Recent reviews by Thuzar

Lots of added content (bosses, enemies, skills, weapon enhancements, endless mode and Sect mastery skins), continuation of the story, AND after mastering the challenges presented in the DLC you get very powerful skills added to Tome Skills rotation in the base game! And all of this at no extra cost?

This gesture of goodwill by the devs made me get End of Karma (the second DLC) without second thought. I advise you do the same.

Had this one sitting in my library for a while now, as I was interested in what the hype was about (given that, aside from Hades/Hades II and Curse of the Dead Gods, this is the only game akin to those two in the strictest sense), and with the upcoming Where Winds Meet awakening some hype for Chinese folklore games in general I finally gave it a try. I would also like to preface this review by stating that, prior to Warm Snow and Eastern Exorcist, I was of the opinion that Japanese folklore is much, much cooler than Chinese folklore, but now having beaten them both I can say that Chinese mythos beats Japanese mythos by a considerable margin.

With that said, Warm Snow's visuals are great! It may feel a bit too zoned out at certain parts to appreciate finer details in respect of terrific enemy design and player character (with unlockable skins), but what is offered for scrutiny is really well-designed. Japanese folklore, for example, puts a hefty amount of restrictions in terms of design of its supernatural stuff, while Chinese demons are pretty unhinged, downright disturbing, and sort of Lovecraftian even (with unfathomable forms). There are quite a bit of VFX, but nothing gets in the way of gameplay (personally, I like them).

Which gets us to gameplay - if you've played any of the aforementioned games (Hades/CotDG), you will be familiar with the general flow of the game. Each cleared room brings you to forking paths, offering two choices as reward for beating the next room (currency/random relic/random weapon/choice between three skills). You enter the chose room of the two, clear it, pick up the reward - simple as. Every 5 rooms or so you get a shop area, after which you either get a mini boss (after first set of rooms) or end-chapter boss (after clearing the rooms following the mini boss). I'd say that mini bosses are subpar, while the end-chapter bosses are great! Each has different mechanics they employ, and each one is a two-stage affair (except the last, end-game boss, which has three stages). I've beaten them on all difficulties, with all classes (which are called Sects in the game), with all challenges multiple times, and every time was satisfying, which speaks much about the game's replayability.

Speaking of which - the game can feel a bit grindy at times (on higher difficulties, due to somewhat damage-spongy enemies), when RNG Gods don't smile on you from the get-go, but once you get that favorite OP build of yours the game becomes a treat - you dash around the level, fire flying swords upon your enemies/douse them in alcohol/parry, hack and slash at them, all the while proccing thunders/meteors/blood columns/lotus petals/vortexes/flying giant swords/mighty spectral hammers and a titan (depending on your class and skills you pick up along the way) There are numerous styles with 7 different Sects to try out and become proficient at. All of the classes also offer two different approaches to how you play, so in truth there are 14 classes to experience.

While playing Ash of Nightmare DLC content, I noticed that some classes are more powerful than others, but this may be just my inexperience with being efficient with certain classes while pressured by time constraints (one of the gimmicks of this DLC is that your Clarity runs down with the passage of real time while in combat, as well as by being hit by enemies, so slower classes like Mother Trinity Sect (poison/bleeding class) without burst skills can get a bit tricky). This DLC also offers its own gameflow, new end-level bosses (5 of them in total, with multiple stages), new enemies, and new skills and weapon buffs that are a double-edged sword (they raise your Nightmare level, which in turn makes you suffer more Clarity damage upon being hit or Clarity runs down much faster with the passage of time), so there is plenty of content for a free DLC.

I have yet to procure the second DLC - End of Karma, which adds even more content (relics/swords/Sects/Bosses/stories and challenges) and hours of fun to already quite solid first entry for Bad Mud Studio. If they ever plan on doing a sequel (which I very much encourage), they should try to even out the balance of the game a bit more, introduce unique gameplay mechanics depending on which weapon you wield (currently, they all act the same, only difference being which attributes they bestow upon you and what enhancements they provide depending on skills/relics in your possession), add more unique boss variations (having two end-chapter bosses, of which one would be selected at random for your curent run, would prolongue enjoyment twofold) and even more Sects to play with.

With that said, Warm Snow gets a solid recommendation from me. 8/10

I rarely have a love/hate relationship with a game, mainly because games I rate poorly REALLY have little to no redeeming qualities, while those I praise I enjoyed wholeheartedly. Yet Ghostwire: Tokyo - a game I was beyond hyped when the first trailer was announced, and later when game's launch drew near was stoked to play it - is a game of conflicting visions.

