Recent reviews by Q09066930

If a cinematic point-and-click tech-noir adventure with lots of birds and a sublime score featuring sludge masters Thou is something you would enjoy, welcome to Norco.


Norco is a debut point-and-click adventure game developed by Geography of Robots and published by Raw Fury (Kathy Rain, Whispers of a Machine). The game follows Kay returning to her hometown of Norco, Louisiana, to check on her younger brother after the death of their mother. Norco is an industrial hub and a shadow of an oil refinery that works 24/7, providing the region with jobs but also with pollution and property issues in a near future of environmental and economic downfall.

The game introduces several interesting design choices. The main heroine and her brother have smiley faces instead of regular faces in photos and on character icons, while all other characters appear normal. That makes the story a bit more personal, I guess. Another notable thing is the absence of proper voiceovers; they are substituted by artificial ones that only convey the character's voice but not what the character says. Some barking and laughing NPCs were especially amusing! Humor in the game is dark, awkward, and often self-depreciated. For instance, the showgoer's "hotdog adventure" is hilarious, but only if you are willing to listen through the whole thing by requesting the showgoer to continue with the chagrin. Also, renaming Shell to Shield with the slogan "A Greener World Awaits" is pretty comical.

Going through the game was compelling because its mood and atmosphere corresponded with my mindset; the experience might be much different for those who maintain a positive outlook. The only thing that I did not like were religious connotations, even if twisted enough to call them blasphemy.


Norco is bird-heavy. You get all kinds of birds in different manners as they shape both the story and the setting. From a casual mention of little wrens nesting nearby to a gruesome scene of a gigantic bald eagle, and from prolific bird calls to epic Mardi Gras bird costumes, Geography of Robots clearly intended to feature birds as much as possible. One way or another, the game also mentions ducks, crows, egrets, pelicans, cardinals, and more.

What is your favorite bird-related scene or idea here? Let me know in the comments. I will tell you mine as well.


As Norco is rooted in Louisiana's cultural and industrial landscape, it's only natural to hear the local sludge band Thou in a mix with otherwise somber ambient music by Gewgawly I.

Sometimes epic, sometimes jazzy, but always mournful, synthetic tunes with occasional instrumentation shape the principal soundscape. Distorted drone/doom songs by Thou give the necessary heaviness to the most dramatic moments, and the abundance of natural sounds in appropriate areas like swamps contribute immensely to the whole thing.

In my taste, Norco's sonic side is a masterpiece in itself.

• Has a well-written story with cinematic pixel art
  
• Fantastic setting: blends cyberpunk, noir, and environmentalist themes within Louisiana's own complicated background
  
• Fitting soundtrack
  
• Control scheme for gamepads
  
• Deck verified

• A dark, intense atmosphere that will not please people who want their games to be escapist
  
• Puzzles are scarce
  
• Technical issues: the cursor is too slow and does not work with the Deck's trackpad; the game has frozen during a scene transition once

Even if depressive and tense, Norco is a great story-driven adventure set in the grim future that will surely grab the attention of those who appreciate its overlapping themes.

One warning, though: if you miss your mom or experience difficulties in relations with your older kids, the game might be a bit too heavy on those matters. Tread it lightly!

Played on Steam Deck. Verdict for Deckers: Good.
Curators: A Crow's Nest & Metal Shrike

Going down the rabbit hole of solving this Metroidwell puzzle is euphoric. Vibrant, concise, and full of unexpected, Animal Well makes for a great treat. Better not provoke the crows, though!

***

I leaped into the well because it felt right up my alley from the get-go. Upon reaching the end, the impression has only grown in magnitude: it is the kind of game I will fondly remember for years!

The visuals, particle effects, and sonic design are incredible. The smoke alone makes me crazy about it, not to mention the lighting or spooky bird calls. I could forget myself in this 2D world. How does it all fit into less than 40 MB of data?! That is some genius-level programming only possible with a custom engine, and it still leaves me in awe because I played the game on Steam Deck immediately after the release, and it had zero bugs. If nothing else, it shows how much effort Billy Basso, the game developer, has put into his creation. Concise visual language and smooth gameplay without latency, among other benefits, make platforming much more fun, especially in a game that allows odd ways of moving around. When I say "odd ways," I mean it: there is no usual dashing, double jumping, or bunny hopping, but there is something else entirely.

