Recent reviews by volf3n

In the genre revived by the Vampire Survivors there are plenty of contenders, and with it - plenty of new and fresh ideas how to spice up the core gameplay loop. In the case of Nordic Ashes it's the sheer amount of content available in its Early Access release, as well as its incredibly well-done and enjoyable progression system.

There are (as of this review) 141 relics which can be either weapons or stat-altering items with passive or active effects, 64 ascensions (on these - later), and 81 types (sub-types) of enemies across five different regions. Each region can be played on three "base" difficulty levels and five Ragnarok levels (a sort of "hardcore" mode) with any of the 7 heroes (+ 1 secret). The amount of combinations and iterations of the "same" level is simply staggering.

Now let's get to the fun part - the progression system. Every item that isn't available by default, needs to be unlocked in the Glossary + you get an achievement for every new entry (just like VS). The unlocked items can only be found on the map (or in Gnoki's realm) during gameplay. Each weapon has one or two available Ascensions (a sort of ultimate upgrade) which can be unlocked using special crystals found in Gnoki's realm (after defeating a boss) or on the map with a specific upgrade.

This system works for EVERY in-game weapon, which means you can evolve even the secondary tools of destruction, each having its own special "sauce". This makes the "ooh, I wonder what this does" incredibly common and satisfying as you can't wait to see the "new shiny". Also, did I mention that higher levels of difficulty actually change the gameplay loop? Yeah, they do. Both the level and final bosses get new stages, new moves and new powers to try and swat you down like a pestering fly.

I could go on about the surprising moments and mechanics this game has, but I'd rather you experience them yourself.
This game is worth every penny. Simply amazing.

20MTD is a very good reverse bullet hell roguelike game, a refreshed "new" genre that has been gaining popularity as of recently.

A simple, yet clean pixel-art look that makes a great use of a scarce colour palette to give the player just the info they need in the heat of battle, since by the end of the game it gets pretty hectic.

Highly recommended given the low price point and frequent updates.

This is the best game since sliced bread, fight me.

Classic flash games packed into one affordable bundle.

They feel as good as they did all these years ago.

Heavily recommended!

Let me preface this review with that I have not read any of books from the Metro series.

Now onto the game itself.

Graphics: As this game's engine was used to power the refreshed version of Metro 2033, it's no surprise that the sequel looks very similar to its predecessor. There are some subtle changes and improvements, especially in the performance department, but it's a still very good looking game with the same janky face animations.

Gameplay: When you get to use the weapons, you can immediately feel a much improved gunplay and handling, making Artyom look like an actual seasoned sharpshooter and not a person who never touched a holy kalash. Stealth and exploration is as satisfying and engaging as it was in 2033, that's a plus. But I feel like there's less hiding in shadows, murdering whoever is on the opposite end of your scope and more of the direct, loud action, which doesn't really flow with the game that sends you to the reload-from-the-last-checkpoint screen after a couple of stray bullets.

Also, FOR THE LOVE OF SHROOM VODKA, why are there four boss battles? This ain't Dark Souls, chief. Neither is this a Monster Hunter where you fight a giant, mutated shrimp, juiced-up nosalis, Momma Bear and a freaking armored tank train. Very annoying and immersion disrupting moments, in my book.

Plot: This game focuses more on man vs. man conflict, rather than man vs. environment that was present in the 2033. The addition of the little companion in the second half of the game was really fun, allowing for some pretty memorable encounters, while giving a glimpse on how the "outside" actually works and that you don't have murder everything you see.

Music and sounds: Soundtrack is as fitting and background-filling as in the predecessor, that's a plus. Sound design is still a 50/50 for me, since at times I had trouble telling how close an enemy was to me, but other than that it's the same thing as in the 2033.

Overall: A worse Metro 2033, but still pretty enjoyable.

Let me preface this review with that I have not read any of books from the Metro series.

Now onto the game itself.

Graphics: Metro 2033 Redux looks very impressive and has aged very well. The improved lighting system from Metro Last Light works wonderfully, creating incredibly immerisve atmosphere, especially in the dimmly lit or dark areas. Textures, while obviously slightly dated, still look great. The worst offender would be facial animations and textures of the mentioned. While most gameplay animations look fine, the ones found on the heads of our companions are all sorts of rough and janky.

Gameplay: Personally I think that this game shines in the stealth and exploration sections, as the moment an AI spots you every single enemy gets immediately alerted of your exact position and starts relentlessly shooting in that direction (NOTE: I played on second highest difficulty setting). Gunplay is solid, but we get to play with some of the more interesting death-bringing contraptions far too late into the campaign, in my opinion.

Plot: (as prefaced - I haven't read the books) I honestly enjoyed this take on the post-apocaliptic world, or Russia in this very case. Even 20 years after the armageddon, humans are still exploring the vast underground network of Moscow's metro line system, inhabited by mutated wildlife, anomalies and totalitarian regimes. Sort of split on the ending, since only one of the two is considered canon and I personally found the other far more interesting. Nontheless, it's a cool concept for a post-apo game world.

Music and sounds: Very fitting, ambient music. Can't say a bad thing. Sound design on the other hand is a hit or miss sometimes. When audio cues work well, they help you tremendously with understanding enemy's status. When they don't, they will unnecessarily spook you, thinking you're done and have to restart from last checkpoint.

Overall: A solid FPS, that I can easily recommend to any fan of post-apocaliptic shooters. Also, a surprisingly good stealth game.

The closest we came to a cure for cancer.

Simple, laidback, pixel-art town management game.

It's cheap, it's developed by a single person and has a lot of potential.

There is literally no reason not to try it.

Review update after 1.3.1 - Until Gearbox fixes the fundamentally broken core gameplay aspects of Risk of Rain 2, I cannot in any capacity recommend this game to anyone. Shame on you, GBX.

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Tons of people were concerned that change from 2D to full 3D will change the game for worse.

GOOD NEWS, PEOPLE - this is the same, incredible (and chaotic) game.

Adding another dimension allows devs to expand game's original concept and vision in more than handful ways.

Bring your friends (or randos) and have a blast!

There's only one rule:
LEAVE NO DWARF BEHIND.

This game has a SH!T ton of character. You can see it in the player, level and weapon design. Even though the game is still in Early Access, it is by far my TOP 3 when it comes to co-op games.

Simplistic (yet beatiful at times), voxel-based graphical design allows for the creation of possibly the best procedurally-generated levels that spans for absolute miles. There are a lot of "wallpaper scenes" throughout each level, especially the biggest ones.

Very subtle, yet fitting soundtrack only enchances the overall feeling of dwarf vs the planet.

Cannot recommend this game enough.