Like Yin and Yang, it offers plenty of good (the story, characters, lore, worldbuilding, visuals) and plenty of bad (f&#%ing collectibles galore (Ubishaft-style), stale combat after your 100 enemy encounter, no respect for player's time with quests like Spirit Photographer, where you cannot carry all photos but must return after 3/4 have been purged). I still cannot wrap my head around the developer's idea as to include the utterly terrible open-world elements like collectibles (relics/spirits/clothes/graffiti/music tracks/tanuki/jizo statues/yokai i.e. magatama/food & drink/landmarks/voice logs/KK notes/figurines) into a game that has some 10 hours of story-related content that is actually good. Would've been way smarter to have strong narrative focus through-and-through, without artificial playtime extenders (or, if there was a need for collectibles, stay around the sweet spot of 50 total, not over 600 (!) with the Spider Thread Update (STU)).

But then there is combat, which visually looks amazing... the first couple of hours, at least. Then you begin routinely taking the enemies out, more in quick purge style due to bullet sponginess (I was playing on hard, mind you) than duking it out, or avoiding the combat altogether! This is a problem for a game that hooked me on hand sign, Shinto Onmyōji shtick, and more so when I was (in late game) only using two modes of attack - one resembling submachine gun fire, the other literally flamethrower...

And don't even think about playing Spider's Thread - a roguelite mode that is unlocked early on (past Chapter 2) in the story - IF you are a completionist. It is one of the grindiest experiences I ever encountered, and feels like it was just tacked on and sloppily made (wonder if Bethesda, encouraged by terrific PREY's Mooncrash roguelite DLC, urged Tango Gameworks to add something similar to Ghostwire: Tokyo). It also doesn't respect your time with how little content there actually is, urging you to get better at the game, slowly climbing those permanent buffs/skills with each attempted run, only to give you f#&@ing beads at level 50 which which you can ONE SHOT ANYTHING (yes, even the 'bosses', which are basically recycled bosses from the base game)! Of course, you can also be one shot, but since the enemies have A.I. that is dumb as rocks (plus the majority of enemies won't even attempt to fling projectiles at you unless they can reach you in melee) it becomes trifling to deal with them as you breeze through all 30 levels that took you thrice as much to complete without them,

Overall, with the caveat that you get this game dirt cheap ($10 or less), you throw your compeltionist ambitions out of the window at the beginning (or suffer like myself - masochist that I am, apparently), are into Japanese folklore observed through eyes of a modern man, and give one or two spins to the roguelite mode (just to confirm what I wrote here for yourself) - I'd say it is worth it. In any other circumstances - stay away, not worth your time at all (unless you are REALLY into collecting stuff and are tedium-proof).

Got 4 hours under my belt since the game launched in Early Access, not counting the time spent in super content-heavy demo during the last Steam Next Fest.

I don't even play survival-craft games like these, so I am flabbergasted that Abiotic Factor managed to sink its otherworldly fangs deep into my pleasure centre. GOTY 2024 imo, consider it to be the Half Life 3 we never got (and playable with friends, at that!).

Lots of promise for this one, still rough aropund the edges (as it should be, since it's the first day of Early Access) but might grow to become a game that transcends Vampire Survivors. The theme (lone survivor battling Eldritch horrors, trying to keep warm, keep his sanity in check and light burning) is quite strong and each mechanic adds to the overall experience of dread.

Currently, there is not much variety in respect of items, playable characters and enemies (only one playable character and 4 weapons to unlock; probably around 10 enemy types, and only one (same) boss which I encountered both on first and second map), nor in terms of permanent progression (5 constellations that offer permanent passive upgrades and additions to your map, such as nearest firepit/item cache indicators, temperature indicator, more item/ability spots, items you start with etc.), but the addicting gameplay loop is there.

Also, unlike most bullet heaven games, this one does not have an auto-attack (or at least I didn't find it as an option), letting you target enemies at your own, both with your basic attacks and with offensive abilities (much like in "20 Minutes Till Dawn", which the developers cite as one of their inspirations, both thematically and gameplay-wise). One of the mechanics I found intriguing is reading books (which occupy your item slots) - currently, the only ones I found restore your sanity per page, but I can see potential to add books that, when you complete reading, may add powerful buffs for your character, transform him into a hideous Eldritch avatar, or grant him an ability not unlockable otherwise that takes a great toll on your sanity, yet produces a devastating effect to the detriment of your enemies.

I'm looking forward to future updates to "When the Light Dies", because it may very well become my favorite VS-style game with enough content and refining poured into it. I'd advise the devs to experiment further with the sanity mechanic and really dive deep into the Lovecraftian theme of the game, and even try to tie it to the light mechanic in keeping the light off certain enemies that don't necessarily deal much damage, but drain your sanity when you see them clearly/when in the light.

Back in 2020, when I had less grey hairs on my chin, one game in particular caught my attention at Gamescom - GRIME. As soon as the teaser/announcement trailer finished, I knew that this game would be something special. How special you ask? Well, special enough to become my favorite metroidvania of them all (yes, even surpassing Hollow Knight - a hot take for many, I know, and doubly so when one takes into account that I am one of the proud original 2,158 backers that helped HK come to life). And just as I saw the spark of masterpiece in HK, so too do I consider GRIME to be a true masterpiece.

