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A great experience for split-screen co-op. Lots of fun and laughter to be had. Best played with all checkpoints enabled (i.e. on the easier difficulty) as the main ones are few and far in-between. Can't imagine this game being enjoyable for 3+ players though, as too much coordination would be required (which would evidently be frustrating). Buggy at some points, but not a big deal considering that it's a small indie group that created the game. The cheap cost of the game is a huge plus as well and makes it a worthwhile game to try out.

A bit dated to play now, but in the eyes of someone playing back then, this would've been one of the best action RPGs of the era. Albeit a bit repetitive and devoid of story (which I imagine was more fleshed out in the prequel), the gameplay is solid and there are enough areas to explore to give you plenty to do. It's even more interesting to play in co-op. The skills could have been given a second look during development as they are a bit limited and lacking variety. Loot and shop items could have been balanced out a bit more as well so that you aren't forced to use the same old gear for several levels. Overall, an 8 out of 10, but only because it is an almost 20 year old game. Otherwise, a 7 out of 10. Other games of the era like Diablo and Dungeon Siege executed the isometric RPG concept far better than this one, and they came out earlier.

A surprisingly fun movie game. Really admired the extra "Dream Worlds" that are reminiscent of the extra worlds in 3D Mario games. Highly recommend it if you're into adventure games or Ratatouille itself.

This title in the Rusty Lake game series was quite interesting, but I was a bit put off by the overarching dark, murderous theme. The difficulty and pacing are just right, although I would've preferred a bit more of a hint regarding one particular hidden item that most people would easily miss. Overall, I was content with my experience of the game, especially since I got it on sale.

Another good title from the Rusty Lake team, but not the greatest. It is short, not particularly difficult, and doesn't have an overly deep story. The post-game is rather tedious and lacks hints, which forces you to spend a lot of time blindly clicking things across the entirety of the game. Overall, even though I got this game at a promotional price for its launch, I had a much more enjoyable experience with Rusty Lake's past games. It's a solid puzzle game, but nothing groundbreaking.

A fresh adventure game that puts you in the position of a stray cat exploring a post-apocalyptic world. Read on for a genuine, unbiased review from someone who does not raise any pets. The environment of Stray is designed beautifully, with some cyberpunk undertones and many aspects of the game that give the cat dynamic a realistic tune. The game necessitates self-guided exploration and puzzle solving, and spans across a few areas, which start from the bottom of the city, heading up. But despite the hype behind this game due to its main character being an adorable cat (which heavily panders to the feline-loving crowd), the game as a whole lacks content, and the extremely positive reviews are brought about by that hype and not a pragmatic analysis of the game. The ending was also anticlimactic, ending abruptly and leaving behind unresolved plot holes. There isn't much to do in the world besides blindly going around trying to figure out where to go next, which is where you spend the bulk of your time. The NPCs in the game are unironically robotic and all but the main ones give no more than two lines of speech each. You could count the total number of quests that you must go through on a hand or two. Overall, the aesthetic the developers were striving for was certainly achieved, but Stray remains an early access proof of concept at best. There were many gameplay features introduced that only saw use once or twice. In its current state, I find it highly difficult to recommend this game at MSRP. I'd advise waiting until it becomes $15 or less.

A unique adventure game packed with a fresh and deeply intriguing story that unfolds in a dystopian fantasy world which is meticulously detailed. The combat appears innovative at first, but it is heavily weighed upon by its unbelievable leniency which only serves to make battles a chore. Those who enjoy dark aesthetics and unorthodox storytelling will find Lost in Random to be a treat. It may not be a challenging game, but it is accommodating and arguably worth a recommendation for casual and young players. The developers should have offered the choice of a harder difficulty to provide for more of a challenge. Many battles are long and rely on attrition to force the player to lose. They are weary to go through and only force the player to want to quickly rush through the game just to enjoy the rest of the story, which is surprisingly spectacular and singlehandedly keeps the game afloat. Although I have given this game a 6, it is more like a 6.5 out of 10. The story is brilliant and the characters are entertaining. The combat, however, is exhaustingly tedious and never gets any better.

