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After playing Planet Crafter I had a thirst to try some more crafting and exploring type games. Subnautica has had an amazing rating for a long time, however I ignored it for a long time thinking it was another diving type simulator game. My friend group was looking for a new cooperative to play together and somehow ended up playing this one. For a water exploration type game, I have to admit, it is pretty good.

Subnautica's gameplay is pretty solid and straight forward. The goal of the game is to survive and build enough to escape the prominently water based planet. The controls are also simple and straight forward, including all necessary movements to provide the player with maximum control. Basic controls like jumping, sprinting, interaction, and movements are included. The ability to swim and the ability to dive into the water is a pretty cool feature, and is only the start of what is in the game. As good as a swimming/diving game can get Subnautica did a good job representing that. Building in the game is simple and straight forward, and can be compared to Fallout 4's building scheme (or Raft, or Planet Crafter, etc...). The ability to rotate buildings or placing them is easy, some buildings will require a little more attention, strategy, or research to know how to properly use and place them. Building a suitable base is a bit of a challenge since most of it is designed to be underwater. The player can build up to a certain depth before the water pressure begins to close in on the structure. Again, building is relatively easy, but finding a suitable spot in addition to ensuring leaks don't occur as the base grows is an interesting challenge in itself.

Some of the basic structures include hallways, T and X hallways, glass hallways, curved glass hallways, and other structures are available upon unlocking parts found around the (sea) world. As the player explores the vast deep sea they will find parts that they are required to scan in order to acquire the blue prints. Some cool building structures include multipurpose rooms (which can house different machinery), scanner room, and something called a moonbase (which allows the player to park and charge their Seamoth - doesn't repair it for whatever reason). Materials are found all over the map, however there is generally a pattern to what the player can find. Most copper, silver, and titanium ore can be found from 0-100m depth. 100m-200m seems to house other materials depending on their biome like lead, lithium, diamond, and gold. The deeper depth sometimes have a mix of the previous two, but generally hold much more rare materials. There are different biomes within the game that host different challenges and resources. Some biomes are friendly and laid back while others are a little hostile. Some areas are extremely hostile and may have the player drop something in their pants if they're playing late at night by themselves. The dev did a solid job creating a fine balance between a mysterious and a beautiful environment.

The visuals and graphics were well done. The way the sea looks (especially while treading above water) is phenomenal. Paired with the visual of the day and night cycle makes the whole experience awesome. The water impact against structures at sea level are okay. The impact of the water itself goes up and down, but the faint splashing/mist effect after water comes into collision with something isn't quite there. Even though that particular detail is missing I have to admit even on the low graphical setting the game still looks pretty good. Every environment feels lively and as if though there is something (or maybe someone) there and going from biome to biome is made obvious not only through the environment, but the shaders and lighting. Character designs are minimal but do not in any way impede on the game. A huge addition in the visuals department is the use of beacons and being able to turn on or off any point of interest. The sounds and music were also well done. The sounds are absolutely necessary to keeping the player aware in their environment (in case they hear something odd). All required sounds are there from mining minerals to moving about in the water. The music was also really well done. Well suited to the game, to the biomes, to the atmosphere, it creates a solid mood, and most importantly it's enjoyable to listen to.

Overall, this is a pretty rock solid game whether you're into exploration and crafting type games or not. It has a bit of a learning curve at first, but once the player familiarizes themselves with the flow of the game everything becomes within reach. One small gripe I have is a lack of map (which is most likely due to almost always having one). There is something like that in the game called a scanner room, but a map would certainly help the player navigate biomes better. There is at least a compass that is available in the game. Playing this game alone can be pretty fun compared to other cooperatives. Nonetheless the cooperative feature is greatly appreciated as it adds another layer of fun into the game. Would certainly recommend purchasing the game on sale and even if its not, I'd highly suggest taking a really good look at it. For those wondering the map remains consistent and does not change every new go.

Enderwake is a roguelike 2D mini-camp to castle defender and builder type game. Very simple premise with a decent game loop. The gameplay is very simple: keep the fire alive to keep the colony alive. If the fire dies out (due to a lack of wood) then the game ends. The challenge here is to gather resources while being bombarded by an army of skeleton figures attempting to overtake the camp. There is a day and night cycle in which the player has to be aware of. A wolf sound will indicate an impending charge towards the camp from the skeleton army. The further villagers travel away from the fire during the night will also result them in acquiring fear, rendering them sort of useless (or scared) to do any errands. The player is given two characters to manage at the start and can grow the colony given circumstances in addition to acquisition of resources. The three resources are wood, stone, and food. The controls are all done by the mouse.

