Tag Archives: video game review

Video Game Review: Hollow Knight

Posted on by
Reply

Looking for a new game to play? Try 2016’s indie Metroidvania: Hollow Knight by Team Cherry. In this game, you play as a silent protagonist known simply as the Knight. You start off with nearly nothing but slowly grow to be the strongest bug in the kingdom of Hallownest. You collect permanent upgrades like the wall jump, dash, and double; that will help you to discover new areas. There are many different areas in Hollow Knight that make the game feel fresh and interesting, like the lush, verdant landscape of Greenpath, the never-ending downpour of the City of Tears, and the gleaming gems of the Crystal Peak. 

Every area of this game feels extremely atmospheric and immersive. The music is elegant and uses lots of instruments that are considered to be reserved only for classical music. You have probably heard some Hollow Knight music before without realizing it because it’s often used as background music in lots of videos online. The art style is charming and the gameplay feels very natural. The combat and platforming is easy to pick up and quick paced. There are a lot of unique enemies and bosses for the player to discover and battle.

You can also customize the Knight to your play style with the use of charms; equipable items that give you a perk. You could make builds that focus around the use of the main weapon, the nail, or you could create a powerful mage build that specializes in casting spells. You could create a build that allows you to summon allies to fight on your side, or you could make a build that covers your defenses. The player receives a massive amount of customizability and can adapt to any situation with the right charms.

I won’t spoil it, but Hollow Knight has lots of little bits of lore for the player to find and piece to get her as they dive deeper and deeper into the kingdom of Hallow Nest. When the pieces come together an amazing story is revealed and adds even more purpose to your main goal. After the goal is complete, there’s still lots of content in the game. The average player typically gets a completion percentage of around 50-60 out of 112. That’s right, the completion percentage goes up to 112 because Team Cherry, being the best devs ever, decided to add not one, not, two, not three, but four free DLCs for the game, after it came out. They were actually going to make a fifth one but it was taking so long and growing to be so big, that they decided to make it a sequel to Hollow Knight. It’s called Hollow Knight: Silksong and you know it’s going to be good when they have been working on it for five years at the time of this. 

So, why not try Hollow Knight? It’s got an immersive atmosphere, magnificent music, dense lore, intuitive combat, insane customizability, and a planned sequel that has been five years in the making.

Hades Video Game Review

Posted on by
3

Video games have been an admittedly large part of my life, and so has Greek mythology (I mean, my name is literally Artemis), so a game that combines both is bound to be one that I like. Hades is probably my favorite single-player game, and I want to share it with y’all!

Hades is an isometric hack n’ slash rogue-lite game available on macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Windows, and Netflix Games. The goal is to make it out of the Greek Underworld by getting through different rooms and defeating enemies. The game has no checkpoints and you lose almost all of your resources and progress if you die, but it’s a lot less frustrating than you might expect. That’s because there’s a lot of permanent upgrades that can make the game easier over time!

There are four types of currency: Charon’s Obol, Darkness, Gemstones, and Nectar. They’re all used for different types of items, but Charon’s Obols can be used for upgrades within your run, while the other three are used outside of your run to give you permanent character upgrades, or for trades between the currencies or for other artifacts.

The gameplay is very fun and interactive. You can use one of six different weapons with four versions of each. This along with the different boons from each god can really switch up how you play in each run. I usually just use the Varatha and get a ton of boons from Zeus and Ares, and Athena’s Dash boon if possible and mash buttons, but you can play in a ton of more engaging ways. It can be very difficult at first, but it gets exponentially easier as you unlock more permanent upgrades.

So if you like action-filled single player video games, I would highly recommend Hades. It’s a great roguelike with good theming and very fun gameplay.

Hades is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Video Game Review: Celeste

Posted on by
1

Looking for a hidden gem among video games? Celeste is a platforming game created in 2018 by the indie studio Maddy Makes Games, and it’s a strong choice for gamers ages 8 and up. In this game, you play as a mountain climber named Madeline. The mountain is actually a metaphor for overcoming self-doubt and anxiety. As you climb the mountain, you face another aspect of Madeline’s personality that tries to stop you and you must learn to work with her if you want to reach the summit of Mt. Celeste. In this way, the game’s story arc is a metaphor for self-acceptance. 

One of my favorite aspects of this game is the exceptional music. As you play through the game, you listen to an amazing soundtrack composed by Lena Raine. Lena Raine’s music was so good that she got to create a few songs for one of the most popular video games in the world: Minecraft. 

