Replaced Review (PC)
Some dev is a huge fan of Blade Runner, and the 1992 video game hit Flashback. Can’t say I blame them. Replaced by developer Sad Cat Studios is a futuristic dystopian 2.5D narrative that is quite possibly one of the most beautiful pixel games I have seen in my entire 50 years on this planet. Thick on narrative, solid on gameplay, Replaced does what it wants and doesn’t ask for forgiveness in the p...[Read More]
Godbreakers Review
Godbreakers doesn’t truly get hard until after players beat a complete run for the first time. And as a player relatively well-versed in roguelikes, that’s a surprising twist in the formula. After felling my first raucous, multi-stage boss I had burned through my limited-use healing coils. A combination of unfamiliarity with a new game, an accidental heal, and a decent difficulty curve...[Read More]
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Review (PS5)
Generally, I’m not a huge fan of action roguelite. I appreciate them from afar, but typically don’t dive into them because of their purposefully difficult obstacles that make for a slow grind. I don’t mind the grind, but I usually only prefer grind in my daily cup of RPGs. Looking at you, Dragon Quest VII. Well, that attitude has permanently shifted thanks to Stormteller Games’ isometric action ro...[Read More]
Reignbreaker Review (PC)
There’s nothing quite like an action rogue-lite to get the blood moving. Point and case, Hades was a masterpiece when it first hit, and it still is to this day. After playing it repeatedly, I understood the fascination with going through randomly generated worlds, building your character up, and doing your best to find the perfect combination of buffs and weaponry to make it through. It’s a simple...[Read More]
Building Up ASKA with Creative Director Cristian Diaconescu
Back in June, ASKA entered Early Access. Sand Sailor Studio’s Viking crafting and survival game premiered in the thick of Summer Games Fest on the heels of many games vying for players’ attention. While the survival genre is certainly a busy one, ASKA‘s hook of building a thriving community of villagers who actually complete tasks for the player immediately sold me. The ability t...[Read More]
SteamWorld Heist II Review (PS5)
Having played games for over 40 years, I have been very much in touch with how I feel about a title in the first two hours of gameplay. For example, I knew that Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion would consume me after the first hour of gameplay, even though I hadn’t played any Elder Scrolls games prior, thus having no expectations. Seeing the complexity of the gameplay, the background skills t...[Read More]
ASKA Early Access Preview
ASKA made the tedious act of survival a strange thrill, evolving into a surprising game of city management and viking raids. My time with ASKA‘s Early Access build came on the fringes of Summer Games Fest 2024. The deluge of games is always a bit frightening for someone like me who wishes to have their thumb on as many zeitgeist-worthy games and attractive indies as possible. But one thing I...[Read More]
SteamWorld Build Review
Whether it be theme park or simulated city, there is an allure to micro-managing hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of virtual people. For all intents and purposes, the player is a god. The capability of directly plucking a villager or a farmer out of thin air with a virtual hand or creating vast metropolises with a single sweeping motion has long been a gaming pastime. Yet SteamWorld Build is ...[Read More]