Recent reviews by hulanoobisplaying

I think one of the things that DONTNOD really does well is create engaging worlds that are worth exploring and that have intriguing mysteries without putting any real pressure on the player.

I also played Twin Mirror by the developers and was absolutely delighted by the fact that I could solve murders, go into my weird mind space and deal with smalltown drama without ever really getting stressed. Where Tell Me Why has a much better character writing (Twin Mirror's Sam is one bland dude), it does has a few pacing issues which feel worse the more you get into the game.

However, beautiful Alan Wake-esque environments, some folklore and compelling characters really keep the game afloat. So this might not be the story that has you on the edge of your seat, but it is the kind of story that offers heart, emotional rollercoasters and some cute puzzles as well as worldbuilding elements that make for quite an immersive experience.

Especially the emotional topics are handled sensitively and even if you might not agree with our twins all the time, their feelings and actions still feel valid and understandable, which makes it a lot easier to stay with them for three very long chapters (I think the game is roughly 6-8 hours long?). And yes, if you want to (and I did), there's even romance!

So, if you enjoy story telling with a twist, low-pressure gameplay that is not boring and a smalltown mystery with lots of secrets then this might be just the right game for you.

You can take a look at the gameplay in my Lets Play of the game if you like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBibmlAnt4g&list=PLcaI3FIf0qovF2ZRS6kakCzNZKFEJS_rg

I only played this game through once, so there’s obviously plenty of plot points, conversations and possible spooks left for me to explore but as it is. In fact, give an award to whoever will play this game over and over again to get the approx 300 possible endings.
I thought this was a weird, chaotic and at times erratic game, it felt like every actor was in a different kind of movie and the plot had more twists than a Swiss mountain road (which is, like, a lot). More than that, it wasn’t really spooky. Unless you’re severely scared by overacting and vines (if that’s the case, be warned).

Although there were interactive options, they felt poorly spaced and sometimes quite meaningless. I am starting to wonder whether it’s simply at the core fo FMV games to have incredibly impactful choices hidden in an avalanche of choosing between fruit loops or rice crispies for breakfast.

So, why did I give this a thumbs up, you may ask? Oh, what a mess it was, but like Eaton mess, it was delightful. Please play this with friends, do a live stream or record it like a Lets Play (like I did). You will be stumped, you will be flummoxed, you will be amused all the way through. Let the cheesy b-horror vibe engulf you and take the ride into a non-sensical story that will inspire you to heckling heights. I had a blast.

Honestly, if this game would have been a glitchy or boring mess, I would have no qualms giving this thumbs down but I’ll be damned if I didn’t give you the chance to discover this fun lifetime-goes-horror-experience.

https://youtu.be/E1SU-x8qVVo

I think with The Medium, Bloober has shown that they can build incredibly gorgeous, vast worlds with entertaining gameplay and an engaging story. Especially the beginning is absolutely stunning when it comes to the visuals and atmosphere. Sure, our protagonist could be a little less of a typical Horror game protagonist but I guess the cool chick with a leather jacket and more of a sarcastic side is part of the genre.
I also really enjoyed the many ways in which we get to know the world surrounding us. There’s some game mechanics that were quite brilliant. 
However, the cut scenes suffered a lot from info dumps and the story overall started out great but soon got weighed down by too many side stories and late-in-the-game revelations. The pacing and the dramatic flow of the story is hindered by a weird mixture of drawn-out chapters and scenes that feel incredibly rushed. Somewhere along the way, The Medium got too big, too complex and a little too muddled for its own sake.

As such, The Medium is maybe not a great game. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that there will be a sequel. It’s fun to play, it does have some truly scary moments and it works amazingly with its sound design and the visuals are at times gorgeous. I therefore recommend it because despite its flaws I was never bored or frustrated with the gameplay.

https://youtu.be/ytQkohT6Aa4

I had so much fun with this game and I would love for this world to be expanded because I do think that it has potential when it comes both to the characters, gameplay and story.
Now, the story might not have been HBO material but I can assure you that it's still engaging and keeps you going. The gameplay is smooth and fun and for around an hour (if you bumble around a lot like me) there's so much happening. Awesome work.

https://youtu.be/uH0HKoBRLRc

This game was such an amazing, gorgeous and atmospheric surprise. You play as a young man visiting an isolated place in the Swiss Alps after you get news that your grandfather has died in a fire. Upon arrival, you soon realise that your grandfather and maybe even the entire place is cursed and its up to you to find out its origins and to lift it.
Mundaun is entirely hand-drawn and has a weird, charming uncanny crudeness to it that adds to its feeling of slipping right into a weird parallel world full of folklore and shadows. The spooks are incredibly well done and vary a lot from perfectly executed jumpscares to subtle changes in the lighting up to weird shadows in the background or just horrifying imagery. You can upgrade yourself, you can drive a vehicle, you can fight and even collect a few things. The characters in this game are loveable and layered and everything you do, discover and experience is part of the story which makes exploring all the more fun.

Personally, I did not expect such a wonderful, fun, creepy and immersive game when I started Mundaun and I think it'll be a while until I will play something that managed to completely charm me like this did. It's unique, tense, interesting, even funny and it has just the right amount of linear story-telling and world exploring to never really get stuck and stay captivated.

https://youtu.be/mzvL988Rkoo

Evil Inside is a PT-style game where you play as a dude who has to care for his baby brother after his mother got killed, his father got arrested for the murder and who tries to contact his mother via an ouija board.
Comparing the prologue to the rest of the material you can find on Steam for this game, I have to say that the prologue does not give enough to really excite the player for the upcoming game, neither info, cool visuals or effective scares. It's a shame because the main visual is cool and the teaser on the actual game page looks pretty interesting. But none of that is featured in the prologue which is too close to the original PT (but not, unfortunately, when it comes to effective scares).
I wish there had been something, whether it's in a story detail or some visual that was different and made me want to find out more.
Still, I will keep the main game in mind, maybe the prologue is just not the best introduction for the game overall.

If you want to take a look, I played the prologue on my channel: https://youtu.be/mA3M_sPss4A

Missed Messages is a lovely little visual novel about kindness, loneliness and making connections with people around you. You play as a student who has to decide how to spend their day and first and foremost: with whom.

The game itself tackles a few sensitive topics such as self harm, suicide and depression and therefore might be hard to play if this is something you feel uncomfortable with.

The gameplay is fairly easy, the visuals are very beautiful and the dialog options feel realistic. The one thing I would criticise if I had to is the fact that this game is filed under horror, however, I haven't encountered anything that could be described as a horror element (I played 3/4 of this game since it does have alternative endings, so maybe I just skilfully dodged all horror content). In general, it's more a drama/romance game and within that genre it is a very successful short game to spend an hour with.

If you need something calm and warm and tender, this game is a perfect fit.

PS: for a little peekaboo, here's my lets play of it: https://youtu.be/pcoZms4DlrI