MrBrandy
6 reviews liked by MrBrandy
I have been sitting on this "Review" page for almost an hour. I do not think anything I can type here gives this game justice, so I'll leave it at this:
This is an incredibly heavy story with a lot of suffering. Despite the 40 minute runtime, it manages to portray a lifetime of pain. With all of this trauma in mind, the game almost feels "boring" or "mundane" in its presentation. Something traumatic happens, and the main character says "nothing changed", or "no dramatic music played". Things are still the same as they were before. This is what the character tells themselves, almost refusing to acknowledge the heavy things that are happening to them.
It is heartbreaking to say the least. Overall, I think this game tells an incredibly important story, about life, circumstances, and a messed up society that forces good people to do things they don't want just to get by.
I recommend this game, but will refrain from giving it a "rating" at this time.
This is an incredibly heavy story with a lot of suffering. Despite the 40 minute runtime, it manages to portray a lifetime of pain. With all of this trauma in mind, the game almost feels "boring" or "mundane" in its presentation. Something traumatic happens, and the main character says "nothing changed", or "no dramatic music played". Things are still the same as they were before. This is what the character tells themselves, almost refusing to acknowledge the heavy things that are happening to them.
It is heartbreaking to say the least. Overall, I think this game tells an incredibly important story, about life, circumstances, and a messed up society that forces good people to do things they don't want just to get by.
I recommend this game, but will refrain from giving it a "rating" at this time.
The Medium
2021
This review contains spoilers
The medium is a great horror walking sim that mixes up the gameplay with puzzles, stealth, exploration and chase sequences.
While the exploration part is the most enjoyable, especially with the main mechanic allowing you to explore both the physical and spirit world at once, it is great that the game mixes it up a bit sometimes. The visuals are great, and exploring the haunted resort is incredibly tense.
The voice acting, and especially visuals inspired by Beksiński's gorgeous art is absolutely fantastic. The story is interesting throughout, and generally the game gives you just enough information about characters, events and stories to keep you intrigued through the whole game. You always have a sense of "I wonder what will happen next".
While the game does make it to the finishline, it very much stumbles its way there. The further into the game you make it, and the more characters and threads are introduced, the more clear it becomes that the game is not prepared to answer all the questions it brings forward.
- Everything we play through did not need to happen. Seriously. If the demon can only survive if it catches a strong enough medium, why would you invite the strong medium? The creature would just die given enough time, and the story would conclude.
- How come Sadness, the child part of Lili can be outside of her body, when it is established earlier that bodies do not work without their child version? Is it because Sadness didn't "move on"?
- If Lili has to die before the demon can be hurt, why can't she just use the gun herself? "The Demon won't allow it" she says, but the demon never controlled her body, and she is allowed to carry a gun so she can give it to someone else who would presumably shoot her. The monster is also not by her side most of the time, so there would be plenty of chances for Lili to solve the issue herself. If not Lili, then why not Thomas?
- There is one sequence in the game where you find Jack's (the person who died in the beginning of the game) tie and pin in the physical world. The monster also teases you saying that Jack was sent to them. You can also hear Jack speak, and even see his spirit. While clearly a fakeout, this implies someone went to the funeral home, got his belonging, and drove back to the resort with them. They would also have to know his voice, and what he looked like. This frankly makes no sense. You find a picture of Jack and yourself, where Jack fades out as you look at it. Who would do it? Even if Jack's spirit is sent there, how would the demon know to find Jack's tie and clip when the demon cannot see the physical world? Do you not really make the spirits move on? Have you been sending countless spirits there throughout your life? What about the spirits you help move on that are already in the resort? Why would they thank you if you just send them to a different part of the resort? The demon is likely lying, and you are actually helping them move on, but if that is the case, how would the demon know Jack?
-The agent that tortures Thomas' spirit version also has a demon. This demon escapes into the normal spirit world after the agent dies during the house fire. How come Thomas' spirit is still trapped? Trapped inside the demon? Wouldn't Thomas' spirit be able to banish the demon after the host dies? Also, how come the agent with seemingly no supernatural powers was prepared to trap Thomas in his mind?
The game also brings up some heavy themes. While I think telling stories about heavy themes like children being molested is incredibly important, I question if this is the right way to do it.
We all have our demons, and our demons can make us do horrible things. Victims of abuse are more likely to become abusers in the future, and this is really the story this game is telling.
