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video game reviews

Mary Skelter Finale: Is it the Best RPG for Old School Fans?

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Mary Skeleter Finale 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is May Skelter Finale?

Mary Skelter Finale is a dungeon crawling RPG out now on Steam, PS4 and the Nintendo Switch. If you like anime and dark fantasy, this might be the game for you.

Hook

Deep within an ancient prison, a group of fairy tale heroes make their daring escape. Surrounded by monsters known as Marchen and madness-inducing monsters, they must fight their way through to freedom. But this will not be easy, and their latest obsticale seems almost impossible. The group finds themselves surrounded by pools of blood and piles of dead bodies. Even more powerful monsters fight back the blood maidens, forcing a retreat that leaves them scattered throughout the tower. They must use their special abilities and any loot they find along the way to get out of this prison. Will they ever know freedom, or are they doomed to become part of the piles of dead bodies?

Gameplay

This game plays like an old school dungeon crawler. The game is split into two parts, exploration and combat. Players will explore the dungeon in a unique first person view, in search of loot and a way out. Random encounters will keep players on their toes as they are forced into traditional turn based combat. Each character and team has unique skills and abilities that they can use to keep enemies at bay, with options for further customization through a unique skill crafting system. You can essentially buy the skills you want each character to have.

What makes this game truly unique is its swapping mechanic. All of the characters have been scattered throughout the tower in teams. Players must switch between each team to progress through the story. This shift in perspective helps give the narrative its complexity, but it also makes the grind feel a bit more tedious. Either way, if you like these old school feeling dungeon crawlers, it might be worth checking out the Mary Skelter series.

Review

I have mixed feelings about this title. On one hand, this game has fantastic art and solid story, but starting at the end left me a little confused. I wish I would have started from the start. The gameplay loop is fine, but it does suffer from being a port of a game from a grindier generation. There are a few noticeable bugs, but I didn’t encounter anything game braking, and the combat feels a bit repetitive. The game is also hard if you try to play it mindlessly. This game demands respect for its mechanics, and the mechanics aren’t always clear. (This might be a skill issue). All in all, I think the game is fine, but start at the beginning.

Aesthetic

What drew me, and I am sure a lot of people, to this game is the art. The character design in this game is peak, especially if you are fan of anime. The world feels a little bare, but I’ll chalk that up to resource restrictions. The game does have a fantastic sound track and even better voice actors to bring this story to life. If you like anime, you’ll enjoy the dark and gritty world and cool anime characters that fill it.

Gameplay

Here is where I can see there being a split. If you like old school dungeon crawlers, the game has enough of a modern flare to be appealing to the modern gamer, but the game feels dated and the grind is a little steep. You really get sense of how grindy this game is when you switch between teams and it feels like you are starting over. I love these kinds of games and found the repetition soothing, but as a busy dad, it felt like I never accomplished enough.

The problem I have with this title is that you can only save at certain points. This is well in good for building tension, but not good when you have to step away for dadly duties. This game was clearly made to be played on a handheld where you can put the device to sleep, and not lose any progress. I had to start my save over a few times (often losing hours of progress) because I never got to the save point in time. I am so glad this game works on the Steam Deck, or else I would still be playing through the prologue.

Does it work on the Steam Deck?

This game is great on the Steam Deck, at least during my testing. The words are a little small, but that could just be a simptom of these old eyes. Otherwise, I was able to perform the core gameplay loop and most importantly, progress through enough of the story to write this review.

Story

The story is fine, but I felt a little lost. The game does a good enough job at being a stand alone adventure, but I felt like I was missing key plot points that would help me care more about the story. Moreover, I didn’t feel as attached as I should be to the characters because I didn’t get to spend enough time with them. While I like the story for the dark and gory fantasy that it is, I am not getting enough of the story to care. Without having read any of the other installments, I can kind of tell that this might be the weakest of the trilogy. That said, I liked the story enough, and will try to go back to the beginning to learn more. If you like dark fantasy anime, this is a solid tittle, but start at the beginning.

Conclusion

If you like visual novels and don’t mind the old school drungeon-crawl grind, Mary Skelter is an interesting series that is worth looking into. You get a world with cool art, solid lore, and interesting gameplay. The biggest determining factor seems to be the grind. If you don’t mind this era of rpg grind, start at the beginning. $40 seems a little too steep for this title because of how dated it feels, but if you’ve been enjoying the story, you get a solid conclusion. Check it out, but start from the beginning. You can pick up your copy on Steam, PS4 and the Nintendo Switch.

If you enjoy these types of old school Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society

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video game reviews

First Impressions of HellSlave II: The Archon’s Judgement

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Disclaimer

I was sent the HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon demo to review for my blog. I understand the game isn’t finished yet, so I will try to be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, these will be my honest first impressions.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon

HellSlave II is a dark fantasy dungeon crawler coming to Steam later this year. The sequel promises to be a lot more brutal than the first, offering players more customization than ever before. Check out demo now, and don’t forget to wishlist!

Hook

A thousand year war has torn the world apart. Six demon lords are trapped in an endless battle for dominance. With no resolution in site, the angels have decided to end it. The Archon of Judgement has been released onto the world to cleanse it of the demon scourge. You are humanities last hope. Armed with only the legendary weapons you find along the way, and your choice of spells and abilities, fight against the six demon lords and cleanse them from this realm. Can you defeat all sick armies and earn your salvation, or are you doomed to be whipped with the rest of the demons?

