Recent reviews by blake++

• Effortlessly stylish (as usual for Blendo Games)
  
• Hacking is fun, dynamic, and active, surprisingly so
  
• Many little details that really help flesh out the world
  
• Cool new gadgets and mechanics make heists incredibly interesting
  
• Open source!

• WAY TOO BRIEF: There's not enough time spent fleshing out the world and characters. I wanted more of an experience like Gravity Bone and Thirty Flights of Loving, games that really immerse you in their worlds and spend time showing you what it's like to exist in Nuevos Aires. In contrast, Quadrilateral Cowboy does not spend ANY time with its two other main characters & does not let you immerse in the world.
  
  • While the game does give you snapshots of the characters' lives through pictures in their homes, their strong friendship depicted ultimately falls flat when the actual game does nothing to support it. There is zero dialogue between any characters, which some reviews view favorably, but ultimately the lack of dialogue feels like it was not included just to not include it.
    
  • As for the world, I was really hoping for sections where I spend some time just walking and taking in the environment. Instead, most of the time outside of missions is spent in tiny rooms or areas that give you glimpses of the greater world, but it's not enough to feel like a true picture of it.
• The mechanics of QC are given their time to shine, but we really could've used some more puzzles near the end to fully test mastery of the gadgets and systems the game has to offer.
  
• Casing mechanic features minor bugs and some odd choices (you can die while casing)

Quadrilateral Cowboy is a fun, stylish puzzler that gives a decent challenge while constantly introducing new dynamic mechanics and interesting missions. This is undercut by its extreme briefness, leaving you wishing there was more of everything QC has to offer. Buy it on sale.

I have 350 hours in Celeste, completing all challenges except Farewell Golden (including all Full Clear Goldens), 350 hours in N++, and 16 hours in Dustforce. I have only played Smash Ultimate casually and have no experience in Melee. Where I decided to quit was in one of the early Air levels where the game asked me to utilize momentum conservation mechanics I did not understand and it did not teach me.

Default controls (keyboard), fullscreen, screen-shake OFF.

My main issues with ENTROPOLY lie in its lack of tutorials. While the game does a decent job of easing you into the basics via the levels, the game does not really explain the full scope of how your movement works, or why you have a dodge, or why you have 4 directional attacks, or that you can pull back on your dashes, or that pressing the dash button without a movement key makes you stay in place, or...you get the picture. This gave me the vibe that this game is meant for Melee players exclusively. I think this could be resolved by giving in-depth tutorials that the player can read and watch. With the game already having a "ghost" playback feature of your best run, this could be transformed into a Modded-Celeste-style gym which allows you to tackle the finer details of the movement system at your own pace with ghosts showing you how to move.

The game uses a "hub" system similar to Dustforce where you have to do mini platforming challenges to get to levels, which I found mostly gratifying, except for the fact that it respawns you at the center of the hub. I find this really annoying, and believe the areas should take note of where you were previously and respawn you at the nearest safe point.

As a minor note, I found kill zones on stage hazards to be incredibly weird and much smaller than they should be. I think it's good that the kill zone for these hazards aren't perfectly on model, but it's to the point where I get away with things I absolutely should not.[i.imgur.com]

The visuals and sounds are fantastic. The psychedelic art style fits the game very well and goes well with the upbeat music. The sound design feels good and fits the game well. However, the character feels basic and out-of-place in the game, which seems partially purposeful but also kinda not? Poly also reminds me very much of Celeste's Madeline.

With this being a platformer utilizing melee mechanics, I found the controls to be (expectedly) very alien and confusing. QWER for directional attacks, arrow keys for movement, a double jump, a dash on D, a dodge on S, an attack button on S (different from directional attacks ?), a brake button on A. There's also a buffer, which I don't even understand how that works? Like a buffer for inputs or? IDK, in general the whole system was just very overwhelming and intimidating. I think explanations on the side for some of the options would help players understand what these are used for.

