Game reviews – Page 3 – Savior Gaming

Solarpunk PlayStation 5 Review

Solarpunk is a relaxed survival game made by just two people and sent my way by Rokaplay. I would be lying if I said this one wasn’t on my radar for a while. Everyone who follows Savior Gaming knows I am a sucker for a good survival game, and Solarpunk ticks all my boxes. I can relax, craft stuff, fly an airship, build a house as small or big as I want, and just all around do whatever I feel like doing in my own time. The question is, does it live up to my expectations?

Well, if you don’t feel like reading this entire thing, feel free to go and spend the $23 and buy it; you have my blessing. If you want to know more, keep reading. Starting out, you are tasked with the usual: collect some rocks and sticks, build some basic equipment, chop down some trees, collect some berries, we all know the drill. You will quickly be researching new things, however. This is very intuitive. It is as simple as using the research table and bringing what it asks for, such as wood or glass, depending on what you want to research.

I won’t bore you with the minor details; if you’ve played one survival game, you know how it all works. Where Solarpunk shines is that you can bring friends to do all this and build insane structures while checking out other islands. In between this, you can build things like solar panels and things to water or mine minerals for you. All of this starts to unlock pretty fast as well; these aren’t late-game items you need to grind for.

Now I know I make the game sound damn near perfect, and well, there are a few complaints I have. If you are playing alone, things will take a bit of time and get a bit repetitive. You will need to chop down and replant a lot of trees to build things, for example, and it feels like more so than most survival games. The same goes for most resources. Watering things before you unlock sprinklers is also a chore since you will need to refill your watering can quite often. This wouldn’t be so bad, but you will need things like watermelons to trade and berries to eat, as well as cotton for building, and all this takes some time. The game is definitely better with friends.

None of this makes the game not worth playing. I loved playing the game and will be playing it more, but it is worth mentioning. It is an 8/10 title. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Underchoice Steam Review

Underchoice is the newest title from Targem Games, and they were kind enough to send it my way to check out. Underchoice will see you running a vault as an overseer. Every choice you make will determine if your people survive, since the outside world is no longer safe to live in. They are playing fast and loose with no longer safe to live in, however, since people will be showing up asking to live there, and someone does occasionally drop bombs that may or may not land close enough to cause damage to your vault.

You will start out choosing some people to live in your vault, each with different skills and randomly assigned negative traits. I find this works really well and makes every run feel different. The person you pick to create food might end up as a smoker. This requires you to buy cigarettes from the trader who shows up weekly. Speaking of weekly things, every week you will be given some sort of update from the company that runs the vault.

The art style is great, honestly, it is probably the best part of the game. It truly has a lot of potential, with multiple endings, a good number of people to unlock, and a decent number of things to see. I wish it were a game I could put more time into.

The issues with the game kind of start popping up after an hour or two. You will quickly see just about every event possible. By the end of my second run, I felt like I had seen it all, and when there were still more people and endings to unlock, this stopped being fun when things were just repeating already. On the bright side, the game is only $8, so I can’t be too upset by the price point and the amount there is to do. It won’t be for everyone. If you enjoy games like Papers Please and the like, this will be a fun way to spend a few hours. It is a 7/10 game, particularly because it has a nice price point. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Voice of Belldona Steam Review

Voice of Belldona was sent my way by Okasan’s Recipe, which I always appreciate when someone new reaches out to me. They seem to work with a lot of anime-inspired games, which is pretty cool to see. Now, on the surface, Voice of Belldona looks like any other card battle builder you have seen. In many ways, it is. You will add or remove cards from your deck, make your way around a map, and fight battles with the usual array of enemies, ranging from soldiers to cult members, to giant iron golems, and much more.

The real question with these roguelite deckbuilders at this point isn’t how they are the same; they all have things in common, and if you played one, you understand how to play them all. You really need to ask, what, if anything, does Voice of Belldona do differently or better than the dozens of others? First, the artwork is amazing, and the music did not need to go as hard as it did when the game cost $12, but when the boss battles kicked in, I found myself getting into it more than I probably should have.

She was definitely one of those nuns who hit kids with rulers

The story itself is also above many of these games I have played. I won’t spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, finally, the world is ending, and the person trying to fix it is the one who rightfully should be trying to fix it. No randomly chosen hero here, just a family squabble amongst gods, it seems.

Last but not least, the battles are hard to describe because there are different deck styles and characters to pick. You can summon allies to help, but depending on your character, you might be using shields, so you can pick your moment to strike while inflicting burns. You might be skipping shields altogether to save energy for brutal combos to win fights fast.

There are some minor issues, some I experienced, some I have seen others reporting. For example, there was an issue with changing language options, forcing the game to close suddenly. I also noticed some minor slowdowns randomly, despite my system more than meeting the specs recommended, and there didn’t really seem to be any reason for it. Sometimes it was when there was a ton going on, sometimes I was simply in a menu. These were few and far between, and for an early access title, it was at a more than acceptable level. There are hours of game to be enjoyed in Voice of Belldona; it is an 8/10 title you would be more than happy with. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Tour de France 2026 PlayStation 5 Review

Tour de France 2026 was sent my way by Nacon, a company I have recently started working with, and I really enjoy it, so please show them some love when you can.

