LittleSallySue
Fallen Order was an interesting experience to say the least. I am not sure if the PS5 port is shoddy, but my experience with this game was mostly negative. To start, I experienced a number of graphical and gameplay related bugs. Things like the player character (Cal) sinking through the ground, elements of the environment flickering, environmental elements clipping through other elements, etc. This game also has some of the worst loading times on the PS5 I’ve ever experienced, but it wasn’t consistent.
Some of the design choices I found off, like having the game go to a bright white transition whenever you go to meditate (a la bonfire for Souls games) which results in the player being blinded. This got so annoying that I developed a habit of closing my eyes when I went into and left meditation circles.
However, the gameplay was probably the most solid part of this experience, but it still left things to be desired. It’s easy to see that Fallen Order looked toward the Dark Souls series for inspiration and in my opinion, if you’re going to have another piece of media heavily influence your creations, you need to improve or add your own spin to those elements. Fallen Order does not do this, in my opinion:
Character progression is bland. The upgrades never feel like they make Cal more powerful. Sure, some of the moves feel better and your combat toolbelt does improve, but nothing really gave me the pizzaz I was looking forward to. Not to mention that Cal wields a lightsaber, one of the most powerful weapons in sci-fi, and it feels no better than a regular steel sword. The only interactive environmental elements that react to the lightsaber would react the same way as if it was a lowly sword.
Exploration in this game is not as exciting as it could have been, as the rewards for searching every nook and cranny are lacking excitement. Finding chests provide cosmetic changes ranging from a new skin for BD-1 or a poncho for the player character. None of these upgrades alter gameplay in the slightest (and most of these cosmetics are kinda ugly). Even the game altering upgrades you do receive cause no cosmetic changes themselves. You would think that having a number of upgrades for your droid companion would change their appearance, but they do not. I want my lil buddy to look like they’ve improved since the beginning of the adventure, but all they got was a new paint job.
As for combat, all of the Souls elements are here. We got dodge-rolling, parrying, light & heavy attacks, etc., but none of it has the same variety or pop to them as the series that influenced these decisions. Combat stays stagnant due to only being able to wield one weapon whereas the Souls games have a number of weapon classes that have their own movesets and appearances. The enemy placements also leaves more to be desired due to some areas feeling like they dumped a large number of enemies and called it a day. Some could argue Dark Souls does this as well, but I disagree as enemy placement in the Souls games feel deliberate and curated. Fallen Order will have 6 enemies on the ground, 3 ranged enemies at a vertical advantage, and 2 spiders pew-pewing you with poison. This plays out poorly especially in the early game as handling multiple enemies in combat feels extremely cumbersome and clunky.
Lastly, there were numerous times where I felt like I died and it was not my fault, but rather the game’s mistake. For example: I went to heal and the animation fully played out, but I never received healing. Comparing this back to Dark Souls, as far as I can remember, I never felt like anything else was to blame for the deaths given to me.
This game has the classic “Main character has memory loss and regains their memories right at the most opportune time” vibes. Cal is basically a Jedi Master with memory loss that ended up being a scrapper on some random planet. That is, until he realizes he’s a Jedi right when he needed to save his buddy. This pattern repeats whenever it is most convenient for the story.
“Did you just drop your lightsaber down a pit? No worries, just immediately remember how to pull items back to you using the force!”
I also never really cared much for Cal. He just seems like another generic dude in a sci-fi story. What sets Cal apart from other protagonists? I can’t tell myself. This is really the same sentiment I have for all of the characters in the story. They all follow this cookie-cutter approach that ends up not making anyone feel special here, which is a shame as the one character that DOES feel special is seen for such a short amount of time after we help her.
Speaking of the best things are given a small amount of time, I found the Vault section towards the end of the game the best segment in my entire playthrough. This piece of the story only lasts for around 15 minutes, but it does shows what this game has the potential to do. It was unique, it told a story in an engaging way, and added variety to a mechanic we’ve used multiple times. I really hope the team behind this game builds on THIS FIFTEEN MINUTES of gameplay for the sequel, as it was easily the best section of the game.
Overall, this game left so much to be desired. I know the Star Wars franchise means so much to so many people and it’s really a bummer that this game had so much potential that wasn't delivered upon. Granted, the reception of this game is very positive, so I am kinda guessing this game isn’t for me. However, if we separate the Star Wars franchise from this game, what do we have left? I found that there really isn’t much to write home about. The core gameplay lacks variety, but shows crumbs of what could have been. The core story is bland, but has short segments that shows its true potential. I do hope they build upon the best elements in this game for the sequel and do not grow content with what they’ve offered here due to the positive reception, as there is so much to build off of and to grow complacent with what’s here would be a mistake.