Gameplay

The game is a simple dungeon crawler with turn based combat. Players can move through the over world through a stylized top down, 2D map. There are no random encounters. Players can see all enemies and map out their grind, or skip it all together. Combat is turn-based. You get the traditional RPG combat mechanics like healthstones, manastones, and mana pools, but what makes this game unique is how it handles initiative. Each action costs time to cast.

For example, a spell may cost 8 seconds to cool down. Casting it will be instant, but you will get moved down the initiative accordingly. If the enemy casts something with a 6 second cooldown, they get to go again before you act again. What makes combat interesting is how the items you equip affect the stats. The game offers ample options to customize loadouts with gear and each class’s expansive skill tree that no two saves will ever be the same. If you like math, grinding dark and griddy rpgs, this might be the game for you.

Impressions

While the game works well enough, HellSlave II still feels like an early demo. There is a general clunkiness to the movement that is hard to overlook, and there are some bits of the game that are still in French. That said, the demo shows a lot of promise. What you get is an excellent introduction to a world with fantastic art, interesting lore, and a solid mechanical foundation. I am very upset that I can’t keep playing the game, but I can’t wait to see what this game becomes. If you are looking for something new to play, check out the demo and thank me later.

Aesthetic

Fans of Dark Fantasy will appreciate the art and aesthetic. The world is dark and gritty, and the demon designs are terrifying. I am impressed with how bleak the world is. There is so much flavor in this game. I love how the gear you put on your character shows up in the cutscenes, but I wish I could see this type of detail in the over world. I get that this might be hard to do, or not as important, but I don’t like the generic sprite that you get to travel over the world with. Other than that, the world is so cool and I need to see more.

Story

There isn’t much story in the demo, but what I read is fine. A lot of the lore is scattered throughout the world as random drops. It kind of reminds me of Destiny where you had to explore the world and pick up all these different journals and piece it all together. For those who like to read, there is some cool dark fantasy lore to collect. For those who done, you’re probably reading the guides to min-max that speed run. Either way, it was enough to get me hooked and I want to know how it all ends.

You do not need to play the first HellSlave to understand the events of the second, at least as far as the demo goes. The game is pretty stand alone, and I never felt lost because I didn’t play the first one. I’ll probably want to play the first one because I enjoy the 2nd one so much, but that is a conversation for a more future me.

Performance

As far as demo’s work, HellSlave 2 gets a stable enough one to give a good impression of what to expect. The only issues I had with the game is that movement is kind of clunky. I would randomly get stuck on invisible walls, and there were a couple of instances where I just spawned in the middle of a building and got stuck. The worst part is that the autosave overwrites your manual one. Most of the time, this doesn’t matter because you can change your build at anytime for free, but I accidentally chose the wrong buff and I couldn’t go back to redo my choice. While I wouldn’t call it unplayable, it is a little annoying.

Customization

This game gives you so much freedom for a build that the hardest part of this game is going to be choosing what gear or stats you want to upgrade. The demo showers you with loot, and while there is a lot of RNG, it feels very fair. There is also an expansive skill tree that you can redo at anytime. I love that the game let me play around with different builds until I found one that made the game fun. Sure there are probably going to be guides that will help you break the game, but I didn’t feel the need. If combat ever got too difficult, I either had to grind a little more, buy new loot, or change up my build.

Gameplay

I am a huge fan of these classic feeling dungeon crawlers, but HellSlave II doesn’t feel old and grindy like some of my favorites. The main game may have a steeper grind, but it seems fine. I might try playing a harder difficulty for my true run because I eventually found a build that felt pretty broken. Combat is soothing, but requires enough strategy to get you through the dungeon alive. I particularly love that I am not bogged down by random encounters, and I can move more strategically. I can even skip encounters if I didn’t feel like fighting. If you like classic dungeon crawlers but want something that feels modern, get HellSlave II.

Conclusion

I am very excited for the full release of HellSlave II. This game is a solid dungeon crawler with fantastic art, great lore, and fun mechanics. I hope the game has full Steam Deck support one day because I would love to play this on the go or on the couch when I just want to chill. If you are looking for a fun and unique game to add to your collection, check out the HellSlaves II demo today. Don’t forget to wishlist!

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video game reviews

Monster Monpiece Review: A Casual Card Battler

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Disclaimer

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

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Monster Monpiece?

Monster Monpiece is a card battler out now on Steam but ported from the PS Vita game back from 2014. If you like collecting cute anime girls and don’t mind the chibbi action combat, this game might be for you.

Hook

In the world of Yafaniel, humans live along side a race of Monster girls. Monster girls have magical abilities, can be stored as cards, and can be used for battle. Play as May Esperio who is a student at one of the nation’s academies trying as she tries to become a master of monster girls. The problem is, a horrible attack has left her meek and a bit reserved in combat. This all changes when one of her friends becomes lost, possessed by a greater spirit, and it is up to her to save her. Team up with powerful monster girls, fight your way through countless enemies, and get her back to normal. Do you have what it takes to save one of your friends and the world, or will everything come crumbling down around you? Build your deck and find out!

Gameplay

The gameplay loop is simple. You build your deck of monster girls and face off against your opponents. This is a turn based game where you can summon one monster girl per turn onto the gridded map. The monster girls will attack and move automatically, but you can influence a summon’s powers by creating combos and upgrading units. You can perform combos by chaining the same color cards up to three times. This will increase the stats of that color for the the rest of combat. You can also stack the same creature type cards to upgrade them. An upgraded unit adds the fodder’s stats which not only make them more powerful, but can heal them in a pinch. Between combat nodes, players can change up their deck, upgrade existing cards through the rub mechanic, or buy new cards from a shop. It is sort of like a deck building roguelike, but there is a bit more plot and fan service.

