The RPG genre has had a renaissance in recent years. From massive hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 to experimental titles like Disco Elysium, RPGs have surpassed the standard template to include new and unique experiences. The Thaumaturge, from Fool’s Theory and 11-bit studios, is a new RPG on PS5 that brings its unique setting, story, and gameplay. Should RPG fans drowning in options for 2024 and into 2025 take the time to move The Thaumaturge to the top of their backlog, or does this game fall to its myriad of demons? Let’s find out! One of the Most Unique RPGs I’ve Played When I first saw The Thaumaturge, I was intrigued. Its 20th-century Warsaw setting, detailed graphics, and phenomenal folklore-inspired demons checked a ton of boxes for me as a gamer. I followed the reception for the PC release, and when the opportunity to review it came up for the PS5, I jumped at the chance to check it out. And let me tell you, fellow gamers, I am so glad I did. For those who want to know if The Thaumaturge is worth your time and money, let me save you a few hundred words by saying yes, especially if you’ve enjoyed recent RPGs prioritizing story, dialogue, and choice. Let’s start with the story for those who want a more in-depth analysis. You play as Wiktor Szulski (pronounced like “Victor”), a Thaumaturge. These masters of mystical arts have supernatural perception that allows them to peer into people’s hearts and detect emotions that have attached themselves to everyday objects. This allows Wiktor to examine almost anything in the environment and pick up on the emotions, desires, and secrets of those who have interacted with it. Not only can a Thaumaturge do this, but they can also recruit and summon demons known as Salutors that prey on flaws found in human beings. These flaws include pride, greed, recklessness, and the like. All of this lends Wiktor the kind of reputation that precedes him, and you’ll encounter a number of characters who are amazed, suspicious, or downright hateful toward him in equal measure. It’s a world that feels real from the moment you set foot in it. This is due to the quality of the writing, the Polish voice actors that lend authenticity to the setting, and the beautiful and detailed environments. At first, I was also surprised at how personal the storyline can be. You start off by investigating a murder, but soon, you find yourself heading home to attend your father’s funeral. Of course, there are side quests that you can find through exploration, and I highly recommend you do them as they add richness to the world and characters. But by and large, The Thaumaturge is a story that weaves the supernatural into everyday life in a way I wasn’t expecting, but one that feels compelling nonetheless. The characters are deep and nuanced, especially the ones you investigate and get to know by exploring their homes and possessions to … Read More
Clock Tower: Rewind Review – Another Victory for Game Preservation
Many gamers know that the Clock Tower series single-handedly inspired many of the greatest horror games ever. In the interest of game preservation, Clock Tower: Rewind is here to offer a modern way to play the original 16-bit classic that was never released outside of Japan, so this is a win on multiple fronts. After almost 30 years, players can experience the Original Mode or the Rewind Mode and all manner of extras like motion comics, interviews, a music player, and more. Should fans of the original series and newcomers alike check out this revitalization of a horror classic? Let’s find out! An Impressive Package That Shows its Age As a massive horror gaming fan, I was excited for the chance to check out Clock Tower: Rewind. I had seen some gameplay of the series over the years and even played a few hours of the Clock Tower 3 PS2 entry, but I’ve never sat down to try the original. This is partly because it was never released outside of Japan but also because I was far too young to know how to import a copy when it was originally released. However, neither of these things is an issue now because Clock Tower: Rewind is widely available on both digital storefronts and in physical form from Limited Run Games. The story stars Jennifer Simpson and a group of orphan girls who the Barrows family has adopted. You arrive at an impressive mansion at the beginning of the game, but things quickly devolve from there. A stalker named Scissorman begins hunting the girls, and it’s up to Jennifer to find a way to escape, leading to one of several endings. The gameplay here is classic point-and-click adventure for better and worse. Clock Tower: Rewind features several new quality-of-life features like a rewind mechanic, the ability to run up and down stairs, and the capacity for Scissorman to actually chase you from room to room (though that’s really more of a benefit for him, I’d argue). These additions help the game flow a little faster, but Jennifer’s movement speed is still fairly slow regardless of whether you’re sprinting or not. Her health is also tied to her stamina, so you’ll need to take breaks if you don’t want to get caught off-guard and instantly killed by Scissorman. The controls translate fairly well to console, though the cursor movement can be a little finicky when you’re trying to select something specific in the environment. Given that the game plays in a 4:3 aspect ratio with either black bars or customizable borders, the somewhat unreliable cursor is even more frustrating since everything is smaller as a result. You can use both the analog stick or the d-pad to move the cursor, but instead of the d-pad warping you to clickable elements like other similar games on console, it just moves the cursor a set distance in every direction. This is all well and good for solving puzzles or trying to use items in the … Read More
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication Review – A Diamond in the Rough
