Not gonna lie... This game was a tearjerker for me. The story, though wordless, conveys a lot of symbolic truth when you go back and actually think about the game once your done. I lost a son a few years ago, so this game hit a little close to home. I'm not sorry, though, as it was refreshing to see the symbolism at work. It's an excellent portrayal of the stages of grief that one goes through when a loved one is lost. Story aside, the game plays very well also. It reminded me heavily of Shadow of the Colossus, but without the Colossi. Huge areas to explore. Seclusion and atmosphere, but with a similar graphic style as Wind Waker. I loved how the game looked and felt. The controls were smooth as well. The game relies heavily on story telling through puzzle solving. No puzzle was mind-breaking that I recall, and your character can't die... So it was very, very relaxing to play. The musical score is fantastic as well, which worked great with the ambiance. There are a ton of collectible items to find along the way, too. So, if you like collecting things this would be right up your alley. Take your time and free-roam each area to it's fullest and you'll find items that affect the ending as well! All together a wonderful experience that lasted me about seven to eight hours. (I could have explored more, and I did not find all the hidden items. So the game could last you a few more hours potentially.) I highly recommend this game, especially if you've lost a loved one. The story is one that you can connect with, and it might just help you sift through some of your own feelings as well.
So many memories of me and my brother waging war with these pigs... This is tactical warfare of a different kind. You control one pig per turn, and you have about a time limit for your turn in which to move that pig in real time and get him to do what you want him to do. Launch a bazooka at another pig! Shoot another pig! Plant a mine! Heal an ally! Pick up some items and hope they are useful! Launch yourself and parachute down in another area! Just don't fall down off a cliff and die... Or step on a mine and die... Or finish your turn in an open area where you can't take cover so that an enemy attacks you and you die... Remember, you are being timed, so "Shnell! Hurry!" This game is amazing, and I'm so glad to be able to play it again with my kids now. You can take turns on the same computer because of its turn-based game-play! New memories being made now. Also, no blood or guts or anything over the top. Just good fun, explosions, and pigs getting slaughtered. (Don't worry, no real pigs were harmed in the making of this game!)
I purchased the Anthology Edition at full price, and all I can say here is that the game delivers so much for those who enjoy reading, puzzles, and card games. For my full review please go read my review on the Anthology Edition store page.
I own the Treasure Trove Edition of Shovel Knight... And I felt that it had to be said that the previous review doesn't seem to be for Shovel of Hope at all, but possibly for King Knight's "King of Cards" campaign? Didn't sound like it described Shovel of Hope at all. Anyway, this is the page for the original Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope game... And so I thought it would be helpful if someone actually reviewed this campaign and not another one... First, if you have never played Shovel Knight you need to. It's the best of Old School meets New School. Old School graphics, music, and difficulty. New School mechanics, storytelling, and balance for the difficulty. The world map is similar to Super Mario 3, and the levels are similar too. Go where you need to go, collect what you need to collect, reach the end. Try not to die. But, if you do, you have a chance to get some of your gems back. (Or you can die more and lose your gems permanently... which sucks.) Jump around, dodge enemies, use your shovel to dig up treasure, find hidden rooms, collect music notes, buy upgrades for your armor and your shovel! There are funny moments, and genuine tear jerker moments, too. The developers did a fantastic job telling this story, which sets the standard for the rest of the series. This game is pure gold. Though, truth be told, just get the Treasure Trove Edition. You would then get 5 games all together. (4 campaigns for 4 different knights, and Shovel Knight Showdown which is a Smash-Bros style fighting game using a ton of the Shovel Knight characters!) This seriously is a gem in the world of games. You won't be disappointed.
Ok, so this little prequel has grabbed my undivided attention. I played it this morning and I have to say that the mechanics are smooth and reasonable. The management of energy combined with stealth and movement feel really fine tuned. The artwork is fantastic. It works so well with the overall theme, which it H.P. Lovecraft-ish. They really hit the nail on the head with it. What little of the atmosphere is experienced here is great. The creatures encountered are interesting and make me want to see what the full game has to offer. I was legit sad when the "demo" ended... Bottom line? I'm going to save up some money to get the full game. Hopefully it goes on sale again, but this may make my list of "It's worth it at full price" titles. (I've actually bought some games at full price on GOG... I'm very careful about that, but when I do it's for a reason. And I have yet to be disappointed. That's partially because I know myself real well and know what I enjoy playing.) Alders Blood is going on my wish-list.
I had my eye on this game while it was still yet to be released. The graphics were right up my alley, and the theme of Indiana Jones style combat and time period were enticing. I tried waiting for a little while to see if it would go on sale once it came out, but it didn't. So, impatiently, I bought it at full price. I have not been disappointed. Imagine the graphic style from Advance Wars but with a more epic story line like the Fire Emblem series... Only not one long epic story, but multiple story lines with varying levels of difficulty. The smaller events of each story play out differently every play through, but each story's main theme does not change with each play through. This is all in proper rogue-like fashion. Now throw in the 1930's timeline and Indiana Jones like adventure music, and the fact that when your characters "die" they aren't actually dead but KO'd and can be revived and retain all their previous experience from the previous adventure... and you've got Pathway. Not to mention the newest updated added a tone of content. I got this game at full price and am more than satisfied, so if you do catch this game on sale it would be an absolute steal.
