Community One day, one game.

Yakkue · Oct 7, 2018

Edna & Harvey: The Breakout

One of my favourite games of all time. In this Point and Click adventure, you play as Edna who is confined to an insane asylum and is trying to escape together with her pyromantic stuffed bunny Harvey. There is so much love to detail in this game: You can try to use anything with everything, and you get a different funny comment or action happening each time. I'm always disappointed when games just go with the "I cannot use those items together"-route instead. I don't think I've played a game with more unique and hidden dialogues and actions. Find some scissors? Time to rip into any object that stands around in the background. There is absolutely no point to the vandalism, but you can ruin about anything you want with a pen, ketchup, and more. Since you are insane, you can talk to anything, regardless if it is a person, or a chair. And sometimes, the objects reply. It's incredibly fun just to try out what happens when you combine the weirdest things or talk to the next light switch you encounter.
The difficulty of the riddles depend on how much you can think like a lunatic, but they never felt unfair. This game will make you laugh and it might drive you a little bit crazy. Definitely a game I would recommend to anyone who likes Point and Click.

uraizen · Oct 7, 2018

Ever wonder to yourself what it would be like if DMC were a 2D character action game instead of 3D? Probably not, but this is it. At a whopping $5 you get to play as ~~not~~ Dante and ~~not~~ Vergil in a world infested with bad guys. Real time style switching? How about real time character switching? I have no idea what the story is about, but I do know the combat itself is stellar. So if all you care about is styling on your foes then buy this.

Yakkue · Oct 8, 2018

Love

Challenging but very satisfying pixel platformer, where you can set your own checkpoint to return to after your inevitable dead. The controls are very precise and work together with the atmospheric music, artstyle and level design to create a memorable experience. Both love and its sequel kuso can be completed in about 1-2 hours each and are worth every cent of their small price. If you are in the mood for a platformer that goes back to the basics, definitely give those two a chance!

RionaaM · Oct 8, 2018

Yakkue said:
Love

Challenging but very satisfying pixel platformer, where you can set your own checkpoint to return to after your inevitable dead. The controls are very precise and work together with the atmospheric music, artstyle and level design to create a memorable experience. Both love and its sequel kuso can be completed in about 1-2 hours each and are worth every cent of their small price. If you are in the mood for a platformer that goes back to the basics, definitely give those two a chance!

Yay, this game rocks! I was addicted to it for a while, getting every achievement except YOLO (beat the game with only one life). I stopped playing it for some time, and after the extra levels were added I gave up for good (they are required for this achievement, and the last one is impossible; took me over 20 tries in the regular difficulty). Great game, and I love the Commodore 64 aesthetics and music.

Strangely enough, the sequel didn't hook me like the first one did. The enemy placement and difficulty felt kinda cheap, so I quitted pretty early. I'd like to go back to it someday, but I'm not really feeling it.

As for my recommendation, I'll go with The Darkness. It's available on PS3 and Xbox 360; the former is physical only and the latter I have no idea. Played it on PS3 and loved it. It's an FPS set in a small open-ish New York rendition, with every area connected by a subway you can ride and a bunch of optional side quests and collectibles. The story plays mostly in linear areas, but you can wander around freely while not on a mission. You play as Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who gets betrayed by his uncle (the head honcho), and sets on a journey of revenge. You have control of the titular Darkness, which grants you special powers and the ability to resist some damage, provided you stay in the shadows. You're encouraged to destroy light sources, as in Splinter Cell, There isn't much variety in terms of weapons or enemies, but it's still very fun, if a little frustrating at times.

It really feels special. There are some great details rarely seen in other games, like being able to fire each weapon individually when dual wielding, or Jackie dropping the guns when they run out of bullets and swapping them for another he picked up from a dead enemy (the changes are only aesthetical, as every pistol or SMG is virtually the same, but it's still a nice touch). Jackie gives some monologues when entering new areas or after every important story event, and they are always good. There's also an excellent romantic scene near the beginning that sets the tone of the characters, and while it would seem out of place in any other game, here it fits perfectly. Not to mention a couple of levels set in a very particular setting that I won't spoil, one that has almost never been used in games.