Now, for those of you who may not be familiar with the Tour de France, it is the world’s most prestigious bike race. It takes place annually in July and lasts about 23 days, covering (for Americans) about 2,200 miles, or 3,500 km for everyone else.

Now, for the gameplay itself, it is fantastic. It seems like anything you could ever want in a bike racing game is here. Want to switch team members mid-race? Feel free. Want to slam into a wall and fly off your bike? I’ve done it. Guy with an accent, I don’t know, lecturing you because you suck? Yup, he is there, and boy, do I suck. I will not be winning the Tour de France

Let me be perfectly clear about this: I will not be winning because of my skill level, not because of the game. There are multiple difficulty levels and tutorials that teach you everything you need to know to play this game. You can play different races, different modes ect, it isn’t only one race to play, and you can save mid-race, you aren’t forced to try to run the whole 21 legs of the race in one go. This is simply the hardest racing game I have ever played.

Now I have seen other people play these games and seen videos of them playing this one, and they are fantastic. Zooming down hills, taking turns like a pro, not even using many of the helpful options that exist, like the arrows to let you know when you are attempting to take turns too fast and at the wrong angle. The game truly does want you to succeed. Unfortunately for the Tour de France 2026, despite its best efforts to help me, I was unable to help myself.

Now I know what you are thinking, Savior, should I buy it? Honestly, yes. It was still a 9/10 experience to me. The sound and graphics are great. The controls are wonderful. This is a sports game done right. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Arms of God Steam Review

Arms of God was sent my way by Galaktus Publishing and Dark Jay Studio, which I always appreciate. The best way to describe this game would be a roguelite arena shooter with a sort of bullet-hell (or heaven) feel. Top that off with some pretty serious gore and some metal music, and you pretty much have Arms of God. Imagine Doom if Doom Guy were a religious zealot and could use 5 weapons all at once.

Here is where I won’t pull punches; the game for many will feel short. You can run through it if you don’t care to do it all in about 3-4 hours, depending on your skill level. Honestly, for less than $12 thats not bad, especially in early access. If you are the type, however, that wants to truly dig in and experience all the difficulty settings and unlock more characters and see how all the weapons can be combined, this game offers far more than the surface implies.

I quickly found myself wanting to know if my holy hammer would work better as an electric hammer. Could this pitiful gun be made into some sort of beast of a weapon? Just when I thought I was done and had this thing figured out, I found a new blessing that made what I thought was an ok weapon an amazing weapon.

Is the game perfect? No, of course not, nothing is. Enemies, for the most part, feel kind of meh to me. I would like to see some more variety in what I am killing on each level, or maybe they could be scarier since they are demons after all. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t bad by any means. We have all seen far worse in more expensive titles. The rest of my complaints are so minor that I am more than happy to blame them on my system than the game. This is a 9/10 title that fans of the genre owe it to themselves to play. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Realm of Ink PlayStation 5 Review

Realm of Ink is a new action roguelite from Leap Studios, which I am glad they sent me. You play as swordsman Red, though there are other characters you can unlock. With you is your trusty ink companion, Momo. Together, you fight through different levels and worlds using the power of the Fox and different ink powers to defeat destiny. Death is meaningless, as it just gives you a chance to rewrite the story, quite literally, as you will discover throughout the story.

It has always been my experience with these games that, while a good story helps, it is the graphics, gameplay, and quality of upgrades and abilities that determine if the loop is worth it. All of this is where Realm of Ink truly shines. With a unique, almost washed-painted background aesthetic and a seemingly endless combination of weapons, gems, and forms, there is plenty of replay value. If that weren’t enough, just when you think you have mastered the game, there is the endless trials of challenge mode in the Trial Valleys.

Is the game perfect? No, far from. I feel like Momo, while cute, doesn’t exactly serve much of a purpose aside from being a sort of mascot. Many of the characters you meet also sort of feel stale and one-dimensional, and only exist to sort of fill a role and nothing else. The shopkeeper is basically just greedy and money-hungry, but you get hints that he is actually nice and charitable if you are his friend. The cook is sort of ditsy and obsessed with cooking, but you get hints that there is more to her. Every character falls into this same pattern. They are X thing, but let’s hint at more. The game is a 9/10 experience, one I can’t possibly recommend enough. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

FORENSIC – M.E. Protocol PlayStation 5 Review

FORENSIC – M.E. Protocol was sent my way by the fine folks over at JanduSoft, which I always appreciate. Forensic- M.E. Protocol is a rather interesting game, less for what it does and more for what it doesn’t do in today’s gaming world. You won’t be seeing any insane cinematic scenes or experiencing action scenes here. No, the star of this show is your ability to solve crimes in a very real and methodical way.