The surreal looks of the game gets you first, tugging at your curiosity as to what secrets does this strange world foster. Then comes the combat - fluid, methodical, rewarding patience and learning patterns above anything else. This is enhanced by huge amount of armor sets and weapons, rudimentary RPG system of building your character, and both the atmospheric and orchestral music that plays in the background, creating this sense of utmost euphoria with every hurdle passed and challenge overcome. On top of that, the game doesn't overstay its welcome, and is mysterious & beautiful enough that it warrants multiple playthroughs, just so you can enjoy the marvelous vistas and smashing denizens of this masterfully-crafted world. And if you want to learn more about it, all in-game items and enemy descriptions offer lore bits that shed some light on the state of affairs in these quirky, stoneclad lands.

Having beaten the game (twice in a row, which is not something I usually do and which speaks of how great GRIME is), I cannot wait to lay my paws on GRIME II, whenever it releases (and surely sooner than Silksong, at this rate). The way Yarden (head honcho behind GRIME) weaves these worlds with threads of his imagination REALLY makes me want to play each and every one of future installments in the GRIME universe, knowing that I'll be richer by one more unforgettable experience by the time I finish with the game.

First game for which I gotta say I feel conflicted after beating it - on one hand, you can really notice the ambition and love poured into The Last Case of Benedict Fox, but the technicalities (from stuttery performance, to puzzles, to gameplay overall) leaves much to be desired.

Hopefully, if the devs ever plan to make a sequel, they should focus on polish and adding that much needed action into it, since the Lovecraftian vibe is executed pretty solidly.

So far after two missions, I feel pretty optimistic about my future enjoyment of B4B. The gunplay is crisp, the enemies are very well modeled and look fantastic (they have this sort of Lovecraftian touch to them, as humans basically mutated by Eldritch worms), the cards (hot topic, I know) offer depth to how your character evolves during a run, quite a big roster of characters (with all three expansions), in-game progression systems with cosmetics and card unlocks...

...granted, the BIGGEST mistake of B4B is the hefty price-tag (something that Turtle Rock had't learned from EVOLVE), but at deep deep sale (currently 90% off) you can't go wrong and should try this title (and hell - if it ain't your cup of tea, you can always utilize that sub-2 hours playtime refund window).

I really wanted to like Alder's Blood - thick, Lovecraftian atmosphere, mixed with a bit of Western feel (but, for the most part, wearing Bloodborne's Gothic/Victorian influence on its sleeve), pretty commendable lore, worldbuilding and story, a lot of tactical options (on paper), stellar artstyle...

However, the devs (regrettably) just didn't have it in them to stick with the game and address countless issues, be it concerning design choices, balance or numerous bugs that still plague the game (yes, even in its "Definitive" state). For starters, the corruption mechanic does not work as intended - I only had one casualty, and this was a hunter that had 0 corruption, was benched at the camp (so not in my immediate posse), yet somehow managed to gain corruption in that passive state and go mad in the end, dying in the process. This also comes as a stark contrast to my Alpha (and Omega) team of three hunters, who never got any corruption no matter the number of missions they participated in or monsters killed, and were at maximum level 6 since 1/4 of the game up 'till the end. So, if you want that "no hunters dead" achievement, tough luck because the game is bugged.

The second bug that irked me concerned the Heavy Bore Pistol - after equipping it on my hunter, I was subsequently unable to swap it out. I tried everything, from swapping out small weapon slot to swapping consumables and charms, but nothing got the Heavy Bore Pistol to get "unstuck" and get swapped.

There are also weird transitions in animations (particularly of hunters changing skins during reload animation, or Woods Witch taking the Beast skin when in downed posture), along with many missing weapon art.

Overall, as far as I'm concerned, I'd stay away from these developers in the future, and track the top-dog names in their company since they subsequently disbanded the company under which they made Alder's Blood, made a new company, and developed a new game called NADIR (Spire of Sorcery clone basically) which they also f***ed up and abandoned, making them pretty shady.

The Council is a game with production values mirroring that of someone's grandmother, in her old-fashioned nightgown, imitating Frankenstein's monster poorly, trying to convince you that she is cosplaying. Having read numerous unfavorable reviews speaking of how the supernatural broke their immersion, I can only say that I came for some hardcore Lovecraft, and was welcomed by Biblical demon LARPers, "Sith force choke" shenanigans, and a narrative that stumbled harder than a toddler down 20 feet stairs. Feels like a cheap, boring BBC drama, and it was a Godsend that Chapter V lasted a tiny fraction of Chapter I. Avoid this game like plague, lest your expectations be buried alive like some of the characters in the Council.

Oh, and also - it runs like a hot turd, utterly unoptimized if you can believe it.