Recent reviews by ReptilianWorldOrder

I was joking around on the BHVR forum that the 3% speed perk was their way of addressing all the subtle speed hackers in the game: making speeds so inconsistent and contextual that players just can't tell who's cheating and when for sure anymore.

Y'know? "Can't fix the problem, then gaslight the players... fix the perception"

Or I thought it was a joke until they permabanned me like an hour later, my only post in months, clearly finding a raw nerve there.

Really? That's the grand design behind all these lazy % speed perks lately... ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. LoL.

Gotta say I’ve become a major fan of TinyHat Studios for publishing a diverse selection of adult gaming from unusual genres & styles, with their common link being high effort and quality (hey, that's like the exact niche our group curates).

Well--like most of their offerings--this one comes by way of Steam's Early Access program…which always means a whole lot of questions on the table. (And, ultimately, some will linger there even after I’ve said my piece here).

Luckily, I got an early start on checking out the available launch content and managed to get through it all--well, as far as I could tell anyway. So, I’m gonna do my damnedest to uncover those bigger gaps & elaborate what’s in-store for early buyers.

My style drifts towards reviews that don’t really mesh with Steam’s shotgun blast emphasis on many quick takes from many customers, ala Amazon purchases. I aim to throw down a level of detail in my own voice comprehensive enough to reveal whether you'll likely dig it or not, whether it's something I’m gushing my gippers about or not.

I’m trying something new today by posting my review in the guide section, far better equipped for my approach. The blurb up top should cover people only lookin’ for that quick Steam take, and rest of you can find my real review here:

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2405795417


Meanwhile, I’ve tossed my miscellaneous section here too for a quick little hit-by-hit take that should serve for any Goldilocks “maybe something in the middle” crew.


Some of the instructions strongly implied some sort of a tablet or mobile version, so maybe keep an eye out for that. [Which also might explain the 4:3 resolution choice]

It’s absolutely criminal that I couldn’t open the Booby Hatch on the Titty Ship. (Really though. of all the “content TBD” moments this was the most disappointing of all to me). You didn’t even try caressing the edges of the hatch in reversing semi-circles. And that always works!

There’re about 5 different interaction spots that end up with that 4th wall break indicating a future update zone. (Obviously not including all the rooms you can’t enter yet and keycard progress you don’t have)

The Holo-deck goes unused, but THERE’S A ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ HOLODECK! Similarly this opens a world of possibilities (then again, it’s always a 50/50 on whether those things are gonna try to kill you)

Got that common issue of P&C heavy Ren’PY games where auto-play ends up functionally useless since all that clickin’ means you’re accidentally going to yank yourself out of auto-play quite often. Spacebar ahoy!

The main menu interface needs some smoothing, but pffff to that anyhow for now to prioritizing game content.

Future sex scene with the 3D Print-O-Matic? Eh? Eh? That thing is a mega-flirt---and I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time that someone ♥♥♥♥♥♥ their 3D printer.

I’d definitely like to see more world building. There’s not a lot of context for what the future is like outside of the spaceship so far or the course that humanity took [my money is on talking Apes taking over Earth and kicking us out]


This review was brought to you by Erotic Game And Mod Empire.
https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/35750827-Erotic-Game-Mod-Empire/

And you can find non- genre recommendations at our (incestuous) sister site, WWGW:
https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/32660416-Weird-Wonderful-Game-Watch/

With vivid atmosphere & attentive detail akin to 'Acting Lessons,' this Ren'PY VN isn’t quite that top tier, but close, with its unique sync of erotic central premise & game mechanics going a long way especially.
[Animated, Fetish Frenzy Of Your Choice, Hardcore, Uncensored]

Since I’d been able to play to completion, I can luckily answer some of your more specific questions related to the story break.

To elaborate that inevitable question of what the ♥♥♥♥ “Week One” entails exactly, we’re talking “Fellowship Of The Rings” style here. (Though one where Samwise and Futa Frodo officially hook up every chapter, not just relegated to overt subtext like LOTR.) But, uh… more to the point of comparison, it’s the first third of a single narrative delivered piecemeal, with each entry released separately for purchase when ready. The post-game teases the second part in development already is slated around 2021, with the final chapter TBD still.

While just a third of the grander narrative, there’s enough content for a full game, with that first play-through running like at least 4--but maybe up to--10 hours. I guess? How fast can you read? How much do you skip? How bad is your ADD that you get up forgetting the game was running? ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ metrics. Someone time a playthrough on standard auto-mode text speed with instant decisions and report back. Let’s get some objectivity up in this ♥♥♥♥♥. My original game time ran about 6 hours from beginning to end, while occasionally rerolling to take a look at other decisions. Though are a number of scenes I’d not unlocked requiring bigger path branching for maybe at least 2 other playthroughs.