The graphics and visuals are suitable to the game's atmosphere. The graphics are somewhat simple and use pixel related graphics. That doesn't take away from the animations and the atmosphere the visuals create. I personally liked the water overlay and how it accentuates the day and night cycle. The user interface was also well done and makes commanding the villagers a lot easier (instead of having to move the camera so much). The sounds and music are okay. All required and included sounds are there while a better job was done on the music. Again, the tunes create a nice and relaxing atmosphere depending on what is going on in the game.

Overall, I would recommend this game if this is something that interests the viewer/player. The roguelike approach was an interesting one, being stuck to one base instead of travelling around like Regions of Ruin. There are little cool features such as a live scoreboard for who has the best score currently running in the game. This is not something I would regularly play, but it was a nice break between other games. Thank you to the Dev for the free copy of the game!

Getting tired of Sea of Thieves? Want to just relax by the ocean while building a settlement? Well this is partially possible in Raft if a regular difficulty isn't selected. What I thought was a laid back settlement game turned out to be one where having friends to play with became crucial to progressing. This has a similar Minecraft mixed with a little Planet Crafter build type gameplay to deliver an open world experience floating out on the ocean. In short, fun game but has potential to wear off after a certain amount of hours. Some game mechanics might also drive certain players bonkers.

Raft's premise is the player is immediately dropped into an endless ocean world on a tiny 4x4 plank and plastic floating platform. The only tool that is given is a rope hook that is used to lure floating junk from the ocean. The twist comes in as there is a shark constantly circling the player. Now staying out of the water seems like the obvious idea, but the shark (or Bruce the ________ as I like to call him) will eventually start gnawing at the player's raft by removing chunks of the plastic and wood. As the player's raft is blown (in whatever direction the wind is blowing) new elements appear on the map. Most elements include small to large sized islands and random floating abandoned rafts with potential treasure. Islands generally have metal substances than can be harvested shoreside waters and trees, flowers, and wildlife on land. Some of the wildlife is hostile (such as boars or giant birds) while some will hop away from the player. The gameplay in Raft is simple and straight forward, as for the controls. Basic movements are included, such as crouch, sprint, and jump. There is a research tree that eventually allows the player to become sort of self-sufficient. It will take some time to properly be able to run an entire raft as there are loads of chores. In addition to a shark randomly biting away at the boat, there are seagulls that come by and will often try to steal food. This is where having more than one person is extremely handy, on any difficulty.

The visuals and graphics are similar to Sea of Thieves. Sea of Thieves certainly did it better, but this game absolutely nails dawn and dusk. The colours and the amount of light that comes and goes always makes me stop for a moment, and wish I did something with my life that involved me actually seeing that in real life. Mind you - I'd rather not do it from a raft. The rest of the graphics are okay. The islands have all the required or basic graphics, the animals all have their own respective animations, but what bothers me the most are the shorelines by the islands. The corals look cool and the objects are fine, it all just looks a little cartoon-ey and slightly out of place. Then there's the sudden drops around the islands that don't quite make sense especially when the player relies heavily on acquiring ore in those areas. The design is a little wonky and is difficult early game when it isn't possible to take down or distract the shark. The sounds and music were absolutely well done. Sounds quickly indicate to the player what is happening around the raft. A lot of sounds have been included with proper purpose. The music absolutely creates an awesome mood and can flip the player into gear when necessary. It seems to have been inspired a little by Minecraft, knowing when to deliver a piece of music to alter the mood.

Overall, the game is okay alone, but can be very fun with friends. The game certainly is challenging on normal difficulty and can even be difficult on easy. There is enough replayability depending on whose playing. While building, scavenging, crafting, and even attacking is fun, the loop of sea > island > sea > island > sea can become repetitive. I feel like it seriously depends on who is playing this game with you. I would recommend waiting for a sale even though I bought this one for full price!

After revisiting Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 I felt the itch to check what new Need for Speed games had the same excitement. Need for Speed Heat caught my eye over Carbon and figured I'd give it a shot. In short, visually appealing, a fun cross between arcade and simulation (more so on the arcade side), however it comes up short on the Hot Pursuit side. Certainly worth it on sale - full price is way too steep for what it is. The open world concept is awesome, but doesn't feel like it was fully utilized.

