Recent reviews by Adam Jensen

Played this after finishing Dead Space (2008). Atmosphere is nothing like the first. First part felt like I was playing a Space Exploration Simulator. Second part was alright... mildly intrigued. At some point in the game I was thinking to myself, "Isaac is the world's unluckiest guy - everything that can go wrong goes wrong when he's there, man."

Then came act 3. Act 3 was dragged out for way too long.

Towards the end there's a ridiculous amount of necromoprhs and humans - the game just throws every tom, ♥♥♥♥ and harry it's got at you to slow you down while you backtrack all over the place. And just when you think it's over - SOMETHING BREAKS! AGAIN! Isaac's luck is unbelievable!

I played this as co-op and ran into some bugs too. Not to mention the checkpoint system is a bit unreliable; we had to redo quite a few missions because we thought it was a checkpoint (e.g. when you move into a new chapter). Ended up trying to speedrun the last part so we didn't risk having to redo missions for a game that's already being dragged out for way too long.

Get it on sale, don't expect too much, and you'll be fine, I guess.

Excellent sound design and art direction, the atmospheric vibes and details are amazing, just like STASIS 1. The realism of the sound design hits home (total silence when underwater for example).

Loved the writing as well, although some conversations dragged on for too long, making you stay in one spot (I want to start moving and inspecting stuff while the conversation plays! Like an actual person listening to comms!). Overall I'd say the characters are realistic for their ages and what they're witnessing, though the reveal towards Chapter 5 was slightly disappointing. Puzzles are mostly intuitive but there were several occasions where I had to refer to a guide because the 'next step' wasn't always obvious, mostly because I have to keep track of three different characters and what they're seeing.

Overall, still a great addition to the STASIS universe. Absolutely blown away by the art and the sound. It's worth a shot if you like old-school creepy sci-fi.

I had no idea such a cute game existed until I saw its ad on my IG feed. What caught my eye was the fact that it only takes up the bottom part (or a column) of your screen, making it super easy to do other things while it runs. Watching the little bots and animals tend to the farm makes me keep working so that they can keep farming. As someone with untreated ADHD, this game has really helped me to focus because there's something I can check for instant dopamine once I finish each task on my list.

It's a cute little pixel game that you'll love having at the bottom of your screen. Highly recommended!!

This game is one of the best SCP games to date! Each and every SCP featured was handled in a unique way, which added to the suspension of belief. From horrifying SCPs to light-hearted and strange SCPs... it was all featured. I quite liked the twist at the end, and like most SCP entries, you never quite grasp the full scale of these anomalies. Only just enough to be awed. It was a surprise to learn that this game was the studio's first. Highly recommended, not because I should be a toaster. 12/10

First off, I'll start by saying I really, really enjoy the premise. The whole tabletop feel, the deck building, even the dealer's dialogue, it's all solid and amazing. I'll also make it clear that I'm not the best of hack and slash players out there, so my experience might be quite different from those of you well-versed in such games.

So should you get this game? The answer is yes if you like challenging games and are prepared to try, try and try again. And only if you can accept that sometimes, you fail because of sheer luck.

Pros:
+ Beautiful design. Every card is lovingly drawn and the dealer reacts accordingly to your choices.
+ An element of luck. For every action, there is a selection of cards. Based on your luck, you either select a Success or a Failure for your choice of action. This makes clearing an encounter particularly exciting - but also vexing, if you're on a failure roll.
+ Challenging. Very challenging. Make one misstep in battle, and you might find yourself in deep ♥♥♥♥. And there are traps to look out for in some battle maps, too.
+ An intriguing story. I'm about 3/4 through the story, and it's still rather mysterious, but I feel like I'm getting somewhere, and getting to know the dealer.
+ Quests are progressive. Whenever you clear an encounter, you gain a token, which unlocks the next stage of the quest. All the quests are quite original, and nothing is ever as it seems.
+ It has a Curse and Blessing system, which randomizes the difficulty of the game in a way. If you're unlucky. If you're lucky, and get a few nice Blessings, the game becomes a smooth run.

