The Walking Dead season 2 doesn't quite reach the heights of season one but is still a very enjoyable experience. The player controls Clementine months after the events of season 1. The visuals, and mechanics from season 1 are more refined and the performances are just as good. If you enjoyed season 1, season 2 is worth playing at least once.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is great! The graphics, and audio design for its time were unbelievable. A game that changed what it meant to be a "stealth game." In Splinter Cell the player controls Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret brach: Third Echelon. Splinter Cell shines via its storyline, and addictive gameplay. A must play game.
A great follow up to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell! This game takes everything that was special about Splinter Cell and improves upon it. A great story, that isn't as complex as the first game accompanied by the great gameplay of the first game just improved upon makes Pandora Tomorrow a treat to play.
2022
Pentiment
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment (@Obsidian)
Published by: Xbox Game Studios (@XboxPublishing)
Pentiment is a one of kind gem that won’t be popular and won’t be the type of game that a lot of people enjoy. Pentiment is a beautifully crafted historically accurate narrative adventure game.
Pentiment requires from the player a lot of reading. Luckily the writing is deep, thought provoking and overall incredible. The overall premise of the game is that the player controls Andreas Maler in the small town of Tassing in the 1500s. There is a great amount of political and religious turmoil going on via constant wars, and peasant revolts that will serve as a backdrop to the story going on in Pentiment. Throughout the course of the game murders will occur that will require the player to explore Tassing, talk to the various residents and determine who the culprits are. The players choice will affect the residents of Tassing and the player will be left to deal with the aftermath of their decisions.
Pentiment is visually stunning and the sound design only helps set the atmosphere and stage for the story to unfold. Fans of history and medieval Europe will find a lot to love in Pentiment.
One of the most unique games I’ve ever played, and while I enjoyed my time with it, I’m glad to be moving on and won’t be going for 100% completion.
Played on: Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X
Review Score: 4/5
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment (@Obsidian)
Published by: Xbox Game Studios (@XboxPublishing)
Pentiment is a one of kind gem that won’t be popular and won’t be the type of game that a lot of people enjoy. Pentiment is a beautifully crafted historically accurate narrative adventure game.
Pentiment requires from the player a lot of reading. Luckily the writing is deep, thought provoking and overall incredible. The overall premise of the game is that the player controls Andreas Maler in the small town of Tassing in the 1500s. There is a great amount of political and religious turmoil going on via constant wars, and peasant revolts that will serve as a backdrop to the story going on in Pentiment. Throughout the course of the game murders will occur that will require the player to explore Tassing, talk to the various residents and determine who the culprits are. The players choice will affect the residents of Tassing and the player will be left to deal with the aftermath of their decisions.
Pentiment is visually stunning and the sound design only helps set the atmosphere and stage for the story to unfold. Fans of history and medieval Europe will find a lot to love in Pentiment.
One of the most unique games I’ve ever played, and while I enjoyed my time with it, I’m glad to be moving on and won’t be going for 100% completion.
Played on: Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X
Review Score: 4/5
Cronostase Electric Collection
Developed by: Cronostase
Published by: Penguin Pop Games (@PenguinPopGames)
Cronostase Electric Collection is a collection of 7 puzzle games, containing 50 levels in each, 350 levels overall. I enjoyed my time playing this game. There’s not much to say about this collection of games. They’re not incredibly challenging and 350 is kind of absurd. I enjoyed my time with Cronostase Electric Collection. Fans of puzzle games will enjoy this.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
Developed by: Cronostase
Published by: Penguin Pop Games (@PenguinPopGames)
Cronostase Electric Collection is a collection of 7 puzzle games, containing 50 levels in each, 350 levels overall. I enjoyed my time playing this game. There’s not much to say about this collection of games. They’re not incredibly challenging and 350 is kind of absurd. I enjoyed my time with Cronostase Electric Collection. Fans of puzzle games will enjoy this.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
Flynn: Son of Crimson
Developed by: Studio Thunderhorse
Published by: Humble Games
Flynn: Son of Crimson is a solid action platformer.
In Flynn: Son of Crimson the player controls Flynn, a young boy who has a pet magical dog. Flynn like his dog has magical abilities and early on in the game he is forced to set out on an adventure to reclaim the magic that exists across his country.
The story is just a vehicle to progress and evolve the gameplay which is the best part of Flynn: Son of Crimson. The game is 2d and sprite based. In Flynn: Son of Crimson, the player explores different biomes, fights different types of enemies and collect gems that will allow them to upgrade Flynn. The player will also unlock new magical abilities as the story progresses. There are fire attacks, ice attacks, lightning attacks as well as various slash attacks that as mentioned earlier can be upgraded via gems.
Like classic games before its time, think Super Mario World, levels in Flynn have multiple exits that will either progress the story or lead to “challenge” levels where the player will be locked into an arena and be forced to face waves of enemies.
