Recent reviews by ButteredToast

Imagine being an optimistic young woman, having plenty of choices in the dating pool to choose from, and you settle on this really cute guy. He's funny, super sweet, and shows you every bit of consideration along the way as you go on multiple dates. After you finally decide that you want to spend the night with him, he goes super slow, takes his time, and then HATE ♥♥♥♥♥ you. He then holds you after and kisses you gently on the forehead as you wonder what just happened.

This game has fantastic visuals and beautiful music that you'll get absolutely lost in as you explore the different areas of the game, along with a difficulty curve that ramps up suddenly when you least expect it and will make you feel like you're living out 50 Shades of Grey for yourself as the bosses absolutely wreck you over and over.

Some folks might complain about the brevity of the game, but there's plenty of hidden nooks and crannies to explore that are incredibly easy to miss due to the game's isometric view. There's also a New Game+ mode if you feel like replaying while retaining much of the items and stat boosts you got from the previous game.

Overall, the game is a challenge at times, but it's charming to explore and I'll probably replay it once I learn how to read the in-game language.

I backed this game on Kickstarter, and extensively played a near-final version using a Steam key provided to backers of the project prior to general release.

I’m going to start with this to save some of you some time: this game will be a challenge. There will be plenty of near misses when you dash and jump. There will probably be audible profanity on your part. If you want easy, go elsewhere.

Movement mechanics are explained in a brief tutorial at the beginning of the game. There is a minor learning curve to one of these (specifically when you combo dash attacks), but the earlier levels are designed in a way where you can still progress without having mastered it.

Quick reflexes are required to avoid enemies and environmental hazards. Taking a hit might kill you, or it might damage you and comically bounce you off of platforms and walls into something else that will kill you. The game gives just a little bit of flexibility for mistakes; some enemies and hazards won’t kill you outright, and you’ll have a brief period during which time being hit again will kill you. Manage to survive for a few seconds, and you’ll recover as if nothing happened at all.

When you do take damage and/or die, some of the animations (such as getting crushed or burned) are extremely comical and it’s hard not to laugh; sometimes it’s worth killing Garlic just to see what happens. If you die repeatedly, the game will offer you options to continue at the current difficulty, or make things a little easier (for a cost, using currency collected in the game). I opted not to make things easier, but having the option to do so is still nice for people who are at a different skill level.

The trailer shows off some non-platforming segments and cutscenes from the story; these are mini games that deviate from the normal gameplay and offer a chance to do something a little different while still advancing the game and the story. It’s a welcome break from the platforming segments, and keeps things fresh.

The soundtrack fits the game perfectly. There were songs during two boss fights a little further into the game that made me wish I sprung for the OST when I backed the game.

Again, it’s not an easy game, but who wants to buy something you’ll burn through in a matter of hours? If you had the patience to make it through this review, then congratulations; you probably have the patience necessary to play this game, and I strongly encourage you to do so.

I Kickstarted this game based on nostalgia for old NES games like DuckTales and Mega Man, albeit with the fear that gameplay and length of the game would take a backseat to the graphics and sound. I'm happy to say that after playing through the surprisingly long first stage, I now know that these fears are totally unfounded; the only thing I fear now is the long-forgotten angst of edging over a pit pixel-by-pixel in a side-scroller before jumping and wondering "Am I going to make it?"

Shovel Knight: Redefining "shovelware".