Recent reviews by Lord Elemental

Voidwrought is a 2D action-platformer inspired by similar souls-like metroidvania games, and developed by Powersnake. Taking place in a hand-drawn world of cosmic horrors, you play as a shapeshifting protagonist on a mission to dethrone a lineup of false gods who apparently all missed the memo on staying in their divine lanes. But it’s not all smiting and slicing; you also get to expand your very own shrine, because who doesn’t want a cosy cult base for your loyal, slightly unhinged followers? With smooth controls and customisable playstyle, Voidwrought satisfies the thirst for those looking to explore yet another fascinating labyrinth in the metroidvania subgenre.

Rating: ★★★★☆
The game is fast-paced, action-platforming at its finest, where you’ll dash, leap, and cling to walls like a caffeinated spider. With multiple multidimensional worlds being your playground, every nook and cranny could lead to a hidden treasure or secret room, making the exploration aspect of the game one of my personal favourites. Additionally, there’s dozens of collectible artefacts to choose from to support your playstyle, but once you reach the mid-game, the overall difficulty takes a nosedive. Nevertheless, between slaying false gods and digging up rubble to expand your shrine, Voidwrought offers an entertaining experience—even if it gets a little too comfy later on.

Rating: ★★★★★
Voidwrought stuns with its hand-drawn aesthetic, blending eerie beauty with cosmic horror in every frame. From the opulent, corrupted Court to the chilling depths of the Old Waters and the grim leftovers of the Abandoned Expedition, every area is a visual gut-punch. The game also serves up a collection of eerie enemies that could be straight out of your darkest nightmares—or your weirdest art class. Honestly, the world of Voidwrought is like exploring a haunted art gallery where every exhibit might try to kill you—and you’ll love every second of it.

Rating: ★★★★★
The beautiful and spine-chilling soundtrack in Voidwrought also enhances the game’s overall atmosphere. From the sinister hums of exploration to the heart-pounding battle themes, it’ll make you feel like you’re living in a nightmare... but a really well-composed one. It’s like your own personal soundtrack to existential dread, with music that pulls you deeper into the void.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
With deep lore filled with forgotten gods and doomed expeditions, the world of Voidwrought feels like a dark fantasy mystery novel you can’t put down—if only you had all the chapters. Its backstory is well written but cryptic, and the main story itself is a bit… elusive. With no clear narrative to follow, you’ll often find yourself wandering a lonely, desolate world, piecing things together like a detective without a case. Furthermore, the characters each carry a sense of mystery, with unique designs and backgrounds that spark curiosity. However, despite their potential, these characters are often underexplored with limited dialogue and involvement in the main story. Overall, while the lore is intriguing at best, the lack of a concrete storyline can leave the experience feeling empty and detached.

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Voidwrought took me about 12 hours to reach the true ending, which, compared to other games in the genre, feels a bit like leaving a buffet just as you’re getting started. There’s no New Game Plus yet, but if you’re the kind who loves tinkering with different playstyles or making different choices in side quests by starting a brand new run, there’s some replay value to dig into. As a proud completionist, I squeezed an extra 8 hours out of the game by scouring every dark corner and crevice, which I honestly found to be an enjoyable aspect of the game. Now, considering its cost and playtime, I’d say it’s worth it even at full price—especially with plans for new content on the horizon.

As a fast-paced action-platformer, Voidwrought excels in diving headfirst into cosmic horror with its solid gameplay, stunning visuals, and a mesmerising soundtrack. The combat is slick, the customisation is satisfying, and the lore is well written—though the main story is about as clear as a foggy abyss. While the mid-game difficulty takes an unexpected coffee break and some fascinating characters don’t get their time to shine, there’s still plenty to love for metroidvania fans, especially if you enjoy searching for hidden treasure in every corner of a beautifully-crafted world. Short but packed with potential, Voidwrought earns a thumbs up from me.

