Recenzii recente de Hyperduel

There are vanishingly few side-scrolling retro shmups on Steam which accurately emulate the look & feel of their arcade counter-parts, in my opinion. And so any opportunity I have to review one which claims to do just that, well suffice to say that I am always quite eager to jump at the chance in doing so!

And thus this brings us to Starr Mazer: DSP, a shiny new 2D shooter developed by Imagos Softworks & Pixeljam which attempts to do the genre justice by striving for accuracy as well as attention to detail in properly mimicking the old-school shmup experience. But have they successfully accomplished this task? Let's find out below.


The premise of this game is that a pacifist group of aliens named the "G’ell" are in a protracted war with humanity, and having lost the previous battle, they have unabashedly returned with blood-thristy revenge in mind, full of contempt for us. It's essentially your typical aliens vs humans scenario, although I am not entirely sure why a pacifist group of them would be at war to begin with, unless the humans initiated the conflict which is quite plausible I suppose!

Even more amusing however, is that the game features quite a vast assortment of ships/pilots to choose from, and furthermore the entire squadron is taking orders from the "Cat Admiral" who provides tactical commentary for you during combat. Yes you heard that correctly, your chain of command is an actual cat who talks...and yet somehow, it breathes a sense of light-heartedness into Starr Mazer to remind us that games are supposed to be silly, simple, and fun...especially the retro kind. There even exists not-so-subtle cat references in the dialogue, and so I can only surmise that the developers have some kind of affinity for them.

In any event, what primarily differentiates the gameplay mechanics from this one, compared to others, is its "continue" system which requires you to purchase one or more personalized fighter pilots upon dying - with your present score being the currency to do so. Therefore in this novel way, the game incorporates a nifty rogue-like scheme into the strategic side of things...while also allowing you test out a wide array of their different ships at varying prize ranges and capabilities, each one offering unique primary & secondary weapon systems.

Speaking of its secondary firepower system, you will be collecting crystals of differring sizes in order to recharge this weapon...which can be engaged by pressing and optionally holding down the button for a sustained release upon your enemies until its bar dwindles down. The game heavily revolves around proper utilization and wise management of this mechanic actually.

Variation in enemy types, their attack movements, as well as their bullet patterns...were all excellently executed. Each segment felt fresh and non-repetitive thankfully.

But even with its very basic & straight-forward control scheme, don't think for one second that this is an easy game to beat in one sitting, because it most certainly isn't. In fact it can be downright punishing since your enemies one-shot kill you the entire time. There is no health bar to be found here at all, and so you'd better be fully prepared for some serious reflex action before tackling this one!


Graphics are intentionally simplistic 16-bit style yet are surprisingly sexy...with an inviting pallette of pastel colours to capture your imagination. Whereas bullets themselves will be sparkling across the screen with pretty rainbow hues. I was especially delighted to see that parallax scrolling was implemented here, which is a crucial ingredient in such a game for proper immersion.


By far, one of Starr Mazer's strongest attributes is its gorgeous combo of faithfully recreated arcade sfx in addition to its hypnotically alluring 80s chiptunes music. They effortlessly transport the player back in time with ease, expertly infusing the game with a satisfying sense of immersion. Furthermore, voice acting here is definitely above par, and thankfully it is present for all characters. What a refreshing treat it is to enjoy compared to so many other such games which only include text-based dialogue bubbles. Best of all, the speech itself actually sounds retro too, like it is being spoken through a pilot's head-set in a slightly distored manner. I'm overall extremely impressed with this category, and I only wish that such a level of voice-acting was used in more shmup titles.


It only partially is, and includes 15 achievements to be unlocked.


There exists no DLC at the present time.


Overall, Starr Mazer:DSP wonderfully exceeds where so many other similar titles fail in one way or another as it pertains to faithfully capturing the true essence of an arcade style shmup. This isn't to say that the game is by any means perfect, vanishingly few are actually. But it does hit close enough to the mark of excellence for me to rate it fairly highly.

The jury is still out on whether or not its purchasable character style continuation system is superior to a more traditionally based one...but I suppose it is worth experimenting with in order to bring something fresh & new to the table. If I have any major gripes about it at all, it is that the game forces you to replay large swaths of it again each time you do continue with a newly purchased squadron...and after a while I can see how this may become somewhat aggravating for some...because it will test both your skill and resolve to their limits. Furthermore, it would have been nice for there to be several selectable difficulty levels included...especially for beginners to hone their skills on first.

But nonetheless, this is a very attractive title for inclusion in one's library...especially so for those who genuinely appreciate properly designed retro-shooters such as myself. And as such...

I'll rate this one a 8/10


- Brilliantly captures the look & feel of a late-80's arcade shmup.
- Stellar voice acting for all characters which adds a unique personality to the game
- Wide assortment of unique characters & ships to try out
- Rogue-like elements which make for a more rounded gaming experience
- Full controller support
- Online Leaderboards


- Large segments of the game will need to replayed a considerable amount upon dying
- Controls aren't rebindable
- No difficulty settings
- No resolution options (full screen will simply be your current desktop resolution)
- No trading cards

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

The best way too describe Zombie Vikings in a nutshell, is to imagine playing as a cutesy Viking character inside of a trippy story-driven brawler cartoon. One with a decidely groovy feel showcasing a plethora of wacky monsters to battle against, replete with an abundance of quirky stoner-esque humour of the British variety. In fact you'll have your choice of 4 very different characters to play as (Gunborg, Seagurd, Hedgy and Caw-kaa) at any point in your progression of the game, each with their own uniquely distinctive attacks and personalities.

Developed & published by Zoink Games as a worthy successor to their previous hit title "Stick It to The Man!", the game capitalizes on exceptionally impressive artwork and creativity in its presentation...it's definite strong suit here.

Dialogue, written by Zach Weinersmith from SMBC Comics, is top-notch and will be sure to have you laughing out loud in no time at all. The flavour of which can only be described as witty and absurdist in scope...fitting seamlessly right into this style of cartoony game. Best of all, it can be enjoyed by gamers of all ages and is very accesible. Just about anyone can pick up and play this in no time at all.


