The theme here is "shooters" and was produced along with David Szymanski, which gives it a different aura. It's hard for me to get bored with a shooter, shooting stuff is always fun, so I was expecting to really like this one.
The launcher's cool, setting never gets old. It's too story driven in comparison to the previous ones, not only because of the dialogue but also because of how many chores and setups it puts you through. It doesn't feel too dense tho, since this collection contains half as many games as the previous ones. I also like the build up to the monster, previous launchers were really detailed but felt more like an intermission between each game. Here you actually get a climax, get yourself in danger and receive an ending and I think that's pretty cool.
7. Seraphixial
It sucks I'm sorry, Vidas just can't seem to find a balance with the asset flip move because everything looks out of place wherever you look at. Enemies suck, shooting sucks and this guy seems to think being loud = being scary, gets annoying. It's not boring tho, I'll give him that.
6. The House of Unrest
Cool-looking, but the rest is just fine. It's piss-easy and the "puzzles" feel more like chores, it's enjoyable because of the visuals but the mechanics feel more forced-in to make you feel like you're doing something more than walking. Final boss rocks tho absolute badass
5. Axis Mundi
This one's nice, I like how it plays out, no pretensions about it, it's exactly what you see and the scope is really small. Almost relaxing in a way.
4. Uktena 64
Similar to Squirrel Stapler in concept and presentation but a lot more action packed. It's sort of generic when compared to the rest of the pack, but the protagonist and the overall tone of the game just makes it really charming and enjoyable. It's just fun!!!
3. The Fruit
This one's just really polished, like, could've been a demo for an actual game. Combat feels nice, the sigils mechanic and the way it develops and relates to the story is really cool, and the plot itself, while simple, stays relevant during the whole thing and never feels like an excuse.
2. Rose of Meat
Didn't actually enjoy this one as much as Uktena or The Fruit gameplay-wise, but I respect when you do weird shit like this. Everyone had a different vision in this collection, but this is the only game that decided to go waaaay out there in both aesthetics and gameplay and I enjoyed it a lot in that regard, figuring out the mechanics and how to take advantage of them. Great stuff, would love to see more meaty games.
1. Black Relic
Torple Dook always understands the assignment. Clearly inspired by RE4 but it's really polished, movement feels great and shooting more. The visuals and plot are cool, but it's the ending what ends up selling it for me.
Overall, cool stuff. In terms of quality, I'd say it's the most consistent out of every collection, but it's also the one that surprised me the least. Not even Black Relic, which I liked a lot, comes close to the highlights from previous games, so that sort of brings it a bit down for me. Still enjoyed it.
The launcher's cool, setting never gets old. It's too story driven in comparison to the previous ones, not only because of the dialogue but also because of how many chores and setups it puts you through. It doesn't feel too dense tho, since this collection contains half as many games as the previous ones. I also like the build up to the monster, previous launchers were really detailed but felt more like an intermission between each game. Here you actually get a climax, get yourself in danger and receive an ending and I think that's pretty cool.
7. Seraphixial
It sucks I'm sorry, Vidas just can't seem to find a balance with the asset flip move because everything looks out of place wherever you look at. Enemies suck, shooting sucks and this guy seems to think being loud = being scary, gets annoying. It's not boring tho, I'll give him that.
6. The House of Unrest
Cool-looking, but the rest is just fine. It's piss-easy and the "puzzles" feel more like chores, it's enjoyable because of the visuals but the mechanics feel more forced-in to make you feel like you're doing something more than walking. Final boss rocks tho absolute badass
5. Axis Mundi
This one's nice, I like how it plays out, no pretensions about it, it's exactly what you see and the scope is really small. Almost relaxing in a way.
4. Uktena 64
Similar to Squirrel Stapler in concept and presentation but a lot more action packed. It's sort of generic when compared to the rest of the pack, but the protagonist and the overall tone of the game just makes it really charming and enjoyable. It's just fun!!!
3. The Fruit
This one's just really polished, like, could've been a demo for an actual game. Combat feels nice, the sigils mechanic and the way it develops and relates to the story is really cool, and the plot itself, while simple, stays relevant during the whole thing and never feels like an excuse.
2. Rose of Meat
Didn't actually enjoy this one as much as Uktena or The Fruit gameplay-wise, but I respect when you do weird shit like this. Everyone had a different vision in this collection, but this is the only game that decided to go waaaay out there in both aesthetics and gameplay and I enjoyed it a lot in that regard, figuring out the mechanics and how to take advantage of them. Great stuff, would love to see more meaty games.
1. Black Relic
Torple Dook always understands the assignment. Clearly inspired by RE4 but it's really polished, movement feels great and shooting more. The visuals and plot are cool, but it's the ending what ends up selling it for me.
Overall, cool stuff. In terms of quality, I'd say it's the most consistent out of every collection, but it's also the one that surprised me the least. Not even Black Relic, which I liked a lot, comes close to the highlights from previous games, so that sort of brings it a bit down for me. Still enjoyed it.