Banner Saga 3 really takes the series in a new direction. It does really well in having a split story between Juno's crew and the main caravan in Arberrang. There is strong interplay between them, as people are trying to survive long enough until a solution to the Darkness is found. Banner Saga 3 answers many of the questions that were raised in previous entrants in the series. Why are the Dredge fighting? Who is the Serpent? What caused the Darkness? Really well done conclusion to the series. May not be as good as previous games, but is still really solid. If you have played previous games, you will like playing this and learning about the story.
Banner Saga 2 continues from the end of Banner Saga 1 (including option to use old saves). It introduces new characters to the caravan, particularly the Ravens, with new interesting dynamics. You get the explore the rest of the map with new encounters and choices, including encountering the Horseborn (centaur like creatures). The onslaught of the Dredge continues. Choices over Banner 1 and 2 do have a meaningful impact on the story, particularly at the end. Banner Saga 2 has new dynamics and characters to keep it interesting, alongside a wellwritten story.
The Banner Saga is a great Nordic style story about a group of humans and Varl (giant men) on a journey across the land, fleeing from the oncoming hordes of Dredge. The characters are fascinating and well developed. You really feel for them when they die (which can happen based on your choices). The gameplay is really interesting and dynamic. There is an interesting dilemma on how to spend renown, whether on items, supplies for your caravan or upgrading heroes. Beautiful music and artwork. Banner Saga 1 is probably the best game in the series in terms of how it feels to play, the later games tend to get increasingly easier as the characters become increasingly powerful. The other games are all great too, so I would recommend get the series if you like this one!
Firewatch is a solid walking simulator. The forest was very nice and enjoyable to walk through. Some days you have to walk a fair while around the forest, but it wasn't so long as to be boring. There is an interesting dynamic between the main character and the operator. The dialogue was well written and humorous. The story is compelling. It was very suspenseful at times (I was nearly terrified at some points), and wraps up in an interesting way.
Each new installment by Supergiant games brings something new and unique to the series. Pyre has great visuals and soundtrack, as Bastion and Transistor did. Where it stands out is the exciting, new gameplay. The 'Rites' are 3 vs. 3 sport matches aiming to douse the opposing team's fire with a orb. These are incredibly fun, with various characters and items bringing new dynamics to the game. You are playing for the right to 'liberate' your companions from the wastelands to return to society. Interestingly, Pyre challenges the idea of success and defeat. Perhaps one of your opponents deserves to be liberated more? Perhaps one of your companions would have a better life remaining in the wasteland? There are many endings depending on which combination of characters are liberated. Hence - while I've played only one game so far - there is tremendous replay value. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Bastion or Transistor.
Gorogoa is a very beautiful and creatively designed game. The puzzles are short and engaging, they can sometimes take a bit of time to figure out but it is very satisfying when you do. The game goes for around 2 hours, but can be played a few times through to work on the achievements.
The short stories are generally pretty fun, and I'll probably play a few of them again - I particularly enjoyed the baby one and the fish guy one (I've forgotten their names). Others were less impressive. Ultimately, I was disappointed after playing this game. It did not feel like the "masterpiece" that had been described to in other reviews. And with just 2 hours playtime, I felt like I could have gotten nearly as much out of the game watching a video walkthrough. There was some high points, but there wasn't enough to make me recommend it outright.
