Recent reviews by Jecture

Easily one of the best games you can no longer get on Steam. Straightforward concept with lots of mastery to tackle.

Anyone who has ever had a passing interest in writing code should give this game a try. It introduces some of the kinds of thinking involved with an emphasis on problem-solving ability. Optional challenges provide great outlets for the ambitious to really try their wits and stretch their knowledge. The experience is punctuated with Tomorrow Corporation's distinct office humor.

After playing it's sequel, I can really appreciate how the linear processing makes these puzzles approachable, so anyone with the will can brain out a clean, elegant solution to the problems.

A game with a fixed script like this is going to come down to taste. But experiences like this, which are less about mechanics and more about message, absolutely have a unique place in the medium. Like Stanley Parable, it's short and flirts with the mental exploration of games and what they mean, but without the complex routing that put Stanley in the spotlight. Fortunately, the scenario still presents some artful choices that give you something to mull over in the end.

Actual homework would be more satisfying than trying to solve the vague timing and setup required to unexcitedly pass these levels

Vesperia is a unique link between the past and future of Tales games. It's core combat retains all the evolved classic features that came before it while entertaining many new ones. It's extremely dense with systems and story, giving it lots of bulk. Easy to sink lots of time into it. Both it's history as a first step into HD and the mash of new voicings for the Definitive Edition create some slightly awkward moments, but they are small nuisances to a really great classic package. The game capitalizes well on it's anime style, so anyone who is a fan of that style should enjoy this immensely

This simple puzzler keeps things super simple. The love-hate mechanic is pretty easy to understand, and cute cutscenes make the most of the basic one-note characters.

Not a grand masterpiece, but very competent, and worth looking at and smiling at

The Witness is among the most hardcore of puzzle games I have ever played. If you want to enjoy it, you need to come in with an open mind, and a strong mix of intuition and thorough critical thinking. This is because nothing in the witness is simply given to you, besides it's gorgeous visuals. Finding the meaning of the solution is completely dependent on the player's reasoning. The Witness is certainly a fitting title, as perspective plays heavily into making out the neccessary solutions. Both different areas and different puzzles in the same area will remain challenging as perspective or logic twists force some major mental effort.

I can't recommend this to those looking for a relaxing, thought-provoking stroll. However, if you really want to test your mental abilities, love exploring, and live for the moment of "eureka!", The Witness will give you deep satisfaction.

Space Channel 5 is an excellent game, but this PC port has all sorts of technical issues that crush it.

If you don't mind spending more time wrestling with settings and being confused by timings falling out of line, you might find the truly enjoyable game underneath. But really, no one should have to suffer through this game consistantly breaking at important moments where timing is crucial.

Transistor does things that I didn't expect from a game that make the fantasy of a world made of data come to life. While the overall plot gets hard to follow, the moment to moment jabs of the story hit well. The mix of action and planned strategy really appealed to me personally, though I imagine trying to take too strictly an action approach might leave some confused. All together, it's a smart design that bakes puzzles into combat while allowing for different approaches to the main game. It's everything I could have hoped for from a successor to Bastion.

Although the game can seem a bit long for how simple the synopsis and variety of encounters are, the sense that the pacing is strange and unpredictable only amplifies the effects of the atmosphere. The game mechanics are suited exceptionally well to the horror environment, not only leaving you with limited resources and carrying space, but also requiring some intelligent and unique aiming requirements that set the experience apart from the world of headshots typical of a game with guns.

Not every situation uses the mechanics in an exceptionally exciting way, but each has at least one encounter which fits it perfectly, and justifies it's existence. It can be hard to stick with at times, but overall felt worthwhile.