The 2D animations, art design and soundtrack are all great. If feels like you’re playing an “old school” 8-16 bit game but the game doesn’t feel dated.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Flynn: Son of Crimson. The controls could be a bit tighter when it comes to the combat but overall it felt very satisfying and rewarding to clear a level or beat one of the games many bosses.
I’d definitely recommend this game to fans of challenging 2d action platformers. This game can be unforgiving at times but it’s worth it at the end of the day. Pick it up on a sale :)
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3.5/5
Developed by: Studio Thunderhorse
Published by: Humble Games
Flynn: Son of Crimson is a solid action platformer.
In Flynn: Son of Crimson the player controls Flynn, a young boy who has a pet magical dog. Flynn like his dog has magical abilities and early on in the game he is forced to set out on an adventure to reclaim the magic that exists across his country.
The story is just a vehicle to progress and evolve the gameplay which is the best part of Flynn: Son of Crimson. The game is 2d and sprite based. In Flynn: Son of Crimson, the player explores different biomes, fights different types of enemies and collect gems that will allow them to upgrade Flynn. The player will also unlock new magical abilities as the story progresses. There are fire attacks, ice attacks, lightning attacks as well as various slash attacks that as mentioned earlier can be upgraded via gems.
Like classic games before its time, think Super Mario World, levels in Flynn have multiple exits that will either progress the story or lead to “challenge” levels where the player will be locked into an arena and be forced to face waves of enemies.
The 2D animations, art design and soundtrack are all great. If feels like you’re playing an “old school” 8-16 bit game but the game doesn’t feel dated.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Flynn: Son of Crimson. The controls could be a bit tighter when it comes to the combat but overall it felt very satisfying and rewarding to clear a level or beat one of the games many bosses.
I’d definitely recommend this game to fans of challenging 2d action platformers. This game can be unforgiving at times but it’s worth it at the end of the day. Pick it up on a sale :)
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3.5/5
Children of Silentown
Developed by: Elf Games, Luna2 Studio (@elfgamesworks)
Published by: Daedalic Entertainment (@daedalic)
Let me say right off the bat the developers of Children of Silentown DO NOT respect their players time.
SPOILERS: There are 4 different endings and each ending requires a full play through. Reloadable checkpoints or manual saves DO NOT exist in this game. Unless you find a way to create a back up save file on PC you’re going to be screwed if you want to 100% Children of Silentown or expected to be able to.
Now the review.
In Children of Silentown the player controls a 12 year old girl named Lucy who lives in a small town with her parents. Lucy suffers from nightmares, and lives under constant fear of being kidnapped by monsters, as well as the other people in her town. Monsters are believed to live in the forest that borders the town, constantly watching them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The people of Silentown live under strict rules. They are discouraged from going out at night, singing is looked down upon and loud voices are forbidden.
Children of Silentown is a point and click adventure game at heart. It’s simple and easy to understand, The game play loop consists of the player guiding Lucy throughout the town, clicking on objects, or people to interact with them. The player will be tasked to solve puzzles that are unlocked my playing songs in front of objects, and people as previously pointed out. New songs are required by unlocking all notes in the song.
Visually, Children of Silentown is fantastic. The hand drawn characters, environments and cutscenes are unsettling and create the sinister atmosphere that the game is aiming for. The sound design is weak but overall the presentation is engaging and incredibly atmospheric.
Overall, I was enjoying my time with Children of Silentown. I really thought that game was something special until I reached the end and discovered the 4 different endings and everything I discussed at the top of the review.
If what I described is not an issue for you and you’re a fan of point and click adventure games, this game is a game that you should definitely check out. Personally, by the time I unlocked all the endings and achievements I was definitely glad to be done with this game and it left a sour taste in my mouth. What could have been an incredible experience was ruined by poor game design decisions by either the developers or publisher of this game.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5 (this game would have scored higher if not for the multiple endings issue)
Developed by: Elf Games, Luna2 Studio (@elfgamesworks)
Published by: Daedalic Entertainment (@daedalic)
Let me say right off the bat the developers of Children of Silentown DO NOT respect their players time.
SPOILERS: There are 4 different endings and each ending requires a full play through. Reloadable checkpoints or manual saves DO NOT exist in this game. Unless you find a way to create a back up save file on PC you’re going to be screwed if you want to 100% Children of Silentown or expected to be able to.
Now the review.
In Children of Silentown the player controls a 12 year old girl named Lucy who lives in a small town with her parents. Lucy suffers from nightmares, and lives under constant fear of being kidnapped by monsters, as well as the other people in her town. Monsters are believed to live in the forest that borders the town, constantly watching them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The people of Silentown live under strict rules. They are discouraged from going out at night, singing is looked down upon and loud voices are forbidden.
Children of Silentown is a point and click adventure game at heart. It’s simple and easy to understand, The game play loop consists of the player guiding Lucy throughout the town, clicking on objects, or people to interact with them. The player will be tasked to solve puzzles that are unlocked my playing songs in front of objects, and people as previously pointed out. New songs are required by unlocking all notes in the song.
