I really enjoyed this little game. It's a solid card-battler game with distinctive characters, a charming art style, a good amount of cards, diverse enemies, and addictive gameplay dynamics. Like other rogue-lite games, its gameplay loop has you exploring a map, fighting monsters, losing fights, and collecting better cards so that you can do it all again. It works well, even though the difficult can spike if you don't get the right cards or don't have a decent strategy. The negatives of the game are few but worth mentioning. While there are 4-5 characters that you can use in pairs, the game really needed about twice that number to have any kind of long term appeal for me. Also, it needs more than three main maps, even though they are somewhat randomly generated. After I finally beat the game once, I had seen about everything that the game had to offer and really wasn't inspired to do it all again with different characters. Anyhow, this is a well-done, fun game. If you like card-builder games and you can get this (and the DLC) for $15 or less, I would recommend it.
In a sea of games that blend narrative and roleplaying much more engagingly, I found Fabled Lands flat and boring. The writing is not bad, and I like the art work and music. However, that's as far as the positive things go. Within the first half hour or so, you start getting quests and acquiring a little gear. However, there is nothing that propels the game along. The combat is too simple to be engaging, and the narrative starts to drag as you hunt down ways to complete quests--and hope to get the right dice rolls to do so. With games like Wildermyth, Darkest Dungeon, Trials of Fire, and Hand of Fate 2 that do both DnD-style roleplaying and story-telling a lot better, Fabled Lands is unnecessary and not worthwhile. On the plus side, I'm glad that this game had a demo and saved me the need to request a refund.
This is an odd game to review. It has all of the features that should make for a successful video game, such as great graphics, good voice acting, multiple classes, etc.. However, in its attempt to blend a 3rd-person RPG experience with a deck-builder approach, it completely falls flat. Combat, which is frequent, is quite stale and unimaginative. Also, the cards are very alike, simply tweaking stats for damage. It is a bit of a shame really, since it is obvious that a lot of effort was put into the presentation of the material. Anyhow, I cannot recommend this game. If you want an RPG deckbuilder, try something like Trials of Fire or Roguebook, If you want a 3rd-person Action RPG game, try Diablo or Grim Dawn.
Deep Sky Derelicts (DSD) is a mix of RPG and deck-builder, but really does not distinguish itself as doing anything new. The gameplay loop is that you are assigned to dungeon-crawl old ships and bring back their data books. In doing this, you'll encounter pirates, rogue robots, some undead, and other nasties along the way. There are quests, but of the simple kill-this, fetch-that, explore-this sort. It is okay for a while, especially before you see all of the enemies and while you are still struggling for cash and equipment. However, once you fight the same zombie, robot, or pirate for the umpteenth time, it starts to get stale. The combat isn't bad per se, and you have to strategize a bit in regard to how you use your cards. But most of the cards (which contain abilities, damage figures, shield amounts, etc.) just start feeling like the same over time, just with slightly improved values. The game does remind me of Darkest Dungeon in regard to the combat, the dungeon crawling, and the base upgrading. However, DSD lacks the tension that made DD interesting, and there is no voice acting or narration whatsoever in the game. Also, there is no sense of urgency or high stakes as you ultimately make your way to the mothership derelict. I did manage to get to this derelict before deciding that I was too bored to finish the game. But for the fact that I only paid $4 for the definite edition of the game, I almost felt cheated by the time I got to this point in the game. It was like: I've put 20 hours into this game, and I'm still doing the exact same stuff as I was doing in hour 1? I don't recommend the game since it's neither a good RPG game nor deck-builder game. If you must play it, get it at a deep discount and lower your expectations. 2.5/5 stars
I have finally got around to playing Slay the Spire (StS), and I must say it's a decent game. I've been drawn to card-battler games over the past year, and many people have said that this one is foundational to the genre. After playing for several hours, I can see its influence in other games. However, at this point, there are much better games available, even if they are inspired by StS. In essence, these kinds of games follow a gameplay loop: start with a deck of cards, use them to fight battles, get more cards that make you slightly more powerful, and do it all again in hopes of making a little bit more progress than last time--and to unlock more cards, of course. Done right, the loop can be quite addicting, as games like Monster Train and Ring of Pain have shown. However, to me, StS lacks lasting appeal for a few reasons. Although it is simple enough to get into and understand, runs are very similar, and very few of your enemies are memorable. Also, after the first spire, the difficulty jumps significantly, to the point that the game becomes an obvious grind. At that point, I was not sure if my losses were a matter of RNG or predetermined by the game program itself. Also, some will like the nonsensical characters and art style of the game, which seems to be an appeal to very young gamers and the Dr. Seuss crowd. I found it merely tolerable and not enough to keep me playing after the difficult spike on the second spire. At this point (mid-2024), StS is like the grandfather of card-battler games: still recognizable as an ancestor of the genre, but a bit old and outdated. To put it differently, it's a good checkers game, even though all but the most casual players have long since graduated to chess. I got this cheap ($6), so I'm not really disappointed. Anyhow, I can now say that I've played StS and given it a chance--before promptly uninstalling it and going back to higher quality fare such as Monster Train, Ring of Pain, Trials of Fire, Forced Showdown, etc.
