Pros:
+ Kratos is a one-note but badass, well-designed protagonist
+ cinematic presentation is excellent and was revolutionary for its time
+ story is simple but effective
+ combat areas are large and backgrounds are always busy
+ combat feels intuitive, quick and satisfying
+ meaty sound effects and mostly great voice acting
+ lots of secrets to discover in every stage
+ camera perspectives are smartly used to emphasize and hide secrets
+ upgrade points can be individually allocated
+ most enemies have specific weak points and demand individual approaches
+ enemies can catch friendly fire
+ plenty of post-game content and bonus features

Cons:
- only three, rather bland boss fights
- optional weapons are nice to have but unnecessary to use
- some areas like the desert are pretty tedious
- all the balancing challenges are clunky and out of place
- one hit death traps are just bad game design
- lack of a sprint button makes backtracking tedious
- even the standard enemies are damage sponges
- enemies blocking attacks ends a combo
- evade moves don't always register in time
- quick time events are not transparent and get pretty tough towards the end
- underwater stages are tedious and controlling them is difficult
- the low-poly, low-frame-rate cutscenes are jarring and not implemented well
- the final fight is a real letdown and not introduced well

Magic Moment: The penultimate boss fight, which combines Kratos' repressed guilt and destructive rage in a satisfying and smart way.

Playtime: 8 hours on Normal difficulty, plus roughly an hour extra thanks to countless deaths to the one-hit-kill traps. Played on the PS2 emulator on PS4.


Verdict:
This is it, the start of Kratos' journey and the initial spark to one of Sony's biggest IPs, and as a first timer 20 years late to the party, there is plenty of entertainment to be found here. While the action has aged pretty well and the setting and presentation are as hyperbolic as ever, it is really the Spartan's memorable design and characteristic, indiscriminite rage that elevates the game beyond its fun and varied mechanics. The story, which is told in a non-linear style, holds more surprises than expected, and the settings and areas offer new ideas and gameplay elements at regular intervals, even if some elements like the balancing challenges are huge design flaws that should have been excised completely.

Even though the unavailability of this game on modern consoles is a problem, any fan of the series should play this at least once to understand where the character came from and how it evolved over time. I'm looking forward to the second one.

Pros:
+ a fitting sequel that is on par with its predecessor
+ graphical quality and lightning effects have improved
+ the sound design fits the action
+ the difficulty is surprisingly demanding
+ combat feels meaty and responsive
+ some items can be upgraded
+ puzzles are unique and mostly quick to solve
+ the world is large and full of secrets
+ items don't disappear after a while
+ the meta-narrative has been slightly expanded upon
+ the characters are cute and engaging
+ more sequences of interactive storytelling
+ restarting a save game gives a short recap of the current objective
+ you can ride a pig

Cons:
- game speed has been greatly reduced compared to the first game
- movement speed is far too low for the design of the action
- number of collectibles is too high
- most chests only yield gold
- gold is useless after a certain point
- using the guitar item takes far too long
- item finder song is barely useful
- no map markers available to use
- map itself is of extremely low visual quality
- most NPCs have nothing to say
- final dungeon is too short and final boss and requires simple button mashing
- no post game content

Playtime: 12 hours. Entire map explored, roughly 60% of collectibles acquired.

Magic Moments: Finding a certain weapon in a lake and recognizing it as a sly Zelda reference. Chosing which mini boss to fight at various moments.

Verdict:
A competent successor to Blossom Tales that expands upon the original without innovating to any meaningful degree. The look and feel are still satisfying, the combat is snappy, and the exploration of the sizable world map is incremental but offers plenty of challenges and secrets. The meta-narrative aspects, which allow you to chose between different enemy options or quest rewards at various moments, have been expanded upon and give the game a unique identity beyond its existence as a faithful Zelda homage. However, most rewards for these challenges are disappointing, as the economy of the world is not set up to offer any meaningful commodities beyond the obvious upgrades, and the noticeable decrease in overall game speed makes the experience much more sluggish than the first game.

