AI is a topic that will make people poop and pee. To that I say capitalism is the problem and your worries that the powers that be will kill you for not being useful to them anymore as a lil drone suckin penis or whatever you do as a job. That's real.

As far as entertainment goes, AI games like this will be the wave that might catch on. Suck Up! is a great step in that direction as I had fun lying in front of an audience of people who watched me play. I essentially was doing stand-up routines to suck the blood of like 30 NPC's and doing a new schtick every single time. The AI is responsive enough to have clever retorts when it can make sense of what I'm saying no matter how unhinged I was getting. It's cool!

Anyway, if you like lying and being funny, this game is a stepping stone to something potentially great down the line. I love being a vocally antagonistic asshole. By being that, I stress-tested and saw the cracks in the AI almost right away. The meta is apparently offering them cookies but that's no fun. The joy of this game is creatively making total strangers comfortable enough to let you in their house to suck them.

More please.

MY LIFE IS LIKE A VIDEO GAME, TRYING HARD TO BEAT THE STAGE
ALL WHILE I AM STILL COLLECTING COINS
TRYING HARD TO SAVE THE GIRL, OBSTACLES, I'M JUMPING HURDLES
I'M GROWING UP TO BE A BIG BOY
I BATTLE WITH THE EVIL WAYS, I TRAVEL FAR AND TRY AND SAVE
SORRY, BUT YOUR PRINCESS ISN'T HERE
I TAKE A REST, I PUSH THE PAUSE, LEVEL UP AND MOVE ALONG
IN HOPES THAT THE NEXT STAGE I WILL CLEAR; I FUCKING PASSED, ASSHOLE

I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP FROM DYING

IT'S JUST A GAME THAT WE PLAY, AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES
LOOKING FOR A BETTER WAY TO PLAY IT
LIFE IS FOR KEEPING SCORE AND FOREVERMORE
STOP COMPLAINING AND START CHANGING IT

Early this year I played Fear and Hunger for the first time and loved my time with it. I praised its worldbuilding and gothic dark fantasy aesthetic while also acknowledging that some of the challenges the game presents can be extremely offputting to new players. I originally felt the difficulty was something you have to push past initially and then the game becomes immensely easier. When getting into Termina, my first thought was how this game was going to tackle difficulty compared to the first game given its larger scope, larger array of mechanics and completely different setting.

Termina takes place roughly 400 years after the first game and is now adopting a more modern European gothic look rather than dark fantasy. What I find cool is how seamlessly this updated setting creates a more character-driven game while also putting more of an emphasis on the story of the world. The plot centers around a battle royale between 14 different characters, 8 of which are playable. I don’t think I've ever seen this concept used outside of a multiplayer setting and it is utilized to great effect to create a hopeless setting where at some point you will have to kill companions or characters you enjoy. What makes this situation harder is how good the writing is for each of the characters as they all have their own comprehensive backstory that makes you feel sorry for them. The inclusion of all these characters also makes progression more interesting as I valued discovering new interactions and set pieces with the characters over finding new items.

The new mechanic Termina includes that works hand in hand with the large roster of characters is the new three-day mechanic. The three-day time limit the game sets up at the start sets a tension to make the most of your time between each save as well as to discover all the hidden events that take place during each day. Each of the 14 contestants can be located all across the map during each day, with their locations changing almost every time you save and the day progresses. This is a fascinating mechanic as you can potentially miss out on recruiting or killing other characters as well as witnessing events where other contestants kill each other or encounters where contestants turn into horrible Silent Hill monsters. These events all have the potential to occur each day and there appears to be more on the way in future updates that will hopefully make this mechanic even more comprehensive to all the characters.

