Recent reviews by Mr Red (Oail/Pedro)

Hypnagogia is a perfect incapsulation of gaming's potential for mood pieces, colourful art and liminal storytelling. Sometimes I'm sad that more games like it aren't made. It is one of the few games that properly captures the atmosphere of something that is truly dreamlike. It is somewhat lacking in actual gameplay - The game in general is a point and click, though many sections border on walking section, with exceptions such as the Forest World - But Hypnangogia is one of the most charming games I've played on a story and visual axis alone. I would love to see Sodaraptor take a crack at a fully fledged storyline and a fully fledged game experience, which might be what their next project, Covert Critter, is all about. But until i see more from this developer, I'll just have to keep dreaming...

But what a beautiful dream to have.

Pseudoregalia is a great game that I kind of hate. To start with the negatives, the guidence and flow of this game is terrible, the visual distinction is almost non-existent and you will find yourself lost constantly. The absence of a map during my playthrough made this game unbareable to navigate. There's a lot of problems with progression, the game doesn't lead you at all, which you would think is a strength as it is possible to get basicly anywhere with minimal upgrades... However, the order in which you get the upgrades is completely up to the player, meaning that certain things and options are locked off and, having no easily accessible map ingame, the player has to figure out where their next objective is with their current moveset COMPLETELY ON THEIR OWN. I ended up getting rather frustrated with this game, getting lost in samey rooms with no real direction, trying to make sense of guides and failing at obstacles that would have been easier if I had some kind of direction with which to find the appropriate upgrades. If you don't use a walkthrough, playing this game can be like pulling teeth in terms of navigation.

On the flipside, Pseudoregalia has some of the best 3D platforming I've ever seen in a video game. When the game is fun, my god it is fun. Take the insane, broken platforming from Mario 64, make all of those broken tricks you can do intentional and fully designed and fleshed out, design a fully unique moveset based on that and deck out a full playground loaded with beautifully designed jumping puzzles. This game's M.O. is centred fully around the platforming, with skills ranging from wall kicks, backflips, wall-gliding, ground pounds and high jumps, the controls as smooth as butter. This is a tight, densely packed, rather experimental platformer with thoughtful (if incredibly frustrating) design placed into its platforming. I'm not even going to mention combat because it's so irrelevant outside of two parts of the game.

For the pricetag, this game is an incredibly valuable experience, replayable and oozing with speedrun potential. Its core mechanics are brilliant, but the world it inhabits is obtuse. The story is threadbare but has charm and the main character looks quite good. If you have the inclination and are a casual player who would like to try this, my recommendation is to play this game with a walkthrough and a map, and enjoy it in short bursts. It's a very solid, very well made game that pissed me off to no end when I played it a few months back. I hope that the dev(s) take this game's successes and failures to heart when making their next game, because if this is what they can do in a game jam, I'd shiver to think what kind of potential they have to make brilliant games, full-sized games for a hardcore platforming audience. Strongly recommended with strong asterisks.

Gripping, taboo, mystical and not for the faint of heart. If you value a unique aesthetic, are a fan of brain-teasing puzzlers or are just ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ edgy like me, you'll find something you like here. The secrets are extremely obtuse, and that's why you should find them all. Or look up a walkthrough like I did!

Let me preface this by saying that Cruelty Squad, appearances aside, is definitely worth your money. That doesn't mean you'll enjoy it, or enjoy all of it, but if you have any doubts about the quality of this game you probably haven't been pouring through the reviews of this game that say it's amazing and the Overwhelmingly Positive score sitting right under the logo. Granted that contrarianism, elitism and "I'm a big boy, I like smart game"-ism definitely plays a factor in the meteoric rise in sales and review scores this game has seen but there's also just the fact that this is a REALLY good game.

Let's start with the most obvious thing. The graphics are absolute garbage. They look like an MS-Paint fever dream, it looks like what someone who's never been on drugs thinks being on drugs is like... But honestly, I kinda like that. After all, this is a self-described sewage infused garbage world and it follows this down to every detail, from the lore to the graphics. If you can praise it for something, the graphics are consistent with both themselves and the accompanying game and world. Speaking of the world - If you don't like really dark subject matter, even in the tongue in cheek way Cruelty Squad presents it, stay away from this game. Without spoiling anything too deeply, the world of Cruelty Squad is essentially a place where death has been removed almost totally from the equation, yet cruelty and suffering has not. Even though most everyone you meet is kind of a prick in some way or another and a lot of them probably deserve the grizzly fates you can inflict on them, you can commit some pretty horrible atrocities in your quest for a fat paycheck, so if you're not up for that maybe steer away but if you want to feel like a vile sewer person, Cruelty Squad's for you.

