Recent reviews by TrueKnight

After a little over 10 hours, I can confidently say that Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is one of the most delightful chaotic action games I have played.

Even solo, the game strikes this perfect balance between frantic multitasking and satisfying control. You are constantly moving between turrets, shields, engines, and special weapons, and the AI companion is surprisingly capable. Single player is not just viable, it is genuinely fun. Every boss fight, every last minute save, every close call felt like a small personal victory shared with my little cosmic helper.

The neon aesthetic, upbeat soundtrack, and general charm of rescuing adorable creatures make the experience energetic and heartwarming. None of the achievements felt grindy and the natural variety in ship layouts and upgrades kept things fresh enough that finishing everything alone never felt like a chore.

If you want a game that is unique, vibrant, and entirely enjoyable even without a co-op partner, this one is absolutely worth your time.

10/10 would pilot a neon space heart again. 🚀💖

I enjoyed Jotun "Valhalla Edition" overall. The hand drawn art and Norse mythology themes are beautiful, and the boss fights feel epic in scale. The combat can be a bit clunky and sometimes frustrating during harder fights. It is a solid experience for anyone who likes atmospheric storytelling and challenging battles, but I would only buy it on sale.

Trying to get 100% completion on the achievements has been an effort in pure madness.

198X is a stylish love letter to the arcade era, blending multiple retro game genres with a heartfelt coming-of-age story. The visuals and soundtrack are top-notch, and while it's a bit short, the experience is memorable. Perfect for nostalgia lovers.

Abzu is a stunning underwater adventure that offers a peaceful, meditative experience. With breathtaking visuals, a mesmerizing soundtrack, and fluid swimming mechanics, the game immerses players in a vibrant ocean teeming with life.

I had this sitting in my library for over 8 years before finally getting around to playing it. While it’s short (probably around 3+ hours for the main storyline) and lacks traditional challenges, it's a must-play for fans of artistic, exploration-driven games. If you can snag this on sale, I think you'll find this a calming and worthwhile experience.

Northgard is a captivating real-time strategy game inspired by Norse mythology. Players control a clan of Vikings to explore, expand, and survive in an unforgiving environment filled with mythical creatures, hostile clans, and harsh winters.

Pros

• Unique Setting and Atmosphere: The Norse mythology theme, combined with a beautifully crafted map and soundtrack, creates an immersive experience.
  
  
• Engaging Gameplay: A mix of city-building, resource management, and strategy ensures depth and replayability.
  
  
• Diverse Clans: Each clan has unique abilities and playstyles, allowing for varied approaches to victory.
  
  
• Multiple Victory Conditions: Offers flexibility in gameplay with conditions like domination, trade, lore, and fame.
  
  
• Challenging AI and Multiplayer: AI opponents provide a solid challenge, and multiplayer matches add a competitive edge.
  
  
• Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master: Intuitive mechanics make it accessible for newcomers, while strategic depth keeps veterans engaged.

Cons

• Pacing: The slow start can feel tedious for players used to faster RTS games.
  
  
• Limited Combat Mechanics: Battles lack complexity compared to other RTS games, focusing more on positioning and numbers than tactics.
  
  
• Repetitive Mid-Game: Resource management and expansion can feel repetitive after multiple playthroughs.
  
  
• Occasional Balancing Issues: Some clans or strategies can feel overpowered, especially in multiplayer.
  
  
• UI Clutter: Managing multiple regions can sometimes feel overwhelming due to limited interface options.

TLDR

Northgard is a refreshing take on the RTS genre, blending Norse mythology with deep strategic elements. While it has some shortcomings in pacing and combat complexity, its engaging mechanics and unique setting make it a must-try for fans of strategy and city-building games.

Contra: Operation Galuga is a glorious revival of everything that made the classic Contra games legendary, while delivering modern flair and polish that never feels out of place. Developed with a clear love for the series, this game reimagines the retro run-and-gun gameplay with tight controls, explosive action, and an updated visual style that stays true to its roots.



Modernized Gameplay: The familiar fast-paced action is paired with new mechanics like weapon upgrades and special abilities, making the experience both nostalgic and fresh.

