Recent reviews by robosnipes

the aesthetics of this game are immaculate, though do not be fooled -- this is NOT a standard turn-based strategy game. othercide is largely designed as a roguelike where you are intended to lose (or sacrifice) your units and, by trial-and-error, unlock upgrades to make successive runs easier. when you lose every 'daughter', the game resets to the first day and you go again.

IT IS NOT XCOM!!

othercide is relentless and it really does feel like the game punishes you a bit too harshly for mistakes, but that's what they're going for. you have to sacrifice one daughter to heal the other. its not subtle at all, but the game is drenched allegories and they really wanted to incorporate the themes into the gameplay.

i like Othercide more as an experimental piece than as as game, as pretentious as that might sound. no other game can be considered a close comparison. it just... isn't as enjoyable to PLAY as it should be.

they.. got me..

peripeteia is an immersive sim in every sense of the word. zero hand-holding, you are raw dogging exploration and let me tell you - its incredibly refreshing. however, it is important to understand that the game is THE definition of jank in its current state. this is early access though, so it can only get better from here!

all of the levels are incredibly expansive and all have multiple points of interest, offering different routes. if you can see it, you can go there. there are no invisible walls or barriers preventing you from accessing any part of the map. you are quite literally given so much freedom to approach your objective that you just end up becoming lost.

that's the most common criticism of the game right now; getting lost. it doesn't give you any indication of where you're meant to go, only vague notes and dialogue from NPCs. while it IS a nice change of pace from the typical 'go here' quest markers, the maps are way too big to not have clear directions.

most negative reviews also seem to be bringing up the fact that your inventory does not carry over from levels. this is strange at first and was off-putting, but it's clear that the levels are not designed for you to have an entire armoury going into it. it's designed for a Metal Gear Solid esque on-site-procurement playstyle where you have to scavenge around for equipment. you got the drop on an AK guard? great, now you have his weapon with whatever ammo that's left in it. use all of your augments to their fullest and avoid direct combat until you can build up your arsenal.

i haven't even gotten to the aesthetics yet. everything has a very bleak, brutalist design, reflecting the concrete apartment complexes of the USSR but with a cyberpunk flair. the combination of the styles results in these imposing megalithic cityscapes that make you feel tiny. there is also an underlying theme of bodyhorror and surrealism which is conveyed through the narrative and through certain set-pieces which I will not be spoiling.

the soundtrack is honestly insane too. there is an incredible mix of ambient genres; jungle, breakcore, shoegaze etc. most surprisingly, the majority of the tracks (if not all) are produced by various indie music artists. i did not expect to hear sewerslvt or pisca while playing if i have to be honest. haven't seen an indie game with a line-up quite like this. the vibes are immaculate.

if i had to compare peripeteia with an existing game, i guess E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy comes close. they both share a surrealist atmosphere and are insanely ambitious. there's the obvious Deus Ex comparison as well.

overall, i would say that it is completely worth the price to support the dev. peripeteia shows so much potential in a genre that is slowly losing its meaning. we need more games like this.

tl;dr, great immersive sim, has huge potential. very jank right now though, only buy if you want to support the dev.

belgrade is the the best worst level in the game.

my knees... they're on the floor...

cortisol management simulator

yume nikki is a unique and incredibly charming rpgmaker game, but is definitely not for everyone. it is an entirely interpretive experience that takes place in a bizarre dream world with various locations. the game focuses on delivering a distinct surrealist atmosphere through its eerie soundtrack and abstract visual designs. there is no overall objective; the player is instead encouraged to explore the different zones and find collectables called "effects". it is the player's own speculation about the nature of the dream world that makes yume nikki so intriguing. try it out and see if your type of game.

masterpiece of a game, actual art. i've shed many tears over omori.

if you haven't already played the entire trilogy, you need to. wait for it to go on sale though.

excellent remaster. adds much needed quality of life options, particularly more modern controls. while the game is relatively the same from a gameplay point of view, there is extra content which can be disabled at will.

i thought nothing could measure up to the emptiness left in my soul after finishing nier automata, yet here i am.