Recent reviews by shell_game

I cannot emphasize how much I wanted to like this game.

I love dragons. I tend to enjoy this kind of game.

It just... Doesn't have it. There is no real gameplay to it that feels satisfying or sensical. Everything happens on an awkward grid and honestly you could throw whatever card you want down and have it do any number of things. You never actually have to understand the combo system because you're either tediously wearing things down or winning by a landslide no matter what you do. Anything that hits everything doesn't do enough damage to make it meaningful, so often it's more economical to hit one enemy at a time and pick them off one by one... But clearly I shouldn't do that because there's a dozen or more enemies on the screen. Except for when there's only one. So it becomes a matter of effectively wearing one enemy down regardless. Yes you can do things with the terrain but it's so situational that it feels more exhausting to try and keep it all in mind than it is to just... whittle down the enemy.

This review is probably really meandering and hard to follow. Well... That matches my experience playing this game. Dev, please. You have a solid enough idea here, but the thought put into balance is... flawed at best. Game design better!

Let it be known a lot of my experience with this game has been on someone else's account, but I just gotta say that these games pay attention to the quirks of older games in ways that aren't always apparent and it delights me.

Divers alone is my game of the year, but calling the rest icing on the cake would be criminally dismissive. Even the most rough around the edges game represents a very specific Type of Game we just don't get anymore. Fantastic send-up to a specific era in gaming while also respecting the advancements made in games over time. Also it's a big plus that there's a fun retro game that isn't some cheap horror nonsense that has no idea what it's even aping. That's a personal gripe, but I feel it strongly enough to include it here.

This game is fun. There are a lot of little bugs that add up to frustration sometimes but nothing that can't be dealt with. There's a lot of add-ons sure but this isn't much different than the xpacs for sims 1 and 2, they're just more compartmentalized. It keeps the team working on content rather than being shuffled off elsewhere so that's nice. The Sims 3 had so much annoying (borderline predatory) baiting for you to buy SPECIFIC ITEMS for points bought with cash that could only be redeemed in The Sims 3, so while kits and stuff packs are a lot, I'd much rather they compartmentalize new modules to the game rather than tease me with them with in-game reminders to connect to Origin.

Lastly, the fandom for The Sims might be the most petty group of people this side of LiveJournal. They are still angry that Toddlers weren't included in the base game at launch (they were added in a free patch once they were ready) and that venom can be found dripping in every bad review. This game has problems and legitimate things to complain about, but nothing like the reviews make them out to be.

Nice to relax with, and I don't have to deal with the Star Wars game pack or the added stress of simulated pets because I didn't buy them! There are often sales though so savvy purchasing is recommended.

Very interesting idea, terribly executed. I just built a lumber mill and got jettisoned to the Renaissance Era from the Classical. Having Eurekas trigger Science research in its entirety is game-breaking. Imagine Babylon triggering Mass Production and shoving the game into the Renaissance Era. Before you can even get yourself defended, barbarians start spawning musketmen and just kinda run rampant. I say imagine that, but I actually did it myself and boy was it frustrating! Typically the medieval era feels like a blip, but skipping it near entirely was something I didn't envision. Haha! Anyway, I like the idea here but it needs some kind of limitation, lest it render the Eras system all the more broken. Wait until something is done to fix this before buying this one.

Very fun. As complex or as simple as you make it. That's all thank you.

Relic Hunters Zero is a fun shooter, perfect for killing some time. Four levels, 12 stages, 7 playable characters, collectable power-ups, and open-source for those who want to play around with it.

Read more here! http://shellgamesblog.com/2016/08/13/fun-frenetic-free-relic-hunters-zero-review

I feel a little bad, but I have to say I can't recommend this game. Honestly, I had to check again and see if this was still being developed. There are so many little issues that need to be fixed before you can really call this a finished game. Firstly, the hitboxes for the people and the houses feel awkwardly precise, this should really be more fluid and intuitive. Second, art and animations are buggy. The dragon's sprite won't change until you move, and won't change again if you continue moving. Also many things abruptly appear or disappear: the dragon doesn't die, it just blips out. The buildings don't look like anything until they're built. If these things weren't at least attempted in other instances (that the dragon changes at all or that the buildings have some kind of build indicator) then it would be forgivable. But because some things were attempted but not all, it makes it seem incomplete. There's lots of potential for this, but it needs lots of polish first.

Pass until they put out a patch.

Mini Metro is a fantastically engrossing game. It's minimalist style and constantly changing gameplay ensure you will be both relaxed and engaged as you play.
Would recc again.

Aviary Attorney is indeed a lot like Phoenix Wright, but it has quite a bit of its own personality to offer as well. This interactive visual novel has plenty of fun characters, interesting art design, and a good soundtrack. Though sometimes the writing can be a little weak, it's pretty forgiveable as the overall game is pretty entertaining.

If you like games with lots of reading, silly puns, and some mysterious turns, definitely grab it.

Want to know more about what I thought of this game? Read here: https://shellgamesblog.com/2016/07/07/aviary-attorney-review/

I recommend this game, but there is a caveat: I really feel the music doesn't fit the game. It's fun though, and pretty well thought out, so I'd still get it, but if you don't like the idea of playing your own music or turning the sound off, I might look elsewhere.

I have a few more thoughts on this, and they're on my blog, right here! https://shellgamesblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/paper-sorcerer-review/