It brings me to another point that gives absolute delight in Animal Well: map design and its visual representation. Labyrinthine Metroidvanias live and die by how good their map design is and how effortless the traversal becomes with additional skills and items. This aspect of Animal Well reminds me of Hollow Knight and is nothing short of perfection! Moreover, the in-game map features all the nooks and crannies instead of abstract squares like in some other popular titles and has a terrific marker system. It could be a deal breaker because, as far as in-game maps go, they shape your way through the maze quite literally. If I don't enjoy looking at the map, I will not progress far in the game. It has been the case with Blasphemous and many other Metroidvanias that rely on a classic Castlevania/Metroid-style map. I know it might sound counter-intuitive, as many love that style; I prefer this one and consider it quite an improvement over the classics.

Animal Well has several layers of puzzle-solving, one of which involves an already solved ARG that requires the cooperation of at least 50 gamers with different puzzle pieces. It might be intimidating for people who want to try this game but fear the hardcore difficulty after reading all the news and reviews. Honestly, I think the first layer that brings you to the end credits is manageable for most players. It is fun and filled with "no way this is gonna work" moments worth experiencing without guidance. For the second layer, a guide might come in handy to collect the eggs you missed, as finding all 64 requires quite a commitment. And for the post-game, reminiscent of Tunic and Outer Wilds, I would say do not bother with it if you do not like that kind of stuff, as it could only appeal to die-hard fans of riddles.

This game has been an immense pleasure to play. If you still have doubts, try it for the first half an hour when the game introduces Blue Ghosts and Firecrackers. You either fall in love with it or not at that point.

Played on Steam Deck. Verdict for Deckers: Excellent.
Curator: A Crow's Nest

Lovecraftian to the fishbone, Dredge regresses the high seas to catch a glimpse of the abysmal terror in a delightfully casual fishing adventure.

***

Dredge possesses a strange quality of being sweet and almost too casual while giving justice to one of the world's most renowned horror writers, HP Minecraft. Or is it Lovecraft? :-) Anyway, the best part about the game is that it does not pressure or punish the player too much; it gives time to explore and unwind and still manages to convey what makes Lovecraftian horror unique through a simple day and night cycle. Sanity is fragile. Every night, sinister sea fog becomes a conductor and a metaphor for a fogged mind. Is there salvation when you fight the abyss of madness in and around you? Not gonna lie: sometimes I think we already live in a Lovecraftian world…Take these themes away from the game, and you will end up with an arcade fishing simulator.

Core mechanics revolve. If you think that statement is missing something, I can assure you it is not. Several mini-games depict "fishing" or "dredging," and all constitute a wheel with revolving indicators. Not one is even remotely difficult. The main idea is to give a sense of time passing by and revert your focus from the clock rather than give a formidable challenge. The tricky part is to get the necessary equipment and have it on board if you require some particular catch and, well, locating the fishing spot in the first place. Some fish are nocturnal, forcing the fisherman to step out of his comfort zone. That is when things become obscure. Naturally, the fisherman should confront his demons: in the deep of the night, the deep of the ocean, and the deep of the mind.

Played on Steam Deck. Verdict for Deckers: Excellent.
Curator: A Crow's Nest

A bizarre adventure game that could have been popular in the mid-2000s. Distinct art style compensates for crude gameplay.

***

I received M City as part of the Steam Curator program, and it is actually the first game from around a dozen that I decided to accept and review. A peculiar cartoon style and a sympathetic but schizophrenic protagonist with several personalities (one of them is a "dog") somehow drew me in. Besides, it must be good if it clicks on three different mediums (visual, audial, and conceptual) from the very beginning, right? Having played it to the end, I enjoyed the game for what it is — a strange amalgamation of fairy tale, detective mystery, horror, and nostalgia that is not without its flaws.

