rjmacready
Michael (no trade, no friend requests below level 5)   Australia
 
 
For your delectation, I have two very different Curator pages:
http://store.steampowered.com/curator/9284586-ReviewsJustfortheHELLofit/
http://store.steampowered.com/curator/10868048-Truly-Horrible-Horror-Games/?appid=398210

Ever wonder how I rationalise those crazy Verdicts which I deliver in my reviews? Well, wonder no longer:

RATINGS GUIDE (out of 10):
10 = About as good as it gets. Not necessarily “perfect”, but as close as it could have been, all things considered.
9.5 = Very, very nearly “gets there”, and honestly not much at all to complain about.
9 = An awful lot to like, but somehow lacking in some spark or touch of perfection which would make it truly great.
8.5 = A hell of a lot to recommend, but also some reservations.
8 = Very, very solid, but still quite a ways from greatness.
7.5 = A very firm recommendation, despite a number of shortcomings.
7 = Shows definite potential, but for whatever reason(s) falls quite a bit short of what it could have been.
6.5 = Really could have been something, maybe still could be, but still some way from that goal.
6 = “Above average” in its appeal, but not by a great margin. Definitely underwhelming.
5.5 = Not much above a pass. Not a COMPLETE insult, but far from something to write home about either, and not something you’d heartily recommend to anyone (even if you thought it was “their thing”).
5 = A pass. BARELY.
4.5 = A fail, if only just.
4 = Really, really not good. Could be made passable, but only with significant work.
3.5 = Pretty woeful, really. Probably COULDN’T be rendered passable, even with significant work.
3 = Awful. Either the devs were incredibly lazy, or incredibly lacking in anything resembling “talent”.
2.5 = Abominable. Even the best of intentions – if any were indeed present – couldn’t save THIS one.
2 = A failure at every conceivable level. Either the devs are full-blown “con artists”, or really should give up all their hopes and dreams of being professional video game designers (or at the very, very least, should wait for their skills to improve a bit, before releasing some half-baked “demo” as product).
1.5 = Downright insulting. The people who made this should definitely be ashamed, especially if they asked MONEY for this ♥♥♥♥-sandwich.
1 = The devs hate you. Or, failing that, I at least hope that they secretly despise THEMSELVES, for having released such a lethal stink-bomb into the public consciousness.
0.5 = The devs may as well have choked you to death with their own faeces, and pissed all over your shallow grave for good measure.
0 = SERIOUSLY?! Is this even POSSIBLE?!? YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE SHOT!!!!!!!!

Oh, and here's another site I write for upon occasion:
https://www.scaredtoplay.com/

And finally, here's a few things about Yours Truly (as a "person" an' all that):

My name is Michael, I enjoy playing and reviewing games, and yes, I'm currently 42 years old. If this is something which makes you uncomfortable, please DON'T ADD ME. Similarly, if you don't appreciate my somewhat dark sense of humour, DON'T ADD ME. Neither of these things are liable to change or improve in the foreseeable future (quite the opposite, I suspect)! Other than this, I'm happy to be Steam friends with virtually anyone, though I may be suspicious if your Steam level is 0 or 1 and the only game you "own" is Team Fortress 2. I'm not much into trading, especially with people I haven't known for a loooong time, so if you're only looking to get stuff off me - especially totally, 100% free stuff - please, for the love of God, DON'T ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ADD ME!!

Having said that, my ambivalence towards generosity runs both ways. While I have absolutely no problem with people gifting me games, please note that I have about half of the Steam catalogue currently in my wishlist...so if you want me to play something you gift ASAP, just message me and I'll be happily honest about my chances of playing it in the near-future :)

Currently Offline
Screenshot Showcase
"I feel so small and insignificant," said the knight. "That's because you ARE, you fat fucking tosser," said a voice from up above.
12 13 1
Review Showcase
17.8 Hours played
(Also known as In the Hall of the Vagina God and Debbie Does Devils.)

(Joke.)

(Just.)

More pervy madness from the fine, family-friendly folk who gave us Lust for Darkness.

Not only does this game teach children that people have naked body parts, which they sometimes use to interact with one another...it also preaches that mind-altering pills are a viable alternative to living a pure, pious life without psychological trauma. And that having an orgasm can quite literally transport a person to another dimension...

Beyond that...

Oh yeah: this is a HORROR game, too!

Actually, the (H.R.) Giger meets (H.P.) Lovecraft vibes are stronger than ever this time (there's even a "Sanity" meter, as is tradition with games riffing off the latter). Did I mention this is a sequel to 2018's madcap Lust for Darkness? And, I'm pleased to say, a marginally superior one. The potential showed there is improved upon , if not by an astronomical amount (the graphics have certainly improved; not least of all the sequences in the land of "Lusst'ghaa", which truly do feel like you're visiting an alien world this time).

