Recent reviews by Fellshard

I don't just recommend this; I heartily recommend this!

Boy did they nail the design on pretty much every aspect of this game. Tight enemy and level design of the calibre of the early Mega Man and Castlevania games; mix that with modern slick controls and graphical smoothness, a rockin' soundtrack from the legendary Jake Kaufman (and original Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae, and steep but smooth difficulty curve, this game delivers one incredible experience.

Each new checkpoint feels like an accomplishment; each stage, you know you've learned how to play the game better; and each boss, you've learned how they think inside-and-out.

I could keep rambling, but that's probably just going to distract you from the 'Add to Cart' button. Yes, that green up there. Press it. You won't regret it.

This game has an incredible blend of ideas: a currency-less, commodity-based economy; skill variants through skill gem combinations; a simply enormous tree of passive skills; all this and much more set it apart from your usual Action RPG. The polish in this game is impressive, having spent over a year in beta alone. Give it a shot, and bring some friends. You'll need them all to survive in Wraeclast. If nothing else, you'll have a few extra meals to live off of...

I've been following this developer for years. This game in particular went through several iterations early on, and has now grown into a delightfully polished and frenetic experience. Things might seem calm as a no-star office building restaurant, but as your fame grows, the pace grows faster and faster; as the sole proprietor of the establishment, you've got quite the job on your hands, and it takes all your wits to keep your customers happy! Combine that with a great sense of humor (don't forget to read your e-mails!), wide variety of recipes (everything from soda to steak to stacked enchiladas), and challenges (watch out, Iron Cook!), and you've got a recipe for one delicious game.

This is a story-telling masterpiece. Following in the footsteps of Bioshock, this game delivers one whopper of a tale, one that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. The game is certainly fun, but if you aren't playing it for the story, you're missing what truly makes it great.

Sure, the writing's cheesy, and it's not the most polished effort ever, but boy is the idea great, and the mechanics are surprisingly rock-solid. Definitely worth a shot, and it won't take too much of your time to complete. Some of the snarkier humor is good, too.

It may not be the best example of story-telling you've ever seen, but by jove, the gameplay more than makes up for it.
If you haven't seen PopCap's 'twist' on the Match-3 genre of casual games, this will come as a total surprise. If you have, then you may appreciate the further strategic bent this lends to the original design.
Instead of swapping turns with an omniscient and overly-planning AI opponent (Puzzle Quest), the outcome of each match can be determined almost solely by the player. Moves must be selected carefully to prevent opponent's skill gems from counting down, while also trying to detonate your own. Features originally introduced as chains and locks make a comeback, but are used as skill results, not just randomly mixed in.
Overall, don't miss this. It's a fantastic example of how to blend two genres of gameplay into a masterful whole.

If you haven't tried this out before, give it a shot. The design is rather different from many MMOs, in that it focuses more on fighter-like combat. Certainly a great play if you bring along friends, since each mission you enter is instanced.

VVVVVV is fun for several reasons:
1. It's a game that's easy to understand. A small set of controls, but with a wide range of possibilities.
2. It's challenging in that frustrating, yet addictive way; when you die, you know it was your fault, and you know exactly how you messed up.
3. The core mechanic of gravity-flipping sans jumping is used and varied in a variety of situations, making the most of it and exploring many patterns that follow as logical extensions to it.
4. Who wouldn't want to play a game with a soundtrack like that?

I cannot recommend this game enough.
You've all probably heard that this game is beautiful. Fun.
It's all that. And then it tells a story.
'That may not seem like much. Well, wait 'til you hear it.'
As a music afficionado, as well, the soundtrack really stands out. Just wait and listen as they build their motifs, then let your mind be blown as the end credits roll.
Don't listen to it beforehand. Yes, spoilers hide in music too.

Alright: I went into this game expecting little. I played the first half not expecting much.
But, quite honestly, if you've been hesitating to play this, do it. It starts off slow, but has one of the most fantastic storytelling capacities because it takes the time to build. Well worth a shot.