DoorPlays
2021
I think this game is good! I understand that it was an old Skyrim mod made into a standalone, and I think that’s pretty cool. Beyond that, I think it was a good experience. It wasn’t very amazing, nor was it terrible, I’d say it’s a smidge above good. I enjoyed it and it made me think, which I think is enough. A solid 10 hours or so well spent!
(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-the-forgotten-city-2021)
(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-the-forgotten-city-2021)
2022
This game is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of game. It is nonstandard yet very bold. I love the uniqueness of it and how it asks the question of what a game actually is. Some won’t consider this a game and think of it more as an interactive movie, but as a person who is very interested in the narrative potential of games, I appreciate the bold experimentation that this game pulls off. Sam Barlow has been doing this kind of game since Her Story (2015), and I feel like he has perfected the formula here, though I wonder how he will make another game like this.
(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/immortality-2022-review, also spoilery essay https://doorplays.substack.com/p/immortality-2022-spoilery-review)
(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/immortality-2022-review, also spoilery essay https://doorplays.substack.com/p/immortality-2022-spoilery-review)
This is a solid first game from Color Gray Games. Even though I found some similarity to Return of the Obra Dinn, the gameplay still felt fresh, and I liked how the worldbuilding was interweaved with the solving mechanic. I am looking forward for more game from their company in the future!
(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-the-case-of-the-golden)
(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-the-case-of-the-golden)
2019
I feel like this game was made specifically to cater to a certain era of gamers who grew up with games that are hard to maneuver, with janky controls because of hardware limitations. It serves to tickle their nostalgia while trying to have a good story. If you’re that kind of person, maybe a person who enjoyed games in the 70s or something? And a person who maybe lived in Europe? Maybe you’d like this game. But that’s not me, maybe that’s just the reason, that I’m not the audience for this game, but at the same time I came in at the very least for a story, and I come out of this experience mourning the loss of my time.
(full review here https://doorplays.substack.com/p/horace-review)
(full review here https://doorplays.substack.com/p/horace-review)
All in all, it’s a really good game if you want to take the time to learn it. Buy it when it’s on sale!
(full review on https://doorplays.substack.com/p/offworld-trading-company-review)
(full review on https://doorplays.substack.com/p/offworld-trading-company-review)
help
did you know ffxiv is FREE until level 60 and heavensward??? now u do
2016
I’ve been playing this game ever since it came out, and it continues to be a treat. It was only in 2022 though that I actually played the Expeditions. And it is very nice to see how fellow explorers just help people along through them by making bases, planting markers, and just putting up some messages! I’ve enjoyed this game for years because of its variety and beauty, but it’s only now that I felt how rich its community is. I look forward to exploring it more in the coming years!
2022
This game... this game is not just about history, not just about choices, this game is also about you living with your choices. Andreas’s regrets, successes, and the butterfly effect of his presence on the people of Tassing are told with great import. If you play this game, I urge you not to savescum or make a new save when things don’t go your way.
2022
I enjoyed the story and the characters. It is a surprisingly familiar story that resonates, and the gameplay is chill enough, along with the music. It has my Seal of Approval
It’s lovely to see these characters in high definition. Barrett is fuckin STACKED and it’s lovely to see Jessie and Aerith. Tifa looked lovely in a dress! And it’s nice to see Biggs and Wedge having actual personalities here.
Gameplay was snappy enough and I have no complaints about it. And I enjoyed enough how the story was told. I’m looking forward to part two!
Gameplay was snappy enough and I have no complaints about it. And I enjoyed enough how the story was told. I’m looking forward to part two!
2013
I love how this game weaves its simple gameplay into a good narrative. It is a very solid game.
This game is by the same people who made VA-11 Hall-A, and is set in the same world and a few years before it. It’s a visual novel with a lot to say about technology, consciousness, and people. I loved the pixel art and I loved the writing! I grew to care for the characters, which was something I did not expect. I recommend this game!
2017
Guerilla Games has managed to bring forth a wonderful IP that has rekindled many gamers’ love for games in this age. It has the right combination of gameplay and story. It exploits the capability of the PS4 to its fullest potential. It makes me want to feel lost in its world and just explore every corner.
(full review at https://doorplays.substack.com/p/horizon-zero-dawn-review, also at https://doorplays.tumblr.com/post/159338071993/horizon-zero-dawn-review)
(full review at https://doorplays.substack.com/p/horizon-zero-dawn-review, also at https://doorplays.tumblr.com/post/159338071993/horizon-zero-dawn-review)
I played Zero Dawn years ago and enjoyed it very much, and I’m glad to report that now that I’ve played the sequel, I still enjoy it a lot! The gameplay feels the same for me, and the graphics are still very breathtaking, though I didn’t have as much opportunity to take pictures here as opposed to in Zero Dawn. I enjoyed the story a lot too. I have nothing much to say about it other than it being a solid sequel, and I look forward to more entries to this series!