Stunning graphics, excellent performance, enthralling story, and stealth action genuinely done right in this modern age. The gameplay in this sequel is flexible, fluid, and the difficulty is challenging but rewarding and realistic. There is no need to have played the first game to enjoy this sequel, as it is built to be standalone. The narrative is just as fantastic as it was in the original. The focus of this sequel is slightly different, but that has its own charm. Overall, a must-play if you enjoy story-centric action-adventures, where you have the freedom to choose your own gameplay approach. There are no forced collectables here, only pure enjoyment at your own pace.

A rehash of Wii Sports that's lacking in many ways in terms of content. Interesting for a session or two, and then severely drops off in terms of replay value. Was expecting a lot more besides a fresh coat of paint and beautiful environments to sugarcoat generic gameplay. The requirement for two full sets of Joy-cons to play all of the games is a major turnoff, and the ridiculous price point is a total scam, even if it may be par for the course in terms of Nintendo Switch exclusives. This should've been bundled with the Switch, just like Wii Sports was for the original Wii.

A staple for any Switch owner, Mario Kart 8 is great fun for family and friends with how it has almost a hundred maps (with the DLC), each of which is unique and beautiful to look at. Definitely a game that'll have immense replay value.

An incredibly solid and unique Metroidvania designed to look and feel like Ori and the Blind Forest, but with pleasantly chill vibes and pinball as the primary mechanic instead. The game is not overly complex and doesn't necessitate too much backtracking as you are free to approach the many different quests in your own desired order and pace. It is definitely one of the better games available for the Nintendo Switch that is truly "E for Everyone", and worth trying out.

A hectic cafe simulator gameplay just like any other, that's weighed upon by many overly complex recipes that involve too much coordination, and performance issues specifically on the Switch. Good for short sessions, if you can tolerate the repeated sluggishness.

Despite the beautiful graphics, Labyrinth of Galleria sports extremely lengthy dialogue and overcomplicated mechanics for an otherwise simple dungeon crawling RPG. Not really what I had in mind when I picked this up for a dungeon crawling experience--definitely a hit or miss depending on the player. Personally, I'd suggest playing a typical JRPG with dungeon crawling aspects instead.

Just another Cooking Mama game--nothing special that the previous games didn't already have. If anything, a bit more obnoxious with the modern social media take on it. Controls are a bit unresponsive and wonky as well, and some instructions are unclear. Voice acting is a bit weird.

Excellent game for couch co-op, and love the design of each level. It's definitely a throwback to 3D Mario games like Super Mario 64 and Sunshine. Definitely a staple if you're looking for a multiplayer game to play.

Decent fun while it lasts, but a bit short without much replay value for multiplayer. May be cool to play every once in a while with guests around, but won't be a staple. Could've easily been much better with a lot more minigames like what Mario Party has.

This didn't really hit home for my SO and I, as a two player challenge game. We were expecting a lot more, but the minigames mostly feel simple and uninteresting. Some of them are enjoyable, but not all. And you can get through them all during one session. Was really expecting a lot more.

A platformer with a uniquely adorable world, tons of throwbacks to past Yoshi games and the same gameplay you've grown to enjoy. The lack of a harder difficulty weighs on this game greatly as it makes it feel as though you're simply going through the stages one by one without really trying to make the most of them. The bonus features and collectables offer a minor incentive in revisiting stages. Overall, a game best played by younger audiences.

A magical experience for fans of Harry Potter, but a typical middling open world for everyone else. Hogwarts Academy is lore-heavy and that's marvelous for that reason alone, but it is tedious to read through for anyone who isn't too invested in the inner workings of the Hogwarts world. Take out the lore and the beautiful architecture, and you get another imperfect Cyberpunk 2077-esque game that is largely eye candy on the outside. For a game franchise that has laid dormant for decades, this is a solid entry especially during these trying times, with a first impression that succeeds in meeting enough expectations. But it is nothing you haven't seen in any other open world before.