Does it work on the Steam Deck?

Sadly, this game does not work on the Steam Deck. This deck was clearly meant to be a handheld game, but I never got it to launch natively on the Steam Deck. I am sure with a bit of tinkering I can get it to work, but most people don’t have time for that. The game works fine on PC, but I would have loved to play this on the go, in bed, or on the couch. I will take any excuse to not be at my computer all day.

Review

I love card games, and this Monster Monpiece hits a sweat spot for what I am looking for in the genre. Monster Monpiece has great art for those waifu fans out there, solid game mechanics, but it does feel a little dated. While I will admit the grind is a little steep for the modern gamer, I appreciate the change of pace the game offers when most of the card games we get now are some variation of the same kind of deck building roguelike. If you want a game that is cute, casual, and with a whole mess of waifus, Monster Monpiece might be right for you.

Aesthetic

What drew me to this game, and really any game that comes from our friends over at Idea Factory, is the art. The game is full of cute anime girls that you can collect, and enough fan service to keep them happy. This is a trigger warning for those of you out there who don’t want to be caught looking at anime girls in risque outfits and poses. The game has a fantastic score and some solid voice acting. I don’t speak Japanese, but it sounds good enough to me. I don’t know how I feel about the chibbi animations. On one hand, they are cute and it is an easy way to handle the auto-battles without making the game too resource hungry. On the other, it is chibi art. A lot more work went into the cards and art you can earn by grinding through the game, so I guess it will have to do.

The Grind

This game is from an era where games were a little more grindy. I can see it being a very steep grind, especially in later parts of the game, to unlock more better cards, but I’ve also played a lot of Runescape growing up. This grind doesn’t feel bad at all. That said, it will feel a little slow and repetitive for those of you who skipped through the golden age of JRPGs. I find the repetition soothing, and didn’t mind the grind at all. Sure I might not have played this game optimally, but I had fun.

Gameplay

The card game mechanics in this game are great. The game introduces fresh mechanics I haven’t seen much in modern titles, and combat was engaging enough to keep playing. If you play enough card games, it does feel a little on the easier side. I got to the point where I could outsmart the AI, but I never saw it as much of a problem. This is definitely one of those cozy titles I’ll pop on when I want to chill after a long day of work and not have to worry about min maxing or existing in the relevant meta. The game scratches that card game itch without being too sweaty which is always a win in my honest opinion.

Story

The story is fine. I wouldn’t pick this game up just to play the story, but you won’t mind sitting through it. It is the generic, cutesy anime that I’ve always found comfort in. When friendship is the most important thing in the world, you can kind of figure out where the story is going and even what the characters are going to say. The game is more about collecting the cute anime girls anyways.

Rubbing

Monster Monpiece has a mechanic where you can rub the monster girls to unlock new art and abilities. Using different gestures and inputs, you can rub, poke, pinch, and touch your Monster girl to get her to crush on you. Those who are here for the fan service will appreciate the uncensored art you get to unlock for each character, but I wouldn’t play this in public.

My problem is not with the fan service. My problem is that this mechanic doesn’t work very well (at least not on Steam) and the whole process is more work than it is worth. You are supposed to find each monster girls sweet spot and work it till she falls in love with you, but I could never get it to work properly and it took too much time. The game was clearly meant to be played with a touch screen, but the mechanics didn’t translate well.

The Cash Shop

This game used to be a multiplayer game. There is even dialogue in this game that suggests it. The Steam port is a single player game that still has a cash shop. I didn’t mind this feature too much because I was able to do just fine with what I was given. I am sure the cash shop cards would have made the grind a little easier, but it was fine for what it is. If you like to min-max, its a problem, but doesn’t really affect the casual deck building experience. Especially when the game is only $10.

Conclusion

I honestly like Monster Monpiece. The game was the perfect casual card builder, although the fan service might be a bit too much for some folks. Viewer discretion is advised. The game does feel a little dated, but so am I and here I am, enjoying every minute of it. If you want deck builder that isn’t your typical roguelike, grab yourself a copy. It is only $10 and worth every penny.

You can pick up Monster Monpiece on Steam.

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video game reviews

Super Neptunia RPG Review: A Casual Gamer’s Take

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Super Neptunia RPG 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Super Neptunia RPG

Super Neptunia RPG is a a sidescrolling turn-based RPG out now on Steam, GoG, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch. The game features your favorite lovable goddesses in a new, unique adventure. The game is not considered cannon to the Super Neptunia lore, but it does give fans of the series another chance to spend time with their favorite group of goddesses.

Hook

Neptune wakes up in a strange 2D world without any of her memories. She is thrown into the world with only a stick, her hunger, and a magical book that glows when she is near an ally. Travel across this strange new 2D world in search of your memories and make a few allies along the way. Take up quests for additinion income and use your formation to conquer any foe and boss that comes your way. Will you beat the game like the protagonist you were meant to be, or will this be the end for Neptunia and her friends?

Gameplay

Super Neptunia RPG is your typical sidescroller adventure. Players will move through the world, completing quests and fighting off monsters. Players control a four player team each with unique set of abilities. The game uses an interesting mix of turn-based and real time combat mechanics to craft its unique gameplay loops. Each character can perform as many actions as they can if they have enough initiative and action points. Each action costs AP to cast. AP is automatically generated over time. While the game doesn’t use a stamina or mana system for a characters abilities, they will have to wait for AP to charge. Luckily, you can hold down left trigger to speed things up.

