Recent reviews by Vlauer

MUST PLAY if you have any interest in 8bit games whatsoever. The whole package has so much soul its hard to put into words, with several game genres so there's something for everyone. There's also the joy of discovering the games one by one and trying to finish/cherry them and understand their mechanics since the instructions are minimal. It's the closest thing to finding a "9999 in 1" cartridge in a closet, along with a console forgotten to time.

A hectic PvE shooter with vibes similar to the Battlefront series, with a big selections of weapons and support stratagems like airstrikes/turrets/heavy equipment for the total annihilation of the bug/automaton factions. A great gameplay loop that only gets better while playing with friends, as friendly fire makes for some hilarious clips.

My thoughts after beating Sifu countless times since launch, lately with age 20 as well:

The combat system in this game is immaculate. The basics are simple enough, you got your light and heavy attacks which can be strung together in different ways, you got special moves like the sweep or crotch punch with simple motions inputs amd there's also the focus system, which allows you to stop the game for a sec to do a canned strong move with some utility, akin to a magic attack/skill in a JRPG game. The defensive options are block, which is usable in a pinch but still gets structure damage and chip damage if you're blocking f.e. a blade, so your main focus is mastering dodges and parries, which are paramount to learn in order to stay on top of the large groups and bosses the game will throw at you. The aforementioned mechanics supplement each other perfectly and it's very satisfying to go from feeling lost, to getting the hang of it, to finally try finishing the game at low age or doing some of the harder Arenas or optional challenges; Sifu is fantastic as a game to hone your skills in and when it clicks and you clear the level with hardly any damage, rack up a crazy score or defeat a boss without dying, you truly feel like your fists are flying like lightning.

The plot is simple enough, but is also rewarding the more time you spend sightseeing and collecting evidence for the Detective Board to learn more about the bosses and events that lead to where we are now. Despite what the game intro could have you believe, the characters are mostly in the shades of grey, the protagonist included. I also enjoyed the small touches and changes to the story when you're attempting the "Wude" pacifist run.

I cannot recommend this game enough. The plot is compelling, the combat system is the definition of "easy to learn, hard to master", and the amount of content you get from the game with the Arenas, the Wude playthrough and the modifiers adds to the replayability significantly. Just a sidenote to close off: if you enjoyed Sifu, the adrenaline of outplaying your opponent, doing sick combos and slowly but surely mastering your understanding of the game and its mechanics, please consider giving fighting games in general a chance; they're a lot of fun, provide similar sensations and are great with friends. Personally, I recommend Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6 or Guilty Gear: Strive.

A very addictive game, complemented by a great aesthetic and an entrancing OST. In my eyes a must-play for card game and roguelike connoisseurs alike. Just don't get too mad if the RNG screws you over - even if the player is the equivalent of Yugi Muto when it comes to cheating, it's still a card game in the end.

I finished the pirated copy and immediately bought the original to do it again. So much love has been poured into this game, from the random backgrounds/arts in stages, to phenomenal OST (best this year, calling it now), to crisp mechanics which are easy to learn, but reward you significantly for mastering them. Playing Pizza Tower makes you feel like it's Saturday morning and your parents left, so you can just sit in front of your old CRT TV and play this really fun game, so much reminiscent of the wacky 90s cartoons. And for those looking for a greater challenge, go ahead and try going for those P-ranks to not only make Pizzaface your ♥♥♥♥♥, but also to experience what I can only imagine a cocaine high feels like.

Lot of variety in the runs, dynamic/addicting gameplay and great replay value in general. The difficulty varies greatly depending on the character, but sometimes you get a cracked run and melt everything in your way, as per genre's tradition. All in all, recommended for fans of other dynamic rogues like f.e. Enter the Gungeon.

Short and sweet, but the quality remains immaculate. Was worth the wait for sure.

Ace Attorney-like investigation with strong vaporwave vibes (that OST!), lot of exploration and well-designed characters. Isn't very difficult and exploration parts were occasionally cryptic, but other than that a very nice experience overall.

If you enjoyed Undertale and OMORI, you'll surely enjoy this game. The Guitar Hero-like enemy encounters are very entertaining, worldbuilding (with its Yume Nikki vibes) and characters are all well done and, just like with the aforementioned games, there's way more to it than it may initially seem. Multiple endings and New Game+, so I'll definitely explore some more for the extra content.

Last but definitely not least, that OST is bangin!

The dread and foreboding this game offers are hard to describe, though comparison to LISA comes to mind. Repression is one of the major themes in this game and it shows; it hardly resorts to jumpscares (there are some, but they're not overblown and often telegraphed), but rather keeps you on your toes as glimpses of the truth occasionally shine through.

My advice: go in blind and ready for feels. The tags at the game start-up are not there for decoration.