2021
Picked this up sort of on a whim after watching someone play the first 30 minutes. Looked great, and it just kept getting better after I started playing. For what is essentially an Undertale-esque fan game, this is PHENOMENAL. So much heart, suuuuuuuuch great music, beautiful sprites, and some quality pacing. Great lil' game to grind through, and no easy feat to beat either.
2019
I've played this game before, though I suppose I forgot to rate it all the way back then.
Not really much to say here. Play it. Revel in it. Feel it and squish it. Give it a poke and surrender to your own mortality. Mmm tasty.
Not really much to say here. Play it. Revel in it. Feel it and squish it. Give it a poke and surrender to your own mortality. Mmm tasty.
2018
Sorta stumbled upon this one by accident when going through the Itch bundle from last summer. Really wasn't a fan at first, but I kept playing, and it just kept getting better! So much more than any old classic side-scrolling platformer.
Hard as fuck, but never impossible. And a knockout of a soundtrack to boot. Very solid work.
Hard as fuck, but never impossible. And a knockout of a soundtrack to boot. Very solid work.
2016
Finally got around to finishing up the Samorost series. Wanted to get full achievements for this one, just like some of the other Amanita games I've played.
A lot of very classic work from the studio, though some neat new approaches were taken, and were well appreciated. Fantastic sound and environment design as always. A bit more narrative to this one, and it was so well implemented.
A lot of very classic work from the studio, though some neat new approaches were taken, and were well appreciated. Fantastic sound and environment design as always. A bit more narrative to this one, and it was so well implemented.
2005
Such an instant wonder. This is a very strong piece of my childhood, and a huge unconscious inspiration for a lot of what I try to make these days.
After replaying Botanicula yesterday, I knew I had to go ahead and replay all these old Amanita classics. It's suuuuuch a shame that Samorost 1, Quest For The Rest, and Questionaut were all Flash games :( Maybe the studio will rerelease them as downloadables (though I doubt it).
After replaying Botanicula yesterday, I knew I had to go ahead and replay all these old Amanita classics. It's suuuuuch a shame that Samorost 1, Quest For The Rest, and Questionaut were all Flash games :( Maybe the studio will rerelease them as downloadables (though I doubt it).
2012
It's been SO LONG since I played an Amanita game, and Botanicula especially. I remember when this came out actually. Fuckin' BLEW my small child brain. Still does today.
So much love, personality, warmth, humour, and great game design packed into such a small frame. No dialogue, no hints, no text. Just friends, and sunshine, and leaves.
So much love, personality, warmth, humour, and great game design packed into such a small frame. No dialogue, no hints, no text. Just friends, and sunshine, and leaves.
A hell of a fun platformer that I've had kicking around my Steam library for some time now. Figured I'd take a few days and crush out the actual end. Was extremely rewarding.
2020
I guess that I forgot to log this one when I completed it, so I'll be doing this now, a month and a half later.
Ghost of Tsushima was fantastic. It fits the bill as a very true-to-form classic open-world RPG, but in many small ways it excels beyond its format restrictions. The writing, environment design, soundtrack, and combat systems were all near perfect. Just such a quality game.
And so fun to play. Casual, but serious when it needed to be. Non-stop enjoyable gameplay, with a ton of respectable effort for immersion and a sense of realism.
Just to note, I platinum-ed the game on my first playthough. It's actually not that hard. So that's pretty cool.
Ghost of Tsushima was fantastic. It fits the bill as a very true-to-form classic open-world RPG, but in many small ways it excels beyond its format restrictions. The writing, environment design, soundtrack, and combat systems were all near perfect. Just such a quality game.
And so fun to play. Casual, but serious when it needed to be. Non-stop enjoyable gameplay, with a ton of respectable effort for immersion and a sense of realism.
Just to note, I platinum-ed the game on my first playthough. It's actually not that hard. So that's pretty cool.
2018
Right up there with Mandagon and Fez for the prettiest platformers I've ever played. A fantastic soundtrack, A++ 2D art design, and really investive level design. A great play-and-talk kinda game.
