Senaste recensioner av MarioFanaticXV

Note: This review is but a quick overview. For a full review, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/6QWUsqNPbe8

Biomass is an impressive first showing from Final Scene dev; a fast and frantic action game with significant RPG elements, this title contains some of the best swordplay I've ever seen in a video game, and that alone is worthy of your attention. Although the game is not without its flaws, if you enjoy brutal challenges and combat that requires skill and patience as well as swift reflexes, this is a game for you.

It does have some design flaws, particularly those common to other soulslike titles, and it is a bit buggy (though the dev has been hard at work to fix that problem, releasing three patches in less than three weeks since launch), and scenery can be a little repetitive- but despite this, I find this to be a solid title. Check the video linked above if you want more details.

Video review of Princess Remedy and Princess Remedy 2: https://youtu.be/ovML5sHZ4U4

Video review of Princess Remedy and Princess Remedy 2: https://youtu.be/ovML5sHZ4U4

Video review: https://youtu.be/h3WlSW_nu7c

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This review will be updated as I review more games from the collection.

Phantasy Star IV: https://youtu.be/1KxqMTrJRno

Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles: https://youtu.be/oPYA0jj_TUQ

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https://youtu.be/3i_DA5r1dns

Full review: https://youtu.be/cTBD1APQmr4

A title that clearly takes inspiration from tabletop games- and in many ways both good and bad feels almost more like a tabletop game than a video game.

Team and deck building gives players a lot of options with how they want to approach victory, with some interesting mechanics that keep this game from feeling like a clone of other titles. This is not another Slay the Spire knockoff by any means.

On the downside, presentation is currently lacking- while I like the sprite art of characters and enemies, they are static. And while attacks are animated, they aren't much to look at. I'm hoping these will change as development of the game continues, but as it stands, it is certainly a weakness of the game.

That being said, if you can overlook graphics you'll find a very intriguing card game underneath with plenty of fun to be had. If you're a fan of digital card games and are tired of seeing a bunch of Hearthstone and Slay the Spire knockoffs, this is definitely one you should check out.

A key has been provided for review purposes. This does not influence my opinion of the game in any way.

Overview
Some people play videos games to calm themselves and relax--to take a breath of fresh air and slow things down. With the release of a new Animal Crossing title, many people are doing just that at this very moment. But other times, people play video games for the exact opposite purpose: To feel a sense of challenge, the thrill of excitement, the rush of adrenaline, all without ever having to leave home. For those of you looking for the latter, might I present: Skul: The Hero Slayer?

Gameplay
Skul is a rogue-lite side-scroller wherein you'll take control of the titular skeleton; A warrior that can drastically change his weapons and fighting style by switching out his skull for others that he finds along his journey. In addition to being able to equip two skulls at once, you'll also be able to hold up to six items and a single quintessence sphere to further alter your stats and abilities.

Although your abilities are modified by your equipped skull, you'll always have a basic attack, the ability to quickly dash to either side, and one or two special skills, plus an additional one if you have a quintessence. There's no limit to how many times you can use these, though skills--including quintessence skills--each have their own cooldown timer. Additionally, when you have two skulls, you'll be able to activate a special effect--sometimes an attack, other times a short status buff--when you switch between them.

Combat is the core of Skul's gameplay. You'll find yourself fighting through hordes of enemies, most of which aren't that threatening on their own, but deadly in large groups. Along the way, you'll fight against not only hundreds of weaker enemies, but also mini-bosses which represent your typical RPG professions: Things like an archer, a healer, a knight, and so forth. During the first chapter, these miniboss battles will be one on one encounters, but as you progress in the game, they'll begin to team up against you, forcing you to take on an adventuring party with only your skills and wits about you. At the end of each chapter, you'll fight a boss unique to that portion of the game, and this game really knows how to do boss fights.

Although the game is primarily focused on fighting, there are small distractions from such; Sometimes you'll come across a hidden pile of treasure, other times you'll find yourself attempting a brief platforming challenge, or you'll even happen across a shop to spend the gold you've collected along your journey.

