Recent reviews by Good Guy Nick

Short version:

Pros:
+ Enjoyable gameplay (if a bit too easy)
+ Simple but solid attempt at a story
+ Visually interesting (apart from cutscenes)
+ Solid sound design

Cons:
- Several annoying puzzles, items to find and objectives
- Some presentation flaws (mobile game vibes)

"Long" version:
Shtriga: Summer Camp is a point-and-click, hidden object game where you play as a woman (my understanding is that she is a private investigator) trying to save a young boy, who has been kidnapped by an evil witch. It was developed by Game Cartel and published by Alawar Casual.

Point and click games are not usually something I go for often – on the other hand, the hidden object genre is something I used to downright avoid. I installed Shtriga: Summer Camp on a whim, wanting to play a random game on my account. I ended up being pleasantly surprised, so here are my thoughts.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270146333
The story is quite basic but I found it enjoyable. There are no interesting characters or plot twists, but it keeps moving along, constantly unlocking more areas for you to explore. It was a welcome addition that next dragged on. Very commendable in a game like this.

Gameplay has two main focuses – finding hidden objects and solving puzzles in the environment. Some hidden objects are a bit trickier to find but there is nothing mind
blowing. The puzzles are, for the most part, very simple and story progression never really comes to a halt – which was great – there was never a dull moment in my playthrough.
Finding objects will grant you the ability to interact with other parts of the environment, like a sewer grate or a simple door, unlocking new areas and yet more puzzles.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270151794
Of course, there are certain puzzles that had me go around and around certain areas to look for a very specific detail – but nothing that ruined the experience for me.
After solving enough puzzles and hidden object games you will need to solve a harder challenge that requires a bit of thinking – these are few and far between but served as a satisfying side dish to the regular gameplay.

Graphically, I really enjoyed Shtriga: Summer Camp’s presentation.
The cutscenes and animations look a bit janky, but the environments look wonderful and detailed – discovering their secrets was a blast.
The game was colorful, with plenty of visual variety and a sense of wonderment.

The soundtrack is serviceable, being a very mysterious and fantastic beat with some horror sprinkled throughout. Sound effects were rather basic, but again, they worked.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270141544
I completed Shtriga: Summer Camp in a single afternoon (4 hous- I took a short break while it was running). It currently costs 4€ - I believe that is an adequate price tag. It is definitely worth it if you want a more casual experience and have an afternoon to “burn”.

It is not the best thing ever, but it is super enjoyable.

Final score: 7.5 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page

Short version:

Pros:
+ "First person” tower view is a nice touch

Cons:
- Graphics and art direction are hideous
- Boring gameplay
- Shallow upgrades and mechanics
- Generic enemy and tower design
- Active abilities are bland
- Tower placement is ridiculously restrictive
- Your towers can get attacked

"Long" version:
Rush for Glory is a tower defense where you go up against a massive army of aliens. It was developed by Parseh Game Studio and published by KATNAPPE SP. Z. O. O.

Let me provide a bit of context before I give you my thoughts on this game.
I am a huge tower defense fan – I have played quite a few on Steam - Bloons TD6, Cursed Treasure 2 and GemCraft – Chasing Shadows to name a few. I have a soft spot for placing towers and letting them slaughter a bunch of enemies. If said towers can be upgraded, even better – add branching paths to the upgrades and I am ALL in.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3275552088
Ok, so... Rush for Glory.

There is little to no story in this game – that is fine. Aliens are invading and you must defend Earth and defeat the alien forces until you are strong enough to take the fight to them.

Gameplay is the focus here.
You get to place your towers and watch them do all the work. Each enemy killed grants a certain amount of cash and you use that income to place more towers or upgrade the ones you already have.

My main gripe with the gameplay (and the whole game, to be honest) is just how boring and generic it feels. You barely get any money for kills, the upgrades are boring or even unnoticeable and the different towers do not feel particularly useful.

You have towers that focus on single aspects of gameplay like area-of-effect damage, slowing enemies down, single target damage, etc. My problem with it is how they all felt underpowered and lacked any sort of impact during gameplay.

