like gathering. Mostly, players can queue up for random jobs that scale based on a player’s power level. These jobs rotate on a timer and randomly pairs players into teams of threes (unless you have friends). There are different types of quests that scale with your power level, and give loot. They make it beneficial to explore the whole map and kill everything with hidden chests and additional rewards. You get more loot the more enemies you kill. There is no PvP yet, which is fine for the beta.

Now it is only the first day, so I need a bit more time for a fuller picture. I will be doing a more detailed version of my impressions when the beta is over. For now, I am very excited to keep playing more. Now if you’ve made it this far in the article, I do have an extra key to give away. First person who contacts me, gets it. Good luck!

video game reviews

Gaucho and the Grassland: A Cozy Adventure Farming Sim Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Gaucho and the Grassland 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-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link.

What is Gaucho and the Grassland?

Gaucho and the Grassland is a adventure farming sim out now on Steam. Make sure you check out the demo.

Your father was worked on keeping the balance between the spirit world and the human world. Since his death, this balance has shifted, creating a bit of chaos. Luckily, you are here to take the mantel and restore order. With a bit of guidance, travel across magical and diverse landscapes as you help locals, farm materials, and build your farm. Luckily, you have the help of your horse and dog companions. How much of the world order will you be able to restore?

Gameplay

There are two parts to Gaucho: the farm sim and the adventure game.

The farm sim is straight forward. Players collect materials and use them to craft, repair, and build the world around them. Players can buy land to build on, capture and keep animals, and help other citizens with their issues. Helping locals will earn favor that can be used to unlock other areas.

What makes Gaucho and the Grassland unique is that it has set goals. Players can spend time building their farm and crafting, but the game incentivizes exploration through its story and quest line. Players need to restore order by traveling to the different realms and completing its quest lines. Questing unlocks new buildings, items, and crafting recipes.

Review

Gaucho and the Grassland is my comfort game. It features a cute art style with a cozy gameplay loop that had me hooked out the gate. I love farming sims, and Gaucho has a lot of flavor with a few interesting mechanics that set it apart from others in the genre. The pet mechanics are my favorite, and I love that they are customizable with unlockable skins to work towards. Questing can feel a bit repetitive, but it is a very soothing form of repetition. Gaucho is easily one of my most relaxing titles in my library.

What I love about the game is that it gives players a bit of direction. Players have to complete quests to unlock resources, materials, and items they need for farming. There is nothing wrong with games give you the freedom to create your own content, but exploring the different realms, solving the different problems, and learning about the lore makes this game worth playing through once. If you don’t get distracted by how much there is to do in this game.

The game does need a bit of work. On PC, the performance was solid with a few glitches here and there. Nothing game breaking, but they were noticeable. The game doesn’t run well on the Steam deck. There were noticeable drops in frames that made the game look ugly. Turning the camera too close to trees caused the most issues. While the controls felt fine, and ideally I would prefer playing on handheld, the optimization isn’t there. It is playable, but the drastic dip in performance makes it difficult to go from PC to the Steam Deck. At least the sync works flawlessly.

That said, Gaucho and the Grassland is a cute and cozy farming sim that deserves more attention. It is a fun game with enough passion to give me faith that updates are coming, and the game will only get better.

You can pick up Guacho and the Grassland on Steam for $19.99. There is a demo available if you don’t believe me.

video game reviews

Striving for Light Review: A Unique Blend ARPG You Need to Try

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Striving for Light 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-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link.

What is Striving for Light?

Striving for light is a roguelike RPG that lets you build your own skill tree.

Travel through stylized dungeons as you fight off monsters and their bosses, collect loot and upgrades, and unlock new powers and characters. With an endless amount of possibilities, players are promised a build that fits their playstyle. What secrets will you uncover? What upgrades will you unlock? Jump in and find out!

Gameplay

Striving for Light is a like if Diablo had a baby with Vampire Survivor, and it kind of works. Players fight through different dungeons, grinding for XP and mats for upgrades, and occasionally finding rare loot. The twin stick shooter mechanics for combat give the game its casual feel, but its deep and customizable skill tree give the game its depth. As players level, they can start buying nodes on a skill tree to customize their character. Nodes can be changed and added with gems found as random drops. Players can easily get lost in the intricacies of the skill tree, but there is definitely enough room for fun.

