Recent reviews by froggy

The core of this game is really, really great. I did not know I needed a yarn-linking, murder-solving, neo-Noir that is also a Charlie Day "Pepe Silvia" simulator, but now I have that itch.

I would say at this point what it really needs is just "more." More types of relationship, more reasons for them to go to different locations; more motives. I imagine a future where this approaches a bizarre and inscrutable level of social simulation like a Dwarf Fortress or a Rimworld, and I am very excited by that prospect.

i love this game. i'm not usually into roguelikes or deckbuilders, but between the game's clear and vibrant art style (likely Adventure Time-inspired, i think it's really endearing), and its simple but engaging mechanics, i am a very big fan.

i want to make a note about the difficulty, since this has been a subject of interest since the game's release. this game requires you to pay attention - zoning out and going on autopilot is basically the kiss of death here. if you're the sort of person who tends to let their attention wander, you may become frustrated at how quickly a run can be scuppered by what appear to be small mistakes. if you maintain your attention throughout, i think you'll ultimately be surprised by how predictable and fair the mechanics actually are.

this game was an extremely atmospheric, interesting, World War 2 shooter when it was being developed by the Black Matter studio.

recently, the development has switched to Team 17 (the studio primarily known for the Worms games), and they've released two updates so far. both updates have introduced game-breaking bugs, content that has been widely panned, and significant changes to basic gameplay elements that are sort of a disconnect between what the game is (a soft milsim/tactical shooter with strategic elements) and what the developers appear to want it to be (an arcade shooter like Battlefield). accordingly, i can no longer recommend it at this time.

update 6/17/2024 - checked back in on this, and it seems like Team 17's management has lost interest in... well, whatever the hell they were trying to do there. i mostly like what i'm seeing at this point. the core gameplay remains intact without obvious technical issues, and i was pleasantly surprised by 1) some modest framerate improvements on maps that have historically chugged for me (looking at you, Carentan), and 2) Mortain, which is just very, very solid.

i do think we are unlikely to ever get the perpetual wishcast from Hell Let Loose vets - that some design brainiac will take on elements like medics, nodes, and the recon/artillery loop to make them more fun and interesting - and i'm not sure i would necessarily trust this team with that in any case. for now, i'm satisfied that Hell Let Loose remains Hell Let Loose.

This is a wonderfully charming pseudo-masocore platformer with a great soundtrack and a cool retro aesthetic.

I didn't have as much difficulty with this game as I have with other masocore platformers in the past - it took me about two hours to complete it, with about 1,000 deaths - but some screens are definitely quite difficult. The game does a great job of introducing you to new concepts slowly, and weaves them together in a way that has you flipping through the air like a pixellated Neo before you're even aware of it.

Highly recommended!

This game is fantastic, and terribly moving. Don't buy if you don't like short, personal adventure games (took about an hour to finish), or feeling emotions.