The final dungeon and boss are equally disappointing and end the game on a weird Star Wars cliché and a boring final fight that can be brute forced in seconds with a bit of preparation. Still, this sequel will be catnip for any fan of the original game and can be recommended to fans of 2D Zeldas without hesitation.

Play it if you liked the first one, but one quick playthrough is enough.

Pros:
+ fresh central idea with unique puzzle designs
+ interface and controls are clean and transparent
+ art style and architecture never detract from the puzzles
+ a well-tampered difficulty curve steadily introduces new elements
+ many puzzles have various solutions (and some can be brute forced)
+ anti-frustration features like placement icons are perfectly implemented
+ not all puzzles have to be solved at any given time to progress
+ hint system is rooted in the story as well as the world design
+ a lot of hidden puzzles and easter eggs to uncover
+ bite-sized reveal of the story is engaging and motivating
+ music never gets annoying, even after hours of play
+ voice of Elohim is perfectly cast and sparingly guides the player
+ story is intricate and lots of food for thought
+ the QR code leaflets throughout the world tell their own story
+ Alexandra Drennan audiologs are amazingly written and acted
+ the final quest to ascend is exhilarating and brings all elements together
+ backup system allows to explore more endings after beating the game

Cons:
- not all endings are equally satisfying and one important Milton variant is not telegraphed
- not all elements of the puzzles are adequately introduced (boxes on orbs?)
- some of the final puzzles require pixel perfect placement
- puzzles involving the recording mechanism are often mind-bendingly difficult
- 2D Tetris puzzles can only be brute forced and get tedious fast
- the amount of texts and documents in the terminals can get overwhelming
- terminal discussions with Milton often lead to annoying "gotcha" moments
- the DLC is just more of the same but with a brutal difficulty


Magic Moment: Finding a hidden element behind wooden planks in the hub area and realizing how much there is to explore.
Best Puzzle element: The trusty jammer (in combination with the turrets).

Playtime: 16 Hours. All main puzzles, 50% of stars, a handful of solutions looked up online and two main endings explored. DLC explored for some time but shortly abandoned.


Verdict:
Who would have guessed that CroTeam, famous for creating one of the most mindless FPS series and protagonists in Serious Sam, would one day create one of the best 3D puzzle games in recent memory? Not only are the presentation, controls, interface, and world design perfectly tailored to emphasize the puzzles and their solutions, the team have also created an engaging science-fiction story about the nature and fate of our species that is not only told in text form, but also with the help of incredible audiologs that stayed with me long after the credits had rolled. This technique of slowly revealing the truth at the heart of the tale is engaging enough to overcome even the most difficult challenges, and the hint system and possibility to enter and leave puzzles at any time preclude any lasting frustration. Finally, The Talos Principle never overstays its welcome, while also holding enough secrets and optional puzzles for anyone interested in exploring this world beyond solving its main puzzles.

These perfectly tailored systems converge into an entertaining and ultimately human experience that should be played by everyone interested not only in 3D puzzles, but also the philosophy of mind and the ultimate fate of humanity in light of our craving for creation and destruction.

Weird title, weird logo, weird game? Unfortunately, Witch Rise is just another first-person dungeon crawler without any fresh ideas.

Pros:
+ nice retro look and old-school feel
+ enemy sprites are cute
+ not too challenging
+ difficulty scales naturally
+ a quick and breezy experience

Cons:
- close enemy attacks lack hit feedback
- even when upgraded, mana refills too slowly
- weapon upgrades make no difference on the gameplay
- upgrades are too expensive
- boss fights lack depth
- breakable walls are too hard to see

Playtime: 2 hours, with the entire map explored and almost all chests opened.

Blagic Moment: Entering a shop for the first time to realize you are never going to afford all of their stuff. Just like real life!

Verdict:
Witch Rise is a perfectly okay entry to its genre, but also offers nothing new or exciting that would make me recommend it.

If you yearn for the look and feel of old-school, first-person dungeon crawlers with sprites, I would recommend Eldritch instead, witch does a lot more with the same ingredients.