While you are stuck with the same four characters for the entirety of the campaign, there are mechanics to help refresh the team. Players can change the formation of the party during combat to change the abilities they can use. They can also buy items that teach characters new abilities. This helps players take full advantage of typing as they travel across the different biomes of the world.

Review

I’ve played a couple of Neptunia games and like them enough to keep trying more. I very much appreciate the fun meta humor and who doesn’t like cute anime girls? Super Neptunia RPG is a bit different from the rest of the series in that it is 2D. It isn’t quite the engaging metroidvania I was expecting from the few bits of media I saw before hand, but I appreciate the chill laid-back gameplay loop it offers. While there are a few bugs and some performance issues, I don’t mind having this game on my Steam Deck. The game has cute art and great voice acting, but I found the story and gameplay a little lacking. The battle system is interesting, but I found the grind a little too much for the casual game it is trying to be. It isn’t the worst grind I’ve experienced, especially when compared to the rest of the series, but it was slow enough where I started to lose interest.

Aesthetic

I like the cute anime girls, but the world doesn’t feel too interesting outside of that. The cities were bland, and the worlds around them feel a bit generic. There wasn’t much I wanted to explore, and a lot of the exploration felt like busy work that was put in to extend a lack luster story. It isn’t an ugly game by any means, but it doesn’t do much to stand out. As of writing this, I struggle to remember a single biome, city, or even monster. I do like that I can see the weapons I attach, I always love to see my character get cooler as the adventure goes.

Story

The story in this game isn’t terrible, but it isn’t anything to run towards. I wouldn’t recommend this be your entry to the Neptunia games, but it is good enough for those who want to see more of their favorite character. The meta humor is well done and I got enough of a laugh to keep pushing through the game. I will certainly forget ever playing this game, but it isn’t a game I minded playing. What did ruin the game is the grind, more on that below.

The Grind

The grind for this game is its weakness. These games have been grindy before, but at least there was a fun story to work towards. Here, because the story is just okay, the grind becomes hard to justify. You can skip a lot of the encounters by jumping over them, which helps, but not enough. I feel like if I were a bigger fan and more invested in the series I would enjoy it more, but here we are. The problem is that the super fans have already played this game, and the casual fans should probably go play one of the main series games instead.

Combat

I have very mixed feelings on the combat system. On one hand, it uses creative mechanics in a way that makes the game feel unique for the first few minutes of a playthrough. The problem is that strategy in this game doesn’t really matter. I found that most of the time, I could just spam the same two abilities and clear most of the encounters. I didn’t even bother teaching new abilities to my characters because it really didn’t matter. The game is casual enough to mindlessly play around my toddler’s schedule, but I don’t know if I could pick it up more seriously. In short bursts, this game feels perfect for the gamer who doesn’t have much time, likes the Neptunia games, and doesn’t want a huge commitment.

Conclusion

Super Neptunia RPG is just fine. The game has solid bones, cute characters, and it offers a good enough experience to be worth it at a discount. If you’re a fan of the series, this is an easy way to get more time with your favorite character. If you are not a fan of the series, you should check out one of the main games and move from there. I think the combat is creative and worth trying once, and it makes for a good portable Steam Deck game. That said, wait for the sale.

You can pick up Super Neptunia RPG on on Steam, GoG, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch.

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Amnesia: Memories Review – A Visual Novel Worth Playing?

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Amnesia: Memories 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Amnesia: Memories?

Amnesia: Memories is an anime Otome visual novel out now on Steam, Android devices, and the Nintendo Switch. It originally released on the PS Vita in 2015. For those who missed out on the special era of Vita visual novels, or those looking for a new visual novel, Amnesia: Memories might be your next game.

Hook

You wake up without your memories and a unique magical creature to take their place. They are here to help you recover your memories, the problem is that they don’t know what world you belong to. Choose a world (heart, diamond, clover, spade) and try to find your place in its world. Rediscover a forgotten relationship with the boyfriend you left behind, and make the choices that will give you the best endings. Will you regain your memories and find your true love, or will you die in the process. There are over 20 endings and hundreds of choices. Can you collect them all?

Gameplay

Amnesia: Memories is your typical visual novel. Players will read through the story, and you get to make choices along the way. The choices you make affect the ending, and choosing wrong gets you the wrong ending. This is your typical Otome game where you are getting romanced by different hot guys, although the heroine in this story feels a bit more passive. The stories are divided as follows:

  • Heart – Shin
  • Spade – Ikki
  • Clover – Kent
  • Diamond – Toma
  • Joker – Ukyo

The top four characters are playable from the start, the joker ending only unlocks after playing through all the stories. One nice feature the game has is that it lets you create multiple saves and save at any point in the story.

Review

As far as visual novels, Amnesia: Memories is fine. The game has great art, a solid score, and decent writing (mostly). My problem with the game is that not all of the paths feel worth it (looking at you Toma). That said, there is enough good to this visual novel to be worth at least one play through, but I wasn’t interested enough to collect all of the endings. There are guides available for the completionists out there, but I recommend going in as blind as possible.

Aesthetic

The art in this game is great if you enjoy anime. The character design is unique and memorable, and I like how they contrast against the often simple backgrounds. I like that cut scenes and transitions are minimilistic because it shifts the focus to the story and its characters.

Story

I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but there is going to be some minor spoilers. As far as Oteme games go, I do prefer something more cheesy like Celestia Chain of Fate. I enjoy reading sappy romantic novels, and some of these routes weren’t romantic at all (Toma). If you want a visual novel with a more serious tone, I recommend checking out Nobody Nowhere instead. Amnesia isn’t bad, but choosing the wrong lead is going to turn off some people. I started with Ikki (Spade) and almost gave up on the game because it was so boring. It wasn’t until I got to switch leads and play Kent (Clover) where I started to become invested. This could be a subjective critique, but I would start with Shin or Kent and then your choice of the other two.