The premise of this game is that an evil trickster named Loki has stolen Odin's good eye...the grandfatherly figure in the game who possesses "the sparkliest staff in all of Valhalla". And so Odin recruits a Viking posse to help him retrive his missing eye. As such, you are one of these sword-wielding warriors who must assist him across the span of 25 levels (which include side-missions)...equipped with both a primary as well as secondary special attack (both of which can be powered up further by holding down their respective buttons to alter the attack into a more powerful form).

Furthermore, there are countless weapon types to unlock as well as you progress further in. The entire combat system is actually quite impressive, with many various abilities and moves to master...it's quite rich in that regard. Best of all, you can simply play it as a frantic button masher and hope for the best (which works suprisingly well I might). Or you can actually master the nuances of each individual maneuver with practice, honing & fine-tuning your skills for maximum effectiveness.

Gameplay isn't terribly difficult nor frustrating fortunately, found somewhere between casual and competitive...just about right for the widest range of audience. And along the way, you will be collecting gold coins and health from smashed wooden boxes scattered everywhere within the levels, the former of which can be used inside the in-game shop to purchase weapon upgrades as desired.


I was extremely impressed with the art style in particular here...it's easily some of the best I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing in a 2.5D game such as this one. And even if the gameplay wasn't up to par (which thankfully it is)...you'd still be hard-pressed not to appreciate the game purely for the aesthetic beauty of its creatively inspired levels, characters, and cut-scenes. It certainly resonated with me immediately.


Thankfully all aspects of its audio were very strong in calibre. The soundtrack is one comprised of a very groovy sounding 60's/70s style, the kind that I wish I heard much more of in modern video games actually. Whereas sound effects were of high quality and well-chosen to match the very light-hearted & highly humourous atmosphere of this title. Lastly, and perhaps most impressive of all, the voice acting here is simply stellar...clearly done by professionals who know their craft well. This was definitely a breath of fresh air compared to many other such games which suffer in this one particular area.


It fully is, and includes both trading cards and 34 achievements to be unlocked.


There are 3 available DLC's for Zombie Vikings, comprising of 2 individual character packs (Frostbjörn & Raybjörn) plus a soundtrack. These are however very much optional add-ons for those who are true fans of the game.


Zombie Vikings is a superbly designed game that I truly wanted to rate substantially higher, because the actual game itself is phenomenal in so many wonderful ways...with it's exceptionally brilliant dialog, high-quality voice-acting, stellar artwork presentation, trippy/groovy music and sound effects, quirky humour, as well as its sheer creative prowess. But technically, the game simply doesn't run as well and as silky smooth as it should - even on powerful & modern hardware....whereby the framerate will gyrate considerably and where its scrolling is unusually choppy. Thus it clearly suffers from optimization issues which must be addressed urgently. Coupled with some glaring bugs such as option adjustments not being properly saved...I unfortunately have no choice but to demerit this game some points for the purpose of this review. Hopefully the developer can release a future patch which addresses these concerns...and I do believe that a forthcoming one is planned by what I hear. But as of right now however...

I'll rate this one a 7.5/10

...with a possible revision higher at a later date if warranted.


- Gorgeous 2.5D artwork, some of the best you'll find in a brawler
- Selectable cutesy characters and a diverse assortment of unique enemies
- 40 unlockable weapons + shop system
- Remappable keys
- Skippable cut-scenes
- Nice amount of adjustable graphics options
- Up to 4-player co-op + online/offline multiplayer
- Steam achievements + trading cards
- Full controller support


- Definite optimization issues, runs a bit choppy
- A bug where some settings reset each time you start the game

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

Puppygames is a developer that I genuinely respect & appreciate because they intimately understand how to properly design & create vintage arcade-era retro-games on modern gaming platforms, in a way that is both immensely satisfying & true to form. In fact, they are one of the very few studios who do such games justice in my opinion because their sprite-based pixels feel innately alive and demonstrate a phenomenal sense of immersion for 2D graphics, brimming with a magnetic energy that pulls you right in and won't let go.

Within their catalog on Steam, they currently offer 4 wonderful titles to choose from which are all highly acclaimed gems, whereby each shares a common style & aesthetic but features differing gameplay mechanics derived from their arcade counterparts. And these include: Titan Attacks, Ultratron, Droid Assault, and Revenge of the Titans - the latter of which shall be the focus of this review.


The Titans to be found here are your arch enemy from the sky, and these morbid monsters with their brightly glowing eyes have returned once more to Earth hell-bent on finishing up the job they started: destroying your prized bases. And there's so very many of them, myriads of waves in fact...marching toward you relentlessly in unison. That's because Revenge of the Titans caters specifically to tower defense fans, whereupon you have the ability to strategically build up a counter-attack in real-time using various clickr emplacements such as blaster turrets, explosives, battledroids, barricades, mines, and tangleweb...to name but just a few...each type offering its individual strengths and weaknesses which must be taken into account when choosing which is most optimal to use, as well as where it should be placed for maximum effectiveness.

You'll have a finite amount of money to spend at any given time, and you will be purchasing these defenses and/or upgrades for them via an in-game economy...with collected funds being derived from nearby mining operations which you must set up and tend to continually so as to replenish your ability to engage in more purchases as needed to help stave off these enemies.

Rest assured that the gameplay is indeed rather challenging...yet also with a refreshing level of depth to it...necessitating the ability to think fast on your feet in order to achieve maximum success. There is a tremendous element of tactical planning involved, especially when considering the wide array of different resource types available at your disposal in the bottom section of the screen.

And with a whopping 50 levels to overcome in the campaign alone, plus 5 different gameplay modes (standard campaign / easy campaign / endless / survival / sandbox user created content)...it is clear that countless hours of fun are to be found here without it ever becoming too monotonous in any way. I was certainly excited to reach the next successive wave after being awarded various goodies from the last, no matter how many I previously played. There's always new usable items and rewards being unlocked as you progress further in, which is a rather nice touch in facilitating a sense of progress being made the whole way through.


You'll find that the bright vivid colours contrast beautifully against the black background in their games, and this one is no exception. Furthermore, you have the ability to drag the larger gameplay area around the screen so as to focus on certain sections of it as needed, which is a nice advantage to have...both in planning as well as combat. Additionally, there exists an optional shader effect which can be enabled, adding monitor scanlines plus a distortion effect...thus emulating the look and feel of an old-style arcade monitor so as to increase the sense of immersion. Personally, I was quite content to play without it though, but it's more a personal preference and allowing the user to choose their own is ideal.