Pros:
+ tells a consequential story full of existential themes
+ timeless pixel art style with beautiful effects and pretty sprites
+ the overworld is smartly designed to be incrementally explored
+ progress in the overworld is always explicitely tied to progress in the story
+ main dungeons are long, complex, and intricately designed
+ relation between internal and external architecture of dungeons feels organic
+ dream exploration element is unique and carries surprising psychological depth
+ dream scenarios are tailored to their respective events and characters in the story
+ combat feels punchy and weapon effect are varied
+ bosses are diverse and their designs are memorable
+ puzzles are difficult but varied, ranging from logic to time based puzzles and beyond
+ collectable equipment is actually worth it and makes the game noticeably easier
+ the central town is constantly changing and its inhabitants are evolving with the story
+ fortune teller in town offers an organic guidance system
+ the outro movie is a fun send off and feels like an actual prize for beating the game

Cons:
- the difficulty of all gameplay elements is infamously brutal
- progress in dungeons is sometimes tied to imperceptible elements of the scenery
- perspective can be confusing and some jumping challenges require pixel perfect timing
- dialogue is extensive, slow and can only be fast forwarded with a button press ...
- ... while finished dialogue windows close by themselves, even if they explain puzzles
- bombs are the most effective weapon for large parts of the game
- there is no (easily acessable) map of the overworld
- the warp system is pretty well hidden and usually saves little time
- bosses are damage sponges and take forever to kill
- some collectables are missable without warning
- shops and their economy do not work: items are either too cheap or too expensive
- soundtrack is so-so, with tracks like the overworld theme becoming grating quickly
- sound effect design is awful; weapons have no punch and enemy grunts sound terrible
- Alundra himself is a boring silent protagonist with the most 90s anime design
- Working Design translation is full of awful pop-culture references, blunders and non-sequiturs
- vague English puzzle descriptions makes solving them more difficult
- translation team was arrogant enough to put themselves first in the credits

Best Dungeon: Lake Shrine / Exterior. Much more intricate than it seems at first.
Worst Dungeon: Fairy Shrine. The underwater jump mechanics are cool but navigation gets tedious.
Worst Puzzle: The famous "saints order" puzzle in the crypt early on. Almost impossible to discern due to the terrible translation.

Magic Moment: Finally solving one of the tough ice pillar puzzles and getting a powerful weapon as a prize.

Playtime: 27 Hours with all dungeons and 45 Falcons, played in PS1 emulator on PS4.



Verdict:
Even after over 20 years, Alundra has lost almost nothing of its initial appeal: its puzzles are challenging and varied as ever, the action is brutally difficult but always engaging, and the story offers enough twists and turns to keep at it for the extensive playtime of almost 30 hours. Even to people like me, who played it shortly after it came out, this is still an involving experience, that - not least thanks to its timeless pixel charme and character design - has lost nothing of its quality, and is still one of the best Zelda-likes you can play on any Sony console. You should consider turning off the sound, though, because that particular element of the game has certainly not aged well and is a definitive flaw in an otherwise great package.

Playing this once is a treat for any fan of the action-adventure genre. Considering the brutal difficulty of the game as a whole, however, playing this on an emulator with the rewind feature or save states at close hand is highly recommended (unless you really want to test the limits of your patience).

I was drawn to this game for because of its aesthetic and the generally positive feedback it has seemed to received since release. Turns out this is the worst game I have completed in recent memory - sad but true.

Pros:
+ heavy metal setting is unique
+ backgrounds are pretty and detailed
+ counter attack mechanic is fair and powerful
+ checkpoints are frequent
+ dialog can be quickly skipped
+ the final boss is sufficiently epic

Cons:
- try-and-die gameplay loop is archaic and frustrating
- combat is boring and repetitive
- weapon upgrades have no bearing on gameplay
- overworld level select is pointless
- lever hunt quickly becomes tedious
- platforming sections are uninspired and simplistic
- boss fights require rote memorization
- enemy drops are randomized and far too rare
- knockback on hit leads to a lot of frustration
- death traps and bottomless pits lead to cheap deaths
- the bland metal soundtrack gets grating after a short while
- the writing is full of typos and syntax errors

Playtime: 7,5 hours as part of the "Valfaris/Slain" double pack. With some secrets discovered and a lot of repeated attempts at boss encounters suffered.