On the bright side, at least this is one complete entry rather than the early access gambles, and getting a final product when it comes to accessibility and amenities too. Still, I’m the type who’d rather have the complete narrative set to digest with full understanding of themes. But I guess that’s less and less common among a number of alternative approaches easier to finance. Thankfully there’s more than enough going on to feel like that split is deserved rather than artificially prolonged.

Like any entry film, there are clear (or rough) acts and act breaks that flow rather organically, also facilitating some sense of progression and accomplishment. There are measures of character growth/conflict with changes influenced. You’ll undoubtedly leave the game far more interested and curious than when you enter, but without it ending on a “cliffhanger” per say. It’s a somewhat nice breaking-point for a relative “climax” of an initial arc. Still there’s enough happening at the end that you’re exceptionally eager for the next arc to get underway--and at least one decision towards the end of the game should massively influence the next one.

Apparently we're talking "Mass Effect" style save-import here, so label those end games saves... clearly enough you can tell WTF your labels even meant next year.

Fetish Locator [Week One] opens on your typical college campus with one notable exception, an underground sex app has taken off and gotten those hormone-soaked teens whoremoaning it up, and things are escalating.

You get involved with an array of satisfactory sexcapades, though gradually find yourself invested on another level, both as character & audience. While only the first entry in a trilogy, it’s already one of those games where you’ll pull back enough layers of plotting and emotional interaction to uncover essential central conflicts underneath. IE, those elements which separate casual sex-romp games from upper echelon adult visual novels.

Most themes apply to the story events as well as modern society. Without getting into details, there’s a willingness of reflection and recontextualization that makes the narrative so worthwhile here. Looking back, there were many superb examples of foreshadowing along the way. And certainly more slithered right past me outlining future developments. Perhaps even some fiveshadowing? The premise is a rich trove and I’m endlessly curious about what the next installment holds… I got theories yo.

There’s likewise a few strokes of genius in their multifaceted application of the titular app here. Simultaneously, it’s the means to facilitate all the genre-specific sexy situations, drive the central plot forward, and convey quantifiable gameplay progression.

Even some of the better adult VNs have flimsy premises for their situational ♥♥♥♥-frenzies. Here this trending app & our “jump off a bridge too” nature organically lays the ground-work for that necessary organ exchange and adventurous escalation. The app provides the ultimate story-driver: justifying most shenanigans, while tethered to the protagonist’s initial motivation of attending a party with his crush, and itself a subject of ongoing intriguing.

And, for that plot-important party, you’ll need at least 25 App points to enter. Intertwining this rather traditional gaming measure wiith our abstract VN ambitions ends up slapping a bow on top to tie the room together. These points, acquired from a myriad of encounters and means, pave way for the player to expunge their inhibitions as well, and experiment with whatever opportunities come knocking.

You’ll play as [character], or the default Mike, while also getting to choose your in-app handle too. It’s the small sort of detail that ended up a real treat, as I’d always forget after hearing ‘Mike’ for so long until that unexpected “Hey there Diabeetus!”

There’s standard archetype fare: your nerdy sister coming out of her shell, the manslut roommate, a goofy best-friend, your unrequited pedestal crush, the girl-next-door gal-pal whose affections you’re oblivious, the no-nonsense Dean, and an assortment of mean ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ & bros for tertiary ♥♥♥♥♥.

Even the more essential characters come across as one-note at first, though each day gradually builds up that context and conversational charm to exist beyond static roles. It’s not as effortless or effective as comparable works, though that clearly improved throughout development. Many end up reading as remotely intelligent, reflective, and representing flawed realities.

As with many of the better Western VNs, the dialog successfully weaves together pop-culture references & matters of minutia to evoke our real world (and role of media in it), resulting in more natural characterization, without ever coming across as nerd-name-dropping or pandering ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ either. There’s a real flow to most character interactions that’s quite charming and organic.

If so, you can read the full review here with a bunch more specific information. Like a bunch. There are flaws too ya know. And more good stuff. And my jokes. Even if they're not very funny.


Anyhoo, This review was brought to you by Erotic Game And Mod Empire.
https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/35750827-Erotic-Game-Mod-Empire/

We’d like to thank the developers for providing us this preview copy of this game, and early enough to play to completion for this sort of in-depth review posted early on.

You can also find non-genre recommendations at our incestuous sister site, WWGW:
https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/32660416-Weird-Wonderful-Game-Watch/

RE1make set one hell of a high standard. It’s the gold standard for any game remake really, offering the full experience of the original only amplified by updates like Lisa, the crimson heads, some new areas, and other surprises. There’s a shifting of fundamental elements while retaining everyone, plus more, then a number of extra game modes, gimmicky they may be. The best way of making my point: if I'm going to play RE1 now, I'm always going to play REmake. It provides everything I’d want of the original game and then some.
[Note: While that's sure as ♥♥♥♥ not what a movie remake ought to do, and not necessarily the only reason to do a game remake and makes it worthwhile, I’d say it’s almost certainly the sort of expectation people hold in mind when wishing whatever beloved game of theirs gets remade]

When it comes to RE2make, it’s not that it does some things wrong though. It’s about the things RE2m doesn’t do at all. There's much needlessly missing that absolutely deserved enough development time/care to retain (and hopefully supplant) the original RE2. In contrast to REmake, when I play RE2m, I’m mostly just left nostalgic to go back and play RE2 for the full story and experience they abandoned in many ways.