Review

I almost gave up on this game, but I am glad I stuck with it. While the artstyle is fantastic and flavorful, the game feels very clunky. Combat also feels stiff at first. The problem was that I was treating it like a survivorlike instead of the ARPG that it actually is. Once I started being smarter about my grind, and found a weapon I liked, the game became a lot of fun. It became harder to put the game down once I started customizing my skill tree and finding a build that fit with my play style. There is probably a way to min-max and find the perfect build, but the fun comes from exploring the different weapons and builds.

I personally like the simple combat system because it gave me a casual experience when grinding XP, but I appreciate the depth of the skill tree system because it keeps me engaged. Even though I found a build that I really enjoyed, there is so much more I want to try and explore. It is going to be very hard to put this game down.

I like that the game has different types of activities to mix up the grind. I also like that there are different challenges for added diversity in the maps. The scaling for the monsters kept me on my toes, and the boss fights were unique. There are points where the game does get a tad bit repetitive, but there is something soothing about the repetition that keeps me logging back in. There is an online multiplayer mode, but I only stuck to solo mode because I am a filthy casual.

If you like the art, want something similar to Diablo or Path of Exile, this game is a fantastic option. The game has great art and music, the mechanics are chill, and the skill tree is fantastic. It does need a bit more work, but I am willing to stick around to see where the devs take this game.

You can pick up Striving for Light on Steam for $17.99.

video game reviews

Wandering Sword: A Must-Play Turn-Based RPG Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Wandering Sword 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-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link.

What is Wandering Sword?

Wandering Sword is a martial arts turn-based RPG out now on Steam.

This beautiful game takes players back to an ancient world where political feuds and martial arts pave the landscape. A young swordsman finds himself caught up in one of these feuds, losing his friends and almost losing his life. Determined to reach the highest levels of martial arts, he trains hard and searches the word for strong allies and his powerful technique. Dive into this vast and immersive pixel art world as you fight enemies, learn new skills, and enjoy one of the many boasted endings. How far will your journey take you?

Gameplay

The game offers a good amount of exploration through its world as players move between story beats. There are a lot of side quests, and some can be missed, so make sure you look carefully. Throughout the game, players are able to recruit new units to their team. Recruiting new members are based on a friendship mechanic, so make sure you do side quests. Some characters won’t unlock unless you gather enough favor. The game also has an interesting crafting and gathering system for those who enjoy the soothing feeling the repetition offers.

The combat in this game is very creative. Combat is turn-based with grid-based movement. Units get advantage based on positioning, so make sure you move with purpose. Units can learn new techniques and ability through the game’s creative skill tree system. Players have access to a good amount of diversity in their team composition and creation and a scaling difficultly for added replay-ability. It is defiantly an ecosystem of mechanics that needs to be experienced first-hand.

Review

Wandering Sword is easily one of my favorite strategy games, and I recommend to everyone. Even if you don’t like turn-based strategy, you need to give Wandering Sword once. The initial draw to this game is its art style. The 2.5 pixel art world truly pops, and I appreciate the amount of cultural flare that goes into the flavor. If you are a fan of Chinese martial-arts movies, you will love the aesthetic.

The story is solid, and one that I had a hard time putting down. There is also a good amount of side-quests to keep players busy. I got very side-tracked early on, but I was enjoying the world-building too much to notice.

Ultimately, you are playing Wandering Sword for its gameplay. This game is fun, and it features one of the most creative combat systems I’ve experienced in a game. The positioning mechanic made kept me engaged with the game and the animations are fun to watch. I liked exploring the different units and their abilities even when I found a team I liked. I also love that there is an auto-battle system in place for when I needed to grind. There is a grind, as there is tradition in the genre, but it doesn’t feel too bad. I usually put it on auto and intervened whenever I wanted to play the game. I fought all the bosses on my own, and the bosses were fun and creative.

