Recent reviews by Glome

Great game, but my concern is that it's raising the standard for indie games too much and offering a blood-soaked beacon of hope for the future of the industry. As long we gamers collectively realize that gaming is normally supposed to suck, I highly recommend Turbo Underkill, even though it makes insert-your-favorite-indie-game-here look like crap. Bobby Kotick cried when he saw the average Steam score here. Do you really want to keep making Bobby cry??? You heartless monster.

Also, holy crap the soundtrack is the best of the year, and that is NOT an exaggeration. It starts out with the usual darksynth vibes but episode 3 knocks it out of the park with orchestral arrangements, a JAZZ METAL track, and more gravitas than Hans Zimmer flushing a toilet after taking a giant BWOOOM into it.

This one is 2 Fast, 2 furious, and simply 2 good for most gamers. We deserve so much less than this.

Jokes aside, Turbo Overkill is an absolute artistic achievement. It's one of the very few early access games I've seen truly live up to its potential. The game is dripping with love and care (ew not that kind) in a way that few pieces of media do, let alone games, which as we have all agreed, are really getting too good and need to take it back a notch before we start making Blizzard look bad again. This game knocks it out of the park visually, sonically, and uhm, gameplay-istically. An absolute must play if you are a shooter fan. 5/5 stars, 9.5/10, do pass go, do collect 200 dollars (And buy ten copies of this with it).

"Let's do it man... let's take the shrooms".

A little later you're on your weird friend's couch and it really starts to kick in. You make the terrible mistake of leafing through his H.R Giger coffee table book, and you are instantly transported to the realm of bio-mechanical ♥♥♥♥ and ♥♥♥♥♥. All you can do is grope blindly through a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ film grain effect you can't turn off. ♥♥♥♥ man. If you'd pay 50 bucks for a good boomer trip, you can cough up 40 bucks for this absolute gorgeous nightmare of a game.

Scorn is as Scorn does. In the absence of stilted dialog or strangely well-articulated bloody messages on walls, Scorn just tosses you into the deep end, laughing as you splash about in its immaculately designed grey ooze. It is porn for the imagination.

In its gameplay, Scorn most closely channels the essence of old-school adventure games like Myst or Zork. So much of the fun comes from figuring out what the ♥♥♥♥ is going on. What does this horrific device do? Do I just plug it into this hole? Or the other one? Man, I always mess that one up. Ultimately, though, the gameplay is not the draw here, and if you're hoping for deep erotomechanics you will be sorely disappointed.

The world of Scorn is not a scornful one so much as it is an unfeeling one. Grimy metal surfaces drip with cold scraps of skin and bone. The struts of forgotten machinery creak and bend like so many mummified limbs. Intestinal hallways snake in and around massive interior structures like maggots through the thorax. Dessicated green bodies dry hard into the eeriest and strangest rigor mortis. Dead planets of shattered earth and ancient flesh and obelisks looming in fog... Scorn is pure visual poetry and contains some of the best art direction I've ever witnessed.

There is a profound sense of emptiness and isolation that the game engenders in its bleakest and most beautiful moments. As a long time fan of Giger (and one who oddly enough does NOT dabble in BDSM), Scorn is like stepping into the artist's own mind.

Scorn excels as a horror game. In some ways I can liken it to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre -- a film that is soaked in artful disgust instead of gore and cheap jump-scares. Both of these culminate in brilliant scenes of pure, unfiltered dread.

At one critical point, you're forced to no longer play the role of innocent observer and you become just as cruel and thoughtless as the denizens of Scorn's wet twisting tunnels and towering, wind-swept facades. You'll know it when you see it, and this early sequence absolutely nails the themes of dread, pity, and disgust that permeate this macabre work of art.

But yea prob wait for it to go on sale lol

Cultic is special. For one, it's got Immersive Sim Elements(tm). As we all know, any game without stackable crates and flushable toilets is literally unplayable. Being able to find secrets with creative problem solving (stacking crates) is great fun and adds a lot of freshness to the experience. In some levels you can even stack barrels as well, effectively doubling the emergent gameplay on offer.

This is the *actual* Blood 2 we never got, mashed up with the semi-open level design and charmingly hideous textures of Thief: The Dark Project. I'm one of those geriatric weirdos who loves secret hunting and the ones here are balanced just right between frustratingly vague (cough Ion Fury cough) and insultingly easy to find.

Cultic's incredible presentation also helps--I love the Satanic Panic vibe to the whole thing--and the music especially (was that a riff on the Phantasm theme in the Crypts??).

Unlike Blood, which is chock-full of campy horror references, Cultic is a little less schlocky and a lot more grim. Oh yeah, this game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ scary. If you are a human being with a pulse, you will absolutely jump in your seat more than once.

The combat is chunky -- which is the only thing I ever want combat to be. The dynamite will satisfy you. Deeply.

I'm still working my way through the first chapter, but there's clearly way more on offer here than most EA (early access not the other one) games. Cultic is a clear axe cut above the rest.

9 Crudux Cruo's /10

this game made me nut harder than a Planters factory

The NIOH series is one of the most underrated of all time.

This game, like Nioh 2, truly has it all -- a deep combat system, incredibly addicting RPG mechanics (you ALWAYS feel like you're making progress or finding something new), fantastic presentation and story (the plot is serviceable, but the world-building, art design, and character design is top notch). This game goes FAR beyond the "souls-like" label and honestly, it's better than any of the Souls games by a long shot. There, I said it -- now play this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game!!