Some of the design choices I found off, like having the game go to a bright white transition whenever you go to meditate (a la bonfire for Souls games) which results in the player being blinded. This got so annoying that I developed a habit of closing my eyes when I went into and left meditation circles.
However, the gameplay was probably the most solid part of this experience, but it still left things to be desired. It’s easy to see that Fallen Order looked toward the Dark Souls series for inspiration and in my opinion, if you’re going to have another piece of media heavily influence your creations, you need to improve or add your own spin to those elements. Fallen Order does not do this, in my opinion:
Character progression is bland. The upgrades never feel like they make Cal more powerful. Sure, some of the moves feel better and your combat toolbelt does improve, but nothing really gave me the pizzaz I was looking forward to. Not to mention that Cal wields a lightsaber, one of the most powerful weapons in sci-fi, and it feels no better than a regular steel sword. The only interactive environmental elements that react to the lightsaber would react the same way as if it was a lowly sword.
Exploration in this game is not as exciting as it could have been, as the rewards for searching every nook and cranny are lacking excitement. Finding chests provide cosmetic changes ranging from a new skin for BD-1 or a poncho for the player character. None of these upgrades alter gameplay in the slightest (and most of these cosmetics are kinda ugly). Even the game altering upgrades you do receive cause no cosmetic changes themselves. You would think that having a number of upgrades for your droid companion would change their appearance, but they do not. I want my lil buddy to look like they’ve improved since the beginning of the adventure, but all they got was a new paint job.
As for combat, all of the Souls elements are here. We got dodge-rolling, parrying, light & heavy attacks, etc., but none of it has the same variety or pop to them as the series that influenced these decisions. Combat stays stagnant due to only being able to wield one weapon whereas the Souls games have a number of weapon classes that have their own movesets and appearances. The enemy placements also leaves more to be desired due to some areas feeling like they dumped a large number of enemies and called it a day. Some could argue Dark Souls does this as well, but I disagree as enemy placement in the Souls games feel deliberate and curated. Fallen Order will have 6 enemies on the ground, 3 ranged enemies at a vertical advantage, and 2 spiders pew-pewing you with poison. This plays out poorly especially in the early game as handling multiple enemies in combat feels extremely cumbersome and clunky.
Lastly, there were numerous times where I felt like I died and it was not my fault, but rather the game’s mistake. For example: I went to heal and the animation fully played out, but I never received healing. Comparing this back to Dark Souls, as far as I can remember, I never felt like anything else was to blame for the deaths given to me.
This game has the classic “Main character has memory loss and regains their memories right at the most opportune time” vibes. Cal is basically a Jedi Master with memory loss that ended up being a scrapper on some random planet. That is, until he realizes he’s a Jedi right when he needed to save his buddy. This pattern repeats whenever it is most convenient for the story.
“Did you just drop your lightsaber down a pit? No worries, just immediately remember how to pull items back to you using the force!”
I also never really cared much for Cal. He just seems like another generic dude in a sci-fi story. What sets Cal apart from other protagonists? I can’t tell myself. This is really the same sentiment I have for all of the characters in the story. They all follow this cookie-cutter approach that ends up not making anyone feel special here, which is a shame as the one character that DOES feel special is seen for such a short amount of time after we help her.
Speaking of the best things are given a small amount of time, I found the Vault section towards the end of the game the best segment in my entire playthrough. This piece of the story only lasts for around 15 minutes, but it does shows what this game has the potential to do. It was unique, it told a story in an engaging way, and added variety to a mechanic we’ve used multiple times. I really hope the team behind this game builds on THIS FIFTEEN MINUTES of gameplay for the sequel, as it was easily the best section of the game.
Overall, this game left so much to be desired. I know the Star Wars franchise means so much to so many people and it’s really a bummer that this game had so much potential that wasn't delivered upon. Granted, the reception of this game is very positive, so I am kinda guessing this game isn’t for me. However, if we separate the Star Wars franchise from this game, what do we have left? I found that there really isn’t much to write home about. The core gameplay lacks variety, but shows crumbs of what could have been. The core story is bland, but has short segments that shows its true potential. I do hope they build upon the best elements in this game for the sequel and do not grow content with what they’ve offered here due to the positive reception, as there is so much to build off of and to grow complacent with what’s here would be a mistake.
