ennui_enthusiast
2022
arthouse cyber-horror. immaculate psx vibes. uncomfortable forms of flesh. tiny inventories.
the modern resident evil 1 style game i didnt know i wanted.
achtung
achtung
achtung
the modern resident evil 1 style game i didnt know i wanted.
achtung
achtung
achtung
Bar none the prettiest visual novel I've experienced. The japanese voice acting had such a great range of drama and comedy, while the time traveling plot thickened more than a sunday gravy.
While I wish the game was a little shorter, I appreciate having the limited amount of freedom for which characters' storyline I get to go through. The combat sequences could be a little fatiguing with the myriad of upgrade/skill choices and constant waves of enemies. I'm not the biggest fan of the hybrid tower defense mechanics, but it certainly felt effective in conveying the urgency and scale of each scenario. Especially the last the mission.
Definitely my favorite 2019 playstation game I wasn't able to play until the switch port came out this year. Thank you Yakisoba Pan Angel.
While I wish the game was a little shorter, I appreciate having the limited amount of freedom for which characters' storyline I get to go through. The combat sequences could be a little fatiguing with the myriad of upgrade/skill choices and constant waves of enemies. I'm not the biggest fan of the hybrid tower defense mechanics, but it certainly felt effective in conveying the urgency and scale of each scenario. Especially the last the mission.
Definitely my favorite 2019 playstation game I wasn't able to play until the switch port came out this year. Thank you Yakisoba Pan Angel.
2021
The Gunk feels very inspired by ps2 era 3D platformers. In particular, this has feels very much like a Ratchet n Clank game, but with a fraction of the tools/weapons and overall much less emphasis on combat. Honestly the scifi premise and the environmental art were the main aspects driving me forward.
None of the mechanical features felt very good. The jump is ok, but they do the thing where you can only mantle on to things with the a yellow mark which feels much more out of place as a 3D platformer compared how to they do it in Uncharted. You also have to spend resources to use a dash and its a pitiful one at that. For a game all about collecting resources, you don't really have a lot of upgrades that you're excited to use it on.
None of the mechanical features felt very good. The jump is ok, but they do the thing where you can only mantle on to things with the a yellow mark which feels much more out of place as a 3D platformer compared how to they do it in Uncharted. You also have to spend resources to use a dash and its a pitiful one at that. For a game all about collecting resources, you don't really have a lot of upgrades that you're excited to use it on.
One of the most mechanically satisfying games that leaves you feeling prideful about your developed skills and knowledge about shipbreaking. Voice acting provides a pleasant but minimal human connection to buffer the cold corporate setting. It's unfortunate that the game was dropping a lot of frames when you get to the bigger and more complicated ships, but its a compromise I'm happy with the level of detail of the physics and systems.
2002
Arx Fatalis is not a perfect game. At its worst, its a frustration simulator with its unwieldy UI, extremely limited combat, and unorthodox magic system.
At its best, this game feels like a RPG missing link between the 90's and the 2000's. While it retains some of the adventure/puzzle solving lineage from games like Ultima and Baldur's Gate, its magic system and world design feels ahead of its time compared to some of Arx's contemporaries like Morrowind or Fallout. It really has more in common with Deus Ex and Thief than anything else.
While the magic gesture system takes a long to get used to, magic's utility has so much potential within a 3D space in a 1st person view. This wouldn't be that fun on its own, but Arx provides a fascinating answer with its giant dungeon world.
Arkane asks themselves: What would a whole world fit into the Mines of Moria be like? You get the giant and singular puzzle box that is Arx Fatalis.
At its best, this game feels like a RPG missing link between the 90's and the 2000's. While it retains some of the adventure/puzzle solving lineage from games like Ultima and Baldur's Gate, its magic system and world design feels ahead of its time compared to some of Arx's contemporaries like Morrowind or Fallout. It really has more in common with Deus Ex and Thief than anything else.
