Death Road to Canada
I discovered this game from a silly streamer playing it. It looked very goofy and also a lot of fun so I thought I give it a try also. Well I have to say I am rather shocked how many hours I ended up putting into it, it is honestly one of my all time favorite games. So here is a review from someone who has some “modest” amount of experience in the game.
Your goal is to reach this magical place of legend called Canada that for whatever reason is still safe in the zombie apocalypse. So it is up to your EXTREMELY COMPETENT AND TRUSTWORTHY characters to survive.
– Real player with 200.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Action Roguelike Local Co-Op Games.
I’ve been having a lot of fun with this game, and I’ve been having trouble putting it down. Death Road To Canada is basically Oregon Trail in a zombie apocalypse with a quirky sense of humor that you can easily sink hours into playing. While RNG plays a big role in the game, your skill can turn a bad run around and make a good run last all the way to Canada.
Pros:
+The gameplay is well executed, and there’s loads of variety. While the game is somewhat difficult, you’re given many tips and pointers when progressing to help you improve your strategy and create characters that will get you to Canada. If you’re looking for a challenge, there’s multiple hard modes that push you to the limit, such as having the trip take twice as long or even having double the zombies throughout the entire journey.
! I will beat KEPA mode someday. When fighting zombies, the outcome is reliant on your skill and what you can do with the materials at hand - sure, the game’s much easier if you have an automatic weapon and a lot of ammo, but you have to use it wisely as not only is it quick to use up your stock but also you’re limited on how much you can carry for each gun. Being able to create yourself, family, friends, and characters from different forms of media makes the game a lot more enjoyable and leads to lots of different outcomes and situations.
– Real player with 108.3 hrs in game
Wizard of Legend
I like this game a lot!
I’ve always been very intrigued by games with wizards, magic, and lots of fun spells, and many games contain things like that, but lately I haven’t been much interested with many games, and feel bored while playing them.
This combines my love for spells and fun magic with fast-paced, hard dungeon crawler, and it’s extremely fun to play!
One of my favorite parts of the game is to save up for an arcana, (the game’s name for spells) then test out it’s effectiveness, special effects, best way of using it, etc. in a dungeon!
– Real player with 144.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Action Roguelike Dungeon Crawler Games.
A lot of fun for the price, wish it had offline single player though.
– Real player with 119.6 hrs in game
Dungreed
Honestly, I went in with very high hopes, and for the first few…hours of playing, they fufilled my hopes. It was so fun learning dash mechanics, skills and training, the unique function to find and rescue the villagers, etc. Having the Magic Magnifying Glass and any gun was so funny and interesting!
BUT, as I had a more serious output, it started going downhill.
I have grinded continuously, and even in the NEAR END game, there are no up’d chances for getting stronger gear. As in, I have literally almost beaten the game using common items, which is absolutely fine, but in all of my time playing, I’ve only gotten a SINGLE legendary item. ONE. And I got it when I was at 5 hp, so the usage was….bare minimum. Maybe add a luck stat for chests, or just buff the chances of getting a rare+, because seriously, you friggin clickbait us every time.
– Real player with 134.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Action Roguelike Roguelite Games.
UPDATE (12/30/2018):
Since I posted this review, a decent amount of new content has been added: new weapons, room types, enemies, NPCs, etc., a new endgame, two new skills, a prestiging system that lets you reset at level 30 for an extra skill point each time, trials, and item sets that are usually really powerful and pleasing to use when you complete them.
The thing with Dungreed is that there’s not much visual variety, but there’s a lot of gameplay variety, and it’s pretty easy except for the trials and some bosses (EDIT 03/13/2019: and hard mode). By the first few hours, it’s possible to have seen the majority of the game levelwise, but you definitely haven’t experienced all of the weapons and items that are a true joy to use. It’s pretty clear the game was designed around the core experience of killing lots of enemies in cool ways as fast as possible:
– Real player with 112.2 hrs in game
Blazing Beaks
No. 2 Review O' Mine: So, after my many hours of play and a session the day I wrote this, I have the feeling that I’ve “completed” this game, or I have a dear familiarity, enough to give shy advice or if I were to dare, a recommendation. I’m not sure I am really writing a review here, but more of my thoughts in a somewhat organized fashion. Somewhat.