2017
By the same devs behind the classic browser game Kingdom of Loathing, this is a short turn-based RPG that takes place in a comical western setting. The writing is easily the best part of the game, as it's one of the funniest games I've played. Every character, random encounter, conversations, etc. are well worth reading.
Combat is fine, but pretty bare bones. It's your standard turn based battle system with a new coat of paint. Nothing to write home about, but I do have a soft spot for short RPGs that don't waste the players time to hit that 40+ hour mark. (Costume Quest, Penny Arcade games, and others are some of my faves.)
This game was meant to be played multiple times to experience everything. I definitely missed a TON of stuff in my 8 hour play-through so I'll probably play through it again eventually. Definitely recommend this as, once again, some of the most fun & clever writing I've read in a game. ALSO IT'S ONLY LIKE $11.
Combat is fine, but pretty bare bones. It's your standard turn based battle system with a new coat of paint. Nothing to write home about, but I do have a soft spot for short RPGs that don't waste the players time to hit that 40+ hour mark. (Costume Quest, Penny Arcade games, and others are some of my faves.)
This game was meant to be played multiple times to experience everything. I definitely missed a TON of stuff in my 8 hour play-through so I'll probably play through it again eventually. Definitely recommend this as, once again, some of the most fun & clever writing I've read in a game. ALSO IT'S ONLY LIKE $11.
Silent Hill 4 was the last Silent Hill game l had left to complete in the main series (Still need to play & complete Shattered Memories) and I wish I didn't put it off for so long. I think the main reason I neglected it was due to it being the last game Team Silent themselves made and it being the red-headed step child of the main series. However, I ended up really enjoying it! I know it's a dead horse by now and I agree that comparing games to Dark Souls is lazy as hell. HOWEVER. I do think that Silent Hill 4 is to Silent Hill as Dark Souls 2 is to Dark Souls IF YA GET WHAT I’M SAYING.
I am quick to respect a game that experiments and escapes from the normal and Silent Hill 4: The Room (SH4) does just that. It definitely follows a very similar structure its older siblings established, but it really explored the creative space that went hand-in-hand with the established idea of a Silent Hill game. Sure, they did make a few missteps, in my opinion, but I would rather developers take those risks than playing it safe. I did enjoy the perspective change going to 1st person when inside your apartment vs. out in the spooky world being exclusively in 3rd person. It gave the apartment a unique feel that hasn’t been captured in the series before. They also went to make this game more combat-centric whiiiiich is the weakest part of the game. Combat is slow, monotonous, unreliable, and not that fun or exciting. Every time you want to swing or shoot your weapon, you need to hold R2 and let an animation play out which is already wasting time into your intense combat encounter. Then, once you’re in the combat stance, movement is slowed a little too much. If the player was a little more agile, I think it would’ve improved the overall combat.
Puzzles in SH4 were solid and one of the better parts of the game. The puzzle involving the key that mentions "the holder will wander aimlessly" was a great idea that makes the player think outside of the box to use a tool at their disposal they may have not known they had. Utilizing the apartment/spooky world system was very clever when inter-winding that with the puzzles.
I also feel like this game resonated with me more compared to me playing it at a younger age. I probably put an hour into the game when I first played years ago but playing it now I found myself relating to the main character a little more. Mainly because he’s been locked inside his apartment for a week. Hearing commotion outside? Peek through a singular blind to see what's up. Henry, the protagonist, has an option to constantly either look out his windows to people watch or look out his front door peephole to see what's occurring in the hallway. Not to mention his peephole to his neighbor’s apartment, but I don't relate to that one 😅 Also I found understanding people and their tendencies make these characters you're encountering in this mysteriously dark world way creepier than I remember. Before, I thought of them as lackluster and lame. Now I think of them as just people struggling and being weird but seeing how their environment has changed them to become this. I feel like this point is difficult to explain…
I don’t want to dive too much into spoiler territory, but I really enjoyed the apartment being completely separate from the obscure world you explore via the hole in your apartment bathroom. The way the game plays with and changes that dynamic was really fun to experience.
