Recent reviews by elliehaunts

The Invincible is a wonderfully imaginative sci-fi story, set on a mysterious, seemingly dead planet, committing to commentary on both what it means to explore parts unknown, as well as what it means to be Human.

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PROS:

+ Atmosphere: The game has a very 'Firewatch' feel about it, lending to the narrative push, and the reason why, on first play-through, i completed the game in a single run. I just couldn't get enough.

+ Story: Wonderfully crafted, with multiple endings, this game has a lot of replay value. Each time you play, make different decisions, and choices, the story will shift, giving you more to discover, in a new way.

+ Sound design: From the sound of walking through a cave, to stepping around on sand, or through a ship, the sound design, and score choices for the game lend into the atmosphere, and are perfectly choice for the narrative direction and ambiance the developer was going for.

+ Characters: You learn to love Yasna, and (depending on how you play), have varied feelings about the Astrogator... their dynamic is as dependent or combative as you'd like it to be, lending to a complicated dynamic. The voice acting is well done, well-suited, and believably portrayed.

+ Visual styling overall: Beautiful with wonderful retro inspirations, and design, that is oozing 'style'. From the look of the planet, the night (or day) sky, the foreground and background, and the planetary systems shifting around Regis III, you will love it all. Interior designs as well? Talk about visually impressive! Lots of care and attention went into this one, so its highly worth checking out for that alone.

+ Comic Book: When you finish your play through, the game provides you with a 'comic book' , of step-by-step playback of what you did in the story. Its visually pleasing, lovingly crafted, and happily included as a bonus to go back and 're-live' your choices. A truly classy touch, imo.

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CONS:

- Some predictability in plot-points: Few and far between, but The Invincible does subvert expectations more than not. However, some portions of the story have been overdone before (I can't say which without spoilers), and they don't really add to the story, but rather feel like an unnecessary inclusion.

- Crewmates: You don't really get enough time with them to make their 'fates' matter much to you. A little more time at the beginning building rapport would have been appreciated, so that their fates and outcomes would feel more important.

- 'That one ship' at the end: You know the one. You fly in it for a short time, and its jarringly nicer looking and unlike anything else in the story. Its a little out of place, imo, and far too fancy for being randomly on a planet, next to a bunch of 'equipment', in the sand, looking A+++

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Do I recommend?
100%! Yes. No other words.

If its on sale, buy it.
If its not, you won't be disappointed.

If you love space, retro-vibes, and art design, with stories that play like Firewatch, you'll love this!
Now its time for me to go to bed as i've been up far too long - i'm not invincible ;)

Wire Lips is an atmospheric short-form horror game with much to like and hope for.
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PROS:

+ Atmosphere
+ Sound Design
+ Lighting
+ Assets
+ Dark Themes
+ Blend of horror mediums.

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CONS:

- Story is very simple and little explained.
- Mostly walking simulator.
- Simple puzzles (too easy).
- No replay value.

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RECOMMENDED?
Yes.

Its worth a quick play through to experience, especially due to the fit and finish (well-polished), and overall vibe of the game. Though keep in mind, a single play through will assuredly be all you need, and you may not have clarity on all facets of what happened, or why.

Close to the Sun has a mildly intriguing story set within a detailed and exquisite setting.
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As I've only played over an hour (at the time of this review), I will keep this short, and to the point. In such a short playtime, I have come to a few conclusions regarding this game that most will notice right away:

1) This game feels heavily, heavily inspired by Bioshock. Not solely because of the Art-Deco aesthetic, but also due to some of the choices in representation of story materials and word-choice. The phrase "The Circle Must be Broken" echoing "Will the Circle be Unbroken?" from Bioshock infinite. The introduction of Time Travel early-on (not a spoiler, its a plot-point from practically the get-go), and creepy, seemingly deranged people running around on-board the vessel also lead heavily into Bioshock territory as well. Not only this, but 'memories', as I'll call them, are also present - a particle-effect representation of a humanoid form, reliving and moving within the space to show representation of past events. Again, heavily Bioshock inspired. The pneumatic mail system? Basically the Pneumo from Bioshock. The earpiece communicator? Basically the radio from Bioshock, but more portable... see what I mean? This isn't necessarily a bad thing; however, it can't help but be more than just noticeable.