I personally don’t characterize RE2's issues as related to leaning into RE4, though I do understand the perspective. It centers on RE2m jettisoning the original general shooting style for over-the-shoulder aim/shoot again. Some call for more, wanting the fixed camera angles (others even for tank controls), but the central killer-issue shared is that larger gameplay shift change for free-aiming that yields a different experience than the (still enjoyable) classic style of old-school/REmake/REzero games. I'm fairly alright with updating to over the shoulder, finding enough room still to yield a similar enough experience to the original (IMO anyhow) by balancing enemies and elsewhere. I’d likely have really enjoyed the classic mechanics still too, perhaps even preferred them. However, I can’t say for sure. It’s too hard to isolate a feature like that when other RE2m issues distract far more from its pursuit.

Whatever combat complaints aside, RE2make really failed to overthrow the original in even the fundamental recreation aspect by calling quits on many elements prematurely and leaving out certain explanations/plotting events for literally no reason. IIRC, there's no context about the mayor's daughter with Chief Irons; you miss that great helicopter scene; there's X's introduction; and numerous cat & mouse interactions with other characters being seen for whatever reason then separated again I'd trade every non-canon subpar side mode they added just for those characters to retain their rightful roles and context in the already existing story where I can only presume those things still go down the same way, but were sidelined in development in favor of doing/saying/having nothing.

Then you've got this recreation of the police station that's great, and the lab that's beyond fantastic (especially with how they make plants real enemies this time around), yet they TOTALLY cut out the earlier city elements that made it feel... bigger, realer, like an infected city from back in the day that left RE2 feeling bigger in scope than RE2m even now. That moment when you first reach the police station and camera sweeps upward, it's epic and ominous at once. You feel contained in this place because you've got context for what's outside the place. They've added those random quasi-city segments in RE2m during the middle, but with such an odd shallowness (especially after the police station) that it’s the sort of design depth you’d get in 1998 anyway. Those parts are merely hallway connections between Area A and B rather than being (and more importantly feeling like) larger set pieces or intersections of something grander.

That missing "get to the station" factor, those extra cut-scenes, all these things give the weight of life to the city. You feel so much more you’re there as it’s happening rather than arriving at the apocalypse that just already down. Kendo may not seem like major piece, but his struggle and the panic around him adds much texture. Putting him back in the picture, interacting with that chopper pilot, seeing the Mayor's daughter all moving around... even these brief things, create a feeling of a living city where all this other stuff is happening at the same time and you’re just not around to see it. There’s an atmosphere amplified by all those little extra Ada moments, Annette encounters, Ben mentions, Chief Irons looming (I am a big fan of his new garage scene & 3rd floor shenanigans though), Sherry scenes, and it all combines in the feeling of active, concurrent chaos. You’re showing up to the party late, but it ain't over.

I don’t think I need to emphasis how significantly the lacking A/B and B/A modes is a MAJOR hit, though there’s more to it with the current characters runs being so damn similar anyway. You basically get Leon A, Claire A with both doing the exact same tasks/beats/puzzles/bosses, but one has a bad Ada segment and the other a bad Sherry segment. They should have at least structured it Claire A / Leon B in an interlinking way if restricting us to one-character path, so we’re actually getting a complementary story that somewhat makes sense over-layered. RE2m desperately needs that original RE2 vibe that they're BOTH in this city at the same place/time yet isolated to different areas/tasks. While Claire is fighting G, Leon is fighting X, creating the impression of a larger singular narrative coming together. Hell, in the original they'd even bump into each other at semi-regular intervals for a real sense they're progressing together instead of RE2m’s relatively random re-joining at the end "oh hey whats-your-face from way earlier!"

It’s not that RE2m is bad--especially if you've never played the original--and it certainly could've gone much worse. Nevertheless, what we did get is still MUCH LESS than what already was. It’s almost in grasp of what might have been,but that's probably a big part of what's so frustrating. They got sooooo close that goal was within grasp. And if only one or two elements goofed up, okay that might still be close enough on target. Though the real pattern here is one covering all the bases for "good enough" and calling a wrap. They don't go the extra mile the original RE2 does, let alone the extra, extra mile that REmake provided. Sure, it nailed a great gaming base adaptation (imo anyway) and some areas are in-fact the sort of wonderful re-imagining to be expected. Yet so many others weren’t that, or were outright eliminated, along with whatever other elements and characters. There’s nothing palatable about rejecting the existing double story (and inverted double story) that made RE2 so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ beautiful in the first place in 1998. RE2make never reaches that next level. It just doesn’t, They needlessly stop short of fantastic remake that so, so, so easily could (and SHOULD) have been given a few different calls earlier and more time later. It’s like I'd said towards the start, RE2m is a remake effort that just leaves me wishing I were playing the original instead.

