Recent reviews by flaffol

N++ is one of the best platformers I've played.

The Real Texas is a strange game that's tricky to summarize. It really doesn't settle for doing things conventionally. It has a simple aesthetic that might put some people off. If you don't mind those, there's a great and unique game here.

You're a cowboy who takes a vacation to a castle in England only to find that something unusual has happened. You quickly end up in Strange, Texas, which is probably just purgatory. Obviously, there's a weird sense of humor to this game. While the tone of the game is usually pretty lighthearted, it does take itself seriously when it needs to. Of course, this is a game about purgatory.

The gameplay is a nice mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat. You'll travel between reality (in England) and the town of Strange, Texas (in purgatory). Solving problems in one world helps solve problems in the other. The worlds aren't massive, but there's plenty of detail to make up for it. There are also quite a few side quests to do and secrets to find.

Interactions with objects and NPCs happen via keywords (search, use, talk, etc.). Some are highlighed by conversations, but it's possible to type them out if you want to try something different. This is actually necessary for some things, too.

Most of the progression is based on puzzles and NPCs questlines rather than on combat. These questlines often involve going between the worlds to solve problems on both sides. It's sometimes a little bit unclear what to do next, but I never really found it to be a big problem. These type of segments generally lead into a more straightforward Zelda-ish dungeon with some unique puzzles and combat to mix things up.

The combat is pretty unusual. It's not possible to move while aiming. Shots have to be aimed (somewhat) precisely. The health system is (intentionally) vague. Regaining health happens automatically, but interrupts actions. It's a bit awkward at first, but I think it's interesting. It's not too hard and there's not much penalty for death.

I should also just mention that the soundtrack is fantastic and free to download on the developer's site.

Overall, I just really like The Real Texas. It's a strange, unique game.

ESA is mostly low-res Metroid. Much of the game feels like Metroid. It's atmospheric and doesn't give much in the way of guidance. Exploration is key here. There are plenty of options for exploring without being overwhelming. Even when I felt like I had no idea where to go, it didn't take long to get back on track. The world's reasonably large and varied. Upgrades are interesting and fun, even if some are tricky to use effectively a first.

The combat in this game is difficult. The gun has a pretty short range and it doesn't get a whole lot better with upgrades. This isn't generally a problem while exploring, but bosses get to be very difficult. Later bosses can be tricky to damage and have attacks that are hard to avoid. I played on normal, but there is an easy mode if the difficulty is too high.

For how long the game is... it depends. The first/main ending was 7-8 hours. There's a lot of optional stuff - upgrades, bosses, collectables. There's also a 'postgame' that leads to a few more endings. There are a lot of vague hints / riddles about where to go and what to do. It's sort of similar to Fez or La-Mulana, but generally less obtuse than either of those. Finishing the postgame could take as long as the main game, but depends on how fast you solve things.

Overall, I'd recommend if you want a pretty good Metroid style game. There's a lot to do and it's all nicely designed. It can be a bit too hard at times.

FRACT OSC is a pretty great and unique game. It's an adventure/puzzle game (sort of like Myst) with great visuals and music. The music is the central element of this game. Each puzzle creates music that builds up as progress is made, creating the soundtrack for that area. There's very little direction or instruction in the game, but it's usually not a problem. The puzzles are satisfying to solve, but aren't too difficult.

There's also a studio mode that gradually opens up if you want to use the synths and sequencers to make music or mess around. It's fairly limited, but pretty easy to use and songs can be exported (as WAV) or uploaded to youtube.

FRACT OSC is great and I definitely recommend it if you like the graphics & music. It's not a very complex or long (~4 hours, maybe) game, but it's a unique experience that's well worth it.

In Coin Crypt, you are a lootmancer harnessing the power of coins. The gameplay mixes deck-building with standard roguelike elements - permadeath and random levels. Your bag of coins is used both for combat and for buying items. The combat is semi turn-based - coins have cast times and everything slows down while picking a coin. There's a lot of variety in coins, enemies, and classes. Of course, there's unlocks. Your total earnings go toward new classes and achievements unlock new classes, coins, and enemies. Games are generally quick and the variety keeps things interesting. Overall, it's good fun.

Full Bore probably isn't what you might think it is at first glance. It's a puzzle game and not a platformer. There's no jumping. Instead, puzzles are about pushing and climbing blocks (and occasionally stomping) to explore a suprisingly large world. It's clearly inspired by Fez in many ways, but there's a much greater focus on the main puzzle mechanics rather than the odd meta-puzzles of Fez. The puzzles are nicely designed and often have several solutions leading to different areas or secrets. It can be tricky at times, but the most difficult puzzles are saved for optional challenges.

Overall, it's a nice puzzle game. If you like exploration and puzzles, you'll probably enjoy Full Bore.

I'm not sure how to feel about this game. It's clearly trying to be like something made by Treasure and for a while, it really feels like it succeeds in doing this. The core parts of the game feel great, but there's just too many things letting it down.

Those core parts work really well - the movement and combat are simple while having a decent amount of depth. Rapid attacks build up the 'Wild' meter, which is used for both charged attacks and restoring health. It provides an interesting balance that adds a nice risk/reward element. The combat is fun and satisfying when it works out.

Unfortunately, there's a lot dragging this game down. There are only about five types of enemies, with a couple variations on each. This might not be a big deal if the fights felt like they were carefully designed, but later levels usually throw more enemies in at once. One missed dodge can lead to taking a string of hits and losing a large chunk of health. Boss battles have similar issues. Plenty of things simply feel too unforgiving or even unfair. If there was more variety in enemies along with more carefully designed fights, it could be a great game. It just ends up being difficult for dumb reasons, which is a shame because it has a lot of potential.