A serious drawback is the underdeveloped gameplay. The player must hit the spacebar continuously and click on the backpack to interact with possessions despite having enough free space on the screen for the whole inventory. "Action sequences" are fun but tedious because they require memorizing the button chain and repeating the sequence until you get all the actions correctly. What is the correct action is not clear from the surroundings, so it is basically a guessing game.

M City is made with Macromedia Flash software, a dead technology no longer used in modern-day projects, but that does not mean the engine itself is limiting animation or game mechanics. I fondly remember the Happy Tree Friends web series and the original Aether and Machinarium games. Those were the golden days of Flash-based content, and M City draws inspiration from that period. Unfortunately, it is simply not refined in certain aspects.

Having written all of the above, I still praise the game for its art style and imaginative thriller story. It is genuinely gripping and distinctive. Widow, Fly Killer, Thinker, Mad and Bad, Chef...even minor characters you meet seem quirky and well thought out. And let's be honest, point-and-clicks are not famous for their technological side; their appeal lies in those things M City does right. You could probably tell if you will enjoy it from the trailer, as it represents the game well enough. Just don't expect a fluid gameplay. Or a perfect literary English language. It is a small indie project, after all.

P.S. The developer most certainly hails from Russia, based on the availability of the Russian version of the game and a VK page "for contact." I have no idea what this person thinks of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; therefore, as a Ukrainian, I hope they are not pro-war. There is no indication of any bias in the game itself. I decided to review the game to support the artist and underline that, no matter what, independent art should be a bridge that connects and unites even in the worst possible circumstances.

Played on PC.
Curator: A Crow's Nest

A low-key fantasy "road movie" in the form of an illustrated text-based RPG. Crafted with love, lore, and exquisite storytelling.

***

Games like Roadwarden heavily rely on a compelling story. Fortunately, this aspect of the game is what makes it worth playing. Levitating between fantasy adventure and detective mystery, it features rich worldbuilding, dry humor, captivating characters, and well-versed descriptions (to be fair, there were errata and text inconsistencies; overall, the story is very well-written). I would probably read this as a book, but having it as a game where you can influence the outcome is even more satisfying. In a nutshell, it is a "visual novel" designed for those who still fondly remember text-based RPGs and text quests.

The world of Roadwarden reminds me of the Witcher universe. Maybe because the author is also from Poland? Or, because it is hard to imagine a fantasy setting without being influenced by Sapkowski or Tolkien? Probably both. It is more down-to-earth (not down-to-Middle-earth, heh), though, with no superheroes or supervillains. That makes the lore more credible and distinctive than usual.

The RPG aspect is also convincing with this one. Choosing starting traits and beliefs influences how an effective playthrough looks like. I replayed the game several times to see how that would work; the results satisfied me because every playthrough turned out to be a little different despite having more or less the same core progression.

The morals and raised questions felt subtle and nonjudgmental, even when they touched on topics like environment, religion, politics, etc. Of course, you can influence how plot twists resolve and what happens to the Peninsula. Despite this, the game ending ensures that any outcome is OK and will have "something positive" and "something negative" in different proportions and for conflicting parties/causes.

Music deserves mentioning. The main piece complements the narrative and its sepia-toned illustrations, maintaining the melancholia very nicely.

Lastly, a few words about playing Roadwarden on Steam Deck: the experience is not as smooth as, let's say, Disco Elysium, though the game is perfectly playable as it is. The text is readable; controls are clunky (you must use a pointer most of the time) but manageable. Overall, it is an excellent game.

Played on Steam Deck. Verdict for Deckers: Good.
Curator: A Crow's Nest

One of the best games of 2022: dirty cheap, hilariously fun, and with its own recognizable charm. Don't forget to bring your pure heart and avian companions to Cappella Magna! Thank me later.

