Recent reviews by Lore

It’s like Slay the Spire had a demonic baby on a train that’s somehow going to Hell in reverse. You build a deck, fight angels, and manage floors like a stressed-out infernal Airbnb host. Strategy? Required. Sanity? Optional. 10/10 would yell "WHY IS EVERYTHING ON THE THIRD FLOOR?!" again.

Ever wanted to fistfight philosophy inside a moody oil painting? This game’s got you. It’s dramatic, it’s beautiful, it’s French — and somehow, even the sky has anxiety. The combat is slick, the vibes are existential, and the loading screens probably judge you. Would recommend for fans of art, angst, and accidentally yelling “WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!” at your screen. Existential with a side of oui oui. 10/10

So I will revisit this game with an in-depth review at a later date, when I see the product outside of early access, but from first impressions alone: It is a super cute game. It kind of feels like: If Stardew Valley + Coral Island + Sailor Moon + Ghibli had a lovechild. Its wholesome and aesthetically pleasing. I have absolutely no complaints thus far

₊ ⌕┆𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑬?!
I just want to start my review by addressing a burning question in my mind: 𝑫𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 "𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔"?

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I have just purchased this game to play with my partner, and the co-op functionality has been mostly positive. The game play is intuitive and smooth. Each character brings something new to the table, and if you bother to beat the stage: It does, in fact, thank you for your time - and inform you that there is more to come. Your purchase is not exclusively for this one stage, thus: You cannot yet judge if you get the bang for your buck - I am, however, optimistic that you will.

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I'm going to keep this shorter than most of my reviews, and simply state the following:

₊ ⌕┆𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑺
⊹ Dark Fairytale Theme (If you like Brothers Grimm, try this, seriously)
⊹ Diverse characters and mechanics
⊹ High replay value
⊹ Smooth, yet difficult, gameplay
⊹ The graphics are gorgeous
⊹ Hooked on the voice acting
⊹ It might be me, but the music gives me Witcher vibes, and I love it.
⊹ Active dev team, with a discord!
⊹ Fresh feel, with a blend of Hades and Diablo, with a hint of Darkest Dungeon in terms of graphic style.
⊹ Co-Op

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₊ ⌕┆𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑺
⊹ Trolls leaving negative reviews, driving away potential players.
⊹ Bugs, as it is in Early Access
⊹ Load Times - But it's worth it. Just buffer the game, and go make a cuppa lovelies. It's worth the wait!
⊹ Only 1 chapter to start the game with
⊹ 4 Characters, but you'll unlock more - And there are empty pages suggesting more will be added.

If you’re the sort who enjoys whimsical and innovative games featuring various RPG elements, Recettear is for you… Unless you dislike anime and/or gaming, in which case: what are you even doing here? Recettear is a commerce simulator, rich in story, and inventive in its own entertaining way. While the story itself is short, it is highly addictive and extremely entertaining. Just remember to maintain your stock and prices when you find yourself on a questing spree.

Recettear is a charming tale revolving around a little girl, and a fairy loan shark. Recette Lemongrass is confronted by hardship when her father mysteriously vanishes, leaving her accountable for settling his debt. With the help of a fairy named Tear, Recette takes the necessary steps to pay back her father’s loan by turning her house into an item shop. She quickly learns that a lot of work goes into maintaining a shop: From interior design, to questing, to restocking, and to haggling prices. Recette must pay off a certain amount of the debt each week in order to keep everything that she knows and loves.

There is a lot of ground to cover in this category, as Recettear is an extremely well-developed game. As stated previously, this gem has introduced both RPG elements and commerce simulation in an innovative style.

Let’s start with the RPG elements. As a store owner, it is Recette’s responsibility to keep her shelves stocked for her customers. As a result, she has the option to accompany a dungeon crawling adventurer once a day, in order to acquire items and ingredients. While the dungeons can become a bit tedious, they are extremely worthwhile - and profitable. It should be noted that these particular ventures take more time than actually managing the shop. Did I mention that these dungeons are randomly generated? Guilty pleasure. After a dungeon crawl, don’t forget to check in with the Merchants Guild to fuse some new items. Recipes for these fusions are unlocked by your Merchant Level.

