Recent reviews by Simkin

I really want to like this game, but the distinctly limited 'game' aspect of this game keeps holding back my enjoyment of it. I find that if I play it for longer than about 30 minutes I tend to nod off, like watching the antiques roadshow or something equally soothing. Maybe I'm just the wrong audience for it. The humour was often quite good, but I would put it up against Untitled Goose Game for wacky indie platformer, and that one was just more FUN. Still worth a try if you can find it on sale.

As someone who's played HOMM2 & 3 (and yes, even 4), and would rather perform a full frontal lobotomy on myself than play whatever the hell Ubisoft eventually made out of the franchise, this ... sort of scratches the itch. The campaigns are fun, but more puzzle-ish than tactical, particularly the ones where you can't lose your primary hero. I find the magic system needlessly overburdened with complexity, to the point where I don't bother building a hero up to take advantage of spells.

I find that the battles are not nearly as much fun. I don't know if I'm just not playing it correctly, or my brain has atrophied to the point where only HOMM 3 style combat makes logical sense, but I find that most battles I just do a quick resolution, rather than playing it out. I *should* want to play out the battles, it *should* be one of the more fun aspects of the game, but I just find them generally unfun, unintuitive (particularly the magic) and often unfair. I've tried a few combats where the auto-combat will crush an opponent with minimal losses, while I will barely make a dent in them (insert gif of Homer reading the "Am I retarded?" book here). Why can't all units elect to wait? Why do I have to use WASD to move around my view of the map? Mouselook worked fine back in the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 90s, and that was (checks watch) 30 years ago.
WHY CAN'T I MOVE MY UNITS FORWARD WHEN I AM DEFENDING A TOWN??

Maybe in scenario or free play some of my issues would resolve, I haven't finished the campaign yet and I've enjoyed the story (well, except for the Necro) enough to continue through those. I'd say if you want a break from HOMM3, give it a go.

Went bankrupt before producing a single car. 100% faithful recreation of the auto industry, would recommend.

Not sure why this won't let me post the review, possibly because it's too short? If you like playing spreadsheets and minutiae, this will be right up your alley.

I play it for the articles.

If you enjoyed Reader Rabbit, and have crushed all 99 levels of Mavis Beacon, including the special bonus level you only find on New Game+ then this is the game for you.

Fun light platforming, beautiful visuals, and a breadth and depth of characters that feel like a warm hug, right up until you have to say goodbye for the final time. Get if for the feels.

Yes, this is a game that I have played. X_X

I ... I play it for the puzzles.

Do you like reading? Like really, really like reading? To the point where you wish that your RPG just did away with all the boring stuff that gets in the way of some seriously good writing? Look no further. If this is on your wish list, scrap everything else you have on there in front of it, and buy this damn game.

This is the first game in... probably at least a decade, that:
I actively think about when I'm not playing it.
I don't want to binge play, because that will make the experience end too soon.
I don't want to use a wiki to figure out the optimal path.
I actually feel bad save scumming, and only use it for occasionally exhausting comedic avenues

The game will hook you - how, why, when, is up to you. For me, it was 5 minutes in, when I died due to turning the light on (hangovers and terribly mistreating your body for a prolonged period will do that to you).

Sooooo... Apparently I like farming? Who knew? Also, help me, I cannot get out of this game.