cryophagecritiques

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Duelists of Eden Review - (Steam)

DISCLAIMER: One Step From Eden is one of my favorite games of all time. As such, I must acknowledge the fact that I may be biased towards its sequel, Duelists of Eden. However, I think this review accurately conveys what I think about the game, separate from my personal feelings and potential biases.

Genre shifts often lead to utterly confusing releases. Franchises can take their well-known gameplay and throw it out for something different, like Final Fantasy confusingly replicating Devil May Cry-style combat and the Sonic franchise’s persistent identity crisis. However, sometimes a genre shift allows the mechanics and style of prior releases to flourish in new and exciting ways. Duelists of Eden accomplishes this, as it constructs an excellent fighting game off the mechanics and gameplay of predecessor (One Step From Eden).

Duelists takes the numerous spells of One Step From Eden- the first game’s strongest aspect- and decides to give players full access to every single one. Whereas spells provided replayability and randomness in One Step’s rogue-like gameplay, Duelists gains variation and adaptability by letting players slap together whatever combination of 8-to-10 spells their heart desires. Deck-building in Duelists feels akin to developing party members in RPGs like Octopath Traveler; the game provides all the tools needed to create absurdly powerful strategies.

Although Duelists builds heavily on One Step, it doesn’t quite play like its predecessor. Combat still features 4x4 grids and a pool of mana that restricts spell-casting frequency, but Duelists introduces several new actions to increase gameplay depth. Amassing shields and attempts to evade enemy fire are replaced with dedicated block and dodge buttons, and each character now features two unique attacks. These mechanics allow the combat to feel less like back-and-forth slap fights and more like the brutally fast-paced bouts seen in mainstream fighting games.

The unique attacks not only make every character distinctive but also allow the crossover characters to feel livelier. The attacks these guest stars bring to gameplay function like one familiar with their origins would expect them to, but none of them feel like they got haphazardly dropped into Duelists. At the risk of sounding vapid, Queen-- from Quantum Protocol-- plays like how I’d expect Queen to operate in One Step-style combat.

Additionally, none of the characters feel restricted by their unique attacks. Neera’s attacks encourage builds involving frost damage, but a frost deck with Selicy feels just as effective. Queen and Hazel revolve around building structures, but one can use a deck building off these attacks or a deck with spells that work in conjunction with these attacks. The only thing preventing a deck from being effective in combat is how effectively one can develop synergy between their play style, spells, and character.

It's important to note- at the time of writing (March 8th)- Duelists still needs polishing. While the main game seems free from critical issues, one will inevitably notice the occasional minor hiccup. It’s a game still in progress, albeit one that feels close to completion. However, Duelists of Eden- to the extent of my knowledge- was mostly programmed by a single person. The state the game launched in and the fervor- and speed- with which the developer fixes problems is nothing short of miraculous and impressive!

Speaking of the Gauntlet mode… It’s ok? A lackluster single-player mode in a game primarily concerned with online multiplayer does not make the overall experience terrible. However, Gauntlet mode lacks the panache seen from other fighting game single-player modes like Classic Mode from Super Smash Bros, and the overall dryness of Gauntlet mode feels odd. However, any awkwardness derived from Gauntlet mode quickly washes away due to the quality of the gameplay.

All in all, I give Duelists of Eden a tentative 9/10- which may become a 10/10 as the game progresses and my thoughts have more time to digest- and I highly, HIGHLY recommend it for its cheap $5 price tag!

#Duelists of Eden #One Step From Eden #Indie Game #Indie Fighting Game #Fighting Game #Video games #steam #video game #steam games #review #video game review #video games review #steam game review #fighting game review #indie game review

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I've had some Legends-style starter evos in mind for a while, so I decided to design them in honor of today's announcement! Which one would you pick?

Cinderace is Fire/Psychic (playing cards theme), Primarina is Water/Poison (cabaret theme), and Meganium is Grass/Bug (avant garde/fashion theme)! I had a ton of fun with these and I can't wait to see which starters are ACTUALLY available in the game!

#Yes to all of these #Chikorita deserves more time in the spotlight #pokemon legends z-a #fanart

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WitchHand Review?

Ok, so I wrote a review for this game. However, I feel like it's not my best work, and I don't want mid-tier writing to represent this game.

So I'll just say this:

WitchHand's core gameplay mechanics and ways every element becomes interconnected create a fantastically engaging experience that has stolen hours of my time in the best way possible.

Despite some issues I have regarding repetition, this strategy game is easily one of the best games I've played so far this year and I highly recommend it!

#WitchHand #video games #cryophagee #game review #video game review #review #indie game #steam #indie game review #game #video game reviews #video games review #video games reviews #cryophagecritiques

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Paper Lily: Chapter 1 Review (PC)

Considerable amounts of well-known horror games surprisingly originate from the RPG Maker software. Developers can take this program and craft terror from an entirely different genre. However, these games often end up restricted by their gameplay and fail to deliver a terrifying experience. Lackluster precedents do not mean certain styles cannot produce a satisfying product, though. For example, Paper Lily: Chapter 1 crafts a frightening experience with satisfying exploration-based gameplay while sticking to its self-described “horror RPG” style.

Whereas most RPG Maker horror games infamously suffer from tedious & infuriating trial-and-error mechanics, Paper Lily enhances this gameplay style by making it about exploration rather than horror and harsh punishments for failure. Progression rarely restricts itself to one set path; puzzles usually feature multiple solutions, routes can suddenly open and close, and consequences mostly involve losing access to a new path instead of a game over. It forces the player to think carefully and logically- since every choice could carry consequences- without drawing their ire.

This lack of severe consequences is just one way the game encourages the player to explore everything. For example, one will almost always obtain seemingly unnecessary items during a playthrough, leaving the player with several questions about things they missed out on when they reach the end of the game. These two elements draw out one’s curiosity and inspire them to replay the game and find new paths and events. These repeat playthroughs usually net some reward, whether it comes from entirely new sections or other secrets.

When the game does punish the player for their choices with a game over, it never feels cheap. The bad endings one encounters during a typical playthrough always feature some elements explaining why things went awry. For example, an early-game section features an easily discoverable bad ending that initially seems like the game tried to fool the player. However, the ending only occurs if one neglects important details mentioned in the dialogue, and the game does not try to hide any information from the player. One only needs to give situations like this some thought to progress forward unscathed.

