Recent reviews by kyle mech-lachlan

I enjoyed this game at first but every subsequent pinball table got more tedious. I appreciate the idea of powers in a pinball game, but it felt too cumbersome to juggle while managing mana. Even removing mana consumption in the game tuning settings, I continued to be annoyed how often and how easy it was to fall out of the pinball table and back to the previous interstitial zone.

Honestly the structure of everything being interconnected didn't really add much, the powers could have been rewards for solving tables and everything could have been selected from a menu of tables. I would still have some annoyances with the table puzzles themselves being too tedious for my preference, but I'd at least not get frustrated by falling out of a table and having to waste time getting back into it.

Terrible humor that is just so pervasive. You're just suffocated by what feels like the writings of a high schooler. The game just doesn't shut up, ever.

Whatever survival mechanics exist are not nearly as interesting or fun to withstand the bombardment of awful humor.

It's a budget Gone Home-like set it space, but it doesn't have the depth to back it up. It feels very abrupt in design and length. Mostly harmless but ultimately not particularly interesting game that leads to a lackluster ending.

Ori and the Blind Forest is a great game with a few faults:

What I loved,

-The Art
It's almost impossible not the be in love with the art. Every single visual aspect is so amazingly crafted and represented, it's quite surprisingly how much effort was put into it.

-The platforming/controls
I didn't expect this would have such a heavy focus on platforming and precision. Many times the game requires you to pull off a lot precise jumps, with tight timing. It's very rarely frustrating. In a lot of ways it reminded me of Super Meat Boy in that regard.

What I liked,

-Metroidvania
It's not the most complex of it's kind, but I enjoyed the fact that a lot of the early upgrades are not accessible by your current abilities. I didn't feel like the game was holding my hand too much and there were plenty of reasonably hidden upgrades. I'm a sucker for this kind of game so it's easy to please. I would have liked if the game went a little more down this path

-Closed off platforming 'dungeons'
A few times in the game it sends you to a standalone area that is essentially a dungeon with specific platforming mechanics. These are where the level design tend to shine. During these sections the game is not limited to being interconnected as much and can simply be a platformer. These are usually where the game introduces the most difficult platfomring requirements.

What I didn't like as much,

-The platforming 'dungeons' are literally closed off permanently
When you complete these sections of the game, you can't go back. If you miss any collectibles or upgrades, they are gone forever. That's lame. In a Metroidvania, the one thing you should never do is restrict my access to the gameworld. Especially if it's going to prevent me from getting 100%

-Lengthy chase sequences that require perfection with no checkpoints
Maybe I should just "get good"? Later in the game there are some segments where you are being chased and are on a timer and have to complete sequences of platforming near perfectly. If you mess up you are instantly reverted back to the beginning. I admit they can be prett exhilerating but it's very easy to mess up and have to redo it over and over and over. And then it becomes frustrating. The final one of these were the worst offender in my opinion.



So looking it over, Ori and the Blind Forest has some faults but overall it's still a really awesome game. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants something super pretty but also is looking for something with a chellenge.

What if someone stopped playing video games in the mid-90's and the only games they ever played were platformers on the Playstation?

Flash forward close to 20 years, this person is now an adult and has an epiphany. "I can do that. I can do that better."

That's Grow Home. It's Bubsy 3D, only good. And it's brilliant.

Fantastic atmosphere
Well told sci-fi story
Clever puzzles that aren't too difficult but do require thinking
Recommended.

The Swapper is an incredibly rewarding puzzle platformer with unmatched style and atmostphere. Its puzzles are clever and original and never feel obtuse. I highly recommend this game.