Isle of Reveries - PC Review

Isle of Reveries by developer and publisher desertcucco—PC(Steam) review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher. 

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes 

---

Isle of Reveries is a top down 2D action adventure game that made my nostalgia for old school Zelda games flare up really hard. A good blending of puzzle, exploration, and combat, Isle of Reveries is a wonderful title to experience inside and out.

In Isle of Reveries you take on the role of Lief, an owl who has traveled to the Isle of Reveries with a fellow group who want their wishes to be granted by the Goddess of the island. Needless to say this doesn’t go as easily as hoped. Lief must explore the island, overcoming challenges and monsters, as he works towards his goal. With the aid of a fairy companion and a cast of interesting characters you meet along the way, Lief aims to uncover the secrets of the island.

Isle of Reveries is a very clearly Zelda inspired title, if I had to guess I would say it takes biggest inspiration from Link’s Awakening and Oracle of Ages/Seasons, and it does it very well. Much akin to these older Zelda titles, you will explore an “overworld” where you’re looking for Dungeons that contain the reveries. You will meet characters and interact with them, solve their problems, and get rewarded for it. Finding your way to the next Dungeon is a puzzle in itself, as you need to use all your wits and tools at your disposal to even get into the Dungeons. Once inside things are taken up a notch, with more enemies, tougher puzzles, and unique Dungeon mechanics to explore.

Along the course of your adventure you can pick up many tools to help you out. Some of these tools are actually really unique as well. While you have a few classics, there are also some that I’ve rarely seen, if ever. I am being a little vague here because I feel like discovering the tools and what they are used for are part of the fun. In addition to your variety of tools, which all require a magic/stamina resource that regenerates over time, you can also make use of your fairy companion. This fairy is, surprisingly, quite useful, somewhat chatty, and arguably the most useful companion I’ve seen in a Zelda-like title in this style. Your fairy friend is capable of copying most types of objects. This includes pots, blocks, torches, statues, and a lot of other things.

Exploring the island you can equip up to three tools, that includes a sword. Choosing the best tools for the job is pretty important. Unlike in most Zelda games where you probably only need one tool and a sword, some puzzles and bosses may require a full loadout of three different tools, and the sword may be useless. Luckily you can swap out tools on the go from your pause menu. Let me tell you though, some of the puzzles made my brain hurt. In a good way, but good lord did I feel unconscionably dumb half the time I figured out the answer. Pro tip, if you can’t figure out what to do, you probably need to use the fairy for something. The two times I got absolutely stumped for an hour or two were because I forgot I could copy things with the fairy.

As you explore the island and the Dungeons you will come across trinkets, of which you can equip up to three. These can only be changed out at save points and provide an array of different benefits. A few such examples include faster magic regeneration, making all thrown items explode (I liked this one), and making a noise when certain specific chests/interactable points are on the screen. Deciding upon a loadout for your trinkets can be as important as choosing your tools.

The overworld and the Dungeons all have their own interesting themes. The Overworld comes in the flavour of eight distinct biomes all with their own scenery, themes, and style of area. Maybe one is flooded, one has quicksand, one has a lot of annoying rocks you need to walk around. Each biome comes with it’s own enemy types as well as environmental effects and objects. Similarly, Dungeons all have a unique theme and mechanic. One of my personal favourites was actually the second last Dungeon. It has a bit of a unique premise to it that requires you to use only some basic tools. Arguably I forgot I could copy almost anything with the fairy and spent an hour pulling my hair out before feeling dumb when I realized I could just copy it over with the fairy, but I really enjoyed the Dungeon design.

Both Overworld and Dungeon exploration is done screen by screen, where moving into the next room, or frame on the overworld, puts you on the connecting screen. Moving between biomes or caves/houses in the overworld, or up and down floors in Dungeons, will count as a sort of “full transition”. Why I bring this up is that enemies do not respawn when changing screens, but when you go through a “full transition”, something that can be useful if you’re low on health or need to play more carefully. Speaking of health, just like in classic Zelda format you need to discover four pieces to get an extra heart. Have fun searching for them!

As an additional note, you will eventually come across a rather peaceful valley. It is here where you can have any character you interact with gather after meeting certain requirements. As you build up your little village you can take on requests from the inhabitants, or build structures in the village. These structures require building materials that can be dropped from defeating enemies.

The graphic and sound design for Isle of Reveries is also a well thought out decision. Graphics remind me of playing my Gameboy Colour Zelda titles back in the day, searching for heart containers and trying to find the next key for that locked door in the Dungeon. Here the graphics are just like that old school vibe, a retro bit style that speaks to the nostalgia of an older generation while still being visually appealing enough for modern players. The sound design also takes me back to that same era, and each tune is well fitting for the location, often giving a more sad or melancholic feel that the game takes on, as opposed to the peppy tunes that used to be more common.

As much as I have loved Isle of Reveries, there are a few issues here and there. There were a few puzzles I solved unintentionally by messing with either my copied object placement or by doing a series of weird jumps and finagling myself somewhere I shouldn’t be or completely messed up by moving something in an unintended way. Good news is that most issues can be resolved either by leaving and re-entering the room/screen, or by quitting to title and reloading. There are a few glitches that popped up now and again. The most frustrating was probably being unable to re-enter the fifth Dungeon after completing it, some weird screen wrapping during the ending cutscene, or one specific textbox shifting when talking to the crow buddies outside the tavern. Fortunately, the developer is paying attention and is fixing any issues that arise, so those issues may be resolved already by the time you read this.