The horror genre has enjoyed a renaissance over the last two generations, particularly as indie and AA horror games have had their chance to shine on console and PC. As a result, there are many choices, many of which market themselves quite well, but the quality of each experience can vary drastically from one title to the next. The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication falls into the AA horror category, with a lower budget and a lower price point to match. Despite this, the game makes some strong first impressions in its trailer and screenshots. It’s setting and characters are also unique compared to most other horror games, but are these aspects enough to make it stand out from the pack? Let’s find out. Interesting Puzzles and Unique Mechanics Stand Out As an avid horror gamer, I’m not afraid to say that many horror games over the years tend to blur together in my mind. Furthermore, the ones that rely solely on a defenseless protagonist and stealth mechanics quickly wear out their welcome as the terror gives way to repetition and frustration. The true standouts manage to find ways to mix up the horror with puzzles, unique mechanics, some sort of combat, and, of course, a tense atmosphere throughout. In this respect, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication makes a strong impression over the few hours, even if the pacing leaves much to be desired. The concept is fairly unique: you play as several characters converging on Wen Hua University after the school has closed for the night. The characters include everything from students to a local reporter, so you get a nice mixture of perspectives. The university’s Da Ren building has a long and dark history, which has led to several ghost stories and supernatural events over the years. The way the game layers these mysteries makes for a compelling story overall as you try to piece everything together. In terms of the story itself, the writing is solid across the dialogue, in-game documents, and lore that you find. There’s no shortage of supporting materials, including an in-game phone for each character that updates with text messages. By default, the game features English voice acting, which is a cut above the quality I normally hear in lower-budget horror games, but it leans a little too much into the B-movie feel for my taste. Granted, the writing is intentionally cheesy at times, but given the game’s more intense moments, I felt like the dialogue and writing undermined some of the horror, even if it did illicit a few chuckles from yours truly. ‘ The audio on the main menu can be adjusted to the original Chinese voiceovers, and I think these sound a lot better overall, but the writing can still inject that cheesy horror vibe from time to time. As I mentioned earlier, the pacing is less than ideal as well. The beginning of the game takes a while to get moving, featuring a stealth tutorial with a security … Read More
Starship Troopers Extermination Review – The Only Good Bug…
Starship Troopers is one of those franchises that you either love or hate, but I personally love it. Some people cannot get enough of the cheesy one-liners and commentaries on the military-industrial complex, while others just see it as schlocky sci-fi and nothing more. Despite this, it’s a name that has stood the test of time. As a massive fan of the original film, I was incredibly excited when I received a review copy of Starship Troopers: Extermination. Finally, a chance to live out my dream of slaughtering endless bugs with my buddies. Of course, there have been plenty of Starship Troopers games that tried to capture the magic and failed, so will this one be different? Let’s find out. Come on You Apes, You Wanna Live (Game) Forever? Starship Troopers: Extermination will no doubt be compared to Helldivers 2, which in and of itself gave off major Starship Troopers vibes. Let’s clear the air immediately: these two games are different and can indeed co-exist. As someone who hasn’t played much Helldivers 2, I won’t be directly comparing the two, but suffice to say, each one brings unique elements to the humans versus bug war. Starship Troopers: Extermination offers both a single player campaign and an online live service multiplayer that supports up to 16 players at once depending on the mode. Let’s start with that campaign. The first chunk of it launched with the game, and during the mission briefings, you get to hear new dialogue voiced by Johnny Rico himself, Casper Van Dien. That’s, unfortunately, the best part of the campaign. While a “chapter 2” of the campaign is coming via a free update later on, the single player missions you get out of the box feel like less than an afterthought. They play out in repetitive environments, with minimal context, and basically have you perform standalone objectives that you’d find in the multiplayer. You do get an AI squad in single-player, but they don’t say or do much. It all just feels like a glorified tutorial, and with how short the missions are, it doesn’t feel like you’re really completing a story. I played the first few missions, hoping it would open up or change in some interesting way, but it’s just the same standalone objectives and a lot of underground caves in the beginning. Certain missions in the campaign can feel harrowing as groups of enemies swarm, but even these numbers pale in comparison to what you’ll see in the multiplayer. I can’t imagine the Chapter 2 update to the campaign will be any better, but I sincerely hope they have some unique mission types in store, because right now I could not recommend buying this game for the single player portion, it’s not worth the entry price on its own. Single player woes aside (though I am still happy they got Casper Van Dien), most people will know Starship Troopers: Extermination for its multiplayer. This is truly where the game shines, and while it has … Read More
To the Moon Review – You’re Going to Cry, I Guarantee It