Paper Lily’s horror elements are not always on par with the exploration, however. Every terrifying moment runs counter to a handful of goofy scares, some moments veer away from scariness and towards edginess, and the game frequently dampens the shock of a sudden game over with a screen best described with the term ‘bloodsplatter.jpeg.’ It’s an experience of extreme highs and lows, but thankfully the better moments far outweigh the worse parts in quality and quantity. Additionally, these scary moments are some of the most bone-chilling in the entire genre due to their ability to shock without tropes like loud noises.

Paper Lily also breaks away from the typical RPG Maker format by excellently developing its presentation and mechanics. While the menus and textboxes feel typical of RPG Maker projects, little details like the smoothness in character movement, the brief but uniquely presented tutorials and surprising shifts in gameplay that will not be spoiled in this review constantly showcase the level of time, care, and quality that the developers exhibited towards this game while creating it. Not every mechanic feels satisfying to use- using items feels frighteningly uncomfortable, for example- but none of these severely detract from the presentation or experience.

All in all, I give Paper Lily: Chapter 1 an 8/10 and highly recommend it- if you can handle the serious topics the game touches on- especially since it’s currently free! Just remember to consider supporting the developers if you can.

#indie game #indie games #video games #video game #video game review #steam game review #game review #video game reviews #review #cryophagecritiques #pc #steam #paper lily #paper lily game #Paper Lily Chapter 1

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Portal: Revolution Review (PC)

NOTE: As of writing this review, I have only played up to halfway through Chapter 5.

With Valve refusing to craft a title involving the number three over the last decade, people inevitably created new experiences for the long-starved fandoms of their franchises. Whereas these creations typically featured unique levels and mods utilizing already-released games, not many fans take on the onus of creating an entire game with these tools. However, Face Software recently released their take on the Portal franchise with the mod Portal: Revolution. This mod stands out among other fan-created projects by creating an entire experience packed with new mechanics and a semi-successful attempt at recapturing the spirit of the original games, built on the iconic second game.

Portal: Revolution does a decent job of encapsulating the feeling of the original Portal titles. The graphics look as fantastic as Portal 2’s- since Revolution is a mod of Portal 2- and the original assets mesh perfectly with their surroundings. Everything feels crisp and as lively as an abandoned testing facility can feel. The mod even features slight improvements on the gameplay, as lasers can no longer kill the player (Granted, I cannot say if this is a bug or a feature, but it’s a welcome addition nonetheless) and the game derives as much content out of a half-functional portal device as possible, using this to create three chapters full of challenging puzzles!

The only problem with recreating the atmosphere of Portal arises due to the difficulty of replicating the wit and charm of the original titles. While the characters in Portal: Revolution provide interesting perspectives on the events of Portal 1, they lack traits- such as GLaDOS’ sarcasm, Cave Johnson’s madness, and Wheatly’s foolishness- that make them intriguing and humorous outside of what they contribute to the plot. Additionally, while the voice actors do a fantastic job, the delivery of certain lines and the attempts at witty dialogue again pale in comparison to the original games.

What Portal: Revolution did recapture from the original titles was unfortunately the overall structure of their plot. The story beats of Portal 2 and Portal: Revolution feel too similar to each other, as they both start with the player character waking up in a bedroom, attempting to accomplish some goal before they can escape, ending up in the underground sections of the compound and exploring several old test chambers while accompanied by a disembodied, prerecorded voice, and so on. While the events offered by Portal: Revolution are dissimilar enough from Portal 2 to provide a unique adventure, those familiar with Portal 2 may find themselves with a sense of Déjà vu.

However, the game utilizes its perspective of the events of Portal 1 to craft superb levels for the player to explore. A handful of levels involves the player breaking free from the typical level design of most Portal puzzles, whether this comes in the form of breaking into multiple rooms to progress forward, exploration revolving around intricately designed and ominous halls, or the utilization of objects like breakers. Granted, Portal 2 also features segments like this, but Portal: Revolution utilizes them more often and with better design to boot.

All in all, I give this game an 8/10!

#video games #game review #cryophagecritiques #video game review #pc #review #video game reviews #Portal #Portal Revolution

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Undertale Yellow Review (PC)

The fangame scene can feel like the chaotic wild west at times, as one can discover creations with drastically differing qualities. Everything from countless recreations of infamous viral horror games to absurd ideas like Super Mario Bros. but with the gun from Portal exist thanks to those with both passion and skill. However, developers occasionally take these traits to extreme heights and craft a game with quality on par with the series that inspired it, such as “Another Metroid 2 Remake” and “Pokemon Emerald Rogue”. The recently released “Undertale Yellow” joins this upper echelon of fan projects by creating a thoughtful and detailed expansion to the concepts and world of the original game, albeit while repeating said original game’s mistakes.

The creators of Undertale Yellow brilliantly recapture the spirit of Toby Fox’s masterpiece. The comedic moments, new locales, intriguing characters, heavenly soundtrack, and bullet-hell gameplay all mesh perfectly with what one would expect from the original game. The several details throughout the experience help accentuate the game’s atmosphere and showcase the development team’s understanding of the original material, as the plot approaches familiar concepts from new angles.

Undertale Yellow also provides fantastically difficult yet balanced encounters that do not seem impossible to overcome. Whether one pursues peaceful paths or opts for more violent routes, bosses all feature hard-to-evade attacks that do not typically feel impossible to dodge. Aside from some tough encounters, it always feels like one can only ever blame themselves for failure, and they need to become skillful enough to overcome any challenge the game throws at them. Combined with fewer fights wherein the player cannot lose and the balancing of difficulty via limited healing items, the gameplay of Undertale Yellow stands miles above the original game’s.

The game makes each route equally interesting, and significantly more engaging than Undertale’s non-true ending routes. The pacifist route’s endings both feel emotionally charged, the neutral route’s ending adds some interesting depth to the lore, and the game’s darker routes not only reproduce the original game’s unsettling atmosphere but add a hint of moral ambiguity via the player character’s ethos of unflinching justice. In fact, Undertale Yellow’s best aspect comes from how it handles the main character’s ideals, and how they stay true to those ideals regardless of the choices made throughout a playthrough.

Disappointingly, the game still makes the same mistakes the original game did regarding its darker story routes. If one wants to see the game’s darker outcomes, one must kill every enemy in an area before moving on, which combines with the lack of variation in regular enemy encounters to quickly generate an aura of tedium. This literal and figurative grind- which only becomes more unbearable when one runs out of encounters in a room and must find a different locale to fight monsters in- feels like the game gatekeeps a portion of its content behind a barricade that boasts an unnecessary toll of time. Thankfully, the snappiness of the overall gameplay cuts down on the time spent chasing after these darker story routes.

