Recent reviews by Cthulhulemon

Open world games these days can get a little overwhelming due to the breadth of content and mechanics that are thrown at you from the start. It's like encountering a wide ocean, and you have to struggle to sip when the game tries to pour it down your throat.

Valheim is more like a tower. You start in the meadows, explore it, master it. Fight a boss that tests your skills and gear. Then move to the next biome, and repeat.

There are aspects of this structure that may seem repetitive but in my experience the game has become increasingly more rewarding the farther you move through its progression. The two most recent biomes, Mistlands and Ashlands, are absolutely fantastic and I can't wait until the final biome is released.

There are flaws in this game for sure but I get so much joy out of building and playing with friends that I happily set those flaws aside and deal with them. That, and adding some awesome quality of life mods.

I think you get more out of this game when playing with friends than when playing solo but it is perfectly enjoyable alone!

Keeping this short and sweet. Best thing about the game for me so far?

Well thought-out, hand-placed loot.

You thought you were clever by somehow climbing on top of a tower you probably weren't intended to climb?

Lucky for you there's a nearby location to glide to only accessible from this pillar with a gold chest.

See an unassuming pile of rubble near the road?

Mine that bad boy open and guess what, chest inside.

I find myself cackling with glee when I consistently, and I mean CONSISTENTLY, get rewarded for exploration and perceptiveness. Can't get enough. Reminds me of PiranhaBytes games like Risen that had a similarly loving touch, with hand-placed loot scattered throughout the world in interesting locations.

I like it.

It's not perfect; there is an element of P2W. The game is a little too easy. Late game gets a little grindy.

Despite this, the game has fun combat mechanics.
It's pretty and the abilities look great.
PvP is actually really fun when 1v1 dueling or 3v3 deathmatching.
There is a ton of interesting and varied side content to do.

As a long-time Diablo player, this game scratches the Diablo itch better than many other ARPGs of late.
I'd recommend at least checking it out to see if the game is for you.

Game fuels my kleptomaniacal tendencies

Absolutely fantastic. The most creative puzzle game I have ever played. The music, art style, strange narrative... all on point. Well worth the price despite the short length of the game.

For the love of god, try not to play this game alone. I couldn't get into this game for the longest time but after playing with a friend I realized how much better it is co-op. Most enemy encounters seem to be balanced for two players. It is doable single player, but quite difficult.

Overall, a solid survival RPG-esque game. Few games have given me such a satisfying feeling of adventure.

I was part of the minority of players that enjoyed the game at launch, but this review is for the current state of the game as of 3/30/2021.

Do you yearn for exploration? When you play a new game, do you canvas the entire map looking for interesting things? Do you only get a dopamine rush from seeing something in a game that you have never seen before?

If you said yes to these questions, then this game is perfect for you.

The early game is a little rough, but once you get a decent amount of income, the game really opens up with the amount of things you are able to do.

My main gameplay tips:
- You should try to finish the first part of the main story as quickly as possible, because it opens up a lot of the other mechanics in the game.
- Get a lot of salvaged data and make a base with unlocked parts as soon as possible. Having a base will let you dig for deep mineral deposits or farm, which can quickly make you A LOT of money.
- Upgrade your scanner on your multitool with three S-class upgrades. Doing this, if you're lucky with the upgrade rolls, can mean that scanning a single new creature on a planet will give you ~500,000 units in one go.
- Try to mostly visit systems that have a three-star economy. You can buy and sell goods for better prices there, you will get more valuable ships there, and potentially more valuable multitools.
- Because this game can seem pointless if viewed from a big picture perspective, try to alternate what you do every time you play. One day you can set up a deep mineral extraction mine, the next day clear out some desolate freighters, the next day talk to a bunch of Korvax to fill out your lexicon, the next day fly around looking for a better ship, etc. This way you won't get bored, at least not until you hit 200+ hours.

I'll end by saying that this game is not for everyone. Hell, I take months-long breaks from it and return once in a while to try out new content and do some relaxing exploration. Overall it's a hell of a lot better than it was at launch, and one of the most interesting games I've ever played.

A sidescroller, soulslike platformer with metroidvania elements.

Co-op is really fun, but makes the game SIGNIFICANTLY easier.

Combat is rewarding and weapon types and builds are really cool, but since it's a sidescroller, most boss fights consist of you rolling through them over and over.

You will love this game if you like Dark Souls. It's a little hard at first but it really picks up the pace after the first boss fight.

Befriended a fisherman merchant. Stole everything in his house that wasn't nailed down, then sold it all to his rival down the road. Then stole everything in the rival's house and sold it to the original fisherman. 10/10 would encourage blossoming capitalism.

When I first looked at this game's store page, I thought to myself, "Really? Could a turn based game really be that exciting?"

Yep. Yes it is.

As an action game fanboy (Assassin's Creed, Tomb Raider, God of War, lots of fun but generic AAA games): this game still hits all the marks and then some. BUY.

As a D&D DM: This is literally the closest you will get for a while to playing an action-packed D&D video game. And the level of detail poured into each and every dialogue and storyline will amaze you. BUY.

As a bored college student stuck at home right now: My grades are gonna suffer this quarter. STILL BUY.