Recent reviews by Educhico

An old-school platformer, solid all around, from its presentation to its mechanics.

The game eases you into every new mechanic with every new world, in a satisfying linear progression that, nevertheless, let's you explore each environment at your pace. From the world you land on, you start to understand the different types of tasks you'll have to take upon.

Every new world presents you with new tools and challenges, including a few time trials, and even an arena scenario. All taking advantage of solid jumping mechanics, and all culminating in the ultimate challenge, consisting of a climb to the top of the main hub, which will take your skills learned thus far to their ultimate application.
For which, I leave a guide below:
https://steamoss.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3369599990
There may be one or other instance where the platforms might be a bit hard to read against the background, or the camera confuses you; but these are very rare instances, and I only refer it as a preparation, also referring that your shadow is always your biggest clue and help on how to traverse the levels.

Even though I completed the game in about 5 hours, I've come back again and again, just to have a bit more fun. I've experienced first-hand and in-game the attention and communication the development team are putting into this, constantly updating the game to take into consideration some difficulties the players may experience here and there. But, honestly, these have been so few, that only for completionists would they be a problem.
Being free-to-play, there's really no reason you shouldn't experience this if you love platformers. It's a lot of fun, and hopefully, the dev team will be able to continue to work like this in the future.

The synopsis says it all.

"It's kind of like if Monkey Island had been made in 16th century Flanders, by a time-travelling Monty Python fanboy..."

'Nuff said.

There is a clear inspiration from Death Stranding, from the overall aesthetic and creature design to the social tools that, honestly, work very well in favor of this particular game, as an evolution of Hideo Kojima's intended ideas.

If that game invited the player to build bridges (metaphorically and literally) within and outside of your own playthrough, with an obvious practical use of the implemented social feature, where you could use structures left by other players and vice-versa, the game was still a focused narrative driven game, where you could never come across other players nor interact more directly with them.

In Once Human, as a survival game, you are always looking for gear and supplies throughout this world, and so the messages that players can leave with tips or just comments on aspects of the world and map, are a way of demonstrating how the player base can interact. And, in this aspect, it's clear that this community is a healthy one.

Also, the idea of everyday objects getting transformed is a very interesting one, contributing to the idea of nature wrapping itself around everything, and in a way using our own tools against us. Where sometimes, you can't even trust a fridge inside a house, leaving you on edge when you think you are safe.

But, despite all that, what I find most fascinating is how the game eases you into its survival and even building mechanics where others struggle to help you on how or where to even start; with an user-friendly interface, well organized, giving you the exact info on what you need at every step. With all these thinks combined, as well as strong combat and traversal mechanics, this is easily the most interesting survival MMO I've played so far, to which I'll come back every now and then.

I'll be honest, I can't quite put what's the major problem with this game, but there are a few things that I can point out that make me not enjoy it entirely.

For starters, the arenas are so few and honestly overall uninspired, with only the City of Townsville being more interesting because it has a very dynamic element to it during a single fight, basically a third-party against which you also have to be mindful of. And if they can't add that same type of element to every arena, maybe they could double-down on the destructive elements, to make them feel more dynamic. But during any playthrough, I always get tired at some point of fighting in the same arenas over and over again, with little variation to their approach.

Also, while the roster of characters is pretty varied, from so many different franchises, it's honestly a pity that you have so few from each one (at least, for some of them, like Game of Thrones). Hopefully this is one thing that will get updated throughout the game's life cycle.

Then, I don't know if it's a question of balancing or skill issue on my part, but having played against the Rick and Morty characters, their ranged attacks mean that you might get easily pinned on the other side of the map without managing to get close to the other player (if you're playing a brawler, for example). Again, might be on me, but seemed a problem with only these type of fighters.

Furthermore, the UI (and UX overall) is quite numbing, and leaves a bad taste, being childish –understandably, given the eventual extended younger audience–, but beyond that, cluttered and confusing, with so many tabs and elements through which you (feel you) don't want to navigate. Also, the tasks' menu popping out (when you complete an objective) at every end of a fight, while supposedly helpful, is annoying as hell, specially if it makes you immediately open a drop box (which, for that matter, have the most underwhelming animation and rewards ever...)

So, if the gameplay is actually quite good and varied overall, I can't play a couple of battles without getting immediately tired of the game, be it on the PvP or PvE mode. This last one having its own set of problems, through the varied yet restrictive objectives for each fight. For which you'll always be at a disadvantage in your progression if you don't have anyone to play with, or don't have (or want to use) the required characters and skins, making it more repetitive and bitter, than fun and rewarding.

