Recent reviews by Zingo

"Let's School" is a fun city builder/management game where you are appointed the headmaster of a failing school and need to develop it into a prestigious academic institution. The game-play parallels others games in the genre: meet the needs of your populace by building structures and designating rooms for various purposes, while also furnishing them appropriately so that they function properly. If you've ever played games like Prison Architect or the Two Point series, you'll generally understand the game-play.

What makes Let's School unique from these other iterations is the art style; a pixel, blocky, cutesy aesthetic, and the depth to the school management. There are various students with their own goals and ambitions and your goal is to develop a curriculum to allow them to achieve that success. You not only need to manage students, assigning their teachers and classes, but you also have to recruit them, compete with rival schools, and ensure their needs outside of the classroom (recreation, temperature, food/drink, etc.) are met. I'm only briefly into the campaign, having graduated my first class (all kids trying to get into a low-end marketing school, all passed) but can definitely see this game developing into a much larger management sim where the staff you hire and rooms you develop becomes crucial for students trying to become some of the best in their field.

In Let's School you develop your academy by researching innovations. These can be things as simple as a cafeteria, to more complex subjects, such as high-end, specified course programs. This element of the game pairs well with classroom management as you can be left scrambling with research to ensure your school's needs are met as your educational ecosystem grows larger.

I don't think the game is perfect. While I developed bonds with some of my students, I was often left feeling very disconnected from most of them, although I'm not sure if that is part of a point the game may be trying to make. There was a graduation photo which was cute though. Additionally, there are a few little things that could use improvements in the UI and more decoration/customization options would be appreciated.

While I've only played briefly at the time of this review, I wanted to flag this newer game that I'd argue deserves your attention if you're a fan of this genre.

8/10, Recommended.

Any good narrative, story-driven game will elicit some sort of emotional response from the player. Before Your Eyes does so both beautifully and tragically. In this game, you play through the eyes of Benjamin Brynn who must recall various events from his life through different memories. The game uses your actual eyes, detected through your calibrated webcam, to propel the story forward as you recall your life to a charming yet gruff ferryman who is learning your story to tell it to the "Gatekeeper," an entity that passes final judgment on your soul. The gameplay was unique for the narrative genre with your eyes as the controller, especially since some moments would be cut short or be incomplete when you blinked. This enhanced the immersion of you recalling what you could and made the events seem like faded memories. But what really drove this game, like all similar successful ones, was the story itself.

Before Your Eyes takes you on an incredibly emotional journey. You are literally reliving a life and all the highs and lows that go with it. This game definitely squeezed some tears out of me, a response I haven't had for a game since the ending to Telltale's first season of The Walking Dead. I can't speak too much more on the game without revealing parts of its plot, but know that if you play, you will be embarking through a compelling narrative that is absolutely worth investing your time (it's about the length of a movie for one play-through) and money into, especially if you're a fan of this genre.

9/10, Recommended.

I have had the pleasure of playing Deep Rock Galactic (DRG) as early as 2019, but have held yet to write a review on the game. After the recent Season 1: Rival Incursion release, I feel like adding my opinion to the growing pile of positivity to further support an already amazing game and developer.

DRG is a game where you play as one of four dwarven miners, each with a unique weapon set, as you dive through procedurally generated caves (no two caves are the same) to complete various mission types. These missions can range from something as simple as mining a certain mineral, to something as dangerous as taking out a deadly glyphid (the enemies of the game, which are essentially alien bugs). The environments also differ, with some providing unique hazards that further complicate your missions. As you venture forth you gain XP and credits that can be used to promote your miners and unlock a variety of cosmetics that range from badass to absurd/silly.

DRG shines as a multiplayer experience where you can join an online lobby or play with your friends and truly test your mettle against the hazards of the planet Hoxxes. The community is one of the better ones gaming, and throughout my time playing I've only rarely seen a toxic player. Blasting bugs with your buds is a great experience and an amazing stress reliever. Every class has something unique to offer and each character is worth playing, to try out if nothing else. There are currently four classes, with five guns per character (three main and two sidearms) along with a variety of customization options for the weapons that allow for further deliberation on precisely how you want to blast the glyphids and send them to an early grave. Even as a solo game, DRG has plenty to offer with a robotic assistant, Bosco, aiding in your quests. In my time playing I've enjoyed the solo and multiplayer experience that DRG offers and have always found myself returning to the game, even after time away.

