Recent reviews by Drown

For an indie zombie survival game, SurrounDead really delivers. Even though there isn't a terribly large amount of content while I write this review (Feb 20/23), there is still plenty of entertainment to extract from this game. Also, while the graphics are mid tier at best, it does a great job at feeling unique and immersive still. From the crafting, to the combat and the firearms to the base building, everything is pretty well done, and really shows just how much potential the game really has. Now, not everything is done all that great and like any other, theres room for improvement, like the loot feeling repetetive and underwhelming or the jankiness of crawler zombies. With that said, there is still an absolute ton of content to enjoy with SurrounDead and theres even more being added on a regular basis. Even Multiplayer has been confirmed for a future update, so you can always check back later if thats what you're looking for. Either way, in its current state, the game is poised to be a powerhouse in the indie survival genre and I'm pumped to see what it becomes.

Every so often, a game with the scale and vision comes along to bless our gamer souls, and My Time at Portia happily delivers on the massive, resource-gathering and most importantly fun!

The obvious comparisons between the Harvest Moon series, Stardew Valley and graphically, Zelda:BoTW come up, and they are not without reason. This game does obviously lie in the genre of the first two games, but visually, I believe it to be a style of their own, and it is quite special.

Beginning the game, you create a character who inherits their fathers workshop in a town called Portia. I will admit, the creator is rather lackluster. However, once you start, the real charm is in collecting, upgrading,expanding and personalizing your farm. There are many ways to do this, but if youre familiar with the games I mentioned earlier, you will be familiar with the mechanics. Simply craft and sell at high markets. The game has a nice tutorial system that guides you along to get going.

My favorite addition this game brings to the genre is it's combat. There are zones that you eventually unlock that are filled with levelled monsters that give important loot, and a nice way to exert stamina lol. You craft various weapons and delve into dungeons, fighting monsters and looking for loot, eventually arriving to boss fights that become rather difficult! You're also able to spar with the townsfolk in return for relationship points. It's always a happily violent time in Portia!

Overall this game is excellent and worth a buy at full price, but goes on sale often and would be a worthy addition and time-sink in anyone's collection
9/10

I'll start off by clarifying the fact that I came at this game as a Platinum Games fan, but an even larger Yoko Taro/Nier fan. And allow me be another to say, Nier: Automata is another incredible title to be contained within the archives of both Taro and Platinum. I begin by saying this because this game is stunningly apt sumation of what occurs when industry gameplay gods like Nier:Potato's developer, and literary intellects like Taro amalgamate their talents. Platinum has finally given Taro's universe the life, respect and most importantly, fun it deserves.

The fun in Nier: Tomato, commences the moment you read the title and continues till far after you've beaten the game countless times, collecting all 26 unique endings. Mechanically, Platinum comes as hard hitting as usual, offering sometimes challenging, visually stunning, and always engaging gameplay. Even smashing low level machines to bits in a single stroke or stab remains as sadistically satisfying up until you rest your hands from keyboard. Furthermore, the game is far less mind-numbingly grindy like its predecessor (I remember spending literal weeks farming a specific item for an achievement.) Which frees your time and attention toward a more genuine enjoyment of the game and its components.

Graphically, Nier:Onomatopoeia is little above average for "The current year." What helps amplify the aesthetics of the game, is exactly that aesthetics. Atmosphere helps drive the realism of the setting through an amazing soundtrack and a simple-to-follow planogram for the Open World.

What truly had me gripped beyond anything my first playthrough had to offer was of course, Taro's work. This game will ellicit all sorts of emotion from a player, mostly focussed on a comedic/abstract approach to literary themes. Theres a lot of sadness in Taros world, however, the sadness is blanketed by a relative apathy, not dissimilar to themes of entertainers like Bill Hicks or George Carlin, though different in sophistication.

With retrospect, Nier's latest addition is absolutely stunning, and I will continue to have lots of fun, likely collecting all endings and such. I would highly recommend it to any fan of Taro or Platinum, undoubtedly, but further, anyone who is looking for an extremely sound action adventure, with an engaging and fun story behind it.

9/10

Add another game to the list of titles that absolutely destroy Thief in defining the stealth genre. Shadwen is an excellent stealth-gaming experience (Have we not all been waiting for another actually decent gme within this genre?) that gets nearly everything right, while still being creatively and mechanically unique and interesting.

Firstly, before a stealth-action game, this game revolves around a giant escort mission. Our assassinating protagonist, Shadwen, is accompanied by a young girl, Lily as she attempts to carry out her contract against the king. Your actions, namely killing or distracting guards will have an effect on your companion if she sees you exacting your sick fantasies on the plentiful peons populating the map. Your relationship to Lily is also tied to specific achievements depending on the conditions of the end of your playthrough.

