Recent reviews by Iido

The first hour: I actually did have fun. The game controlled better than I expected and it felt satisfying each time I overcame a new obstacle.

The second hour: Frustration began to set it, but I was still determined to make progress.

The third hour: Any enjoyment I had with the game faded by this point. It's not fun or challenging having to redo the first parts of the game over and over and over and over again every time you screw up later on. I wasn't angry, just bored out of my mind. Gave up shortly after.

tl;dr I didn't get over it.

Lara is back for yet another adventure! This time, she's searching for the fragments of an ancient meteorite that crashed thousands of years ago in Antarctica.

Tomb Raider III features easily the biggest improvement in gameplay of the entire classic series. Lara has a wealth of new moves at her disposal: in addition to her moveset from the first two games, she can now crouch, crawl, sprint, and monkey-swing. This allows her to traverse areas in brand new ways, and will become the standard from this point on. Vehicles also make a return, this time Lara gets to play with a quadbike, a canoe, and an inflatable boat. They add about as much to the gameplay as the TR2 vehicles did, mostly being featured in a single level, with exception of the quadbike which appears in multiple.

To compliment her new moveset, levels are, of course, a fair bit more complex. In fact, Tomb Raider III probably has the most challenging level design in the series, and also pulls one seriously dirty trick on new players if they don't know what they're doing. Hint: Go to Nevada first! That's all I'll say. Speaking of locales, Tomb Raider III has by far the biggest variety of locations in the entire classic series. You'll see everything from ancient ruins, to high-tech facilities, to the rooftops of London, to of course the icy realm of Antarctica itself.

Something of note is a key difference between the PC, and original PS1 version. In the PS1 version of the game, you had to collect floating blue save crystals, which could be used from the inventory to save. In the PC version, you can save anywhere, like in all versions of Tomb Raider II, as well as the PC version of Tomb Raider I. The crystals are still there, but they are green rather than blue, and function like an instant small medipack (half health restore) when picked up.

Lara's arsenal continues to expand as well, with most of the weaponry from I & II returning, with a couple of exceptions, and a few new guns to play around with too, including my all-time favorite classic Tomb Raider weapon, the Desert Eagle. Secrets also return to their original form of hidden rooms and areas with goodies to collect. In the case of Tomb Raider III, collecting every secret also nets you a special bonus reward at the end of the game.

Overall, Tomb Raider III is another fantastic addition to the original series. Lara's expanded moveset would revolutionize the series from that point on, and IMO she has never had an adventure that quite stacks up to the scope, scale and variety featured since. Visually, it's also quite an upgrade over the first two games, with the most detailed environments and models yet.

Final note: TR3 was actually my very first TR game, way back on the good ol' PS1!

Lara's second adventure takes us on another trip across the world, this time in search of the legendary Dagger of Xian. Lara isn't the only one after this artifact, though; along the way, she'll have to do battle with the Fiamma Nera gang, who also want the dagger for their own purposes.

The gameplay has seen some improvements from the first game, with a wealth of new weaponry, smoother controls (with the addition of the ability to do a quick turn mid-jump, which vastly improves the combat!), and a brand-new lighting system that makes use of dark areas and the new Flare item to light them up. Gunshots, as well as certain environmental objects, also emit light. Tomb Raider II also introduces vehicles, including a boat and a skidoo (snowmobile). The secrets system works differently from the first game, and in fact from any other game in the series; rather than simply finding hidden rooms full of goodies, Lara must seek out 3 dragon statues in each level: stone, jade, and gold, and if she acquires all 3 in a level, she will gain a large stash of goodies, typically ammo and sometimes even a weapon.

Tomb Raider II features a wider variety of locales than the first game, as well. I won't spoil them all, but you will see the Great Wall of China, the city of Venice, and the Tibetan mountains to name a few.

Overall, Tomb Raider II is an improvement over the first game in almost every way, with smoother controls, more weapons, bigger levels, visual improvements all around, a bigger variety of locations to go venturing in, and still maintains the fantastic atmosphere created through the visual and sound design of the game. If you enjoyed Tomb Raider I, you'll most likely enjoy TRII as well. It is worth noting, however, that TRII started a trend that would continue throughout the rest of the series: veering away from exclusively raiding tombs. While this personally doesn't bother me, and I appreciate the bigger variety in locales, I have seen people express distaste towards this fact. Still, if this doesn't bother you, TRII is sure to be a blast.

While Lara Croft's first outing is certainly dated by today's standards, and even compared to later games in the OG series, it is still a fine game that fans of action-adventure should check out.

