Recent reviews by CappinA

I have had a blast playing this game, and I feel like I'm nowhere near done with it. It took a bit to get used to navigating in zero G, but it has been satisfying to see myself improve and be able to harvest the valuables of a ship in shorter and shorter periods of time. A lot of people complain about the timer, but personally I see this as a critical element to the challenge of the game and a good incentive to get better and faster at salvaging. I also appreciate it because it puts a time-limit on a play session (although I find myself salvaging several ships in one sitting). It has a satisfying loop in which your salvaging activities allow you to "level up" your salvager rank while also allowing you to purchase equipment upgrades, sorted in a traditional tech-tree, to make you more efficient.

I'm a big fan of space games generally, so you could say I am predisposed to favor this game. However, I will also say that this is one of the more unique space games I've played in a long time. The use of physics and destructible environments is more fun here than it has been in years. Even in early access, I feel like I'm getting a full experience. I can't wait to see what features are rolled out in the future!

Graveyard Keeper is a fun simulator game in the vein of something like Stardew Valley, but with a character all its own. As the title suggests, you play the Graveyard Keeper through a strange and dark story that constantly makes light of your rather gruesome duties. As you tend your graveyard, there are numerous other activities (quests, crafting, research, farming, and more) that keep you engaged and help you slowly become more capable as a graveyard keeper. I find it very hard to put the game down - it has that "just one more thing" feeling that makes games like Stardew Valley so much fun.

If you are a fan of games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon and games where progression is fueled by crafting, there is much to enjoy here!

Alien: Isolation had a lot to prove to me from the beginning. I'm a huge fan of Alien/Aliens, and so far nobody has gotten it right in terms of how an Alien game should feel. Dead Space got close, but since it is merely inspired by Alien and not directly in the franchise, it didn't fill the need for a solid Alien video game experience. Alien: Isolation has nailed it. Never before have I felt so vulnerable in a game, so uncertain as to whether I really could keep it together enough to make it to the next checkpoint without mishap. From start to finish, I feared the Xenomorph and its keen, unpredictable intelligence. However, like Ripley in the first Alien film, my fear was soon balanced by the will to do what needed to be done, whatever the risk. I didn't become less afraid, but I did become more skillful at eluding it as time went on. However, when the creature outsmarted me or did something unexpected, that same vulnerable fear returned right up to the end credits. I strongly recommend this game. It's the best Alien experience created since the release of the first two films and stays true to what we love about them from start to finish.

I've never been a fan of the Tomb Raider series, but I was hooked on this one from start to finish. The gameplay is finely polished such that searching for tombs and hidden items is enjoyable in itself. This game has great environmental puzzles that require you to think, but there are enough clues in the environment to put the pieces together. The voice acting was great, and while the story isn't very original, it is well told. Crystal Dynamics appears to have taken some very good cues from the Uncharted series and brought them comfortably into the Tomb Raider series in a very positive way. I hope to see many more entries into this series by this developer. For an action/adventure game, I could not make a higher recommendation.