Before I wrap things up here, let me just say that Isle of Reveries isn’t particularly easy. I’d definitely put it in the harder category, as some areas and enemies can beat the tar out of you, even with max health and upgraded gear some areas are still pretty tough. Personally I appreciate the challenge and found it rather enjoyable, but expect to die a few dozen times throughout your playthrough.

Overall Isle of Reveries is an absolutely stellar title done extremely well. A sort of fan or homage game for old 2D Zelda titles that has also broken through the “fan game” ceiling to be able to stand well on its own. With unique tools, an interesting cast of characters, and some wonderful overworld and dungeon design, Isle of Reveries will have you fighting through enemies, scratching your head at puzzles, and getting invested in the world for quite a while. Wrapped up in a nice retro style visual and sound design package, I would highly recommend Isle of Reveries for any looking to relive those old-school titles or for those looking for a 2D action adventure.

 

Score: 10 / 10

Read More

Din's Champion - PC Review

Din's Champion by developer and publisher Soldak Entertainment—PC(Steam) review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher. 

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes 

---

Are you interested in 2D survival crafting games like Terraria but want something a little grittier and more in-depth? Well then, I might have a game for you! Din’s Champion is an interesting title that could best me summed up as some sort of chimeric cross between Terraria and Diablo.

Set in a world where an evil goddess is poised to destroy and recreate the world according to her whims, it falls to you to take on the forces of evil. You must build a town, craft your own weapons, and set out to slay the evil generals of the army set against the world. As you explore the world you are in, the game will progress with or without you, crafting a unique environment, both ecologically and militarily, each time you play.

Din’s Champion is a bit of a tough game to pin down because it does, well, a lot really. Let’s start off with the basics of how it works. The main premise is that of a survival/combat crafting game with a 2.5D side scrolling style, hence the similarity to Terraria. You start out with very little and must begin by chopping down trees, mining resources, building houses, and making gear through smelting ingots and forging armour and weapons. Unlike Terraria however there’s also a big emphasis on the combat oriented portion of the game. In Din’s Champion you have levels, skill trees, skills that increase as they’re used (like mining or forging), and various classes all with their own specialties and skills. As a comparison, this is much closer to Diablo in nature, both graphically and character progression wise.

As a good example of this, the warrior and assassin classes, which you can choose when making a new character, have different skills and intended playstyles. Not all classes will be available from the get-go however. A lot of them require unlocking by hitting certain in-game benchmarks, such as defeating a certain number of a specific enemy type. Needless to say, this makes individual character building a lot more of a critical factor, unlike most crafting type games where your equipment is the codifier for your playstyle rather than a chosen class.

So let’s talk a little bit more about the crafting side of things before delving into the combat. As I’ve mentioned, Din’s Champion is much like Terraria in the crafting style. You must go around collecting resources via mining with a pickaxe, chopping down trees, and digging up the terrain. If you happen upon some copper ore, you can create a furnace, produce copper ingots, and then forge equipment. You start with very little to your name and must create everything as you go, including workbenches and required stations. Once you’re somewhat set up, now you can make your first house! And you will want all your stuff in houses. Basically once you “finish” a world, your houses and contents get transported to the next, so make sure nothing is left out!

Now that you’ve got a house and some equipment, it’s off to go explore the deadly reaches of the wilds! There are different zones, spread both horizontally and vertically, throughout the world and each have their own biomes, traps, and monsters as well. Pay attention when entering a new area to make sure you won’t get beaten too badly. So now you are in enemy territory, and you see an evil demon across the way! You can now exchange blows. I’m assuming this means you will be swinging a sword at it with the first character you play. The surface tends to be pretty lenient from what I’ve experienced, so this means a few hits should dispatch your foe! You will be rewarded with money, experience, and if you’re lucky some drop items that can be used for crafting.

Once you start leveling you can now acquire new skills. Some of these are active skills and need to be assigned to your hotbar number keys, and others will have a passive effect. Active skills will consume MP but tend to do decent damage or provide good effects. Your health and mana will regenerate over time, more noticeably when outside of battle, so as long as you’re not being attacked you should be able to hide somewhere for a bit.

And you will need to hide. Enemies in Din’s Champion are not just static patrol units in their general area. They will dig, they will break through walls, they will get in fights with NPCs you haven’t met yet and kill them before you have any way of getting there, and they can and will subjugate other boss monsters to form alliance all while you’re trying to correctly place a table in your house so you can make new gear. Din’s Champion is an incredibly dynamic game, which is both a point in favour and against it in a broad view. While it is really neat to have constantly evolving threats, everything is on a sort of timer. Enemies will get stronger while you’re getting used to things, the challenge will increase, and you’ll be left sitting there thinking “how the heck do I make better gear or get better resources?”.

This also has an interesting spill off that results in any quests you take, whether they be from your base crystal you need to defend from the monsters or from wild NPCs, have a time limit. Sometimes these time limits are long enough to be considered negligible, other times they’ll be so short there’s no way you can reasonably complete them in the timeframe requested. I once had a sidequest from an NPC asking to find his buddy’s body. I only managed to explore half the area the body was supposed to be in before I timed out on the quest. While this dynamic is a really cool concept, it generally means you’re probably going to get pounded into the pavement for the first couple of world’s you run. Definitely a nice aspect for those a little more used to the game, but starting off is a bit rough.

