The Shore is a game that tries to do so much and accomplishes so little. It suffers from quite the identity crisis. This feels like it should have been 5-8 hours long and not just barely 2. One of the first things I noticed when launching The Shore is that there are no rebindable keys, so you better be comfortable with WASD/I/C, thankfully this worked for me. There are no graphic settings besides a general preset and framerate limiters. There are Field of View options. The game is VERY CPU heavy (roughly 40-50% usage of an 8700k at times even with a 60FPS Lock). The game starts as a rather generic walking simulator about surviving a boat crash and going on the hunt for your daughter who was traveling with you. You'll you find ancient relics and the logs of a distressed group who stayed at a lighthouse nearby. It's very much go from Point A -> Point B, see what changes, go down the new path and repeat. Then the game tries to become a bit like your typical run and hide horror game, but barely. It dives into a bit more of a fantasy setting as well. It also shoehorns in combat sections that just don't feel good. On top of that there are even some very poorly thought out puzzle sequences. This game just did not know what to do. At its peak the game simply had moments that were "Okay". Invisible Walls and Bugs plague this game. Does an area look easy to access? Chances are you'll hit an invisible wall. I managed to accidentally bypass one of the walls and got stuck forcing a reload. It's so frustrating because the world in this game is gorgeous. Some of the sights in this game are honestly top notch but so many areas are just out of reach because of a pebble is in the way. Overall, the game is nice eye candy and may scratch a Lovecraftian itch. It would have benefitted from strictly being a walking sim. If you can get this for super cheap it might be worth a curiosity look, just don't expect anything engaging. I unfortunately did not enjoy this one at all.
Conway is a game that from the store page seemed fantastic. A Mystery where you play as a retired detective trying to solve a kidnapping. Tons of footage showing your view of the town through a camera lens as you observe everything from your window. I can say without a doubt that those sections advertised are fantastic, they sadly make up maybe 20 minutes of an 8 hour playtime. The rest is an absolute mess and it's genuinely upsetting because everything is so close to being good. GOG Limits me to 2000 characters so let me just get these two things out of the way. The audio and visual design of the game is quite good. No major complaints here. Now for the bad. This game is a story driven investigation and neither the story nor the investigation is compelling. By the middle of the first chapter it'll be hard to feel anything positive towards the protagonist, Robert Conway. His decision making is frustrating at the best of times, infuriating at the worst. Never did I once feel like I was playing a competent detective. He'll enter empty rooms yelling "CHARLOTTE" when he's supposed to be undercover, he'll tamper with crime scenes and invade peoples privacy on hunches that are so farfetched that I actually feel second hand embarrassment when people catch him in the act. All the potential suspects of a literal kidnapping were more enjoyable and relatable than our hero. The other terrible thing is searching areas. Items are hidden everywhere and at times it's 15-20 minutes of checking every area in tiny rooms just to find what you need to progress. Random quick time events and lockpicking sections are so poorly done it boggles the mind. Even suspect interviews are just "Click all the questions". Everything is a mess when you're not just observing through a camera. Add in many little bugs and the experience just feels poor at best. Conway could have been good but it just ends up being a game with so much potential just squandered by poor writing and gameplay mechanics.
When I saw Road 96 pop up on GOG for the first time, I knew it would be my thing. I just didn't realize how polished and carefully crafted it would end up being. I went in with an open mind and finished off with what may be my contender for GOTY. Right away, if you're not someone who is into walking sims or narrative focused games; this will not be for you. However, if that is your thing then this has a lot to offer. The game blends elements of rouge-lites and walking sims together. Each episode (of which there are 7 at around an hour a piece), you select a new character each with different starting amounts of money, health and distance from your destination. Every episode you'll have to make narrative choices that do genuinely effect how scenes play out. You'll need to explore to find money/supplies. Traveling costs HP. Run out of HP and your journey as that character is over. The game is about being a teen on the run trying to escape a dictatorship doing terrible things to its people. On your journey to the countries border you will run into a group of characters who each have their own unique stories that at times interconnect. You'll run into truckers, a duo of misfit robbers, a snobby news reporter, a man hellbent on revenge, a cop who is torn with her career morally, a young hacker and more. Your interactions with them and in the world can help swing an upcoming election and the future of the country. It's a very gripping narrative all the way through and each character is written so well. The overall tone of the game is dark but right as it starts becoming too much the games always throw in some happiness/comic relief and it really just brings you closer to the characters within the world. I wish I could keep talking more but the review character limit is near. I'll just throw in the art direction and soundtrack to the game is phenomenal and a repeat playthrough seems to be well worth doing. Road 96 to me is the gold standard of narrative games.
