Doom 64 looks, plays and feels like the "real" Doom III: how it should have been for us that played the original first and second chapters back in the 1990s. But even for those who were not around in that era, it is still a wonderful ride. Old school gameplay at its best - look for keys to open doors, understand how to negotiate levels, watch out for traps, explore every nook and cranny hoping to find secrets, and above all, pump lead/energy/rockets/chainsaw blades into your demonic enemies! Monsters are similar to those found in the first two instalments but restyled with a pleasing and "refreshing look, and the excellent conversion to the Kex engine ensures a smooth and flawless experience. I bought it with a 60% discount, and at this price, it's an absolute bargain. Go get it!
Disco Elysium is a whole experience relying on an exceptionally well written script to create a world full of memorable characters and moments. It's hard to describe how it manages to convey a believable yet surreal, sometimes poignant, sometimes zany atmosphere. I like to imagine it as if Georges Simenon, Bertolt Brecht and William Burroughs suddenly came back from their graves, had a copious amount of alcohol, then decided to write together a commentary on today's post-modern global society in the form of a videogame. It is true that the game plays more like a point-and-click adventure rather than a "proper" RPG, and there is practically no combat to speak of, but in a production that subvertes the usual staples of the genre, it is to be expected. What really sucks you in, though, is the astounding number of ways you can follow to develop your character, thanks to the different abilities (some of which are really outlandish, like Shivers and Composure) and the thought system. You can become a disillusioned individual trying to reconcile with its past while hoping for a new revolution to come (my case), a shoot-first-ask-questions-later drug-crazed psychotic, or a goofball "disco" wacko with a fixation for some imaginary insect, which maybe is not imaginary at all, and more. In addition to that, your actions have a really deep and complex impact on how the events will unfold and the other characters' reactions. Speaking of characters, they all reveal hidden aspects and faces in the course of the game, starting from Ltn Kitsuragi, a great companion to your character, which will always try to act more like your best friend, rather than just a colleague. They feel anything but stock figures put there just for scenery. You will often change your opinion of them as you get to know them better. The only "complaints" I have are the relatively small size of the game world and the lack of localization in my language (Italian), but apart from this, I absolutely enjoyed it.
Lumino City's hand-made retro-style visuals are its most striking feature - some parts like the Spinning House are particularly impressive. The minimalist, evocative soundtrack also contributes to a very positive impression. The game has been finely crafted like a real miniature world populated with curious people and filled with strange machinery. "Atmospheric" may be an overused adjective, but it really fits to this game. Puzzles and riddles range from easy to moderately taxing, sometimes relying on the trial-and-error strategy. Although the main character brings a book with all the relevant solutions with her, it's rather unlikely that you will have to resort to it. I personally only consulted it once, for the water pump valve puzzle - there were so many possible combinations that I got frustrated and jumped straight to its conclusion. In addition to that, there are some platform sections where the game will highlight the point you have to click on with the mouse pointer in order to proceed. The problem with the game, in my opinion, is that is too short. I completed it in an evening's play and although I really enjoyed my time with it, I think that there is too little substance and replay value for its price. My advice is to buy it when it's discounted. I did it taking advantage of an 80% reduction, and for that sum, it was an absolute bargain!
As a veteran of point-and-click adventures I'd say that Stasis is one of the most mediocre titles I ever played of this kind. It's not awful but very far from being one of the best I ever played. For a start, graphics are just nothing special, rooms pretty much look all the same and animations are unconvincing. Sanitarium came 17 years before and was much better in this regard. If I had not read that music is by Mark Morgan I would not have guessed it; not really a patch on the superb work he did for the Fallout series. But we all know that the real substance of adventures are story and puzzles. And things fall really apart here. The story is a collection of clichés, from the lone survivor guided by an ambiguous character to the mad scientist who believes to be a god. What I really do not like, however, is the gratuitous gore and shock, especially in the last part of the game. It seems that the authors were unable to convey a captivating atmosphere and went through the punch-in-your-face way. It just feels "cheap" as well as, for certain parts, illogic - why dedicate so much room and resources on a spaceship to the removal of "waste" when you could simply throw it into the cold immensity of space or burn it in the hydrogen-based atmosphere of Neptune? The ending was quite predictable as well. As for the puzzles, I found them more than easy to solve, except for a couple of times where I had to employ the old try-everything-unless-something-happens method which is the bane of this kind of games, together with pixel hunting (which thankfully was not something I experienced here). In a nutshell, I was disappointed by Stasis. I would only recommend it to beginners of traditional adventures, if they can live with the bad writing and forcefully shocking setting.