Blagic Moments: Transforming into a wolf, only to play even worse platforming sections and not gaining any new ability. Skippping most combat situations at some point, because it saves time, and because they don't even matter.


Verdict:
In many ways, Slain is the complete opposite of modern Heavy Metal: bland and uninteresting, repetitive and unpolished, lacking fresh ideas and stuck in archaic gameplay loops that weren't even fun when they were first introduced.

Skip this if you value your time or play any side-scrolling 16-bit game instead. At least they let you use save states.

Rarely has the difference between two games in one collection been more obvious than in the case of Valfaris and Slain. While the latter was a clear lead balloon, Valfaris is the real deal.

Pros:
+ believable sci-fi setting and detailed pixel art
+ action feels meaty and the controls are tight
+ close combat is beafy enough to be a viable option
+ resurrection idol swap system is a smart idea
+ weapon upgrade system is simple but effective
+ secrets are surprisingly well-hidden
+ optional weapons are actually worth it
+ the skull mech sections really add to the gameplay
+ dialog can be quickly skipped
+ boss fights are creative and tough but fair...

Cons:
- ...even if they have swansong attacks that can kill you without warning
- some platforming mechanics in the second half feel undercooked
- health items drop randomly and a bit too rarely
- some of the instant death sitations can get frustrating
- technical performance on Switch is not without hickups

Playtime: 8,5 hours with over 300 deaths and one weapon missed. I guess I'm not really good at this game.

Favourite Weapon: Starting weapon with the spread shot upgrade and the tentacle for its increased reach.

Magic Moment: Entering the skull mech for the first time and just leveling everything left and right.

Verdict:
Valfaris is exactly what it promises to be: A kick-ass sidescrolling action game without unnecessary fluff. The combat feels satisfying and impactful, while the weapon upgrades have plenty of impact and offer various builds for each given situation. If you can get past the sometimes rough platforming sections and boss fights, Valfaris offers a lot of old-school fun with a tight visual presentation.

So play it if it seems like your thing.

This game has fhaunted me since it first came out: I always found its weird title and obvious parallels to classic, top-down Zeldas intriguing, but Anodyne also carried this air of the forbidden, perhaps occult that I could never really grasp. After finishing it, I now know why.

Pros:
+ the overall gameplay is a good emulation of 2D Zeldas
+ the weird atmosphere is memorable and rare in the genre
+ a lot of secrets and optional collectables to discover...
+ especially in the post-game, which adds a game-breaking item
+ the entire soundtrack is a certified banger
+ the soundscape harkens back to old survival horror games
+ frequent references to other games and franchises
+ the visual presentation is distinct...

Cons:
- ...but feels unpolished and limiting
- weird aspect ratio and jarring screen transitions
- later story sections necessitate tasteless violent actions
- map gives little information and cannot be edited
- frequent glitches and bugs give an unfinished feel
- jumping is broken and makes sequence breaking possible
- broom combat is sluggish and unsatisfying
- final climactic events feel abridged and crude
- the writing is a bit too obtuse for my taste

Playtime: 6 hours, with some usage of a guide in the middle. All regular cards and upgrades acquired.

Magic Moment: Pushing someone off a bridge in a certain section, only to jump into a strange new world.

Blagic Moments: Fighting the later bosses and beating them in seconds as a result of the world. Getting to the end, only to find out the most obvious twist you could think off.

Verdict:
Anodyne is a weird game, and it wears its weirdness with pride. From the obtuse storyline to the mystifying characters cobbled together from different fantasy worlds, you never really know what game you are playing. However, that atmosphere and and feeling of entering a liminal space is the game's greatest strengths.

From a pure gameplay perspective, though, most of the systems like movement or combat feel unfinished or unsatisfying at best. But whenever I felt like a puzzle or a combat situation was frustrating, another banger song pulled me back in. And so I stuck with it, against all odds.

As a result, this is one of those games where the journey is the destination, and I would only recommend it to players who are willing to bite their way through the jank. But those people may actually end up loving it.