All in all, I give Undertale Yellow a 8/10 and HIGHLY recommend playing it!

#video games #game review #cryophagecritiques #video game review #pc #review #video game reviews #Undertale #Undertale Yellow

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We need to embrace the fact that the tumblr userbase is aging. What’s everybody’s favorite kitchen appliance?

#laugh rule

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IRA - "I didn't like it LOL" - (PC)

With all the rogue-like games in the modern market, one would expect developers to have an understanding regarding the core aspects that these games not only all feature but execute well enough that the game can be considered good, let alone have it stand out in the sea of new releases that digital storefronts can feel like at times. However, not everyone understands how to make a good game. Whether it results from inexperience or plain negligence, sometimes a development team fails to understand what they need to do to make something playable. The recently released IRA showcases this, as it fails to deliver a satisfying experience, due to how it sloppily weaves together bullet-hell style gameplay and rogue-like mechanics and makes several confusing decisions that turn the game into a repetitive nightmare.

Despite its flaws, the core concept of IRA provides intrigue and engaging gameplay at times. When the bullet-hell mechanics overpower IRA’s flaws, they cause the gameplay to feel decently well-crafted and fun. The game also does well at providing the quintessential gameplay mechanic of a rogue-like: the feeling of constantly getting stronger throughout a run. Admittedly, this is a tricky aspect of gameplay to mess up, but the effort is appreciated.

Running counter to the feeling of perpetually getting stronger throughout a run are the various weapons one can acquire during said playthroughs. The player can obtain several bows that vary in every way except their restrictive and limited ammo counts. This causes the game to suffer a fate similar to Breath of the Wild, wherein the player is discouraged from using brand-new weapons due to their fragile nature. Even if the player can obtain more ammo for these bows, it still imparts the feeling of restricted availability and hampers every playthrough.

The speed at which one can blaze through the bland and uninspired levels causes repeat playthroughs to become quickly stale. Rogue-likes live or die by their replayability and ability to keep the gameplay fresh and intriguing but IRA’s ludicrously short level length- one can reach the boss fight of an area in a few minutes with just decent gameplay- and lack of variability means one is constantly going through what feels like the same area every time they start up a new run. These conditions are ideal for optimal boredom and impart nothing but a lack of engagement with the player.

The clashing of the gameplay styles compounds this issue, as one can find themselves dying quickly. A good rogue-like typically revolves around fast-paced gameplay and rooms full of hostiles; a quality bullet hell is more about careful and methodical dodging. When mixing these two styles, IRA creates infuriating gameplay that combines a slow moving character with an overwhelming number of hard-to-dodge bullets.

Contending with the conflict between gameplay styles does nothing to alleviate the frequency with which one will find themselves dying in IRA, as the game features a fatal flaw in its design. Not only is the hitbox for the main character confusingly placed but taking damage delivers the same impact that getting hit with a wet tissue has. There is virtually no noticeable indication that one has taken damage aside from an oddly quiet sound that one can easily miss during combat.

The game also feels extraordinarily unstable and unrefined. The text in the game is weirdly opaque, which makes it difficult to read the awkwardly phrased and paced dialogue at times, the game made it seem as if beating certain bosses would unlock new features, yet nothing happens when one bests said foe, and the game can soft lock when one does something as simplistic as obtaining a reward for their efforts. IRA clearly needed more development time before anyone should have ever considered releasing it to the public.

All in all, I give IRA a 3/10.

#video games #game review #cryophagecritiques #video game review #pc #review #video game reviews #IRA

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FaeFarm Review - "This game's just really fun honestly" - (Switch/PC)

Despite what criticism might cause one to believe, flaws in a game’s design do not prevent one from enjoying said game. A few players can overlook flaws and enjoy a broken game like the 9th generation of Pokemon games, but a game’s best aspects can occasionally overwhelm the disappointment brought about by a game’s poorer elements. FaeFarm achieves this phenomenon by centering its design around inclusivity and improvements to the typical farming simulation gameplay despite the issues posed by the game’s story and presentation.

FaeFarm’s greatest strength comes from of its commitment to inclusivity on several fronts, like diversity and representation. Not only do a few of the villagers represent groups like people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community, but the character creator provides plenty of options that also deliver much-desired representation! The customization options could admittedly go more in-depth- color selectors for a few of the customization options only feature washed-out colors, as one example- but acts as a great standard for future character creators.

FaeFarm also becomes more inclusive for casual players via quality-of-life features. Most farming sims require players to fidget with a bucket-full of equipment that takes up inventory space and contend with a daily time limit that punishes the player for staying awake too late. FaeFarm trashes these archaic design choices by giving the player constant access to tools and automatically switching to an appropriate farming tool for harvesting purposes and only ends the day without consequence if the player stays up too late.

One final boost to inclusivity comes from how ways the game encourages several playstyles. For example, the menu option that helps players who manage to get stuck and the ability to jump allows players to explore as they please without fear! Meanwhile, the game encourages players to do whatever they want in a day as they receive means of extending their daily energy in the form of energy-boosting pickups, cooking, and magic spells!

The cooking system also provides a desired improvement to similar yet complex mechanics seen in other games. Whereas farming simulations require the player to obtain several specific items to cook dishes with little benefit relative to the time spent on acquiring said meal, FaeFarm reduces the complexity of these mechanics and makes cooking as easy as throwing everyday items into a fire. These design choices exhibit a thoughtfulness towards the player not usually seen in most modern titles.

It is a shame then, that Faefarm suffers from jarring performance issues. Whenever the game loads something, the game may freeze up for a moment. These moments where everything locks up can last long enough to make one wonder whether the game crashed. The feeling of momentary brokenness only becomes accentuated when villagers seem to slide across the ground without moving their legs after the player converses with them.

Additionally, the story mode feels unfortunately restrictive and streamlined. While most farming simulations feature a railroaded storyline or unlockable features, they reduce linearity by implementing mechanics like Stardew Valley’s community center and Potion Permit’s multiple quests. Instead of following the philosophy of the prior examples, FaeFarm opts to bluntly present the player with a linear series of quests. In the early game, this linearity can cause the experience to feel like an extraordinarily lengthy tutorial. Of course, a linear story-driven farming simulation could work flawlessly, but the quality of such an idea depends heavily on the plot.