All in all, this is a fantastic title. The sequel is awesome too, changing the open aspects for a fully linear game (there's a hub you go back to every now and then, but there's nothing to do there except for interacting with some characters) and having a more arcadey combat system, which is incredibly fun and lets you grab and throw enemies and objects using the Darkness' tentacles. It's best to play the first one before this, because it references several events and characters from that game, and also because The Darkness 1 is incredible and you'd be doing yourself a disservice by skipping it. Both entries have a lot of personality despite being done by different developers, and I'd love to see a third game, as the second one ends with a big cliffhanger.

Blizniak · Oct 9, 2018

3DS game Crimson Shroud is my recommendation for today. It's a dungeon crawler by Yasumi Matsuno, known for FF Tactics.
What makes it stand out is that it takes all of 5 hours to give you a satisfying story coupled with some exploration and loot to play with.
All the characters are represented by D&D style figures that don't really animate but instead act as if someone was playing with them imitating combat. To take the D&D influence further you roll actual dice on the touchscreen to determine everything in battle. If you enjoy what's there there's a new game+ mode that gives you new places to explore, new loot to find and it actually adds new story elements.
It may not be as grand as other, bigger RPGs but it doesn't feel padded out in any way, looks and sounds great and you can consume it in it's entirety within a day. I highly recommend it.
It's 8 bucks on the eShop and goes on sale sometimes at half that.

Blizniak · Oct 10, 2018

My favorite game of the year so far is Chuchel.
It plays like an adventure game but even if you're not a fan of the genre don't worry because at heart it's pure comedy.
It's structured as a string of vignettes filled with stuff created with the sole purpose of putting a smile on your face. While it has puzzles they're never overly complicated and rarely take more than a minute or two to figure out. Just enough for you to stay engaged with it but never enough to get frustrated. That makes the game flow really nicely and you always have new things to click on. It's pretty short but every aspect of it is bespoke and you never do the same thing twice. Most importantly Chuchel is funny, not always laugh out loud funny but I can 100% guarantee you'll at least get some chuckles out of it. It's dumb, ridiculous and fun. Play it.

MegaApple · Oct 10, 2018

Mor said:
Today I will talk a bit about one of my, probably, favorite games of all time, REZ: Infinite

Always glad to see another Rez lover.
I actually emulated it few years back. After upscaling it and good to pair of headphones, I feel in love.
REZ Infinite is one of my 3 day one purchases.

Area 5.
There is no experience in the world quite like it.

CrazyJuan · Oct 10, 2018

Hello! Today I'd like to highlight a game that I discovered in the last few days when a RT of the developer floated across my timeline. http://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips is a simple browser game I checked out while working and found myself unable to stop playing. To explain it would be to spoil it but the concept is that the player plays an AI in charge of production at a paperclip company. I think its really clever and an interesting take on storytelling.

Check it out, but be forewarned that if you're at all like me it may be a bit of a rabbit hole.

Nahkapukki · Oct 10, 2018

Surprisingly deep game considering how simple it looks. It made me harrumph a few times and that probably means it's lethally funny to anyone who likes comedy. Turn based RPG too so it has that going on for it too. Definitely two thumbs up.

Nahkapukki · Oct 10, 2018

Mor said:
Well, as it looks like we have a bunch of users that own a VR headset, today I will recommend one little VR game that I loved and has a good personal story behind hehe, I'm talking about Moss.

Well the story starts around May, I was getting ready some bots for my E3 server, there were like 100 people in there and as last year was really difficult to give everyone day and dates I decided to make some bots, some dedicated channels and so, the thing is everything worked fine and I was connected all the 3 conference days giving all the announcements and making everything as friendly as possible, once the event was over a bunch of my friends that were on that server gifted me Moss as a thanks present so that simple thing gave the game some extra love.

Now speaking of the game itself, once I had the game on PC I fell in love, I was really curious even before getting it but what I found was something superb, Quill was such a lovely and amazing character, the game itself looks like a big diorama, mechanically it's like a traditional adventure game and the story itself while simple it's really cool because it's told in a really cool way as you interact with the book, the elements of the map and even Quill.

It's short but I would say it's such a lovely experience that I would suggest that if you have a VR headset you should indeed play it, here you have the trailer in case you want to see what it's this game all about.

and here you can buy it if you want to.

Moss Playstation Store.

Moss Oculus Store.

My kid is drooling for this.

uraizen · Oct 11, 2018

I know it just came out today, but the games ~~battle circuit~~ that never came to consoles or PC are totally worth it alone. You'll be like "Oh, no wonder this never came to consoles" in either a good way or bad way. Depends on your taste, but they're at least fun to play with friends. Find out what Captain Commando was up to before he was just a good assist in Marvel 2.

