Steven Weber
At its very core, if nothing else, it’s good for a few laughs, but at its best, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.
For the right kind of MMO player, Wild Terra Online offers an old-school experience with a heavy crafting focus. If that sounds like something that appeals to you, Wild Terra is available on Steam right now.
While the puzzles are mostly enjoyable, the combat is largely uninspired, leading to tedious boss encounters and aggravating 3D battles that quickly neutralizes the fantastic points of AeternoBlade 2's design.
For players that have no other ARPGs to play, there is something to be had here, a solid time-sink, but don’t expect Warlords: Awakening to do much more than put you to sleep.
Varenje does resemble a game that can be easily enjoyed by anyone, and with the first episode being free on steam, it sure accentuates the ability for anyone to pick it up and play it. With light puzzle content and a collection click-adventure game style, it doesn't require fast reaction times or exceptional dexterity from the player. While the story is largely uncomplimentary to the game-style, for appropriately aged gamers, Varenje can still be an enjoyable diversion for the puzzle minded gamer.
Whether you are just curious or just want to step into a new adventure, Bless Online is a fantastic game-bridge between your last MMO and the next one you are looking forward to.
Despite having some good, and simplistic game play, players may find that it can get repetitive and become frustrating with the one life per level restriction. Luckily for Fantastico Studio, they have done a tremendous job with the ambiance and hilarious levels that may be just enough to keep some players engaged until the end.
With a light hearted presentation for children of all ages, well rendered graphics on both the PC and Switch versions, and a few rockin' audio tracks that don't get bothersome after repeatedly hearing them,
Astellia is a tremendous, full-fledged MMO, with large areas to explore, tons of tiny features to fiddle with, auction houses, end-game dungeons, and more than enough to keep any MMO player busy. Despite some of the great features Astellia brings to the table, the Astel collection system, the detailed world, and a fairly balanced combat system, it isn’t enough to break from the sheer monotony, bugs, and lack of character attachment that would bring Astellia from being just another Korean game to being a bright star in a cloudy sky.
With no true online multiplayer and limited level options, Munchkin: Quacked Quest feels like a starter pack awaiting expansions before it's ready for prime time.
Sludge Life is a first-person, open-world platformer filled with strange sightings, childish humor, and a unique retro windows 3.1 UI. For the right platformer gamer, this divergence from the norm may provide several hours of enjoyment, but with no lasting draw to explore apart from graffiti tags and pictures, and no extenuating interaction with the world or characters, don't expect Sludge Life to grab you for more than a few hours.
Fly Punch Boom is a unique take on the fighting genre with a host of over the top combat effects, quick reaction button presses, and some zany characters that are quite entertaining. The rock paper scissors battle resolution system may not appeal to players looking for a more skill based fighter, but Fly Punch Boom is definitely a nice diversion that can keep you busy for several hours.
Moons of Madness capitalizes on the Lovecraftian principles that made The Secret World such a great game. Unfortunately, the game play itself can feel tedious, and overly detailed in all the wrong ways.
Trident's Wake is a game often compared to premiere, popular top-down shooters like Helldivers, and for good reason. The gameplay is very similar in form, but Trident's Wake falters in its lack of a player base to keep the missions feeling fresh. In time, if and when the community grows, this game could potentially be a fun diversion from some of the other, well established titles. Until that time though, expect a good local co-op or solo experience.
There is no PvE or Bots that take the place of players, so if you can’t find others to play with, this has the potential to be a very lonely game. Luckily, Atomega is priced well enough that even the casual arena fan could find a lot to like here, for as long as the game stays populated. If you find yourself looking for a great stand-in while waiting for your next big arena game, Atomega could be the game you’re looking for, just don’t expect it to evolve into more than that.
PLAYISM has cornered the market on crab battles with Fight Crab, and while they currently hold the title, uncontested, Fight Crabs cumbersome controls and awkward battle physics my lose its luster quickly for those that aren't enjoying the novelty of crabbiness.
When combat is in full swing and every move you make is gold, Disintegration feels like an experience worth having. Unfortunately, some of the higher difficulties may fail to hold your interest as some missions can take quite a long time, and the combat can feel very repetitive, with encounters rehashing a lot of the same enemies and experiences.
Signs of the Sojourner is a slice of life deck building narrative game. If that was more than a mouthful for you, you may consider steering clear of this game as the conversation based game-play will careen you down a narrative driven path rife with haggling and sometimes fleeting relationships. For the right gamer, Signs of the Sojourner will provide the kind of unique game play that you can't find anywhere else. For deck builder fans, you may find it hit or miss to your tastes, but if battling is more your speed, this might not be up your alley.
Shing! manages to take the beat'em-up genre, throw in some fantastic ideas, and squander it all on a twin-stick combat system that convolutes what would otherwise be a solid combo-mashing sidescroller. There is still a lot to like about this game, but unless you really dig analog stick combat, you may want to pass on this one.
Giraffe and Annika is a rhythm adventure game that is short on rhythm, and too heavy on the tedious portions of the adventure. Still, Giraffe and Annika manages to make the most of this title, with beautiful manga inspired panels, enjoyable dialog, and a very fun rhythmic battles, even if they are in short supply.