Recent reviews by heisenburgers

I don't like JRPGs, so keep that in mind if you're reading this review.

Despite understanding my own preferences, I decided to give Sea of Stars a try for two reasons: The first is that I absolutely loved Sabotage Studio's first title, "The Messenger". The second is that I try to stay open-minded with game genres ever since Hollow Knight made me seek and love other Metroidvanias. Unfortunately, I cannot say that Sea of Stars had this same effect on me for future JRPGs-- I will probably continue to generally avoid them for the most part. With that being said, you would have to be blind and deaf to fail to recognize the immense passion that has been poured into this game.

My primary gripe with JRPGs is usually the gameplay. Boring exploration, constant random enemy encounters, and turn-based "combat" consisting of selecting menu options are all incredibly tedious to me. This game takes several steps to try to mitigate these issues (I am not claiming that these are innovative or original), with some success. The implementation of traversal puzzles, timed hits/blocks, and the ability to avoid entering combat through stealth/dodging are all good additions. That being said, the combat still got extremely stale before I even hit the 10-hour mark.

I was willing to trudge through the boring and repetitive combat partially for the decent story and great characters (excluding the two dull protagonists), partially because of the fun puzzles hiding the game's collectibles, but mostly because this game is PURE ECSTASY FOR THE EYES AND EARS. The art and animations here are incredible, and the soundtrack is absolutely ELITE. Also, very minor spoiler, but the way that this game connects to the Messenger is absolutely genius. From the familiar characters, shared world, musical themes, lore, and hidden Easter eggs... I even saw a YT video of a side-by-side comparison of Autumn Hills in both games that kind of blew my mind.

It is clear from all of this that the team behind this game is not here to just cash a check. There is a strong vision behind this game, and some ridiculously talented people behind the wheel. Obviously, this game was not made for me-- I'm a tourist to the genre. But I can't deny that I enjoyed the scenery.

Wandersong is what would happen if Adventure Time became a movie, and then that movie became a video game.

This is more of an interactive movie than it is a traditional video game. You do have to explore, solve puzzles, platform, talk to NPCs, and play several games of Simon to progress. But these sections are kinda sparse and quite easy. I'd urge you not to go into this for the gameplay; the real star of the show is the super charming characters. I haven't grown this fond of NPCs since the first time that I played Undertale.

This is a cute, funny, and cozy story with a strong message. If you're in the mood for that kind of thing, this game will not disappoint you.

This is like Vampire Survivors on psychedelics, with Eric Andre shouting "NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE" at you.

Picayune Dreams has those moments where you can sit back and watch your OP build cut through waves like butter, but you really have to fight for them through careful dodging and smart decision-making. It also has really cool bullet hell style bosses and some psych-horror story elements that make it stand out from other games in the genre. More importantly, it has a ridiculously cool visual style and soundtrack.

Going for 100% on this game highlighted both its greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses. The many runs required for the ribbon showed me that this game is not the strongest in the replayability department-- once you unlock all items, future runs feel kind of samey. So I wouldn't recommend this game if you're hoping to get 100+ hours out of it. However, going for the hitless achievement was INCREDIBLY fun. The game's challenge level is perfectly tuned for this-- it took some focus and build-planning, but was not grindy, infuriating, or overly reliant on RNG. You even get a special cutscene for doing this (technically, you only need to go hitless on the non-final bosses to get it), which felt like a perfect place to conclude my time with this game. It's a must-play in the genre, and my only complaint is that I wanted more.

8.5/10

Purists will say that this game is a significant downgrade from the original. I disagree-- all in all, I'd call it a net improvement that is not without its compromises and missteps.

To the uninitiated, Ghostrunner has you play as a parkour cyber ninja that can grapple, wall jump, dash, slow mo, etc. all around the tightly designed maps. You can kill enemies in one slash, but in turn also die to one hit. The primary gameplay loop is a cycle of mildly challenging but extremely fun parkour platforming, and very challenging combat "puzzles". You will probably die a lot, but the quick restarts and satisfying feeling of finally pulling off the crazy sequences necessary make the pursuit more than worth it.

MINOR GAMEPLAY SPOILERS AHEAD:

First, the good changes: It seems the devs had a bigger vision for this sequel than just more of the same. They added a kick-ass motorcycle, a kick-ass wing suit, and replaced the lame-ass and out-of-place puzzle sections from the last game with some neat mini levels. Music and graphics see an improvement, and there is also an increase in enemy and environmental variety. I also found level design to be better/more deliberate in this entry-- ESPECIALLY the boss fights. The Rogue Runner game mode was also kind of cool.

