Recent reviews by Gamekeeper

Cartoon Network Smash Bros? its about as cool as it sounds.

its like dark and darker, but with flashier skills and more fluid animations.

Normally i'd wait a bit, but i feel i should recommend it to offset some of the hater review bombers. Lots of the controversy over this game is either exaggerated or untrue, and while i'm not going to sit here and tell you Netease is a pure-hearted company or something, this particular game seems fine enough and with actually pretty fun gameplay.
I would describe it as korean Conan Exiles with 7dtd/division "apocalyptic looting". The monsters are pretty weird/lovecraftian (think The Medium) and do as needed well enough. I will say if you went in expecting a real "horror" experience you will be sorely disappointed, as any horror basically goes out the window after you see 100 tents outside a dungeon area and 50 people mining the same copper you are. To be fair, the respawn rates are apparently well tuned because despite the huge population i rarely have trouble finding the resource nodes I want, which is nice. Despite seeing skyscraper player bases all over the place, i fairly easily nestled down next to a plethora of resources and a good loot area, so really the crowded feeling just takes away the horror. Speaking of, the building takes many cues from recent similar games in the genre like Conan Exiles and Ark, and you can actually make very large bases if you so desire. Better yet, you can pick it up and move whenever and wherever you like, which will be very helpful when you outgrow your starting area. The game does use a "mobile game" tactic in an "energy" currency used for a few things like learning memetics (blueprints/tech) and then building/crafting things. When i first saw this mechanic I was like "aaand here is the pitfall" but as i played, it rarely was even considered, and I found that if i needed more i could just go loot some and focus down some journey milestone, battle pass missions, or commissions from V and i would be fine again. So at least for now, it doesn't seem to be a gamebreaker. Combat is... passable. so far its pretty easy, but with all the game systems in place for upgrades like mods, tiers, etc. i'd be absolutely shocked if difficulty doesn't spike at about lvl 20 or 30.
TLDR: If you like survival crafting games, lots of content and randomized looting, and seeing another player doesnt ruin your game, this is a great time. especially for the starting price of free.

Honestly can't believe i hadn't recommended this sooner. I played a bit more on the non-steam version a while back, and my hours on steam do not reflect my enjoyment or praise for this game. I come from the old guard of Master of Magic lovers and somehow skipped over the Heroes M&M 3 era and went straight to games like Disciples 2. These sorts of "Hero based Strategy RPG" have always piqued my interest, but this one takes the cake and the crown.
Ben "ThingOnItsOwn" Hauer has made something special here, granting endless replayability for (relatively) bite-sized adventures that give you just enough of everything you want out of this type of game. Town building, army raising, hero leveling, dungeon looting, rival bashing, map exploring, all the checkmarks are there. as with any game like this there is always some balancing issues here and there, but nothing that took away from my enjoyment at least. The combat being 90% automatic, basically just barring spells and pre-engagement setup, is such a huge plus because then every battle is just a thunderdome show for your enjoyment. over time you may increase the speed a bit to get to the point but it never actually gets old. and to make sure it never gets old, random map generation keeps things fresh and fun every playthrough, and even just got an update.
TLDR: i like it, and if you like HoMM3 or other strategy/war games, you may like it too. the price also helps, and its constantly going on sale.

Is it perfect? no. but as a fan of these cozy farm sims where i build up a fortune and especially ones with combat like Rune Factory, it hits a lot of notes for me. I think fans of eccentric, cartoonish characters like Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss will find a lot to like in the atmosphere here, and if not there is still lots and lots of farming and collecting to do!

The most classic of classics to ever classic. I watched my dad play this after i was born for 2 years and then (poorly) imitated him to for it to be the very first video game i ever played. Its a well-known cult classic in the 4x strategy space, but what makes it so amazing and outstanding? was it the juxtaposition of broody bit music with bright, colorful UI? Deep civ-building mixed with surprisingly satisfying RPG elements? the satisfaction of using your overwhelming and in-depth game knowledge to crush your opposition under your heel? or the fantasy of slinging not only a fireball or 2 but many spells of varied types and uses along with fantastical creatures of myth in a world filled with magic and opportunity, yet still randomized every playthrough?

the answer is its all of them. and if the dozens of failed "spiritual successors" are any indication, nothing will ever be quite like it.

ATS is an amazing game that, tldr, does what it sets out to do with gusto.
If feels great to have a general layout you like for towns and adjusting them on the fly every run, and it always feels like you are making meaningful progress with the overworld tech tree. As you get more and more comfortable with citybuilding and get more tech buffs, you can jump in difficulty, but its not some boring numbers boost! you starting seeing blightrot and monsters and all sorts of cool things that make you *want* to push yourself to see them. and even on top of all that, its pieces come together so wonderfully to create a neverending chill experience that you can just pop a candle or incense for and just relax for a few hours on that viceroy grind. 10/10.

The perfect middle ground of PoE and D4. Personally, i think it fulfills the power fantasy of arpg's better than either of those two as well. a very good video game.

My pc runs it ok at least. And its preeeetty fun and easy to look at.

just wow. easily the best 5$ i've ever spent. clearly very inspired by Terraria in many ways, and they did what they could with this art style, but otherwise a total masterpiece. Absolutely nails what makes games survival crafting games fun with loads to loot, gather, kill, and repeat. The settlement system is the cherry on the game system cake as another huge thing to get into and master. highly recommend. if you even remotely like games like terraria, minecraft, stardew valley, etc.