Unfortunately, FaeFarm fails to give its plot some panache by leaning towards telling, not showing, and failing to do either at times. The player usually witnesses important story events via a series of impact-lacking drawings, which can cause one to feel like their efforts amounted to almost nothing. Additionally, a sparse handful of events lack immediate explanation, like the sudden appearance of fairies throughout the village after the player clears the first dungeon.

Despite these flaws, the game still manages to feel fun to play! Cultivating plants, taking care of animals, exploring dungeons, harvesting resources, befriending townsfolk, and all the other common features of farming simulations all appear and feel extremely enjoyable. Additionally, FaeFarm adds unique mechanics that streamline previously arduous processes and make the overall process more fun. Crafting new items draws from the player’s inventory and their storage, harvesting items, and breaking rocks becomes effortless thanks to magic abilities, and one can receive stat increases simply by building furniture!

            Additionally, the game adds to the fun by giving players a sense of constant achievement. Whether this accomplishment comes from the unlockable crafting recipes sprinkled throughout the land, the frequent level-ups one receives for their skills, the immense number of unlockable crafting stations, or the implementation of seals used to unlock fast travel to each floor of the game’s dungeons, FaeFarm provides a constant stream of engagement with the player.

The game also features multiplayer, albeit with a few caveats. While players can join their friends’ worlds and play through the game together, one must create a new character to do so. This makes sense on paper- as the ability to bring late-game materials into other worlds could wreck the game’s linear nature- but comes across as a pointless restriction in execution. FaeFarm is not a competitive online game that could become devastated by higher-level characters giving weaker characters strong equipment, it is a story-driven farming game. The experience of other players would remain enjoyable despite their friends bringing in random items.

All in all, I give FaeFarm a 8/10!

#video games #cryophagecritiques #cryophagee #review #video game review #game review #FaeFarm #Farming Simulator

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Pseudoregalia Review - "A True Hidden Gem" - (PC)

When searching for a high-quality title in the modern Triple-A gaming scene can feel like fruitlessly trudging through a swamp to find diamonds in the rough, one can usually count on indie developers to provide brilliantly crafted experiences people crave. Developers even produce creative, experimental, and downright enjoyable titles in a rush during community-hosted events like Game Jam. If one wants to find one such game, one needs to look no further than Pseudoregalia, as this game displays the mastery with which the developer Rittzler can create excellent and intricate game design that encourages exploration, skillful gameplay, creativity, and engagement. 

Pseudoregalia fine-tunes the defining feature of Metroidvania-style gameplay- exploration- to near perfection. The non-linear design of the game, the frequency with which the levels connect with each other, and the multiple exits each level boasts help the world feel interconnected, encourages the player to explore and lets them effortlessly find their route through the game. The game also prevents the player from accidentally getting stuck due to their curiosity via checkpoints that respawn the player closer to safer areas- rather than the location where they messed up-and the ability to reset back to a recent save, removing the threat of getting trapped from the player’s shoulders and inspiring them to venture forth as they please. 

The level design further improves upon Pseudoregalia’s exploration-encouraging mechanics. Each locale feels vast and intricate yet lively and engaging, which builds immersion with the player but also assists them with their adventure as it helps them distinguish between where they have been and where they will be. These levels do such a fantastic job at this that despite the game’s lack of a map, one will rarely find themselves getting lost in the world.  

The upgrades and items also bolster these mechanics by indirectly furthering the player’s ability to explore. Any well-designed Metroidvania should revolve around discovering new powers at the forefront, but Pseudoregalia takes this philosophy and goes a step further with it by not having a set order in which one obtains new upgrades (as far as I can tell). The game does not feel like one only traverses from one area to another, gaining a new item that essentially acts as a key to unlock new areas and repeat the process, instead putting control of the adventure in the player’s hands by giving them the tools with which they can venture forth on whatever path they decide to take. 

These upgrades also require significant skill to utilize efficiently, which further encourages exploration by inspiring creativity. Pseudoregalia does not feature any items- aside from increases to healing, magic, and other passive, optional abilities- that gift the player’s character with direct improvements to their capabilities, instead choosing to focus on new maneuverability options. Players can utilize items like the Sun Greaves and the Sunsplitter by themselves or in tandem to reach locales one might initially think unreachable without additional benefits, rewarding them for getting experimental with the tools they have. The skill required to reach otherwise unreachable areas acts as the only barricade halting the player’s progress. 

Pseudoregalia also takes inspiration from the design philosophy of Super Metroid by including an additional move that lets the player reach even more areas. The character can perform a backflip that provides decent height, albeit at the cost of conflicting with other abilities. This presents the player with even more freedom to adventure as they please if they exhibit the skill required to perform ludicrous maneuvers throughout the game’s tricky platforming sections. 

The developer showcases their aptitude with expert game design philosophies in more ways than only secret maneuvers, as Pseudoregalia acts as a masterclass in level design. The opening level does an excellent job of teaching the player how to play the game with minimal tutorials due to how it is designed in a way that encourages players to learn the mechanics of the game through experimentation and exploration rather than a tutorial that bluntly states what one can do with what they have. Additionally, when the game does explain how a recently obtained item works, it still manages to teach the player through level design by placing obstacles that require an understanding of the newly obtained item close to where one finds it. 

All these elements combine to produce a fantastic yet tricky platformer. Using every ability together to reach secrets or get through difficult platforming sections feels incredibly satisfying as they require exploitation of one’s surroundings or carefully timed maneuvers. Certain platforming areas can even feel like a puzzle as one attempts to figure out what combination of abilities can get them across the game’s many dangerous gauntlets. 

The only harmful aspect of this Metroidvania-inspired design comes from an error similar to an oversight made in the first Metroid title. The player cannot see into other rooms before entering, which helps keep the game running smoothly by lessening the number of things it must load at a time, catches one’s attention by standing out from the rest of the environment, and feels like moving from room to room in an older 2-D Metroid game. However, enemies the player cannot see can attack them through the blacked-out doorway, which can cause the player to take unnecessary damage through no fault of their own. 

The upgrades to combat one can uncover also feature a high level of quality when it comes to how it would challenge the player to play expertly. Pseudoregalia features a magic system similar to Hollow Knight’s- wherein damaging enemies recharges a magic meter the player can use to heal wounds- but adds a caveat in the form of the Indignation ability, which increases the player’s offensive capabilities the more they forgo using the magic meter. Additionally, stronger enemies can hit hard enough to knock the player’s weapon right out of their hands, forcing them to retrieve it. These two elements create a fantastic risk and reward system as the player gets rewarded for playing offensively but carefully.  

