#christallizedgamereview

[dragonchris]

Game Review: Crosscode

Imagine if you were playing an Augmented Reality Multiplayer Online RPG but instead of actually playing an Augmented Reality Multiplayer Online RPG you played as a character who was playing an Augmented Reality Mulitplayer Online RPG? Welcome to Crosscode, an absolute BANGER of a RPG and the single game I’ve been obsessed with for the last two months or so.

Story:

Meet Lea, an amnesiac playing through the Augmented Reality game of Crossworlds to relearn her memories. Through the story, you meet incredibly fun characters and explore a gorgeous futuristic world, uncovering the secrets of your past and figuring out who you are in the present. This game’s got some twists and turns that kept me gripped the whole way through. I wanted to squeeze every dialogue option out of all the characters I met to learn everything about them that I could. Man this game has a story that’s so rich and plentiful I feel like I’m wallowing in a five-star course. I love a good lore-filled game.

Gameplay and Controls:

As Lea, you travel through a 2D RPG, exploring new places, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters to level up! The world is vast and well-designed, the puzzles are immaculate, but one of the most fleshed out parts of this game is its combat system. I’m usually more a puzzle gameplay person than a combat one but man the combat just feels good. The enemies are interesting and varied, you’ve got an extensive amount of control over how to build the character that you want to play, and its super satisfying to go back to earlier levels that you’ve toiled through and just fucking disintegrate every enemy in your path. And there’s accessibility options too, for both the combat aspect of the game and the puzzle aspect!

Sound:

The music is a treat and is very intuitive to the mood of the story and the environment, But also, past that, just the sounds in general are great too. I didn’t realize what a treat it was for certain attacks to sound so nice until I was using them. There are places in the game where the waterfall effects are a bit too loud, but other than that, the game is just really nice to listen to.

Art:

Crosscode’s got a nice pixel style which lends a special charm to the game, almost calling back to older games with its style while making a story about a futuristic gaming environment. The only gripe I have with this style is that, due to its 2D nature, it can be hard to gauge perspective sometimes which can make platforming a bit tricky.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

God, there is so much in this game to do. It’s worth playing it, it’s worth going back and replaying it. For an indie game, it’s so richly made and there’s so much love put into it that I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re looking into this game, I’d HIGHLY recommend also yoinking the “A New Home” DLC, which offers a whole-ass epilogue chapter. And if you’re not sure if it’s the right game for you, try the free demo out! Man, I love this game. 10/10.

Steam

[dragonchris]

Game Review: Wandersong

I heavily debated reviewing this game. On one hand, I love it. It's an amazing game with a wonderful message and I've been thinking about it constantly. On the other hand, it's fucking buggy as hell and I'd never recommend it to anyone who has patience thinner than a 2x4 or epilepsy.

Welcome to Wandersong, where you play as one of the most bizarre creatures in the world.

An Extrovert.

Story:

The world is ending and you gotta stop it! You're not a brave warrior or a clever mage, but you're a bard with a heart as big as your vocal chords. And by god you're gonna sing to save the world.

This game balances lighthearted goofiness and emotional depth with a good amount of skill. The characters are charming and funny, and the emotional moments are touching and thoughtful. The more you play to save this world, the more you fall in love with it.

Gameplay and Controls:

If the story is the game's strongest point, the gameplay is it's weakest. BY A LONG SHOT.

I'm not gonna beat around the bush, this game is broken. The mechanics don't control very well, the physics of this world are often your enemy, and sometimes the game just will not work with you, which makes some puzzles just slightly more enjoyable than pulling out your own teeth with a crowbar.

In all honesty, I never got to finish the game. Because it Fucking broke halfway through. Fun fact, if you fail at one puzzle enough times because the physics simply refuse to work, the game just DELETES ASSETS FROM THE LEVEL. Have fun playing an invisible character falling through a platform that no longer exists, fucker.

