Recent reviews by ryz

losing is fun

it's really good. imagine resident evil 4 and 7 had a baby - pays tons of homage to 4 in theme and has (improved) first-person gameplay of 7. don't listen to the haters - re8 has about the same amount of horror/action as re7 - people just forgot that the salt mines level in re7 is a thing.

the almost obligatory action parts in the latter half are much improved compared to other re titles.

my only gripe with this game is the sound/audio mixing - i get the intention but it is all over the place and very often misses the mark - shooting sounds like you throw peas at enemies (i get it, you're supposed to feel weak but still), everything enemies do is OVERLY LOUD, there are some scenes where sound is outright missing (factory turbine). seems like it was mixed so that the average joe still gets his audio cues playing on a tv in a noisy living room with a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ audio setup - I'd loved to have an option for a better mix, but oh well.

story is tightly connected to re7, so I'd suggest playing that one first.
btw, each concept art piece has a commentary from the art director, don't miss it if you're into this stuff.

9/10

(Despite being in Early Access this game is feature complete and mostly bug-free)

If you:

1. like open-ended puzzle games
2. occasionally dabble in programming
3. enjoy reading cyberpunk novels like WIlliam Gibson's Neuromancer
4. have a knack for japanse old-school home consoles

...this game is for you. Zach again out-did himself. While being generally similar to TIS-100 or SHENZHEN I/O, EXAPUNKS allows for a bit more flexibility in solving tasks - (more) lenient to beginners who just want to solve the puzzles, high skill-ceiling for pros who aim for the top percentile in the leaderboards.

A light but effective narrative (with 2D cutscenes and the occasional voice-over) is sprinkled on-top, Redshift (a programmable micro-console to make your own games), the async PVP levels and the two mini-games top off the whole package.

These aspects make this the most refined installment in the Zachtronics library! Highly recommended.

The author of QWOP has perfected his craft. This game will make you question your life's choices - it's an exercise in handling failure and serious setbacks. If you perservere you'll be on your way to deal with tough situations in life with a stoic calmness like never before.

Maize started very promising: A bit obscure, mysterious and engaging. Very nice visuals too. All the environments are full of little details and paint a picture on their own, there's this urge to explore.

Then the fetch quests start, which is okay. Then.. the game starts to get "funny".

The writing is what killed the game for me: The "jokes" are told endlessly on repeat (I really can't count how often I heard or read the words "stupid" or "idiot", well over a hundred times for sure) and they are never even modified in the slightest. This is regardless of which comedic hook you choose: Vladdy will *always* say how stupid you and/or American technology is, the sentient corns don't get how obvious human thing x works and then take a nap, the one guy always angrily comments on the actions of his other brother in the same tone via post-it notes.

It's clear that the writer took hints from other "weird" games like The Stanley Parable, but I would say he does not understand what really makes them good as a narrative experience.

Secondly, the game tries *really* hard to convince you it's self-aware and oh-so-quirky. It already starts in the store description "And that last sentence is pretty much the least ridiculous thing about the game" and continues to by showing lazy on-screen text after almost every action you do in-game. Example: "Used Marker to draw The Worst Face in the World. It appears you took drawing lessons from a Leather Couch." while drawing a crude face on a ball. "Re-started the Worst Nuclear Reactor in The World" after restarting a nuclear reactor.
First of all: I literally just did what you, the writer, need to remind me of. I *just* did it. Second: Haha, so random and funny, a leather couch. Look, I know humor is very much subjective, but this game would be MUCH better without these comments. The author tries to inject more "quirkiness" into the situation which frankly does the opposite. Just let visuals and actions speak for themselves.

Ultimately I can't recommend this game unless you can bear (heh) the amateurish writing which rams shallow gags down your throat on repeat, the numerous fetch quests and below-average sound design - It's a bummer because the visuals and environment is where this game truly shines.

I'm no expert in the "Simulator" genre by any means, but Bus Simulator 16 employs some pretty addicting mechanics, which was unexpected to say the least. Trying to land *perfectly* on the parking space, getting the passenger boarding sequences right and doing the occassional mental arithmetic while managing your own company on a meta level works surprisingly well overall. Well done!

Subsiege is an interesting take on the RTS genre, sports some unique mechanics (like the oxygen timer and the underground leviathan) with some MOBA elements sprinkled on top. The underwater setting is surprisingly fresh, the gameplay can get very intense! The only problem is that it's hard to find a match sometimes!

It's Florensia for Steam, integrated flawlessly into the Steam Client.

If you like eastern-styled MMOs with a lighter tone, you will enjoy this classic!

Caravan is a game with a very fresh "oriental" setting and some interesting mechanics which tie naturally into its storytelling approach. This game is what I would call "unique", I haven't played quite anything like it. It's a bit rough around the edges but worth it very much if you like the setting!

I would've bet my firstborn that Capcom wouldn't be able to restore the franchise to it's former glory... I can't believe it myself, but Resident Evil is actually back. It boasts a first-person view now (which Capcom hilariously calls "Isolated View", as if it's this super innovative FIRST PERSON TECHNOLOGY they've just discovered which REVOLUTIONIZES the horror genre) which works remarkably well - it's a dramatic shift in tone, but don't let it fool you: This a proper Resident Evil title and has everything you'll want from it. Believe the hype, don't spoil yourself and just play it. Highly recommended.