There is a time management system in place, so Recette will only be able to do a certain number of things per day.

Back to managing the shop, though. Eventually, Recette will learn to take orders in advance, and the player will need to ensure that the items are available when the customer returns. The haggling system in this game is worth mentioning, as Recette will be able to barter with her clientele. Much like the real world, if the price is set too high, the buyer will lose interest. Don’t fret too much over lost orders though, there are always more fish in the sea. Apart from purchasing random doohickeys from her customers, Recette will also be given the option to utilize vending machines for quick sales with set prices. It should also be noted that different aesthetic customizations made to the store will attract different pools of people.

Another really cool feature in this game is the shifting economy. While this won’t occur instantaneously in your first playthrough, you will eventually be alerted to certain goods becoming more valuable. When this happens, Recette can stock her shop with the rare goods (for instance candy), and sell it for ridiculous amounts of profit.

While the game might seem overwhelming at first, rest assured it is easy enough to learn, and quickly (if not instantly) becomes enjoyable.

My favourite feature of this game is its diverse set of characters. Too often in games, we’re subjected to multiple characters of the same flavour. Not in Recettear. Each character is unique, offering different lovable quirks.

The controls are pretty smooth, and there’s not a lot to complain about. The only problem I found was almost exclusively during dungeon runs. Sometimes the camera angle will deny you visibility, but it seems like such a small problem in the grand scheme of things. This game does offer controller support, which I recommend taking advantage of.

One thing that really stood out to me was the artwork in this game. Sure, it might seem a bit outdated if put in a side-by-side comparison to a few new releases, but overall the aesthetics are equally as cute as the game. I seriously doubt that the visual aesthetics of this game would be distracting to anyone who enjoys a retro feel.

I might be one of the strange ones, but I found the music to be oddly addicting. The OST is the perfect fit to emphasise the extremely pleasant atmosphere of Recettear. Unfortunately, for some, there really is no option for widescreen.

In my opinion, the replay value for this game is extremely high. Once the game has been cleared once, the player will be faced with three choices: New Game +, Endless Mode, and Survival Mode. Just be mindful not to play it if you have other commitments, this game is so hard to put down. Good luck finishing out your Item Encyclopedia!

I have the unpopular opinion that this game is not worth the investment, but I shall do my best to explain why. Enslaved is beautiful in graphics only. While the setting of the game is glorious, the story itself is lacking. There are several plot holes, which lack any detailed explanation, and to top it off: it’s consistent use of gender roles is insulting to both men and women. Had there been more thought put into the development of this game, I would recommend it in a heartbeat, but in my opinion it lacks tact and was not at all thought through.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future, although what happened to the Earth was never properly analyzed nor explained. While this fault alone can be disregarded, the fact that the entire story revolves around one young womans crusade against slavers by the means of her enslaved “Monkey” man proves more difficult to ignore. Basically, the female protagonist is a huge hypocrite who cannot take care of herself and requires the aid of a big strong man. As if the two main characters horribly written fate isn’t enough, the third character that they add in only accents the fact that the woman is viewed as a piece of incompetent meat.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with the gameplay itself, if you are the brawler type. Nor is there anything that is innovated, or outside the box. It is a pretty generic, run of the mill creation. The only bit that is even remotely interesting is the skills distribution, and even then, it’s pretty standard.

The targeting is extremely awkward, which adds an unintended level of difficulty. Apart from that, the controls are also rather generic, and there’s nothing more to say about them.

Phenomenal. In all honesty, the aesthetics of this game are pretty much its strongest selling point. It is an absolutely visually stunning game, with scenery that is worth taking in. Props for an awesome immersive setting.

Unremarkable, but no complaints or compliments.

Close to none, unless you really, REALLY enjoy looking at aesthetics. There is new content after beating the game that is opened to you. In my opinion, however, it’s really not exceptionally worth a second playthrough. I can name several games (from the same genre) in my library that will get more attention.

