Recent reviews by ReleaseTheKraken.exe

I was really excited for this game. As an avid point and click adventure game lover and someone who enjoys the time period and setting this game takes place in, I was intrigued. The premise is interesting as are some of the mechanics in the game. A persuasion system alone was incredibly fascinating and I still stand it's a highlight of the game along with the music and art.

However, it's incredibly straightforward and feels like it lacks *something*. The story, while interesting, feels lackluster in execution and almost like there were some major cuts? The puzzles are hardly puzzles and I felt with the overwhelming linearity it just lacked soul. Is it booming with potential? Absolutely. And I can see why plenty still enjoy this game despite the flaws.

However, I can't quite recommend this game though I don't want to completely disregard it. I simply wish there was more.

I was actually nervous to start this game. So many said it is worse than Human Revolution and having loved it, I wanted a sequel that could live up to it.

And imo, it did.

TL;DR at the end.

Let's get a few things straight, the microtransactions are practically nonexistent. You can easily play through the game without knowing they are an option. Now the cosmetic and one-time consumable DLC is pretty bad, but they are completely unneeded to enjoy the game in full.

Another large complaint I see is that the world in-game changed too much from its predecessor. After the Incident from HR, the world changing like it has is a very logical next step. We go from a technology renaissance to a world tearing itself apart and attempting to force an entire demographic into isolated areas. Everything becomes more negative, there is a lot more suffering, the world looks bleak, etc. Not to mention the game takes place in a completely different part of the world, I found it all very fitting.

The next complaint I hear is the fact that there is only two cities, while in HR you hopped from multiple cities around. Now, even though Prague is not the prettiest site to look at, is is overflowing with activity. Everywhere you go it feels real. Everything around you aids to the setting and nearly everything has a backstory. Everything that is there has a purpose for being there that makes sense. The detail given to the side quests and points of interest brings everything to life. I actually cared about a lot of the NPCs and their outcomes. And Golem City, while small (even smaller than Prague), still had a good bit going on that'll leave you shocked.

Yes HR had multiple cities, but they lacked this level of detail and depth. I spent hours just sightseeing and exploring in Prague every time I came back from a mission to see what changed and what the NPCs were up to now.

The gameplay is a grand improvement from HR. Everything feels cleaner, the new additions are more than welcome (in depth gun customization and experimental augs), and it feels good to play. There are countless ways to get things done befitting to your playstyle and unlike HR, that tended to make it hard to find resources to charge your batteries, we have biocells (a throwback to the original Deus Ex's bioelectric cell) that you can not only find and buy, but craft. You can still run out of them if you aren't smart with them, but they are a welcome addition. A major difference is that in this installment, most of the boss fights, save the last one, are mainly focused on negotiating and dialogue. If you want the best possible outcome, you gotta choose the right dialogue (very much like the end of HR). I personally enjoy these as it brings out more to the characters you are going against. It makes them more than an ememy. You can still fail the dialogue and kill them if you want, but it is far more satisfying to win a battle of wits imo.

Graphics are stunning and demanding on your rig. The upgraded models make HR look very dated and add to the submersion. I would recommend that you have plenty of RAM, 16 GBs did me fine and helps things run so much better than just 8GB.

Now to get to the story, we are continuing 2 years after HR with the world now questioning augs and if augmented people are safe. It has caused a massive divide with some events that feel eerily real, like they could really happen should we ever reach this technology to this level. At times, it is hard to take in seeing the fear and brutality from both sides of the coin. The world is most definitely in chaos.

Most of the story is in the details. I highly recommend taking time to read emails, books, and pocket secretaries. Stop and listen to the NPCs talking about current events or watch the news to really get a sense of what is going on (or what is being spun). Don't rush through the game or you are going to miss a core part of it. Do the side quests, go to points of interest, explore everything. The devs took the time to fill this changed world with tons of backstory, stop and enjoy it. It adds so much to the main quest.

There are a couple key points that will change things for your end game. Deciding to save one person over another has consequences. How fast you do certain things can change an outcome. Going to one place instead of another can affect you later. Even small sidequests and how you went about doing them, or not, affects how the worlds ends up in the end. Not every choice is this heavy, but I feel the right amount is. Every choice just about feels like it matters in some way.

Overall the story pacing feels pretty good. I do wish it wasn't as predictable as it is, but it still caught me off guard at some points. The final could have been more intense, but I wasn't too let down. Things are set up very well for the next installment.

Yes the game can be buggy at times, but no where near as bad as launch and the ramaining bugs can be worked around.