Visually, Children of Silentown is fantastic. The hand drawn characters, environments and cutscenes are unsettling and create the sinister atmosphere that the game is aiming for. The sound design is weak but overall the presentation is engaging and incredibly atmospheric.
Overall, I was enjoying my time with Children of Silentown. I really thought that game was something special until I reached the end and discovered the 4 different endings and everything I discussed at the top of the review.
If what I described is not an issue for you and you’re a fan of point and click adventure games, this game is a game that you should definitely check out. Personally, by the time I unlocked all the endings and achievements I was definitely glad to be done with this game and it left a sour taste in my mouth. What could have been an incredible experience was ruined by poor game design decisions by either the developers or publisher of this game.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 4/5 (this game would have scored higher if not for the multiple endings issue)
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassin’s is based on the concept of the popular Doctor Who episode Blink. It dives deeper into the lore of the weeping angels and the game is filled with easter eggs for Doctor Who fans.
This game is about an hour to an hour and a half long. In this game the player controls a person who has found a cellphone and with the help of another person is tasked to find the owner of the phone.
It’s a horror/mystery game at heart. The gameplay consists of the player searching the phones emails, photos and text messages to find clues to determine what happened to the owners phone. The puzzles are easy to solve and while there are a few jump scares the selling point of this game is the “sinister atmosphere” that exists while you play it.
Overall this is a game that fans of Doctor Who will most likely enjoy. I’d recommend this game be purchased on a steep discount.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
This game is about an hour to an hour and a half long. In this game the player controls a person who has found a cellphone and with the help of another person is tasked to find the owner of the phone.
It’s a horror/mystery game at heart. The gameplay consists of the player searching the phones emails, photos and text messages to find clues to determine what happened to the owners phone. The puzzles are easy to solve and while there are a few jump scares the selling point of this game is the “sinister atmosphere” that exists while you play it.
Overall this is a game that fans of Doctor Who will most likely enjoy. I’d recommend this game be purchased on a steep discount.
Played on: Xbox Series X
Review score: 3/5
2020
Persona 4 Golden
Developed by: Atlus
Published by: Atlus USA
Where to start with Persona 4 Golden? Well, let’s start with the story. In Persona 4 Golden the player controls a transfer student who moves to a rural town known as Inaba for a year while his parents have gone overseas to work. The transfer student moves in with his uncle and his young daughter and early on during his stay in Inaba learns about an urban legend by the name of the “Midnight Channel.” The legend goes, if you stand in front of a television that’s turned off at midnight, on a rainy night, the image of your soul mate will appear on the screen. The transfer student quickly learns that isn’t exactly true. Instead of your soulmate appearing on the screen, the Midnight channel displays someone that will turn up dead. The transfer student discovers they can enter the television through the screen and in doing so can save potential murder victims. The story of Persona 4 is complex is extremely engaging.
Let’s move on to the graphics. While this game is over a decade old the anime like cutscenes, and visual novel style of game play graphics hold up extremely well. If you play Persona 4 Golden after Persona 5 Royal the graphics will be a bit jarring at first but if you’re like me you’ll become so utterly engaged in the story that you’ll quickly get used to the graphics and appreciate the visual style of the game for what it is.
When it comes to the sound, like Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden has an INCREDIBLE soundtrack. The sound effects, and overall sound design is on point.
On to the gameplay. Like in Persona 5 Royal, 4 Golden is split into two parts. There’s the “everyday life” aspect of the game and the “Midnight Channel” or simply put TV world part of the game. In the everyday life aspect of Persona 4 Golden, the player will attend school, spend time with friends, read books, fish, or work at various jobs to make money. On to the TV world part of the game. When the player enters the TV world they will enter different style of dungeons that are procedurally generated to rescue other students that upon rescuing can be recruited to join the players cause. Inside the dungeons the player will encounter “shadows” which are enemies on the floor. If the player hits a shadow they will begin a battle and have advantage to strike first, but if the shadow runs into the player a battle will begin but the shadow will have the advantage. Shadows are completely avoidable but avoiding them is not something I would suggest as the experience gained from fighting shadows is highly valuable. On your first run through a dungeon I’d highly recommend fighting every shadow in order to gain experience to level up your character and party members. Battles in Persona 4 Golden are like Persona 5. Battles consist of the the player attacking shadows with a weapon or magic based attacks via “Persona’s.” Shadows will have elemental weaknesses that will take player experimentation to figure out.
There’s more I could type up but if you’ve played another Persona game this game won’t be too complicated for you to play. The same basic DNA that exists in other Persona games can be found all throughout Persona 4 Golden. Persona 4 Golden is a masterpiece. It contains a great story, that is accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and engaging combat. I loved my time with Persona 4 Golden. I played through the story twice and unlocked all but one achievement. It’s hard to not recommend this game to anyone that’s a fan of JRPGs and that has Xbox GamePass. PLAY IT!
