Recent reviews by Narukoopa

El Hijo is a top-down stealth game that sees you playing as a young boy set upon reuniting with his mother. Taking place in the wild west, you must sneak your way past bandits and survive the harshness of your environment. That, and tackle with the game's many technical issues.

The biggest problem with El Hijo is that it feels like a constant battle to play. Its controls are wonky and unresponsive, which is not exactly good when you need to react to situations quickly. Its stealth mechanics are poorly refined, coupled with AI that is just downright unfair. It gets to a point where playing it feels like a chore, and it doesn't take long for this to set in.

The game does have merit, though. A good story married with stunning presentation and a charming visual style give it a definitive edge. The level design is expansive, with each one feeling alive. There's always lots of things going on, and some set pieces really do catch the eye.

Unfortunately, I don't think all of that is enough for me to be able to recommend El Hijo, simply because it fails at what it sets out to be: a stealth game. If your a die hard fan of stealth games, or wild west settings, maybe get this on a heavy discount. Otherwise, I struggle to find reasons to purchase it.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWdmffU0v8U

Maid of Sker is a first-person horror game taking place on a remote island off the Welsh coast. You play as Thomas Evans, and are tasked by his lover, Elizabeth Williams, to travel to the hotel located on the island and rescue her from her family who are holding her captive.

Despite having a Victorian setting, it's very much a fantasy world, with the hotels inhabitants becoming shells of what they once were. They are now twisted monsters who lack the ability to see, meaning they rely on sound to navigate their surroundings. Because of this, stealth is the game's main focus.

Story-wise, it's interesting to say the least. I really enjoyed delving into the worldbuilding, and I greatly appreciated how well it ties with the main story. As far as the main narrative is concerned, however, it's just okay. It's fairly predictable, I pretty much had it figured out about an hour in, but it's still entertaining.

The visuals are what impressed me the most. The environments look stunning, especially the opening area. The atmosphere isn't always there though, and this is where the game begins to completely fall apart. Maid of Sker is not a scary game. Barely even remotely, and this becomes apparent when you meet the enemies for the first time.

Every single encounter you have with an enemy goes nearly the exact same way. Crouch around them, hold your breath if they get too close, then continue moving away. The game makes barely any effort to deviate from this. What you experience the first time you meet them is what you'll essentially get for the rest of the game. It's a shame because, conceptually, Maid of Sker has a lot of merit. It just fumbles the ball on its execution.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPuFERAw8yI

Deliver Us Mars is a third-person, sci-fi adventure game and sequel to a title that I highly admired: Deliver Us The Moon. You can probably tell by the names: the first game took place on the moon and this new one takes place on Mars. The events of Deliver Us Mars, however, take place 10 years later.

I won't go into spoiler territory for either games, but what I will say is that you don't need to play the first one to be able to enjoy this one. That being said... play the first game. It's fantastic. The sequel is just as good in my opinion. It has a greater emphasis on storytelling and a stronger character presence.

You play as Kathy, on a mission to save a dying Earth by recovering advanced technology on Mars that was used on the Moon. This is more than just a humanitarian mission for Kathy, however, as the only reason humanity knows this technology is on Mars in the first place is due to a transmission sent to them by Kathy's father. This is just as much a personal quest to her as it is for the greater good.

To keep it short, the story is excellent. It's perfectly paced, is composed of great characters voiced by a talented cast of actors, has emotional weight and a number of twists and turns. It's a good mix of sci-fi and drama, keeping the existential tension without also becoming a soap opera.

Visually it looks stunning, if a little bit rough around the edges in some parts. One of those parts being the character models. They could look better. That being said, it didn't ruin the experience at all for me. The environments are magnificent and are full of detail, just like they were in the first game.

In terms of its gameplay mechanics, it's a bit on the simple side if I'm being honest. It's a lot of roaming around and finding things. You do have a fair number of puzzles though, and they are challenging. You also have a climbing mechanic which wasn't in Deliver Us The Moon, though this was a mixed bag for me. The zero-gravity sections return, and they are just as fantastic as ever.

Deliver Us Mars was a game I highly anticipated after playing it's predecessor. Not only did it live up to my expectations, it also proved to be one of the most memorable sci-fi games I have played. Honestly, if you haven't played either games, you need to add them to your list. These developers deserve so much more praise than they get.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqyzkazpKeQ

Vomitoreum is a first-person, retro-inspired shooter/metroidvania taking place in a twisted, post-apocalyptic version of Earth. In this world, people have been turned into disgusting monsters thanks to an entity known as the aptly named 'Vomitoreum'.

Visually it is equally gross and stunning at the same time. The art style is inspired by the many works of Zdzisław Beksiński, which, if you are familiar with his paintings, you can pretty much see that straight away. Everything around you looks dangerous, but there's also a certain level of awe to everything you see as well. This game is able to make dead things look incredible, and that's certainly worth praising.

From a gameplay standpoint, it is very fast-paced. You will very rarely be standing still; the only times you would be is during conversations. Instead you'll be running, dashing and jumping all over the place, looking for new weapons and upgrades to your gear to make you even stronger.