TL;DR Give the game a shot. It isn't as bad as people make it out to be and is pretty solid (still has a few bugs, but they are easily worked around). Just make sure to explore the world and really get into reading emails and such for all that backstory otherwise you are missing out.

I recieved this game as a gift from a nice individual who surprised with it after seeing I had it on my wishlist (which I added it there before all the reviews came in as it looked cool). I was very excited to play it as it reminded me of old games I had seen before (and I love puzzle games like room puzzles and such). Unfortunately, the game just feels like it was made on a friday night out of boredom or possibly as a highschool video game design and development class.

The puzzles are simpler than most puzzles I encounter in other games when I set them to easy. Even simplier than the starter Professor Layton puzzles (which is saying something). Puzzle number 7, which you will see many people complain about, is the only one that doesn't follow this. It uses a reference only the game dev understands as there are no hints outside of the fact that the number needed is on the back of another game's box. That is all you are told. While I actually really enjoy puzzles that require you to do some researching or scavenger hunting to solve, this one was far too obscure. There was no hints to which game box we needed in game or even an idea of where to start looking. Without the devs leaving a picture of the game box in the forums after people asked, you would probably never find out unless you had the right game in your house and had the time for all the trial and error. A better clue would have probably saved this game some of the negativity.

Overall, the game is immensly short. The asking price does seem a bit steep considering there are mobile games with more to them that are cheaper.

I don't reccommend the game at any more than $1 if you find it on sale, and even then you probably won't feel like you missed anything after playing.

Commander Keen was the game series I just had to have on the family pc when I was a kid. Classic platformer.

Story? It's about a boy who builds a rocket out of household items and travels through space to defend the earth when his babysitter falls asleep. What better way to begin a story!

The gameplay is what you'd expect from a game series of it's time. Just look at the screenshots.

It's fun, straightforward, and I especially recommend it if you have children who like games. These games alone kept me busy for hours and were a staple of my childhood.

Oh where to begin. Most people had heard about this game once big youtubers played it and with the sudden interest, it gained enough attention to get greenlit on steam. One thing that bothered me watching them play is that I feel they didn't take the game seriously.

The Cat Lady is about Susan Ashworth, a woman suffering from depression who has decided to commit suicide. Susan is given a second chance (and immortality at that) to find a reason to live, but along the way she will meet "parasites", people who pretty much make you lose faith in humanity and are the most disgusting individuals. It is Susan's job to eliminate those parasites.

The game is made by a developer known for dark and twisted games. That style fits perfectly here. A word of caution if you did not look at the rating, there are very mature themes and sensetive material which may trigger some people. Please keep that in mind before purchasing. At times it can be hard.

The gameplay is basic like a lot of adventure games for the pc along with puzzles.

Now as for the story, it really hit home for me. As one who has struggled with depression and suicide before, I really synced with Susan and was absorbed with her tale. I wanted the best for her and I shared in her hatred of the parasites. I didn't want to stop playing until the very end. The game takes maybe 5-7 hours to finish, but keep in mind there are multiple endings and multiple choises for most situations. I have replayed several times.

I have recommended this game before to friends who didn't understand depression and how it affects someone to give them an idea. You see the suffering, the negativity, the toll it takes on someone and how it can affect their life. It can be an eye opening experience.

And I must say at the end at the final screen, I cried. I will not spoil it, but it really resonates and the end made the entire experience worth it. Highly recommended.

Here's the thing, when I first watched a friend of mine play through Gone Home from start to finish, it hit me it a very tender spot. I adored it. I cried. But after purchasing it myself and playing through it again, I realized how shallow it is.

While it is debatable whether Gone Home is truly a "game", it is well know it is fully story based. I enjoy story games. I love more "artsy" games. However, I feel this one just is not as good as most make it out to be. Yes, it is very good with hitting one with nostalgia. Yes, it good with hitting you in the feels. Honestly though, that's it. And after the second time though it, I just couldn't connect as easily as I could before. I knew the entire story, I knew how it was executed, so there wasn't much left for me to do. There is little to no replay value. And for $20 as an original asking price for a 2 hour experience, it just truly isn't that worth it. I waited until it was on sale which I am greatful for.

Don't get me wrong. The story is really good for it only being told through notes and journal's left for you to find, but I just wish there was more to justify it.

I'm in a love/hate relationship with Gone Home. But in the end I just can't recommend it.

Let me just say, I adore this game. As someone who enjoys point-and-click adventure games as well as cyberpunk themes, this was a match made in heaven.

