Recent reviews by winterbraid

Very fun and very spooky! The music was my favorite part, it really nailed that retro horror atmosphere.

the D in DELTARUNE stands for Divorce

Much like the works that inspired it, "alright" is probably the best word to describe Call of Cthulhu.

For a horror game you're not at a risk of death very often, there are only a few segments where you can fail and most of them involve sneaking past mundane human opponents. On the other hand, many of the areas and puzzles can be approached in several different ways, which is a refreshing touch.

Some of the characters are memorable and I found myself quite invested in the story, at least for around the first half of the game. Unfortunately, the focus on exploration and finding documents can be a double-edged sword, as the excessive lore dumping kinda strips away the mystery and the scare factor of your adversaries towards the end. At the same time, all that optional wisdom you might collect often feels redundant: The protagonist either doesn't seem to acknowledge it during crucial story moments, or NPCs will repeat it to you anyway.

The presence of RPG elements makes it seem like this was originally intended to be a much more ambitious and open-ended game. However, your "build" ultimately has only a marginal impact on the plot - the few actual choices that affect the final outcome can be made regardless of which skills you invested in. If player agency if what you're looking for, you'll probably have better luck with the tabletop game.

Worth playing once or twice if you're a fan of the genre. But at the end of the day, it's another reminder that minimalism tends to work best when it comes to horror.

Beasts of Maravilla Island is a lush and exotic adventure that feels like it ends just as it was about to begin.

The game consists of a handful short and linear levels that take you from one puzzle to the next, though each level has a unique theme and plenty of detail. All along the way, you encounter the titular creatures; some of them can be quite stunning in their appearance and behaviour, though most are just there to provide background noise and tend to blend together after a while.

Photography actually seems more or less optional as progress is made by solving the aforementioned puzzles; either way, you will likely have filled out most of your album by the end of your first playthrough. You can always go back and try to get better shots, but it's primarily for your own satisfaction as the game doesn't grade the quality of your photos at all.

Overall, Beasts of Maravilla Island is visually appealing and successfully tells a complete and engaging story, but its simplicity and linear structure give it a bit of a "theme park ride" quality. I'd definitely have loved to explore more levels and learn more about the backstory of the island and its inhabitants. That said, it's still great for one or two peaceful and relaxing sessions, and the adorable protagonist helps carry the game along.

A lighthearted sci-fi comedy with intriguing post-apocalyptic undertones, slightly reminiscent of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. Its heavy CGI reliance and other budget shortcomings are offset by stylized character designs and simple yet effective storytelling. The plot follows the two heroines’ quest for knowledge while showing off the large, all-female cast of side characters. Not all of them are equally memorable, but interactions between the lead characters keep the viewer engaged. Though obviously setting up for a sequel, the first season still tells a satisfying, self-contained tale of its own.

A magical adventure with froggies and fishies, great fun for the whole family.

Afraid you... might not be. Still a good game though.

Apogee used Nostalgia! It's super effective! Gamer fainted.

Boom! Bang! Pew! Woohoo! Kablooie!

A unique visual style OH MY GOD KILL IT