Recent reviews by Flipper Is A Dolphin

Buy this game if:

✅ You're looking for a short adventure game, while gaining more and more tools to progress and get collectibles;
✅ You like isometric games focused on backtracking;
✅ You love the idea of rewinding time back as it's a key component-essential- to be able to complete the game,which revolves around solving crimes committed during a masked ball into a casino (The Sexy Brutale);
✅ you love jazz (or similar) music;

Don't buy the game if:

❌ you're not fond of backtracking, replaying levels and perform tasks repetitively;
❌ you don't like games which focus on with "mature" and grim topics such as: violent deaths, mental health and so on;
❌ you don't enjoy tropes, themes, settings inspired (vaguely) by noire or thriller movies;

Verdict: 8,5

Time required to finish the main game: 3/4 hrs (2.5 if you decide to speedrun it, not recommended)
Time required to complete it at 100%: 6-7 hours (my case)

Longer version:

1 - what is this game?

You're a guest who's trapped into a time loop into a Casino, which is doomed to witness forever seven murders committed by the casino staff in the same exact day over and over again.
Your job is to prevent these murders and you will be able to do so by rewinding time and being able to trace, relive and redo every step and action performed by the victims and the murderers.
Note: a very well written and animated agenda will handily keep track for you of every meaningful element during solving the mysteries and the murders happening into the Sexy Brutale.


2 - why is this game so good?

The Sexy Brutale is indeed sexy and brutal.
a) It's "Sexy" in the sense that the graphic is simple yet extremely clear and evocative, the music is sharp and cutting, while also giving a sense of gloom and doom to the player while solving a crime into some impressive scenery;
b) If you know that a victim dies by a gunshot at 8pm, you will forever hear thta gunshot at 8pm, even if you're in another part of the mansion and you're trying to solve another crime, giving you the impression and the hard reminder that this cycle of violence and death is really inescapable...and that's Brutal indeed;
c) You will always eventually find a way to progress to the game thanks to design choices;
d) The more tools you acquire, the easier the game gets, as you'll be able to eavesdrop more precisely, to lockpick harder locks and so on; there's a good contrast there, as the easier the backtracking gets, the better and more "complex" and deep (plot-wise) the games becomes;
e) the endings and the side lore...are original and really surprising, i won't spoiler them though;



Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

✅ You're looking for a unusual tower defense game using upgradable traps to fight hordes of enemies in real time, while being a frail and slow moving young dwarf;
✅ You prefer short, hectic hasty combat rather than longer and strategic planning before and during enemy waves;
✅ You're looking for a good challenge even on "normal" difficulty setting;

Don't buy the game if:

❌ the combination of 2-D moving and trap placement while fighting vicious enemy hordes almost without long breaks doesn't excite you;
❌ you want to see a clear impact on the battleground when changing and deploying a variety of offensive tools and weapons;

Verdict: 6,5 (for now) - original game concept, which could have benefited from more refinements and tweaks, which are currently ongoing pretty well. I'd recommend waiting few updates and patches before buying.

Time required to finish the main game: 10 hrs
Time required to complete it at 100%: around 20 hours

Longer version:

NOTE - before buying, please consider these points which are currently under changes and rebalancing from the developer, which was always and open to give and receive feedback, often resulting in remarkable good game improvements:

a) the main character is PAINFULLY slow while moving and very fragile, even moving oustide combat in order the explore the current level isn't always pleasant;
b) boss fights are often confusing as there are (too) many visual elements on the screen and sometimes the types of enemies' waves are random and will impact the overall difficulty of the boss fight;

c) there are quite a few upgrades for over 15 types of traps, however those rarely shine in terms of originality as they they tend to mimick eachother (i.e. more dmg output, more AoE, DoT and so on) and some traps are overall way better than others;

d) the game shows some interesting side characters, sadly the are never cutscenes which depict them in a remarkable manner, as the main way to unravel the story is dialogue between two characters only aand sometimes this isn't particularly well
written. Some simplified pictures or drawings might have helped the narrative flow a bit.