I'm a sucker for a tough game, and Wo-Long's reputation as a real ass-kicker echoed throughout my Internet echo chamber. After beating it, I can safely say: this reputation is overblown, and thankfully so.

Pros:
+ the audio-visual presentation is good enough
+ the general difficulty is lower than in other Team Ninja games
+ overleveling is easy and encouraged by the mission-based structure
+ stages are usually small but hide a lot of secrets and hidden loot
+ combat system is daftly designed and carries a lot of weight
+ deflect system is lenient and very fun to use
+ spirit gauge is a unique spin on the classic stamina system
+ ranged and stealth attacks are viable combat tactic options
+ flag and moral point system are unique in the ARPG genre...
+ ...and reward thorough investigation of each stage
+ once understood, the five elemental phases can make all the difference
+ equipment can be easily upgraded and personalized
+ main menu indicates missing trinkets in each level

Cons:
- the game is only saved at battle flags
- enemies and allies are dumb as rocks
- the hub are is needlessly expansive and difficult to traverse
- even with the help of videos, the tutorial is mostly useless
- the amount of loot dropped by enemies is far too high...
- ...rendering item management extremely time consuming
- elemental attacks feel underpowered compared to weapon attacks...
- ...and are tied to moral ranks for no apparent reason
- jump mechanic is unintuitive and leads to cheap deaths
- enemies can use their fury attacks frequently and in sequence
- bosses can reset their spirit damage at a whim
- the story is impenetrable to anyone not familiar with the Three Kingdoms
- technical performance and load times on PS4 are pretty wonky

Playtime: 60 hours with all DLC finished. All flags acquired and all optional battlefields beaten. I didn't bother to pick up all of the trinkets in each level, though.

Best weapon: My trusty 4-star mace of Polaris that I found at the beginning and which carried me to the final boss.

Magic Moment: Fighting the famous Li Bu for long enough to understand all of his movements and attacks, only to beat him decisively with the help of the deflect move at the end. Reaching a snowy battlefield and using the stealth mode effectively for the first time. Beating the final DLC boss after literally days of trying.

Verdict:
Contrary to popular belief, Wo-Long is not a soulslike, but instead a classic action RPG more similar to the modern Ninja Gaiden and Nioh games, and is all the better off for it. The mission-based structure, morality rank system, lenient deflect windows, and frequent help from friendly allies renders the entire experience much more forgiving than what you have come to expect from games in the soulslike genre. Combined with the powerful five phases system, which can be used to completely cancel enemy attacks, and the mission-based system that usually offers various options, Wo-Long is always engaging and rarely frustrating.

So play this if you want to play a really fun ARPG with unique mechanics are satisfying combat.

Without doubt one of the best games ever made.

Although the incredibly random nature combined with the increased difficulty of the complete Repentance version is tough to master, this is really one of those games that will make you question whether you should play any other games.

And the answer, at least for hundreds of hours, is no.

A roguelike deck builder with plenty of customization, cute character designs, and excellent pixel art? Sounds like my kind of game, but after more hours than I like to admit, Dungeon Drafters is one thing first and foremost: a hardcore experience for masochist.

Pros:
+ excellent pixel art and character designs
+ deck building offers plenty of customization
+ changing between playstyles is quick and easy
+ checkered world design is intuitive and quick to understand
+ five different biomes with diverse challenges are available from the start
+ town quests invite and reward experimentation
+ curio system offers even more approaches to situations
+ final dungon can be tackled at any moment
+ bosses are diverse and smartly designed
+ side-quests and minigames are fun

Cons:
- difficulty curve is extremely steep
- initial pick of starter deck is extremely important
- town portal is not available from the beginning
- enemies and hostile gizmos are too plentiful and powerful
- most curios are useless or even increase the difficulty
- bonus room unlocks are important but impossible for most builds
- final area and boss are frustratingly difficulty
- jazzy soundtrack is unique but repeats too quickly
- plenty of glitches, UI, and game logic issues
- rough technical performance on Switch

Playtime: Over 40 hours, with most curios, cards, and quests unlocked. Regular ending acquired.