*** UPDATED 1.0 REVIEW ***

Jupiter Hell is ♥♥♥♥♥♥' awesome. This is the best turn-based, combat-focused game since XCOM 2. Don't get me wrong -- the game plays totally differently, but fans of XCOM will be right at home. In many ways, I *prefer* Jupiter Hell -- it's got a straight-forward, blood and guts approach that makes it super fun and easy to pick up. The base mechanics are simple yet deep. It's definitely going to kick your ass though, and thanks to it I've cursed at my monitor at 3AM far more than my neighbors would like. Yet, it's extremely approachable and the second you die you just want to play more to see what sort of a cool class you can build out this time, what crazy weapon you'll find or what dumbass way you'll die next (my favorite was when I got a perk that set enemies near to me on fire -- something that paired poorly with explosive barrels).

One thing that may throw some people off is the lack of meta-progression; if you die, you die, and you're back to square one. There's no grinding for higher HP or starting perks here, folks. You git ♥♥♥♥♥♥' gud or you die -- and the game itself is deep enough to make the learning process a real joy.

This is a real gamer's game. It's the sort of thing that will keep you up at night planning your next run. It's absolutely addictive. It would also be perfect on mobile or handheld (nudge nudge @ developers). It's begging to be played on a Steam Deck!

Just like Doom, the tone and setting is gloriously campy; I love the gratuitous profanity and violence as it's all delivered in an endearing tongue-in-cheek manner and doesn't take itself too seriously. The music and sound effects are also fantastic, with a rocking metal soundtrack and great ambient sound effects (sound being a particularly important aspect as enemy barks will often give away their position). The game has some hilarious voice acting as well. Of all things, there was a reference to David Fincher's "Se7en" that had me grinning like an idiot. That was when I realized I really love this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game! It's chock-full of personality and makes a fantastic first impression.

If there are any small criticisms I can leverage--I had to really think hard to come up with any--it's that the level design is a bit repetitive after awhile. I'd love to see more crazy maps! Ultimately though, this isn't a real mark against the game as it's so fantastically designed across the board. Also, this is coming from someone who has played it for 100 hours. ;p

The development team has also been fantastic with updates and communication; it's clear they are good at taking feedback from their fans while remaining true to their creative vision. Not an easy balance to strike.

At the current price point, the game is an absolute steal -- I would have gladly paid a full $60 for it. I highly recommend Jupiter Hell. It's truly one of the best games I've played all year. This is my new favorite rogue-like and as far as gameplay and fun factor is concerned, it's infinitely superior to games like Spelunky, Hades, etc. Highly, highly recommended. 10/10

Sweet Jesus this game is awesome. I'll get the Souls comparison out of the way -- yes this game borrows massively from the Souls games, but they don't stop there -- Nioh adds so much to the table that it is essentially a brand new experience. Both Niohs are incredibly addictive and there really isn't anything else out there like them. The level of depth, complexity, and content here is unmatched, especially with the insane new game+ modes which are where the "real game begins". Nioh 2 is having your cake and eating it too -- an exceptionally fun combat system made by the battle masters at Team Ninja AND an RPG back-end that rivals and surpasses most all comers. Getting one of these in their own right would be awesome enough. Having them in one package? One of the greatest games I've played in years.

Graphics: 8/10. Overall a fantastic looking game. The environments in particular look great, if a little repetitive sometimes. The RTX support doesn't seem to add much, though, at the cost of a big performance hit.
Gameplay: 9/10. Super tight controls and gameplay loop. The more you play it, the more fun it becomes. Highly challenging, but also consistent and fair.
Sound: 7/10. Great music, and some quality voice acting as well. Nothing to write home about, though.
Story: 7/10. Cliche-ridden, but also some great dialogue. It won't surprise you, but it's competent enough and kept me playing.
Replayability: 7/10. Depends on how much you're interested in time trials, leaderboards, and collectibles. Definitely some solid replay value in that case. The levels are very replayable and there's a new game+ mode that is great fun.
Tilt: 9/10. This game is full of character and personality, and in spite of wearing its influences on its sleeve it feels fresh and unique.
Final Score: 8.0/10. Fantastic indie title. Absolutely recommended for gamers who enjoy a challenge!

Glome here--

This is my new favorite indie Soulslike. It channels the spirit of Dark Souls particularly well; the real meat of Hellpoint is in the atmosphere and exploration. The combat is solid and fun as well -- I especially enjoyed the weapon familiarity system which definitely added a lot of depth to the combat in the later game.

Ultimately, it's the presentation of the game that really hooked me. Irid Novo is a bleak and beautiful place, and a totally original one as well. You can get lost very easily in the labyrinthine levels but I loved this. This game is a dream come true for completionists and secret hunters. There is so much to see and do that it's overwhelming at times. The plot, while derivative in places, is nonetheless swathed in mystery and thus remains compelling.

HIGHLY recommended for any and all Souls fans. 9/10

My personal favorite game in the series -- what it sometimes lacks in originality, it makes up for with polish and just plain fun. A must-play for action RPG fans. The Souls series and DS3 in particular has the best melee combat in gaming. The rich mechanics, world-building, and level design are the icing on the cake. Multiplayer is also excellent and the servers are still very populated to this day. 9/10