Recent reviews by Raui

Vomitoreum oozes with style, just like everything else Scumhead makes. Great pixel art and world/enemy design with some interesting lore. There's this dismal feeling that pervades everything that makes for a great complement to the dull color palette.

The gunplay is pretty basic but the metroidvania elements are good with several secrets for the dedicated to unravel. Exploring that dark area near the end of the game was pretty annoying though. A bit expensive for how short it is, maybe, but still worth it to explore this dark world.

On a budget and want a fast-paced platformer? Then this will fit the bill quite nicely! A shame that it doesn't get a lot of attention. The amount of options is quite impressive and I don't think I've seen co-op in these kind of games too often. Despite being so accessible, it doesn't hold your hand and wants you to figure out how everything works. The new elements help give each area a distinct feeling beyond the obvious visual differences. Put all together, it makes for a series of interesting challenges to overcome.

The pixel art is cute and lovely to look at. The music isn't bad but if you spend awhile trying for the best times, you'd probably want to listen to something over it. This game does everything it can to not get in-between you and trying for better times and the levels are short enough so even several attempts don't take all that long. So unless you don't like platformers, I'd recommend giving this a try!

A souls-like that does its own thing and has some pretty cool ideas. Notably, the skill tree and having a separate currency to buy (most) things, instead of just spending what you use the level up all the time. But the main one is the Creed system. You choose one out of the three offered at the start but you can change your affiliation to any other after that with a small penalty. They all have different shop inventories, including spells and miracles that you can expand by increasing devotion.

I think my favorite is how health and stamina work. The max amount can be temporarily lowered through taking damage or spell/prayer usage respectively. There's ways to undo it, including using a sanctuary. Interestingly, your max health can only be increased by leveling up. Not by raising any stat, unlike with Stamina/Focus. So it always pays to be careful.

The creeds tie into the sanctuaries, which are your save points. The cool part is that you gather various stone idols that don't just add vendors but also give you bonuses to that particular region. So even if you don't need a blacksmith, you can still place one down for the attack boost. But you can't swap out idols so be careful.

Something about the art-style is appealing to me even if it doesn't have a more universal appeal. it reminds me of cartoons or flash animations from the mid-2000s or so for whatever reason. I appreciate the work that went into the designs. Some interesting enemy designs here.

My main critique is that there isn't that much music; at least for exploration. This has the unfortunate side-effect of making the various areas blur together a little more in my mind, regardless of how different their level design might actually be. The complete lack of an in-game map can make navigating tough at times too.

Well, this game is fairly popular but in case you haven't played it, give it a try. My recommendation for newer players would be to invest in light armor unless you don't mind putting a lot of points into endurance. But you might want to do anyway if you want to wield any big weapons.

After nearly 40 years is FF1 worth playing? Yeah, I'd say so. Both the Final Fantasy series and turn-based RPGs have come a long way since then, sure, but there's something nice about the simplicity that this game has. As long you have a balanced party composition, it's a pretty easy ride beyond the beginning of the adventure. Even with just 6 classes, there are some interesting combinations you could make for challenge runs. It doesn't take all that long to get through the game, unless you get stuck trying to figure out where to go next. Not that it should surprising giving how old the game is. There was definitely an expectation that you'd be doing plenty of wandering around.

The extra options added across the pixel remasters is especially welcome here given FF1's really high encounter rate. The map alone cuts down the amount of time you spend in dungeons but you can turn off encounters if you like. I quite like this version of the game, glad they added the pixel fonts. The extra content from the other ports wasn't something I cared for but it might be a deal breaker for you. Definitely look into what those have to offer if you don't know.

A stylish and sleek metroidvania. All of Team Ladybugs' games look fantastic and this is no exception. Might even be the best in that respect, depending on who you ask. Gameplay-wise, Blade Chimera shares a number of similarities with Deedlit in Wonderland. However, the systems are more streamlined, not too much, to the point where I prefer this game over that one. Instead of swapping your elements to survive attacks or raise spirit levels, you're more gently encouraged to mix and match your attacks. Doing so will recover your HP (using Lux) or MP (melee/gun attacks). The absence of an enemy health bar on the HUD is a small but appreciated change too.

As far as nitpicks go? Well, It's such a strange omission to not have a boss rush mode, considering that was in both their previous metroidvania offerings. It's not something I mess around with too much but I feel like it's a misstep. There's also plenty of long hall ways that are just filled with monsters. Sometimes they get a bit excessive with those. A lot of the side quests are kind of bland but you kind of have to do them since they're the best way to get money.

I like seeing Team Ladybug make more games that aren't based off of an existing IP. The story being as engaging as it was, was a pleasant surprise. It's not an example of masterful storytelling or the main draw by any means but now I'm curious if there's any plans for a follow up in that universe. The play time is a bit longer than Ladybug's previous games but still on the shorter side and the difficulty is average (though you unlock some challenge modes for beating the game). If that doesn't bother you, then absolutely check Blade Chimera out.

Nice that Outlaws has another chance in the spotlight again after all these years. I think this is the first time it's gotten a port or rerelease since its original release? Hopefully the console crowd takes a liking to it. It's a bit of an oddball game; being 2D when 3D gaming was really starting to take off. Heck, Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 came out just half a year later after Outlaws' original release. It's also a stand alone title with no real follow up that I can recall.

The western vibes extends beyond its excellent artstyle and soundtrack. Playing above the easy(good) difficulty setting means you're barely more durable than the outlaws you'll go up against. Sprinting around, dodging enemy fire while responding in kind is exhilarating.