Now the main point of comparison for the two games is how Termina handles difficulty compared to the first entry. The starting hours were near identical as I was plagued with frustrating enemies and mechanics that forced me to restart the beginning section of the game over and over again. Knowing now that I had limited saves put more stress on me initially as I didn’t want to waste one on a run where I lost a limb or gathered crappy resources. But just like the first game, once I finally started to grasp what the game allowed me to do and get away with the game became infinitely easier. Some examples of this include finding an infinite health farm, learning how to regrow my limbs, and utilizing my party to kill every enemy during the first term. The amount of customization on offer is pretty incredible as you can build your character and party in a way that accounts for almost every encounter. The inclusion of numerous additional skills, items, and equipment makes it hard pressed to find players that had the exact same build as you. With each playable character having unique skills, starting items, and interactions in the game, there is a lot of replayability and mixing and matching if one finds playing as one character difficult. The tools are all there to help you maximize your experience and when I finally reached that point it was incredibly thrilling to backtrack through areas that once gave me a challenge and instead become a walking god of death.

Fear and Hunger Termina is the ideal sequel where it greatly adapts and expands upon the original designs and mechanics of the first game. The art and aesthetics are much stronger and more realized culminating in a very disturbing and ethereal horror RPG experience. The amount of details and secrets on offer is mind-numbing that is simply impossible to encounter them all in one playthrough. With the game also continuing to receive updates that promise to add more events encounters and maybe even endings, Termina is a smorgasbord of content. I can already tell this game will adopt a cult following as there is truly nothing else like it. I am so excited to see what fans and creatives will do with the ideas and mechanics this game presents hopefully culminating in a new era of horror-themed RPGs.

My first playthrough clocked in around 19 hours, with 8 of those hours being counted by the in-game clock. So much of my playthrough was trial and error as I wanted to see what was possible in this sandbox and how I could maximize my experience. During my time with Termina, I couldn’t help but be astounded by all the creative designs, locations and story beats that just made me so happy that I chose video games as one of my favorite hobbies. One of my favorite details is how the entirety of ending A correlates to post World-War in a way that I feel is one of the strongest depictions of how the whole world changed. Just like the first game, Termina is not for everyone as it is so heedlessly cruel, especially on the higher difficulties. But I think if you are someone who appreciates it when a medium accomplishes something wholly unique to its genre you need to do yourself the favor and try it out. It’s one of the coolest games I’ve ever played and I am so happy I got into this series.

For a long time, I have wished for one game to give me a similar feeling of wonder and discovery as my time with Dark Souls 1. For years I have searched, and as the market filled with countless soul's-likes, I was still unsatisfied. Because they strive to fulfill different criteria of what makes a soul's-like truly great in varying degrees. Except for a single Indie RPG. Bleak Faith: Forsaken.

Made by 3 developers. And one I feel has nearly enough to stand next to Fromsoftware's beloved Soul's games for an indie RPG. Yet, the recent release has been unjustly, unfairly, and unreasonably panned by many users on the web for bugs and an Epic controversy. The former has been hyperbolized beyond disbelief and gatekeeping, while the latter is a rabbit hole; I'm not going to discuss it here.

Despite, these major claims, I sought to review the game based on its own merits upon release. This is my review of Bleak Faith: Forsaken after 34 hours. For full disclosure, I did not ask the developers for a review copy since I wanted to experience it with everyone else.

Anyway, let's get started.

Primarily an open-world survival horror action third-person RPG. A cross between sci-fi and dark fantasy. A ‘Blame! By Tsutomu Nihei’ meets ‘Berserk by Kentaro Miura’ game. You will explore the omnistructure and discover the history behind this unforgiving world. Embrace the unknown and risk your life multiple times against powerful adversaries.

That’s the main gist of what I can glean. And for the most part, it is pretty true in exploring the omnistructure. It does share similarities as a souls-like. However, there is enough content here to differentiate itself from being another soul's clone.

You don't level conventionally in Bleak Faith. Instead, the game runs entirely based on the gear you find in the world and the equipment you earn from enemies. This is an interesting take on the gameplay formula since it eliminates the need to go to a stationary safe zone to allocate stats. Instead, it enforces a bold approach where players must venture to explore the Omnistructure.