One of the best things about this game is just how many options it gives you. The game is as hard as you want it to be. You can die a bunch and go to the lowest difficulty, or pick some starting gear, grab your cursed torch and nothing else and die 74 different ways in the first level. And you can complete your objective in basicly infinite ways. You can blow people up through walls, turn their genetic makeup into a hot mess, grapple through each level or just ♥♥♥♥ around and explore at your own pace. As long as you have the money to keep paying for body reconstruction you can try literally anything that is in your aug menu and weapons menu and you'll probably find a way to make it work - And there's plenty of things to unlock, from weapons to augs to levels to whatever, you name it.

The level design is on point, the game is beautifully ugly, you are finally free to be the beautiful ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ nerve ape you want to be. This game is an expanding void of trauma waiting to be plundered for its secrets. It is the most "video game" video game I've ever played and I got 13 hours of content out of it that will almost definitely expand on repeated playthroughs and trying to beat Trauma Loop without cheesing it (I still beat it, eat my sh*t). There's a lot to love about this game, and while it's not for the faint of heart, you shouldn't let that stop you from experiencing this severance from your divine link and your paycheck. I know the price tag's a bit intimidating for a game that looks like this but if you can immerse yourself in the blood and vomit it's well worth it. Buy it. Consume.

An interesting, earnest and atmospheric alt-game that's short but sweet. More in line with an adventure game than a walking sim, you are given the tools to choose the future of a world by watering a birch tree with various liquids. It's a bizarre and irreverent dreamscape that captures a very specific type of feeling, and if you find yourself pining for that kind of atmosphere then this is a game that will serve you well. If not, you might still find something of worth here, such as the humor and novelty of its gameplay and themes. I'd recommend it highly - Just... Don't feed it what you bleed.

This game is a walking sim, so if you aren't a fan of those, that's fine but I'd still recommend picking this thing up anyway.

It's a good story written by an acquaintence of mine, which dives into some pretty heavy topics. Without dipping into spoilers, I'll say that the main character and those she "interacts" with are all rather likable and fleshed out in the hour of playtime this game provides, and it has an ending that got me to care enough about the main character to not go the way that it seemed to. That said, it also seems rather up to interpretation.

This is a well crafted little game that gives some food for thought. Was Dylan right to want a family where Suni wanted a career? Was Dylan's death a suicide or an accident? It's clear they both loved each other, but they also wanted different things, they're both falable people. Dylan failed to understand that Suni couldn't remember, but how could he? Suni just wanted a life working, neither Dylan or Suni were wrong to want what they wanted, it's just the fact that what happened happened. And finally... Did Suni go the way of James Sunderland in the "In Water" ending? If you like picking your own brain for the answers the medium gives you, this game is a treat. It doesn't give you the answers to what is correct - It just poses you with the tragedy of being a person with dementia and being posed with these circumstances. Everyone's life is a tragedy, I believe the quote is.

I'm usually one to argue against story superceding gameplay, but I do see the potential in walking sims - At their best, they can be a refreshing short story that you can interact with, test and toy with. And besides, this game is probably more interactive than TLOU 2, and any chance to beat that dead horse I will take. It's a good game made for a good cause, some of the money will go to Humble, and it might just make you think about some things you usually wouldn't. This is peak walking sim, good writing, satisfying gameplay (interacting with things colours in some of the house, which is kinda an awesome idea) and while I didn't cry, I felt something. Which is rare.

PAGAN: Autogeny has an atmosphere that I have been searching for for the longest time. That being the element of cold, almost frightening nostalgia. Let me set the scene. You are in a cold room, you are 6, you're trying to get some sleep. And you don't know how, but you start to come to the realization that the world is bigger than you, and realize that one day, you will have to defend yourself, alone. That's the sensation that PAGAN places in you. Things aren't outright scary, but you're unguided, and venturing into something both unknown and potentially malevolent. I played this game twice - Once for the normal ending, once for the secret ending. Each took a minimum of two playthroughs, and one of them required me to scour the web for some weirdo with a stream to show me how to get it. However, I would say this to those about to look up the secret ending method: Don't. It would be immensely more satisfying to figure it out on your own. I felt cheap looking it up. But I will give this advice: Under the Aethermage. The ghosts will help you.