***

Vampire Survivors is a sensation! The project came out of nowhere, made by a novice developer on weekends during, arguably, the golden age of roguelikes as a celebration of DIY games. Something immediately clicked: the dramatic Giallo presentation, the outrageous simplicity of the mechanics, and the humorous vampiric theme. And if you did not know, it is available FOR FREE on mobile platforms without ads. Just like that! Try it on your smartphone if you have doubts about throwing some pennies at Vampire Survivors on Steam.

The gameplay revolves around 1) moving your character in a pixel ballet with swarms of hostile creatures running at you from all sides and 2) choosing the best weapon combos to annihilate enemies as fast and efficiently as possible. The best part is that you can do it with one hand because weapons fire automatically. It feels and plays mellow, but it still requires some skill and wit, believe it or not. There are plenty of characters, weapons, and modifiers to choose from. The progression seems balanced to the bone, which I did not expect. And there are also plenty of secrets to uncover, some requiring substantial effort. At no point does the game fail to provide entertainment, especially if you are proficient enough to make your PC stutter from overload during the run. On a side note, overly efficient tactics could hurt people who suffer epileptic symptoms because the in-game effects might turn the experience into a Jesus Christ Pose video clip. A setting to make it less aggressive is probably a good idea.

So, what is the deal? How did the hobby project become such a success in 2022? In my opinion, it is a sign that most games have become too schematic and too hungry for attention, forgetting that they should bring joy in the first place. Profit expectations, golden rules of monetization, aggressive attention-seeking tactics, and risk-free narratives define most media creations nowadays. Vampire Survivors defy all that. Make an entertaining game that you will happily play yourself, and you are good to go with cheap assets and no message. Players will spread the word themselves and bring you sales. Dwarf Fortress, another sensation, is a testament to that.

Let's hope we will never meet the vampire from the coffin, though. You know, the one from a desperate remake after years of Vampire Survivors Star Wars slash Transformers slash Minecraft slash Facebook-sponsored Friends spin-off monstrosities. Better not. Like Lugosi in the quote above, we don't know what might happen tomorrow; I am pleased to be in the moment when the game is still fresh and shiny and beats the odds of turning into a never-ending blood-sucking franchise. Edit: Welp, the year is 2024, and that has aged poorly with all the DLCs!

Played on Steam Deck. Verdict for Deckers: Excellent.
Curator: A Crow's Nest

Astrologers proclaim month of the Nostalgist. Nostalgist population doubles! All dwellings increase population.

50% science and 50% science fiction, Per Aspera is everything a sci-fi geek might expect from a colony sim set on Mars. An excellent take on terraforming! With some bird sprites included.


Not so far ago, the possibility of spaceflight was nothing more than a piece of science fiction. Then, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky dropped off the fiction part, leading to the emergence of modern astronautics. Sometimes, fantasy leads to a concept (hypothesis) that leads to a scientific theory that may or may not bear fruit. Terraforming of Mars, even though no humans have stepped foot on the planet, is one of those things that sound like pure speculation and yet is a well-established scientific theory. So, here comes the punch line: Per Aspera is not only a fun colony sim but also a masterful visualization of the studies on the subject. If nothing else, Per Aspera is a detailed interactive 3D model of Mars gradually changing over time. It is a treat for any astronomy enthusiast and visually better than anything NASA could showcase. And, if that was not enough, there is also a good sci-fi story to follow and great voice acting on top of it. You probably know Troy Baker (Dr. Nathan Foster), the voice of Joel in The Last of Us series and Talion in the Middle-earth series. But it is Laila Berzins who nails it with the voice of AMI, an artificial intelligence entity at the heart of the terraforming effort! It is fascinating how publishers—Raw Fury, Devolver Digital, Annapurna Interactive, and the like—can boost small indie projects to be on par with AAA games. And that is why I love them! Great indies are usually born out of passion; with a bit of the publisher's extra polish, they have a chance to become chef-d'oeuvre.