Arkham City features a unique story with a strong focus on world building and fostering relationships with both good and evil characters alike. Instead of the usual superhero antics of simply "beating the bad guys," the story does not solely revolve around Batman but also on how the villains are trying to coexist in the same city with their own agendas, which clash with all the others. You play as both Batman and Catwoman in this game, and it feels amazing to be able to explore the massive city freely with them, soaring from rooftop to rooftop. There are tons of Riddler trophies and challenging riddles behind them, the vast number of gameplay mechanics makes the game a true pioneer for future games to adapt from. Admittedly, the game starts off slow, but it builds up intensity once firearms are introduced, as it significantly ramps up the difficulty and encourages a more strategic playstyle that requires better use of your entire arsenal instead of a brute force "button-mashing" approach. The cutscenes really carry this game as everyone feels genuine and in character. It is as if you are watching an actual movie unfold before you, whilst being part of the action itself. Much of the lore you'd never see in cinema is introduced in this game, which exposes more of the Batman universe to those who do not really read the comics. Sadly, if I must point out a negative, it would be that the game is relatively short and shallow, although that is somewhat rectified with side content that you may choose to engage in. Despite the large map, there isn't much to do besides finishing off inconsequential side missions and collecting hundreds of Riddler trophies for no meaningful reward. Overall, an 8 out of 10 is a fair rating for this game. It could have easily been a 9 if the side missions had decent storylines that justified exploring every nook and cranny. But there is simply no incentive whatsoever to do anything more than the main storyline and the Catwoman and Harley Quinn DLCs. You're better off watching playthroughs of the side missions instead to avoid the stress.

Contrary to what others experienced, I personally felt that this sequel was a massive step up from the first, as the puzzles felt more varied and the dynamic of adding multiple locations (in an actual room this time) improved depth and necessitated deeper thought. I really appreciated the added horror aesthetic to this game, and I actually did rely on the hints a bit more than before, which naturally indicates an increased difficulty. Overall, the look and feel of this sequel was much more pleasing than its predecessor, and I highly enjoyed playing it.

As yet another smartphone game app, you kind of know what to expect. State of Survival, as you've probably seen dozens of ads about over the years and still do, isn't that bad, really. But it is more of a territorial wargame with other players than a zombie combat simulator. For what it's worth, it's filled with a decent amount of story and enough content for you to burn some time whenever you're bored, without needing to pay a cent or be constantly bugged to do so. Unfortunately, after about a day or two's worth of playing, the game pretty much grinds to a halt, as you suddenly need to wait hours for buildings to be upgraded, even after using plenty of speed-ups to save time. I suppose this is where the paywall kicks in and tries to compel you to spend money to play longer. State of Survival is both a clone and a pioneer of its gameplay design, as it is extremely intelligent in its P2W approach to luring millions of players to sink in hundreds of dollars just to buy time. I started this game only because I needed to do so to fulfill an offer on another mobile app. I always avoid playing commercial games on a smartphone as they tend to end up being shameless cash grabs and mindless chore simulators. However, this one does have content to it, so long as you are patient. I did not find it overly tedious to play. It can be something you can have running on the side while you're at work. Overall, a relatively okay game for a mobile, so long as you don't expect any zombies fights and don't fall into the trap of spending money for temporary goods.

The Room is a good puzzle game with somewhat dark undertones that is bound to provide enjoyment to those who fancy such games. The only issue with the game that may be lackluster to some is its difficulty level, which I would describe as "medium." The puzzles are largely sequential in design, meaning you go from one part to the next without spending much time figuring out, figuratively speaking, where each piece of the puzzle goes. This can be alleviated a bit by disabling the tips in the options menu. Furthermore, calling it an "escape the room"-type game would be misleading, as you are merely solving an elaborate puzzle box. Overall, a game with much potential to be great, but weighed down by a wee bit too much hand-holding. It is an inexpensive game, which is a strong plus, though.

Good fun for a while, but eventually loses its novelty and turns repetitive once you've tried out all of the maps. Can still be fun to return to every so often, especially if you've got friends or family over. Would've preferred there to be more maps available instead of forcing people to buy DLCs as the price for the base game alone is already rather high, and the DLCs aren't cheap either.

