Recent reviews by dpsycho

R.E.P.O. is a fun multiplayer co-op experience. Don't let the horror appearance turn you off from it if scary games aren't your thing, as it doesn't take long for the fear-of-the-unknown aspect to wear off in favor of recognizing which specific threats are present and working together to overcome or avoid them. You'll fail a lot early on, but once you've played a few hours and started recognizing where loot is likely to be hidden, you'll start being able to afford more spectacular toys and upgrades from the shop, and as a result, start feeling powerful against the game's various hazards.

It's possible for the game to feel repetitive when you're still new to it, as you're not getting to see the more interesting elements when wiping out in the second or third stage and having to restart. But when your group is more experienced and your play sessions are regularly going beyond the 2-hour mark, the game really shines. Because the items offered in the shop are random, you often end up playing different builds, more or less, across sessions. Maybe you get double-jump this time. Maybe that gun you like will show up. Perhaps you escape the alien's telekinetic grip because you're carrying a stun grenade your friend dropped earlier and you realize you have nothing to lose trying it out. As long as you don't feel married to a specific skill set that may not even become available this time, the random offerings make the game continue to feel fresh.

Perhaps most importantly, R.E.P.O. doesn't feel like it punishes failure. You'll die. A lot. but the game offers chances to revive multiple times in each stage, and recent updates offer more for KO'd players to do while waiting on a surviving player bringing them back. There's no persistent penalty for dying, and sometimes acting as the group's sacrificial diversion can be strategically rewarding, especially if you're usually sitting at 1 HP.

So, yeah. Great multiplayer game if your friends are up for it.

While Core Keeper offers an excellent single-player experience, it really shines when experienced with friends. Determine who's going to design the living space, handle farming, go out gathering, venture out to map the environment, etc. Just do the things you enjoy doing in this kind of game and leave the rest to your buddies... until everyone agrees that it's time to band together to take down one of the world's bosses.

This is one I keep coming back to, and every time, I find that there have been new updates and DLC. Craft the World is my perennial choice for the Labor of Love Steam Award.

Games of this nature, where one stage can run tens of hours, often suffer from some portion being dull or tedious compared to the rest, be it that the fresh start is the most fun, or unlocking X ability is where things finally pick up. But I don't get that sense with CtW. It's fun from start to finish, and the stages are all unique apart from just becoming increasingly difficult.

Which is not to say that there aren't parts where you're held back by the crafting tree. There will come a time where you can't yet smelt the ore you've collected because you haven't done some seemingly unrelated aspect like having gone fishing, and expect to craft a pile of windows or some other base adornment arbitrarily. Such is the genre. At least here, the places where you'll realize you've held yourself back are because some of the tasks are actually more difficult based on the ecosystem of the different worlds. In the case of fishing, you may only find fresh water underground on some planets.

If I could give just one word of advice that I wish I knew when first starting, it's to put every spell you learn on the second action bar and use them early and often. The spells are critical late-game when mana become more difficult to refresh, but mana is refilled with every level gained, which occurs rapidly in the early game. Use those spells while they're effectively free and get a good feel for them.

If you've played other releases of this game, here's what you should know to expect:

* The magic system is kept as it was in the original release, with each spell belonging to a numbered circle and each character being limited to three per.

* The inventory system from the original is fully replaced with the larger, shared inventory of the later games. Additionally, armor and weapons that have an effect when used in battle are clearly identified to do so by the game.

* Auto-re-targeting slain enemies is compulsory. There is no way to turn it on or off.

* Leveling occurs at the faster pace of most of the rereleases. Additionally, the level cap is raised beyond 50.

* Some items that weren't originally in the game are present in this release and unavoidable. More yet are available from a shopkeep at one point in the game after completing the necessary objective there.

* Places where stepping on a floor tile will automatically enter a battle in the original version are replaced with visible NPCs standing in or roaming the maps so you can prepare for the battles.

* The beastiary from later versions is present, but the appearance rate for Warmech is adjusted so low that actually completing the list is a much more difficult task than it should be.

* The game keeps track of treasure chests as part of the map screen, giving you the option to look and see where you have missed any. Also, the maps can be scrolled around to find them while standing still and to scout out the best path through an area.

* Several events where you once had to go to a place and then use a key item are now automatically triggered by reaching the area.

* The secret number puzzle is still in the game. It rewards you for every completion as it always did, but it does not track best times like some of the rereleases did.

If you're looking for a way to simulate playing the original release, you won't find that option here. But for the most part, the changes that they made to bring this one in line with the later titles are an overall improvement.

Playing with friends and voice chat is definitely the way to go.

There are worse ways to spend 3704 hours.

For years and years, I played new Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons games, always hoping that each would capture the magic of the first one I had ever played and allow me to relive that joy. And each fell short for one reason or another.

And then Stardew Valley came into existence, and my desire was fulfilled.

Pros:
Very few writing errors
Nipples

Cons:
Generally unlikebale characters
Only relatable character is never developed, exists solely as a prize for the MC
Engine lacks expected VN options like text review and full screen view, but does have settings regarding nonexistant choices
Japan as presented by someone who hasn't a clue (cherry blossoms and it's not the start of the school year?)
Location visuals that conflict with the story (the sushi place is so clearly a ramen shop, it actually says ramen several times and there are noodle bowls all along the counter)
Music that sounds like it's breaking up and doesn't properly loop
Unlikely in-universe reasons for art mismatch
Odd incoherence as to when events are happening relative to one another, particularly when two days clearly passed but references point to "yesterday"
Disturbing thigh-gap

The game has the feel of someone's first attempt at Ren'Py. Not much to like here, sadly.

Dev, SUPPORTED!

Coconut Queen features the brawniest of gents. Sure, it's a well made simulation that requires decent planning and skill, and it is fun and challenging from start to finish complete with extra areas. But that's all just icing on the cake that is the brawny gents. Worthy title, a shame the sequel never happened, eleven out of five coconuts.