Recent reviews by peppygrowlithe

This game is so good that even the "bad" games are fun. I grew up on the NES and this game is like crack to me, but honestly even if you've never touched a console from the last millenium you'll still probably love it.

Shadow Gambit makes a perfect three for three in some of the best and most compelling gameplay ever made. Mimimi Games has an excellent formula, and they have wisely continued to spice up the existing recipe rather than experiment too much. It is, in essence, "more of the same" of Shadow Tactics and Desperados 3, and I can't overstate how much of a good thing this is.

Calling Shadow Gambit a "tactical stealth" game isn't exactly incorrect, but it doesn't strike at the heart of what makes this game so good. It is a puzzle game, and an extremely good one, because it lands that perfect balance of challenging without ever being frustrating. Every little area asks the question: how do I pick these soldiers off one-by-one or two-by-two, using the tools that I have? How do I 'chip away' at this puzzle until I am able to proceed? And while you will often be stumped for a few minutes at a time, you'll always end up finding a way, and it's immensely satisfying to do so, in that exact same way that solving a difficult puzzle is. Sometimes you'll end up coming up with the most Looney Tunes scenarios distracting just the right people at just the right moment to slip your kill into the exact momentary window of opportunity you're afforded -- but every soldier you take out brings the puzzle one step closer to resolution.

The Kindred and Prognosticators add an excellent addition of challenge. The Kindred are wholly unique, easily distracted but requiring several to be killed at once, but my favorites are the Prognosticators. They'll instantly stun the first person who affects them in any way, and it requires you to have a second character kill them. This is similar to how Samurai and Longcoats worked, but they're easier in some ways (they become 'vulnerable' easier) but harder in others (totally stunlocking one character and outright killing them is dangerous).

One way in which Shadow Gambit differs greatly is that you have greater freedom in selecting your crew. Instead of being given specific tools for a specific scenario, you have more flexibility in who you choose to bring along. I wasn't a fan at first, preferring that the game was crafted around only having specific features available to me at a given time. But the characters are generally so well-balanced that, unless you really are just choosing totally at random, you'll probably have what's necessary to get past what I'd say are some of the most difficult sections Mimimi Games has ever come up with.

If the game drops the ball in any department, it's that the pacing between gameplay is not great. The Crew Tales feel slow and long-winded, and while the characters are amusing, they really just served to make me feel antsy for the next encounter. I would come in off of the high of an amazing pirate caper, only to realize I have ten minutes of dialogue to slog through before my next mission, which would put a damper in my momentum.

Overall though, Shadow Gambit is an absolute gem for any fans of puzzle or tactical combat. The game is not really "turn-based", but it generally doesn't require fast reflexes, so fans of turn-based strategy games will almost certainly have a great time. Altogether it's a shame that this game isn't a huge seller, being too niche to really find broad appeal, because it's some of the best gameplay I've ever experienced.

Symphony of War is the sort of game that blends two great tastes together -- Ogre Battle and Fire Emblem -- to create a whole new taste that's distinctive and just as good. The "unit" style of gameplay adds real depth to customization and strategy. You can have entire units comprised of the same unit (such as all archers) or you can mix and match (for instance, protecting your squishy mages with front line tanks), which gives a level of variability that's missing from FE.

Having come off of Triangle Strategy, where I found the characters tedious and the writing mediocre, the ambitious story and political intrigue are refreshing and really quite compelling.

The biggest flaw is the cutscene graphics, which have a very generic 'RPG Maker' quality to them. But don't let it fool you -- this is a game worth playing, weaving together two tried-and-true classic RPG styles to create something unique.

One of the best games I've played in a long time. The combat is tight and just challenging enough, the world is fun to explore, and the music is stellar. It basically plays like a combination of Final Fantasy V and Guild Wars 2's Super Adventure Box.

A delight from start to end. I've played and replayed and re-replayed almost every level.

Every minute is like a puzzle, trying to figure out the perfect way to kill, sneak past, or distract the obstacles in your way. It's often very challenging, but because of the ease of save states (and the encouragement of 'abusing' it), even the longest and most difficult stages rarely feel frustrating or anger-inducing. The game is tough, but it also gives you tons of options and freedom to get past every hurdle as you see fit.

Add some great voice acting and writing, and you've got a real underrated gem, and one of the best games I've had the honor of playing in the last few years.

Super duper fun, big recommendation to anybody looking for a turn-based RPG. It's casual on the surface, but there's a lot to it.

Excellent game! It takes a lot of inspiration from Slay the Spire, but has a unique style and gameplay. The art is excellent, and the music is great.

There are a few small issues; you have to use keyboard to swap between party members, a few abilities don't work as intended (Pestilent plz), and if you misclick an ability (which happened frequently for me, since both right and left clicks select abilities), you can't backtrack. But it's an early access game, a few inconveniences are to be expected, and the game is as a whole solid and fun.

While my first couple runs were disastrous and full of death, I was able to fully beat the game after my fourth run. The final boss didn't stand a chance. I hope the game introduces more challenge tiers to increase replayability.

All in all, if this seems like your kind of game, it is. Check it out, I think it'll only get better!