Recent reviews by Unredeemable Jank

Castlevania Advance Collection is a solid collection of games that is worth your time and money. Will break down the individual games below:

Circle of the Moon- Metroidvania with excellent presentation, both visual and aural. This said, the gameplay can be a bit of an adjustment. The movement of the protagonist feels incredibly stiff by modern standards, as best exemplified by needing to tap a directional input to run instead of holding down the D-pad. The combat is made interesting by the DSS system (a combination of two cards you collect and equpi). However both finding all of the cards and knowing how to implement them is intuitive at times, but often feels like you would need to use a guide. Feel like most people that love this game are those who played this game as their first metroidvania. I had a decent time with this game but it was easily my least favorite of the package.

Harmony of Dissonance- This metroidvania is almost the mirror image of Circle. While the presentation (both music and visuals) are lacking, the actual gameplay is great and fluid. Traversing the castle(s) can be annoying at times, but overall the movement and combat in this game is so excellent that it is easy to overlook the lacking elements. If a game had both the action of Harmony and visuals of Circle, that would a winning combination.

Aria of Sorrow- Easily the best of the metroidvanias. Awesome music and solid combat. The soul system is incredible- you equip the souls of defeated enemies to both change your active attacks, traversal abilities or passive abilities. Soma is a fantastic protagonist and the story is incredibel as well. This game alone is worth your money.

Dracula X- A 2D classicvania. Solid music and pretty great level design. I don't feel strongly about this game but had a decent time with it.

Yet another great installment of the "Full of Cats" series. A Shelter Full of Cats is a bit different in its other hidden object predecessors in that it is a little more narrative focused and has a little bit of nonlinearity similar to "Castle." Even though Shelter is not as ambitious in scope to say "Tower," the more narrow scope feels like it fits the rural setting. The pastoral setting feels very cozy and the strumming of the guitar on the soundtrack makes me feel quite immersed in the calm idyllic world of Shelter. Very much enjoyed this game. Cannot wait for the next Devcats outing!

I do not often write reviews for DLC, but of late I have been inspired to do so and it makes me sad to see it current listed as a "mixed reception" on Steam. This DLC vastly expands the map of Blasphemous 2 in terms of adding a few new regions and expanding several. One of my main complaints about this game upon launch was that the atmosphere was lacking and it often felt like different zones were just different levels rather than part of an interconnected world. This changes that for the better. You also get three (but really two) new bosses, which may actually be two of my favorites in the series (which is an incredibly high water mark). Brother Asterion is a wonderful rival character on the same level as Esdras or Chrisanta from the first game (something this game sorely lacked). You also get access to Mea Culpa, your sword from the first game in all its glory. Strangely you do not get Mea Culpa until pretty far into the DLC which kind of bums me out a little. There are additional platforming and traversal challenges based off abilities you get in the DLC which feel pretty seamless with the base game. Oh and the music? Carlos Viola somehow keeps on managing to top his own mighty peaks. I have been listening to the Frozen Mausoleum and Sor Cautiva Del Silencio themes on loop after the DLC dropped. This may be some of his best work ever.

So for all of this solid content, why the "mixed" reception? The majority of the reason for the poor reviews is due to two things, both of which have been resolved. The first thing is that the DLC was released in a buggy state and the second is that the "new game plus" was more or less the same as creating a new file with additional burdens you can taken on over your new playthrough. Both of these have been modified- bugs have been fixed and the new game plus mode as it stands, is (for the most part) actually a new game plus.

While I was positive but lukewarm about this game at launch, the Mea Culpa DLC honestly has changed my opinion of the full game for the better. In spite of the buggy launch, I am greatly encouraged by it being listed as DLC1 with the implication that we may have a future pilgrimage to Cvstodia. If it is at the same level of polish and mastery that Mea Culpa is post-patch, I cannot wait to return.

