Reviews - JinReviews

Video Review: Youtube.com

Engulfed in Norse mythology, Jotun is an action-adventure game with a hand-drawn visual style. This art style is something that makes Jotun feel more unique but the overall art in the game isn’t very coherent as the large characters look completely different from the small characters and backgrounds. That aside I really enjoyed Jotun’s visual take of these mythical Norse worlds. The sound design is very immersive, not only due to the quality of the sound effects or music, but because the team took a step further and delivered fantastic narration in Icelandic.

Jotun’s gameplay is divided between action and adventure, because in order to reach and fight each stage boss, the Jotun, you first need to explore the multiple levels. These levels do not only greatly reward you for exploring, due to the hidden God Powers and Golden Apples that are not required to finish the game but are highly recommended, but the levels also prepare you for your fight with the Jotun, introducing the new different mechanics and hazards that then will be used by the bosses. And even though most of the levels have a lot of enemies for you to fight, the Jotuns are where the action really takes place with these massive creatures having unique themes and attacks and truly taking a lot of effort and time to defeat. Sometimes the game can feel a little bit punishing as you can die from the simplest mistake, forcing you to replay the last five minutes, requiring the player to learn and master each Jotun and finally defeating him feels so rewarding.

In terms the plot there isn’t much to speak of. The story in Jotun is simple but it gains strength due to all of the mystery surrounding why the main character is in this strange place performing these godly tasks. I really enjoyed the sections of the game that explored more into the Norse mythology, for example when the game tells you the story of how the first gods and the first giants were born and how our world was created.

• Final thoughts

Take caution as Jotun is a very challenging game and demands a strong will from the player, exploring the levels requires patience and fighting the Jotuns proves to be a real feat. Dying for a bad dodge and being forced to replay this long fights from the start is a bit too punishing but of course without this challenge the game would be really simple. Jotun is an immersive and gorgeous game, a must play for all of those who like Norse mythology and a great challenge.

Video review: Youtube.com

Who knew that exploring the bottom of the sea could feel so magical. Abzû is an adventure game where the main action is to swim around exploring the beautiful scenery while figuring out how to progress in the game. The gameplay takes a backseat to let everything else shine but the game offers other mechanics to keep the things interesting. Abzû is not only an adventure game but an adventure itself were the player is completely immersed in its short length. The game might have the duration of a regular movie but it is a fulfilling experience due to his beautiful atmosphere and ambiance.

The story of Abzû is not delivered but rather understood just like poetry were different people will have different interpretations. This is archived by the lack of exposition and dialogues and all the information is passed to the player through experiencing. The amazing soundtrack makes a terrific work in conveying the right emotions and mood so the player can understand the meaning of everything that is happening. There is also a nice amount of mystery as you crave to know what happened to this world, something that you slowly unveil.

The beautiful world of Abzû is what catches our eye first. Each act has it’s own color scheme and different types of fauna which makes the new zones feel non-repetitive and fun to explore as there is some side collectibles to find and achievements to earn and this adds a little bit more of gameplay and replay value to this amazing experience.

• Final thoughts

Abzû is a masterpiece that everyone should play. Its price tag might seem a little high for the amount of game that it offers but the unique experience found in Abzû is so rich and joyfull that will be more than worth. This is a game that once you start playing you will want to play more and more until you reach its end. The magical colorful world is so beautiful to explore and the story that it conveys through emotions and visuals will leave you in awe but the sound design is the cherry on the top, so good that even silence plays a role in this game.

Video Review: Youtube.com

With the release of the Endless Space 2 later this month I decided to revise and review its predecessor. It has been almost 5 years since the release of the first Endless Space and it's remarkable how the game can still hold up as a great game even so many years later. The gameplay is very addicting and although it might not have a tutorial level or scenario it displays all the information that the player needs, when the player needs. If you never played a game of this magnitude you might feel lost at first because there is so much to manage, so many options and so much strategic depth but learning and discovering all the little things and systems that this game has to offers is part of its fun.

Taking the 4X turn-based strategy to outer space, Endless Space expands on the genre's recipe and with its 8 different victory conditions the game really incites the player to try multiple strategies and approaches. The battle system is very simplified but it has a good depth to it. Most of the strategy here comes before the battle itself from optimizing your ships depending on the resources you have and trying to predict your opponent's strategies and weapons.

In terms of civilizations Endless Space offers a good variety. Some are human-like, others mechanical and others more alien. And they all play differently, with unique differences like the ability to colonize all planets right from the start or the ability to leave your system and migrate to other planets. A nice touch is that each civilization has it's own ship designs. In the overworld there isn't much to speak off in terms of graphics since the game aim for a simplistic "holographic style". The plot is quite absent but Endless Space does offer unique lore to each of the civilizations. This lore is delivered through a little cinematic that install the right mood and mindset for understanding that species backstory and playstyle.

• Last Thoughts

Even today Endless Space is a game that can hold up as the simplistic graphic style doesn’t show its age and the strong gameplay provides for many hours of engagement and entertainment. The unique concepts, the great array of available and uncommon civilizations and the multiple victory conditions make replaying the game feel non-repetitive and that’s something that Endless Space really relies on since it doesn’t have a campaign or story mode. This is one of my favorite 4X games until now and I’ll be looking forward to the release of Endless Space 2 later this month.

