Reviews – Page 2 – Savior Gaming

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.

The Florist-Gardens of Death gameplay trailer

So once again I came across a game channeling some old school horror vibes ala the Tortured Souls series. Admittedly this game gives off a huge, classic Resident Evil 1 vibe with the scenery. What I think is cool is the idea of killer plants and plant monsters. In that regard I was getting a lil bit of Poison Ivy’s section of Batman: Arkham Asylum feel too. The tank camera is a lil bit of a con but if the game is smoother, I’ll be ok with it. In the end, I’d definately would keep on eye out for it when it comes to PS5. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Directive 8020 PlayStation 5 Review

Directive 8020 was sent my way by Supermassive Games, and anyone who has played their games knows they are sort of hit and miss, even for their fans. They are narrative-heavy cinematic games, and while they are all beautiful, if you don’t get sucked into the story, all is pretty much lost. I thought Until Dawn was fantastic, but The Quarry left me feeling meh. So, how does Directive 8020 stack up?

Well, like many sci-fi games, Earth is dying, and you are on a crewed ship sent to find a new home. Tau Ceti F seems to be a good place to look, 12 light-years from home. You start playing as one character to set you up, and you will see different viewpoints as the story unfolds. Some may live, and some may die; this is up to the choices you make. Luckily, with the new turning point system, this is easier than ever. You can see branching paths easier than ever. I love this system because I can make a choice, see what happens, then simply go back and see what happens the other way. You can realistically see everything the game offers in around 20-30 hours, depending on how you play. You can also just play straight through like a movie in about 9.

I don’t want to get to indepth with the story; anything I say will involve plenty of spoilers. The game looks great on base PSS5, however. There are plenty of things for people who want to explore and discover more of the story, but if you want to just blaze straight from plot point to plot point, feel free; the game makes this pretty easy to do. This brings me to my only real sticking point with the game. While the atmosphere is tense and the music and sound are top-notch, they, for some reason, feel the need to use jump scares more than they need to. It isn’t really a lot, admittedly, but they never really had to. The story does an amazing job building tension, and cheap jump scares took away from that for me, especially when they were so telegraphed at where they would be.

The game is great, all the same, it won’t bring new fans into the genre, but it is a 9/10 for existing fans. This is Supermassive Games at their best. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.