Some might say this is the most overrated game of all time. While it is a fine game, the universal acclaim seems to be unwarranted, possibly spurred on by group though and a mawkish storyline. It does nothing new for the genre, the movement feels clunky & unnatural and the level design is mediocre at best. Getting to the end of a level mostly leaves you with a feeling of relief that it it’s over. If you are an avid fan of pixel perfect precision platforming, this is a game for you. If any of those P words are off putting to you, skip it.
Top down chaos with nods to vintage punk rock albums of the 80’s. Ape Out is enjoyable to play if you are in the mood to smash stuff up. The interpretive percussive soundtrack fits perfectly with the overall vibe of an ape escaping his captors. Procedurally generated levels mean no two runs will be the same. A short but sweet indie title that excels at what it set out to do.
This is a borderline masterpiece of the Metroidvania genre. Fantastic visuals, smooth gameplay mechanics and wonderful quality of life for the genre. Including generous save spots and fast travel, a map that tells you when a room is clear, and best of all, no corpse running after an inevitable death. There is enough challenge to make progression feels rewarding, enough rewards to make exploration worth it and the aesthetic is so beautiful that back tracking to open up new areas is exciting. Boss fights are not joking around but not unfair either. You can tell the devs are huge fans of the genre and wanted to make a stunning game with all the best aspects of MV’s. Overall, this is a must play for fans of MV’s & 2D action platformers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the passage of time has the game among the ranks of Hollow Knight & Ori.
An amazingly beautiful and cathartic adventure in a dystopian side scrolling landscape. While the gameplay has a tendency towards some busy work to keep the machine running which may not appeal to everyone, the gorgeous scenery, color palate and intriguing puzzles make this game a must play for fans on the 2D indie genre.
The clunky love child of Inside & Isaac Asimov. While the eclectic sci fi visuals are quite beautiful to look at, the gameplay leaves much to be desired. The overly cluttered landscape make it’s difficult to solve even basic puzzles and it is often too unclear where you are supposed to go. The movement mechanics (jumping & crouching feel janky & usually feels more frustrating than a 2D side scrolling puzzle platformer should be. The time control mechanic is a great concept but mostly falls short in the way it is utilized. The devs obviously had a keen eye for aesthetics, and if you enjoy the prehistoric sci-fi visuals this game is a good value if you can pick it up on sale.