2) The introduction of Nikola Tesla as the "Andrew Ryan" of the game. Am I the only one that seriously dislikes the trope of throwing Tesla into fiction for the sole purpose of beefing up a story line? I would've preferred it if they had gone the Bioshock route, and created their own fictional genius, akin to the Lutece twins from Infinite. I hate to repeat this comparison, but its far too abundant and obvious. Now I'm just waiting for a "Sinclair" to make an appearance..

3) The Helios is gorgeous. From water fountains and indoor park areas, Tesla coil 'displays' showcasing the wiring/power system of the ship, and small attention to details present in scenery, its a pleasure to explore. The ambience is well-suited, the design is meticulous, and the thoughtfulness shown towards environmental story-telling in certain areas is a nice additional touch.

4) The soundtrack, score, sound effects, and sound design are on-point from the moment the game starts.

5) The attention to detail overall. From the start of the game where the protagonist shuffles papers in her hands as she reads, then slides the chair back into place, realistically, while standing up to move, and the visual representation of her moving through the spaces is just so well-crafted and polished to a degree showing dedication and care to the end-result.

My only gripe is that the controls (on keyboard) are a little stiff, when navigating, as she doesn't move that swiftly through large environments so it can feel like a trudge, the jumping mechanic is a joke (although somewhat realistic due to having a short recovery), and the only means of interacting within the environment itself is "Press to interact". That said, its simple, effective, and is a means to an end. For one who wishes to slow down and soak in the atmosphere, these issues aren't really issues at all.

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Do I recommend?
I absolutely do... for a good price. Close to the Sun has got its appeal, aesthetically and otherwise, and is worth checking out for the atmosphere, visuals, and sound design alone.

I'll continue to play this, after writing this review, and update as I go, if it requires it. But so far, I'm enjoying it enough to feel confident reviewing it so early on. If the story picks up a little bit more, it'll be a hit. If not, I won't be too Shocked.

The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a game filled with emotion, fantastic storytelling, and great characters set within an environment that truly carries the tone of isolation.

From the snow obstructed views outside the windows, with faintly visibly trees swaying in the winter wind, and only the lone 'FEMA officer' to keep conversation and watch over you from a distance as you explore and discover long-forgotten secrets within a derelict hotel that you never wanted to see again, the atmosphere truly puts you in the shoes of Nicole, the troubled and heart-broken protagonist. The flow of the game allows you to naturally feel what she feels, given the situations as they unfold, through brilliant voice acting, and make quick decisions via timed dialogue choices which allow you to appropriately respond to Irving, the 'FEMA officer', be it through answering a question, asking a question, or commenting about a bad situation.

Listening to Nicole and Irving converse is a delight, as the two are a very well-made match, with acting talent to spare.

I won't give anything away, story-wise, but the game looks fantastic, the sound design is great, the story is engaging, dynamic, complex, and interesting, while still maintaining a simple yet charged narrative that keeps you wanting more. The majority of the game play is walking, looking at objects, using a handful of objects, and listening to the conversations and banter between Irving and Nicole as they try to discover what really was going on with Rachel Foster and the hotel, as well as uncover secrets of the past.

The game isn't very long (I completed it in just over 3 hours), but its worthy of a play-through, at least once, to truly understand what i'm getting at.

Do I recommend? No duh~!
Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

*NOTE*: Mature themes. If you're squeamish or light-of-heart, you may not like some subject matter present.

For fans of the series, Dead Space 3 doesn't hold a Plasma Cutter to the first two games.

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Dead Space 1 was a phenomenon, redefining the horror genre in video games and introducing players to a tense, foreboding, and twisted atmosphere of space-gore, violence, isolation, and dark corridors. Dead Space 2 dialled up the crazy with cults, schizophrenic voices, eye-piercing needles, and hallucinations wreaking havoc on the protagonist's mind.