Unfortunately, the game does not provide many opportunities to use the combat mechanics. While one can understand why the developer made this choice- as the game focuses on skillful, buttery-smooth platforming- it still feels disappointing to see all the care and effort put into the combat amount to nothing. One can usually walk around most enemies, which causes foes to feel like punching bags full of magic to heal themselves with. The only time the game utilizes its combat mechanics to their maximum potential is with an admittedly enjoyable encounter against the final boss. 

The game also features several minor quirks, adding flavor to the well-crafted experience. One can toss their weapon to brighten up dark and shady areas and press a key to shift the perspective from third person to first-person. While the game controls much better from the default third-person perspective and the immense light emitted from the player’s weapon does not feel necessary, having options like these available at one’s disposal always improves one’s experience.  

The game also successfully captures the rustic charm of early 3-D graphics. The visuals and landscapes of Pseudoregalia feel similar enough to titles released in the final years of the PlayStation 1, allowing it to capture the iconic atmosphere that games like The Legend of Dragoon or Ocarina of Time showcase. Confusingly enough, the game also features a “retro filter” that feels like it is meant to help further the early 3-D graphical style’s immersion but makes everything look blurry and hard to see. Thankfully, one can turn off this bizarre feature. 

Presentation as a whole feels excellent throughout every element of Pseudoregalia’s design, as the accompanying audio punctuates the overall ambiance the game tries to achieve. The songs of each area all feature a unique way to deliver an atmosphere of mystery and adventure, which combines with the visuals of each locale to produce a ludicrous amount of immersion. Additionally, the various sound effects when attacking or platforming all feel snappy, crunchy, and satisfying, giving the player more satisfaction when they pull off tricky maneuvers.  

All in all, I give Pseudoregalia a 9/10! 

#pseudoregalia #video games #game review #cryophagecritiques #video game review #pc #steam #steam games #steam game review #indie game #metroidvania #platformer

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Sclash Review - "There's elements here that could become something really special" - (XBX/XB1/PS5/PS4/Switch/PC)

Whenever games feature swords or other types of blades, developers typically do not portray them realistically. Designers usually do this with good intentions, as many games would not feel enjoyable or engaging if players could defeat strong foes with a single strike of a blade. However, this does not mean realistic sword-based combat cannot become compatible with video game mechanics, as the only requirement to make an idea fun and engaging is careful, creative design. The developers of the recently released Sclash attempt to capture the realistic elements of swordplay in a 2-D format and achieves it with pleasantly surprising results, even if the other aspects of its design suffer from varying flaws that drag the experience down.

Sclash’s fighting game mechanics take advantage of the restrictions realistic sword-based gameplay presents by turning them into the core of the game mechanics. All combat in Sclash revolves around every opponent’s limited pool of health. One expertly timed blow will defeat even the most skilled opponent. The gameplay builds upon this feature, as all the actions one can utilize allows them to counter the moves their opponent has. Charged attacks can be interrupted by punches, but punches leave one vulnerable to a quick slice, which could get parried unless one tries to counter a charged attack. Every action taken could drastically shift the outcome of the duel, making fights exhilarating!

While Sclash unfortunately does not boast an online mode to take advantage of its riveting gameplay as of writing this review (08/07/23), it does let the player fight against AI opponents with questionable intelligence. Most difficulty options in the Duel mode will deliver a decent challenge- especially when set to Hard- but the AI in the game’s Story Mode tends to automatically stand a precise distance away from the player until they attempt to attack. This odd design choice can cause the flow of combat to waver wildly since the player lacks any input over the current situation in these instances, and dodging an evasive foe’s slices only involves taking a step or two backward. This behavior also makes defeating any non-parrying and dodgy foe tedious since their vain attempt to attack the player can be effortlessly countered with a dodge and a basic attack.

Sclash’s game design suffers from more weird flaws than only the infrequent odd behavior of the AI, unfortunately. Each fighter’s customization options feature askew capitalization in their names, attempting to dodge a sword strike can lead to one dying on the edge of a janky hitbox instead of the edge of a sword, and the achievement system suffers from horrendous bugs as achievements unlock when either the player or their opponent meets the prerequisites. The achievements especially showcase this lack of polish, as some achievements unlock without fulfilling the requirements to receive them, and a few seem missing from the game entirely, like the achievement for beating the third chapter of the story mode.

Additionally, broken achievements do not exist as the only problem plaguing the game’s story mode. Throughout a playthrough, the player either moves slowly to the right side of the screen or fights enemies, which makes one question why the game could not go from fight to fight, similar to a typical fighting game’s arcade mode. Additionally, events happen extraordinarily quickly as the plot never takes the time to slow down and let one digest the story, preferring to rush from scene to scene with dialogue that reads like someone trying to hastily summarize the events of a different tale. The rushed nature of the story gets bad enough that an entire chapter of the game’s plot lasts about two minutes and involves nothing more than a brisk jog to the right side of the screen.

However, where the story mode fails in its presentation, it shines with its unique gameplay challenges! Throughout a playthrough of Sclash’s plot, the game presents tough encounters like 4v1 matches and bosses with multiple hit points. This design helps circumvent the issue brought up by the AI’s cowardliness by evening the odds in the enemy’s favor and requiring the player to focus. The boss fights feel especially enjoyable as they demand engagement with the game’s mechanics since one hit can spell failure.

Sclash bolsters the gameplay of its story mode by including additional means of spicing up the gameplay in new and exciting ways. Whether one wants to play through the story mode with a strict timer or with a single life, the additional content takes story mode’s biggest weakness- its ludicrously short length- and turns it into a strength by creating a fighting-game style arcade mode of sorts, since one could play through it in a single sitting. These challenges can undergo further modification with a series of unlockable options to boost replayability and engagement!

Furthering strengthening- and yet simultaneously harming- the player’s engagement is the double-edged sword of its graphical quality. On one hand, the hand-painted visuals and stylistic low frame rate of the backgrounds, environments, and characters allow Sclash to make an identity for itself with unique and gorgeous visuals! On the other hand, some backgrounds look terrible due to their minimalistic qualities and lack of depth. Additionally, the low frame rate would feel more endearing if they did not clash heavily with other smoothly animated elements like one character’s scarf.

Duel mode does feature an assortment of customization options that assuage the harm done by the pitiful graphics, albeit with an odd caveat. As one plays Sclash, they will unlock new weapons and outfit pieces for the few characters they can play as. One can choose which character, stage, weapon, and outfit they bring into a match, but none of these seem to alter the gameplay in any non-cosmetic way. Sclash wants the mechanics of its combat to be the centerpiece of its game, even if the game loses out on variability.