Tower placement is another huge flaw of Rush for Glory. If you place a tower in a certain spot, you have an area around the tower where no other towers can be placed. This is ridiculous – I can understand not allowing the player to glue towers to each other, but we are talking a considerable distance – it ruined the combos I wanted to go for and just felt irritating.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3275552129
You can activate some abilities that can deal great amounts of damage in an area or place bear traps on the track to eliminate stragglers who managed to survive. These could have worked but the cooldown is long, and they have no personality at all.

Enemies do not really have that much differentiation between them – they are either faster or tankier versions of previous ones and felt like reskins. The introduction of flying enemies and enemies that can damage your towers somehow makes the game worse – more frustrating and annoying overall. You barely get enough currency – imagine losing an upgraded tower...

I remember having dozens upon dozens of fully upgraded towers, going through the entire track, using every activatable ability and enemies still managed to go through because I did not have all the upgrades.

Upgrades can either be purchased during gameplay or in a store, and they are not that impactful – while you can get decent ones that make towers get secondary effects (during gameplay), which are awesome, you will get bland percentual damage increases or cost reductions more often than not (store).

The one redeeming quality in terms of gameplay was to be able to enter a special “first person” view that was more cinematic and that was enjoyable the first time I used it.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3275552074
I am not one to bash games for looking bad, but holy... Rush for Glory looks absolutely hideous. The graphics are generic, the enemy design is as bland as it could possibly be, and the environments lack detail. If someone told me this game was an asset flip, I would believe it.

Sound design is, again, unimpressive.
I take notes as I play games to help me write reviews and I have nothing on the soundtrack and for sound effects; all I have is this: “zzzzz”. Take that as you will.

I got Rush for Glory in a bundle – totally not worthy the 11€ price tag at all. There are way better games (like the ones I mentioned initially) that offer better, more satisfying gameplay and content. This game has little to no redeeming qualities and you should stay as far away from it as possible. Do not get it... Ever. Not at full price, not on sale, not for free.

Final score: 3 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Gameplay features interesting mechanics
+ Great art style
+ Can get super intense
+ Short and sweet
+ Free!

Cons:
- Having to start over every time you die can be frustrating

"Long" version:
Bloody Walls is a 2D action horror game where you must survive a vicious horde of zombies while looking for certain items. It is a free game, developed and published by L. Stotch.

The story is quite simple – it is a post-apocalyptic world and you must explore an apartment complex while completing several side quests, while venturing further into increasingly numerous and dangerous zombies.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3247371299
Gameplay is very solid. You move left and right and are able to shoot using the left mouse button. My favorite gameplay aspect is how you must not only time your shots (as reloads will be longer if you just spam the button), but also how a weapon’s effective range must be used to its full potential. I really loved the shotgun, for example, so I was required to get really close to the enemies – I could easily dispose of most things, but a single hit means death, so it got very intense, which I loved.
Dying towards the end is quite frustrating, however. I only died twice – once after a few minutes, as I did not know the mechanics, and the other one when I was about to complete the game, as I got surrounded and did not time my shots correctly.
I took these as learning experiences and completed the game on my third attempt. The game is really short – all these attempts took me 30 minutes, so I’m guessing a successful run should only take you 10.

There are different weapons, like pistols, shotguns and machine guns, and they all fit a certain playstyle. While clearing lower floors, you will come across quest objects that can be given back to NPCs to unlock more gear, such as grenades.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270133628
Graphically, Bloody Walls looks amazing – I really enjoy its simple yet charismatic art style and some of the pixel art (such as the one used for the game over screen).

Sound design is simplistic, but it works. The shotgun blasts, in particular, felt punchy and cathartic. Same goes for the soundtrack – it is simple; it is quite soothing while exploring and after you clear a map, but it can get quite intense and high energy while fighting the horde.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3247371486
Bloody Walls is a really focused, enjoyable experience that you can finish in under 30 minutes. It is intense and satisfying to play. Give it a try!