Dead Space 3 opens with a cinematic more akin to a film, than a game; a stark contrast to the first two games' opening sequences, which set the tone for a horrific and seemingly unending nightmare - Dead Space 3 prefers to add action from the start, with cinematic scores and military intrigue culminating in a less than stellar entry into what could be classified as
'a story' of sorts. Exactly what fans were... looking for?

The game-play is basically the same as the previous games in the series, but the story is less than engaging. Isaac is forced back into 'service' by the man sleeping with his only recently ex-girlfriend, and they have to work together to determine how to stop the markers based on limited information scattered amongst ruined and wrecked space vessels. Of course, Isaac, the engineer turned mental, is the only one capable of taking a shuttle, blasting military firearms, and cutting down Necromorphs while conduct focused recon fetch-quest missions - quite unlike the military operatives he is currently teamed up with.

The story is not engaging, the character models can be as horrific as the Necros are, the dialogue is stupid, and I honestly don't care what's going on. However, the mechanics are solid, the action is dialled up slightly for more 'shoot first, think later' mentality, ammo abounds, as necessary, the upgrade system has been completely revamped, and microtransactions allow players to get better weapons/suits than provided with the base game.

At the end of the day, I'm in it for the visuals - they're gorgeous.

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Do I recommend?
No, not really.

If you're looking at getting into Dead Space, 1&2 are good enough on their own to tell a solid story. Dead Space 3 can easily be skipped without missing a beat. It feels more like an expansion/DLC story add-on than a full game.

For those who are fans of the series, it may be worth a look, but be forewarned that the expectations set by the previous entries will taint your experience here, as its just not the same, in all the wrong ways.

Isaac Clarke doesn't even need to be in this game - it would have the same weight.

Now I'm Dead Tired, so it's time for bed.

[This review will be brief, and free from spoilers.]

Death Stranding is a beautiful and intriguing story set in a world of danger and death, sure to hook anyone who gives it a chance, and has the patience for good, slow-burning storytelling.
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Sam Porter Bridges, the protagonist, lives a life of courier work, travelling across dangerous terrain delivering packages and parcels to communities and settlements in a USA that has all but fallen into a state of disconnection and fear. The Death Stranding from The Beach regularly arrives, with the overlooking Rainbow, to rain down, torment, and ultimately kill anyone caught in its literal wake. But some are different.

Sam Porter Bridges must travel from city to city, delivering important supplies, and creating connections between people, to try and create some semblance of unity between the people of the country, battling not only his past, but the deadly creatures that lay ahead. With his trusted companion, BB, Sam will face many obstacles and hardships, and traverse diverse, beautiful, and ultimately dangerous terrains, to accomplish his task.

The beauty of a game like Death Stranding is the focus on connection, and no one system illustrates this better than the integration of various player's games with one another. As you travel, bridges, ladders, ropes, and helpful structures built by fellow players can assist you in traversing terrain, making your travels easier, quicker, and more streamlined. The game allows anything you build, make, or place, to be shared with other players in their own private one-player adventure, creating a sense of unity amongst players. It's brilliant, and works really well.

The overall story is interesting enough to keep one propelling along, and the musical score and soundtrack chosen to accompany your adventure is perfectly tonal, and masterfully placed. The performances by all of the lead characters are well enough, though some dialogue feels overwhelming given the sheer nature of how much is being given to the player (though far less in comparison to time alone on the road), and can break the feeling and sense of isolation and desperation that comes with the territory of being a Porter. This is few and far between, as the game goes on, leaving the player to their devices, but towards the beginning of the story, the constant and intrusive " *Beep!* 'SAM... I have something to tell you' " every few minutes can get quite tedious and frankly annoying. Thank goodness it becomes more infrequent as the game goes on.

The names feel a little uninspired (e.g.: Sam Porter Bridges is a Porter working for Bridges, 'Deadman' is a doctor working to study BTs, etc), and the marked forcing of story beats and exposition about 'Why Bridges is so important' in the beginning of the game can induce groans, when everyone comes across as preachy with their head up their own a**, but with these small moments aside, the grand picture of the package given is truly breathtaking. It's definitely a Kojima title.

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Do I recommend?
Absolutely.