This leads to the biggest issue with Sclash: the lack of options. Any game could have perfect mechanics, and one could still quickly become bored with their purchase due to the lack of variety, as one can only play essentially the same fight so much before losing interest. Thankfully, the developers can effortlessly add engagement to the combat in numerous ways, such as giving characters unique abilities and maneuvers, adding different types of weapons with various quirks and ranges, and including levels with interactive elements.

All in all, I give Sclash a 6/10 for now, and I’m curious to see what it becomes in the future!

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The way they just ragdoll out of the slide is glorious

my coworker showed me this tiktok today and i have watched it approximately 400 times

#laugh rule #slide

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Social Media Links cause I do other things besides reviews!

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Ember Knights - "Gloriously fast-paced and intense Rogue-like fun!" (Switch/PC)

After a long early access development period, Ember Knights finally released to the general public. Intriguingly enough, the developers opted to make Ember Knights a rogue-like despite the over-saturation of the genre seen in recent years. Expecting people to invest their time and money in a game that may retread ground that other games previously explored tends can become an enormous ask of potential audiences since the genre already features masterpieces like Hades. However, while Ember Knights does not boast the utterly ludicrous number of events to experience that Hades does, it provides gameplay on par with- and maybe even better than- games like it and with fantastic graphics, multiplayer gameplay, and atmosphere to boot!

      Rogue-Likes typically opt for fast-paced and chaotic gameplay, but Ember Knights cranks up the ferocity and pace to achieve spectacular results. Rooms typically drown with foes that can quickly swarm the player if they fail to control the situation, and everything from projectiles to attacks to movement happens surprisingly quickly. These intense encounters keep combat fresh and exciting over several gameplay sessions, as one needs to act fast, attack hastily, and master their reflexes to survive most encounters, let alone make it out relatively unscathed.

      Enemy encounters do not only revolve around managing fierce hordes of foes, as Ember Knights provides several ways to reward the player for masterful gameplay. During a run, one will encounter skills with recharge periods, but these skills only recharge when the player strikes enough enemies instead of waiting for a brief period to pass. Additionally, skills and certain weapons feature a charge mechanic that deals additional damage and hits when held long enough. These two mechanics make combat immensely satisfying as the player gets rewarded for skillful gameplay instead of skill-orientated gameplay.

       One can also utilize a dodge roll that provides an edge against the unrelenting swarm of foes due to how it interacts with the level design. Not only does this dodge roll allow one to escape a sticky situation via rolling through enemies or evading attacks, but it also lets them leap over gaps in the terrain. This puts control of the flow of combat firmly in the player’s hands as they can take advantage of the environment to gain a moment of respite needed to assess the current scenario.

       Ember Knights also features several weapons that provide more depth to combat. The combat styles of each weapon differ vastly from each other, which adds replayability, encourages players to try more experimental builds, and lets players find a style that best suits them! Every weapon also builds upon the fast-paced, aggressive gameplay by providing unique offensive options like charged attacks, high damage yields, and ranged attacks. The slow rate at which one unlocks each weapon also inspires creativity and further experimentation by giving the player the time to use and appreciate every tool of destruction.

       All of the gameplay elements become further accentuated with the addition of multiplayer, albeit at the cost of difficulty balancing. The entire game can be played with a few friends via online and local means, bringing forth the best of both online multiplayer and couch co-op! However, the gameplay does not change much between single-player and multiplayer, which does cause the difficulty to skew since solo runs deal with an overwhelming number of foes from room to room in the late game, and multiplayer runs deal with effortlessly dispatched opposition in early game locales (Specifically, I did not notice a difference between 1-player runs and 2-player runs). However, this minor detail does not detract from the overall enjoyment that either a group of friends or a solo player would receive from this game!

Unfortunately, the unlockable upgrades feel disappointingly railroaded. Obtaining more ember- a resource used to receive new abilities- throughout a playthrough only lets the player unlock new weapons in a set order, and new abilities/stat increases can only be unlocked when the player obtains enough prior upgrades. The game administers some leniency with the option to swap abilities with other certain abilities, but it leaves one wishing for more freedom to build up their character as they desire.

The minor disappointment felt from the streamlined unlockables thankfully becomes assuaged due to Ember Knight’s impressive graphical fidelity. The game runs at a surprisingly smooth framerate, especially considering the number of enemies and projectiles on screen at any given moment, and the rich quality of the graphics causes the game to feel like the pixel art equivalent of games with high graphical fidelity like Final Fantasy XVI. Ember Knights even features impressive animated cutscenes from time to time. These animatics feature a level of quality extraordinary enough to make most modern cartoons feel like cheap products. The game does not feature too many of these cutscenes, but they appear frequently enough to provide a pleasant surprise and a sense of accomplishment for making more progress through the game.

The world of Ember Knights also features a fantastic amount of lore and world-building. While it comes nowhere close to the same level of depth as Hades’ world-building- although few games manage to achieve that, let alone get anywhere close- the bits and pieces of info regarding the land provide enough detail for most players to feel a sense of semblance of engagement with the game! This engagement only becomes more in-depth by the oddities one encounters, such as a mystery item in a shop with a cost of 1 gold, or a tombstone that summons a little wisp companion!

The game also features an astounding atmosphere that builds upon the player’s engagement with the world! The laid-back yet thematically fitting and sometimes intense soundtrack, intricately designed environments with a plethora of destructible objects, and set order of worlds one adventures through really make one feel as if they are going on a grand adventure, chasing after a dastardly ne’er do well throughout all the lands they visit. While the developers essentially sacrificed variability and randomness for this atmosphere, the trade ended up well worth the loss.

          Ember Knights even spices up its lush landscapes by placing a few surprises throughout each world! This review will not go into detail regarding these gameplay elements- discovering them in the first place provides half of the fun of finding them- but the joy one will feel when discovering them provides as much enjoyment as the combat does. The reward received from most of these surprises contributes to the excitement of finding them as they feel truly rewarding!

All in all, I give Ember Knights a 9/10, and highly recommend it!

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Final Fantasy XVI - "Final Devil May Cry Fantasy" (PS5)

 Disclaimer: At the time of writing this review, I have only played the game for four hours. Problems I have with the game may be addressed later on, and an update will be added if I feel the need to include any necessary information, such as my opinions on the development of the plot and characters.