Need for Speed Heat's gameplay is decently solid all around, but depending on whose playing is going to decide whether that's a good or bad way to describe a game. Need for Speed Heat (NfSH) delivers a very solid experience upon start up; it makes an effort to immerse the player into the game very quickly. Immediately into the game the player is thrown into a night race in Palm City. Upon finishing the race there is a quick cinematic sequence that explains the premise of the game, which of course involves racers and police. The twist is (without trying to ruin it too much) the police aren't exactly what they claim to be, especially when it comes to dealing with racers. Beyond the story the game follows a day and night system. Day allows the player to be in sanction races and police aren't really paying attention unless the player outwardly breaks the law right in front of them. At night the police are on high alert and completing races will generally raise heat on the player. Day provides opportunities to make money while night provides opportunities to increase rep. Money obviously is used to upgrade and purchase new parts or vehicles, but without Rep the player cannot purchase new parts or vehicles. Little insidious if you think about it. The driving itself is alright and feels like Heat follows more of a drifting scheme. Most races will require the player to drift through turns and rarely will require players to use their actual brakes. The racing for the most part feels fine once the player adjusts to the control scheme, however the game does leave a bit of a feeling like something extra is missing from the racing formula.

The biggest issue I have with the game is the way the crash system is set up. One would think after years of pumping out NfS games that there would be a better collision system. It's difficult to describe the system here as there is impact, but it doesn't equate to what should happen to the car - even for an arcade leaning style game. Burnout did a phenomenal job of creating crash scenarios where most of the time everything felt balanced if a player was bumped into a barrier. Heck, Flatout also did awesome with their collision engine. Here... just feels like rectangular blocks hitting one another. This is an issue especially when the game relies on incorporating police cars chasing down and bumping the player cars. Further, the police seem to jump in and out of no where. It's sort of difficult to pinpoint the best way to lose the police, but it seems like a solid nitro boost and jump are usually the best way to get away (until they magically somehow catch up). To take it even further there is absolutely no way to play as police in NfSH, which is ironic. It's unfortunate that the last good Need for Speed game that came out was Hot Pursuit 2 from 2002 where the player can be both a racer and a police vehicle. I was hopeful for this NfS, but my world quickly came crashing down after I wanted to try taking down other players. Huge missed opportunity - or as Family Guy liked to say, "swing and a miss".

The graphics and visuals are absolutely stunning. The neon 70's Miami colour theme was an awesome choice for the game, and holds itself true whether in-game or moving about in the menus. The user interface is quick and simple to use, and was also really well designed. Switching from day and night mode is very easy to do and pausing mid game will literally freeze the player's car and show a sagittal view of the car. The game absolutely nailed the design scheme across the board in the game. The environment and cars don't take too much damage, but players are able to burst through some trees, signs, and fences. Cars of course are customizable whether its style or performance. The sounds and music were well done. The soundtrack is pretty solid (as most EA games do choose their music wisely) and a lot of sound effects are included in the game. Whether the car sounds are accurate or not will depend on the person revving the engine. A few of the cars that I recognize or have been around do sound close to the actual sound they would make it real life. Overall, this domain was done a lot better than the gameplay domain.

Overall, a decent game. It's fun, it has it's moments. Races are easy to find, the player can teleport between garages once they're discovered, cars are varied and allow for a lot of customizable options, and there is a variation between races. The races aren't exactly daunting to complete and aren't days long either. The issue? I think it is way overpriced for a game that came out years ago, in addition to it lacking the ability to do a Hot Pursuit mode (where the player can become the police). As usual, EA is being EA - and it sort of sucks to see because they used to be an amazing company that created extremely fun games (Nightfire, Fifa Street, Medal of Honour, SSX Tricky, Burnout, etc...). NfSH seems like a lot of flashy lights, but when those lights turn off, then the real image behind the lights is finally displayed - and its not exactly pretty, and its not exactly ugly. This one is getting a thumbs down not because it sucks, but because it let me down. Was fun to play through especially with its sale price, but just left me wanting to go back to NfS Hot Pursuit 2 to be both a racer and a cop-per. Don't see why playing online wouldn't involve trying to pull over your friends.

