Abirando

Although the game falls short of a perfect 10 because of an ending that seemed to come out of nowhere, let’s just say I enjoyed my experience enough that the sequel will be an instance purchase for me later this year. As others have pointed out, the voice acting is brilliant and the best “ensemble work” I’ve ever heard in a video game—the timing and mood was pitch perfect on all fronts. Some reviewers complain that the puzzles were too easy—well thank goodness, because not all of us are puzzle masterminds who have been playing video games their entire lives. Personally I did not find them overly easy and sometimes I have brain fog or just feel lazy. I think I only ever used the mechanic once, but man was it awesome to have a hint system built into the game! That is a huge plus in my book because games should be accessible for everyone. If you don’t need it, don’t use it! I probably would not have taken a chance on this game had they not put a free demo on the Nintendo eshop, as ports can be unpredictable. This one played beautifully on the Switch. Great fun.

I don’t mind an artfully constructed “sad story” but I do mind waking up in my virtual world to find that I’ve accidentally killed my goat—especially if I don’t feel like the game has done its job in preparing me with the tools and knowledge I need to keep my household afloat! Real life is dark enough without this non-sense. Gameplay was often obscure and awkward. When I woke up to the dead goat, I was done—felt like a bit of betrayal tbh. I can’t give lower than a 4 because the artists did a fine job and I appreciate their contributions, but man—this was rough.

Don’t do it unless you have an amazing sense of direction & you’re an absolute champion at platforming. While the art style is super cute, I found some of the irreverent dialogue off-putting. I gave it my all but without a map I just kept running around in circles and could never get high enough to float down to new areas without many frustrating attempts. In the end I just decided it wasn’t worth the headache.

I usually avoid pixel art like the plague, but these particular pixel artists changed my mind about what could be done with the medium: absolutely stunning work on display here. Art and sound design/music are important elements for me, and I knew from reading other reviews here that the story might be a little under-developed. I got the game at a decent sale price, and I’m not unhappy about my experience. I will say that I could not have played certain parts of the game on handheld, so buyer beware if you have a switch Lite. There were two points in the game where I had to dock my device in order to read the tiny pixelated text on my screen. Otherwise, it’s a decent port and I really loved living in the world of this game. Just know going in that there will be lingering questions about the story and get lost in the beautiful grime of it all.

When I played the demo on my Switch, I knew I’d be grabbing this title the minute it went on sale. I didn’t love the overly cartoonish reactions or cross-eyed look of the main character, but the scenery was so beautiful and reminded me a bit of Miyazaki. Anyone who plays video games get some dose of Japanese culture, but in this game I felt like it was more authentic, will no attempt to water it down or make it more palatable to western players—thank goodness, because as an American, I found it so refreshingly different, and that was part of its charm. The only reason this experience falls short of a perfect 10 is because I often felt stressed knowing I had a fixed number of in-game days to experience all the game had to offer. Because of the time limit I found myself being annoyed when characters pulled me aside for side mission or otherwise had plans for me that day instead of leaving me to my own devices. That said, isn’t that so real in life when you go visit friends or family as a kid? Just leave me alone and let me plaaaay! Does it mean I won’t want to come back again next summer? No. I’m just 3 days shy of the end now and I’ve accepted that I may never catch that last rare fish (among other things). I normally would have purchased the DLC for a game I liked this much, but unless it slows down the time, I knew it would simply give me even more things I’d be disappointed not to have time to complete! So I passed on the DLC. I still recommend picking it his up if it’s on sale because it really has been a joy to play 90% of the time.

I wanted to love this game. I may be the odd person out in preferring the original to this sequel, which offers more in the way of tools and canvasses…but also becomes more sluggish on the Nintendo Switch. In the original game it was smooth as silk to use the game’s basic painting tools to create modern art with huge swaths of color. The critics were either gushing or overly harsh—but I liked the social commentary embedded there. I was disappointed that I could not choose to play as a human as I did in the original. The set pieces were nice to look at in The Lost Artist, but it’s not always a frustration-free experience to play this game. 3D art is a nice addition to this title, but I did not feel adequately prepared for it. I thought I was designing a 2D mockup for a custom car and it turned out I was supposed to rotate the “canvas” to paint the sides and back. Oops. Now I’ve got this sad car driving through town with only one side painted—mocking me for being an idiot, I guess. It’s not always clear how to make progress in the game, and it’s a real buzz kill for me to need to consult outside sources. Flamebait, you’re baiting the flame a little too much here. A great, unique art style is not enough to carry you. This was an expensive game for the limited time I spent enjoying myself with this one.

