Recent reviews by KingOfJacks

it's playable, but it's too polished for something that needs a lot more work on first-principles, like the combat and platforming.

the wall-jumping and double-jumps feel terrible and too heavy.

the combat is too hard too play as it is intended. the best way to play is to wave-dash the sword up and down.
and don't mistake "too hard" as in "didn't want to get good", it's too hard because it's very arbitrary and abilities are needlessly strict (like jumping and time freeze).

the tutorial screen is misleading about what buttons actually do what.

the writing is passable, might be good.

the music is phenemonal, but might need to be played less in your face at base or median difficulty parts, ramping up for boss battles.

- no reward for sequence breaking in obvious placing.

on choice:
- doesn't know what to do with considerate players.
+ knows what to do with inconsiderate players.

as in:
some players will be bleakly realistic and not take the bait, which makes the game fall flat.
only if players take the bait, try to escape, does the loss thing really pan out.

this one needs to be taken back to the cutting room floor.
you're trying to make a disco elysium-esque game, but in disco elysium, the setup is shorter and very strongly indicates you have no choice (black screen, linear dialog, drama to keep you engaged), but then it very quickly gives control to the player so they can explore in the order they prefer.

having your demo be a giant train track discourages people from playing.
I can't help but walk away from this feeling it's going to be railroaded disco elysium-esque game, without the good political insight, witty writing or player agency.

guns good, game bad.

overly focused on graphical fidelity, compared to making stealth work.
makes certain achievements overly obtuse, for example, "kill only visionaries and win the game" does not update you on if you are on track for the achievement, making it easy to throw away tens of hours of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ stealth gameplay.

incomplete.
story ends after first arc.
too generic too recommend in spite of it's unfinished nature.

The game is a movie interlaced with solving logistical issues in tranquil, but deadly landscapes.
I personally got enjoyment out of it because i like planning huge transports, transporting any packages in towards their destination, even if it means they only go halfway for now.
The slow but inevitable march from having to do things on foot unlocking faster transport options is very nice.

main con: they have an amazing soundtrack, but only allow you to play it in-game if you sit still in your room and don't open any other menu's. they should allow trucks to play music, even though they might not be allowed to due to licensing constraints.

A middle-aged cop in an alternate universe east-block country reinvents himself through the use of various ideologies (as they would be wielded by a middle-aged, waste-of-space cop) all the while trying to solve the murder-by-lynching of a hired gun.
Don't mistake this game for a walking simulator or a visual novel, it is first and foremost an RPG in a style you haven't played before.

my advice:
1. allow yourself to roleplay, don't limit your choices through self-imposed rules.
2. The game rewards exploration and messing up, not every failure is a failure, so don't save scum!
3. DON'T SAVE SCUM, you won't enjoy succeeding every check.

Edit 2023:
Just split the IP and give all the original creators permission to work in Elysium you ghouls. Why did the game have to be so prophetic about its own fate (being co-opted by capital).

not worth any money.
Wouldn't buy even if it was a single euro.
it's short and not funny.

the controls are terrible, and not in an intentional way.
the final boss battle is not difficult, it's frustrating, the timing is all over the place.

Good, harsh game.
The animations and their dragging timing might feel wrong at first, but they will feel...appropriate once you have done several runs.
They are not badly written, it is simply unconventional and initially disorienting.

it feels beatable, if only i was better at the game.
i have "won", but not won, the true ending, if you will.

very fun.
would benefit from public respository of images.