Reviews – Page 8 – Savior Gaming

HELLCARD Steam Review

Hellcard, published by Skystone Games and developed by Thing Trunk, is a cooperative rogue-like deck builder that was recently sent my way. Don’t worry, you can pick this bad boy up on any console as well as Steam.

So, how do you play hellcard? Same as every other card builder. You pick a character, a basic warrior, mage, or archer to start ( you can unlock another by winning your first round or through DLC), and go it solo or find others to play with. If you decide to play solo, you can get NPC characters to play with that you will control. There is no real disadvantage to playing alone in terms of being overwhelmed by enemies.

The battle map will be split into sections based on how many of you there are (up to 3), but you aren’t obligated to stick to your lane. As a mage, for example, I found it prudent to use my area of effect spells many times to level the enemies close to the archer I was teamed up with, since his abilities were weakened against enemies within melee range. In return, this allowed him to use his distance to kill the enemies approaching me. These small details really set the game apart from other deckbuilding games.

Another nice touch is that each person individually picks a path to walk as you descend further down. I might pick a path that allows me to heal, while someone else picks a path for more cards. So while my area may have me fighting skeletons, someone else may bring spiders for us to fight. When we win and reach the rewards, we can select one reward from each location. So now, we can heal, get a card, and a relic. Or maybe we all chose to heal. Communication is beneficial to determine how a run is going to progress.

I can’t say Hellcard is the best roguelike or cardbattler I have played, it really isn’t. It is a solid one, however, that brings enough new things to the table that make it worth the $25 price tag. It’s graphically nice, and the sound is well done, and all in all, a nice 7/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Void Crew PS5 Review

Void Crew has finally made its way to consoles, and Focus Entertainment was nice enough to send me a couple of copies, so @torstenvblog I could check this bad boy out. We are both extremely grateful. Void Crew is a rogue-like space adventure. You can play solo, with ships designed specifically for this play style, or you can gather friends (up to 6) and see how far you can go. With different objectives that will see you doing things like raiding ancient space stations for loot, escorting friendly ships while they void jump out of dangerous areas, and so much more.

This map is how you decide where to go next

Since I have been playing before launch, I can honestly say the tutorial will help get you started with the basics. It does a fantastic job teaching you the basics of getting your ship up and running, and how to use the weapons system, repairing the ship, and how to fly. Everything you need to know. The day the game launched, however, there were entire groups of players from PC that had groups dedicated to nothing more than teaching step by step not only how to play the game, but how to excel at playing the game.

I, of course, joined a couple of these groups. I wanted to see if this was a toxic community or not, and it was very eye-opening. Every group I joined was friendly and welcoming. Mistakes were not only corrected in the best way possible, but instantly forgiven, and were followed by a hilarious story about their own example of how they made them.

I was struggling with hard-level missions when I first started, almost afraid to even leave normal-level missions. Now playing solo, I look for the best rewards possible, not at the difficulty level.

Now, a great community means nothing if the game isn’t good. With a 4 out of 5 stars ranking on PS5 and a very positive rating on Steam, with over 5500 reviews, it’s hard to argue that the game isn’t good. Graphically, the game is beautiful, and the controls are great. The rewards for leveling up are points to put towards your favorite style of play, whether it’s piloting, gunner, etc. These can easily be changed even while on a run with enough slots to have multiple builds, you don’t have to worry about needing to worry.

I do have one complaint, and it is kind of a big one. It is being worked on, and if you go to Reddit, the devs are willing to work with you if you are hit with this bug. It isn’t game-breaking by any means; it is simply annoying. But occasionally, when you quit the game, regardless of whether you simply close it out or you quit to the main menu ( quitting to the main menu first does lower the chances of it occurring), you will lose levels and the cosmetic items you received from those levels. I lose some cool stuff that way. Don’t worry, it is being worked on, and since there are no paid cosmetic items or anything like that outside of a founders pack you can buy you aren’t at risk of losing any real money. It doesn’t seem to be widespread either, but it is something to be aware of.

