Recent reviews by zMASKm

A short and charming little game that reminds me of some of the old point and click adventure games I used to play with my cousin growing up.

It may be on the short side, but if you feel that games are art, you'll hold this one dear. For a game with no text dialog or narration to be found, it still succeeded in evoking plenty of emotion.

I played through the entire game on a Steam Deck while sick in bed and found it a charming, artful experience. The devs truly crafted a work of art.

Did you grow up with the N64? Do you want to relive the feelings you got from games like Banjo-Kazooie and Rayman 2? Then this is the game for you. It may seem childish and goofy, but wasn't everything back then a little bit like that? Short, sweet, charming, and a clear love letter to those days long past.

Chill vibes, relaxing scenery, and high velocity ragdoll wipeouts. There's a learning curve to the game, getting to grips with how the wheels and boards change how you ride, and really getting into a comfortable groove with powersliding down the hills and around the bends. The various challenges for each map inspire honing your skills and exploring the branching paths of the maps, and it all makes for a rather satisfying gameplay loop.

If you liked Tanuki Sunset but wanted more natural and handcrafted scenery and felt a desire to leave mile-long skid marks down the roads...this is the game for you. While Driftwood lacks the endless mode that Tanuki Sunset has, it makes up for it in memorable and well-crafted maps that are a joy to return to with different boards and wheels to explore in a new way.

Definitely looking forward to the full release and additional maps to come, official or otherwise.

It's like Jet Set Radio on overdrive. Vibes on vibes on vibes. There's plenty of post-game achievement hunting and completionist stuff to do, but I have to wonder if the devs will ever expand upon the questions raised by that one secret area...

While I would recommend the game, it does come with a current caveat at the time of writing; the game crashes a LOT due to issues with graphics drivers. There's a few different workarounds in the community hub, and I'm sure as the devs roll out patches the issues will be less frequent, but you'll have to have patience with it.

That said, this was my first foray into the Ratchet & Clank games, and it's been a blast. At the time of writing, I'm probably a mission or two away from beating the game and have been thoroughly enjoying the amount of things you can unlock through gameplay, from the ridiculous arsenal (that you can upgrade and level up!), to the cosmetics, to the *unlockable cheat codes*...it's a welcome return to the glory days of gaming, when you got a complete product with fun secrets and unlockables that added to the experience. The story is goofy, yet has good character drama. The gameplay has depth without requiring you to delve into it to succeed. The environments are varied and fun to explore. The sidequests that exist don't overstay their welcome or feel too tedious. It's just a fun, good game...with the aforementioned caveat of the crashing issues that I hope will be fixed before long.

The crashes can get frustrating at times, but I'm able to look past that. If you would rather not deal with them, I can't fault you, and would recommend waiting for the devs to sort out whatever the issue is, or just picking it up on console where it's more stable.

Hi-Fi Rush is what happens when you want a rhythm brawler with great tunes, vibrant visuals, fun characters, and a story that condemns cynical corporate greed. The combat is simple on the surface but has layers of depth, not unlike some fighting games, making it easy to approach but difficult to fully master. The soundtrack (both licensed and original tunes) is great from start to finish. The characters grow and develop in their own ways. The bosses have their own nuances that set each of them apart. There's even solid post-game content and plenty for completionists to tackle.

A truly wonderful game from start to finish, and anyone involved in its creation should feel proud of what they've done.

Simple, sweet, and addicting. When all you have to worry about is your movement and item choices, it's really easy to get sucked into the gameplay loop for hours on end. Item combos are fun to discover and play around with, unlocks and secrets keep things fresh and evolving and give goals to work towards, and the cost for entry is nothing compared to the time you can easily sink into the game without even getting all the unlocks. A great casual roguelite with a surprising amount of depth. The only regret I have is the sleep I've lost because I just wanted to do one more run...and that one turned into five before I knew it. If that's not a sign that the game is engaging, then I don't know what is.

The countless hours spent playing matchmaking and custom games a decade ago, but with the pleasantries of modern PC gaming. The new armor unlock system is lame as can be, but at the end of the day, it's still good old Halo. Must I say more? It's HALO.

Minit is a charming little game that is equal parts puzzle and adventure. The 60 second time limit may feel daunting at first, but it soon becomes the rhythm of the game. It's hard to talk about it without spoiling some aspect of the game, so I simply recommend you try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.