Recent reviews by Veran

Smooth movement, banging OST, and generally a fun bite-sized metroidvania. The game feels like a dream as you move throughout, unlocking more and more movement options until you've become so adept at slinging your way through levels that it becomes as natural as breathing. It's really interesting how, at times, it feels like there's only one or two movement options that are TRULY needed for progression. I got through the majority of one endgame area without the actual movement option meant for the zone, skirting through axes and zipping across walls as you bounce between.

My one criticism for this game is that there can be quite a few times in progression that you can feel totally stuck and not sure where to go. It heavily encourages you to backtrack, seek new areas as you unlock upgrades, but it doesn't guide you to obvious spots like in other Metroidvanias. This isn't too big of a deal for a game that is able to be beaten in 6 hours (I attempted to get as much content out of it as I could, including additional time trial content), but it can be a sore point for anyone who doesn't want to get lost in this dream-like world.

Either way, I highly recommend it. It's definitely worth the cost and the movement is incredibly smooth as you get more comfortable with it.

EDIT: As an aside, do not pay any attention to criticisms about a lack of map. There is an upgrade you get in an early zone that provides you a map. This was added in the latest update for the game.

At this moment in time, I've not beaten Pacific Drive nor have I played long enough to make any significant progress through the main story but what I can tell you is that this game is very intriguing.

What you are essentially playing is a roguelite/extraction/horror-esque/driving sim game where each run has you going out into an exclusion zone to collect materials whilst strange anomalies and uncomfortable SFXs blare in the distance. This sort of game isn't normally my sort of thing (I've never played an extraction shooter, driving sim, and I'm deathly afraid of basic horror) but I can definitely say that if any of the latter three genres appeal, you will likely find something fun in this game.

The atmosphere of traveling through a gorgeous mountain-side forest is captured perfectly, each passing minute hammering in the loneliness often felt when driving through the woods by yourself. This isolation is then amplified by the strange happenings, the uncomfortable sounds of the wilds beyond your view, and the worry that grips you as you leave your safety nest, your precious car, to reluctantly gather more materials to help rebuild it. The awkwardness of actually handling your car, such as flicking on and off the lights, putting your vehicle into proper park, or just managing the risk/reward of leaving your vehicle running as you scavenge around adds this layer of unease that very purposefully adds to the horror of being alone in a forest with strange anomalies that boggle the mind. And then, to top it all off, you get back and get to experience the zen of coming down from the high of a dicey extraction as you put your car, your BABY, back together in an entirely new way.

That said, I know that I'll get over these things as time goes on. I know that it will become more of a game as I get used to exploring this strange zone. I know I'll probably feel powerful as I get used to scavenging and building my vehicle up to become a powerhouse. But until then, I'll be content knowing that I get to experience a game that had me scream out loud because the metal equivalent of a dust bunny slammed into my vehicle at high velocity and I was NOT expecting it.

Also, for anyone concerned about the saving issues, I found them to be mostly a non-problem. Your game saves whenever you are back from base or, if you're doing a longer trip, when you cross loading zone intersections. That, and you can always pause the game. If you're not worried about the time spent in this game, I'd treat it more like a story-based game or a proper extraction game. If you are worried about your time when playing this game, you can typically clear a zone in around 30 minutes or so depending on how thorough you are, so the save issues honestly become non-existent. Don't listen to the whiny reviews talking about it, honestly.

This game is not the incredible game that people make it out to be. Do not fall for the hype, it is largely manufactured by people salty about Nintendo and TPCi; people who will overlook the glaring faults of this game to make it seem better than it is.

This game is more akin to ARK than anything like Pokemon or any other Monster Taming game that is on the market. The personal agency you have in using your 'Pals' to battle is slim to none, mostly devolving to sending one out and letting it attempt to hit the target or occasionally activating a skill that allows you to use it as a weapon. If you're interested in a Monster Taming game, this one leans more heavily into ARK's system of using Dinosaurs to enhance the experience rather than focusing on the aspect of growing and raising a team.