If you are a fan of Assassin’s Creed II, you are going to absolutely love this gem! If you have not played Assassin’s Creed II, I highly recommend that you start there, as Brotherhood and Revelations are direct continuations of Ubisoft’s 2009 predecessor. While Brotherhood is a sequel of a sequel, it continues to bring multiple quality elements to the table. This game is, without a doubt, my personal favourite in the series. Like the original installment, Brotherhood is an atmospheric historical fiction action-adventure sandbox. One that you will not be disappointed in.

As a general warning, you should not read this section if you have not yet cleared the predecessors, and have the intention of doing so. There are minor spoilers ahead, for those of you who have not cleared the first or second installments of Assassin’s Creed.

Brotherhood follows Assassin’s Creed II nicely, and cleanly picks up where the last left off. Desmond flees the scene of the latest Templar attack, and follows his team to Monteriggioni: their new hideout. Desperate to locate the Apple of Eden, in hopes of preventing a global disaster that had been predicted to happen later on in the year, Desmond rushes back into his genetic memory.

For Ezio, it is 1499, and he still cannot explain what he had seen inside the vault. Unfortunately, he is not given much time to mull it over before the actions of the Templars push him back into action. He spends most of the game struggling to cripple the Borgia influence in the capital, and then begins the process of training other Assassin’s to aid him.

Allow me to start off this section of the review by stating that Brotherhood is a huge game, offering more content than Assassin's Creed II. There are a lot of places to explore, both above and below ground. While some players share the mindset that "more isn't always better", I am a firm believer that the fans of the beloved assassin Ezio Auditore will have a blast checking out this game... Especially taking into consideration that there is a huge pool of returning characters, including Leonardo DaVinci and Machiavelli.

There are a number of recognizable, yet staple mechanics worth mentioning, that have been recycled in Brotherhood: The original (if not improved) free-running system, eagle-vision, hidden messages, looting, buying, and investing. Furthermore, Brotherhood keeps the modernized and improved quest system from its predecessor, which permits Ezio to hire courtesans, thieves or mercenaries.

The combat aspects of Brotherhood are mostly recognizable from Assassin's Creed II. You can still cycle through your weapons, and choose whether or not you want to execute a clumbsy public chase, or a stealthy and well-planned kill. Combat aesthetics are gorgeous, and make just about any fight seem brutal and bloody. Like it's predecessor, weapons and armor can be both obtained and repaired at blacksmith shops - Each offering their own selection of kill animations.

However, there are also new aspects of combat. For instance, mounted combat is possible. While running through crowds and across rooftops is entirely possible, Brotherhood now offers the option of horseback riding through cities (once the stables have been purchased), permitting the player to jump from a horse, and straight into an assassination.

Leonardo DaVinci has a bigger role in this game, along with optional DLC. In fact, he offers stand-alone quests that require Ezio to go after his four war machines in order to lessen the Borgia's military strength. While getting to each of Leonardo's inventions might seem a bit repetitive at times, the objective following locating the machine is always exceptionally diverse. No two missions to destroy Leonardo's inventions are the same.

Finally, I saved the best implementation for last. The Assassin's Guild. Ezio is eventually able to recruit civilians, and train them up by sending them on their own quests, to become assassins. Once they have been obtained, they can be called upon to assist Ezio in combat so long as they are not deployed on a mission. While they are extremely powerful, I thought it was a lot of fun to recruit and train them, and I guarantee that you will likely feel the same.

If I am not mistaken, the controls are entirely identical to the setup in Assassin’s Creed II. You still cannot re-arrange your buttons, though I guarantee that playing with a gamepad will be much more friendly than playing with a mouse and keyboard.

Like the previous establishments, Brotherhoods targeting remains a bit on the tricky side. You can’t ever be 100% certain that you will hit your target, but it is something that can still be worked around. However, from time to time you might still end up changing your camera angle, and inadvertently kill a civilian or something, oops!

Brotherhood offers beautiful graphics that focus heavily on its environment. Virtually every area has been polished to reflect the games atmosphere. I’ve said it a million times before, and I’ll say it again: It is really hard to nit-pick this aspect of the game, because the visuals are so fine-tuned.