While the magic gesture system takes a long to get used to, magic's utility has so much potential within a 3D space in a 1st person view. This wouldn't be that fun on its own, but Arx provides a fascinating answer with its giant dungeon world.
Arkane asks themselves: What would a whole world fit into the Mines of Moria be like? You get the giant and singular puzzle box that is Arx Fatalis.
2019
The deckbuilder that is the best at building decks and destroying your time. While it doesn't have that much of a story, it still has a lot of heart.
2022
Lovely puzzle platformer with a heavily empathetic storyline. The controls are pretty unorthodox so the platforming mechanics can be challenging. On the other hand, there's plenty of checkpoints so there's never usually too much pressure until the late game.
2022
Norco feels like a game tailored for me. Geography of Robots made a smart choice by extracting the 90's adventure game pixel art design while leaving the tedious and unintuitive puzzle design.
This game is all about the narrative. Between the dystopian cyberpunk politics and southern gothic tendencies, there's a lot of world building and characters to chew on.
The combat is nothing special, but it was never supposed to be the focus. I do wonder about a version of this game that has no combat whatsoever, but it doesn't affect the overall impression. Can't wait to see what else this studio makes next.
This game is all about the narrative. Between the dystopian cyberpunk politics and southern gothic tendencies, there's a lot of world building and characters to chew on.
The combat is nothing special, but it was never supposed to be the focus. I do wonder about a version of this game that has no combat whatsoever, but it doesn't affect the overall impression. Can't wait to see what else this studio makes next.
2022
Tunic turns out to be the game you get when you combine the nostalgia and adventure of The Legend of Zelda with the puzzles and aesthetics of Fez.
This game does so much right with the dense level design and euphoric sound track that it can be quite jarring when you get stuck with the uneven combat pacing (particularly with the bosses) and unfortunate camera movement.
This game felt very special, but I was a little fatigued by the combat by the time I got to the endgame and had little patience for the final puzzles.
This game does so much right with the dense level design and euphoric sound track that it can be quite jarring when you get stuck with the uneven combat pacing (particularly with the bosses) and unfortunate camera movement.
This game felt very special, but I was a little fatigued by the combat by the time I got to the endgame and had little patience for the final puzzles.
2018
Beckett is an agonizingly abrasive and abstract visual novel with a unique collage/multimedia aesthetic. Much of the writing and character work leaves the reader up to their interpretation. I can respect the commitment to the harsh design and deliberate melancholy, but I wish the Beckett didn't cough at his every line.
2022
I really like this game in concept. Loved the act of deducing plants from vague descriptions and slowly discovering the world through maps and trinkets. The music fit the whole ambience quite nicely. The charming and tactile UI is reminiscent of Papers Please.
Some of it did get quite tedious with the sheer number of plants to manage with little more than a couple shelves to attempt some form of organization. Some of the riddles and puzzles could be awkward, but I really didn't like the inclusion of the map cooldown meter that really stopped any momentum you had to figure out clues. It felt like unnecessary friction.
Overall Strange Horticulture is a mostly delightful way to explore botany and cult/folklore world building, while shifting the events of your country with your curated selection of herbal wonders.
Some of it did get quite tedious with the sheer number of plants to manage with little more than a couple shelves to attempt some form of organization. Some of the riddles and puzzles could be awkward, but I really didn't like the inclusion of the map cooldown meter that really stopped any momentum you had to figure out clues. It felt like unnecessary friction.
Overall Strange Horticulture is a mostly delightful way to explore botany and cult/folklore world building, while shifting the events of your country with your curated selection of herbal wonders.
A whimsical and touching game that fosters a sense of free-form creativity to the player. The canvas world is comfortably full of earnest characters and thoughtful puzzles. Can't wait to see what this developer does next!
Some of the best dungeons in any of the Zelda series. Midna is one of the best companions to sound like a david lynch character.
my hands hurt
2019
The gig-run mental health society we'll end up as if we're not careful.