Recent reviews by Spobbles

Originally released in 2010, Halo: Reach is the beloved prequel to the main Halo series. Building on the franchise's signature gameplay style and feel, Reach brings new features, enemies, and a more somber tone to the series, though its story doesn't quite live up to that of previous games.

🎮Reach can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller, but was designed for the latter.🎮

Reach features Halo's traditional FPS gameplay, which is to say, it's very enjoyable and satisfying to play. The franchise's gameplay has always been somewhat old-fashioned, with its floaty gravity, (mostly) hip-fired weapons, and lack of a sprint function. Reach retains the core gameplay feel, while making subtle changes to modernise it, and, in my opinion, is the best blend of classic Halo feel and modern features in the series.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2187984697
Reach brings forth new features such as armour abilties including sprint, drop shield, jetpack, and more, as well a variety of new weapons and vehicles. Some features of its predecessors, however, have been dropped; namely dual-wielding and extra grenade types. This does not impact the experience overly; they're nice to have, but I don't really miss them.

Reach also adopts and improves Halo 3: ODST's Firefight game mode; a PvE/PvPvE activity in which players with limited lives face off against waves of enemies. This is great addition the game, alongside the traditional team and free-for-all PvP modes that make up a good portion of the series' appeal. Unfortunately, I do not have the space available in this review to go into detail about the PvP features in addition to PvE content, but they are generally regarded as decent, though not quite as well executed as those of some previous entries, namely Halo 2 & 3.

The player's arsenal includes two types of grenades, a melee ability, and whatever weapons they can find. Ammunition restocks can be few and far between, so expect to have to scavenge enemy equipment and grenades regularly, especially on higher difficulties and in longer levels.

Gunplay is pretty basic, but very smooth and intuitive. Weapons are beefy, aiming is snappy and precise, and the range of equipment available keeps things interesting.

Enemy A.I. is not super advanced, but neither is it especially dumb. Their behaviour can be tweaked via various difficulty options to include dodging incoming danger more effectively, throwing excessive quantities of grenades, and generally being harder to kill. All enemies are fun to fight, and there's plenty of variety from the enemy faction.

Various armed and unarmed vehicles are available for players to drive, including machine gun-equipped armoured cars, heavy tanks, airbourne craft, and much more of both human and alien origin. Precise is not a word one would use to describe the driving in any Halo title, but it is great fun.

A first for the series, Reach allows players to customize the appearance of their character not only in multiplayer, but in all modes including campaign. Modifications include a variety of interchangable cosmetic armour pieces, voice types (for multiplayer) and special particle effects.

Unfortunately, with the re-release of Reach as part of the Master Chief Collection (MCC), the system for unlocking these cosmetics has changed, causing a not inconsiderable amount of backlash from fans. The reason being, you could once earn this stuff by simply playing Reach however you wanted, but it is now integrated into the MCC's battle pass system, which does not reward players for custom PvP or Firefight matches, and does not allow one to pick and choose what to unlock first. The system is not monetized.

Reach is a linear game that treats players to a variety of different settings, including remote settlements, bustling cities, and alien spacecraft, in both day and night scenarios. The variety of goals and enemies across the different locations, plus several vehicle sections, keeps things interesting throughout the game.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2187994095
Directly preceding the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, the first of the series, Reach follows the story of Noble Team; a team of Spartan super soldiers fighting to prevent the Covenant, a hostile alien faction, from destroying the human colony world of Reach. We play as Noble Six, a male or female Spartan new to the team.

The story of Reach, both the game and the world, is one of pain, struggle and inevitable defeat. This is portayed well through the events of the story, and the somber atmosphere. The characters, while not bad, are not the strongest nor the most likeable, which does make it hard to form attachments to them in the same way one might to those of previous entries. The protagonist, in particular, has little personality to speak of.

Despite this, Reach fits its identity well; a side-story in the Halo universe that provides welcome worldbuilding and insight into the events directly preceding the original game.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

For a game released in 2010, Reach holds up very well. The foliage and characters' faces look a little dated, but overall the game still looks very nice, with great lighting and nice details. The art style also does a great job of emphasizing the more somber nature of the story, and the screenshots speak for themselves.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2187983646
Using the specs listed above, I got a consistent 60fps using the “enchanced graphics” setting. The game ran smooth the whole time.

The Halo franchise has always featured fantastic soundtracks, and while I don't think Reach's is the best of the series, it's still very good. Many tracks feature the traditional Halo action vibe, but much of the upbeat, hopeful sound is replaced with darker, somber tones that really compliment the story and set the atmosphere. Sound effects are crisp and satisfying, and voice acting is solid.
I played the entirety of Reach in co-op with a friend, and we didn't encounter any real issues, with the exception of sometimes not being able to hear nearby grenades until they exploded.

Reach is a fantastic game, and a worthy entry in the Halo franchise. Its story and characters don't quite live up to previous entries, but the gameplay experience is excellent and the graphics hold up very well.

Considering it's so cheap and that, despite what Steam says, it doesn't require purchase of the Master Chief Collection to play (it's included), Reach is a no-brainer for fans of the franchise or genre.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

World of Contraptions (WoC) is a physics-based building game that sees players construct vehicles piece by piece in order to overcome obstacles and reach the end of the level. The physics system is very good, as is the experience of building and operating your creations. A surprisingly large quantity of levels is included, though they lack variety somewhat in challenge and visual themes. This may change as the game progresses through early access.

🎮The majority of WoC can only be played with keyboard/mouse. The game is very mouse-heavy.🎮

WoC's gameplay will be immediately familiar to those who have played Besieged; players contruct vehicles with a variety of parts including blocks, wheels, pistons and much more. The tutorial throws quite a bit at you at once, but the building U.I is quite easy to operate after a little practice, and is rarely a hinderance.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2185249088
Building is quite enjoyable and intuitive, but would benefit from a few extra features like a mirror mode and the ability to move groups of parts around independantly. The game is still quite early into its life, so these may yet be implemented. There are few restrictions on what one can build with the parts available, and it's a great way to flex your creative muscles.