Speaking of a little rough, it’s about time I mention the user interface. It’s pretty clunky and a little unwieldly. There are plenty of menus to navigate, stats to view, and mechanics to learn. Seriously, you’ll want to read all the tutorials/hints they give you as well as explanations. It might be a bit of a drag when you’re starting but trust me it’ll be helpful. Unfortunately navigating these menus isn’t exactly intuitive since there are so many, so I found myself checking the keyboard controls more than once because I couldn’t remember a hotkey. Even the menus at some workshop tables are pretty rough as well. Trying to repair equipment, since it has durability, and being unable to repair only one thing because you don’t know how is a bit frustrating. My biggest advice? Your first world is purely testing and getting used to how things work. Don’t put too much stock into performance until you learn how to walk. Once you get a handle on things then the game really takes off. I would also like to mention that the game isn’t exactly easy either. Enemies, especially boss units, can pound you into paste pretty easy, so make sure you’re prepared and know how to fight going into that.

The graphic and sound design for Din’s Champion is certainly a choice I wouldn’t have made, not that it’s bad or anything like that. This is another aspect that’s closer to a Diablo like game than it is to a Terraria or crafting game where things tend to be “cutesy-er”. A very much grittier look and some rather basic looking assets at times, but that sort of adds to the charm of the game really. It sets itself apart from the crowd both through the drawn inspiration and unusual art style.

As a sort of wrap up I will give a disclaimer that I am not good at Din’s Champion. I constantly overestimate myself, fall into pits I think I can get out of, miss jumps I could probably make. I also have an unfortunate habit of running into strong enemies before I reasonably should fight them or being completely unable to locate a quest objective. Despite all this I’m actually more inclined towards the game than you’d probably expect. Yeah, it’s rough around the edges and a little janky here and there, and the combat sometimes feels like something off an old Newgrounds flash game at times (wow how old is that), but it has a certain charm and depth that a lot of other 2D crafting style games don’t. You actually build a character off your character instead of gear, the world is constantly evolving, and it has a really unique presentation for the genre.

Overall I’d say Din’s Champion is a bit more of a niche title. For those who enjoy hack-and-slash RPGs and want to shove that system into a 2D survival crafter type game? This is probably a great choice. The world is always changing and enemies are active and can tunnel under your base or make alliances in real time, providing a unique challenge. On the other hand the menus and combat can be a little janky at times and feel a little rough. I’d highly suggest checking out the trailer available to see if it’s something you might enjoy!

 

Score: 7 / 10

Read More

Outbound - PC Review

Outbound by developer Square Glade Games and publisher Silver Lining Interactive—PC (Steam) review written by Valerie, with a purchased copy. Additional points by my partner in crime, Susan N.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes 

---

Let me tell you about this cozy game my daughter and I are playing together called Outbound. Now, I've been following this game from the initial Kickstarter back in April 2025 to its full release in May 2026. The best Mother's Day gift for myself and my first ever collector's edition in a physical copy!

Outbound is fulfilling my camping itch just nicely with all the visuals and sounds of nature. I've played the single player and have been experiencing a lot of fun and exploration. However, we do have a couple of gripes in multiplayer (more on that later), but we are having a grand time!

We are currently in the third biome and really enjoying hunting for things to complete, rebuild, or fix the various 'attractions.' We even had the pleasure of a hot air balloon ride! The only things missing are the smells and the wind through our hair as we float up.

Gameplay: 

Source Energy 

You start out in Outbound with an electric powered camper van that starts out at a slow speed, but through the vehicle upgrades the speed increases. When you open the trunk portion of the camper you find the crafting. There's also the motor info as well as the bio burner power plant to fuel the camper. I wasn't good with the minigame in the workbench, but feel free to have fun with it for crafting your tools.

 

Build

Along with living off grid with your camper van you can build your dream home on top of it. You have access to the upper level with a ladder, and later with the latest fishing update you get stairs to build a multi-level home. There are also blueprints to collect so you can build that awesome home and make more upgrades to your vehicle. 

 

Craft 

Your character has a health gauge, food gauge, and there's also the power / fuel gauge for your camper so you know when to stop to power up again. You find many resources for building, food consumption, water collection, and make other parts to fix those attractions you visit. 

 

Grow 

As you play, you can build crop plots to grow food for yourself (or your group) and I was amazed at the rating of how much food health you gained from each new recipe we unlocked. After finding the blueprints for the machine needed to cook the ingredients, you can make food that provides up to one hundred percent food health! 

 

Multiplayer 

Since I'm hosting our multiplayer game I'll let Susan N. tell her side of the coin for gameplay. 

 

Susan here. Outbound has been quite enjoyable to play both in single player and multiplayer. With Valerie, we've driven across the various biomes, solved puzzles, found multiple gnomeos, and even caught some fish! We've had a great time exploring the world and grabbing plants to grow our own. 

I've had the opportunity to do a lot of the driving in our camper van which is quite fun and it allows you to get just about anywhere. Although, there were a couple of locations that were a bit rough to get through like in one of the maps there is a sharp dip in the road filled with some water. That particular section is steep for any vehicle, nevermind the camper van's size or weight.

Anyways, Val and I were able to build a nice house atop the camper van with a couple of lovely fish tanks, an assortment of plants, and as much lighting as we can muster because the lighting is admittedly not the strongest in the game. And it is one of the bigger pain points in the game for us both. Val and I have gone camping together many times over the years and a flashlight or two are some of the first pieces of gear that we pack. In Outbound, the ability to unlock a flashlight or lighting in general is much too late in gameplay, and even at that, the lamps and decorative light for your mobile home is simply not strong enough. The lights barely illuminate anything and the player flashlight is much too harsh at close distances. 