To make matters worse, the accessibility options don't even work. I tried to toggle off the flashing lights option. It did fuck all. I tried to clear my game data to restart the game after it broke on me. The button does nothing. The only thing worse than a game with no accessibility options is a game with options that do jack shit and jill piss.

Sound:

But, to a more positive note, the soundtrack of this game is very good. I do think it's a clever mechanic to use singing as your primary ability. And with a game that relies so heavily on music, it's no surprise that the music delivers, carrying the whimsical and adventurous tone of the story through its soundtrack. You're just a happy little guy singin' your way through this world, and the music does a great job of helping you feel that way. My favorite part was where you controlled a pirate ship with your voice. It's also very rewarding to recognize recurring motifs and see how they represent the overall story.

Art:

The paper cut-out aesthetic of this 2-D game gives it a whimsical charm and a special aesthetic that helps make this game memorable. It just looks so cute. The character designs are all varied and unique, and the levels all have unique visual themes that keep the game vibrant and interesting all the way up until the end.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

I want to say that it's a playable game. That you should play it. I fell in love with this game and its story, which is probably why its unplayable mechanics frustrated me so deeply. Though I wasn't able to finish the game, I did watch someone else's playthrough because I wanted to see how it ended, and I'm glad I did.

I loved the ending. I loved the way the story progressed and expanded, the themes that it used and the way that the characters developed. There was genuine heart behind the production of this game. If I could rank this game on story alone, I would give it a 10/10.

But for the game as a whole, a lot of things would need to change before I could mark this as an amazing game. The physics need reworking, the accessibility options need to actually function, and perhaps a failsafe like a level selector might be beneficial for people like me who got completely softlocked and would rather go to the beginning of the act rather than start over completely. It has amazing highs and some pretty bad lows, so because of this, I give this game a smack-dab in the middle 5/10.

Steam

Itch.io

Wandersong Official Website

[dragonchris]

Game Review: Lucifer Within Us

What if an AI-infested Nancy Drew was Catholic? In this fun game where Murder Mystery meets Exorcism Shit meets Strange Cybernetic world, it’s your job to expose lies and cast out daemons. No biggie! This is a game that subverted a lot of my expectations, some for better, and some for worse.

Story:

You’re Ada-an exorcist solving murders that have been committed by people infected with daemons. While working as a detective, the player in introduced to the rich world of a puritanical society that has integrated itself with technology to strive towards truth and progress. This story does a good job of introducing its world to the player, creating an interesting scenario to explore. The pacing is very well executed up until the final moments, where a lot of lore and information is given very quickly before the abrupt end.

Gameplay and Controls:

The gameplay is very consistent-Your job is to interrogate your suspects, gather clues, and, once you’ve found out how the killer did it, when they did it, and why, you can strike out the daemon with the cool might of your all-knowing god. As a point-and-click game, the controls are fairly simple. Not much can be said about their accessibility options, so if a puzzle is too complicated, your options are pretty much “get smarter” or “brute force it until something works”. Thankfully, the deductive part of the game is well-planned and has very few hitches where a player might get stuck on. We love a game that makes players feel smart!

Sound:

The sound design was one of my favorite features of the game. The music feels very church-like, giving a good, ominous feel to the scene while you explore it. One score in particular that I always looked forward to was the chanting music that played when you’d found the suspect and had to exorcise the daemon-it felt like an extra little reward for solving the whole mystery. The voice acting is also a treat to listen to, as well.

Art:

This game does a great job with creating a believable environment that mixes religious iconography with technological innovation. The portrait designs of the characters are all varied and nice to look at, and the designs of the daemons are creative and interesting. While the 3-D world that you walk around in can look a little plastic at times, overall, it’s a very nice-looking game.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

Lucifer Within Us is a fun game to play, there’s no doubt about that. It’s biggest issue, however, is that it’s too short. In some ways, that’s complimentary to the game, showing how fun it is to play, but in other ways, it shows a story that feels incomplete, as though it had just started and then stopped too soon. Like the inciting incident of a story written as its conclusion. But what the story does give, it gives well, so I give this game a 6/10.

