Recent reviews by Echo

Valheim was an instant success for the friend group and I. What can I say? We have collectively put hundreds and hundreds of hours into it, with no end in sight! From seafaring long boat adventures to long corpse runs in the plains, I cannot quite explain the number of hilarious encounters I have had. I enjoy the game's building and settlement aspect, while I have hunter/gatherer friends, mining friends, and exploring friends. There is combat, crafting, and cooking too. Players can turn on friendly fire for those who like that playstyle. To think this is just the EARLY access blows my mind. It has many different elements for a variety of players. I love Norse mythology, so the game's story that includes the World Tree and the Afterlife piqued my interests. While I can personally enjoy it on my own, some may not, and it is definitely enhanced with friends, so keep that in mind. Overall, I recommend this game, especially if you enjoy open-world survival games!

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Easily became one of my all-time favorite games. It's story-driven but very, VERY worth the playthrough. The care and handling that went into exploring Senua's mental illness, the magnificent soundtrack(especially when fighting the Northmen), Helheim itself, Senua's character, everything is incredibly well done. I enjoyed the combat; it was very straightforward but helped change up the pace of the cleverly added puzzles and intense character narrative. Highly recommend this game. The playtime is relatively short, definitely doable within one sitting. The lorestone feature stood out to me as an excellent way of including intricate Norse lore references. Play with headphones and with minimal distractions! It's genuinely a heart-wrenching, terrifying descent into madness!