looks/sounds very cool

super tight movement with fun mashy juggle combos

flew through the levels like i already knew them and i mean that in the best way possible

last boss was a fun challenge

couple wee gripes
- having to equip double jump (back-benching other interesting abilities in the process), and generally wishing Kai could just cut loose with more kit at a given moment.
- feeling like the grappling hook wasn't fully explored

off to fly through it all over again

this is the SHIT, man

rogue-like etc wait till you unlock this/that NAH; you can absolutely pop off in this game, right from the jump

phenomenal account of movement, weapon feel, and enemy/level design that absolutely slaps.

there is a proper skill ceiling in this thing i can't wait to see how freaky it gets

jetback is busted and kinda betrays a lot of movement and level design challenges

i hope more folks discover Robo Quest. RyseUp you made a banger if you're reading this i love you

it's gorgeous

it sounds incredible (despite the lack of cute fox noises)

it has loads of clever and rewarding secrets across a lovely map

it has a beautiful in-game manual that riffs on nostalgia but feels contemporary in it's implementation

it's far too hard, combat is deeply unsatisfying and main route signposting is occasionally unfair

this game is mean and it didn't need to be

no HUD, dialogue, chatter to parse... it's just CLEAN

the way the soundtrack acknowledges your progress is so subtle you might miss it nurturing you along the way

find me better videogame doors (spoilers - https://streamable.com/q5ap2y)

adore short games but i wasn't ready to leave the Cocoon universe, i think i wanted just one more layer to explore/combine

beautiful, elegant videogame

it's trying extremely hard to be very serious and cool and as a result it comes across a bit dad rock with a tedious and nagging story

plays frustratingly difficult (cheap) rather than enjoyably challenging (empowering)

strange puzzle flexes seemingly want to cleanse the palate but they just kill the pace and are not fun

play hacker tetris to install your upgrades. nice/thematic touch but i just want to zoom about mate

parkour boss rooms that look quite fun but are wack to play without a double jump

more motivated toward putting the player down rather than having them feel as rad and awesome as the title/box art suggests

[beat chronos a few times, progressed game steadily up to around the 25hr mark]

pretty fascinated by this one, having loved so much of H1 then bouncing off of H2 quite firmly. i think it's bc [stream of consciousness begins now]

Zag's plight was personal while being relatable. we've all felt that urge to discover more about ourselves / the world around us and take positive steps. Zag's privilege in being able to afford that action while having a safety net back home is recognised and part of the tension. we also see his journey play out before our eyes, front to back, developing his relationships with the cast (with the god's jovial boon banter feeling tonally on point).

Mel's plight, at least initially, is a revenge course she has little stakes in beyond her own indoctrinated upbringing, for a family she doesn't know. Maybe more is revealed but the sense of urgency associated with a widescale war between gods feels distant from our scenario. We are not privy to the battle beyond occasional boon commentary (that predominant banter now feeling widely misplaced) and wafty optimism from a new hub cast that seldom offer anything remarkable which helps Mel grow alongside the player.

The same feels true in the way Zag and Mel's stories are told through a rogue-lite genre. Where the former's story felt intrinsically linked to a rogue (his levelling and weapon progression begins when he sets out to escape Tartarus and beyond), Mel is (according to Hecate) prepared for her duel with Chronos, with her training complete. But we know that isn't true, because we've got dozens of empty equipment, weapon, farm and cauldron unlocks that immediately tell us otherwise! Similarly, death for Zag usually meant he was edging closer to his deeply personal goal, with time on his side; Mel meanwhile, is in a literal battle against Time to stop a war, death hurts her cause tremendously but there's no mechanic to represent this, good or bad.

less worried about where combat is right now bc it's early access, but fwiw i don't vibe with it bc

+ hex is a major limited factor to expression until we spend a boon on regenerating it in any meaningful way (often your Hex Ult is literally unusable bc it's not possible to expend enough magic)

+ many weapons feel underbaked and simply aren't fun to use currently.

+ cast attack in general is underwhelming

+ Cerberus just a big ol' health sponge. Chronos phase 1 takes place in a literal hallway. Hecate both bores and frustrates with her spells, mainly taking up time more than asking anything impressive of the player.

by the time I would be entering the Hades fight with Zag, my chest was more often than not puffed; i knew what my build was about. With Mel, my tail is almost always between my legs, i don't know what my win condition is, and i've got a stack of death defiance's to prove it.

i am entirely confident that Supergiant will find more fun in HII and i will be in there, but I'm less convinced it casts a stronger spell than it's predecessor.

a must if you're a fan of XII and are looking to play again

if you're new: enjoy one of the last times AAA wasn't interested in making you trip over its every secret

excellent HD work here, with welcome (optional) audio edits as well

quality of life x2 / x4 game speed increases, and faster load times, are essential in bringing the game into the modern era

one of the most unique and compelling battle systems created, even outwith Final Fantasy

trial challenge mode is welcome and super fun

did i mention the battle system

charming art-house style without pretention, gorgeous lo-fi visuals, short and simple to play

subtly hilarious and believable writing

perfect afternoon into evening game

make sure you go check all the art in chapter select after finishing the game

hadn't touched RE4 since the GC launch so i'm 0-2 vs the fella that bursts out the tank on fire

HD Project mod is essential, i cannot overstate how good this game looks with it. i'm still stood here clapping

some of the patter directed at Ada/Ashley was god awful in the 2000's nvm 2023 but, that aside, this is still the fuckin Best, man. this is still the game

very cool hacky game that feels that nails 1 player Overcooked-like experience

but where Overcooked creates tension by punishing badly cooked food, DROP allows you to serve burnt steaks all day.

sadly that means you can dirty hack through pretty much the entire game without any incentive to be stealthy. brute forced my way through this thing once i got a feel for it

far (FAR) too long and suffers greatly from pacing issues, with a few wild difficulty spikes thrown into the mix

chunky emails between missions supposedly deliver a cool scenario but, it's all way too bloated

which is a shame bc there's genuinely awesome gameplay in here, and i think there's a version of this is which is way shorter/ tighter, and all the more thrilling for it

still finished it bc it made my brain go brrr in a way i couldn't let go, despite all of the above. it really does nail 'hacking' on a pad.

lovely recap at the start (psychonauts 1 playthrough not required) and picks right up after the end of the first game

psychonauts 2 feels like a game from the mid 00's in many ways: bloated and gated collectables; charming but clunky menus; confusing levelling/progression; and combat/platforming that isn't winning any awards

but it's also in another league entirely in it's art design, thoughtful and heartfelt story, world building, pacing and voice acting

stick with the rough edges, this is a game made by very talented people with evidently big hearts

(the lighting is stunning, if you have the means to crank the visuals)