Celeste also boasts quite a lot of content with a full 9 chapters to dash your way through. 8 of the chapters 3 even have harder versions called B and C sides. This game also has lots of collectables like strawberries, hearts, cassette tapes (for unlocking B sides), and golden strawberries (for beating a chapter deathless). As you play, you can work to obtain these with the game’s incredible movement techniques and physics system. 

The physics are buttery smooth throughout the game; Madeline always feels very responsive and precise when going for any jumps. She can jump, climb, and dash in 8 directions once after leaving the ground. The dash can be used once again when landing on the ground, which allows for lots of fancy ways to combine dashes and jumps to make Madeline fly across the screen. You start off with all of your abilities already unlocked but the game introduces new obstacles and mechanics each chapter to keep variation. Celeste’s visual design is very atmospheric and has lots of depth. All of the art is done in a pixelated style that fits in perfectly.

If you’re looking for a game with emotional depth, great music, and striking visuals, I definitely recommend Celeste.

Video Game Review: Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

Posted on by
1

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet were developed by the video game development company called Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. They are reported to have sold more than 10 million copies combined in the first 3 days of sales. These games are completely different from all the previous installments in the series and considered the first role playing games in the 9th generation of Pokémon.  

The games have 3 separate story lines, each of which you can explore however you want and in any order you want. These open worlds allow you, the player, to travel wherever you want to, which is a first in a Pokémon game. It seems though that this feature may not have been fully though through, because as soon as you start the game and travel to somewhere far away from where you started, all of the Pokémon are at a higher level and can easily defeat you.

After playing through the game, I realized that there was a designated path that the player should have followed in a certain order. When you do this, in the correct order, then when you get to the higher levels, you are much more able to handle the stronger Pokémon and trainers. A major problem with this new release is the massive amount of performance issues, bugs, and frame rate issues. Many times, textures do not load properly and Pokémon models pop in and out constantly. There are also lighting problems, and crashes happen, more so than normal.

The idea of an open-world Pokémon game is very good in theory. I actually love the idea, but the execution of it did not turn out that well. I really liked everything else that was added into the game. If you look past the technical glitches of the game it is really fun and enjoyable. It’s definitely a different take on past versions of the Pokémon franchise and I do like the direction they are heading with the open world concept. I would recommend this game to anyone who already enjoys the Pokémon games have perhaps played some before and want to move further through the series. However, if you are new to Pokémon games in general, I would recommend that you play some of the other games available in the series prior to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet first, so that you can get a true feel for what the series is really all about and experience the game play that has made Pokémon a worldwide phenomenon.

Game Review: The Otterman Empire

Posted on by
Reply

The Otterman Empire is a new and interesting type of 3rd-person shooter. In the game, you play as an otter as you explore different futuristic maps. Throughout the maps, players have the opportunity to complete different puzzles and fight against different enemies. The game has a story game mode as well as multiplayer. On top of that, the developers are making new game modes and maps for players to play.

The single player game mode was pretty simple. Players had to explore different maps and fight different enemies. The graphics were very beautiful, and I liked how each map was different from the one prior. The story itself was pretty simple and easy to follow, and I liked the overall simplicity of the game.

On top of the single player game mode, there is also the multiplayer game mode. This allows you to play with your friends. In multiplayer there are multiplayer game modes that are in most shooters such as team deathmatch and free for all. In multiplayer there are different characters that players can play besides the default otter that you play in the single player game mode. My friends and I enjoyed the multiplayer game mode more than the single player mode, since it was a lot more exciting. The multiplayer is played in a split-screen type of view, showing four players at the same time. If you can manage to get three other friends to play with you, playing The Otterman Empire together is a blast. I like multiplayer games not only because you can play with your friends, but because each game you play will have a different outcome.

I enjoyed my overall experience when playing  The Otterman Empire. The single player mode was great and was a good way to introduce new players to the controls of the game. After playing the single player game mode, I recommend switching to the multiplayer game mode. This is where the true fun in The Otterman Empire was. The entire multiplayer experience was insanely fun and reminded me of other fun arcade shooters that I have played in the past such as Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. I would give The Otterman Empire an overall rating of eight out of ten, and would highly recommend it to those that enjoy split screen shooters.

-Daniel CW.

