Leonardo Faria

“All in all, Otherskin is a game that is more interesting than the sum of its parts. Everything it has to offer, from its setting to its combat and DNA-absorbing gimmick, is… decent. But add all of these elements up, and you get a pretty enjoyable action adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome nor tries to bite more than it can chew. A handful of annoying framerate-related issues and the occasional bug frustrated me, but that’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a few fixes and optimization patch.”

“I’m glad that Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection exists, but only as a means to preserve a handful of (in)famous games for posterity, and not because the content included in it is actually worth bothering. Not a single title in this collection is worth your time, not even for an ironic playthrough, but hey, further generations now have access to titles like Bubsy II for the Game Boy and Bubsy 3D. They can be alerted as to what a truly heinous mascot platformer is. If you’re really craving for some retro platforming with a B-tier mascot spouting one-liners at all times (quite a specific craving, but I bet there’s at least three people out there asking for such), just grab the Gex Trilogy collection instead.”

“Varlet is the perfect definition of a mixed bag. It feels incomplete at parts, with some of its chapters feeling incredibly rushed. The writing isn’t the best, the schooltime activities were pointless, and the setting felt like a cliché. That being said, there was always something about it that made me somewhat ignore its shortcomings and make me want to push forward, be it the charming characters, decent presentation or actually interesting combat section. Yes, it clearly wants to be an alternative to Persona, and that is the quintessential losing battle, but it could have been a lot worse.”

“So what Fast Fusion really ended up feeling like is an update over Fast RMX, with just a handful of new elements added to the mix to make it stand out as something more than just a remaster or a definitive edition. That being said, it retains a superb core gameplay loop, and once again Shin’en proved they can handle Nintendo hardware better than even Nintendo themselves. As one of the very few Switch 2 exclusives so far (hell, Switch 2 games in general, even), it’s an easy recommendation.”

“Dear Me I Was is a marvelous visual novel that manages to tell a lot without ever uttering a single line of dialogue. When it comes to its presentation and storytelling, I have no qualms, this is gold. But if the damn thing was released in a gaming storefront, I have to review it as a game, even if it barely qualifies as one. As such, it’s a one-and-done experience with the bare minimum of interactivity, often relegated to a handful of cutscenes. That being said, let me reiterate: it’s a beautiful little gem, one that will make the most cynical of human beings feel something for the first time in forever.”

“It feels heartbreaking to give Hop ‘n’ Marty such a low score because I actually had a bit of fun with it. There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours on your Switch. But I just cannot ignore how unpolished and janky this commercial product is. It’s definitely not a looker (hell, it’s the opposite of it), and its controls are simply not good enough. Maybe it was its obvious lack of a budget, or a tight deadline – who knows. All I know is that I cannot simply praise it for its good intentions and ignore its blatant flaws.”

“Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is far from being considered a bad game, but this is also the first title in the franchise that felt devoid of an identity. Ironic, considering it’s the one that doesn’t try to be a carbon copy of an existing Zelda game. It’s just a halfway decent dungeon crawler / action RPG hybrid with average visuals, average controls, and an average gameplay loop. Even if it supports local co-op multiplayer, the fact it’s currently not available on consoles makes this feature feel somewhat pointless.”

“The interactivity tied to the conversations act more like you talking to a virtual shrink than anything else, but it doesn’t feel like an essential part of what makes the game unique. A Dream About Parking Lots would have been a much more interesting experience if it were a first-person short movie about the author’s dreams and perceptions of reality.”

“As an outsider looking in, the video game adaptation of Edens Zero confused the hell out of me due to its disjointed take on the manga’s plot. Its combat and overall mechanics could have been just a bit more polished. Still, with that said, I had a pretty good time with it. It’s dumbed down in terms of its gameplay, and its presentation is really freaking good. It won me over due to its simplicity. Now, did it make me want to actually watch the Edens Zero anime? No, it didn’t.”

“The usage of AI voicework shouldn’t outshine some of Spy Drops‘ main appealing features. I gotta give the developers credit where credit is due: they promised us a roguelike take on classic Metal Gear Solid, and that’s exactly what they’ve delivered, despite its many, many, MANY shortcomings. That said, I can’t say I wasn’t having a bit of fun with it. The idea is sound; it’s the execution that felt half-baked, though I understand a chunk of it was a consequence of the game’s minuscule budget.”