Controlling the vehicles you create is also enjoyable, as there can be as much skill involved in the operation as in the building. The physics system really highlights the flaws of a poorly designed contraption, and makes using a well designed one very satisfying. The biggest criticism I can make regarding the vehicle operation is the controls; players can bind different keys to the operation of all the various parts, but it can get a bit unwieldy with complex machines. The ability to highlight a single part/vehicle and control only that would be very welcome.

The goal of every level is to get your core block to the end; a marked area on the other side of some obstacle. These typically consist of crossing bridges of varying sizes, or placing blocks on buttons in order to open the way. There are other challenges such as scaling a vertical surface and lifting a gate, but these are less common. I'd have liked to see a little more variety in the challenges in place of, or in addition to, pressing buttons, such as bridging a gap, or destroying a structure.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2185250074
In addition to this, it would be nice to have some bonus goal conditions. For instance, reaching the goal with all contraption parts intact and still attached the vehicle. This would boost replayability considerably.

It took me about 7 hours to complete all the challenges in the campaign, and overall, I had a good time doing it. Many levels, however, could essentially be 'brute-forced', i.e., I could just fling my core block or a small vehicle to the end without actually doing the challenge properly. One doesn't have to do it that way, of course, but I find that knowing there's an easy and equally effective solution available dampens my desire to be creative and think of something more complex.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

WoC features nice models and textures for the contraptions, though levels are very bland. Every level, bar one, consists of the same plain, white texture and grey fog backdrop. The only colour comes from your contraption and whatever props are around. I wouldn't say it's ugly, and I do like the contrast of the colourful contraption against the white, but it's still very dull.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2185247823
Using the specs listed above, the game ran at a smooth 60fps the entire time. Besides screen resolution and framerate cap, it has no graphics settings yet.

WoC's sound effects are quite nice, and of good quality. The music is relaxing and upbeat, which is good as it seems to be limited to one or two tracks.

WoC is Steam Workshop compatible, and allows players to upload their saved vehicles, as well as custom levels. At the time of this review, however, only 20 or so levels have been uploaded. This number will undoubtedly grow much larger as the game gains players, and should eventually provide a good amount of extra content.

I encountered no technical issues whatsoever during my time playing.

World of Contraptions is an enjoyable little building game that's well worth its low price, even in its current early state. I'd like to see more variety added in challenge and visuals as time goes on, plus extra objectives to give the 50 campaign levels a much desired extra level of replayability. This, combined with some extra building features and parts, would make for a great little game.

Given its relatively low price, I would happily recommend WoC to anyone who likes this sort of game.

If you're looking for more quality reviews like this, follow our curator page, Devils in the Detail.

Seven Doors is a linear puzzle game featuring varying visual themes and challenge types. Unfortunately, some puzzles are more tedium than challenge, and the technical options are incredibly limited. Completing it takes around an hour.

🎮Seven Doors can be played with keyboard/mouse and controller, but nothing can be re-bound or altered in any way, including look inversion and sensitivity.🎮

Seven Doors features basic first-person gameplay, with traditional WASD controls, sprint and jump. Movement feels decent, if a little slow. I did like that the game includes a physics system for items; players can pick stuff up and throw it around.

Seven puzzles are present, ranging from enjoyable to tedious. Things start off fairly well, with a relatively easy riddle game involving finding the correct objects in a room full of clutter. From there, things start to go downhill. Another riddle puzzle follows, with a relatively simple solution, but a less enjoyable process of solving. After that, things get a bit weird; a room full of bizarre corpses that kills you for some vague reason, and one full of moving blade traps and spikes. These are dealt with pretty quickly as they involve little actual puzzle solving.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2176641241
Eventually, players come to a decoding puzzle involving Egyptian hieroglyphs. Essentially, one just has to use four key documents to decode a series of hieroglyphs on a wall. It's a very simple puzzle, made tedious by the number of hieroglyphs to decode, and the fact that one cannot bring the key documents with them (and they are not close to the hieroglyphs). I don't mind having to take notes from time to time, but having to screenshot four documents and then flick back and forth between the pictures outside the game is just a pain. This should have been implemented in the game.

Finally, the last puzzle; a giant chess set. The game advertises “become part of a giant chess game”, but this isn't really the case. There is a giant chess board, and players must navigate it by stepping on the squares that won't let them be “taken” by any of the chess pieces, as they would normally take another piece. That's pretty much it; the pieces don't move, and the colours don't even matter as all pieces will kill the player. Though this is hardly “becoming part of the game”, it was quite a clever idea, and I did enjoy it.

Short, voiced messages are played to the player at the beginning and end of the game. They essentially introduce the game, and explain that the seven doors are a test. That's about it. The voice acting is decent.

Some puzzles feature clues presented as notes written by some previous challenger, but there's little lore to be found in them.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2176641782
The graphics are dated, with the quality of models varying, but often quite poor. I assume many of the assets are from an asset store, or … other places. There's a shield from Skyrim above some of the doors (see screenshot). I'm pretty sure that's not supposed (or allowed) to be there. The lighting can be nice sometimes, with some atmospheric moments. The art style as a whole is pretty jumbled, as the puzzles have widly varying themes, with the most consistent element being the crap quality of some of the models.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2176641044
Upon entering a new room, its name is displayed in-world in front of the player, which is a nice touch, though the text can be a little hard to read as it often blends with the background. During moments like this, however, the game forces the camera to swing around and look at whatever's happening. Taking away players' camera control constantly is really quite annoying.

Graphics options are practically non-existent. Only three are available; a framerate cap, shadow quality and “resolution quality”, whatever that means. There is no resolution size setting. The game did not fit in my 16:10 screen, with menu buttons going off the sides. I assume it's stuck on 16:9. Also, these settings did not seem to save between sessions.

Seven Doors ran fine at 60fps on max settings until door six, at which point the framerate tanked catastrophically. Turning down the shadows helped. The game looks very dated, so it must be an optimization issue.