The recent string of low-quality releases from modern game companies is astounding. While fantastic games like Octopath Traveler II and Hi-Fi Rush were released this year, titles with broken and boring gameplay like Forspoken, Redfall, and Gollum have appeared more than usual. This trend of low-quality Triple-A games could cause one to experience drastically low expectations for Final Fantasy XVI when its release date inevitably rolled around, but the game turned out great! This title utilizes the power of current-gen hardware to deliver an experience that looks and plays great, albeit with a few minor issues resulting from the developer’s focus on spectacle.

Final Fantasy XVI feels like a true next-gen title due to its graphical prowess. Everything feels vibrant with the utilization of the game’s various visual effects, as magic spells shine with wonderous splendor and environments feel intricate and alive. However, the game might relish in detail too much, as fights and duels feel overly gruesome with realistic blood splatters, blood-stained weapons, and similar phenomena. While impressively realistic, this excessive gore is far from necessary.

Additionally, the performance suffers from a mild hiccup due to its graphics. Transitions from cutscenes to gameplay are mildly noticeable when the game prioritizes graphical fidelity and downright jarring when the game focuses on achieving a consistent sixty FPS as the cutscenes can suddenly switch back to thirty FPS. Spider-Man: Miles Morales also provided settings that let the console direct its resources to either graphics or framerate, but any cutscene/gameplay transition issues- if they existed in the first place- were handled well enough so that one will not usually notice them. Seeing these issues present in a game three years older than a different title that dealt with them appropriately feels odd.

            Final Fantasy XVI invests in its presentation to the extent that the plot and lore feel mildly neglected at points. While one can still understand what happens in the story, one can also notice how the focus on spectacle and presentation prevents the writing from explaining the finer details of the lore. These finer details still appear throughout the game, like how people casually use various forms of magic to perform everyday tasks. However, one can still become confused when attempting to understand plot elements like the differences in the various kingdoms and empires.

The developers seem to acknowledge this minor flaw by fixing it in a baffling way. During cutscenes, the player can pause the game and activate a feature known as “Active Time Lore”, which provides little blurbs of information about the current setting and characters involved in a cutscene. While this does relatively fix the issue to an extent, Active Time Lore also brings immersion to a screeching halt as one takes their time to quickly study up on the internal workings of the world.

Final Fantasy XVI continues interrupting the flow of gameplay with a barrage of tutorials. The developers bafflingly decided to go against modern game development design and frequently stop the game to inform the player of basic gameplay mechanics. The game does not need to stop in the middle of its tracks to explain an aspect of gameplay easily explainable with a prompt on the side of the screen.

Thankfully, the core of the gameplay mechanics reaches the same level of quality as the graphical fidelity does, despite the game doing its best to interrupt the experience. Final Fantasy XVI forgoes expanding on the gameplay of Final Fantasy XV and opts for the gameplay of the Devil May Cry (DMC) series. Combat focuses on chaining together attacks, magic spells, special attacks, and other offensive options gained from unlocking abilities in a progression system similar to DMC, but with a high fantasy twist and additional features like the ability to order the main character’s dog to attack certain enemies.

Encounters against stronger foes also provide additional combat options with the introduction of Cinematic Actions. These quicktime events mesh well with the gameplay as they ensure the player stays engaged at all times and keeps them on their toes as they must properly counter their foe’s flashy moves. However, the amount of time the player gets to react feels too lenient and can cause these moments to feel unrewarding. Lowering the reaction time would help these moments feel tense and allow the player to feel accomplished.

The various menus typically seen in an RPG also help encapsulate the stylish feeling of the gameplay by keeping everything streamlined and sleek. One can effortlessly parse through all the menus- including the settings/save game section- quickly and efficiently with a simple yet stylish design that does not clutter the UI with unneeded features. The game even includes 8-bit sprites of all the characters currently in the party, to add a bit of charm!

However, one cannot help but notice how the combat starts to become dull over time, despite the ways the game tries to keep encounters exciting. Devil May Cry works because the player constantly unlocks new abilities, weapons, and characters, encouraging- and sometimes forcing- the player to develop new strategies. Final Fantasy XVI’s combat- while still incredibly fun- frequently boils down to pulling off similar combos and dodging/parrying when appropriate.

A similar issue plagues the game’s progression, as a few locales come across as decisively linear. Linear design is not inherently harmful- and Final Fantasy XVI’s linear design comes nowhere close to horrendously linear games like Final Fantasy XIII- but the number of times the level design felt like nothing more than a bendy hallway felt disappointing. Thankfully, the game does try its best to disguise its linearity with secrets peppered throughout the levels, and a few open world-like areas.

All in all, I give Final Fantasy XVI an 8/10 and I would recommend it, but only with a relatively decent discount off of its current market price of $70.

#cryophagecritiques #cryophage #video games #game review #video game review #review #reviews #video game reviews #Playstation 5 #Playstation #Playstation 5 games #playstation games #playstation review #Playstation 5 Game review #Final Fantasy XVI #Final Fantasy XVI Review

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Cassette Beasts Review - "A better Pokemon game then most games Pokemon has released recently" - (PC/Switch/XBX/XB1)

When people desire a specific product from one company, another company entirely tends to step up to the plate and supply the demand. This phenomenon occurs frequently in the current gaming market, as the desire for innovation can cause companies to abandon audiences who desire games they know they enjoy. Some may even long for a franchise’s glory days, such as the 2000s when Pokemon seemed on top of their game with the 4th and 5th generations. This pining for objectively good Pokemon games led Bytten Studio to create a game that revolves around capturing and fighting monsters, known as Cassette Beasts. This indie title takes the basics of the gameplay formula of the Pokemon series and expands on it beautifully to create an experience better than most modern Pokemon games.

Similar to how Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling approached and improved upon the gameplay of Paper Mario, Cassette Beasts heightens the basic mechanics of Pokemon’s turn-based combat. For example, catching new monsters feels like more of an ordeal to overcome rather than something that relies mostly on luck; actions taken during a turn where a character tries to capture a new monster can cause the catch rate to drastically shift. This simple change makes the gameplay much more dynamic, engaging, and most importantly, fun.

This dynamically-focused approach to gameplay permeates throughout the entire game. One does not need to waste time with grinding sessions as one’s current party members are the ones who level up, which allows players to easily change which monsters they want to use in a situation without worrying about essentially babysitting a weaker monster until it reaches a high enough level; the player can explore the world as they please as the game effectively drowns them in questlines to pursue, which works much better than Pokemon Scarlet/Violet’s open world with unfortunately linear storylines; the additional game mechanics like damage-absorbing walls and status effects like multitarget allow for intricate strategies.