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 5/5
Developed by: Atlus
Published by: Atlus USA
Where to start with Persona 4 Golden? Well, let’s start with the story. In Persona 4 Golden the player controls a transfer student who moves to a rural town known as Inaba for a year while his parents have gone overseas to work. The transfer student moves in with his uncle and his young daughter and early on during his stay in Inaba learns about an urban legend by the name of the “Midnight Channel.” The legend goes, if you stand in front of a television that’s turned off at midnight, on a rainy night, the image of your soul mate will appear on the screen. The transfer student quickly learns that isn’t exactly true. Instead of your soulmate appearing on the screen, the Midnight channel displays someone that will turn up dead. The transfer student discovers they can enter the television through the screen and in doing so can save potential murder victims. The story of Persona 4 is complex is extremely engaging.
Let’s move on to the graphics. While this game is over a decade old the anime like cutscenes, and visual novel style of game play graphics hold up extremely well. If you play Persona 4 Golden after Persona 5 Royal the graphics will be a bit jarring at first but if you’re like me you’ll become so utterly engaged in the story that you’ll quickly get used to the graphics and appreciate the visual style of the game for what it is.
When it comes to the sound, like Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden has an INCREDIBLE soundtrack. The sound effects, and overall sound design is on point.
On to the gameplay. Like in Persona 5 Royal, 4 Golden is split into two parts. There’s the “everyday life” aspect of the game and the “Midnight Channel” or simply put TV world part of the game. In the everyday life aspect of Persona 4 Golden, the player will attend school, spend time with friends, read books, fish, or work at various jobs to make money. On to the TV world part of the game. When the player enters the TV world they will enter different style of dungeons that are procedurally generated to rescue other students that upon rescuing can be recruited to join the players cause. Inside the dungeons the player will encounter “shadows” which are enemies on the floor. If the player hits a shadow they will begin a battle and have advantage to strike first, but if the shadow runs into the player a battle will begin but the shadow will have the advantage. Shadows are completely avoidable but avoiding them is not something I would suggest as the experience gained from fighting shadows is highly valuable. On your first run through a dungeon I’d highly recommend fighting every shadow in order to gain experience to level up your character and party members. Battles in Persona 4 Golden are like Persona 5. Battles consist of the the player attacking shadows with a weapon or magic based attacks via “Persona’s.” Shadows will have elemental weaknesses that will take player experimentation to figure out.
There’s more I could type up but if you’ve played another Persona game this game won’t be too complicated for you to play. The same basic DNA that exists in other Persona games can be found all throughout Persona 4 Golden. Persona 4 Golden is a masterpiece. It contains a great story, that is accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and engaging combat. I loved my time with Persona 4 Golden. I played through the story twice and unlocked all but one achievement. It’s hard to not recommend this game to anyone that’s a fan of JRPGs and that has Xbox GamePass. PLAY IT!
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review Score: 5/5
2022
The Entropy Centre
Developed by: Stubby Games (@Stubby_Games)
Published by: Playstack (@PlaystackGames)
I’m just going to say it off right of the top. The Entropy Centre is a great sci-fi, puzzle game. Graphically the game is beautiful, the music is great and the puzzles are innovative and fun to figure out. The Entropy Centre is a game that the player should play with as little information as possible.
This game will be compared to Portal but I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve never played Portal. People like to call it a “time-based Portal.” Take that for what it’s worth. A spoiler free summary of the story of the game is that you’re playing as someone that is trying to prevent something bad from happening by rewinding time. By solving puzzles the player is building up “entropic energy” which will then be used to reverse the bad situation from happening.
Puzzles start off fairly easy to solve and as the story progresses they will become more and more complex. The game is separated in acts and in each act a new mechanic is introduced. As the player travels throughout the “Entropy Centre” they will encounter various obstacles that they will have to use their AI-powered gun named Astra to rewind time to remove obstacles out of the way or objects through time to trigger doorways to open or conveyor belts and more to move. The puzzles are solved using blocks and there are various forms of blocks. There are regular blocks, blocks that will make your player jump long distances, blocks that form bridges that allow you to cross gaps, and more. This game isn’t combat based but there will be time when you will have to “defeat” enemies by using the environment or their own attacks against them.
The Entropy Centre is well written and while it will vary from person to person I found the story emotional and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat at times dying for the next bit of story exposition. The Entropy Centre isn’t a “long game” per se. It’ll depend on the players skill and how quickly they’re able to complete each puzzle. The game on my first play through took me roughly 10 hours to complete but I’ve seen YouTube play throughs of the game being completed quicker. Whether that’s do to editing or the player having played the game before is hard to say.
My only complaint when it comes to the The Entropy Centre is that the controls didn’t feel good at times. Sections that required platforming via the jumping blocks felt “floaty” or very hard to execute at times. The game performed solidly and I didn’t encounter any bugs.