When it comes to reviews, usually I would have a lot to say but by the time I finished Paradise Lost (roughly 3.5 hours); there isn't much to say The game is a Walking Simulator. If you don't enjoy them, this will do nothing to change that. I personally enjoy my linear experiences that give you a decent story to kill time. This story however moves at such a snails pace and is so predictable within the first hour that you just keep waiting for a twist that seemingly never comes. It's not bad, but not good either. The store page does a good job at laying down the basis of the story and because I'm limited with how many characters I can use in my review, I'll just let the store page do the talking in regards to the overall synopsis. The game is is stunning visually and really brings this Alt-History WW2 yet somehow 1960s vibe to life. Every area really drew me in. The layout of each chapter however really took me out of the experience at times. Make sure you search thoroughly because being able to backtrack is hit or miss. I missed a few rooms as I explored not knowing I'd be cut off when I went into certain areas. It's awful knowing that you missed some lore that you can't get back unless you start a brand new game. Also be certain with your choices because this is a game that sets up multiple endings (minor differences) and you can't simply just reload and see other results. You'll have to playthrough all over again. The UI is also so amateur looking compared to the high quality assets. There are numerous bugs. Animation glitches and one that made me gradually float higher and higher until I quit and continued are the worst of them. In an immersive game like this; it can be a real mood killer. (Note that this is done on the release version and these could be patched out by the time you read this). Overall, the game is a nice visual experience with a mediocre story to go alongside it. It's worth looking into but it's definitely not one to rush out and experience.
I bought this title blindly. I watched the trailer and was sold. I'm a simple man, I see a Lovecraftian Murder Mystery; I buy. Arkham Horror tells a story and encourages you to explore and read into the lore over anything else. It is 80% Exploration and about 20% Turned-Based Tactical RPG. If you're expecting a deep gameplay experience, this ain't it. The combat is far from difficult (My playthrough that took around 7.5 hours resulted in one game over). Just position your team on the field and heal them when necessary. There is very little thought needed. Ranged Weapons take out every foe before they become even remotely a threat and you're given such a surplus of items, it's rare that there is pressure to play to tactical perfection. For some, this probably sounds terrible. For me who just wanted to enjoy a story? Everything I could have hoped for. Combat ties the game together, but it's not a focus. Throughout the game you'll need to have good intuition when searching areas because if you approach gathering items or searching for clues incorrectly you will gradually make a Mythos Clock advance and when that happens your characters obtain debuffs that will be an issue. It's a neat little gimmick. Fail a bunch? There goes some sanity and now your character is more prone to damage at half health. The only way to lose these debuffs is to leave them off the field for a full chapter. It really helps encourage bringing other characters into your party! I really dug this and wanted to bring it up. The GOG character limit is about to hit, so I'll just bring up the bugs. Yes, there are a few. Characters walking endlessly, animation jank, enemies sometimes don't attack and riveting text like "item03.jpg/description" pop up on a rare occasion. Never once did it cause an issue with progression for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this game. It was a fun story with laid back combat that left me feeling engaged but never overwhelmed. Well worth the price of admission.
I've always heard about the Disaster Report series but never looked much into them. I saw this title pop up on GOG and knew I had to give it a go. I didn't quite know what to expect, but what I received went beyond what I could have ever wanted. I've seen many compare it to weird and quirky games like Deadly Premonition, and to an extent I completely agree but make no mistake, this game is its own thing and is somehow an addictive experience where you do almost nothing for 12-15 hours. The general gist is this; your character is riding a bus through a city in Japan, a massive earthquake hits, you leave the bus. That's it. That's the plot. You go around to different areas affected by the earthquake and deal with aftershocks as well. You meet high school students and a timid teacher, aspiring chefs, murderers, shady businessmen, lovesick couples and so many more. This game is basically every anime stereotype in terms of character design rolled into one. This game goes from serious, to goofy, to 4th wall breaking to absolutely mind meltingly "What?" every chapter. There is no consistency but that's part of the beauty of this. You literally do NOTHING. You walk around. You talk to people. You watch cutscenes. You select dialogue choices. Maybe occasionally control a vehicle for a minute. Move on. Rinse and repeat and yet it's just so engaging. There is a Food/Water system that literally has no bearing on anything. There is a morality system that barely changes a thing. You end up caring about this because the game invests you into your characters decisions. It's so bizarre how it works. By the end you know all these towns, all these people and see everything wrap up and it just feels right. No words can explain this game. Just sit down and enjoy. It's goofy, doesn't make sense (why are shops open during a massive disaster? Why does nobody care about all the bodies around?) and that's the charm. If that appeals to you, get this. It's a one of a kind experience.
Everything about this game from top to bottom screams quality. From the beautiful Black and White 1940's style Film-Noir aesthetic, the smooth music in the background, absolutely delightful art, voice acting that exceeds all expectations and most of all, an engaging story. Everything in this game is so carefully crafted that it'll be a title that you won't forget. On the surface this game seems like a borderline meme. Every being in the world is half-human/half-animal. You play as cops who are chickens. How could any bit of this really work in a serious manner? Well, quite easily and right from the opening moments of the game it's impossible to ignore how carefully this game was written. While there are many tongue in cheek moments/references, it's never at the expense of the overall story. Make no mistake, the world this game portrays and the story within are actually serious. Sure the word "Cluck" is a swear and the some of the designs/voices definitely provide humor but the tale is dark and the world itself has some seriously engaging lore that invests you into everything. The game stopped being a meme and became a genuinely great detective story in the very first chapter. The runtime for the game if you do everything is about 10 hours. Significantly less if you skip optional scenes. The game is very much on rails and failure states are incredibly rare, so if you're after a challenge this ain't it. The only complaint that I can even give is that it feels like some scenes drag on way too long. However, most of these scenes that dragged on fell under the optional category. I'd also say a lot of these optional scenes really shouldn't be optional with how much important information you learn. You can also easily miss a lot of dialogue if you're not careful. Sometimes you need to talk to someone 3 or 4 times to hear all their lines and the game doesn't make it clear. Chicken Police is fantastic with minor flaws. Give it a look if you want a unique mystery.