CrazyJuan · Oct 11, 2018

Morning

today I present one of my favorite indies on Game Pass, (also on Steam and on/coming to PS+ IIRC) Laser League!

The trailer breaks down the basics of playing it but I love its frenetic strategy gameplay. Team dynamics/class chemistry and cooperation are key and also the ability to adjust the plan if you're bested by opponents. Often online matches are determined by who adapts better rather than who gets the best start. Its exciting and frustrating and easy to get into but with a high skill ceiling. Really love this game.

Post automatically merged: Oct 12, 2018

Morning friends and neighbors. Today's game from me is Runner Duck's Bomber Crew. Available on Xbox/Game Pass, PS4, Switch, and Steam.

Been a fan of this since I first saw the trailer as I'm a sucker for old warbirds. It's cutesy art style belies its challenging and intense simulation experience. Manage your crew and their various tasks on dangerous missions over enemy waters and territories. Bring your crew home safely, level them up to unlock and improve their talents. Hunt down optional recon opportunities in flight to bring home intel and unlock upgrades to your bomber. New DLC just recently announced for steam adds a larger American bomber to the original British Lancaster bomber. Check it out if you like sim-style gameplay

MegaApple · Oct 15, 2018

uraizen said:
I know it just came out today, but the games ~~battle circuit~~ that never came to consoles or PC are totally worth it alone. You'll be like "Oh, no wonder this never came to consoles" in either a good way or bad way. Depends on your taste, but they're at least fun to play with friends. Find out what Captain Commando was up to before he was just a good assist in Marvel 2.

The regional pricing for it.... still hurt...

Post automatically merged: Oct 15, 2018

Anyone fan of rhythmic platformers (newer Raymans, BiTTrip), as well as electronic music, this is one hell of an experience. Made by Jeppe Carlsen, one of the designers behind LIMBO.
It has your standard platforming that rely on your sense of rhythm and timing with music being played. The music itself evolves with each level within a given stage, ending with a "boss fight".
Fair warning for users with epilepsy and those who are photosensitive, this game gets really really flashy.

uraizen · Oct 16, 2018

Anybody here watch Fist of the North Star? Remember Toki's fighting style? This game is that.

For those who don't know, it's a strange take on a brawler where you fight passively. If you play fighters and are familiar with the concept of letting your opponent hang themselves. This is that concept in brawler form. For anybody else, the store page does a better job of explaining what it is than I do.

CrazyJuan · Oct 17, 2018

Mor said:
It's time for some classics too, the first one I will recommend is possibly one of my favorite games, I'm talking about Chrono Trigger

Great pick, I play thru it every couple of years on OG hardware

Tend to alternate between this, FFIII(SNES) and Super Metroid.

Blizniak · Oct 17, 2018

Chrono Trigger is indeed fantastic and holds up very well. It probably has the best pacing out of any RPG I've played, it just constantly keeps moving forward without being too long a game overall.

My recommendation for today is a game some of you might even already own from various indie bundles. It's Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers.
At it's core it's a puzzle platformer where you overcome obstacles by cutting objects with a laser, either to remove something from your way or to build stairs etc. It's pretty short and you can beat it in maybe 3 hours but there's a ton of hidden stuff everywhere which encourages replaying it. What also helps is an awesome soundtrack that's a great listen even on it's own. It has a comic book-y look to it and story is appropriately ridiculous as well. I really love this game and hope you will too.

lashman · Oct 17, 2018

Blizniak said:
My recommendation for today is a game some of you might even already own from various indie bundles. It's Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers.

i actually finished that one way, way, waaaay back when it was in the first bundle .... really cool idea for a game ... and a really cool game too!

Blizniak · Oct 18, 2018

Proteus
It's simple, it's very, very short and it's what I play when I'm feeling down. An exploration game that takes you through the seasons on a deserted island. More of an audio-visual experience than a game really as it's presented in this retro look and every creature you meet has it's own tune. Islands are procedurally generated and sometimes you can find some more rare species that you wouldn't encounter otherwise.
Playing it always takes me back to how I perceived 4 seasons as a child because simplistic presentation makes them seem extremely different from one another, even more so than in something like recently released Forza Horizon 4. Escapism at it's best.