In conclusion I would highly recommend this game to fans of sci-fi stories and puzzle games. The innovative and original puzzles and the unique rewind time mechanic make this game a highly engaging and enjoyable experience. I tried my best to not spoil anything about the game and to keep it as vague as possible. Play this game with as little information as possible!
Pros:
The story
The sound design and soundtrack
The puzzles
Cons:
The controls when using certain mechanics to solve puzzles
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 4.5/5
Developed by: Stubby Games (@Stubby_Games)
Published by: Playstack (@PlaystackGames)
I’m just going to say it off right of the top. The Entropy Centre is a great sci-fi, puzzle game. Graphically the game is beautiful, the music is great and the puzzles are innovative and fun to figure out. The Entropy Centre is a game that the player should play with as little information as possible.
This game will be compared to Portal but I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve never played Portal. People like to call it a “time-based Portal.” Take that for what it’s worth. A spoiler free summary of the story of the game is that you’re playing as someone that is trying to prevent something bad from happening by rewinding time. By solving puzzles the player is building up “entropic energy” which will then be used to reverse the bad situation from happening.
Puzzles start off fairly easy to solve and as the story progresses they will become more and more complex. The game is separated in acts and in each act a new mechanic is introduced. As the player travels throughout the “Entropy Centre” they will encounter various obstacles that they will have to use their AI-powered gun named Astra to rewind time to remove obstacles out of the way or objects through time to trigger doorways to open or conveyor belts and more to move. The puzzles are solved using blocks and there are various forms of blocks. There are regular blocks, blocks that will make your player jump long distances, blocks that form bridges that allow you to cross gaps, and more. This game isn’t combat based but there will be time when you will have to “defeat” enemies by using the environment or their own attacks against them.
The Entropy Centre is well written and while it will vary from person to person I found the story emotional and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat at times dying for the next bit of story exposition. The Entropy Centre isn’t a “long game” per se. It’ll depend on the players skill and how quickly they’re able to complete each puzzle. The game on my first play through took me roughly 10 hours to complete but I’ve seen YouTube play throughs of the game being completed quicker. Whether that’s do to editing or the player having played the game before is hard to say.
My only complaint when it comes to the The Entropy Centre is that the controls didn’t feel good at times. Sections that required platforming via the jumping blocks felt “floaty” or very hard to execute at times. The game performed solidly and I didn’t encounter any bugs.
In conclusion I would highly recommend this game to fans of sci-fi stories and puzzle games. The innovative and original puzzles and the unique rewind time mechanic make this game a highly engaging and enjoyable experience. I tried my best to not spoil anything about the game and to keep it as vague as possible. Play this game with as little information as possible!
Pros:
The story
The sound design and soundtrack
The puzzles
Cons:
The controls when using certain mechanics to solve puzzles
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 4.5/5
2017
Stories Untold
Developed by: No Code (@_NoCode)
Published by: Revolver Digital (@devolverdigital)
Stories Untold is a unique blend of a text adventure game and a point and click game. It’s an anthology of 4 chapters that come together to tell one overall narrative.
The first chapter and where the story begins is called “The House Abandon.” The player finds themselves at a computer and engages in a text adventure.
The second chapter takes place in a lab where the player performs experiments on a mysterious device and the third chapter takes place in a mysterious lab where the player has to input codes into a computer.
The last chapter ties together what exactly is happening in the previous three chapters. Stories Untold is a game to be played with as little information as possible which is why my descriptions above are vague.
For people that are unfamiliar with text based adventure games and point and click style of games Stories Untold will be hard game to play, and most likely not an enjoyable experience.
The atmosphere and tension that is created by the writing and art design makes Stories Untold incredibly engaging throughout the first three chapters. Unfortunately for some players that will all fall apart as they play through the fourth chapter and progress towards the conclusion of the story. The game throughout the first three chapters is unsettling, and downright scary at times. The developers use altering backgrounds, flashing images and voiced dialogue to create a sense of dread and did a great job in making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Stories Untold is a game that if it clicks with you, will be an instant classic but otherwise will be a frustrating experience with an unsatisfying conclusion. A lot of the enjoyment in playing Stories Untold comes from the players own imagination. Reading into the developers writing and making assumptions as to what is going on. Like most horror stories, the mystery is often better written than the conclusion. I enjoyed the story the developers told and don’t regret my time with Stories Untold. This is a game I would recommend people pick up on a sale. My total play time was somewhere between 2-3 hours.
Pros:
The soundtrack
The story (at least through the first three chapters)
Cons:
The conclusion to the story (for some people)
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 3.5/5
Developed by: No Code (@_NoCode)
Published by: Revolver Digital (@devolverdigital)
Stories Untold is a unique blend of a text adventure game and a point and click game. It’s an anthology of 4 chapters that come together to tell one overall narrative.
