Recent reviews by Artix_

WELL I HATE TO SAY THIS... BUT I WAS DISSAPOINTED..

As a passionate admirer of Gris, I approached Neva with high expectations, eager to see how Nomada would expand on their unique blend of narrative, art, and music. From the moment the trailer dropped, I was captivated, pondering the depth of its story and the beauty of its visual design.

In my review of Gris, I even crafted a poem, highlighting how Nomada’s artistry seamlessly intertwined with its compelling narrative.
They truly set a high bar wit NEVA, creating an experience where art and music coalesced into something extraordinary. The combat in NEVA was engaging without overshadowing the emotional journey—an experience I wholeheartedly recommended to others.

However, I must express my disappointment with Neva. Don’t misunderstand me; the game is undeniably beautiful and offers an impressive experience. Yet, for someone who loved Gris and hoped for something even more groundbreaking, I found it lacking.

While Neva shines visually, it doesn’t quite achieve the same level of narrative integration as its predecessor. In Gris, the mechanics and storytelling were inextricably linked, creating a profound emotional impact. Neva, on the other hand, feels like it leans heavily on its stunning visuals to evoke feelings, which, while captivating, is something many games do today. In a landscape filled with artful titles on platforms like Steam, Neva risks blending into the crowd.

The musical score, crafted by Brinilist, also left me wanting. In Gris, the music was layered and impactful, enhancing key moments of the story. In Neva, however, I struggled to find those moments where the music truly resonated. The variations felt minimal, and I often missed the emotional peaks that were so prevalent in Nomada’s earlier work.

While I won’t critique the combat, as it met my expectations and functioned well, I found the level design to be one of the game’s strengths. The designers did an excellent job of teaching players the environmental mechanics and then challenging them with advanced puzzles, which was rewarding.

In an era dominated by narrative-heavy games like God of War, Plague Tale, and Gris, Neva attempts to explore the theme of parenthood but falls short of leaving a lasting impact. It often resorts to conventional storytelling methods that feel superficial, relying on its stunning scenery to evoke emotion rather than a robust narrative.

Ultimately, I believe Neva would have benefitted from existing in a world without Gris. It feels more like a DLC than a standalone experience, lacking the depth and innovation that made its predecessor so memorable.

I’ll review this game wearing two different hats. As a game designer, most of us unintentionally critique a game with our design hat on. So, here it is:

After a long time, a truly beautiful combat game has been released. The game is simply addictive—the feel, the combat, the sound of the staff’s impact, the voice acting—it’s all on point. But the most captivating part of the game is the BOSS FIGHTS! This game reignited my love for boss rushes, keeping me on my toes. One boss down, and here comes the next! In just 30 minutes of gameplay, I fought four bosses. The combat is perfection, like bread and butter.

As for the narrative, it feels cryptic at first, but if you pay a little attention, it’s beautifully presented. The game feels like a dance; more than just an Action RPG, it’s a rhythm game. You attack, watch, dodge, and attack again. Enemies have their own rhythm, and you counter them with your own.
Now, the downside: exploration. As someone who loves to explore, this game is dangerous for me because it has no map, which leaves me feeling lost, wandering in circles. The organic design of the environments makes everything look similar. Overall, the game is a brilliant piece of art, challenging enough for everyone to enjoy well-designed bosses without being punishingly difficult—unlike some other games.

Design Perspective:

Putting on my design hat now, I’ve had conversations with peers who claim the game is shallow in its combat and exploration. At first, I kind of agreed, but after playing the game extensively, I realized that’s not entirely accurate. The statement comes from comparing this game to others like God of War, Devil May Cry, Ghost of Tsushima, or Nier Automata.

Wukong doesn’t have shallow combat; its depth is peak within its own territory. The game is perfection, with depth for both spammers and masters alike. Want to spam? Go ahead. Prefer to use nuanced parries, timing, and charged attacks? You can do that too. The game gives you the option to redo your abilities and try bosses with new strategies. Almost every upgrade is reversible, allowing you to play however you want.

As someone whose favorite combat game is Devil May Cry, I can confidently say that while DMC doesn’t force you to master combos to complete the game, Wukong does because of its nature. The enemies and bosses will wreck you, and that’s where the game shines. It forces you to adapt.

While God of War might have more depth, that’s a different game with different demands. Wukong doesn’t require that level of depth, but within its scope, it’s at its peak.

One major drawback, however, is the level design and visual clarity. The visuals aren’t clear enough to indicate whether an area is accessible. What looks like a climbable stone from afar turns out to be blocked by an invisible barrier when you get closer. The sense of direction in the game is practically non-existent, with no proper landmarks to help you understand where you are. The organic level design, while interconnected, can make navigation difficult, especially since you can sometimes reach areas without following the critical path. The only sure way to know you’re on the right track is to keep moving from boss to boss.

Conclusion:

Overall, after a long time, I’ve found a game that I look forward to playing after a long day of work. It challenges me just enough to keep me engaged without making me want to give up, unlike other games. And finally, let me emphasize: it’s not a Souls-like. Also, don’t give up at the big-headed mini-boss in the beginning!