The reason I'm finally writing a review now is because of the recent expansion that the developers released. Season 1: Rival Incursion introduces a rival mining company, consisting of robots, who seek to plunder the planet's minerals and gain data on the numerous regions. This update added a few side events and a main mission which are all exciting and add something new. The developers have created a battle pass and have decided to not charge anyone anything for the pass. This means all the content is FREE without one person having an advantage over another and without any content being closed off. This really should be the standard for most games, but as we all know, it is often not the case, so it is worth mentioning that the developers did an excellent job in ensuring that this feature is not "pay to look pretty" or "freemium."

Overall the developers have done a wonderful job since the game's inception, consistently adding new content and only charging money for cosmetic DLCs (and trust me when I say there's still plenty in the game even if you don't splurge on any of these DLC extras). DRG is an amazing game that is given frequent attention by its developers, who are always adding new content and refuse to put profits before their players. It is for these reasons that I continue to support their game and am constantly recommending it to friends. If you are a fan of shooters, therapeutic carnage, and game developers who actually given a damn, then DRG is absolutely worth getting.

9.5/10 Recommended. ROCK AND STONE!

Road 96 is a solid, point and click, choose your own adventure game. If you were a fan of the Telltale Games or Life is Strange, then you should absolutely pick this game up and give it a try. The game is set in the fictional country of Petria in 1996. The country that is run by a tyrannical "president" Tyrak who frequently uses force to crush dissidents through his police state but is now facing an election against challenger Senator Flores, a more progressive candidate who promises to deviate from the traditional autocracy. You control individual teens on their journey to escape the country, although it frequently feels more like you are controlling a "movement" rather than individual characters. Some may be turned off by the political theme, but I found that it created a tense underlying atmosphere that slowly built up in the background as one interacted with various characters on the road and discovered more about them and their allegiances while also making decisions that shaped the outcome of the country and the election.

The cast that you interact with through your various characters are all great and add something unique to the story. I won't spoil too much here, but there is an interesting interplay between various characters that becomes apparent as you play more of the game and discover the hidden details behind each individual's motives. Some characters are naturally deeper than others, some you'll dread encountering, and others you can't wait to see again. The spontaneity of procedural generation varies the events so that you're not ever sure who (or what) you'll see next on the road.

While an effective political road-trip adventure, the game does fall short in some areas. Often it felt like there was an "illusion of choice" rather than a true choice in certain instances and certain emotional interactions felt forced in some situations (although not all). The world also feels rather small despite being so large, given that events happen in small areas on the road and with the exception of a few missions, you're never actually "driving." Additionally, the game is somewhat short, as I finished my first play-through in just under 7 hours, although there is some replayability value.

Overall, Road 96 contributes uniquely to the point and click adventure genre, providing a compelling and often emotional experience that makes you eagerly press onward to see what awaits you next on the long road as you march towards a (hopefully brighter) future for Petria.

7.5/10, Recommended.

I am giving this game a thumbs up but this would be a neutral review if that was an option. There is a lot to like about TEM 2: the management aspects, watching your players grow and develop, and the thrill of entering and winning in tournaments all contribute to an overall solid sports management sim. However, there are a few things, that I believe, hinder the excitement of the game. Firstly, at a certain point it becomes difficult to advance. I understand that breaking into a professional arena is difficult and should feel so but at a certain point it feels like your player has plateaued and their stats are deteriorating as quickly as they're bolstering them. Another annoying aspect is the player contracts. You get one player in the beginning who is yours forever, while the rest have different yearly objectives that become increasingly difficult if you try to keep them on board for longer. Fail one of these objectives or let their rank drop too low and that player, whom you may have invested hours into developing and helped them win numerous tournaments, will leave, take their accolades with them, and damage your reputation.

I think a few fixes can be made to the game regarding these issues, specifically making rank deterioration less severe and permitting longer contracts with the additional players (ex: a 1 year contract initially followed by a 2-3 year contract, etc.). Some quality of life updates would also be nice, such as the ability to view a specific player's upcoming tournaments (in one list) and perhaps a hall of trophies and/or hall of fame (right now they have a retired players function and you can view the player's rewards, but I'd like something more for the coach and the ability to see everyone you coached/their trophies even after they leave). I really think the game has a lot of potential and I hope the developers, who have been very responsive thus far and seem to be actively engaging with the community, take the time to refine the game with some positive updates.

Overall, I'd give it a 6.5/10, I would recommend (trying the demo first and) buying it during a sale.