Do I recommend Void Crew? Absolutely. Even with the issue I mentioned, the game is a 7/10 experience. Once that is fixed, it will be 8/10. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Update: Just a small update to note the devs on Reddit are very active as they work to fix the issue with level and process loss and make an effort to go in and fix each person’s loss by increasing levels and giving loot crates to people,and you are not limited to a one time help.

Rise of Industry 2 PS5 Review

Rise of Industries 2 was sent my way by Kasedo Games, which I always appreciate. I was especially looking forward to this one because I love games like this, so getting to review it is even better.

This game immediately hit me with things I wish more games like this did on console, for example, UI scaling. Not enough of these games come to consoles, realizing players don’t all sit directly in front of the screen like PC players. I didn’t have to use this function, oddly enough; one of the few times a game includes this is when I don’t need it.

The game is also graphically beautiful. I loved watching the little cars drive around and flames shoot out of industrial buildings. There are a lot of little things like this; you can tell Kasedo Games put a lot of love into the small details of it.

The tutorial, which is separate from the campaign and sandbox, does a great job of teaching you to play the game. It walks you step by step on how to build a functional complex, whether it’s to mine iron, or change that iron into steel, or something else entirely, like creating VHS tapes. It is the 1980s after all. This is all extremely well done.

That is to say, it is extremely well done until it’s not well done anymore. Eventually, you are going to have to work with the menus, find out out to research new technology, transfer stuff from one complex to another, or just buy and sell things. This is something you will see over on Steam reviews, or in other reviews, time and time again. These menu systems are horrible and just a pain to navigate and use.

I don’t even truly know how to begin to explain them. Sometimes you will need information that is on multiple different screens in different places, that can’t be left open, so you need to bounce back and forth. (This is true regardless of platform) Meanwhile, getting to that information will require you to click on multiple pictures of coal or iron, then scroll around. Again, this isn’t exclusive to consoles. What is exclusive to consoles is how you get between the sections is kind of a mystery. There is a dedicated button to tab between pages, but between sections within the pages? That is almost a rage-inducing guessing game. Sometimes you can just hit left or right and get there. For others, it isn’t so easy.

I enjoy Rise of Industries 2, but I should LOVE Rise of Industries 2. However, what should be an 8 or 9 is busted down to a 6/10 experience due to the horrible menus and frustrating design choices. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

theHunter: Call of the Wild – ‘Pump, Flip and Fire’ Weapons Pack DLC

This won’t be my typical review, but Avalanche Studios Group was nice enough to hook me up with a copy of the new DLC for The Hunter: Call of the Wild. ‘Pump, Flip, and Fire’ Weapons Pack DLC is available wherever you play the game and consists of a .22 caliber rifle, a .257 pump action rifle, and a .410 folding shotgun.

Now, are these three guns worth $5? That depends on what you are looking for. If you think these guns are going to magically make you a better hunter, or that they will be overpowered wrecking machines, then no, they aren’t what you are looking for. None of these will allow you to drop a moose without a well-aimed shot. In fact, none of them are even designed for that; they are made for small ( the .22 and the shotgun) or medium game (.257 and again the shotgun, depending on ammo)

I would say that if you enjoy hunting in general, they do add an element of realism and versatility to the game. Longer ago than I care to admit, my dad took me hunting for the very first time, and we went for squirrel with his .22. This brought me back to that time. This DLC isn’t made for everyone, but the people that it is made for will enjoy it. It’s DLC done well, 8/10. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Duckside PS5 Review

Duckside (Early Access) was sent my way by TinyBuild, and the game is honestly the definition of mixed feelings for me. I always appreciate being sent games, and as a person who loves survivor games, this was a nice treat. If you ever played The Forest or DayZ, you know what to expect here. The standard PvP and PvE stuff applies. You build a base, scavenge for supplies, cook food, raid bases, either PC or NPC.

This game, however, has the twist that you are a duck. The added feature that you can fly from the very start is also pretty cool. Everything honestly functions as it should, and there aren’t any weird glitches or anything. There is just one major issue that I have with the game.

