Recent reviews by TroesmaJensen TitanDeLDosh

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a better "Dragon Quest" than Dragon Quest itself. Throwing jabs to the stupid decision Square Enix made to delist the original Dragon Quest XI and replaced it with an overpriced and inferior version of the game.

Like a Dragon is really good and a better mature themed "Dragon Quest" but I would be cautious about SEGA's actions in the future(consumer wise). I recommend the normal version(no need for DLCS) and DONT INSTALL THE PACHINKO DLC, just in case

Edit2: I am changing my review to negative because the team simply decided to rush the release before christmas 2021 and leaving us with a bug riddled game even though they are still patching it, a rushed game is forever bad but I hoped you could had treated the gem that is Waxwork better.


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Updating wip because the game changed for the good but there are many things to fix, yet
*Wax in, Wax off*

TL DR version at the end, please do not mistake The original Waxworks(Curse of the Twins) and this version of Waxworks called "Waxworks: Curse of the Ancestors (Waxworks COTA for short)" or "Waxworks SE(Special Edition)"

The original waxworks was one of many niche horror games which whole purpose was to scare/infuriate the player by punishing with instant deaths and obscene amount of items. Nowadays the "horror" aspect in games is completely gone despite few examples. In Waxworks you could potentially lock yourself out of some solutions without knowing(game doesn't hold your hand) and you would simply wander until you restarted and tried again. Another punishment is leaving objects behind, backtracking sometimes will come to bite you back.
Hence this type of game used to reward the player by using the old technique of "trial and error until you get right" thus increasing your playtime and "your money's worth".

Old waxworks made by AdventureSoft/Accolade was one of those games that had charm and effort put in as a last "see ya later", using concepts from their older games (Elvira, Last nighmare,etc) they crafted this particular gem along with those detailed death scenes.
Waxworks' greatest strength was mixing multiple themes(each waxwork) with multiple types of gameplay/mechanics in a rather confusing and thrilling dungeon crawler/point n' click/ "grid" based rpg. You also have to remember some "popular beliefs" in that time such as "vampires cannot stand sunlight, werewolves are weak to silver bullets, etc" ; you get the drill.

The Graveyard : features infinite zombies(unique way to kill them and with the tendency to spawn right in front of you), only 1 chance to heal(forcing you to complete the waxwork ASAP) and it is essentially the most combat oriented of all 4 waxworks.
The Mines: played like some sort of Resident Evil with very limited resources along with the player being squishy you had to endure the ordeal of the plant mutants menance and get out alive with the hostages.
The Egypt: pyramid is known to have many puzzles(of course failing was instant death, mostly) and decent amount of combat. It also was the longest waxwork featuring multiplefloors and many headaches, too.
The Victorian Era(aka Jack the Ripper): is known to be the "stealth" gameplay with minor combat(you cannot even attack at all until the end), however the atmosphere was the best and you have to play smart/fast in order not to get caught by the lynching mob or the police.
The Ixona's world or just the fifth waxwork was just a point and click sequence(you could get both endings) and at least you pretty much massacre the witch for setting up the curse and finally save Alex(the "evil" brother).

Fast forward almost 30 years, and now with failed kickstarter campaigns, Waxworks COTA pushes to be a remake of the gem that is Waxworks COTT, the game uses Unreal Engine 4 so you need a decent PC to play it(duh).


-A proper intro
-It is waxworks man, after so much time you can now have it on steam, sorta.
-Decent atmosphere, can hold a candle to the pixelart of the first game. UE4 is pretty demanding in some departments though.
-Even though the original game didnt have voice acting, the current one is ok, a bit amateur-ish but for me it is a plus.
-Adittion of some weapons/items not present in their original waxwork.
-You can sprint and jump, gasp! modern gaming.
-Checkpoint saves rather than saving anywhere adds some strategy and pushes you to be play smarter and better.
-Changes in the gameplay adapted to a FPS gives a fresh breeze comparing to the original(no more puzzling orientation).
-You get a map in all waxworks now(only available in the victorian era in the original).
-Rpg requirements/stats give benefits to other weapons/some items previously not useful in the old games.
-No denuvo(really).
-Graveyard: even though you have parkour, you can be surrounded by zombies comparing with the original where they will wait their turn meanwhile you easily kill them 1 by 1. Albeit this is still a very easy waxwork, I do recommend you start from here. This waxwork plays and feels different comparing it to the old one(duh).
-Mines: those plant pods no longer instant kill you and you can kill them with melee(really bad idea) however you can get poisoned and if you dont treat it then either say goodbye or lose a huge chunk of your health. The mutants are more easily distinguishable and the "villain" now has dialogue.
-Egypt: The 3d perspective and the map make this waxwork a lot more enjoyable albeit a little easy comparing to the old game. The puzzles are too identical to the original so if you get stuck you can just check an old playthrough. The fights are ok against the guards but good god the hitboxes of the scorpions(really) and the snakes. Overall, I liked this addition
-Victorian times: Cant wait for this one
-Ixona's Forest: same as above, it sounds it will have combat and probably will be a tad longer.


-The price can put off a lot people, considering you can get the original game for like 2 dollars on GOG(even less if it has a sale), the game is fairly short once you know what to do.
-Bugs/glitches a plenty, even gamebreaking; sometimes...
-Rpg requirements/stats lock you from equipping weapons, your enemies can "dodge" your strikes even though they seemed to connect, leveling up does little to help you in general.
-You cannot skip the dialogue, it will eventually grow on you and make you mad(devs are programming to skip it though but it is not available in the current build). I forgot to add you can skip dialogues by left clicking. Still, you should listen to it at least once.
-No death screens with gore, I´m content if they are just a detailed image when you die, afterall animating stuff is hard(a la dead space).
-Melee combat... eh is passable I have played worst, considering it with a FPS perspective the vast majority of the fights are melee focused and it can feel sluggish.
-A reboot of a 30 year dead and buried franchise? In the modern videogame hellscape? With no marketing? Without more help , the project will barely reach completion or have little support after release. Support the devs by buying the game, please. Maybe we will see the elvira remakes...
-No women or men as objects instead you get escort missions(pun intended).


Yes, the game is ok, yes, it has bugs and it may not look as good as the pixel art.. This is not a game for casuals hence it is niche to the bone. Regardless, I deem it as a faithful reboot(somewhat) considering the internet has decreased the shocking value of horror games over the decades(or is it just me). For any horror fan, having the game in your library fills you with a sense of pride and accomplishment, also it helps the devs. *Leaves whilst dancing Insect cave ost from Elvira Jaws of Cerberus*

A mix between Fallout 1/2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R and cheeky breekies.
Steam Workshop makes it even better.

Update: The Dead City Expansion is a Free DLC with a METRO theme, things can get hairy if you go unprepared.

The halloween update is free and you can disable it if you want. However the wave mini game is unforgiving for the unprepared.

The free Christmas area is a funny reference and worth the loot, also includes the blizzard effect the game needed.

The Trudograd standalone DLC will be free Trudograd sadly is a paid expansion, however it is a sequel to ATOM RPG and you will be able to import your character(you need to have a save in the second floor of the mycellium bunker before the final fight.

Regardless, these devs truly love their game and constantly update and fix bugs.