Magic Moment: Unlocking a late-stage card that allows to kill many enemies in one turn, only to realize it works not as intended. Finally beating the final boss of countless of hours, only to realize there is a hidden ending that I can just look up.

Verdict:
Dungeon Drafters offers a unique mix of 16-bit visuals, deck building and roguelike elements, but its extremely high difficulty curve and lack of hand holding makes it a real challenge that delights and frustrates in equal measure. Facing a dozen enemies in small rooms and and having to check the attack patterns and sequence of action on each enemy becomes cumbersome and time consuming quickly, and elements intended to allow for greater customization like curios or health increase items don't scale quickly enough with the ever-increasing challenges. A round of fishing or playing a logic minigame helps take the steam off, sure, but the next death is always around the corner.

In short, this is a hardcore experience intended for players willing to deeply engage with its systems. Everyone else will be killed by the now-obligatory tutorial boss, only to realize that they are in for a world of cruel randomization, icy floors, and pain.

Check it out if you like the look, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Long-awaited, hotly-anticipated, warmly received. Peppper Grinder is one of those indies that were beloved from the start, but now that it's finally out, it ... really grinds my gears.

Pros:
+ central grinder mechanic is fun to use
+ level design is good to great throughout
+ new gameplay elements are introduced regularly
+ collectables are smartly hidden
+ one playthrough is quick and easy
+ the final boss is an adequate skill check

Cons:
- turning on a dime is buggy as hell
- a general lack of polish is felt throughout
- visual look is muddy and blurry
- regular jump is imprecise and unfun to use
- hook mechanic barely works
- boss fights all play alike
- no option to restart from a checkpoint...
- ...which makes collectable hunting frustrating
- collectables only have one useful use

Playtime: 6 hours, all gold coins collected.

Blagic Moments: Getting stuck in a random piece of scenery, only to have to restart the game. Getting handed the hook out of nowhere, only to start hating it immediately.

Verdict:
Pepper Grinder is my first big disappointment of the year. It's a game that lives and dies on its mechanics, but if those very mechanics feel unpolished and imprecise, the outcome is as expected. Even if progress is quick and each new level introduces smart new challenges, you still have to look at the blurry, low-poly look for your entire playthrough, while having to face repetitive boss fights in regular intervals.

I would advise against playing this. If you yearn for something similar, play Flinthook or Super Meat Boy instead.

Pros:
+ a tight, expertly designed journey that has lost none of its appeal
+ the feeling of discovering an alien planet is unmatched
+ the level design is of the highest order
+ pacing in the first half is absolutely perfect
+ collectables are plentiful and directly influence the difficulty
+ the platforming is precise and responsive enough
+ combat feels dirty, quick, and satisfying
+ weapon upgrades open up new combat choices
+ enemies scale in difficulty over the course of the game
+ the map is one of the best ever created for a 3D Metroidvania
+ updated graphics and lightning effects make the game feel brand new
+ each biome has a distinct look and feel
+ music is great throughout and sets the perfect tone
+ sound effects are iconic
+ hint system is helpful and optional...

Cons:
- ...but the notification can't be skipped
- scanning the environment gets tedious quickly
- scanner text windows are far too small
- the writing is dry and descriptive
- boss fights are few and simplistic
- noticeable difficulty spikes after the middle of the game
- Speed Ball and Grapple Beam are difficult to handle
- later enemies require constant change of weaponry
- changing visors and weapon systems mid-fight gets stressful
- the artifact hunt is as frustrating and time-consuming as it always was...
- ...and some are practically impossible to find without guidance
- cutscenes cannot be skipped
- the penultimate boss is a frustrating, tedious bullet sponge

Magic Moments: Beating the first bosses by the skin of your teeth and getting that precious weapon upgrade. Hearing the Magmoor music again after 20 years. Beating the final boss on the first attempt.

Playtime: 16 hours on normal difficulty, with 77% of progress. All health upgrades acquired, most objects scanned, and 160 missiles found.

