Recent reviews by Datalizard

You ever get hit so hard by a game's story that when you finish it you've kinda just gotta sit there in silence for a couple hours?

I pretty thoroughly enjoyed this game. While there are a few puzzles I needed outside help with- namely one requiring you to be able to read sheet music , and two secrets with solutions that aren't really hinted at anywhere- I mostly managed to get them on my own. It's not easy, but it's definitely doable. There are also a few interesting keywords you can enter in a few places, and even when they don't lead to anything but a short scene, the care put into such little details is good to see. You know a game is good when I bust out real life paper and scribble notes and a flowchart, although as far as the latter goes the game could definitely use some sort of "chapter select" style menu, although the game's structure might make that difficult and I get why it isn't there. There are a couple of jumpscares, which would usually kill an experience for me, but they're really well placed and never outstay their welcome. Would love a sequel, and this feels like it's intended to have one.

There's also a reference to one of my favorite games from the Dread X Collections hidden in there. I don't wanna spoil which one, but I see you, MANGLEDmaw.

While I'd really give this game about a 6.5/10, I did play through the whole thing, and it's very clear that a lot of love went into it. I did also get this in a Humble Bundle.

First, the praise- I think the story here avoids a lot of the pitfalls common in Lovecraftian stories. The portrayal of the island's natives isn't insensitive, and the story doesn't try to go too large in scope. No human being can perceive an Elder God without their minds breaking, that's the point, and this story avoids that so major kudos. Nothing revolutionary, but I did enjoy the story. Also, the visuals and music slap. Great atmosphere. The voice acting too. All a bit campy, but it's fun.

The mixed bags- the puzzles. Some of them are great, and some of them are weird and obtuse. A few of them I solved by complete accident while figuring out how the components functioned. I also have mixed feelings on the endings. This game does do the whole "press a button choose an ending" thing, which is a copout, but in cryptic games I prefer to know what choices I'm making. I would have preferred a singular ending, but if they insist on multiple, I'd rather it be done like this.

The bad- the movement. It's sluggish. The run is way too slow, and climbing a ladder takes way too long. Fortunately, this is really my only gripe, but there's a lot of it to do, as puzzle components tend to be pretty far apart.

The conclusion- A perfectly playable puzzle game with an above average Lovecraftian story. May Howard roll in his grave.

I got this game in Humble Monthly- a very odd choice for June, because if this had appeared in October, I'd have adored it. As it stands, I just like it. It's got really good graphics, especially for one guy. The general gameplay is solid, and the platforming controls just as it should, but it does get repetitive. A few of the bosses are super creative, though the last one gets a big difficulty spike. The humor tends to be a miss for me- with a notable exception in the swamp which really got me. Definitely pick this up on sale or around Halloween.

My review for this game is... shakily positive. I absolutely adored the first game, but this is definitely a step down in a few departments. On the plus side, the game looks amazing, though very dark and as a result I would often have a hard time seeing whatever it is you're looking for. The sound design is still immaculate, as is the designs and concepts of the various monsters and enemies. The plot... isn't really there, but what little is there works well. The puzzles are generally well designed, and there are a lot of really well-done mechanics- your NPC companion has decent AI, and the few tools you pick up are used in creative ways. However, I felt that a number of the puzzles didn't have clear goals. Once you figure out what you're supposed to be doing, the puzzle will make sense, but many areas didn't have clear goals. My main gripe is the length. For an entire 10 dollars more, you're getting what felt like a shorter game than the original. Get this on sale- amazing concepts and character designs in a very short package.

I have two qualifications for a game's morality system to be good. One- it must either be clear as to what constitutes a "good" choice, like Bioshock, or allow for (and clearly indicate) failure, like RDR2. Two- it must either not place any limits on gameplay options, like the previous games, or offer equally fun alternatives, as Mark of the Ninja does. This morality system fails both. You will get the bad ending of Caspian, I can almost guarantee it. And to get any good endings, you're playing stealth, regardless of how badly you want to utilize the amazing gunplay. I actually really like stealth games, but being *forced* into stealth kills the enjoyment. Sometimes, when you get caught, you just want to shoot your way out.

I'm torn as to how to rate this. I got it in a bundle- one supporting charities during the Australian bush fires, appropriately. I am satisfied with where my money likely went. But circumstances aside, I would not wish to pay 10 dollars for a 20 minute game. It's very much an ASMR game, with a gentle narrative, adorable protagonist, and simple controls. But said protagonist and the beautiful visuals around them tend to take a dip into the void, flickering as reality is brought into question for a moment. The controls are also confusing for how simple they are, and kind of unintuitive. I hate to give this the thumbs-down, as a lot of love clearly went into it, but I think more love could have gone to playtesting.

This short little game is well-paced, the puzzles have natural conclusions and took a little thought without being difficult. Looks great, story is good for a 20-minute game. Only complaint is that a certain sound at the end is much louder than the rest of the game, so maybe don't play with headphones. It's free, it's short. Fun little snack.

A couple of hours of brain-off fun. Could do without the souls-like parts, but thats how I feel about most souls-like parts of games. The combat is solid and satisfying, the soundtrack is good (though not DOOM-level, no one can be Mick Gordon) and the weapons have enough variety (though most of that variety is an illusion, there are essentially 4 weapons with different speed settings.) I enjoyed my time with this. If it sounds like something you'd like, pick it up. If not, maybe wait for a sale. I got this in a bundle, so my price valuation might be skewed.

This is a fine little indie puzzler, especially for the price. The art style isn't for everyone, but it's well produced, and the music is pleasant. The characters, powerups, and different enemies are little ways to shake up the puzzle genre set forth by flash game predecessors like Bloxors or the one with the ninja. At its core, this is a puzzle game. That aspect keeps the roguelike part fresh. I will not be completing this game. A certain area involving darkness frustrates me too much. But I recommend it nonetheless.