Recent reviews by TheMonkofDestiny

Cargo Commander is a mix of missed opportunity, above average platforming and quirky style. It's easy to be charmed by it in the early going but it quickly becomes more of a chore than it needs to be.

The core gameplay is that of a 2D platformer with basic shooting elements. You're given objectives to complete (basic tasks, typically involving the collection of randomized loot throughout the equally randomized cargo containers you'll be exploring across level sets known as "sectors"). The ultimate goal is to eventually travel back to your family, who become increasingly worried and frustrated with your absence as days progress within the game - made known to the player through an in-game email system and parcel delivery service.

In the early hours of the game this will do a sufficient job at keeping you occupied. Completing collections of loot and earning permanent upgrades (or unlocking a new mode of play) will easily obscure the fact that you're basically doing the same thing over and over again, just in a different set of containers... at least for a while.

Of course, the game does its best to distract you from the obvious by throwing hazards in your way. These consist of enemies (none of which are particularly interesting, most of them just varying in size from small to indestructibly large) often spawned from crystals inside some of the containers to environmental hazards such as combustible cubes that will blow apart anything in their surrounding area once detonated.

Between all that and the ability to upgrade your existing equipment (provided you can afford it), the game gives you the illusion of variety. Once you've played long enough to see past that illusion, you may find boredom setting in rather quickly. This becomes especially true when you're hunting for specific loot items or while you're attempting to gather enough loot to sell in order to afford the next parcel delivery.

But, for its simple (and repetitive) premise Cargo Commander has some interesting elements on display. One example would be the inclusion of a drill not solely as a weapon but a tool used for carving your own path throughout the containers. Another, though far less useful overall, is the ability to break the sense of loneliness and ennui through extensive use of profanity.

The game's art style, while not particularly visually arresting, is a pleasant hybrid of cel shaded 3D that unfortunately doesn't get the full attention it deserves due to the need of using the zoom function to expand the view when in containers. The game also features an in-game stereo system that, once the feature is unlocked, allows for the playback of custom audio. Considering that the game only has a grand total of two audio tracks available by default (relying less on the presence of musical score and more on sound design), this becomes something you'll find hard to live without should you want to see the game through to its conclusion.

Worth mentioning, though not greatly explored to its fullest extent, is the multiplayer aspect of the game (or as close to what can be considered multiplayer). Outside of local competitive play, the online aspect is one that consists of attempting to best the top score for a given sector. While attempting to do so, you may find the corpses of other players within containers of that sector serving as a possible warning to how dangerous a given container may be. You're also given the opportunity to find and write postcards from within the game. This acts as a very limited means of player to player interaction but it's enough to offer a break from the demanding grind of loot collection.

Overall, Cargo Commander could've seen benefit from shortening the list of loot available to collect (though this would come at the cost of shortening the total playtime of the game, it would reduce the fatigue brought on by how repetitive it tends to be). The small amount of storytelling included in the game, subtle as it is, is something that definitely should've been expanded upon as well.

Walking away from the game, especially having finished it after the accumulation of so many hours, I found a tremendous sense of relief that I didn't have to go back to it again. In many ways, I suppose I had become the Cargo Commander - after months spent agonizingly cataloging space junk, I could finally go home.

It's hard to review Knightmare Tower with a great deal of words (but that won't stop me from trying, I suppose).

The game is rather short (par for the course since it previously existed as a free Flash game and not much has been altered in its transition to PC) and once you've completed all it has to offer, you're not left with anything else beyond a sense of personal satisfaction.

The concept is a simple one - you take control of a knight and ascend a large monster-filled tower in order to rescue ten princesses in peril. No real story is fleshed out or explained at great length and quite frankly, it doesn't really need any. This is certainly a game that gets by on its charm alone and it does so with a humble air about it.

Controls, consisting of a basic three button input scheme, are responsive and allow the right amount of precision needed to succeed (or showcase multiple failures if you become overly anxious). The perfect setup for the type of game Knightmare Tower is, honestly.