Final score: 8 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Strong visual style
+ Oldschool, fun gameplay
+ Good sountrack
+ Simple yet enjoyable story with great writing

Cons:
- Combat is repetitive
- Puzzles get old fast

"Long" version:
Hocus Pocus is a 2D sidescroller that was released in 1994 – it was developed by Moonlite Software and published by 3D Realms. You play as a young wizard called Hocus, attempting to complete several trials to prove himself worthy.
I remember playing this several times growing up – I had it on a CD rom called “Kidz Gamez” or something similar. It had games like Comander Keen, Jazz Jackrabbit and Monster Bash - I spent countless hours relishing these classics and they have a very special place in my heart.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270094168
In terms of story, Hocus Pocus features an extensive amount of text-based context as its setup. You also get to talk to Terexin, the ruler of the Council of Wizards, while playing through the levels and he will provide you with more information, insults and funny one-liners.
The writing is strong – while the game features a story that is not exactly mind-blowing, it is commendable that they put some emphasis on it and managed to succeed.
When it comes to gameplay, Hocus Pocus features decent platforming sections and serviceable, yet repetitive combat.
The enemies do not offer much of a challenge on their own, so the game tries to overwhelm you with sheer numbers. While it can work sometimes, you pretty much just have to spam the attack button and blast everything you see. The problem is that you cannot hold the Alt key to auto attack and you must press it every time you wish to throw out a lightning bolt. This might seem fine, initially, but you will need dozens upon dozens of hits to vanquish groups of enemies and it slowly becomes tedious. Flying enemies can provide a tiny extra challenge, as you must aim upwards to hit them, sometimes.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270094219
There are also light puzzle-solving elements in Hocus Pocus, but I found these rather unsatisfying. You can find some objects to interact with, like levers which open up new areas or teleportation potions, which make you warp from one location to another. While these are not bad, they can become frustrating. If I must try every single combination of 4 levers to open a single door and then the game throws 2 or 3 more puzzles like that in a matter of seconds... Yeah, it gets old. The same goes for the teleportation potion, as it often brings you to locations you were actually avoiding automatically, drops you on traps or blocks you from revisiting old areas you previously had access to.

Graphically, I believe Hocus Pocus looks amazing.
The graphics might be considered archaic, but the art direction is strong and oozes personality. I also enjoyed the enemy designs, but they are pretty much reskins of the same few ones you meet initially.
You get to visit different environments, like a mysterious castle surrounded by giant mushrooms, or an outer space fortress filled with dangerous enemies – it was a nice change of pace.

The soundtrack is a total banger – each environment has a designated track, and they are quite memorable. The sound effects are really simple but I cannot help but feel they have a charm to them.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3275530134

So, having grown up with Hocus Pocus, I obviously recommend it, but some might consider my review somewhat biased. I can, however, tell you that the game might be too simplistic and ancient for newer audiences. On the other hand, if you have a soft spot for
90s sidescrollers and platformers, I confidently believe you will have a good time with Hocus Pocus.
You will most likely be able to complete the game in around 3 to 4 hours if it is your first playthrough.

Final score: 8 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.

Short version:

Pros:
+ 50s setting is awesome
+ Bright and colorful graphics
+ Enjoyable story mode
+ Voice acting is over the top and very enjoyable
+ Plenty of upgrades

Cons:
- Repetitive gameplay
- Drags a bit towards the end

"Long" version:
Destroy All Humans is a third-person action game developed by Black Forest Games and Pandemic Studios and published by THQ Nordic. You follow the adventure of Cryptosporidium-137 in his quest to gather human DNA to save his dying race from extinction, as years of cloning started degrading its DNA.

The story does not take itself seriously and is very silly, which I really enjoyed. Crypto is an okay protagonist, as he is unashamedly cold and apathetic towards humans, but his demeanor is a bit one-note, as it never really changes. It does work for the story, however. The other characters are just caricatures of real life political figures or stereotypes of 50s tropes, like the bimbo blonde with an exaggerated accent, the dimwitted farmer that mistakes the protagonist for an ugly wild animal or the idiotic FBI agents/army men that are terrible at their job. It does not come across as mean-spirited, however – more like self-deprecating humor.
I felt like the story had a strong start but slowly lost steam, especially towards the end of the campaign.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3275472508
Gameplay shines in Destroy All Humans.
You have two different types of gameplay – on foot, where you use Crypto, and you can also use your spaceship to fly around.