Seven Doors' soundtrack is nice, and sound effects are decent. As previously mentioned, the brief voice acting is quite good too. However, like the controls, there are no options whatsoever. No volume sliders, no mute for the music, nothing. I had to turn the game down in Windows' volume mixer.

The only issues I encountered were the aforementioned performance loss in room six, and the options seemingly not saving between sessions.

Seven Doors has a couple of enjoyable parts, but is lacking in overall polish, and can become too tedious. The complete lack of audio, control and graphics options is extremely off-putting, and I cannot overlook the presence of assets from another game. Frankly, aside from the nice lighting, I think this game could have been made to the same or better quality if it were a Garry's Mod map.

I do not recommend this game at full price, especially given the short, one hour playtime. If it's very cheap, then perhaps it's worth your time. Otherwise, no.

If you're looking for more quality reviews like this, follow our curator page, Devils in the Detail.

08/08/20: BaSS just got a big update, and many of the technical issues that plagued my experience have reportedly been remedied. As such, I have changed the review to positive, and updated its contents.

Beyond a Steel Sky (BaSS) is a direct sequel to the 1994 point-and-click Beneath a Steel Sky, and continues the story of Robert Foster and Union City. BaSS features enjoyable gameplay and likeable characters, but suffers from a few rather bland plot points, and lacks some polish.

🎮BaSS can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller, though controls cannot be re-bound for either.🎮

BaSS’s gameplay is reminiscent of classic point-and-click titles; it couples a relatively modern third-person perspective, free camera and WASD controls with point-and-click interaction. Upon coming to and highlighting an object, players have the option to interact with it, use an inventory item, or inspect it, causing Foster to comment. Movement and camera control feel pretty good.

Much of one’s progression through the game involves solving various puzzles using the environment and inventory items. For example, finding a firecracker to scare away some birds in order to access the door they were blocking. A hint system is present if players get stuck.

Adding another dimension to the puzzle solving is the new hacking system; Foster can now interact with various electronic devices via his hacking tool. For instance, if a door won’t open because Foster isn’t allowed in, he can switch the door’s programming so that it opens when approached by someone who isn’t authorised.

I liked the hacking system quite a lot, I only wish I got the chance to use it more often and in more ways.

BaSS is presented as a series of small levels that players will visit multiple times throughout the game. These are filled with NPCs who move around and interact in an attempt to make the world feel alive, and the game does a decent job of accomplishing this. Some areas from the first game are revisited, offering a little slice of nostalgia for fans. Ambient dialogue is silent, which feels a bit jarring, as all other encounters are fully voiced.

BaSS ditches much of its predecessor’s grungy, industrial aesthetic in favour of a clean, sci-fi look. It all looks quite nice, with nicely modelled sci-fi vehicles, buildings and holograms, but as someone who’s seen a lot of this kind of thing before, it felt quite generic. Later in the game, however, Foster returns to the high up industrial area of the city, and it looks great. The orange-tinted skyline and sound of wind rushing past sets a fantastic scene, and will undoubtedly bring nostalgia to bear in those who played the first game.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2169364201
Like its predecessor, BaSS features a serious tone, but offsets it with humorous dialogue and character moments. Foster visits Union City once again; a place he once saved with his robot buddy Joey, whom he left behind to run the city and improve the lives of its citizens. This time, he’s on the trail of a child kidnapped from his village.

Union City is now a utopian place where every human need is attended to, but at the cost of its citizens’ freedom of both body and thought, not to mention the unseen moral and physical costs of maintaining such a place. Various nods to the previous game are present.

BaSS features a dialogue wheel similar to Mass Effect or Fallout 4, which allows players to choose responses to give and questions to ask in conversations. This doesn’t see much use in story-heavy encounters, however, as Foster has his own personality and will converse automatically.

BaSS also features a number of quite amusing personalities, and most character interactions are interesting, entertaining, or both. It does feature a generic moustache-twirler antagonist though, unfortunately.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2169366639
Sadly, when using the dialogue wheel, conversation can feel disjointed; some options will cause an NPC to speak as if they’d forgotten what you’d just told them, or vice-versa. Likewise, in scripted dialogue encounters, Foster sometimes mentions things that he and the player are aware of, but the person he’s speaking to shouldn’t be, yet they just continue as if they know exactly what he’s talking about.

The weakest point of the story is its ending, and emphasis placed on characters in it. The game overstays its welcome by continuing after what feels like an (albeit somewhat inconclusive) ending to present a final sequence that’s out of place with the rest of the game. This sequence delves into the moral and philosophical failings of the utopian Union City, but the delivery is so blunt and on the nose that I found it hard to enjoy or even take seriously, especially when coupled with the bizarre manner in which it’s presented. The emotional value of this sequence also hinges almost entirely on the player having experienced the previous game, and even then, falls a bit flat.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

BaSS first released on mobile, and as one would expect, its graphics are a bit dated, though still quite nice.There are a few nice views to be had, and the high-quality comic book style cutscenes in the beginning of the game are a nice throwback to the previous entry.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2169364976
BaSS features pleasant music, particularly the main-menu track, though for the most part it’s relatively unremarkable. I did notice one track that sounded reminiscent of the style used in the previous game, however, so that was nice. Sound effects are good, with some nice ambient sounds like vehicles flying overhead and the wind rushing past when up on a tall building.

Using the specs listed above, I got a consistent 60fps on the highest settings, with very rare dips into the 40’s.

Shadow quality has a large effect on GPU usage; having shadows on “epic” caused my GPU to run up to 95% load. All other graphics settings had minimal impact, even on their highest options.


NPCs can occasionally have trouble pathfinding around the player or each other, and can get stuck.

The game still lacks some polish, but I'm confident it will continue to be improved.

BaSS is an enjoyable game with solid gameplay that offers something a little different, as well as a line-up of likeable characters and good humour, though a couple of plot points did fall a bit flat.

I recommend this game to fans of the 1994 classic, and to those who like its quirky style.