Alright, I don't know how but this game got out of my radar when I am the one who loves these unique kind of puzzle games. Well so to say its a very big title. I will not completely say its unique maybe trailer might make you feel that way, but one thing can be said that it is definitely a engaging one finding a balance between head scratching moment and "ahh" moment without getting into frustration moment.

Design wise: was little disappointing as at the end these platformer puzzle game ends up being a find an object game, but the visuals, mechanics and the reaction of environment with respect to the puzzle around was something that i alwasy looked forward to whenever a new chapter started.

Sound design is the star of the game and a person who loves sound and music, for me it was brilliant. Except one thing, the sound was screaming for the attention. Making a game were sound is not noticeable and natural is the best type of sound design according to me and in that case this game takes a step back.

Over all amazing experience, sound, music, loved the length and was very engaging.

Where do I start from, Alright being someone who has always been little hesitated to be on a multiplayer genre because of the toxicity and the other stress that comes with it. This game is a gem in the garbage that we are surrounded around. A game that has made me felt so patriotic and also a game where everyone helped each other regardless of friendly fire.

Game wise, One of the best aiming, so smooth and actually challenging at the same time very player friendly.
The major concerned I had was the Strategems, the way you call them is not at all accessible for everyone, using combination of arrow directional button can always be very confusing for many people.
Regardless, I would recommend this game SOLO and With people, but offcors a lot of fun with people :)

Alright, Honestly I went into this game without a hint of what even is it. Felt like a horror game on the first look, felt like a tedious chores..... But OH BOI OH BOIIIIIII the fun i had in this game. I have more hours on this than Pal-world . (well most of it was waiting for people to join the match to be honest)

Lets talk design - Simple concept and well designed game loop. Deploy, collect, sell and survive. Tried and tested formula always works. But the additional systems and meme worthy enemy design makes the game hilarious and unexpected.
Yeah you can dodge the bracken but wait, sometimes it just doesn't work the way it should... booyah.

A pro tip: Don't try to understand the game, the more you understand the game the faster the life of the game reduces for you. Play it like a meme as it is.

The best thing in the game is the proximity chat. For the love of god please don't mute if you playing this game, that's half of the fun man.

Game is great, But most amazing with mods and trust me, my 12 hours in the game is just dancing on California girls with my mates...

Trust me just go into the game and play it.

Alright, I don't know where to begin.. I am late to this party but yeah.
I noticed this game very randomly and I am guilty of pirating this game and finishing it off. By the end of it the first thing i did was bought the game and added the soundtrack to my playlist.

This game isn't just a story to be told with words. It's a melody that can't be played by any musical instrument alone. It's an adventure that goes beyond mere interactivity

Embark on a journey unanticipated, where the narrative whispers to those attuned to its subtle nuances.

Crafted not solely by gamers, but by a myriad of professions, each bringing their unique experiences to shape every moment of this singular experience.

A game of undeniable value, with ample game play and puzzles to keep you engrossed, complemented by an awe-inspiring soundtrack

A total worth it game, with enough game play and puzzles to keep you hook and an amazing soundtrack.

In realms unknown, where stories weave,
This game unfurls, beyond words conceived.
Not just a melody by instruments played,
But a symphony of tales, in silence swayed.

An adventure awaits, beyond interactive bounds,
Where the soul's journey transcends earthly mounds.
A tapestry of wonder, in realms unseen,
This game's essence, like a dream serene

Okay i have a lot to tell about this game.
First of leaving aside all the controversy of "The game is a copy of Pokemon" and "Artist using AI generated models" etc..
The game is a solid one, I do not know why is this even in early access.
The game is well made, solid game play loop always keeps you hooked or addicted whichever word works for you..
It just misses to bring everything together, It has boss fights, crafting, creature capture mechanics (this is a legit genre people, Pokemon is not the only one who did this), various enemy factions etc. Pal world fails to bring them together in a cohesive way, feels like its just spread like salt around the map. Well this can be understandable because its on early access.
I have good hopes for this game.

Now lets go to the negatives.
The game uses grind to increase the playtime of the game, and on the other hand it also allows the player to change these settings, you can change the amount of experience you getting if you feel like the grind is too much.
Repetitive Pal abilities, technically all the pals have mix and match of various attacks. For example most of the electric pal will have similar attacks even if they look different.

On final conclusion, the game is brilliant, it fun and its a worth to give a try. Just because you are offended by it doesnt make it right for not to try it.

And on the brighter side this game can be a slap in the bigger studios and making them realize that if they don't do something different with their IP, Someone will come and make something better than them and take away all the thunder..
** me staring at Nintendo.

After a long time I am literally waiting for next day to go explore the game. This has happened to me after Witcher 3.. (Sometime i see this game in my dreams xD)
Totally recommended
Although, if you have not played any classic RPG game, this can have a steep learning curve.

So this is my first ever review.
Honestly speaking, its not a game, Its an Art. Everyone will have a different understanding and interpretation of this as a whole.
Gameplay wise if you are looking for some good intutive gameplay, this is not for you.
Narrative wise if you like some narrative where you like to untangle and find hidden narrative then yes this is your kind of game.
Visual wise its for everyone. Kudos to the artists and animators, it just beautiful.
And yes finally, don't expect anything before starting this game. This game is not what you think it is. Just go for it with a clean slate.
Embrace this with an open heart.