Crypto controls well, as you have a wide array of deadly weapons and movement abilities. Each weapon has strengths and weaknesses and it was enjoyable to scroll through all of them and dispose of humans
by the hundreds. Your abilities provide much needed versatility to your arsenal, as you will be able to fly around with your jetpack, slide across the map at high speed and lift enemies up with telekinesis and yeet them across the environment and against each other, for example. There are also several abilities that allow you to engage in a bit of stealth gameplay, which is nice.

The flying saucer controls are okay, but I felt the game did not offer much in terms of variety when it came to spaceship missions. You usually just have to destroy everything – enemy forces and buildings – and cause as much mayhem as possible. While not necessarily bad, it did grow boring.

You can upgrade your arsenal with a considerable number of upgrades, but most of them felt like basic stat boosts that did not change my approach to gameplay.

My main problem with the gameplay only came up later, near the last third of the story - it grew repetitive. Pair that up with the story’s lack of focus I mentioned above and everything starts feeling same-y and uninspired.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270468935
Graphically, Destroy All Humans looks awesome.
The color palette is vibrant, character models look silly (definitely intentional) and you get to explore different areas of the US with diverse biomes, citizens and enemies. Even the loading screens have a lot of personality and charm, which I really appreciated.

Both the soundtrack and the sound effects are great. The voice acting is a lot of fun, as it leans into the cheesiness of the premise and makes fun of the humans.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3275472421
While I did not care much for the last third of the campaign and the side content (mission challenges) was very repetitive, I did enjoy Destroy All Humans. Overall, I think it is a fine game. It embodies the best aspects of early 2000s games, though it occasionally shows some of their flaws. It provides 10-15 hours of pulpy fun. While I feel like its base asking price is a bit steep, I totally recommend getting it on sale. The game plays well, has a strong art direction and does not take itself seriously.

Final score: 8 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Looks good
+ Interesting setup

Cons:
- Excruciatingly boring
- Story felt like a nothing burger
- Uninspired gameplay
- A “look, don’t touch” world
- Subpar voice acting
- Tedious exposition

“Long” version:
Paradise Lost is a first-person narrative-driven game developed by PolyAmorous and published by Walkabout. You play as a 12-year-old kid in his search for closure inside a WWII bunker.
I installed this game on a whim. I did not know what it was and I reckon I got it in a bundle somewhere. My point is that I had no preconceived notions of the game and went into it with an open mind. Here are my thoughts.

First, the story.
While the premise is very interesting, the story lacks substance and comes across as a pseudointellectual attempt to be deep and meaningful. The pretentious dialogue and empty world did not help, either. Most of the context and world-building can be found through countless letters scattered throughout the game, but I will be honest, after the first 15 or so, I started ignoring them. It felt tedious and unrewarding.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270126031
In terms of gameplay, Paradise Lost is a walking simulator.
While it is not my favorite genre of games by far, I have had my share of amazing experiences with story-driven games like Firewatch and even 35mm. You basically go around very gorgeous rooms and outside areas, only to not be able to interact with anything. This “look, don’t touch” approach is usually questionable and I would have forgiven it if there was any semblance of gameplay in this game, but no, it is devoid of anything fun.

Graphically, Paradise Lost is stunning. The art direction is absurdly strong and the developers really captured the claustrophobia of some areas, while really nailing the overall imposing nature of the buildings. Beautiful visuals alone are not enough to redeem this lackluster experience, however.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270117779
Sound effects are solid- there is an eeriness to the things you hear while playing, which I appreciated. You will realize that nothing will ever happen while playing, though – all that atmosphere and build-up to get nothing in return.
The voice acting is quite bad – again, the writing did not help at all and I feel like the voice actors are not experienced enough to convey even basic emotions, let alone some of the pseudointellectual sludge that is shoved down your throat.
The soundtrack felt so generic that I do not even remember it. I can say, however, that I rolled by eyes when it built up, as it was a pathetic attempt at pulling at the player’s heartstrings. Hard pass.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270114888
Unfortunately, I am not a fan of this game – in fact, I would go so far as to say I dislike it.

