Recent reviews by SgtMadmonkey

Just to preface this - this game is only receiving a 'recommended' from me due to the solid foundation it provides to a healthy modding scene. If you're not planning to use Workshop for this game, then treat this as a 'Not Recommended', sadly.

I want to love this game, I really do. But sadly, missed opportunity and poor design choices hinders this game from truly succeeding. Having such a rigid story in a space exploration game simply gets in the way of exploring. There is nothing to promote exploring, except for the possibility of a few unique weapons (emphasis on few). Once you own those, there is really no reason to explore most planets, as they are pretty much the same experiences with slight asset swaps.

On the other hand, there's not really much reason to stay on a planet either. You have the NPC housing system, which is a good foundation, but once again very barebones, and arguably out of place in a game focused around planet hopping. Building is good, wiring is decent and the paint system is cool.

Despite all this, however, there is heart in the game. Heart which is exposed and multiplied by the modding scene. Playing a modded session of Starbound in a group is a surprisingly fun experience.

6/10

Stunlock's magnum opus. Taking the tight designed-for-PvP combat system they have been refining since Bloodline Champions, moving it to the sprawling landscapes akin to that of Battlerite Royale, while adding in a finely-tuned PvE layer.
Not to mention the great castle-building system on top of it.

This game takes titles like Rust and solves the issues surrounding progression - with the PvPvE promoting fights around certain bosses, preventing the players with gear from camping fresh spawns. There is few things as intense as a multi-clan fight withing the main Iron mine.

Whoever came up with the blood-types as 'classes', is a genius.

10/10

Very few games have achieved such a perfect balance of solemn moments & soothing music, intertwined masterfully with intense & memorable fights.

The story is engaging, however is quite hidden unless you specifically seek it out - which means that it doesn't disrupt those who don't care for the story, while playing into the narrative of rediscovering a fallen kingdom if you do partake. Brilliant.

10/10

One of the best multiplayer rogue-likes out there. Should be the template for all future multiplayer-enabled roguelikes to follow. Nail-biting revive mechanic, simple gameplay loop that keeps you coming back for more.

Don't know how they did it, but they made NG+ system interesting enough to actually keep me hooked.

10/10

Titan of a game in a relatively sparse genre (sandbox). Perfect for when you're looking for a casual building experience. Extremely powerful building system, descriptive ratios, tons of options.

Shining example of a transparent & community-focused dev team.

10/10

THE FACTORY MUST GROW

Brilliant combination of challenging bosses, L4D-style elites, unique weapons and interesting story.

Great fun with friends.

DLCs very well thought out and full of content.

If the only reservation you have is that its a shooter souls-like, get this game. They figured it out.
10/10

One of the very best the Roguelike genre has to offer. Tight, fast-paced gameplay with unique characters & distinct feeling runs.

Void DLC does add more frustration that would be advised (collapse mechanic can be brutal), but overall great.

Artifacts is a great system to allow modifying run difficulty.

9/10

MUST...TAKE...MOUNTAIN...SHRINE.

One of my all-time favourite games - would probably be number 1 if it was still active. Unfortunately, Stunlock couldn't afford to keep developing it after the community split from Royale.

Brilliant albeit small roster, tight gameplay, intense PvP, one of the few hero based games where a 1v2 feels entirely possible to win.

Miss you, old friend.
10/10

Great game, with a surprisingly gracious F2P model, sullied only by the slight lack of polish that haunts many of Hi-Rez's titles. Not enough to severely impact enjoyment, however.

8/10

Also, lack of all chat in-game is a bit of a downer.

Also also, would love Adventures to return - those were brilliant

One of the staples of my library. Perfect example of a idea being brought to life with all the love & creativeness you could ask for. 10/10, should be in everyone's library.

Thanks for the years of fun, Re-Logic