If you're looking for more quality reviews like this, follow our curator page, Devils in the Detail.

The Turing Test is a Portal-esque puzzle game based around the theme of artificial intelligence, and the philosophical questions raised by its existence, such as the concept of free will.
Players follow engineer Ava Turing on a solitary journey through a series of tests designed to be solvable only by a human. The game features no aliens, epidemics, natural disasters or other fanciful setting. Just humans and their computers.

🎮The Turing Test can be played well with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮

The Turing Test's gameplay will be instantly familiar to anyone who's played Portal; it features a first person perspective, a gun-like tool that allows level manipulation, and an A.I. overlord keeping you company. Players interact with the environment using the Energy Manipulation Tool, which allows one to remove and store energy from certain sockets, and place it in others. Essentially, the goal is to manipulate the flow of power around a level in order to get Ava to the exit.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2162329104
Movement and aiming feel nice and smooth, if a little restricted. Some puzzles have windows for the player to throw objects or shoot energy through, which are so low and large that a human could easily just climb through. Ava can't, though. To enhance immersion, simple acts like pulling levers are made more tangible by having players actually move Ava's arm with the mouse/stick, rather than just a simple button-press.

Puzzles in The Turing Test are almost entirely based on logic and lateral thinking, as opposed to the more speed and skill based puzzles of Portal. For example, where Portal would have players leap through a portal and place another in the right spot while flying through the air, The Turing Test will have them postion a magnet and box above a button, and themselves on a platform, then disable power to the magnet to drop the box on the button, raising their platform.

As the game goes on, more mechanics are introduced such as the ability to switch perspectives between Ava and a controllable robot, adding another level of complexity.

Overall, puzzles are both intuitive and challenging; my mind is not particularly well-suited to logic-based puzzles, but I'd always know what to do. I would, however, sometimes have to stop and think about how to do it. I was never made to waste time on a futile solution; the game does not trick you.

The Turing Test is presented as a series of linear puzzle rooms, very similar to Portal. Getting Ava to the exit typically involves manipulating platforms, bridges, buttons and other features to open the path, while also performing actions in the correct sequence to open the exit door when she gets there.

Between puzzle areas, Ava will occasionally pass through research labs, crew quarters, and similar. This serves to break up the chain of puzzle rooms, and is a welcome interlude.

The only issue I had with the level design was the loading screens; moving between levels is done via a black screen with a loading bar on it. A bit old-fashioned for a 2016 game.

A Turing test is a real-world test of a computer's ability to display intelligent behaviour equivalent to that of a human. The game, as its name implies, is all about artificial intelligence. From the very beginning of the game, International Space Agency engineer Ava Turing is accompanied by T.O.M; an ever-present A.I. who needs her to solve the puzzles created by her crewmates in order to keep A.I. out.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2162326955
Dialogue is easy to follow, without getting too technical.

Aside from the regular dialogue between Ava and T.O.M, story is delivered through items found in the world. For example, early in the game, Ava comes to the crew quarters, which contains various items and decorations that reveal a little about each character. A national flag on a wall, or some paint and brushes on a desk, for instance. Many items can be picked up and examined by the player, and while this serves no practical purpose, it offers a more tangible view of the environment that aids immersion.

Notes and audio files can occasionally be found and interacted with, and offer insight into the feelings of the crew and their interactions with each other, and with T.O.M. These are few enough in number that I never wanted to skip any of them, but plentiful enough to form a clear picture of what's been going on. There is, however, a significant problem; some of these notes contain important plot points, yet Ava has no reaction to them. When, later, Ava discovers this same information through the main story, she acts as if it's new and surprising. This creates a disconnect between the characters and player.

In addition to items adding lore, there are some designed to provoke a response in the player; to make you think. For example, a computer on which players can type and have a conversation with the computer, similar to an actual Turing test, before things … change. I really liked these additions, but they seemed to disappear further into the game, as did the interesting written notes and personal artefacts, to a lesser degree. As a result, by the end of the game, I didn't really know much about the current state of the things aside from that which was revealed by the main story sequence.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2162324625
The clean, white surfaces put me in mind of Portal and Mirror's Edge, as well as real-world spacecraft and equipment. To contrast, there are occasionally darker, more industrial looking features that remind me of classic titles like Half-Life.

The only complaint I have about the graphics is the texture quality; even on “Ultra” the textures can be a little blurry on smaller objects, which is noticeable when you pick up and inspect them. Items with writing on them, such as notepads, increase texture resolution when you pick them up, in order to make the writing clearer, but the transition is very noticeable.

Using the specs listed above, I got a smooth and consistent 60fps on “Ultra” settings.

The Turing Test features nice and crisp sound effects, good voice acting (especially for T.O.M), and pleasant music. The use of serene, yet slightly sad music gave me the same peaceful, solitary vibe I feel when exploring the rooftops of Mirror's Edge, or the abandoned back areas of Portal 2. I loved it.

I encountered no bugs or technical issues whatsoever. The game is well-polished.

The Turing Test is highly enjoyable puzzle game that explores a fascinating subject matter, while also having appealing gameplay. The storytelling is solid, despite the aforementioned disconnect, though I'd have liked more lore towards the end.

I'd happily recommend this game to anyone interested in the themes it embodies, and/or the enjoyable puzzle gameplay.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

The Forest is a needs-based survival game that distinguishes itself from its contemporaries with some unique takes on the genre's basic aspects, such as resource gathering. It is, however, quite sparse in content, and it's clear to me that The Forest is a more goal-driven experience, and does not support ongoing survival shenannigans to the same degree as other titles.

🎮The Forest can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮

Players will be forced to deal with hunger, thirst and dangerous temperatures. Less obvious stats such as sanity and sickness exist, but have little effect on gameplay when playing on normal difficulty. A small variety of animals exist in the world for players to hunt, with most being no threat to the player. The real threat comes from the cannibals who occupy the area.