I had commented before I'd like to see Modern Warfare® 3's MWZ going free-to-play, and they did it!... for a few days...
But as such, I took the opportunity to finally try it for about 30 hours, and boy (or girl!), did I have a surprisingly great experience! Is it enough to recommend getting it, tough?

If it's somewhat clear that this mode came from the remnants of the prior MW2's DMZ mode (going open world, and distancing itself from the classic mode that everybody loved in earlier CoD games), if DMZ was dependent on the PvP encounters overall, this one has more going for it to compensate not providing a PvP experience.
Besides the usual XP missions, the varied types of contracts available in-game are the real incentive, as they grant you the best rewards you can get here. And while the majority are obviously focused on the titular zombies (that can overwhelm you), including several "boss-like" variants, you also get the DMZ type of mercenaries, centered around specific camps and strongholds, giving you one of the biggest challenges, specially when you get into a Warlord zone...! Which, fortunately is possible to win through matchmaking, if you eventually get lucky with your teammates.

And, surprisingly for me, that leads into the best thing I found about this mode: the community involved, which is far from the toxic base we've been accustomed to hearing about and seeing in CoD Multiplayer modes (which, again, makes sense, given the PvE nature of this Zombies' mode). But it goes as far as another player/squad in the other side of the map going to revive you, if you get downed and ask in the in-game chat, which shows the availability of these players to help and ease you into the mode, even several months after the initial release.

Besides that, I don't have much to add to what this Modern Warfare trilogy has done gameplay wise, but I have to give props to it anyway, specially in the sound design side, that gives a tremendous feedback to every reload, every shot, every helmet flying off, every head popping.
The graphics and "artstyle" are amazing as well, going for a fairly realistic, yet stylized look, with vibrant colors but not exaggeratedly, which shows perfectly on the zombies' mode. When you enter the subsequent zones, with the atmosphere getting more and more hellish the more you venture deeper into the map, to illustrate the substantially more dangerous territory, never letting you forget that.

But, in the end, I can't recommend paying full price for this, given that DMZ was and still is free-to-play (and because of the contradictory but obviously profitable skin economy underneath it all). I don't understand why this mode isn't also free (I mean, given what I've heard about the apparently rushed singleplayer campaign, I understand they couldn't justify charging full price for it by itself).

So, if it ever goes free-to-play again, even if for just a few more days, I'll play it again, but I won't give these publishers money for a somewhat recycled mode, even if I enjoyed it in the limited time I engaged with it.

Who would have guessed that a mix between Hi-Fi RUSH and DOOM (2016) would make a hell of a game (pun intended)?!

I believe this is my first completed and replayed experience with this time of interactive media, where you make choices to influence the outcome of any given situation or character. Given that, I'm a bit mixed on it, not so much because of my expectations, but more because its potential doesn't get entirely realized (which, maybe, it didn't need to).

First of all, the way you can make decisions to alter the relationships between the characters is really interesting, simple, and effectively communicated, as you get to see specific traits developed that can alter (supposedly) how a character will react in a certain situation or towards another character in the future.
And when it may initially appear as a fairly linear experience, in the way you can alter some specific moments, you begin to understand that it is, in fact, possible to alter the outcome of any given situations or characters you encounter. That is, if you encounter the specific set of reactions you're intended to choose.
As, for example, I wanted to save one of the fishermen that threatens you at one point from suicide, and later realized I needed an item with me, and specific dialogue choices with one of the protagonists for that. Which reveals a more deep and replayable "game" that you realize at first.

Beyond that, the "horror" concept behind the entire premise is somewhat a mixed bag. If, in the end, all the situations on the ship are basically the result of a hallucinogenic gas, the fact that you (apparently) deal with possessed people, supernatural appearances, and zombified enemies at the same time, doesn't ever signal a coherent vision, instead opting for what the developers found more fun to use at any and each time.
In one instance, we see Julia projecting Alex's face in the people chasing them. And, while that was a really compelling development in their relationship, probably signaling her fear of a long-time commitment with Alex, I didn't really see that developed or signaled after that point, or similarly for the other characters; preferring the game to use the same cliché jump scares and zombified imagery throughout, which is a real shame.