Blizniak · Oct 20, 2018

Vesper.5 is a tiny, tiny free game. You could say it's a dungeon crawler I suppose. It's turn and grid-based, the caveat is you can only move once a day. That literally means you start the game, make a move and quit - that's it. you have to wait a whole day to see what's further ahead. I honestly don't think I'd recommend it if I played it on my own but having a friend play along made a world of difference.
It was weird at first but I was curious where this thing specifically built to be a commitment was gonna go, after a week or so either I or my friend would forget to play but we kept each other in check and continued on. Some days later it became part of our day - at set hour we'd always meet online, make another move and compare if we did things differently. In the end it became one of the most interesting and in a way profound gaming experiences I've ever had. Talk someone into playing it with you, it'll only take a minute off your day.
Link

Deku · Oct 21, 2018

A 2D-Zelda-like game with optional permadeath. The world is also random-generated. Although I don't know what benefit it gives. Maybe for a new playthrough

The game was recently in a Fanatical bundle. So you might have it, if you didn't miss it.

CrazyJuan · Oct 22, 2018

Hey meta, (I hope this is read by at least one person in the tone of "hey brother" by buster from arrested development")

Got a game for this. AnotherIndie's Sinner Sacrifice for Redemption.

Xbox, PS4 and Switch it seems. I played it on Xbox courtesy of my Gamepass subscription as it launched there. (gamepass is the bomb)

Its a souls-like boss rush indie with a decent score, solid combat, and a unique mechanic of having to make a sacrifice to initiate a fight. Different bosses require different sacrifices, but the sacrifice is permanent unless you recall it and respawn the defeated boss. Its a decent looking legitmate challenge that I'm glad came to my GP. I've defeated 2 "avatars of sin" so far, but I may have to take back those sacrifices at least temporarily to learn the patterns of the other bosses.

Frecklestein · Oct 23, 2018

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 / TORNA - The Golden Country.

I'll get it out of the way. There are some questionable as hell design choices, in terms of characters that deserve their scrutiny. However, more than that, I feel like the character of Tora deserves the most guff. Tora is a comedic relief character, essentially, who's infantile manner of speech in combination with his odd perversions are awful and genuinely the worst parts of these games. Just when you think you might come around on him, and they might mature him up, they never really do.

I bought a Nintendo Switch to be a companion piece for my PC, and the initial purchases were Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart. I'm a huge fan of RPGs as a whole, and what I've seen and read of most complaints of XC2 really turned me off from it. However, as months passed, I learned a bit more about the game, and decided to give it a go. After 100+ hours, it's become my favorite game of all time.

The game tackles a wide variety of mature subject matter, and handles quite a bit of it with respect as well. I think the younger cast of the main game is a strength of the game that I wasn't expecting, heading into it. Rex, our lead, is such a refreshing character. He stays upbeat and seems to be your typical shonen battle manga protagonist, talking about the power of friendship yadda yadda-- although his past was rough, he maintains a positive outlook on life, however, it's extremely naive as well. As the story progresses, the world comes at him hard and fast, and he's forced to go through changes and a lot of self-reflection. He doesn't become a crest-fallen character, nor does he grow edgy, he refines his positive nature into something more mature. His character growth is some of the best in any media. This fits one of the games central themes of entrusting the future and believing in the youth of tomorrow, something that mirrors our modern society and how much we really do underestimate kids. As someone who works with children, it really struck a chord with me. The game is absolutely heartbreaking at times, as you get to know our rag-tag group, and just how ridiculously stacked the odds are for them-- however, we push forward, knowing that there are better days ahead.

Earlier I mention the game, especially early on draws comparisons to Shonen genre manga/anime. The game very quickly, grows into a seinen series. The story and themes go to some incredibly dark places, and tackle a lot of themes that I really wasn't expecting, especially due to the fact that a lot of JRPGs in particular have issues doing so with tact and respect, I wasn't expecting it from this game, honestly. From what the cover of the game shows, and what promotional material tries to sell you. I wish I can say more, but the game was worth it in so many ways. And I've cried multiple times throughout it, any game that can make me do that is pretty special.

That all being said-- if the cast IS a turn off for you, and you want to jump into Torna, due to the aged up group we get to play as, I HIGHLY recommend you do not. The battle system and a lot of the game, from a mechanical standpoint, is stripped of a few layers, and that's fine. It plays great and it was a nice change of pace from the main game. But the game does ruin a LOT of story beats and emotional pay offs for the main game. It is a prequel through and through, but the story is so much more meaningful when the play the main game. As references and memories are made more clear. It would genuinely ruin Xenoblade 2.