The Kintsugi pack for Mizi NO! is a wonderful addition to the base game. Unlike the base game or existing DLC, when you put the pieces of the puzzles together, the puzzles in this pack actually shows the repair of the ceramics with beautiful gold, true to the theme. While I have completed five out of the twenty puzzles, I can say that the difficulty is less than the existing DLCs. While I would have preferred a higher level of difficulty, it does not detract from the experience and I had a great time. Cannot wait to see what DU&I will do next!

The Void Rains Upon Her Heart is an excellent boss rush based bullet hell shoot em up with roguelike/lite elements. While it being in early access and a roguelike/lite can make it difficult to give a definitive review, I can confidently say that I have had a fantastic time in my 20ish hours of gameplay and will easily double that time.

While being a bullet hell shoot em up, the art style of this game is...different than the usual. Instead of military jets or aliens, Void mostly concerns the exploits of monster ladies. Your player character is depicted in gameplay as a heart who fires heart bullets into the boss monster who apologizes for attacking you after the battle. In cutscenes between gameplay, your player character looks more like a nymph and speaks with the apologetic boss characters who are depicted in cute monster lady form. The art style isn't really my usual preference but hardly offensive. There are several player characters who have different weapon patterns and health pools which lead to runs feeling quite distinct.

The actual gameplay is nothing short of phenomenal. There are many monsters for you to take down...err...love in this game. Bosses exist at different levels, each level adding in additional health pools and new attack patterns to keep you on your toes. A level 1 version of a monster feels very different than level 6. Each monster has different weak points which you can attack to get additional points and make the battle easier. The game boasts over 100 bosses on the roster, which is true, though several are remixed variants of existing monsters. The variants add either new attacks, stage hazards, additions of miniature versions of the boss or something similar. While the roster is perhaps not as robust as I initially thought, the variants do feel familiar to their initial form while adding something new.

It is difficult to specify if this game is a roguelike or a roguelite. While your base abilities do not really change, defeating bosses earns you currency which you can spend to "radiate" monsters, rewards, etc. What this means in terms of gameplay is that when you start a new stage instead of choosing between two monsters whose identities you don't know with unknown rewards, you can eventually reveal the monster identities with the rewards you would get from defeating either and weigh your options as to which would be your ideal choice based on your build. As far as I have gotten in this game, there really is not much meta-progression, just expanding your existing knowledge of the game to make future runs easier. Whether you consider it a roguelike/lite, is up to your discernment.

Void is still in early access at the time of this writing (v8.13f) and while there is a great deal of content already well worth your money, it is not complete, especially in terms of overarching story. As it exists now, though, I can heartily recommend it as one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences this year. Here's to hoping 1.0 is not far away!

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a atrocious name for an alright game. This is a 2D metroidvania that I have heard folks recommend as being similar to Symphony of the Night. I firmly disagree with that assessment but do think this game has some things going for it.

This game is based off the Record of Lodoss War franchise that I did not know anything of prior to playing this game. After the 6 hours of gameplay it took me to beat the final boss, I feel like I have no more firm a grasp as to the story or characters as when I began. Fans of the series probably will get a lot more out of this but I was completely lost. You control an elf named Deedlit who winds up in a castle populated by acquaintances both dead and alive. That's it- that's all I understood of the story and world.

The best part of this game by a wide margin is the combat. Deedlit can swap between using a wind or fire spirit as her familiar on the fly. The wind spirit gives Deedlit better traversal while the fire boosts her attack. As you attack an enemy with a given spirit attached, it builds up a meter for the opposite element. Once that meter is maximized, you can switch to and slowly regain health in the process. While you lose meter each time you are hit, you can alternate elements to beat down an enemy, switch to heal and repeat. It forms a lovely cadence, especially during boss battles.

While this is a metroidvania which typically means that area of the map are gated off until you pick up a new traversal ability. This usually takes the form of a double jump, air dash or something of that ilk. In this game there is a bit of that, but mostly areas are literally gated off until you find the right color key. This isn't bad- just left me feeling disappointed at the lost potential. The one unique ability that this game has are shooting puzzles. Deedlit draws her bow and fires arrows into gear of sorts to unlock doors, move fan blades and reposition platforms. Unfortunately, I found the bow controls to be awkward and off-putting.

