Recent reviews by Guidardo

I've played and enjoyed several haphazard Metroidvanias. I'm a sucker for the staple core mechanics, gameplay and style - starting up GRIME, I knew I'd at least get a bit of enjoyment out of it as long as the game didn't constantly crash and the controls were tight. I wouldn't mind if it was several tiers below a Hollotroid-Castlegasm.

Tentative NOPE! Affirmative, we've likely got another genre classic here. If it's not quite up there with the big boys/female bounty hunters then as of now, it's *damn* close.

So far I've thoroughly enjoyed the staple+unique mechanics, tight combat/controls, beautiful visuals/world and rewarding exploration; what surprised me the most though is the depth of the world-building, the characters, and the few genuine laughs I've gotten even in a scary, unsettling dystopia! Sometimes I find a new enemy and I'm not sure whether I'm feeling disgust, awe, fear, amusement or possibly all of the above. Basically, it's easy to see that the world and characters have been painstakingly and lovingly thought-out/designed - ditto for the writing.

The only other games I've played that got the "Souls-Metroidvania" hybrid style right are Salt & Sanctuary, Vigil: TLN and Ender Lilies....and I'm going to say GRIME gives me the Souls I want + the MV I want better than any of them. If you're a fan of both and you're on the fence about this one, I'd happily push you over without remorse (in a nice way though).

Sometimes, you ride the frog - and sometimes, the frog rides you.

Having been a part of the Kickstarter campaign, I was confident from the very beginning that IGA would deliver. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the game that got me into Metroidvanias so I felt like I needed to do my part to see that this game got made, and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I'm so glad I did. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is everything I could've hoped for and more - on par with Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night, Ori and the Blind Forest and even (dare I say it?) comes very close to the perfection that is Hollow Knight. The gameplay is smooth, responsive and exciting. The graphics are beautifully gothic, an amazing mixture of fancy and demonic. Each area of the game very much has its own personality and they're all aesthetically unique but feel like they belong in the same castle. The RPG elements are on point, giving you a sense of character progression even as you're progressing further and further into the castle! The amount of equipment, abilities and customization options is staggering. And with 13 free DLC's on the way, I feel that I got my money's worth and much, much more. The 5 year wait was well worth it. Thank you for this gem, IGA and company! You've done it again!

There isn't really anything that hasn't been said about this game already. Seriously, it's an instant classic metroidvania, just a quarter-inch below Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night on the grand scale. I'd go so far as to say I like it more than Axiom Verge, mainly because of the world.

The world-building is what sets this game apart from its peers. You are an insect in a world filled with husks, other insects and beautiful gothic architecture, at some points deep underground in what looks like a post-apocalyptic, subterranean wasteland. At no point do you feel like "the one", overpowered insect. This game can be tough. Be prepared to learn enemy hit patterns, you canNOT just swing wildly - and this serves the same purpose of a Dark Souls: it gives the combat meaning, and it leaves you satisfied and happy with your progress. The bosses and NPCs are memorable. Plenty of worthy extra unlockables to extend game time. And on the subject of game time, there's plenty in the main quest to last you at least 8-10 hours, if not more if you'd like to explore extra areas and gather collectibles/power-ups.

It's been said before, but I'll add my voice to the chorus: if you're a platforming/metroidvania/side-scrolling exploration fan in any capacity, get this game.