I loathe giving bad reviews but I really feel like Paradise Lost is a very visually striking game that is, ultimately, a disappointing experience. Its pseudointellectual demeanor, the insultingly tedious gameplay and the amateur voice acting make me not recommend this game at all.

Final score: 4 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Silly, yet enjoyable story
+ Decent soundtrack
+ Solid, colorful presentation
+ Continuously introduces new abilities

Cons:
- While I agree it has charm, I still find it bland (I will elaborate down below)

"Long" version:
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition or, from now on (for the sake of brevity), Guacamelee! is a 2D, metroidvania-side-scroller (is this even a thing?) developed and published by DrinkBox Studios. You take on the role of a luchador, with the objective of rescuing a damsel in distress from the grasp of an evil mafioso.

Let us discuss the story first.
While the game’s story might initially feel silly, with its countless goofy characters and their never-ending puns, the writing is solid and the developers managed to sneak in some heartfelt moments, which was surprising. The story is basically just going from A to B, pummeling everything in your way – it is simple but it works. There are also lots of pop culture references and little videogame and movie easter eggs (like Super Mario, for example). It is fun, but the novelty wears off about midway through the story.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3274631744
Gameplay is Guacamelee!’s focus and, thankfully, is enjoyable.
You start off with a few basic abilities, like punching and jumping, but you swiftly unlock new ones that allow you to deal with different enemies or make traversal easier or, in some cases, possible (many areas are inaccessible unless you have certain abilities).

Let us focus on exploration first.
Movement feels fluid and satisfying – the more abilities you unlock, the better it feels and the more freedom you have to deal with enemies and juggle them in the air.

Speaking of enemies, combat is up next. It is good, albeit a bit chaotic sometimes. It is very mashy, at first, but after unlocking new abilities that have certain colors associated with them, you will be introduced to new enemy types that have a colored shield, which requires a specific ability of said color to damage. Once you do that, you are free to damage the enemy as normal.

The combat sections only frustrated me one or two times, so I am totally OK with it, but the game introduced an enemy type or two that were either impervious to damage while charging at you or would barrel towards you way too fast, making it almost impossible to react accordingly. Now, I did get used to them, and would often try to cheese my way through each fight they were in, but they were never fun to deal with.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3274596989

While I liked the rhythm at which I unlocked new abilities, the farther I progressed through the story, the less I enjoyed the gameplay, as the maps became more complicated but not necessarily fun to traverse. Some of the abilities allow you to pretty much “fly” in a straight path, and those puzzles were also uninspired, I feel like. Also (and this is totally on me for doing it), trying to unlock everything is a chore.

In terms of graphics, Guacamelee! features a very colorful presentation that should exude charisma. I say “should” because, while I can see how most people would think of the game as having lots of personality, I still found it rather… bland.
It is not bad, by any means, but the more I played it the less impressive the new enemy design or the new environment looked.

When it comes to sound effects, the game is solid. Your hits carry impact and ambient noises are good.
There is no voice acting, as Guacamelee! relies on text-based dialogue to convey its story. The soundtrack is good, but I did find it a bit obnoxious from time to time (and yes, I did lower the volume).
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3274632213
I am unsure about this game, to be honest. It is definitely good and I can confidently recommend it on that basis; if asked whether I had lots of fun with it or would replay it, I would have to say no.

Again, a solid metroidvania with plenty of content. The price point is just right (and if you get it during a sale, even better!) and, by the looks of it, I am in the minority here. Most people love this game and you will most likely enjoy it too. It is just not my cup of tea, I guess.