I have never seen anyone play it. I mean that quite literally, after being sent the game early and building numerous bases ( all of which, for some reason, just disappear when I sign out and come right back in), every server was just empty. One time I randomly came across a sleeping duck that I killed and got starter equipment from.

Checking Steam views reveals that fewer than 70 people are playing as I write this, with 82 being the peak for the last 24 hours. The game is fun, and at $15, it is well worth the money, but with no player base on Steam, be wary that it could quickly become a ghost town on console as well. It is still a 7/10 experience, however. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Grim Trials Steam Preview

Grim Trials is an upcoming game from Glory Jam that they were nice enough to send me a preview of to check out. I have to say it is coming along very well. For a game that isn’t fully finished and still has some time to cook, so to speak, the combat is very fluid.

Each weapon has a unique weight and feel to it, with some swords being quick and easy to manage, while others are bigger, scythes and hammers being slower and needing better timing while hitting for more damage. The dodge function can’t be spammed and needs to be thought about.

The power-ups also each have meaning. Do you take the extra attack speed, or do you want your dodge to do some damage as you leave the area? There is no wrong answer, and your weapons and armor do factor into your decisions.

Each death is truly a new beginning however. With the souls Avelin collects as a new reaper, she can unlock permanent upgrades, but just as important, she collects ingredients that can be turned into new weapons, armor, and potions. These are just as important as any other decision you make, possibly even more important.

For a game that’s not quite finished yet, it has a pretty impressive level of polish to it, and finishing the demo does grant you access to a weapon recipe called a Soulforge Hammer. So definitely go check that out. It currently sits at an 8/10 experience for me. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Plan B: Terraform Steam Review

Plan B: Terraform is pretty calm and going, but far from a simple game sent to me by the fine folks over at Gaddy Games. The concept is simple. With Earth no longer being in very good shape, take this newly discovered planet and turn it into something humans can live on. You will do this in various ways. Start small with mining the resources that can be used to build factories. These factories can be used to build different buildings that eventually lead to things like greenhouse gas generators or to dig up ice to make rivers.

Now, if you are wondering if this only matters in the background, it doesn’t. There are shifting weather patterns; it will eventually start to rain on your planet, for example. (hopfully) And like many games before it, the main goal here is to automate as much of it as possible. Think Factorio without all the stuff trying to kill you.

But is the game good? Honestly, the game has Mostly Positive reviews and Steam and rightfully so. The game looks nice and plays well. The tutorial isn’t bad, but admittedly could be better, but it will get you to where you need to be. The game, however, is very much a mileage will vary situation. I didn’t really enjoy my time with the game, and that is very much on me. As much as I normally enjoy games like this, I just couldn’t get into the flow of this one. It isn’t that I couldn’t figure out what to do; I absolutely could. I just didn’t find any joy in doing it. It is still a 7/10 game, and if you enjoy games like this, it is worth playing. It just isn’t for everyone. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Quartet Steam Review

Every so often, I come across a game and I think, damn, I need to play that game. Not because it looks amazing graphically. Just because it looks like one of those games I used to play when I was a kid. You remember the type, you would rush home after school, pop it into your Super Nintendo, and just lose yourself until your parents inevitably said, “Hey, time for dinner,” or “Get to bed.”

Quartet on Steam (consoles coming Q4) is that game, and the great people over at Something Classic Games were kind enough to send me a copy to check out.

The first thing to get out of the way is the combat; it is very fluid and easy to get into. Nothing fancy is going on here either. If you love old-school turn-based RPGs where your strategy matters, the combat for Quartet is something you are going to enjoy. It clicks all the boxes. Exploiting enemy weaknesses, defending to lower damage, restoring AP (ability points), buffing your characters, and debuffing enemies. Most battles, you can just power through but bosses and higher difficulties, these buffs and debuffs will make or break your battles.

Speaking of battles, this game won’t waste your time with random battles. You can see the enemies on screen, and if you feel like you need to level up, you can usually find more to fight, but mostly, you will always be at an appropriate level to get where you need to go. I rarely say this about a game in 2025, but Quartet really tries and succeeds at respecting your time. Maps aren’t small, but they also aren’t huge for no reason.