e) given how fast paced the game is, it's often hard to appreciate the enemy variety (as you'll be often swarmed) and the different environments and maps used to make the game less repetitive than what it is;

f) the game feels quite repetitive sadly, forcing the player - as a general game mechanic -to clean big rooms multiple times in order to gather keys to open bigger doors and areas..over and over again

Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations,feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

✅ You're looking for a metroidvania game, using mechanical and scientific tools to backtrack and collecting secrets and upgrades;
✅ You're looking to play a shorter and more straightforward Hollow Knight, set in a post-apocalyptic setting;
✅ You enjoy exploring and looking for secrets with some good degrees of freedom;

Don't buy the game if:

❌ you don't like backtracking, especially when there are few savepoints and very scarce fast travel stations at the beginning of the game;
❌ you don't like games which don't clearly explain where you should be headed, forcing you to explore most of the map without a clue;
❌ you prefer action games which offer a wide variety of offensive tools and weapons;

Verdict: 7,5 - overall well put game, carefully designed.

Time required to finish the main game: 8 hrs
Time required to complete it at 100%: around 11 hours (my case)

Longer version:

1 - what is this game? Where does this game shine?

HTR is a metroidvania action game which:
- displays a lovely enemy variety;
- offers from time to time good and short platforming sessions;
- shows recognition of gaming and movie culture:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2803803295

- even dishes out good gaming industry satire:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2803803458

- allows the player to interact and experiment with upgrades and passive equippable chips;
- has enjoyable resource grinding, as you won't need that much currency to purchase all the items;
- level and envirnometal design is quite awesome, as each main area has its own theme, music and unique enemies of course;
- boss-rush mode and new items and bosses are going to be added in the near future;


2 - before buying, please consider these points, which aren't necessarily negative, but which are able to dampen or affect the game experience:

- the game has every aspect in its right spot, but sadly never reaches "excellence", for example:
a) lore collectibles are quite nice and well put together, but there's never a moment which will leave your mouth open or a side character which will strike for his/her originality;
b) boss fights are mostly fast paced and cool but fail to deliver remarkable experiences and unforgetting moments;
c) there are quite a few upgrades, but some of them are easily uncomparable to others, which rarely could come in handy or be relevant at all;

Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

✅ You're looking for a metroidvania game, using tools and magic to backtrack the game and collecting secrets and collectibles;
✅ You're up for a slightly above average challenge (the game isn't hard though);
✅ You enjoy short and fast paced combat;

Don't buy the game if:

❌ you're not fond of games which don't have a map or a handy compass to help you;
❌ grinding enemies while backtracking always feels like a chore to you;
❌ you prefer spending resources into a deep and complex skill tree system and item management;

Verdict: 8

Time required to finish the main game: 10/11 hrs (6 without collecting everything)
Time required to complete it at 100%: around 17 hours (my case)

Longer version:

1 - what is this game?

Death's Door is an isometric metroidvania action game; its protagonist is a small crow which collects souls for a living (no pun intended).
This game takes direct inspiration from games such as:
- Zelda's games (for the puzzle solving)
- Hades and Bastion (combat and movement)
- Hyper light drifter (dash and special meter bar refill)
- Tital Souls (just for the boss fights, even though you won't die in one hit)

2 - the art and the music are delicate and well thought, as well as the game design:

The game neither forces nor pushes themes or tasks repeatedly, for example the puzzle solving pattern often changes and rarely promts you to redo the same "button-pushing" over and over again.
Collectibles are scattered all over the world and even the most well hidden secrets feels always worth being sought, especially for lore-wise reasons.
All the bosses met in the game are carefully drawn and they have they own flavour and personality - not a coincidence as DD's developer is the same of Titan Souls - and also some interesting dialogues.
The soundtrack is simply amazing and hard to be forgotten after closing the game and the end game credits.

