Recent reviews by Xai

I love this game. If you are looking for a relaxing game without combat, this is for you. The characters are interesting, the scenery is beautiful, and the concept of the game is entirely unique. I hope a sequel is made; I would love to continue adventuring and painting in the world of Eastshade.

Tacoma drops you straight into an interesting and believable near-future setting that is intriguing to explore, to the point where I was looking for scraps of lore anywhere and everywhere I could find it. Each item you pick up, each pamphlet you read, and everything you see slowly adds together to create an immersive world that doesn't always make sense. What is Loyalty? Why do the apples have blue bottoms? As you progress through the station, you will learn a bit more about everything--but as there is very minimal exposition, you will have to connect the dots yourself. I never did figure out why the apples had blue bottoms, but this, along with several other small details, help bring the story to life without being overbearing.

If you play this game, take the time to examine everything you can pick up; you will find yourself surprised at how much you can learn about a society based on the packaging on consumer items, or from mundane things like a crossword puzzle!

I can see many people being upset about the short length of Tacoma, as many were with Gone Home, but I think there is a place for shorter games like this that are focused on quality, to-the-point gameplay, rather than stuffing in a bunch of filler to reach a certain average playtime.

If you liked Gone Home even a little bit, get this game right now. If you didn't like Gone Home, there are features about Tacoma that put it at a level above--the story is more developed, and the setting is more interesting (though it lacks the charming nostalgia of Gone Home), so I still recommend giving it a try.

This is a game you can't really play like a normal action game--you have to stop and absorb the artwork of it, take your time walking through the city, read all of the lore--the way the game is crafted doesn't complement a fast-paced or impatient play style. The story is average, the combat is average, and it's pretty short overall, but it has some really interesting features and concepts. In general, it's a beautiful, somewhat simple game. I wouldn't buy it for the full price, but it's definitely worth buying at half price if you want something pretty to look at.

This is the strangely addictive love child of Majesty and Minecraft. It is extremely fun as it is, and has a tremendous potential for future improvement as well.