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Recent reviews by Qain

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Showing 11-20 of 83 entries
22 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
3
12.9 hrs on record
Oh Boy am I gonna get some hate from this but...... sorry not sorry.

Visage is a horror game about a heavily deranged person living in a house that seems badly haunted. Its main premise lies in the fact that it hits hard at psychological horror, and manages to do so right from the beginning.

This mainly happens first with how AMAZING the setting looks overall. Sure, it is extremely inspired by P.T (Playable Teaser for Silent Hills, the game that did not come to be by Hideo Kojima) and it even has very similar beats. At the same time, Visage manages to hit home with some very specific elements, be it randomized events, jumpscares and some storytelling, however sadly, these elements are eclipsed by many others that I will try to put together in a few.

First of all, the inventory. MY GOD THE INVENTORY SUCKS! You can carry picture frames that are as big as your torso, but you cannot store more than 4 "dynamic" items. On top of it all, managing them is an exercise in patience, with you having to hold F to hold both items on your hand in front of you, and then you have to press either the right or left mouse button to drop them. All of this with a very basic UI that scares you but with its shoddy design.

Interacting with items is also a pain; In order to open a drawer or door, you either need to physically move your mouse or set an easy interact option, but because they're all physically based, both your items and yourself will collide with them, which is very likely to either bug you out by blocking your movement, or bug your items by blocking interactions.

Sadly, the negatives do not stop there.

The game uses and overuses the usage of keys, be that a physical key (more common) to using items (crowbar, sledgehammer, etc). Sometimes, even a simple room gets more complex by the need to add a key that opens a locker that contains a card that opens an electronic gate. It's unnecessary padding that not only gamifies the whole concept of horror (thus breaking immersion and suspension of disbelief becomes much harder) but also bores the player by filling a section that could last just a few minutes with an hour or two of "content". The only "puzzles" you may find are mostly matching combinations, and trying to convey cryptic messages that attempt to explain the plot of the game as you progress.

What about the level design? Well, the architect in charge of the house must have won an award in "most confusing design of the century", with a house that has as many floors as keys, and double the amount of passageways, to the point where the puzzle comes from traversing the map alone. It's cool at first when you find some semblance of logic within some chapters, but becomes enraging after just a few hours as the map gets more and more complex. Don't get me wrong, some scenes are absolutely beautiful, and some rooms and their interconnections are really well done, encapsulating the eternal madness the main character suffers on a daily basis, however that did not manage to keep me captivated throughout the game.

Well, what about the story? That's a bit of a mixed bag. See the game is centered around a hub which is the house itself. As you progress through each chapter (which can be freely accessed in any order), the house gets more complex, and the game becomes more dangerous for the player by introducing Insanity, affected by paranormal events and staying in the dark (this one element is also a bit borked with how light interacts with the player). These events range from lights flickering to some really really gnarly stuff which are AWESOME visually and also quite disturbing for some, or just... dying, which is rather unfortunate because of just how random these events seem.
Two of those chapters hit really hard, with a really cool developing arch throughout that has its own twist at the end, all while scaring the CRAP out of you, or presenting some really gruesome scenes. The other two are, sadly, rather quaint in their presentation, mechanics introduced, or just their impact or characters introduced, and while in the end they do have a connection, the whole journey just encapsulates the frustration to the point where the end (even the "good one") does not manage to hit the spot.

Probably the best part of the game as a whole is the story, but it's still marred by the rest of the elements, sadly.

So yeah, it's.... hard to recommend this game in the end. In part, I understand the positive reviews; the horror genre is so starved for quality content, that something like Visage, a buggy mess that overuses horror tropes and antiquated mechanics manages to stay at the top of the food chain. At the same time, it shows and reminds us just how much you CAN improve upon a game of this genre, but that takes A LOT of careful planning, visual presentation and of course, getting scared. Maybe the company can improve upon this one? I hope so!
Posted 14 March, 2024. Last edited 15 March, 2024.
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2 people found this review helpful
74.5 hrs on record (73.1 hrs at review time)
I started playing this game as per a request from two friends who wanted me to play it and stream. Being an avid fan of Metroidvania games I thought it was the perfect opportunity to fully understsand why this game was so lauded as one of the best.

If you are expecting a perfect game, you.... won't find it here, I mean it in the sense that, to this day there are still bugs, there are still issues with how the game is paced and structured, and the initial rhythm is way too slow, enough to discourage new players to keep on playing, BUT......

... If you can grind your teeth for just a little bit, you'll understand why it's one of the best.