Yet another game to add to the repertoire of co-op indie games like Overcooked. Game is straightforward, but can get hectic. Best played with a friend, and not the AI. The mistakes are what makes the game fun to play. Alas, Unrailed does get boring after a while, as there is not much to do. It's a game about multitasking, and trying your best to do that well. The difficulty ramps up as you progress, which is the main driver for adrenaline. Overall, it's a cup-of-tea scenario which depend on what you are looking for in a co-op game.

A fun pastime that eventually gets repetitive due to the lack of features that should've been added in to spice things up as you progress. Also, a game that is only playable in co-op, yet does not support online multiplayer. Best played in short bursts and shuffled amongst other party games. I received this game for free from an Epic Games giveaway, so I can't really complain, but I personally would not recommend paying $20 retail for the game. Wait until it goes on sale.

Simple, but has its charm. A pioneer back in its day. Relatively challenging and requires some quick reaction.

An incredibly unique adventure game coated in mystique and filled with mysteries and secrets everywhere. You play as a simple fox that has to figure out its own path through the world without any assistance except for your own wit and intuition. Words cannot do this game justice. It is one of the best adventures to come out over the past decade, and from an indie company to boot. Every bit of it is unique in its design and execution, and the atmosphere and music are pleasant to the eyes and ears. Being able to find hidden paths around every corner is incredibly engaging. The cryptic language that you have to decipher yourself is an unexpectedly welcome twist. The instruction manual in-game is filled with puzzles to decipher. If you've been looking for a fun, adorable, and yet intriguing adventure game with plenty to explore and discover, Tunic will keep you satisfied the entire journey long. Time genuinely feels like it passes by slower as you play, with an hour feeling more like three. It is highly addictive and hard to put down once you get engrossed in its serene world. Sadly, the only reason why I cannot give this game a 10 is the occasionally unbalanced level of difficulty of certain enemies, such as bosses. Tunic, on the surface, looks like a game that is simple and can be enjoyed by everyone, but when the second boss feels like a Dark Souls boss that can kill you in two seconds flat, it disrupts the pacing of the game and only serves to annoy you. The rest of the game is rather straightforward, and there are often times alternative means of resolving issues.

A great co-op game to play with a partner, packed with just enough puzzles to get the collaborative mindset working, and optional challenges that are genuinely brain-teasing and satisfying to tackle. Features a unique world that is pleasing to the eyes to see, albeit essentially linear. The controls and mechanics should've been more clearly explained. The game is best enjoyed on a controller, as the keyboard will inevitably strain your hands and wrists after a prolonged session. Incredibly optimized performance with wonderful graphics. I cannot give an opinion on the game being played alone, but for two people, it was a fun and enjoyable journey. Overall, a solid 8 out of 10 cooperative experience. No real complaints.

A marvelous adventure and an overlooked gem that has aged like fine wine over the decade. The world is picturesque and the uncanny yet befitting dialogue of the characters does the story of Alice in Wonderland justice. There are secrets placed all over for you to find, with unique lore backing each one. The story is dark and touches upon Alice's psyche as a theme about the perception of reality. It emits a strangely lasting, lingering influence which keeps you wanting to play more. It is truly a majestic experience you will not find in any other game that is rooted in reality. Do not allow the graphics to deter you from giving this game a try. You will not regret it. This game has rekindled my love for Alice and stayed true to the arcane nature of her world and how she sees it. It will be difficult to find story-centric adventure games as fleshed out as Madness Returns in this modern era. I eagerly look forward to any sequels, as well as a possible modern remake of the prequel. Side note: There is a known issue where the game can stall when loading. Restarting the game should fix that.

Flynn: Son of Crimson is a 2D platformer that initially comes off looking promising from its attractive interface and clean pixel graphics, but quickly turns flat as the gameplay turns monotonous and linear within minutes and is only reinforced by an unengaging story. Due to the lack of an RPG aspect to the game, there is nothing convincing you to fight any of the enemies except for the compulsory ones. The areas are not provided with any mystique to promote exploration. There is not much to write home about as this game is one you'd want to complete as soon as possible once you've gotten a taste for it, assuming you're able to trudge through it. You experience everything the game has to offer within the first half-hour of the game. The boss fights are all right as a whole, and arguably the most meaningful element of the game, but some bosses like the Aquatic Voltknight are designed very, very poorly, and will cause you to regret ever bothering to play in the first place. The decision to respawn the character right next to a hole is also incredibly frustrating, as you constantly slip and fall in after it happens. The random corruptions of past completed stages which force you to go through them again is bit of a chore to go through as well. Overall, a forgettable experience that I wouldn't recommend even if you are a fan of platformers.