Final score: 7 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider joining my group and following my curator page on Steam.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Splendid, heartfelt story
+ Interesting cast of characters
+ Amazing world-building
+ Graphics are amazing
+ Voice acting and soundtrack are top-notch
+ Good gameplay that keeps giving you new abilities and upgrades

Cons:
- A few frustrating sections
- Some characters deserved better development

"Long" version:
A Plague Tale: Innocence is a stealth-focused, story-driven game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Entertainment. You follow the story of two siblings, Amicia and Hugo, as they journey through 14th century France, avoiding the French Inquisition and a massive swarm of rats carrying the black plague.

The story is spectacular.
You follow Amicia’s quest to get herself and her brother to safety from the Inquisition, while also seeking a cure for Hugo’s mysterious malediction. The writing is amazing – the characters are fleshed out and go through many arcs, making you grow attached to them. There are one or two characters that serve more as plot devices, lacking the character development they deserved, which I found regrettable. The main crew, however, gets plenty of time to shine!
While I was somewhat worried at first, as I usually despise child characters in video games, Hugo, in particular, grew on me! After the first 20-40 minutes, I was willing to protect him at all costs. While he did throw a few temper tantrums throughout the story, they made sense and were never an excuse to have yet another rescue mission.
There are plenty of story beats/twists and turns that I could see coming, but the writing is so strong, the characters are so likable and their situation is so dire, that I still felt for their fate and cheered whenever they caught a break.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273974392
Gameplay is up next – A Plague Tale: Innocence features a mix of exploration, puzzle solving, stealth, and combat sections.

Exploration is straightforward; you navigate the levels with the WASD keys, interacting with objects, the environment, and friendly characters. The game encourages you to look around and engage with your surroundings to uncover story elements and resources.

Puzzle solving, while not overly complex, is always satisfying. The game provides clear objectives, so you’re rarely left stumped, making each solved puzzle feel rewarding.
Stealth is a significant component of the gameplay. You often need to avoid guards by hiding in tall grass or nooks and crannies. Your trusty slingshot is essential for distraction tactics, such as igniting torches or putting out fires, allowing you to slip past enemies undetected. A few stealth sections can be frustrating because you lack the resources or there are very short windows of time where you can move around without being spotted.

Combat is more of a last resort. While there are a few mandatory fights, they are few and far between. When you are spotted, you must defend yourself, but combat drains your resources and can be lethal if facing more than one or two enemies. Therefore, the game encourages a stealthy approach over direct confrontation.

Rats are a constant threat in the game, adding a unique and exciting mechanic to each gameplay element. These plague-y boyz are everywhere and will swiftly kill you if you don't have a light source, as they hate the light. During exploration and puzzles, you'll use light sources to keep rats at bay, opening up new paths and accessing objectives or new areas.
In combat, you can use the rats to your advantage. You can lure them onto enemies or put out guards’ torches, causing the swarm to attack them. This mechanic is both strategic and satisfying, adding a layer of depth to the gameplay. Watching the rats swarm and overwhelm your foes is absolutely glorious!
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273974663
Graphically, A Plague Tale: Innocence looks stunning.
The environments are detailed and exude realism – the story starts off in a peaceful village but you quickly find yourself trudging through a battlefield littered with corpses, making your way through gorgeous agricultural fields and vineyards filled with enemy patrols, etc. While diverse, they share a common trait: they look breathtaking!
Character models are also great – they convey every emotion convincingly and are masterfully animated.
It is also impressive how the developers managed to include as many rats as they did. There are hundreds of them at least – often increasing to nearly THOUSANDS when human settlements are overrun or when rat hordes burst out of the ground!! It is pure nightmare fuel and it is awesome!

I found the voice acting to be stellar – I can, however, see how the strong, seemingly exaggerated French accents may turn some people off. It took me around an hour or so to really get into it, but once I did, the performances brought the experience to a whole new level. Ambient noises and sound effects are outstanding, keeping you immersed in the adventure and the drama.

The game is somewhat linear, featuring a few side quests that reward you with resources, collectibles and a few special moments. You also get to decide the fate of a few NPCs, as you can save them or use them as rat bait.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273974105
I feel like the game is worth its base asking price but it is an absolute steal during sales. Do yourself a favor, get it! It is a memorable, amazing game that is beautiful, touching and enjoyable to play. The strong bond between Amicia and Hugo will forever be rooted in my brain! It is just outstanding.