Stunning Visuals: Vibrant, hand-crafted pixel art combined with modern effects makes every stage a feast for the eyes without losing the classic Contra vibe.

Challenging but Fair: True to its legacy, Operation Galuga is tough as nails but always rewarding. Perfect for players who enjoy mastering patterns and pushing their reflexes.

Co-Op Chaos: Playing with a friend is pure adrenaline-fueled fun, and the game offers seamless co-op integration.

Epic Boss Battles: Each level concludes with unforgettable encounters that test your skill and strategy, all accompanied by heart-pumping music.


Short Campaign: Like its predecessors, the game isn’t incredibly long, but the replay value and different difficulty modes make up for it.

High Difficulty Curve: New players might find it daunting at first, but that’s part of Contra’s charm, and old school gamers, like myself, may actually throw this in the pro section of this review.

Final Thoughts:
Contra: Operation Galuga is a love letter to fans of the series and an excellent starting point for newcomers. Whether you're chasing that nostalgic high or looking for a challenging, high-octane shooter, this game delivers on all fronts.

Highly Recommended for anyone who loves action-packed gaming, tight controls, and a bit of retro madness.

I still regularly play Company of Heroes 3 and I still enjoy it. Most of my matches these days are quick skirmishes against the AI or games with friends. I don’t really play with random folks online, and it seems like a lot of the criticism the game gets comes from matchmaking across regions or just the general toxicity you find in online gaming. Personally, I don’t think the game itself can be blamed for that. Plenty of games deal with the same issues, and it’s not something a developer can easily fix.

I also see people criticizing the amount of time Relic puts into DLC, but they’ve also released several large patches that genuinely improved the game. Yes, adding new content means more balancing work, but I’ll happily take the new stuff. I'm still loving the game overall.



Original Review:

Let me start by saying I loved the original Company of Heroes. I played it on LANs and even bought it again on Steam. I never quite connected with COH2 for a number of reasons, though I do think it improved a lot over time thanks to patches and community feedback.

For COH3, I played the pre-alpha back in summer 2021, the multiplayer pre-alpha later that year, the 2022 summer alpha, and the multiplayer tech test just before release. Now that the full game is out—yes, it’s buggy. I don’t think it’s anywhere near as rough as the COH2 launch, but it still needs some love.

All that said, I’m already having a blast. It definitely has more of a COH1 feel than COH2, which may be off-putting for folks who preferred the second game. I can’t speak much to single-player, but the Italian dynamic campaign seems to be where a lot of complaints are coming from. Many of those criticisms are valid, especially for a fully released title.

My advice:

• If you’re a COH1 multiplayer fan, I’d say give it a shot.
  
• If you’re mostly in it for single-player, you might want to wait and see if some of the issues get addressed.
  
• If you’re a COH2 diehard, maybe hold off for now as well.

Time will tell if Relic gives it the same long-term attention COH2 eventually received. I can’t fault anyone for criticizing the state of the game at launch. I’m having a lot of fun with it, and I can see myself playing for a long time but I do think it should’ve released later or launched as Early Access.

If you ever played any of the TMNT games from the early 90s at the arcades or on home consoles, this game hits all of the right nostalgia points. The audio and visuals are like an updated blast from the past.

Excellent co-op game, even at full price ($25 is a steal these days)!

This is a great action role-playing/open world game. Story has been pretty good and a ton of side mission content.

I'd liken it to Skyrim with a mythological twist.


Note - If you're playing this on Steam, it will need to launch UPlay in the background. Depending on your system setup, you may need to run Steam as Admin (right click Steam > Run as Administrator). The game would not launch unless I did this because the connection to UPlay couldn't establish properly.

Great sequel! This game is probably better in almost every way (graphically, story, pirates!).

This game does seem to have more story/voice acting than the original, which may not be for everyone, especially if you're looking for more action/battles. Voice acting is mostly top notch and very well done. I'm almost to the end of the main story and will be taking a detour to complete some of the DLC.

Great isometric RPG! Recommend if you're a fan of POE1 or either of the original Baldur's Gate games.