We all know how larger-than-life sound effects are such an integral aspect to these kinds of games, and in this one I'm delighted to report that you'll experience the most surreal auditory sensations. The electronic soundtrack as well as the synth it uses are simply sublime, hypnotizing you with its distinctive melody, while the thunderous explosions of these Titans being annhilated by your defenses will be sure to impress. Puppygames have got this down to a science - it's a definite hallmark of their titles.


It fully is, and includes both trading cards and many achievments to be unlocked.


As somebody who isn't even a die-hard fanatic of tower-defense type games, I was quite drawn in to this one nonetheless because of who it was made by. I knew it would be presented in a way that was both accessible and user-friendly (especially with the way in which it gradually teaches you the ropes as you go along via an in-game tutorial), while at the same time making me feel like I was playing the cousin game to Space Invaders (ie. Titan Attacks). It all exists in the same universe, and so after having completed that one already, it was only natural for me to try my hand at Revenge of the Titans as a follow-up experience. And I felt right at home instantly, soon mesmerized by the pew-pew sounds and complete obliteration of my foes. And the best part of all is that I had quite a fun time with it as expected...fully appreciating the robust strategy side to its gameplay, and even more, the allure of its premium presentation.

I'll rate this one a 9/10


- Wide assortment of defenses
- Delightful synth soundtrack
- Superb art style
- Steam achievements + trading cards
- Online Leaderboards


- Monster paths can be difficult to gauge, a bit of guessing involved
- Not a big fan of garbled voice effects in general

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

If you could ever capture the core essence of the psychedelic experience and manifest it as a video game, then surely its name would have to be Space Ribbon...Onteca Ltd's surrealistic and highly trippy new space racer. Upon its fantastical race tracks in this vividly colourful cosmos, you'll soon be greeted by the beautifully strange as you behold animal headed spaceships spewing forth these procedurally generated tracks of glory from their very mouths in real time...continuously teasing you with the checkered finish line which always seems just out reach as you go head to head with your AI opponents to reach it the quickest. Whereas invisible barriers on each side prevent you from hurdling off into oblivion by bouncing you right back onto the track.


I cannot possibly over-emphasize how breathtakingly gorgeous the visuals are here - they are the very definition of eye-candy. You'll be awash in vivid neon colours transforming their hypnotic hues all around you...with a bounty of stars and varied celestial bodies decorating the landscape across 6 different types of race events as you veer down these futuristically designed ribboned tracks at full throttle...twisting and curving around their elegantly styled contours.


Now it must be clearly stated that the game is still very much in Early Access, and requires further improvements and polishing in order to truly make it shine to its full potential. But so far it already arrives complete with a fine collection of several eye-catching and well-designed race cars spanning from the vintage era all the way up to cutting-edge jet-propulsion types. These various elements all combine together seamlessly so as to create a delightful feast for the senses, soon eliciting emotions of elation, as well as awe & wonder within me that I've never quite felt before with any other game...which were further reinforced by the visual expansiveness of this imaginative environment.


Yet as clearly impressive as the aesthetics are, both the handling of your car as well as its gameplay left quite a bit to be desired for me. Specifically, I felt that the cars could have handled much better with a crisper level of responsiveness when moving left/right. Additionally, they tended to spin out far too easily in my opinion, and furthermore they also didn't achieve a sense of eye-watering speed that I was very much hoping for going in. Lastly, at times they tended to get bunched up together and stuck to one other during the race...which greatly slowed down the momentum of gameplay. A game like Space Ribbon is crying out to be played frantically and ultra fast-paced, with lighning quick precision moves and that white-knuckled edge-of-your-seat sense of speed and acceleration. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel any of this as of the current build...and it would be my recommendation to the developer to take these points into consideration moving forward as its development progresses.


And on the gameplay side of things, I felt it was far too basic and one-dimensional for a visual masterpiece like this one (simply get from point A to point B faster than your opponents). Clearly, these space racers need a nitous oxide/turbo boost bar...in addition to a power-up system for various items to be collected during the races in order to make things much more interesting. And that would be the bare minimum here, quite honestly. It very much needs a lot more work on this side of things, in order to take this game to the next level. It is my hope that the developer sees this as well, and implements additional mechanics to make this a highly addictive experience, one where the player will be eager to keep going back for more...because visuals can only take a game so far...no matter how impressive they may be.


As of right now, no online multi-player exists (only local) - but from what I understand there are plans to include this at a later date thankfully. As well, the game currently includes VR Support (both HTC Vive & Oculus Rift) which must be phenomenal to behold here especially. So that's a definite plus to be sure, especially coupled with its full controller support, Steam achivements, and trading cards.


I've always been mesmerized by colourful and imaginative games featuring bright neon colours...and this one is certainly no exception. I also happen to love traditional racing games as well, so a fusion of the two concepts is sure to be a winner in principle. It is my firm belief that this game has an unlimited amount of untapped potential to be incredible, but it isn't quite there yet. I am very much impressed with what has been accomplished with it so far on the visual side of things, and once other areas receive further refinements, improvements, and polish... then who knows...perhaps it will be one of my very favourite games. Space Ribbon is off to a fast start so far. Now let's see if it can eventually reach the winning line in first place.

I'll rate this one a tentative 7/10 as of now, with potential for a higher score at a later date once a finished product is finally released.


- Visually highly impressive
- Fantastic 3D modeling of the cars & track
- Distinctive synth soundtrack
- Full controller support
- High frame-rates
- Steam achievements + trading cards
- Stats


- Car handling needs more work
- Gameplay is currently too simplistic
- Races are too short
- Lack of config options for display aside from quality (ie. no resolution nor vsync settings)

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

I've always been fascinated by those games on Steam which cause me ponder and reflect upon real life moments outside of the game due to the thematic subject matter being addressed. And it's even more impressive to me when the game itself is a very comedic, tongue-in-cheek, & light-hearted one in nature...yet which explores & touches upon these deeper darker undertones of human nature....albeit in a way that is both highly entertaining and able to fill your room with endless laughter while enjoying it.

