Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition
I’ve been putting off writing a review for this for literally years, because I have no idea how to describe it any better than anyone else has. But Kentucky Route Zero has been my biggest source of inspiration ever since I stumbled upon it seven years ago. In that span of time, every act released was better than the last, every character more in-depth, every location more mysterious. So let’s start there: I’m in love with this game, and have been from the start.
You play as a number of drifters in Kentucky. All of them are homeless, some have debts, most don’t have much family. Your job is to get them to Dogwood Drive, an address that is incessantly difficult to locate, and is only accessible by a route that takes you deep, deep underground.
– Real player with 138.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Episodic Atmospheric Games.
**“We lay on our backs looking at the ceiling and wondering what God had wrought when he made life so sad and disinclined. ”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road**
I don’t normally start my reviews with book quotes but when I do you can be assured that I mean business or I am trying really hard to look smart. Kentucky Route Zero is not for everyone. Its heavy on reading walls and walls of text and building your own story of interwoven threads from multiple characters that all knit together into this Kerouac beat style prose or in some other moments a Murakami-like flurry of surrealistic philosophy where things are real…but not quite real enough. There was a point where I had given up on this title and had no confidence that it would ever get finished but they did and I am glad, if only to give closure to the swathes of fans that waited almost 10 years for this to come to fruition.
– Real player with 41.9 hrs in game
Tell Me Why
Title is an Overrated Backstreet Boys Song But The Game Is Not!
We all had that moment when we saw the title of this game and sang that song in our heads. It deserves a better title imo and I stand by that. So this game is the pinnacle of pride month for June 2021. So I am extremely thankful for the Devs for providing like literally the whole game for free. Short story goes that the game is very atmospheric, not much puzzle invested and emotionally can be terrifying. It is by the devs of Life is Strange, so I did compare or was going to compare as soon as I installed the game. The two are very different in terms of atmosphere and the creativity. I feel like this game is more of a statement than an actual game. Common factor on both games is that protagonists in both games share an abnormal power of no origin.
– Real player with 19.2 hrs in game
Tell me why the music is no good in this game?
Tell Me Why is a new game from DontNod studio behind such masterpiece as Life is Strange and other good games such as Vampyr or Remember Me. Well this is not Life is Strange. I loved both LiS games they made and I liked this one. It’s a good game, just not as good as both LiS games.
The game is about twins and the mystery behind their mother. One of the siblings killed the mother and other one took the blame. After years of separation they finally meet again and go to the old house wanting to tidy up it up a bit and get some stuff before selling it. But suddenly they’re start finding puzzles and secrets their mother left and they start wondering about her past and who their father was.
– Real player with 15.7 hrs in game
Necrobarista
Full review (including score): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnutf8U-ZaE
Summarized review below!
A visual novel with almost Persona-style graphics? Sign me right up for that. I’ve been playing through a lot of visual novels lately with the same 2D art, so it’s about time for a change of pace.
Note: Had to trim review to fit character limit, check video for full version!
Pros:
- Really cool visual direction. Necrobarista may not have the best graphics, but it makes up for this with some of the best visual direction I have ever seen in a visual novel. By visual direction, I’m referring to the lighting, camera angles, framing, and everything else that goes into presenting the graphics to the player. It is some very cool stuff here, with the camera constantly shifting between characters, going wide for certain lines to add emphasis, and even omitting dialogue entirely and just showing little snippets of animation to better illustrate certain scenes. It’s like a movie in a way and was definitely a nice change of pace compared to the usual flat backgrounds with 2D sprites popular in the medium.
– Real player with 11.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Episodic Supernatural Games.
I waited three years for this game and I don’t regret a thing.
I have some qualms with the “Memories” system- it’s somewhat arbitrary, and some of the short stories have stronger narrative impact if you read them earlier in the scenario rather than later (which will more likely be the point where you’ll get to read them)- and some characters that are more-or-less prominent in the trailers don’t actually stay their welcome long at all, but aside from that this was one of my favorite visual novels to read and experience of all time, and I had high expectations just from teaser trailers. (EDIT: Most of this has been recently addressed. More details at the end of the review.)
