Ulasan terkini oleh Silencio o Rebeldía

Although I concede that the gameplay could’ve been better, the places where Narita Boy shines it does so as bright as the light of the trichroma. It succeeds in its 80’s themed artwork, electronic music and poetic lore.

Putting combat aside (which quickly becomes repetitive although the bosses add variety) the ebb and flow of spirituality and computer-speak is sublime… at times describing the malignant code of a devious program and in a flash diving into the balance of the three houses upheld by meditation and neon lights.

In this regard I feel the game has three layers; like a computer program speaking about itself, there is the land Narita Boy traverses, the code written for this land to exist and the life of the coder himself which deeply influences the other two. Many times I wondered if the flashbacks were biographical in nature or if the Spanish studio created this vibrant world in a lazy afternoon. Either way, the result is impressive indeed.

To realize that the Creator had sold the Narita One console for riches and fame, while playing his Narita Boy game is a great way to break the third wall. When I saw him on the cover of Time magazine it felt real, especially when he describes his life from childhood to the present with such sadness and subtlety.

Now on my second playthrough to catch those pesky achievements, I can appreciate more the direction the game is taking. A crazy 80’s pixelated world seen through the eyes of a boy hero fighting through lines of computer code, what could go wrong? Its an experience, and simply for all its layers of complexity I give this wonderful, trippy title a recommend.

By the way, taken straight from their website: "Every asset of the game is individually designed and painted." Impressive, huh?

I must preface this by saying the trailer did not prepare me for what was to come. What I thought would be a simple adventure within a snowy landscape turned many a time into an unsettling predicament.

Yes, you are big sister protecting little brother from a magical and dangerous world but the themes used to express it can be very twisted, most highlighted by the origin of the Nokken in the pond and the use of children in Rörka's rituals. I do not know much about Scandinavian folklore so perhaps these are just adaptations of age-old folktales from the North.

The characters are vivid, the monsters wild and the scenery’s white. You play as a young girl by the name of Tove from the humble beginnings of her sleepy house to the giants-inhabited enchanted forest and lastly, to the raven clad Utangard. In the face of danger, Tove will not stop at nothing to assure the safety of her family while grief-stricken by the death of her mother.

A classic point and click with modern infusions, the gameplay is what you’d expect - even if the puzzles can be a bit mind-numbing at times. The game auto saves (which is good) but you cannot go back into other sections if you missed achievements (which is bad) AND YOU WILL because some are very easy to miss.

But…. if you don’t care about meaningless trophies and enjoy a good point and click, then I recommend this wonderful tale of strength and determination; no matter the cost, no matter the odds, no matter the monster in your wake.

What cannot be written can only be felt.

Depending on personal experience, this game can hit like a meteorite upon your earthly heart, killing all the little dinosaurs of your past… and not with malice either; after all, those dinosaurs were relics and memories, people and experiences in your life.

Loss is a funny thing because in order to feel it, you must have something originally. You cannot lose what you don’t have. You can close up your heart and not let anyone in and, sure - you won’t suffer as much but also you won’t live at all. So much of popular media focuses on the haves especially when discussing matters of the heart, but they don’t tell you the whole story: they don’t tell how much it hurts to lose those you love, how inevitable it is and how seldom pain of such magnitude can be mended.

The silent protagonist is a man stuck in limbo portrayed as a snowy mountain peak of memories. Traverse through his life, his romance and heartbreaks in a poignant tale of loss and hope. Watch him Arise, guided by the soul of his love… and hopefully it’ll make you think of and appreciate those that keep you whole.

Simple yet addicting.

This one hit, one kill murder-fest set in the outskirts of Neo Tokyo without much explanation for its violence is good value for your money.

Its grindy but the grind is rewarded. Its simple yet the challenges get complicated. Its chaotic yet you will not survive without remaining cool, calm and collected.

It’s not a game that you play for hours, but it is a game whose pulsating music will stay in your head for hours.

But most of all, this is a game of angles. I’m not sure if playing with a controller is any different but with a mouse you cannot stand your ground and swing your katana at will; not just because you will eventually get overwhelmed but because enemies are very smart in not always attacking your character head on but off to the side, just a few feet away from your swords reach but close enough to your exposed hitbox. Even if you swing in their direction in time, you will miss and they will kill you making it a game mechanic that seems rather unfair, especially when a whole run is at stake.

But, alas, you have to play smart and die a lot to get the hang of it. Overall, the game is fun to kill a few hours and get some achievements, and for its price? Recommended.

Word on the street was that this was originally a Luftwaffe training program back in the 40’s 👀

Just kidding! It’s actually a wonderful little title about piloting a makeshift plane from your home in Granaria all the way up through levels separated by earth’s atmosphere. Pretty neat idea.

Although repetitive in nature, between overfishing entire levels for cash (essentially killing the ecosystem, but you know, profit) and crafting (many-a-time illogical) weapons, you can get a good amount of fun hunting pirates and drones.

Some of the achievements don’t work and there’s not enough police chases or giant zeppelins to destroy but you can always replay the game for more dog-fighting action. Recommended.

Truth be told, the premise of this game would put off any old-school roguelike veteran... and that's exactly why you should play it.