That said, there are many other aspects of Outbound that I personally love. I enjoy the lore notes found scattered around the houses and landmark locations. And with every location, you can find a large amount of supplies to be collected for both players - mostly. With the exception of certain later resources that are sparce on purpose, there are plenty of items to gather. Thankfully, most of the items you need respawn quickly. 

Now, most of the multiplayer aspects of Outbound are fantastic and the game is really cozy. However, there are some frustrating issues I have found with the multiplayer version of the game. The biggest two have to do with the design of the multiplayer itself, and the lighting.

First, let's talk about the multiplayer design. I will say that it is easy to play with your friends or family since all you need is a succinct five character code to input. Unlike other games where you may need to create a password, you don't need to worry in Outbound. And generally speaking, the multiplayer in Outbound does not have any desyncing to the host player, which is awesome. However, the game struggles with item unlock syncing. As Val is the host of the game, I get to experience the issues of being the other player in the game which is not a bad thing because I have been streaming our playthrough and my PC can only handle so much! Anyways, while Val has all of her upgrades and items unlocked each time we play, I have to pull objects out of the camper for the game to register recipe unlocks. I also have to take time to scroll over all the items in the build menu because the game treats it has having just been unlocked right then. This leads to my having to ask Val to craft certain items because I can't see items in the machines. Once I have done this, then I no longer have the duration of the session. I only have to worry about it on the following stream when we go back in. 

Secondly, the lighting in the game is mostly annoying to us both. The floor lamps are not bright enough to cover an area, in fact it seems to only affect the square it sits in. Conversely, the hand flashlight is quite bright, which is great for exploring the great outdoors, it is awfully powerful when you approach a machine or another player. Sadly, I'm unsure what type of solution this would require, but the lighting needs a bit of attention.

Thirdly, there are some interesting issues with falling through parts of the terrain. However, even in saying that, I imagine some of the locations are not meant to be traversed, so I can understand why there isn't always collision where you expect it to be. Val and I didn't find many areas where there were egregious issues with collision, it was noticeable when we did fall through terrain. 

All of that said, The multiplayer is mostly seamless which is an incredible feat at times. I will say that Val and I have both had a blast playing Outbound in search of adventure and hunting for gnomeos - clearly one of the best parts of the game! 

 

UI / Graphics: 

The graphics style is a low-poly look using the Universal Render Pipeline (URP), and what the heck is that you ask? Well, "The Universal Render Pipeline (URP) is a prebuilt Scriptable Render Pipeline, made by Unity. URP provides artist-friendly workflows that let you quickly and easily create optimized graphics across a range of platforms, from mobile to high-end consoles and PCs." This is a direct quote from the Unity3D website and it is a part of the Unity game engine that is quite popular in today's games. The vibrant colors and 3D environment that is Outbound are fun, easy to navigate, and just an all round wonderful world to drive around in. As an artist I was quite curious about this URP, so I looked it up! You can also read about how Square Glade Games used it here.

 

There is a little bit of everything in this utopian futuristic game and Outbound has a lot of playability in it with all the little adventures and environments. Susan and I really enjoy hunting down the gnomes (we yell out Gnomeo! each time we see one), so when we find one the other can come see it if she is close to the location. Other than that, I've been taking many screenshots during this game. 

 

The user interface is easy and I am so glad that we have a 'log book' style of menus to navigate. This makes it feel more like being on a camping trip. The first page if you will is your backpack where you also have separate slots for bottlecaps (Remind you of another game? Fallout 3 maybe?) and vouchers. The map takes up the second page and third page is your Task Log where you can see your current objective, any side tasks, and all the ones you've completed. The fourth page is your journal which keeps track of your progress, and the final page is for multiplayer. In order to get to this though, at the start of the game, you have to finish the tutorial. When multiplayer is unlocked in Outbound there is a code you can copy and share with the friends you're going to invite to your game.

 

There is weather that we experienced days where it rained a few days in a row. You also experience the passage of time as you 'sleep' to 'End the day'. There isn't any combat in cozy games which makes this an awesome exploration game. Yes, you can buy things to decorate your camper with them. 

 

Sound/Music: 

Outbound's music is very relaxing in this game and complements the sounds of nature around you. The realism to the sound of the tires on the sandy gravel roads I found to be a little low in volume, but other than that spot on! The attention to the detail of the sounds for each of the crafting machines definitely gives the feel of you actually operating it. Some of the visuals for the machine are cute and interesting. The voice actor for your character is awesome and doesn't overpower the gameplay. 

 

Final Thoughts: 

All in all Outbound has been a lot of fun to play and even more of a journey playing this game with Susan. I'm giving Outbound a 10 out of 10 because it has everything I need to camp and have my home with me to live 'off grid'. Oh! I forgot to mention you also get a companion in this game. The dog type you choose with help you carry the items you pick up and be your buddy for wandering around. If you love cosy games like this as much as I do, go get it! It's available in all platforms now.

 

 

Score: 10 / 10 

 

 

Read More

Tormentum II - PC Review

Tormentum II by developer and publisher OhNoo Studio—PC (Steam) review written by Valerie, with a copy provided by the publisher. 

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes  

---

Nothing says 'horror' more than what's inside your mind some days, and Tormentum II definitely delivers on horror inside the mind of a computer programmer (I assume), by the name of David, trying to get a simulation to run and ends up inside it himself!

The images in this point and click puzzle game were inspired by a pair of the many artists I had been following for quite a while now. I was so excited to see these creations inspired by H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński that I just had to experience this game myself. Kudos to Piotr Ruszkowski and Łukasz Rutkowski and their wonderful works of art, gameplay, puzzles, music, oh just everything is so awesome!

