mssq
Two hours of pretty fun puzzling with friends and it's also free.
2021
This one is a weird one as every single thing I enjoyed also has its negative side.
For example I like the art-style but it's also very unreadable especially when you're trying to understand what on earth are the enemies doing. Speaking of enemies I do like the combat on some level as it's fast-paced and you get new items so quickly it never gets stale as you keep changing your spells constantly. On the other hand it feels like they had no idea what to do with the enemies so they just made every single one of them a physics blob that jumps around and sometimes maybe attacks? If you see red just dash away because I can't read any of these attacks outside the boss fights.
For example I like the art-style but it's also very unreadable especially when you're trying to understand what on earth are the enemies doing. Speaking of enemies I do like the combat on some level as it's fast-paced and you get new items so quickly it never gets stale as you keep changing your spells constantly. On the other hand it feels like they had no idea what to do with the enemies so they just made every single one of them a physics blob that jumps around and sometimes maybe attacks? If you see red just dash away because I can't read any of these attacks outside the boss fights.
2024
The core gameplay is solid enough but everything around it is just bare bones and taking the easy way out. The story is 100% written and voice acted by AI which just makes it very monotonous to listen and read. The crafting seems like an afterthought and the balance is messy. Just stack damage + crit and you are golden.
2022
It's not a good game, at best I would call it functional. Every single idea it has, has been taken out of a better game. It also might have the worst story and voice acting I have ever heard. Every single thing this main protagonist blurbs out of his mouth makes him just more and more dislikeable.
But still somehow there is something charming about this yank copycat of a game and I had decent time with it.
¯\(ツ)/¯
But still somehow there is something charming about this yank copycat of a game and I had decent time with it.
¯\(ツ)/¯
Pretty solid co-op platformer where one plays as the cat and other as the fish. They do play differently enough and both of them have their own things to do so this ain't one of those co-op games where the second player is an afterthought and is there just to support the first player. It even has some decent challenge here and there which requires some well-timed coordination.
Not so surprisingly the story is really whatever and the cut-scenes drag on for no real reason at times.
Not so surprisingly the story is really whatever and the cut-scenes drag on for no real reason at times.
2023
Loved the visuals and the general vibe going on. I was expecting more of an horror game but it's pretty much only used as an groundhog day device to keep the gameplay loop going on. But this small disappointment was countered with an touching story about mental illness and isolation with some great puzzle design that really impressed me how I was never lost or without a goal to achieve.
The biggest improvement with this compared to the original is with the levels. There is more variety on the gameplay and visuals as we travel anything from amusement park to an castle made of memories. I also found the music to be catchier in this one.
Other than that it's more of the same so it's rather solid platformer.
Other than that it's more of the same so it's rather solid platformer.
2024
Feels like somebody's first ROM hack.
Tad bit divided with this one. It does have some of that Nintendo charm especially with the cutscenes but then every time you beat a level it takes you to a menu that looks like something out of flash game 20 years ago. There are also some great puzzles that require some finesse and quick thinking but these are only in the couple last worlds. Everything before that is too easy and I just kinda ran through them without having to think or really do much anything.
2023
Another one from Frictional Games where you sneak around in darkness while something otherwordly is lurking in the shadows. It even has little bit of that Lovecraftian vibe still going on. This time you do have little bit of an arsenal which help you fight this monster and giving you some extra seconds to survive when shit hits the fan.
Even though this is not groundbreaking stuff from Frictional they still somehow managed to create another one of the greats in the horror genre. The biggest strength of the game is that the monster never becomes frustrating. Instead it's your fault when something goes terribly wrong and this keeps it always intense and stressful. Reminds me very much of Alien Isolation on that front.
Even though I'm not big fan of reading notes this is one the rare ones where the writing is good enough that I didn't mind it. Also the setting and its use was great from the starting set-piece to the brutal ending and how it doesn't save any punches with the bleak view of WWI.