– Real player with 9.7 hrs in game
The Lost Legends of Redwall™: The Scout Act 1
I will begin stating I have been following this project since nearly its inception and announcement to be funding via Kickstarter. This is for all intents and purposes an early access prototype meant to glean feedback from people like myself. Do not buy this game at this moment, if you are expecting it to be 100% complete and ready to play. It is early access for a reason. Giving it a negative review for being incomplete after willfully purchasing it as early access content is ignorant.
I do recommend it full heartedly for those who are willing to pick through, nail down details that can be improved upon, and are willing to provide that feedback to the developers. I’ve played through the polished level multiple times now. I still feel like I have missed things, and each time I have played I’ve found something new.
– Real player with 28.5 hrs in game
This game is a hot mess, and it really doesn’t need to be. Redwall is special to me. As a young child I loved the books. I was fairly obsessive about reading them, and I was for years. I could recite the plot of almost any one of the books, despite how long it’s been since I’ve read any of them. I was surprised to learn there was a Redwall game in development, I first heard about it in 2014. When the game came out on steam early access I bought it within the first month, it was one level, and extremely buggy, but it had promise. I would play it for a little while whenever there was an update, until it stopped working.
– Real player with 18.5 hrs in game
ARIDA: Backland’s Awakening
[8/10]
Review in english first, portuguese below
Análise em inglês primeiro, e em português abaixo
JOGADO TOTALMENTE NO LINUX - PLAYED COMPLETELY ON LINUX
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Árida is a very regionalist game about the worst period of drought in northeastern Brazil in the region known as “Caatinga” (blacklands). It is a short semi-linear exploration and survival game, with cartoonish aesthetics that resemble drawings from that place and age (“literatura de cordel”) in sharp contrast against the looming sense of dread that permeates the entire game - you see death everywhere, the Sun quickly exhausts your thirst and hunger bars, specially at noon.
– Real player with 12.3 hrs in game
Esse jogo brasileiro de sucesso se passa nos arredores de Canudos, na Bahia. É um jogo de sobrevivência e de ficção que retrata esse contexto histórico em que muitos brasileiros do sertão nordestino acabam migrando na época de seca intensa de terra árida para sobreviver. Com a protagonista não é diferente, e com ela você experiencia um pouco de como essas pessoas lutam para sobreviver a esse ambiente e você encara junto com ela a jornada de ir até Canudos encontrar seus pais e buscar uma vida nova.
– Real player with 6.4 hrs in game
ARIDA 2: Rise of the Brave
Overcome the challenges of the drought to survive this nineteenth-century Brazilian backlands walking trip.
Cícera continues her journey in this single-player that combines elements of survival and adventure. Gather resources, build utensils, learn tools, and interact with other backlands travelers. Be strong. Have faith and wisdom to explore the aridest regions and discover clues that point the way to a very special settlement.
FEATURES
Ready for the night
The day and night cycle adds greater provisioning needs. When the sunlight is gone, new threats will emerge. And new guides too!
Accompanied on the journey
A lonely trip in the backlands can be very dangerous. Stay tuned for the challenges you meet, maybe you can find someone (or something) who will serve as a companion.
Equipped for adventure
The challenges of the backlands require equipment. Use the machete and hoe for vital actions such as getting water, cutting paths or cutting a cornstalk. But don’t forget to have a handful of stones as blind equipment is of no use!
Recipes to practice
Living in the backlands requires a science of its own. The fauna and flora are unique, so try to learn the recipes available for crafting with the typical items of the region.
Interact to survive
Hunger and thirst can be quite cruel in the backlands in times of drought. Interact with the other characters you met to solve quests and learn new strategies for getting water and food.
Explore to know
Explore the arid regions to learn more about the backlands and find the resources you need to stay upright. A full inventory is always a good thing!
Stories to learn
The backlands is a special place, with unique stories that would only happen there. Venture to find the lost objects and find out more about the backlands legends.