Tormentum II opens with David (played by you) asleep on the bed. As you run your mouse over the room you discover points of interest and possible clues to what you do next. Where you point your cursor is where David moves to and each point that he can move to is labelled with text and an animated icon. I hear that in the first Tormentum: Dark Sorrow this type of 'direction' wasn't in that first game. Next, my curiosity draws me to all the pictures on the wall. I am loving that this game is all hand-drawn and the detail is just stunning!  

David is trying to get his simulation to run and has been offered a mysterious coprocessor. Once he installs it he wakes in a prison with the very beings capable of human-level thought that he had created for the simulation. Many things are similar to what he remembers creating and also many new things show up as he goes around talking to anyone he meets. When he meets a being you notice that there's a puzzle to solve. Clues are given by the beings you are talking to. Oh! One beautiful feature of this game is David carrying a notepad where you literally have access to clues that are for either the puzzle you are on or another one further ahead! I loved this as it saves me writing down, yes exactly that, physically writing down notes. I know I'm not the only one doing this. 

The music is so on point in this game that in some of the rooms I have actual shivers up my spine from it playing. There are definitely Lovecraftian vibes all through this game. That same feeling from the music I have felt before in the Sherlock Holmes games from Frogwares. 

Another feature of this game is the map. The detail on this and every image that makes up this game is visually stunning. I am so blown away by that. I'm so glad that they took those 8 years to make this game. Well, with only 2 of them making this game, I can understand the long wait for it. Definitely well worth it! 

I am now on my third playthrough of this game because on my first playthrough, when I got to a puzzle that I had all the pieces for, my choice killed off a being I had made a promise to. Wow, did that hit me in the gut for sure, which loomed over me throughout the first time through.

I am so glad for the different endings because of my choices. That gives this game a lot of replayability. The puzzles are easy to solve and the story carries you along. I remember the voice and the huge chest in David's dream which definitely has a kick all its own. For all these reasons this game rates a ten out of ten! Thank you Ohnoo Studio! You guys rock! Now I am off to play the first Tormentum just because I'm hooked! Looking forward to your next game, and all of you who have this on your wishlist? Go get it! Some point and click games usually just pass time for me, but this one has me coming back to replay the points I had saved.

 

Score: 10 / 10 

 

Read More

Artificial Extinction 2 - PC Review

Artificial Extinction 2 by developer 100Hr Games Inc. and publisher 100Hr Games Inc., Gamersky Games—PC (Steam) review written by Valerie, with a copy provided by the publisher. 

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes  

---

So, let me start by saying the tower defense genre are games where I die a lot. I seem to have trouble with the keybinds and have yet to figure out what works for me. Then my mind orders me to do this and my fingers just go ahead and do something else. Eh, you know what I mean.

Either way, my first time playing a tower defense game was in Starcraft II. Actually it was one of the maps in the game with tower defense as the type. Not the campaign. Yep, died there a lot too, but I was also in a team with my son and daughter where I learned a lot—but still, those fingers of mine! Certainly keeps one on their toes.

The next tower defense is the current Riftbreaker which like Starcraft II has multiplayer in it. My son and I are having a great time in this game. Yes, I still die, but not as much as way back in Starcraft II.

Now, Artificial Extinction 2 is another hybrid game combining the tower defense, FPS, and RTS with turrets, drones, and mechs. Single player only which is great, that way I can focus on my way of playing and not copying someone else. I found out during the tutorial that I would do my commands from above, and of course my 'eye in the sky' is a drone. I'm to protect my base from waves of enemies while my computer decrypts an important data card. Definitely was cool where you're directed to go check out an ancient artifact on the field not far from your base and you get a countdown after removing the item inside it. Boom, lovely explosion and a precursor to how quick and on your toes you have to be in this game. Ya, another factor in my spectacular dying sequences! *laughs*

You are greeted by the AI module 101-U22 who tells you that there have been many upgrades since the last time you were there. The voice actor chosen for this AI is spot on and perfect for his role in this game. I can almost hear the maniacal laughter as he tests and torments you during your tutorial. 

On the menu screen you also have access to Intel on the mechs in this game. There's also the test range where you can try out different builds to use in the campaign as well as the dos and don'ts of what goes with what. When the game opens you are in a chamber and the sound of it opening to let you out overpowered the AI talking on about your next objective. I guess I was a little impatient to get out to search for that ancient artifact. 

After retrieving and setting the card in the computer that is flashing blue-green you prepare for those incoming enemies. You learn to use the overhead view where you can plainly see all the commands at your disposal. To access the overhead view from above you hit the 'V' key. You have tabs for the Build screen, the Turrets, Equipment, and Build Queue. This screen combined by switching with the tech tree screen you unlock all your equipment and defenses. You start by setting up mining for resources, putting down the power grid you'll need to keep everything running, and even placing one repair drone to start! Oh, and please note that it takes two clicks to place them instead of one. I kept thinking on where and how many until that one click didn't even place the turret I was lining up to defend the base.

When you place your generator there is a red dome surrounding it to indicate that should the generator get attacked and destroyed, other surrounding defenses and buildings will be taken with it if they are in that zone.

The Tech tree is activated by the keybind of 'T'. During the tutorial while learning about those I found it a bit hard to keep focused on where the enemy was coming in from on the minimap so much so that my first placing of defense turrets were too far out and in the wrong spot. I did better the second time around in the tutorial. I would like to say that this tutorial was the most comprehensive I've experienced recently.