Now, the second half of the game is where most, if not all, of my frustration stems from. Turning the game into an escort mission deducts several things from this game. The person you’re escorting doesn't always follow you through area transitions, even though it looks like they’re close enough to. I wish they would've added some sort of indicator to let you know they are not accompanying you so you're aware you need to go back and grab them. I'm also struggling to see how this constant escort adds anything positive to the game. Horror games are less scary with a party and lack that solitude and loneliness feeling. Plus, all my current frustrations on the game stem from the escort and this mechanic 😦
I do genuinely think Silent Hill 4: The Room gets a bad rap. Sure, it’s probably not as good as the ones that came before it, but it shows that experimentation is still something to investigate. I haven’t played a game that successfully blends two gameplay modes with two different perspectives as well as this game does. Plus, I’m leaving out really cool and interesting mechanics and features as I believe they’re in spoiler territory. I do think people that hold the same mindset about Silent Hill 4 that I did are missing out on a really interesting and intriguing experience that they should form their own opinion on.
I played this on PS2, but it is available on PC via GOG for $10 and it’s 100% worth that price!
I am quick to respect a game that experiments and escapes from the normal and Silent Hill 4: The Room (SH4) does just that. It definitely follows a very similar structure its older siblings established, but it really explored the creative space that went hand-in-hand with the established idea of a Silent Hill game. Sure, they did make a few missteps, in my opinion, but I would rather developers take those risks than playing it safe. I did enjoy the perspective change going to 1st person when inside your apartment vs. out in the spooky world being exclusively in 3rd person. It gave the apartment a unique feel that hasn’t been captured in the series before. They also went to make this game more combat-centric whiiiiich is the weakest part of the game. Combat is slow, monotonous, unreliable, and not that fun or exciting. Every time you want to swing or shoot your weapon, you need to hold R2 and let an animation play out which is already wasting time into your intense combat encounter. Then, once you’re in the combat stance, movement is slowed a little too much. If the player was a little more agile, I think it would’ve improved the overall combat.
Puzzles in SH4 were solid and one of the better parts of the game. The puzzle involving the key that mentions "the holder will wander aimlessly" was a great idea that makes the player think outside of the box to use a tool at their disposal they may have not known they had. Utilizing the apartment/spooky world system was very clever when inter-winding that with the puzzles.
I also feel like this game resonated with me more compared to me playing it at a younger age. I probably put an hour into the game when I first played years ago but playing it now I found myself relating to the main character a little more. Mainly because he’s been locked inside his apartment for a week. Hearing commotion outside? Peek through a singular blind to see what's up. Henry, the protagonist, has an option to constantly either look out his windows to people watch or look out his front door peephole to see what's occurring in the hallway. Not to mention his peephole to his neighbor’s apartment, but I don't relate to that one 😅 Also I found understanding people and their tendencies make these characters you're encountering in this mysteriously dark world way creepier than I remember. Before, I thought of them as lackluster and lame. Now I think of them as just people struggling and being weird but seeing how their environment has changed them to become this. I feel like this point is difficult to explain…
I don’t want to dive too much into spoiler territory, but I really enjoyed the apartment being completely separate from the obscure world you explore via the hole in your apartment bathroom. The way the game plays with and changes that dynamic was really fun to experience.
Now, the second half of the game is where most, if not all, of my frustration stems from. Turning the game into an escort mission deducts several things from this game. The person you’re escorting doesn't always follow you through area transitions, even though it looks like they’re close enough to. I wish they would've added some sort of indicator to let you know they are not accompanying you so you're aware you need to go back and grab them. I'm also struggling to see how this constant escort adds anything positive to the game. Horror games are less scary with a party and lack that solitude and loneliness feeling. Plus, all my current frustrations on the game stem from the escort and this mechanic 😦
I do genuinely think Silent Hill 4: The Room gets a bad rap. Sure, it’s probably not as good as the ones that came before it, but it shows that experimentation is still something to investigate. I haven’t played a game that successfully blends two gameplay modes with two different perspectives as well as this game does. Plus, I’m leaving out really cool and interesting mechanics and features as I believe they’re in spoiler territory. I do think people that hold the same mindset about Silent Hill 4 that I did are missing out on a really interesting and intriguing experience that they should form their own opinion on.
I played this on PS2, but it is available on PC via GOG for $10 and it’s 100% worth that price!
A pretty solid Brazilian indie horror game that definitely takes influence from Resident Evil 7. The game has its ups and downs, but was overall a pretty good experience. Solid puzzles, decent scares, and I found the hotel to be pretty well designed.
I think for an indie horror, this does pretty well. Solid and interesting story that was refreshing as it had unique elements and didn't seem like a second thought. The progression within the hotel and unlocking more and more areas felt fulfilling and the puzzles were really good besides a few exceptions.
My complaints are that there's only two enemy types that aren't bosses which is extremely low, the guns didn't feel good to use at all, and the last boss was an absolute joke.