If you have the patience for a slow-burning, moody, depressing, and ultimately quite lengthy and personal journey of a man tasked with a goal he isn't entirely convinced of, but feels compelled to pursue for reasons he would rather not come to terms with, all while facing the possibility of death, on a massive scale, then this game is for you.

The music, visuals, and 'show not tell' portions of storytelling truly make this world feel alive, combined with other players assistance, and make Death Stranding a game worth completing.

"Contradiction - The All-Video Murder Mystery Adventure" is an engaging, well performed, and deeply interesting murder mystery with little replay value, a flat ending, and fantastic "everything else"~!

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PROS:

+ Story: The story of Contradiction is deep, with many characters of varying interest and depth, all situated within the small town setting. Without going into detail to give it away, the story itself keeps the player engaged, interested, and wanting to find the truth.

+ Game-play/Mechanics: Simple, intuitive, and easiest to play with only a mouse. Straight forward and highly effective, allowing the player to navigate, make choices, inspect the area, and apply items to solve simple puzzles.

+ Puzzles/Investigating: You have to look *everywhere*. Revisit locations you've been to, at different times, talk to people about *everything* you learn and find out, remember or even make notes about what you saw, heard, or remember being mentioned, and ask about anything and everything. Be the nosey detective that everyone loves to hate, and get to the bottom of things! If you get a hunch, go with it! If something seems suspicious, check it out as best as you can! Poke, poke, poke around until you find what you're looking for, draw the right conclusions, and find the right contradictions to learn the truth! Great fun indeed, playing Detective :)

+ Acting/Dialogue Delivery: Some talented people were involved in this project, all of whom were believable. From line delivery, to 'stage presence' and use of environment, those involved did a phenomenal job. Displaying happiness, joy, curiousity, sadness, grief, remorse, guilt, anger, and confusion - these actors and actresses were just a pleasure to watch! ^_^

+ The Mystery: One of the hardest things to do in a murder mystery story is to properly string the reader/viewer/player along, keep interest, sprinkle red herrings, and divide attention to multiple suspects, without making the murderer clear until the very last minute. This game does it all, and it does it splendidly. The narrative keeps you guessing the entire time, making assumption after assumption, following a rabbit hole that may lead nowhere, ultimately culminating in a surprise ending,,, which we will get back to.

+ Production/visuals/locations/quality: The setting is great, the environments for each area are real-world and feel believable to the setting, and the whole package is engaging, nice to look at, fun to watch, and interesting to be involved in. More games should be as slick, and I would love to see more developers aim for FMV style games of this high a quality. The way the game naturally transitions from day to night, as the game progresses, shows an attention to detail that is strung throughout the whole experience. The production was just on-point overall.


NEUTRALS:

+/- Some tedium but not enough to ruin the flow: There are so many options that open up and are represented as the game progresses. Clicking back and forth between all of the options to get all of the characters responses can be a little tedious, but its always interesting in the end to see what they say, and watch how they react. The tedium does come on at times, but overall, isn't really a negative as it is balanced out quite well with engaging acting as a result of said tedium.

+/- No replay value: Once you play and complete the game, that's it. There's no point in replaying, and its a shame, but expected. For a relatively short title as this (could be done slower were one not so quick at making connections or poking around), it has been granted a 'Neutral' position on my review. As it stands, it's just a bit of a bummer, but such is the nature of a story like this. Too bad, but its 'one and you're done'.


CONS:

- Limitations of options/dialogue and contradictions: It's easy to lose yourself in trying to make connections where one may see it reasonable, only for the game to deny such a connection. This is understandable, as not every option can be related or recorded, but I found it a little distracting at times when I would make a purposeful, and seemingly meaningful connection, that would result in no contradiction being made, because it wasn't planned as such. Even having a character stone-wall (in a meaningless, and dismissive short clip) would have sufficed my curiosity, but often I found myself making a connection between two points that in real life I wouldn't dare overlook and one would be crazy not to make such a connection or inquire at the very least about, but in-game it wouldn't, as I said, have any significance. I understand its a limitation of the game, but some form of satisfying denial would have been nice, seeing as options characters don't know anything about are granted such a thing.

