Recent reviews by Ammy

Bought in a bundle.
Feather is a interactive art piece that pretends to be a video game, because as a video game I truly don't understand it. I don't say that lightly either, I've put myself through nonsense for both fun and torture but Feather is just a head scratcher for me for why it is the way it is.
A perfectly okay experience but sadly that it, I know similar "art pieces" that say more with less under its belt or does the whole relaxing experience way better.
The product is in a weird in-between where I don't find it much help taking the nerves off as a relaxing game with constant flying mode with limited places to land if at all and lack of much of anything to make it a game to play.
Wish there was something more to it but oh well.

I like Sonic Generations.. I think.
It was a game that I was looking forward to for a very long time but due to factors outside my control (depression) and factors otherwise (like playing the prior games). I just never got around to playing Generation until the past the couple months at time of writing.

The prior games played and on my own Sonic membership card.
- Part of 3
- Heros
- Mania
- Adventure 1 & 2
- CD
- Robo-Blast
- GT

I had high hopes for Sonic Generation and it.. only sometimes delivers.
Where it falters the most is in game-play, the 2D classic levels are fine despite being design around the slightly strip down basic abilities and no power-ups. However, the ACT 2 “3D levels” sometimes feel absolutely confused in cohesion game-flow execution.
It genuinely feels during these ACT2 stages do not know what they are or what they want to be. These stages often scissors between 3D-2D and boost sections at what feels like an awkward pace that often feels unfaithful to original portions of the remastered level origins. Also it becomes clear during the challenge stages that the game plays it depressingly safe at times with how adventurous it would like to be gameplay wise, which does leave something to be desire. They’ll bring back gimmicks that are adjacent or similar to mechanics of older games but it feels like they don’t do them justice, especially so with the “Sonic friends” challenges.

Before I completely rip into it however, I will say for it being the most recent Sonic game I played, imo it is still the most polish and tight controlling version of an official 3D Sonic game I have ever played so far. You can consider this a good endorsement that the nonsense and jank is tremendously more squashed compare to games of old (not falling off the map outside trying to take a funky shortcut is so nice I tell you). However, .. it still feels fan games have greatly outdid the devs as far as I can tell atm, in terms of making a satisfying and functional “Gotta go fast” moment system. Even if these fan system are base around how older game movement system once was.

I feel the problem with ACT2 sudo-3d level is rooted in the boost mechanic that replaces and remove the classic spindash mechanic. Boosting imo as a concept is fine, I like how it was done allot in Sparks the Electric Jester 3. However, here in its state it feels like a compromise that makes things feel awful when compared to similar old Sonic’s spindash. It says allot that despite all of Sonic’s boosting, classic Sonic in terms of speed is clearly faster or feels so at the very least. Furthermore, ducking is an absolute travesty that shouldn't be included, it serves no purpose but to punish the player for not having pre-cognition or somehow interrupting the poorly time inhumanly fast button prompts to duck. The cherry ontop is that boost overtakes it in terms of offensive capabilities too.

It really feels like the subway surffers of Sonic games sometimes and its a separate head scratcher on why Sega didn't capitalize more on that aspect on mobile considering they like it enough to subject their main line games to it but I digress.

Beyond addressing gameflow with falterings boost mechanics it becomes an abundantly clear that puesdo-3d Sonic in ACT2 struggling when put into a 2d environment which happens an awful lot disappointingly. Boosting to get around in 2d or do certain jumps doesn’t feel good and is misserably punishing at times. You can say the point upgrade system exist to mitigate these issues but those upgrades are not made to be always available in all situations and need to be unlocked in obscure places.

This overall is the worse parts of Sonic Generation but its not a dealbreaker, it tests your patience sometimes, especially so on the challenge stages. Regardless, it needs to be clear that the main game is unironically solid most of the time and for good reason.

The art team for Sonic Generation
Knock. It. Out. Of. The. Park.
From both graphics, music inclusion and renditions of Sonic games that have came to past, everything feels like it was painted with care by people who truly gave a dam about getting it right. Its awesome to experience even though there are parts where the game-play and progression would like to test that against you.
I highly recommend going through the trouble to observe (look it up) and maybe unlock the music and concept art for the games throughout the generation. Strongly suggest playing around with changing songs during various challenge stages to see if you like them.
My minimum gripe with it is that its a bit unclear if what your seeing is concept art from generation devs remaking parts of old games (which are awesomely done btw) or seeing the original concept art from decades past. Beyond the semi significant realization on how many potential collabs sonic had with different and somewhat famous music artist throughout its lifetime, its also equal validating to see that even the original concept artist for Sonic games like drawing Sonic goofy and weird sometimes. There a few drawings that felt like Sonic scribble that one might see or draw in their own drawpiles/margins of their homework.