What can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Comedy Night is a game where you enter a virtual bar and take turns with fellow audience members telling jokes on stage. Comedy Night can have some really golden moments and my friends and I often spend our time on here laughing at both the comedians and the hecklers. It is a great way to test material or even just tell lame jokes you're too embarassed to tell in front of real people. However, I feel as though it is important to mention that at times there can be a very hateful and toxic environment (I don't just mean in regards to raw humor). Completely raunchy, crude statements that you'd expect from the Internet can often seep into the community and ruin many aspects of that game. However, it is possible to get past that. With a good admin and a solid group of friends, this can be a great way to unwind and have a few laughs at the end of a long day.

Also, I'm pretty sure I met the guy who does the voice of the nerdy characters on Robot Chicken.

7/10 Recommended

I have quite a few things to say about this game and while this review might be long, I hope you'll hear me out to the end, since this game does have a lot to offer. Firstly, I want to note that I watched this game for a bit before I bought it and from what I've seen and experienced, there have been a lot of positive changes to it that have helped it succeed. This game is far from perfect, but it has been improved upon since it was initially created and went from a nearly miserable state, to a condition that makes it playable and enjoyable.

The gameplay itself is exciting and rewarding should you succeed. You won't necessarily be terrified or afraid all that often, but there will be moments that get you and every close call with Jason that you survive will feel great. Some of the best feelings in this game include escaping Jason with a last minute juke, going back to successfully rescue a survivor and escaping, and of course, working together to kill Jason Vorhees to send him back to h-e-double hockeysticks.

However, what really sold this game for me was the community. I met a solid group of players early on through a micless random I had encountered in a match. These individuals are by far one of the best groups of gamers I've met through online gaming. Many of my hours in this game have been playing with them and honestly I don't know if I would've played as long as I did without them. We've created a steam group and discord outside of F13 and have begun to play other games together. This experience alone is really what made the game for me. I'd encourage you to buy this and find your community within the game, because as many other reviews have said, the people in this game really do make it what it is and if you can find a fun and respectful group of individuals to play with, you will tremendously enjoy yourself playing Friday the 13th: The Game.

I'll give the game itself a 7.75/10 (due to its occasional bugs and launch issues) and the people I've met there a 10/10 and easily recommend it.

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying everyone who plays this game is amazing and respectful, as that would just be untrue, but there are some amazing folks who play this game and finding them makes sifting through the bullsh*t worth it).

Party Hard is a pixel party game where you are a man who is just trying to get some sleep and believes that the only way to accomplish this is to kill everyone in every party everywhere. The gameplay involves you playing as this killer while trying to eliminate all partiers without getting noticed/arrested/killed. The ways in which you can accomplish this vary each level. Of course you can give someone a good ol' stabbing, but the environmental kills allow you to mix it up. The game itself (as the premise indicates) can be quite humorous both in the way party-people react and in how you can deviously destroy them.

The story mode primarily consists of going through different maps with each followed by a cutscene. It didn't take me too long to complete, but it was challenging at times. At just over 10 hours, I've gotten every achievement in the game (with some tedious grinding and you'll see what I mean should you try to do this as well) and had quite a bit of fun. While at times it can become bland, predictable, and repetitive, Party Hard offers just enough variation to keep things interesting. A sequel would be something I'd be looking forward to.

7.5/10 Recommended.

Death Road to Canada is an amazing game where you attempt to take a car full of jerks to the Canadian border so they can live out their blissful existence free from the American zombies. Along the way, you'll find talking dogs, kawaii Anime girls, and a buttload of other crazy characters that make the game ridiculously entertaining. There is a lot of replay value and though I haven't tried co-op yet, that seems quite entertaining as well. I'd like to include an anecdote, but instead I'll just list a few things that have happened to me in this game in the few hours I've played it:

[SOME SPOILERS]
-Had a character possesed by a Demon
-Met an Alien who helped us blast through undead
-Had a character die because they attempted to pull out a loose tooth
-Had a moose chuckle at my characters, then kill them
-Told too many people to "cool it"
-Opened way too many toilets, expecting too much each time
-Had my dreams of reaching Canada destroyed before my eyes

I've yet to reach Canada (my most recent playthrough was my closest, with my Demon-Possesed Debutante reaching the final mission before becoming zombie chow) so it is challenging but after a brief break, I always return to the game, telling myself that I will make it "this time."

EDIT: After 14 hours, I finally made it to Canada with my custom character (Hank) and a whole lotta luck.

8/10 Recommended.

Waaalllllrider! Very engaging and thoughly terrifying horror game. The thrills begin only minutes into the game and the feeling is sustained to the very end. Whether it was opening a door, outrunning a variant, or even making sure my camera had enough battery life so that I could see in the dark, Outlast provided a challenging yet fun experience. If you're looking for your next horror game, Outlast should easily be considered.

8.5/10 Recommended