Pokémon games will always hold a special place in my heart. The first video game I owned was a copy of Pokémon Red that I played on a second-hand Game Boy Advance, and it was a truly transformative experience. Having so many different creatures to learn about and collect was exciting, and that combined with an expansive world full of mysteries and secrets made it something that I put countless hours into. Since then, while I’ve drifted in and out of the franchise, I’ve maintained an interest in seeing what it’s going to do next. In contrast, an area I haven’t explored much is the broader creature collector genre, which seems to be seeing a resurgence in recent years with games like Cassette Beasts and Beastieball becoming indie darlings. Enter Voidsayer, which combines classic creature collector trappings with some roguelite elements and a dark atmosphere to create a unique – albeit deeply flawed – twist on the genre.
Tag: Frustrating
Going Under Review
Late-stage capitalism sucks. I like to think that’s not a deeply controversial statement to make, though I know there are those out there to whom such talk would be heresy. Seriously, though: it’s brought us the modern-day hellscape that is the gig economy, grift culture, and selling our privacy for the sake of convenience. Companies are increasingly unethical in their business practices, and even if you’re doing a good job, you’re at risk of getting laid off just so the execs can line their own pockets. And all the while, glitzy new Silicon Valley startups keep springing up, promising that this time they’ll make the world a better place. It’s a deeply depressing situation, and one in which it can be hard to find any sort of humour. However, with writing that deftly cycles between being severely cynical and surprisingly heartfelt, Going Under effectively satirizes the dire circumstances we all find ourselves in and even gives a bit of hope that things could get better.
Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure Review
“Play more box games; it’ll be a fun bit!” was the prevailing thought when I decided to boot up Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure. After quite enjoying both my playthrough of Boxes: Lost Fragments and revisiting Flat Heroes to play it in multiplayer, checking out a boxy 3D platformer with positive Steam reviews seemed like a great step to continue the trend. And then I actually started playing it, which rapidly turned into one of the most frustrating gaming experiences I’ve had recently. Unbox isn’t the worst game I’ve played by far, but every design decision in it seems so vehemently opposed to fun that it’s a wonder the game was released in its current state.
Antonblast Review
The first thing you need to know about Antonblast is that superlatives can’t properly capture how truly bonkers it is. From its neon graffiti by way of Courage the Cowardly Dog aesthetics to its blasting rock-infused rhythms to the fact that the game has a damn button that does nothing but make your character scream, this is pretty much the definition of firing on all cylinders insanity. I lost count of the number of times I could barely process what was happening on-screen – where I was just pressing buttons and not dying and calling that good. My first play session lasted for about an hour, and it simultaneously barely felt that long and had me needing a break afterwards just to stop my retinas from frying. If you want calm, collected, cultured commentary, look elsewhere, but if you want a game that hits the gas from moment one (even the opening titles got me hyped every time) and never lets up, Antonblast is your game.
Awaken – Astral Blade Review
It’s rarely a good sign when I can’t remember a game’s name. For the first couple of days I was playing Awaken – Astral Blade, I kept getting its name confused with everything from Astrea to Stellar Blade. The only thing that managed to stave off this thoroughly generic title was a joking innuendo I made with one of my friends (“I’ll awaken your astral blade 😉”), which isn’t exactly an early point in the game’s favour. Even having beaten it, I couldn’t tell you what the real meaning of the title is; I suppose the protagonist Tania wields a blade, but it’s not particularly astral in nature. Perhaps it’s just the nature of video games to have nonsense titles that don’t seem to mean anything. That being said, what really matters is if Awaken – Astral Blade is a more enjoyable and memorable experience than its title, and while I do have reservations, I think it manages to be a fairly competent action platformer.
Cave Story+ Review
Booting up Cave Story+ was a truly nostalgia-infused experience. Seeing the opening cutscene and hearing the catchy menu music immediately hooked me back in after dabbling in the original release around a decade ago. This time around, I was determined to see the game through to the end, and I’m happy to report that I did just that! Doing so wasn’t without its difficulties, though, and it’s left me with some complicated feelings to parse out. Does this indie gem from years ago still hold up? For the most part, I’d say, “Yes”.
Kitsune Tails Review
It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if that’s the case, Super Mario World had better feel the sincerity emanating off every inch of Kitsune Tails. From its aesthetics to its gameplay to even the game physics, so much of Kitsune Tails feels like it’s cribbed from or paying homage to Super Mario World that it initially felt uninspired. That’s not to say that it does nothing new, as its cozy, lesbian love triangle narrative gives it a far more progressive spin than anything Mario’s been in, not to mention its setting inspired by Japanese folklore being a far cry from the Mushroom Kingdom. With such a classic game as its inspiration, though, the real question is whether Kitsune Tails can manage to slip out of the shadow of its ancestor to stand on its own.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Review
It was a weird experience going from DmC: Devil May Cry to Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Despite both games being developed by Ninja Theory, Enslaved is a noticeably rougher affair, with less refined gameplay mechanisms and presentation. With Enslaved being 3 years DmC’s senior this does make sense, but it was nonetheless jarring going from fast, free-flowing combos to clunky, plodding fights that had me wondering if my controller was experiencing input lag. Perhaps it was Capcom’s heavy involvement that allowed DmC to become a diamond in the rough, but that level of polish certainly didn’t make it to Enslaved. Whatever the reasoning, Enslaved sets out with grand goals, but it unfortunately flops in nearly every regard.
Mothergunship Review
Prior to writing this review, I spent a decent chunk of time playing Mothergunship; nine hours, to be exact. Yet I feel like I spent twice that time contemplating one simple question: why doesn’t this game work for me? I’ve played and loved fast-paced first-person shooters like High Hell. Roguelite FPSs such as Immortal Redneck have brought me countless hours of bliss. So, the mystery of Mothergunship’s mediocrity has plagued me, to the point where I had to go back and replay some Immortal Redneck to attempt to glean some fresh insight.
A Drunken Rant on Niffelheim
Today’s article is going to be a bit different from the ordinary. For starters, it’s not going to be a review, or even an in-depth analysis. It’s merely a spirited rant about my time with Niffelheim’s PS4 release. I didn’t play the original PC edition, and I only played this version for 3 or 4 hours. However, that was more than enough time to determine that I didn’t care to spend anymore of my life with it. In recognition of the fact that I haven’t delved deep into Niffelheim as I would for a normal review, I will not be including a score at the end. Also, my views here will be a lot less balanced than they sometimes are; again, this is a rant, not a thoughtful op ed.
Olive's Game Garden 