Resource gathering and inventory management have a unique spin in The Forest; rather than items being placed in a player or object's inventory, they are full-sized, tangible objects. Cutting down a tree, for example, will produce logs that have to be carried on the player's shoulder or transported in a log sled, and stored in a large rack.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2158540995
I enjoyed the more satsifying and tangible nature of these systems, though it has some irritating quirks, such as not being able to take cooked meat from a fire; it has to be eaten then and there.

The Forest features passive stats such as strength and athleticism that level in the background as players fight, run and generally survive. I noticed very little tangible difference in gameplay during my playthrough on normal difficulty.

Gear progression is handled partially by crafting, but mostly by finding superior equipment tucked away in the corner of a cave somewhere. I like that this incentivises exploration, but crucial items for full cave exploration and story progression are also hidden this way, effectively halting progress unless players either look up the locations, or are lucky enough to stumble upon them.

Little progression exists in the crafting and building systems; you'll be using wood and stone from start to finish.

Equipment is crafted in the player's inventory by combining various carried items, but the U.I. is a little unintuitive, and would benefit from a short tutorial. Structures and furniture are created via a survival book, which allows one to place and construct blueprints in-world.

Options range from individual walls, roofs and floors that can be placed freely to create custom structures, to prefab structures like log cabins. Building is quite fun, and allows creative players to construct some pretty unique bases.

Players will frequently run into groups of cannibals; hostile and primitive humans. To dispatch them, one can make use of a variety of melee weapons including axes, clubs and spears, as well as throwables and a bow. For protection, armour can be crafted from animal skins, bones and other, less … sanitary materials.

Cannibals can be somewhat challenging to fight at first, but soon become fairly trivial as players acquire armour. Higher difficulties will change this, though some enemies are already annoyingly tanky on normal. A few cannibal variants exist, with slighty different appearances and stats, as well as some rarer and more powerful mutated enemies.

Gameplay feel is pretty good; animations are decent, and hits feel impactful and satisfying. Ranged weapons can be awkward to aim due to the lack of a reticle or sights, but practice helps. Enemy and creature A.I., however, can be pretty bad. It's not unusual to see cannibals or animals running in circles as they fail to pathfind over terrain.

The Forest is set on a peninsula surrounded by ocean and impassable snowy mountains. Variety on the surface is relatively small, as is the map itself, with the real exploration value being the cave systems that spread across much of the area. Many caves are interconnected, and all are dark, creepy and full of nasties. I explored them with a friend, and we had a great time working our way through the depths, fighting mutants and cannibals and experiencing the ominous atmosphere, enhanced by frequent displays of gore and death.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2158544089
The Forest features a more fleshed-out story than most survival games, though that's not to say it's especially deep, either. After a short, scripted sequence, players are on their own to discover the lore of the world and rescue their kidnapped son. Many lore items such as photographs can be found in the world, offering some insight into past events on the peninsula.

The story continues in this loose fashion until the very end, when it suddenly becomes much more focused. I was surprised to see such a degree of depth appear at the end of a game that had, until then, been almost exclusively focused on survival gameplay.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

Something that stuck out to me as I played the game with a friend, is how many singleplayer elements are present. For example, players can save progress, and then exit the server and rejoin to resume that last save, despite the game also featuring a traditional death/respawn system.

The Forest released in 2018, but had been around in early access a few years prior, and uses the Unity engine. As such, the graphics are not top notch. There were a couple of pretty landscape and lighting moments, but overall it's just adequate.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2158542077
Using the specs listed above I got a relatively consistent 50-60fps in most areas, on high-highest settings. Areas with a lot of objects would drop it to the 40's.

Environmental audio is one of the things I liked most about The Forest; the wind rushing through the trees, heavy rain and especially waterfalls in caves sound fantastic. Caves also feature a very nice echo effect, which really adds to the immersion. Other sound effects and the music are adequate, but nothing stood out aside from the rare echo of distant cannibal war-cries.

We encountered a couple of minor visual bugs such as deer spawning bloodied, as if they'd been attacked, but nothing major on that front.

There are some hilarious physics bugs involving the log sled, such as it launching players into the sky if they hit an obstacle the wrong way. Frankly, I love physics wackyness so I am totally okay with this.

Finally, there seems to be an issue with steam achievements; there are several I didn't get, despite fulfilling the requirements.

The Forest is an enjoyable little survival game that's good for a few dozen hours, but it is a goal-driven game, and not really of the same nature as titles such as ARK: Survival Evolved and 7 Days to Die.

I'd recommend to anyone who likes a mix of sandbox-survival and horror, but have to reiterate that it isn't as good an endless-fun sandbox as other survival titles.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a reimagining of 2008's Mirror's Edge, and retains its excellent parkour gameplay and art style, while transforming it from a linear experience into an open-world one. Unfortunately, some issues are present that mar the experience. Players once again fill the shoes of Faith Connors, fighting the corporations that rule her world and its people.

🎮Catalyst can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮

Catalyst features the same excellent first-person parkour gameplay as its predecessor, and expands upon it with some new features and improved combat. Movement is based heavily on momentum; players must build and maintain speed in order to flow across obstacles, up vertical surfaces, and between buildings. A basic progression system is now present; combat, movement and gear abilities can be unlocked using skill points earned with exp.

The parkour feels good most of the time, but can be a little clumsy on occasion. I played some of the original Mirror's Edge again after I finished Catalyst, and I must say, parkour in the old one feels a little slower, but much more intuitive and precise. Frankly, it makes Catalyst's parkour feel sloppy by comparison.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155447559
Combat in the original Mirror's Edge was pretty awkward and unpleasant. Catalyst improves upon it considerably, adding more enemy variety, abilities and better synergy with the parkour system. That said, it still has some considerable flaws.

Fighting one or two enemies at a time is fun, but any more than three in relatively close-quarters is clumsy and frustrating, as Faith can be hit and knocked back repeatedly in quick succession, and the dodge mechanic forcibly turns the camera around whichever enemy she's currently engaging. Said dodge mechanic can also be irritating when trying to avoid conflict by running past enemies.

