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Forever Skys PS5 Review

Forever Skys was released by Far From Home earlier this year on consoles after being in early access on Steam. They were nice enough to send me a copy recently to check out, and I have to say it is one of the more original survival games I have played.

All the typical survival types are here: gather food and water so you don’t die, build a bed so you can sleep. The usual suspects. Even having a special gun and scanner to discover new things to build isn’t new. It is all very well done, however, which is important.

What is new, however, is that instead of building just a base somewhere, you are building an airship. Yes, it is fully functional, needs engines and fuel, etc, to fly, and you will fly it yourself. It can be damaged, and you can fall off of it. You also gather food by fishing off the side of it.

The game really picks up when you have to find bigger and better things in the underworld. See, the game does have a story, and that story is basically to save humanity. And while you are pretty much safe while flying through the sky on your ship, traveling below the clouds is when it gets dangerous. This will require special preparation, because most things down there want you dead.

This brings me to my only real complaint about the game: getting around can be annoying if you are an idiot like me and don’t put the radar somewhere easy to see while flying. Don’t worry, I fixed it. Even then, a lot of the map looks the same regardless of where you go, and I just wish there was some sort of variety. The game is still an 8/10 survival game, and the ability to build and fly a ship from the start is nice. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Demonschool Playstation 5 Review

DemonSchool from Developer Necrosoft Games and publisher Ysbryd Games is a tactical RPG, and proudly wears its Persona and Italian horror roots on its sleeve. Thankfully, they sent me a copy to check out.

The combat is interesting; unlike most of these games, you won’t simply be moving a few squares, choosing an attack, gaining levels, and learning new skills. Every character simply knows the attacks they will know. You, of course, can learn new skills throughout the game, but these work like buffs. Your healer learns to weaken enemies, or your attackers can learn to also stun enemies, things like that.

Killing enemies will see them explode into blood

The other interesting thing about the combat is that you move in directions, not to spaces. This may sound odd at first, but it works out very well and creates an interesting dynamic. This becomes even more true when you realize characters like Namako will move through a group of enemies, stunning them just to end up on the other side of them. Faye can then attack that same group and create a combination attack with Namako.

Bosses create an entirely new situation, however. They are all very large and have their own gimmicks to overcome. Many, if you stay in a certain zone for too long, will kill you in a single shot. This works in both directions, however, and trapping an enemy there will also kill them. Each boss has their own reason for existing and is part of the story attached to them.

Now you will notice I haven’t touched on the story yet, and that is intentional, as I don’t like to risk spoilers. You play as Faye, probably one of the only people left in the world who knows about a prophecy that demons will return to start the apocalypse. She journeys to this college on an island in an attempt to stop it. She teams up with Namako right away, another person with demon hunter blood in her family, despite her initial refusal. There are several tone shifts throughout the game, and they are all amazing.

The writing can be a bit cliché and silly at times, and it won’t be for everyone. The game, however, is a solid 8/10. The battles can be a bit redundant, but I enjoyed them. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

JDM: Japanese Drift Master has finally come to Xbox after being long available on Steam, and Gaming Factory was nice enough to send me a copy to check out. First thing I have to say is the game is beautiful. There is just no way around that fact. The map is based on real-world Japan, and just driving around it, you can see the inspiration and even some real-world places. Just driving around, drifting for no reason, can be fun. The cars themselves are some of the best I have seen in a video game.

The story itself plays out in Manga-style cutscenes. Don’t worry if you have never read one; the game has a handy help system for that. This, I thought, was a nice touch and really just steered into the Japanese aesthetic. More games really need to do this, I think.

All of that truly doesn’t mean much if the controls aren’t good. As someone who isn’t huge on racing games but has played some, they are fantastic. You have two different modes to choose from. A more arcade-style for an easier beginner person, and a sim mode where pretty much all the help options are disabled. This makes the game more approachable for everyone.

Now, some of you may be wondering, does the game support steering wheels? The answer is no. It was designed for a controller and does not support steering wheels. This may be a deal breaker for some of you, and I understand that. I do find it odd myself, considering it is a single-player game and they don’t have to worry about someone having an advantage in multiplayer.

At the end of the day, it is a 9/10 racing game. Drift fans will love it, many of whom have long waited for their chance to play this game that has been trapped on Steam. Is it easy? No, there is a ton to learn and get used to. But it is beautiful and fun to play. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Duskpunk Steam Review

Duskpunk is inspired by tabletop games and is definitely a mature title, not because of its visuals, but because of the images that will spring to mind by the words on the screen. Sent to me by Clockwork Bird, this title is not for the faint of heart. It is both challenging and grotesque in how it plays how, and I mean this in the best way possible.

My first play-through saw me as a soldier, missing part of my memory nursing an injured leg that I would soon lose. Struggling to survive and even find food in a world at war that didn’t care. I won’t go too deep into specifics, but suffice it to say, even the clergy offered me drugs to help me get by and ease my suffering. Every choice is life or death at times, from gambling in hopes of gathering enough money to eat to choosing where to sleep.