While I do see a lot of potential in ENTROPOLY and a very high skill ceiling, players who are not experienced with Melee or platform fighters with similar mechanics will struggle to comprehend ENTROPOLY's overwhelming complex systems of movement. Unless an update happens that includes learning materials (no, tutorials on YouTube do not count lol), I will have to recommend those unfamiliar to not pick this one up.

I am very happy though to see that there is a game where Melee players who enjoy this style of movement have a more dedicated place to express it.

I spent a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ HOUR doing captchas to try and log in to my freshly made account. I had to get a friend to login to it for me and resend the email verification so then I could log in through the browser. Once I did that I still couldn't log in in-game so I had to add a phone number to my account, solve another captcha that takes 10 minutes, and then FINALLY I could play.

why do my friends have to like this game. i want to die. ♥♥♥♥ you blizzard

Foreword
I got 100%.
I had prior knowledge of some of the stuff that happens thanks to YouTube clips.
After a couple of endings I used a guide to keep better track of what paths I needed to go down and where, since there's no decision tree showing what paths you've taken in the main menu.

• The voice acting is utterly phenomenal and well done. It's done so well that the mediocre visuals just don't matter (mostly)
  
• The dialogue is humorous. I wasn't falling out of my chair laughing or anything, but the game did make me laugh quite often and I had a smile on my face the entire time playing it

• Characters have basically one pose and that's it. I think a few more poses for each character definitely would've enhanced the game. For example, it's hard to tell when someone is sitting or standing, and that changes how you view a scene mentally, so that would've been really nice
  
• Save system doesn't allow you to delete saves; you can't load from the in-game menu either, you have to load from the main menu
  
• In order to get all of the endings, you just have to remember where different paths might be. A decision tree in the menu showing which decisions you have or haven't seen would've been really good.
  
• If you humor one or two men in order to get something, it leads to you somehow being a pushover. It doesn't really make any sense. Context below.

Context:

I decided to humor Crispin at the beginning cuz I figured Nicole might be bored enough to go for that, and then also humored Mr White to get free food. Now all of a sudden Nicole's having to hang out with various guys since she can't bear to tell them to ♥♥♥♥ off. If you also pick the option "Delay an inevitable school shooting" when talking to Jeffery (diff route), this also leads to the same result. This leads to two different endings.

• Steam overlay is really laggy. I played in fullscreen so this could've had an effect on that.
  
• There's noticeable pixellation when the pictures in the intro sequence show up, and then it gets better the longer they're on screen. Not sure what caused this.
  
• Character animations keep going when you pause
  
• Background audio for ambiance noticeably loops
  
• Few spelling issues
  
• Sometimes words are missing from the text but the audio says them

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• Game's pretty short. I don't mind too much though; you get plenty of character development for all characters by exploring different paths.
  
• First ending I got was McDonalds, second was graduation.
  
• Favorite ending was graduation (including the secret video message you get for getting all the endings)

Overall, I had fun while playing Class of '09, but I think it could've majorly benefited from some polishing. Hoping that The Re-Up is a bit better in this regard.

I've played a decent amount of precision platformers: namely N++, Dustforce, VVVVV, and some others.
While I don't have as much experience as dedicated fans of the genre, I do know what I like in terms of movement and gamefeel; I grew up on Source Engine movement which is known for offering massive amounts of depth. When I play games that involve movement, I usually know why and how they do or don't feel good.

Celeste is astoundingly responsive. Madeline, the protagonist, has satisfying movement that manages to feel extremely tight without feeling fake and lifeless, partly due to the animation. She's the most fun platformer character I've ever interacted with. Despite only having jumping and dashing for vertical movement options, with the amount of intended and unintended special tech[celeste.ink] in the game (some of which the game teaches you about!), her movement options almost feel unlimited once you learn a solid portion of the tech.
Additionally, all the external factors (except like one or two mechanics) feel great. They're responsive and have great depth to them, appearing multiple times throughout the game to teach the player new ways to interact with them. Even beyond that, there are more ways that you can interact with all of these mechanics that the game doesn't teach you about.