Having said my piece, I'd like to mention most of this writing I'd put together before RE3make's release (though ruminated since RE2s first week). I actually started RE3m but stopped early, finding myself *needing* to finish this write-up finally. I've held huge expectations give 3's concurrent development with RE2, fewer snags during, and time after. The demo only elevated those hopes of something that finally matched REmake's achievement. Yet, I've also heard the whispers of the types of changes that tarnished RE2m even while going dark on game this month for fresh eyes. Anyway, my last thoughts written, I'm finally ready to move forward to discover either accomplishment or disappointment for myself.

A lot of opinions get hung up on whether online is any good or totally ♥♥♥♥, but for the tertiary bonus feature it is (one was added long afterwards) it's just a cherry on top. Maybe you like it, maybe ya don't. But it's something worth its own accounting and ought not overshadow a base games so heavily deserving of its own accolades that it'd be listed "overwhelmingly positive" in any just world.

My first play-through was on PS4 (I paid the full $60 for this game twice and gladly) doing 100% (and then again on Steam, gladly). At the time I considered it one of the best games ever made. And, despite so many great games in the 7 years since, there's not many recent titles I'd put on that list. I consider Rockstar's accomplishment quadrupley impressive here given that GTA 4 was, to put it delicately, a total ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ mess. It took a huge step back for a franchise where otherwise I'd say every single entry proved better than the last. Well that's just my opinion anyhow. I mean considering each sequel superior--not the massive inferiority of GTA 4. That's more akin to objective truth. Sure, some people may disagree, but some people think climate change is a hoax and that a reality-show host / notorious conman was a premium pick for president, even still. Not all perspectives are equal. Though I also bring up these specific examples as a segway for GTA's parody style. It's often (though not necessarily unfairly) dismissed for being such a reductive , over-the-top exaggeration that it ends up toothless and facile commentary. Yet, reality has clearly been catching up. What was once perhaps blunt, crude observation now increasingly (unnervingly) serves for an acute, reasonable skewering of our societal (lack of) values and collective (un)intelligence.

Where GTA4 was a miserable gameplay slog of ludonarrative annoyances and hollow drama, GTA5 restores the direction of the formerly-best GTA game, San Andreas, among other elements of that game including, for example, the state of San Andreas and ideas such as fun. There's nothing that tops GTA5's incredibly epic process of setting up these heists steps--ones organically stemming from the story events too--leading towards these wild action movie showdowns. They're such creative and elaborate set pieces that manage to be original experiences while knowing the adage "great artists steal" They proudly utilize these homages and callbacks of the most wild action movies though here putting the audience in control of the ride as a real part of the experience. Yet those moments are so effectively placed in their own narrative and befitting that it's something you'd never notice unless unfamiliar with, say, Heat's opening heist already. Unlike many other franchises (Saints Row, Borderlands) they're using art to elevate their own art rather than making zany popular culture references for these cheesy winks at the audience, pandering for approval so you know they're down with [your favorite thing] too.

They also make these heists your main source of income in a way that actually feels like you're pulling major crew level scores with a need/motivation for such risks too instead being just any random car-jackass or shooting whoever at whatever warehouse. Likewise, the other missions are almost exclusively personal matters for your character (whichever at that time) that arise from their life/friends/obligations/aspirations in a natural experience that gives a whole lot more depth (and chances to deepen) the characters here while also creating a sense of progress that's not just another example of going next random guy to next random guy doing whatever they say until they repeat some pattern of betrayal as found in the franchises past iterations.

Meanwhile that tri-character rotation sidestepped common ludonarrative issues and allowed them to branch out into larger perspective storytelling (and ever creative interactions) while better connecting those characters to each other as well as the audience, now a surrogate for all at once. They're even generally more dimensional than those of GTA4 despite its more 'serious' storytelling (ie shallow sucker-bait melodrama). The unique skills were a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ joy, The multi-character missions that switched you from one role to the next served for a dynamic cutting like the action movies themselves while widening the type and variety of set-pieces put into plays. It's honestly ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crazy that this approach wasn't mimicked throughout the industry (as far as i know anyhow), though like most everything else with GTA 5 (for example insanely diverse activities even a red dead style hunting) that's a process clearly taking a huge level of passion and commitment like Rockstar's that few are willing (perhaps even able) to match.

My conclusion: this game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ radical.

This is actually REsident EVil ZERO... ZERO IMMERSION!

I'm posting this review in solidarity with my homeboy who trashed this obvious trash for the overt GAME BREAKING BUG where The Nemesis can't follow you into safety rooms.. Yeah... For real.

And I've got an even bigger list of GAME BREAKING AND IMMERSION RAPING bugs on full display here. Plus explanations for idiots why they're so idiots.

