Spyro, the classic 3D platformer from over 20 years ago is back and it looks better than ever. This is a proper remake that introduces a classic game to a new generation of players, while still remaining faithful to the original. It includes the original PSX Spyro trilogy lavishly remade using modern technology. A treat for children of all ages, including the adult ones. It is colourful, vibrant, expressive, cute and highly entertaining.

Of the three games, the first one was easily my favourite. It is the least complex, perhaps also the least mechanically mature, but it is a tight platformer with a very consistent and excellent art style. It is also the most open and easiest to progress in. The game only really shows its teeth when you try to go the extra mile and get all the collectibles. Then there is some hard platforming involved.

The second game expands on the first one greatly, adding elements such as missions/challenges, as well as proper NPCs. Most of the additions are quite welcome. At the same time though, all the added dialogue breaks the flow of the game somewhat and the art style is less consistent. It is also by far the hardest of the three. Very noticeable during challenges and also during boss fights.

The third game expands the scope even further, introducing tons of mini-games and even additional playable characters. I found the additions here largely detrimental. Many of the mini-games were just too different and as a result rather unpolished experiences. Furthermore, none of the additional characters played anywhere near as well as Spyro. That said, the core of the game is still present and is still great despite the extraneous fluff.

Unfortunately, the remake does have a number of bugs and glitches. Nothing major or game-breaking. But they can still be an irritation. They were more prevalent in the second and third games. I imagine the originals were themselves buggier due to their massively expanded scope. The majority of glitches affect mini-games/challenges in the third game and can often be alleviated by temporarily limiting the FPS to 30. Yes I know, 30 FPS... yikes!

Overall, this was a great buy. I was somewhat surprised at just how much I liked it. Though I do have a soft spot for a few titles and characters here and there, I have never been too fond of 3D platformers. Being a fan of the more classic 2D platformers instead. Nevertheless, this game was exactly what the kid inside needed. Highly recommended.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker blindsided me. I bought it expecting another halfway decent Infinity Engine throwback, to scratch that Baldur's Gate nostalgia itch I get from time to time. A decent game, but nothing special. What I got instead is the best Baldur's Gate-like game I've played since Baldur's Gate 2. A game of such grand scale and scope, of such ambition, that rarely I have the good fortune of experiencing. What a pleasant surprise that was.

The game tells the story of an adventurer who wins his own land and becomes ennobled. It then follows the adventures of the neophyte ruler as he builds up his small backwards barony into a true kingdom. The game is divided in two parts. Kingdom management and good old-fashioned adventuring. I found this idea of playing an adventurer-ruler very fresh and interesting. I got a lot of fun out of building up my kingdom and interacting with advisers, making choices on what kind of realm I wanted and slowly expanding. As for the adventuring part. Well that's a lot more standard fare. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

On top of its core premise, the game spins an engaging tale and is peppered with some very likable companions/NPCs. It is one of the few games of this type that made me want to play a bit with every single one of the companion characters, that made me care and want to explore all of their stories. Sure they are not exactly that many, but still it is an accomplishment. And some characters like Harrim or Amiri stroke a chord with me. The dour, fatalist dwarf cleric who can't wait to die. The bold, boisterous female barbarian whose actual deeds of valour don't quite match up to her bluster. It was so interesting to see these characters grow, overcome their shortcomings and become true heroes. The same goes for virtually all companions.

The game of course is not perfect. Games of such scope rarely are. For starters it's plagued by a plethora of bugs. Luckily for me, none of the bugs I encountered were actually game-breaking, mostly cosmetic or mildly annoying, but apparently that was not the case at launch and I wouldn't be surprised if some such bugs still lurk somewhere in the game. Besides bugs there are other hints that the game was made by a small, rather inexperienced, studio. QoL features are sorely lacking, the amount of clicking I had to do sometimes, like when I needed to get rid of excess baggage so I could enter the world-map, is staggering. The game has certain sudden difficulty spikes that can completely wreck your party and cause annoyance. It also includes lots of very irritating enemy types, particularly towards the end.

Aside from these major issues, there are plenty of smaller issues too. The number of portraits is woefully small. Several of the maps for the various small locations are effectively copy pasted. Kingdom management itself can end up causing headaches, particularly due to the design choice to have strict time limits for every act of the game. Yes indeed, the game has no open-ended mode or period. The clock is always ticking and if you fail to act, your campaign is done for. While I understand the reasoning behind that, it does enforce a sense of urgency, I still regret never being given the chance to sandbox-build my realm.

All that said, the game is indeed a diamond, a rough one, but a diamond still. In fact for any fans of the Infinity Engine games out there this is an absolute must and I can't recommend it enough. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Owlcat Games and any future games of theirs.