Main Character

One problem I have with the game is that the main character sort of exists for all of these events to happen to her. She doesn’t feel tangible or real because there doesn’t seem to be any agency. She loses her memories and things sort of just happen to her. This should feel like a tense and scary concept (and at times it does) but it almost feels like it doesn’t matter.

Maybe I play too many Otome games, but I was making choices because it would get me the good ending not because it would necessarily lead me to something interesting. A good Otome game usually paralyzes me with choices as I try to figure out what I want and what bits of the narrative I want to explore, but I didn’t feel that much with this game. I just didn’t care enough about the characters or the world to want to explroe more.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a decent read and don’t care too much a story’s realism, Amnesia: Memories is fine. You get some solid stories, some creepy undertones, and solid art. The voice acting is fantastic and there are enough guides out there for those who want to collect some easy achievements. I still would prefer something more on the cheesy side like Celestia Chain of Fate. As far as Visual Novels go, you can do worse. If you do end up getting this game, start off with Kent and work your way to Toma. Both Toma and Ikki have boring stories that can ruin a playthrough (it nearly ruined mine). Overall, not the worst ways to spend $10.

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Is Humans vs Orcs Worth Your Time?

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Humans vs Orcs 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Humans vs Orcs

Humans vs Orcs is an idle (incremental) game out on Steam and Itch.io. You can currently try the game out for free on Itch.io.

Hook

The orcs are invading, and you are the last line of defense. Send your army of brave solders to defend against the endless waves of monsters, dragons, and their bosses. Use the gold you gain from taxes, kills, and the skulls of the soldiers you march to their deaths to upgrade future generations. Unlock new units and customize your loadouts. Do you have what it takes to keep your walls from crumbling under the weight of the orcish threat, or will you be overwhelmed like all the other human settlements before yours?

Gameplay

This is an idle game where you only click to choose the upgrades and summon soldiers. Combat is automated, so sit back and watch your soldiers defend your city. The round is over when you can successfully fight back the orcish invasion, or your city falls. Between waves, you can unlock new abilities to summon like a hail of arrows or new units to summon. You can only have three types of units to summon during a round, and can edit this loadout between rounds.

Does it work on the Steam Deck?

Yes, this game works fine on the steam deck, but some of the clickable areas are a little small. Changing the game speed is a bit annoying and the fact that you have to set it after each death is frustrating. Otherwise, I appreciate that I can touch my selections. The game is very low profile so it won’t kill your battery or make your fans go crazy. Is it a good Steam Deck game tho? Not really. It feels like a waste to use your Steam Deck for and idle game, even one that requires as many imputs as Humans vs Orcs.

Review

I enjoy idle games. I’ve spent too much time in idle gocha games like Monmusu Girls, but that was only fun because I got to collect waifus. The game isn’t terrible. Human vs Orcs has a cool fantasy aesthetic and some cozy vibes, but it feels like busy work. A lot of the time, it feels like I am just waiting for a timer. Most of the time, it feels like it better to do nothing to collect enough gold to do better damage in future turns. If you’re looking for an idle game to play, check out Tingus Goose instead.

Aesthetic

Humans vs Orcs is a very cool looking game. I am a sucker for pixel art, and the detail that goes into this world is fantastic. I like the units, the animation is cute, and the monsters are terrifying. The game has clear inspiration from the Warcraft franchise, which is great, but it does remind me that I would rather be playing Warcraft instead.

Gameplay

The game is fine if you haven’t played any idle games. As far as idle games go, it feels like too much work. Most Idle games require a lot of clicking, especially when they are predatory with their Gotcha Mechanics. This almost feels close to that, except you don’t get the rush of dopamine that comes with the gambling. Instead, it feels like I am clicking in hopes of getting enough upgrades to progress through the game, or having to wait in real time for better upgrades.

This wouldn’t be a problem if it didn’t require so much clicking to progress through the story. Why do I have to reset the speed after every death? Why do I need to upgrade after every death? It could just let me set my army, forget it, and collect the skulls after a while to buy the upgrades I need to keep moving. As cute as the animation is, it gets old fast and there isn’t any real reason I should have to click so much. Sure you can set the game to auto summon, but you still have to click after each round and auto summon feels terrible for progression. It is almost better to let round run without summoning units, but this might be a skill issue.

Is it a good idle game?

Not really. The game requires too much attention and there isn’t enough of a payoff to make it worth it. Even terrible gotcha versions of this type of game will at least let you pull cool looking units, and that rush you get from those gambles almost makes you forget how terrible the game is. There is nothing to make you forget about this game. Instead, you are stuck clicking away in hopes of getting enough upgrades to progress to the next round. The scaling is also a little too toxic to be the cozy idle game I wish this was.

I enjoy idle games because they are low profile games I don’t have to no life. I can log in, set my units, and forget about it until I have time to check it again. The fun comes from using whatever resources I gather to get stronger and of course, the gambling. These games usually have something to work towards whether it be a powerful team for PVP or a cute collection of waifus to show my non-existent friends. While this game isn’t terrible, it doesn’t feel like I am gaining anything except progression that seems gated by its inconstant power scaling. Why would you play this when you can be playing Monmusu Girls if you like cute anime girls or Tingus Goose if you are looking for something more whimsical and less predatory gocha.

