Recent reviews by MasterJay

So there I was, hands off the keyboard, on my feet dancing to Parov Stelar blaring out the speakers. The music however wasnt coming out of Spotify or iTunes but from the spiky arms of the treble crab and thumpy leaves of the bass flower. This is the world of Beatbuddy, where everything breathes harmony, rhythm and melody. Beatbuddy is a product of the recent resurgence of the indie game industry, an original, lovingly crafted title that is brimming with child-like joy and fun.

In Beatbuddy you explore a world that moves to the beat, each level has a soundtrack that weaves in an out as you encounter various creatures and obstacles. In terms of gameplay there is nothing under the skin that is particularly revolutionary or unfamiliar. You float around the world a la Flyn or Aquaria, solve puzzles to open your way forward and avoid dying horribly by terrible traps. So far nothing new you say, but it's Threaks approach these familiar mechanics that makes the game a really cool experience. Life threatning bubbles are only damaging every other beat, the spiky crabs that prevent you from continuing are actually playing the treble line of a Parov Stelar song and that clanky ship you're driving, it only moves every second beat.

Unlike other games where the soundtrack may complement the on-screen action to create a mood or an emotion, Beatbuddy actually incorporates the music into your movements which means you better have good rhythmic sense otherwise you're gonna hurt that cute little buddy a lot. Movement in Beatbuddy is all about timing.

The stellar soundtrack is not let down by the graphical prowess of Beatbuddy, the world is hand-drawn with equal parts wonderous beauty and charming silliness that is easy on the eyes and makes you smile inside. I particularly like what you could describe as the chubby technicians that beatbox to eachother complaining about things not being broken or stuff getting stolen.

Beatbuddy is a great product that overflows with love and is just a fun game. The music is fantasic and will often have you dancing along with the on-screen protagonist. So turn that music up and get ready to rumble.

SteamWorld Dig follows a very simple concept, dig your way through a mine, find minerals and use them to buy upgrades for your equipment. This formula is implemented very well and never feels repetitive or boring. The upgrades are staggered well enough that you feel like you're constantly making progress which makes you want to keep playing.

When digging around choosing the right path can make trips back to the surface to sell your minerals easier and faster. However digging too much can leave you stuck at the bottom without any resources or even light to keep you going. Traversing the mine is thus SteamWorld Dig's most challenging and fun aspect, with subsequent upgrades completely changing the way you treat the space in the mine making additional areas available for exploration.

The game is quite short, I finished it in about 7 Hours and managed to get most of the upgrades. If you have a few hours to spare and want something fun to play I would definitely recommend SteamWorld Dig