Recent reviews by Ninjaiguana

A good chill time. Nice change of pace from saving the universe and having a bit of a holiday for a change.

So. Disco Elysium. I played this game for 16 hours and completed it. That's not 16 hours in bursts; that's 16 straight hours. I picked this game up and I could not put it down. I didn't sleep, I barely ate, until I'd finished it. Very, very few games have ever seized me like this one did.

This game is simply incredible. It's amazingly engaging, it tells a fantastic story and it's simply unlike anything else I have ever played. It's got that Eastern European cynicism, but then blindsides you with moments of stunning emotion that slip under your guard like a knife in the ribs. If you enjoy experiencing a truly unique world in a way you've never done before, this game is for you. If you want a game that's thoughtful and exception, this game is for you. This is a triumphant experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to be utterly engaged and absorbed by their entertainment.

Tides of Numenera succeeds in capturing the elusive magic of its acknowledged predecessor, the excellent Planescape: Torment. It has that same mysterious feeling of being a stranger in a strange land, interacting with odd terrors and great wonders. I'd highly recommend it for any fan of Torment.

If you're on the fence, I will say it isn't perfect. If you're a hardcore tactical combat afficionado, this game's unlikely to scratch your itch; this game's more of a story-telling experience than a tough combat challenge. In a lot of the crises (the game's term for 'key situations, often involving combat') there can be a lot of NPC creatures running about, and it can get dull waiting for each of them to take their turn while you sit there and whistle. I found the game did also slow a little in some of the encounters with very large numbers of combatants, which just made it all drag on a bit longer. Finally, the game itself isn't incredibly long - I finished it in 20 hours and was scouring the locations for sidequests as I went. Some people might think that's 'too short' for an RPG, but I would contend that it's partly because there's no filler content at all, no random encounters of any kind. Everything you do, you do for a purpose, and that gives it a wonderful purity of intent.

Overall I enjoyed this game more than any for years and I could barely put it down. It's a really great experience if you're looking for something a bit slower-paced, with excellent writing and an air of wonder.