Conclusion

Humans vs Orcs isn’t the worst game I’ve played, but it is boring. Maybe if you get deep enough into the game and collect enough units it gets better, but it takes too long to get there. The game is incredibly unintuative as it offers almost no guidance on how to play the game. I didn’t know there were additional pages to the upgrade book for example. After figuring out how to play, and building up my army, it still felt terrible getting stomped randomly by the next wave and having to reset the game speed because I didn’t want to have to sit through the same battle for the 30th time. If you’re looking for an idle game, go play Tingus Goose. If you like the aesthetic and want to see for yourself, you can try it on Itch.io for free and then buy it on Steam if you end up liking it.

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video game reviews

Vultures: Scavengers of Death Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Scavengers of Death 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Vultures: Scavengers of Death?

Vultures: Scavengers of Death is a proper love letter to classic horror games, specifically resident evil. This unique take on the survival horror genre is a refreshing gaming experience full of death, zombies, and not enough bullets. Pick up your guns and start blasting as you try to give the world its second chance.

Hook

A zombie outbreak threatens humanity. Sallento Valley is overrun with the undead, and the cure is rumored to be somewhere within its borders. Two Vulture have been tasked with the impossible task to retrieve the cure and save the world. Armed with only the weapons and supplies they find within the ruins of Sallent Valley, they must fight the endless waves of zombies and find a way out. Will their training prove to be enough to save the world, or will the world crumble under the weight of the undead scourge?

Gameplay

The game plays like a turn based tabletop where players move accross the map, exploring the ruins of the old city in search of clues and fighting off the blood thirsty zombies that chase them. Players will switch between the two operatives, Leapoldo and Amber, as they complete various missions. In classic horror survival fasion, players will find themselves with limited resources. This forces players to think tactically as they move through the zombie infested world. Sometimes it is a good idea to run, other times it is correct to set everything on fire. There are two main gameplay loops: exploration and combat

Exploration

Players move through Sallento Valley in a turn based system. As long as there are no zombies around, players genrally have unlimited movement to explore the world and search for supplies and clues. Movement becomes restricted if players are spoted by zombies. Players can try to sneak past encounters, but combat in a zombie infested city is almost inevitable.

Combat

Combat in Vultures is turnbased. Players and zombies take turns to perform actions. Players start off with a set number of action and movement points that can be upgraded throughout their adventure. Action points are spent to perform an action. Players can spend an action to attack, open or close a door, or use an item. Each action has a unique costs and players will need to manage these points effectively to survive.

Move points are used to move across the map. Each square of movement costs a movement point, and running out of points means you can no longer move. Zombies follow the same rules.

Review

Vultures: Scavengers of Death is the perfect game for those who like that 90’s horror game aesthetic, but also need more strategy games in their life. The game not only a good looking retro aesthetic, it is solid horror survival. If you are looking for a creepy horror game and don’t mind the amount of strategy, go pick up this game.

Aesthetic

What first drew me to Vultures: Scavengers of Death was the aesthetic. I am sucker for the retro vibe, and this game goes above and beyond to utilize it properly. This is not your typical nostalgia bait designed to drain the wallets of the aging player base that grew up with this aesthetic, instead it is a proper love letter to a genre that has defined a generation. The game has a world rich with detail and a terrifying atmosphere that almost made me quit the game. I have never been brave enough to play the Resident Evil games, so I appreciate that I was forced to play something as close as I will ever get to the franchise. The sounds, the monsters, the maps all work together to invoke the perfect amount of fear that make it perfect for any horror fan.

Story

Vultures has a solid story. The game combines two of my least favorite genres: horror and strategy, and yet, here I was on the struggle bus trying to complete the story. It has solid pacing, good mystery, and enough horror to make fans of the genre happy. I wouldn’t call this the scariest game I’ve ever played, but it does enough to get you in the mood.

Gameplay

The gameplay is where I am a little mixed. One hand, I am horrible at strategy games and even worse at horror survival. It took some trial and error before I got enough of a groove to bruit force my way through the game. This is a skill issue and those who are long time fans of either of the genres will have an easier time. For me, the game was a little impossible, and I would have given up on it if it weren’t for this review and the story. The game does require enough strategy to make it engaging, and the survival mechanics lend create a good amount of the game’s tension. It felt like I never had enough health items, but then again, I probably wasn’t playing the game right.

Performance

The game works pretty well, but I did hit a few game breaking bugs. I loaded outside of the map enough times to be worth a mention. I wouldn’t say the game is broken, but there is some noticible roughness that might force a restart or two. The game is being updated, and there seems to be enough love and passion behind this game that I am confident that this game will only get better.

Conclusion

I am not a hugest fan of the genre, but I appreciate the change of pace Vultures offered. Honestly, if you want a good survival horror game with solid strategy mechanics, this game should already be in your library. For less than $20 you get a fun and memorable game that is worth every penny.

That said, I wouldn’t get this game if you don’t like strategy games. As good as the story is, it isn’t enough to make you love the genre. As the worst strategy player in the world, I found a lot of the encounters frustrating and as a result, the mission tedious. This is a skill issue and eventually I was able to figure things out, but I wouldn’t have tried as hard if I didn’t have to. If you’re also bad at these games, I recommend you at least watch a playthrough because the game deserves your attention. For everyone else, Vultures is the horror game you’ve been looking for.

You can pick up Vultures: Scavengers of Death on Steam.

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video game reviews

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of White Day: A Labyrinth Named School 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

Whiteday_20170309102110

What is White Day: A Labyrinth Named School?

