Recent reviews by IAmOxlong

I could give a long hearty review about all the things I absolutely love about this game, but I'll save you the effort of reading, and just say this:

It won Game of the Year for a reason.
Maybe it'll even go on to be one of the defining games of the 2020s.

The We Were Here series is the most consistently impressive game series I have ever played, bar none. Knowing that the series started as a college project, to have such fine attention to detail from beginning to end (so far) is utterly astounding.

Every game has been so incredibly rewarding to play, and if there was one series I could tell you to play all the way through, it's this one.

Yeah it's a fun game

For a game this short, it really packs a punch.

It's stupidly easy to get emotionally attached to every little thing in this game, and let me tell you that makes it all so much more engaging.

I've only completed the main game atm, but I'll be playing the DLC through at some point. As of now, though?
The graphics are pleasant, the sound design is great, and it's simple. And simple makes it easier to love.
8 or 9/10, I'd say.

It perfectly epitomises the challenge/skill balance. Each difficulty level is a magnitude of difference from the last, and it's a fun challenge to see what pocket you can sit in when you try and move onto more difficult levels.

The learning curve is steep and I think lobby area, the space station, could have a slightly easier layout (or at least an introduction to what each part does), but it didn't take me long to figure out each thing regardless.

It's definitely one of those games that is more fun with friends, but with the helpful addition of BOSCO, playing singleplayer is a unique yet equally engaging challenge.

7/10

It's a simple game - and elegantly so.

The controls are sweet and simple (and few, so not a lot to memorise). The game accommodates different gameplay styles really well; my friend and I played through many levels "stealthy" and careful, exercising use of cover and being tactically careful. Just as well, it accommodates a (well co-ordinated) "guns blazing" approach - assuming you have a team mate to rely on to have your back.

The iconography of the game was an interesting choice. Initially, I thought I would struggle moving past that, but honestly it was during the very first mission (first proper mission after the training introduction) that I completely forgot about it and was able to enjoy the game fully. In fact, I think it brings a little something to it that having an animated character would lose: it engages the more imaginative part of the brain, which makes the "stories" that come from playing through this game all the more endearing.

For such a recent release, this is such a well polished game. I've played a little over 6 hours of this (at the time of writing) and in about 12 missions, I've not encountered any game breaking bugs.

Sure, I got caught in a wall, but shooting my gun managed to dislodge me. And, honestly? That's the only thing I can think of.

Playing Hot Brass makes you check your reactions, because "seeing red" does not mean you should shoot. It's a fun experience navigating the pitfalls of the Pavlovian gamer response to shoot at enemies who "aggro".

Each level has a pretty good level of replayability. Admittedly, some levels have more RNG than others, but the challenges that the game sets (5 standard per level, as well as specific challenges in each mission) mean that each mission is worth doing over until you've unlocked everything it has to offer.

The latter part is the most interesting point, because unlocking the things in the levels unlocks more customisation options in the arcade mode, making for a more tailored gameplay experience (during arcade gameplay).

For just over £10, this game is an absolute steal. 6 consecutive hours of gameplay and I wasn't bored. The small frustrations you experience at shooting the wrong person are overshadowed massively by the sheer joy of getting a job done right, and trying to meet the challenges set to you.

I thoroughly recommend this game.

As points of expansion for this game, I think it'd very well suit a level-editor (though I can appreciate that those aren't exactly overnight jobs to create). The nature of the gameplay would thrive in community-made map creations too, I suspect.

Additionally, some slight tweaks to functionality of weapons (and adding more of them!) wouldn't go amiss. That is, of course, not to say that this game feels particularly lacking in equipment available to the player. Many games, I forget about equipment and end up relying on gunplay. The simplicity of this game kept the prevalence of my equipment strong in my mind, making for an all-the-more engaging experience.

Pretty solid 8/10 from me.

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Update:

20 hours in, I've 100% completed the game (what's there at the moment - I don't know how any future updates will change that). I stick by it. I might even say a 9/10, because honestly it's just great fun.

Getting the challenges done forces a different style of play to the ingrained tactical feel for the rest of it, making you think on your feet about how to optimise your gameplay to effectively complete each floor/level/objective.

I recommend this thoroughly.

It's Skyrim, innit.

Portal 2 is intriguing, crafty, and forces the player to think laterally and on their feet.

Rarely have I found a game where the co-operative play and the single player play are as good as one another, yet here we have a game that walks the balance perfectly between both.

The single player campaign is surprising, enticing and engaging on a human level (despite the amount of robots!).
The co-op game is mind-bending and brilliant fun. With a friend, it's an absolute laugh. With a stranger, it's fun and engaging to try and actually co-operate to simultaneously move forwards.

Valve struck gold when they made this.

Just download it and play it.

10 minutes before you need to do something?
Bored of your current games and want something mindless to do for a while?

Absolutely worth all the money it doesn't cost.

If there's one game you need to play, it's this one.
Its story is short enough - though incredibly well-done and developed - but the world is beautiful and the core mechanic of changing animals is masterfully seamless.
This game isn't without it's faults: there are a few visual glitches and some small, hidden sections of the world that could be tidied up, but you won't find these without going searching.
And THAT is where this game excels:
The world is beautiful, as I already said, and the fact that you can explore it as any animal you can find is a wonderful idea that has executed to perfection. It's a rich world with hidden items and little bits and pieces strewn around the place that make exploration genuinely exciting.

You can really feel the passion and love that MoonEye put into this game. Well worth it's money.