However, I can't help but be critical of the way the abusers are portrayed. After the child molester is discovered, you go into his mind and live through his traumatic events. You then find a child version of the molester, scared and innocent. You delete this part of them. It is a great contrast to the adult person, ready to molest a child. However, I do not get the purpose of this. You don't delete the evil part of them, the shame and regret, you delete the innocent child version that suffered in the past. Doing this gives the person brain damage and they can no longer move.
The same goes for Lili. She is abused, and her demons break free, killing everyone. The abused becomes the abuser once more, and the only solution to fix this is to shoot her in the head so her demons can't hurt anybody else? This strikes me as odd. The horror setting of the game may not allow for a happy ending, but surely there is a better way to approach this.
In conclusion, The Medium is a good game, filled with great voice acting, gorgeous visuals, a unique split-world mechanic that is a joy to explore, and a story that is great at building intrigue and mystery, but kind of falls flat near the end.
While the exploration part is the most enjoyable, especially with the main mechanic allowing you to explore both the physical and spirit world at once, it is great that the game mixes it up a bit sometimes. The visuals are great, and exploring the haunted resort is incredibly tense.
The voice acting, and especially visuals inspired by Beksiński's gorgeous art is absolutely fantastic. The story is interesting throughout, and generally the game gives you just enough information about characters, events and stories to keep you intrigued through the whole game. You always have a sense of "I wonder what will happen next".
While the game does make it to the finishline, it very much stumbles its way there. The further into the game you make it, and the more characters and threads are introduced, the more clear it becomes that the game is not prepared to answer all the questions it brings forward.
- Everything we play through did not need to happen. Seriously. If the demon can only survive if it catches a strong enough medium, why would you invite the strong medium? The creature would just die given enough time, and the story would conclude.
- How come Sadness, the child part of Lili can be outside of her body, when it is established earlier that bodies do not work without their child version? Is it because Sadness didn't "move on"?
- If Lili has to die before the demon can be hurt, why can't she just use the gun herself? "The Demon won't allow it" she says, but the demon never controlled her body, and she is allowed to carry a gun so she can give it to someone else who would presumably shoot her. The monster is also not by her side most of the time, so there would be plenty of chances for Lili to solve the issue herself. If not Lili, then why not Thomas?
- There is one sequence in the game where you find Jack's (the person who died in the beginning of the game) tie and pin in the physical world. The monster also teases you saying that Jack was sent to them. You can also hear Jack speak, and even see his spirit. While clearly a fakeout, this implies someone went to the funeral home, got his belonging, and drove back to the resort with them. They would also have to know his voice, and what he looked like. This frankly makes no sense. You find a picture of Jack and yourself, where Jack fades out as you look at it. Who would do it? Even if Jack's spirit is sent there, how would the demon know to find Jack's tie and clip when the demon cannot see the physical world? Do you not really make the spirits move on? Have you been sending countless spirits there throughout your life? What about the spirits you help move on that are already in the resort? Why would they thank you if you just send them to a different part of the resort? The demon is likely lying, and you are actually helping them move on, but if that is the case, how would the demon know Jack?
-The agent that tortures Thomas' spirit version also has a demon. This demon escapes into the normal spirit world after the agent dies during the house fire. How come Thomas' spirit is still trapped? Trapped inside the demon? Wouldn't Thomas' spirit be able to banish the demon after the host dies? Also, how come the agent with seemingly no supernatural powers was prepared to trap Thomas in his mind?
The game also brings up some heavy themes. While I think telling stories about heavy themes like children being molested is incredibly important, I question if this is the right way to do it.
We all have our demons, and our demons can make us do horrible things. Victims of abuse are more likely to become abusers in the future, and this is really the story this game is telling.
However, I can't help but be critical of the way the abusers are portrayed. After the child molester is discovered, you go into his mind and live through his traumatic events. You then find a child version of the molester, scared and innocent. You delete this part of them. It is a great contrast to the adult person, ready to molest a child. However, I do not get the purpose of this. You don't delete the evil part of them, the shame and regret, you delete the innocent child version that suffered in the past. Doing this gives the person brain damage and they can no longer move.
The same goes for Lili. She is abused, and her demons break free, killing everyone. The abused becomes the abuser once more, and the only solution to fix this is to shoot her in the head so her demons can't hurt anybody else? This strikes me as odd. The horror setting of the game may not allow for a happy ending, but surely there is a better way to approach this.
In conclusion, The Medium is a good game, filled with great voice acting, gorgeous visuals, a unique split-world mechanic that is a joy to explore, and a story that is great at building intrigue and mystery, but kind of falls flat near the end.