Other than that, the engligh voice acting is sub-par, even for an indie game like this. However, my next playthrough (whenever that is) will be played in Portuguese so I'm sure that'll help a little.
Overall, a solid indie horror that I'd recommend if you're looking for more gameplay like RE7, but more puzzles and less scares.
I think for an indie horror, this does pretty well. Solid and interesting story that was refreshing as it had unique elements and didn't seem like a second thought. The progression within the hotel and unlocking more and more areas felt fulfilling and the puzzles were really good besides a few exceptions.
My complaints are that there's only two enemy types that aren't bosses which is extremely low, the guns didn't feel good to use at all, and the last boss was an absolute joke.
Other than that, the engligh voice acting is sub-par, even for an indie game like this. However, my next playthrough (whenever that is) will be played in Portuguese so I'm sure that'll help a little.
Overall, a solid indie horror that I'd recommend if you're looking for more gameplay like RE7, but more puzzles and less scares.
2019
Another game from Sam Barlow of Her Story fame, though I didn't enjoy this one as much.
Telling Lies feels disjointed and uninteresting. There's potential here, but almost all the characters felt one-note and the story wasn't very engaging. Definitely not one I would recommend, unfortunately.
Telling Lies feels disjointed and uninteresting. There's potential here, but almost all the characters felt one-note and the story wasn't very engaging. Definitely not one I would recommend, unfortunately.
2002
Calling it quits on this one. The premise is interesting as this is basically a single-player MMORPG and there is an infection taking over "The World" (the name of the in-game MMO game) and your goal is to uncover the mysteries revolving around that infection. However, every part of the gameplay is a bore. Combat is clunky, slow, and boring. The levels ("servers") you visit are usually uninspired and bland and the dungeons are multi-layered time sinks that almost put me to sleep.
Definitely bummed as I own all of these games and I went to investigate if the series gets better with the future entries and from what I can gather, the gameplay stays the same but adds more areas and stronger monsters.
The story is the only saving grace here, but I can't force myself to play through a grind heavy slog of a game. Throwing this back on the shelf.
Definitely bummed as I own all of these games and I went to investigate if the series gets better with the future entries and from what I can gather, the gameplay stays the same but adds more areas and stronger monsters.
The story is the only saving grace here, but I can't force myself to play through a grind heavy slog of a game. Throwing this back on the shelf.
I think I am going to go ahead and put this one back on the shelf. There's nothing wrong with it, in fact, I enjoyed a lot of aspects of it. I just can't attach myself to any of the story beats as I am very unfamiliar with W40K and don't understand much of what is going on. Gameplay is a very solid tactical RPG and the soundtrack is killer, but I'm just not getting anything out of the story/world-building/characters.
2013
I am a firm believer of playing bad games every now and then in order to appreciate smaller details more. Blood Knights is a perfect example of this. I enjoyed my time with the game, but would never recommend it to anyone else. The voice acting is so bad, it's good, the combat is repetitive and unbalanced, the writing is akin to a poor vampire fanfic, and there are a number of technical issues. However, I enjoyed my time with the game. Playing as the ranged lady vampire, being able to just mow down enemies while acquiring new gear was fun enough for an attention grabber during slow times at work. Overall, pretty shit game I had a fun time with. Don't buy this.
2018
As a huge fan of the Yakuza series, this one definitely felt the weakest out of the ones I've completed so far (0, Kiwami 1 & 2). To be fair, I think it is the oldest of the series that only got a remaster treatment. I really enjoyed the bits dealing with the kids at the orphanage, but this entry in the series has the worst combat so far. Everything felt pretty boring and bare-bones combat wise, especially since combat is the majority of what you do. Story is amazing, which is to be expected, but the substories didn't have the same pizzazz as I'm usually used to. Overall, if you're wanting to experience the entire story of the Yakuza series, this is still a must-play, but I would recommend just focusing on the main story on this one instead of spending most of your time elsewhere.
2020
Listen, this game is $2, half an hour, and has overwhelmingly positive reviews. Anything I say about this game is basically a spoiler. Just, give it a try. It's like a breath of fresh air.
After many many failed attempts due to either bouncing off of it or never really sinking my teeth into it, I've finally finished Dark Souls 1. This was the only Dark Souls I haven't finished and it's just as amazing as the others. I really like how all the areas have very fluid connections to other areas. I thought the bosses were overall pretty decent, but definitely not the best (that goes to Bloodborne hands down). Anyways, this really is a classic and still feels as fresh as when it first came out. Oh, and for the curious, I went with a full DEX build with a Great Scythe +15.