This brings me to one last point. The story, you guys know, I am not going to go into a ton of detail about the story because I don’t do spoilers. Just know the story deals with magic, a government conspiracy, and a poor cook named Ben who just wanted to go to work. The game starts by letting you choose between one of four characters to play as for their introductory story. While you play through all of them, I recommend starting as Ben. He doesn’t have the best story exactly, but what he does have is the best mixture of story and humor, and that is where this game shines.

There are a few things I would have liked to have seen, maybe some more interactions between certain characters, but truly, for a game that you can beat in about 20-25 hours, I understand what they were going for. Something they may have left out in favor of a shorter experience, and I can’t be mad about that. This was a 9/10 experience for me, and I will be playing through this again. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Triangle Stategy PS5 Review

Triangle Strategy was recently more or less shadow-dropped onto Xbox and PS5 by Square Enix, much to the surprise of fans. Triangle Strategy tells the story of 3 great powers on the continent of Norzelia, starting at a time of an uneasy peace that quite frankly won’t last long.

You, the player, will control the decisions of one section of the great power of Glenbrook, House Wolfortt. Now I will say this: if you have this game on the Switch or PC, there is no reason to buy it on PS5 or Xbox unless you want some minor quality of life improvements over the Switch version. I didn’t even notice them; I only discovered them when I looked them up to write about them.

The combat in this game is beautiful, most battles feel unique, and the ones that don’t aren’t meant to. On the higher difficulties, the smallest mistake can be devastating, and even on the lower level,s battles are still a rewarding experience.

The story itself is a Miles May vary situation. If you love a classic war story full of intrigue, betrayal, well-done ( though admittedly somewhat easy to see coming) swerves, you will love the story.

The biggest issue comes in pacing, and you will see this time and time again, and in many reviews. The pacing for this game is atrocious at times. You will, in one instance, spend 45 minutes just reading, then get hit with a battle, just to go back to reading. Then you may get 2 solid battles in a row and some nice dialogue, and another battle, and you are feeling great, the pace is perfect. Then you hit with what feels like hours of dialogue. I found myself leveling up characters in the mock battles just to break up the story that I loved, just for the break.

Now, long-time readers know that I only assign numerical scores to games that companies send me, and I doubt you will ever see me assign a number to a SE game. This is more of a recommendation vs a no recommendation situation. Of course, you should buy this game. If you are reading this, you likely waited years for it to arrive on consoles. Well, it is here, and it is fantastic. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ale Abbey – Monastery Brewery Tycoon

Ale Abbey is from a company called Hammer and Ravens. Long-time readers may remember that they tossed me a game called Razerewire:Nanowars that I was once the world score leader on. I no longer am.

Anyway, I picked up a copy of Ale Abby because for years they posted screenshots and sent me little pictures, and I knew I didn’t want to miss it. It took a little longer than I would have liked, but it was well worth the wait.

The concept is very simple. You get put in charge of an abbey, this abbey worships beer, so get to brewing. You quickly learn the basics of how to put together a recipe, make booze, and build rooms. This is all very easy at first. Later on, when towns want special brews with certain levels of strength or flavors made with certain ingredients, it does get a bit more challenging, but only slightly. As the game tells you when you can’t pay your bills, this isn’t the Dark Souls of tycoon games. Pick up a couple orders that give you half up front and half when it’s filled, and you are on your way back to brewing.

At no point did I ever feel like I hit a point where I felt like I was so far in the hole I couldn’t keep playing, and my first attempt, I screwed up pretty bad by not paying the bandits cash or ale to leave my carts alone. This cost me a lot of money, more than it would have cost me to keep them happy.

I also made some bad choices on when to build new rooms, which hurt my ability to brew. My second run went much smoother when I paid attention to profit margins, bandits, and when to build. Keeping some booze in the basement, only building when you have extra money lying around, and remembering this is a marathon, not a race, are the keys here.

Ale Abbey has been a pleasure to play, and will be in my rotation of games to play for a long time. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.