Squirrel Stapler
2023
Certainly an interesting game, as would be expected from David Szymanski. That said, I am not sure this is going to be a game for everyone. It is a mix of comedy and horror. Despite the happy looking visuals, it managed to be legitimately creepy. The small but unsettling changes make you feel on edge, and you always have a sense of "wtf is going on". The segment before God comes is genuinely paranoia inducing.
The notes you find are horror stories often so bad that you can't help but laugh at them. Finding a secret building only for you to be greeted by a low rez picture of a squirrel while it says "committing sins". It's hilarious.
That said, I kind of wish the game went further. Why is all of this happening? Why squirrels? What even is this place you live in? Poison grass? The person you are stapling squirrels to? How are they moving around? What's the deal with God?
This will be enjoyable or a certain type of player, and you probably already know before you delve into the game. I enjoyed it, but I wish it did more. I am sure there is more to uncover, and I am sure a youtuber will make a 90 minute video explaining this game's excellence. I will probably watch the video and agree, but based on the player experience, I can't give it more than an "ok".
The notes you find are horror stories often so bad that you can't help but laugh at them. Finding a secret building only for you to be greeted by a low rez picture of a squirrel while it says "committing sins". It's hilarious.
That said, I kind of wish the game went further. Why is all of this happening? Why squirrels? What even is this place you live in? Poison grass? The person you are stapling squirrels to? How are they moving around? What's the deal with God?
This will be enjoyable or a certain type of player, and you probably already know before you delve into the game. I enjoyed it, but I wish it did more. I am sure there is more to uncover, and I am sure a youtuber will make a 90 minute video explaining this game's excellence. I will probably watch the video and agree, but based on the player experience, I can't give it more than an "ok".
I am... the X slayer.
I purchased this game when it first released in June. The game features incredibly cursed (in the best way) cutscenes, a hilarious yet catching soundtrack, and constant one liners. All of this makes for a funny story great cutscenes and amazing characters, like Zane's mom.
That said, despite its short length, it was difficult for me to finish this game. I just kept losing interest. The game doesn't really mix up anything during the time you play. I played it in June, but just finished it now in October after feeling the need to force myself to go back.
While I overall enjoyed the game, I would only recommend it to people who specifically want something like this. If the trailer appeals to you, you'll probably find it funny. If not, I'd skip.
I purchased this game when it first released in June. The game features incredibly cursed (in the best way) cutscenes, a hilarious yet catching soundtrack, and constant one liners. All of this makes for a funny story great cutscenes and amazing characters, like Zane's mom.
That said, despite its short length, it was difficult for me to finish this game. I just kept losing interest. The game doesn't really mix up anything during the time you play. I played it in June, but just finished it now in October after feeling the need to force myself to go back.
While I overall enjoyed the game, I would only recommend it to people who specifically want something like this. If the trailer appeals to you, you'll probably find it funny. If not, I'd skip.
Sea of Thieves
2018
Sea of thieves feels like a "nothing-game" to me. It is kind of like hanging out in a park. The park in itself may be pretty, there may be some activities you can do there, but overall the park itself has no objective to complete. Going to the park alone offers not much else than a nice break from whatever you were doing, but you can't describe it as "fun". The fun comes when you bring your friends and you start messing around.
The fun doesn't come from the game, it comes from your friends. While Sea of Thieves is charming and has started to introduce storylines, it overall feels pointless. After playing the game for 30 minutes you have seen everything it has to offer. It is one person steering the boat, the others jumping around, emoting or randomly shooting around until you reach your objective, at which point you run to the chest, maybe do some mediocre combat, and return with the treasure which is honestly a pain to drag from your boat to the store.
It's not really fun, and you are not rewarded for your time. There is no progression. Your boat won't change, you cannot find new weapons, there are no upgrades, no nothing. What you spawn in with is what you get. You do all of this to get currency to buy skins. This sounds cool, until you realize most of these same skins can just be bought for real cash. So there is nothing to gain by playing the game.
The fun doesn't come from the game, it comes from your friends. While Sea of Thieves is charming and has started to introduce storylines, it overall feels pointless. After playing the game for 30 minutes you have seen everything it has to offer. It is one person steering the boat, the others jumping around, emoting or randomly shooting around until you reach your objective, at which point you run to the chest, maybe do some mediocre combat, and return with the treasure which is honestly a pain to drag from your boat to the store.