Catalyst is presented as an open-world game with all the collectables and small challenges one would expect from an open-world title. Unfortunately, it's a rather restricted one. Expect to be travelling the same paths several times as you move between story and side-missions, as world traversal is limited to specific ziplines, bridges and jump points.

I never felt as though I was really free to explore due to the aforementioned constraints. Thankfully, fast travel points exist. Aesthetic variation is fairly limited in the open-world, with the stark white rooftops and some small interiors making up the majority, plus one small, run-down area. More variety is seen in story missions, which often feature large, unique interiors.

Story levels are much like they were in the previous entry; linear levels involving a lot of vertical progression in indoor environments. Unfortunately, I feel they were not designed as well as those in the original game. Trial-and-error is required too often; when you're trying to maintain momentum and flow around the environment, not knowing where to go as you round a corner at high speed is a real fun-killer. That, and going the wrong way often means falling into a bottomless death-pit and sitting through a loading screen. Irritating.

The world overall feels more fleshed-out than in the previous game, with NPCs, airborne traffic and constant audio from loudspeakers now present. Buildings now feature more domestic areas, such as bars and apartments, rather than the largely empty, commercial aesthetic of the original.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155449794
Catalyst tries to tell a story of rebellion, drama and tragedy, but fails to execute it proficiently due to lack of character development and world building in its short 8-9 hour runtime. The story of the original game was not especially deep either, but it made better use of its time by having less characters, twists and turns and had a certain charm that Catalyst lacks.

A significant part of the problem is Faith herself; she comes across right from the start as an angsty teen, and her voice acting only reinforces this. Attempts at showing real emotion sound forced and artificial, and she doesn't come across as particularly clever. For example, at one point in the story, Faith's friends advise her to avoid the enemies in her area, to which she replies in edgy Hollywood fashion ”No, it's time to face them.” No, Faith. No it isn't. You have a job to do, and they aren't really in your way. They're just security guards anyway; killing them will not affect anything.

Overall, the story is an okay little adventure, but really just serves as a reason for the gameplay to exist.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

One of the original Mirror's Edge's most defining aspects was its crisp, bright white environment with occasional splashes of colour. Catalyst has kept the aesthetic while adding to it with brilliant, colourful lighting to reflect off of the polished white, giving it a stunning visual theme that contrasts with the dark, gritty aesthetic often found in sci-fi titles. I absolutely love the visuals of this game; and all the detail put into the environment.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155466779
Unfortunately, the facial animations – lip sync, specifically – are really pretty bad on some characters.

Using the specs listed above, I got a fairly consistent 60fps on a mix of high/highest settings. The game would occasionally stutter, but not often enough to be an issue.

Sound effects in Catalyst are quite good – especially Faith's footstep sounds. Hearing her shoes squeak when she runs across a polished floor is very nice, subtle touch.

Catalyst doesn't have such a memorable track as the original's Still Alive, but the music is quite pleasant; the very subtle and soothing track that plays while exploring was one I particularly enjoyed.

Two or three times during my playthrough, the game would minimize when Origin popped an achievement.

Catalyst is, without question, a Mirror's Edge game, with the same great parkour system and visual style. Unfortunately, while certain aspects have been improved, many have suffered. The poorly executed transition to an open-world setting and the overburdened story have cost the game some of the charm that made the original special.

I would recommend Catalyst to fans of the original or the style, but with warning of its flaws, and preferably with a decent discount.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

Halo 2 first released in 2004, was remastered in 2014 and feels just as good as it did all those years ago. The remastered graphics, though now almost six years old, look great, and the gameplay feels as smooth and enjoyable as it always did.

🎮Halo 2 can be played with keyboard/mouse and controller, but was designed for the latter.🎮

Halo 2 carries forward the enjoyable FPS combat of its predecessor, while introducing new features such as dual-wielding and vehicle-hijacking, and expanding existing weapon, vehicle and enemy variety.

The Halo games have a unique gameplay feel that carries throughout the series until the more modern-feeling Halo 5, and players used to modern FPS titles may find this entry a little sluggish due to the floaty gravity and lack of a sprint function or basic parkour. It is, however, very enjoyable once you're used to it.

The game also features a number of great competitive multiplayer modes for team and free-for-all play, though I, unfortunately, do not have nearly the space required in this review to go into them in detail, and will be focusing on the solo/co-op PvE content. Suffice it to say, the game's competitive scene is and was very popular for good reason.



https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2141972721
The player's arsenal includes two types of grenades, a melee button and whatever weapons they can lay their hands on. Ammunition restocks are rare, so expect to be scavenging enemy weapons and grenades often, especially on higher difficulties.

Gunplay is basic, but smooth and satisfying with that traditional Halo feel. Weapons feel beefy, aiming is easy and precise, and the ability to pick up and use any weapon on the battlefield keeps things interesting.

Enemy A.I. is not particularly advanced, but neither is it especially dumb. Enemy behaviour can be tweaked via various difficulty options, and includes ducking for cover, throwing grenades accurately, and in some cases, running away when things are looking bad. Overall, enemies are fun to fight, and there's plenty of variety between the four main factions present; aliens, zombies, robots, humans, it has it all.

Various armed vehicles are present for players to use, including single-seater hover bikes, armoured scout cars and heavy tanks of both human and alien origin. Driving and gunning are great fun, even if some vehicles can be a little … wayward.

I've been praising the levels of Halo 2 since I played it on the original Xbox, and will continue to do so. Locations include the interiors of space stations, the cities of Earth, mysterious alien landscapes featuring seemingly ancient ruins, and more. While some levels are not as enjoyable as others, all are atmospheric and offer something different than the one that came before, whether that be a vehicle section, a fight on a mobile structure, or some other change.

The remastered graphics help significantly in highlighting the distinct aesthetics of the different locations, and only add to the immersion.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2141953572
Halo 2's story follows directly from the previous game and the exploits of the Master Chief, while also introducing a new protagonist; the Arbiter. Players shift between the perspectives of the two characters as they progress through Halo 2's story, following both through separate but interwoven journeys.

