Recent reviews by iBear

Played for just under ten hours over the summer, and enjoyed every moment of it. It can be both played in a very relaxed, laid-back manner and with more of a speedrunning approach (collect-em-all asap). The demo reeled me in - I can recommend playing that to get a feel - and I continued playing in the 1.x version for the time being. Every - free! - expansion adds collections, locations and more, and I just wanted to experience it all step by step.

The gameplay can focus on various aspects, but I personally was very fond of the hunt for the various species and crossbreeding them. I haven't gotten much beyond half-way, but I hope I'll find the time to at some point.

Nice little relaxing game, very good for podcasts/second screening too. Do recommend.

The Turing Test is a first person puzzler with an interesting background. Although the game itself can probably be finished in well under four hours, it is well worth taking the time to explore, look around and read all the flavour bits to deepen the story. I would certainly advise doing that, as the game's puzzles are not really challenging if you are a puzzle fan. Once in a while, optional puzzles appear, which - upon completion - tell yet more of the background and story.

Graphically, the game is rather slick with a great finish. The music is eerie, which absolutely helped creating an uneasy atmosphere in which the protagonist is placed.

If you are just in it for the puzzles, there are a couple (literally) that require some more out-of-the-box thinking, but you can generally run through the game nearly blindly. Still, those few puzzles, which include optional puzzles, can make it worth your while.
The story is predictable, but the flavour texts strewn around the game make it more interesting.

All in all, not as expansive as I had hoped, but I was not disappointed either. 7/10

Small notice: I tried playing this through my Steam Link at first, but the resolution was stuck at 240p and I could not change that. I ended up playing with mouse and keyboard anyway, as some puzzles required more precise timing, which was barely (if at all) doable using a Steam Controller. No issues with resolution on my computer.

Just over six hours in, and the game has me completely captivated. As a Metroidvania game, this platformer scores really well. Many different paths to take, an amazing style, sublime music and sound effects - a true masterpiece.
The difficulty level does increase slowly, but should get pretty steep at some point. I'll update this review when (or rather: if) I manage to finish the game.
But for now: amazing!

[edit]
Well, it's been a bit more than six hours now, and I've managed to finish the game. Then again, "finish" is a finicky term with Hollow Knight. There are multiple endings, there are many items to gather and additional foes to beat. The full 112%? Still haven't achieved that. Speed run? I might actually be able to do that. But I still play this game once in a while, and still enjoy it very much.
It does get harder, especially if you want to complete the game rather then beat it, but despite some moments of frustration (getting lost along the way, dying to a foe time and time again), the game's visuals, music and feel keep pulling me in. It is most certainly a game I will revisit with some regularity.

Would buy again. And looking forward to the 'sequel'.

If you have several controllers - and preferably a Steam Link connected to a nice, big TV - this game is simply loads of fun.
Play together as cute little critters and bring back love to your dimension!

I won't deny this game has tedious moments where you need to memorise certain aspects or sequences - but that is also what makes this games so interesting. None of that quicksave/quickload bull, just hard work (and still, hard is relative).

The story that evolves in the background is simplistic and nothing new, yet collecting all achievements (in the form of scrolls in the game) will provide a few additional insights into what just transpired in the years before the game and how the situation came to be.

The mechanics are fair and as you continue playing, the logic behind the move sequences will become clearer.

All in all, I enjoyed playing (using a controller made it more pleasant), and 100%'ing almost doubled my playtime.

TL;DR
If you like a challenge that reminds you of some older games: go for it.
If you get tired of repetition and get frustrated easily by your own mistakes: stay away.

Bought it. Finished it. Got it on Steam, played it again... and then some more.
The game is amazing. The graphics, speed and physics really take you away to the rooftops and streets. Fast-paced, colourful and generally entertaining. The storyline is not one of the longest ever, but the replayability (especially the timed courses) is good.

Beware if you are afraid of heights, though. The graphics and audio of falling down a skyscraper are a tad too realistic to my taste.

Interesting puzzler. Finished in a single sitting of about an hour an a half, enjoyed every moment of it.

Not the hardest of puzzlers, but enjoyed it very much. It gently introduces new concepts to make the game more diffucult, and the puzzles grow larger as well. Where the first ones take several seconds, the last few can take up to ten minutes. Not having an undo button is logical, as mistakes are immediately made known, but when your fingers don't follow your brain (i.e. when you want to left-click and you right-click, or the other way around), this is frustrating, as you have to start the puzzle anew entirely to perfect it.

I would recommend to people who enjoy a quick challenge and puzzles in general. Otherwise, I'd steer clear of it - then again, why would you be looking at a puzzler review if you are not interested? ;)

Syberia is an old school puzzle adventure. I borrowed it once from a family friend years ago, and absolutely loved it.
The game takes place in Europe (from France to deep eastern Europe), and is mostly drenched in a form of Steampunk; this all due to the Automatons involved.
The setting is very pleasant, and the whole atmosphere is simply relaxing. There is no rushing, no stress, just plain puzzling in beautiful environments.
An absolute must try for Myst fans.

(I'll have to finish this one before reviewing Syberia 2, obviously...)
Oh, and a great thing: it's available in multiple languages! I can play it in the original French! whoop!

Though the graphics are by now somewhat dated, the game still gets a very nice 9 out of 10, for the feeling it gives me while playing :)

With an interesting and different approach to the RTS concept, this game offers a war-like setting while being able to give you some soothing of the mind. Very nice, and worth the effort.
It will not appeal to all, but give it a swing if you can.
My opinion: 7.5 / 10

VVVVVV - not the most usual name for a game; but the game isn't very typical either.
In a way, it's a revival of the old 80's games; including all the low res graphics, cheesy bleep-bleep music and gameplay. And yet - it is very captivating.
The story is simple: you are the captain of a spaceship, which gets lost in a dimensional vortex. You and your crew are separated, and you need to find them.
The catchy part is the easy (and at moments very hard) gameplay. The only things you can do are: move left / right, and change the direction of gravity - but that last one is only as long as you stand on firm ground. Once you fly - you fly. This means you can not jump over obstacles as you're used to it, the whole game makes you think differently, which is nice.
The entire game can be finished within two hours, but if you want to get all trinkets - there's twenty in total - it might take you a little while (try typing "Veni Vidi Vici Trinket" on YouTube...).

I give this an 8/10 :)