Decktamer Steam Review

Decktamer released on Steam this week, and Assemble Entertainment was nice enough to send me a copy. The best way I can describe this experience would be if Magic: The Gathering and a Pokémon Nuzloke run had a baby and spit this Deckbuilding roguelike out.

The concept is simple: you start with a deck of cards, which are living monsters. You delve into this cave and fight other monsters, where you can capture new ones when you weaken them, assuming you have the right food. For example, herbivores won’t join you if you try to toss them a hunk of meat. Creatures that prefer fish aren’t likely to accept plants. Worse, if your creature dies during a fight, it is gone forever.

Red is Health, green is speed

Each card has a health and speed rating, while their attacks do different amounts of damage and have different abilities. Some are weaker but may do damage to every monster on the side. A slower monster may have stronger attacks; it is up to you what you want to try to do. However, remember that if that health reaches zero, it is gone forever. It is very high-risk high high-reward sometimes. Knowing when to switch your monster means more than in most games.

The artwork is also amazing; this is honestly where I thought the game would fall short, considering its $16 price tag. I was very wrong; the sound and art are nothing short of amazing, and I really thought going into this, these would be the areas I would have complaints. In fact, if you look at the Steam reviews, which are very positive with over 150 currently the only complaints you will see are that the game is insanely hard.

This is honestly true; this game is not for the faint of heart. I love the game, it is fun and I am having a blast with it, but damn, will it wreck you. Each battle and each move involves some strategy. Each item matters the further you go. It may even need some balancing tweaks to be honest, but in the meantime, it is a 9/10 experience that fans of the genre must experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Space Chef PlayStation 5 Review

Space Chef is a survival RPG cooking sim sent to me by the fine folks at Kwalee, a company that is always great to work with. The concept is straightforward in this case. Your grandmother left you to cook for the people in the local solar system. You start out learning to create a spatula, kill some roach-looking things, and cook them up.

I don’t know why people are ok eating these things that live in your basement, or why you are ok with them living there in the first place, but hey $20 is $20. So get cooking and deliver some bug kabobs. This will get you out exploring and meeting people and introduce you to other in-game mechanics, such as picking up space junk. This will let you craft new weapons, cooking surfaces, and upgrades for your ship.

It won’t be long before you are landing on planets for better ingredients to cook better food that you can sell for more money. This will also lead to a better reputation and even a real restaurant.

This all sounds good, but does it function well? The short answer is yes; the long answer is absolutely yes. I never felt lost or out of things to be doing while playing. I always had some place I could go or something I could be working towards. Even when I was simply grinding out materials, I had a business to run, and when that got in the way, I could close up shop at the push of a button.

My only real complaint was combat. There isn’t anything wrong with it; it feels fine, but it simply isn’t all that fun or engaging. Just equip a weapon, mash a button, and hope for the best. You could manipulate it so enemy attacks miss by moving at the right time, but for a survival game, the fighting really felt like an afterthought sometimes.

But is the game worth buying? Without a doubt. When I first heard about it I thought this could only go one of two ways: it would either be amazing or it would be a train wreck. This is definitely one of those games that will be in my rotation for a while. It won’t be for everyone, but for fans of this type of game, it is an 8/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Lost in Fantaland Playstation 5 Review

Lost in Fantaland is the newest tactical RPG roguelike from Game Source Entertainment, and they were kind enough to send me a PlayStation 5 copy to check out.

The game starts out in a simple yet comical way, which honestly is pretty standard for the game. It takes a rather light-hearted tone throughout the entire game. You start out as a kid walking through the woods and get more or less kidnapped into a world you need to save. This leads you into the tutorial where your character is freaking out about how he can’t move. A hooded but friendly figure explains that you can’t move yet because it isn’t quite your turn.

He then explains what the cards do, how to avoid getting hit, and how to deal damage. This, as you would expect, leaves your character a bit unhappy, but they are convinced to play along. The battles take place on an 8×8 grid, which makes for pretty fast-paced battles that really push you to focus on strategy rather than trying to overpower the enemy. This is especially true if you are playing as one of the mage classes, which really prefer more of a hit-and-run strategy than to stand there and tank hits with shields like the warrior class.

The story admittedly is pretty much non-existent, but there is a reason the game is sitting at very positive reviews on Steam. The combat itself is just fun and easy to get into. Permanent unlocks can be useful, but for the most part, they are perks that make the game more fun and aren’t truly required to make deep runs like most games of the genre. With a price point of around 15 dollars, it’s easy to recommend this game. I would like a bit more variety in the cards you can get your hands on, but it is still a 7/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) Review

Christmas Bloody Christmas by writer/director Joe Begos, is a very odd slasher flick for me. It has all the staples of a slasher movie you would want: gory kills, campy acting that isn’t over the top, and a story that makes just enough sense to suspend disbelief but isn’t so far out there to make me just want to turn it off.