The game won’t hold your hand and point you where to go; it simply gives you a crime scene, such as a murder or kidnapping. You must then find the evidence and piece together what happened using an impressive level of tools. This might take you some time and require you to visit the evidence multiple times.

The game doesn’t try to impress you with fancy sound or visuals; instead, it tries to draw you in with realism. Empty rooms sound empty, sometimes with dripping water or the sound of machines, your only company in the background as you carefully try to figure out what happened.

This is also where the issues start to pop up. How fun this is, for starters, is debatable. Especially when the controls can be finicky, and the voice acting can leave much to be desired at times, and break the immersion they worked so hard to create. Worse, the tutorial level is a term I use generously. It barely tells you how to play the game or how to use the tools, which means there is quite a bit of trial and error involved in working it out. This could be a great game, but instead it is simply a good game. For the price tag, however, it is still quite impressive. It is a 7/10 experience that people who enjoy the crime genre will probably enjoy. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Hauntsville PlayStation 5 Review

Hauntsville on PlayStation 5 was sent my way by Indie Io, which I always appreciate. Hauntsville was actually created by one person, by the name of Michael Janisch. So if you happen to read this, please don’t take anything I say as how I feel about you as a person. I can’t do what you do.

First, let’s get what I like about the game out of the way. I love the concept here. Trapped in the wild west, monsters stalking the area, a town haunted by a creature because it was built on a cemetery. This just screams amazing horror story. Added to this its a survival game that isn’t punishing for no reason in terms of having to eat and drink? I love that the game treats eating and drinking like eating and drinking.

The monsters are also kind of nice, I think, as well. While the game isn’t the best looking, there is a pretty nice variety of things lurking around. I pretty quickly ran into what appears to be a flaming werewolf, a banshee, and a few different skeleton-looking things. It was pretty cool.

Sadly, this is basically where the game falls to pieces. The game is beyond janky to the point I would struggle to get in the doors to the bases I built. Combat is not only shallow, I felt like I was playing an old PlayStation 2 game. Short also would be an understatement, as the game has around 3 weapons and about 3-5 hours of gameplay. This comes with a price point of $19. This is insane to me, considering the amount of similar games you can get for around the same price or slightly more that are just flat out better. This is a 4/10 experience you are better off skipping, even on a deep sale. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Thrifty Business Steam Review

Thirfty Business was sent my way by Spellgarden Games, which is always appreciated. The game and concept are very simple: you run your very own thrift store. Every day you get new stock, set up the shelves, decide where to place items, and check out customers. It is, however, done in a very cozy way. You won’t be worried about hitting buttons on a cash register or setting prices.

That isn’t to say what you do doesn’t matter. Where you place items definitely seems to matter. If you toss toys and kitchen stuff on the same shelf next to each other, people are less likely to buy them. Customers also love to toss garbage on the floor, so make sure you clean it up; this also upsets them.

Getting to know your customers is also a very nice touch. The only real issue I have with the game is less of an issue with the game and is more of an issue with me, and that is, you will quickly run out of things to do. Now, for $13, I don’t expect a huge amount of content, and for many, the amount of content available is just fine. There are hours of collecting and setting up your shop to do. How much fun that actually will depend on you. It is sitting at very positive reviews for a good reason. The game is colorful, and the game loop is going to be a love or hate it thing. If you love to collect things and relax, this game will be something you love. If you want an in-depth sim, you will want to look elsewhere. This is an 8/10 title. While I wasn’t a huge fan, I can see why many people love it. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Psyvariar 3 Xbox Review

Psyvariar 3 was sent my way by Red Art Games, something I always appreciate. First, a little good news, bad news. Bad news, Psyvariar 3 takes place many years after Psyvariar 2, and the stories are connected. Good news, it doesn’t really matter. Reading the game’s description, or my review, will catch you right up. Basically, a group of people decided Earth was too important to leave abandoned and went back and resettled it. Now an alien signal sends everyone off to war. I am, of course, paraphrasing.

Ok, now that the story is out of the way, which let’s be honest, I can’t be the only one that didn’t care, I just wanted to fly cool ships and blow stuff up. With 7 playable characters and Cotton from the Cotton series to fly around as each with their own way of shooting and their own bomb type, there are plenty of ways to play. On top of this there are numerous game modes, ranging from arcade to quicker mission based modes.

The gameplay felt a bit, odd to me however. You don’t really collect power ups and level up in the typical way. See you get “buzzed” by enemy fire, this is essentially getting hit but not quite hit to gain shields and levels that power you up. This is basically skilled flying giving you an advantage. It takes a lot of getting used to, and at times it felt like what counted as getting “buzzed” one time got you blown up the next. This may have been on me, but sometimes it felt more luck based than skill based. That isn’t to say the game isn’t fun, I had plenty of fun with it.

More importantly, the game stacks up well against games at a much higher price point while this one cost less than $20. For fans of the genre this is easy to recommend. it is a 8/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.