You see, Hollow Knight is indeed a Metroidvania, and while this genre has its story rich games, it does not even hold a candle to what HK achieves. I think its greatest strenght lies in how characters are developed, the setting, and the cryptic nature of environmental storytelling. If you are a regular reader and pay close attention, you can see how the plot magically unfolds in front of you. If not, you can still follow it, but you'll be missing out, and this game is riddled with details, enough to build an iceberg of theories, certainties and uncertainties. You'll find yourself hating some of the characters and loving others, but not for being badly written (though some are there just for filler), but because it would seem the writers intended for it to be like that, and that alone is a huge accomplishment.

Combat is, at first, what I guess can drive some early players to quit the game. In the beginning, it can get way too slow and boring, with very little dynamics within combat. However, once you start to not only comprehend the mechanics that lie at hand, but also unlock certain power ups and abilities, the skill ceiling goes through the roof in pretty much every aspect, including traversal. This goes both ways though, as certain bosses will push you to your limits. Thankfully, many of them can be ommited entirely if you're not feeling up for it.

What about music? Absolutely stellar, it perfectly encompasses the current situation or context under which you are in, enhancing each experience.

What about the graphics? It's.... an acquired taste for some. Stylistically speaking, it seems the characters are... cute and affable, but as you go deeper, you begin to understand the darkness within, and how there's a deep shadow within every cute character, which once again makes you punch the air at just how good the game was made in some aspects.

Story? Given the 2D constraints, it is staggering just how good they are at environmental storytelling. I'd say it's as deep as say... Dark Souls, but with only two dimensions, which is an amazing thing to say. I do have to object at the fact that many story elements are hidden way too much, or are under some extremely tough challenges, and while they do push you to become the very best, it can sometimes feel like a bounding contract.

What about time to play? That's entirely up to you. I "finished" it for the first time at around 76% completion with 40 or so hours. Now I'm 73 hours deep, just finished 112% with all pantheons, and I still have many things to do.

Is it worth it? Yes. Play it now, then cry with me while we wait for Silksong.
Posted 3 February, 2024. Last edited 3 February, 2024.
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1 person found this review helpful
8.7 hrs on record
Excellent challenging puzzle game.

Its puzzles are not excruciatingly difficult to the point of frustration, but may make you think through what you are doing, which is exactly the right kind of balance I look for in puzzle games.

Graphically speaking, it's lovely. Really really good use of lighting without interfering with the overall presentation and still getting excellent performance (played on the Steam Deck).

8.7 hours well spent. Get it.
Posted 25 December, 2023.
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3 people found this review helpful
13.6 hrs on record
Superb FPS that mixes the fast gameplay with revamped retro graphics of old by using (very) detailed sprites and gameplay that's very similar to what Doom and Duke Nukem did in the past.

I mostly played this on the Steam Deck, and while it worked flawlessly, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more with KB+M as the EXCELLENT map design and shooting mechanics lends itself to some very creative uses (no rocket jumping, but that's fine).

The main campaign I felt stretched itself a bit too much, and there's a tremendous amount of secrets and collectibles throughout each map, which is great, but also limiting when considering I spent nearly 14hrs and still didn't unlock all weapons. Is it a negative? Not at all, just something to be aware of.

So yeah. Excellent graphics, amazing map design, fun gameplay (though I feel could have increased the difficulty, even with the SD controllers).

Go for it.
Posted 25 December, 2023.
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18 people found this review helpful
1.3 hrs on record
Cute little peaceful game about growing up, realizing that the world is not as scary as it seems, and that the friends we made along the way are indeed what the experience is all about.

A Short Hike is about a bird who wants to call her mom, but does not have phone signal, so she needs to get to the top of the mountain. Is there an enemy stopping you? Not at all. No checkpoints (not that they're needed). You're just there to enjoy the path you tread, explore and help those around.

Simple, yet beautiful experience.
Posted 25 December, 2023.
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3 people found this review helpful
16.3 hrs on record
Robocop - I grew up watching the movies, even the bad ones. Does Robocop manage to capture that essence? Yes, and no.

The game manages to perfectly encapsulate the aesthetic of the movies, together with the some of the idiosyncrasies of what the movies represented, though they are borderline cringy at several points. Let me expand on that.

Visually, Robo is one of the few that manages to use the Unreal Engine 5 engine without burning your PC down. It uses the new technologies, including reflections and global illumination in a way that is rather well done while still maintaining 60. In my case, I played at 1440p no issues on an i7 12700k and RTX 4070 Ti. Sure it's no low-end but I was expecting worse performace, specially at the beginning (turns out the game likes to compile shaders even while playing, so don't get desperate if you see poor performance at the start). Game looks good!