I've glanced over this game many times before deciding to purchase it. I sort of wish I didn't do that because I've now thrown A LOT of hours into a Minecraft-esque game that mashed a little with Space Engineers, with a huge focus on terraforming a planet through building/creating. Phenomenal game with a simple premise, simple controls, simple building features, but an amazing terraforming system that was brilliantly coded. Besides some small bugs this game is certainly worth a look.

The Planet Crafter's gameplay is a smooth experience for the most part. The premise involves the player (who may be a con) being placed on a barren planet. The goal is to terraform the planet into a suitable environment. As the planet becomes friendlier, the environment changes and loads of opportunities open up. Caves that were once frozen over are open, new paths may appear, and new technology or species may be accessible as a result. The upgrade and resource tree feels like the right amount of options were chosen, neither too much or too few in number. Upgrades feel rewarding as the player can then explore longer and life saving resources can be available at the finger tips, instead of having to scrounge and store. Useful buildings such as beacons are a neat addition for the player to mark their paths and the fact resources are sort of available everywhere means the player can build a pod to quickly provide oxygen checkpoints (or even new bases). Base building is quite easy and isn't the fanciest, but does its job in feeling like something cool was built, maybe even decorated. Resource fetching can be cumbersome to build the dream base. Eventually, cool unlocked abilities will allow the player to create drones so those repetitive tasks don't always have to be done. How automation was added into the game was really cool. The automation system is very simple to use and program. Crafting can even become automated with certain technology, resources, and careful planning. This was a huge feature late in the game when crafting and fetching materials can become annoying. Comes in at the perfect time! Also helps other structures like teleporters can be built to quickly access areas around the map. Again, comes in at the right time.

The controls are very simple and include basic movement controls in addition to be being able to jump. The player can scale some steep terrain through an easier Skyrim move and jump up maneuvers. Car controls follow a simple scheme, but the addition of a jetpack in the game was maybe most appreciated. The car makes going around and transporting easier. How the map is set up can also become a bit of a nuisance as there are random little rocks that can hold up the rover. A reset button was included in both movement for the player and the car. Super neat feature because it will most certainly be used. There are a few places on the map where the player will get caught between certain spots or clip through the ground and stay in free fall. The terraforming portion of the game can be confusing at times. The game doesn't provide fully fleshed out tutorials so it is up to the player to figure out what to do next. This is a good and bad scenario; good because it allows the player the freedom to walk their own path, but also bad because I spent a long time trying to figure out how to get bugs to spawn.

The graphics and controls feel like basic 3D assets, but none the less do their part in immersing the player into The Planet Crafter. The amount of smaller details showing in game will depend on the graphic setting the player currently has the game at. Lower settings will avoid showing finer blades of grass, shine on the sand, butterflies, frogs, etc... Generally doesn't have an impact on the game, but when looking for bugs (for example) it becomes a little more difficult to quickly spot. The world and level design itself has been pretty well done. There are times the dev looks like they took a brush and quickly added a corridor, but for the most part the map makes sense. The players will sometimes get lost in the derelict ships, especially after they boot up the fusion core to open new doors. My only complaint is having signs like Minecraft to quickly and properly figure the way out. There is also quite an eery-ness to exploring these derelict ships. Really happy there are no surprises coming out from the dark to scare the player. The sounds and music were neither bad nor great, split in-between. All the necessary sounds are there and do signify certain events to let the player know what's happening around them. The game gets pretty crazy when meteor showers start rolling in and the planet has an immense amount of rocks.

Overall, this game was well designed, well-planned, and well executed. The map is big, but not annoyingly big enough that everything seems completely out of reach. There is some educational value here on top of a lot of replay-ability. It is really engaging and entertaining to watch the planet terraform in real time. The online-coop aspect is another phenomenal addition and seriously welcomed as there can be a lot to explore. Would highly recommend this game on purchase either alone or playing with friends. Well done to the devs!

Amazing successor to its predecessors (Spintires and/or Mudrunner). Graphics, controls, variety of trucks, maps, missions, user interface, and atmosphere all feel better. Depending how much you like driving games would depend whether you want to buy this on sale or not. In short, would recommend but be cautious some old headaches can still shine (whether it was an intended challenge from the game or just something simply annoying).

