Recent reviews by 188man

Amnesia: The Bunker

NO SPOILERS (Just the basics)

To preface the review; I have played all of the previous Amnesia games, so keep that in mind. I love Horror games and specifically Survival Horror games.

Firstly this game differs from the past entries because it is by all accounts the most 'Survival Horror' this series has ever been. Preceding titles were more inclined to be what most people refer to as just 'Horror' or in some cases 'Horror walking simulators'. The story and atmosphere were definitely at the forefront, with a hint of survival mechanics included to varying degree.

This game has more in common with classic games of the Survival Horror genre, like Resident Evil. You have a safe room, item chests, item management, crafting, puzzle Solving etc... all of which are hallmarks of the style. Their is also weaponry which you can use to fend for yourself, however they are mostly used for deterrence; you cannot kill the creature that stalks you. Make no mistake, this is not an action game.

Stealth is very important. Visibility and noise are critical to your life so be careful. If you're discovered you'll need to run and hide. The beast that pursues you is cunning so you'll need to be smart about how you play the game.

More so than ever time is of the essence. A generator is used to light the bunker you're in, this is vital, because the monster hunts primarily in the darkness. The fuel depletes quickly over time, so you need to find more as you travel throughout the structure. This could possibly discourage players, although I quite liked it. Urgency is a product of any good horror game in my opinion.

Above all, player initiative and self-reliance are probably the most important factors of this new entry in the Amnesia series. I loved all of the new changes to the formula. If this is a sign of things to come for the franchise, then I'm happy.

A stressful, scary, inspired survival horror game.

8.5/10

Preface:

I came into this as a fan of the movies, so it might be good to experience those first before playing this. Overall it's not mandatory or necessary as the game has a separate story and tells it quite well without referencing the films.

Mad Max is a quasi film-to-game adaption were purportedly it's main inspiration is specifically Mad Max fury road. A great movie no doubt but does this video game hold the same appeal?

Yes on all accounts, this game is very good in depicting a post-apocalyptic world in true Mad Max fashion. If you like the movies you most likely will appreciate this. Dread, desperation and destitution abound.

First and foremost Mad Max is a vehicular combat game, very much in the same vein as Twisted Metal, Gas Guzzlers or the Full auto games. Ramming, smashing and lots of explosions, it's all very satisfying.
A hand-to-hand combat system is also present when you're not driving. Enemies approach you in waves as you fend off attackers with combos and rapidly timed counters. It does resemble 'batman: Arkham Asylum' in this regard.

Structurally the game shares some DNA with a lot of Ubisoft titles were you collect, scavenge and upgrade. You then of course explore new locations on your map by traveling across the breath of the landscape, or mass unveil via panoramic points of view via Hot air balloon.
Their is a lot to do in the world so it rarely gets boring. Side missions, random tasks and collectibles are plenty, but Tedium does set in unfortunately as you repeat the same combat flourishes over and over, very much in the same tradition as the aforementioned Ubisoft games.

Story wise the narrative was never the high point for me, overall it's serviceable. Largely it's a interpersonal journey for max as he struggles with his own humanity and morality in a ruined world. This is by no means a morality play, personally I think it's not that engrossing, The combat is of course the main appeal here.

Overall a good game but at times tedious. 8/10

Conarium – Review by 188man

-Spoiler Free-

Conarium is a lovecraftian horror game that was developed by Stormling Studios and published by
Iceberg Interactive in 2017. This game is in first person which is quite similar to many games of the same genre, Monstrum or Amnesia comes to mind.

Mouse & keyboard controls are quite easy to learn as you adapt to them quickly when the game gives you on-screen instructions. Above all, it seems rather easy to control so absolutely no problems there. Almost every action is automatic so no inventory interacting is required, just click and if you have the required item, you can proceed. Very elementary stuff.

When it comes to graphics, it's quite good, considering it's an indie game. The levels are richly colored and the lighting is excellent, every object is brightly showed with high detail. I don't have any qualms about the visuals what so ever.
The architecture is probably the most impressive perspective wise, because it is meant to be otherworldly, so kudos to the level designers. Alien like statues and ornamentation decorate the crumbling halls for most of the game, although some sections are in typical Victorian interior construction. This provides a stark contrast between the worlds. Quite a well spring of lovecraftian graphic design.