The first chapter and where the story begins is called “The House Abandon.” The player finds themselves at a computer and engages in a text adventure.
The second chapter takes place in a lab where the player performs experiments on a mysterious device and the third chapter takes place in a mysterious lab where the player has to input codes into a computer.
The last chapter ties together what exactly is happening in the previous three chapters. Stories Untold is a game to be played with as little information as possible which is why my descriptions above are vague.
For people that are unfamiliar with text based adventure games and point and click style of games Stories Untold will be hard game to play, and most likely not an enjoyable experience.
The atmosphere and tension that is created by the writing and art design makes Stories Untold incredibly engaging throughout the first three chapters. Unfortunately for some players that will all fall apart as they play through the fourth chapter and progress towards the conclusion of the story. The game throughout the first three chapters is unsettling, and downright scary at times. The developers use altering backgrounds, flashing images and voiced dialogue to create a sense of dread and did a great job in making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Stories Untold is a game that if it clicks with you, will be an instant classic but otherwise will be a frustrating experience with an unsatisfying conclusion. A lot of the enjoyment in playing Stories Untold comes from the players own imagination. Reading into the developers writing and making assumptions as to what is going on. Like most horror stories, the mystery is often better written than the conclusion. I enjoyed the story the developers told and don’t regret my time with Stories Untold. This is a game I would recommend people pick up on a sale. My total play time was somewhere between 2-3 hours.
Pros:
The soundtrack
The story (at least through the first three chapters)
Cons:
The conclusion to the story (for some people)
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased from the Xbox store.
Review Score: 3.5/5
2017
Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic addition to the Super Mario franchise, with its engaging and unique gameplay, well-crafted worlds, and impressive technical performance. The game combines traditional 3D platforming with new mechanics and a captivating story that keep players engaged throughout the entire adventure.
The gameplay in Super Mario Odyssey is undoubtedly the game's standout feature. It has a fresh and innovative approach that is both familiar and new. Players take control of Mario, who can use his hat, Cappy, to possess enemies and interact with the environment. This mechanic adds a new level of depth and complexity to the game and allows players to experiment with different strategies to overcome obstacles.
The game's world/level design is also exceptional. Each world is filled with secrets, hidden areas, and collectibles to discover, providing an incentive to explore and revisit levels. The design of each level is unique and engaging, with each one feeling like a new adventure. The game's design is also challenging without being frustrating, with the difficulty curve gradually increasing as the player progresses.
Super Mario Odyssey also boasts impressive technical performance. The game runs smoothly, with no noticeable lag or frame rate drops, even during intense action sequences. The graphics are stunning, with colorful and detailed environments that bring each level to life. The sound design is also excellent, with memorable music and sound effects that complement the gameplay perfectly.
One of the few criticisms of the game is its camera system. While the camera is generally reliable, there are times when it can be frustratingly awkward and can hinder the player's progress. However, this is only a minor complaint, and the rest of the game more than makes up for it.
In conclusion, Super Mario Odyssey is an exceptional game that deserves all the praise it has received. Its engaging gameplay, well-crafted worlds, and impressive technical performance make it a must-play for any fan of the Super Mario franchise or anyone who enjoys 3D platformers. With its unique mechanics and captivating story, Super Mario Odyssey is a standout title that should not be missed. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and challenging gaming experience.
The gameplay in Super Mario Odyssey is undoubtedly the game's standout feature. It has a fresh and innovative approach that is both familiar and new. Players take control of Mario, who can use his hat, Cappy, to possess enemies and interact with the environment. This mechanic adds a new level of depth and complexity to the game and allows players to experiment with different strategies to overcome obstacles.
The game's world/level design is also exceptional. Each world is filled with secrets, hidden areas, and collectibles to discover, providing an incentive to explore and revisit levels. The design of each level is unique and engaging, with each one feeling like a new adventure. The game's design is also challenging without being frustrating, with the difficulty curve gradually increasing as the player progresses.
Super Mario Odyssey also boasts impressive technical performance. The game runs smoothly, with no noticeable lag or frame rate drops, even during intense action sequences. The graphics are stunning, with colorful and detailed environments that bring each level to life. The sound design is also excellent, with memorable music and sound effects that complement the gameplay perfectly.
One of the few criticisms of the game is its camera system. While the camera is generally reliable, there are times when it can be frustratingly awkward and can hinder the player's progress. However, this is only a minor complaint, and the rest of the game more than makes up for it.
In conclusion, Super Mario Odyssey is an exceptional game that deserves all the praise it has received. Its engaging gameplay, well-crafted worlds, and impressive technical performance make it a must-play for any fan of the Super Mario franchise or anyone who enjoys 3D platformers. With its unique mechanics and captivating story, Super Mario Odyssey is a standout title that should not be missed. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and challenging gaming experience.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world action RPG developed by Guerrilla Games. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where robotic creatures roam the earth, and humanity has reverted to tribalism. In this review, we will be discussing the gameplay, story, and technical performance of Horizon Zero Dawn.