Further helping that along are the guns you'll be using which feel and sound great to use. The revolver in particular is one of my favorites; fanning the hammer is always satisfying. The rest of your arsenal isn't a slouch either. The rifle is your only real long range option so you'll be relying on it a lot and even has a scope. And of course, 3 different shotguns, knives, dynamite and a Gatling gun.

Nightdive did a good job with this remaster. My only complaint is that the color saturation is a bit low compared to the original overall. Otherwise it's everything I hoped for. Cutscenes weren't touched up as much but they were already really stylized back in '97 so cleaning them up was all that was really needed. The price is quite high and if you've played this game extensively before there isn't much here for you. Otherwise if you're willing to wait for a sale (as I wasn't) then this will be worth it.

The whole package is brilliant with the pixel art being the crowning jewel. It's seriously some of the best I've seen in these sorts of games with some truly grotesque designs and concepts. What I like the most is that the pacing and exploration is left in your own hands. It's easier to play it safe, go back and save frequently but trying to see how far you can push your luck in one sitting is more exciting and fun It's not an open-world game by any means but there's lots of optional areas and endings to see. Combine that with shorter than average hours needed for a play through that's typical in this genre and you have something that can really hook you in.

My first run through this game was pretty rough in the beginning but I'm glad I stuck with it. I played through a notable chunk of the game with just the protagonist. The time before I got the first few party members was a lot of trial and error on where I could feasibly go and what I could actually fight. I tried to get a few people by waiting at home but I had no luck there for awhile. I locked myself out of a few others so that wasn't helping. Even if you start a new save and tell yourself that you'll wait until you get at least one other party member before leaving your apartment, you're more likely to get someone trying to sell you something with money you don't really have instead. I'm kind of reiterating a fairly common experience others have had but it's important to tell anyway.

I like that there's more optimism and hope going on than what your first impression might give you. Some of the monsters are trying to reclaim any sense of normalcy or community. Going for a thoroughly depressing or gloomy mood would have been easy. Instead, this game can be downright goofy when it wants to be. The brand of humor can be macabre at times but still.

Look Outside is a steal for its asking price with its wealth of content. I have to commend the developer for just how much they've added in such a short amount of time. Even just one playthrough will get you your money's worth unless you are absolutely determined to speedrun through it. But going beyond that will reveal that just how much is going on in this single apartment. I'd rate it quite highly overall. LISA and Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass are others that I like that have their share of creepy moments/body horror if that's the sort of thing you like in your RPG Maker games.

Writing a review this soon isn't my style but I had so much fun with my first run that I couldn't stop myself.

Birdcage is a shmup that has a nice yin/yang going on. Your main shot is more consistent and has more coverage. But the damage isn't a high as the sword, which you can aim at targets in your main shots' blindspot and can erase blue bullets. The sword isn't just a projectile to fire off; if you hold down the button and feel like taking a risk, you can shred enemies up in melee range and then fire it. You don't lose anything that way so that's how you maximize your damage with it. For those who love chasing high scores, proper use of the sword can help rack up points. The second playable character you unlock mixes things up in an interesting way and rewards players who love to graze as often as possible.

Polygon Bird's debut game is a winner in my book. There's an elegance to its design that effortlessly engrossed me. The soundtrack and art style only helped that along. This is definitely a developer that I'll be paying attention to and cheering on as the years go by.

The greatest irony is despite this game (as well as Moon) poking fun at classic RPG tropes at points, is that playing Stray Children exactly like one of those is the path that leads to the least amount of frustration. A genocide/pacifist run doesn't exist here like it does in Undertale. You simply don't get enough experience from only saving all the Olders and you can fight them over and over again until you save them. So by all means, duke it out as often as you please. Because I don't practice what I preach, I tried to save as many Olders as I could.

The combat difficulty feels like it has very little middle ground most of the time. More than a handful of attacks are pretty difficult to deal with and/or they shave off big chunks of your life. Or the opposite can happen. It's not always clear how dangerous an attack really is. This applies to a lot of enemies; not just bosses. Kinda funny how you can trivialize most encounters by using items to increase your movement speed or straight up giving yourself invincibility for a number of hits.

If you're a completionist, then this game will drive you crazy. Odds are you aren't going to get everything in a single run. Which isn't unreasonable but somehow it feels more deliberate here. With all the missable items or points of no return (sometimes in the middle of a dungeon, which is new to me), it feels very old-school. To top it off, some monsters even have treasure chests that can spawn during their attacks. So there's one more check-list for you to worry about. Oh, and no extra save slots.

Stray Children isn't a perfect game but I still had an enjoyable time with it. There is plenty to like here. The graphics and art style are great, even if some visual effects are overbearing. The quirky humor and style that people familiar with this developer are here in full effect. I like the story; it definitely lives up to the claim of being a bittersweet fairy-tale. What it means to be a "good child", the lives of the olders and their struggles. I'm surprised the soundtrack isn't available yet since the music is good too. The puzzles and attack patterns are very creative and note-worthy. There's something...uniquely frustrating about it but I still recommend the game, even if its not for everyone. It was a fun ride, but not always a smooth one.

Even if it's not as fancy as the Definitive Edition, this is still a perfectly fine version of the game. But you really don't lose anything by sticking with the newer one and neither this game nor the DLCs go on sale. Kind of mean to grey out the artwork and call it retired.

Honestly I'm surprised this version is still up at all. I wonder if anyone has bought it lately.