Probably the best Escape Room game I've played in a long time, and at an extremely low price (and even completely free on mobile). Gives your a brain a good workout, and has a deep story along with a light horror element. Great to play with family and friends.

Managed to get this on sale for $5 on Steam, albeit with some reluctance, as I only did so because the original browser game is no longer supported due to it being built with Flash. Sadly, exporting ship codes to restart the game at a later time is no longer available, and this was apparently addressed by the developer in a Steam discussion as being impossible by design. However, no alternative save game feature was introduced to replace that, which is puzzling. This means that the game is now session-based and must be restarted from scratch each time you die. In any case, you get to relive the classic experience of Captain Forever in this Steam rerelease in its near-purest glory, albeit without being able to temporarily retire. The lack of a save feature heavily weighs on my sentiment for this version, as it means that there is no way to play for short periods of time. You must leave the game (and PC) running in order to not lose your progress during lengthier sessions.

A legendary sequel to Super Mario 64 that would eventually pave the path to many 3D platformers and cause them to adapt similar mechanics. Aside some the somewhat clunky camera and slight learning curve to using F.L.U.D.D., the game as a whole with its amazing visuals, world design, music, and secrets, compels you to look far beyond what's simply visible on the cover. Truly a game that will age like fine wine and be revisited time and time again.

A solid Mario Party entry, with a reasonably wide variety of minigames and several boards to choose from at first glance. However, this entry can get stale somewhat quick, as the boards are not particularly dynamic, and the minigames tend to be rehashes of previous minigames. Overall, nice to play for a few runs, but easily forgettable (especially with the newer sequels).

A generously vast suite of minigames places this game far ahead of its competition and easily makes other casual games on the GameCube—particularly sports—obsolete. Unfortunately, the main game suffers from balancing issues, because as soon as you go beyond the Beginner stages, the maps often end up being constant dice rolls rather than skill-based play. Even with cheats, you'll likely find yourself stuck on a stage or two for ages because of the inherent design of it boiling down to luck. The ridiculous scarcity of bananas available to the player does not help the case either, as you never collect enough for them to matter, which disincentivizes collecting them to begin with. You're better off just rushing for the goal each time. Overall, I think this sequel would be best paired with the prequel—you would play the main game on the first and the minigames on the second.

For an open-world game made by a small indie studio of only three people, Præy for the Gods has the makings of a potentially brilliant adventure game, but is ultimately weighed down by somewhat ambitious game design. At its core, the game feels like a Breath of the Wild clone. In spite of what the trailers lead you to believe, it is NOT a Souls-like—you do not engage in any epic boss battles. Instead, the bosses are designed to be taken down by having the player climb onto their bodies to "attack" certain weak points while trying not to fall off. And by "attack", I mean more like triggering a damage event by repeatedly activating some pedestals. The sluggish movement and high amounts of damage weigh on the game's enjoyment. The game seems to be best enjoyed on a normal difficulty and not a hard one, and there is no way to adjust the difficulty setting once it is locked in. Health points are not the primary concern in this game; stamina is. Some of the bosses are creative and fun to play against while others can be annoyingly tedious due to faulty, unpolished design. In short, Præy for the Gods is a rough gem that might be worth a play if you enjoy open-world adventure games. Sadly, I cannot recommend it at its current price point, as it is a short, unmemorable game. The developers had an idea for what they wanted to achieve with the game, but were not sure how to balance it all together. Although there is a vast world to explore, the game suffers from a common case of being "large but empty." On the upside though, the game is incredibly optimized and loads virtually instantly.