As is the nature of rogue-lites, Skul tends to be a gruelingly difficult game. You'll constantly find yourself losing your head--literally. However, during each run you'll also be collecting dark quartz from the enemies you defeat, and this can be used to purchase permanent upgrades which will make future runs slightly easier, with the hope that you'll make it further into enemy territory next time. There's also a "rookie mode" option that gives you an additional 100 HP. It won't make the game easy by any means, but it will allow you to take a handful more hits before being defeated.

Presentation
Skul shines through with its gorgeously detailed sprite work; Skul's various forms, the numerous enemies you fight, and the backgrounds that serve as the setting for your adventure are all wonderfully designed. Action is smooth and fluid, and as you battle you'll find that various objects will shatter around you. This doesn't have any real effect on the fighting, but does make the world seem a little more alive.

Story-wise, there's really not much to talk about: Monsters good, humans evil, go stop the humans that have captured monsters and are using dark quartz to control them. This is not a narrative driven game, but such tends to be the nature of rogue-lites. You have a bit of backstory and basic motivation, just enough to encourage you to die a thousand times in the pursuit of victory.

Conclusion
Skul: The Hero Slayer looks to be on track to become an amazing game. Fluid combat, stunningly beautiful artwork, solid mechanics, and brutally difficult but never unfair challenge level that keeps me coming back for more. True, you should always be a little wary of buying games that are in early access, but Skul is making great progress--there are already two dozen skulls and three of four chapters playable. Beyond that, despite being out only a little over a month, the dev team has been very active thus far, with no less than five patches being released in that time to make balance tweaks, bug fixes, and even a bit of new content in the form of a few extra skulls they've added in. If Skul stays the course, I can see it becoming one of the best known indie titles of 2020.

A key has been provided for review purposes. This does not influence my opinion of the game in any way.

Overview
Giant monsters have been a subject of many movies and media since Godzilla first hit theaters in the 50s... and what better way to fight massive monsters than with gargantuan robots? Mechs v Kaijus is a tower defense title that has you seeing how well you can hold off swarms of behemoths.

Gameplay
Mechs v Kaijus is a tower defense title that at first glance appears similar to Plants Vs Zombies. Instead of a road for enemies to follow, they crawl across the screen from right to left, marching toward your base. To stop them you have a number of towers which can be purchased, upgraded, and sold as needed. Additionally, you pilot the Odin, a powerful, variable mech that can be upgraded and reequipped to suit your needs for a specific level. Additionally, you'll have two other computer-controlled mechs to fight alongside you, automatically firing at enemies once they're in range.

After each level--win or lose--you'll gain two resources: Gold and Research. Gold is used to upgrade and repair your mechs, while Research is used for a much wider variety of upgrades--unlocking new towers, upgrading existing towers, boosting your economy, or unlocking new mechs, among other things.

On the downside, unlocks are very slow early on, making grinding almost a necessity. The game is pretty tough as is, and the grueling pace of getting gold and research before you unlock the survival levels really doesn't help. Though on the bright side, some levels do have alternative modes you can attempt after beating them, which gives a bit more incentive to go back and play them over again.

Presentation
Vibrant, colorful, well-detailed sprites are used to respresent the mechs and kaiju alike. The backgrounds aren't up to the same standards of quality as these, but do their job well enough of setting the scene, at least. It's fun to watch as trees and buildings topple as the kaiju march forth.

The story presented is quite simplistic--the title tells you practically everything you need to know about the game. A bunch of monsters are attacking Pokyo City--defend it at all costs. Briefings add a little flavor to each level, but that's about it.

Conclusion
Mechs v Kaijus shows a lot of promise, but also makes a handful of missteps. With the impending full release, I hope to see its various issues fixed, and am excited to see the additional content that's incoming. For the time being, I recommend this game to fans of the theme that want an action-based game with a bit of strategy thrown in... but if you're looking for a heavy, "thinky" strategy game, you'll want to keep searching.