The game's sense of progression comes in the form of a shop accessible at the end of each attempt to ascend the tower. Using available gold earned from previous tries, you're able to upgrade the knight in a number of areas. It's a welcomed touch that definitely helps with certain challenges, although it is entirely possible to finish the game's "story" mode without having fully upgraded each area.

Additional challenge comes in the form of quests issued as you attempt to reach the top of the tower. Some of these are relatively easy to accomplish with little effort (more so if you factor in the upgrade system) but are otherwise a welcomed distraction. Once you're done with the normal mode, you'll have access to the endless survival mode which also has its own set of quests to complete but also features an upgraded set of monsters to contend with. Like all endless modes, the fun factor available here is only limited to how long you can tolerate it before throwing in the towel.

The art style is a mix of quirky and cartoon-y, showcasing clean lines and (mostly) vibrant colors in an attempt to remain visually pleasing to the eyes.

The music, written and performed by Belfast duo HyperDuck SoundWorks, is well suited to the game. It's a synthesized orchestral sound that never becomes overbearing and doesn't feel like an afterthought, which is a considerable plus given that the nature of the game warrants hearing the same piece of music looped repeatedly much of the time.

Overall, there's enough content present in Knightmare Tower to warrant a purchase (especially if you're the type who often buys games on a budget) despite its overall short length.

The asking price may seem too steep for some (especially those who know the game's origin as a Flash title) but if you're able to get past that potential bias toward it, there's always the possibility of picking it up at a discounted price.

Note: This review was written and published before the inclusion of the game's multiplayer feature and thus it is not mentioned throughout.

Watching over a man in a garish yellow jacket and a bullseye mask while rigging various death traps conveniently placed into his path, one might feel like a god. Granted, a god that will ultimately be faced with ending the life of a being lesser than itself in order to proceed, but a god all the same.

That's the basic premise of Kill The Bad Guy. It's a game where you'll be doing little else than what it says on the tin.

Certainly there's some degree of enjoyment in the act of killing what the game builds up to be one of many comically exaggerated abominations toward humanity. Whether it be smashing them with an oncoming vehicle to see their body flying off into the distance or diverting their path so that they just happen to pass beneath a sign sharp enough to decapitate them. The array of options afforded to accomplishing the core goal varies from level to level, with some feeling almost depressingly empty at times.

What the game lacks in an abundance of diversity, it attempts to compensate for by offering a stylized presentation and a (sometimes dark) sense of humor.

The spare use of color in the world opens up the possibility to have memorable death tableaus, with the previously white surroundings often becoming awash with the blood of a given bad guy. Think of it as a literal take on the opening credit sequence from the film adaptation of American Psycho. Much of the game's intended humor comes in the form of flavor text provided for each of the game's 60 or so bad guys. Many are parodies of real world figures (Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Justin Bieber, etc.) with equally fictionalized takes on their criminal acts or atrocities, as the case may warrant.

For all its style, humor and simple yet deceptively complex premise, Kill The Bad Guy suffers from a number of flaws. Chief among them being a woefully inadequate and frustrating camera system, an interface that often hinders more than it helps and AI that seems prone to random outbursts.

Overall, Kill The Bad Guy is interesting, violent to an absurd degree and often challenging (though at times for the wrong reasons) but becomes repetitive far too quickly. Some questionable design choices and lingering bugs aside - you have a game that, once finished entirely, won't leave you with a strong desire to replay it.

With an assortment of top-down shooters to choose from, Splatter is a gem.

With the exception of one level segment and (to my knowledge) a bug only I've encountered thus far regarding the final boss, there aren't many flaws to be found in the game beyond those that are minor (occasional spelling errors in the dialogue and item texts being the only thing that stands out readily and even then they aren't hindering enjoyment of the game overall).

