Recent reviews by Angry Owl

I enjoy everything about this game and struggle to find anything to pick on here..
CrossCode is splendid in it's presentation and music, story and characters, game mechanics and puzzle design.
On top of that, there is a ridiculous level of polish and attention to details, which, frankly, should put multiple AAA studios to shame.

Really though, give this one a try!

Game deserves all the praise it can get!
It manages to subvert your expectations few times in a row, and what started as a simple and straight-forward 8-bit platformer eventually becomes a challenging and engaging metroidvania full of twists and turns.

Strongly recommended for retro platformer\metroidvania folks

Trivia:
- very faithful in recreating retro aesthetics (that music), yet employs modern game designs
- ~10h spent on first play-through (not 100%)
- played on keyboard

A must-have for Commandos and Desperados fans!

Game's very well made, visually pleasant, fun and enjoyable to play and complete.
.. and if you're unsure, it often gets considerable discounts too.

Bloodstained has all the things you'd expect from a retro style 8-bit like platformer (and then some):
- faithful, NES-era graphics (with consistent sprite and tile work)
- solid game play (plus adequate game length and replayability)
- awesome music (not a single dull track)
- and proper challenge! (for both veteran and casual players; checkpoints and no game overs)

My only nitpicks would be: gamepad-oriented UI (though game plays well on a keyboard) and somewhat limited storytelling (inline with 8-bit limitations, true, but Shovel Knight did better in this department).

All in all, highly recommended for Castlevania fans and NES kids.

A unique spin on metroidvania genre - fun little game, lighthearted and charming!
My only nit-pick would be the game's length (though I blame Hollow Knight for spoiling me).

(haven't played any tales except SNES's 'Phantasia' prior to this one; used Gamepad instead of M+KB)

Enjoyed every 185 hour of it (yes, even Steppes on Chaos).
Think, the best things about this one are the Story and Characters ..and also that constant itch to level up and scour for best gear.

PS: If you want a challenge and not afraid of some grind here and there - keep the difficulty at max.

First impressions:
- fun and challenging turn-based strategy
- less random than FTL
- as polished and stylish as FTL (music too)

Beautiful, vivid, challenging, yet fun..
This game is filled to the brim with content and worth every penny!
And then there's and extraordinary post-release support from devs

UPD:
On Grimm Troupe: hey, the NKG only took like, what, 30 tries?..
On Path of Pain: 4 hours is not that much
On Godmaster: 20 hours of practice and I get to see new ending? sure..

Game is super fun, very true to the SEGA original entries

Great game, fun puzzler with quite an engaging story.
Among other strong points are great music and extreme attention to details.
What can be improved:
- game options are scarce (including graphics and controls)
- limited replayability (linear story after all)
- somewhat short story (perhaps a second day?)

Considering the efforts and talent that game developer poured into this game, the price is ok.
Still unsure? Grab it on any sort of discount (even 10%).

PS: name's totally fine, not sure why some people find it weird or something