Recent reviews by Haelohim

Who doesn't like Portal?!

This game is really challenging, humorous, and engaging. It's a lot more fun with another person than it is just as a single player game, and it's very very hard to pick up right where you left off if you haven't played this game in a few months (as many steam users can probably relate with).

I plan on finishing all of it, but it seems to lose my interest after a few levels of wracking my brain to solve the complicated puzzles. Oh but it's so rewarding when you finally do! :D Definitely give it a try if you've never played Portal or Portal2

This game is fantastic for RTS fans! I grew up playing AOE, AOM, and other RTS games, and this remains one of my all-time favorites. I still play through Steam with my dad and brother when we need a game night (from opposite ends of the country). It's good clean fun, and you learn about greek, egyptian, and norse mythology which is frankly just part of cultural literacy in the western world and good for everyone to have some exposure to. Highly recommend trying it out!

this game is hilarious. you should buy it JUST to experience the insanity and hilarity of simulated life as a physics defying goat.

This game was my guilty 'bored at work' pleasure for a while when I was actively playing it. It's a great little tower defense game, but it definitely gets old. Medium-low replay value unless you REAllY like tower defense and monkeys and balloons. ;)

Just plain fun! I love the FPS/RPG/Tower Defense mashup concept of this game and have played quite a bit on my own. I'd recommend playing with a keyboard and mouse over a controller, the experience was better for me personally. You can get pretty complex with your abilities and items and it's easier to toggle between options with a keyboard.

This game is a lot of fun in multiplayer so I highly recommend trying that out with a friend. Have fun!

Interesting game. I liked the experience quite a bit, the storytelling and exploration aspect of it was really enjoyable and the voice acting was very good.

The sound effects and ambience were pretty spot-on for a spooky dark house in the pacific northwest (my favorite region of the US). I didn't like any of the protagonist's music, but that's just me (angsty hard rock hasn't been my jam since I was a teenager).

I'll also say that as a man, naturally I couldn't relate to the protagonist's narrative as closely as some might, but I guess that's the point of experiencing a new story and learning about someone else. The story is very much a surprise.

I liked the mystery and exploration, the ability to manipulate the environment in small ways, and the timing and progression of the clues. This really is a very well made game and deserves the good reviews it's getting.

My final note is that there are no achievements or cards or anything for this on Steam. Huge bummer! I'm an achievement hunter and started this game just assuming I'd get a bunch for playing it through in an afternoon. Not the case at all, and the devs should fix that... If your game is on Steam, then add some Steaminess to it, please! :)

A tale of two sons… I admit I don’t take the time to play many games like this, but I’m glad I took the time to play Brothers (at the recommendation of my brother, coincidentally). The Brothers' world is like playing in a dream. I found myself taking quite a few screenshots, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the experience. The artwork and scenery were beautiful and powerful in a way most games do not achieve. I found my mood affected by the lighting, music, weather, ambient sounds, and the moods of the brothers and other characters throughout the story (in spite of there not being a single real English "word" uttered). I liked the unique dual-character control concept (while we’re on the subject, note that this game requires a gamepad on the PC). It took only a few minutes to get used to, and it added a unique and memorable feel to the game. I enjoyed the attention to detail in the environment (on the beaten path), and the interesting puzzles and mechanics involved with making your way through the world, escaping peril, and coming to the journey’s end. The brothers compliment each other, and the gameplay reflects their differences in size and strength well. I was definitely feeling the feels by the end of this journey. I had to punch a tree to feel better.

My complaints are few, but for the sake of a balanced review I’ll say that there were a few things that were a minor bother. There are no difficulty settings, so what you see is what you get. I maybe let one brother die 2-3 times on accident during the entire game (due to falling). The “combat” was as slow and easy as it comes, and the puzzles were pretty simple and obvious. Your path is linear, and there is little room for exploring besides the few achievements available in the game (you can easily get them all the first time through, with maybe 10 extra minutes of gameplay). I think I would have enjoyed the game more if the devs had chosen not to use gibberish throughout the game in the place of real dialogue, but to each his own. I think this was probably a low budget issue, but it still works. For the most part, you know exactly what’s going on and what the characters are feeling and saying, but I would have felt closer to the characters if there was a compelling script. The game’s end is powerfully emotional, but the gibberish detracted from the seriousness of the story in my opionion.

All-in-all, if you’re looking for an enjoyable, relaxing, short game to play in one or two sittings then “Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons” is an excellent choice. The powerful emotional journey more than makes up for the simple puzzles and easy gameplay.