"Lost potential" does seem to be a recurring phrase in my head when thinking about this game. The sprite art is gorgeous but the backgrounds and music are so forgettable. The magic system is fun but the traversal is boring. The bow puzzles are unique but control poorly. This isn't a bad game- just a frustratingly uneven one. The one incredible part of this game is the combat system and I truly hope the devs use it in a less uneven game.

If there was an option to shrug instead of give a thumbs up or down, I'd give this game a shrug. I would recommend this game to folks who are familiar with the Record of Lodoss War series and/or prefer shorter games. At the price point of $20, there are so many better metroidvanias to play for that price or less, but I cannot deny that I had an enjoyable time with the game. It's that enjoyment of the combat system that gives it the slightest edge to recommend it, even with all the caveats.

Fantastic demo. Love the rustic setting. Can't wait for the full release!

Gal Guardians: Demon Purge is a 2D action platformer that has solid boss design and platforming with some questionable level design choices. Do not be misled by Steam's user tags- this is NOT a metroidvania. GGDP is far more similar to the Curse of the Moon games than Ritual of the Night.

You play as two sisters, who find that their school has been taken over by demons. Fortunately said sisters are demon hunters and resolve to take it back. The elder sister, Shinobu, deals with ranged weapons whereas the younger sister. Maya, is melee focused. While the game offers co-op action, you can play through the game single player and swap between the sisters at will. Both get unique subweapons that both work for offense and level traversal. Each sister feels like she plays uniquely and has situations both in and out of combat where each excel.

While the gameplay is level based, new subweapons are unlocked with each stage which opens alternate pathways within each stage upon replaying it. None of these, sadly, lead to unique levels or significantly new aspects to stages which is a missed opportunity.

Each level ends in a boss encounter and this is where the game shines. INTI CREATES has fantastic boss design in the Curse of the Night games and GGDP keeps that streak alive. The bosses are varied and while not overly difficult, are certainly no pushovers. However (at least on normal difficulty settings) if you die to a boss, when you reenter the boss room after respawning, a decent portion of the boss's health is still missing due the efforts of your previous attempt. While I embrace the accessibility this brings, I think there should be an option to toggle it on/off.

The game has a total of eight levels and to progress through the story you must play through these levels multiple times. The levels are solid but playing through them several times makes it feel a bit stale by the end. It should be worth noting that the story takes a huge left turn after your first run through these eight levels which may be a bit of a deal maker/breaker for players.

The reason for this sudden swerve of the plot is due to the game being a part of the GalGun universe. I was not familiar with that series before the game and if you are not either, I would strongly recommend looking it up before buying. For me, the aspects of this shared universe and its tropes usually prompted an eyeroll, sigh or occasional shake of the head but did not really negatively impact my impression of the game.

What does negatively impact my impression of the game is that when you replay it there are several collectibles that are tasked with picking up. In and of itself, that's not a bad thing. However there is no in-game map of each level, so it is impossible to tell which branching path you didn't take. Also there is nothing that indicates how much of each of the various collectibles you have actually picked up in each stage, and the names of a certain type of collectible are largely randomized so even using a guide is difficult. This caused me to loop through those same eight levels significantly more times that really should have been necessary and caused my good will towards the individual level design to quickly erode. Having an in-game map or even a vague checklist for each stage could have prevented so much frustration and I am flabbergasted this could have been overlooked.

Questionable game design aside, I had a good time with GGDP but would have had a great time with a decent map and clear checklist of collectibles even if they were not marked on said map. Even with that frustration, I did enjoy the game enough to recommend it, even if it comes with a sizeable asterisk.

A love letter to the days of Contra, Iron Meat is a run-and-gun arcade shooter that makes evokes feelings of nostalgia and adrenaline pumping acting. There is a story here, but it really is not necessary. You are a soldier tasked with eliminating The Meat, an all consuming mutating fleshy entity to a truly fantastic soundtrack. In addition to a great soundtrack, the sound design is top notch- the sound effects for each gun and the visceral explosion of enemies are phenomenal.

