Recent reviews by Spexxy

Astrometica is a survival/crafting/base building/exploration experience, so anyone that has played those type of games before will know what to expect here.

Clearly it has taken inspiration from the best in the genre, with more than a passing resemblance to Subnautica in both the tools and base building mechanics, but I mean that in a good way, in no way is it a straight up clone just for the sake of it, it's more like paying homage to it and simply borrowing some of the core elements that work well within the genre.

Both graphics and sound are impressive and do a great job in creating an atmosphere that truly immerses you into the role of cosmic miner, come space explorer.

Although only early access at the moment, the current build provides a decent size map (The asteroid belt), with lots of places to explore, mysteries to uncover and loot to... er... loot!

All in all it is pretty well polished for the content that is currently available and the developers are working on planned zone expansions, in the way of new warp areas for the future.

Hopefully these new areas will include lots more exploration potential that expands upon the current story arc.

I'd really like to see them add some space wildlife to hunt down and gather resources from too, both passive and aggressive types, plus perhaps some strange anomalies and larger lifeforms to be discovered and either interact with or defeat as boss-like encounters.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing this game so far, with over 20 hours already spent in game and would highly recommend giving it a go, if exploration, base building, crafting and survival is your kind of thing.

Pros:

Good optimisation for an early access game
Great atmospheric music and graphics
Simple, intuitive game mechanics
Good balance of build vs grind

Cons:

Not enough enemy types and challenges at present

Before we start... YES I did receive a free copy of this game from the developer, but I cannot state strongly enough, that this in no way affects my review for this game!

If you are a FPS fan that has been around since the days of Quake and Unreal, then you will likely appreciate what the developers of WRATH were going for here, both aesthetically and in gameplay terms, this game pays homage to those pioneering FPS's of the 90's...

If you only like the new style, realistic looking FPS games, then there is a good likelihood that you will not find this game enjoyable.... or at least you won't want to admit it!

There is a large dose of pixel texturing and hordes of enemies to frag, all of which should be enough to satisfy a bloodthirsty lust to destroy anything that moves.

I rate this game a 4/5, considering what the developers were clearly attempting, they have done a great job!

In short, All Star Fruit Racing sets out to offer a Mario Kart experience on the PC and doesn't fall all that far from the tree!! (See what I did there? Fruit...Tree??)

Playing this game it is impossible not to feel like Venelope Von Schweetz, racing across the many hills and hollows of the 'Sugar Rush' circuit.

But as nobody made a 'Sugar Rush' game (Yet!), this is everything that it would be if they did, only fruit are a far healthier option my friend!

Make no mistake, this game is not without it's flaws, but they are completely overshadowed by fun and addictive gameplay, easy controls, lashings of bright, eye-catching visuals and a fitting, cute soundtrack to speed along to!

Definitely a game to check out, if you like your Mario & Diddy racers, and able, not only to ge in the ring, but also to punch above it's weight as a serious contender to them!

Hats off to the development team behind this gem of a game, who pulled off, what so many have failed to do before them...Bravo!

Looking for a stunning, fun, racing distraction, you could do far worse that this!

8/10

An all time classic and still a blast to play!!

If you decide to buy this game then you should bear in mind the age of this title (2010), don't go expecting groundbreaking graphics or gameplay ideas here, just hardcore FPS fun!!!

This is a reboot of the 1999 classic, also by Rebellion Studios, but this time in conjunction with SEGA.

It is fair to say that AvP has definitely started showing it's age, however it is by no means ugly, just not as polished as many new games, but what it may lack in looks, it makes up for with spades of heart pumping, rage inducing, adrenilin surging action!

Playing as one of three factions, Colonial Marine, Predator & Alien, there are three story arcs which intertwine around the same set of events from each factions perspective and place you in the very thick of it, fighting off hordes and hordes of pesky Alien/Predator/Human scum....and we love it!!!

The gameplay is easy to grasp and runs smoothy, showing how a well made FPS can be fun, yet still tell a conincing story that is both exciting and captivating, right to the end!

Do you self a favour and don't miss this game, if you are too young to remember it the first time then trust a veteran gamer here and if you do remember bits, but feel like your memory needs jogging, give yourself a treat and boot this thing up, turn off the lights and prepare for some extreme FPS action, you won't regret it!

8/10

Before I continue I want you to read the following statement:

"Steam has always encouraged reviewers to specify if they recieved a game for free or purchased it, as part of their declaration when submitting a review, I wish to tell you that I did recieve a copy of this game for free, however this, in no way affects my opinions on this game and everything you will read from hereon in is from my heart, honest and without bias."

When I saw the trailer for this game I could see that it had a massive potential to be something special, the pixel graphic art style is stunning and used to great effect, the level designs looked intriguing, I could also see that it clearly contained humor and beyond all of that, there was the whole logic programming creation thing going on, that I couldn't wait to get my hands on, this game just looked to be so much fun to play.

