Recent reviews by Potato!

It's got its ups and downs but there's really nothing as good as it on the market and I always end up coming back eventually. Community can be toxic at times too but it's not worth actually getting bothered over.

i have GOT to hit the casino

i really like punching people in the streets

Insane how even 27 years after release, this game still has some of the best feeling shooting

catJAM

I love this game so much, it truly feels like it captures the addictive nature and fun of playing Left 4 Dead 2 like no other game has since

game goes way too hard for no reason

Halo is back baby, what can I say

Five years in and finally getting around to Hyper Light Drifter, this is one of those games that really make me wish that Steam had a more nuanced recommendation system than just "yes" or "no". It's one of those games that I expected one thing going in and got something along those lines, but once I rolled credits just under four hours in (with no information on the game going in except for the premise and gameplay style), I'm really not sure how I feel about it still, days later.

The basic premise is that HLD is a modern take on many games, most noticeably the Legend of Zelda classic games. You start in a main town that stands in the center of your map, with each cardinal direction offering enemies and challenges all accumulating in a boss at the end. That's... more or less the entire game from start to finish. Outside of different enemy types and bosses, the core gameplay loop is exactly the same for each area, which is to find the four keys of each area and then face the final boss, activate a pillar, rinse and repeat. Each area has a fair share of dungeons which mostly focus on combat than puzzle solving. Once you've collected all the keys in each area (which you have to do even if you defeat the area boss and activate the pillar), activate the pillars, you can face the final boss and end the game. It's not very complicated and the story is about as laid out in game as it is in the store's description page, with the major difference being the stunning visuals that accompany it in game. Even once the ending rolled on, I thought I had a grasp on the story and ending, but a wiki visit was quick to prove that I wasn't following as well as I thought I was. I do think the overall story is pretty poetic and fits the the somber tone of the game quite well either way.

Despite all that, I do like Hyper Light Drifter. I wouldn't say I love it, nor would I recommend it to everyone I know, but I can definitely see why this game enraptured a lot of people when it first launched and continues to do so. Visually, the game is absolutely stunning and there are plenty of screenshot-worthy scenes and vistas, both just in the world and some in the cutscenes as well and I can't state enough just how pretty the world is. The combat here is solid though a bit clunky at first and takes some getting used to. You have your basic sword melee attacks as well as a rotating catalog of guns that you charge up by hitting enemies with your melee. It does a very nice job of giving a solid feedback loop of slicing a few hits and backing off to fire a few powerful rounds before repeating the cycle. There is also a bomb that you can utilize which recharges slowly over time, however I found this to only be useful for mob control and even then found myself utilizing the shotgun most of the time as it was much faster to recharge the ammo with melee than to wait for the bomb that you can only really use once every other combat encounter or so.

As far as gripes go, I would say there are a few that really stick out to me but none enough to turn me away permanently. Firstly, I feel like the map is pretty underwhelming at helping you with where you need to go. There is an NPC in each area that points out the general area of the four keys in the area, but the map does an extremely loose job of highlighting these to you. While I wouldn't want the exact locations pointed out to the extreme, at least pointing out if a key was in a dungeon or a bit more specificity in the area would go a long way. The game also is extremely laid back in how little it explains to you, which is something I think that is a good or bad thing depending on your personal preference. I found it really relaxing in some ways, while also not realizing what the currency pickups were until I was about 30% into the game, so your mileage may vary there. There was also a very annoying audio aspect, possibly a bug, where some of the interspersed cutscenes in the game were extremely loud, painfully so to the point where I'd have to temporarily take my headphones off even with my audio settings at the minimum possible. Finally, the length of the game is something that really threw me off. Just as I was finally settling in and felt like the game was really picking up in intensity, it suddenly popped the achievement for defeating all bosses and the credits rolled. While shorter games are becoming more popular in recent times, this wasn't something I expected to see in just under four hours.

In the end, I think Hyper Light Drifter is a game that is better the less expectations and knowledge you have going into it. It's a fairly short game that is extended or shortened by your own skill level and ability to adapt to the combat, so keep that in mind. HLD is a game I would give a solid 7 to, but didn't stand out as the legendary hit I expected/heard it to be. I still stand by my original point that this game makes me wish Steam had a more robust scoring system for reviews rather than a flat good or bad, as this is a game that I would recommend to certain types of people but probably not the majority of people I know.

In a world where there are plenty of 2D pixel indie platformers, The Messenger does a fantastic job of distancing themselves from the masses with an interesting premise, fun and deep gameplay, catchy music, interesting and funny characters, and a lot of heart. Not only does it do this fantastically well, it also keeps surprises hidden that will continue to keep you chasing bosses and secrets until the final credits roll, and even further into the free DLC expansion offered up.

As most other reviews (and the game's description) will tell you, The Messenger is deceptive with the original style of game being a 2D platformer being thrown out the window only about 4 hours into the game, maybe a bit more or less depending on your skill level. It then takes this simple premise of going from screen to screen in standard 2D platformer fashion and flips that concept on its head, turning the game and all the previous areas you've explored into a full-featured metroidvania where hopping between time rifts teleports you from the past to the future and back again all while making minor changes in the world that might require a specific time period. It continues to expand as well, as there are more areas to unlock after you make the jump to metroidvania, so you aren't just retreading the same ground as you already did. Most aspects to the gameplay change are really interesting, from the improved graphics to higher quality music and more, with The Messenger doing a really good job of making both time periods. There are also some fantastic setpieces and bosses that play with the time period hopping, some of which are visual feasts just as much as they are skill tests. However with this change, while extremely interesting and to my knowledge, unique, is one that I also feel is pretty polarizing. There is a certain charm to the game that is a bit lost by the fact that you may need to backtrack through certain sections over and over again, and the game doesn't feel as well-crafted as a proper metroidvania does at certain times and there absolutely is a kneejerk reaction of annoyance for sure when your next objective is two areas away from the nearest fast travel portal and not even a new area at that. Its not all bad though, as exploring some of these previous areas in the future time period offers a surprising charm that alleviates some of the woe, and even exploring other newer areas in the past time period offers the same charm.

Apart from the issue of backtracking and the oddly infrequent fast travel points, The Messenger has a few flaws, but none of which that I would say should stop anyone from experiencing this game. My only other real gripe with the game comes from the fact that I think that the game suffers a small amount from not being built from the ground up as a metroidvania since there really is only one type of collectible throughout the game, and there are no secret items to collect or secret upgrades to keep you exploring every corner. In fact, you can buy an upgrade with in-game currency that reveals all the collectible locations on your map, pretty much pointing out the only real reason to truly explore. These collectibles do serve a purpose however, unlocking a special upgrade once you've collected all 45 in the game. I did go out of my way to do this, and unfortunately I can't really recommend doing this outside of completion/achievement reasons, since the upgrade isn't nearly as worthwhile as I expected it to be.

Despite some flaws and twists that change the game for the better or worse depending on your view, The Messenger is a uniquely fascinating game that really plays with the notion of what modern "retro" games can really be. It definitely deserves all the praise it gets and I think sets an extremely solid groundwork for what a potentially phenomenal sequel could be if the rough edges were filed down just a bit. Anyone who's interested in this game should definitely take the leap and experience one of the most interesting experiences in the modern retro wave and I definitely recommend it wholeheartedly.