Recent reviews by strumpet

Love this game. It's such a shame more didn't come from this series, because they really could've done a lot with it. Still great over a decade later, in my opinion one of Telltales gems.

I loved this game and it is so beautiful that it made me cry multiple times, so let me start with that sentiment. However, I couldn't recommend it because it is, in my opinion, unfinished.

This game is clearly the spiritual successor to Life Is Strange, and it does so well. The characters are compelling and complex. There are so many beautiful aspects to the game, yet it is far from perfect. The characters are a huge selling point for this game. The atmosphere of this game is excellent. It is beautiful, and it has a very, very beautiful soundtrack to accompany it. The gameplay has novel aspects, using the camcorder being really, really fun and different. On top of that, there are tons of really, really unique details in the game that really change depending on what you get. I love the way this game handles your relationship progression with the girls, it feels a lot more dynamic and realistic than some other decision making games. It makes it a joy to see how even little decisions will impact the game moving forward. The story is compelling, however I feel like it drops the ball in the end.

The cons of this game, well there are a few. For starters, and yes spoilers will follow, I really don't consider this a full game. I didn't follow the game's release schedule. So, at the end of this game, I literally thought it was alluding to the third chapter. Come to find out, that is the end of the game. That is the most succinct way I could sum up how unfinished and unsatisfying this ending is. It really has no ending at all. The storyline is very intriguing, but you learn very little about anything. You learn a lot about all the girls and their interpersonal relationships ( which I love by the way, it is extremely well done in that regard ) but the entire supernatural aspect of the game is a question mark. What is it? Where did it come from? Is it good or bad? You will not have these questions answered at all. The game ends on a huge cliffhanger, possibly insinuating that there will be a sequel to elaborate on what even happened in this game, but that's not a good thing. A sequel shouldn't have to finish the story of its predecessor, but add to it. A sequel to this game would literally have to finish what this one started, because it gave no closure at all. There are also a ton of glitches in this game, and admittedly none of them are really game breaking and easily ignored, they aren't altogether negligible. Glitches and issues include characters getting animation locked, lips not syncing to the dialogue and characters appearing randomly in scenes.

Despite all of this, I really love the game. Even in its unfinished state. This is what a Life is Strange game should be, and it puts Deck Nine to shame even in the state it is in. If it were finished or delivered on an ending, it would be so, so close to perfection. But because it literally answers no questions and I didn't even know it was over until I looked up when the third tape would come out and found out that tape 2 was the ending, I can't really recommend this.

My journey with this story began a few months ago. It was already good, as I had lost my dog recently and getting to play from the perspective of Chesley as he adventured with his owner Cailey was nostalgic and sentimental for me. I played just bit by bit, savoring the game and not trying to rush through it. Then in March my dad died suddenly and changed my whole life and by extension my whole experience with the game. It really became something I related to a lot more than I ever thought I would. I came back to it and only just finished it today and I really want to let everyone know that Farewell North is a poignant and familiar story of grief that most if not all players will relate to in some capacity.

This game has really beautiful music. It has great graphics which lends itself well to the beautiful setting of the Orkney Islands in Scottland. Many aspects of this game, even from the sounds it implements, remind me of Sky Children of The Light. If you like that game, chances are you will like this one too. The gameplay is nothing groundbreaking, although playing as a dog for the majority of the game is pretty innovative and I’ve never played a game that did that before. It is what you would expect from an atmospheric game such as this, and there are elements of puzzle-solving and platforming.

To be honest, the actual gameplay of this game is pretty light, although I don’t really mind that much. For example, there are only very light aspects of platforming. Then on the other hand some of the puzzle solving is a bit confusing and easy to get twisted around in. Another drawback to the game is that in my opinion there are a lot of mechanics that are very finnicky and temperamental. The getting in and out of the canoe for instance -- Chesley must stand at a very specific spot to get Cailey to prepare the canoe, as one example. These issues aren’t really something that bothered me a lot past minor annoyances, but they also weren’t negligible.

Where this game shines the greatest is in its storytelling. It is emotionally heavy and it delves right into a sentimental place from the very beginning of the game. I cried multiple times while playing. Symbolically, you begin the game in grayness and apathy, which represents how grief feels. But, despite how hard it is to confront the loss head-on and relive difficult memories, there is beauty to be found there, and the world begins getting restored with color. This is a game that was very clearly lovingly crafted and really hones in on sensitive, touching storytelling. I didn’t really expect to love this game as much as I did, as I had it on my wishlist for a while and picked it up on a whim while it was on a sale. Now I’m so glad I did. In only a month since my own dad died, in a sense it really did make me feel less alone in my grieving process and showed me how it can go and helped me a bit with it. I understood exactly how Cailey felt with her own loss, and I think most players will too.

TL;DR: A very story heavy game with light gameplay elements. A narrative feast that most any player will understand and relate to, complete with beautiful music and a beautiful setting to accompany it. Farewell North was on a mission to make players feel something, and in my opinion they succeeded.

The Sims 2 is an iconic game, known for pushing the boundaries of what the life simulation genre could do and being so rich in gameplay that it would be hard to follow even decades after its release. Some would say it is the best entry into The Sims franchise, and I think that is for good reason. This game is so full of nostalgia for many players, myself included. And for those players, you can now experience the classic The Sims 2 experience all over again – for better, and for worse.