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by classic JRPGs, and developed by Sabotage Studio. Taking place in a vibrant, beautifully pixelated world, you follow Valere and Zale—two teens with way too much responsibility for their age—on a journey to prevent an ancient evil from returning. You know, the usual “save the world” stuff, except with beautiful islands and a lot of star magic. With satisfying, tactical combat and a heartfelt story, the game feels like a love letter to the RPGs of the SNES era, while introducing fresh, modern mechanics.

Rating: ★★★★☆
Featuring a mix of strategic turn-based combat and simple puzzle-solving exploration, the gameplay in Sea of Stars is refreshing with every battle or puzzle feeling unique. Additionally, exploration is rewarding with many hidden treasures scattered throughout the game’s various islands. However, combat starts to feel repetitive towards the later stages of the game as new mechanics taper off and battles stretch longer. I also found myself using the same set of overpowered skills and combos despite the variety available. Nevertheless, Sea of Stars offers a simple and seamless gameplay experience as I’ve encountered minimal bugs throughout its entirety.

Rating: ★★★★★
The game’s pixel art is so visually stunning that your eyeballs will thank you. Every environment is brimming with so much detail that you’ll want to dive into the screen and live there—except for the not-so-pleasant areas where there are creepy monsters chasing you. The day-night cycle adds another layer of visual depth, making each island, cave, temple, and starry sky feel alive.

Rating: ★★★★★
Then there’s the soundtrack, which is equally breathtaking. Depending on the vibe of the moment, the music makes you want to either fight monsters or nap peacefully by a virtual campfire. Each area has its own musical theme that further enhances the atmosphere while the combat music perfectly captures the urgency and tension of the battle.

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Sea of Stars weaves a classic but compelling tale about destiny, friendship, and sacrifice. While the story feels predictable even with its few plot twists, its characters give the game heart. Among its diverse supporting cast is everyone’s favourite “Warrior Cook”, a mysterious assassin who can travel through portals, and many other quirky characters that help balance lighthearted moments with some emotional ones that will get to you—even if you swore you wouldn’t cry during an RPG again. Unfortunately, where this game falls short is with its two main protagonists, who sometimes appear to have indistinguishable personalities and lack the character depth that they deserve.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Once you’ve saved the world, you can go back and… save it again? With the main story spanning roughly 25 to 35 hours, Sea of Stars offers a decent amount of side quests, hidden treasures, and some optional but challenging bosses later in the game for those seeking the “true ending”. However, the game is a largely linear experience, making it not something most players would want to replay immediately. Nevertheless, if you’re a completionist like myself, it’ll keep you busy for another 5 to 10 hours. Additionally, when considering both the full price and playtime of Sea of Stars, I personally believe it’s only worth it when the game goes on sale—although my opinion might change depending on how its upcoming free DLC goes.

Sea of Stars is like that one summer vacation you’ll never forget—beautiful, a little emotional, and full of surprises. While its narrative and replayability could be improved, its overall gameplay and presentation more than make up for it, earning Sea of Stars a thumbs up from me. If you’re seeking a modern turn-based RPG with heart, or want to feel like a hero while sitting comfortably on your couch, this game’s for you. Plus, there’s pirates – what more do you need?

Introduction:
Developed by Blue Mammoth Games, Brawlhalla is an online 2D platform fighter game that offers multiple ways to play such as offline with bots, custom, or ranked. Although seemingly similar to Super Smash Bros, Brawlhalla has its own unique feel where it is easy to play, but difficult to master.

Pros:
-A free-to-play game with nice payable skins, taunts etc.
-Over 20 legends to choose from; each with their own unique abilities and play styles.
-Ranked games provide fair and fun games for people of all skill levels (to a certain extent).
-Has multiple game modes for casual gamers such as Brawlball, Bombsketball and Snowbrawl.
-Developers constantly bringing updates to the game such as new legends, skins and features.
-Simple “GG” button at the end of a match promotes good sportsmanship (or gamesmanship).
-Levelling up legends unlocks more playable colours and stat configurations.
-Ranked 2v2 matches have friendly fire set on, which encourages teamwork rather than attack spamming (although some find this to be a nuisance because of bad teammates).