You also have the use of binoculars in this game, which made my field of view a lot wider than through the scope of my weapon. The overhead view gives me an extensive view of the terrain all around my base. Real time strategy is a definitive part of Artificial Extinction 2 with the added bonus of first person shooting. I am loving that those two types are together in this game so I can actually participate in the destruction of the enemy waves, especially if they manage to get past my turret defense line and attack drones.

There are shields and even an EMP module in Artificial Extinction 2 that are an added protection (the shields) and a way to level the incoming enemy waves (the EMP). I am learning to balance the variety of turrets as they are unlocked as well so, yes, I'm still on Easy difficulty.

Artificial Extinction 2 has a lot of replayability, especially for those of us wishing to improve upon planning and precise aim. Sure, I've got the quick thinking down pat, but I definitely need more in the way of calculating how many turrets and where to put them to defend my base. On top of that in the FPS portion where I get to fire away at the enemy ground units, I still need to remember reload times, ducking out of the way, or even my pitiful dodging out of the way of enemy fire. Gets hairy sometimes when I lose health and not familiar with the healing portion of this game. However, the AI's comment during the tutorial, "I can reboot you into a new body" tells me that nope, no healing.

So my third and fourth time through the tutorial of Artificial Extinction 2 gave me the practice I needed for zooming in and out from above. I'm definitely going to spend my tech points in the campaign to build more than one repair drone! I'm going to need that to survive for sure!

I commend Chris, the game developer and owner of 100Hr Games Inc., for a complete package game! The graphics are superb, the music intoxicating, and the gameplay that makes me come back for more. When you replay a level, it is never the same twice. Always different! 

Score: 9 / 10 

Final Thoughts:

I would like to apologize to 100Hr Games Inc. for the long delay in getting this review out. Real life and health had prevented me from staying at my computer long enough to play the game. You know you're addicted to a game when you argue with your doctor about needing to get home to play that very game! Anyways, for anyone else who's addicted to mechs and RTS and even tower defense games, give this one a roll. It'll keep you on your toes! 

  

Read More

STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT - PC Review

STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT by developer MAGES. Inc. and publisher Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.— PC(Steam) review written by Mike with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes.

---

Our story begins in Akihabra, Tokyo Japan. The protagonist Okarin… Or rather Rintaro Okabe, (Voiced by Mamoru Minyano) is a recent high school graduate who rents an apartment with his best friend and resident computer hacker, Itaru ‘Daru’ Hashida (Voiced by Tomokazu Seki) during the summer of 2010. Okabe adopts the persona of mad scientist Hououin Kyouma, going on misadventures with Daru and childhood friend Mayuri Shiina (Voiced by Kana Hanazawa) whom he considers his “hostage” and first lab member. Thus sets the stage for STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT.

Okabe’s group eventually hack into the research organization SERN and use their data to power an experiment of a phone and a microwave, from which they send bananas back in time, turning them into piles of green gelatin. Their research quickly progresses when Okabe recruits American scientist Kurisu Makise (Voiced by Asami Imai) who is visiting Japan to give a lecture. She frequently disagrees with Okabe, dismissing his science, but agrees to join his club.

This eventually leads to the scientific breakthrough of D-mails. A text message sent to the past in order to alter it. This results in everyone changing world lines, with only Okabe being able to retain memories from different timelines. A D-mail can arrive years before it was sent and change literally anything. The world lines don't coexist and only one is ever real, but there are an infinite number of world lines. Send a message to someone in the past, and the present will change, reconstructing itself and rewriting everyone’s memories, due to the butterfly effect.

The story has perhaps the best portrayals of loss of innocence in fiction, with its narrative paced to perfection. Its first half might start off slow for some, but it is completely necessary in order for its midway character progression to hit so hard. A devastating price Okabe pays for unlocking time travel, and he ultimately realizes that it isn’t worth it. The knowledge he gains of the technology and the future becomes a burden he’s better off without. Okabe has perhaps one of the greatest character arcs in fiction that moulds into place almost instantly halfway through the events surrounding his exploration with the newfound technology; evolving from an immensely selfish and self-absorbed man and transforms into someone whose life goal is to save others.

The lab, which is the sanctuary of the science team, is the Radio Kaikan building, a real life location in Akihabra. The locations depicted through the story are beautifully drawn, painted, and harbor talent with a love of the art throughout every scene. The character art and style of the story captures a unique and broad array of talent and dedication to the presentation, the soundtrack is masterfully made, suiting the storytelling scenario contributing to the overall experience.

When I first learned of this story a few years back, I became invested with the entire concept of time travel and multidimensional timelines existing in tandem with one’s decisions and mistakes. After all, if you could send a message back in time to your former self, what would you say? What would change? Would it matter at all?

The character cast starts off as feeling very similar to stereotypes, feeling goofy and cliché. This erodes away as the progression of the story embeds them as solidified, relatable, at times enjoyable. These anchor characters and their relatability might fill you with a desire to learn more about them The deeper you invest into the story the deeper the characters’ history with Okabe becomes.

Utilizing a next-generation animation tool “E-mote” the familiar cast of characters have more animated movements and expressions involved in this rebooted release. Based on the scenario from Steins;Gate Elite the story has been refined for a smoother, evenly paced read.

This Visual novel is a must have title for those seeking a story with multiple possibilities, curiosities of time travel logic, or anyone with a soft spot for lab coats and “Doc P” in a glass escaping the monotony of everyday life. The story ensnares the curious minded and science buffs around the globe taking them on an invigorating narrative into the realms of “What if?”