Game Review: Curved Space

Posted on by
1

Curved Space, developed by Maximum Games, is an arcade style, fast-paced shooter.  The game is obviously set in space, as humans fight against space-invading monsters. Players fly space ships in large scale space battles, attacking alien ships and bases. There were a ton of different aspects in Curved Space that I thought added a lot to the game, and made the game a new type of arcade game.

In Curved Space, the gameplay was extremely fast and exciting. Each level had huge space battles, consisting of multiple enemies that players had to defeat. On top of that, the art style in the game made it pop. There were flashing lights and colors that gave off a neon effect throughout the entire game. I feel like this addition made the game pop and kept the players focused on the game. Here is an example of the coloring in Curved Space: 

As you can see from the picture, there are also huge monsters and aliens that players have to go against. These challenging monsters each had certain weaknesses and strengths, and players had to remember and counter each of them.

Besides the coloring of the game, the actual graphics such as lighting and sharpness were awesome, and it felt like an anime or cartoon game. This art style was a really great idea, when mixing them with the arcade style gameplay. This combination made the game feel like a remastered version of space invaders. This combination gave players a nostalgic feeling of the old games that they loved to play as children, as well as introducing new game mechanics in the new game.

On top of the main campaign game mode, there are also time trials that players can compete in where they are actively playing against other players. These game modes test players in races and survival modes. After playing both game modes, I also discovered that there is a customizable progression section in Curved Space. Players can actively grind out levels to upgrade their pilots and ships, unlocking different abilities, skills, and cosmetic items.

The last detail that I want to talk about is the soundtrack in Curved Space. The songs that were playing in the background of the game gave off a very energetic Synthwave, and helped hype me up while playing the game. Overall, I really enjoyed Curved Space. I thought the 2D arcade style gameplay mixed with the modern anime graphics gave the game an amazing feel. On top of that, the Synthwave music really tied the game together. I would rate the game a solid eight out of ten.

-Daniel CW.

Game Review: Out of Line

Posted on by
Reply

Out of Line is an exciting new adventure game releasing June 23rd. This hand-drawn  game is filled with difficult puzzles and missions that players must complete. The story of Out of Line is simple. Players play as the adventurous character known as San, as he tries to escape a run down factory that once was his home. Escaping the factory is difficult, and players need to solve multi-step problems in order to progress. There were some outstanding aspects to Out of Line that really made the game stand out, including art style, game mechanics, and story.

The first thing that stood out to me when playing Out of Line was the look of the game. This game has a very unique style of art. Every frame was hand-drawn and 2D. I really liked the look of Out of Line,  and I think the animation added a lot to the game. On top of that, the sounds in the game were very satisfying, and sounded like an older platforming game.

The game mechanics of Out of Line were pretty simple and easy to learn. There was only one new mechanic that was introduced, that players usually do not see in these types of platformers. The character San holds an electric yellow staff that he uses throughout his journey. This magical staff is somewhat like Thor’s hammer, always magically returning to San whenever he puts it down or throws it. If used correctly, this staff could be insanely helpful. For example, players can throw it at items and stick it in other items. This can allow players to solve certain puzzles that they would not have been able to solve without the yellow staff. I really liked this mechanic as it added to the puzzle-solving aspect in Out of Line. 

Though the game is not released yet, I really enjoyed the story and content of this game. I felt like the puzzles were tricky, and proved lots of gameplay for the players. I did not end up finishing Out of Line, but from what I can tell the storyline and character development is great.  Overall, I really enjoyed Out of Line. The game was exciting and difficult at the same time. As said earlier, I really liked the look and sound of the game, which both really gave it the 2D platformer feel. On top of that, the game controls and mechanics such as the yellow lightning staff added new puzzles and solutions to the game. As for the time that one must put into this game, it is pretty tedious, and one must like puzzle games to enjoy playing Out of Line. In the end, I would highly recommend playing this game and would rate it a solid eight out of ten.

-Daniel CW.

The Protagonist: EX-1 Game review

Posted on by
Reply

The Protagonist: EX-1 is a tactical turn-based RPG game. Players play as a highly trained soldier, that is tasked with infiltrating an alien spacecraft. Players are split up from their original team and need to fight their way through the ship to find them. Players can unlock new team members, weapons, perks, and more on their journeys. The Protagonist: EX-1 was overall a really fun game, and it had a lot of great ideas and factors that added to the overall gaming experience such as the animation, combat, and tactical immersion.