Cons:
-Spammers, smurfs and toxic players can ruin the game.
-Skins, taunts, weapon skins etc can only be bought with real life money, and can be a little too pricey in some cases.
-Can be really frustrating at times (especially when on one of those losing streaks).

Overall:
Brawlhalla brings back the fun of 2D platform brawlers, especially for PC gamers. With great visuals, constant updates and its overall addictiveness, Brawlhalla remains one of my favourite free-to-play games on Steam. I personally rate this game an 8.5/10.

Introduction:
Terraria is a 2D sandbox game with elements of action, mystery and adventure set in a beautifully pixelated world of flying eyeballs and various biomes like hell. With the choice to build, mine, fish, explore, fight and ride unicorns, how you play the game is really up to you.

Pros:
-Customisable characters with cloud support.
-Dozens of weapons, armour, equipment, tools and consumables to choose from.
-Various mounts and pets to choose from.
-Multiple biomes with their own unique inhabitants, resource and behaviour.
-Over ten bosses that provide a challenge for combat lovers.
-Interesting NPCs who appreciate your horrible houses.
-More than one way to play the game (such as fishing, mining and dying).
-Hundreds of craft-able items and dozens of blocks.

Cons:
-Very time-consuming (although some see this as a good thing).

Overall:
Terraria is not a rip-off of Minecraft, but is actually a phenomenal game packed with fun and a lot of content. It is definitely worth its price and twice the fun when played with a friend. Even after beating the final boss, there are still lots to explore, discover and achieve in this wonderfully made game. I personally rate this game a 9/10. :)

Introduction:
Castle Crashers is a 2D hack and slash adventure game set in a cartoonish medieval world of knights, princesses and dragons pooping animals. Your only goal is to rescue the four distressed princesses from formidable foes and earn their kisses as a reward. This game is best played with two to three other friends, a controller, and a box of pizza to share.

Pros:
-Over 30 unique characters and dozens of weapons to unlock and choose from.
-Cheap DLC characters with proceeds going to charity.
-Can be played on keyboard or a controller.
-Wonderful cartoonish graphics and easy-to-learn gameplay.
-Constant action and a simple levelling system.
-Crude humour with poop jokes.

Cons:
-Game can get boring and repetitive after completion with multiple characters.
-Lacks a high number of achievements for achievement-loving gamers.

Overall:
Castle Crashers is a fun game to play with friends and is a must-buy when on sale. It is simple and provides constant action throughout the story. Beating the game with certain characters unlocks other unique characters that all have their own pros and cons. With so many weapons, pets and characters to choose from, Castle Clashers is surely an enjoyable classic. My rating would be an 8/10.

Introduction:
Counter Strike: Global Offensive is a multiplayer FPS game where you are either part of a Terrorist organisation or part of a team of Counter-Terrorists. The aim of the game is to work together with your team to defeat the opposing force. Even with many new maps, weapons and features, this game still has some classic maps and guns from the older Counter Strike games.

Pros:
-Over 20 different weapons to choose from.
-Many game modes including casual, death match, arms race, competitive and more.
-Unique skins and possible drops at the end of each match.
-Operations that feature new community-made maps and skins.

Cons:
-Trolls, hackers and smurfs can ruin a competitive match.
-In general, the game does not have a very friendly/kind community.
-Some in-game items/features can be quite costly.
-Competitive bans may last as long as a week.

Overall:
CS:GO can be addictive at times and is a lot more fun when playing with friends. The graphics are nice and I personally enjoy the music/sounds. Communicating and working well with your team can be a huge advantage to the game, but there are those who prefer to stray away from the rest of their teammates and play by their own rules. My rating would be an 8.5/10.