Steam

[dragonchris]

Game Review: Backbone

Have you ever wanted to be a raccoon? Have you ever wanted to be a raccoon in a trench coat that can say “Fuck”? I know I have! This game lets you do that! Backbone dives into a Detective Noir-style game while also asking questions about community and solitude, what defines who we are and what defines what we become and other big brain shit like that. This game is not recommended for kids.

Story:

Play as Private Investigator Howard Lotor, who stumbles upon a dark secret and has a chance to make a difference in the world. You explore a dystopian world full of interesting characters and environments. The plot is engaging and kept me hooked through the whole story, though pacing can be a little slow in some scenes. Not counting any scene in particular (the one where I had to sit and couldn’t move while listening to a whole-ass song-the song was nice but at least let me move around pls). There were also a few plot points in the story that I feel like were not introduced enough through the game or were introduced and not expanded upon to their full potential.

Gameplay and Controls:

Backbone is a very linear game that has more of a focus on storytelling than on gameplay. You navigate different 2D environments, piecing together the mystery that you’re solving. The game gives you multiple choices on how to speak to other players and cultivate your own interpretation of the detective that you play as, though ultimately it all leads to a singular end. The controls themselves are pretty simple and are mostly “walk to this place, talk to this person” with a few puzzles occasionally scattered through the game.

Sound:

God damn the music in this game really helps to set the tone. Chefs kiss. Beyond that, the ambience is masterfully done. 👌

Art:

The art is gorgeous. The pixel style is beautiful, the anthropomorphic animal designs are all nice to look at, and the colors are all striking. On top of that, I really liked how smooth the animations are. One small detail that I really enjoyed was that when you were in an environment that was raining, there would be little rain droplets on your screen. It really helped with the immersion of the game.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

I enjoyed playing it. If you don’t mind the many heavy themes that the game thankfully warns you about before you play, then I would highly recommend it. And despite its linear progression, the branching dialogue choices also offer a little bit of replayability, too. I’m curious to go back and see how things might have changed if I had played as more of an asshole. A great game with only a few minor flaws. 9/10.

Steam

[dragonchris]

Game Review: GNOG

I’ve been thinking of reviewing a few of the many, many games that I’ve been hoarding over time. And fuck it, I do what I want y’all came here for art how about I spout to you about other people’s art too! GNOG is a puzzle game where you click everything repeatedly and hope something works. And when it does, it’s very fun! It gives me digital reminiscence to being a young child poking at those brightly colored bead things they had in the dentist’s waiting room.

 Story:

Although GNOG doesn’t have an overarching story, there are little pieces of story inside each puzzle. They aren’t ground breaking narratives, sure, but they are charming little tidbits that make the puzzles contained in each level feel more vibrant.

Gameplay and Controls:

As a point and click game, its controls are pretty simple. That’s a good thing, as I’ve been finding out through other games. There are 3 basic controls: Rotate things, slide things, and press things. And even with these simple controls it has accessibility options, which are always wonderful to see. Also it apparently works in VR, too?? Wild.

Sound:

Ohoho now we’re starting to get into some of my favorite things about this game. GNOG has such pleasant sounds. It’s a treat to listen to. When you finish a puzzle, the puzzle itself plays a song that captures the vibe of the level you were playing, and it feels like a reward for beating it.

Art:

Where do I begin with the art style??? It’s so good. It’s got a distinct, colorful style that feels like the remains of childlike wonder of which I am still trying so hard to grasp on to in spite of this current world. But why worry about the problems with society when there’s such bright lights and fun visuals to spark joy? It’s very nice to look at.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

Overall, this is a fun game, though it’s also a pretty short game, and once the puzzles are completed, that’s about it. There’s not much else to be done besides coming back a few months later if you want to experience it all over again. I’d consider it to be a very nice one-time experience, so I’m giving the game the rating: Playable. Overall Rating: 10/10. It recognizes its job as a small game with self-contained level design, and it does its job well.