There are so many things I want to say about Pumpkin Jack but GOG only allows me to type 2000 characters so I'm just going to go into the things people most likely want to know. Right away, let it be known that this is probably the best 3D Platformer to come out from the indie space since Hat in Time. Every last area of this game is carefully crafted and filled with so much passion that it radiates nonstop. It's a game that will keep you smiling from start to finish. The game takes around 4-5 hours to complete and find most (if not all) collectibles. Every single boss fight is a spectacle and while most platformers either struggle with good combat or engaging platforming sections, this nails them both. The combat stays fresh with new weaponry being added after every level and the skills needed to platform are consistently increased and never feel unfair. The game keeps introducing new concepts but never lets you feel uncomfortable or underprepared. Performance wise the game is smooth as butter. I'm far over the recommended spec to be fair (8700k/32GB/1070) but at 1440p I never once had a single dip below 60 which I capped the game at. The game itself is also gorgeous to look at. I used a Xbox Controller for my playthrough which worked wonderfully as well. I can not comment on KB/M Controls. The only negative that can really be drawn from Pumpkin Jack is the very predictable nature of each level. They all break down the same. Start mission, get a little side task, have a travel section, another side task, solve a quick puzzle, travel and then boss (which follow very similar formulas as well). It's very by the numbers. However, it's tough to even call this a negative because the game is designed so well that it's hard to even care about this. Give this game your money if you have any interest in 3D Platformers. It's worth every single cent. It's a nice linear trek that will keep you smiling and engaged with wonderful design and splendid writing.
I'm someone who didn't love the first Remothered. I found that while it shared a lot of aspects with a personal favorite series of mine (Clock Tower), it didn't quite have an interesting gameplay loop or intuitive design. It was like playing a scavenger hunt with no idea where to start looking. I decided to buy the sequel even with my rather "Meh" feelings towards Tormented Fathers because the story intrigued me so much. Broken Porcelain takes place in multiple different periods of time. Majority of the game is spent in 1973 at the Ashmann Inn. In many aspects Broken Porcelain plays similarly to Tormented Fathers. Unlike the first game which involved fleeing and hiding, this game forces you to sneak up on your enemies and attack them to survive and progress. This boils down to little more than putting down a noisy object, hiding in a closet and waiting to strike. There is no depth and little reason to take advantage of the crafting system and leveling system seen in the game to upgrade your weapons and general stats. The game itself is much more straight forward than it's predecessor. At only one spot over this games 5 hour play time did I get stuck. There is a nice constant flow which really benefitted the much heavier storytelling seen here. This game expands the story a lot and loves to throw you between different points in the timeline, to the point where it's so sudden and jarring it's hard to figure out where/when you are at times. The game is also plagued with bugs (that are being patched fast, but they are still plentiful). Lip Sync is awful. NPCs get stuck all the time. Animations bug out. I've heard of softlocks happening (although I never encountered this) and I encountered some bizarre audio bugs here and there. The bugs will definitely drive people away from what is actually a fairly decent experience. It's not quite as horrifying as the first game. It's much more linear as well. However, the expansion of the story left me wanting more.
I purchased The Signifier not knowing a thing about it. I tend to dive into my games completely blind after only looking at a few screenshots. This had so much potential to be great but some quirks/oversights hold it back from making it feel like it was worth my time and money. First problem with the game is the complete lack of options. No key rebinding. No mouse sensitivity options. Barebones graphical options. No FoV, Not even a brightness slider. Not a great start, all of this should be standard these days. Second problem is the confusing structure to the puzzles. This is both a positive & a negative in a way. The general gist is you're able to go into the memories of a person that are rebuilt by an AI. There are many gaps in the memory however so buildings look a bit deformed (such as textures not loading in, objects missing, random geometry. Basically it looks like a game that's just starting to load everything in). Trying to piece together a mystery, warp through time, go between 2 different versions of these areas and find hidden pieces in this is TOUGH. It's a lot of Trial & Error and perspective stuff. Not a bad thing, but it can be frustrating. The last problem I have (which is huge) is how the endings are handled. You need to make choices and how you interact with other characters in the real world can dramatically shift your experience. However some of these choices don't seem major and can lead to a bad ending with no way to course correct. One choice I made gave me the games bad ending and from what I can tell, it was from one moment around an hour or two in. Over half my playthrough was apparently on rails for a bad ending and I never had a clue that was even a possibility. It really left a sour taste in my mouth. Overall, The Signifier really is a cool game. If you're into Sci-Fi, Decision Making and Puzzles then it's worth looking at. Just know about the shortcomings before diving in because for me, the issues were enough to ruin my experience.