Celeste is a masterclass in good gamefeel and gameplay. I think this video by GMTK does a really good job at explaining why the game feels so good to play.

While mostly pretty simple and straightforward, Celeste's story remains one that I find incredibly empowering and emotional. I won't say too much to avoid spoilers, but it's just really solid. I won't say it's groundbreaking by any means, but it's gripping enough that it enhances the game.

While definitely a challenge, Celeste remains easy to pick up and play. It definitely turned me from someone who sucked at platformers to someone who was doing deathless runs of the chapters. There are plenty of hazards to watch out for, but Celeste makes everything feel like it's your fault, not the game's. Hazards are designed to have a smaller hitbox than they appear but still be enough of a threat to make playing extremely satisfying without the game taking it too easy on you. It goes a long way in reducing frustration in an otherwise difficult game.

Tech is shorthand for techniques; In Celeste, there exists "tech" based on Madeline's moveset. There is some tech that is intended and even taught to the player at certain points in the game, while other tech is unintended but still adds to the skill ceiling of the game without upping the skill floor. These new techniques get added to your ever growing arsenal, allowing for even faster completions or more skillful expressions of movement.

The music is just absolutely gorgeous from start to finish. Each track is perfect for the area it plays in and adds to the themes of that level, enhancing it. Lena Raine is insanely talented and deserves all of the fame she has and more.
On sound design, I'd say it's just overall really good. Most sounds are super cute (especially dialogue) but have the ability to be recontextualized and given a different appearance. For example, even though the dialogue sounds are super cute, in other moments, it can be heartwrenching or even stressing. Also, all sounds for the various mechanics remain distinct while remaining cohesive (except for Kevins/thwomps).

The game mostly uses pixel art, which while overused in the industry, I find still looks absolutely stunning. Instead of using more pixel art for the menu, it actually combines multiple other artstyles, which ends up working extremely well. The animators' use of animation techniques breathe new life into the pixel art and make it far more interesting and satisfying.

Celeste has a wide variety of accessibility and customization that allows for granular control on how the game plays. GMTK does a really great video on why Celeste's assist mode is so special, so I'll let him tell you why. The options allow for multiple types of bindings and the ability to turn off or on various features of the game, like screenshake.
There's also a large modding community that still is going strong to this day. There are ton of mods for all kinds of players, and even entire custom campaigns that take 30+ hours to finish easily, all with their own custom music and assets. It's really astounding.
Also, if you are interested in or are a speedrunner or TASer, this game is a perfect game to speedrun and also to start with. It's very based around user skill and features next to no randomness, and the game has many built in features for speedrunners to make it easy to try and speedrun.

• Getting a better boost on the bumper (something that the game expects you to understand) is not easily understandable compared to the other mechanics; however, this is different for each person on whether or not which ones you're able to grasp the deeper meaning of it through experimentation and gameplay. I definitely didn't on my first playthrough
  
• Kevin's sound effects feel mildly out of place compared to the rest of the mechanics in the game
  
• One block in Farewell results in confusion (the kevin coin room) where you assume the rest of the blocks of the same texture next to it aren't breakable even though they are
  
• Some strawberries are extremely poorly placed and offer no challenge to get to them. They don't teach you anything either
  
• The "point of no returns" that Celeste puts you through are really stupid 99% of the time; Sometimes it's not 100% clear if there will be a point of no return at certain parts and you're just stuck with it instead of being able to go back (often you would want to go back to explore for collectibles or to check other pathways)

This review does not do Celeste justice. The game is just truly a masterpiece. The level of quality and polish present in Celeste is astounding, and along with easy to install mods and custom levels, you could easily never stop playing it.

On a personal note, I'd like to share my journey with Celeste. The game helped me a lot with growing emotionally and mentally, as well as treating others and myself kinder, so I'd like to share how far I went with the game that Steam achievements don't really track.