Having played II, Brotherhood, and Revelations - It is my firm opinion that Brotherhood offers the best of music and voice tracks. Ubisoft continues to uphold the tradition of combining dramatic scores of music to assassinations, making the experience more enjoyable for the player. Subtitles are still an option, and a huge help when it comes to fully understanding what is being said - I encourage you to use them for your own benefit. As always, the sounds only add to the atmosphere of the game, and in the case of Brotherhood: It is extremely well done.

In my own opinion, Brotherhood has the highest replay value in the entire series. It introduces so many miscellaneous objectives, that the game never truly feels boring. While replay value is entirely dependent on the player, I am confident enough to say that any fan of Assassin’s Creed will want to play this one again.

We have all heard the phrase that “nothing beats the original” at least once in our lives. Assassin’s Creed II is a living testimony against these wise words. It is the much-improved sequel to its 2007 predecessor published by Ubisoft, and the first of a new trilogy of games (II, Brotherhood, and Revelations). While the first game in the franchise had a huge amount of potential, it fell a little bit short in the eyes of many. However, Assassin’s Creed II earned an almost unanimous critical acclaim - and with a good reason. Like the original installment, ACII remains an atmospheric historical fiction action-adventure sandbox. Setting it apart, however, is its new approach to less repetitive gameplay combined with solid story development… And yes, it does take the time to fill the majority of the plot holes left open from its forerunner.

As a general warning, you should not read this section if you have not yet cleared the first game, and have the intention of doing so. There are minor spoilers ahead, for those of you who have not cleared the first installment of Assassin’s Creed.

This game picks up precisely where the first left off. Abstergo. Desmond remains a prisoner of the modern-day Templars, as he begins to comprehend the significance of his genetic memories - and the danger of the Apple of Eden falling into the wrong hands. Before he has too much time to brood, the game kicks off with a fast pace, springing Desmond from Abstergo, and introducing him to the modern-day Assassins. With their help, and their version of the Animus, Desmond submits himself to relive the experiences of another ancestor in hopes of becoming an assassin for their own cause.

This time he finds himself in 15th-century Italy, at the height of the Renaissance, following the life of another ancestor called Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Ezio is a noble who finds himself betrayed by the cities rulers, and sets out on a quest for vengeance.

There is a lot to be said about the mechanics and gameplay elements that Assassin’s Creed II introduced. Too often, a sequel is just a repeat of the first game, with a different storyline. This is not the case here. Ubisoft did an excellent job immersing the player in what is now a believable world, retaining some of its original mechanics. The beautifully designed free-running system from it’s forerunner has returned, only this time it permits the player to move faster: Thus, cover more ground in less time, and make exploration much more satisfying. As additional encouragement to explore the region, they have hidden treasure chests in every location - Low on coin? No problem! Either go find these hidden goodies, or just kill a guard and pick his pockets.

I’d also like to take a moment to pay homage to the improved battle system. The combat aesthetics are absolutely stunning, making almost any fight appear brutal and bloody. Furthermore, you now have numerous weapons to pick from at the blacksmith shops, each offering its own selection of kill animations.

The quests also have a more modernized efficiency to them, and appear on the map as exclamation marks to guide the player to the next objective. As I have previously stated, they are also a lot less repetitive. You no longer follow the same formula in each quest, which is hugely refreshing. Should Ezio run into trouble during any of these missions, he can opt to blend in just about any crowd of people, or purchase assistance from his allied factions: thieves, courtesans, and mercenaries. Just be careful not to draw too much unwanted attention, or you’ll have to go tear down wanted posters to reduce your notoriety.

The purchasing system is really enjoyable. You can change the color of your robes, buy upgrades, weapons, armor, health potions, and even artwork. Once you reach the village of Monteriggioni, you can begin the process of renovating the city to generate your own income through your investments.

Finally, keep an eye open for glyphs by using eagle vision. You won’t want to miss out on the story that their puzzles will reveal.