I love the sound design whether it be sound effects or music; everything seems very well made. Atmosphere is thick with the sounds of decrepit ruins and echoing abominations untold. Immersion is well earned through these elements, a pair of headphones is definitely recommend for full enjoyment. If you want to get the OST, you can find it in the DLC list of this game on steam.

The narrative is intriguing to say the least. I got swept up very quickly through the experience. Letters, diaries and notes are scattered around the levels as well as flashbacks that you watch first hand. It's very well told, as are many Lovecraft-esque stories.

The game runs for about 4-5 hours, which is short in this day & age of video games. However i think it's quite appropriate, as the gameplay would get stale after a while. It's not a complex game, infact this title falls more into the visual novel category more than anything else. For this fact, it does lend itself to the idea it is a lovecraft story.

When it comes to difficulty, their's practically little of it. You do encounter puzzles but for the most part they're easy to solve. Many would regard this as a walking simulator, which is not unfounded i would say. 'Dear Esther' comes to mind whenever that phrase is coined, i personally don't agree. Their are challenges but they few and far between.

Overall I think it's a good game to go through. However I can imagine many people will be disappointed for the sheer lack of scares or survival elements. It's all about the storytelling and atmosphere for the most part.

I'm a lovecraft fan so i liked this one very much.

7/10

A good game, short but sweet.

Coldside – Review by 188man

Spoiler free

Coldside is an indie psychological horror game. It was made in 2020 and was developed/published by AdrovGames. Unfortunately this game is only available on Microsoft windows so if you have Mac/Linux/Consoles you're out of luck I'm afraid.

It's personally not a disappointment especially for a price as low as 6.55 euro on steam (No discount). You definitely get more than you pay for here. This is my first time playing a game of theirs and I must say I was impressed.

Control wise the game could not be simpler. You use a mouse & keyboard, although controller support is also available if you want to use that. Simple and basic functions are allotted to you like jump, crouch and use; very basic stuff.
This might sound underwhelming but I assure it isn't, it's not a complex game thus it doesn't need complex controls. Adventures such as Amnesia or Penumbra spring to mind when playing this regarding the controls, it's almost identical in how it operates.

The Visuals are obviously the highlight of the piece. This game was built using Cry Engine 5 and it shows, it's gorgeous. Dark, creepy and highly atmospheric; I really liked what they did with it. This title is almost all in darkness for it's entire run time so the colors and lighting really get to shine here.

When it comes to visual options, it's not bad. You get the basic standards like Anti-Aliasing, V-Sync, Resolution, Windowed mode and FOV etc... However Anisotropic Filtering and Border-less Fullscreen are missing here sadly.

Audio & OST are excellent; I liked it very much. Largely the game is set in an underground environment so the reverb and surround sound is quite remarkable. Playing with headphones are a given if you want to experience this game correctly; it is a horror story after all.

The sound design is used to great effect when you travel through the hallways; voices can be heard through whispers and the very structure seems to creak and crack until duress; just superb. If you're interested in the music, you can check out the composers website here: http://www.mikkotarmia.com/ or even visit youtube to listen to the full OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Zb65MvVoQ

As far as story & plot go, it's quite sparse. You have a simple plot framework which is not all that important. I think you're preoccupied most of the time to think about the narrative; trust me it's not that crucial. It services the game well but I wasn't indeed captured by it, nothing seemed to grab me, besides the game itself of course. This would be the biggest let down honestly.

A good game but it has some flaws and is somewhat weak in the story department..

7/10

A flawed but a decent horror experience.

Lost in Vivo – Review by 188man

- Spoiler Free -

Lost in Vivo is a small indie survival horror game. I often play indie games and this is probably one of the the most interesting. The perspective is in first-person, you use the mouse and keyboard primarily, although the controller is also compatible if you so desire. All interaction is quite simple, you take items and use them automatically on doors etc. All quick and easy.

The graphics are a bit on the weak side even for it's date of release. It is built on the Unity engine and it shows: the colors, lighting and textures look like similar games using said engine. You could say that's apart of it's charm, seeing that the PS1-esque indie game chic is in full force nowadays.
Most if not all of the game takes place underground, which inevitably brings claustrophobia through it's design, this is of course intentional.

The sound & music is fantastic. Deep and dark atmosphere permeates this game very well through it's sound design and the soundtrack compliments it accordingly, it's well done. Using headphones are recommend, not only for your immersion but also for practical use. You'll understand this once you play it.