I’ve played this game for many, many hours, 162 to be exact, and only today that I write this do I think I’m a bit winded of the game-play. Blazing Beaks does not hook in the player in with a cavalcade of unknown trinkets or a long list of fascinating levels, it does two things really, really well. Firstly, this game is brutally hard. I see this now only in retrospect, I still have no idea how to loop even with my amassed playtime. Yes, Blazing Beaks is difficult, but brilliantly so: each death or restart I knew was my own fault. Distinguishing between tedium and learning is key here. There are very rare instances where RNG is involved, and if so it never determines whether a run successful or not. Say for instance you stumble upon a shotgun in the beginning of run. Firstly, for this to happen, you’d either have to get to a secret room by getting hit and finding a hidden door or using a key to unlock one. It is a brilliant decision on the developers part to make hidden doors proc from an instance of damage. This helps the player if they are struggling, and later on if you are smart enough, you can purposefully get hit to see if there is a door; that is a pretty big risk. Their hidden door system is duplicitous, in that it caters to beginners by helping them out when they get hurt, and advanced players can take a risk to unveil a room. This is an example of what for me is remarkable about Blazing Beaks in particular, that the game-play, among other things, is incredibly well crafted. The list of artifacts and items isn’t long and soon enough you will remember each artifact and what it does, even without looking closely. There is about six levels with not too many enemies. Yet I was implored by the thought-line of, “Oh, that’s what I did wrong, I’ll do my best to not do that again in the next one.”. The challenge is thrilling, really, and even though in little steps, there is a sense of accomplishment that comes in seeing how much farther you can get with the knowledge you’ve accrued. It is a wonderful balance for a rogue-lite (I’ve no idea if I’m using that term properly") to strike, and Blazing Beaks hits the mark precisely. I think the best thing for someone who’s considering to buy this is to purchase the game and immediately play however many runs you can fit within an hour. If you find yourself implored by the little that you’ve played, I think that this game is for you. From the beginning the game only gets better, really. And if you aren’t entertained in the hour that you play, I think it is safe to return it at that point. There isn’t some point of interest that is worth playing through, the game’s initial showing of how it plays is the way it essentially stays, though becoming increasingly intricate and complex as you go along. Blazing Beaks' foundation is phenomenal, and from there the developers run with it, bringing in things as they see fit. A large part of the game is the exchange of artifacts to items, the risk versus rewards. This is done nicely as well: the negative effects of the artifacts only last for a level before you “cash” them in, meaning that you can take huge risks that you think you can just squeeze by from. The toss up here becomes quickly becomes skillful: the timing, the effect, the benefit, and if they are necessary are all factors that come to be considered when picking up that artifact.
– Real player with 168.6 hrs in game
More interesting reviews on Fenol Baron Approves Curator Page
So what is «Blazing Beaks» and why should you break away from «Enter the Gungeon» or Isaac and give a chance to this new Rogue-like project? First of all, it is worth talking about the unique concept and the setting that create an indescribable face of the game, and when you consider that the game was developed by a team of just a few people, this deserves respect. The fauna is chosen as a place of action, therefore, the main characters here are appropriate - angry and very militant birds. The platypus, gull, chicken, penguin and many other feathered heroes have their own skills, which imply their passing styles, I like the penguin most of all, he is quite balanced and I like his abilities. The game with a very touching seriousness relates to the observance of the ticking theme, in all locations we are met by enemies and bosses who are suitable for this particular area: in the swamps we will encounter frogs, turnips, marsh cocoons and the boss - the giant Hypno-Toad; in the sands we will be confronted by ant lions and so on. Each locality is truly a different gaming experience that you need to acquire and use.
– Real player with 51.3 hrs in game
Sparklite
200 character summary
Sparklite is a very colorful action adventure game with a few rogue elements, a nice story and some amazing pixel art. Explore the 5 different areas in a changing world together with your pet Wingnut.
