Recent reviews by freexa

Short, straightforward and fun - a pleasant little gem. The puzzles in this are refreshingly simple for the genre, but still require enough thinking to be satisfying. Looking forward to more from the dev in the future :)

Terry wants to go to space. The process of getting to space is surprisingly filled with road traffic accidents, vehicle theft and obscene levels of economic inflation. It's charming and enlightening.

I'm not usually into incremental games, but this one has the right balance of thinking, strategy and min-maxing. It's a charming experience that doesn't punish you for playing poorly, yet is plenty rewarding when you delve into its mechanics.

The rock fights hard, but gnorp puke fights harder.

Nightdive have struck an interesting balance between in making it modern and playable whilst also being faithful to the original. The game looks sharp, has plenty of modern features to smooth over the experience, and still delivers the iconic story and setting that make System Shock so memorable.

That said, the studio's dedication to the source material does have its occasional drawbacks. The save/respawn system feels very out of place nowadays. Even with the modern improvements, much of the combat still sucks; enemies are lethal, but also really stupid with very predictable attacks. Dodge behind cover, listen for their shots, shoot em. Rinse. Repeat. Shout-out to the bird enemy that just slowly... flies... towards... you... menacingly...

Despite these gripes, it's still a great game that really encapsulates the immersive sim genre. Gradually exploring the space station is incredibly rewarding, and SHODAN is an unforgettable villain.

Who knew brown could be so thrilling?

HROT is a love letter to the classics of the genre (particularly the original Quake), but also unashamedly "its own thing". The game somehow seamlessly blends an atrocious dystopian atmosphere with genuine charm and humour.

The gunplay is satisfying overall, with the shotgun packing a hefty punch. The variety of enemies is great. The maps are inspired and interesting. What really sells this game though is that it's just a little silly - you can tell the dev was just having fun making this, and it really shines through.

Oh, and watch out for the forklifts.

If you want to scratch that portal 2 itch with something that resembles a full game (rather than just test chambers), it's an easy recommendation. This is professional quality.

That said, I would temper the "wow portal 3!" sentiment I see. The pacing is great, the mod draws on the source (hah) material well, and the puzzles are well balanced, yet I think there were a lot of missed opportunities for really developing the concepts that are brought up. The characters struggle to play off each other in an interesting way, and the story never quite follows through on its initial premise. The new puzzle mechanics are cool, but I would have preferred to see them developed further - the laser cubes in particular deserved way more attention! As did the vacuum tubes!

worth noting: I got softlocked once (apparently a common issue in one particular spot), but I loaded an earlier autosave and sorted it. Hopefully patched soon.


tl;dr play it, it's not mindblowing but it's well made and fun :)

A cozy and charming little adventure. I love the level of puzzles and exploration in this; enough to keep me challenged, but never stressful. Also the sound effects are super cute.

If you want a spark of joy to keep you company on a grey wintry day, help this lil frog out.

weird short little game that's somehow empty and oppressive, yet also cosy. If you like brutalist or mid century soviet architecture, it's a must play. If you like surreal uncanny horror, also worth playing. There's a surprising amount to get out of this game, and it's clearly been made with care.

If you've played Black Mirror I and II, you probably should play this just to see where it goes - but only just.

This game is a classic "wish I could give a neutral review". All the elements of a decent game are there, but they just don't come together. There are some interesting, thoughtful moments, but also some unforgivable flaws. It starts out strong, but I got the feeling that the devs just ran out of steam for the later chapters. There's bugs, puzzles that feel unfinished, and a clear lack of polish.
There are some nice quality of life features, and some of the character arcs work out well, but overall it's an underbaked game. It's hard to say more without spoilers though.

Overall a great modern point and click game with a tight story, streamlined UI, and interesting characters. The gameplay isn't marked by too many puzzles, and the guidance is usually pretty clear on what to do. It's nice to play something in this genre where stuff just works without having to mess with convoluted hints and absurd logic. The game is a little on the shorter side, but it left me wanting more. Would recommend if you're looking for something with that Twin-Peaks vibe - it does that and more.