The problems with the Pals themselves goes further than the lackluster designs, both the ones based off of actual Pokemon and the ones that are much more original. The basic game mechanic of building a home base and having your Pals perform tasks there is incredibly janky and does not work consistently in the slightest. Pals get stuck with their basic pathfinding, they have issues snapping to tasks you set them to if there are too many interactables near them, and they'll often trap themselves into loops of carrying a group of dropped items by attempting to poorly juggle them.

Further past that, the creature density for many zones is strangely sparse. There are some areas that are completely filled with Pals and feel incredibly lived in like the starter zone that is recommended to players. Once you start exploring past that, you will find that many areas in the game feel strangely empty and are devoid of Pals sans 1 or 2 of them. It is jarring to go from an area full of creatures to a massive beach that only had a few resource nodes.

Speaking on resource nodes, I hope you enjoy constantly managing your inventory because the inventory weight system is very incompatible with how many resources you need to juggle. You will spend a lot of time getting a bit of a resource, running out of weight, and then needing to once again transfer it to a box and so on and so forth. This game is a consistent grind of doing something and although that definitely appeals to some people, it was a constant sore point for me and I know it may be for others.

This game is very Early Access. Do not be fooled by UE5's pretty engine and people's rave reviews. I do not recommend this game at thirty dollars and DO NOT let people try to convince you this is what Pokemon should be. If you are looking for an Open World Pokemon game, this does not tick any of those boxes. This is ARK with creatures that seem vaguely Pokemon-esque, NOT an Open World Pokemon game.

Okay. This is going to be really hard for me to write, so stick with me on this.

LISA is a heavy RPG with comedic moments littered throughout it. This might seem really bad, but trust me, this works. The story follows a man named Brad, a drug addict who lives in an apocolyptic world with his three best friends. One small thing about this world is that there are no women whatsoever. However, on a walk home one day, Brad finds a baby on the ground. A female baby. Things move on, and you are suddenly on a journey to go find your kid.

Choice is super prominent in this game, and you will be faced with many hard choices. Even the smallest of choice can actually effect your ending of the game. It can range from losing all of your items or having your teammate killed, to an arm or your teammate. These choices have a lot of weight to them, so it would be wise to think them over.

The combat in this game is quite something. Your party faces off against the other team in a screen similar to those of Final Fantasy, with each party member having health and either a SP or a TP bar. SP is filled already and you can use this to use your special attacks. TP is used for certain other characters and raises as you deal damage and take damage. TP is also used for special attacks. You also have the normal option of attacking. Certain characters have the ability to use combos which will then link to their SP or their TP attacks, via WASD input, when they use attack. Each character also has a guard and then the ability to use items. Certain characters also have healing abilities and SP restoration abilities, so don't worry to hard about having no items at certain times. There are also many different status effects, but don't worry. Those are explained at the start of the game. Just make sure to pay attention to the tips that a certain Hinster leaves out.

In the end, I think that LISA is one of the best games that I have played. Many people compare it to Undertale, and honestly... I think this beats Undertale. Undertale stays happy throughout the story. LISA knocks you down. It reminds you that you are supposed to be sad, and it makes sure you stay sad. I didn't feel that many feelings from Undertale, compared to LISA, and I am a guy who cried when I played Super Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. The attack styles are completely different though, and the graphics. Plus the premise and the dialouge, so in the end, it is unfair to really judge these two games against eachother.

TL;DR
LISA is an emotional rollercoaster that I had so much fun playing and beating. I bought the DLC and had a blast with that too. The game is also rather replayable. In the end, I reccommend it highly.

PROS:
+Awesome Graphics
+Many characters to fight and recruit
+Amazing Story
+Replayability

Cons:
-Story can get slow at times
-Difficulty spikes at times
-Short unless you replay

All I can say is this game is cool. I suck because I hate actually working for items, but it is still really fun. One thing I can say though is that the team needs to work on Mac support so I can play with some of my friends who want to do a playthrough with me. Besides that, tons of content, tons of fun. Honestly, this game should be worth way more than it actually is.

*SMALL EDIT*
One more thing. The start of the game is pretty boring, but hang in there. Hardcore is really worth it, in my opinion.
*Another Edit*
They added Mac Support, so I can say that I am now happy with them.

Swam in some water. Created giant streams behind me. Got my dragon. Made him all pink. Bought a mask. Fished. Jumped on buildings. Made a guild. Best game, 10/10.