This is the classic Sims 2 experience from 2004, complete with bugs, crashes and pink soup. The bugs in this game are not negligible. Having played both The Ultimate Collection and Legacy Collection, I think this most recent iteration is much buggier even still. To the developer’s credit, they are working on making it better and each patch I do believe they have made progress. However, these kinks should have been ironed out before being sold – asking for $30+ for a game that was already given away for free ten years ago with less bugs and more content at that is asking a lot. The least you could do would be to release it in a functioning state. So, despite them working on it still and releasing patches it is hard to commend them for it since that should have been done already.

There were times early on in my time with this game that it really rarely crashed. Granted, that was after a few patches already rolled out. Then as I played more and more, the crashes started happening a lot more frequently and where at the start I could get an hour or two of gameplay in before crashing, I can now get maybe 20 minutes. This game makes The Sims 3 look stable, and that is saying something.

On an aside, EA “stole” old mods that the community made to fix the game and put them in without asking or even crediting the creators they took from. Yeah, all of the property modders work with belongs to EA, but it still is very underhanded and lazy. At that point, why not have some of those modders help you with fixing the stuff up before releasing the game in the first place?

The upside to this version is that it’s more convenient and is allegedly still receiving support. I don’t necessarily regret my purchase, because just for the convenience this version gives, to me it is worth it. I hope that they will continue to work on the kinks that need fixing. I love the game, and I spent many hours with The Ultimate Collection with a lot less issues. Now I’m ready to play this in a way that I can just focus on enjoying it.

TL;DR – If you really want to play The Sims 2 in a convenient way and have it through Steam and all the boons that come with that, then it will probably be worthwhile to you. And make no mistake, even despite the bugs and crashes, I’ve really enjoyed this game. I just couldn’t ever in good conscience with how they rolled the game out recommend it to anyone firstly, and secondly in its current state it is inexcusably buggy. My recommendation would be to the person who has no use for playing it through Steam, look up a video and find a way to play the Ultimate Collection OR if you are patient enough to wait, wait until they patch the game up more and there are less bugs.

Dark Hours is fun, and it's a really cool experience with friends. The only downside is, in my opinion, that it feels unfinished and it is still far too early in development to really suggest. It is still improving, but the lack of variety and maps makes it so it is repetitive.

Don't Starve Together is a unique survival game that is fun with friends, though gets same-y fast.

This is definitely just my own taste in the games I play, because this type of game isn't my normally in my wheelhouse. So, understandably, my perspective on this game is going to be that of someone who isn't really into this type of game usually. It is fun, and you can really get a lot of value out of it with a group of friends, but I really, really find myself tiring of it quickly. I wouldn't recommend it personally, because even though I think some people will probably like it more than I did, I do think it is same-y and gets tired after a while.

Dream Daddy is a dating simulator where you can live out your wildest, most impractical fantasy: men being emotionally available to you ( and even some who aren't if you like to keep things realistic. )

Going ahead and reviewing because I've already played the whole game on switch -- I still love it, and I love it enough to get it again on Steam. I really enjoy it, and it's a game that my friends and I like to play together and watch as the game unfolds and name the characters after ourselves and laugh at us getting dysentery and getting shot by a rifle tipping over in the wagon or getting stampeded -- the list goes on and on. It's simple, and it's a game that I don't play for long at a time, but it's a fun and strangely calming experience.

If I could grade on a scale, I definitely wish I could with this game. It isn't wholly bad, don't get me wrong. There are parts that I really enjoy. Some aspects of the game really lend themselves well to almost itching a 'cozy game' place in your brain, however you can also do battle if you want to. The decision is interesting, and I enjoy that they give the players that option. Other parts will clearly please any player who is a fan of grand strategy games, or namely fans of games such as Crusader Kings or Age of Empires. That I also appreciate, as I enjoy both of those games. So, why do I wish that I could grade on a scale? A few reasons.

To start with the cons, I feel like there are too many moving parts to the game and without reading very carefully you will get lost very quickly because there are many nuanced things you have to keep track of and if you aren't reading every pop-up or every tutorial with a fine tooth comb, you will be easily lost. Granted, some people don't mind having to read everything to understand the complexities of the game, but others like me will find it unintuitive due to how many moving parts there are to keep track of. Often I found myself hunting down supplementary resources to understand the game, which I normally consider as a con -- this game being no exception. I feel like if I have to go to watch a video to understand how to get a certain resource because it is reliant on managing your oxen, there is a problem there.

The game also feels unfinished although granted, it is. There is promise that more and more content will come out and make the game better and better, yet on the other hand, it is hard to recommend a game when in the back of your mind, you feel it has tons of polishing to do and there are lots of rough edges. I am intrigued to see where the game will go, and make no mistake I did enjoy it. I just don't think it is recommendable at this stage of development and I think there are a few bits and bobs missing for me to consider it complete.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a game many will turn to in lieu of more recent Larian projects. While I understand why, I also feel like this game is much more than just something that can fill the hole in your heart that you will feel after finishing Baldur's Gate. A solid story is mixed with fun gameplay and really charming settings. This game has a sense of humor about itself that is also very appreciable, as it adds to the distinct charisma of it. There were parts that I didn't like as much however, those things being how I felt unguided at many times during the adventure. On one hand, I appreciate that the game doesn't hold your hand as much although on the other I did find myself lost and directionless at different points.

The cast of characters that accompany you on your adventure are interesting and have their own unique stories that are fun to explore. The multiplayer aspects, while I didn't explore them for much time, were very fun. It would definitely be fun to play with a group of friends. All in all, a fun game that deserves its own reputation rather than falling into the shadow of Larian's newest and most successful title.