Recent reviews by avenx

A nice, cozy 3D Platformer collectathon. If you like games without violence or fail states, this is one to get.

At a fifty-cent price point, one could expect a reduced amount of content. This I can concede. But for game at any price, even free, a certain level of quality is expected for it to be worth one's time. This game does not reach that level of quality. I can forgive the ugly graphics (the first level seems to be the worst-looking); I can even forgive the janky controls (more on that later); but I cannot forgive the design.

I forced myself to beat first level before I would write this review, and I almost didn't. I found the last sequence to be so bad that I quit. Then I read the reviews and thought, am I missing something? I couldn't write the only negative review without being sure. So I went back and managed to finish the first level, which I found easier when using the mouse and keyboard controls instead of a custom controller binding (even though I firmly believe a 3D platformer should be optimized around using a controller), and even began the second level. But my opinion did not change.

There are three main issues I can pin down with the design. First is the perspective: this game requires a good deal of precision in its platforming, but I found that the first-person perspective made it difficult to gauge where I was standing on a given platform, and I often fell off during a wind-up before a jump. This was worsened by a glitch of some sort that caused me to fall off non-static platforms when trying to move around on them because my momentum was not synced to the momentum of the platform. But my core problem with the game was just poor level design. It's hard to pin it down, but the segments just weren't consistent made. The third part of the first level, with the moving platforms, was probably the strongest example of this. The first thing I noticed was that the rhythmic timings were not synchronized -- most were, but a few were not, and there seemed to be no reason to it. The third-to-last jump was the worst, because you're forced to jump midway through the movement of the platform. During the fourth and final segment of the level, the aforementioned glitch cropped up and I simply could not adjust my positioning on a given platform without falling off. Even when it worked, the feel of the platforming was underwhelming.

This game is not broken. It reaches a degree of competence that many players would decide that it's worth their money and time, since it does not ask for much of either. However, I simply don't feel this way. I love 3D platformers. They're my favorite genre and I've completed several of them. Perhaps not quite like this one, with a focus purely on gameplay and little else, that is also played from a first-person perspective with mouse and keyboard controls. But it is that exact feature of the game -- that all it has going for it is its gameplay: there is no story; the visuals are low fidelity and uninteresting; it brings nothing new to the table -- that condemns it to mediocrity. Because the gameplay is unpolished and unfun, and I cannot confidently recommend this game when I find it so lacking.

Highest laughs per minute of any game I've ever played

I really like this game.

The story is SO GOOD. And this is coming from someone who has struggled with psychosis a lot. It's not told in the traditional way of cutscenes with characters talking to each other with action happening. This is due in part because of budget restraints (look below), but the storytelling method consisting essentially of voices in Senua's head, with occasional flashbacks, really fits the themes and is done well.

The other area in which this game stands out is its graphics. The fidelity, especially during cinematics, is very high for a game of its time. They even recently added raytracing and whatnot in a recent update.

Someone said the puzzles in Hellblade were simple, but I thought they were engaging and fun. And if you like to explore, there are lorestones around the game to collect, each with a narrated snippet of Norse mythology.

The combat is basically souls-like and quite simple: you chain light and heavy attacks using a few combos, kick to break shields, and either dodge or block attacks. Something about the choreography reminds me of lightsaber fighting, which I think looks cool. Overall it might seem simple to people used to DMC and whatnot, but that's not what it's trying to be. It can also get really hard depending on difficulty (see below).

I've heard the budget for this game is small, and although you can certainly tell where the developers cut corners (I think there may be only one fully modeled human character, the rest being FMV) the game looks and feels triple A.

Tip for new players: choose the difficulty that sounds right for you--DON'T choose Auto. I don't know how it works, but it was always super hard no matter how many times I died. At some point I just accepted that the fights in the game go on forever and I would have to suck it up and start from the very beginning of them each time. But once I switched it to Normal I had a lot more fun and it was a lot less punishing. So definitely pick a standard difficulty and adjust it to taste instead of going with Auto. I didn't do many tests, but it may actually get worse than Hard.

If you like action games with good storytelling, check this game out. You won't regret it.

Nifflas has been one of my top indie developers for a long time (Knytt Stories is my favorite freeware game) and this creation of his does not disappoint. Its innovatively designed mechanics and smooth gameplay can please platforming masters and newcomers alike. You won't spend a ton of time trying to figure out puzzles, in the style of Escape Goat, nor will the game have you constantly replaying sections due to requiring hardcore precision. In fact, the checkpoint system is one of the game's new mechanics and, to an extent, lets you choose how much of a level you want to replay after death.

The visuals and sound contribute to a tactile and atmospheric feel that meets the standards the developer has set in his previous games.

If you want to try a game that reinvents the platform (literally), while being quite satisfying to play overall, then this is one you ought to give a go.

This game has way too high a production value to be going this under the radar.

It's basically a Limbo-type game. It's a cinematic puzzle platformer with very impressive visuals. But Medulla trades the horror vibe of Limbo for one much more surreal and mind-bending. The puzzles are not too difficult, you won't be stuck on one for very long, but they still require you to adapt your thought process to the psychedelic rules the game plays by.

I wasn't able to glean much of a solid story until the very end, but the varied and detailed graphics kept me going.

I can't believe I've written the first English review for this game. I hope it won't be the last and this game gets the attention I believe it deserves.

Love Star Wars, love Bioware, love MMOs, so I definitely need to dig in here more. As for what I've played, the gameplay is standard to above average (for its time), but what really shines is the story and how much of it there is. And although you can't really play the story sections with friends, implemented similarly to Divinity: Original Sin, that would've been a huge ask back in the day, and wouldn't have really fit with the MMO genre. As it stands, you've got hours of storylines you can play on your own, as well as typical MMO fare you can play with friends; and you can't really mix them up, but you can play them in the same game. So that's pretty cool for the genre.

The best 3D platformer series of its generation. It's only been surpassed by Ratchet & Clank.

This is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside-down.

In all seriousness, this is a rad game.

This game is unmatched in its level of intuitive tactics. And it's a blast to play with friends. But heed this: things will go wrong. Just let the game take you on its unparalleled journey.