Recent reviews by Ergo Doctor Hawk

Gameplay: 8/10
Visuals: 7/10
Audio: 6/10

This is a Zelda-like that was originally made for iOS and then ported over to the PC. Whoever ported it did a good job at making it run well on computer as well as setting up controls for a gamepad. The world is comprised of islands that you must sail between in order to get different items. There are three dungeons; in which you must collect magic emblems in order to defeat a grand mechanical beast called Oceanhorn.

Upsides:
- A cute cartoony style.
- Good enemy design.
- Doesn't over-explain everything to you. You have to explore and find out how to play the game.
- Once I got into the right moodset for solving puzzles there is an island later on in the game called the Island of Whispers and it has incredibly well designed puzzles and atmosphere.

Downsides:
- Boring on-rails sailing between islands.
- Some of the sounds are really annoying (like when landing from a drop).
- There is a spell that allows you to drop a random item onto buttons to press them, but it doesn't do anything outside of the first dungeon. There are so many times where I thought that would be a great solution to an area, being able to press a button from far away, but they instead introduce a mechanic that is never used again.
- Horrendously frustrating fishing mini-game. I really don't know why developers put these in they're never good.


Verdict - Great game with some minor flaws. Heavily recommend to anyone craving a Zelda-like on the pc.

Gameplay: 4/10
Visuals: 10/10
Audio: 9/10

The basic premise of this game is that you're a little Inupiat girl (artic alaskan natives) and a magic fox. The game and its dlc take two folk stories from the culture and turn them into a sidescroller. There is little combat which is fine, but the mechanics of the game can sometimes be frustrating.

Upsides:
- Really beautiful.
- The cultural insights (documentary style videos) that you unlock are very interesting.
- The "boss fights" had some really great solutions to them.

Downsides:
- Gameplay is rather boring. It's primarily jumping onto platforms (or missing which happens a lot).
- If you're playing alone you have to control both the fox and the girl which would be fine, but the AI controls the one you're not and often times jumps to their death for no disernable reason.
- Honestly it's just tedious.

Verdict - I very hesitently suggest to get it if it's on sale; if only for learning about the Inupiat people.

Gameplay: 8/10
Visuals: 9/10
Audio: 8/10

So I got this from a humble bundle and it's a really solid 2d sidescroller. In the style of a metrodvania game, Shantae takes you through a hair whipping, magic using, form changing adventure. You play as a genie who must take on the pirate Risky Boots who has stolen a magic lamp of unknown power!

Upsides:
- Really nice art.
- Enjoyable magic abilities.
- Decent dungeon design.
- Catchy music.
- Short but sweet (~5 hours).

Downsides:
- Some of the combat felt sluggish.
- Some of the backtracking became tedious (especially in my achievement run).
- Underutilized plane feature (jumping into the background and foreground).
- Two dimensional characters (I mean that metaphorically).

Verdict - Definitely pick this one up!

P.S. I hear the next game in the series Pirates Curse is much better. I'm very much looking forward to getting it. Also there is another one coming out some time soon called 1/2 Genie Hero. I'll likely pick that one up too.