Recent reviews by Eclipse

I received this game in a Humble Monthly Bundle, and was immediately intrigued. I assumed it would be some sort of management simulator, and I suppose it is, but only barely so. The real enjoyment I received from this game was observing and being part of the awe that comes with simply being IN an arcade. This is a love letter to early gaming in the best way. There are over 30 game cabinets to unlock and place as you grow from a tiny laundromat back room into a full fledged arcade. I was not prepared for the fun story attached with the growth. And not just fun, but well written and emotional at times, too.

Although it did take me too long to realize that I didn't need to continue to do the laundry side of things after a while. :)

Most of the games will be replicas of old favorites, including a few new ones thrown in for good measure. Most do not have a lot of depth, but each one is, I feel, a great representation of their respective genres.

Overall, I had an absolute blast with this game, and I cannot thank the developers more for it.

Solasta is a lovingly faithful rendition of the 5th edition D&D rules in video game format. Tactical combat and exploration take center stage here, and while many of the edges remain rough, there are enough smoothed out spots, particularly in the non-combat elements, to make it a wholly enjoyable experience.

I have had so much fun playing this game with a friend of mine. We love divvying out characters and reading the narrative in each character's voice. The tactical combat is extremely engaging, and I always feel like there is pressure, but never too much. Wildermyth is extremely cathartic and enjoyable.

As an escape room enthisiast, this is exactly the kind of VR escape room experience that I have been looking for. This game uses three different locks (4 digit dial, traditional combination, and directional) as well as an assortment of keys, which makes the gameplay of searching, cluing, and solving extremely recognizable and satisfying. The whole experience could very well be a physical escape room itself. I found the implementation of the three locks to be straightforward and fun.

The game looked and played very much like you would expect an escape room to play. That said, it fell into some pitfalls common in escape rooms. First, there is some outside knowledge needed in order to solve one of the puzzles. This knowledge is not provided anywhere in the game. This would normally be where a player would ask the game master for a clue, but there is no hint system built within the game. Thus, if you are stuck due to poor cluing or not having the required outside knowledge, then you are indeed truly out of luck and will be required to look for outside sources.

Second, the game does provide some help with the directional locks, allowing you to bring up the in game menu to input the code combination for the lock that you find, so you don't forget it. This feature is never indicated within the game, however. The real-life analog to this problem is a lack of ability to take individual notes on clues and puzzles part-way solved.

Third, I dislike knowing that I have a code for a lock and then I waste time hunting for "the right" lock. Near the beginning of the game there were two available options for a combination lock code that I found, only to discover that the code was needed for another combination lock revealed later. This wasn't a problem with all of the locks, but it did force me to waste valuable time early in the game, especially because the dials for the in-game combination locks turn so slowly. Plus, if you input a number incorrectly, which is easy to do, you end up using more time and growing more frustrated.

Fourth, there was an endgame puzzle requiring the placement of an item correctly which was obvious, but required precise placement in a way that I felt could have been more obvious.

That said, the puzzles were ingenious and fun, and I appreciate being rewarded for searching all around the room. This is definitely one of my top VR escape game experiences! I can't wait for Chapter 2!

(Also, as a small hint for playing the "Prologue" game, which has similar puzzles, go ahead and avoid your inner escape room instinct and break away.)