Story & Characters 8/10
In Sparklite you play as Ada and you have a flying robot who accompanies you at all time hir name is Wingnut. You live on a planet named Geodia which is held together by Sparklite. Sparklite is a fluid substance that has a lot of power, It can be harnessed and the inhabitants of the planet have mastered it powering all their machines, weapons, It is such a wonderfluid that it is being used as a currency. Sparklite can also be consumed, Which releases an incredible amount of energy, but it will be gone forever.
– Real player with 26.3 hrs in game
I picked this game up on the summer sale after much debating. And I’m glad I did! This game has been a nice summer breeze! With a list of hardcore games with dark settings or brown dust everywhere, this game is a real gem that lets you play at your own pace without ever being too difficult. I found it to be an absolute joy to play. But, for the sake of review, I’ll try to stay objective.
My recommendation, is probably buy it on sale as I’m at about 17 hours and practically 100% (2 achievements left); I will likely want to play it through again in champion mode, so that will stretch out my time.
– Real player with 20.6 hrs in game
Clarice Clairvoyage
Clarice Clairvoyage is a traditional roguelike adventure where you’ll need to navigate the open seas while exploring the islands which offer ‘choose your own adventure’ style quests. Venturing to new lands and fighting zombies (and killer mermaids) will reward you with different abilities and spells to become the ultimate naval spellcaster!
-Traditional roguelike gameplay where skill is more important than progression
-Manage your ship between naval navigation and mermaid ship defense
-Explore islands with ‘choose your own adventure’ decision making
-Combine spells to become the ultimate spell wielder of the seas
Astral Ascent
Astral Ascent is a 2D platformer rogue-lite game set in a modern fantasy world. As one of 4 Heroes with very different personalities, you must escape from the Garden, an astral prison guarded by 12 powerful and vicious bosses, the Zodiacs.
FIGHT YOUR WAY
Unlock dozens of unique spells for your 4 distinct characters. Optimize your own build or try out new ones to take down 12 powerful bosses. Get stronger with time to match up with your foes. Each run will test your skills and your reactivity.
DON’T GO ALONE
The weight of destiny is too heavy to carry by yourself? Don’t worry and bring a friend to play in our two-player co-op mode. Fight and crush your enemies together in local co-op or online using the Steam’s Remote Play Together feature.
AN ASTRAL THREAT
The Zodiacs are 12 experienced guardians dispatched over 4 gorgeous worlds. They’ll bring to the battlefield unique attacks, abilities, and patterns, backstories to uncover, and reasons to be fighting you. Get yourself warned!
NARRATION THROUGH REPLAYABILITY
Astral Ascent is a rogue-lite infused with narration. Replayability is part of our story which will be unraveled piece by piece. As you get stronger, you will discover more about the characters, their motivations, and the secrets of the world they’re trapped in.
A BEAUTIFUL MODERN FANTASY WORLD
Dash across gigantic landscapes. Explore original and hand-crafted areas. Discover the world created by our artists, with a gorgeous art and frame-by-frame animation.
4 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
Unique characters. Unique weapons. Unique ways to play.
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Ayla: The sole survivor of her guild of assassins, she uses her twin daggers to eliminate her enemies before they can react. Her speed and proficiency are unmatched.
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Kiran: This orphan learned life the hard way. He uses his strength to deliver attacks powerful enough to create shockwaves. Brutal.
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Calie: This talented sculptor wants her freedom back. She will use her magical gemstones to pierce enemy defenses and shred them to bits. She is unforgiving.
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Octave: Trained by a powerful witch, this young fighter summons ethereal guns to attack his foes. When needed, he can conjure bigger weapons as well. Lethal in all cases.
A COALITION FOR HOPE
You can count on faithful allies to help you find your way out
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The Merchant: This mysterious figure has the power to unveil your true potential through remembering forgotten skills. Careful… it comes with a price.
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Zim-Zim: Her greenhouse hides magical plants which can increase your abilities. If you can stand her whimsical and frankly immature behavior.
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Oloon: The best stylist in the known universe is right here and available. Want to change the color of your clothes? Dye your hair? She has everything you need!