Final score: 9 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider joining my group and following my curator page on Steam.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Quite complex combat system
+ Strong visual style and character design
+ Voice acting is solid
+ Sountrack
+ Some interesting story parts
+ Fun side challenges (arenas)

Cons:
- Story is deliberately vague (to a fault)
- Gameplay has a bit of jankiness to it

“Long” version:
Zeno Clash is a first-person action brawler developed and published by ACE Team. You play as Ghat, a man excommunicated from his community by his own brothers and sisters after doing something terrible. You journey across a gorgeous land, trying to evade your pursuers, meeting friend and foe along the way.
I purchased this game in 2015 for 69 cents! Almost 10 years later, I decided to give it a try. I will now share my thoughts on it.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273495065
Story is up first.
The setup is very interesting and there is a Tim Burton-esque appeal to the characters. Ghat must battle his own kin to claim his freedom and keep his companion, Deadra, safe and sound.
While the setup is interesting and there are a few twists and turns that are definitely standouts, the story was a bit too deliberately vague. It explained the bare minimum of the world and its characters, and I believe a “show don’t tell” approach to storytelling would have been better. You do get drawn-out sequences where you barely interact with anything and there is a character that just dumps exposition that, in general, means little. I was still sort of “lost” after said information.
The main character does not get that much development and the countless antagonists are one dimensional at best. Your side-kick has a little bit more personality, which was greatly appreciated.

Gameplay is mostly hand-to-hand combat with a minimum amount of ranged combat and occasional melee weapons.
The hand-to-hand combat feels satisfying, as hits are visceral and crunchy – it is also quite complex, as you cannot apply the same tactics to all enemies. Some enemies can dodge stronger attacks, while others have armor, being only weak to attacks from melee weapons. Speaking of which, melee weapons are fun to use but lack the versatility and responsiveness of your fists.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273494384
Ranged weapons are also enjoyable to use but are usually a liability, as they do not deal too much damage on harder difficulties and have obnoxiously long reload times (which is not a negative, as the game’s focus is on melee combat).
You get to visit quite a few different biomes, filled with different enemy types but you will usually deal with the same 5-10 enemy models over and over again. It makes sense, as Ghat does not kill any of is siblings during his journey, but this means you can always use the same strategy against them.
The gameplay truly is satisfying but you are pretty much repeating the same combat loop over and over again. There are a few hiccups here and there, like the stamina bar feeling too restrictive or enemies pulling BS moves out of thin air, as well.
The game also features enjoyable arena challenges, where you must defeat a certain number of characters in one go. Some of them were a bit more frustrating than others, but it is certainly doable and also enjoyable!

I think Zeno Clash looks epic!
Not only are the character designs and environments absolutely stunning, the cell-shaded graphics provide the game with a very strong sense of identity, something recent game releases lack, excruciatingly so.
You get to visit luscious jungles, stunning desert landscapes inhabited by gorgeous, titanic wildlife and even eerie, darker corners of this world. Really incredible stuff!

Audio is up next. The soundtrack is pretty stellar. It is intense and builds up tension during fights.
Voice acting is also great – the actors did a fine job delivering the lines and each main character feels distinct.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273494543
The game is somewhat replayable, as the developers included some pretty nasty achievements that require a few attempts, but that is just about it.
Zeno Clash is an unorthodox game to experience – it is absolutely gorgeous to look at and the character designs are masterful. The story could use a glow-up, however, as there is only so much non-sense one can listen to before he/she turns their brain off and the enemy encounters can potentially grow repetitive.
Still, an easy recommendation that is inexpensive and offers plenty of content! Give it a shot!

Final score: 8 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.