In her first adventure, Lara has been hired to locate a legendary artifact known as the Scion. Her quest will take her to several locations across the globe in search of this ancient relic.

Tomb Raider, at its core, is a 3D action-adventure game with a heavy dose of exploration and light puzzle solving. Levels are large, and require you to hunt for keys and other important items, as well as switches, to help you progress. They also contain secrets, which come in the form of hidden rooms or areas that contain some nice bonus supplies.

Lara's moveset is a bit limited in the first game, lacking a crawl function and sprinting found in TR3 and onwards, but the game is of course built so that it doesn't require these; it may just feel awkward if you played the later games first. The game also uses tank controls, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is not quite as limited as say, Resident Evil or any other tank controlled game with fixed cameras. Seeing as it is a full 3D, open adventure, you have more freedom to move about, and with some practice, you can hopefully adjust to the dated control scheme. Even still, it feels stiffer and more clunky than later games in the OG series, so be prepared to adjust even if you have played those and are used to the control scheme.

Combat is simple, requiring you to simply draw your weapons and shoot, and of course run around to avoid being hit. Lara has a number of weapons at her disposal, starting with her iconic dual pistols with unlimited ammo, and will find more weaponry along the way. In addition to enemies, you must also avoid various traps.

Visually, the game hasn't aged too well, but other games have aged far worse, and the graphics were quite impressive for the time. It was one of the first full 3D action-adventure games, after all!

As far as sound design goes, it may or may not appeal to you, but I personally enjoy its approach. Rather than having music playing constantly throughout levels, Tomb Raider, as well as its sequels, relies more on atmospheric and environmental sounds, such as echos in caves, running water, etc. The game does have music, and these tracks are usually used to highlight some moment, such as entering a new area, or to alert you to immediate danger. All in all, the environmental sound and occasional musical cues do a good job in building atmosphere and and a sense of wonder and adventure.

All in all, TR1 is recommended to hardcore fans of action-adventure, or fans of the newer games who wonder about Lara's original adventure. Just expect some clunkiness and a bit of a learning curve with the controls; whether or not you end up enjoying the game will likely depend on whether or not you can adjust to these factors.

On a last note, if you find you don't enjoy the game, there is an updated remake called Tomb Raider: Anniversary which runs on the Legend engine, and you may enjoy this one far more.

10/10 would greet again.

The Turing Test is a first-person puzzler taking place inside a facility on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. You, as Ava Turing, must overcome the facility's puzzles in order to progress deeper and uncover the mystery of what happened to its personell.

Taking cues from Portal, the game features a series of chambers filled with puzzles, which you must solve in order to progress to the next room. The main tool you'll be using for this is an energy manipulation device, which can aborb energy from various sources, and "shoot" it back out into others. The bulk of the puzzles revolve around figuring out how and where to use the energy to power various machine, doors, and other stuff. The game is spread across 7 chapters, with each chapter introducing a new element or gimmick to the mix to keep things fresh. Each chapter also contains an optional puzzle chamber, which if completed, will allow you to access hidden rooms which contain some clues that help to deepen the story a bit, and shed some more light on exactly what happened in this place.

The story itself is pretty decent, though you'll likely be expecting the twist that comes partway through. The story is primarily told through the conversations between Ava and T.O.M., the facility's computer. These conversations are typically held at the start of every chamber. There are also audio and text logs from time to time which help shed some more light on what's going on.

Visually, the game also looks similar to Portal, featuring a string of clean-looking minimalistic rooms, looking rooms, with not a lot to gawk at aside from the stuff you're going to be working with to solve puzzles.

Audio-wise, I find the voice acting to be fairly good, particularly T.O.M.'s, who reminds me of Stephen Fry's performance as the Cheshire Cat in the 2010 Alice movie. The music is also nice, it is calming and atmospheric, and really helps add to the mood.

If you're a fan of Portal or The Talos Principle, give this game a shot. It's a bit on the short side, and will likely last you around 4-5 hours, but what it offers is of good quality, and it left me wanting more.

Just finished this game minutes before writing this review. What a fantastic experience.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a game about two brothers who set off on a journey to find a cure for their father, who has fallen ill. Their journey will take them from the outskirts of their village, through massive caverns, across mountains, and beyond.