As an adult who genuinely loves and plays a wide variety of adventure games, my opinion of A Hat in Time is mixed, although it leans more to the positive side. The first two acts of the game are underwhelming, with their low difficulty and cheesy storylines providing an unappealing and dry introduction to the game that fails to keep your attention and lowers your expectations as a whole. However, as you progress into the later acts, the quality of the levels will improve and convince you enough to keep revisiting them to try to find all of their secrets. The gameplay is simplistic and there are not really any complex objectives. It is a true blue platformer that does not try to be overly ambitious. The collectables in the game are purely cosmetic and do not influence the gameplay in any advantageous manner, but they can convince you to explore every nook and cranny and climb to places you'd never think of just to retrieve them. Sadly, it doesn't take long for the collectables and currency to become pointless to acquire. A Hat in Time is short and does not look fully fleshed out. Although the game is beautiful and offers a decent amount to explore, it does not scratch the same itch as other adventure games designed in the same light such as Super Mario Sunshine. However, it can still be fun when played with a friend. A good lengthy cooperative night can make the experience enjoyable and hard to set aside.

I wasn't expecting much from this indie game to begin with, but the clean visuals and the idea of space travel got me interested enough to give it a shot. It was free on the Xbox Game Pass, so I figured, why not? Sadly, the gameplay is rather monotonous and there is not much you do besides going from Point A to Point B. The planetary environments become repetitive quickly, and contrary to what you are led to believe, the gameplay isn't designed with a zen mode in mind—you have to perform physics-based movements in order to travel, which requires a bit of finesse. Sadly, the nail in the coffin that ultimately caused me to abandon this game was when I later encountered one particular object floating in the air that I simply could not reach no matter how much I tried. I'm sure there is a proper solution, but by that point in time, I was already teetering on the brink of moving on, so I simply did not care anymore. In any case, if this game is your cup of tea, then that is great, but otherwise, it is not a game to lose your sleep over. It's an interesting proof of concept, but that's about all it is. A student's class project.

Despite what you may have been led to believe, Carrion is not a Metroidvania but a 2D adventure game where you traverse through a maze of different facilities as a monstrous human-devouring symbiote. Although the game features unique gameplay and is buttery smooth to play, its greatest weakness is its lack of a map, which is ironically the quintessential feature of a Metroidvania. It is easy to get lost and waste time backtracking through areas to try to find where to go next. This can wear your patience thin as it is unrealistic to memorize the map to know where to head back to and travel next. This can force you to spoil yourself with walkthroughs in order to figure out the path onwards. The game itself is not particularly difficult and is forgiving with its abundant save rooms. The game has plenty of potential, which was unfortunately misused. There isn't much of a story to keep you interested either, making it hard to play for longer sessions. Overall, Carrion is an interesting experience, but not one to go through twice. It is also rather short. GREATEST TIME OF THE YEAR DLC I'm not really sure what to rate this DLC, as it was completely optional and had no story to it. It's meant to be played after the main game, and I did not really need to try all that hard in order to beat it in about 20 minutes. I suppose it's worth playing if you enjoy the original game, want more to play, and can get this DLC for free, but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend bothering with it. 6.5/10

(Note: I played this game on the PC, but since I cannot review the PC version at this time, I have written the review here instead.) Record of Lodoss War is a Metroidvania that captures the essence of Symphony of the Night while playing out fluidly like Touhou Luna Nights (from the same publisher). The game is straightforward and does not overcomplicate, and it provides you with plenty of exploration decorated with secret areas that keeps you playing for longer sessions. The game grants you many conveniences and does not require much time to acquire more, which is a breath of fresh air as it allows you to get through the game quicker without frustration. Luckily, your enjoyment is not compromised as a result. Overall, you are in for a treat. It may come off looking like "yet another Metroidvania," but sometimes the wheel does not need to be reinvented in order to provide a fun time.