SnowRunner's gameplay is a lot better than previous Spintires and Mudrunner games. There was a little issue with the developer and publisher between Spintires to Mudrunners, but I am happy to see that SnowRunner got its act together and delivered a solid gameplay experience. The immediate difference that was noticed compared to previous games was the ability to actually drive over rocks and logs. This was a point of contestation with me as previous games were marketed as off-road games, yet large trucks had huge issues going over small logs or rocks. Another neat addition was adding larger trucks that could bowl over some of the larger trees, where they were previously immovable objects. Obviously players do not want to damage their truck unless they have to, but this was a great addition. The driving itself is a huge improvement and feels a lot more authentic. There are still little blips that can occur, but for the most part driving in this game is enjoyable. Players are able to level up, unlock different regions (and maps), drive in different terrains (such as driving in the snow), buy multiple new trucks from around the world, customize their truck, and upgrade their truck (which is a huge addition compared to previous versions). Loads to do in the game.

The amount included in the game from the trucks, maps, and variety of missions again is a huge step from previous games. Upon completing missions (such as building a bridge to make the routes more accessible) there are little cutscenes that occur to signify and show that progress is being made, such as the bridge being delivered steel (and then the frame of the bridge is built) and then concrete (in which the road becomes paved on the bridge). The leveling up system is a bit of a grind especially when warehouses and trailer shops can be found across the map. I understand this is part of the premise for the game, but it is extremely annoying not to have more warehouses or trailer shops to quickly pick up cargo, and then go for the long drive to deliver it. For that reason I highly recommend the game with friends, but again, beware, the game only saves the campaign for one player whereas the others are only able to acquire experience and money. Sometimes the game randomly does save a version locally on the computer, which sort of removes the annoying need that the one player with the campaign/map needs to be hosting/playing. The controls feel right and most buttons are accessible by the controller, and a keyboard isn't exactly necessary to play anymore (as previous games required a weird hybrid of controller and keyboard). Sometimes still a little annoying with the winch, but again, a lot better than previous version.

The graphics and visuals are a lot better. The older versions had decent graphics, but this one certainly takes it up a notch. Wind is noticeable at times blowing trees, tires kick up leaves from the road, grass waves from one direction to another, mud and water effects seem crisper, mud and snow fling off from the tires on concrete, and the designs of the buildings and trucks seem quite spot on. The atmosphere that was created with the visuals is wonderful and the time of day certainly adds another depth to the game. The user interface and menus are well organized and very easy to navigate. Be careful though - some of the trailers are required for specific missions and need to be picked up around the map. The sounds and music are, again, an improvement from last year. Music plays when it is supposed to (although most of the game is decently quiet) and the sounds of the trucks are generally the only noise beyond some nature that is playing. This realm isn't the greatest, it certainly isn't the worst, but I think a little more could've been added in this realm to further immerse the player into the gameplay.

Overall - really solid offroad experience. There are little quips that need a little work (such as missions letting the player know that it isn't accessible, backing up a trailer with front axels = making it nearly impossible to reverse properly/park, allowing players to access some more basics at the start of the game, etc...), but they don't impede harshly into the game. I would really recommend this game on sale, and especially recommend playing it with friends. There is a lot to do and accomplish, makes life a little easier when players divide and conquer! Hopefully newer games have a little more leeway when it comes to difficulty, especially when trucks and cargo flip over. Planning is a part of the strategy, but it does become a pain when players have to drive across the map because they simply forgot to change a flatbed or they grabbed the wrong trailer for supplies. The controls can be a little frustrating especially when cargo drops, but when familiarizing with the flow of the game (such as using a crane properly) can feel empowering. The game is decently forgiving, but there are small moments of frustration that can lead me to ALT+F4ing.

This was a game that isn't generally something I play. The RPG portion of the game was enticing so decided to give it a shot. In short, found it to be an OK game while hardcore indie Gamers may appreciate it a lot more than I did.