I now introduce to you such an indie title, whimsically called Tom vs. The Armies of Hell which was developed by Darkmire Entertainment. In this isometric action-adventure game, you play as a nerdy software-engineer named Tom who finds that his entire office complex has suddenly been sent straight to hell after an experiment goes terribly wrong. And it is your sole duty to fight off these hordes of evil minions, demons, and diabolical bosses in order to uncover exactly what happened as you valiantly try to find your way back to your normal everyday 9-to-5 job again - all while packing your shiny new "Soul Blaster x9000" gun which can both shoot as well as capture their released souls afterward, essentially using their inherent dark power directly against them as a temporary power-up for the gun itself. An interesting concept, and a rather fun one gameplay-wise I might add!

Clearly, the game itself is a metaphor in describing the inherent wickedness of the cold, uncaring, heartless, and dehumanizing aspects of the modern-day workplace...as well as our relationship to it where profits, deadlines, and greed trump all else...especially reinforced by its intro-video which distinctly highlights as much. And yet, it manages to do so in a very accessible way which we can all readily relate to since the aesthetics and tone found here are very much cartoon-style and infused with an ample quantity of humour throughout. And thus, this merger of an underlying serious subject matter to the silliest possible presentation was nothing less than ingenious to me.

Level design itself was quite varied I felt within its 6 different ones, and nowhere did I feel that any aspect of the game was becoming monotonous whatsoever. Because not only did the office/hell scenes change regularly, but the enemies themselves were also creatively inspired and varied considerably in design. And these include multiple weirdo bosses to do battle with as well. Furthermore, your character is able to quickly roll/dodge + melee in close-quarters combat situations when many enemies are ganging up on you. It was all very satisfying as far as its fast-paced gameplay goes, feeling fresh and certainly quite challenging the entire way through. All in all, it possesses (pun intended!) a wonderfully engaging campaign whose diverse cast of characters breathe life to its absurd story with their hilarious caption-based dialogue. However with that being said, I can't help but to feel that this game could have been taken to the next level of comedy if they instead all audibly spoke, with quality voice acting included. Although for an indie game, I suppose there are limits as to what can realistically be done...and perhaps this was one of the compromises. Nonetheless, the actual dialogue is still fantastic.

Another of its strengths is how it uses old-school mechanics like a health meter + health pickups, ammo pickups, plus the ability to upgrade your gun considerably. You won't be fumbling around with complicated inventory systems or any such nonsense here at all. This is decidely more geared towards the pick-up-and-play crowd who seek to immediately jump in and get going. Fortunately the controls are rebindable and very easy to understand, and it also includes full controller support which is a nice touch.

On the audio side of things, background music is wonderfully comprised of orchestral jazz selections which bestows upon it a rather unique flavour & charm. I suppose for its office type setting, this would certainly make the most sense to go with. Whereas gun/combat effects were very much punchy & solid as well, accentuating rather than distracting from the expeience. All in all, no complaints here.

And even though trading cards aren't present, it does at least sport Steam achievements...which only helps to make an already very fun game that much more of a blast to sit back & play.


Tom vs. The Armies of Hell recently came out of Early Access on Steam and feels very polished indeed, with an active dev who who clearly listened closely to the community's input and has spent a great deal of time improving it to perfection while ensuring that it feels balanced throughout. So kudos for that. And it is an adrenalin-inducing title with which you can pick up and start playing right away with no big learning curves, as the game does a stellar job in explaining exactly how you must proceed further into it as you quickly master its straight-forward goals and combat mechanics - allowing you to sit back and actually enjoy this action-packed experience to the fullest with minimal frustration...the way it should always be! There are no cheap deaths here, and if you die then it just means that you need to keep practicing as you hone your tactics. With such a pleasing graphical style with its fluid animations, entertaining storyline, and light-hearted atmosphere...I'm confident that you'll be more than eager to sink some quality time into it. Because this is a game full of soul at its very core...so now go start collecting 'em inside of it as you go head-to-head against these forces of darkness in your workplace...and perhaps soon, you'll too eventually find your way back from hell over there!

I'll rate this one: 9/10


- Fluid & colourful cartoon-style animations
- Non-monotonous and varied gameplay with fast-paced combat
- Minimal learning curve
- 6 expansive and carefully designed levels + creatively designed bosses
- Cut-scenes
- Steam Achievements
- Configurable controls
- Full controller support
- Good amount of graphical configuration options


- No voice acting
- No Steam trading cards
- No adjustable difficulty settings (although the default is pretty good for most)
- No online play

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

Imagine taking a Transformers type game, and then transforming it into an on-rails-shooter! What you'd soon find yourself immersed inside of is the action-packed sci-fi game I'm about to review now, aptly called MechRunner, which was recently developed & published by Spark Plug Games this past year.

Its storyline is admittedly a rather interesting one, in that it based on partially factual events from the past. And it plays out like this: alien technology fell into Russian hands during the Tunguska incident in Siberia which had caused an unexplained massive explosion in the area. But in fact, it was actually a crashed alien spaceship that was found to be the real cause, and soon the Russian KGB were building highly advanced weaponry from this other-wordly technology discovered on subsequent expeditions there in the following years. However, it somehow caused those in charge to go completely mad as a result, and a conquest of Europe soon ensued. But one of the engineers went AWOL from the program and soon created his own super mech to battle head-to-head against theirs, in order to halt the unfolding chaos. Fantastic stuff, and it soon had me excited to give this game a try as I wanted to see how impressive this alien technology really was. Suffice to say, I was not at all disappointed!

What immediately impressed me about it most, was the surprising depth and complexity to its gameplay mechanics...in a good way no-less...far surpassing anything found in your typical rails shooter where you essentially just aim and shoot what's in front of you while continually moving forward. But with this one, you have the ability to change your mech at will between either robot or tank mode, with each having its own inherent strengths & weaknesses. Depending upon any given moment or situation in the game, you must select the most beneficial mode to be used for maximum success. Furthermore, each mode possesses its own unique primary & secondary weapon systems (sword + gatling guns for robot, and cannons + missiles for tank). And if that wasn't enough, each of those systems can be upgraded individually as you gain more experience playing through successive games which continues to build up your character between playthroughs. In other words, it's a very grindy type of shooter. One where you'll need to sink some considerable time into it for the full reward in maximizing the deadly effectiveness of your mech as it slowly becomes more & more powerful. So understandably, each game is rather short in duration, lasting only from several seconds to several minutes.

