Recent reviews by Harzy

Impactful.

This game makes me happy.

A genuine gem of a game.

It's rare that I run into something that has such a clear vision right from the very outset that manages to keeps me captivated from start to finish, and upon looking through the store page/trailers/etc for the first time a few weeks back I truly was not expecting this to grip me the way it did.

I went into Bleak Faith: Forsaken (Which, if I'm allowed to be critical, is a rather silly name that doesn't mirror what the game is, nor what it feels like. Might just be me though.) with the intent to refund it before the 2 hour window was up. It had been on my radar since it first came out and I heard about how much of a confusing disaster it was. I just wanted to peek around and see what it was actually like now that it had been out for an amount of time, but I just.. couldn't stop playing. At first, out of bafflement and curiosity. And then, rather quickly, out of genuine enjoyment.

I've personally never played something as janky, unpolished, and truly immersive (For me at least, your experience may vary) as this, especially in the Souls-like genre. Something about the audio, visuals, and the moment to moment gameplay just clicked with me. I have a soft spot for unguided exploration, something that many games lack these days, and a great deal of the delight I felt while excavating this odd world came from how often I found myself lost and confused. So many studios seem to do everything in their power to keep a player on track, directed towards an apparent goal, but you'll find little of that here. And, to me, that is a breath of fresh air.

If you can get past the immediate lack of polish, frequent jankiness and semi-serviceable combat there's something special here if you value a sense of legitimate discovery and wonder. The game is weird, and never stops being weird. It's not a triple A masterpiece and not something I can easily recommend to the majority of people. It is flawed, but it doesn't try to hide that fact. For a studio of only 3 people to make something like this is nothing short of impressive to me. Other reviews here cover much of what I said in much greater detail and provide actual words on what the gameplay is like, but I can't emphasize enough how much of a -mood- this game is.

If you're on the fence about it I fully understand. Pick it up and play for an hour and you'll know if it's a game for you or not. If you don't like it, refund it. But if you do enjoy what you've experienced, you have so much more awaiting you.

The closest thing to a sequel to Teleglitch that I've ever found.

My GOTY.

Fun game! Interesting lore, and very difficult at the start but not that bad once you figure out enemy patterns and how to time your rolls right. Other reviews have mentioned bad default controls but I thought they worked perfectly fine and I've gotten about 4/5ths through the game at time of review, so take that as you will.

It's basically a 2D Roguelite Bloodborne, so check it out if that sounds like your kind of thing!

DIE ANDROID

Few games have been able to invite the sheer terror that this happens to provoke. The sound design is fantastic, and it helps to convey a sense of impending doom during the night sequences, when you're hunkered down in your choice of shelter. You can hear the beasts skulking around in the rooms around you, banging on barricades, stepping on creaking floorboards, and howling into the dead of night, while you remain huddled in a corner, wishing for the light of day.

It's the night sequences coupled with the pitch black segments that really make this game for me. The lack of light, and the removal of your field of view really makes every moment incredibly tense. Coupled with the hectic, brutal combat, moment to moment decisions are crucial to your survival.

For an early access alpha game, Darkwood has an incredible amount of potential. I'm truly looking forward to what the devs have to offer in future iterations.

Hardcore semi-randomized doomlike roguelike with a pinch of brutal difficulty. 10/10