Regions of Ruin's gameplay is straight forward and basic. The player is tasked with building a camp, exploring new areas, gathering resources, managing workers, defending wave attacks, and attacking settlements or barracks belonging to a certain enemy. The controls include all basic movement, an ability to jump, ability to throw an axe, and two separate attack sequences. One includes a soft-quick swing attack and the other includes a longer, heavier attack. As the player progresses and gains experience, the character can be upgraded. Upgrades include better strength, dexterity, other specific upgrades that can upgrade attack, upgrades that increase attack speed, throwing range and damage upgrades, or other health or armour related stats. Upgrades are necessary for the player to progress to harder levels. As the player explores new locations items can be picked up along the way. The player can equip these items or sell them around the map. Once the player acquires enough materials they are able to build up their small camp into a settlement that includes a library, forge, apothecary, market, training ground, and a few more. The buildings can also be upgraded to allow the player to have better options to build, forge, sell or purchase items. Locations differ depending on the area, but most areas include some sort of castles, outposts, camps, caves, and areas that start a wave defence challenge. The difficulty at the start of the game is challenging, but becomes a lot harder without the right equipment. Players will be challenged in learning the game mechanics to properly defend not only themselves, but be able to take out enemies that have significant strength and health.

The visuals and graphics are suitable to the game's environment. Shaders and backgrounds were decently implemented to further immerse the player into the atmosphere. Small animations exists to show that the character is throwing an axe or swinging with their sword. There are a decent amount of weapon and armour variants to keep the characters appearance varied. Character variation is a little minimal when it comes to design. The sounds and music are okay. Nothing over the top and nothing that further immerses the player in the game. I feel there was an opportunity here to tap into music or sounds that would be more suitable to the viking like environment. Maybe a sound or two when interacting with other characters would've helped.

Final thoughts? Unless you're 100% interested in games like this with simple controls, this might be for you. Even so - I would highly recommend that Regions of Ruin is bought on sale. For those not really interested in this game, but may be potentially looking for something new - continue to look. It wasn't a bad game, but certainly wasn't a good game. It held my attention long enough and after I finished the game, didn't see a need to go back to it.

Very solid concept, executed decently. This game seems to appeal to casual settlement Gamers while those looking for more extreme challenged will be left hungry.

Airborne Kingdom is a simple settlement game that any player can get into. For how long depends on the player. The fact that the player's settlement is mobile adds a very new (if not refreshing) sort of feature to the genre. The player literally directs their base as if they are directing units. Citizens naturally assign themselves to task and move around without player intervention. The gameplay is heavily focused on this aspect as completing quests and missions will require mobility to complete. As the player explores and traverses the land (attempting to unite lost factions) new resources become available. The player simply clicks and assigns the amount of planes to harvest the resource. Coal, water, and food are key to running the kingdom, but to build and complete quests will require refined material. Building is neat and straightforward. The player attempts to distribute weight evenly in order to not tip the kingdom. Paths are required for buildings to be built and other neat decorative features become available as the player researches. Decor is essential to keeping citizens happy and from leaving the kingdom. At first it's easy to do, but as time goes on the needs become a challenge, especially when further research is required. Research can be sometimes long and tedious in the game and will require multiple academies to properly progress in the game. When the player runs out of coal the kingdom will slowly start going towards the planet. Once it crashes, that's it!

The visuals and graphics are suitable to the game's atmosphere. The customizations for each building is a neat feature, with different themes or colours being available as the player explores the different biomes and lands. Paths can also be changed in addition to other functioning or resource buildings. Citizens can be seen walking around the kingdom and buildings have their own respective animations to signify to the player that they are functioning. The landscape itself is pretty and the variety of biomes is neat to see. Water can be seen moving, trees, birds flying, and clouds moving. The sounds and music are appropriate for the theme of the game, but for me personally nothing over the top. All basic and required sounds are included and don't annoy the player (which is always a good thing). Again, nothing that is adding more to the game, but nothing missing from it.

So why the shallow rating then? The game is too casual for me and the missions are a little redundant. Run here, deliver resources, build the base, go back to another kingdom, deliver resources, then help them build an airbase. I do have to give credit to the Devs for trying out something different and approaching city-builder/settlement games a little differently. I liked it for a while, but the shine wore off. Some may like the pace of the game and the quests.

First and foremost I'd like to thank the developer for the opportunity to play the game, and for free. That being said, even though my review is negative I would recommend a solid read through. This is not my type of game, but a few other people I let play liked it.