Cons:
- Maybe I'm just unlucky, but sometimes the odds against you are plain ridiculous. I mean, one Jack, six lizardmen and four bandits against one person with a basic axe and shield, with two curses?
- No ranged attacks for the player. Enemies can shoot fireballs and arrows freely at you, but you can't whip up magic or a bow. You gotta run up to their ass and kick it.
- Some achievements are locked in Apprentice (easy) mode. I mean, I get it. I want a challenge too. But sometimes, Adventurer is just too hard because I'm not that quick with my fingers. And I'd still like to get my achievements while struggling away on easy mode.
- In story mode, no matter what equipment you collect, you always start out with a basic axe and shield. Good luck trying to kill more than 10 enemies at once, while avoiding traps, if the dealer decides to be pissy with you. At least let me select my gear? I literally get to use a decent weapon only once in about five runs.
- Enemies scale as you progress. This means every encounter, no matter how trivial, is difficult... perhaps too difficult. When you're fighting 2 Scales and 4 undead with a basic axe for the 200th time, combat gets repetitive fast. And because of scaling, you can't plough through the common ones even if you've triggered this encounter for the thousandth time.


TL;DR: Hand of Fate has a solid premise, intriguing encounters and an element of luck to everything. But the game can be very frustrating and merciless - although one can say it's part of the package when you play a game of this genre. Still, the amount of times I ragequitted this... I can't recommend it when 80% of the time, it makes me so angry. Even when I have a successful run, I don't feel the urge to continue, because I know it can go to hell just as quickly. This is a game for those with nerves of steel. Or just a ♥♥♥♥ ton of patience.

♥♥♥♥♥♥ up. Mindblowing. A hell of a wild ride from start to finish, but one that perfectly treads the line between confusing ambiguity and a lovingly-crafted massive plot that makes sense. Somewhat.I know it does. They speak. I hear.

FEEL IT...

I'm pretty sure there's some brainwashing going on. The UI was clunky and unintuitive, but they kept telling me "you'll get used to it."

And hell yes, I did.

There are no choices in this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of a visual novel interspersed with gameplay sections and puzzles, and the dialogue can be a little draggy at times. Holding spacebar helps.

But boy, for once I'm glad I didn't have to choose which bloody drop I wanted to take while at the peak of a roller coaster ride.

TL;DR: Let it take you for this wild ride. Especially if you like games from its era, like Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. Right up your alley.

Pros:
+ Good storyline/side missions - although somewhat short and abrupt in its ending, it does a good job setting up the scene for the next game. (There better be one, I want to know who you are.)
+ Great UI
+ Cool new augs. Embrace what you've become.
+ Everyone seems to have ulterior motives. Or I'm just being too suspicious because conspiracies.
+ Pritchard's note
+ Great level design, sneaking around can be a bit buggy so aim well when you press/hold space.
+ Smooth gameplay overall... albeit demanding on your computer.

Cons:

...I never asked for this.

I've never had to open the configurations menu so many times in a game, really.

...Honestly speaking, a pretty confusing ride. Get if you're really bored (like I was). For all its faults, the game did keep me hooked till the end. I haven't played many of these meta games, so the puzzles were a little weird to me at first.

Thief had great potential, but I feel that it fell short. While its gameplay is solid, its narrative leaves much to be desired.

If you don't care for the story and just want cool gameplay: buy this game. It has some really fluid animations, and I had fun sneaking around and parkouring across the City. Some of the chapters were particularly challenging (yes, I'm a noob, I suppose), and the mood and atmosphere of each level is well done. There were points when I felt like a wuss because the area just felt too creepy for me. The collectibles are scattered all over the world and in the most creative places, too.

My only gripe is that the City itself is not fully interactive: the game designers have a set path for you to take to various places, and you can't use your own genius to get there.

If you care even an ounce for story and character... think again. I have never played the Thief franchise, and so I found this Garrett endearing. Unfortunately he loses his status as "most important character" about halfway through the game. The story and lore of the City had wonderful potential, and I was genuinely curious... but the story fell short. Disappointingly so.

Tl;dr -

Pros:
+Amazing atmospheric setting.
+Fluid, intuitive gameplay.
+Many collectibles across the City and chapters
+Rich lore.

Cons:
- Story fell flat.
- The game's focus moved to the deuteragonist.
- You have to personally visit clients to check if they have new side quests.
- Fixed paths to destinations.

Not sure if this is a third-person tower defense game or a shooter game on steroids. Either way, ORCS MUST DIE!