Recent reviews by Platysaur

Classic Resident Evil gameplay with flavors of Blame! make this an incredible game.

In Prodeus, you'll take command of a ruthless combatant on a wanton rampage against hordes of demons and other foes. Armed to the teeth with an arsenal of traditional and chaotic weaponry, Prodeus' old-school first-person shooting gameplay will take you on a helluva ride through the realms of man and Chaos.

Prodeus is Doom in its primal form. It's a bloody and brutal shooter hearkening back to its old-school roots, in part due to its small team of veterans of the genre. It's clear from the start that developer Bounding Box Software knows their stuff, and they know it well. From the intricate and superb map design to the range of destructive weapons and oldfangled graphical style, Prodeus is one of the best boomer shooters to come out of Early Access -- and that's not being hyperbolic.

Pros
Map Design is Varied and Enjoyable
Weapons, Alt-Fire, and Overall Gunplay is Satisfiyng
Outstanding Visual and Audio Direction
Map Maker Adds So Much Replayability

Cons
Enemy Variety Isn't Significant
Shop as Means to Obtain More Weapons

Full Review [techraptor.net]
Score: 9.5/10

It's hard to beat the original Shovel Knight, but in terms of sheer fun factor, I think Dig takes the cake. The roguelite elements add just the right amount of variation and challenge; meanwhile, Shovel Knight's never looked or sounded better than in Dig. While I hope Yacht Club Games returns to its roots and creates a sequel to the original Shovel Knight, I'd gladly take more collabs between them and Nitrome. Clearly, it's a duo that complements each other very well, indeed.

Pros
Fantastic Artistic Direction and Soundtrack
Recognizable Shovel Knight Elements Make a Return
Different Environments Add to the Unpredictability and Mayhem

Cons
Light on New Shovel Knight Lore
Some Readability Issues With In-Game Signs

Full Review [techraptor.net]
Score: 9/10

Do I recommend this game? Eventually.

A.W.O.L.'s gunplay feels really good, and the M16 in particular has a lot of punch to it. Not a lot of complaints as far as gunplay, level design, or anything like that.

On a technical level, it feels unfinished. The AI for both squadmates and enemies don't really behave the way they should, performance is rough and I've encountered bugs like stuck enemies or enemies that don't fall down when dead. Once these rougher points are worked out, I think it'll be a great game and I look forward to revisiting it. Right now, though, it's tough to get invested in.

I want to leave it as a recommend, however, because it's free (so there's literally nothing to lose here) and a thumbs down doesn't really help improve this game's visibility.

The visuals immediately hooked me. It's one thing to see it in screenshots and another to experience the strange waviness and distortions in-game. Right now, it seems to be rewarding for those who explore and there's different ways to approach combat situations. It truly is an adventure and exploration title that's bound to have plenty of fun things to discover.

I also dig the ability to choose my character's background so I can get a jump-start on the stats and how my character will play. I went with a more thief/rogue route since I enjoy that type of thing in like TES series. I may have to update this later when I'm further in, but I think it would be interesting to provide another weapon or two at the start so players can get a feel for different styles of play. Overall, great stuff!

Turbo Overkill has a much smaller budget than Doom Eternal, yet it somehow reaches the same standard id Software set with its devilishly fun, addictive, and fast-paced shooter. This is not to diminish the quality of id's work -- Turbo Overkill is simply that damn good.

Releasing in Early Access is Turbo Overkill, a frantic, action-packed, and utterly insane retro-style FPS where you take the role of a cyborg hero with a chainsaw attached to his leg and bloodlust rivaling that of the Doom Killer or Duke Nukem. Publisher Apogee calls it their "most savage FPS ever," and this is one instance where the marketing isn't lying.

See below my full preview!

https://techraptor.net/gaming/previews/turbo-overkill-is-next-best-fps

Despite its heavy departure from the original Shovel Knight's gameplay, Pocket Dungeon stays true to the spirit of what makes this series so fun. It's charming with its character design and humor. Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon's innovative puzzle gameplay makes it one of the genre's best, too, and there's plenty of content to keep players coming back. You'll want to escape the dungeon with every single character and even play the Versus, Endless, and Daily modes. There's a staggering amount of content for a game called Pocket Dungeon. If anything, don't let the title fool you - there's plenty of depth in this puzzling adventure.

Pros
Fun, Innovative Twists for the Puzzle Genre
Diverse Cast of Unique Characters to Use
Bold Pixel Style and Awesome Remixed Soundtrack


Cons
Steep Difficulty Curve at Beginning

Full Review [techraptor.net]
Score 9/10

Age of Empires IV is something very special. It's a game players have waited over 15 years for. It's for a good reason, too. How do you follow up on some of the best real-time strategy games of all time? Needless to say, Age of Empires IV has big shoes to fill, but if successful, it could lead to a new age for both the series and strategy games in general. I'm very happy to say that those shoes were too small for Age of Empires IV because it far exceeded my expectations and will delight longtime fans and newcomers alike with its incredibly fun campaign, creative and asymmetric civilizations, and outstanding presentation quality.

Pros
Very Fun and Varied Campaign Missions
Civilization Design is Different and Creative
Strong Sound Design
Informative and Genuinely Entertaining Documentary Footage

Cons
Four Campaigns Leads to Slight Disappointment
Graphics Are Just Adequate

Full Review [techraptor.net]
Score 9.5/10

Dread Templar hits a lot of good notes—notes essential for a well-crafted boomer shooter. The first thing that impressed me right away was the sound design. Sound design is integral to any good FPS game. For one, the guns should sound powerful. The first gun you receive in Dread Templar (or guns, rather) are pistols that you duel-wield. These wicked twins are total beasts and sound the part. These pistols have one of, if not the most, satisfying gun sounds I've heard in a long time. With these, you'll be slinging lead like Revy from "Black Lagoon" and be just as menacing.

Roughly 3 hours of content (as you can see from my hour count, that's how long it took to beat) but a damn good time it was! I can't wait to see more. Want to hear more? Check out my Early Access preview on TechRaptor.net! [techraptor.net]

Although the combat isn't 1:1, it gives Astral Chain vibes. It's an excellent anime action title that excels in its combat. The graphics look superb, mixing cell-shaded characters with realistic backdrops. It also runs well on PC.