It should be stated that the game is not overly long. The game contains 9 levels, each end-capped with a boss which are well designed (the final level's boss perhaps being one of my favorites of the year). I am not a veteran of this genre (sans Cuphead from years ago), but it look me between 1-2 hours to complete the campaign on Normal difficulty. This may seem disappointing to players given the $20 price tag, but to me, I felt like the length was reflective of its arcade roots and really enjoyed the well crafted experience. This is a lean mean campaign that I could see myself playing over and over again, but I can understand why it could be a deterrent to others. There are multiple achievements for meeting certain conditions against bosses or over the course of a level as well as a ton of additional skins to unlock, for those looking for reasons to replay. For me, the design of Iron Meat is so fantastic, I could see myself booting it up for a quick play through on a random Sunday afternoon.

In spite of its short length, I had a fantastic time with Iron Meat and would recommend it to anyone looking for a well designed compact campaign.

While I truly appreciated Kyle Thompson's previous game, Islets, I found myself concerned that I would have uncreasonable expectations about his next game. Could it be a decent follow up to a fantastic game? The answer is: absolutely. Crypt Custodian is a cozy metroidvania that may be my favorite gaming experience this year.

The gameplay is straightforward top down hack and slash combat with your player character gaining new traversal abilities that swiftly open up the world. You can also equip passive abilities through ability points (that are quite liberally given) to increase your attack power or movement speed as well as special attacks (such as limited invulnerability or homing missiles) that you can unleash upon building up a special meter. If none of this sounds particularly groundbreaking, it really isn't but while there may not be a ton of complexity in the gameplay of CC but what is there is so graceful and polished to a shine that it truly stands out among other games in its genre.

You play as Pluto, a recently deceased cat, who finds himself in the animal afterlife. In a bit of a misunderstanding, Pluto is sentenced to be a BAD CAT and condemned to spend the afterlife cleaning up garbage in the bad part of the afterlife. Armed with a broom, Pluto soon encounters other denizens of the afterlife. Through them, you find that in a castle in the good part of the afterlife, there is a mirror that allows any animal that enters it to return to the world of the living to see their loved ones one last time. Thus, a plan hatches with you and your friends to break into the castle and have one last look at what you left behind.

The plot may sound overly dramatic or moody, but it really is not. For all the characters being ostensibly dead, the tone of the game is mostly lighthearted and cozy. There are few games where I find myself loving all the NPCs, but I truly wish I could hug all of the NPCs in CC. While all of your afterlife companions are fantastic, I do find myself truly adoring the tough Grizz, the mellow Crouton and the gloomy Wailer. While these characters are fleshed out through Pluto speaking with them, I cannot deny that the most powerful moments of the game came by collecting Polaroids of your afterlife friends which depict how they came to be in the afterlife and who or what they left behind. Many feelings were had.

Story and worldbuilding aside, CC is a fantastic game. While the metroidvania genre is often full of difficulty, soulslike mechanics and punishment on death, CC really has none of those things. The action is straightforward. The bosses may not be pushovers but I can't say any of them took more than a handful of attempts to defeat. All of these and the chill ambient music lead to a very graceful, cozy experience. Some may be deterred by the game's relative lower difficulty level, but to me I felt like the easier difficulty fit the overall tone and vibe of the game and did not detract from my experience. It took me roughly 9 hours to make it through the main part of the game with about 86% completion and a few more hours after that to mop up the last few items I found. If you enjoyed the game half as much as I did, there is a randomizer mode that you can enable on a new file after beating the game and a boss rush mode. I rarely replay games these days, but CC will have me bucking that trend in the very near future.

In short, Crypt Custodian is very much for your time if you are looking for a graceful, heartfelt, chill experience. In a year of many stellar metroidvanias (Animal Well, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown), Crypt Custodian's genuine emotion and grace make it stand out ahead of the pack. If you play exactly one metroidvania this year, I would recommend curling up with Crypt Custodian