With that out of the way... I would opine that PAGAN is one of the more enjoyable horror experiences I've had. There's a palpable bleakness and darkness to this game that exudes, and it doesn't just extend to the trippy visuals. The audio design is insanely well done, the atmosphere of an alien, dead place crafts a dreary emptiness that looms over the spirit. The game only legitimately scared me once (normal ending) but I don't want to be scared, I want to be horrified. I'm sure I could get more hours and enjoyment out of this game by playing it to unlock the door that requires you get 10 of each skill, or get 36 estrogen, or trying to figure out the stats of each of the unmarked items (hint: Open the manual!) and though they wouldn't be very fun, they are more reasons to experience this strange and esoteric journey. Not only that, but I think someone still needs to document the ending poems somewhere. Either way, I immensely enjoyed this game for the short runtime. If Oleander releases more games on Steam, I would buy them in a heartbeat (unless they're like 2 minutes long, because that's a ripoff at any price).

8.5/10

Hedon Review

There’s few things that can be said of Doom that haven’t been said, iterated upon and repeated ad nauseum in old reviews, mod readme’s, in discussions of gaming history and from ID itself. Doom, as a piece of media, is completely locked into the annals of history as an important milestone in game design, software design and first person gaming. When they say that Doom was installed on more computers than Windows was, I believe them. That’s not to say that I think Doom is flawless – It’s an old game, a very simple game, and its creators didn’t really believe in using the medium of gaming to tell an in depth story.

With this out of the way, we have to look at Doom not as a game, but as it is currently known: A platform. Doom’s current library of varied, free modifications transform Doom into not only one of the most important games of all time, but one of the most versatile. Doom can be a first person shooter, a shooter looter, even an RPG or a platforming game, there’s mods about making friends with evil demons as one of those evil demons, mods emulating Silent Hill and its ilk. There are countless, countless mods. All of them are free and at your perusal.

So then we come to Hedon.

Hedon is a first person shooter game made by a fellow named Zan (who named the main character after his online persona), an eccentric fellow with a passion and drive for weaving the world of Hedon, which is called… Well, Hedon. You play as Zan, a half orc half demon woman who is part of the Iron Division, specifically of the caste of Bear Warriors. After going on a doomed campaign to assault the demonic citadel, the orcs that went on the campaign were wiped out, with the exception of Zan herself. Awaking in a damp, dreary cave after an introductory dream sequence wherein Zan appears to be in a hell dimension, she sets about her quest, unable to remember how she got here or what is happening in the world of Hedon.

So, some things right off the bat I would like to start with. First of all, why did I do that whole introductory schpeel about Doom and its place as a platform for modding and free, near endless content. With this review, I have to sell you on a strange idea: Hedon is made on the GZDoom engine, which if you know anything about Doom needs no introduction, it’s the primary way to play Doom.

I’ll start by saying that first of all, there’s no trace of Doom in Hedon. GZDoom is, in its essence, its own engine at this point – Its main goal is to let you play Doom, but if you take out every ounce of Doom then replace it with your own stuff, like code, art, sound effects and all, you can legally sell it. So yes, Hedon is legal. There’s no moral dilemma from paying for this – It’s all Zan’s original stuff, except for the music. We’re gonna get to that.

Next off, I want to say that while this is a paid mod, and you can feel Doom in it, it’s a damn good mod – And if you’re skeptical about it, there is a shareware release with all the levels on it. What you’re missing though is a good swathe of content when you opt to pick up the shareware release instead of the Steam release – Including, but not limited to:

-Future additions, tweaks, balancing and additions to the game
-A roasting hot, sick map extension to map 1 – Several map extensions and changes, in fact
-Levels/episodes that are to be added in future
-An entire new game mode featuring some of the most satisfying melee combat in an FPS
-Improved gore effects
-The ability to support the developer so he can chug boomer juice all day and all night
-And more

I would highly recommend hunting down the Shareware release of the game, playing the first level, and seeing how you feel about that, but if you’re confident in what you read in the reviews here and see from gameplay online, I highly encourage you to pick up Hedon and give it a try.