The combat is fairly straight forward, you have just a few weapons in total and you use what works for you; very simple. The enemies die quite easily I found, but their can be many of them. Largely the difficulty in this title mainly revolves around getting through areas with large amount of foes. Running works most of the time, this is obviously the hallmark of most survival horror entries.

Story and plot wise, it's bare bones. Like silent hill it's mostly introspective and personal, this game is no different. The plot mainly surrounds a dog companion that you start the game with. Allegory is quite prevalent in the storytelling, notions of depression, anxiety, suicide and body shaming are featured. It can get quite heavy with these concepts so be warned, it can be upsetting to some people.

Unfortunately it's quite short (About 4 hours) however this is a blessing in many regards because if it was longer, it would most assuredly get boring. Their are a few bugs, none of which were game breaking thankfully; just little issues. I think the game could of used a bit more polishing but overall it was fine.

At the time of this review, the game is 9.99 Euros on steam, i think it's well worth the price and you should get it if you like games such as Amnesia, Penumbra or Soma; enjoyable game.

I liked it.

7/10

A good survival horror indie game. Short and sweet.

Tormented Souls – Review by 188man

- Spoiler free -

Tormented Souls a classic style 90's survival horror experience. When i say “experience” i absolutely mean that, this game captures everything you loved about games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. It's all there: Fixed camera, tank controls (optional), inventory management etc.

For an indie title this game is very well made, the visuals excellent, soundtrack wonderful, however the voice acting is probably the weakest part of the game. I don't know if this was intentional seeing that it's a homage to 90's horror games. Perhaps this was lost on me. Nonetheless the game is not hampered in any way by this setback.

The controls are extremely well implemented despite the fixed camera angle that seemingly everyone hates (I don't). You can use the directional pad for tank controls or analog for camera based movement as seen in the Resident Evil Remake/Remaster.

The combat is fairly simple and nicely paced, this is by no means an action game, it's a survival horror title. As difficultly goes, it's not that hard until you realize the hardship is mainly in it's puzzles and miscellaneous tasks.

Like all games of this lineage it involves a lot of back tracking and puzzle solving. This game has an avalanche of puzzles to complete. Certain tasks are very challenging, probably the most difficult I've ever experienced in this genre.

Traveling throughout the environment is quite easy and simple, many paths will be unlocked as you progress. It might sound like a negative connotation that you backtrack but I assure you it's a benefit; there is a great tale to be told. The very environment is almost like a character in itself.

As far as plot & story goes, it's actually quite remarkable for a game of this genre. Not to say that survival horror stories have been bad, but considering the track record, it's hasn't been stellar.
All i can reveal is that it has a cleverly written narrative that has scatterings of previous horror games in it's DNA. A lot of points in this game should be familiar to you if you have played Silent Hill for instance.

I love this game.

Tormented Souls is an explosive return to form for classic survival horror games. If you ever enjoyed games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Fatal frame or even Amnesia, i'd pick this one up.

9.5/10

A modern horror classic.

The Room - Review by Robert Murray (188man)

- No spoilers -

What can i say it's a puzzle game, a damn good puzzle game. This is my first entry into 'The Room' franchise and i have to say it's wonderful. Their is effectively no walking or traveling of any kind in this game, which is refreshing. The controls are based explicitly on your mouse, no keyboard necessary.

Each puzzle requires you to be very observable, a sharp eye is essential. You click on points of interest and then solve the problem, each minor puzzle leads to another until eventually you complete the scene/chapter. Ultimately if you like puzzle games, you'll love this, it's extremely dense with conundrums to solve which are not at all absurd or esoteric in nature.

The visuals are quite good, very tastefully done as you can see in the steam screenshots. The sound design is excellent, no issues whatsoever, it all seems to be well made. The only gripe if at any would probably be the length of the game, it's around 2-4 hours. Although this issue would probably be down to preference, i concluded it was appropriate so no harm no foul.

I will give this game 9/10

Superb Game, One of the best in the genre.

The Textorcist - Review by 188man (https://www.twitch.tv/188man)

The Textorcist Story of Ray Bibbia is a 2D sprite, isometric view, Bullethell+Typing indie game developed by Morbidware. Storywise it's quite simple, dialogue is exchanged between the characters with text boxes and character portraits. Graphics wise it's fine, lots of hotline miami esque sprite work which is nice. Audibly the game is excellent with booming synth music tracks that's something a kin to hotline miami.