There are some downsides, however, while the story is fantastic and every character I came across is interesting and well thought out, dice rolls can be brutal even on the easiest setting. The game seems to be built on making you fail since many even simple decisions require multiple dice rolls to succeed, but only one to fail. Even a small injury to a stat can be game-ending. I don’t say this to discourage anyone, but gathering resources while racing against the clock and fighting dice rolls won’t be for everyone. After multiple play-throughs, I am still enjoying the game, but I can understand why some people would not.

This is one of those games that fans of this genre need to check out. For example, if you enjoyed Citizen Sleeper, you will likely enjoy this as well. However, if you don’t like games like this, I don’t see this being the game that changes your mind on the genre. At a price point of $20, it is an 8/10 that fans of the genre should’t miss. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

VR Playtest News | Survival Horror Game Dread Meridian

Dread Meridian is a VR survival game, and they were kind enough to let me know that they have a playtest coming up on PC VR, META Quest 2,3, and 3S. Here is a quick blurb from their Steam page so you can learn more about it. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dread Meridian is a VR survival horror adventure across the frozen wasteland of Oglanbyen.

Play as Daniela, a researcher who ventures to a remote arctic island in a desperate search for her missing twin sister, Isabella. Scavenge for resources, solve cryptic puzzles, and battle unimaginable creatures while unraveling the mystery of her disapperance. Will you pierce the veil surrounding Oglanbyen, or succumb to its terrors? Test your wits against the twisted creatures that stalk the lands. Planning is key to survival on the lost island.

Effulgence RPG – ASCII-3D-powered sci-fi RPG hits Steam Early Access Dec 2 (demo available)

After checking out the demo for this, all I can really say is, go check out the demo. It is essentially a turn-based RPG combined with Monster Hunter. You go into battle and kill enemies, then use those parts to build bigger and better weapons. Effulgence RPG has a demo available, and it is well worth checking out.

Key features at a glance

Text-only visuals – the entire game (characters, environments, effects) is built from text symbols.
Tactical turn-based combat with a PING system that controls turn order and timing.
Convert enemies into gear – harvest raw parts from defeated foes and print new weapons and items.
Short satirical dialogues and a slightly absurd, darkly humorous tone instead of a heavy epic story.
3D-style globe map built from symbols, with locations gradually unlocking as you progress.

It should be noted, and the Developer has been very up front about this, that the December 2nd release into early access will be a very compact version of the game because they want to focus on player feedback for the first part. There is also a supporter DLC during early access that will be completely free to anyone who gets the game before the 1.0 release and won’t become paid until after that. (Those who got it free will have it free forever.) So go check it out, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Deep Space Exploitation Steam Review

Deep Space Exploitation is a deep space mining game sent to me by the developer JuhrJuhr, don’t ask me how to pronounce that. Corporations in the distant future have managed to essentially bring back the days of the company store, where you work for them, and, while buying everything from them, with little to no other options.

This is learned early during the tutorial when your ship is damaged by the drop off ships’ negligence, yet you are basically told it sucks to be you, and you have to pay for the repairs yourself. Now it is possible to complain and get some of the money back, but nothing is really as simple as it is made out to be.

Other fun things, you need to buy bullets to mine asteroids for gems that you sell for money, then you buy bullets and upgrades to mine more gems. Yes, you are buying them essentially from the same people you sell the gems to. This creates a circular system where you barely make enough profit to keep you going. Just like the days of the good old company stores.

This may not sound like a fun game loop, but you would be wrong. Juggling your finances to break free of this loop is very much a possibility. Deciding when to buy these upgrades is part of the challenge, and while there is no story exactly, you are essentially writing your own. Can you succeed where so many others have failed?

Truth be told, I could not, but I had a blast trying over and over again. The controls are nice, graphically, these 2D games are a fun throwback, and the controls are pretty tight for a $9 game. I won’t try to sell you on this because the game isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy a game that will be fair but challenging and just let you work pretty much how you want, this one is a nice one to check out. It is a nice sleeper, 8/10 title. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Skyformer Early Acess Review

Skyformers is a game where you play as a robot, sent to an inhospitable world by your creators to terraform it to their liking. It was also sent to me by a solo developer, Weatherfused, which is always appreciated.

The premise is quite simple. You build small things to mine things like iron, and small factories turn that iron into something usable, and drones to take that iron from the mine to the factory. You can then use that iron to make other things that will keep your little robot alive, or help you mine other resources and build bigger and better things, and that will help you make the planet more livable for the creators that sent you.

This obviously doesn’t make the game easy. Terraforming a planet is a nightmare in theory, and doing it in a game logistically, while much easier, still requires you to think through the process in great detail. The number of times I forgot something simple, which brought my entire system to a grinding halt, is more than one.