I’ve played To the Moon thrice since it was originally released on PC in 2011, and I’ve cried every time. It’s funny enough at different parts, but suffice it to say, this game should come with tissues or something because it will tear at your heartstrings. Now that it’s on PS5, I completed a third playthrough of this new port for the first time in years. To the Moon is one of the most impactful video games I’ve ever played, but does it hold up after so many years and multiple generators of heart-wrenching titles? Let’s find out. An All-Time Classic Makes its Way to PS5 To the Moon is a simple game that can be finished in a few hours. It’s also $10, which I think is more than fair for the emotional trauma it will be providing you. The game uses a pixel art style, but don’t let that fool you. It stars two doctors, Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts, who work for Sigmund Corp. This company has revolutionary technology that allows them to create artificial memories. Still, since these memories can conflict with existing ones, they only work on patients on their deathbeds. Think of it as a final wish fulfillment service, and you’ll be on the right track. The game begins as the two doctors arrive at the home of their latest client, a man named Johnny, who has little time left. You soon discover that Johnny’s final wish is to go to the moon, but it’s unclear why initially. You’ll spend some time getting to known Johnny’s caretaker and her kids before finally donning VR helmets that allow the doctors to dive into Johnny’s memories. This is where the vast majority of the game takes place. For story reasons, you’ll move backward from the present and experience Johnny’s memories in leaps from one time period to the next. As the story is the most significant part of the experience here, I won’t say anything more about the details, but I will explain how it made me feel. To the Moon’s story explores themes of grief, desperation, regret, and the complexities of love. It elegantly balances the occasional joke with moments of deep character development or shocking developments. These moments help you better understand Johnny, his wife River, and the doctors. The game could have easily become an emotional anchor, dragging you down into depression. Still, it manages to toe the line by injecting the occasional joke from Dr. Watts, who serves as the primary comedic role. By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve known Johnny and River for years. Exploring their life together, seeing their highest and lowest moments, it’s enough to really feel attached. Johnny and River’s love story is beautiful. Still, like any real-life love story, it’s also filled with times of hardship and tragedy, and it’s laced with a complexity that showcases how deep and effective the writing is throughout the entire story. After so many years apart from my first playthrough, … Read More
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered Review – The Pinnacle of the Freelance Police
Over the last several weeks, I have been experiencing the excellent Sam & Max Remasters from Skunkape Games. As a massive Telltale fan, it has been incredible to play these early works. As some of the most well-known point-and-click adventures of all time, these faithful remasters have kept everything intact. The first two seasons were fairly similar, but it’s clear from the beginning that Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is a major leap forward for the series. Let’s find out how much it improves upon the formula established in the first two seasons and if you should see this adventure through to the end. Now This is an Upgrade! Playing through the first two seasons of the Sam & Max Remasters, I couldn’t help but feel like the gameplay and story didn’t evolve enough for my liking. The first season was odd and weird and wonderful. The second season improved upon the pacing, writing, and puzzles, but it didn’t really innovate in terms of scope or gameplay. It’s clear within the first hour, however, that Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is the leap I was looking for. This third season is a proper formula evolution and a fitting finale for the dynamic duo. It retains the look and feel of the prior seasons, but it raises the narrative stakes, bridges the gaps between episodes, and expands the gameplay in new and exciting ways. This third season of Sam & Max was when Telltale Games came into their own and developed their unique approach to the narrative adventure genre. The first two seasons could walk, so the Devil’s Playhouse could run. It all starts with the first episode, which immediately throws you into the climax of a showdown between Sam, Max, and a new villain named Skunkape (now I understand where the developer’s name comes from). A new narrator also sets the stage for us, and he checks in throughout the season to provide some context and connectivity between the various episodes. This alone goes a long way toward making the season’s narrative feel cohesive and complete, which I felt the prior seasons lacked. I was actually convinced I had missed something between seasons two and three because of how quickly The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered throws you into the action, but it quickly became clear that the storytelling style has become more dynamic in this third season. For example, as part of the opening scene and tutorial, you find that Max has psychic powers given to him by special toys like a phone, a deck of cards, or a glob of putty. This immediately adds a new layer to the gameplay. In the prior seasons, puzzles were driven by dialogue and inventory items, but now, these powers add a new wrinkle to the mix. Another immediate difference that I noticed was the how dialogue is done through a wheel as opposed to the static text boxes of the first two seasons. You still have your inventory of … Read More
Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered Review – Surprisingly Grounded
