Recent reviews by lil' Breezy

Short varied games, Hearthstone simplicity/complexity levels, perfectly fair randomization in games, awesome unintrusive monetization. In short, it's really incredible. I can't. stop. snapping.

{ Damn! So fun. So close. } Repeat.

20 hours in: OK, OK, this seems alright... I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of it...
2000 hours in, 10 years later: Nope.
<--YOU ARE HERE-->
200000 hours in, 100 years later: I welcome the escape of death with open arms, may it finally set me free.
20000000 hours in, 1000 years, 10 generations later: UGH, the lag in Mars CSGO servers is f*cking terrible, and still only 128 tick servers! GET IT TOGETHER, VALVE.

Comparisons to (the excellent) Hotline Miami games are apt here. If Hotline Miami is a seedy EDM nightclub (and the alley behind it), then Ape Out is a Jazz Club romp with a swinging dance floor. Its pacing is similarly frenetic, and its art style matches its substance equally well. Most similarly - the MUSIC is the driver, and the ride is a blast.

*Wookie grunt of approval*

This game is 100% for you if:

• You have even a remote fondness for the worlds of Star Wars.
  
• You enjoy your 3rd person, single player metroidvanias with strategic timing-parry-dodge-strike! combat.
  
• You appreciate extraordinary craftsmanship in character, level, sound, and visual designs.
  
• You are looking for a wonderful story - one that actually does justice to the true potential of Star Wars lore.

Think twice if you're looking for:

• Variety in cosmetic designs and/or character customization.
  
• A branching story that changes as a result of your decisions.

Finally: PLAY WITH HEADPHONES.
The sound/music design of this game is incredible.

Look, I'm a biased reviewer because this sort of ♥♥♥♥ is exactly my cup of tea - an exploration focused, space-themed, infinitely procedural sandbox (yus plz) - but bias aside, it's universally astounding what the devs have done for this game since it's initial release. It's more than love, it's devotion. It's earning trust back the only legitimate way you can: by putting in the f'in time and effort, day after day.
As it stands today, I can say without bias that it now MORE than fulfills it's initial promises, with polish and surprises to spare. It's not the same game it was two years ago - one I quite enjoyed even on day one - and it's almost criminally overlooked and under-rated now.
If you picked it up before and saw the massive potential, but got frustrated - try this again. If you never picked it up before, there's never been a better time.
Happy Travels, Wanderer.

Slay the Spire is the "ok, just one more run" addictive experience you've been missing out on. If you have even a remote interest in card games and dungeon runs, this is a beautiful combination.

It's kind of astounding how well it's balanced - each subsequent permutation of [] makes each run feel completely distinct. Dungeon RNG is done perfectly, providing the framework for good choices, but never becoming too punishing or restrictive of play style. Most importantly, despite the variation in each run, they always seem to feel challenging, captivating, and satisfying.

For the price, you can't go wrong here. Support a lovely indie dev (and perhaps the BEST example possible of early access done right), and take it for a run yourself. And then another. And then another...

OMFG, this is the most fun I've had in VR to date. Hilarious, competitive, immersive, awesome. Prepare to SWEAT, but know that you'll be so busy having a blast, you won't notice or care. When you finally return to the real world, you'll be soaked - in satisfaction.

06/30/2019:

Shows a ton of promise. More nuanced than one would think. Will be interested to see where it goes! Will update accordingly... for now, you seriously can't beat the price. Technically infinite bang-for-your-buck.

10/31/2019 (Update):

Wow, the improvement in this already-decent game has been phenomenal. Additions like "jail" (small, calculated random daily rotation of the hero pool) and the Underlord units themselves have added significant depth AND daily variety. At this continued rate of improvement, this will be the "undisputable best strategy game ever made" by 2021.

That's to say: It's getting good quick, so check it out!

TL;DR: Not without flaws, but surprising in both the amount of stuff AND amount of fun, bolstered by steadily rewarding your exploration and play. The true sandbox that LEGOs deserve, finally realized in a videogame.

I regularly play Lego games with my 4 yo son. He loves Lego games, he loves Legos IRL. What's a Dad to do? I happily trade the mild tedium of patiently playing a Lego game with my still-quite-young kid for the joy of a shared experience he clearly loves. I'm ecstatic to report that this game breaks that "Lego game formula" in the best possible ways - and he thinks so too.

LEGO WORLDS is (as I'm sure you're aware) quite different than the others. What you might not know is just how GOOD it is at it. I *expected* how much it owes to Minecraft, but to leave it at that is selling it short. It's honestly a fairly remarkable blend of mechanics and content. I'd argue it has more in common with No Man's Sky, where the unbridled exploration is steadily rewarded by a huge number of characters, vehicles, and items. Those characters? Awesome. Those vehicles? Really awesome. Legitimately.

For it's flaws: It's often kind of clunky, and it's taken me awhile to figure out just exactly what the quest-NPCs want when they're asking for stuff - or rather, HOW they want it done. It's also got enough different options/tools that the controller-manuvering did take some practice to get right. However, It's not enough to detract from an otherwise great sandbox of fun stuff worth playing in.

PROs:
Best ever representation of physical LEGOs and their freedom of play.
Exploration is fantastic.
sheer volume of great stuff (there's lots!).
so much more than a minecraft clone

CONs:
Target audience is probably on the younger side - e.g. people who actually enjoy LEGOs.
Controlling everything (via controller) has a learning curve.
Not everything (quests, unlockables, options) is clearly explained.
Placing blocks quickly and accurately can be difficult.
Easy - e.g. Minecraft without the difficult high end.