2020
A very short horror experience that seemed to have been heavily influenced by The Strangers (2008). I wouldn't say this game had any issues, just that it didn't do anything memorable. I'll probably forget about it within a day or two.
A very solid turn-based tactical RPG that fizzled just a little towards the end. Having a party of mutants that all have very different personalities was really entertaining, especially since you can only send out a party of 3 at a time and their dialogue changes depending on who you choose. However, most of the mutants share a number of same perks, which took away some specialized originality from them.
The loot you find in the word is fun and I really enjoyed the commentary on the artifacts found and what the "Ancients" used them for (i.e. finding a defibrillator and the mutants think humans used it to stay warm.) Having said this, the loot and weapons you find do repeat later in the game, which made them feel less rewarding.
Overall, a very solid tactical RPG if you can pick it up on sale. It has unique characters, and interesting story, and solid game-play, but all of these do wear out a little before the game ends.
The loot you find in the word is fun and I really enjoyed the commentary on the artifacts found and what the "Ancients" used them for (i.e. finding a defibrillator and the mutants think humans used it to stay warm.) Having said this, the loot and weapons you find do repeat later in the game, which made them feel less rewarding.
Overall, a very solid tactical RPG if you can pick it up on sale. It has unique characters, and interesting story, and solid game-play, but all of these do wear out a little before the game ends.
2019
Played this on a whim while waiting for a download to finish and ended up ignoring the download and finishing this instead. Assemble With Care is a visual novel/very light puzzle game. You play as a handy-woman who has just arrived in a quaint European town. You meet some locals that need their assortment of items repaired. Though these repairs, you learn of their life, interests, and struggles. It's a short and sweet experience and I enjoyed every second of it. I did finish the game craving more than what was given, but I'm very happy with my time spent with it. The writing is great and simple, the narration and voice cast are perfect, and fixing the items is a lot of fun 🥰
A very solid action platformer that has outstanding atmosphere, but leaves some things to desire. This is the second time I've played through this game (the first time being in 2012) and I hardly remembered anything from it besides the last level, so everything felt really fresh! I also ended up getting the platinum in this playthrough as well.
The story is pretty non-sensical as it relies HEAVILY on the first game of the series, American McGee's Alice. that released in 2000 on PC. I have not played this yet, but it would've helped knowing this going into this game. Regardless, the story is the weakest point here and that's about all I'll say about that.
The gameplay is a basic system. You can upgrade your weapons using Teeth, the currency of the game, found all around the 6 levels. The combat system plays by the books here and doesn't reinvent any systems from 2011. Some enemies you must hit with the heavy weapon as they are immune to the light weapon. Same goes for your range weapons, heavy and light, enemy resistances, etc.
The atmosphere and environment design in this game are top-notch though. It's hella fun to see the twisted versions of the familiar world Wonderland. You have the playful Dollhouse level with debris everywhere and discarded doll parts scattered amongst the wasteland of trash which plays well with the colorful dollhouses that have been repaired with obvious spare parts of other houses. Then there's the underwater world that houses a very quaint town called Barrelbottom with fishfolk and a fun aquatic theme. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long as once you return to the town, you'll find the fishfolk mutilated and such with what's left of their bodies on display...
Overall, it's very much a fun game, I just found it barely overstays its welcome in a full play-through.
The story is pretty non-sensical as it relies HEAVILY on the first game of the series, American McGee's Alice. that released in 2000 on PC. I have not played this yet, but it would've helped knowing this going into this game. Regardless, the story is the weakest point here and that's about all I'll say about that.
The gameplay is a basic system. You can upgrade your weapons using Teeth, the currency of the game, found all around the 6 levels. The combat system plays by the books here and doesn't reinvent any systems from 2011. Some enemies you must hit with the heavy weapon as they are immune to the light weapon. Same goes for your range weapons, heavy and light, enemy resistances, etc.
The atmosphere and environment design in this game are top-notch though. It's hella fun to see the twisted versions of the familiar world Wonderland. You have the playful Dollhouse level with debris everywhere and discarded doll parts scattered amongst the wasteland of trash which plays well with the colorful dollhouses that have been repaired with obvious spare parts of other houses. Then there's the underwater world that houses a very quaint town called Barrelbottom with fishfolk and a fun aquatic theme. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long as once you return to the town, you'll find the fishfolk mutilated and such with what's left of their bodies on display...
Overall, it's very much a fun game, I just found it barely overstays its welcome in a full play-through.