Steam

[dragonchris]

Game Review: SkateBIRD

SkateBIRD is a game where you are a bird. With a skateboard. How cool is that!? There’s just one problem: I don’t skate. I’m really bad at it, even in game form. But even so, it’s still an enjoyable experience.

Story:

In SkateBIRD, you’re a little bird with a skateboard going on a journey to help your Big Friend. Along the way, you team up with other birds, all of them with fun personalities. The characters are fun and charming, with fun dialogue.

Gameplay and Controls:

Your little bird travels through different human-sized places with bird-sized skateboard stuff, doing tricks on magazine ramps, over paperclips and pencils, and grinding your skateboard on objects like that one GOD DAMN NOODLE BOWL.

The gameplay is cute and fun. You’re a little bird in a big world. That’s adorable. The controls and the camera, however, can be somewhat unresponsive. Which is bad for a skateboard game. I knew, with my skateboard game experience of none, that this would be a steep learning curve. Like a steep ramp, you might say. But once you fail to grind on the same electrical cable for at least 20 minutes for a main quest that you can’t skip, the game starts becoming a little less fun and a little more frustrating.

Sound:

SkateBIRD has some great sound design. It really makes you feel like you’re a hip little skater bird listening to some good tunes. They’re a bop. A delight to listen to. The music manages to be both funky and bird-related, which is really neat!

Art:

One of the fun things I enjoyed about SkateBIRD is that you have plenty of options to customize your birb. This here is my boy, he is very cute and fashionable.

I also enjoy the creativity of the level design, using household objects and turning them into ramps and little platforms for your bird to stake with. It gives a sweet little charm to the game.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

I cannot speak for people who play skateboard games and are much better at them than I am. Speaking purely by my own experience, however, I continually found the charm of the game a lovely experience that was constantly diluted by the difficult controls. I have not yet managed to finish the game, but I can see myself coming back to it and trying it again because I do enjoy this world and want to see where the story is going. If these kinds of games are for you, I’d say give it a try. 7/10.

Steam

[dragonchris]

Game Review: Evergate

I love 2D platformers. They’re my favorite kind of game. Evergate takes just about everything I love about 2D platformers and cranks it up to 100. In this game, you use your powers to navigate the 2D levels and make your way to the end gate, using a variety of crystals with different abilities to affect your movement as you make your way through.

Story:

In Evergate, you play as a spirit named Ki, who has recently died and is working to head back towards reincarnation. As you travel through puzzles, it becomes evident that there is another spirit whose life appears to be closely intermingled with your own. You travel through different periods in time, reliving memories as you go. It’s a heartwarming and engaging story with a nice ending.

Gameplay and Controls:

Your control over Ki is very good. The movement is smooth and feels well controlled, which is crucial for 2D platform games that rely on having good movement ability. There’s also a number of accessibility options (yay for accessibility!) Every chapter has a variety of different tricks that keep the gameplay from becoming stagnant.

In addition to this, the game offers a variety of different Artifacts you can earn that can be used to customize your abilities. This allows for a greater range of puzzle solving options according to the strengths and weaknesses of the player. For example, if you work better in the game with longer air time, get an artifact that gives you a bigger jump boost or slows your fall. Or if a certain environment trap like ice keeps killing you, pick an artifact that makes you invincible to that trap.

Sound:

Evergate prides itself on having its music performed by a live orchestra, and it shows. The music is vibrant and engaging and beautiful, helping to pull you in to the story that it creates. The music feels whimsical and evocative of being an afterlife spirit traversing puzzles built around fragments of lives you once lived.

Art:

Ohoohoo. The art. The lovely art. I love it. I would rub my face all over this art if I could. The level designs are all well made and so very pretty. The different level chapters all feel unique and gorgeous in their own way.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

Play it. Play it play it play. Replay it. God I love 2D platformers and I love love 2D platformers that do their job well. The story isn’t as strong as I think it could be but that means little in the face of the excellent level design and just how fun it is to play. 10/10 would play again.

Steam