Dreamworlds has managed to nail exactly what makes this particular type of game fun to play vs. turning it into an interminably difficult chore. The dialogue and art-based cutscenes don't drag on longer than they need to, leaving plenty of time to enjoy soaking multiple parts of a level's floor with the blood of enemies.

The game's story is one that, whether intentional or not, is reminiscent of the best "worst" B-movies of all time (with voice acting to match). Going in expecting the plot to make sense is not recommended, to say the least. It's not confusing but it certainly doesn't have a strong foothold on logic either (which is a good thing, since a game like this would only be hurt by taking itself too seriously).

Gameplay is rather typical for the type - you run and gun down hordes of monstrosities, with the occasional boss or arena-styled fight thrown in for variation. A difference in the formula comes in the ability to toss a flare to the ground which will act as a temporary repellent for a majority of the creatures that want to tear you to pieces. There are also a small number of collectible items to be had for those looking to explore the levels, mostly extra cash to be used to upgrade existing weapons in your arsenal (which is generous but not particularly extensive beyond essentials like a pistol, shotgun and flamethrower to name a few) but there are others such as pieces of a flak jacket and a weapon upgrade that negates putting all your money into upgrading the starting pistol.

The environments, each containing destructible elements, are varied enough that you aren't left looking at a parade of the same color all the time (though eventually you'll be looking at red and green frequently once the bodies begin to drop) and the lighting in the game affords it some nice tricks in terms of enemies that remain stationary until the player comes into their line of sight.

Splatter also has a medium element of replay built into it. Beyond the collectibles, there are branching story points that can be taken on subsequent plays. While they aren't as in-depth as those featured in more story-focused games, they do serve as a nice and simple way of extending the time one spends with the game. Dreamworlds has also included a survival mode, complete with leaderboards, which should satisfy anyone looking for an arcade-style experience.

Overall, I can't recommend this game enough, especially if you're the type who has enjoyed any top-down shooter made within the last decade or so. It certainly isn't the kind of game everyone can enjoy but if you're willing to give it a chance, it just might surprise you (as it did me).

Being one of many, many entries in the rhythm genre Retro/Grade stands in quite a long series of shadows. The concept is a solid and surprisingly innovative one - you play as a hero in a rocket ship and start off at what would be the final stage of a traditional side-scrolling shooter game. But the catch here is that the game then throws you into reverse, forcing you to re-live your past actions and it does this all while set to the backdrop of a throbbing techno beat.

But for all its efforts, Retro/Grade suffers from some poor execution, some baffling design and odd choices of gameplay mechanics.

The first thing that most fans of the rhythm genre will notice is that, unlike other similar titles, it's almost impossible to fully memorize the game via reflex and this is especially true on higher difficulties (the difficulties add more beat lanes and increase the amount of on-screen activity with each tier). This represents the game's core challenge - but it's a challenge that feels artificial/inorganic and thrown in solely for the sake of it. It prevents a player from being truly perfect at the game (unless you're some superhuman being able to foresee every move you need to make seconds in advance and react accordingly).

Another thing, and perhaps the one thing that can prove absolutely frustrating to anyone looking to play this game casually, is that there is a vast amount of activity going on during a level, even on the lower difficulties. Drawing from my own experience, when I first began playing the game I reacted to a number of things that were merely background dressing (additional ships, space debris and other assorted things) and neglected the things that I was supposed to be focusing on in order to not completely fail the level(s) I was playing at the time.

Added onto that, the game's default settings have a graphical option that highlights a number of things on screen (for the sake of being visually stimulating to the player) and when coupled with everything else it becomes a chore to keep your attention focused on where it should be. I eventually became displeased with it and disabled it, noticing that it lessened the visual clutter a small degree though it still leaves something to be desired in terms of eliminating possible sources of distraction.

