clams
this game is more "cinema" than anything most game designers could EVER dream of
2013
A beautiful, short experience. Love seeing art about queer experiences, this one feels very real and is likely based in some truth if I had to guess. However, no matter how hard she tries Lonnie doesn't get to call herself a punk if she's joining the army. Not how it works dude.
2015
An incredibly powerful exploration of mental health, the creation and consumption of art, and a fantastic use of games as a medium. A celebration of Source engine development, and incredibly accessible to anyone who can control a player in a 3D space. Absolutely a must-play.
1992
(played exclusively the shareware release using ecwolf)
your environment hates you, you can barely take more than a couple hits, and you don't know where you're going. wolf3D is pretty good! absolutely fascinating too look back at the beginnings of the genre, with levels closer to the mazelike dungeons of wizardry (notably, featuring a level designer that wants you dead, and those potted plants are no joke) and a tempo that's closer to wolfenstein's ancestral stealth games. this is where the game suffered, the stealth design wasn't developed enough, and at odds with the best moments of the game, where you find yourself running around with guns blazing. your health is low enough that you die just a little too much, and enemies are always positioned around corners in a way that'll mess you up if you aren't taking your time. also, the keyboard controls are overhated. super chill laptop game, don't even need a mouse. and bonus points for choosing an enemy that i'll never have moral qualms shooting.
your environment hates you, you can barely take more than a couple hits, and you don't know where you're going. wolf3D is pretty good! absolutely fascinating too look back at the beginnings of the genre, with levels closer to the mazelike dungeons of wizardry (notably, featuring a level designer that wants you dead, and those potted plants are no joke) and a tempo that's closer to wolfenstein's ancestral stealth games. this is where the game suffered, the stealth design wasn't developed enough, and at odds with the best moments of the game, where you find yourself running around with guns blazing. your health is low enough that you die just a little too much, and enemies are always positioned around corners in a way that'll mess you up if you aren't taking your time. also, the keyboard controls are overhated. super chill laptop game, don't even need a mouse. and bonus points for choosing an enemy that i'll never have moral qualms shooting.
1993
i think kirby got worse with the addition of copy abilities? okay, i'm being facetious. but like, i do think this game isn't as good as Kirby's Dream Land (1992, GB). while the previous title is short and full of charm, like it's really all there in the first game. and this is still pretty good! even more of the kirby genetics are found here, most of the copy abilities you already know, and man does this play just as good as any of the other games. my issues come from a place of complexity. the previous game is almost as good in a lot of ways, and does it with less complexity and fewer levels. not to say the game really overstays its welcome, but i appreciated how succinct the first game was.
i know this is a lot of (comparative) bashing of Kirby's Adventure, but it's a good game! go play it, nes games are free and it's super short. a good time, just a (very slight) step down from its predecessor. i expect the future kirby games will find new ways to use the mechanics in more interesting ways.
i know this is a lot of (comparative) bashing of Kirby's Adventure, but it's a good game! go play it, nes games are free and it's super short. a good time, just a (very slight) step down from its predecessor. i expect the future kirby games will find new ways to use the mechanics in more interesting ways.
2012
i could not play this game. the colors did not work my specific brand of colorblindness, i couldnt differentiate the colors accurately and fast enough to properly play the game, probably not helped by the kinda subpar panel on the 3ds. if a hack for colorblind options or homebrew for colorblind filters comes out i might play this, otherwise i might have to apply filters to an emulator.
1992
very solid game, definitely aged well (whatever that means) and still a ton of fun. i appreciate how short it is, and how it has all the concessions in the world for someone who's bad at videogames (and, optionally, ways to make it harder).
honestly not a ton to say about the game, you could probably play it in under an hour with minimal difficulty. very easy to recommend
honestly not a ton to say about the game, you could probably play it in under an hour with minimal difficulty. very easy to recommend
2015
i dont know how i feel about this game.
i didnt finish the final boss, but i got to the fight and failed a couple times before i realized its not worth my time. call it a bad ending if you want
threadbare as an rpg, everything only exists to justify the vibes, but youre really here for the aesthetics which you can probably decide on by looking at the game. conflicted on the artistic direction personally, but glad i played the game especially considering its cheap in terms of time and money
EDIT: i finished the final boss. kinda whatever.
its not really worth it (except maybe for hylics 2? havent played [yet?])
the fight was pretty lousy, if it had more spectacle id say its worth your time but, kinda a slog in terms of actual gameplay, doesnt fit with the rest of the game in terms of gameplay.
i didnt finish the final boss, but i got to the fight and failed a couple times before i realized its not worth my time. call it a bad ending if you want
threadbare as an rpg, everything only exists to justify the vibes, but youre really here for the aesthetics which you can probably decide on by looking at the game. conflicted on the artistic direction personally, but glad i played the game especially considering its cheap in terms of time and money
EDIT: i finished the final boss. kinda whatever.
its not really worth it (except maybe for hylics 2? havent played [yet?])
the fight was pretty lousy, if it had more spectacle id say its worth your time but, kinda a slog in terms of actual gameplay, doesnt fit with the rest of the game in terms of gameplay.