It brings a nice twist to the formula; just enough to be infuriating, unforgivable and sacrilegious at first but becomes more acceptable and gratifying as you progress.

The gist of it is this… think of sacrifice; you bring something that hurts you to the crow and he gives you boosts and perks to aid you in your quest. It’s quite simple really.

Now, deciding which artifacts to keep and which ones to pass becomes a tenuous balance between risk management and a leap of faith, and that’s one of the core strengths of the game; it’s always keeping you guessing because one simple artifact can be the end of a bloody good run… and nobody wants that, now, do we?

There’s something to say about late game shenanigans when you become invincible, but it’s the getting there that counts. Overall, this is a solid entry into a saturated genre where only the very best stand out. I humbly believe this game deserves more attention and love, and as such, I give it a recommend.

To be human in a world of cyborgs is merely a delicacy.

To be loved in a world of humans is merely ecstasy.

To be cyborg in a world of love is merely coincidence.

This is Synergia.

It has soul, and for a game that deals with cyborgs and androids and other machinations, that says a lot. I don’t normally play visual novels but something about the art drew me in and the rest, as they say, is history.

Panels;

Oozing with a mossy green, in the silhouette of an old machine, with mysterious songs ringing through hollow halls, and of beady eyes watching you from afar.

Then succumb - as does every engineer, into the never-ending trail of gears… of this well-oiled, unpreserved machine, the perfect provocation for a beast to kill.

But at its core, the beast remains, far too proud and of unearthly fame, and as the town Mirage has soon found out, this a storm that may never come to pass.

And so it goes, for the Creature in the Well, this the story of its ageless schemes and of our righteous revenge…

Now that the poem’s out of the way;

There is a certain enchantment that games like this possess and it is the primary reason why I’m so drawn to them. It’s as if the developers consciously (or unconsciously) try to create an “experience” from a rough outline and a few novel ideas and the results can be as dramatic as disappointing. I understand how people can be put off by certain aspects that negative reviews focus on, but if the mystique and the artsiness of such passion projects calls to you, then wait no longer. I can’t quite put me finger on it, but conversing with the creature while playing a new-age pong while getting caught in this never-ending fever dream of a sandstorm that draws you in with its music and its machinations makes my fingers type endlessly with this game as inspiration.

Fantastic art, music and ambience. Gameplay is reminiscent of tennis/pong, if the balls caught fire from time to time. Not for everyone, but hey, I enjoyed it. Experimental gaming is where it’s at.

At the end, it seems the game can be a little bit too vague and unforgiving for its own sake. I still believe it is good value for your money, so long as you can bear with the difficulty and the aim.

And if you’re still interested but unsure? Then buy on sale.

Developer: “You are a fearless, orc-slashing, caragor-riding ranger landing on the brooding hills of Mordor from the spiritual realm to avenge his…”

Potential buyer: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I watched the Lord of the Rings and although I enjoyed it, why should I play this game?”

Me: Well that is an excellent question. Unless you are a LotR aficionado who can’t get enough of the foulness of Mordor or if you are in the market for real state in the Sea of Núrnen (there’s some nice strongholds with coastal views I’d recommend… if it wasn’t for the bloodthirsty Uruks guarding them!) you may have trouble finding an answer.

But there’s an interesting catch to Talion’s story… you can have pets! Allow me to explain:

The game doesn’t really start (in my opinion) until you get the power to domesticate orcs. I went in late and blind into this game, so this development really took me by surprise. It felt a fresh take on the good-vs-evil theme so prevalent on LotR. Suddenly you are using evil pets for your own good against the forces of Sauron. You don’t know how wonderfully puzzling it is to protect an ugly, barbaric animal of an Uruk and feel some sadness upon his untimely death after you ran away from an outnumbered battle. Oh well, survival of the fittest, I guess.

The freedom to stomp upon Mordor like you own the land (better experienced in the Bright Lord DLC) is thoroughly satisfying. Suddenly I wasn’t running away from Uruk bands like a scared child as in the early game, no – suddenly stealth seemed inappropriate as I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ greeted the branded captains of the stronghold who opened the gates with a brotherly grunt and a pint of grog. As vicious as orcs may seem, they can be excellent informants, caragor-bait and cannon-fodder!

The hierarchy of war chiefs, bodyguards and captains of Sauron’s army can be exploited ad infinitum until you have your very own private, cozy, orcish mercenary army at your disposal, perfect for a little Mount Doom raiding party and a Sauron, Celebrimbor family reunion.

Sometimes the best way to sympathize with someone is to walk in their shoes…………… or play this game, brand them all and force them to do your bidding. Your choice!

Wonderful little title about resource allocation… and by that I don’t mean anything fancy, farther than powering electric buildings with icy, blue current and liquid ones with odorous, purple substance. But then there’s decay, a corrosive alien life form and mysterious monoliths that plague this strange planet.

As you progress, game mechanics get more intricate but before any new addition you get a level to try them out. Overall, the puzzles made sense and many of them give you a sense of accomplishment after completion. The story is vague and minimal but sprinkles of it here and there allow you to create your own narrative.

And for that price? What a steal! If puzzles are your thing, then hop on the space shuttle and give Mars Power Industries a try.