- Ending: The ending felt a little less than satisfying, as the whole story feels somewhat tumultuous, serious, and deep, with an ending that fell a little flat, but otherwise didn't ruin the overall experience in any way. It just felt too quick and glossed over. The game acknowledges this with the ending cut-scenes stating that there is more to the overall mystery of the town that is yet to be unearthed. I would have loved a more involved and invested ending, drawn out over a longer series of videos, as opposed to the seemingly short-form and hurried one that was, but, it's not as though it didn't 'make sense'. The ending entirely 'made sense', however it wasn't as satisfying as the rest of the game, overall. That said, they could have easily ruined the ending by phoning in a direction I dislike all too much, but thankfully, they didn't. Sadly, it still just wasn't very satisfying, and left me wanting.


- The odd hiccup: I had the odd time when the game would glitch up a little, interface wise, preventing me from continuing on. Sometimes a menu wouldn't show an option to walk *anywhere*, and the odd time I would get stuck in a menu. It wasn't often, thankfully, but it happened enough times to cause me to force-quit, reload the game, and remake progress I didn't have the opportunity to save on more than one occasion over my ~4-odd hour run.

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Do I recommend?
Absolutely!

"Contradiction - The All-Video Murder Mystery Adventure" is a delightful murder mystery, with simple puzzles, great acting, wonderful ideas, and a narrative that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Now the only real mystery left is: "Where's the sequel??!?!" >.<

Cyber Manhunt is a very interesting game drenched in adult themes and unethical hacking.

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I will keep this one short, so as to not give anything away.

You don't need to know how to hack to play this game, obviously. It's a lot like Orwell, though darker in tone, and I actually prefer this. The characters are interesting, have deeply complex personal relationships, all of which comes together at the end of the line.

The twists and conspiracies throughout are thoughtful and engaging, while provoking all sorts of mixed emotions and at times, apprehensions or even excitement from the player.

If you want to have an experience, it's definitely worth a go - assuming you're mature enough to handle such content as r*pe, abductions/kidnapping, animal abuse, murder and murder schemes, theft, trafficking, spying, identity theft, infidelity, perversion and more.

The puzzles involved, and secrecy, at times, can be just challenging enough to prompt some deeper thinking and thinking outside the box to accomplish your end goals. Numerous times I found myself stuck until inspiration reared its head, and a hunch worked out for the better. You need strong deduction and a very analytical eye for this game (at times) ;) There are moments where progression is obvious, but other times where the game can throw you for a loop, so you have to pay attention, and remember what you've seen, heard, and read, to properly pry information and obtain more clues. Sometimes, a hunch is all you need to kick things up ;)

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Do I recommend?
Yes, I do, but warn it may not have subject matter that easily emotional people can just walk away from. Take your time with this one, there's a lot to uncover. I plan to revisit it and achievement hunt; I want the whole story~!

If this is your jam, then give it a go. You won't be disappointed.
while.true that the content is heavy, you might just get a kick out of it..~ ;)

Destiny 2 went from being a game I didn't really like, to one of my absolute favourite games of all.

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I first bought Destiny 2 back when it was on Battle.net. I played a little bit of it, but never found myself engaged, interested, or focused. I didn't know who characters were, what was going on, or why, and I didn't feel invested in the story at all. So, I stopped playing.

A few months ago, I was looking for something to do, and having ported the game over to Steam (transition by Bungie), I found myself giving it another go, just for kicks. I have since played ~100 hours of the game and am poised to play much, much longer.

PROS:

+ Art Design / Visuals: The game is stunning. I am playing in 2k resolution, and am absolutely in awe of certain areas. Be them in terms of lighting, colouring, tone, and shadows, or the grand spectacle of it all, Destiny 2 looks phenomenal at all times.

+ Sound design: The sound of the world, the enemies, and the (majority of) weapons sound great. Voice-overs and characters sound interesting and unique, and allow for some real personality to be put forth. Some characters (Shaw.. -.-") and weapons are fairly 'meh', but for the most part, the sound design is on point.

