Recent reviews by Pinku

RiME is an extraordinary little game full of charm. There is not a word of dialogue (that is comprehensible), yet it knows to tell a story and guide you along through a beautifully designed world. What struck me the most is that you could feel the passion of the developers, there is a lot of raw emotion injected into the game which reveals itself slowly but surely and leads to a satisfying conclusion. The game itself is not difficult, it has fairly straightforward puzzles but the pacing is great. It's relatively slow, but it suits the vibe of the game and it builds the intrigue more and more as you go on.

The game starts out in a world that's seemingly open and ready for exploration, which it is to an extent, but it's mostly secrets and collectibles that hide in the corners of the world. The game itself is linear and that's okay. The world is interesting enough that the exploration feels satisfying just to make your way through the beautifully crafted design. I definitely felt drawn to investigate the nooks and crannies and interact with all the objects that allowed it.

The main character is part of what makes the game awesome. The entire game revolves around this boy that finds itself in this mysterious place, guided by a little fox while the full story gets revealed through flashbacks and symbolism throughout the course of the game. His design is absolutely adorable, with a bright red cape and an innocent appearance. There is a dedicated 'yell' button (which activates certain objects in the game) which is the best. I love yelling at stuff. I love how flames flair up as he screams and I basically couldn't stop screaming (or humming depending on the situation). His animations are also just lovely. He feels genuine and lovable in a world that caters to his mystery.

All in all a very recommended game. It takes obvious inspiration from Team Ico games, especially Ico. If you enjoy those types of games then this is right up your alley. At times there are some janky moments with the camera or controls, but honestly it's not to the point of frustration. I just frigging loved playing RiME.

As a fan of adventure games, this game looked very intriguing. The story has a nice build-up with classic British mystery elements, however it all falls flat in the final chapter with a very anti-climatic conclusion. It felt like a cop-out to go that route. Other videogames have done this and it just does not sit well with me. It ruined the otherwise decent experience. As far as puzzles go it has some nice moments. Some frustration when you can't find an item you need to progress, but that's just part of the genre. The characters have nice personalities and voice-work. The game does control very clunkily, sometimes it's confusing to find out where to click to change screens etc.

Overall it's a decent adventure game, but since this is a mystery game I had high hopes for the story. Unfortunately, this disappointed me so much that it left a bad taste in my mouth and leads to my negative recommendation.

Fun, addictive and one-of-a-kind. Not a fan of shooters, yet hooked to TF2. It's amazing.