The controls are relatively friendly, but no longer offer support with re-arranging your buttons. A controller is still the best way to get around, in my opinion, although you cannot re-assign your button placement at will this time. I still do not recommend playing this game with a keyboard and mouse, but if that suits you, by all means do so.

Targeting remains a bit tricky, and you can’t always be sure that you will hit what you’re aiming for, but it is something you can work around. From time to time, you might find yourself changing your viewpoint and inadvertently targeting something else, oops!

Assassin’s Creed has been known to focus a lot of attention on their atmosphere, so it is only fitting that the graphics are as polished as they are. This game offers beautiful and breathtaking sights, and paints them in a realistic light. It is really hard to criticize this aspect of the game, because they did such an amazing job with fine-tuning the scenery to fit their setting. I absolutely love how the game looks and feels, and I’m pretty sure you will too.

The music is beautiful, and the voice tracks are considerably less annoying than its predecessor. The combination of assassinating a target to the score of dramatic music can only be described as a rewarding experience. Though it should be noted that the entirely optional use of subtitles will help with translating the incorporated use of the Italian language. Overall the sounds contribute immensely to the games atmosphere, which is something that I will likely continuously praise in this particular franchise.

Assassin’s Creed II is among my favourites in the series, thus far, and I would definitely recommend a replay at some point. Then again, replay value is entirely dependent on the person playing the game.

Initially published by Ubisoft in 2007, Assassin’s Creed is the under-appreciated foundation of the critically acclaimed franchise. It is an atmospheric historical fiction action-adventure sandbox. While this fluid and beautiful game is often the victim of mixed reviews by fans, it serves a very important purpose. The first time I tried this game, I put it down as a result of becoming bored too quickly, but this game is worth investing in. That is, if you have taken a shine to any of its sequels. It is my strong and undying opinion that you’d be doing the developers a great disservice by skipping the heart of the best selling series. While the later games are more entertaining and hold more appeal, one needs to play Assassin’s Creed in order to truly understand the elaborate groundwork laid out for its successors.

The game focuses on the use of an immersive computer system known as the “Animus”, and its latest subject called Desmond Miles. While Desmond may appear to be an average bartender from an average world, he is actually a descendant of the legendary Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. Through the Animus, the player will bear witness to the genetic memories of Desmond’s ancestor, and the events between two secret societies as they unfold during the Third Crusade.

Overall, I felt that the story was weak, but it took some revolutionary steps towards creating a solid foundation for a marvelous series of sequels. While the story might initially seem confusing as the player nears the end, it is surprisingly well thought out, so give it a chance.

As stated previously, much of the game is disclosed through the eyes of Desmond Miles as he relives the memories of Altaïr through the Animus. Inside the Animus, the player will be introduced to a computerized interface displaying all of the mandatory information varying from health to inventory, and a third person view of Altaïr.

It is important for anyone unfamiliar with the franchise to be aware that Altaïr moves in real time opposed to turn-based. The movement in the game is possibly its most notable feature which permits the player to scale buildings, catch ledges, jump over gaps, and more. Assassin’s Creed has a love for utilizing a diverse set of active (high profile) and passive (low profile) approaches, so if you manage to draw unwanted attention to yourself, you’re probably going to need to find a haystack - fast - unless you feel like fighting a band of poor unfortunate souls (otherwise known as guards).

Unfortunately, even with easy access to multiple weapon sets and various combat skills, the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed can only be described as repetitive. The game makes a habit of recycling the same formula for most of the key assassinations, which becomes tedious. Despite that, it’s still worth buying - If this is too repetitive, simply rush through this game. There is a lot more to do in its successors, and the developers improve the ability to enjoy the tasks in the future. However, as I stated, skipping the groundwork does the entire franchise a bit of a disservice.

Furthermore, as Altaïr the player will also need to familiarize themselves with the art of synchronization. Synchronization is measured by the Animus as Desmond follows his genetic memories, and reflects its user’s faithfulness to the memory in question. In other words, is Desmond re-living the memory as it was, or has he diverted from its path? Straying too far from the objective will result in a loss of synchronization, which will result in forcing the user to start over from an earlier point. Needless to say, not “everything is permitted”.

