DeVuego ES_COR

Overall, even though the game presents some nice ideas, especially the concept of changing between an upright and inverted world perspective, I still feel like it could’ve done much more in order to stand out. The story mode also appears to be around three hours long, which might put some people off, considering that this is a $10 game and there are alternatives that offer more hours for the same amount of money. It’s not that A Hole New World is a bad game, but it doesn’t do enough to classify it as a must play. Unless this looks like something right up your alley, I’d recommend waiting for a price drop.

I might have sounded very down on the game in the last paragraph, but at the end of the day, I still had loads of fun with Battles for Spain. It might not have the staying power or depth of some of the genre’s greatest titles, but it’s still a very fun game, and if they ever implement a tutorial, it would make for a decent entry point into more “serious” wargames. Plus, it’s nice to see a game about a conflict that does not get covered much. More of that, please!

Elium Prison Escape is a roguelite action game with surely some potential. It tries to use some innovative concepts, but fails to deliver because of technical issues and lack of polish that can completely ruin the combat overall.  Hopefully, some updates and fixes will alleviate these issues, as it seems the developer is open to discussion and will be addressing these issues with fixes.

Although I was intrigued by the idea behind GS, I don’t think it works out well in practice. A timer on a boss fight can be an arbitrary way of making it more difficult, and if the balance isn’t set well, it can ruin the experience. By getting rid of a traditional health bar and blending it with the timer, this forces players into a situation where they have to be mindful of how much damage they’re doing to the boss throughout the fight. After all, if they are too defensive or not staying close enough to keep up the DPS, the timer will deplete regardless of whether they take damage or not.

While this game might not be as complex, or deep, as something like Revolution under Siege by AGEOD, it never really tries to be that, this is a light wargame, that has a simple yet functional rule system, and the developers have done a good job at representing the chaos of the conflict. And most importantly, it’s a fun game. There are a few rough edges that could be ironed out, and I hope that the developer adds a good tutorial in their next game, but overall, this is a really good game, and I feel like it’s an improvement on the developer’s last game, Battles for Spain (which I did enjoy).

Monster Camp is brilliant – doesn’t overstay its welcome thanks to a short but sweet campaign that can have its length customizable but is also endlessly replayable thanks to its great writing that you’ll rarely re-read even after dozens of playthroughs. While the gallery is sorely lacking, it’s still a minor gripe on an otherwise fantastic game that plays well, is brilliantly written and often hilarious which has its solid Visual Novel nature paired with a great art style and a kick-ass soundtrack. An easy must-buy to anyone fond of dating sims, visual novels or simply well written games that don’t take themselves seriously.

Nongünz is a mixed bag of fresh ideas and strange design decisions. There is a lot of depth to be found in here, but it is well hidden and only the hardcore fringe of the Roguelite players will find their heart’s desire. If I think about previous games that gave me a similar feeling, I would say Devil Daggers. I can’t quite get into it, but I can see how a few can love it to bits. For others like me, Nongünz would need a lot of play-testing and adjustments to become enjoyable for a wider audience and less grindy, but then the game was not geared that way in the first place and that’s just fine, to each their own. If you disagreed with me and recognized yourself as someone who would enjoy this, then you must absolutely get it, the rating is a “SAVE” for you. If not, give this one a pass.

In spite of what I have said, if you enjoy the game as it is or you think you can connect with it more meaningfully than I, then more power to you. Similar to the many questions throughout the experience, my purpose isn’t to present what I think would make a better game; my point is to present how and why the game did not engage me as well as to have you ask yourself if that journey is worth taking. Unlike the other games I have mentioned, none have tackled the same type of questions from Solo: Islands of the Heart, so if you view the game’s merits from that angle, then there is something special to experience—how much you value that experience is another question.

This cartoonish point and click is definitely worth checking out. It’s a feast for the eyes and even for people who aren’t fans of point and click games, this one manages to be a smooth experience. It comes at the low cost of nothing, it’s short, and it’s enjoyable.

Without Escape is one of those games where it just hits a middle ground. You can’t really get mad as it does succeed in what it set out to do, but at the same time some elements just bring it down. If you enjoy point and click games and don’t want to go through difficult puzzles, I say sure try it out. There are six endings you can try to get and if you like speedrunning, Without Escape has a leaderboard that keeps track of who finished which ending the fastest (which, in hindsight, can explain why the story is weak). I do suggest waiting for a sale though.

Wizards Tourney is an adorable game to launch during a party with friends, and while we only enjoyed two out of the six arenas (your mileage may vary according to taste), those two mini-games are great enough to warrant a purchase if you see the game on sale. Thumbs up for the pumpkin chase as Halloween is drawing near!