The first thing that came to mind when I started playing The Protagonist: EX-1 was how realistic the game was. The game starts off with a voice-over from the main character, and a cutscene. Players watch as huge spaceships fly through space, varying in size and speed. The cutscene cuts to the player’s squad, as they start to gear up for battle.  The game cuts abruptly to the main character lying down as alarms go off around them. Players are told that they have been cut off from their squad and that they need to infiltrate the ship that they are on in order to find them. This is where the gameplay actually starts, and players are able to move around freely. 

Once players are able to move around freely, they can explore the ship from a top-down perspective. The graphics and effects in The Protagonist: EX-1 were surprisingly good for being a tactile RPG, and I was shocked at how realistic the ship looked. The character models were a bit choppy and could have been refined. Besides that, I could not find any other problems with the graphics or look of the game.

The last thing that I want to talk about is the combat in The Protagonist: EX-1. How the combat works is simple and is like a lot of turn-style games. Players will face off against enemies and will take turns attacking each other. In The Protagonist: EX-1, players choose different types of attacks that they can use, creating combos that can deal more damage. For example, players can pair different types of weapons or different types of physical attacks like punches and kicks that will deal more damage. I found this game mechanic to be a great addition to the game, and added a tactical aspect to it.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Protagonist: EX-1. With the realistic look, tactile gameplay, and new combat mechanics, the game was a very fun SciFi turn game. I would rate this game a solid eight out of ten. I would recommend players that enjoy space exploration games to give The Protagonist: EX-1 a try.

-Daniel CW.

Game Review: Onirike Steam Demo Impressions

Posted on by
1

Onirike is a free 3D puzzle game out on Steam. The game follows a character known as Prieto, who explores a dream-like world. In this 3D-platformer, players are able to explore massive maps in an open-world setting.

The gameplay of Onirike was actually very simple. There were only a few simple controls that players could master in minutes. Since Onirike is still in its demo mode, players have the freedom to explore the entire map and world. There are small side missions and there is a loose storyline, but players have the opportunity to do whatever they want. The premise of Onirike is quite strange. Players follow Prieto, who wakes up in a fever-dream-like world. The player is told that they have the freedom to explore the map and help a wide variety of NPCs along the way.  

Throughout their adventures, players have to focus on two main problems. Since Prieto is in a dream-world, players run into the problem of sleep. If players go long enough without picking up glowing flowers that are on the ground, they will fall asleep and turn invisible to any NPCs that are around them. In order to counter this problem, players need to strategically place seeds for the glowing flowers across the map. This allows the flowers to grow and keeps the players awake so they do not turn invisible. I actually found being invisible fun, and not a bad thing. It was fun to run around the map without anyone noticing or seeing you.

I also want to talk about the animation style of Onirike. This game has beautiful animations and art style. The game looks like old tv shows I used to watch such as Crashbox. Besides the art, I also found the music to be very calming. As I roamed around the large world, the music helped to add a dreamlike feeling to the game. On top of the art and music, the character design itself was very interesting. All of the NPCs and Prieto himself had such a unique design. It almost seemed that all of the characters were actually from a dream, and it was a great addition to the game. All in all, Onirike is definitely one of the better 3D-puzzle games that I have played. It was very calming to explore the world, and the fun puzzles and mysteries that players could solve were a great addition to the game. I loved the art style of the game, it must have taken ages to make the entire map. This game is very underrated, and it’s free on Steam! For the game only being in demo mode, it has a lot of space for improvement, and I cannot wait to see what may be added.

-Daniel CW.

Game Review: Party Animals

Posted on by
1

This game is a party game that is coming out in late 2020 that has a lot of potentials to become a very popular game. The game is a party game where you play as clumsy animals such as dogs, cats, or even a rabbit. There were two game modes in the beta so far one was the sumo game mode where you try to knock your opponents out and make them fall off the map and the last person that is on the map is the winner. The other game mode captures the gummy which is basically capture the flag but with a giant gummy bear. The thing that makes this game special is the physics that the furry characters have. The physics in this game are super clumsy and have a good ragdoll feature that is similar to gang beasts or fall guys. So when you and another person collide it just makes you want to laugh about how absurd that just was.

In my opinion, I think that this will be a mainstream game when it comes out later this year and it will become one of the most popular games because the beta wasn’t well advertised at all and it had over 100k players playing during the short beta so this definitely won’t be the last time you hear Party Animals.

-Howard M.