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Papa Yalee: This old cat—he is almost 20!—will always have a good story about the foes you’ll encounter and your runs. The good news is that… most of them are true.
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Sova: Once a powerful sorceress, Sova was cursed and must now serve the Garden. Her past is a burden of shame she carries in silence.
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Ordan: De facto leader of the Garden, this fierce warrior helps the Heroes in their quest. Her might is legendary.
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Ikki: Ordan’s ex-husband and a powerful warrior on his own, he is in charge of training the Heroes. His knowledge of the art of war is endless.
Caveblazers
Caveblazers is a mechanically sound action rogue-lite platformer in which you traverse a cave system, utilising many weapons, items, accessories and powerups while engaging in satisfying combat against the local flora and fauna whilst on your quest. In short, Caveblazers is a more combat focused Spelunky and that means it demands your utmost attention otherwise you’re going to die.
TL;DR
Caveblazers is a great rogue-lite platformer with an exquisite combat flow, interesting supporting mechanics and intelligent AI design where the game flow demands your attention in order to make progress throughout the game.
– Real player with 657.9 hrs in game
Caveblazers is a nice game. Fine-looking, polished, and with good original soundtrack and general audio.
One current issue that most negative reviews complain about difficulty being uneven. Let me clarify,
Say, health. Depending on starting loadout, you have anywhere between 60 to 150 health (mostly 100). Enemies hit for 10..20 damage at most. Healing items drop at random (from enemies, crates, bosses) and heal between 10 to 40 health per piece.
And it’s generally fine, but the pure randomness of it has it that there’s no amount of health you can expect to recover per stage. The game might rain healing items upon you, or you might get a single one for a level full of dangerous layouts. Even bosses may sometimes not drop health, which looks like mockery when you’ve already been on brink of death for a few levels.
– Real player with 210.4 hrs in game
Ember Knights
Ember Knights is a fast-paced multiplayer dungeon crawler with rogue-lite elements. Emphasizing fluid hack & slash combat, fast movement and powerful attack spells, you’ll be able to build devastating combinations!
Choose your base weapon and begin your journey. Along the way, choose any combination of Combat and Magic Skills from those you discover. Upgrade your weapon and skills by choosing powerful perks and continue building your custom loadout with ancient relics to unlock devastatingly unique synergies!
Fight over 50 unique enemies with smooth movement, tight controls and super satisfying hack and slash action. Master the versatility of the jump/roll for both offensive and defensive use as you prepare for an epic boss fight at the end of each world!
Carefully crafted rooms are intelligently assembled to build each procedurally-generated world. As you progress through different floors, you’ll encounter new enemies, discover exclusive skills and unlock special rooms that are sure to change your experience each and every time!
Available in local and online co-op for 1-4 players. With different strategies and loadouts for each player, you’ll find new and unique synergies within your team. If a teammate falls in battle, continue fighting to reignite their flame and bring them back into the fight!
For reasons unknown, Praxis, caretaker of the Nexus, has descended into madness.
Harnessing the power of the Great Flame, Praxis has sent legions of destructive armies to keystone worlds. Fearing the end of these worlds, attendants of the Nexus, in defiance of the Mad God, have used the remaining energy of the Flame to summon the Ember Knights, legendary guardians of the Nexus and the life she maintains.
These Knights are tasked with saving these worlds, restoring the mythical power of the Flame and putting an end to the Mad God’s tyranny.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Mystiqa
Non-Linear and Randomly Generated
The whole overworld, caves and dungeons are randomly generated and designed in a non-linear way, so every playthrough is truly a fresh experience of the game.
Secrets & Puzzles
There’s a secret on almost every screen in the game!
Solving puzzles is integral to overcome the game’s dungeons.
Equipment, Combat & Boss Fights
There is large playstyle diversity using different types of equipment and magic.
Boss Fights are a major key gameplay element of Mystiqa and will challenge you greatly!
Built-in Randomizers
There are multiple built-in randomizers on top of the base random generation of the world, including an Item Randomizer with fully configurable randomization settings.
Multiplayer
The game supports local and online multiplayer for up to 4 players.