Recent reviews by Tahuru

While perhaps the weakest of Tango's 4 games (apparently there's a 5th mobile game but I'm not counting that), it still brings much of what makes their games strong and provides a game that's worth your time and will stick with you after you've played with it. It's biggest issue is the start of the game is fairly weak. The story didn't start strong for me and the initial gameplay before your abilities unlock is simply too slow which is a problem for an action rpg. Once the game gets going it really shines though. Combat speeds up and becomes quite fun, the design of the open world is also gorgeous and eventually drew me in to exploring much more than I thought I would. The overall structure of the open world collectathon is a little generic but the execution is very strong and the game isn't so long as to run out of ideas, in fact it's pacing after the start is excellent. The story is also pulled together exceptionally well. I wasn't particularly invested in the game until the end but the game isn't so long as to run into the classic open world issues of losing interest in the main story and pulls together a particularly satisfying and fairly emotional conclusion. This game is definitely worth your time and, while it might be worth waiting for a sale because it does go cheap, I'd pick it up if it in any way looks interesting to you.

In the style of games like Journey, Jusant is a genuinely beautiful experience. From start to finish, there are no moments where Jusant isn't truly breathtaking. A special mention should go to the lighting which adds so much visual flair to a fairly simple but effective art style. If you think Jusant is for you it probably is, so go play it.

A lovingly presented snapshot of a handful of interconnected people who happen to be in a diner in southern America in a specific place and time. This is really a game about a handful of people and the choices they need to make, presented with a garnishing of running a diner just to aid the atmosphere and give you a reason to get familiar with the place. There's not much else to say without spoiling the game, but it's very cheap and very short so you might as well give it a shot if it looks interesting.

A fantastic sequel to the original that builds upon the strengths and improves the weaknesses of the original. In many ways a very different game, but one that anybody who liked the first game should play. The gameplay has been greatly improved greatly and the structure of the game shifted towards larger areas with more of a focus on the different systems built into the game. Exploration is rewarded incredibly well, not with loot, but with sub-plots and character development that could be missed. The linear hellscapes of the first game are still present, even if they take up less of the runtime, and bring even more memorable imagery than the first game. The real shock is how the story, which initially seems a bit generic, becomes such a strong driving force towards the end of the game. It brings the story started in the first game to a much deserved conclusion that feels incredibly satisfying. There is a little bit of awkward writing here or there but nothing that stands out enough to cause a real issue. If you've played the original then I can't recommend this game enough. If you haven't, then you definitely do need to play that first to get the most out of this one.

Mundaun is an interesting game carried primarily by its art style and atmosphere. The hand drawn but still 3D style of the game ensures it will be a memorable experience and really helps it create a fantastic atmosphere. The developers love of the game's setting is clear as well. The feeling of being in the mountains is captured well and small touches like a chair lift that rattles at the appropriate time over pylons adds a lot to the game. The story of the game is decent though it won't stick with me for too long. The biggest issue with the game is the enemies and combat. It's never clear whether is really focused on stealth, combat, or another approach however none of these ideas are satisfying or even fully functional. Still, I'd recommend grabbing this game on a sale just to experience what makes it unique because those aspects are genuinely worth experiencing.

This game had the potential to be one of the greatest single player games ever made. The sheer scale and spectacle on show is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen in a game. The combat system is incredibly varied and feels incredible when it flows. It's such a shame then that the entire campaign is designed entirely around playing it in coop, doing it with the AI is often a frustrating experience in trial and error. Most of the big encounters require way too much from a single player while the AI has almost no effective contribution. All at once you often need to handle small unit crowd control, big unit duelling, and dealing with tanky long range threats. You do not have the tools to handle all this at once. Often you also have to actually do multiple things at once, such as clearing ground threats while also completed a second objective such as moving an object or protecting an antennae. This all results in big set piece moments constantly losing all momentum as you repeat them hoping that this time the AI might do just enough to allow you to clear the main objective. It's such a shame to design the game this way, it had potential to be an all time great but now just leaves me reinstalling the original. If you have friends to buy this with then I highly recommend it but if you've been hyped for this because of how good the original is then I'd just hold off for a discount.

As a last note, this game is incredibly CPU locked and often doesn't run well. My 4070 was never fully utilised but the framerate was often held up by utilising the entirety of my i5-14600k. Changing graphics settings has no effect on framerate since it's CPU bound so just be warned if you've got a skimpy CPU in your PC.

Killer Frequency is a great game built and designed around technical limitations. With very few locations and visuals, the game uses writing and voice acting to build a spectacular sense of place around a town you never see. Solving puzzles with small amounts of information over the phone is a great idea, they never get too hard but the loop of finding whatever information you can is very satisfying. The plot rides a tight line between making sense and unpredictability but pulls it off very well. If this game looks interesting to you, you'll almost certainly like it.

I'm glad this game exists. It's an interesting blend of action games and tower defence games with a massive amount of pure vibes that carry the game through when the other elements don't quite do enough. Most of the criticism about aspects of this game are valid in that neither the action nor strategy elements are really deep enough and yet it throws such a large amount of variety at you that it remains fully engaging from start to finish. It does have issues, and might be worth waiting for a sale, but if this game looks interesting to you then you'll almost certainly like it. It's worth your time alone just for the stunning monster and boss animations.

A phenomenally designed action game combining elements of a wide variety of different ideas from different action games. While it seems to be pushed as a spectacle fighter, the combat's pace is closer to something like the new God of War than Bayonetta but with much more interesting systems. The game is focused around using the environment to try to force fights into individual duals in the middle of a big melee. It can take a little bit of time to get used to the systems but it flows beautifully once you understand it.

The game's also oozing with style, particularly each character and enemy has fantastic voice work giving everything plenty of character. The levels also excel at creating believable locations with a sense of place despite being almost entirely linear.

The primary caveat with this recommendation is the game's limited scope. The amount of different regular enemies can be counted on one hand and I finished it in just over 3 hours. I have no issues with short games, but if you do then just wait for a sale. Make sure you do pick it up though, it's worth your time.

A game that's in some ways dated but still has many interesting systems and ideas that make it worth experiencing. It does a better job than almost any other game of ensuring that your decisions have a visible impact on the world. It might not completely fulfil its potential but the short length and lighthearted tone ensure it remains novel right through to the end.