Sadly, the audio department does not accompany very well. Several sounds seem either out of place, with bad position, or without the presence that you are expecting. Is it a deal breaker? No, but it does detract a bit when the shooting gets rough.

What about gameplay? Eh, it's... hit or miss. I feared this would happen when I first saw the trailers; you are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Robocop, have an "auto-targeting system" (not really auto-aim or aim-assist) and are nearly impervious to bullets. This the game manages to capture that, but for those who want a bit of a challenge, you may want to increase the difficulty, as many of the enemies die in one hit even with the standard weapon, and given the nature of the robot, it's really easy to control recoil. Sure, it shouldn't surprise me considering the main character, but once again, you may need to crank up the difficulty if you want to not only enjoy the shootouts but also break a sweat every now and then. You can improve Robo with both chips and mods to your gun, the latter being interesting but not intrusive, and can lead to some pretty OP builds, like a main gun being automatic with nearly 64bullets per clip. Some other guns (the .50 cal being my favourite) are also generally clunky to use or downright impractical like the scoped ones. The abilities that come from mod chips and XP are a nice addition, but are nothing to write home about either.

Where the game falters in my opinion, is the writing, with some rather cringy dialog, and the (IMO) mischaracterization of some characters like Lewis. Where she was once a badass, she is now portrayed more as a lady, same thing happens with some story and character progression. As you move forward, you are given the opportunity to express how you see Robocop, which is rather cool, but also leads nowhere. The same happens with some decisions you get to make. Once again, nothing game breaking, but it's something that made me roll my eyes a few times.

Is it fun though? Oh yeah, it manages to pace itself rather well, introducing a variety of enemies and even adding quests that are not that action oriented, but serve to break up the action and show Robocop its softer side (would that be like.... solder or lead?) as you can also make decisions in some cases, helping the people or just upholding the law.

Would I play it on the Steam Deck? Nope. FPS games should be 60 IMO, and the SD cannot hit that.

Is it 50 euro fun? Eh, I don't know. If you can get it at a discount, I'd say go ahead.
Posted 10 December, 2023.
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2 people found this review helpful
5.8 hrs on record
Cute little game, and first one I finish on the Steam Deck too.

Usually, I have a hard time disconnecting from the story and start questioning "Why do I have to do that?". This one though managed to do just that, which I consider to be an achievement in and of itself.

Toem is about a little boy that decides to leave the house with his Grandma, to go out exploring with his little camera and learn about the world and its inhabitants.

In essence, that's pretty much what the game is about. The little guy explores this 3D isometric black and white world, and meets new people who ask for different things for him to fix with his camera.

Some times the quests are as simple as "go take a photo of a cat" and some other times the wording is ambiguous enough that it forces the player to think outside the box. The purpose of these quests is rather is pretty pointless, but as stated previously, it comes a point where the player will just go with it, taking pictures of pretty much anything and everything, which is kind of the point of the game.

What ends up happening is you simply ENJOY exploring for exploring's sake, getting to know the crazy individuals and asking yourself "By 'Become a flower', you mean I need to take a picture with a flower, stand next to one, help someone in need?" It's a fascinating dynamic really.

What ultimately really aids is that the game is short and easy to pick up and let go, something that really lends itself to quick gaming sessions.

Hard yes for me. Go ahead and enjoy it.
Posted 12 October, 2023.
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42 people found this review helpful
2 people found this review funny
2
15.7 hrs on record (15.6 hrs at review time)
MAN what a game...

Do not let the RPG maker vibes fool you (it is an RPG maker game, mind you); this game is riddled with some pretty dark, gruesome and morbid depictions of sex and violence, sometimes both.

With that said, let's talk about Fear and Hunger.

You play as one of four characters. Each one is given a background which is affected by your decisions, and after that, you are basically on your own to explore the Fear and Hunger dungeons. You are then free to roam, but you'll find that even the smallest enemy may very well destroy you in two hits.

See you mainly control three stats: Body, Mind and Hunger.
Body is your health, and can include status such as bleed, poison and whatnot. Pretty standard, right? Eh...
Let's say you fight a creature that makes you bleed. Ok, we'll fix it, just make sure that wound is not infected, and pray to your god of choice you have something to heal it, otherwise, you may need to.... amputate the limb, which of course affects the rest of your playthrough.
Mind is your mental state; as you go deeper into the dungeons, your sanity will drain, and that means you'll be affected by your surroundings much more often, possibly developing phobias (say, necrophobia for example), which also affect combat.
Last but not least, Hunger; this will slowly drain and will cause your character and companions (if any) to dwindle and become weaker, forcing them to develop some.... questionable eating habits.