It's not really fun, and you are not rewarded for your time. There is no progression. Your boat won't change, you cannot find new weapons, there are no upgrades, no nothing. What you spawn in with is what you get. You do all of this to get currency to buy skins. This sounds cool, until you realize most of these same skins can just be bought for real cash. So there is nothing to gain by playing the game.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood manages to tell a beautiful story with unique and diverse characters, full of friendship, memories, drama, love and magic. Despite the short time you spend with each character, the writer is able to prop them full of believable personality, background, hopes, dreams and nightmares.
The game hooks you throughout the entire game. You always want to see who the next character is, what happens next, and what the next tarot reading will predict. You really get the feeling of not being able to put this down until you see the end.
While this is definitely one of the best written, and therefore most enjoyable experiences of 2023, it is far from perfect. The game has several issues which I will get into, but know that despite these issues, you feel like you can look past them while playing because of how enjoyable the game is overall.
-There are a lot of characters. This isn't bad in itself, but this makes it hard to write detailed about everyone. There were multiple times I wanted to learn more about a character, only for me to never see them again once their issue has been resolved.
-The game brushes over you getting into a romantic relationship. They kind of just show up through your window, say "I love you", and boom, you're in the same bed together. While it was predicted using magic that you would find love, it doesn't feel authentic. It kind of just happened, OK I guess.
-The game does little to explain certain large events. For example, you get the option to essentially become as powerful as a God. The game never explains what this means, and there is seemingly no change after you accomplish that goal. It felt like you accomplished your goal, so now the game is kind of over.
-Generally, what happened after the game ends? You get a sentence or two regarding the important characters, but the game does not show you what came of the sisterhood, how the new leadership really affects the cosmos.
Looking at these flaws of the game, one thing is clear. The game leaves you wanting more. Which is really the biggest compliment you can give a game after finishing it. You get invested in the story, you want to know more about everything, and the game does not necessarily always give this to you.
That said, everything that is there is great. The music by fingerspit is an absolute joy to listen to, and it fits seamlessly into every situation in the game.
I should note that I am not the target demographic for this game. It is a very progressive game that explores a lot of struggles and ideas I cannot personally relate to, like coming out of the closet. I am as boring as they come, a heterosexual white male. Despite me not being able to directly relate to these characters, I found myself liking them a lot. They are written in a way that make them believable, and while you may not be able to relate to everyone's problems and thought directly, their thoughts, feelings, and internal struggles is something I think anyone can relate to.
Overall, I enjoyed this game a lot, and this is definitely a game that will live in my head for a long time.
The game hooks you throughout the entire game. You always want to see who the next character is, what happens next, and what the next tarot reading will predict. You really get the feeling of not being able to put this down until you see the end.
While this is definitely one of the best written, and therefore most enjoyable experiences of 2023, it is far from perfect. The game has several issues which I will get into, but know that despite these issues, you feel like you can look past them while playing because of how enjoyable the game is overall.
-There are a lot of characters. This isn't bad in itself, but this makes it hard to write detailed about everyone. There were multiple times I wanted to learn more about a character, only for me to never see them again once their issue has been resolved.
-The game brushes over you getting into a romantic relationship. They kind of just show up through your window, say "I love you", and boom, you're in the same bed together. While it was predicted using magic that you would find love, it doesn't feel authentic. It kind of just happened, OK I guess.
-The game does little to explain certain large events. For example, you get the option to essentially become as powerful as a God. The game never explains what this means, and there is seemingly no change after you accomplish that goal. It felt like you accomplished your goal, so now the game is kind of over.
-Generally, what happened after the game ends? You get a sentence or two regarding the important characters, but the game does not show you what came of the sisterhood, how the new leadership really affects the cosmos.
Looking at these flaws of the game, one thing is clear. The game leaves you wanting more. Which is really the biggest compliment you can give a game after finishing it. You get invested in the story, you want to know more about everything, and the game does not necessarily always give this to you.
That said, everything that is there is great. The music by fingerspit is an absolute joy to listen to, and it fits seamlessly into every situation in the game.
I should note that I am not the target demographic for this game. It is a very progressive game that explores a lot of struggles and ideas I cannot personally relate to, like coming out of the closet. I am as boring as they come, a heterosexual white male. Despite me not being able to directly relate to these characters, I found myself liking them a lot. They are written in a way that make them believable, and while you may not be able to relate to everyone's problems and thought directly, their thoughts, feelings, and internal struggles is something I think anyone can relate to.
Overall, I enjoyed this game a lot, and this is definitely a game that will live in my head for a long time.