Having all this said, I still recommend this game as, despite of the stereotyped characters, you get to engage with a dynamic cinematic experience, where the camera work through the ship's environments encompasses the more interesting storytelling, allowing for some claustrophobic gameplay exploration, and more interesting atmospheric uneasiness, as you see a figure framed in the distance, not knowing what it may signify as you carry on your journey to survival, or to your eventual (and countless) death(s).

I wasn't sure this was my type of game, but having started it, I can only say this is a brilliant game, and, "worse", incredibly addictive.

It's not brilliant because of each of its individual parts (although very well crafted, even if apparently simple), but because of their combination, that sees each of its systems entirely intertwined and essential to get to whatever your next objective may be.
Be it the combat, or the managing/survival aspects, you soon understand that you have to give attention to both parts equally, as one feeds the other, and vice-versa.

Every decision is important given your longtime goals, as you may need a resource or building asap, but that may take from something else that will allow a more effective productivity later on. And that decision making is true for both the combat raids or the cult management.

And what manages to make it addictive is, not only that all this doesn't somehow overwhelm you, but also that the art style, the narratives you create, and overall personality of the game enthralls you, in each character, in each task, in each moment.

My vote for "Most Innovative Gameplay Award" at the Steam Awards 2024, and for "Outstanding Visual Style", "Best Soundtrack", etc...

I was never much into multiplayer games, partly because of the inherent annoyance and toxicity of some players' behavior; but mainly because of everyone being so much better than me that I never had fun. But I've been trying out more of these in recent times.

And along came THE FINALS.
Are you ready? they asked. I wasn't sure.

The first thing that caught my eye was the aesthetics. The mix between real world and a overly stylized and colorful look was an immediate draw for me. But that wasn't the reason that, after 30 hours of feeling I wasn't that good at the game, kept me coming back for more. And more.
I started realizing that I really could play this in a tremendous number of ways. The interchangeability between the three main classes, which alters greatly the way you play – the maneuverability of the light class, the versatility of the medium, or the resilience of the heavy. Each one's main ability, a choice that alters your role: from stealthy to speedster, healer to fighter, defender to brute. And even more, inside each one of them, the choice of the primary (and only) weapon you use is an immediate and defining playstyle choice. Sniper or handgun? Grenade launcher or shotgun? Usually, these are your two options.

Then, the level of destruction (or levolution, if we were to use its immediate and known Battlefield™ comparison), in this type of game –meaning, and online competitive shooter– is, truly unprecedented. And if the novelty of its application is astounding, what sets it even more apart is its combination with, most (important) of all, the inspired array of gadgets you can choose from, allied with those varying abilities for each class. Not only grenades, but all sort of instruments of destabilization of the map.
You can pin down your opponents with the brilliant goo grenade or gun, and set them on fire or choke them with gas. You can open a hole on the floor of a building, and make the cashout come to you. It's simply brilliant the amount of options you have at any time.

This is what makes you feel you have a chance at every fight, even against those who are better shooters. And is that chaotic and, yet, (somewhat) controllable and equally adaptive nature that got me hooked. I didn't have to play always the same way, if I didn't feel like it. I could adapt to a map, a situation, a team. I could use my evolving knowledge of the maps to try to create the most favorable outcome of any of the eventual situations that I could predict the others would start; and to a map that, in the end, never finishes the way it started out.

Underneath it all, the main mode –and still greatest way to play THE FINALS –, the cashout is an intense and addicting game of cat and mouse, as you try to steal and keep the objective to your team, trying to predict the other teams' strategies and possible movements, and counter-attack their own gadgets. It's almost like a game of chess, where there are way more then two players, the pieces are randomized each time, and the timer is always against you. It's definitely innovative in the way it manages to get all the FPS tools you're accustomed to, and mix them just enough to get you out of your comfort zone, every single match. And I love it for all that. Until they day its servers die.

Are you ready? I'm ready now!

What a brilliant piece of interactive media this is!
This is definitely the most interesting type of horror content (if you can call it that) you can experience. Going for a constant sense of uneasiness and eeriness all the way through. Without ever feeling the need for a jumpscare to release you of that tension at any point.

Instead of explaining the story to its audience/players, it let's you piece together the concept, and even then, by the end, leaves some mystery for you to want to reexperience all over again, in hopes for a better understanding that, fortunately and purposely, never fully comes together! Even with the newest (and very much welcomed) so called "deleted scenes" added.
Some really talented people behind this to be mindful of from now on!