Short version:

Pros:
+ Super interesting story and setup
+ Strong art style
+ Great atmosphere
+ Good sound design

Cons:
- One horrible level drags on for too long
- Story loses steam as it goes on
- Puzzles get frustrating

"Long" version:
Sanitarium is a point and click adventure game with a dash of the macabre. You play as Max, who wakes up from a coma after suffering a car crash – he finds himself in a sanitarium and must regain his memory and search for answers while dealing with trauma and regret. It came out in 1998 and it was developed by DreamForge Intertainment and published by ASC Games.

I first played this game when I was around 18 years old, 10 years after its launch. I remember loving it but getting stuck on a very particular level. Not wanting to follow a guide, I decided to take a break and ended up forgetting about it for the longest time. I decided to try it again and here is my review, after 100% completion.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273442700
What initially might seem like a very straightforward and predictable story, ends up being a very layered and complex interpretation of mental health and trauma. Not everything is spelled out to you, which is not necessarily a bad thing. For the most part, you get enough context and tidbits of information. I did find a few story aspects, especially towards the end, to be too vague and that could pretty much mean anything you want them to. Is it the character’s unwillingness to move on? Is it childhood trauma? Is it both? Is it something else? There’s no definite answer to a few questions, which can lead to some frustration. I did enjoy the story, overall – but as mentioned, towards the end I just wanted it to be done, as I already knew the main story path and all the interesting side content would go unanswered.
Apart from Max, the characters are not particularly nuanced or interesting – they clue you in on parts of the story but they are usually part of the level they are in, not returning later. Max is interesting, everyone else… Not so much.

I enjoyed the gameplay.
It is quite simple; you click on things you want to interact with and you can also pick dialogue options.
You must search, observe, collect and combine items to solve a myriad of puzzles.
One thing in particular I loved about Sanitarium, that a lot of point and click games from the 90s did not do, is that you can complete the objectives and puzzles quite easily if you just explore and read the dialogues. Granted, that might seem like a no-brainer. That is the whole genre, after all! My point is that the solutions to the puzzles are not far-fetched and follow (again, for the most part) real world logic. I think I knew exactly what I had to do 85% of the time by just looking at my inventory and talking to everyone. The vinegar puzzle in Day of the Tentacle this is not (and thankfully so).
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273442543
Now, this leads to me a negative. What I mentioned above is mostly true – sometimes the game loses focus and asks you to do something I absolutely hate: PIXEL HUNT. You maybe have to find a tiny rock near a church that is super hard to spot or, even worse, click on a very tiny structure that is not from this world and that you could not possibly know about. This complaint brings me to my biggest complaint with Sanitarium: one of the level is absolutely horrible. I will not spoil it, but this is what made me give up all those years ago and I had to swallow my pride and look at a guide. And guess what, even then I HAD TROUBLE FINDING THE PERFECT PIXEL TO CLICK ON! Did not help that the setting was otherworldly. That level almost broke me and I feel like the game never really recovered from that.
The first few levels are epic but most of the late game gets too weird and hard to follow.
You get to visit several different environments, which helps to keep things fresh. There is also a bit of “combat” against a few enemies, but it is janky and uninspired.

Graphically, I love what this game accomplishes. It reminds me of a game I used to play called Dink Smallhood. The art-style is super strong and it holds up to this very day. The backgrounds are stunning and the characters, while having a few awkward animations and derpy faces, have great designs. The cutscenes are also enjoyable.

The sound design is solid – ambient noises keep you immersed. Voice acting is serviceable – while Max’s voice actor is good, everyone else leans into the cheesier side, which might deter some players. The soundtrack is great – it suits the situation whenever it plays and the menu song got stuck in my head for a few days after playing it.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273441033
So yeah, I really wanted to love Sanitarium – the more I played it, however, the more I realized it had some pretty glaring flaws. The start is incredibly strong and interesting; that second level in the abandoned village filled with mutated children is just amazing! Unfortunately, the game gradually loses steam the longer it goes on and the latter levels are hit or miss. That one level that broke me is absolutely awful. I still recommend giving this game a chance, but only purchase it during a sale – and, follow a guide, it will save you from a ton of frustration near the end. It often felt like the devs were just throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck.

Final score: 7.5 out of 10.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following my curator page.