“Visually speaking, it’s dull. When it comes to its sound department, there isn’t one – all you’re going to hear is annoying flies buzzing around. The gameplay is as shallow as a puddle, and whether or not this was meant to be comedic or philosophical, it has failed either way. I wasn’t laughing or thinking about the futility of a small amount of time spent alive, even if this was supposed to be one of its (smuggish) intentions – I was just beyond bored.”

“Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson features an adorable premise, great presentation, and most importantly, an amazing combat system. The latter is a godsend, as the game will somewhat force you to grind a bit on goons and menial enemies before you’re actually able to defeat its bosses, which act like borderline unfair roadblocks. Still, there’s no way I cannot recommend this game. It’s fun, it’s original, and it’s about defeating evil record label executives with your instrument-shaped weapons. How would I even be able to not like it?”

“In theory, I should have liked this. Music Drive: Chase the Beat has some really good ideas in terms of setting and theming, and I even liked how it constantly reminded me of games like old-school Driver, but its execution ended up being a massive disappointment. Its gameplay loop was way too simplistic and uninteresting to justify having to play levels over and over again in order to unlock more content. I had fun with it for about twenty minutes or so before becoming bored and fed up with what little it had to offer.”

“When a collection has a literal hundred games, you’re bound to find one or two you end up playing for quite a while. Even if 100 in 1 Game Collection is one of the least creative gaming compilations I have ever seen, with the in-game characters themselves stating you shouldn’t expect much from it, it’s not the worst thing in the world. There’s just not a lot of creativity in this package. Most games are clones of classics from thirty years ago, with a less exciting presentation.”

“Even with these handful of issues, PaperKlay is still an easy recommendation, with a few asterisks. If you are looking for something very akin to old-school 3D collectathons, you’re going to be a bit disappointed. It’s a bit more linear, vastly less challenging. Now, as an introduction to the genre, a very accessible game to convince casuals to play something a bit more traditional, this works oh so well. At the end of the day, it’s a very competent and easygoing 3D platformer with a lot of charm and heart.”

“The best thing I can say about Scar-Lead Salvation is that it is a competent Returnal clone with some decent controls. Sadly, it is bogged down by a cheap presentation and obscenely repetitive gameplay loop, even for a roguelike. I kept playing it to see if something interesting would eventually happen, but nope. It was a neverending barrage of repetitive rooms, simple combat, a ton of expository dialogue, and the occasional jiggle physics. If anything, it actually made me want to play Returnal instead.”

“Not all indie darlings live up to the hype, apparently. Haneda Girl might even have a decent gameplay loop, but it’s uninteresting in terms of its story, visuals, controls (its button placement is odd at best) and overly demanding medal system. I can think of a handful of arcade action platformers I’d recommend over it, but if you’ve already beaten them all and are salivating for something akin to Hotline Miami or Katana Zero, I guess Haneda Girl still gets the job done. Great soundtrack, though.”

“I may have made this game sound like it’s the biggest and most pointless waste of time in history, but, in a shocking twist, I loved Cubic Odyssey. Despite its flaws, despite its horrendously grindy nature, I clocked in 23 hours in a mere week. I was immersed in its world, I was feeling accomplished whenever I was able to upgrade my gear, or when I was able to stealthly murder every single pirate in a base. Seeing my little base grow from a derelict shack in front of a temple to a complete scientific station with advanced tech and self-sustaining capabilities… flawless.”

“Speed Freeks will live or die based on its developer and publisher’s ability to maintain a sizeable player count for the foreseeable future. I really like the core gameplay loop, sense of humor, and presentation. It’s a totally dumb and over-the-top multiplayer funhouse, just the way I like it. If you’re even moderately into vehicular combat games, even if you don’t know a damn thing about Warhammer, Speed Freeks is an easy recommendation, despite its flaws and limitations. Make sure this game will last for a while, as it’s quite fun with the right mindset.”

“This is a pretty small and underwhelming indie racer. I guess I should say it’s a competent game devoid of glitches and issues, but I was also not having a lot of fun playing it. I played Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC for about an hour and half, whilst thinking I could have stopped after just 45 minutes, considering how repetitive and devoid of content it is.”