So, what is Per Aspera exactly? The closest analogy would be The Settlers meets Frostpunk meets Surviving Mars with the flavor of The Expanse-level sci-fi. The difficulty of managing production lines lies between Mini Motorways and Factorio – not too demanding to quickly understand everything but still too complex to call it casual. There is little control over automation: the player can prioritize buildings, power them off, or scrap them for parts. Inefficiency might lead to logistics problems; the outcome depends on how quickly the player gets a hold of the game mechanics (and upgrades roads / builds hyperloops). It sure helps prioritize vital production and power off excess mines later on. By the way, the analogy with Surviving Mars is purely setting-wise. Games are too different, even if both are colony sims set on Mars. Surviving Mars could effortlessly move to another location without remorse, while Per Aspera is all about Mars. It shows that the developers of Per Aspera are geeks about space exploration and are not using Red Planet as a vehicle for hype. I appreciate it. The level of detail is simply brilliant!

Of course, things cannot be perfect. There are not enough indicators to alert the player about an impending crisis. Besides, there are technical limitations; glitches arise when the colony grows too large. FPS drops drastically, new roads linger to protract, and story-related scripts might sometimes overlap. Also, the game might seem imbalanced if approached without a strategy, and the tutorial does not cover it enough. All these nuisances are understandable, considering the grand nature of the game and the small team behind it.

I recommend it, both as a colony sim and as a practical guide to the terraforming of Mars. It may not be entirely accurate, though realistic enough to call it more than merely a game.

If you are into action roguelikes or Greek mythology, Hades will be your favorite go-to game. Help Zagreus escape the Underworld and discover what a bird even means (he doesn't know.)


Let me start from afar. Video games as a medium are a way to escape unpleasant or uneventful everyday life. That is escapism, a necessary psychological device to divert thoughts from sadness, loss, or boredom. You can see it in every type of entertainment, not merely video games. Likewise, roguelikes have deep roots in literal 'escape' concerning their narrative (the hero always tries to escape a dungeon or labyrinth or even their fate). We might call it double escapism. At the same time, stories in most roguelikes only distantly resemble real-life situations. That is where Supergiant makes a difference. They not only create an addictive game with exceptional style and music, but they also tell a deeply allegorical coming-of-age story. You know, the type of story every one of us might live through at some point because there are no ideal families or relationships. It returns us from the whimsical world (should I say Underworld?) to our everyday life with new feelings, thoughts, and a desire to sort everything through. That is the highest praise I could imagine for an entertainment medium.

Hades follows the story of a young godling Zagreus, or Zag for short, and his relationship with his tyrant father, Hades, the god of the Underworld himself. Hades (the god) demands from his son, whom he scornfully calls 'boy,' to be responsible, respectful, and obedient like a servant. At the same time, he is reluctant to show some love or appreciation toward anyone in the House. For Zag, there is only one way to deal with the situation: running away to relatives on Olympus. The problem is that no one can escape the Underworld, even a godling! And so we start our desperate journey as Zag, trying to leave the domain of the dead in search of a better fate. The story goes deep; its narration threads through many dialogs with different characters, intertwined between escape attempts into one whole piece. Slowly, the perspective shifts: the initial father-son conflict reveals underlying problems and broader themes. My favorite includes exercising honesty and outspokenness and why it is not always the best course of action in a manifold family to tell everything head-on. I love Greek mythology and Ancient Greek literature, and I must admit the level of detail is brilliant. There are many myths from different sources; Supergiant mindfully chooses its interpretations for a consistent story. It is worth noting that they had a certain degree of freedom regarding the protagonist and his relations with everyone due to his minor significance in Greek mythology. Even there, though, in late interactions with Dionysus, we can learn about how the Orphic Dionysus Zagreus tradition has an internal explanation. So, yeah, the immersion in the theme is brilliant. I mean it!