The art style is also nice; it’s cute and simple, but it won’t drag your PC down trying to run it. I appreciate this because it seems like everyone is busy seeing if something can be done as opposed to asking if it should be done. This art style serves this type of game well. Watching the storms roll through my base was still a treat.

Another nice little treat, the lack of having to deal with all the damn belts. It’s nice to have a futuristic game that lets me just fly materials around instead of messing with conveyor belts.

Normally, I would list some bad things about the game here, and I am happy to do so. But honestly, they are really more about my preferences. For example, if you build things up too high in altitude, according to some reviews, they get destroyed once you get so far along in the forming process. I didn’t experience this, but the game should really mention that. I also hate that I can’t simply teleport between ground level and my little air station directly. I understand why from a story point, but it is still annoying.

More importantly, I never experienced any weird crashes or bugs, and while the game may not be as fun as, say, Factorio to me, it is definitely more user-friendly. It is also a 7/10 experience, and fans of the genre will probably find it worth the $18. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Pigeon Simulator Xbox Review

Pigeon Simulator on Xbox is an interesting game sent my way by the people over at TinyBuild. I always love working with them and appreciate the game. The concept is built on the joke conspiracy theory that pigeons aren’t real and are essentially government spy cameras. To build on this, you play as a pigeon that works as a government agent who protects the world from supernatural threats.

Yes, those books are flying, yes, they are dangerous. No, you can not read them.

After a quick tutorial on how to spot these ghostly threats and how to deal with them, for example, how to poop on them or how to use gadgets to lower the chaos meter, the game thrusts you into missions to find haunted objects to bring back to a specific spot to earn money as a reward. This money is used to buy upgrades or items to help in missions. Speaking of future missions, once you fail a mission, everything resets.

The game functions decently enough, the controls aren’t great, and neither are the graphics, but they also aren’t bad. It is all just average. There are just a few things you need to know when playing this game. First, don’t bother playing it solo. It can be done, but it is not fun, by any measure of the definition of fun. You will need at least one friend to find any real enjoyment here, but preferably at least two.

The second thing you need to know, this entire game’s existence is really just based around the idea that you and your friends are going to screw around, collect objects, and have a good laugh. If you and the group you play with are the type to take everything super seriously, you probably will not have a good time. Not that taking games seriously is wrong by any means, that just isn’t what this game is made for. You are a pigeon crapping on people and using a grappling hook to haul haunted objects to an extraction point. Clearly, this isn’t a game made for serious people.

Is it worth $15? For some people, it will be. With the right friends, there is some fun to be had here; it is a decent 6/10 title. Just be aware that, without friends to play with, the game is best avoided. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel Playstation 5 Review

Before I get too far into my review, I do have to give a huge shout-out to Grindstone for tossing me a PS5 copy of Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel to enjoy. The game has been out for a bit, but they still threw me one. There is a huge update coming out on December 4th to the PC and Console versions called The Fall of Alfheim. It will add all sorts of new things, such as a new realm, a new god, and even a new class. If all that wasn’t enough to give you a hint, the game is fantastic. But keep reading anyway, I worked hard on this.

The first thing to know is that the game has a story; you can absolutely ignore it. Just like in all these horde survival games, one exists but there are bare bones. This time around, I actually suggest paying attention to it. It takes place in a dark Viking underworld, and you battle your way through mountains of enemies with the help of Norse gods. Each god offers up special powers and perks, such as Thor lending you Mjolnir and lightning powers. Each run unlocks stones you can use to unlock new powers from the gods, or permanent upgrades from them that apply to all of your characters.

These same stones can also be used to apply upgrades or unlock new powers for specific characters. I personally would wait to do this until you discover your favorite, as the god powers are far more universal and helpful until you decide who you want to spend more time with. While there are an infinite number of upgrades you can unlock, this does take time.

Won’t pretend the kinslayer isn’t badass and my favorite

Each level has multiple difficulties and its own set of modifiers you can unlock. This leads to a ton of replay value, and once you unlock insane difficulty and all the modifiers, you can practically customize your experience anyway you choose. Want enemies to return from the dead? Feel free. Want to act like a coward and make runs super easy? There is a modifier for that. (Seriously it calls you out for it)

Unlike many of these games, it isn’t as simple as surviving for 10 or 15 minutes. The goal isn’t to survive a set amount of time at all; the timer is actually a countdown. You have that amount of time to complete a set number of missions and summon the boss. (Don’t worry, once he is summoned, you can fight it as long as you need to.) This is a nice change of pace from the usual setup.

Truly, if I had any complaints about this game, it’s that unlocking the actual weapons for everyone is a huge hassle, and half of the outfits are locked behind DLC. This wouldn’t be so bad if there were more outfits, but there is such a limited number that I feel forced to buy them if I want anything other than a very basic look. This doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the game; the outfits have no real purpose outside of cosmetics, but I am pretty sure I will never try the majority of the weapons because of how big of a hassle it is to unlock new ones.

Is the game worth buying? Absolutely. It is still a 9/10 experience, one of the few must-buy games of this genre I have played. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.