The story goes like this: a music store owner named Tori, played by the talented Riley Dandy, is convinced by her long-time employee, Robbie (the equally gifted Sam Delich), to blow off a Tinder date to drink and hang out with him instead. After a quick stop at the local toy store to visit some friends who have decided to stay late for a drunken sex filled night after hours at the store, they are off to the bar. The thing is, the toy store is where they are shown a somewhat creepy electronic Santa that is very popular because it does all the stuff a normal store Santa does, except it isn’t a real person. Personally, I took this as a shot at unfettered capitalism and how companies would rather get rid of an employee and use (quite literally in this case) repurposed military equipment to save money than hire an old man to play Santa.

At the bar, you can hear on the TV that there has been a recall on these Santas because some of them have been reverting back to their original programming. This obviously can’t mean anything bad for our drunk sex fiend friends back at the store, right? Yeah, they are about to get killed mid-coiatis. Tori and Robbie are leaving the bar around this time on their way back to Tori’s house, and assume they are just having a great time.

This, of course, leads to the eventual sex between our main characters, and this is where I need to give a shout-out to Joe. Movies like this tend to take sex scenes and turn them into an excuse to just show a ton of nudity for the sake of having nudity, and this is done quite well. Very little actual nudity ( and this is assuming you consider a thong nudity)

My only real issue comes down to the massive amount of false finishes with the villain. They start at around halfway through the movie, and I completely understand the concept of building suspense and building to a climax and building hope, etc. There does come a point when you are no longer building anything, and you are simply killing momentum for an audience.

I can only watch Mecha Santa get hit by so many cars or take so many shotgun blasts that “kill him” so many times before I don’t care if he gets up or not, and by the time Tori actually kills him, I didn’t care who died as long as the movie ended. I went from rooting for Tori to rooting for the movie to just end. I started out enjoying the movie, but by the end, I simply didn’t care. It isn’t the acting or even the story; it is simply a matter of how they chose to play it out. More deaths and fewer false deaths for Santa would have gone a long way. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: The Long Halloween

It began with Johnny Vitti on Halloween. Every holiday, another murder linked to the once untouchable Falcone crime family. Each month, more bodies, more unrest as the Falcone’s numbers dwindle and there bloody feud with the Maroni family comes to a head, and less answers for the Dark Knight, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and DA Harvey Dent. The trio of Gotham’s heroes face a bitter line between taking down the biggest threats to Gotham, but at what cost? How far will the old crime-lords go to to preserve there empires? After a fateful tragedy and a shocking reveal, the year long caper comes to a close but nothing will ever be the same.

So first and foremost, this is one of the best Bat stories put to page. Hands down, no contest. The book is well written with dark themes, a genuinely well written mystery, and well done characters. The book was a huge inspiration behind The Dark Knight as well as The Batman. The art style is interesting with some seriously iconic imagery and sets up a creepy, vintage noir mood.

I’ve also seen the 2 part, R rated, animated movie counterparts that also do the story justice. Jensen Ackles (the GOAT of Red Hoods) was great voicing Batman but I was more surprised at Josh Duhamel doing a fantastic job voicing Harvey and eventually Two Face.

The story has a few flaws and some things I felt like in the book should’ve been expanded on more like Catwoman’s vendetta against Falcone and Gilda Dent’s mania in correlation to her husband’s ( the movie versions go much deeper into this). Another small gripe I have is I wish we got more Grundy, Scarecrow, and Mad Hatter in both versions, but that’s just me.

In the end, I can’t recommend the book enough and the movies are damn good adaption to follow up on. May the gaming god’s bring you glory and an end to your own Long Halloween.

ICARUS Spreading Its Wings Onto Console – Launches Early 2026

If you love survival games, you have probably heard of Icarus and its over 23 thousand mostly positive reviews over on Steam. Released way back in 2021, many console players wanted to experience this but never had the chance, and all that will change come 2026. Coming to both Xbox and PlayStation 5 and available to wishlist now. Enjoy the announcement trailer above and some of the press release below, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

ICARUS: Console Edition features:

  • An alien planet that fights back: Every element of Icarus resists humanity’s presence, with flora, fauna, and even the planet’s atmosphere, trying to drive players back into orbit.
  • Explore solo or in a party: Up to four players can drop onto the hostile alien world of Icarus, and strive to survive in the ultimate, uncompromising PvE experience.
  • Two massive maps to explore: ICARUS: Console Edition includes the base game plus the New Frontiers expansion from the start, giving players 128km2 of terrain to conquer.
  • Compelling progression and rewards: Begin with basic gear and advance to sophisticated tech, forge permanent upgrades with exotic matter, and master the arts of hunting, building, fishing, and survival.
  • New frontiers, new deadly threats: Discover new maps, mutated creatures, ridable mounts, and untapped resources on the Prometheus region in the New Frontiers Expansion.