Of course I was a little dubious about it possibly being just another Mario clone, but this was ill placed worry, as 'Super Tony Land' certainly lives up to it's name and you can feel how it differs from other mario clones in one simple way, the developers are obviously fans of the franchise and the sense of this oozes from every pore of this game (If only games had pores!), in the way the game pays homage to the original on so many levels, often in a very visual and humorous way.

So who the hell is Tony?

Well Tony is a Brooklyn plumber and also the star of a former Robot loves Kitty game, 'Tiny Plumbers', he fits the bill nicely as a alternative to that other italian plumber that you might be familiar with, now what was his name again?

Of course he can do all the obligatory platform hero stuff, like run, jump, use a multitude of power-ups and stomp on the unsuspecting heads of anyone daring enough to stand between him and his goal.

Considering that this game is being developed by a team of two people, I am astounded by the polish that they have acheived so far, it controls well, looks great and has a lot more things going on than first meet the eye, including a fully fledged level editor, so you can design your own levels and worlds by filling them with an abundance of available items, platforms, enemies and Tronics that the game has to offer.

But what the heck is Tronics??

Well Tronics is a visual programming language, capable of transforming the very basic of levels into amazing creations, by means of moving parts, switches, score tables, rotating devices and all manner of other things that I can't even think of right now, in other words, with a little practice, a lot of patience and a good imagination, the sky is litterally the limit with this thing and by the look of what some players have already created so far, combined with the games inbuilt STEAM workshop support, it won't be long until there is a ton of fantastic creations available, for the whole world to be amazed by.

To say I like this game is an huge understatement, I simply love it and the best thing is, it's only destined to get better with player support and community spirit!

I give this game two thumbs up and a grin as big as my cheeks will allow without breaking my face!

I would wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone that likes platform games, retro games, sandbox games or is simply looking for something to while away some game time with.

Robot loves Kitty, hats off to you guys and good luck!!!

Okay, so where to start with 7DTD?, It's just another zombie game right?

Well yes it is and you would be forgiven for breezing straight past it in the STEAM store, among the absolute hordes (See what I did there?) of other zombie titles out there, most of which, it has to be said are more unappealing than the diabolical sacks of putrid, rotten, flesh that they portray!

But 7 days is different, Why?......

Well because it is good for one thing and a lot of fun, particularly when played with friends, starting out with nothing, then scavenging for what little resource you can find to feed yourself and craft the bare essentials, just to survive is one thing, but building a defensive base together, with pitfalls and traps to obliterate the oncoming horde on day 7 is quite another......and that is just the start!!

Just wait until the dog horde comes!!

With a ton to learn, craft and build, a huge map to explore and a ton of zombies to slay or be slain by......what more could you possibly want from a game?

Now I know there are mixed reviews for this game, most of which stem from it's age and the speed of development so far, I for one can forgive the dev team, as I believe that the game has made huge progress and will continue to do so as the months and years go by, the devs have not forgotten this game.

Do yourself a favour and try it out for yourself, hey if you don't like it you can always refund it, so what have you got to lose?

Now guys, I don't usually do reviews in writing, I usually rely on my YouTube channel for giving my first impression of a new title and a video stream of this game can be found here if you want to check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHbdl-L2vMQ

But seeing so many negative ratings on STEAM for this game has got me to the point that I felt the need to put finger to keyboard for once, so here goes.

I would firstly like to point out that this is an unbiased review, I am in no way affiliated with Blue Isle Studios or anyone invovled in the making or marketing of this game, the following is an honest and fair opinion of my experience of the gameplay so far.

So what made me so determined to write this review? Well I can tell you, it is the opinion of those feeling somehow cheated by this game not being complete, "HELLO!!" this is an early access game, currently in an open Beta stage, do not, I reapeat DO NOT!!; expect a finished, fully fleshed out game with a fine lustre to boot, it just ain't gonna happen!

Anyone who remembers ARK in the very early days, will tell you that it wasn't all plain sailing for Wild Card either during this stage of development.

An early access game is just that, you are being given early access to a yet to be completed game, so it will come with a few bugs, glitches and a forray of other unexpected random annomalies.....Deal with it!!

So with my rant out of the way, what about the game itself?

Well I can tell you that I have enjoyed it wholeheartedly so far and can see the shinig potential that this game hides, just beneath it's slightly bumpy surface.......it's fun, it's intuative and it's not too harsh on you from the start.

For those of you that like survival games, but don't like dying of hunger every ten minutes, this is the game for you, you do not need to harvest meat or constantly find fresh drinking water to stay alive, this leaves much more time to enjoy exploring, taking in the breathtaking scenery and crafting the many tools, potions and spells that are on offer as you level up through the game.

Wildlife and the many sentient lifeforms in the game world are a delight to behold, with graphics easily matching those found in the big survival front runners like ARK and Rust.

I do have to say that the enemy A.I does leave a little bit to be desired though, with many creatures not even aware of your presence until you are around a few foot away from them, although if those said creatures happens to be giant tree beasts (Groot gone bad) or a band of angry blood orcs, you will probably thank your lucky stars that you can sneak by unnoticed at times, as they hit hard, beleive me!!