For starters if you haven't read Moby Dick then go and read it. It's wonderful. This game seeks to pick up where things left off at the end of Melville's epic tale, and it does a great job. First, the battle system is card based, and it can be quite rough if you try to jump into things too soon. The key is to take your time and gather money by doing small things, then work your way to the bigger jobs. (I died many times trying to jump into battles too soon...) The dice system is definitely a little more in depth than I originally though and deserves some active research and understanding or it can be frustrating. There's also the resource management side of things. It's easy to let this fall by the wayside in attempts to go complete jobs, but without proper resource management you will easily find yourself sinking in an unknown sea with no one to save you. The writing is great, if not a little quirky at times. Not a fan of all the of random scenarios they throw out there, as I feel they are a little modernized and don't really stick to the feel and flow of the original story-line. But, that's all opinion and shouldn't affect the score in my opinion. The sound effects are fantastic. From the wind in your sails to the water slapping the side of your boat, you hear the ocean around you so the immersion is perfect. The music, also, is fantastic. The shanties that are randomly thrown in make you feel like you are surrounded by sailors who have broken in to song to "whistle while they work" so to speak. It's great. (The extra shanties from the DLC are worth it as well!) My only real complaint about this game is that the sound track is not even available for purchase here on GOG... I wish it was. I'd buy it. Worth it at full price, a steal on sale. I highly recommend this game as long as you like reading, sailing, resource management, and card/dice/chance based battling.
First off, let' get the only bad thing out of the way: It's short. (Like maybe 2 and a half hours, and that's assuming you struggle with some of the puzzles.) Now, on to the slew of good things that abound in this game: First, the soundtrack for this game is wonderful. (I bought it separately because of the atmosphere it brings with it.) Yes, it can be a bit repetitive, but so can elevator music. And elevator music isn't half as atmospheric as this. It's the perfect background noise for the puzzles you are faced with. Second, the artwork is beautiful. A whole bunch of hand-drawn paintings essentially, all fine-tuned to fit just right as you move them around and intertwine them in different ways to solve the puzzles. Third, the puzzles! All are essentially rooted in perspective. Fans of "The Room" or "Monument Valley" should flock to this game. Simple, yet so satisfying when you get it right and get to see the next little animation segment. Fourth, the story... I seem to really like games that have no real, solid, understandable message. I'm a fan of "Inside" and "Limbo" as well, and this reminds me of them in a way. You have a story that is told, and it definitely has a beginning and an end, but what EXACTLY is it about? You are sort of left to decide that for yourself. There's this multi-colored dragon creature... Is it good or bad? There's a young boy dreaming about the dragon, and about an aged man, and there's an aged man dreaming about a boy... Which is the dreamer and which is the real person? Play the game and try to figure it out for yourself! All in all, it's a fun and thoughtful evening of fun if you enjoy games with depth and fun puzzles to solve. Definitely a piece of art worth pondering.
First off, I got this game as part of the Treasure Trove edition, and it is fantastic. Please ignore the first review from back in December. Each character (and there are a LOT) plays just as you've seen them move and fight in the actual Shovel Knight campaigns! It is beautiful. Even the characters that aren't "main characters" have a complete move set that you've seen before and fought against. True, some characters feel more fluid then others, but that's because each character is different and brings something new to the table. I believe each character has the potential to be a fantastic fighter if someone can learn their quirks and use them right. Also, when you set the AI on High Levels... what can you expect but a challenge? Expect the AI to do things that make it hard for you to defeat them easily... like dodge. This is also true in the Smash Bro's series of games. It just comes with the package. It's nothing to cry about. The levels... I love the levels! There's a great mix of moving levels and non-moving levels. There's also an option to turn off level hazards and make some difficult levels slightly easier. Best of all, again, they're all backgrounds that you've seen while playing through the campaigns at some point or another. This game is ingenious, and it wasn't even an original part of the developer's scope. They threw it in because they made enough money to do so. THANK YOU DEVELOPERS FOR THIS GEM! My kids and I love this game!
So, I own the Treasure Trove edition of Shovel Knight. Played through the first 3 campaigns and loved every second of them. Waited for King of Cards for what seemed like ages... And then it came. I can honestly say that, though I am super impressed and love the game to death, there's just a few things that brought my enjoyment level down. However, they did a lot of things better in this game than in the first three. I'll start with that then talk about the bad: Pros- -It's more of the Shovel Knight world I love! They did a fantastic job at tying up lose ends and connecting random dots. (Won't spoil it here, but there's even a back story for the "running kid" from the original Shovel Knight campaign!) The way they connected all these little unimportant strands of the Shovel Knight rope makes the whole world feel that much more complete. -Atmosphere and music is perfect. -The move set for King Knight is amazing. A little difficult at times, but eventually it flows and fits his Character to a T. Now the Cons- -The story is much longer than the first 3 campaigns. To many this might be a good thing, but too much of a good thing can sometimes get tedious. I feel like the length actually takes away from the enjoyment a bit. -The card game, which I originally was super excited about, starts off great. The mechanics are simple enough and the depth and number of cards out there is astounding. However, by the end of the game, they went far beyond simply increasing the difficulty of the card game. The card game feels completely different and loses it's innocent fun. The boards are random, there area specific cards that thrive on certain board layouts and there's no way of planning ahead. It's rough. However, those are my only two beefs: the length, and the decomposition of the card game as you progress. Everything else about this game is golden, just like King Knight's glorious armor.