The story revolves around Horatio and Crispin, two robots who live in a wrecked ship. Horatio is a believer in Humanism, that humans are the creators, which is a frowned upon idea in the world the live in. They live far away from the city, isolated, until their power supply is stolen and they are forced to go to Metropol. As they search they discover the corrupt system that the city is operating under and Horatio's past.


The characters themselves were enough to keep me playing. I enjoyed each one's own personality, their dialog, their story, it was all well done. The art style very well sets the tone for Primordia and was pleasing to look at while playing. The story was actually surprisingly well done and with multiple endings it just increases the replay value as well as my interests. It was challenging enough to where I felt incredibly accomplished once I finished it, but easy enough to where I didn't rage quite and ignore it for days. I was easily absorbed into Primordia's world and it's certainly a game I will replay more than once (and already have).

Overall, worth the money and the time if you enjoy this genre. A must have.

I wanted to like Anna, and to a degree I do, but I feel that it tried too hard to be something big.

While I did enjoy some of the puzzles, the story, and the atmosphere, the controls and gameplay were creative, but distracting in some areas. Did the game scare me? Sorta. Spooked here and there and having the wood lady suddenly appear next to me did make me jump (not to mention having a few nightmares about her following me). There are some scenes in the game that I feel are just so forced. It tries too hard to be scary to a point it's almost laughable and the gimicks get old. Some points are just plain annoying. Any fear I had just turned is to annoyance and anxiety of having to waddle through several rooms because I missed something and I have to avoid damage.

It had potential and it hit some decent marks, but overall it was an experience I could live without.

Please note that The Path may not be everyone's cup of tea. It's not what some would consider a "game", but more of a story shrouded by symbolism and is incredibly artsy. If you hate games that are almost purely story driven and more of an experience, then you might want to look elsewhere.

For a person like me, The Path is just the type of thing I love. Not only is there dark and mature themes, but the symbolism is absolutely brilliant if you notice them. I also enjoyed the "Red Riding Hood" theme the game had going for it. After replaying a few times and discussing the story with others, I realized the game is actually very open for a lot of interpretation. More so than I anticipated. The ideas that many have come up with have only enriched the experience for me.

Basically, you have several sisters, each very different from each other, and their goal is to get to grandmothers house to deliver some goods. The rule is to not stray from the path, but it has to be broken in order for the girls to encounter the wolf. If you do not want to be spoiled or have my opinion on the wolves and their interpretation with each girl, please skip the next paragraph.

In my opinion, each girl represents a stage of life. The wolves are an experience that one must go through to grow up. These experiences may be harmful or scarring, but like in the game, the girls get up, wounded, and make their way back to grandma's house. The whole story is about growing up. Letting your curiousity getting the better of you, getting wounded, but growing up a little. The path is a safe life without exploration. There is no harm, but neither do you learn anything. That is why you get a failure screen when you do not encounter the wolf.

As for it's length, if you just buzz through the main task at hand, it is very short and you also miss a lot of added story. Each girl has items and unlockables. There is also 144 "flower coins" to collect if you so chose. In my opinion, the replay value only lasts as long as there is something that you missed, which just to note that the forest is randomly generated each time so finding everything will be a challange if you switch girls or start over. Unless you are the type that enjoys resetting the game and starting fresh repeatedly, you probably will complete the game once and rarely touch it again.

A fun and intersting game. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the gameplay. Considering that this came was made mainly by one animator who wanted to make a game, it is very good.

Without spoiling the story, you play as Dust, who is currently suffering form amnesia. A sword that can control the element of wind comes to him, along with the sword's guardian (and Dust's new companion) Fidget. Together they go on an adventure to recover Dust's memories and discovering the truth behind his existance.

The gameplay is slightly similar to Muramasa: Demon Blade. It's a side scroller where you have a very overpowered blade (if used properly). Fidget is used to add variety to your attacks with her powers. As you play you gain new abilities and items which allow you to access areas previously blocked off. Pretty straight forward.

As for the characters, in regards to the designs and dialoge, I found them charming. Many see it as childish or immature ( or too "furry" which honestly the designs are no different then a lot of the anthro cartoons we all have grown up with), but I found it to be enjoyable. The one liners had me laughing and the characters actually managed to get me very absorbed in the game. I didn't want to quit until I had beat the game.

The game is rather short, but in my opinion it was well worth the money. I have replayed it several times and still find it as charming as when I first played. The story was actually very unique and well done. It surprised me. I recommend that anyone who purchases Dust An Elysian Tail is that you please keep an open mind. Let yourself enjoy the story and don't focus so much on the art style choice (which I have seen many people avoiding because).

Highly recommended.