As regards to gameplay this is where most people might get divided. This game is punishing and brutally difficult at the mid-late game. Just be aware what you're getting yourself into, if you don't have a decent skill level in typing, you'll have a rough time with this title. You are effectively playing two games at once, a bullet hell and typing game.

You move around the arena typing as you go avoiding bullets and other projectiles, speedy key presses and quick reactions are vital. I will recommend this game but only just, this game is not my wheelhouse but i did enjoy it but not to it's conclusion. i gave up near the end because it was too difficult and that point i lost all interest and fun and put it down. Sado masochism is not my idea of fun when playing video games.

188man reviews - 💀 Commandos Behind Enemy Lines 💀

First of all i think this is a great action-strategy stealth game, not surprisingly it was the first to popularize it. I'm a newcomer to the series and my experience has been overall positive. The graphics being the age that they are is quite pleasing to the eye, and the animations lacking in finesse make up for it's shortcomings in nostalgic charm and simplicity.

The gameplay is antiquated but that's to be expected from a 1998 PC game. You will rely heavily on timing and patience mostly with good planning thrown in. Notwithstanding is the hidden reliance on more esoteric knowledge which is gained only by playing the levels over and over, which in turn take hours to complete. Nuance and exploitation of game mechanics is actually necessary to complete certain levels.

The density and placement of the enemies and their abilities is what makes your playthrough difficult, make no mistake this is a brutal slog of an experience for new players. Quick loading/saving is essential in commandos, personally i think i must of quick saved well over 300 times during a single level. If you're not ready for how hard this game is, you might learn to hate it. You will be frustrated, theirs no doubt about that. My personal advice is to play in short bursts and avoid playing while tired.

Overall a great game if you have the patience for it, but a hard recommendation for newcomers. Personally i would say try more modern games of the genre like Desperados 3 or Shogun Tactics before playing commandos.

9/10⭐

188man reviews – Streets of Rage 4

Foreword

First of all i would like to say well done to Dotemu, Guard Crush Games and Lizardcube for making a great sequel to a wonderful franchise, I'm glad it's resurrected as I'm quite a big fan of the IP. The brawler genre has seen a resurgence in recent years and i couldn't be more happy about that fact. I've played Fight'n Fury, Mother Russia Bleeds and many other modern brawlers which are all excellent, so my expectations are quite high.

The Good

Streets of rage 4 is a very solid sequel, I like the action, it's very crunchy and feels very nice. The graphics are quite pleasing to the eye with lashings of colour with splashes of flare and animated luster, some may dislike it, personally it suits the game and I approve of it. The Music is outstanding, which to me is a high praise considering how iconic the previous entry's music was, the 90's sound is back in full force although you do get a lot of modern tastes thrown in for good measure.

The sound design blasts out with snapping hits and bombastic bravado which is all you need for a Streets of Rage title, it's all very satisfying and never ceases to be monotonous. The control aspects of the game are quick and responsive with a lot of returning features from the older games. You have 4 characters to choose from, however throughout your experience you'll unlock more, they're all well designed and play very distinctively.

This time around it's more difficult but not in the way you might expect, you'll fight and win most of the time but you'll run into a few newly added bumps that might be off putting to some, especially to veteran players of the franchise. Just keep an open mind. Personally I like what they've done with the difficulty, I would say it adheres to the modern gamer, with all the expectation of harder gameplay.

Length wise the game is reasonably long for it's genre, roughly 5 to 6 hours long, I find this be ok, I can't complain.

The Bad/Nitpicks

With some disappointment, this game is not a perfect sequel, mainly because of the little changes and outright removal of certain aspects from previous iterations. The game is lacking a dodge feature as well as running mechanics for most of the characters. You'll be quickly stating in your own play-throughs that these features would have been useful 'here'.

Their is no alternate routes or sidetracking which is a shame, I would of liked to pick my own routes. Their are no Multiple endings which is saddening, I always liked getting different endings in SOR3 in particular. I'm not a big advocate for the stun immunity in certain enemies, this is one of the many additions. At times it is down right annoying as you cant stun targets with your attacks, I wish this was optional.

That's all I guess, I can't think of anything else I don't like about this game. It's mostly small changes I don't approve of. I hope they patch these problems or at least make them optional.

Overall it's a great game and a great sequel, but is it better than it's previous incarnation: SOR3. I would say no but nonetheless it's all good. Personally I think the Streets of Rage Remake is a better game to bear the name but that's just me. Ultimately I think you're going to enjoy it despite it's short comings, certainly I did.

8/10