3- please note that the game has its own "quirks", which add up nicely to the experience:
You won't have neither a map nor a compass to orientate yourself, although both aren't needed at all as there are fast travel points and wooden signals to help you out; it's possible to regain health only outside combat (which makes sense from a lore perspective) and the progression system isn't that much
friendly when it comes to grinding, as many mob kills will be necessary and item upgrades will only be available via hidden boss fights; however you'll rarely feel underpowered and never overpowered, as there is a hard cap on HP and MP which won't allow you to become the crow version of Omniman.


Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

✅ You're interested in farming, even though you're allowed to make that it isn't 100% of the core gameplay;
✅ You were looking for a long, yet various and easy to be resumed game;
✅ You're fond of pixelated indie games;
✅ You can bear resource hunting and you have some patience, as there are some RPG and crafting gameplay;
✅ You love games that are supported by modders and regularly updayed by the developer himself (Update 1.5 - see longer review part down below)

Don't buy the game if those above points aren't significant for you;

VERDICT 9 - an indie masterpiece - which now includes also the December update, called " 1.5 Update "

Time required to get to the "grown up" part of the game: 50 hours (depending on player's choices,skill and luck)
Time required to get all the achievements: around 100 hours (just the achievements i mean, i haven't completed the whole new update,as this is my third gameplay)

Longer version:
Let's see now the most important points, including the DLC, described in the 6th bullet point:

1- The simple yet deep premise:
Your grandpa, who lived the last part of his life is Stardew Valley has passed away and you as his nephew/niece have inherited a plot of land in Stardew Valley itself. Bored and saddened by the repetitive and dull life that you're spending working in a big firm (feel free to imagine it as Amazon/Nestlè)... you decide to accept the inheritance and embark in this new life and adventure.

2- The core gameplay is based on farming, but you can "drop" it or leave it aside after a while, you're free to design your gameplay:
Even though clearing debris, pruning weeds, killing evil monsters and cutting trees is fun and necessary up to a certain point, you're not "forced" to keep farming 24/7, as the game is full of side activities who can be remunerative and of course fun, such as:
- tending to animals;
- mining;
- foraging;
- fishing:
- more...

3- the customization has a external and a deeper side:
this means that besides customizing your own home, buildings and clothes there is a skill system, which can shape and improve the way on how you've decided to play the game;

4- Stardew Valley is a living community, its people are likable and your activities make a difference:
The NPCs are actually interesting and they're worth your time, socializing with them, helping them and confronting them on events, quests is always a good distraction and worth your time, as they'll be quite rewarding in terms of money, items and story progression in general, even though you're not forced to follow any particular path. Your actions have consequences that will also change the landscape and the city.

5- there's a strong and thriving MOD community and the game allows multiplayer gameplay:
I personally recommend Stardew Valley Expanded as a mod to be installed, feel free to check it on Nexusmods

6- the 1.5 update is extremely good and needed
my biggest gripe with SV before this free massive update from December 2020 was that there wasn't enough end-gameplay elements or goals to be reached. This update addressed completely these issues by adding a new whole area, distant from Stardew Valley, by adding new minerals, animals, crops, quests, weekly quests, npcs and much more, including many quality of life changes, which make the gameplay much smoother and fluid.

Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

✅ You're interested in open world games, where the main missions are the core of the gameplay and narrative rather rather than its secondary side quests;
✅ you want to live in a post apocalyptic, "witcher-esque" gameplay
✅ You have a good gaming pc;
✅ You're interested in a challenge and you can bear some resource hunting;

Don't buy the game if those above points won't hold for you;

Verdict: 8 not including the PC port part in my rating but including the DLC: Frozen Wilds // 6,5 otherwise

Time required to finish the main game: 20/25 hours
Time required to complete it at 100%: around 65 hours (depending on luck, game performance and patience)

Longer version:
Let's see now the most important points, including the DLC, described in the end:

1) THE PC PORT: everyone had his own unique experience with it, personally with a i7-8700 CPU,16GB of RAM and a NVIDIA GEFORCE 960, i had to put all the settings on low, having as a result 45 stable FPS outside and stable 60 on closed areas and bunkers. Never had game breaking bugs or glitches, except when skipping through dialogues, weirdly enough. This was my experience, i'm not a tech expert so take it as it is.

2) SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF THE DIFFICULTY SETTINGS and overall good progressing:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2259381430

The game progression is stable and you'll rarely feel out of place or underleveled at the normal difficulty settings, raising up the difficulty bar though could be a good call, as the enemies' pattern and behaviour will change and widen a lot, really making you feel the vibe that a huntress should have during a deadly combat and really pushing the scavenging and machine hunting;

3) GOOD GAMEPLAY AND NARRATIVE during the main quests:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2259383742

The main quests are always important and fun, forcing you to explore a vast and thriving world, witnessing the changing inside Aloy- the main character- outside her and her tribe. Sadly the secondary missions, except a few ones don't offer that much in terms of being memorable and original, as the narrative during these quests is mostly carried through 1 to 1 conversations where the camera shifts abruptly from one talker to the other, lessing the narrative immersion and depth.

4) THE FROZEN WILDS DLC IS A MASTERPIECE:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2259382502

The DLC is extremely good as:
1- changes the way the narrative progresses;
2- the side characters you'll meet are unique and remarkable;
3- the new added enemies are a good challenge and they're tough to be dealt with (and fun!)
4- adds several weapons and upgrades which help diversifying the combat and the overall experience
5- introduces a new entire skill tree
6- the main story of the DLC is deep and well intertwined with the story and the dialogues in the end part of the base game;

5) THE COMBAT GAMEPLAY IS EXCELLENT AND FLUID:
even with my not optimal perfomance described above, fighting machines always feels fresh and compelling, as trying different strategies and approaches will always grant you good gameplay diversity and different loot from time to time, allowing also Aloy to improve her inventory and ammo capacity

Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Backbone seems to be a potential indie gem for 2021, here's why:
+ the game is set in a Montreal full of anthropomorphic animals and you'll play as a raccoon detective;
+ you'll see a gorgeous pixel art style, yet extremely dynamic and detailed;
+ likable characters, with their flaws and quirks;
+ dark humor and grim topics such as racism, drug addiction, sexual abuse and more;
+ the presence of stealth mechanics and logic puzzles;
+ dialogues with multiple choices and outcomes;
+ the freedom to choose with which way and approach and face this adventure;

What are the demo biggest "flaws"?
At the moment the demo is fantastic as it's fun and delivers a lot of immersion, thanks also to the monumental soundtrack, let's just hope that the finished game will be as good and enticing as this demo.
Give it a try! It's free, it's fun and needs 45 minutes to be finished.

Buy this game if:

✅ you're interested in mystery and deductive puzzles;
✅ you're fascinated by naval and horror themes;
✅ you like games which do not have a linear story progression;

Don't buy this game if:

❌ you're not fond of backtracking and taking many notes while ingame, as this will be unavoidable;
❌ you don't like doing mistakes or misinterpretations, as this game autosaves your progress;
❌ you feel that the graphic style displayed on the store doesn't go well with your eyes ( even though you're allowed to change in in the options menù);

Verdict: 9/10

A unique mystery game, set in an amazing scenario with unique game mechanics, forcing you to think and analyze several details, please see the longer version for more detailed information.

Time required to finish the main game: 9 hours
Time required to complete it at 100%: 11/12 hours (depending on skill/patience and the use of a guide, very recommended for achieving a "perfect" run)

More detailed version:

What's the core gameplay?

You will work as an insurance inspector to discover what happened to the Obra Dinn ship (and its crew), that had suddently stopped its journey near the Canarian Islands. Your best allies will be a handy diary and a magical pocket watch that allows you while being near a corpse to see its last living memories and so being able to deduct what happened to the crew members during their dangerouns journey through the Atlantic Ocean.

Why this game was so positively acclaimed?