Now for the controversial/bad changes: Ghostrunner 2 adds a block that some perceive as removing a bit of the already perfectly-tuned challenge of the first game. While this is true, I think this is offset by the added complexity that I mentioned earlier. It also encourages people to master the newly-added perfect parry system by reducing the punishment for missing (rather than dying, you just lose a decent amount of stamina). Some also argue that this game feels slower-- this may be true, but as long as you don't have 100+ hours logged into speedrunning the first game, I can't imagine that you will notice or care (I certainly didn't). In my opinion, the biggest mistake that this game made was trying to dabble into open zones. Thankfully, this only happened for a level or two. But GOD did it absolutely slaughter the pacing of the game. Not only was this section slow and uninspired, but it was clearly unnecessary (it was pretty much just 3 levels stapled together Frankenstein style) and performed atrociously on my admittedly outdated machine. As a completionist, searching for the otherwise fun to get collectibles in this area was a slog. I perceived this to be the devs just dipping their toes in experimenting with this genre. If anyone on the team happens to read this, please DO NOT try to go this route if there are plans for a trilogy.

I had a lot to say about this game, but the TLDR is that there is nothing quite like it. It perfectly scratches the gamer itch of being a total badass. But rather than just handing that power to you by making you OP, it forces you to earn it through your own improvement. I'd recommend picking up both this one and the first, but I personally found this one to be a tiny bit better on the whole.

9/10

I saw the "Rhythm Game" tag in an amazing art style, and couldn't resist. After 2 minutes of gameplay, I found out that this was not a rhythm game after all. And somehow I was not disappointed.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is more like an interactive music video. Think AudioSurf, but with its own great OST, a plot, way cooler visuals, and more mechanics than just turning left and right. Everything that it sets out to do, it does unbelievably well. Yes, in terms of strictly gameplay the game is somewhat limited in scope-- However, if you go for gold on every level and go for the achievements (a surprisingly decent challenge), you'll be too busy enjoying yourself to care.

9/10

The kind of game I think everyone should play, no matter what your usual preferences are. It's short, fun, and cheap-- but also amazingly written and paced.

9/10

A solid beat-em-up, combined with Metroidvania-style unlocks in a 2D platformer. The reason this is such a good combination, is that finding a new power-up has a lot of implications. Not only can you access more areas of the map, but another layer of complexity is added to both the combat and the platforming (for example, the uppercut acts as a quasi-double jump, breaks red enemy shields, and launches enemies into the air). The Mexican aesthetic and goofy tone tie it all up in a nice little ribbon.

If you like beat em ups, 2D platformers, or Metroidvanias even a little bit, I'm sure you'll find some enjoyment here.

8/10

I've seen a lot of reviews saying that this game is a little bit better than, but almost equal in quality to the original. I'm here to tell you that this is FAR from the case.

The original game established the formula, which was pretty fun. A solid beat-em-up, combined with Metroidvania-style unlocks in a 2D platformer. The reason this is such a good combination, is that finding a new power-up has a lot of implications. Not only can you access more areas of the map, but another layer of complexity is added to both the combat and the platforming (for example, the uppercut acts as a quasi-double jump, breaks red enemy shields, and launches enemies into the air). The Mexican aesthetic and goofy tone tie it all up in a nice little ribbon.

I can see why the two games are likened in quality-- the sequel uses pretty much the same formula. However, every single little refresh here adds A LOT to the game. This game blew my moderate expectations out of the water. I can't fully explain why this game feels 100x better than its predecessor, but it definitely does. It might boil down mostly to the DRASTICALLY improved level design. Boss fights especially (I can only speak for Hard mode since I used the Konami code), are actually FUN this time around. There is increased enemy and move variety. Chaining together your entire repertoire of moves to solve the combat arenas and perfectly-crafted precision platforming puzzles feels ridiculously satisfying. Secrets are well-hidden, but not obtuse (I only had to look up one chest to reach 100%). The challenging bits will make you feel determined rather than annoyed. Even the writing and the music are much stronger this time around.

If you kinda liked the first one, but not enough to pick this one up, I urge you to give Guac 2 a try anyway. If you've never played the first one, I would argue that there's no need to-- the sequel catches you up Telenovela-style on the events of the first. If you like tight platforming challenges, and enjoy the feeling of getting progressively more and more badass, then you'll probably find a lot to love here.

9.5/10

This is a short 2D puzzle platformer with more personality than most AAA games. Levels are really easy, but also really clever and satisfying to solve. Narration and music are also pretty top notch. Definitely recommend playing this if you feel like you need a break from other games/life in general, as to me it felt pretty cozy. Also probably a good one to show to a non-gamer friend/family member :)

8/10

Owlboy is a 2D platformer with minor elements of other genres (stealth, metroidvania, etc.). It is a near-flawless game that especially excels in its aesthetic and its ability to make you feel connected to the world. The fact that your character can fly right off the bat and you carry your allies around to use their weapons/tools was a creative idea that made the game feel unique and charming.

I found level design to be somewhat lacking in that it did not encourage mastery of the game's mechanics-- it felt like I was mostly wandering around and exploring, which is not inherently a bad thing, but did feel like a missed opportunity. And when combined with the extremely simple puzzles and combat, I think the game was a little bit too easy. Also, a coin radar or similar kind of tool would have been a nice addition for completionists.

Putting those minor gripes aside, Owlboy was a fun and meaningful adventure. If you've seen/heard anything about this game that's appealing, you will probably enjoy it.

8/10