Video Review:

Best described as a survival and management game, in Tharsis the player controls the four lasting members of a space crew. Their ultimate objective is to reach Mars and investigate the Tharsis event, surviving through various harms and even having to recur to cannibalism. The plot starts out simple but it unfolds as you get closer to Mars. The story may not be very driving or long but it surely is interesting and very well delivered. The voice over and the pastel-like art style fuses well with this asphyxiating environment of total despair.

If you like tabletops this game will suit you well. Tharsis has you throwing dices to perform most of the actions in the game. Managing your results, characters and risks are the main focus in terms of gameplay. This game will have you on th edge of your chair with every decision you make. Tharsis also has a little bit of rogue-like in him, the events that happen, available researches and even your characters stats and positions are randomized each new game wich will provide for a lot of replay value. The game was clearly not meant to be finished on your first attempt but instead to learn and reach further in each playthrought, just like in a rogue-like.

The design in Tharsis is visually very engaging, from the general view of the ship to the small details on each of the chambers. The slick, clean looks of the game contrasts with the rough painted story elements. This elements may be visually different from the rest of the style of the game but it fits well, just like the calm music that ties everything together.

• Final Thoughts

It might not be the kind of game for every type of player but for those who enjoy survival, managing somewhat rogue-like type of games with a little taste of tabletops, Tharsis will be a most enjoyable experience. I myself found the game very repetitive as the randomized elements weren’t enough to keep it fresh. But the game does feature very unique mechanics and ideas and it distinguishes itself because of that.

Video Review: Youtube.com

Chroma Squad starts as a simple Strategy Turn-Based Game but it offers many surprises. The teamwork mechanic is a simple concept that opens a lot of choices and suits well with the game genre and setting. Each character has a different role on the team and can be customizable from the name, looks, traits, abilities and equipment, making room for multiple play-styles and different tactics which make the game fell fresh and new as it proceeds. Fans of Sentai (A.K.A. Power Rangers-like shows) will be pleased to see that transforming into your Power Suit and gigantic Mech Battles actually play a role in the game.

Aesthetically the game makes use of Pixel Art with vibrant colors that suits with the lighthearted tone of Chroma Squad. The sound design is spot on with a great Sentai themed main song and a happy chiptune music that fuses together with the game’s vibe. The bosses are really interesting both in abilities and design and also very silly (like the giant pigeon with macho arms) but the minions do start to get a little repetitive specially as they get recycled as stronger versions with a different color scheme.

The plot is not very forward thriving but it does have some intrigue right from the start and it is a fun setup for the rest of the game. You will most certainly have some good laughs with Chroma Squad as long as you are ready to read through the characters’ dialogues. Although the game is very smartly written, it may sometimes become boresome as the scripted events drag on. As mentioned the game has a very lighthearted tone and it doesn't take itself too seriously which is actually connected to the main story.

• Final thoughts

Chroma Squad is a game that excels in the strategic battle gameplay with great, fun core mechanics and offers other pleasant side activities like the Mech Battles, Crafting and Studio Management which make the game flow fell fresh and non-repetitive. The direction of the story may seem a little odd sometimes as the silly, lighthearted, “not taking itself too serious” plot develops but it is a game that I recommend, specially for those who enjoy a really good squad strategy turn-based game.

Video Review: Youtube.com

At first glance Megabyte Punch might just look like a side-scrolling platformer with three dimensional graphics, and although the game does feature platforming, the real gameplay focus is on the combat. The fighting system is very satisfying specially due to one core mechanics of the game: the ability to switch the body parts of your character. These parts can be obtained through various ways and collecting all the different parts, exploring the different powers, set ups and building any character you want is what makes this game differ. Sadly there is no online multiplayer to be found. The potential for one is immense but only local multiplayer is really available.

In terms of plot Megabyte Punch actually tells a good story. There are two factions warring for control of the village you were made to protect. The intrigue here is that these factions will help you to take down the other faction and even persuade you into thinking that they are friendly when they are in fact just waiting to backstab you. The problem here is that the story itself its not very well delivered to the player and the characters are always so lifeless. This might have been thought out to make the experience of the player feel more "retro" but I fear that most of the players will just skip the dialogues and miss out on the plot.

Megabyte Punch has a good balance between Retro and Modern and the soundtrack is one perfect example of this. It sounds very modern while having a more retro feeling. The "blocky" graphics are somewhat resembling of a pixelated sprite and the gameworld is actually side-scrolling, both working towards that "retro" feeling. The world is layered through different levels each one with an unique look and feel to it. On the end of each world there is a boss fight that will reward you a special part from himself. Theese boss fights are the climax of Megabyte Punch. The overall Artificial Intelligence of the game is well done, proving to be somewhat challenging and all the bosses are unique both in design and skills wich make them real fun to beat and very rememberable.

• Final thoughts

In overall Megabyte Punch is a very entertaining experience and a greatly well done game. It has everything to be an excellent game: wonderful gameplay and mechanics, an awesome soundtrack, an interesting plot and a colorful aesthetic but has little issues that prevent him to become so much greater. The lack of Online Multiplayer really hinders this game. But still this is a must play for any type of gamer and I hope that one that day we see a sequel to Megabyte Punch.