After what was arguably a lackluster installment (BFE), this new addition to the franchise is essentially more of the same, but in a different context. There are some different weapons and monsters as well as the addition of item-based power-ups and a passive upgrade aspect. Croteam has maintained the modern day setting and sprint-based gameplay that was introduced in BFE while adding some extras. This game as a whole felt unpolished and likely rushed, as Croteam did not put in much effort to flesh out the world. There are many areas with absolutely nothing in them, which disincentivizes exploration. Secrets are not all that secret and do not grant you much. Side missions are largely traps that don't reward you with much by the time you finish them. Certain weapons see limited use due to swarming or environmental limitations. Cutscenes are uncanny and jokes are unnaturally forced. This game sports graphics that are even less detailed than BFE and are shockingly unoptimized. Croteam could have reused the same engine for BFE and that may have provided an even smoother and likely more aesthetic result. It is jarring to see textures constantly loaded during gameplay, even though the game already takes a lengthy time to load assets before a map begins. The inconsistent lighting and shadows are unpleasant to see. Cutscenes and scope zooming causes your FPS to tank as well. Overall a decent installment, but one that strays further from the heart of the Serious Sam franchise. This sequel did manage to keep my attention better than the previous due to its increased difficulty, but it felt like there was no real sense of exploration and that weighed on my enjoyment heavily. It is evident that Croteam is taking a more modern, cliched approach to the series that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

The reason why I rated this a 6 is a subjective one—it may be more of a 7-8 if you are a seasoned D&D player. As a casual player, the game felt like a tedious grind on default difficulty and nothing like the usual RPG you would expect. Read on for a genuine unbiased review of the game. Solasta is an isometric RPG with a fair amount to enjoy for veterans of D&D, but otherwise convoluted and difficult to acclimate to for those who have little to no exposure to classic tabletop RPGs. It is a slow burn with a somewhat steep learning curve for newbies. There is a good amount of depth with the story and a strong emphasis on dialogue, which comes with fully voiced character interactions. The game has a clean interface and good performance overall. Sadly, many features in Solasta are clunky. There is no exploration as the game is focused on fast travel and random encounters. The inventory is cumbersome to use. Magical scrolls are useless as they are locked off to most builds. Cover is a joke as enemies get right up in your face in no time. Fights largely boil down to raw damage and luck. Weapons and armour basically don't exist since you use the same ones for the majority of the game. There is a very small pool of skills for each class to use, which easily turns repetitive. Overall, I cannot recommend this game to anyone who is not a tabletop RPG fan. On the default "Authentic" difficulty, the enemies do plenty of damage while you often miss. I had to drop the difficulty down to actually enjoy the game. If you would like a more well-rounded and immersive experience, I'd highly suggest Divinity Original Sin instead.

A beautifully crafted adventure game that deserves to be scored much higher but is unfortunately weighed down by its extremely low difficulty and the questionable inclusion of heavy loss themes in the story. In Lost Words, you (literally) write the story as you venture through a fantasy world in the eyes of a young girl. The gameplay is hard to describe and is best experienced first-hand, but it is designed in a similar light to a game like Trine. The story contains elements of grief and heartbreak, which is something to keep in mind in case you are sensitive to those topics and find them hard to digest. Although this game is incredibly easy and not very long, it is still a fairly unique experience.

Eastshade features a world that is vast, serene, and filled with lush foliage and stunning architecture. The game is designed for you to explore it at your own pace, and there is no pressure for how you choose to progress through the game. There are no enemies in the game, and there are plenty of people to talk to and do errands for. It is easy to pour time into roaming around and taking in the sights. It's like taking a walk in the park, except that the park is more like an exotic island. The visuals are better than most AAA games to date, and the performance is great as well. Overall, an experience that is much more enjoyable than you would expect. On the other hand, it can get a little boring after a while once you realize that there isn't much depth to the game. There are a few significant bugs that you have to contend with, and the "nighttime freeze" factor and the lack of fast travel in the beginning weighs on the gameplay a bit.

Call of the Sea is a 3D puzzle adventure game that should be a treat to fans of games like Myst, albeit not as difficult and not as complex. There are many different locations that you explore, and there are a good variety of pattern-based puzzles. The movement was a little slow for my taste, but it was not detestable. Overall, the game was rather short (only a bit over four hours for me), even though it felt like it took twice as long to complete. But it was an enjoyable journey, nonetheless. The storytelling could have been a bit less cryptic, especially during the latter half of the game where it was crucial to understand the overarching plot and the character's role in the entire adventure in order to sympathize with her. But you're only left with a vague understanding of what is happening. As with all puzzle games, spoiling yourself would ruin the fun, so make sure to interact with everything, however minor it may be. This game is not too difficult and can be completed without much assistance as long as you explore everywhere.