Even though this is not groundbreaking stuff from Frictional they still somehow managed to create another one of the greats in the horror genre. The biggest strength of the game is that the monster never becomes frustrating. Instead it's your fault when something goes terribly wrong and this keeps it always intense and stressful. Reminds me very much of Alien Isolation on that front.
Even though I'm not big fan of reading notes this is one the rare ones where the writing is good enough that I didn't mind it. Also the setting and its use was great from the starting set-piece to the brutal ending and how it doesn't save any punches with the bleak view of WWI.
2022
I was not expecting such an heartfelt and emotional story from an 2D platformer.
I really cannot put it to words how beautiful this game looks. The pixelart is just drop-dead gorgeous and the way it interacts with the lighting at times is just mindblowing. The sound and music are no slouch either and work great with the visuals.
Weirdly enough the gameplay might be the weakest link. This does not mean its bad, not even close to that as it is very solid with lots of different gameplay gimmicks and set-pieces introduced along the adventure to keep it fresh. But at times I did feel like I just wanted to get to the next story bit instead of grappling around the city.
I really cannot put it to words how beautiful this game looks. The pixelart is just drop-dead gorgeous and the way it interacts with the lighting at times is just mindblowing. The sound and music are no slouch either and work great with the visuals.
Weirdly enough the gameplay might be the weakest link. This does not mean its bad, not even close to that as it is very solid with lots of different gameplay gimmicks and set-pieces introduced along the adventure to keep it fresh. But at times I did feel like I just wanted to get to the next story bit instead of grappling around the city.
Damn, this one great setting and I just love how Midgar looks in this.
I pretty much loved my time with this for the first half of the game and whenever the game is letting its goofy side shine is when it is at its best. After that it lost too much steam with its pacing as I was really enjoying the adventure with the gang but after the middle point the story starts taking some turns and they make you run around areas you have explored previously already.
It did win me back in the end but there sure was a moment I was not sure if I wanna play the next part.
I pretty much loved my time with this for the first half of the game and whenever the game is letting its goofy side shine is when it is at its best. After that it lost too much steam with its pacing as I was really enjoying the adventure with the gang but after the middle point the story starts taking some turns and they make you run around areas you have explored previously already.
It did win me back in the end but there sure was a moment I was not sure if I wanna play the next part.
2022
Pretty decent roguelike that seems actually been designed with co-op in mind instead of it feeling like an afterthought.
Could be harder, could have some more variety but in the end I had pretty good time with it.
Could be harder, could have some more variety but in the end I had pretty good time with it.
2023
The core of the game is rock solid with some precise platforming but it did leave me hoping for more in the end. The graphics, soundtrack and levels all just blur together in the end as there is just not enough variation between worlds.
2022
This was just an blast to play. At start I was little apprehensive about the movement as it's really fast and kinda slippery but the more I played the more it just clicked, this fast and manic playing style of sliding everywhere a shooting pretty much anything that moves.
Special mention for the level design and the soundtrack, they really nailed these aspects. This is one of the rare ones where the levels never felt confusing even though they can be vast horizontally and vertically. Also the music is great! There are so many different vibes in different levels. I especially enjoyed the Sunset Synthetica one with its spy movie and rock blend.
Only real gripe I have with the game is that the sliding might be little too overpowered and the guns feel secondary to these chainsaw legs of yours. Also some of the guns are not balanced that well. Especially the upgraded ones as I kinda stuck with my favorites in the latter half of the game instead of using the whole arsenal.
Special mention for the level design and the soundtrack, they really nailed these aspects. This is one of the rare ones where the levels never felt confusing even though they can be vast horizontally and vertically. Also the music is great! There are so many different vibes in different levels. I especially enjoyed the Sunset Synthetica one with its spy movie and rock blend.
Only real gripe I have with the game is that the sliding might be little too overpowered and the guns feel secondary to these chainsaw legs of yours. Also some of the guns are not balanced that well. Especially the upgraded ones as I kinda stuck with my favorites in the latter half of the game instead of using the whole arsenal.