Recent reviews by The Common Cold

I've had this game for years, and it's never truly left my mind. I suppose it's time I gave it a review.

Night in the Woods is a very special game. Gameplay-wise it's nothing spectacular; it's a 2D platformer with branching dialogue. But the characters, writing, music, graphics... They're all just so good. I first played this game as a teenager, and I found myself liking the characters for their quirks. Now, having been an adult for years, I realise I actually relate to them quite a lot. It's quite rare to find a game that manages to portray so many of the darker parts of early adulthood in such a precise and meaningful way.

I haven't played this game in a few years. I'm not sure when I will again. But to this day, the game still manifests itself in the way I act and think. And, despite the controversy this game is drenched in, and the unfortunate way the studio behind it fizzled out, I will always cherish this gem.

I've been a fan of Zachtronics for a very long time. Hell, I played some of their flash games before they even made SpaceChem. And when they announced that Last Call BBS was going to be their last full game, I was really upset. It felt like the only developers of such a unique and niche genre were stepping away, and I doubted anything would quite fill the gap in the same way.

A few people came along and tried. I've played most, if not all, of them. Sure, some of them manage the same kinds of satisfying puzzle design gimmicks, but I have yet to find one that truly replicates the open-ended puzzle solving Zachtronics brought to the table. It always felt like levels had one specific intended solution and nothing more. Maybe a tiny single shortcut if you were lucky.

Which brings me to this game. I discovered it a few days ago when I saw that Zachtronics themselves retweeted it. And all I can say is, I'm so sad I discovered it this late into its lifecycle. When it's going free-to-play so soon. Because this is the best non-Zachtronics Zach-like I've ever played. Its mechanics are deceptively complicated despite its simple appearance, solutions can quickly spiral out of control into sprawling messes of symbols and lines, and I've had a hell of a lot of fun tinkering with its systems. I'm terrible at it, of course; my stats horrify me sometimes when I see the histograms. But the fact that's even happening is so beautiful to me.

Thank you, developer. I hope you feel inspired to make more someday. I know for a fact that I, at least, will support you if you do.

Disco Elysium is an... Odd game. I can't really compare it to many others I've played. It's a primarily dialogue-based... RPG?

Despite its eccentricities, I absolutely adore this game. The characters are all interesting (and generally hilarious), the writing's great, the graphics are visually pleasing, and I'm pretty sure that, when I first got the game, I spent several days straight playing it to completion. It's definitely worth a buy, and I look forwards to anything else these devs produce.

Absolutely fantastic.

Volume, to put it simply, is a stealth game in the vein of older games like Metal Gear.

*Possible Spoilers*
From a top-down perspective, you control Rob Locksley, an everyday man who decides to rebel against the government that controls his country. Enlisting the help of a malfunctioning AI named Alan, who reluctantly guides you through the game, you plan out several heists using simulations, and stream them to people worldwide, who carry them out in real life.
*End of Potential Spoilers*

The game's controls work fantastically, with only occasional hiccups with quickly snapping to cover, though that tends to be when I have messed up and need to frantically button mash. The game's graphics, while simple, work really well with the setting of the game, and have a certain charm to them. The voice acting is nicely done, and has some good voices attached.

Overall, Volume is a brilliant game, with a great story, good controls, and one of the most satisfying endings I have ever played.

Crouch-walking simulator 2015.
10/10.

When I first played the game, I looked at the futuristic setting. Beautiful.

The champion of a server glitched. I ripped his head off. 10/10.

Awesome

Awesome, but it makes you cuss kidneys and physics...