Recent reviews by blaz

I just want more games like this.
I'll spare you all of the details you can read in the store page or on the internet and cut to the chase.

Nightdive has truly outdone themselves with a faithful rendition of an immersive sim classic that manages to stay faithful to its original iteration while introducing new QOL features.

The game still has a very strong entry barrier, and the first couple of hours will be the most confusing ones. There's no easy way to track objectives beyond going into the media section of your HUD and re-reading all of the logs found during exploration, and the game isn't afraid of punishing you if you don't care to understand the basic mechanics.

Most people would be bored by something like this, but I think that the satisfaction of understanding complex and wonky in-game systems is what made videogames special in the first place.

Once you get the hang of the mechanics, you'll enjoy one of the most tense, fascinating and memorable experience and you'll end up wanting more. I'm eagerly waiting for SS2!

There isn't much to say here: beautiful hand drawn graphics, tons of style (I ADORE the comic book-style cutscenes), beautiful combat mechanics, a very interesting story with memorable characters and the right amount of side content.

This game is a gem, and it's a shame it didn't get all the recognition it deserved during 2024. The map design could be improved and extended further, but it isn't problematic or flawed, just something functional to the gameplay style.

Definitely a must buy!

Classic boomer shooter with decent weapon variety, tons of content and satisfying gunplay. The level variety of the base game is its main weakness, and it might get stale towards the end, other than that it is a solid game that will keep you engaged and let you have tons of fun murdering heretics. Recommended, especially on sale.

I'm addicted

First and foremost: this game isn't a masterpiece and it certainly isn't for everyone.
It draws on the original God of War trilogy, some bits and pieces of the old DMCs and blends it all with a touch of supernatural elements in a western setting.
It presents itself as a typical third person action game, in which you explore fairly linear levels with some collectibles hidden around and you fight in closed-quarters arena encounters. In a game such as this the main star should be the combat system, and I have to say that by the end of the game it's actually really fun and complex.
One of my main gripes with it is that you rarely need to use all of the tools at your disposal, and only by the end of the game you have to fight a couple of encounters that cannot be beaten by simply dodging and hitting, and that is greatly limiting its potential.
The linearity of the levels isn't a problem, but I'd have preferred to have a bit more room for exploration, not by much, they are still fine as they are.
The story and the characters are abysmal, but they are coherent with the settings and the mood the game tries to convey.

All in all, it is a fun 11 hours game that you can play whenever you are in the mood for something spooky or halloweenesque and as an added bonus it can be played entirely in coop.

A modern take on the immersive sim genre that never fails to amaze me, with tons of interactive game systems that you can use at your advantage while navigating Talos I, a research space station where a form of alien life called the Typhon has caused an outbreak.
The game is all about managing resources and being conscious of your environment.
The combat isn't overly flashy or spectacular, and mainly relies on you knowing your enemies and managing your ammo accordingly.
The possibilities are limitless, and you'll eventually be able to use alien powers to defend yourself, but that comes with consequences you'll have to face.
The story is deeper than it seems, and it analyzes one aspect of sci-fi alien outbreak fiction that is rarely touched upon, and that's empathy.
The level design is simply top notch, among the best I've ever seen. Talos I is a maze where progression can be bent on itself depending on how much you are able to understand your environment. You can basically explore the whole station before the story even takes you there if you are creative with its systems and know where to look for.
It's a game that isn't afraid of being complex at times, requiring you to think before acting.
Provided you understand all of the in-game systems, among which I could cite being able to activate buttons remotely with a toy crossbow as among the most inventive ones, you'll simply have a blast.
If you're in the mood to beat the mind game, fancy yourself with this under-recognized gem.

Fast paced, highly customizable mecha building experience.
The game structure itself is quite simple, no open world to explore, but a sequence of different missions, most of them linear, that often present the player with branching paths. This is intended: the game doesn't try to focus on exploration (while there are still some secrets hidden in the levels) but is fully geared towards action.
The gameplay is top-notch: thanks to the incredibly deep AC building experience, you can approach the game however you want. I beat the game on my first playthrough using a mixed explosives/melee build, and then I tried double handguns, double SMGs, a laser build, a tetrapod build (basically flying death machines) and so on. The weapon and armor variety is impressive, but still feels manageable: it's the right amount of everything.
You can also customize the appearance of your mech using vinyls and different combinations of basic shapes to basically draw anything and this stirred the creativity of the playerbase, with impressive builds that you can look up online.
The story, while being simple on the surface, manages to be memorable with well written characters and a smart use of new game plus cycles to expand on (apparently) neglected aspects of the ingame world.
There's much to talk about the game, about the aesthetics, about how it feels like a videogame of old, focusing on the fun while not being mindless and overly colorful, but the review would be too long. (like it itsn't already)
To summarize: if you like a game that centers around your build, that puts the gameplay on top of everything else, and in some shape or form you're nostalgic of the PS2-era, stop thinking and buy this game.

What should I say about a game that released with even more content than its acclaimed prequel, despite being in a beta state, that runs flawlessly, has a beautiful atmosphere and fun and engaging gameplay? These guys are a shining beacon in a dying industry.

What a great surprise!
This game is a fresh new spin on games like The Stanley Parable, offering mind blowing non euclidean geometry puzzles.
The visuals are captivating, the story is interestingly told. I'd have liked a couple more levels, but the content is still abundant for the kind of experience.
Definitely recommended and I seriously hope we'll have more games like this.

It's a production filled to the brim with joy, love and mindfulness. A demonstration of what videogames were and could be. Inventive and fun, with the right amount of content for every taste. Easy to learn, hard to master and visually appealing.
I deeply enjoyed the parodic approach to corporate culture and how it is currently ruining the landscape.
I totally recommend you to play and enjoy this game.
As a bonus, it runs great on the steam deck.