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Crypt of the NecroDancer is basically a turn-based game, except each turn automatically progresses with each beat of the music. You can play the game in pure turn-based mode as well by playing as the Bard or turning off the beat in the options. This game is very difficult to learn, but it's a lot of fun learning all the different moves of the enemies and how to tackle them, and getting to the end of the 3rd story is a feeling that I don't think I've ever felt in gaming before. The music is, of course, amazing, and there's so many different characters that you can play this game for hours on end.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk looks, plays, and feels exact like Jet Set Radio, and it's amazing at doing so. Looking at the trailers I was unsure about playing it as you mostly just see people running so didn't realise how it could feel similar to Jet Set Radio, but it turns out you can use roller skates, so that basically solved that little 'problem' for me. The game feels extremely tight to play, and it's a lot of fun skating and grinding around getting huge trick scores and getting all the graffiti spots in the game. The main story is not terribly long, but there's plenty to do after you've finished the story that will test your movement and trick skills.
Syberia 2 is a direct continuation to the original Syberia, and concludes the original storyline. It's a wonderful tale of discovery and chasing your dreams, and is definitely worth the experience. I always wanted to know what happened next, and certain scenes definitely pull at the heartstrings successfully. The only major complaint I have is that this game's 'puzzles' are very cryptic, and I feel there's not really any way you'd be able to figure some of them out yourself. You need to do things in a very specific way, and I had to use hints for a lot more of this game compared to the first one. Still a worthwhile experience.
Syberia is a classic point-and-click adventure: You're told to do something, you have to go do it, but there's always little snags and problems that you're required to solve to be able to do what you're meant to. For the most part, the game is relatively simple, albeit a little cryptic at times, but where this game really shines is its presentation, characters, and story. I was hooked on this game after Part 1, as the story and world building is top notch. The files and characters you speak to reveal a checkered and interesting past that you're chasing up to, and you're always left wanting to find out what's next. A recommended game if you're interested in adventure games with good story telling, themes, and atmosphere.
Heroes of Might and Magic 1 tends to get rated lowly due to the existence of the sequels, especially 2 and 3, but the game stands on its own very well. It's a great introduction to the series, as the lack of many secondary mechanics makes the game a lot simpler to pick up than its sequels. There is still plenty of strategising and figuring things out though, and it feels really good when you successful make the right decisions. The game isn't as balanced as its sequels (although even the sequels have some extremely overpowered stuff), but you can still win no matter what your faction is. Definitely a worthwhile pick if you're looking to get into the series or already into it.
I've never played the Heroes of Might & Magic series before, but I've enjoyed other turn based games and wanted to try a strategy one. This game, although it may seem a little overwhelming at first if you're not used to the genre, is pretty simple to start out and you will get the hang of it quickly. The game is a little unrelenting though - if you don't know things (like, for example, what units are exactly before you engage them), you will be humbled. However once you get through the initial teething period of being bad, the game is a lot of fun and there's always something to think about and plan, that you'll be playing just one more turn before it's time to sleep or do other things.
This is a re-release with higher textures, a bit of touch-up, and some extra content. If you're curious about what's new in this version, this is what I've been able to notice: - The mana tiles have been reworked to also have unique shapes instead of just colours for accessibility - A new class (Swordmaster) - 'Mana drain' has been reworked into 'Mana Storm' - instead of draining all players' mana, the board is wiped and the mana on the board is distributed evenly between the two players - New items - T and L shapes count as a '5-of-a-kind' move instead of a regular move - Lucky matches - depending on your stats, you have a chance of getting a bonus move on any match (e.g. high air mastery means you get more chance to get a bonus move on matching yellows) Match 3s are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, so Puzzle Quest is the perfect way to play a Match 3 game with a bit of meat to it. This game has a surprising amount of content and depth, so if you like RPGs and Match 3, this is the perfect game for you! This version seems to have eased up a little on the enemy AI, and random events such as 'no more moves' are less punishing, instead distributing all mana on the board randomly, instead of wiping current mana. It should be noted that this version does not include any mutliplayer and has less portraits than prior versions, but these changes are not really enough for me to rate the game down, but it would be nice to see them added in the future. Would also love to see the rest of the series come to GOG eventually!
Didn't realise this game had hit GOG - a definitive buy from me again after buying it on Steam 6-7 years ago. This game is quite possibly the best successor to the classic WipEout games and has music, physics, and tracks which bring back that feeling quite well.
TR1-3 are great remasters of the classics. The games are preserved exactly as they were with very well done upgraded visuals that still have the charm of the original games. Many of the open source engine creators were involved in the creation of these games, and just like projects such as Sonic Mania, it shows when fans of the games get to create something official. If you're a fan of these 3 games, I highly recommend buying this, and hope that remasters of 4 to 6 will come eventually!
The "Trails" series are an epic world-building narrative series, focusing on the geopolitical events amongst the Zemuria continent. I won't say too much here, but you should only get this game if you're willing to go through a slow story to begin, for an epic payoff. The JRPG elements are nice, but they are not really the core of the game. Of all the narrative and world building games out there, this is arguably the best series, so do give it a try if you're interested in narrative gaming experiences!