Your goal in this endless runner, is to collect both experience points (to level up and unlock new weapons + skins), as well as acquire "proto-energy" orbs in-game (to upgrade your currently available weapons in the shop as you see fit).

Another unique aspect to be found here, is that there are two continually alternating phases of battle. One is where your mech is meandering down winding pathways while avoiding all kinds of different wreckage & dangerous obstacles partially blockading the road (which will reduce your health bar if contact is made). And during this phase you can also slow down to pick up civilian human passengers if you're in tank mode...to later bring them to safety up ahead. And then there is the battle mode where you are fully stopped and must go head to head against an array of formidable bosses, first destroying their various energy transformers nearby which they use to continually replenish their health. After those are destroyed, you can take them on with greater ease since you simply have to whittle down their remaining health meter until they succumb to your superior weaponry & skill. And you can even finish them off with your powerfully sharp blade in robot mode for extra points.

As you can readily see, there is quite a lot of tactics involved here since you must be thinking fast on your feet at any given moment...making crucial split-second decisions one after the other so as to keep moving further ahead before finally being overwhelmed (it's inevitable). To help you along though, an assortment of powerups, such as extra health and shields for example, are sometimes dropped and can be cycled/used as needed. It's all quite short & intense, edge of your seat kind of stuff here. But I have to admit, it's definitely a whole lot of fun...especially so with an ample amount of practice under your belt where you'll soon begin to master the many nuances of its gameplay.

Graphics-wise, the 3D modeling was quite detailed and well designed for the mechs especially. They are visually intricate, and it is readily obvious that a great amount of care & attention went into their creation...enhanced furthermore by their gorgeous animations which are so seamlessly fluid. And on the audio side of things, the weapons + explosion effects were rock solid, as was the quality voice acting of the small number of characters included. However what I was especially enamored by was the quality of the soundtrack present, which only further fueled the richness of the experience. Think uplifting orchestral to get an accurate idea here. All in all, this wonderful combination results in a game with a very slick presentation indeed.

Now does MechRunner have any faults, you may be asking? Well, as I alluded to previously...it definitely requires some grinding to truly enjoy & appreciate your mech's abilities, being that it's a game with a very narrow scope of complex gameplay. The progression you achieve is not enumerated by checkpoints nor stages passed, but rather, it is primarily measured by how powerful you can build up your mech to be...as well as how long you can survive based upon the longest time recorded in your many runs. As with all rail shooters, there just isn't a whole lot of variety in what you'll be seeing in it...because the same basic set of actions + sequences will be repeated over & over again each time you play through its procedurally generated runs. But I will say, it does it so much better than most such games I've tried.


All in all, this one is a strong recommendation and a "must play" if you enjoy mech type games (Transformers for example). It induces a tremendous sense of flying by the seat of your pants type of rush. It is both exciting, exhilarating, and addictive once you really spend some time with it and master the objectives, which will then reward your tenacity with a vastly superior character later on.

Is it one that I will be playing more of after this review? Yes absolutely, because I thoroughly enjoy fast-paced games that reward skill and reflexes...and this one does so in a way that makes me feel almost invincible...if even just for a few short minutes.

Thankfully, MechRunner is fully Steamified, and coupled with its attractive price-point, it's very much a worthy addition to your library. So suit up some shiny metal in this epic battle between good & evil...and you just might save the entire world in the process!

I'll rate this one an 8.5/10


- Fast-paced & challenging gameplay with complex tactics
- Fantastic 3D modeling
- Quality soundtrack
- Partial controller support
- Glitch-free & plays very optimized
- Steam achievements + trading cards
- Leaderboards + Stats


- Involves a fair amount of grinding to unlock all the good stuff

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

Intrusion 2, developed by Aleksey Abramenko, is a shining example of what is possible when you harness the past with the technological capabilities of the present - doing so in an innovative way which builds upon that rock solid foundation with exciting new ideas and concepts in order to produce a winner.

This single-player side-scrolling platform shooter clearly takes a generous helping of inspiration from the Metal Slug franchise at first glance, both in gameplay & art style, yet does so in a creative manner which makes the whole experience feel so much more impressive than merely being yet another modern-day clone of a popular retro-game, which so many other developers are more than satisfied with doing. But in this particular one, you have an entire physics system in place which tremendously adds to the gameplay dynamic in ways that I never even dreamed possible for a 2D game...in effect unlocking a whole new dimension of limitless possibilities.

Clearly, much thought and consideration was wisely invested in the level design here, because at no point did it feel repetitive nor monotonous to me. Each & every segment of its several carefully crafted levels offered something compelling and unique as far as gameplay goes...and I soon found myself dangling from ropes, grappling, tumbling, nudging giant snowballs over my foes to crush them mercilessly, prancing around in powerful mech suits, riding atop a big bad wolf who also attacks nearby enemies on his very own...and it just goes on and on from there!

Essentially, the genius of it all is that the highly interactive environment is much like a character unto itself here in many ways, because you will be both battling against as well as manipulating it to your advantage while using all of your wits - and doing so in the midst of the traditional slew of both human & robotically enhanced type enemies you'll face (of which there are countless different types to engage with). And they come in dramatically varying sizes as well...including truly massive and epic boss battles that will leave you utterly breathless afterward.

Moving onto its storyline now, not surprisingly it is fairly basic for this type of retro side-scroller: a hostile military corporation conducting forbidden weapon research has taken over a reserve planet and it is your sole duty to conquer this threat. Not exactly deep, but then again you aren't playing this for any other reason than to cause maximum destruction, carnage, and mayhem with the vast assortment of weaponry at your disposal. Speaking of which, I was quite impressed by the gradual introduction of new weapon types as you progressed further into it...and mostly they are seized from your fallen enemies to be used against them. Now that's some sweet justice if you ask me.

One caveat to note here however: this is by no means an easy casual game...in fact it is quite challenging & hardcore in scope...and you'll invariably need to repeat many checkpoints again...and again...and again. This admittedly may frustrate some. But on the flipside of the coin, the sense of accomplishment to be had is equally as intense when you are finally able to properly memorize the enemy patterns and movements...as well as formulate the most optimal strategy for success. In fact, it's downright gratifying once you are able to overcome whatever it may be that is hellishly impeding your progress further into this game. Fortunately there exists 3 difficulty settings present to help you along.