There is one more mechanic: Luck, which is affected by a literal coin toss and affects nearly every action.
An example: You are going to save at a bed. Ok! Flip a coin. Heads or Tails, you choose.
You chose heads, but tails came out? Maybe your sleep is disrupted. Maybe an enemy shows up. Maybe someone finds you and decides to have fun? It's always a coin toss that can either break your game or let you keep going.

Story wise, the game mixes and matches the Cthulhu world, religion (specially Spanish, though not as strongly as Blasphemous) and creates its own deities and sets them up in their own universe. For those who like reading, you'll find references everywhere, but it also steps aside enough to create its own thing. It never stops being extremely gruesome, grim and overall screwed up mind you.

And that's what really drives the game IMO; the difficulty, the setting and the literary references.

If you are looking for a REALLY difficult game where graphics are just enough to drive your imagination, and you are not squeamish, then go ahead. I'm sure you'll enjoy it....

...You sadist
Posted 3 September, 2023. Last edited 3 September, 2023.
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1 person found this review helpful
3.5 hrs on record (2.4 hrs at review time)
I bought this one from a friend's recommendation, and of course I was not disappointed.

Iron lung puts the protagonist, a convict, in a disposable submarine, with the intention of exploring a planet that has a sea of blood.

Equipped with a rudimentary navigation system and a camera, your task is to explore different points at the bottom of the blood sea in order to discover what may lie underblood.

Overall, it is a very short horror experience that is riddled with atmosphere; be that sounds, experiences, and pictures. It is the horror of knowing you are alone and no one is there to help you, because no one cares about you. Brings back memories of "I have no mouth and I must speak"...

...Which is a bit ironic because the figurative horror comes from your own experience and reading, rather than extreme visual stimulus. There are no enemies to slay, nothing to run from, and nothing to hide from. On the bottom of the blood sea, there is only you, your thoughts, and... what you see when you take a picture.

It is a very striking experience that I recommend to anyone who wants to explore the horror genre without necessarily having to run away from things, jump scares and gore.
Posted 20 August, 2023.
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1 person found this review helpful
105.8 hrs on record (59.1 hrs at review time)
Early Access Review
I am going to actively compare this one to Factorio, as it is the closest comparison for me.

Satisfactory is the lazy man's Factorio. Allow me to expand.

Satisfactory follows in the same footsteps as Factorio, but does so from a very different perspective, a 3D one. This change in perspective allows for some pretty drastic changes that, together with some gameplay differences, makes the game much easier to go through.

First of all, the game does not have a direct effect in the environment around you. Sure you can cut down trees, but placing new buildings has absolutely no effect on the world other than.... expanding your factory.
This is tied to how there is no direct threat to you from the world itself. Since life on the planet does not migrate nor does it bother you unless you step in their territory, you will not be bothered by anyone. This means that the game can go at any pace as you want it to, and difficulty will be tied to how hard resources are to get to, instead of building defenses or figuring out how to prevent pollution like in Factorio. Is this good or bad? Eh, I don't know. I feel it can make the game a bit stale if you are not goal driven, but it can also be a very relaxing experience if you are not looking for the immediacy of fixing things.

Second, and probably most important: The biggest difference between this and Factorio comes from the perspective. The game being 3D allows for vertical construction, which allows for a much, MUCH broader expansion of creativity from the user. This is great! But also, the fact that there are very few clipping restrictions (you can run conveyor belts through buildings for example) means that tidiness and careful planning are not as important as you'd expect. In fact, when I finished my run, I had hundreds of kilometers of belts running in the air, which is cool, but also rather chaotic. I'm sure there are people out there who are extremely well organized and follow a very specific procedure when it comes to building, but for me, as long as everything worked I would just leave it like that. It was a functional mess. This differs greatly from Factorio as you are bound to the ground there. Any and all actions must be taken into account when building, including belts, so the learning curve is HUGE.

Finally, the lategame, and this is a big question mark for Satisfactory. You see, as it stands, the game is nearly feature complete. There are very few game breaking bugs, but there are several placeholders and WIP elements within the game that have no effect on the game, and I assume they will not be placed at the very late game due to how it is structured now (last elements deal with uranium mining and that alone is a grindfest that can break the game if not well balanced). Is it something that's going to change the way you play Satisfactory? Honestly, I doubt it, but at the same time, I doubt it is going to worsen the experience for anyone either.

So, in conclusion. Would I recommend Satisfactory?

Yeah, sure. If you want a more relaxed, a more... lazy approach to micro/macro management simulator, and don't mind getting a game that's in Early Access, go ahead. The devs are actively updating the game, so I doubt this one is going to be left incomplete any time soon.
Posted 22 July, 2023.
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Showing 11-20 of 83 entries