Reviews – Page 19 – Savior Gaming

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Before Exit: Gas Station Playstation 5 Review

Before Exit: Gas Station on PS5 was sent to me by Take It Studio, which I always appreciate. You can also pick it up on Steam if that is more to your liking. Shout out to them for tossing me this, well, let’s talk about what kind of game it is.

If you have ever worked in a gas station or really any sort of retail, you know how the day goes. You come to work, clean up some messes, maybe wait on some customers, stock some shelves, and kill time until the end of your shift. Then you empty the trash, make sure stuff looks good for tomorrow, make sure all the doors are closed, and lights are off, then you head out the door and head home. There is a twist here, however.

Unlike your real job, when you leave the gas station at night, if you miss anything, the owner will be right there to bitch at you, but only if you miss anything you should have done. Don’t worry, the game is nice enough to just expect you to know what you needed to get done, just like your real job.

No, this isn’t just some weird work simulator. This is a horror game, and this gas station is creepy. The more you play out your nights, the more of the story you unlock, and the weirder things will get. If you read the trophy list and just decide to try to “escape the gas station” by walking out the front door and down the road, this actually becomes very clear right from the start.

The game honestly looks nice and has a nice premise, and for the price tag ( $10 on Steam, I imagine PS5 will be similar at launch), there is plenty of fun to be had. The game is well-liked on Steam, but it admittedly has very few reviews. If you enjoy sim and horror games, this one is worth checking out. It is a 7/10 experience, but it may not be for everyone.

Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Cabin Factory Playstation 5 Review

The Cabin Factory has been around for a bit on PC and has finally made its way over to consoles. Feardemic was kind enough to toss me a copy to check out during this spooky season, and as a fan of all things horror, I have to say this was greatly appreciated.

It really can’t get easier than two buttons

The game is simple: check out the cabins to see if they are haunted. If something moves, it’s haunted. Leave the cabin immediately and hit the red button. If nothing moves, come out and hit the green button. This sounds quite simple, and some cabins are simple, for example, a hand just reaching out from under the bed or a guy’s head suddenly turning towards you. Others are much more subtle to the point that I still have not figured out what is moving inside these cabins. What makes this more challenging is that these cabins are designed to look haunted intentionally.

The game also, much to my surprise, doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares. The atmosphere itself is creepy and does small things to build tension. One cabin in particular, when I walked in, was perfectly normal, until I saw myself hiding behind a wooden pillar. This alone technically wouldn’t have made it haunted, except as I moved around the cabin, the alternate me moved around the pillar to keep staring at me.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some jump scares involved in the game, but you can just go into the option menu to turn them on or off if this isn’t something you are a fan of. Don’t worry, it won’t mess with the story or overall feel of the game.

Now, for the most important part, if you are worried about wasting a ton of money on a game you may not like or on a short game, you will definitely get your money’s worth. The game is a whole $2.99, so less than a cup of coffee. It is a 9/10 experience, and if you are a horror fan, there really is no reason to pass on this game. My only real complaint about it is that I wish there were some sort of in-game book that kept track of the story you had discovered so far. It is such a minor complaint that most people playing the game probably won’t even care; it just would have been a nice touch. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Sonic Wings Reunion Playstation 5 Review

Sonic Wings Reunion is the newest game from Red Art Games, and they were kind enough to toss me a copy. The game is a sequel to Sonic Wings, which was released as Aero Fighters back in 1998 in the West. Now I have some interesting opinions on this game, but I won’t make you read all of that to get to the main point of all that. If you just want to know if this is worth picking up, the quick answer is yes. If you enjoy old-school arcade-style shooters, the game is great.

With 8 initial characters and more to unlock, local co-op, 8 stages, and stories to go along with each character, the content is definitely there. Moreover, the characters will interact with each other depending on who you team up together, Mao Mao and Chaika & Pushka, for example, talk about a singing competition they will compete against each other in (you will discover the winner if you finish the 8 levels)

The damage you do to cities as you fly through the levels and use bombs (that change based on characters) is also impressive. Many games don’t even bother with such details, but here they are pretty well fleshed out. Here is where the game gets a bit odd to me.

Each level starts by telling you to “Gird Your Loins,” which, by the way, is not some messed-up translation issue. This is actually a very old English saying, meaning to prepare yourself for a difficult situation or for something dangerous. The bosses range from things like a rocket to a mechanical gorilla. None of this is ever really explained; this is just the level of insane stuff the game gives you. Sort of like the Russian characters bomb being Russian nesting dolls accompanied by Russian dance music.

None of these are complaints, by the way. This is actually a list of why you should play this game. If games are meant to be fun, this game nails it. Even after I had decided I played this game enough to review it, I found myself wanting to play more. That, to me, is the sign of a good game. It is an 8/10 experience that lets you make it as hard or as easy as you want. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Skygard Arena Steam Review

Skygard Arena is a turn-based tactical game from the people over at Gemelli Games, and they were kind enough to send me a copy to check out. I always appreciate this, and this was a fun one to play. It has very positive reviews over on Steam, and it is easy to see why. While the game isn’t perfect, it does a lot of things right.

I won’t spoil the story for you; suffice it to say there is one, and I enjoyed it. Basically, there is a tournament amongst the five floating kingdoms, and this year, there is an added bonus where the winner gets to claim a newly discovered magical item. As the leader of the cloud people, you want to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. It isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it is still enjoyable.

The gameplay itself is where the game shines, mostly. The battles play out in a sort of MOBA fashion. You choose three champions, capture points to help redeploy champions, and collect things to charge up stronger attacks. How you attack also matters; you can attack from the front if you want, but hitting from the back, for example, is always better.

Some of these things are also where the flaws show, for example, I love that things like line of sight matter. If you stand behind a pillar, you won’t be hitting the enemy, and they won’t be hitting you. This, however, isn’t always intuitive. I should be able to launch a fireball over that bush without a problem. I also really don’t understand why certain things need to even be researched.

None of that really ruins the fun or flow of the game. 3v3 battles are a lot of fun, and the story is honestly more of a tutorial anyway. The real meat of the game comes in the skirmish and PVP, which, unfortunately, can sometimes feel empty. Some days, finding a match took a few minutes; others, I couldn’t find out at all.

The question is, does the game give you value for the $20 price tag? Truthfully, I am a bit on the fence. If you enjoy single-player experience and are willing to risk not being able to enjoy the multiplayer as much as you would like, then yes, pick it up. If all you want is to play with other people, this may not be the experience for you right now. It is a solid 7/10 experience, and I hope the multiplayer picks up. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.