Gameplay-wise, Hades is as addictive as a perfect roguelike should be. You rely on your wit, reaction (sometimes even sense of rhythm), and luck to fight through the ever-changing environment with hundreds of possible adjustments to strategy and tactics. I could play games like Crypt of the NecroDancer or Dicey Dungeons in short sessions, but Hades? Nope. I play it, and play it, and play it. Again and again. It is so very addictive! Different weapons, boons, power-ups, and combinations result in some weird and powerful twists to efficient tactics, which is an example of RNG done right. If you die, you can start again a bit stronger (if you gather enough Darkness, that is) through the process amusingly called Reflecting. This technicality, by the way, means the game belongs to the roguelite subgenre. Core mechanics might seem harsh, but mastering them requires only time. Just play some more, and you will naturally overcome the obstacle. Despite this 'intentional replayability,' it starts to feel repetitive only when you finish the main story. At that point, the only way of raising the challenge is through the customizable Pact of Punishment, a plot device to make your post-story runs harder.

As always with Supergiant, the voice acting and music are exceptional. Beautiful melodies combined with heavier riffs and reverberations greatly suit the game's style and story. And when Orpheus (Darren Korb, the composer) and Eurydice (Ashley Barrett) start singing, their verses seem out of this world. It is not a simple task to assume the roles of the legendary musician and his partner/muse. Somehow, Darren and Ashley pull it out so smoothly! I had tears and goosebumps listening to In the Blood during credits. Magnificent!

Lastly, I want to briefly mention the Fated List of Minor Prophecies and the detailed statistics menu in the Administrative Chamber. It all adds depth to the choice-making during escape attempts. Nuances like those contribute to the entire thing, making it much more enjoyable. And, well, there is also fishing. Because why not?

A therapy for cynicism, pessimism, and fatalism. A journey through yourself to the deepest deep of feelings you might not even know how to reach. The world needs more games like that.


Wandersong might seem to be excessively bright, colorful, and unpretentious. Maybe even superficial. I would not give it a chance if not for a friend who gifted it to me for Christmas as one of her all-time favorites. Oh my, how looks can be deceptive! This is one of the most tender, sweet, and wholesome games I have ever played. It brings up some significant subjects and makes you experience them in a manner appropriate for people of any age. Many facets of the story resonated with me in so many ways that I don't even know if I can reasonably describe them. I will try, though.

We start the game as a cheerful and ever-smiling bard who learns an awful truth: the world is ending soon. We want to do something about it even though we are not hero types; the only thing we are good at is singing. To our surprise, there is a chance to make a difference. If someone could sing the song of all living creatures, it could be enough to save the dying world. With that knowledge in mind, we begin the epic quest despite all odds.

The gameplay is simple. There is a wheel of musical notes in different colors, and you pick some to sing your way through puzzles and quests. The game is heavy on music, but you don't have to be a musician to tackle its objectives. This is not Crypt of the NecroDancer or 140, where you have to rely on an internal metronome; you can be an absolute opposite of a musician and still be able to play through Wandersong. You can even create your own tunes and feel good about them! Besides, the symbiosis of notes and colors gave me insight into something I have been curious about for a long time – synesthesia. It was fascinating to have a glimpse into it for myself. Music is a form of magic, and Wandersong is dead serious about this statement in every possible way.

And now, the hardest bit – feelings. Wow! There is so much going on in this little gem of a game. It draws a picture of the apocalypse, both literal and personal, and deals with it gloriously. It tells a story of accidental friendship and shows that any person with any personality is good enough to make friends and be cherished. It teaches how to deal with pessimism, open yourself to wonder, and live in harmony with the world. Some things are more subtle; others can make your eyes wet. I don't want to spoil anything, so let's say everyone will find something to reflect on; I am sure of it. There is no cynicism here: only love, kindness, a tiny bit of sadness to spice things up, and sweet humor to counter it. Open your heart to this game, and it might give you the world in return.

I think Wandersong can change people. Thank you, my friend (and don’t worry about a thing, please), for the incredible gift, and thank you, Greg, Em, and Gord, for creating this ode to optimism. Cheers! ...and sorry for any unfortunate wording.

P.S. My daughter was afraid of ghosts (I have to thank PAW Patrol for placing the idea in her mind), and Wandersong helped me persuade her that ghosts are not scary. That is how good the game is!