Get your ♥♥♥♥ together CapCom. Sht like....

• Healing in game time: In real life you can't just use mist or slap on a leaf to fix that stuff. Believe me I've tried.
  
  
• Game can be paused.. uh hello? Yea let me just pause real life here... oh wait... YOU CANT!
  
  
• Game pauses when looking at inventory/map or changing the game graphics/settings (see above)
  
  
• Can't make little notes or doodles on your map. Also the map is sentient with junk you couldn't possibly know. And who maped all these city alleyways and floorplans anyway?
  
  
• Can't use most buildings or rooms. NOT ACCEPTABLE! If they didn't' want to make a room for every room in the city then they shouldn't have made a CITY!
  
  
• Saving? You only get one life in real life. No one will take fake-life seriously if death just means try again. Plus no saves = no save rooms. Double fix right here!
  
  
• Also thinking it'd be dope if getting killed won't let you restart either. Have the game uninstall and delete from your Steam account. Not sure tho. Maybe too harsh?
  
  
• NEMESIS, ZOMBIES, DOGS, & HUNTERS! Word to Capcom: check your brain. Monsters aren't real! None of those things are real! Good grief.
  
  
• insane plot leaps. In this day/age it's impossible to even think the government could let a pandemic get so freaking crazy. Suspend disbelief ok, but just imagine the absolute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ moron it'd take in charge for something like that to ever happen now.

Some might look forgivable alone, but it sure adds up to a giant mess of real fake ♥♥♥♥ right here. It's like,... like you're taking a huge dump on my chest here... and I look down to see only cookie dough,.. cause you never ♥♥♥♥ on me at all.... even tho I already paid you.

Sorry but not sorry. DEAL BREAKKKER. You can't expect people to let ♥♥♥♥ go anymore.

I've only had a chance to check out Broken Lines for a bit so far, but that little bit already left me with a whole lot to say about this weird and wonderful WWII ensemble of grit & grime behind enemy lines.

Straight up: it's freaking "Overlord" the game here. Wait, that's not--I mean the movie "Overlord" the game here. Not the game "Overlord" the game, where you're a fantasy/medieval villain ordering minions to burn villages. Here you still get a fair share of burning villages (it's WWII after-all) but you're guiding a band of miscreants through the war along storyline branches and random events. It's like the 2018 war/exploitation flick where a ragtag group of soldiers try to complete a priority mission after crashing behind enemy lines. Similarly you'll find things aren't quite what they seem, for a game befitting that weird war exploitation flick style.

Plus, if you didn't already know from celebrity deaths, all the best things come in threes. The old Overlord game is a bit dated but still a joy. Then the movie Overlord is damn fun too, so check that out if you haven't. And--sure enough--the trifecta holds with one hell of a ride in this Overlord game. Uh, I mean Broken Lines. Same premise. Different name. Still great.


What at first seemed like the usual tactical RPG along the lines of X-Com (a game and genre I love as well) actually uses a wildly divergent structure for it's turn-based combat that's more like Frozen Synapse. It's probably easier to just see the damn thing, but basically each turn you're managing up to ~60 seconds of action (though rarely plan near that far, as battle tides swiftly shift) by queuing these 8 second segments of strategic activity at a time. When you hit go, all your soldiers--and enemies--carry out commands simultaneously in real time combat where they shoot and react according to plan.

No move points, no action points, no whatever. Your only resource is time, and everything is measured in terms of it and trade-off cost. The usual cool-downs still exist but they're similarly given time structure. So, you're able to queue commands for some special aimed shot, fire, and while it's cooling down 8 seconds its wait... or go into cover/move up/shoot/etc, cue the special again, and so on. It's all about setting your characters in motion and sparking this continuous coordinated stream of action. And it's a damn thrill.


Another atypical element comes into (game)play I hadn't expected. There's a real emphasis on replay--but I don't mean the usual randomized battlefield/enemies thing--that's reflected by these diverging campaign paths (and apparently endings ) as you're making decisions, influenced by opinions/reactions, and encountering lots of random events. To contrast, say, X-Com where you're playing a (war) campaign cast in a role more of general calling shots and ordering troops. Here they're mostly on their own journey while you're like a force of destiny (well, destiny as you choose it), guiding these troops towards whatever may be. The branching paths remind me more of the visual novel approach to storyline progress using multiple replays for full context.


Unfortunately there's a matter of... Unity. Some great games are made; great issues for many more. Based on my experience here, those engine stressors are lurking large as a myriad of miscellaneous issues and poor performance. Even before the story's opening crash-scene I was crashing. Initially seeming controller related (a common issue due to how Steam takes over controllers which many devs have to work around) but it persisted after unplugging until I revalidated. So no more crashing, but I had a SUPER ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up aspect ratio hybrid of the screen's center 1/3 and black bars for sides. Naturally the setting menu warped outside that center too. I THINK it was trying to use my Rift resolution on my main monitor, so I'd unplugged it too, yet no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ change. Ultimately I used an app (Borderless Gaming) to un♥♥♥♥ the window long enough that I could change the default settings--and all was good! ...well, I could play now anyhow.

