Recent reviews by BreakingBeaker

Hunt the monster, carve the monster, wear the monster.

Great game

LIMBO is a fantastic and cryptic adventure that provides no clear narrative for the player to follow, yet it still guides the player with purpose. It creates a great mesh between puzzle and platforming that focuses on the puzzle elements. Each of the game's puzzles is well designed, offering the player just enough information so that the puzzle isn't too easy, but not so little information that the puzzle seems impossible.

- Cryptic story that is open to interpretation
- Fantastic puzzle design
- Not too long, not too short, just right!
- Provides a demo! (Easy to miss for people rapidly browsing the store)

- Unusual character controller that takes some time to adjust to
- Slight pacing issue in the early game that could make players lose interest (please push through it)

There are so many other games that use the same mechanics and design as FATE and they do a better job. However, I always find myself going back to FATE as a game that I play, its simple progression and small loot pool make the game relaxing to come back to. If your looking for another Diablo, this isn't the game to play. However, if you're looking to get into the dungeon loot genre then this is a great title to start with. For players familiar with the genre I still recommend FATE with the condition that it isn't a replacement for more intense looting games but a break from the grind.

TL;DR - Plays well, narrative is well presented, RPG elements were a bit of a let down.

Kakarot is a game that I conditionally recommend: You need to love Dragon Ball. The game doesn't bring much new to the fighting elements and falls short on many of the RPG aspects it wished to achieve. However, playing through the Dragon Ball story in a single-player experience allows the game to pace and balance itself in a different way then other Dragon Ball games such as Budokai or Xenoverse, making it perfect for fans of the Dragon Ball story. The presentation of the narrative is also well executed despite some issues with ludonarrative dissonance (i.e. doing side-quests/collecting Z-orbs when Namek is about to be destroyed). I enjoy my time with Kakarot but understand that the game is not for everyone.

- Single-player experience for those not interested in PvP combat
- Great graphics and performance
- Well executed narrative
- Great gameplay
- Usually well paced

- Minimal player choice in skill trees
- Not many playable characters
- Mini-games could use some work
- Not much variety in side-quests
- Poorly paced tutorial

Note: At the time of writing I have not played any of the DLC content

Not like another review is needed to support this game but I consider Stardew Valley to be one of the top games of all time. It provides a small world that continues to surprise me even after my 300 hours played. It provides a dangerously satisfying game loop in which saving is only allowed at the end of every day so once you've finished your last day, it doesn't hurt to do just one more day. This quick and rewarding game loop removes the feeling of grinding for new players and makes grinding short-term for long time players. There will be times where you need to grind but there's always other tasks available so that the game always feels fresh, but there isn't so much to do that the game feels taxing and stressful, it is a perfect balance between a comfort state and a flow state.