1- the DEV: the game was created by Lucas Pope, a developer more known for "Papers, please" -> expect from this game good scenarios and witness his great ability in making you feel immersed and drown in an extreme environment, even if far more different from the gray Arstozkan border;

2- DISCOVERING AND APPRECIATING YOUR OWN PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE: the game will prompt you to use many aspects of your intelligence and memory in a way that becomes different from every player, creating a unique experience. Some people for example could be skilled/ fast in recognising discrepancies during the memories, others will be more keen on pinpoiting culprits or discovering key details at first glance, others at remembering accents...and so on;

3- GRAPHICS AND GAMEPLAY: they are both innovative, as the first one will directly be a copy of the old Macintosh screens' (there are multiple graphics settings if your eyes don't tolerate those colors) and the following one consists in deducting what happened to the people who traveled on the Obra Dinn, what they did and how/if they died on it.
I can't say more as i don't want to spoil anything.

Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

+ you liked the mechanics and the gameplay of Ori and the blind forest;
+ you were expecting some differences from the first game, especially from the narrative/ fighting point of view;

Don't buy this game if:

- you were looking for completely new movement mechanics and platforming;
- you've loved the narrative of the first Ori;
- you can't stand occasional framerate issues and crashes;

Verdict: 8/10

A good sequel, if you focus only on its gameplay and in particular in its revamped and improved narrative, which shines in the end.

Time required to finish the main game: 8-10 hours
Time required to complete it at 100%: 20 hours (depending on skill/patience, additional runs needed)

Detailed version:

1) The artstyle and the music are both superior than the ones of its predecessor, not only by the
aesthetic but also because even the hidden details are worthy. Example: the main menu while in-game will get more and more detailed the further you progress with the main story, after receiving new powers and while meeting new characters.
I won't show it in order to avoid spoilers.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2022406953


2) The narrative is the best part of this sequel as the world is filled with living and sentient creatures, meaning that you'll find a city to upgrade, populated by the forest's citizens who will provide you decent side quests along with stories and mysteries to be revealed, allowing the game to have a better paced and differentiated narrative.

3) New combat and gameplay, this time Ori has new different tools and weapons to deal with his enemies. These tools can be improved even by merchants and by passive abilities really similar to Hollow Knight's charms, which can be equipped manually.
In this sequel now the checkpoints and the fast travel points are well placed and can be freely used.

4) few negative (and some subjective of course) points:
- boss fights are often messy as the screen is full of colors, indicators and visual effects;
- the game rarely craashes and has framerate issues;
- the "running from a boss, everything is crumbling down like in an Indiana Jones' movie " level design is still present; not saying its bad, personally i would have limited this to one or two occasions;




Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

Buy this game if:

+ you're fascinated with scientific, fantastic horror subjects;
+ you love fast paced and challenging platforming;
+ you know or are already interested in games such as "Ori and the blind forest" or "Celeste"

Don't buy this game if:

- you're looking for simpler and more linear games;
- you're going to skip the collectibles and the secret areas, which play an important part of the narration and in the gameplay as well;

Verdict: 8/10

Challenging game, with a good narrative based on many levels and sources throughout the game, awesome level design and GREAT BOSS BATTLES.

Time required to finish/speedrun the main game: 5 hours
Time required to complete it at 100%: 12-14 hours

Detailed version:

1) Pixelated artstyle, colurful and often cheerful despite the gloomy subjects:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1949222167

2) Good narrative, based on different tools, such as memories,manga-like sequences and others which i won't spoil:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1949222912

3) To sum up:
a- this game is about a "primordial lifeform" trying to escape his condition even through "evolution";

b- If you buy this game you should try to complete one run at 100% (no need for all the achievements) in order to being able to completely appreciate it, both for its playstyle both for the narrative, as agile as it's based around movement mechanics similar to those seen in Celeste and Ori and the blind forest;

c- The game has good checkpoints and replayable chapters as well;

d- Boss fights are cool, challenging and well designed, both for their length and complexity


Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/