Verdict:
Much has been written about this game since it first arrived on the Gamecube in 2002 and the impact of Retro Studio's creation is still felt to this day. This remastered version emphasizes the incredible strengths of the original - the worldbuilding, sense of place, and satisfying action - while presenting it with upgraded visuals and some quality of life improvements. While elements like the constant scanning of the environment and the time-consuming, late-stage artifact hunt still somewhat hurt the overall package, the incredible design of this dangerous but beautiful world and the feeling of discovering it slowly and carefully has lost none of its appeal.

Metroid Prime is an action-adventure of the highest order that everyone worth their salt has to play, and this Remastered version is the definitive way to play it.

Pros
+ incredibly detailed pixel art
+ NPCs and the main character are cute and lovingly designed
+ bosses are unique and require specific combat approaches
+ a large number of individually created rooms to explore
+ stages are rarely too long even though backtracking is necessary
+ common enemies are tough but predictable
+ health can be replenished in different ways
+ the hookshot mechanic is implemented well
+ meta-upgrades are a constant motivation to keep going
+ perks allow for a highly personalized playstyle
+ the lore section is entirely optional
+ optional hidden stages and secrets can be discovered
+ a lot of stage and room variants that offer varied challenges...

Cons:
- ...with symbols that are never explained ingame for no discernable reason
- high degree of frustration tolerance is necessary for enjoyment
- bosses are brick walls that necessitate luck and memorization
- controls are not tight and hookshot mechanic is often iffy
- removing enemy shields before attacking is imprecise and frustrating
- no option to use the second stick for aiming
- no aerial aim lock on consoles (but apparently on PC?)
- slow-down mechanic is far too quick and often frustrating
- some enemies can shoot through walls
- room generation algorithm frequently leads to unfair trap placement...
- ... thus actively discouraging backtracking, even when necessary
- entering a room can lead to instant, unavoidable damage
- spike traps are almost unidentifiable
- number of perks hugely outsizes the number of available slots
- the cost of perks is generally too high and not balanced well
- the dash perk should have been a standard action
- combat builds cannot be kept from one finished stage to another
- receiving loot at the end of levels is tedious and time-consuming
- the music is immaterial and the main track gets annoying quickly


Blagic Moment: Entering a hidden stage for the first time but dying instantly from fog effects that make save traversal impossible, enemies shooting you through walls, and new killer traps.

Playtime: Finished it once but I didn't keep track for some reason, but the roguelike structure makes it difficult to say how much time it would take for a complete run. You can except a playtime of over 15 hours at least would be my guesstimate.

Verdict:
Flinthook is a tough game. It's one of those roguelikes where not only getting to the boss of any given stage is difficult and time-consuming, but beating them is equally difficult and requires not just skill, but also a great amount of pattern memorization and just a bit of luck. This high degree of difficulty is obviously a conscious design decision but also a steep barrier to deriving any enjoyment from Flinthook. At the same time, the meta-upgrades are engaging, the number of perks and perk combinations that directly affect the gameplay is high, and unlocking them is quick and easy enough to give rise to the magical incantation of "just one more run!"

However, in a packed genre that produces new prime examples in regular intervals, it is hard to recommend Flinthook to anyone but the most hardcore fans of pixel art 2D action games. Anyone else should stay away from this and save themselves the frustration.

Pros:
+ the visual style and feel are close to the original consoles
+ the infos on classic consoles are a sweet tribute
+ collectables are saved even when dying

Cons:
- having to play through levels in sequence is a huge design flaw
- the jump mechanics are difficult to get used to
- enemy movement is arbitrary
- collision detection is subpar
- retractable spikes in particular are tough to navigate
- the level design in later levels is highly confusing
- unfair situations are plentiful
- losing a heart early spells the immediate end of an attempt
- screen dimensions and doors are often not discernible
- no option to quit to the level select screen


Playtime: 1 hour, 23 of 116 levels completed.

Blagic Moment: Entering the level "Monster Palace" and getting stuck in an unfair situation only to find that it's entirely optional.

Verdict:
A weird little game with a fresh central idea of playing through the history of video games. However, the bare mechanics are not working well, the jumping is too tough to control, and the level design is frequently confusing.

I abandoned this quickly and do not recommend it.