My Celeste Spreadsheet[docs.google.com]

4 years ago, I 100%ed this game. I had to restart halfway into my 100% attempt because I had a power loss while playing and it corrupted my save entirely. But eventually I did 100% it, and I don't feel like revisiting it, but I do feel like I should tell people that it's good.

I don't quite remember all the reasons I loved it so much, but here's what I can remember best:

• The expanded narrative and variety of cast of characters is interesting
  
• The way the game limits the arsenal but also expands it in certain areas is interesting
  
• The brutal difficulty is incredibly fun
  
• I love how the game allows for both extremely fast-paced massacre sequences and slow, methodical gameplay
  
• I love how there's mod support and custom level support
  
• The story in general and the ultimate message
  
• The final sequences of the game are some of the best in any game ever
  
• The downtime and calm sequences are iconic (to me)
  
• The music and art are phenomenal
  
• All these years, all the clones it spawned still cannot come close to this level of mastery

I'd be remiss if I didn't put in a positive review at this point for this game that I love so dearly. I hope you enjoy it too!

• 90 FOV
  
• DoF, FSAA
  
• Used hints as a last resort

• Interesting areas and settings
  
• Incredible ambience and a feeling of dread follows you through your first initial trek

• Movement feels strangely icey
  
• It feels like this game runs at 60fps only or something
  
• The puzzles just aren't fun and are strangely designed

None of the puzzles feel rewarding to complete; I would've much preferred if this game was just a pure walking simulator exploring strange environments with powerful ambience. Instead it features an obtuse progression along with backtracking and stupid hidden collectibles forced into huge environments that lose their "wow" factor once you double back.

It's a good puzzle game with interesting lore and beautiful environments, all enhanced by a first person viewpoint. I was not "hooked" enough to dedicate my time to finishing the game and solving all of its puzzles, but I'm not big on difficult puzzle-focused games like this in the first place. I did enjoy my time with it though.

Recommend buying on sale.

Considering my low hour count, I'm not the most equipped to talk about this game. I will recommend the review of this game by Matthewmatosis as well as this video covering the game by Mental Checkpoint.

For the short version, this game is incredibly tight and well put together, with unreal sound design and extremely deep yet simple movement and shooting mechanics. There is nothing like it (besides HYPER DEMON, also made by this developer). The skill ceiling is incredibly high, and the skill floor is relatively low, allowing for any players that's decent at FPSes to jump in and start learning the game.

Buy this game if you like intense FPS experiences and enjoy challenges. You will not regret it.

• 90 FOV
  
• High preset
  
• Survival mode

• I love how the game just kinda sets me loose to figure out what i need to do
  
• World feels delightfully alien. Sound design is impeccable and the creatures make noises that are alien but familiar
  
• The plot is super interesting. the Sunbeam moment shocked me

• HUD elements aren't pinned to corners and take up too much screen space; subtitles are REALLY high above the toolbar
  
• Carry-all is useless
  
• Recipes not showing pros and cons of various fish is lame
  
• Code entering UI is trash
  
• It is not clear at all that you can repair the damages made to the drive pool in the crash. The dialog tells you basically not to
  
• Subtitle border unnecessarily big and in the way
  
• Using a wiki is really important as some stuff only crafts into one thing and one thing only, which could save you a ton of space. Using a wiki in general is good to make sure you understand aspects of the game, like the difference between a large wreck and a regular wreck

Frankly, I wish I had more to say about this game. It's cool and interesting for 10 hours, but after that point I realized just how much pure grinding and resource gathering I had ahead of me to progress. With all the grinding I had done up until that point, I didn't really see reasons to keep going. The world is stellar, the soundtrack is great, the graphics are gorgeous; I just could not enjoy the core gameplay loop for that long. It's been 4 months since I last played and every time I saw that game in my library, it just didn't seem like fun to hop back in.

I'm sure this is an impeccable game for others, but for me this is one that just didn't pull me enough to make me want to keep going.