I was completely obsessed with this game and purchased the DLCS to play “down the line, when I start missing it,” and ended up playing them immediately. The only reason it doesn’t rank as a perfect 10 for me is because l wasn’t particularly moved by the story and found it somewhat confusing. Some of that may be on me, as I hopped slipshod around to different islands at first without realizing that visiting them in a certain order made the most sense in terms of unraveling the narrative. Just writing this review I can still feel chills recalling the soundtrack. I actually played on passive mode to make this a cozy game, and guess what?! I am not ashamed! I love that the devs gave people like me this option. I don’t have a ton of experience gaming and while I’m not interested in combat, I don’t always want to feel like I’m playing a game made for children. Dredge struck the perfect balance for me. I loved filling up my creepy encyclopedia. The graphics in the game were artful and the switch port was decent. I may never have discovered this game if they hadn’t put a free demo up on the Nintendo eshop. Can’t wait to see what Black Salt Games do next.

I appreciate what the devs tried to do here and there’s no denying that there’s some unique gameplay here incorporating improv techniques from the theatre world. As someone with a master’s degree in theatre, that really intrigued me and I couldn’t wait to see how it was implemented. Mostly I muddled along and it wasn’t super clear how I could improve my skills. I did find the game funnier as it went along but initially I got the idea that they were trying too hard at the young Michael Cera slash lovable nerd routine. My favorite line was when a character goes to a party and says “I don’t know what to do with my arms.” Now that’s funny…and too real. Wallflowers unite! I’d definitely take a look at their future work, but I’ve got to admit this didn’t vibe with me 100%.

Look, these games are great for what they are: wonderful little snacks. Did I pay more per game-hour than I usually pay for games? Yes. Did I feel hugely *accomplished* after playing? No. But that’s not what I was after—I wanted a smile on my face, and that’s exactly what I got! These games are so niche because they’re easy enough for a child to play, but I don’t think a child would fully appreciate the humor. As another user noted, these would make great “palate cleansers” between more challenging fare. Sometimes you just want to chill & be amused. These gave me a similar feeling to Donut County in regard to the smooth switch performance/look and the charming dialog. Had to knock the rating down a point due to the weird ending of the 3rd mystery. I don’t know the history there, but it felt like maybe people complained about it, so they added on an epilogue. Anyway, it was an awkward close to an otherwise amusing ride—still recommend.

This is my go-to brain off game. The color palette leans a little on the earthy/natural side (which I like) and while the designs are cartoonish, they are not unpleasant (no cross-eyed or goofy looking animals here). Only reason I’m not giving it a 10 is because i ran out of small and medium designs very quickly. I don’t always feel like having a marathon session and the larger designs (there are too many for my taste) are also a lot more difficult to “solve” and harder on my aging eyeballs. I do like the built-in hint system for days when my brain fog gets the best of me.

It’s a tasty little snack—just buy it on sale and smile for two hours straight. I paid less than half the cost of a movie for this game, so no complaints. It’s just awesome for what it is.

I loved my time with this “game.” Think of it as a choose your own adventure driving sim set in a dystopian future. Great sound design that really sets the mood. Multiple branching storylines are apparently possible, and I look forward to doing another run at some point. Yes, there’s some pretty clear “leftist” messaging, but personally that didn’t bother me. Some reviewers seem overly concerned about the fact that they don’t agree with what certain characters said or did. There are many examples of great literature (or award winning tv shows) with characters whose behavior is ethically questionable. This is like a digital work of art. It’s not meant to be akin to a non-fiction guide to healthy living. These are characters and situations crafted for reflection. This was a really fine example of interactive media that seemed to make full use of the medium. Knocking off a point because the ending seemed to drag on a bit, but otherwise a great experience.

The gorgeous old-school diorama art style this game employs made me look past some of its flaws (not being able to see myself on a map, for instance). There are little map markers to help you figure out your location—sure, I felt lost sometimes but the realistic nature sounds and stunning natural vistas around every corner made me not mind it so much. Camp visitors definitely had a little more attitude than (newer) Animal Crossing. Ignore the haters—this game cost me $4 on sale. Set expectations accordingly & you won’t be disappointed.

The muted earth-toned color palette in this game is just gorgeous. While gamers with a capital G may not feel challenged by this title, its easy going nature is perfect for older players looking for an alternative to Animal Crossing. It’s actually fairly unusual to see a game this wholesome with no main character or NPCs who are children. In fact, more than one NPC is middle aged or older. Although the characters are fairly shallow, this is a fine pick when you want to decorate pretty outdoor spaces and give names to hundreds of frogs—just the thing when you want “brain off” chill time.

This little game just oozes charm—quirky characters, unique photography mechanic and musical puzzling make this a personal favorite. No combat—who needs it?

Some of the wittiest dialogue I’ve come across in a game—combine that with beautiful art, infectious music and a potion-throwing alternative to combat: perfection.