As the two characters belong to different factions, there can be some disconnect between levels, as creatures that were enemies but a few short minutes ago become allies. Friendly-fire may occur.

The story is an enjoyable action-adventure with likable characters and understandable villains, that perfectly sets up the conclusion of the plot in Halo 3. The Arbiter's story is one I particularly enjoyed, as it's the first time we see the Covenant faction from the inside.

Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to give feedback on the nuances of the plot, as all twists, reveals and character moments were made known to me a long time ago, and first impressions have since faded from memory. Thankfully, as all cutscenes have not only been remastered, but remade entirely, that first time will be far more cinematic for those now playing for the first time.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
Geforce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD

Halo 2's original 2004 graphics are definitely dated, but, surprisingly, don't hold up too badly in most areas. The 2014 remastered graphics, however, look great. Cutscenes, though locked to 30fps, are very nice even by 2020 standards, and are a massive improvement over the originals.

Many 2004 models are retained in the level design, leading to the occasional blocky-looking feature, but these are a small part of the larger picture. The biggest improvements are seen in natural environments and character models; while some outdoor locations were once flat surfaces painted green and brown, now proper grass and foliage are present, and indistinct dark blocks have become textured stone. Character models have gained a huge amount of detail, though use the old animations outside cutscenes.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2141975062
Skyboxes have also been improved significantly, helping to realise the scale of some of the locations players visit.

Players can switch between old and new graphics and audio with the press of a button, which is a pretty cool feature.

Using the specs listed above, I got a consistent 60fps using the remastered graphics. The game would occasionally stutter when entering some bigger levels, but would settle down quickly.

Halo 2's music and sound effects have been remastered alongside the graphics, and are of very high quality. Weapon sound effects are crisp and satisfying, and I cannot praise the music too highly. Halo 2's soundtrack is one I still listen to, and the remaster's music lives up to the original. The theme music is well-known in the gaming world, and for good reason. Listen for yourself: https://youtu.be/sCxv2daOwjQ

Several times when attempting to load into the game, my co-op parter would crash or be booted back to the menu. We always got it working in the end, but sometimes it would take 2-3 attempts to get into the game.

Playing on a high difficulty setting, we noticed checkpoints are given irregularly. Sometimes we wouldn't get a checkpoint if we went ahead before dialogue was finished, or a certain event was triggered. A few times we had to replay more than we should have.

We did not suffer any of the netcode/lag issues others have complained about.

Halo 2 remains my favourite of the series, and I love playing it now just as much as I did on the original Xbox. The new graphics give it the polish it needs to stand up to modern titles, though it is still a pretty old game at its core, and you can feel that.

Given how cheap Halo 2 is even at full price, and that, despite what Steam says, it doesn't require purchase of the Master Chief Collection to play (it's included), it's a no-brainer for fans of the genre.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a shining example of how to tell a story through a video game.
Accompanied by the ever-present voices in her mind, players follow Senua on a journey through her own personal hell, spawned from her twisted psyche. Hellblade makes excellent use of very subtle elements to immerse the player in the experience, and to provide just a small, personal glimpse of what the protagonist is experiencing.

🎮Hellblade can be played adequately with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮

I played on the “Auto” difficulty setting, which made enemy and player health vary somewhat between fights.

Hellblade isn't really a fighting game, so combat is fairly sparse. When it does occur, I found it to be a mixed bag. Combat controls are fairly basic; you have a light attack, heavy attack, shove, block/parry, dodge and a special contextual ability. These are quite satisfying to use and have very nice animations, though the targeting system can be a burden.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132738726
The game camera automatically locks on to whichever enemy is attacking Senua, and cannot be unlocked. Players can manually switch between targets, but it's still quite awkward sometimes, especially in confined spaces.

There are a small variety of enemies with different attacks, which is enough to keep combat interesting, though their spawning can be an issue. Enemies will spawn in set places in the combat area, even if the player is standing on that exact spot. This can lead to Senua getting whacked before the enemy has even fully spawned in, which is annoying considering she can be quite squishy.

One aspect of the game's combat I particularly liked was the hints and cues given by the voices in Senua's head. They will often yell “Behind you!” or “He's finished!”. It's a clever bit of design, and one that fits very well.

Levels in Hellblade are linear and often feature clever puzzle elements. A prominent one requires players to use aspects of the environment to form a symbol that matches the one present on a door. This can be debris viewed from the correct angle, a shadow cast on a wall, and more. I very much enjoyed it every time it appeared in the game.

At some points Senua backtracks through previously explored areas, which provides a stark contrast; where her original journey was twisted by her psychosis to make areas dark and foreboding, the return trip presents a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Hellblade's focus is entirely on Senua's psychosis. Ever-present voices follow her, judging, scolding and encouraging, and they're all hers. Senua's goal is to save the soul of her deceased lover Dillion, and she travels through battlefields, mental and literal, to reach the goddess Hela, whom she believes holds his soul.

Throughout the story, Senua suffers severe symptoms of her psychosis such as vivid hallucinations in which she witnesses everything from changes in the environment to people and events from her memories manifesting before her eyes. These provide backstory on Senua and the events of her past, offering insight into the factors influencing her severe mental illness.

Subtle efforts are made to trigger an emotional response to in-game events, for example, one section of the game features darkness that will kill Senua should she stay in it for too long. To avoid this, she carries a torch. Upon entering a dark area, one of the voices shouts “The torch is going out!”.

This instils a moment of panic in the player; fear of a danger, though maybe there never really was one. This reflects Senua's psychosis; her fear of the horrible experiences that aren't really happening.

Hellblade's story and themes are fascinating, bizarre, scary and beautiful at the same time, and make for a truly unique experience in an interesting world inspired by Celtic culture and Norse mythology. I'm left wondering if Senua's world is really a fantasy one with monsters and gods, or if it's all just her perception of it, influenced by her culture and beliefs.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132737422

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD

Hellblade is a very pretty game, with beautifully crafted environments and great atmosphere. A particular aspect I was very impressed by was the sense of temperature; in one instance, Senua was exploring a pleasant grassy area in warm sunlight, only for it to suddenly shift to cold and overcast. The contrast almost made me shiver.