Graphics are fairly on par with 90's arcade games from this genre, and are quite adequate overall. Not hugely impressive by any stretch, but they certainly get the job done, and are pretty much what you'd expect from an idie developer. Although I do feel that they could have had a slightly higher contrast with more vibrant & saturated colours. And on a related note, the character movements & animations could have been a bit faster, as well as being snappier with the controls, where sometimes it felt just a tad sluggish. These certainly aren't major issues, but for the sake of balancing my review I did wish to mention it.

Thankfully Intrusion 2 does include Steam achievements (but no trading cards) which will enhance its replayability to a nice degree, but even without them I could definitely see myself going back and testing out different strategies and approaches for certain situations. Its robust physics system allows for quite a lot of experimentation indeed!

Finally, there is no online co-op present, but fortunately the single-player campaign itself offers several hours of nitty gritty entertainment which will surely be enjoyed by those who are up for its challenge.


It's great to see games reinvent themselves in ways which lift them even higher in the modern era, and this is why I was so enthused about Intrusion 2. It brilliantly captures every single ounce of what made these classics so much darn fun, yet in a way which feels fresh and exciting since more magical ingredients were added in to the recipe...resulting in an even tastier experience. At its very reasonable price-point, I would recommend this gem in a heartbeat to those who are looking for a bit of nostalgia with a modern twist, because make no mistake about it, this one is heaps of fun all around. And from my vantage point, that is always the number one yardstick by which to measure how good a game truly is. So saddle up your inner wolf and go on a prowl for what this one has to offer with your guns'a'blazin!

I'll rate this one: 8/10


- Environment is both highly interactive & destructible
- Superb physics & animation system
- Non-monotonous and varied gameplay with innovative ideas
- 9 expansive well-designed levels + multi-stage bosses
- Multiple difficulty settings to suit all skill levels
- Glitch-free & plays very optimized
- Steam Achievements
- Leaderboards
- Configurable controls
- Partial controller support


- Many sections will need to be replayed several times, possibly frustrating
- Colours could be more vibrant, slightly dull
- Character movement could be faster/snappier
- No Steam trading cards
- No online co-op play

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Let's face it, there are many game developers out there at the moment who are riding upon the coat-tails of the pixelated graphics gravy train - those who release a game which, on the surface may look appealing at first glance from a nostalgia perspective, but which simply lacks that satisfying substance in its gameplay to merit much of any worthwhile praise. More often than not, these types of games end up being rather disappointingly mediocre and shallow in this one specific area from my experience.

But sometimes a retro-styled 2D game will come out of nowhere and impress greatly...whereby the developers actually focus primarily on the gameplay first & foremost, while at the same time also making these sprite styled graphics come alive in a truly breathtaking manner, as if by some inexplicable magic. And that's where I now introduce to you such a title, amusingly called Zombie Party, which was recently developed by Peach Pie Productions.

Now I already know what you might be thinking inside..."Oh no, not another zombie shooter...uggh!". I'll be the first to concede that the zombie meme has more than run its course at this point, at least for the most part. And yet, what I soon came to realize upon starting up this frantically paced twin-stick shooter, is that it isn't really so much about zombies in the traditional sense, as it is about unleashing maximum firepower in a very absurd manner upon hordes of these silly cute monsters who keep chasing you down at every moment!

Rest assured that this is indeed a game with depth, because it actually offers so much more than your typical shooter, being that it also blends together (in a very seamless way I might add) RPG and rogue-like elements. You choose a character (of which you can select from several) which continually & permanently levels up with experience and has access to a weapons shop between waves. Both the variation as well as the amount of customization (ie. "modding") that can be done with your weapons is especially impressive here. This is very decidedly one area in which Zombie Party shines brightly. Because they are each so uniquely & thoughtfully designed, while also showcasing the most over-the-top bullet pattern aesthetics. In fact just about everything about this game is seemingly larger than life, and that includes its barrage of explosions which virtually cover your entire screen when the action reaches a fever-pitched crescendo. And it also includes an array of foot-stomping bosses which are massive in size, and who are quite formidable to beat!

Your character possesses a wide range of both primary, as well as temporarily powered-up secondary weapons which are absolutely devastating. When combined together, they can readily inflict an impressive amount of damage inside of a very short time-span. You are essentially scrambling around the screen shooting up these hordes while also collecting the weapon powerups & artifacts they drop once obliterated, as well as a bounty of precious gold coins for the shop upgrade system. And yet fortunately, you have even more offense at your disposal in the form of selectable magic items that can be collected and used in various ways to repel these creatures. Whereas on the defensive side of things, you thankfully have the ability to speedily jump around which allows your character to more quickly outmaneuver & dodge your foes...in fact it's a very crucial cornerstone for success here as you'll soon discover. It all combines together to create a very richly satisfying and highly addictive experience, nicely augmented by this strategizing side pertaining to how you customize your inventory. With some practice & experimentation, you'll quickly get a feel for what works best in any given situation.

Another aspect to it that I thoroughly enjoyed, was how vibrant & colorfully pretty the game truly is. There's no element of dreary backgrounds nor pale hues as would normally be seen inside of a zombie-themed game - in fact just the very opposite is true. Think rainbow'esque eye-candy here. And in a tangible way, this gives the game a very fresh, fun, and light-hearted feel to it.

There are several game modes present which are fairly self-explanatory - including Adventure, Dungeon, Arcade, Deatmatch - and they each offer their own unique strategy & level design in order to provide a maximum threshold of replayability. Especially so since you can play both solo or with friends (both online & offline)...which also includes leaderboards incidentally.

Background music and audio are more than satisfactory, even if somewhat simplistic in scope, and is reminiscent of those effects found in classic arcade titles - which suits this game just fine for what it is inherently trying to accomplish.

And it should also be noted that there does exist a pet system here (with a Pet Sanctuary category in the menu for collecting them)...but this is mostly something which can either be enjoyed as a secondary component to the game or ignored entirely, depending upon your own personal preference. They are rather adorably designed though, so I can definitely see how it might be somewhat fun to dabble with it as something to do on the side.