Exploration is almost a must due to the vast number of enemies you will encounter. It's fair to say it's a challenging game, especially if you aren't properly equipped to the task. You start off with a basic pistol, but before long, you will have a shotgun, an assault rifle, and more.

The combat is really well-executed. Yes, it can be difficulty, but for the most part, it's brilliantly balanced, and the variety of enemies you can fight against is broad. Bonus points to their visual designs too; they're really unique. Some of the boss fights can be pretty stale, but there are also a couple of stand-out ones that make up for it.

Overall I really enjoyed my time with Vomitoreum. If you are a fan of Zdzisław Beksiński, or if you enjoy playing retro-looking games, or if you just want to shoot things, consider putting this one on your radar.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt0QncUhMu8

Resonance of the Ocean is a top-down, 2D puzzle game taking place on a remote, tranquil island. You play as a child who just so happens to be the island's only inhabitant, and are tasked with replicating specific noises that are being emanated by another faraway island.

There are three levels altogether, and the difficulty increases as you progress. This is done by the game's ability to make the sounds more complex. In order to actually reproduce these sounds, you must explore the island, collecting various tools until you find the right ones that make the noise you need them to make.

My favourite aspects of this game, however, were the visual and audio departments. The hand-drawn art style couples well with the relaxing atmosphere, and the sound, something that is a pretty crucial element of the game, is executed perfectly. The game as a whole is extremely well-made and it's certainly worth your attention.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kq8i44kLgM

Cloud Climber is a short, narrative-driven experience taking place in a post-apocalyptic world that is slowly dying due to a lack of water. You play as one of its last surviving inhabitants, a builder tasked with constructing towers to reach the clouds, in a desperate attempt to retrieve their water.

Something that's pretty apparent in the screenshots, but even more clear when you actually play the game, is that it's a very sombre experience. You get the impression from the get-go that there isn't really any hope left, and that the main character is basically just going through the motions at this point.

That's probably also why the gameplay in this one is pretty minimal. There's a couple of minor challenges, if you can really call them that, here and there, but overall it's carried by its story. Needless to say, it's only 10 minutes, so you might as well give it a try. I really enjoyed it.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kq8i44kLgM

Planet S is a top-down strategy game that sees you tasked with colonising a solar system. You start off small, with a single colony ship that serves as the beginning of your settlement, then begin to expand to multiple different planets as your economy grows.

My biggest surprise with this game was just how challenging it was. It does a lot to guide you into the way of things, but once you're past the tutorial, you pretty much have to brave the storm on your own. The main cause of its high difficulty is produced through an increasing demand for resources.

If you want to stay afloat, you have to keep expanding, but in order to expand, you must have more resources. There are ways around this loop, but they aren't simple. Nevertheless, this was a fun, yet challenging experience that I can easily recommend to strategy game enthusiasts.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kq8i44kLgM

Wow, this game is something else entirely. The Complex: Found Footage is a first-person horror game taking place in the Backrooms. Now, my knowledge of the Backrooms is limited; pretty much all I know comes from Kane Pixels' videos, but this game feels as authentic as it gets.

To say it is unnerving is an understatement. It's anxiety-inducing. There aren't many games I've played where I felt completely vulnerable, and this was a feeling that never really went away. Every time you enter a new location you feel like you're being closely watched, despite there not really being anything that interacts with you.

It's also incredibly realistic, both from a visual and gameplay standpoint. As you can see from the screenshots, the graphics are impeccable. There's also a few filters placed in to make it look like a found-footage perspective. But even down to the way you move has had thought put into it. It's eerie just how real the whole thing feels. Please do not miss this game, or it's sequel. They deserve more attention.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kq8i44kLgM

Aztlan Uncovered is a third-person puzzle game taking place in a newly discovered tropical zone situated in the middle of a frozen landscape. In the centre is a ruined temple, with little traces as to who built it. Surrounded by vast mountains, it's a mystery how this area came to be the way it is.

Nevertheless, the focus of this game isn't to answer that mystery, but to instead explore the ruins themselves. To do this, you must solve puzzles using a time device that allows you to alter the state of specific objects. There's a broken bridge in front of you? You can use the device to reverse it back to a repaired state.

All in all the game is pretty short, but it's long enough to make an impression. The puzzles aren't overly challenging, but they're still engaging regardless. While it could've done with a bit more variety, what's there is certainly good enough.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kq8i44kLgM

Classified Stories: Colour Out of Space is a first-person horror game centred around a mystery surrounding a dilapidated house. You play as Daniel, and have been asked to investigate the area after being approached by a concerned child claiming his father was acting uncharacteristically violent.

The main thing this game succeeds in is its atmosphere. It is genuinely unnerving from start to finish, thanks to the dim lighting and the presence of these strange vines placing the house in somewhat of a choke-hold. It's certainly an intriguing experience that pulls you in from the get-go.

Unfortunately it loses a lot of merit once enemies are introduced. This is where the jankieness makes its appearance, and where the horror that was there before begins to die off. The combat is cartoonishly bad, and once you die, your progress is completely reset. I'd still recommend trying it out; I just think it needed more development time.

If you would like to see a slightly more detailed version of this review, as well as reviews for other free to play indie games, be sure to check out my video for them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kq8i44kLgM