Not only am I a big nerd who now completes video games often, I also write little stubby capsule reviews of them. Those get transformed into full articles sometimes, but why not share them here. Here? On this Tay refuge? Buried in the internet? At this time of day? Localized entirely within a series of posts?
Sure. Why not. Let’s start with 5 for this post. I’ve watched the credits roll on 59 games or expansions so far this year (thanks 2020!), so there might be a few of these posts.
Kirby Star Allies
This game must be maximally cute at all times. It often seems like a greatest-hits remaster of Kirby’s Adventure and Kirby 64, which means that it’s easy to play, has excellent music (here orchestrated with lead voices of violin and piano), and absurd cosmic boss battles. The final boss, in particular, shows great creativity. I just wish some of its puzzles required a little more thought in how to combine powers and, of course, that there was more of it.
Puyo Puyo Tetris
An good mix of two great games, with some fun original modes and an emphasis on chains and t-spins. Some of the anime style gets in the way of it being a total smash, and some of the mixed modes could also be a little better. The online scene is dedicated, but it’s hard to get connected a match. As far as the multiplayer scene goes, this is another one that definitely needs crossplay. It’s too niche a game to have much of a playerbase, otherwise.
Helltaker
A fun little puzzle game with a fairly difficult final boss that switches things up and requires active dodging, precise spacing, and timing. Goofy demons (and one angel), too. Hornt, but in a softcore, mass-internet kind of way.
Absolver
Absolver’s focus is on strategic hand-to-hand combat, and in that regard this is a very successful game. But it is also a limited game, with almost nothing in the way of music, dialog, characters, or narrative. I enjoyed how it looked – there was a lot more variety in lighting and design than I initially expected – and it works as a showcase for its combat system. As a game from a small developer, it’s impressive that Absolver has the PvE, PvP, and co-op that it does. I just wish there had been a little more to it.
Axiom Verge
Axiom Verge doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from being a straight-up Metroid homage, but that just means its a solid game. The soundtrack is thumping, some of the pixel art is good (especially for backgrounds and on larger scales), and the requisite interaction between items and the map is interesting enough. Enemy variety and behavior is a bit lacking. For all the weapons to be found, few are particularly effective. That’s also down to everything being a bit of a bullet sponge.
Come to think of it, that sponginess and the problem of having interesting bit ineffective weapons are linked together. If it didn’t take so many shots to down everything, maybe I would have been able to experiment with more of the inventory. Alternately, enemies could have different kinds of armor and types that would require the player to experiment. Here’s hoping for more thoughtful enemy design in the sequel.
Optional Objectives is a contributing editor for Gamers With Glasses. He also writes for a bunch of other online publications and zines, including Unwinnable, Heterotopias, First Person Scholar, Clickbliss, and Haywire Magazine. You can find more on twitter, both @opobjectives and @donaever.
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