Playthrough 1:
For the second time in my life, I have just finished a game and am at a loss for words. It really doesn’t happen as much as you’d think. The Last Of Us Part II was the most well written, acted, and designed game I’ve played to date. Without a doubt in my mind. A most amazing crafted blend of unbelievably original storytelling, mind-blowing graphics, mechanical depth, and emotion. I am moved, humbled, devastated, and in awe. I love so much love for this. So very much. Please, if you have any, talk to me about your experiences with the game. I’m in need of conversing about this.
Playthrough 2 (Grounded+ mode):
Wow. I cannot believe it’s over. Again. Seriously flew right by me. If my first playthrough blindsided me and bowled me right over, this one picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me a friendly slap just for good measure.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is one of the most human games I’ve yet played. Somehow it fucking manages to take a wildly far flung narrative in a world beyond relatability, and come out with characters that are more honest and more human than almost real life.
An inspiration, a soul-strengthener, a myriad, and low sound. A was, and still am, shaken.
For the second time in my life, I have just finished a game and am at a loss for words. It really doesn’t happen as much as you’d think. The Last Of Us Part II was the most well written, acted, and designed game I’ve played to date. Without a doubt in my mind. A most amazing crafted blend of unbelievably original storytelling, mind-blowing graphics, mechanical depth, and emotion. I am moved, humbled, devastated, and in awe. I love so much love for this. So very much. Please, if you have any, talk to me about your experiences with the game. I’m in need of conversing about this.
Playthrough 2 (Grounded+ mode):
Wow. I cannot believe it’s over. Again. Seriously flew right by me. If my first playthrough blindsided me and bowled me right over, this one picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me a friendly slap just for good measure.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is one of the most human games I’ve yet played. Somehow it fucking manages to take a wildly far flung narrative in a world beyond relatability, and come out with characters that are more honest and more human than almost real life.
An inspiration, a soul-strengthener, a myriad, and low sound. A was, and still am, shaken.
What a fantastic political game. Witty, pretty, educational, and overall mostly unbiased (though this isn't always a good thing). Definitely gonna try another playthough ind ue time.
This review contains spoilers
UGH yes what a great companion to TLOU! The game was already so great, but with this? The appreciation and quality of both the base and DLC games has just skyrocketed. I remember thinking that the end of TLOU was a bit too easy (don't get me wrong, it's tricky), so this was a fantastic challenge to say the least. Hell yeah for non-linear storytelling.
2015
Good game is good. Hard game is hard. Brain is inspired, body is tired.
My good friend had been wanting me to play this for quite a long time now. I think I remember him first telling me about it just over a year ago.
And now, I have done it. What a game. Quality, quality, QUALITY. I've played hyper-narratives, I've played loot-n-shooters, but I ain't never played this perfect blend of both worlds smashed together with a fantastic soundtrack, A+ writing and acting, and some damn good art design. I could go on.
It's hard to write a proper review for such a long and rewarding experience. Just know that this is very very very very very very good. Not full of itself, not skipping on the details, not too much of one thing.
Next stop: DLC, then TLOU2.
And now, I have done it. What a game. Quality, quality, QUALITY. I've played hyper-narratives, I've played loot-n-shooters, but I ain't never played this perfect blend of both worlds smashed together with a fantastic soundtrack, A+ writing and acting, and some damn good art design. I could go on.
It's hard to write a proper review for such a long and rewarding experience. Just know that this is very very very very very very good. Not full of itself, not skipping on the details, not too much of one thing.
Next stop: DLC, then TLOU2.
2017
I'd been an Off-Peak fan for SOOOOO many years before realizing that Cosmo-D had made other games! Surrealism can be really fantastic when used properly in games (and actually almost any media for that matter). The Cosmo-D games push that, and test boundaries, but never stray ~too~ far into a complete loss of meaning. Which I really like, and is an art in itself.
I think that where Off-Peak broke through to something amazing for me, The Norwood Suite has demonstrated more to it. I think this is a very solid game. Not too hand-holdy, but not meaningless either. A great start of something very interesting after the first game.
I think that where Off-Peak broke through to something amazing for me, The Norwood Suite has demonstrated more to it. I think this is a very solid game. Not too hand-holdy, but not meaningless either. A great start of something very interesting after the first game.