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.
