Investigating a 20-year-old murder wasn’t something I expected to do when playing this game, but I am impressed with the game’s intriguing premise and how it all unfolds. The fact that you get to be a detective during the 40s is a highlight too, along with some of the puzzles you encounter. It’s not meant to be a very long game, however I wish it was longer, because there are many points where the gameplay feels very satisfying and intriguing. Then again, The Last Case of John Morley is not without its faults. Its mechanics are very simple, which leads to a lack of diversity when it comes to puzzles and challenges you encounter. The use of AI assets is also a downside that me and some of the playerbase won’t appreciate, either. I also wish the game had more leeway when it comes to how you solve the case, instead of feeling so linear. So yes, it’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a satisfying detective game that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Mosaica: Arboreal is one of those games that you want to try out after a challenging day at work or a serious day/night of gaming. It’s meant to be relaxing, enjoyable and a way to chill out after all the stress you had until then. And for the most part, I think it succeeds. Its puzzles vary in difficulty, and there’s always something new to uncover. Plus, elements such as loot help expand the experience, while still keeping it very rewarding. It's clear that Mosaica: Arboreal won’t appeal to everyone, especially when it comes to its use of AI art. However, the puzzle-solving side of the game carries it through, and it can become very fulfilling the more you play. Don’t expect a lot of depth and keep your expectations in check when it comes to AI usage. But as a whole, the game delivers if what you want is some great puzzle-solving, if you are willing to get past a few shortcomings.
Clue: Murder By Death will disappoint those looking for a direct adaptation of the very popular boardgame. It will also fail to deliver the level of humor and kitsch of the movie. But, with its simple mechanics and extensive storytelling, it does deliver a pretty cool murder mystery that starts off pretty slow and then delivers plenty of surprises. The presentation will be the biggest obstacle for detective game aficionados. Put on a crime-focused podcast and take breaks when the simple graphics start to grate. Clue: Murder By Death’s more than 100 rooms don’t all pack surprises, but they create a fictional universe with a ton of storytelling potential.
Reigns: The Witcher is a good, small, smart, and often funny game that remixes Geralt’s adventures in interesting ways. It’s a nice way to revisit the universe for anyone who has played at least one of the titles in the franchise and wants to experience it in a new way. But those unfamiliar with this fantasy world should stay away. It’s easy to understand the mechanics and quickly play a few sessions, pushing to meet one of the goals and trying to find new ways for the hero to die. The game is best enjoyed in short bursts. Stop when the action becomes repetitive or if the same death pops up twice. Reigns: The Witcher would have been better if it tweaked the series’ core mechanic a little to give players more control. It's still fun to see what tales Dandelion will spin.
Railroad Corporation 2 has a lot of interesting ideas, and as a package, I think it delivers on its promise. As a tycoon game, it has enough content to satisfy players in the long run, along with the scenario editor that can give you endless different maps to go through. The mechanics are solid, and while the tasks you’ll do become repetitive pretty fast, the game always throws some new ideas and mechanics in front of you, and you have to figure out how to make the most out of them. What’s interesting is that Railroad Corporation 2 has a great coop/multiplayer experience, and one where your allies can use your own tracks, which I found quite different to many other games in the genre. Playing multiplayer was fun, but single-player is just as engaging, albeit rather buggy a lot of the time. It’s a viable option for those that have already played Railway Tycoon 3 or Transport Fever and want a different style of gameplay, which is just as satisfying and focused on management and innovation.
When you play a game like Banished Stone with its rather old school graphics and style, you either love it or you hate it. As someone who enjoys the old school visuals, I still think that Banished Stone could look better, especially when it comes to animations and backgrounds. However, if you get accustomed to the gameplay loop, it’s pretty solid, it just takes some getting used to. Banished Stone was an interesting game for me, but I found it very repetitive and the lack of enemy variation on each level ended up leading to boredom at times. However, I appreciate the fact that they went with the side scrolling approach, the music is quite good, and the gameplay gets better as you play. I think the game’s beginning is a bit of a rough patch, but if you get past the first hour and its shortcomings, you’ll have over 20 hours worth of fun here.
Planet of Lana II is designed to improve on the original’s ideas and give fans more of what they loved. The game’s core, both in terms of story and gameplay, still lies in the connection between Lana, adventurous as ever, and Mui, now capable of engaging with puzzles in new ways. The game is well-balanced, with only a few situations where it was hard to intuit how to advance. The title’s voice acting is impressive, and I appreciate the effort to offer more biome variety, even if Lana’s animations aren’t always great. Anyone who loves the protagonists and the immersive use of an alien language should play the sequel. Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a good sequel that still impresses with its atmosphere, even as some of its new gameplay ideas don’t fully deliver.
The Perfect Pencil is a great video game for anyone who likes the mechanical mix of the Metroidvania genre. The balance tilts toward exploration, which is a good choice given the weirdness of the universe and the beauty of its biomes. Scanning is a nice little additional idea that feels a little underused. The ability to heal through combat is solid, even if the more complex set-pieces and the boss battles move too fast for it. A balance pass for checkpoints is also needed. I like The Perfect Pencil’s originality and found it best enjoyed in sessions just long enough to get to a new save point.
I was excited to see how a port management and simulation game would look like, and I think that Docked successfully manages to balance both sides of the experience. Adding a narrative into the mix made things even better, because it’s all glued together extremely well, and the experience feels more organic this way. They also manage to add lots of tasks and varied missions for you, so there’s always something to do...Naturally, some tasks will be repetitive, but that’s by design when you play a simulator like this. I was happy to see that you can also manage your port’s finances, upgrade the port and do all kinds of things that other games in the genre don’t cover. There are tons of menus, lots of machines for you to own and use, but also plenty of managerial tasks that you need to check out.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is the definitive edition of a seminal platformer, and my personal favorite from this series. Seeing this game’s new HD graphics, refined controls and great camera update made me very happy, because this is the best way to play an amazing classic. It’s also great that they added photo mode, alternative skins and lost levels from the original. As a complete package, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is worth considering for everyone who enjoys 3D platformers or who played the originals. Newcomers to the series will find some elements like platforming or swimming to be a tad difficult. Then again, the game is backed by an amazing story and exceptional lore, so it’s worth enduring those mishaps.
