DeVuego

CLeM emerges as a delightful gaming experience, seamlessly blending engaging puzzles, vibrant hand-drawn scenery, and a nostalgic childlike ambiance without compromising its broader appeal. ...this game stands as a testament to the creativity and excellence thriving in the realm of indie gaming, making it a worthy investment of both time and money for any discerning player.

I would be amiss if I didn’t talk about the visuals, while generally simple graphics it effortlessly captures the delicate balance between beauty and desolation. The game’s striking set pieces, enhanced by meticulous particle effects and atmospheric details, immersed me in a hauntingly atmospheric world. It portrays the grim reality of a dying planet while simultaneously unearthing the underlying beauty, reminding players of the fragility and preciousness of our environment. Beyond its captivating visuals, “After Us” delves into thought-provoking themes. As the game unfolds, it raises existential questions and challenges players to ponder the moral implications of Gaia’s mission to save a planet seemingly on the brink of oblivion. At thirty bucks, you definitely get your money’s worth, but it really depends on how you feel about platforming games in general and cerebral emotional experiences with little words, but a lot to say. “After Us” is a remarkable testament to Piccolo’s artistry, embracing the beauty of such a desolate world.

“Death or Treat” doesn’t break any new ground in the rogue-like genre, but it’s simple enough for newcomers to understand while still providing enough of a challenge to keep veteran players engaged. The game’s overall look and aesthetic are very cool and pleasing to the eye, particularly for Halloween fans, and its cute and welcoming appearance is sure to draw in gamers. With an initial price of $24.99, “Death or Treat” does provide it’s money’s worth and is a spooky and fun addition to the rogue-like family of games.

“Scrap Riders” is far from perfect, there are a lot of glaring omissions, such as a lack of any sort of multiplayer, which for a game like this should be obvious to do. It’s a very unfortunate and huge missed opportunity that hopefully the developers will learn from in their future games (assuming they’re doing another game similar to this). I also wish there was some voice acting in here instead of just word boxes. Aside from the issues I mentioned, “Scrap Riders” is a tight little package that is certainly worth checking out.

I did take points off because, though engaging and challenging, I did find myself becoming bored with the game after playing for an hour. I can’t sit and binge it for four or five hours like I can other games. I think it’s just that solving puzzle after puzzle can get repetitive, like doing Sudoku during a long airline flight.

Endling is an absolute joy to play, and the tight mechanics are reinforced with expert music and visual design.

TAPE: Unveil The Memories is a hard sell for the mass audience, but there is a lot here to appreciate and it’s always great to see obvious love put into the project by its developers. One other thing I thought was cool was near the end of the game you’ll have the option to take a couple different paths that lead to different endings. There is also a convenient Director’s Cut mode to help you quickly switch to the other option fairly quickly without needing to replay the entire game. Don’t go into this game expecting jump scare after jump scare, go into it prepared to ride an emotional rollercoaster of a nightmare. With a price tag of under 20 bucks, this isn’t much of an investment to have buyers’ remorse over to try something a bit different. 

Because of all this, I am actually glad to say that UnMetal continues to build on what was a very enjoyable demo into the full game.  Obviously, stealth games aren’t for everyone; it takes a certain amount of patience to watch a guard walk his predetermined route half a dozen times before deciding to kill him.  However, I do think that UnMetal is a solid game in its own right, an impressive feat considering that there seems to be only one guy behind the development.  Whether you pick it up because you miss the old Metal Gear Solid games, want to support an indie developer, or thought hey, I kind of like stealth and this game looks funny, I believe anyone who buys UnMetal will find a great title that they will enjoy.  Even if you’re not into stealth, like me, UnMetal’s story, its quips, and wit make it a fun time, arm and leg not required.   

WILL JETMAN: ASTROMONKEY’S REVENGE more or less checks all the boxes of a fairly entertaining experience. The 2D pixel art is on point with a classic RGB color palate and pairs nicely with quirky arcade music to carry you through this space adventure. However, in an oversaturated genre, this doesn’t quite make the cut. Nothing about the title makes it stand out in a grand capacity that is going to encourage me to rush home through traffic to play it. It is inexpensive enough that a casual playthrough would be worth your time and money, but to expect astronomical fireworks would be remiss.

Since this game review has basically turned into a dissertation, I’ll just say this in closing: Do Not Feed the Monkeys is a game that makes you question why you play video games. It makes you wonder what those stories and those experiences mean to you. It makes you doubt what constitutes a game, and whether we should even be playing. And that is a good thing. They are meaningful questions that make us, as gamers and people, better. And if nothing else entices you, then you should at least know that the pizza delivery guy looks like a badass ninja.

The one critique I would make is the limited game controls. To begin, there is only multiplayer gameplay, and you can only play with other people by using the same laptop, not other people connected to the online server. Also, the second player controls are mostly on the number pad, which is not included on a lot of laptops. This severely reduces the number of people who can play Oh My Godheads. Some solutions to this may be including a single player version that lets you fight computer-generated enemies, or changing the controls of the second player to keys that appear on more laptops. Besides that, though, Oh My Godheads is a rollicking joy ride of fresh challenges and visually appealing design that has the potential for enormous popularity.

Sound and graphic design are merely serviceable, and the game is aware that these elements are just garnishes. The text screens and cut scenes have a unified feel, but lack any semblance of intentional design. Menu navigation and layout takes on an odd trifold format that needlessly segregates elements. Animations have a quirky liveliness, but are ultimately quite limited, which is unfortunate since you watch these miniature soldiers for hours upon a time. Numantia has the in-game girth of many turn-based giants, but fails to expand on the genre. An intriguing historical dive into desperation, Numantia delivers a strategic tour of domination or just plain survival.

The two main characters, Anton and Thomas Clerval, are fascinating foils. They are very fleshed out characters which interact with the world nicely. The events in the story are almost always exciting or shocking, if not a little convenient at some times. Most importantly, the themes of the tale are carried with reverence. In a world where the dead can be revived what separates the recently dead from those who have not fallen? In a war can you spare any combatant, even if that person is your own family? Can you trust your own allies, even if they hold different ideals then you? All of these question are explored, but like any good story, it does not force you to accept any one answer. Instead, The Frankenstein Wars uses its medium ingeniously. You make the decision and choose what the two brother’s should believe in. You may not decide some of the game’s larger plot points, but you do get to choose something far more important: the meaning of what these events mean.

I want to give kudos to Team Gotham for creating such a wonderfully stimulating, challenging and FUN first-person puzzler. It is hard to believe that it’s their first game so job well done!

Overall, we’ve found Red Goddess: Inner World very rewarding and fun and would recommend it as a BUY.