I will freely admit that Zombie Party exceeded my expectations going in, because its ambitious breadth of design left a favorable impression upon me. It is very fun, quite challenging, and offers tremendous depth relative to its peers....especially in regard to weapon variation, customization, collectible relics, secrets, and magic. Quite clearly, it brims with a strong sense of creativity, but in a fun-loving silly way. Replayability is excellent here, and I would most certainly recommend using a controller to enjoy it because this one is very fast-paced for a keyboard.

In no time at all you'll be unleashing an incredible arsenal of firepower upon your myriad of foes, with maximum satisfaction felt inside. You'll even be chased around by a one-eyed pyramid boss later on, because in this time-traveling adventure, pretty much anything goes and the only limit you'll face is how much free time you have to vaporize every single one of its cartoony zombies. Party on!

I'll rate this one a very deserving 4.0 out of 5 stars


- Colorful rainbow-rich graphics
- Fast paced and addictive gameplay
- Offers a great amount of depth for a twin-stick shooter
- Tons of customization possible
- Retro-style 80's arcade sprite graphics
- 10+ distinct 'biomes' to explore
- 150+ unique guns
- Animal AI companions (ie. pets)
- Several gameplay modes
- Full controller support
- Glitch-free & plays very optimized (at least for me)
- Both offline/online multiplayer + co-op
- Leaderboards


- No Steam trading cards nor achievements (yet?)
- Some characters are fairly generic
- Cannot rebind controls


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Perhaps you can remember back to that golden era of arcade gaming when side-scrolling beat'em'ups were very much in vogue for a while. And the reason being, is that they were so incredibly exhilarating to play. You were essentially on a long journey to somewhere unknown as you kept walking forward while clearing the screen of countless formidable & varied enemies. These were the kind of games that were so easy to get into and start playing, yet nonetheless difficult to master - in other words the perfect kind of challenge!

And challenging is just what Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is, a 2015 title developed by MAGES and published by Degica. It's essentially a modern 2.5D take on the beat'em'up but with a unique twist: all of the characters are adorably anime-styled and oozing cuteness which you simply won't believe until you behold it with your very own eyes. Who knew that such a fusion of these disparate styles could work so well together, especially when combined in an exceptional manner to produce this mesmerizing game now before us.

But what is it about Phantom Breaker, exactly, that has me so excited about playing it? Let's find out below.

Upon first loading it up, I was immediately awash in a very much Japanese feeling game...something that felt exotic and fresh in a very palpable yet pleasing manner...complete with voice-acting in this language (with English subs). What then quickly drew me in further was its distinctly whimsical presentation & art style. The selectable characters and enemies are so impossibly cute & quirky, and are respectively a blend of both sweet & ghoulishly menacing...but in a very light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek way. It's a game that doesn't want you to take it too seriously - rather it just wants you to sit back and enjoy many hours of this blast from the past...pressing lots & lots of buttons while doing so. And in that regard, it excels wonderfully.

In no time at all, I was surrounded by all kinds of weirdo baddies...the kind that make you laugh out loud instantly since they're just too freakish to even exist anywhere outside of this pixel trip. Creatively inspired from some unfathomable B-grade horror movie, they offer up rather amusing dialogue between stages to help push the story along for you. And that story consists of you having to battle against the evil wizard "Phantom" and his many minions. Why exactly? I haven't the faintest idea, but I do know that you'll be traveling around Tokyo and its many scenic pixel-art background locations as you do so, trying your absolute best to chain together impressively powerful hit combos against this unrelenting horde of varied enemies...some of which even include dragons & robots!

Also on the plus side, is that the gameplay combat itself is quite fast & furious...you truly need to keep on your toes at all times from the sheer number of enemies attacking you from both sides. And there is even a depth element present where you can hop back & forth at will to fight them off between the foreground plane and the background one (via a button press)...which further adds to the strategy of it all.

Attacks include: weak, medium, and strong...whose buttons can also be combined in different ways to create additional special attacks which are unique to each character, one of which is quite powerful I might add. Basically, the strength of your primary special attack is dependent upon how many normal attacks you fill your bar with first.

You may select between 4 different customizable characters to start with, with 6 unlockable ones to be had as well. And all characters can unlock extra abilities as they progress further into the game via a skill tree. What's especially nice is that you get to keep your level between playthroughs as well...encouraging you to continue in trying to constantly raise it through sheer practice & determination.

As an added bonus, there is no shortage of bosses to battle either, and they are as tough as nails! Thankfully the game provides an entire range of difficulty settings to select from though, from Easy all the way up to Nightmare+ which is something that only the hardest of the hardcore would even attempt, because just the Normal difficulty alone was plenty challenging for me personally...especially pertaining to the boss battles which were significantly more formidable than the regular enemy swarms. It took me several attempts to beat the majority of 'em.

Phantom Breaker's retro themed background music ranges from soothing to upbeat, yet is always arcade'esque and sound-chippy in nature, enhancing rather than distracting from the gameplay experience. It's a nice li'l soundtrack all around for what it is trying to accomplish. Whereas sound effects were quite punchy as well.

Now as far as controls go, it's strongly recommended to use an X-Box controller as that's what it's tailored around in the options menu. Keyboard can be used as well, but to be perfectly blunt, it just wouldn't be very ideal for such a game where split-second reflexes are required. Speaking of which, some people are having issues rebinding their controller buttons in the menu, and the trick to it as I've discovered after some experimentation, is that you have to hold down the controller button which you wish to change its move for, and then while holding it down you then cycle through the available moves with the left stick, then release after acquiring the desired one. This is admittedly quite unintuitive, and I am not very surprised that some are having issues in figuring it out. Overall, I'd recommend to the developer further improvements in this one area as it relates to rebinding keys/buttons, so as to make it easier for the player to accomplish doing so.

Lastly, there is also available an additional character + increased level cap DLC which can be purchased separately (Kurisu Makise), as well as even a soundtrack DLC if you find yourself helplessly hooked in by this game and just can't get enough of its unique charm. It's all very much optional however as the base game itself is more than robust enough to suffice here.