Incredible storytelling in a beautiful environment coupled with stylish combat, Raji is an eye-opening adventure backed with a Hindu mythology backdrop. A surprisingly brilliant release by an indie company based out of India. There are plenty of movement features in this game that brings it in line with modern action-adventure games, and the variety of attacks gives you the opportunity to fight however you wish. The game is linear, but the world and environment is a picturesque sight to see. Fights can get a bit repetitive, but that's just how it is. Game performance is fair, although the prerendered CGI cutscenes were strangely more GPU-intensive than the game itself. Overall, for an indie, I found the experience quite enjoyable. Lots of work was put into fleshing out the mythology and educating the player about it in an intriguing and not forceful manner. It was definitely a unique experience to learn about it, and I think it blended quite well with the story and gameplay. The game was short (under four hours), but it felt like it lasted twice that time (in a good way). (On a side note, I've read some reviews about the controls being clunky. I personally did not experience any issues whatsoever playing the game with a controller, so if it bothers you, try playing the game that way instead.)

Myst is a challenging puzzle game. I've never played the original it was based off of before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this remastered version that came with all the bells and whistles of modern graphics and was also incredibly optimized. For one thing, this game is NOT easy. Everything you need to complete it is in the game, but it takes a very minimalistic approach and simply expects you to figure everything out yourself. I strongly advise against spoiling yourself by using guides, as it will ruin the fun of the game. My best advice to you is this: Examine everything carefully, try to find relationships, and rely on not only your sight but your hearing as well. My only complaint is probably with the organ spaceship puzzle. It was highly inaccurate, and many online have expressed the same complaint about being stuck on it. If you experience trouble with this part as well, feel free to find the solution online and don't dwell on it. My score of 7 primarily reflects the difficulty. The game is a bit too difficult for casuals. It was catered towards seasoned players who already have plenty of experience with puzzle games. If there were some sort of hint system incorporated in this remaster, I probably would've given it an 8.

An immersive cyberpunk experience never seen before. A ton of effort was poured into making the world as vast and authentic as possible, with plenty for you to explore at your own pace. You are free to approach the game however you like, and there is a sizable arsenal to choose from. Enemy difficulty is balanced well enough to necessitate a fair amount of micromanaging. Plenty of story and lore is jacked into the game for you to really take in the atmosphere. The performance in the game is pretty good, as long as you do not enable any RTX (you don't really see those effects anyway). There are a few quirks though. The controls feel a bit clunky. The movement can get tedious as there is no sprint. Some merchants are largely pointless and many of the weapons are underpowered, causing you to upgrade the same basic ones you have throughout the game. Many side missions are offered long before you can actually tackle them. Overall, I felt it was time well spent. I found myself truly absorbed in The Ascent's world, unlike games like Cyberpunk 2077 which could not give me the same immersion as it had no real substance. I'm a **** for meticulously designed worlds, and this game definitely packed one of the best I've experienced in a long time. The gunfighting may have been a little stale, but it did not weigh on my overall satisfaction with the game. I definitely recommend this game for every cyberpunk fan out there. On a side note, I personally did not experience any of the game breaking issues as others have noted (and I'm on the Xbox Game Pass version), so chances are high that they have been patched out already.

An atmospheric adventure game where you roam around and solve simple puzzles to progress through the world. Omno doesn't introduce anything new to the table for adventure games, and it is very short and could be finished in a single play session. The trailers and screenshots make the game look a lot more appealing than it actually is. The game tries to convince you to take in the sights, but you don't feel compelled to do so. The game does not require you to fully complete each area in order to progress, which is nice for casual players. As an indie, this game was a decent proof of concept, but there really isn't much going on at all. More story could've made the game more interesting, but as it is, the lack of depth makes the world a bit drab. I give this game a 6+1, where the bonus is because the entire game was made by one single person, which warrants respect.