Recent reviews by PandaSpaceDan

Wonderful game. I've spent most of my time figuring out how all the different pieces of it work and fit together, and that knowledge helps me get a little farther with each playthrough. The game has a factions type system where - as time progresses - different powers push against one another. I won't give away too much, but the game strikes a good balance between giving some player agency in global events while making each choice about where to put your effort have consequences elsewhere.

Beautiful game with solid music.

At first glance, Hero-U may appear to be a dated attempt at a video game. The title screen card and some of the character portraits are rough, and the opening scene feels a little claustrophobic. However, once you arrive at school, Hero-U really starts to shine.

There is surprising depth to the different friendships and mysteries you can explore in the school. The fact that there is a time mechanic in this game means that you often need to choose what you want to do in any given day. Do you want to polish up your lock-picking skills and solve the mystery of the crying dog painting, or do you want to spy on the faculty and stay up late playing music with your roommate? The limitations that time imposes on my actions mean that I am excited for the events of the next day and am always questioning what I might have missed.

A lot of love and puns have gone into this delightful game. Many adventure and story-oriented games can feel very small, even if their world is big, but Hero-U makes me feel like I did as kid when I explored Hogwarts in my imagination.

Hyper Light Drifter presents a beautiful world that is reminiscent of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The storytelling is fequently environmental and subtle, allowing your imagination to draw you into the rich world created by the developers. Combat can be tough, relying on player skill and ability to both react quickly and intelligently to enemy types and environments. However, this just makes victory all the more enjoyable and encourages elegant approaches to battle rather than button mashing. This game is a masterpiece, don't be afraid to explore the hidden corners of the world it contains.

With platform puzzels that mostly rely on foreknowledge of triggered events, annoying controls, and a flimsy story, Limbo failed to impress.

Great adventure throwback game with beautiful pixel art, fun puzzles, charming characters, and (let's not forget) a postapocalyptic roboscape. The logic puzzles might not appeal to everyone, but they were definitely my cup of tea.