The skill tree and levelling system is pretty user friendly and very easy to navigate,

Each level brings with it points with which you can up the character's stats and spend on new skills and item crafting knowledge as you progress.

Combat can be dealt with at both range and melee distances, with awesome fireballs and other projectile spells to fire off at rapid speed with your staff or wand from a distance, but be mindful of your mana points, they will depleat quickly in intense combat situations and you will need to switch out to your trusty axe or other such melee weapon to finish the job off.

I have only played this game for a few hours and have fallen foul to a few server issues and drop outs, but I feel this is to be expectred on day one, so will not judge this harshly right now, hopfully Blue Isle will get this sorted with some quality, dedicated servers soon.

Despite the few pitfalls that I have encountered along the way, as you can probably tell, I am pretty damn impressed with this game so far and I am eager to see it bloom into something fantastic, just so long as the public give it the chance it deserves and Blue Isle Studios keep improving with regular updates and patches, this gave has huge potential.

If you have not guessed already, I would soundly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys adventure, exploration and crafting, it feels like 'Skyrim' crossed with 'The Forrest' which is not a bad thing by any means.

Try it out, it is free for the open Beta this weekend and goes on sale 26th July.

Hell; if you don't like it, then refund it, what have you lost?

First of all I am reviewing this game as a complete lover of what it represents, a total freedom to create whatever comes to mind and have a bucket full of fun doing so!

I have a YouTube channel that is made up of 90% or more of gameplay from this one game, nobody gave this game to me or brought me a copy of it, so I have no reason, other than pure enjoyment and over 1000 hours of in-game experience to recommend this game to you. That should tell you something!

Looking at how polished this game is right now, it is sometimes hard to believe that it is still an early access title, with lots more to come over the coming months. Regular updates are being made by the Dev team, who have done an incredible job so far and I'm sure will continue to do so.

The end goal is a multiplayer, survival/crafting game with emphasis on building mechanical creations to help you, as your strive for survival amidst an attack from the evil FarmBots.

For now though it is a beautiful platform for encouraging some incredible design ideas and a whole heap of fun besides.

The basis of the current, 'Creative' mode is to design and build amazing mechanical creations,
there is almost no limit to what you can achieve with a good idea, some experimentation, help from other creators and a little time, check out the workshop for proof of this, you will be blown away by what some people have made with this game so far, it never ceases to amaze me just how ingenious the Scrap Mechanic community really has become.

At you scrap building disposal is a whole array of parts with which to build, starting with basic materials like wood, metal and glass to the more advanced parts; such as controllers, engines, bearings, wheels, timers and logic gates. All of these elements can be put together to make houses, cars, planes and just about anything else that your imagination can conjure up.

If you have an aching desire to be creative and would love to test your skills to build amazing and crazy machines then you really should buy this game and give yourself the opportunity to do just that, You will not regret it!!

Let your imagination run wild and the experimentation begin!!

OK where to start?

The idea of the game is simple, make it from one randomly generated dungeon to the next, collecting loot and many useful items along the way, but there are differences from this game and other similar titles which I would like to explain.

Firstly; you will notice that the screen is cut into two sections, this reminds me of old style DS games, which; I may add, this would have felt right at home on.

The bottom section of the screen displays the player at their current location within the dungeon, the items that they find and any encounters and fights that they may have,

While the top half of the screen shows the local map area, with darkness covering the unexplored sections and colored squares to represent the player, the enemies, the loot and the items.

You will likely find yourself looking mostly at the top section; as the directions on this map directly relate to the up, down, left, right keys that you will need to press as you explore the Mad King's dungeon.

The items that you find play a crucial role in being successful in your quest, you cannot simply run in and bash the enemies willy nilly, you will need to think a little about what to use and when to use it.

An example of this would be the use of teleport orbs, these are used to move from one part of the dungeon to another and in early levels this would seem to be just a formality, but on later stages it is important that they are used wisely; in order to avoid contact with the nastier denizens that lurk within the dark, dank, stench filled halls (Especially the ones that stand still and hit hard!)

In my opinion it's the fact that this game is just as much a puzzle/brain teaser as it is a roguelike that sets it apart from other games in the genre and makes it a very refreshing challenge.

So to sum up:

I'll be honest with you; when I first saw this game I was unsure what to expect, there are so many games available on STEAM nowadays and I find that many of them seem to range from mediocre to terrible if I'm being truthful, so it can be a bit of a lottery as you never quite know what you are going to get, but for free I felt it would be rude not to give it a go.

Well let me tell you that I am glad that I did as I have been plesantly surprised by this game, the graphics are adorabe in all thier retro, 8-bit, pixelated beauty and the simplicty of game mechanics makes it easy to pick up, but hard to put down, with later levels sure to prove a challenge for even the most hardened RPG or rouguelike fans, I think it has enough appeal to keep most gamers coming back for more.

I highly recommend this game to one and all, why not try it for yourself?

And; as a free to play game you really have no excuses not to.