Minor nickpics:
- The Statue system is stupid, probably a promo thing but its implementation as it remains is dumb. Typing codes with a selection menu to unlock things is silly.
- If your controller isn’t the device that press start or skip an intro cut-scene, you’ll need to reset the game. This game controller handler works but cannot stand a controller not being the main device or disconnected for any reason, your keyboard will always work though but its annoying to deal with.
- Don’t try to 100% S rank this game, the frustration on the harder parts are not worth the grey hairs that will be grown as a result. Playing through the levels is harmless enough though.
- I just realize I play the entire game without rumble working on my Dualsense Ps5 controller out of the box >:(


Overall, Sonic Generation is a true smorgasbord board of Sonic, throughout the years and is a clear celebration of that. Expect all the good and bad and everything in-between in your experiences of the game. Which is .. fine in my opinion. The game isn’t glitchy, runs great on my.. fairly modern circa 2023 hardware and holds up well visually for a game that copyrighted 2010.
That remaster you hear on the horizon that isn’t confirm as far as I know atm. Ignore it imo, things are absolutely fine here unless your expecting some short of game-play revision? Who knows.
That much being said despite not touching modding I became abundantly aware of the modding scene for this game, there are a dizzying amount of mods focus on different core sonic games while using generation as a base to be built off on. Its really awesome and little crazy on what people ported to this game or made on their own, if that sounds interesting, I suggest checking it out. Especially so if you played Generation before and its been a bit since you last played.

https://youtu.be/n4JH2IJFdEI
Unironically almost the plot of the game.

Consider this review a true mix recommendation vs a pure positive one. Just din't want to shove this game down anymore into negative reviews.

Got this game in a bundle with Castle on the Coast (a game with a very neat demo that you should check out + donates proceeds to a children's hospital).
This game is a fair bit more underwhelming than its trailer shows in my opinion. Its not mindless, its not not tedious but the depth is mostly figuring out what combos there are and how to do them / exploit them.
Did not try the local co-op cause lack of willing friends but hey maybe oneday.
For what the game is its a bit of goofy fun, the reviews saying that when you die you got to the start of the game are 1/2 true.
There is a ---->> level select for completed levels <<-- and the first boss of the game is very easy to die to accidentally due to the large + deadly exploding barrels being toss into a sea of approaching enemies.

I would suggest avoiding the game maybe? In my opinion if you want something like this despite its locale difference, E.D.F 4.1 (not 5) can be picked up cheap these days via bundle or select deals if your lucky. Both the games kinda got a similar sort of break everything vibe to them.
Otherwise if you decide to take a plunge, expect something silly to do with a friend maybe. Its not a bad game.. I think. There just better out there, even stuff people give away on itch.io for free.
Its definitely not a game for weak will who can't put up with a little jank to experience someone's work, I don't regret playing it too if that much can be said.

A thoroughly okay portal mod okay mod that is medium complexity difficulty. The game is a little buggy sadly; the game has issues with reality logic being broken and some portal grid-snapping issues which cause problems during certian more complex endgame levels that involve light bridges or lasers.
However regardless of these things the entire game was completely playable. In terms of Portal mods and fan-games, it is .. some ways better than Aperture Tag, definitely in the level department but it doesn't hold a candle in comparison to Portal stories Mel in terms of quality.
Felt like the game was missing something when I was playing, it was only in chamber 20 I realize that I had my music volume too low to hear any of the music, felt really dumb on that front.
Overall expect not to many set pieces and allot of quirky puzzle solving, the co-op levels in allot of ways might be more enjoyable but that is probably due to hi-jinks a friend brings along.
Would say the gimmick and ending of the main game was satisfying enough for something I only needed to invest time to experience. Not sure if the game is fun as Quantum Conundrum (as the only comparison I got) but it din't leave me "what that's it?" like Quantum Conundrum did. Can say this was definitely a comfortable pick up, read and place back on the shelf type of game.