Through the journey, key words are logged into an index codex “Tips List” that provides further background and lore for the world around you, allowing a deep dive into the history, past of the characters, locations, and certain items of notable interest. This allows elaboration to obtain an immersive and rooted connection with the narrative story in the manner of foot notes through the chapters of this tale.

I found myself oftentimes reading up on these bullet points midway though dialogue to gain a better understanding and comprehension of the characters ties with each entry. Some I would cross-reference with a real world interest to discover a plethora of knowledge and information I would otherwise dismiss as “Science Jargon”.

The story progression and its ending will change depending on Okabe’s management of his calls and messages through his cell phone. Deciding whether to answer, reply, or ignore will shape the future into something different.

The background music has been remade by the composer Takeshi Ado, as the Japanese voices through the story have been re-recorded for this title, providing a face lift to a keystone story of time travel cause and effect, not to be missed by those with, or without an interest in science, time travel, or conspiracies. The experience will have the player wanting to play again and again to chase their true ending, or to undo what mistakes were made in the past. Will the choices made resolve the tragedies or refuel them? Only time will tell.

Score: 8.5 / 10 

Read More

SENARA: The Sacrament - PC (Steam) Review

 

SENARA: The Sacrament by developer and publisher Influsion Inc.—PC (Steam) review written by Pierre-Yves with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes 

Read More

Echoes From Ciudadela - PC Review

Echoes From Ciudadela by developer and publisher Kronos Interactive—PC (Steam) review written by Valerie, with a copy provided by the publisher. 

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes 

---

Echoes From Ciudadela is a first person narrative adventure taking you on a journey from a father's dying wish. This game is really immersive with puzzles that are from historic inventions of the past. You have a little of everything with these environmental puzzles with the past, present, and future intermixed. Your curiosity keeps you looking, fiddling, and figuring them out from clues found throughout the environment or in the journal left to Katari by his father. And there are downsides to this game as you read on.

A dying wish. From Ciudadela starts out with Katari, the son, reluctantly driving up to the cabin to fulfill that wish. You hear Katari leaving a message for his mother, I presume, on his cellphone. Even though he’s driving on open country roads, I really think the devs should have had him thinking about the call rather than showcasing cellphone usage while driving because it’s distracting and dangerous. 

The first part of this story takes place in and around the cabin. Katari remarks later that his father could have been more present in his life rather than becoming a hermit who was holed up in his cabin. While we are here we are led into the tutorial of all the skills Katari (you) will need for the part after spreading his father's ashes on the mountain, which is what ciudadela means.

Other than my playing Echoes From Ciudadela on an Ubuntu system, there were a few troubles throughout the tutorial. Before you come to the start new game menu screen you are shown a rotating icon for the game's autosave feature. I thought this very handy until I saw that there weren't slots for game saves, nor did it save exactly where I was when I exited the game. It didn't even show the save icon either while I exited the game! And should you start a new game, all progress is lost. Personally I would like to manually save the game myself as I sometimes like to mull them over the puzzles in my head.

First things first, arriving at the cabin where Katari settles in before heading out on the trek to find the spot to spread his father's ashes you exit the truck. You walk up to the cabin door to find you can't open it with an interactable keybind of the letter 'E' as you look at the door knob. You will need to do a simple search for a key to the front door. Next you are instructed to, "Find the generator to restore power to the house." There isn't any mention of needing a second key to open the power generator box, yet your clue is right there as you are looking at that box. No closing of the box door after completing the puzzle, so I am assuming it as a clue for how other puzzles are solved in this game.

As I was running around to find the generator, there was no bar or gauge to show stamina use nor indication on how long before you need to stop to gain it back. I guess I am used to that in Outbound and other games I play where there was a clear indicator. I find that most games now automatically have movement keys of WSAD and the spacebar for jumping. What changes are the interaction keys as in this game both 'E' and 'F' are used.

The first real puzzle in Echoes From Ciudadela comes in the bedroom and it wasn't all that hard. This is where Katari finds a Balearic sling which is an ancient artifact of his people. Looks pretty well kept though the first person view of it looks more like a set of bows. He remarks "25 years and you never taught me how to use this thing father. Guess I'll learn by myself." Usually it is carried in one hand by the two ends so the stone is released quickly. You can find the Spanish Balearic sling (on page 5) in this document of slings and their descriptions.

Next is Katari learning how to use the Balearic sling with him searching for a target to use outside. As you walk out to the workstation set up on the right side of the cabin (when you're facing the front door) outdoors you spy a hanging object that you figure will be good to practice on. As I was lining up my shot by holding down the left mouse button I noticed my cursor was just a small dot. I would love a crosshair radical for lining up my shots, please. As you fire away at it, on the third throw or so, depending on where you stand, you are prompted about needing stronger projectiles and to find them. I bust out laughing when Katari says: "Ok, round two you silly target." 

There is no mention of putting away your sling after target practice. I did find out you can scroll through what you are holding during your search through the cabin, but still no way to put it away while walking around after that segment. When you break the target, your next clue drops to the ground. At this point I thought I would see the save icon on the bottom right corner, but nope.

In Echoes From Ciudadela your next 3 clues lead you to your father's journal. From here we are presented with a beautiful cinematic accompanied by lovely music. A few seconds later you wake and mull about if the truck will die on your journey to the mountain. Now you are ready for finding a place to spread your father's ashes. Katari leaves another message for his mother about finding his dad's journal and a couple of artifacts. Since the reception is terrible he'll call again when finished. We’re shown another cinematic of the truck driving up to the mountain and you're given a choice of an obvious branching path. 

