Recent reviews by Exvhius

Yes, I'd lean towards recommending the game - but only if you answer yes to ALL of the following;

1: You are okay with doing the same thing repeatedly, but in different ways.
2: You are okay with gameplay NOT being the focus of the game.
3: You are okay with a game that starts slow before it shines.
4: You enjoy being able to see the jumps in your character's ever-increasing power.


I enjoy Talented greatly. However, once you start the second wave, you have seen EVERYTHING the "main game" has to offer. Four lanes, four directions, up to four abilities, and enemies that close in on all four sides that you want to prevent from getting to the center of the screen ((because then you die (and dying is bad)). It feels like half of a game. So... where's the other half, you might ask? Simple - the talent trees.

The talent trees are responsible for making the game worth playing more than once. You kill enemies, get XP, get a handful of levels, then hop into the talent tree. Look around, pick your talents (only minor stat increases at first), and then go back and do it all over again.

The first 6-8 nights are not interesting. The game lets you speed things up for a reason.

Once you get past that, your adventures down the talent trees start to have tangible feedback. You'll get an epic perk, or a new skill, and you're right back into things - but you're not just taking the game's word that you're getting stronger, you're shown that you're stronger now before you can forget how strong you were. THIS is the main draw of the game. (Yes, this translates to "broken build simulator")

There is very little mystery once you get into the talent tree. You are not asked to make tough choices. You either know what you want and start unlocking stuff towards that, or you don't and you just start branching out to find something you do. The talent tree becomes a dungeon to explore, in a sense - you cannot see very far down its twisting pathways until you go exploring. If you get close to a major perk, it is revealed from a distance - now you can either start moving towards that perk, or start going somewhere else. You get what you get along the way - you're not "wasting" points unlocking stuff between you and the thing you want, you're following a path and collecting stuff on the way. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you'll find out if the thing that makes the game click is for you. Don't tell me you never snag loot that's just sitting there along the path you're taking in other games, even if you don't need it - I know you're lying.

The "main game" is vital to provide a measure of power, and the talent trees are vital to give you a sense of progression - this dichotomy is what makes the game compelling, but it also makes the experience one I can't outright recommend. You can't just level up and call it a day, nor can you just go in and plan out your build up-front.
If you're willing to trudge through the slow start, you will find a gameplay loop that's plenty satisfying - for those it resonates with.

If you answered yes to the four questions - or if you did read the wall of text and it sounds interesting to you - I would recommend you give Talented a shot. If you're on the fence, you'll know if the game clicks with you or not in well under two hours (and/or wait for a sale).

"You must be 18 years or older to have fun"
-PEGI, apparently

This is Arcade 2.0.

...For a few weeks. Depends on how you do, really.

Still a bit rough around the edges, but this is what you wished Super Motherload would be.

Time Must Die

If this game had a bark button, it'd be a husky simulator. But it doesn't, so you're a pom.

A fresh take on a genre naturally liable to fall into repetition, a fair price tag for what you get, and a foundation for more if the devs keeps at it (which it seems like they plan to). All good stuff.

It's a fine little game that doesn't overstay its welcome. Certainly not a bad way to spend an hour or two.

Movement made me feel like I was watching one of those rechargeable motorized shopping carts try and turn, but it's nothing intolerable.

Danger, check.
Darkness, check.
Dwarves, erm...
Dwarf, check.
Close enough.

In all seriousness, it feels pretty promising but it has a ways to go - I'm recommending it because it's got an interesting game loop, but it doesn't feel like it's quite fleshed out yet. It's on the tougher side but it's nothing insurmountable - if you aren't used to linebreaking and looping, you'll be learning. Looking forward to seeing how things grow from here.

1/28/24: Well, would you look at that. An update to make the dungeons less winding.
You guys are insane.

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Mostly been playing with a friend, and despite a lot of futzing around we have yet to go more than an hour without stumbling across something new.

If I had to sum up the experience in one sentence, it'd be "You don't have to do anything groundbreaking to have a great time." It's not the prettiest game out there, it's not the most engaging game out there, but between the quick bugfixes (kudos to the dev - seriously) and sheer amount of different ways you can go about combat it's hard to not recommend if you're a fan of this sort of gameplay.
A lot of the random side dungeons feel winding and repetitive, but you really don't need to stick your nose into every one you stumble across. It's basically just combat, but there are so many shenanigans you can pull (that work) things still feel varied and fun.

10/10 would have a hammerhead full send with a tier 2 mine in tow across the room and delete me in about two frames again.
Other honorable mentions:
- Tractor beam, phase engine. Yoink a boss/elite away from its support. (Or me into a wall. Rude.)
- 360 Edition flamethrower, for when visibility is optional.
- Hazardous Bomb, for the name alone.

All that and more, and we're not even halfway through the first playthrough.