Speaking of achievements, in truly typical fashion, the achievements indicate 2 or 3 playthroughs necessary to collect em' all. The achievements correspond to a genocide and pacifist playthrough, and finally a group of achievements dependent on the protagonists' relationship.

Mechanically, the game is quite interesting, revolving around this massive escort mission, but also incorporating a time-control mechanic whereby your game-over states are reverted by rewinding time and this can also be used to correct mistakes (think Prince of Persia). Furthermore, the physics engine is quite fun to play with, distracting guards with the tug of your hook on a box, dangling/swinging from a platform to dropping a barrel on poor Leeroy's skull.

Shadwen is not without its detractors though. I found every level melded together terribly, and felt exactly the same. The escort mechanics are excellently implemented however, I did still have difficulty averting Lily's eyes to my massacre on my violent playthrough. This got to the point where I would work the levels backwards, killing the guards at the end - beginning to give me time to hide bodies and such.

The story is nothing to glare at, in fact, stare away, or jam some music during the "cutscenes" and loading screens, actually, just play some music the whole way through. The dialogue, and cutscenes are dry, and boring. The only redeeming factor from all of this is the artwork shoddily slideshowed throughout, which, awesomely enough can be enjoyed with your music.

After all is said and done, Shadwen has impressed me and helped revitalize what I believe to be a genre that just can't seem to get it right. The game is mechanically interesting, paying homage to titles that have done it before, while maintaining a unique feeling. A stealth title that is an all out blast!

What Can be said that the hype hasn't said already? For once, a triple A title worth the hype and the price. I could go on for days about terrible triple A releases and their pricetags, but for once CD Projekt Red shows the industry how its done. Not only is this game beautiful, but its incredibly well written and will keep you playing for hundreds of hours. I've played through the game twice now, and can say it will be one of those games to inspire constant returns for the years to come. Whats most impressive for me is how flawless the combat feels. In the games predecessors I felt the controls could be clonky and found myself screaming at my monitor because my dodged just missed the tip of the enemy's sword thus resulting in my immediate death and wipe of all my save files (CURSE YOU WITCHER 2'S HARDEST DIFFICULTY!). Combat rarely gets boring and offers many different ways to deal with situations, though there are definitely "optimal" ways to dispose of enemies.

The books this series are based on are throroughly well-written, even when translated and The Witcher 3 really holds strong to this fundamental for this intellectual property. The game's voice acting is excellent, and the writing is on par as well, with countless hours of dialogue to keep you listening and hopefully interested in the world unfolding at your whim.

This game is amazing, and definitely warrants a purchase from enthusiasts and casuals the same. You'll easily get your money's worth, which is greatly refreshing for our modern landscape of gaming. CD Projekt Red deserves a lot of kudos for this title, and I can say they've earned my money, and given me a chance to truly engage in the vast world of The Witcher.

A competent, compelling and sometimes stressfull survival-platformer. I'll be the first to admit, I was scepticle when approaching this game, with the survival genre being the way it is, however I am happy I decided to pick this game up and start playing. The game is excellent, combining stealth, survival, and rpg elements, with enough difficulty to have you wanting to correct your mistakes, and see that every survivor makes it through the war.

I'm not a huge fan of platformers, but in this game, it feels right. Although, combat is quite clunky to say the least, once you get used to the fight sequences with your scavenger, its relatively smooth sailing. Be careful who you kill as well because all kills have repurcussions with your survivors, so make each kill count and be sure to wash it down with some moonshine :P!

If you are looking for a challenging, single-player survival game, then one could definitely do worse than picking up This War of Mine. It'll definitely earn its money back (in terms of time-played) and may even hold a special place in your collection. The game is not without its problems, however. There are some bugs, though most obvious ones have been fixed, and it could definitely discourage players who cannot adjust to the difficulty and learning curve. But don't give up, you'll make it through the brutal war! Sarajevo did! :D

All in all, an impressive purchase, and an even more impressive experience.

8.5/10

Best game about Goats I've ever played. 100/100

A very well-executed sandbox. It felt like Infamous meets GTA. The city feels so interactive with all the commands you can do through your phone. Some of the profiles are plain hilarious and sure to cause some laughs. I can't say much of the online other than the few matches I have played have been decent thus far. There are a plethora of mini-games available to the player and definitely up the replayability factor I can say I'll get my money's worth, however I do believe this game should be cheaper than it is now at $60.

Banished is an excellent game. Quite addicting, challenging, and satisfying. Watching your city and citizens flourish can be really rewarding. Throughout the course of all your cities you will develop a bond with the land and the people who inhabit it, while having complete control over it. Aesthetically, the game is on par with what I would expect from any game of the genre and proper city planning can result in some very pleasing designs.

9/10

A game that deserves to be played. If you're a fan of hack and slash, you should play this game. Also, THQ could probably use the money.