Don't get me wrong: the story's still pretty silly and the dialogue even sillier...but it all makes a delirious kind of "sense", if you're willing to buy into the aesthetic and atmosphere (though it would benefit from a thorough rewrite by Clive Barker, who's another clear influence on proceedings)! There's a lot of creepy stuff here - some "bits" that border on the positively sublime, in fact - filtered through a constant "lens" of perversion and degradation. Though if you're prudish, there is the option to play a "censored" mode (quite why you'd buy this then bother to do so, I have no idea...but whatever floats your boat)!

There's puzzles as well as danger - there's even, erm, sex "mini-games" (honestly, you'll have to find out for yourself!) - but I won't argue that this is one of the very best "stealth-horror" games on the market (expect awkwardness, with a wee bit of clumsy, absurdly bullet-sponge-y combat thrown in for good measure). But for a combination of a very offbeat story and mostly satisfying gameplay elements...this is an easy recommend. Those who love their horror games, but find them all a bit "same-ish", might especially appreciate the effort to create something with a more..."unique" identity.

In short: anyone who enjoyed Lust for Darkness is destined to enjoy what's here; and even those who haven't played it could just as easily skip to this game, as it's a faintly more "definitive" (and slightly easier) iteration of some very similar ideas (and not so much a direct "sequel", with the same protagonist, as a different tale told in the same universe).

Verdict: 9/10.

(PS You know the stealth-horror cliché of hiding in lockers or closets? This time, it's IRON MAIDENS. And no, I don't mean the classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal band: I mean those Ancient Egyptian contraptions full of nasty spikes. The sense of humour on these devs, I tell ya...or is it just a complete dismissal of the laws of physics?! Hmmm...some days, ya gotta wonder...)

(PPS If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my two Curator pages: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/9284586-ReviewsJustfortheHELLofit/
http://store.steampowered.com/curator/10868048-Truly-Horrible-Horror-Games/?appid=398210
Cheers!)
Rarest Achievement Showcase
BEWARE THE STENCH: SEWERS AND TOILETS IN HORROR GAMES (a short essay)
Yes, there may be monsters. And sure, there's probably gore.

But how do you truly, honestly know you're playing a horror video game? Answer: you're standing in a public toilet or a sewer.

I've played hundreds of horror games in my time, and off the top of my head I can't think of a single one that doesn't feature one or both of the locations I just mentioned. Even when you're deep in Dead Space, public lavatories abound. And directly beneath the Mount Massive asylum, you'll find an expansive sewer system. Let's face it: if your character isn't whiffing human excrement and/or urinal cakes at some point of their adventure, chances are you're not playing a bona fide horror game.

Now, we could get all Freudian and try to plumb the psychological reasons for this omnipresent phenomena, but there's possibly a couple of simpler answers. Firstly, there's the obvious fact that horror is generally kinda "yukky". A good deal of horror revolves around the disgust we have toward our own bodies, so...it stands to reason that certain settings seem especially apt. Secondly, horror tends to work best when set against a background that is "gritty" or, in less pretentious terminology...realistic! Asylums need sanitation, too; and even in space, where no one can hear you pee, you're not liable to have a very good time if the facilities are found wanting.

Horror, more than any other genre, has always spoken directly to the base and biological nature of the human experience. Fear of death, fear of disease; fear of being caught without a place to poop. Horror forces us to confront our very worst anxieties, and let's face it: the epic entry hall of an abandoned mansion might evoke a certain kind of spooky, but we'd much rather be there than waist-deep in a stench-ridden sewer, with no idea what might be lurking just beneath the surface. Even if it's just last night's steak 'n' chips, it's clearly something best left alone.
Recent Activity
3.6 hrs on record
last played on May 18
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last played on May 17
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last played on May 16
rjmacready Apr 1 @ 10:04am 
You too, Game Explorer! :) And Happy Easter and all that nice stuff!
Game Explorer ❄ Apr 1 @ 9:15am 
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Have a nice day
rjmacready Apr 1 @ 2:38am 
Cheers, Wyvern! Best of wishes to you and yours, also :)
Wyvern-of-the-Rising-Sun Mar 31 @ 1:07pm 
I´m wishing you a strong and happy Easter.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3208126912
Have a Wonderfull Time. :-)
Game Explorer ❄ Feb 18 @ 2:25am 
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  ¸ .: ❤ 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑫𝒂𝒚 ❤  ° ☾ ★ ° .
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