Recent reviews by cicero

I love the illusion of accomplishing great feats while only holding down a button and having things done for me. It's Vampiretastic!

I am a mutant human scholar with two hearts, night vision, flaming ray hands, and hooks for feet. I also have “Confusion” as a mutation. My name is Generalissimo Full Frontal Nudillos. Apparently while trying to pet a glowing nuclear cat named “Cestiphus” I struck it and was turned into a block of ice by a nearby warden. This was no way for a scholar and a gentleman to die.

This wonderful indie run-and-gun style action game was a one man labor of love project. It was released as freeware in 2004. Gamers immediately recognized its brilliance, fan translated it into english, and fan campaigns to try to reward the creator started. Fortunately he connected with a small developer and updated his game so that he could officially release it and help support his family. I played it three times as freeware and have paid for it and played it again multiple times since. I love it.

It's endearing charm, great gameplay, absolutely wonderful soundtrack, and atmosphere never fail to impress me each time I play it again. It reminds me of the initial joy I found finding and playing something completely new and unexpected as a boy. Somehow it retains that happy sense of charm again and again.

The secrets, the beautiful soundtrack, the joy of discovery when you come to each new zone… What a fantastic game.

10/10

How can you go wrong for $.99?

I went into this game with no knowledge of "Savant" or any knowledge of what this game was. I saw it on sale for 99 cents and bought it. It took me all of 30 minutes to beat it. There was no story beyond some weird character falling off of a tower and coming back to fight his way back up it to destroy whatever shiny round thing knocked him off. I later found that the "hero" character is actually the alias of some musician (Aleksander Vinter), and the character is dressed up as he dresses on stage. And of course this game just happened to be released on the PC just days before his new album...surprise surprise.

+ Really nice art. Too bad there is so little of it.
+ Apparently there will be additional content added for free. Leaderboards for a 20 minute game that doesn't penalize death? Hurray!
+ If you are into this artist "Savant" or dubstep, you will love the music, apparently...

- This seems like a showcase for the artist, his music, and his on-stage persona, not about a complete game with compelling gameplay, story, or characters.
- There is no substance to this game. Your progress in the game continues at the last death, thus removing any impact to death. You simply crunch through the easily defeated waves of enemies until you grab enough pieces of "cds", a ridiculously obvious allusion to the modern real world which makes this game feel even more like part of an album promotional campaign of some kind, giving you extra powers. Then you die, new powers completed/retained and then you start anew with no penalty whatsoever.
- End boss is ridiculously easy. This fits the general sensibilities to this game though.
- This is an iOS port of a game developed in just five weeks. I should have known...

I would skip this and buy a good $1 Humble Bundle instead. You are sure to get more value and quality gameplay in a good Humble Bundle than with a 30 minute promotional game for an artist developed in just five weeks...

I found the complete lack of a basic shotgun in this game to be depraved and sickening.

The premise is simple, a slew of alien baddies enter the map in waves and travel the shortest path to steal your power cores, you must build a maze/grid of towers to stop them. You gain more resources by killing the aliens, resources you desperately need to upgrade or build more towers to kill the ever increasing new waves of aliens. Every game is basically a race to figure out the optimum defensive grid. After you beat each level, harder varied challenge versions of the level open up. I never felt frustration or tedium while playing and replaying the levels until I was able to figure out the optimal playthrough, and the balance and pacing was really spot on. It was very fun, addictive, and well worth my money, and the time I spent playing through it almost three times.

Defense Grid: The Awakening is hands down the best tower defense game I have ever played. It is addictive, fun, worthwhile and ultimately fulfilling. Buy it now.

There is no reason not to buy this game. Insta-classic non-linear challenge based Indie platformer that is a welcome breath of fresh air. Level design is fantastic and is perfectly matched with the simple single game mechanic of gravity-inversion. You will die an insane amount of times but never be punished for it to the degree that adversely impacts the gameplay. The chiptune music is fantastic. It is charming, wonderful, and ultimately one of the most rewarding game experiences I have had in years. BUY. IT. NOW.