NASCAR 25 Playstation Review

NASCAR 25 is the newest racing game from iRacing, and it really shows their dedication to making the game simply about racing. They sent me a copy to check out, which I always appreciate.

The first thing I noticed was how simple and streamlined everything is compared to previous years. If you want to jump into a race, even in career mode, everything is just a couple of quick button presses away with very few menus to flip through. This isn’t to say there is a lack of options; you can still do all the things you would want to do, from customizing your cars and team to tinkering with your car. It is all just easy to access.

Even online racing is quite simple to get into, with picking your race having options laid out simply to see what kind of race you are joining or starting, easy to see. You want a quick or long race with full flags and laps; it is easy to find.

All of this means nothing if the game plays badly or doesn’t look good. Truthfully, this is the best-looking NASCAR game we have seen on consoles. The controls are also very nice. I am far from being an expert at racing, but the controls for me are great. They aren’t super touchy like many other racing games, where if I do the smallest movement, I am flying off the track, but it doesn’t hold my hand either. More than once, I have managed to oversteer and toss myself into a wall or other cars. Sorry guys, online, I didn’t mean to cause that pile-up.

This brings me to the online community. I had about a dozen races, and only twice have I seen any real wrecks, once by me and once by someone else who seemed to have had a similar mistake. People on the mics had a good laugh and seemed to be understanding, and enjoyed a good, clean race. I don’t doubt there are trolls out there that want to ruin a good time, but they certainly aren’t the majority of people.

So is NASCAR 25 worth your money? Well, if you are a racing fan, absolutely. This is a 9/10 NASCAR game. Easily the best I have played in years. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

SWORN Playstation 5 Review

Sworn is a new rogue game from Team 17 who I love working with, and they were nice enough to send me a copy of this on PS5 to check out.

I have to be honest here, and there is no way to avoid this comparison, and you will probably see it during every review. If you have played Hades, you have basically played this game. I don’t mean that as a bad thing. The play styles are just very similar. The tight rooms, the traps, the tight controls, and great combat. It is all there, except more in King Arthur’s time. The game is also clearly built for co-op, unlike Hades.

That is also where my biggest issue with the game is, unless you are playing with friends, the game just isn’t as fun as it could be. Sure, it still looks and plays great, but the balance is just off, and at times, you will struggle alone. It isn’t simply a Hades close, however. It is just impossible to avoid that comparison. The characters feel different, for example, it is a joy to blast enemies with Merlin.

The levels also have their own look and feel; the enemies, while a bit repetitive after a few hours, are each their own and fit the time period the creators were shooting for. The music is also very nice and adds to the overall aesthetic. The game as a co-op experience is an 8/10 experience, but playing it alone is more 6/10. Picking this up really comes down to how you plan on playing it. With friends, it is absolutely worth paying full price, but solo, maybe wait for a sale. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Decktamer Release Date Trailer

Decktamer releases on Steam on October 27th, but you can hop over and play the demo right now if you want. This monster tamer, combined with a rogue-like, will see you using living cards that, once they die, are simply gone forever. You can also fuse cards into entirely new cards. If you love card games and collecting monsters, you owe it to yourself to at least check out the Demo for this one.. Enjoy the screenshots and trailer below, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Halls of Torment Playstation 5 Review

Halls of Tourment is a new horse survival game set to release on October 23rd from publisher Chasing Carrots, and they were nice enough to toss me a copy.

The game has a nice retro look to it, sort of like Diablo 2 if I am being honest. This was a daring choice, one I appreciate personally. It really makes the game feel different from games like Vampire Survivor or Deadly Days: Roadtrip Steam Review, which are both worth playing in their own right.

I won’t pretend to truly know the story of Halls of Torment. I know there is one, I simply wasn’t paying attention beyond delving into the Halls of Torment and killing a ton of stuff while surviving 30 minutes. Each level and even each character has its own set of missions you can do, for example, each character has two built in, reach level 30, and reach level 60. ( as in level up 30 and 60 times) Each level has some that want you to survive until the clock hits, for example, 22 minutes or another set time. These come with their own rewards to unlock as you play.

This is probably my favorite aspect of this game; there is always something to be working towards. Once you unlock the well, you can even find equipment to send up the well back to base, which you can then buy from the well keeper, and now you have equipment you can permanently equip to characters for stat boost from the very start of your run. Even when you fail a run, you keep this equipment. This adds a level of strategy when you find new equipment on runs. Do you run back to the well and send it up, or do you keep it and hope you complete the run?

The 12 characters all feel different, which is nice, from a sword-wielding character that just swings a massive broad sword to a dude with a flamethrower, and so much more in between. The game is well worth adding to your survival horde collection. 9/10 experience, best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.