I feel like I was really vague about a lot of things, and I tried my best to leave stuff out while also trying to sell you that if this game isn't what you like off the bat, that it's probably one of those "Trust me, it gets MUCH better 70 hours (not that long

) in!" games.

Post automatically merged: Oct 23, 2018

Mor said:
Today No Code and Devolver Digital have announced Observation so I thought it would be a really great moment to recommend their first game Stories Untold

Stories Untold it's a collection of little stories that have a sci-fi + horror background, from a spooky mansion to the Arctic, the game builds a great atmosphere to make you feel uncomfortable, tense and maybe even scared.

It's kinda short but it's a really great game to enjoy this month, short but intense, really recommended if you really want to dig in.

The game is phenomenal. I highly recommend grabbing the demo on steam if anyone is on the fence, and the game goes pretty low when it's on sale too, and I'm sure it will be this week. Turn off the lights, get some headphones on, and you're in for an experience. It's such a creative game. The only strike I really have against it is it's ending is a little cliche, but it's still powerful. The game is also relatively short like Mor mentioned, so it's not like you paid $60 and invested 40+ hrs for a bad pay off. It's more than worth it to experience the game and take an hour or two one night to really immerse yourself.

uraizen · Oct 23, 2018

I know this game just came out, but I believe I have played it enough to have formed an opinion on it. The gameplay itself feels like a return to the series roots before everything became slower. The game is fast, every character has their own brand of bullshit, the game encourages offensive gameplay, and the netcode is great.

As for the bad, the training mode sucks and isn't intuitive or quick to navigate. Hopefully it will be improved in future updates. You're forced to fight custom characters even in Ranked. That means there will be characters who have extra strength because they're smaller. I'm not a fan of features like that because it feels like there's a chance it could screw up the balance.

The game has two single player campaigns. One of them has story and the other is some RPG mode, I think. Don't trust me on the SP stuff.

Frecklestein · Oct 23, 2018

uraizen said:
I know this game just came out, but I believe I have played it enough to have formed an opinion on it. The gameplay itself feels like a return to the series roots before everything became slower. The game is fast, every character has their own brand of bullshit, the game encourages offensive gameplay, and the netcode is great.

As for the bad, the training mode sucks and isn't intuitive or quick to navigate. Hopefully it will be improved in future updates. You're forced to fight custom characters even in Ranked. That means there will be characters who have extra strength because they're smaller. I'm not a fan of features like that because it feels like there's a chance it could screw up the balance.

The game has two single player campaigns. One of them has story and the other is some RPG mode, I think. Don't trust me on the SP stuff.

Custom characters for ranked stuff in anything is always corny, it takes away from the scene be allowed to grow in a meaningful way. They should definitely separate ranked regular and ranked customs, where it can be a free for all. I can't remember the last SC I played, I think it was whichever introduced custom characters and the weirdly awesome tactics mode??? It was a lot of fun unlocking gear and parts.

Frecklestein · Oct 23, 2018

Mor said:
Today's recommendation is a bit different, if you don't like JRPGs or just don't like anime like games avoid this one, but if you like the genre I recommend Blue Reflection

Don't want to spoil things so I will say just a few things, it's a Koei Tecmo game from the Atelier team, it's a JRPG with a classic turn-based combat system with a few tweaks, if you like shows like Sailor Moon or Madoka this game it's your thing, it's basically that kind of game, it's not so long, it can be completed relatively fast and it's very underrated, I highly recommend you to at least take a look at the game, PC port is not bad at all so there's that too. I don't know, take a look for real.

Game is available on PS4, Vita and PC.

He he, glad to see more love for Stories Untold, it's a really great experience and can't wait to see their new game ^^

Yo! Blue Reflection legit looks so good. Like, much better than their Atelier stuff. Which I also want to get into, but even as a fan of anime games in general, they seem really weird in terms of finding a jumping in point. And the lack of decent sales for the series always made it a hard sell for me to give one a go. I'll look out for Reflection going forward.

