Recent reviews by Mr. Slip

A charming little incremental game for a cheap price. I had never seen a basis for an incremental game quite like it, scratching off scratch cards and hiring people to do it for you, the latter giving a steadier source of income. I appreciated that money could never go below $1, to prevent bad RNG from stone-walling progression. My only complaint with the game was how the progression went from "making a pittance" to "you practically broke the game" extremely quickly, thanks mainly to the upgrade that allows for hired scratchers to earn the prestige currency. This allowed me to reach the end in less than 1.5 hours, which caught me somewhat off-guard.

Overall, though, Scratchers is short yet worthwhile to play, so I figure that I should keep this review short yet worthwhile to read.

I went into this game with an understanding that it was akin to Luxor, Zuma, or Sparkle. To that extent, I was correct, in that it has the same core gameplay of matching different colors of balls using a paddle that also shoots those balls. However, I did notice liberties taken with the basic idea, in that there is not a set number of waves, but instead a series of balls embedded in the background that need to be destroyed to stop more waves from coming. Also, you have no "lives" per se, but instead have to retry the level if the balls make it to the end. As for similarities to games of its ilk, you can get upgrades using coins obtained as random drops or from the bonus stages, which do things like increase your ball shooting speed or give you an aimline. There are also powerups that periodically drop, allowing for ease of handling the waves of balls.

While I enjoyed the twists on the standard "marble shooter", these alterations ultimately did not do all that much to hold my interest, and neither did the levels themselves, despite the graphics being decent for the time it was released. After a while, they grew stagnant, as the only things that changed noticeably were the track layouts and placement of target balls. Not helping this stagnation were the dull, metallic backgrounds for each level, causing the experience to "run together" even when playing in short bursts. My biggest complaint, however, is the game not always registering my mouse inputs, requiring me to mash LMB or RMB several times to make a single shot or switch ball colors, respectively. This is not an issue that I have had with any similar game, including the original Luxor (which came out before this game), so I suspect the fault lies with this game's design.

Overall, if you are a fan of Luxor, Zuma, Sparkle, or any other games of this type, it would be better to skip this one, as it makes a valiant effort to stand out, but ultimately lags behind its contemporaries.

A captivating farming simulator with a fantastical twist, lovingly made and maintained by a single developer. What can I really say about this game that has not already been uttered ad nauseum by other reviewers? I feel like it sucks me in whenever I play it, and I can seldom bring myself to play just one in-game day in a sitting. Even if life sims are not your preferred genre, there is almost certainly going to be something enjoyable to find in this game- and if that is somehow not the case, mods are your friend.

A charming little shooter made by a single Czech developer, HROT feels reminiscent of days gone by with its Cold War-era setting, brutal difficulty, and limited graphics created by a custom Pascal-based game engine, but something about it just seems modern all the same, in a way that I just can't do justice. It has plenty of odd humor and interactivity, while counterbalancing that and the action with sprinklings of horror and suspense. I was admittedly hesitant when I first got this game, but it grew on me once I learned to appreciate the subtlety of it all.

Garry's Mod is a sandbox built off the framework of Half-Life 2, but can be transformed into just about anything the player desires, thanks to both the mounting of other supported Source engine games (such as Counter-Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2) and the ludicrously large collection of custom content created for the game on the daily, which can be hot-loaded at will. The ease of contributing custom content provides foundation for a thriving community of creators, the likes of which persists many years after the game's initial release.

I have spent more days than I can remember fiddling around with the addons of Garry's Mod, modifying the overall experience in both subtle and radical ways to suit my tastes. This is an incredible game and one of the most malleable I have ever experienced, with the only limits being the player's imagination, and storage space for addons.

Short but endearing, Fashion Police Squad delighted me even back when I only had the demo to play. The game is a fun yet non-violent shooter that involves solving "fashion crimes" in different ways, even if some overlap. It also rewards keen eyes with secrets hidden in different levels, and completionists with star ratings for each level, harking back to old FPS games with crimes solved, items found, and secrets found.