+ Gun-play/Mechanics: The game runs great. The mechanics of movement, firefights, and combat are all top notch. Getting headshots are satisfying, especially when the gear you use is (mostly) tailored to your preference.

+ Customization: You can customize character armour, weapons, bikes, and ships with different colours (Shaders) that give unique looks and sets to each (e.g: texture and accent colours included). You can also obtain (from Eververse, the online store) cosmetics for certain types of weapons/armour that give them special looks (Ornaments). The combination of armour pieces you can use, how you upgrade them, and what sort of 'build' you want is completely up to you. Everything can be well-tuned assuming you spend the time, and hunt the loot to do it.

+ Weapons: A diverse amount of weapons, new and old, to choose from and obtain via various missions, challenges, Raids, and Strikes. It never gets old~! Swords, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, gatling guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, handcannons, sidearms, pistols, bow+arrows, carbine rifles, scout rifles, pulse-rifles, submachine guns.. it's all there.

+ Difficulty: The game gives out 'Power Recommendation' for missions and quests, and believe me, they're necessary to follow. If you're ill-prepared, an area that you're 'close enough' in power level to can really mess you up. The challenges are real, and rewarding. Some enemy types (be them Vex, Fallen, or otherwise) are more susceptible to certain types of damage, as well, which can make your power level not as effective as 'just the number' suggest it should be. You have to be well-versed in using various types of skills and weapons so as to effectively eliminate enemies and accomplish missions. The game encourages the player, through difficulty and challenge, to change things up now and then.

NEUTRALS:

EDIT -> Story content was originally in here as a Neutral, but the more you delve into the quests, and really explore each world, the more story you find. This is a hit and a miss for players, depending on what you're looking for. The game has a lot of story to offer, with brilliant cut-scenes and animations to guide them, if you have the patience to watch, listen, look, and learn.


CONS:

- No Photo Mode: Destiny 2 *deserves* a photography mode. It's breath-taking and I want to get my 'free-roam camera' all up in it so bad..! Alas, its not to be (for now.. hopefully they add one down the line) :l

- Level capping and Seasonal limitations: Some of the most interesting gear I've gotten was the set you can obtain from the Shadowkeep DLC (the Moon). I love the aesthetic, the dark tone of the areas, and storyline. But, the equipment/weapons are weak AF, and you can't do anything about it. They're capped at level 1050. I am currently sitting around 1250, with weapons and gear. I can't raise the power level of that equipment if I wanted, and its a shame. I would love to use some of the weapons obtained, or the armour, but (even though its paid for as part of the DLC obtainable item list), its just not viable to do so, without crippling a character build. What a shame that Bungie does this :/ Nobody is happy about it.

-Not having LEGACY DLC and content be readily available, even if the world changes throughout each season. It's relegated to "legacy" and more or less hidden from sight. Some of the content, alongside sunsetting, makes it feel just a little too sad that you can't experience all of the story without scouting it out, and even then, it feels too easy since everything is sunsetted. Quite a shame.

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Do I recommend?
Absolutely. Yes. Yes. Yes.

If you can get Destiny 2 (complete) with all DLC, you should. It's definitely worth it. I am not someone who likes to pay full price for a game, let alone an older one, but with the ever-changing Seasonal content, engaging and expansive worlds, and a crazy amount of stuff to do, its worth it.

I played a good 20+ hours before buying any DLC, and only did so because I desperately wanted *more*.
Some days, I actually have to force myself to take a break, to get other things done.. I, shockingly, enjoy it that much.

If you get it, and give it a fair shake, you definitely won't regret it~

Ghostrunner is a beautiful cyberpunk action-platformer in the first person perspective with great difficulty and satisfying pace.

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PROS:

+ Beautiful visual design: The game looks gorgeous. In the cyberpunk aesthetic, especially played in 2k+ graphics like I did, its a joy to look at. From the level design, to the graphical effects, the overall package is just a phenomenal experience worth having.

+ Music/Sound Design: The music and sound effects are just a treat for the senses. The pulse and beat of the score, alongside the aforementioned visual aesthetic is spot-on. The immersion experienced within the environment overall is just fantastic.