Senua's character model and animations are excellent. A lot of time is spent looking at her face in cutscenes, and her expressions and facial detail are outstanding, as are the detail and physics on her hair.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2132741343
Despite being very pretty, there were some aspects of the graphics I didn't like as much. Film grain and motion blur are quite heavy and do not have corresponding settings in the game options. I assume this is due to the effects being part of the artistic vision, and the way the developer intended the game to be experienced.

Regarding the U.I, I took issue with the lack of button prompts; the game does not teach the player the buttons or when to use them. I realise on-screen prompts aren't good for immersion, but I missed an optional lore item in the beginning of the game because I didn't even know that I could interact with it, let alone how to do it. Only upon coming to a ladder and nothing happening did I realise I'd have to work it out myself.

Some of it can be learned by looking at the keybinds in the options menu, but other aspects are more obscure. For example, when Senua is knocked down in combat, players can repeatedly press a button to make her get up and keep fighting before she is killed. I did not know this during my entire playthrough, and only discovered it when doing research for this review.

Using the specs listed above, I got a stable 60fps on high settings, though something about the game's graphics often made it feel like it was running rough, as if I were only getting 40fps.

Hellblade's audio design is outstanding. Music is subtle and fits the atmosphere perfectly, voice acting is superb and the binaural audio is incredible with headphones. The voices can whisper right in your ears, creating a chilling and unsettling experience, and adding another level of immersion.

I encountered a couple of annoying bugs during my playthrough; the first being the game not saving after I exited on one occasion, leading to me having to do a boss fight twice. The second was mechanics triggering incorrectly in said boss fight, which was fixed by a trip to the main menu and back.

Hellblade is a unique and beautiful game. The storytelling and audio design are outstanding, and its exploration of the subject matter is fascinating and unsettling. The combat is rough around the edges, but puzzles are unique and enjoyable, and the game's length felt appropriate.

This game is work of art, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in the themes it embodies.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

Sentimental K is an enjoyable action rougelike with nice visuals and smooth gameplay. Completing the levels doesn't take long - around 30-40 minutes total for me - but there's plenty of replay value due to the large variety of skills and items. There's no story or progression system, just fun gameplay.

🎮Sentimental K can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller, though the latter is awkward in menus.🎮

Sentimental K sees players progressing through a series of dungeon levels battling various monsters with the simple goal of killing them all to progress. Players choose their route to the end boss via branching paths that include monster battles, miniboss fights, safe havens and random encounters that may or may not be beneficial. Being a rougelike, death means you start over from the beginning.

A small variety of weapons is present, each of which has a distinct moveset and its own set of advantages and disadvantages. All are fun to use, but the primary variation in one's loadout lies in their choice of skills and artifacts. A large quantity of both is available, and players get to choose one or more new skills after practically every fight, while artifacts are obtained less frequently.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2133922992
Skills can be equipped in up to four slots at a time, and are intuitive and satisfying to use. Status effects such as vulnerability offer synergy between them, while artifacts provide significant passive effects that include causing enemies to explode on death, the player to revive if downed, large objects to fall from the ceiling, and much, much more.

Enemies feature varied attacks and as a whole are pretty fun to battle, though there are a couple of outliers. A tanky healer unit often appears in groups of three or more, making itself and enemies annoyingly time consuming to dispatch. Using healer units to create a targeting priority for the player is good, but they're so tanky in groups that they're not even worth attacking until everything else is dead, defeating the purpose.

A couple of enemies also have almost instantaneous, long range attacks which are hard to predict or dodge, making them very annoying in groups as it feels like one is taking unavoidable damage.

Elite and boss enemies use a pretty standard recipe; big enemy with a big health-bar using various special attacks that are best avoided. The three main bosses of the game have very distinct themes and combat mechanics, and are an enjoyable challenge. While sometimes difficult, the boss fights never feel unfair.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2128601168
Levels in Sentimental K are a series of enclosed combat arenas with varying amounts of open space to fight in. There are generally few obstacles to get in the way, with most arenas just being a large, flat space. Enemies are just spawned in the open, which is a little jarring. I imagine a more elaborate effect will be implemented for their spawns in the future.

Themes change between levels, with some being bright and sunlit while others are dark caverns. Environmental hazards are not present; the player cannot fall off of ledges or into dangerous features.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD

Sentimental K has a pleasant visual style, with simple level geometry and soft lighting. It's easy on the eyes, and particle effects for weapons and skills are excellent; they're vibrant and unique without being blinding or intrusive.

Player and enemy character models look nice, but lack consistency. Enemies in a single battle can include armoured knights, floating gold statues and sentient windows that shoot lasers. I have to wonder if they're just a random selection of models purchased from the Unity asset store or similar. If so, they may just be placeholders as the game is still in early access.

The game's main bosses, however, are unique and have distinct themes that influence not only their appearance, but their abilities and combat style too.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2133918806
The U.I is nice and simple, with easily visible target indicators and nice art for the skill icons. The English translation needs work, with small errors such as the plural for “gold” being written as “golds”, or a description reading “with the player” when it really means “to the player”. Thankfully, with context these mistakes are easy to see through.

Using the specs listed above I got a fairly consistent 60fps on the “very high” setting. The game feels very smooth to play, and flows nicely.

Sound effects in Sentimental K are very crisp and satisfying, though music is limited to a single ambient track for each of the three acts. These tracks aren't bad, but they get old pretty quickly.

For some reason I cannot select a resolution in the game options. Thankfully it automatically applied the correct one.

Sentimental K is a highly enjoyable game that's easy to pick up and play casually, while also being addictive. Good variety in skills and artifacts makes replayability high, and I look forward to more content being added as it continues toward a full release.

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a smooth, casual game that's easy to pick up and enjoy in short bursts.

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