It isn't very often that I find myself pleasantly surprised by just how much darn fun a particular game actually is, since I can usually deduce this by the screenshots & videos of it before-hand. But yet, I must readily admit that this one was even more of a blast to play than I was anticipating going in. And I'm not even a particularly big anime fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, yet the way in which it was all assembled together was done so incredibly well I thought...and you'd be hard-pressed to find any other similarly styled beat'em'up game on Steam which offers as many hours of addictive & challenging old-school gameplay as Phantom Breaker. It's the kind of rush that effortlessly keeps you coming back for more in no time at all if you're even remotely a fan of retro arcade games. I've only played part way through it for this review so far, but quite honestly, I am now very eager to finish up the rest of it as soon as possible. I just hope my fingers are up for the challenge, because many heads will be smashed and many buttons will be mashed!

I'll readily rate this one a very cutesy 4.5 out of 5 stars


- Adorably cute anime-style characters
- Truly fun yet challenging gameplay
- Fast-paced & addictive combat action with chained combos
- Multiple customizable characters with skill trees to choose from and unlock
- Retro-style 80's arcade sprite graphics
- Numerous bosses to battle
- Both story & arcade modes
- Full controller support
- Glitch-free & plays very optimized
- Steam achievements + trading cards
- Local co-op / Online multiplayer (in beta)
- Leader boards


- The controller / key rebinding system is both limited & not very intuitive


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Cowboy pirates in outer space...it's such a tempting theme to build an addictive fun-filled game around. And so Image & Form, the very same publisher & developer of the much beloved SteamWorld Dig, took this idea and ran with it in their newest masterpiece entitled SteamWorld Heist. It is an artistically gorgeous turn-based strategy game nestled within the steampunk universe which derives influence from several outside sources including: Xcom, Worms, and especially the TV series Firefly. But yet it manages to wrap it all together in such a creative way...one which bestows upon SteamWorld Heist a uniquely distinctive identity to call its very own as well. Because within it are to be found all kinds of zany characters, dialogue, & bosses which somehow impossibly exist...and they are so very individualistic from each other that you'll simply never bore from interacting with each.

Its storyline premise is that you play as Captain Piper Faraday, the lead female protagonist within this lore who is an infamous smuggler and pirate bot, and who yet also commands a crew of mercenary bots under her direct control. Your quest is to essentially keep the rival faction Scrappers away from your territory, while commandeering their spaceships and looting them of their valuables whenever you must battle them. And interestingly, the items of value to be had here are water (ie. currency), reputation points, hats (these amusingly play a prominent role in this game as you collect them from your fallen enemies to wear upon shooting them off of their heads), plus all manner of looted items you come across to be stashed away in your inventory system. Quite honestly, it's all so very engrossing and engaging to partake in....especially with so many countless hours (15-20) of missions and objectives to complete. And also because you have full freedom to both customize and upgrade your entire crew as you see fit for any given mission, which further adds to the tactical side of things brilliantly.

Another positive attribute to mention here, is that the cornerstone of its gameplay is based primarily around skill as opposed to chance...which is undoubtedly a very commendable approach to take. Because it allows gamers to more fully connect with the experience, and thus to more fully invest themselves into its outcome in a manner that is optimally satisfying.

There is certainly no shortage of fun to be had with the gameplay either since you must well and truly strategize which approach you will be taking with your crew-mates in order to best overcome your enemies. And having the ability to manually aim each & every one of your shots with carefully thought out trick-shot-style ricochet trajectories is something which you'll never tire of doing, since countless creative possibilities can be had for any given situation. And speaking of which, the layouts for the missions are procedurally generated which ensures that no two playthroughs will ever be quite the same...thus greatly enhancing its replay value many fold.

But where this title truly shines is in its inspirational and highly polished presentation, where seemingly no short-cuts were taken in creating a truly breathtaking experience for gamers to both enjoy and immerse themselves into. The benchmark set here is quite high indeed, and its colorful and distinctive aesthetic style alone will dazzle you instantly, whereas the ingratiating and memorable old-western style soundtrack for the game (expertly done by Steam Powered Giraffe) is one which coalesces wonderfully with the light-hearted and zany atmosphere of SteamWorld Heist. It's absolutely stellar, and imbues this game with a healthy dose of flair & personality in a seemingly effortless manner. Coupled together with the high-quality sound effects to be enjoyed (such as the bullet ricochet sounds especially), there is no doubt whatsoever that it all combines to accentuate the perception of immersion within this wacky robotic world, in a way that is both pleasing and fulfilling.

And on a side-note here, all of the robotic speech from the characters in the game is audibly unintelligible....therefore such dialogue is also presented graphically in boxes as well (which can be read of course). Admittedly this took me a bit of getting used to, but after a little while you will adapt to it.

Finally, there also exists an additional content DLC which can be purchased separately (SteamWorld Heist: The Outsider), if you're gunning to add new hats, weapons, and missions to the game.



I have to come right out and say that this was a blast and a real treat to play! And as much as I carefully looked for them, there just weren't any obvious deficiencies to be found here with this new release, because virtually every single facet of it is so admirably executed. You can readily tell that its developers are a very experienced team of professionals who invested a whole lot of time & effort into making this a must-own title for fans of the genre. In fact, I'm not even a hard-core turn-based gamer by any stretch of the imagination, yet even I found myself smiling with satisfaction for much of the experience...especially since it exudes such light-hearted fun & artistic creativity as gift-wrapping for its rock-solid gameplay...with no obvious nor major short-comings to be found whatsoever.

Thus I would readily recommend this gem as a very worthy addition to your library, especially so if such games interest you in any way at all to begin with. And I'm always delighted to review games where that extra amount of care & attention to detail were placed into them...ensuring that they will be purchased with no regrets by those of us who adore stepping inside of such fantastical futuristic worlds which also pay homage to the past...ones where we can command a crew of whimsical bots while proudly wearing the most outlandish assortment of hats you'll ever find.

I'll enthusiastically rate this one a very solid 4.5 out of 5 stars



- Strategtic skill-based gameplay along with several difficulty levels for both beginners and veterans alike
- Light-hearted and whimsical humor
- Fantastic sound-track & audio effects
- Over 100 different weapons and almost 100 hats to collect
- Impressively artistic aesthetics
- Countless hours of missions plus bosses to battle
- Full controller support
- Plenty of game options to adjust
- Non-buggy & plays very optimized
- Steam achievements + trading cards


- Not a particularly big fan of the indecipherable robotic speech effect (this is a relatively minor quibble though)


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