The first level, while not the worst in the world, can be a touch difficult to figure out. Soon Zan will be adding a new extension to the first level which will give players a taste of the combat immediately, but that won’t be added for a few more days. When you read this, it will likely be added. The problem comes with the first level’s “real” start. If you’re not playing on Brutalizing difficulty, the hardest but most combat-oriented difficulty in the game, you’re going to be waiting a while for any combat to start in the Cold Rock section of the first level. However, here is where I feel the game’s best boon comes into play. Hedon stews in a dripping, firm atmosphere that permeates with beauty and nature.

When you start Hedon, you’re going to be confused, but that’s okay. One thing I’d recommend – Until you get the elevator at the start working, turn the music off. It’s more a preference thing, but personally I prefer it that way – It allows the atmosphere to soak, the sound of a cave dripping and the sound of nature permeating from a cave where fauna has grown. Here is where I gush: Hedon is the first game in a long time where I felt excited to enter into a new, strange world, where I felt the wonder of transitioning from one world into another, stranger one. The atmosphere is the driving force of the first level, which so happens to be up there as one of my favorite starting levels in any game.

Moving on, as you finally get to the outpost (turn your music on) you get your first weapon, an axe. The axe might seem like a basic ♥♥♥♥♥ weapon, and it is, but it isn’t meant to be unique, it’s just an axe. And a really satisfying axe to use at that. You run at your enemy and you slash them with it and just send them careening off as they just completely explode with giblets, or you line up your shot right and take out 4 enemies with an axe throw, completely shredding them like confetti.

Soon enough, you come out of Cold Rock and into Raw Whisper, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful, albeit simple environments ever put into a game. Here, you pick up the Spike Gun, which acts as your machine gun. The sound it makes is punchy and very “nail gun” like, but if you consider that you’re firing superheated metal spikes at the enemy, you have to wonder how heavy they are.

You move through another short cave and into a shrine room, specifically the shine of the goddess Moon. I believe this might be my favourite visual in the game, but there are many, many great visuals that you’ll see as you play and explore Hedon, and many moments that will stick with you. But Moon’s shrine is this strange, almost sacred moment in a sacred place, and it was the first time that I knew Hedon really, really meant business in terms of art design and atmosphere.

It also means business because you’re soon to fight some enemies. Did I mention that Hedon has stealth? Not really, it’s not quite stealth, but if you use meta knowledge to your advantage, you can take out the majority of an enemy group undetected. Well, we practice that here. In a courtyard ahead, you can find a moon flower near some rocks. Take it back to Moon and place it on the pedestal, and you’ll be rewarded with not one, but two secrets.

First is the shadow amulet, which is nice but I never use. Next is an entire hidden courtyard area… Which leads to a small cavern which you can crawl into, and finally a throne room (How pretentious can you get?) Within the first level is already an extensive adventure that only barely touches the surface of what the game is, and what the game is about. Ten levels of incredibly good shooter action with tight visual direction, impeccable atmosphere and a lot of lore.

Not to sound sentimental, but Hedon is one of my favourite games of all time, and you owe it to yourself to at least look and see if it would be the right game for you. An absolute must and a breath of fresh air in the dying games industry. Please try Hedon, you won't regret it.

10/10

A good, cheap classic game, still active even today. Killing Floor is hardly the most advanced, but it's certainly one of the more iconic shooters of the last generation of shooter games, even if it is succeeded by its younger brother Killing Floor 2.

I haven't played Devil Daggers for long, and I haven't played Devil Daggers in a long time. So one day, when I booted it up, I realized that I had about a minute and a half as a record. And when I played it, I barely lasted 20 seconds. I believe that that's a testiment to how skill and memory-based this game is, which is a thing that can be quite hard to make fun if you don't know what you're doing. But instead of being infuriating, this game is addictive and compelling, it's got a lot of good design behind it. For instance, you know for a fact that you will die, it's less a matter of if and how, and more when. A game like Devil Daggers could have easily been a rage game where you literally die the second you boot up the game, but they went the extra mile to make it an addictive, fun, endless experience - In a way, Devil Daggers is like an arcade game in the best way. I can see this game being set up for a controller, and put in a cabinet and having to charge for every life. This game is relatively cheap, at 4 pounds a pop, and though it might not be the most indepth game with the most open world or the most amazing and expansive lore, what you're getting will probably last you longer than a boring, empty open world with some copy-paste sidequests, especially if you are a fan of oldschool shooting games. I'd say this is part of the essential steam collection and I would highly recommend it.