A snipbit of a larger pie that you can take with you if you decide to buy the fullgame. Figure to finally try this after having it install forever and having a sour/lame experience with the No Man Sky "free weekend" they "offered" recently.
Planet Crafter is a neat time, basically systematically a mixture of "number go up" of cookie clicker with exploration. You won't be ask to build anything complicated in this demo but you will be challenge with figuring out a method forward and rewarded greatly for being clever with your "tools". Also worth mentioning, this game is a interesting premise in the survival crafting genre, because you do eventually see the result of your terraforming planetary as you play, even in the demo.
Its a fun play and worth the try @ the asking price of the prologue of nothing, maybe especially so if you like exploring deserts to an extent.
Only thing I truely have to say that is a detractor of the game is that it isn't done yet, I played a earlyacess prologue build and not sure how this game will different in the future. However, I would say that in terms of indie games in this realm of "something to do" Planet Crafter is one that stands out from the rest if you like to give different things a try.
I personally think that's worthwhile.
Also nice thing too; compare to some "OTHER" games, it might be a tiny bit slow but it never felt like it was wasting my time.

Weird.. review? Due to how there's a "remaster (not a remake) of this game that exist.
Guess I am the right person to talk about it. Grown up with Risk of Rain for half my life, don't remember how I got the game, maybe it was a humble bundle but I am not too sure and don't want to check right now.

What can I say tho is that I was a fan of this series before 2/two and had my eye on two when it was a mere alpha dev blog-post a google search away on the dev's website/tumblr.
How I feel about this game nowa days is that I don't really have any opposition to playing it, especially in the case of helping someone finish a go at this game that they never did before.
I haven't touch return yet and wanted to give a legitimate completion to this game and its more masochistic achievements before I move on from it.

To my understanding with how this game compares to the ROR returns, on a fundamental level, this game is in MANY ways the same as the remaster. That being said, I think it would be for those who already have easy access to this game to give it a shot before you decide on playing/buying<- Return.
Why? Because Risk of Rain 2D is rough and finicky. Beyond its controls it ask you to put up with allot of its nonsense starting out before it allows you to unlock new-playstyles to try out. However, even after unlocking things, you will find yourself going back to those tougher survivors for borderline masochistic challenges that are more a test of patience and knowledge than pure skill sometimes.
There is a part of the game that is failing upwards but when it comes to challenges, there is no failing upwards, only learning to fail better; which can be very frustrating for people who are not use to being tested in such a way.

I think it is worthwhile to give this game a good try for this exact reason, heck maybe treat it as a demo to the remaster, because from what I'm seeing. The way you get your butt beaten in this game seams to be the same way in the remaster.
That is also another important note, ROR Returns seams to be faithful to the original, for better or worse. In my opnion that will be key to take into account when ever deciding to try out that game.
Not to be confuse with what a "remake" is, which Risk of Rain returns is not.

Biggest issues with this old game that may never be fix, no mid-gaming joining = dropouts (which are common) = you lose friends randomly in a run. Its it infuriating and demoralizing, especially if you and your buds just want to have a good time.
Remote play is a option but that requires allot on a host + client, its not a option for everyone around the same country even. :(

Overall, with issues noted, I would still recommend this this game to those willing to put in a go. The newer games of this series might be prettier and smoother to play but this is where it all started, and I think that is worth experiencing at the end of the day.

Short review for 3 hours in.
Holy smoly this game is sleepy. Going into this game, I did not know what to expect. I bought it soon after finding out about it. Figuring from the general setup the game had on showcase, it was something like NITW but its own story and spin on gameplay and it was that in some ways. However the game wants to pace things out extremely far away at times, the town of Porcupine feels like a much much less dense place compare to Possum springs. Felt like I was studying the walking animation more than anything else at times.

That being said though the game so far has been enjoyable, story has been pretty alright despite the insistence to pace it out (which I believe is a intentional artist decision). As how its compares to Night in the Woods? Its probably not the "better" of the two games due to pacing preferences but that is fine imo. I am interested in how this game is going to play out and would recommend it so far to anyone who's looking for something inspired a bit by Night in the Woods.

Edit after reaching the ending once.
A taste of Story Corps, if you do not know what is I urge you to take some time and find out. https://www.youtube.com/@storycorps
This game has allot of feeling adjacent to this story telling nonprofit. For those who don't know and want a TLDR, Story Corps is a organization that specialize in recording stories from elderly and publicize them for the public. The stories they told are often of people who are already gone or of people on death's door themselves.
In my opinion, this very adjacent relation for Fall of Porcupine is one of the ways it shines the best.