And as a side, the next game from the Stories Untold folks looks great, the perspective is really unique, it makes me excited for more of their projects going forward.

uraizen · Oct 26, 2018

Frecklestein said:
Custom characters for ranked stuff in anything is always corny, it takes away from the scene be allowed to grow in a meaningful way. They should definitely separate ranked regular and ranked customs, where it can be a free for all. I can't remember the last SC I played, I think it was whichever introduced custom characters and the weirdly awesome tactics mode??? It was a lot of fun unlocking gear and parts.

Yeah, problem is that the season pass includes parts for the CaS crap. So you know they're just going to ignore our pleas to give us an option to filter it from Ranked.

CrazyJuan · Oct 26, 2018

Mor said:
Today Bloober Team has announced Layers of Fear 2 so I wanted to recommend one of their games but not the first part but >Observer_

Game is available on PS4, XONE and PC, will also come to the Nintendo Switch in the near future.

>Observer MS Store (also on Game Pass)
>Observer PS Store

Just started this on GamePass, and its intriguing. Great pick.

Omakell · Oct 30, 2018

ok, here comes today's recomendation:
Crawl.

The game is a couch coop dungeon crawler pvpve.
You fight aganist the machine and your friends taking turns controlling the "hero" trying to beat a dungeon,and the rest of your fiends / npc try to kill you to resurrect. While being dead, you gain ponts to improve your monsters, and being alive improves your character. Super fast paced, good graphics, BEEG's worth of defeating and lots of fun.
Really really recommended game, also is dirty cheap.

bobnowhere · Nov 2, 2018

A delightful puzzle platformer where a young girl, lost in a dream, recruits a little ball of light to help her navigate through the dreamscape.

Set in a beautiful 2.5d like world, Nyah who is seemingly compelled to pick up everything that isn’t nailed down comes across a dead cat, but is he dead? From there, late to get home, Nyah enters the dream world. Both the real world and dream world are beautifully realised with distinct looks and architecture matched to an outstanding OST.

Soon upon entering the dream world, Nyah comes across a ball of light that allows her to swing freely through the world reaching places she could never dare. Like the game Brothers, the left stick controls Nyah while the right stick controls the ball of light. With a little practice some quite complex manoeuvres can be pulled off and at times the game requires some pretty precise coordination. Those inexperienced with this sort of game may get frustrated at times as dying will be frequent. Though usually the main path is a little easier, going off this path to collect the copious amount of collectables will require some slick moves at times.

There are plenty of checkpoints but these are unevenly spaced at times. Sometimes I had to pull off 3 or 4 pretty tricky manoeuvres in a row to make it to the next one, other times I just had to walk up a hill.

The game is not super long, less than two hours but this is an unmissable addition to the puzzle-platformer genre.

bobnowhere · Nov 3, 2018

Mushroom 11 is a puzzle platformer where you move your amorphous blob around the level by shaving or destroying parts of it forcing it to regrow in the direction you are trying to move. Thankfully it regrows almost as fast as you can destroy it, I assume it's powered by photosynthesis, nuclear fallout or just magic.

The game contains seven large levels set in a post-apocalyptic world and in a twist, you move right to left on screen which takes a little getting used to! Each level contains multiple puzzles like climbing stairs, riding rotating metal bars, an Indiana Jones cart sequence to running ahead of rolling balls creating bridges with your blob so it can pass by. There is plenty of inventiveness here and many of the puzzles in the last two levels are quite demanding.

The control system couldn't be simpler, left click to destroy a large part of the blob, right-click a small part. Sadly here is the only weakness in the game, as the blob randomly respawns when you eat away at it some of the tougher puzzles are more trial and error and just plain frustration instead of fun.

Beautifully presented, Mushroom 11 is a very good game only let down by a control system that can't quite keep up with its demands at times.

CrazyJuan · Nov 3, 2018

Oooh my turn, my turn!
Semi Recent DLC added to this game reminded me of it, having played thru the campaign earlier this year and really enjoying it. I'm talking about DefiantDev's Hand of Fate 2!

Man I love this concept. So much that I also backed the tabletop version of the game (its somewhere out in the pacific on its way currently). This is one of my favorite indie franchises of the generation. I love the unique take on deck building game that combines in arkham-lite style combat and rpg elements. The 2nd game refined the first in many ways including having each chapter or challenge be its own unique storyline that ties into a larger plot.

Antony Skardi returns as the voice of The Dealer and puts in another great performance. too. The OST is also quite good and painstakingly created.
Highly recommended if you are looking for one of the more unique concept of the gen. Its not required to have played the first to enjoy the second, but I actually recommend playing that game as well.