A vast world full of verticality with medium-large levels. And where some can quickly become lost in the sheer scale of wonder and discovery. In my experience, I was captivated by the level design and appreciated the environments of sci-fi megastructures to the mix of fantasy elements of technomancy. I became lost in the narrow corridors while searching for better loot and taking in the sheer scenery of places. At times, you will need a mental map of the levels you encounter. Nonetheless, sometimes your curiosity might lead you to find a great treasure or a hidden shortcut to unlock. The great thing about playing games like these without any official guides or information on the web at the time of release is that it forces the player to go in any direction at their peril and curiosity. To my utter joy, the first area you start does a good job of dropping you into the world and letting you go off in any direction. And the 2nd area is impressive due to each level being intrinsically interconnected.

Early previews of trailers have some heavy Shadow of the Colossus inspiration here. And I am glad to report there is such a system in place to climb onto large enemies to weaken them. The mechanic is not half-baked either. You will be fighting differently by striking their legs to stagger them. And then you climb atop their body to strike at their weak points. This mix of Colossus-style combat is refreshing to the combat formula where you fight lone or multiple adversaries. Now you have to keep in mind the larger giants as well.

Climbing, jumping, water traversal are allowed in the game. Adding to the player freedom and traversal on nearly every cliff, crevice, as well as a sprinkle of platforming here. A nice change of pace from battles. To see more of the level structure, the power to do so at any time and for players to figure out their path is an incredible feeling. Granted, it is not at every level. But, the fact is we can jump anytime. Also is integrated well enough with the other mechanics, not to the point of a checklist, but each mechanic felt natural and not thrown in haphazardly. Enhancing the world to make nearly every nook and cranny possible to reach. So if you think there will be some obstacles blocking your path... Well... You know what to do.

I love your character abilities here and the perk system. They visually affect different playstyles to become extra powerful or subtly with stat upgrades. For example, I could pick the Vamprism perk, granting my character life steal. One perk: Increases the number of health potions on my belt, a passive chance to create illusions. Dual weapon & heavy weapon masteries to increase damage and more.

These coupled with interchangeable character abilities, made my playthrough very enjoyable since it emphasized different builds and experimentation.

I like the crafting system here. Since it does not contain a currency system to buy equipment or items. Unlike the Souls games it's inspired by, you don't lose currency on death, so it is okay to die. Therefore, the gameplay loop of exploration and defeating enemies to gather materials becomes a euphoric feeling. Allowing the player to become stronger as they progress further. Upgrading your weapons and gear outputs a good change in the stats of your character. As a result, the crafting system helps the player overcome bosses or tough enemy mobs.

For bosses. They are threatening and do a fantastic job of giving you a good bit of trouble. But, not to the point of being insurmountable to defeat. Simply upgrade gear and weapons, and have enough items on your belt to increase damage, armor rating, and more items. Help immensely to turn the tide of battle. And for the most part that was enough for me. Attackers are also varied and I did not see a lot of copy-paste here and there. The whole world evolves in a way I didn't expect as I progressed deeper into the game, making new foes appear.

Dig the large variety of weapons and armor you can find. Made hunting around the world for unique armor sets and equipment a pleasure and fighting opponents not dull. Considering, I wanted an enemy's gear. Cool cape? That's mine now. Woah cool staff dude. That too will be mine. So the gameplay momentum is sustained as you progress further in the omnistructure.

Weaponry feels powerful and usable in certain situations since they can have one or two unique abilities attached. A unique weapon can emit a sword slash in front of you. The other can teleport behind enemy lines backstabbing them, others can summon beams of light. I haven't found all of them yet, but the sheer amount of weapon abilities with unique animations is a great plus in my books. Just like the souls series, boss weapons feel very powerful to use and very rewarding to have after a tough fight. Also, they aesthetically look very epic.

