Recent reviews by Flipocrite

A cute little game with a cute little story. It's a basic point-and-click adventure with the quirk that it is entirely text free - and the story is simple enough that it can be told without words. Though a thoroughly enjoyable experience that was well worth the price, it's not really a game with replay value or a particularly memorable plot. That said, it does well to exceed expectations, no matter what they may be.

Research is Expensive and Time-Consuming: The Game
10/10

This game represents everything a choose-your-own adventure story strives to be - an engaging art form with a plot thick like butterscotch sauce. Undertale provides a riveting story with in-depth characters and backgrounds, illustrated with beautiful scenery and a glorious soundtrack. The nature of the tale occasionally steps outside the fourth wall, but this is done so gracefully and as a true plot device rather than a just-for-laughs gimmick. The plot itself varies from nightmare fuel to a bit of dating simulator (if you so choose), but what you get out of the game depends mostly on the choices you put into it. Toby Fox et al. create a whole new world and a loving new family in the Underground, who will take you in as one of their own. And most importantly, it's all up to you what you give to them, and who you take away.

The Binding of Isaac is nothing less than a roguelike masterpiece. It stands alone both in gameplay and the darker meaning[www.twinfinite.net] behind it (heavy spoilers in link), but still has remarkable replay value and visual appeal to anyone looking for a well-developed game.

As with any roguelike, a good run through The Binding of Isaac requires an impeccable blend of luck and skill. On the less-than-good runs, you'll be more challenged than frustrated - and depending on what items you may find, there is always hope.

Whether playing with the expansion or with just the base game, the biggest flaw is also what helps make The Binding of Isaac (and many other roguelikes) great. There are so many items and it is difficult to keep track of them all. What makes this flaw particularly bad, however, is the lack of explanation for a given item. While it is true that many do have some sort of caption upon acquisition, the fact that many items cannot be dropped or that the captions may be vague means that a player may be stuck with or having activated an unfavorable item. Especially with beginners, one will encounter an unfamiliar item, give it a test-run, and - surprise! - you've hurt yourself. Some of the passive items (like the trinkets in The Wrath of the Lamb expansion) are too passive; they will activate only under extremely specific circumstances, like 1/4 chance of being active for a level or once every 10 rooms cleared. These items not only are often useless, but the player is left in a futile dilemma of which to take or leave behind. Instead of blindly guessing, a player may resort to viewing the wiki[bindingofisaac.wikia.com] just for some documentation of which items do what. Many roguelikes have few enough items with obvious effects (e.g. Spelunky) or provide a clear explanation of what items do what (e.g. FTL). Neither of these traits apply to The Binding of Isaac, so new players may find themselves running the game with the wiki opened in the background.

Aside from the stated flaw, The Binding of Isaac is an experience for which no review can do justice. The dark humor and pop-culture references combined with stacking items and multiple endings makes a game more than worth the given price. The unique visual style may look to some like a cheap flash-game, but don't judge a game by its art; the story behind The Binding of Isaac, like Isaac's basement or a good chocolate cake, has layers. Also like a good chocolate cake, you won't want to stop digging until you've killed your mother and gone to hell.

9.5/10

An equally fitting name for Antichamber would be "Escher's Dungeon".
You'll never have so much fun getting lost.

10/10

Risk of Rain is a sci-fi platforming roguelike where you pick a character and run through levels while collecting a massive selection of (stackable) items to make yourself stronger and more likely to survive long enough to find a way home. The catch is that the more time you spend alive, the more numerous and difficult the enemies become, so there is a trade-off between mining levels for items and speedrunning. Any fan of Spelunky will appreciate its extraplanetary equivalent, but there are a few less-than-desirable traits which should be of note.

Unlike Spelunky, Risk of Rain has a diverse set of classes from whom to choose. However, I believe they could be placed on a bit more equal footing. Where many games of all kinds, from TF2 to The Binding of Isaac, make sure that different classes are well balanced, Risk of Rain has certain characters which are clearly far worse than the others (no matter what one's individual strategy may be). Contrary to the achievement name, you will find the Robot Janitor, and you will regret it. Classes like the Enforcer or the Robot Janitor are simply too slow to stand any chance against mid-game swarms of enemies. They are, indeed, powerful classes, but the level difficulty ramps up too quickly to avoid the swarms (whether you choose to search for items or speedjogataleisurelypace). If you do not quickly find several of the same very specific items, you will die more frustrated than entertained. The other "weaker" classes have some method of teleporting or defense-rolling to safety, but there is no health pool large enough to save you from enemies too numerous to kill and too fast for you to run away. That said, playing as the other classes yields a roguelike challenge with items and enemies worth the time and money.

Overall, Risk of Rain is a good game with uniquely designed aesthetics and gameplay mechanics. This sci-fi roguelike poses a challenge which, though sometimes frustrating, still maintains considerable replay value.
8.5/10

The essence of the game is captured in the croc mask for which the given effect is "more gore".
10/10

A minimalistic adventure into just how bad at gaming you really are.
10/10

FTL is one of the finest roguelikes in gaming history, complete with a unique art style and captivating soundtrack. You start out with the most basic equipment, but you'll bulk up your ship from a massive selection of weapons, augments, drones, upgrades, systems/subsystems, and crew. It requires a bit of micromanagement and planning, but the element of roguelike luck keeps you on your toes so you never become too attached to one particular strategy.

"Missiles seem to be working well for me, but what if I run out?"
"Do I spend scrap on upgrading my blast doors, or risk being boarded by the Mantis or Rock?"
And above all,
"How much do I like burning things?"

With bombs, missiles, laser shots, laser beams, and flak weapons (which may cause hull, system, crew, breach, stun, ion, or fire damage while faring differently against shields, improved engines, cloaking, and defense drones), no full playthrough will ever be remotely the same, and you'll never want it to be.

This is a work of today's finest contemporary art in video game format.
The Stanley Parable is an interactive commentary on the nature of gaming, storytelling, and (depending on interpretation) the human condition.
For a $15 game, however, The Stanley Parable does have somewhat limited replay value. But even so, the gameplay experience is surreal, thought-provoking, and at times downright humorous. Though a little costly, The Stanley Parable is a must-have work of art.

Please note:

• if you are the type of person who would enjoy this game, you will play it without spoiling it so you may fully enjoy this game
  
• if you have spoiled it, you are no longer the type of person who will enjoy this game
  
• If you do not feel compelled to buy/wishlist the game after watching the trailers or reading reviews, you will not enjoy this game
  
• if you are an achievement farmer, you will DEFINITELY NOT enjoy this game
  
• if you are Raphael, you will not enjoy this game