Gameplay:
Horizon Zero Dawn's gameplay is a blend of action, exploration, and RPG elements. Players control Aloy, a skilled hunter and archer who can use a variety of weapons and tools to take down the game's robotic enemies. The game's combat system is excellent, with each enemy requiring different tactics and strategies to defeat. The game also features a skill tree that allows players to unlock new abilities and upgrade their existing ones.
The open-world of Horizon Zero Dawn is vast and beautiful, with diverse biomes and stunning landscapes. The game encourages exploration, with hidden locations, collectibles, and side quests scattered throughout the map. The game also features a photo mode, which allows players to capture and share their favorite moments.
Story:
The story of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the game's strongest aspects. The game follows Aloy as she uncovers the truth about her past and the world she lives in. The story is well-written and engaging, with memorable characters and emotional moments. The game explores themes such as identity, family, and the relationship between humanity and technology.
Technical Performance:
Horizon Zero Dawn's technical performance is outstanding. The game features stunning graphics, detailed environments, and realistic animations. The game runs smoothly on both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with fast loading times and no noticeable performance issues.
Conclusion:
Horizon Zero Dawn is an excellent game that combines engaging gameplay with a well-crafted story and outstanding technical performance. The game's open-world encourages exploration, and the combat system is challenging and rewarding. The game's story is emotional and thought-provoking, and the game's technical performance is outstanding. Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn is a must-play for fans of the action RPG genre.
Gameplay:
Horizon Zero Dawn's gameplay is a blend of action, exploration, and RPG elements. Players control Aloy, a skilled hunter and archer who can use a variety of weapons and tools to take down the game's robotic enemies. The game's combat system is excellent, with each enemy requiring different tactics and strategies to defeat. The game also features a skill tree that allows players to unlock new abilities and upgrade their existing ones.
The open-world of Horizon Zero Dawn is vast and beautiful, with diverse biomes and stunning landscapes. The game encourages exploration, with hidden locations, collectibles, and side quests scattered throughout the map. The game also features a photo mode, which allows players to capture and share their favorite moments.
Story:
The story of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the game's strongest aspects. The game follows Aloy as she uncovers the truth about her past and the world she lives in. The story is well-written and engaging, with memorable characters and emotional moments. The game explores themes such as identity, family, and the relationship between humanity and technology.
Technical Performance:
Horizon Zero Dawn's technical performance is outstanding. The game features stunning graphics, detailed environments, and realistic animations. The game runs smoothly on both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with fast loading times and no noticeable performance issues.
Conclusion:
Horizon Zero Dawn is an excellent game that combines engaging gameplay with a well-crafted story and outstanding technical performance. The game's open-world encourages exploration, and the combat system is challenging and rewarding. The game's story is emotional and thought-provoking, and the game's technical performance is outstanding. Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn is a must-play for fans of the action RPG genre.
Horizon Forbidden West is the latest installment in the Horizon series developed by Guerrilla Games. The game is an open-world action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic creatures and human tribes struggling to survive. In this review, we will be discussing the gameplay, story, and technical performance of Horizon Forbidden West.
Gameplay:
The gameplay of Horizon Forbidden West is similar to its predecessor, with the addition of new mechanics such as swimming, climbing, and gliding. The combat system has also been improved, making it more fluid and intuitive. Players can use a variety of weapons, traps, and gadgets to defeat their enemies. The game also features a skill tree that allows players to unlock new abilities and upgrade their existing ones.
The open-world of Horizon Forbidden West is vast and beautiful, with stunning landscapes and diverse biomes. The game encourages exploration, with hidden locations, collectibles, and side quests scattered throughout the map. The game also features a photo mode, which allows players to capture and share their favorite moments.
Story:
The story of Horizon Forbidden West picks up where the previous game left off, with Aloy, the protagonist, continuing her journey to uncover the truth about her past and the world she lives in. The story is well-written and engaging, with memorable characters and emotional moments. The game explores themes such as loss, identity, and the relationship between humans and nature.
Technical Performance:
Horizon Forbidden West is a technical marvel, with stunning graphics, detailed environments, and realistic animations. The game runs smoothly on both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, with fast loading times and no noticeable performance issues. The game also features a dynamic weather system, which adds to the immersion and realism of the game.
Conclusion:
Overall, Horizon Forbidden West is an excellent game that improves on its predecessor in almost every way. The gameplay is fun and challenging, the story is engaging and emotional, and the technical performance is outstanding. The game is a must-play for fans of the series and newcomers alike.
Gameplay:
The gameplay of Horizon Forbidden West is similar to its predecessor, with the addition of new mechanics such as swimming, climbing, and gliding. The combat system has also been improved, making it more fluid and intuitive. Players can use a variety of weapons, traps, and gadgets to defeat their enemies. The game also features a skill tree that allows players to unlock new abilities and upgrade their existing ones.