Finally, the last aspect that I really feel called to touch on is Eagle Vision. In short, Eagle Vision is a seemingly dormant sixth sense in most humans, however it manages to aid Altaïr in his tasks throughout the game. Utilized, this ability will help the player to locate targets, gauge intentions of others, and ultimately seek out his mark. I found this aspect to be fairly interesting, and hope you enjoy using this ability as much as I did.

The controls of Assassin’s Creed are extremely friendly. I used my 360 controller, and the game provided me with excellent controller support. However, I did try to play the game with the mouse and keyboard setup, and I cannot recommend this to anyone. This game is best played with a controller.

In general, the targeting is a bit tricky, but that is something you can work around.

As I stated at the beginning of the review, I tried playing Assassin’s Creed once before. What I failed to mention was that my first attempt was on the XBOX 360 years ago. On the 360, the game looked polished and pretty. However, it’s original appeal has nothing on the dreamlike quality of the graphics on the PC. I could hardly believe that the game was originally released in 2007 when I first booted it up. Sure, there are some technical glitches here and there, but the PC version has definitely left a deeper impression.

I feel like it is an understatement to report that the views in Assassin’s Creed are breathtaking. In fact, they are polished, atmospheric, realistic, and lifelike. It is absolutely fascinating to me how well Ubisoft managed to present the world in this game.

In Assassin’s Creed, you will come to hate that one stupid beggar that manages to find you in every single town, who just absolutely has to tell you “My family is sick and dying”... What I’m really trying to say, is that the continuously recycled voice tracks are just as repetitive as the gameplay itself. If it doesn’t annoy you, I envy you your patience. With a bit more polishing (and perhaps a few more lines recorded by their voice actors) the NPCs could have been a much enjoyable thing to encounter.

On a positive note, the music is gorgeous.

Overall the sounds of Assassin’s Creed are realistic and immersive, fitting for a game that places a heavy focus on its atmosphere.

I’m not sure I’d play it again, unless I wanted a refresher of the story, but it is definitely worth at least one playthrough. As always, the replay value is entirely dependent on the individual holding the controller, and I can see a great deal of replay potential in this game. While the story is questionably weak, there are a lot of remaining individual elements to explore and to enjoy - Particularly if you enjoy exploration and immersive combat.

Circuits is an independent masterpiece. It is highly original, and I have never seen another game like it! While it's mechanics are deceitfully simple, you will come to find Circuits both stimulating and satisfying. The objective is to string together various segments of a song in the correct order... Easy, right? =)

If you only play games with a primary focus on storytelling, Circuits might not be the game for you. If you can, however, enjoy a game without a tale to tell, I really implore you to try this game.

If you are a music lover, this game might suit you. The gameplay revolves around the music, and I assure you that the soundtrack is superb, and with good reason. Basically, all you have to do is listen to the song and figure out how to recreate it on an empty template. You can listen to the song in layers, or as a whole, depending on how well you can pick apart sound. The game doesn't take long to beat, and my only complaint is the difficulty. It starts off extremely easy, and at some point takes a leap into higher difficulties. Overall, this game is extremely enjoyable, especially if you're just looking for something relaxing to do.

This game offers an untraditional approach to gaming. While the controls are simple enough, and playable simply with a mouse, it is best played with a set of headphones. This helps the player to become immersed in the sounds, which in turn will aid them on their quest to put the sounds in the correct sequence.

Sleek, simple, and to the point: Circuit's interface is highly appealing, and not overly cluttered. The music will be threaded together on a maze of lines, taking the form of colourful circles, which will light up as they are played. The background is subtle, and overall, I feel that the graphics are reasonable.

Sound: The audio is possibly Circuit's best selling feature, in my opinion. While some sounds are not entirely appealing, most are incredibly easy to listen to. It is easy on the ears, and progresses in difficulty throughout the players gaming experience. There isn't a lot left to critique.

I'd be willing to play Circuits again, I'm kind of a sucker for puzzle games, so I tend to play a puzzle per week, or so.