Baimason's Thing Finder Puzzle's gameplay is a very simple straight forward puzzle game. On the top left of the screen are a bunch of items that are listed and in the centre of the screen has a bunch of items that the player has to match. Some levels require the player to do it in sequential order, while other levels allow for random selection. Each level is slightly different and has different layouts given the big picture provided. The goal is to complete the level as quick as possible. There is a timer in the bottom right hand corner that does provide a little pressure to complete the level as quick as possible. The controls rely on the mouse to click on the variety of items. The dev did a pretty good job mixing up the small icons to click on, and although straight forward, can sometimes test the player's ability to quickly identify whats on the list. There is a nice function where the player can use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in, in-case some of us require a bigger UI to see the icons. The game is quite smooth and works quite well. The addition of the campaign is also another positive to keep the player interested.

The graphics and visuals are unique to the game, focusing on pixelated graphics. The user interface and transition from level to level is extremely smooth. The simplicity was nice to look at and made the game very appealing to play - especially for some of my friends who are more casual Gamers. The sounds and music are suitable to the game and its environment. Nothing over the top, but absolutely appreciated that all the necessities are included.

So - why the thumbs down!? Personally, it is not my type of game. If you are a casual Gamer and do like puzzles, this would be one for you. Again, thank you Dev for the opportunity to play this game.

Trail Out is certainly an interesting addition to Steam and the car smashing/destroying genre. It's close to Flatout, sort of feels like Burnout, and leans a little more towards arcade than Wreckfest. I liked playing through it, I liked that it was split screen (unfortunately not for campaign), and I liked it was on sale. In short, great satisfaction until the player starts wanting a little more.

Trail Out's gameplay is quite simple for anyone to pick up. The controls are easy and straight forward, which include basic steering, nitrous, brakes and hand-brakes. The maps, however are a different story in their own respect. They're designed well for the most part, but have a little bit of hiccups when the player needs to know when a steep turn or complete darkness is coming up. Besides that, the maps provide a fun, explosive, interactive, and challenging environment to race and bust opponents. Trail Out offers a few different game modes to keep it interesting. Obvious "Rush" type races (lap races), "Cross" track type races, tag-type games, patrol or elimination type race against the clock to take out opponents, stunts, and demolition derbys. The stunts addition is fun, but I felt Flatout Ultimate Carnage absolutely nailed this part of the game with their variety. The variety here is okay, but can be a little wonky. For example, the pool level is very linear and very odd to play due to the necessity of time required to properly acquaint to the launch controls.

The physics in the game feel a little more realistic, perhaps less box-ey and better than Flatout Ultimate Carnage. Cars seem to collide with proper impact and consequences of that impact feel, for the most part, legit. To paint a better picture, the cars seem to follow a Nascar type close-racing/bumping scheme. This could be a selling point for a few players or a deterrent. I disliked it at first, but it grew on me as I played the game more. The fact everyone is in proximity and bumping into one another makes for interesting gameplay. One minute the car is boxed in, the next minute the entire group is flying every which way. Although there is usually some action, sometimes its far and in-between, leaving more to be desired - especially in race modes. Some sort of mode to have "lives / stocks" or respawns would've made the game modes lifespan a little longer. Split screen races are a huge welcomed addition (especially to PC), but races (and sometimes interest) are short lived by the car's health. The maps also sometimes have weird catch spots where the car will lightly tap the railing and have a massive accident due to it clipping on something. The game does try to redeem itself with a wide variety of vehicles to choose from and little bonuses that are included on the tracks.

The visuals and graphics are suitable to the game's environment. Sort of realistic, but (accidentally I'm assuming) sort of cartoon-ey. The cut-scenes and story line are a nice addition, although be it a little ridiculous. At least there is a story arc. The destruction in the game is certainly apparent. The demolition derby maps certainly take a massive hit when players decimate the place and the destruction is certainly satisfying. Cars take a good hit, and most damage is decently accurate for what is happening. I feel like an opportunity was missed to create even more danger by allowing players to interact more with the derby maps. For example, the oil rig derby shouldn't have solid walls - and maybe even let players fall off the map. The sounds and music are okay. Crash sounds are varied enough they don't get annoying and the music is stock rock that you'd generally find in any racing game. The voice acting is okay, and I think the animations were meant for another language. Either way, better that it was included in than out!

Overall, I would recommend a purchase on sale. It would be awesome to see continued development on this game as I feel it truly has a lot of potential, and I also love the fact it is split-screen. There is a decent game here with potential and I can certainly see myself coming back for some destruction down the road. It's unfortunate there isn't a destruction racing game that really allows the players to race and crash for fun, and not always have to worry about coming in first. Ah well, I guess one can dream!