Echoes · Nov 3, 2018

This thread is a great idea!

My recommendation today is Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. It's a love letter to the 8-bit Castlevania games. There is platforming, combat against the dark forces of evil and path-branching stages. Inti Creates is the studio behind this and they did a great job, the game feels tight and generally doesn't have all the frustrating parts of the old games. Any Metroidvania or Castlevania fan should give this a try. As a final note I really liked the idea of having the chance to switch between the characters that join your quest, each one has its own special moves.

bobnowhere · Nov 4, 2018

I suppose you could call it a walking simulator, an exploration game, this isn't an insult.

You play a young girl trying to save her brother who is sick from infection in a flooded post-apocalyptic world, think water-world but not lame. The story of the siblings is nicely told in a series of collectable one-cell comics and the history of the world can be found by exploring.

This is strictly an experience, there is no combat, no chance of falling while climbing and no limits placed on what you do, what order or how fast you do things. The graphics, while not AAA or anything are good with the lighting and water really standing out. The music is also great. Its origins in Australia are clear with plenty of random Australian architecture showing up.

bobnowhere · Nov 5, 2018

Aarklash Legacy is a highly tactical RPG set in the world of Aarklash and based on the desktop miniature game Confrontation. While not a direct sequel by any means, it is set in the same world as the handily named Confrontation, a far inferior game, also from Cyanide Studios.

You play as a group of Wheelswords, the debt collectors of the Gold Mongers guild, the group that funds the armies of the ever warring races in Aarklash. Your initial 4 person group is quite the motley lot, a part mechanical lizard with self confidence issues, a dog-monster, a tiny rat-like man and the standard fantasy trope of a sorceress in skin tight revealing clothing. While the player doesn't have a customisable avatar of their own, it becomes clearer as the story goes that one of the starting four serves as the POV character. Over the course of the game you'll meet 4 more characters that can be swapped in at any time for a maximum of 4 in the party. All the characters are interesting and frequently talk among themselves and the game itself is fully voice acted very well.

Where the game really shines is the isometric real-time with pause combat. The standard MMO trinity applies here, with a tank to hold and collect as many mobs up as possible and hopefully orient them away from the squishier party members and 3 support or damage dealers. Each character is limited to only four abilities and an auto-attack. While this might seem limiting at first all the abilities can be significantly changed as you level up and with the ability to respec at will you can tailor your group to each individual fight. Positioning is vitally important here, many of your parties abilities are line of sight. There is nothing more annoying than firing off a healing disk and having an enemy walk in between and get healed instead!

All enemies and bosses have there own set of abilities that can be viewed at any time and you should ignore these at your peril. Enemies come in many types, tanks who self-heal and can resurrect themselves, healers, debuffers, melee, ranges, summoners and many more. While bosses come with own set of difficulties, many have insta-kill abilities like stay too close and you die, stay too far away and you die or don't stand here and you die. You'll die a lot but all these abilities are telegraphed well! Buffing and debuffing also plays a vital role in the game. A favourite trick of enemy casters is to immediately turn off your group members most vital abilities but luckily some of your other characters are able to strip debuffs off one member and apply them to themselves. Enemies will also constantly control your characters and many fights do degenerate into battling a series of buffs and debuffs with the first few seconds of any fight being the most important. Though one criticism might be once you break the back of an enemy group, it can become a bit of a grind to finish a group off with no real threat.

As opposed to the combat this is not a gear heavy game though, each character only has 4 slots, relic, ring, necklace and earring and you can't change armor or weapons or make any visual change to the characters. There are also no merchants in the game, just a recycling mechanic where once you put in enough items in you'll get a high quality item back.

The game also contains a heavy puzzle element outside of the combat. From the standard lights out puzzles, though on a grand scale, to match the floaty magic symbol with various parts made up from lever pulls to guide the light through a maze. At times the number of puzzles in a row can overwhelm, you can bypass some of them, but you might miss out on some of the best loot!

This game is very demanding of the player, asking of exact positioning, use of all your various abilities and strategies and punishing of mistakes. The difficulty is also set very high, it's not easy, medium, hard, it's more on the Super Hexagon Scale, hard, harder and harderest! Though I think the latest patch may have toned the difficulty down a little bit. But, don't let that scare you off as you'll miss one of the best tactical RPGs in years!

9.5/10

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