+ Puzzle difficulty: The "puzzles" (e.g.: enemies to defeat within a given area, in the method of your choosing) are hit and miss. Some of them are extremely hard and require the utmost patience and exercising of caution to get done, while others are capable of being slashed through in mere moments. How you go about the kills, whether it be from which angle, what approach, or which combination of techniques you use to accomplish your goal, is up to you. As they are basically the majority of the game, its satisfying enough to play through, and even more to complete, warranting a positive point on this review.

+ Boss fights: Great. Keeps you on your toes, and give you agency to figure out how to defeat them based on attack pattern and environmental cues. Solid.


NEUTRALS:

+/- Game Mechanics: When they work, the mechanics are great. Sometimes however... Hit the wall-run in a slightly wrong way? Fall to your death. Slash milliseconds too early/too late? Death. Jump off of a wall-run towards another wall/platform? Falls short of where you're going by a long-shot and, you guessed it: Death. When they work, its satisfying as can be to platform and parkour your way around a level. Often, I've had times where I'd become frustrated by not the difficulty, but rather by Ghostrunner's inability or unwillingness to wall-run. There's no button to make him do it, you just jump at the wall. And to run to a wall, and see him slide down, on an angle, to his death, when he's supposed to run, time and time again, is just not fun. When it works, its great.

+/- Timing: This game is all about timing. The pattern of enemy gunfire, when to dodge, when to deflect an enemy's slash, when to jump from wall to wall... but sometimes the game speeds up or slows down, seemingly, on a whim, and breaks the immersion and flow. It's very perceptible, at times, when fighting an enemy, for them to suddenly slash or attack at what feels like 1.5x speed, from how they do 99% of the time, resulting in instant death. On the inverse, when you repeat a motion or series of blocks/deflections in a row, and suddenly, the pacing slows to a crawl compared to the high-octane of the past few minutes, with the enemy taking markedly longer than normal to project an attack, its very noticeable as well. I'm not sure why this happens, but it certainly adds challenge, albeit one that seems like more of an intermittent and inconsistent issue with the game itself, than a planned design aspect. At first it bothered me, but I came to accept it as an unexpected additional challenge.

+/- Overall Game Length: I finished this game in under 8.5 hours total. It's not a long game, but it is a rewarding one to complete. That said, each level has hidden collectibles, including swords that you can equip (aesthetic only) and upon completion of the game a new "Hardcore" difficulty opens up that actually changes the structure of some of the levels to increase the difficulty. It's got a lot of replayability, but for those who are only looking for a once-through and done, it could do to be a little longer.


NEGATIVES:

- Story: But we don't play this for the story, do we? The story is a predictable cliche of 'not everything is as it appears to be' combined with 'you lied to me from the start' twists that anyone can see coming from a mile way. It serves only as a weak vehicle to propel the game, and I suppose it does its purpose, but, obviously, I found myself not caring about it at all.

- Characters: Everyone is uninteresting, cliche, and bland. But again, this game isn't about the characters, its about the gameplay, where it does, in fact, deliver. Not only this, but the story only has ~4 characters, including Ghostrunner, only 2 of which you ever see (eventually, at the end), with the exception of your own hands/sword. There is a boss fight, with 'I don't remember her name and its not important', but, I don't consider her a character, as she's "here today, gone today".

- Voice Acting: Everyone sounds depressed and like they are really trying too hard to sell how 'sad' they are. It's like they're competing for the "World's Most Depressing Side Character" award or something. The tone of their voices really is just a drag, and wears on me, personally, while playing. The only one who doesn't come across this way is Ghostrunner, who is more emotionless than anything. I would rather they just learn to have a normal conversation without feeling the need to force "urgency and sadness" with a hint of "melancholy" at every single instance of opening their mouth to speak. Personally, I find it distracting and somewhat annoying.

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Do I recommend?
Absolutely. Yes~!

From it's great visuals and sound design, to its tight (when they work) mechanics, and output of satisfying elation upon completion of a difficult area, Ghostrunner truly is a treat to experience and rewarding as can be to finish.

Now for me to go on the treadmill and do some more "running" myself~ ;)