Overall, Retro/Grade has a very novel concept but seems to sacrifice too much in order to accommodate that concept. It would definitely have seen some benefit from consideration put towards potential visual stimuli overload and perhaps a more sane approach to dealing with the oncoming beat traffic (realistically the player shouldn't be splitting their attention toward both ends of the screen when the beats are coming in from the right side only and often get lost amongst the hail of all the other activity - this being especially true on higher difficulties).

It is an enjoyable game, but the novelty wears off quickly. 24 Caret Games have a lot to be proud of as a result of their game but hopefully they also show a willingness to learn from their mistakes when they develop future titles.

Based on my experiences, I find it hard to recommend the game due to the flaws mentioned but didn't fully dislike it either (since there's no way to be ambivalent with the recommendation, I'm giving it the thumbs down somewhat begrudgingly). However, the game is playable and readily enjoyable if you stick to the lower difficulties but that can only carry the enjoyment of this title so far before boredom sets in, forcing your curiosity to merit encountering the shortcomings of the game or simply abandoning it in favor of a more accessible title in the same genre.

It's hard not to compare this to entries in the Myst series, specifically Myst III: Exile and Myst IV: Revelation. This is mostly due to the fact that numerous elements were borrowed from each of those games and made just different enough not to seem as though Streko Graphics had done little more than create a Myst clone.

While this is a perfectly serviceable adventure game, it's not without flaws (some major, some minor depending on how particular the player is).

(A technical aside - some bugs do exist within the game and may likely go unpatched given the age of the title, including a crash to desktop when attempting to delete a save through the in-game menu)

The age of the title means that it hasn't held up well over the years, so all the modern visual comforts and relevant settings that accompany them are absent. No true widescreen support and no option to run windowed being two prime examples. The extent of the video settings go as far as color depth options and a few standard definition resolution choices.

Going hand in hand with that, most of the 3D modeling in the game is standard fare for the time this title was originally released. Some of the characters look absolutely ridiculous at times and move in a rather wooden manner. Something that certainly allows one to appreciate the advances in that technology at present.

As to the plot, what's there is a fraction of a whole. This isn't made clear here on the store page but this is the first part of a series which means the story ends on something of a cliffhanger.

What story that is present isn't all that compelling and lacks depth, especially when it comes to the characters it introduces.

Unfortunately most of the voice acting in the game is substandard, delivered in monotone with no real inflection toward emotion (perhaps best exemplified by the blacksmith character who does nothing but shout in his brief interaction sequence yet still manages not to sound angry while doing it).

Gameplay is typical of the adventure game type - click to navigate a pre-rendered landscape and interact with points of interest. A majority of the puzzles are simple and can be solved without use of a hint system or walkthrough. Only one puzzle in the entire game is randomized, frustratingly to the point where it becomes less a traditional puzzle and more a mini-game of chance as to how many tries it takes before the correct sequence is found.

Don't be fooled entirely by the simplicity though as there are a small number of puzzles that present a challenge in how they can be solved.

The music and sound design are a mixed blessing somewhat. Most of the game's soundtrack consists of pieces of music that have utterly random ambient noises and sound effects dropped within the middle of their loops. This leads to awkward moments at certain points in the game where something like a door knock can be misinterpreted as a cue that a door nearby needs opened.

Likewise there are questionable moments of music used that betray the atmosphere of the game at certain times. Several dramatic stings are completely out of place in the likes of a small mirrored chamber or a well lit, spacious room.

The pre-rendered environments in the game are quite possibly the best done aspect of it. Seeing flecked paint on aging wood or an expanse of snow covered land watched over by a cadre of planets is nothing short of wonderful.

Taking Aura: Fate of the Ages for what it is, would I recommend it? In general, no. While it is not entirely horrible, there are better examples of the adventure game to play (be it Myst or otherwise) that accomplish exactly what this game does (if not more).

However, if you've exhausted the number of adventure games (scarce as they come these days) available to play then Aura: Fate of the Ages is (possibly) worth a few hours of your time. It likely won't climb to the top of your "best of" list but it's definitely not a total failure of the genre either.