Recent reviews by the1cory

Absolutely brilliant sandbox game that allows you to play pretty much any board game that you can think of. While the base game comes with general games like chess, poker, backgammon, etc., the real star is the workshop where users attempt to recreate their favourite board games. While some are quite janky (there are more misses than hits to be honest), there are quite a few well done ones and the star rating system helps in finding those. As a tip, look for scripted versions of games as those automate some of the processes (e.g. click a "pick up card" button to automatically add a card to your hand vs. using your cursor to grab a card off the pile and drag it to your hand on the table). To be able to have a games night with friends without all having to get together at the same place is an amazing thing. This game has virtually unlimited replayability and was a great investment for years to come. If you like board games, you need to get this. 9/10

This game is just plain fun. The simple controls and twitch nature of fighting are easy to understand, but difficult to master as the game becomes faster and more complex as you advance. The sense of accomplishment as you clear stages though is definitely worth it. Add in both the surprisingly lengthy campaign and the sheer variety of match types, and you have one of the biggest sleeper hits I've encountered yet on Steam. The icing on the cake is the numerous references to martial arts cinema. I was grinning ear to ear while playing this (other than occasionally cursing myself for mistakes), and this has to be one of my biggest gaming surprises on Steam. It's good, it's cheap, get it. 8.5/10.

Car soccer...such a simple and winning concept that it makes you wonder why it wasn't done years earlier. This game is a blast, whether it's online multiplayer, local multiplayer, or against bots. Online multiplayer is really where it shines though, and thankfully the game is so popular that you don't need to have friends with the game in order to find a match. It even supports cross-play multiplayer with console users. The controls are simple enough to pick up and get playing right away, although many of the more advanced techniques will take a lot of practice to master. The developer continues to support the game all these years later with updates and DLC. Thankfully the DLC consists of mostly cosmetic changes to your car or different cars to choose from, so it's not required to enjoy the game. Overall this game is a lot of fun and something that's easy to play a quick match here and there, or something that you can sink hours into with competitive play. 8.5/10

7.5/10

Pros
- Just oozes style and charm, with a great Halloween theme
- Very polished finished product
- Enjoyable timing-based combat (think Paper Mario)
- A large number of playable “characters” (13 combat costumes + 1 noncombat)
- Funny at times
- Includes the DLC episode for free

Cons
- Not a lot of variety in the locations or enemies (3 main story levels + 1 DLC level)
- Fairly short for an RPG (about 8 hours to finish)
- Simplified RPG combat leads to very few options and a lot of repetition
- The story isn’t exactly gripping
- Very linear

I actually really enjoyed this game. It’s a very simple and short turn-based RPG that hit a lot of the right notes. It just has a certain charm to it that is hard to describe. The combat contains a timing-based component where if you perform the correct action at the right time, your attacks will do more damage or you will take less damage on defense. This helps keep you engaged in all of the battles. Thankfully this component was included, because otherwise you have very few options in combat (attack, use a special if it is charged, or use a battle stamp which gives a combat ability). In terms of battle stamps, these are reusable and basically replace items in the game, and can either confer an ability in combat (e.g. stun a single enemy) or a passive ability (e.g. more health). The other source of variety in combat is the inclusion of 13 different combat costumes, each of which have their own abilities and play style (single target DPS, AoE, defense, healer, etc.). That being said, even with these additions the combat can still drag at times. Fighting a limited variety of enemies in the same environment over and over can become tedious. Overall most battles are quite easy, but a few boss battles require strategy when selecting which battle stamps and costumes to use. The story doesn’t contribute much, but the writing is good and there are some funny moments. If you enjoy RPGs that don’t take themselves too seriously, this is a good game. In addition, the simplified and streamlined nature of the game would make it a good option for someone who is new to RPGs or a younger gamer.

Let me start by saying that this is a fantastic game. I want to get that out of the way, as I'm sure that my review will have several negative points in it. That being said, this game does much more right than it does wrong. If you've played a LEGO game before, you know what to expect from this title. It follows the formula laid out by previous LEGO games, but does it so much better due to the expanded amount of content available in the Marvel universe. The story is much longer and much more diverse than previous titles, and the number of characters and playstyles available to the user is amazing. That being said, a game this large is bound to be hampered by technical difficulties. In my time playing this game, I experienced the following: the game crashing, players getting physically stuck and the game requiring a reboot, items/events on the New York map not appearing and requiring a reboot, etc. All of these experiences detracted from the overall product, but I think it's telling that they served to only take away from the overall experience and not define it. The last point that needs to be made is that if you play this single player, your AI partner will be incredibly dumb and basically useless. Seriously, if you play single player the enemy AI will be better than your partner AI and your partner will constantly get their ass kicked. It's embarrassing to watch a random trash mob kick the crap out of a brand name super hero, but that's a reality in this game. This is a great game and I would rank it an 8.5. That being said, if you're planning on playing it solo I would give it an 8.0; and if you have a comic book loving friend who is willing to play through coop with you, I would give it a 9.0.