The classic Korean horror game is back by popolar demand. Roam the haunted halls of Yeondu High School as you avoid a killer janitor and try to escape a few supernatural horrors. Armed with only your wit and your vague memory of this new school, you will need survive the night and find your way out. Can you survive the night long enough to see White Day? Or will you be another dark spot in Yeondu High School’s even darker history?

Gameplay

Players take control of Hee-Min Lee as he finds himself trapped in school overnight. Players will need to solve puzzles, hide from ghosts and a killer janitor, and find clues about the school’s history. The game offers different difficulties from an easy mode for those who just want to enjoy the story, and a hard more for those who want something a lot more scary. Those who have played the game can enjoy a new character, a bit more story, and a new ending to keep things fresh. There are also some new visuals to bring the game to a more modern audience.

Review

I have mixed feelings about this game. On one hand, I love the story. This game has a fantastic atmosphere, solid pacing, and interesting lore. The puzzles in this game are interesting and provide a good amount of challenge. My issue is that I am still a huge coward when it comes to horror games, and this game knows how to keep my heart rate up. Whether it was the pesky AI that always knows where I am, or the jump scares that forced several needed breaks, I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was. If you are looking for a classic horror game that still feels a little dated, the story is good enough to play through at least once. If you aren’t a fan of old school games, there is some clunkiness to this game that makes it feel dated.

Aesthetic

I hate to admit it, but White day has a fantastic horror vibe. The game has a creepy sound track to get you in the mood, the school looks frightening, and the monsters are very well done. While I did have to take many breaks, I did force myself back because I wanted to see more of the story. The game does look a little dated for those used to modern day horror, but I appreciate the retro horror vibe and the story it tells.

Story

White Day has a solid horror story. It has some cool creative elements, but the running away and sneaking mechanics get in the way. I sort of wish I played on the easy difficulty because I don’t like stealth style games, but I powered through (somehow) because I liked the story enough. I still prefer The Bridge Curse 2, but I definitely would add this to your horror list.

Gameplay

I did not like the gameplay, but it could be a skill issue. The puzzles in this game are fun and creative. Some of the objectives are hard to see, and the times I got stuck was because I couldn’t see the object. I believe this is an age issue, but luckily there are guides available if you get stuck. I hated sneaking in this game. The Janitor seemed to always know where I was and sometimes he wouldn’t leave. This could be a skill issue, but it is really boring to have to sit in hiding as the AI just paces around, giving you no opportunity to progress through the story. People who are better at these style of games may have a better time with this game, but those who don’t like stealth games should look elsewhere for their horror. I think the dated feel of the games the stealth feel worse, but again, I don’t like Stealth games.

Conclusion

So why did I get this game if I don’t like stealth games? As much as I struggle to get through these games, I do enjoy a good horror story. White Day has a solid horror story with interesting lore and very fun flavor. The game has some solid horror elements that create the creepy atmosphere I want in a game like this. The problem with the game is that it does feel dated, and it does feel like the AI cheats to create the game’s tension. If you are good at stealth games, you might have a better time with this game, but I wouldn’t pay full price to play through this game. I would wait for a sale (like the one happening on Steam until May 16, 2026).

You can pick up White Day: A Labyrinth Named School on Steam.

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video game reviews

Panzer Knights Review: Tanks and Anime Girls Unite

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Panzer Knights 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Panzer Knights?

Do you like World War II era tanks and cute anime girls? Panzer Knights combines these loves into one epic campaign through re-imagined history. Do you have what it takes to bring victory to your army?

Hook

Command a mighty panzer platoon of cute anime girls through iconic WW2 battles in an adventure you will never forget. Fight off squads of enemy tanks with your fleet of WW2 tanks and special ammo for every occasion. Can you withstand the pressures of tank warfare and bring victory and honor for the homaland, or will you be another heap of burning scrap metal on the side of the road? Grab your mice and keyboards and find out today!

Gameplay

Players take control of different tanks through iconic historical battles. Use different ammo types, positioning, smoke screen, and crew members to take the advantage. While there is some realism in design, combat leans a bit to the arcade side. Do not expect this to be a full on tank simulator like World of Tanks, but the game requires enough skill to demand its respect. In between missions, players can buy upgrades or recruit new crewmates and tanks. There is a story, but it is a short and manageable campaign for those who don’t want the commitment. Make sure to check out the DLC for additional tank types.

Review

Honestly, if you are looking for a tank sim but don’t want to put in the effort that comes with something more realistic, Panzer Knights is a solid choice. The game has fantastic art, a solid story, and decent combat mechanics. I am not a huge fan of those warfare sims, but I had a lot of fun with the arcade feel of this game.

Aesthetic

I’ll be honest, you put a cute anime girl in your game and it is going into my collection. I will admit I did my time with Azure Lane, and this was giving me a similar vibe (albiet less fan service). I commend the devs for their attention to detail in the tanks as well as the girls. The world and tanks look pretty accurate to my casual historian eyes (I actually do love learning about history). My only issue with the game is that the world does feel a little empty. I don’t like how the world just pops up around you as you move around the maps, and some of the maps are kind of ugly. I think there is just enough detail to apreciate the game for what it is, but don’t expect the realism you get from World of Tanks.

Story

The story for this game is fine. I don’t think it is anything I would rush to, especially because there are bits that feel generic, but it was good enough to fill the game. I just wish there was more. The game is very short. It is worth $20, but I wish there was more to do.