One issue remains: the engine optimization is all kinds of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up that my resource consumption was sky high. We're talking the sort of power/CPU/GPU usage where, had I been testing the daily indie assetflip, I'd outright assume crypto-mining and shut that ♥♥♥♥ down without a glance. With my rig this is the sort of game I'd be playing at max 4K settings... while idling in GTA online maxed too. But looking around the forum, I'm not seeing the issue as widespread. Though people are reporting a mixed bag of issues seemingly tied to the newest update... which may be a plus. Patched means unpatchable, so hopefully this lingering concern is a mere matter of review timing, not engine overhaul. Still, that resource issue is enough annoyance for me to likely avoid more playtime commitment (the most valuable resource of all) until the next patch before giving it another go. (If released before RE3, otherwise see y'all next month!)

• Aside from the usual difficulty range, there's customization choices to put enemies more on par with the player with them having items, explosives, and special abilities.
  
• The game recommends the tutorial, but ♥♥♥♥ that. The missions do a great job unloading information naturally, with tooltips cliickable back/forth, so you can just dig in on a gist and check 'em again towards the end of the level... to realize you missed the sprint/walk/slow mechanic of its mucho utility
  
• Still looking if there's a way to clear your queued commands all at once for when you gotta change things up ASAP
  
• This game absolutely needs a demo. Nothing I say or show would ever convince you better than playing that first level yourself.

Part of the reason I decided to write this review was my roller-coaster of expectations and surprise. I went in feeling pretty good from what I'd already seen, then hit my series of snags for mounting frustration and stress. My panic didn't max-out where I could've shot up my computer. Just close. So, even when I got things running, I expected the worst and grumbled my way forward. That faded quickly. I kept warming up until I had to do something I hadn't done in a long time and write a review. So here's a bunch of crazy words about this video game when I've already got at least 10 other half-complete mega reviews that I could've finished... one day, anyhow.

Those engine issues aside, there's something legitimately cool going on that absolutely deserves a look. Your quest to sync soldier timing and planning is a real key for engagement, generating this strategic depth at the same time it leads way to the crazed action thrill of battle segments. That goal of shaving seconds of downtime effectively yields this sort of emergent strategy experience that's just not doable by strict turn-by-turn tactical RPGs. You stumble upon inspiration in the moment, like realizing a distraction sprint out of range with one character while you'd already planned to send another character sneaking up for the kill. All these little moments leave you appreciating the bigger picture and power of emergent strategy to ultimately recognize the game as besting your best of expectations.

For more game gold, go.. uh, bold?
https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/32660416-Weird-Wonderful-Game-Watch/

Full Disclosure: This title was provided freely to our curator group WWGW as many games are. It's not a factor guaranteeing coverage even, nor any direct review, let alone influencing one. All opinions are our own. Word is Bond. James Word.

Mistover answers the call of every Steam Workshop mod out there switching up Darkest Dungeon’s character designs for brash and bright anime sprites. Honing in on that desired aesthetic certainly helped them cultivate an experience familiar enough to be “Darkest Anime Dungeon” here, though there’s more to unearth than the usual style/story facelift of an emergent sub-genre. For all the areas that parallel any other ‘Darkest-like’, Mistover tackles another aspect with its own spin to ultimately craft an experience of familiar difference. It’s similar sub-genre joys in refreshing variations.

Like Darkest Dungeon, you’re effectively running your own merry band o’ adventures into managed campaigns of RPG exploration/looting/fighting/dying to stop the grand unstoppable evil. Your struggles manifest equally from those direct combat encounters against monsters and minions as much as they do from the delicate balancing act required to keep funding your expeditions with a healthy and happy crew. And, likewise, naturally a lot of grind plus plenty of room for woe with the unexpected wipeout.

While of the whole of the town side ends up feeling like a 1:1 of Darkest Dungeons 2D town vendors and options, once you’re exploring the Mist there’s a traditional RPG approach. Instead of corridors with rooms of random treasures, traps, and battles, here you’re exploring a 3D map directly from an entrance with a goal in mind (defeat x creatures, explore y%) and need to find that exit. Exploration is still governed by hunger and a light mechanic, though both adjustable via items/skills. Treasure chests are locked by different keys, monsters are visible on their own paths, and you’ll see all sorts of traps and obstacles. Something I found particularly nifty was that each class has a unique map ability when set as your party leader (and you switch between easily as needed exploring) to deal with various obstacles, recover stats, or optimize travel.