This game is honestly one of my favorite gaming experiences from the last decade. I grew up playing 2D side-scrolling beat 'em ups in arcades (yes, those still existed in my day), but it has been quite a long time since I've played anything new in that genre. Enter Castle Crashers. This game had a ton of hype after its success on consoles, and luckily it lived up to that hype. Castle Crashers is a beat 'em up with a couple of twists. It adds combos to the combat system, which mixes things up and adds variety. In addition the characters level up and have stats that you can put experience points into, as well as you're able to equip different weapons with different stats. These RPG-like additions mean that you can play the game in different ways (rely on speed, heavy damage, magic, etc.). This really adds to the game, and ensures that you have a unique experience. While the story is a bit weak, the overall length of the game and the variation in game levels is phenomenal. The game even offers a new game+ mode after you beat it. This game screams multiplayer, but I played it predominantly as a single player due to a lack of friends interested in playing. While I ran into no problems playing the regular mode as a single player, about halfway through the new game+ mode I found it too difficult to progress. I suppose I could have grinded my character's level at that point, but instead I chose to start a brand new character and play the game in a different manner this time (I would rely on magic). Overall this game is a joy, and builds upon and improves on the formula set out by such classics as Double Dragon and Final Fight. This game is so good that it makes me wonder why it took so long for someone to rejuvenate the beat 'em up genre. This game is fantastic and I would rate it a 9.5/10.

This game is good. Not great mind you, but good. Anyone who has spent a significant time playing poker in the real world and then attempted to play it in video games would tell you that most poker video games are crap. This makes sense, as trying to replicate the human mind as it plays poker would prove difficult. Consequently, most poker AI is overly simplistic and not true to life. This game is no different in that sense, but thankfully it's still an improvement from the previous installment. The AI is a little off at times, but for the most part the computer players play a solid game and aren't prone to the ridiculous aggression found in the previous installment. That being said, the betting is still off as it's quite common for a computer player to open a pot with a bet that's 10x the current pot. If you have a good hand and are trying to get action that makes no sense, and if you have a marginal hand and are bluffing then why not go all in? It's a confusing play that happens often. Thankfully, the characters and banter are a huge improvement over the previous game (which was already quite good in that department). The number of comments from characters and the various unique interactions between them makes this game less repetitive than the previous one. Overall this game is a good one, but I still long for the day when we're able to better program poker AI. This is likely the best poker game on Steam at the moment, but it's a 7/10 as far as I'm concerned.

I honestly can't recommend this game. It's not that it's a bad game, but the poker AI is just atrocious. Here's a typical scenario: I have pocket jacks pre-flop and I'm on the button. First to act raises. I re-raise. Small blind goes all in. Big blind goes all in. First to raise goes all in. I fold because in a real poker game, I'm guaranteed to be beat at this point. They all turn over their cards: 10 4 off suit, 2 3 suited, and 8 5 off suit. What the hell?! This is not a realistic poker situation, even for beginners. You would think playing people who are this reckless would be easy, but oh no! Pretty much anytime I have a legit hand that I'm confident in, every single player will call my bets/ raises. Consequently, the power of numbers works against me and the majority of the time the AI sucks out with a terrible hand. And if you play tight, all that happens is that the other four players play reckless and they end up giving all of their chips to a single player who will now have a 4:1 stack lead over you. That's pretty hard to overcome. On the plus side, the animations are great and the conversation by the players is truly entertaining (minus Tycho, who comes across as extremely annoying). If you're a fan of any of the characters/ franchises included in this game, I would recommend picking this up as that part is rather entertaining. If you're looking for a good solid poker game however, I would avoid this as the AI is simply terrible and you will spend most of your time frustrated by it. I would give this a 5.5/10.

Torchlight is a good game. That being said, Torchlight exists in a world where it is overshadowed and outperformed by its sequel. The original Torchlight game has a a very small world, and the game/ progress is incredibly linear. Basically there's a single town and a solitary dungeon with numerous levels leading down that you work through. That's it. In addition, the story is pretty much an afterthought. What the game does get right though, is the actual gameplay. Combat is a joy, and honestly you rarely mind grinding through the same early stages as you try to progress deeper down into the dungeon. My typical play session stretched to several hours and I think I burned through this game in two weeks, so that gives you an idea of how addicting the combat is. Multiple classes, a great concept of a helper pet, and bright visuals make for a fun time. If you can only pick up one game though, I would recommend the vastly superior sequel. In addition, if you've already played the sequel then this game feels like a step down after that. A solid game, but others (including the sequel) do it better. 7/10 for this one.

I've got to be honest, the first time I played this game I was disappointed. The combat, both on horseback and on foot, just felt off. In addition, there is almost no story. And the graphics are definitely outdated. So why the positive review? This is a game that grows on you, but only if you give it time. The early stages where you have nothing are frustrating, as you can't do much and are easily defeated. But if you can weather this period, the game opens up as you build up supplies and equipment and soldiers. In addition, the combat becomes much more intuitive as you spend time with it. You are soon able to best larger armies due to your skill level, as well as the quality of your equipment and soldiers. Unfortunately, it's at this point that the game feels a bit broken. The whole game revolves around several factions that own various towns and are at war with each other, and you generally align yourself with one of these factions. No matter how well you equip your crew at this point in the game, you almost always encounter insurmountable odds when you face any of the opposing factions in combat. For example, you might be limited to a party of 60, but will regularly encounter parties of opposing factions that range from 100-200. Worse yet, even if you're able to best such a large party, it's almost a given that the opposing faction will have another party or two in the area, each with 100+ soldiers. It never feels like your faction supports you as much as other factions support them. In addition, conquering all of a faction's towns seems next to impossible as the towns are dispersed over quite a large area on the map. While you might conquer several towns in one area, it could take you several in-game days to travel to the next area to conquer that faction's remaining towns. Meanwhile, those initial towns you conquered have been conquered by one of the game's other factions, as you typically spread yourself thin trying to attack so many areas. Overall, I know that I've pointed out several flaws with this game so far. That being said, I feel like these issues don't detract from the game so much overall, as addressing them would make the sequel that much better. I really enjoyed this game, but a sequel that addressed my issues would be worth a lot of money to me. This game was good, but I look forward to checking out more from this franchise. I would give this game a 7.5/10.