Recent reviews by Rebel Blob

My core recommendation of Colony Ship is that it is a well-designed and self-contained RPG.

The closest comparison I can provide is the original Fallout, another game relying on traditional pen-and-paper RPG roots. It is designed to replicate a single campaign that one might play on a tabletop RPG, one that can be replayed multiple times with different character builds and decisions for a variety of experiences and endings. It rewards thoughtful players, who put effort into character design and manage their expectations about what any one character can accomplish. It also delivers a good and well-rounded story, one that pays off well based on choices made throughout a playthrough, without needing to be epic in scope.

The combat design is tough and slower-paced than many RPGs, but it is rewarding to master and has options to explore. It is a matter of understanding the combat system and building a character with a narrow focus that takes advantage of compatibilities within the system. It is not a power fantasy, and the limits on what a single character can accomplish creates interesting changes when replaying the game with different character builds.

The graphical side of the game is good without being outstanding. There is a surprising amount of detail if you look closely, with environments that can be surprisingly vast and varied. At the same time, you won’t mistake this as anything other than an independent game, despite being a nice looking one at that. The music is nice, conveying an appropriate theme for each area, though it can get repetitive for areas that you spend large amounts of time in.

Overall, Colony Ship is an extremely solid entry into the canon of Western RPGs. While it may not be revolutionary for the genre, its overall quality puts it into the upper echelon. It is aimed at fans of a specific genre and I’d strongly recommend it for such fans. If isometric, Western RPGs with turn-based combat are your cup of tea, you won’t go wrong with Colony Ship.

It is one of those games that is a relaxing pleasure to play.

A wonderful game that is easy to pick up and play for as short or as long as you want. It is one of my zen games, something that I can just sink into, only having to keep track of the simple game mechanics while I mentally unwind. Even the very aesthetic of the game is serine and relaxing, it is easy to imagine these little island cities come to life with their bright colors and minimalist design. There is very little pressure for success, even "losing" just mean starting over with a new chain of islands.

I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed INFRA. It is a difficult game to understand before playing it, as it is unlike most other games. It is very low-key, strongly reminding me of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst or the atmospheric non-combat atmospheric sections of the Metro 2033 series. Quiet, melancholic exploration of abandoned and decayed industrial locations with a tinge of strangeness.

INFRA consists playing as a structural engineer using a camera to catalogue dangerous conditions through the neglected infrastructure of a city. Naturally, as the game progresses the plot expands, as evidence is uncovered about a number of interlinking conspiracies that have corrupted the fictional city of Stalburg. Aside from wandering through the levels taking pictures the gameplay consists of frequent environmental puzzles. The little danger in the game is usually from these puzzles that can be occasionally dangerous in the ways that you would expect from deteriorating infrastructure. The largest puzzles are often optional and can span entire levels, such as repairing the many issues of a malfunctioning water treatment plant. I found these to be the most rewarding, solving problems across an entire level so that a large operation runs correctly again. For the most part the puzzles are clearly logical and reward common sense, though there is the rare puzzle that requires obscure logic.

INFRA is obviously built on the Source engine and can be a beautiful game at times, but though sheer design and not because the game has particularly high fidelity. Despite its occasional expansive scene, much of the game takes place in underground maintenance tunnels or other cramped passageways. The human characters look particularly primitive and are barely animated, so are used particularly sparsely. Which turns out to the game's benefit, rarely seeing other characters strengthens the lonely atmosphere of industrial decay. The voice acting primarily relies on the protagonist, who has quite the accent. Though I found his gruff utterances growing on me as the game went on. Where INFRA really succeeds is in it's atmosphere, in the lonely decay that pervades the game and a constant sense of subtle weirdness. Alongside the official city infrastructure you constantly come across traces of underground communities using that infrastructure for there own ends, such as the harvesting of toxic mushrooms for their psychedelic properties. INFRA is mostly grounded, yet has the occasional moment of sheer strangeness that keeps the game's atmosphere enchantingly off-kilter.

In the end it is not a game that will wow anyone with its technical achievements, writing, or other tangible assets; but thrives on its sheer atmosphere. I had no idea of what to make of it before playing it, after all it is a game centered around photographing evidence of dangerous decay in city infrastructure! To my great surprise it ended up as one of my favorite games of the year, on the strength of its atmosphere. I also appreciated the general groundedness of the puzzles and how the largest of those puzzles required repairing entire complexes worth of interacting systems. It is also a surprisingly long game, at least 25 hours if you don't try for the optional content.

When the world gets you down, there are few games out there as comforting as ETS2. Instead of worlds to save or enemies to vanquish, you simply drive around Europe making deliveries. It is an easy game to fall into for hours at a time, as the road passing by and a good radio station create their own relaxing rhythm. Perfect for a low-key experience.

A hidden gem. It reminds me of video game equivalent of a great eighties action movie. Just ignore the voice command gimmick and go along for the ride. Special mention to the extremely satisfying way robots blow apart as you shoot them and the boss fights.

A strange game of a sort you don't see much these days. Its core strength is the gameplay. The game sets you loose in large open levels, while providing an assortment of toys and powers to mess around in whatever way you see fit. In regards to the story it is better to just go with the flow, soaking in the atmosphere while not trying too hard to figure out what is going on. It isn't a game that will appeal to everyone, but in its own little niche it shines.

You could simply describe this as an action RPG with a few gimmicks, but that would be missing the sheer experience Bastion is. I couldn't do it all justice, so just take that the game impressed me with its sheer cleverness. Not to mention the wonderful music. Get it now, no hesitation.

An extremely compelling FPS with unbeatable atmosphere. If you like games with a strong story or setting, Metro 2033 is quite possibly the best FPS in years that way.