However it needs to also be said, Fall of Porcupine feels like a incomplete story. With many loose ends and lack of vague conclusions to derive any closure on anything relating to anyone who wasn't a main character. This void is part of the major contributing factor of why I feel like, after completing the game, I feel that I cannot recommend it.
This buggy game which grinds you down with how basic it depiction of its own in-game events are feels like... they've quite literally copy the homework of Night in the Woods in many parts. The game remixes it a little bit but didn't quiet understand why storybeats made that other game feel compelling and in that mimicry, it feels like it failed to land its ending.
For whats the game has going for itself, the story is pretty alright, it just wraps up awfully with a bang that feels to soon. Maybe they needed to ship the game out sooner and had to make cuts? I cannot say for them.
What I will say though is that I didn't expect to walk out disappointment to this extent and unsure how I feel about a sequel to this game. Since well, you can argue a sequel can wrap up "where are they now" but not sure if it would be worth it if you want to compare to what else can be bought for the same collective sum of income.
As nice as Porcupine is, with how it is, I cannot recommend it.
I am not sure how I feel replaying this game years latter either.
However, I will say, I don't regret playing Fall of Porcupine at the very least.

A game that requires more than a single bite, but definitely bite size.

Subway Midnight is a absolute dream walking like treat.
Do you like light horror elements? The artstyle? Yumi-Nikki? I think you find something you like here.
Also in my opinion, best to go into this game blind.
My only gripe about the game is that it never tell you that you can interact with things with space, gotta figure that out yourself.

Things to beware tho, game is very short, my playtime might be extended at time of review due to taking care of creatures of my home.
However overall, I would recommend this game for a nice short and sweet contained experience. As long as ya know what your getting into, you can figure out easily what that is worth for you.

If steam allowed to rating scale/score. This game would be somewhere in the middle. However I can't arguably recommend this game in this state.
This game is fun to play, a short experience arguable if you just want to experience the story. Maybe too short to justify buying.
However if you give all the mission an try and go, its a alright time.

However this game at the same time is a MISERABLE experience to 100%, due to how enemies work in this game work during alert phase. To put it shortly, the ai starts cheating and teleportation around you.
To put it long, if you knock out someone in this game and round a corner without using sleep darts, the game will magically remove their bodies despite not being dead and wake them back up. This usually leads to not being surrounded but dealing with enemies that exist in areas you specifically remember is a safe place to move too. Enemies will also TELEPORT to flank you in areas where they are not suppose to exist at all, prime example here https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3034935492 .
Enemies will "re-enforce" and replace if you kill too many of them during an alert, which isn't a bad thing but it does make lethal runs not a solution to the clown car like teleportation.
These mechanics makes the game feel borderline maddening during a alert phase a pacifist run and S rank, your success feels like it tied to the whims of baiting the Ai troops with pre-place explosives decoys on the other side of the map.
Even without a alert phase sometimes hidden bodies will teleport on their own (into the open sometimes), checkpoints will move things around and reset things you needed to succeed like objectives and the good old truck.
Lastly a small compliant compare to the rest but enemies alert leads to clairvoyance among the troops, most blatant is when your about to take out a dude who will never see you, get spotted then the dude your next to turns on his heel and start blasting ya.

Do you need to play this game? Well.. there is a key story point that happens here leading from peace-walker AND cross over save content that will effect you in Metal Gear Solid V, nothing critical but nice to have things to explain without spoilers. If those things matter to you, go for it. As for the gameplay side, despite the issues the challenges are well thought out on a basic level and there is things to learn and practice (which is fun despite the frustration to an extent).

That being said though I would still say this game feels like the weakest Metal Gear Solid game I played between 1-2 and Rising.
Maybe fun to play side by side with another friend, streaming it to each other.. but a hard to recommend casually to anyone. You should know what ya getting into.

EXTRA things worth mentioning.
- The game being 2.9~ GB of install size is VERY COOL. Especially with how it looks, you might realize why the game is that small though through revisiting the map.
- The game is playable with Gyro aiming with some setup however its a bit to fiddly for me to play, most of my gripse comes down to the SCOPE controls with Gyro, zooming is a bit too finnicky with a controller. Its finnicky without a controller too but more-so with one.

A super short and sweet 3D Platformer by a small indie studio. Biggest highlight of the game is the world but sadly I can't say its very special in many other ways.
Runs fine and is mostly harmless but doesn't really dare to be anything bigger than a trot through A to B quest.
Try it out if you liking how the world looks but don't go in expecting #gameplay.
Thinking about it more, the game might be the way it is because it was orginally intended to be play on a touchscreen tablet? Could be, has simplified enough controls for that to work.
Hats are a nice addition btw, I like the one with the flower in it.

EDIT: Worthwhile saying this for developers out there. This game would have been a fair bit more enjoyable if the character's animation din't feel so stiff. The little fellas look fine but let them move about!