I’ve recently been playing through the Sam & Max series for the first time in the form of Skunkape’s remastered versions of the games on PS4. For those who haven’t, check out my review of the first season’s remaster. Today, we will dive into the second season, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered. How does the series fare in its second outing? Let’s find out! Some Noticeable Improvements Over Season One The second season has five episodes instead of six, like season one. Other than that, the gameplay is largely similar. These are point-and-click adventures that star freelance police, one of whom is a dog and the other is a rabbit (though he often refers to himself as a lagomorph). Much like season one, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered has the two characters taking on a unique case in each of the five episodes, with several elements carrying through the entire season. One of my issues with the first season was that the overarching story took a backseat until the end, with the final villain reveal being relatively out of left field. This is still the case in season two, with many payoffs not happening until the last two episodes. That being said, there’s more continuity between each episode regarding character development and running jokes that carry through the season. Given the season’s title, I expected the episodes to be set in other worlds or dimensions. While the promised elements of “Beyond Time and Space” do come through in certain ways, the season remains surprisingly grounded in reality until the last two episodes. Given how strange and whacky the first season was, I expected the second season to up the ante. Instead, it feels like a minor upgrade instead of the leap I expected. That being said, the changes for the better here are noticeable and appreciated. For starters, the puzzles in the second season are much easier to follow in terms of their logic and overall flow. The first season tended to fall into the trap of all classic point-and-click adventures where the answer to certain conundrums felt detached from the game’s reality. Ultimately, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered feels like it’s playing things too safe. It’s a noticeable upgrade from the first season in several ways, particularly in the story and gameplay departments, but it feels more like a season 1.5 than a full evolution. Excellent Presentation and Remastered Visuals Regarding presentation, developer Skunkape again brings out the best in this second season. From the upbeat music to the polished and vibrant visuals, fans of the first season will again be happy to see the faithful remasters continue with this second set of five episodes. The transfer to the controller also lands perfectly fine here as well. Using the right stick to select interactive items while having the option to highlight everything with L1, combined with a simple inventory system, makes this play great on PlayStation. I’m looking forward to … Read More
Sam & Max Save the World Remastered Review – Never Fear, the Freelance Police are Here!
Telltale Games is one of my favorite studios. Though the studio has gone through a lot in recent years, including closing and re-opening, their back catalog of games has some of the best narratives in all of gaming. Before The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Games of Thrones, however, Telltale was best known for their work on the Sam & Max series. I’ve always wanted to go back and play them, and now, with Sam & Max Save the World Remastered on PS4 from Skunkape Games, I can finally experience a modern version of this all-time classic. Does it hold up after all these years? Let’s find out! Laying the Foundation for an All-Time Classic Sam & Max Save the World Remastered combines all six episodes of the first season into a single package on PS4. Each episode has been faithfully restored and ported to console controllers for a modern audience. You’ll spend about two hours per episode, each of which tells a standalone story that subtly ties into a larger narrative over the course of the season. In this first episode of the season, we’re introduced to Sam and Max for the first time. We find out they’re “freelance police.” It’s been a while since they’ve had a new case. The story gets moving when they receive a call from the Commissioner asking them to look into strange reports regarding three washed-up child stars called the Soda Poppers. It turns out they’re peddling a new self-help video called “Eye-Bo,” and what’s worse, the videos seem to hypnotize anyone who watches them! It’s a whacky premise, but it immediately throws you into the life of these iconic duos. You’ll start in their office, and from the beginning, you’ll notice that there is much to see and do in any given environment. From investigating various trinkets and items around the office to dialogue options with Max and a rat named Jimmy Two-Teeth, who lives in your walls, the game never lacks options for interactivity and world-building. Like any classic point-and-click adventure, Sam & Max is a series that focuses on a combination of dialogue choices and puzzle-solving to progress. Many interactive items are optional, but certain ones can be added to your inventory and used with others. This first episode throws you into everything, and it’s here where you’ll need to get familiar with the overall logic of the puzzles and the whacky jokes the game will throw at you. You also get to meet some staple characters like Sybil and Bosco, who are both present in all six of the season’s episodes. From a story perspective, the first episode lays the groundwork, but you can tell it’s doing a lot of heavy lifting in introducing everyone and setting the stage for the rest of the season. It’s a strong first impression, but it can come across as a little scatterbrained due to covering all these bases in a two-hour span. The second episode of the season, “Situation: Comedy,” … Read More