Combat is where Mistover really starts changing things up. Rather than the ordinary 2D battle setup with your 4 characters in a row, the style more closely resembles the South Park RPG battle system (though still can’t cross the median). It’s three columns (and I think about six rows to move around) for setting your character positioning, with each column have its own stat bonus. Your available moves (and who you can hit) are still determined by your positioning, though there’s extra strategy dimensions at work with specific class arrangements allowing for new move combinations too. Most classes include their default base attack and a sort of willpower/stamina/magic etc. currency meter for better abilities that’s refreshed by items or resting. However some of the more badass classes like Ronin end up with unique battle designs, where for example they need to refill their meter based on damage/kills, as an extra balance for their skills and other strategy elements in ensuring they get the kill-shot on enemies.


Strangely enough Mistover ends up one of those PC games (and an RPG among them) where a gamepad is the vastly superior option. There’s something rather unexpected about the control system, where--rather than being mouse-based clicking--you end up having different keys set for each option on the screen. For clarification, this is actually rather helpfully accompanied by clear, visible button indicators so you won’t often be losing track of which key does which (as can be a problem in many games) or getting flustered by changing up games here. (Especially if you switch between games a lot like I do, having a hard time keeping controls straight). For controllers, it’s works flawlessly really as a fluid menu-navigation system and options. Actually, it’s a phenomenal example of how to implement gamepad support for game’s that otherwise would require a clumsy cursor substitute, yet damned annoying even needing a keyboard for something that’s entirely do-able (and done better) with a mouse. It’s certainly an interesting alternative and nothing wrong with making that available, though I think a more traditional mouse-set up would flow far better for the intended audience.

Mistover stands out as a rather strong spin-off from the Darkest-like formula with a much-desired aesthetic with its own world-saving narrative; though, for all the areas of difference in actual game mechanics, many of the core elements that either make or break the game for gamers will play out the same. If you’ve found DD too much of a slog, a grind, or RNG-fest, well you’re likely to have the same experience this time. For those of you who embraced those aspects of your RPG experience and digging the anime aesthetic, the familiar formula in new exploratory ways will be a rather enjoyable ride. They’ve done some patching recently with regard to money making and experience since I last played though, so perhaps there’s more liable to change in accommodating audience requests. Though I can’t help but smile at the more entertaining solution, a workshop of Mistover mods like with Darkest Dungeon that do all sorts of things from re-adjust the difficulty to, say, switching out it’s anime sprites here for that grim-goofy medieval art style of DD this time. Full circle baby, full circle.


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Disclosure: This game copy was provided freely to our group for review as many titles are, though that doesn’t impact review scoring or even guarantee coverage. All thoughts provided are independent and our own. (though we are looking for more reviewers if interested)

You can check out MISTOVER on Steam now


And find more recommendations on our curator page, Weird Wonderful Game Watch

So I’m sure as ♥♥♥♥ not alone loving FromSoftware and their output, though also not the only one run down by “soul’s fatigue” these days either. My own prognosis dates back to Dark Souls 3, having jumped in right after wrecking Bloodborne in a damn fine ride. But I burned hard & fast on DS3, never finishing… and I swear baby you’re beautiful, you’re wonderful; it’s not you, it’s me. The fatigue persisted long, perhaps even now a simmering set of embers remains. There was no Sekiro hype for me. No interest, ads, or foreknowledge; just an acknowledgement I’d check it out eventually given long-run goodwill. Nevertheless, I ended up with Sekiro in my lap anyway and, from there, necessitating an install & quick look to at allay the guilt of a year+ dust collecting before motivated to dig deeper. Well, what started as an innocent peek snowballed into 200 hours and all the achievements.

It didn’t take long to recognize that Sekiro wasn’t another Souls, or a historical ninja game, or whatever else I’d anticipated. SEKIRO IS ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ NINJA SCROLLS!!! Oh, many of those familiar From elements are still around, but imagined in a different styling and creating a new tonal experience. One feeling & playing exactly like you’re being dropped into a videogame manifestation of the most badass anime flick ever made, Ninja Scroll. A game as glorious as glorious goes.

While still a tale of a historic Japan with a fairly realistic setting of clan feuding, you’re also inhabiting a world of weirdness along the edges. From the mini-ninja mushroom men to hulking brutes--with about five feet of difference between main characters--you’re seeing a hyper exaggerated & stylized world that’s a whole lot of awesome. The historical myth/fantasy aspects generate more outlandish gameplay elements though keeping your enemies largely human. The collective of weirdo bosses are where it really feels like you’re fighting the eight devils of kimon, with bizarre powers and gimmicks yielding majorly memorable experiences.

Though it’s not just the crazy manifestation of a de-facto Ninja Scroll game that caught me by surprise. FromSoftware steps outside their past work enough to pull off something unique while still clearly “from the twisted minds who brought you” other beloved works. It’s almost as if “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” was designed for FromSoft veterans who’ve grown weary of the formula as well. For as much as Bloodborne was a refreshing change of pace from Dark/Demons, Sekiro is twice as unique and branching off in its own direction.