Let's talk about the gameplay. The game revolves entirely around a unique mechanic: You play two characters at once, the titular brothers. Each one is controlled by one of the control sticks, and one of the triggers/whatever button you have up there. They must work together in order to solve puzzles and progress through areas. Sometimes, a specific brother is needed to perform an action. The puzzles are not difficult at all, nor is the game, so if you're looking for challenge, that's not here. (Though to be fair, the amount of difficulty you have may differ depending on your ability to control two characters at the same time. Most sections of the game are rather slow paced and easy going, though, with plenty of time for each brother to do whatever they need to do to get through each obstacle, so you won't be twitch-reacting with both at once or anything like that.) The game is also quite linear, with very little side exploration, though occasionally you can perform optional tasks which will reward you with achievements (There are no achievements earned by just playing through the story). Though the game may be easy, the level design is very good, and the puzzles are still fun to solve. They don't feel like like actual "puzzles" which were installed into the areas to impede travellers (and players), rather they are simply obstacles which the brothers must use their own unique skills to bypass and move on with their journey, and are easily figured out with a bit of observation or logical thinking.

Visually, the game is an absolute masterpiece. Every single area of the game is stunningly beautiful in its own way, from the brothers' home village, to the lofty peaks, to the massive caves. You will often be able to see far off into the scenery, often spotting places you will eventually reach, and even those you have previously passed through. Scenes like this can often be viewed by sitting at benches located throughout the game, which causes the camera to pan upwards for an overview of the area, and what lies beyond. This is effective in making it truly feel like you are truly progressing through the journey, and playing the game is worth it just to see these beautiful sights; the journey is truly the reward in this game.

The game does not have any dialogue. The characters speak a few words in their native tongue now and then, but nearly everything is told through actions. The game has a nice soundtrack, with mostly calming tunes as you traverse the areas. Now and then, there'll be more adventerous and epic ones, and even a few creepy and unnerving ones as the brothers come across new scenarios and situations. The background sound effects are also very nice, and help build up the atmospere for the areas, which in turn helps immerse the player into the journey even more.

Final verdict? The game is a must-buy for fans of the adventure genre. The presentation is absolutely amazing, and the journey is its own reward. My only regret is that the game is very short, clocking in at somewhere between 3-4 hours in length. This is one game I truly wish there could have been more of, because it was just that good.

Undertale is simply one of the best RPGs I have played in a very long time, and it will likely touch you and effect your emotions in ways that no RPG ever has before.

The game has two very distinct ways to play. You can kill, or you can spare. As advertised, no one has to die in this game. It is possible to spare every single enemy, even the bosses. The story alters greatly depending on how you play, and it is nigh impossible to discuss aspects of it without spoiling something, but, I can tell you it has an amazing storyline, with plenty of twists and turns. Also, while you are free to choose how you play, a pacifist (no killing) run is highly recommended. This is a game where choices truly matter.

You do not control a party in this game, rather, you control a single character. Physical combat is done through a timed-hit system, where you do more damage to monsters if you press the button on time. If going the pacifist route, then each battle is something like a negotiation. You are able to select special actions in order to interract with monsters in a non-lethal way, in order to come to a truce. Either way you cut it, the combat system in this game is truly unique, for its dodging system alone. Near the bottom of the screen is a box with a heart. When monsters attack, you get to move this heart around in order to dodge their attacks and avoid taking damage. Think a schmup title where you move in all 4 directions to avoid bullets, it is very similar to that. Boss fights almost always bring a unique effect to this as well, changing up the rules a bit on how dodging works with them, so each one feels unique and original in how they operate.

The game is also quite nice visually. Its art style is clearly inspired by the Mother series, and there are many creative and bizarre monsters that you will encounter on your journey. Each area of the game feels unique, and areas do not feel bland or repetitive in design. Monster sprites in-battle are animated, and also have a monochrome color scheme.

The soundtrack is also very nice, and is filled with all sorts of tunes. The soundtrack overall fits the game very, very well, and no piece of music really feels out of place. Music variety is also very good, and manages to capture a very wide range of emotions, something the game is good at overall.

The characters are another of the game's strong points. No two characters in this game feel the same. They all have their own unique personalities, and are all written amazingly well. Even basic NPCs in towns are all unique from one another; not one sprite is used twice, with the exception of the NPCs in a certain town, though that's a somewhat..special case, we'll say.

Overall, Undertale is a fantastic game. Don't make the mistake of looking at the screenshots and thinking it's just some silly quirky RPG; it is so, so much more. It is an unforgettable journey, filled to the brim with personality, and characters you will grow to love. It is difficult to find any major flaws at all in this game. If I can think of one minor complaint, it's that the random battles can feel somewhat repetitive after a while, especially if you're going Pacifist, but this is minor, especially considering most random battles are quite short once you figure out how to win them, and they are usually not super-frequent.

Buy it. Buy it now.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade stands.

Just watch the movie. Don't ask why you should. Just do it, and be amazed.