Combat

Combat is where the game wins me over. I am not a fan of the more realistic sims because of how much work they feel. Things like World of Warships or Tanks are fun, but having to adjust to the physics of warfare is a struggle I don’t want to sit through after a long day of work and being a dad. I enjoyed the lack of realism because movement doesn’t feel clunky and combat doesn’t feel so calculated. The game does offer some challenge by forcing players to think about positioning, shell type, and things like that, but to a more casual degree that I found very manageable. The enemy AI is a bit on the easy side, but I still had to try to get by.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a tank sim that is more on the casual side, Panzer Knight is a solid option. The anime girls a cure, the tanks are cool, but you gotta be okay with the world being a little ugly. I enjoyed my time with the game, but I would probably wait for a sale. As much fun as I had, tank sims aren’t really my thing. I don’t think I would have gotten as far as I did if I wasn’t writing this review. That said, if you like WWI era tanks, don’t mind the arcade approach to combat, and want to collect cute waifus, check out Panzer Knights on Steam.

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Reptilian Rising Review: A Unique Tactical RPG Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Reptilian Rising 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 reviews for the Epomaker QK108, the Redragon Antonium K745 Pro, and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Reptilian Rising?

Reptilian Rising is a tactical, turn-based strategy game out now on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. Players take control of their favorite historical figures (and some a bit more fictional) in an epic battle for humanity’s freedom. Make sure you check out the Steam demo, and don’t forget to wishlist!

Hook

The dreaded Dictatorsaur has sent his mighty army through time to threaten humanity. It is up to earths mightiest heroes from every reach of time to stop them. Control miniatures of earths mightiest heroes and keep our timeline reptile free. Make your way through time, recruit new heroes to fight by your side, use your tactical prowess to save humanity, and collect some cool collectibles along the way. Do you have what it takes to save earth, or will fall under the weight of Dictatorsaur’s power?

Gameplay

Players get to assemble their army as they jump around time, keeping the reptilian forces at bay. The game is a turn based tactical RPG where players and enemy AI take turns capturing objectives, finding cool collectibles, and killing anything that gets in their way. Each level has unique objectives like capturing key nodes or killing all of the enemies to progress through the campaign. Each level is themed after a specific point in time, but all with a unique retro vaporwave aesthetic that makes the game a uniquely quirky experience.

The level ends when the player clears all of the objectives, or the player looses all characters. Characters can respawn if the player has enough time points. Players earn time points by killing enemies, collecting items, or capturing objectives. Time points are used for actions like summoning new characters or performing certain actions.

Combat

Combat in Reptilian Rising is turn based. Players spend each run using up a character’s action. During each round, each character can move and perform an action. In classic tabletop rpg fashion, each character has a limited movement range and action economy. Characters can use their action to attack, defend, or capture an objective. Take can also take their turn to collect gold or other collectables scattered across the map. After leveling up, characters have access to additional abilities that can be used if the player has enough time points. If the player takes too long to complete a level, a powerful enemy spawns to up the stakes.

Leveling

In between levels, players can spend ingame currency to level up their abilities. Reptilian Rising features a robust skill tree to give players a variety of playstyles. While I am sure there is a right way to build your army, I had good enough success building what I thought was fun.

Review

Reptilian Rising is a neat little strategy game that has classic tabletop vibes and a very cool theme and aesthetic. While there are bits that feel unfinished and clunky, the game has an undeniable charm that is worth checking out at least once, especially if you like killing time traveling dinosaurs. While I am very bad at strategy games, especially this game, I enjoyed every minute I had with this game.

Aesthetic

Reptilian Rising has a very cool vaporwave aesthetic. It has those bright neon colors that make it look both retro and futuristic that the same time, with some cool character designs to fill the world. Couple this with the fantastic sound track, and I got a sense of nostalgia for an era I didn’t live through. The tabletop feel and aesthetic was an excellent choice, and it gives Reptilian Rising its unique and memorable experience.

Gameplay

I am a little mixed on how I feel about the gameplay. On one hand, it is a solid strategy game with difficulty adjustments to support both casual and hardcore gamers. The mechanics are sound and offer players a ample opportunities to flex their strategy muscles. I am not good at these kinds of games, and had to play at the lowest most casual difficulty. This was still fun for me (I barely made it through each level), and I appreciate that I had the option from the beginning. My issue with the game is that there isn’t an option to reset a level if you are losing (at least not an intuitive one). You kind of have to just wait to fail the mission, which is a little unnecessary. Sure I could speed up the game through the settings, but its not the same.

Another issue I have with the game is that it is a little clunky. The game runs pretty smoothly and I didn’t experience any bugs or crashes, but choosing an action didn’t always work. To choose an action, you have to click on the character, click on the action, click on the object or enemy to target, click the action again. This feels clunky, and sometimes the actions wouldn’t work unless I moved the camera and tried again. I wish it would let me click the action and let me click the target to perform the action.

Loot

One mechanic I found interesting is how the game handles loot. The game will automatically give players XP for killing characters, but not loot. Enemies will sometimes drop additional loot that players have to pick up by landing on the square it drops to. There are also collectables scattered throughout the map the players can collect. This forces the players to either use their movement to collect the loot, often forcing them to move in-optimally, or they can ignore the loot and focus on the objectives. Loot disappears after a number of turns, giving players urgency in their action economy. Do you go out of your way to collect that cool new trading card you’re missing, or do you take over an important node to stop a powerful enemy from showing up?

Conclusion

Reptilian Rising is a fun quirky take on the genre. I am a huge fan of the flavor, aesthetic, and mechanics. While there is some minor jank, I think it gives the game its charm. If you are looking for a fun new strategy game to add to your collection, check out Reptilian Rising on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. At the very least, go check out the demo!

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