Green Hell PS5 Review – Welcome to the Jungle (Rainforest)
The survival genre has enjoyed much time in the spotlight over the years. For a while, it seemed like a new one was coming out for early access on PC every other week. Early hits like Rust and Ark set the stage for others like The Forest, The Long Dark, Valheim, and plenty more. Among all these is Green Hell, a hardcore survival game set in the Amazon Rainforest. The game has been ported from PC to VR and consoles but recently received a free PS5 update. Now that I’ve spent plenty of time chopping wood, eating questionable mushrooms, and diagnosing strange wounds on my arms and legs, it’s time to find out if this should be your next survival game obsession! An Impressively Detailed Survival Experience Green Hell places you in the shoes of what seems to be a pretty capable man setting out on an expedition to the Amazon Rainforest with his wife to make contact with an indigenous tribe. The game features a tutorial you can select in the main menu, but it will also start the tutorial at the beginning of a new single-player save file. This confused me because I did the tutorial first and then had to skip it via the main menu when I started my single-player story file. It’s not a major issue, but it is worth mentioning. The game also features a separate story mode called “Spirits of the Amazonia” that doesn’t have a tutorial, so it’s entirely possible that this is the reasoning behind a standalone option in the menu. In the tutorial, you’re given everything you need to learn the basics, which the game does a good job of introducing. You’ll immediately notice how detailed the survival mechanics are, too, with something as simple as starting a fire requiring you to gather kindling and craft a firestarter using a stick and some wood. Nothing in Green Hell comes easy, and that’s clearly by design. Once you finish the tutorial, you’re alone with nothing to your name but a smartwatch and a backpack to store items you find. The story continues to develop as you explore the map, but it’s never intrusive for those who just want to set up a home base and become self-sufficient as quickly as possible. You’ll get to work building some basic tools like a stone axe and gathering key essentials like sticks (which come in two sizes), wood, and a species of vines that automatically become “rope” in your inventory. As you do this, you’ll soon see another of Green Hell’s many survival layers. Namely, your basic needs. Most survival games have you track a general hunger meter, a thirst meter, and maybe a sleep meter. Green Hell has all these, and just for good measure, you’ll be tracking protein, carbs, fats, and your thirst on your handy smartwatch. To some, this may feel like overkill, but I enjoyed planning my meals around those meters, none of which seemed to drain at an alarming … Read More
The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition Review – The Graveyard Shift
The recent renaissance of horror games has led to all manner of new experiences both large and small finding success on livestreams and let’s plays. For a while there, it seemed like every week brought with it a new horror game that was taking Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok by storm. Two years ago, The Mortuary Assistant was most certainly one of those games. Now in 2024, The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition is here on PS5 with added lore, a new embalming-only mode, new haunt events, and a seasonal event in February, along with the promise of new achievements, bodies, and performance improvements. Does this embalming simulator with a dash of the demonic stick the landing, or is it dead on arrival? Let’s find out. A Unique and Gripping Horror Experience The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition is a unique and capable horror game for a number of reasons, but it all starts with the story. As the name implies, you play as the new assistant for a mortician, but it quickly becomes clear during your first shift that you’ll be doing more than just embalming corpses. As it turns out, the mortician you’re working under is also someone who fights demons. Specifically, the kind of demons that are looking to enter our world by possessing one of the bodies you’re embalming, or possibly even you. The premise is simple, but it’s paired with a number of different endings that expand upon the overall lore of the world, as well as the backstory of the main character, Rebecca. The story would have been serviceable if the game had been about a no-name protagonist fighting demons. However, adding a character with a dark past allows the story to take center stage as part of the potential scares and, of course, the possible endings. The game plays out in “shifts,” each session consisting of a single night. You’re tasked with embalming three bodies while also using various tools and observations to figure out which one is playing host to the demon that’s stalking you. Each shift can end in several different ways. There are good and bad endings, but others require you to go beyond your nightly duties to see additional lore about your world and even a resolution for Rebecca’s past struggles. It’s a compelling setup that ties directly into the gameplay. It’s not the most in-depth story, nor particularly deep, but it establishes a great atmosphere and premise for everything you’ll be doing. At the end of the day, a horror game lives or dies based on its atmosphere. At the end of the day, though, the story is not why you’ll check out The Mortuary Assistant. No, the unique gameplay loop and randomized horror elements made this game the success it is today. For those who haven’t played it, The Mortuary Assistant’s gameplay has you navigating several rooms within a single building, including a morgue, embalming room, front office, and janitor closet, and others. You’ll do so in first-person, using a … Read More