My only complaint (aside from the short length of the game) is that some of the deviations from the normal gameplay, like certain extended platforming sections and the two sniper sections in one mission, can feel finnicky and unintentionally difficult, even on subsequent playthroughs. At its core, however, Fashion Police Squad takes its concept and sews it together into a fashionably solid game, something which I can certainly admire the effort behind.

A glorious FPS that is often compared to the likes of Heretic and Hexen, though it also shows dashes of Quake and Unreal in some of its aspects. Yet AMID EVIL is far greater than the sum of its parts, and it is, without hyperbole, one of the best throwback shooters I've played. The gorgeous landscapes and soundtrack that beautifully set the tone for each environment, the unique and impactful weapons that all feel satisfying without outpacing one another, and the often intense yet easy-to-understand combat system with an activated Soul Mode to make the most out of each fight, it all comes together in an experience that simply bedazzled me from start to finish.

The game is not without faults, as with any game, but they are too minor for me to discuss in any great detail (at least without sounding like I'm nitpicking). Overall I wholeheartedly recommend AMID EVIL, and even if one is unsure as to whether the game is worth their money, there's a free demo available to give the game a try.

I will say right off the bat that I do not usually go for Early Access games. In fact, the very title of "Early Access" conjures up images of slipshod cash grabs and languishing titles that once had incredible promise and hype. Gunfire Reborn was far more humble, however, and it humbled me in turn, providing me with a slick and engaging, Borderlands-esque roguelite with plenty of weapons, "inscriptions" (weapon modifiers), "talents" (skills), and a set of colorful animal characters each with their own special skills. The unlock system gave me plenty of incentive to keep playing, even back when I couldn't get past the first stage's boss, and with confidence, I can tell you that the time spent was worth it. And for that matter, so is the game itself.

Now that Gunfire Reborn is in 1.0, I feel very pleased to recommend it! It can be a bit beginner-unfriendly, but if you stick by it, you'll be sure to reap the rewards.

This game has been said to be one of the best of all time, and I can certainly cater to that party. A classic yet commercially unloved point-and-click adventure game by LucasArts' game division, it was the last one they made before moving on to other genres. And what a way to cap it off... anyhow, what can I really say on the game that hasn't already been beaten in by critics? The characters are distinct and compelling, the game is full of humor yet knows when to get serious, there's a lot of interactibility in the environments and dialogue, and the plot is overall a pretty neat one, aside from the occasional loose end.

The only thing I can really fault the game for is that its puzzles can be pretty difficult to figure out, especially since the game often doesn't give you much to clue you in on what you're supposed to do in a situation. Even with a walkthrough, one can potentially get stuck on multiple occasions.

The bottom line, though, is that if you want a good story with a game to boot, don't be afraid to pick this one up.

While technically the third installment in the series, this spaced out looter-shooter takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, filling in the gaps of how Jack rose to become dictator of Pandora (among other things). It also adds a host of other characters, most of which are of dubious morality, much like the Vault Hunters you play as. While there's overall less content than the previous release, it still packs quite a punch and is a fun experience I can't help but recommend.

There are, however, a few complaints I have that (while I don't feel they detract from the experience) still kind of keep it from living up to the first and second games.

1. Out of the three expansion DLCs (Holodome, Shock Drop, and Claptastic Voyage), only Claptastic Voyage really feels fulfilling. Coincidentally, it is also the only one with a true campaign.
2. A lot of the Oz Kits are gimmicky at best, and while they can enhance your combat ability, you might as well just prioritize capacity over special effects.
3. There seems to be a more noticeable push towards making multiplayer a part of the overall experience. While the Borderlands series has always been known for its co-op, in this game they've gone as far as to dedicate sections of character skill trees to multiplayer. I feel this limits the options you have in terms of making a solid skillset, especially if you do not play multiplayer actively (or even at all, like me).