Recent reviews by knivspark

TLDR; Terrific survival game that is a bit too grindy for my taste BUT still well worth it. Play with friends and go on virtual adventures together! LEGO-like building system and my all-time favorite game to chop wood in!

Incredibly cozy survival game that is unexpectedly hardcore and challenging (but that makes things more exciting doesn't it?). I really enjoy going on adventures with my friends in this game, exploring the world, going on expeditions and tackling challenges together.

Valheim looks great visually with atmospheric lighting and impressive weather and water simulation, etc.

My favorite thing to do in the game is probably building things like houses etc as the build system is very easy to use, feeling a lot like LEGO, leaving a lot of room for creative solutions and aesthetic architecture. In this game you actually need to consider structural integrity to some extent if you want it to not fall apart, which makes building things a lot more interesting and mentally engaging.

It sounds a bit silly but I quite enjoy gathering wood in this game, probably in part due to the physics simulation of the trees - cutting down trees in this game just feels, looks and sounds satisfying.

I will say I think the game eventually gets a bit too grindy and time consuming for my taste. For some this might be fine or even a selling point, but personally I do not have as much time to play games as when I was younger so I prefer to be able to play games at a slower pace and still make a fair amount of progress. I have restarted the game from the beginning a couple of times and I have always reached a certain point (it has always been around the same part of the "campaign") where I feel I am not making progress at a decent pace anymore unless I'm putting in hours of grinding resources in order to craft essential special gear, etc. When I reach this point I find it harder to keep playing without getting a bit frustrated. Even so, reaching that point features hours and hours of fun so I would say the game would still be well worth what they are asking for even if you stop playing at that point without ever completing it.

As someone who had a lot of nightmares as a kid I can really relate to the setting and story of Billy's Nightmare. The game takes you on a humorous, dark and gory ride through a variety of nightmare themes full of childhood nostalgia.

I'm quite familiar with the "twin-stick bullet hell roguelike"-genre and enjoy challenging games and was pleased to find that BN offers you a considerable challenge without being over the top Dark Souls difficult. The game offers a lot of weapon, ability and item variety and the different unlockable outfits (essentially various base characters) can really change things up. A subtle but very nice and satisfying detail is the destructible elements in the environment and how absolutely trashed and chaotic a dungeon room can look after a big, messy combat encounter.

I'm looking forward to play more and see where this enjoyable nightmare leads!

When I first started playing this I had no idea that Battle Brothers would become one of my all time favorite games that I keep coming back to. If I could only choose one game to play for the rest of my life It'd likely be this game (largely but not only because of the replayability of the game).

I will say that when you first start playing the game can be off-putting due to it's high difficulty and unforgivable nature. You'll often learn the hard way with dire consequences, but each time you get a little wiser and more capable to deal with similar situations in the future. That said, even with over 300h of play time (I play on Nintendo Switch too) this game is still very challenging and keeps me on my toes, which in turn keeps the game interesting and exciting after all this time.

Needless to say I'm a huge fan and although there is already a ton of content in the game I would gladly pay for more, and a sequel or similar / slightly different title from this game studio would have me hyped to the max. Thanks for a great game!

CONCLUSION - This playful, quirky rogue-lite is scratching that "Nuclear Throne" and/or "Binding Of Isaac"-itch delivering challenging gameplay in a charming universe. I'm at almost 5 hours of gameplay now and get the feeling that this is a game that I will play for at least 20+ hours if not more, and for the price tag of 9,99€ I'd say it's a bargain!

FIRST IMPRESSION - I started playing but was at first frustrated, NOT because the game was hard (which is to be expected of a roguelite and I enjoy the challenge) but rather of the lack of explanation for ANYTHING really. No tutorial, descriptions of any powerups or how hp works etc, not a single word/symbol in english or another language in fact.

THEN I REALIZED... - the lack of description is a part of the game (and it certainly adds to the aesthetic too). It becomes a search for knowledge, trying out different powerups and see what they do, finding things out for yourself and experimenting, exploring the game world and it's items, weapons, powerups, enemies, and even finding out how the game's mechanics work. Since that realization I have been largely enjoying the game and embraced the unknown things that come my way, trying to figure them out by myself. I suspect this is not something everyone would enjoy, BUT I sure have and continue to do so :)

DIFFICULTY - The game offers quite the challenge and death comes often, however I am eager to get back in there and try a new set up of items/weapons/powerups and learn from my mistakes and try once more to reach further than I did before, slowly but surely I am getting better and further and further, and a sense of curious exploration of the game world as well as the welcome challenge keeps me coming back for more!

STORY & WORLD DESIGN - The story is weird, but likeable (and kind of cute) if you are into quirky stuff. It is not a masterful storyline I'd say (although I have not beaten it yet) but it sure is a playful universe full of interesting creatures and features!

AESTHETIC - The playful, minimalistic artstyle and animation along with the funky, mysterious soundtrack adds up to a really cool atmosphere, and the curious creatures/enemies you encounter are often charming and interesting.

Tight 3D platformer that takes me back to my early childhood of gaming, reminding me of games like "Croc", "Spyro" and other similar titles. The controls and camera are really tight and responsive, possibly feeling even better than some "big studio" platformers that I have played in the peast. The soundtrack is playful and uplifting and the environments are radiant and colorful. The game starts off pretty basic and then more mechanics are introduced as you go along, keeping the gameplay interesting all the way to the end!

This is a short game and the difficulty is fairly easy, especially if you choose not to explore too much and/or do not search for the "collectibles". In my case I found the length adequate as I got my fill of nostalgia, which to a great extent was what I was looking for. I can see how some would expect and want a few more hours of gameplay, but as someone who is quite busy with a limited amount of time to play games I can appreciate a short, entertaining experience for a fair price.

Incredibly entertaining, every time I die I can't wait to start over and try again. Simple, playful and challenging game that is a lot of fun in single player, but even more so in local 2 player co-op. I play it with an X360 controller and at first it seemed like the controls would be slightly off, but you get used to them quickly and soon NUCLEAR THRONE will be your favourite game to grind! The randomly generated levels, weapon drops and leveling system makes it fun to play over and over again, trying different characters, different perks and weapons. The only complaints I have is the wonky "work in progress" options-menu and the lack of online multiplayer, but other than that this game is a really good time, I highly recommend checking it out if you are into these types of games!

Challenging 2D action platformer with mild RPG elements, charming minimalistic graphics and superfun co-op.
This might not be for everyone though since you die really easily and probably will over and over again and then will have to start all over again from the beginning until you get the hang of it, but to me the difficulty is very much welcome since there's way to much games out there now that are played by themselves without the player having to do hardly anything. AAND I think it's a lot of fun to re-think my strategy after I die and then try again and do better. GOOD TIMES, well worth it!

GOOD FUNTIME! I Approve.