The game even provides a limit break that plays on the core mechanics of the double battles that the game relies upon. Any two monsters can fuse into a stronger form that shares movesets, buffs, and debuffs from both monsters. This system acts as a brilliant expansion of the double battle mechanics- as one needs to consider their prior actions before fusing to get the most from it- but does not completely shatter the game’s difficulty since fusions still take a relatively decent amount of damage from stronger enemies. Cassette Beasts even goes above and beyond with its typing system by making it immensely interconnected. Pokemon has its fair share of weaknesses that make sense, but when one starts considering the logic behind its more obtuse types- like Dark, Dragon, Fairy, and Psychic- the logical reasoning starts to fall apart. Cassette Beasts abandons these wackier types and gives everything a logical weakness. For example, plastic-type monsters are weak to fire since plastic does not hold up very well to heat, and metal-type monsters take more damage from electric-type move because metals conduct electricity. All one must do to figure out a monster’s weakness is to give it a little bit of thought.

Even weaknesses that feel more irrational are still easily understandable, as the game ensures players can comprehend which types are effective against other types. Not only does the game provide a chart that will look familiar to fans of the Pokemon franchise, but every time a new weakness becomes discovered, a quick and brief tutorial pop-up will explain why the weakness exists and how exactly it affects gameplay. However, these tutorials can feel mildly irritating as the same tutorial can pop up multiple times for how one type behaves.

Similarly, using moves that are not very effective against certain types can provide stat increases to the defending monster. These can range from simple stat increases to status effects to even the monster’s type changing to something else entirely. Unlike in Pokemon, ice-type monsters are actually good to bring against a fire-type monster as they can melt and become a water-type which can put out the fire-type. It ingeniously expands on the tried-and-true super-effective moves system that Pokemon has relied upon since its inception in the 90s.

The graphics could use a little polish, though. In-Battle sprites still look fine, but the overworld sprites of characters and monsters look somewhat cheap. It seems like it tries to emulate the graphical style of the 3rd and 4th generation of Pokemon games, but ends up with tacky graphics. Thankfully, the game manages to turn this minor weakness into a massive strength at times, but I will not spoil that for those who have not seen anything regarding the game yet.

The game also features a physics engine that can feel legendarily awful at times. It never draws away from one’s enjoyment of the game, but seeing a crate suddenly clip into the ground or fly away at ludicrous speeds will usually suck one right out of the experience. The abilities one gains for traversal can also suffer from the awful physics as it can be hard to get out of bodies of water or get the magnetic poles to lift the player.

All in all, I give Cassette Beasts a 9/10!

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Rusted Moss Review - “Some of the smoothest platforming I’ve seen in any game” - (PC)

      It is always interesting to see a game take inspiration from myths and legends people interpret hundreds- maybe even thousands- of times only to make a fresh and new tale. Games like Rusted Moss- a game with a story about the relationship between humans and mythical creatures like Fae in a more modern setting- manage to pull this feat off with impressive frequency. The intriguing setting is not the only aspect Rusted Moss excels at, as it utilizes physics-based platforming and masterful usage of classic game design elements to deliver a fantastic experience, albeit one that can come across as a bit rushed and confused when it comes to its lore.

     Right off the bat, the game flexes its mastery of ambiance. The decayed yet oddly lively world of abandoned, rusted cities full of vaguely vibrant moss feels incredibly stunning. Rusted Moss also provides an atmosphere with little details, whether it is with the charming idle animations of the main character- Fern- or the sudden world-building conversations between Fern and their companion, Puck.

     When starting a new game, Rusted Moss throws the player into the aftermath of the inciting incident. This feels jarring as the events one observes while playing feel like they lack crucial context from prior in-game events. Where franchises like Dark Souls can get away with this kind of storytelling- as the lore and plot are purposefully vague and mysterious- Rusted Moss feels like it left a fifth of its story on the cutting room floor and expected to accomplish the same phenomena.

    This lack of context can also lead to awkward interactions between Fern and the world around them, as dialogue can feel too much like a tutorial. One will encounter poisonous substances blocking the way forward and receive clunky yet informative dialogue about the poisonous material and how this hazard affects gameplay. There is nothing wrong with teaching game mechanics in this way, but dialogue that feels like the developers wrote it solely to inform one about these mechanics instead of sounding natural will inevitably lead to one’s immersion getting broken.

     The unneeded dialogue feels strange, as the game does well at teaching the player about level gimmicks. For example, in the level with the poisonous substance, one must make their way through a tunnel full of the stuff. As they do this, they will inevitably discover how they can stay in it for a short while before taking damage. Later on, a boss fight utilizes the deadly material by filling the bottom section of the arena with it, and one must dodge one of the boss’s attacks by briefly walking through it. Game Design like this effortlessly showcases the mechanics of the world, and more games need to utilize this style of level design.

     Upon entering the arena of the first boss, one may also notice how the game can get a little too intensive for computers. Every boss fight feels fast, frantic, and a few additional mechanics away from becoming a bullet hell. While incredibly enjoyable, these fights can feature enough obstacles and projectiles to cause one’s computer to slow down. (Granted, this may be due to my laptop not having the best performance, so I would take this claim with a grain of salt.)

     Of course, the player also accidentally contributes to this with the plethora of weapons the game provides. One will occasionally find new guns, akin to how one comes across beam weapons in a Metroid game. Despite most of the weapons one obtains being ranged firearms, the game does feature a quaint variety in each weapon type. One can also quickly switch from one weapon to another, allowing for sudden shifts in their strategy.

     Shortly after the first boss battle, one receives an elastic grappling hook with sufficient maneuverability. The grappling hook relies on momentum, typically requiring one to get a running start before reaching the heights needed to traverse the game’s locales. It can feel awkward to master initially, but platforming with it is bloody fantastic! Additionally, if the controls feel awkward to utilize, one can change exactly how the grappling hook works with in-game menu options to better suit their control preferences.

    The game also heavily rewards players who take the time to backtrack upon getting the grappling hook with plenty of upgrades. Any good Metroidvania should feature secrets and collectibles hidden, and Rusted Moss features secrets aplenty! One who’s familiar with the genre will find themselves surprised with the metric ton of collectibles tucked away in the first area of the game alone.

 All in all, I give Rusted Moss an 8/10!

#video game #game #video game review #review #game review #reviews #cryophagecritiques #Rusted Moss #PC #Steam