If you enjoy turn-based strategy with a good amount of replayability, I don’t think you can do better than Wandering Sword. The game plays fine on the Steam Deck, looks great, and it is a ton of fun. You can pick up your copy of Wandering Sword on Steam for $24.99.

video game reviews

Hellbreak Review: A Fast-Paced Roguelike Shooter

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Hellbreak to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link.

What is Hellbreak?

Hellbreak is a 1st person roguelike arena shooter out on Steam Early Access.

Fight for your eternal salvation as you enter Hell’s deadliest arena. Earn a daemon lord’s blessing as you fight off endless waves of demons using your weapon, magic, and anything else you find along the way. Can you earn enough power to repel all enemies, entertain the lords of hell, and earn your salvation?

Gameplay

Like all other roguelikes, players choose a starting loadout and try to survive the waves of enemies until the boss fight. Players will earn random buffs or weapons at level up and can pick up ammo, health, and other useful power ups from random enemies. The round is over when the boss is defeated or the player dies. Between runs, players can buy permanent upgrades for their weapons, blessings, or skills. There is also a quest system that helps give players the currency needed for some of the more important upgrades.

Review

One thing I will say about Hellbreak is that it does take some warming up to. Choosing the wrong weapon, picking the wrong blessings, and bad RNG will ruin a run and can ruin a first impression. I was ready to write this game off because there are better titles in the genre, but then I found a weapon I truely vibed with and it was hard to put it down. Don’t get me wrong, the game does have a kinks it needs to be ironed out, but nothing that can’t be fixed with future patches.

Aesthetically, this game looks great. The monster design, the levels, and the weapons create an interesting hellscape. The game also has a solid sound track to make your fight through hell a little more epic.

Gamplay wise, the game is fun. I enjoyed the fast paced chaotic nature of combat, and the different playstyles the weapons and blessings offer. Some of the weapons and skills do feel bad, but players can swap out the starting loadout until they find something they like. The RNG also doesn’t feel fair yet. There were a few runs that were ruined because I didn’t get any good blessings. The game feels a little solvable for this reason, and choosing anything less than optimal feels bad. Personally, I would appreciate the freedom to choose any wacky build that fits the mood so every round is different, instead of hoping for the good blessings each time I level up. It gets a little better as you unlock new abilities, but it makes it feel like there is a grind.

Overall, if you want some fast paced Doom-like action and don’t mind the roughness of the Early Access, this game is fun. While there is some roughness and room for reworks, the Hellbreak is in a good enough place where I can recommend it. Go check it out!

You can pick up Hellbreak on Steam Early access for $14.99.

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Emotional Journey through Puzzles in After Light Fades

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of After the Light Fades 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 After Light Fades?

After Light Fades is a sokuban-style puzzle adventure out now on Steam.

After the loss of her partner, Alice must travel through a magical land, collecting memories and learning to let them go. Alice must go back to the places she shared with her partner Aura as she works through her grief with the help of magical artifacts. What she will uncover along the way? Will she be able to let things go?

Gameplay

After Light Fades is a top down puzzle game where players must interact with the parts of the map to find a path forward. There are over 100 puzzles to solve, each guiding the player through an emotional narrative of grief. The game also have a level creator for those who are feeling creative.

Review

After Light Fades is a hardcore puzzle game that will test a players patience and challenge their problem solving skills. Puzzles are creative, and they get challenging once it teachers its players the core mechanics. A guide might be needed in a few places, but it is satisfying to beat the harder levels. I appreciate how creative the game gets with its mechanics and solutions.

One aspect I didn’t like is that the interactions can bug out. Sometimes, you will move a piece on accident because of how interactions work. It isn’t a deal breaker, but it does lead to some frustrations. Other than that, the game is solid, if you’re looking for a puzzle game. It definitely does feel a little more niche side of puzzle games, but it has a decent story with some interesting puzzles.

If you enjoy Sokuban puzzle games and want a challenge, After Light Fades is for you. If you don’t want to think too much, this game closes its chill pretty early on. I thought it was fine, but I’d recommend checking out the demo before making the decision. The niceness of it all makes it hard to recommend.

You can pick up After Light Fades on steam for $14.99.