If you loved the movie, then this might be worth a try. Or at least, that's what I thought. While the presentation and atmosphere are faithful to the movie, this game has really nothing else going for it. After playing six missions of the campaign, I realized that I was actually playing the same scenario: build base, hunt for bug holes, fight off waves of bugs, do it all again. Other than the movie tie-in, this could have been any run-of-the-mill RTS game made 20 years ago. There is no resource collecting, and the base-building feels a bit off. Buildings do unlock certain units, but you can't build them until sometime during the mission the game just arbitrarily allows you to. There are several different types of units, but in the heat of battle you don't really have time to manage them as anything other than a mob. Likewise, units can gain levels, but it is hard to tell that it really matters since the bugs seem to be able to swarm and tear apart even elite squads with ease. Anyhow, the game looks good and does have strong vibes from the movie. However, it gets boring quick, which is a shame since a little bit of imagination with the mission design would have gone a long way toward making the game more enjoyable. If you just have to play this, wait until a steep discount. If you are not a fan of the movies, then best to skip this altogether.
I have been hooked on deck-builder games for the past couple of months, and this is one of the best I've played. While I haven't played Slay the Spire, Monster Train seems to be less goofy in presentation and offers a wide range of factions, cards, spells, upgrades, and gameplay options. The gist of the game is that you are journeying in a four-decker train across rings of hell fighting off heavenly opponents (yes, you play as the bad guys, which is fun) as they fight your forces on each deck of the train in an effort to destroy your core thingee on the top deck. It's great, intense fun that requires some strategy to master. The runs are randomly generated in terms of opponents and the things that you will run into between fights (like artifacts, mini-quests, etc.). Also, the fights can get quite tough if you don't plan well, or you simply don't get the right mix of cards as your enemies invade each deck of the train. But even on tough runs, nothing felt unfair or truly frustrating. The game is quite winnable--you have to complete about 8 fights to win--and you are rewarded with additional unlocked cards after most runs. With each successful run, you advance one of 25 levels, which, of course, get increasingly hard. It's a great game overall, with solid graphics and animation, some really good music, and an addictive gameplay loop. Each of the 7-8 factions that you can play feel different, and almost every card can be upgraded, which makes each run feel even more unique. Replayability is high, as is the game's overall quality. Highly recommended.
I was addicted to this game for about two weeks straight, and I plan to go back to it after a break. In short, it's a well-designed, clever deck-builder game that has a quite satisfying gameplay loop that, well, you know, is "easy to learn but hard to master." And the game truly earns its name. Here's the deal. You play the game in circles--many smaller ones (or dungeons) inside of one large one. Each of the smaller circles has a random mix of enemies, loot, traps, and other things that you navigate in turns. Once you complete a circle or find its exit, you go on to the next circle or dungeon. There are 16 main dungeons or circles that you must complete to get to a series of boss fights (at the end of the larger circle). And even when you get there, you will have the option of two paths: light or dark. Kill the final bosses and you win the game. However, winning the game is not nearly that easy. Expect to die early and often. I would guess 99.5% of my runs ended in failure, even though I got really close to the end on several occasions. The thing that makes the game so brilliant and addictive is that none of the RNG or the frequent deaths felt cheap or too unfair. It just felt like the luck of the draw, or that I should have turned left when I turned right. Try, try again. Each run can last anywhere from less than 10 seconds to over 20 minutes, though most will be somewhere in between. And each will help unlock a vast range of items, spells, creatures, and other stuff, which, of course, lures you into doing more runs. It's just a really well-thought-out, intensely fun game, with creepy music & atmosphere, simple but effective graphics, unique bosses, and endless replayability. In recent months, I have had a thing for deck-builder games, and this is the best one that I've played thus far. I would also recommend Monster Train, Forced Showdown, and Trials of Fire. Still haven't played Inscryption or Slay the Spire, but they're supposed to be good as well. 4.25/5
If you have played any of the Diablo games or their many imitators, then Torchlight 2 will be instantly familiar. It has the same familiar gameplay loop: click-kill monsters, grab loot, upgrade skills and equipment, wash-rinse-repeat. The main problem with the game is that it is too faithful to this formula and offers nothing new. The quests and plot line are the typical kill-it, fetch-it, and so forth, and the character classes are the standard fighter, mage, archer, etc. Again, nothing new or innovative. If you have never played games such as Diablo 2, Titan Quest, or Grim Dawn, then this might be worth a try on deep discount. Otherwise, give this a hard pass. I got bored inside of 2 hours and uninstalled.
I don't understand what this game does well. I just really don't understand what this game is supposed to be offering. It has no character or charm. Upgrading things is tedious and repetitious. The graphics are a pixelated mess from the 1990s, and UI is littered with tiny buttons and icons. The waves of mobs lack any kind of fun value or tension and seem a bit off in a turn-based game. The gameplay loop gets old fast: place defenses, build & upgrade structures, level-up heroes, fight off horde, then wash, rinse, & repeat. I do like role-playing games, tower-defense games, and city-builders, but this game just mashes these genres together and makes you grind for any progress or rewards. If you just have to play this, be sure to get it at a steep discount. Otherwise, a hard pass.