The open-world of Horizon Forbidden West is vast and beautiful, with stunning landscapes and diverse biomes. The game encourages exploration, with hidden locations, collectibles, and side quests scattered throughout the map. The game also features a photo mode, which allows players to capture and share their favorite moments.
Story:
The story of Horizon Forbidden West picks up where the previous game left off, with Aloy, the protagonist, continuing her journey to uncover the truth about her past and the world she lives in. The story is well-written and engaging, with memorable characters and emotional moments. The game explores themes such as loss, identity, and the relationship between humans and nature.
Technical Performance:
Horizon Forbidden West is a technical marvel, with stunning graphics, detailed environments, and realistic animations. The game runs smoothly on both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, with fast loading times and no noticeable performance issues. The game also features a dynamic weather system, which adds to the immersion and realism of the game.
Conclusion:
Overall, Horizon Forbidden West is an excellent game that improves on its predecessor in almost every way. The gameplay is fun and challenging, the story is engaging and emotional, and the technical performance is outstanding. The game is a must-play for fans of the series and newcomers alike.
2019
Days Gone is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure game developed by SIE Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It follows the story of Deacon St. John, a former biker turned mercenary, as he navigates through the zombie-infested world in search of his lost love. While the game has its fair share of technical issues, it still manages to deliver an engaging storyline and exciting gameplay.
One of the main technical problems in Days Gone is its inconsistent frame rate. While it usually hovers around 30 frames per second, it frequently dips below that mark, especially in crowded areas. This can be particularly frustrating during combat sequences when split-second decisions are critical to survival. The game's loading times can also be lengthy, particularly when fast traveling to different locations.
Despite these technical issues, the game's story is compelling and emotionally resonant. The relationship between Deacon and his wife Sarah, who is presumed dead, is the driving force behind the narrative, and the game does an excellent job of exploring the complex emotions that come with loss and grief. The various factions and characters that Deacon encounters on his journey are also well-written and memorable, each with their own motivations and backstories.
Gameplay-wise, Days Gone is a mixed bag. The game's combat system is solid, with a wide variety of weapons and skills that allow players to take down zombies in a variety of ways. However, the game's stealth mechanics can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments when Deacon is detected by enemies despite being in cover. The game's motorcycle, which serves as Deacon's primary mode of transportation, is also a mixed bag. While it's fun to ride around the open world, it can be difficult to control at times, particularly when navigating rough terrain.
One of the game's most impressive features is its dynamic weather system. Rain, snow, and fog all affect gameplay in different ways, making for a more immersive and unpredictable experience. The game's day-night cycle is also well-implemented, with zombies becoming more aggressive and dangerous at night, adding an extra layer of tension to the gameplay.
Overall, Days Gone is a flawed but enjoyable experience. Its technical problems can be frustrating, but they don't detract too much from the game's compelling story and engaging gameplay. While it may not be the most polished or innovative game in the post-apocalyptic genre, it's still worth checking out for fans of the genre or anyone looking for a solid action-adventure game with a unique twist. I would give Days Gone a 3.5-star rating out of 5.
One of the main technical problems in Days Gone is its inconsistent frame rate. While it usually hovers around 30 frames per second, it frequently dips below that mark, especially in crowded areas. This can be particularly frustrating during combat sequences when split-second decisions are critical to survival. The game's loading times can also be lengthy, particularly when fast traveling to different locations.
Despite these technical issues, the game's story is compelling and emotionally resonant. The relationship between Deacon and his wife Sarah, who is presumed dead, is the driving force behind the narrative, and the game does an excellent job of exploring the complex emotions that come with loss and grief. The various factions and characters that Deacon encounters on his journey are also well-written and memorable, each with their own motivations and backstories.
Gameplay-wise, Days Gone is a mixed bag. The game's combat system is solid, with a wide variety of weapons and skills that allow players to take down zombies in a variety of ways. However, the game's stealth mechanics can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments when Deacon is detected by enemies despite being in cover. The game's motorcycle, which serves as Deacon's primary mode of transportation, is also a mixed bag. While it's fun to ride around the open world, it can be difficult to control at times, particularly when navigating rough terrain.
One of the game's most impressive features is its dynamic weather system. Rain, snow, and fog all affect gameplay in different ways, making for a more immersive and unpredictable experience. The game's day-night cycle is also well-implemented, with zombies becoming more aggressive and dangerous at night, adding an extra layer of tension to the gameplay.
Overall, Days Gone is a flawed but enjoyable experience. Its technical problems can be frustrating, but they don't detract too much from the game's compelling story and engaging gameplay. While it may not be the most polished or innovative game in the post-apocalyptic genre, it's still worth checking out for fans of the genre or anyone looking for a solid action-adventure game with a unique twist. I would give Days Gone a 3.5-star rating out of 5.