Speaking of epic. The music slaps. And I dearly want to buy the soundtrack as soon as possible. Boss tracks especially are fitting and overworld levels give off a pleasant track tunes.

Now then, as much as I want to go on praising what works effectively here. There are some things I must critique. And granted, the developers have already fixed the controls and Giant's bug. Two major complaints I had were quickly resolved. During my playthrough. This is very satisfying to see and so, I’ll focus on other matters.

First. Inventory updates. Occasionally will not show what I acquired from an enemy or what item I found. I had to check my inventory constantly and discover, “when did I get that item?” All items should pop up clearly. So I do not need to check my inventory and double-check.

Minor to somewhat troublesome bugs. Compared to the exaggerated claims by some users online panning the release as unplayable due to the number of bugs. Quite frankly, I didn’t encounter that many. And when I did they were largely fixed by the re-spawn mechanic you have innately. You can spawn one nearby when there are no enemies. Nonetheless, I did experience falling off the map, not intentionally mind you two to four times, getting outside level boundaries two to three times, and collisions with the enemy where I am stuck to them about three to four times. These all occurred throughout my thirty-four-hour playthrough and one crash to the desktop. And suffice it to say I didn’t lose a major amount of progress either. Granted my playthrough could be different and I’ve seen different reviews from other reviewers who have played to end credits stating different experiences with bugs. So this could be a ‘your mileage might vary’ type of deal. Be that as it may, most reviews on Steam still have negative thumbs-down ratings. When the developers have already fixed a good number of those complaints regarding the controls, floating while jumping, and instant death from climbing giants. This is a gentle reminder to read other reviewers' impressions of the game who have played extensively. And provide clarity and logical reasoning. There is a clear difference between ten to twenty minutes of playtime to two hours or less and then compared to those who played five, ten, twenty plus hours.

Moving on.

The next points I'll cover can be a hit or miss. Not a negative or a positive. All the same, I have decided to say here for transparency.

To start, hitboxes can be a hit or miss. Sometimes the weapon I am using is just a tad bit short. Other times it is great when evading an enemy. Could be better I feel.

I wish there is a 'perk reset' button or drinking a unique consumable to revert perks. I made the mistake of clicking one perk thinking, "This will be good." Except it's not. And now I'm stuck with a perk for my whole playthrough. Granted, there was a warning attached of picking a perk being irreversible. So that's on me.

Has jank when it was good. But also jank when it is bad. Yet, I still had a lot of fun throughout my playthrough and didn't reach a point of frustration to the degree I wanted to gatekeep this indie RPG for good. In several cases, I had jolly good laughs on some jank occurring. Some of which work in my favor!

I wish there was more story here. Seems, the narrative can be a bit vague at times. And while I appreciated the cutscenes greatly, more dialogue to explain some lore, sidequests for more side activities to do and more NPCs to flesh out the world-building could do wonders in immersing me further.

I also think the combo system can be a hit or miss. I barely touched it early on since I couldn't get the mechanic to activate it correctly. While a friend of mine told me it works for them. So I am going back to see if I can properly activate them in fights. Probably my fault for not fully understanding how it works. Perhaps a tutorial archive in the menu to refresh players on mechanics would be nice.

And that’s it. My final score for Bleak Faith: Forsaken is an 8/10. I was thinking of a 7/10. But I feel that is way too harsh. There is plenty of good content here, the game has organically especially from 3 developers. I could see it going to a 9/10 in the coming months as the devs continue making incredible progress as each day passes. And will add more free updates. Such as NG+, content expansions, and multiplayer. But first fixes since that is a very high priority.

So! If you are on the hunt, for an indie RPG souls-like in the vein of Dark Souls 1 just as I was. A mix of sci-fi and fantasy with a cross of Blame! & Berserk. And don't mind the occasional jank here and there. Then I recommend Bleak Faith: Forsaken. I have faith that the developers from Archangel Studios will come out with something great in store for us.