I must say that the music, graphics and gameplay bring back fond memories of my time with the Myst games. As with those games I find the music tends to add that little bit of flavor to the immersive experience. Kronos Interactive is an indie games studio based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. So, the inclusion of Spanish notes and colors found throughout the game makes sense. There is mention of Katari's people whom I assume come from the Balearic Islands of Spain, hence the name of the sling.

I must bring up a point I found odd, which is that nowhere in the cabin is there an actual rotary dial telephone, yet when you hear Katari 'hang up' the phone you hear that very distinct sound of the click of a rotary dial telephone hanging up. Upon thinking on this further I remember during the first message he left for his mother might have been from a gas station payphone, and yet we don't see a scene of that, or even a screencap of him standing at a phonebox at a gas station. I just found it to be a little odd.

Finally, for the first time in any of my playthroughs of Echoes From Ciudadela, I see the saving icon as well as the text of 'Saving game' in the bottom right corner. You're directed to check for hints using the 'F' key and as you move forward the screen freezes and opens a window reiterating the fact to use the 'F' key for hints. You can't move until you close that window. At least I found that had happened during two of my playthroughs. As with all things from the beginning, there is no 'getting ahead' of yourself in this game. Everything is connected to the story and everything has something to say or reveal as you play.

After you solve the first three puzzles on the mountain you come to the next step of finding an entrance. In each of my playthroughs, not once was that door in my field of vision. Katari's remark on the entrance comes early each time with the above view for me. The controls are not as smooth as I would have liked and this is another game in my list of 'made for controllers, don't try on keyboard.'

From this point on I'll let you experience the game firsthand and to enjoy yourself. Oh, and don't worry about the door closing behind you. You'll eventually get out! *Laughs*

All in all I did have a good time in Echoes From Ciudadela, even with the fact that it felt like my hand was being held most of the way. A few of the puzzles had me thinking for a bit so much that the immersion factor of this game kept me from a couple of my meals! Thank you, Kronos Interactive, for your first game that, to me, needed a bit more time in the playtest portion before its release. To any puzzle and relaxing game buffs out there I would recommend this game, if only for a short break as you can quickly do this game in less than a day.

Score: 7 / 10 

 

 

Read More

Feel the Power of the Final Titan Showdown in KOEI TECMO’s Attack on Titan 3, Coming This Winter

Go Beyond the Walls in the Newest Trailer; Exterior Scouting Missions Revealed

BURLINGAME, Calif. – July 1, 2026 – Today, KOEI TECMO America and developer Omega Force announced that Attack on Titan 3, the latest instalment in the Attack on Titan action game series, will be released worldwide this winter for the PlayStation®5, Nintendo Switch™ 2, XBOX Series X|S and PC Windows via Steam®. To celebrate, new trailer has also been unveiled alongside new details about the gameplay. 

The opening animation for the game* will be produced by MAPPA, the animation studio that worked on Attack on Titan: The Final Season, with action scene animator, storyboard artist, and key animator Arifumi Imai returning as director. Stay tuned for more information and future reveals!

Watch the new trailer on YouTube

Attack on Titan 3 is the riveting culmination of Omega Force’s action game series, depicting the story of Attack on Titan from its survey corps beginnings to its dramatic conclusion. In this title, fans will dive into the action by taking on the role of a member of the Scout Regiment to relive the historical events that shaped the world alongside the iconic cast of Attack of Titan. Each Scout Regiment member brings distinct skills to the fray. Assemble a squad of fan-favorites and unleash their signature abilities to turn the tide of battle.

As in previous titles, fans will be equipped with omni-directional mobility gear that allows them to take to the skies, delivering a one-of-a-kind combat experience thanks to the enhanced gameplay. The Titans will be more terrifying and dangerous than ever before, with new attacks and behaviours that will force players to fight relentlessly for their survival. Newcomers will also be able to enjoy this final evolution of human-versus-Titan combat thanks to the new Casual Mode.

Attack on Titan 3 also features Exterior Scouting Missions that will allow players to freely explore the world outside the walls by constructing supply bases, taking down dangerous Titans and expanding humanity’s domain. Survival demands ruthless resource management. Keep a tight grip on ODM fuel and blades to stay in motion, while fighting to keep squad morale high. Every expedition forces a deadly choice: push forward into Titan territory at the risk of permanent injury and death, or retreat to survive another day.

Attack on Titan 3 is currently in development and is scheduled to release this winter on PlayStation®5, Nintendo Switch™ 2, XBOX Series X|S and PC Windows via Steam®. The game will include Japanese voices with texts in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

For more information on Attack on Titan 3, be sure to visit the official site, Attack on Titan Game Series Official X, subscribe to the official KOEI TECMO America YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on X, Instagram, and Discord.

* The opening animation movie will not be implemented at the time of release but will be added to the game in a future update.

ABOUT MAPPA CO., LTD

An animation studio established in 2011.

With a focus on the production of TV animation, we plan and produce animated content across all genres　and in various other formats such as movies, commercials, and online videos. We also use the rights we own for specific IPs as we operate our domestic and overseas licensing business. Representative works include JUJUTSU KAISEN, Attack on Titan Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds, and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.

©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved. The KT logo is a trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

©Hajime Isayama, KODANSHA/“ATTACK ON TITAN” The Final Season Production Committee.

©2026 Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. "PlayStation Family Mark", "PlayStation", "PS5 logo", "PS5", "PlayStation Shapes Logo" and "Play Has No Limits" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

©2026 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.

Article by: Susan N.

Read More