Would you like to know more? [/starshiptroopers]
This review continues in greater detail if you're curious (or enjoy my writing style & charm]
https://steamproxy.net/groups/WeirdWonderfulGameWatch/discussions/5/1743386279067561931/

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Pick up Sekiro on Steam now

And find more recommendations on our curator page, Weird Wonderful Game Watch.

LAST LABYRINTH presents an escape room game scenario that hones in on the medium’s inherent limited-interactivity as a means of confronting you with the facsimile of virtual reality. It’s a world you knowingly recognize as illusory yet your senses and emotions project importance nevertheless. Taking on the atmosphere of a Saw-esque torture porn, you find yourself in a series of bizarre rooms with esoteric puzzles linked to grandiose means of death that are MEGA ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ BRUTAL. Though beyond the cool deaths and escape room gameplay there’s an innate creativity and new experience evoking an overt sensation of restraint and helplessness.

You awaken strapped to wheelchair, chained up, and totally immobile save for the ability to move your head around and grasp at a button with your thumb. (Oh, if you couldn’t tell this is a sitting VR game btw.) You’re in the company of a strange young girl. Though she is fully mobile, she speaks in a strange language and relies upon you for guidance—while you rely on her for everything else. You can look at the room around you, nod in affirmation or dismissal, shake your chains, or press down on a battery-worn button to briefly activate a laser pointer strapped to your head. These become your only means of communication for guiding the girl through the vicious puzzles threatening both your lives and holding you prisoner.

At times the POV switches to an ominous series of cameras watching your actions, but the circumstances of your captivity, the girl, and the purpose of it all remain completely in the dark. Even successfully accomplishing a puzzle triggers the traps and unleashes the horror (okay, and exhilaration) of the encounter. Only at the last moment, whatever small change you’ve implemented prevents your demise compared to the failing death state. It’s a well-thought mechanic and a boon given you’ll no-doubt want to see all the over-the-top death devices firsthand but don’t necessarily want to fail each room before getting it right. Meanwhile complementing puzzles keeps a lingering tension of uncertainty as you still can’t be entirely sure you got it right until that final floor panel about to fall miraculously doesn’t this time.

Where LAST LABYRINTH really stands out though--and separates itself from other escape room games—is that innate structure of helplessness and humility by putting in you the position of the forgotten. It demands you communicate in a world of noise & obstruction while mounting up your own frustrations though a mouth that cannot scream.

The easiest and most appropriate comparison that comes to mind is perhaps a dog. In many ways you’ll share that plight of a dog trying to communicate with his caregiver that it’s feeding time only to have them rebuff you in their annoyance. There’s that experience of finally having their attention after patiently waiting on the stupid human slowly making their way to the food cabinet—only to realize they start reaching for the wrong one, clearly distracted by snacking themselves first. So, you huff around and paw to correct them of their foolishness, with more patience for these humans know so little.

I cannot say for sure whether it’s dog and human master, or that’s just relative and truly human and their master the dog commanding them around. But whatever the relationship, like that shared bond you too will come to develop and affinity and compassion for your companion. Beyond the interdependence upon one another—though perhaps because of it ---a deeper connection naturally manifests. The shared struggle and triumph give an extra emotional edge to your game, and all those failed death scenes that makes them resonate as particularly brutal, cool as they are too.

LAST LABYRINTH is certainly at its best, and most enjoyable, when you’re in a good flow and succeeding with reasonable ease. Naturally you’ll run into a few stumpers though. Sometimes inherent difficulty, but other times you’ve just hit your own blind-spot missing the obvious (I got stuck on the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 2nd room waaay longer than necessary, and would’ve been quicker doing the permutations but refused surrender without without figuring out the puzzle's logic). Those spots though are a major part of the experience though too, and necessary in conveying the inherent marginalization and frustration tied to your position of helplessness in the rest of the game. You’ll care for the girl at the same time you’ll be grinding your teeth at her and rushing her forward with impatience.

For the most part though, LAST LABYRINTH offers some reasonably intuitive and fair puzzles you can often postulate through without any trial and error. When you do screw-up, it’s usually slight curve-ball that you missed and you’ll nail it on the second try. Overall, it’s a well thought out mental exorcise without being overtly simple though not relentlessly hard either. It evokes the position of vulnerability and frustrations though also elicits compassion and protection despite what's inherently a voyeuristic game playing into the appeal of torture porn anyway. And it’s true the deaths are wonderfully brutal, perhaps the best I’ve seen since Resident Evil 4. Though perhaps it gives some consolation that the joy of watching a little girl getting viciously slaughtered over and over is always followed directly by the joyousness of your own gory demise in a glorious VR experience right after. And damn it's badass.


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Disclosure: This game copy was provided freely to our group for review as many titles are, though that doesn’t impact review content... or even guarantee coverage. All thoughts provided are independent & our own. (though we are looking for more reviewers if interested)

You can check out Last Labyrinth on Steam now

And find more recommendations on our curator page, Weird Wonderful Game Watch.