Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018). It's been like 5 years since I've played the first game so I don't remember that much. The biggest complaint I kept reading was that this game was way too similar to the first game. I guess it's not terrible that I waited so long to play since it didn't feel repetitive to me. 

Overall, I only have a few small complaints about the game. There were some strengths and weaknesses, but I think it was worth the sales price I paid for it! 

Miles Morales is still a likeable character. The voice actor (and writing) did a great job conveying him as a nerdy young kid who has a lot of new responsibility on his shoulders. He also has some brand new abilities that set him apart from Peter. You get more of them as you continue the game. If I remember correctly, the combat is more advanced in this game, and it allows you to tackle battles with more variety. 

If I had to point out the weak parts of the game, it's probably the villains and the story. I didn't care about any of the villains, especially the tinkerer. They focus on certain characters a lot in the game and the story beats didn't hit me emotionally or get me excited about what was going to happen next. On the other hand, there were some characters introduced that I really liked and felt added to Miles character. One character definitely felt like a much needed addition to the games. 

I am going to be very petty here, but I hate how they changed Peter's face. They made him look younger and cleaner-looking, but I thought the old face fit him a lot better. The original face looked like a 20 something year old guy who has been through much more than the new face has. Also there are a few annoying bugs in the game. I had to go back to the checkpoint a couple times to continue a few missions. 

Back to the positives, I love that this is a modernized version of Spider-Man. I can't recall if the first game did this, but there is an app you can use to do side missions and see crime in the area. You can also read up on a social media feed that talks about you or things happening around the city. Also the incorporation of podcasts to listen to while you swing. The modern twist sucked me more into the games world. 

It is a short game. I did a lot of looking around and had some idle time. The completion time is around 7-18 hours, depending on how much side content you do.  I didn't mind the length. It didn't feel like it overstayed its welcome. 

I really  had a lot of fun with it. It provides plenty of challenge, but it always feels balanced. It gives you the freedom to do what you want. I really enjoyed just swinging around the city. I think I liked the first game more, mostly because of the story, but both are definitely worth your time. I'd recommend buying this one on sale just because of how short it is. I really, really hope Spiderman 2 comes on PC soon because I'm dying to play it. 

Steam Deck Compatilibity:  This game is verified on the Steam Deck. I used a steam dock and controller to hook it to the tv, so i didn't play it directly on the deck. I did have an unrelated issue of the deck not wanting to read my controller, but after playing it plugged in, the game itself worked great. There were no issues with the deck itself while playing. 

Mail Time is a cute little exploration game. You are a newly trained mail scout on a mission to deliver your first piece of mail. The gameplay involves you going around the forest, picking up missions from different animals. The missions are to talk to the other animals and deliver messages for them. They all have little stories and personalities. You get to know them more as you do their missions. The main story mission is to deliver a piece of mail to someone named Greg so you can become an official mail scout. In order to do that, you have to help the animals around the forest until you can get information on where to find Greg. 

I feel kind of bad writing this review. I think it's a really cute game with plenty of love put into it. Personally, I did not like it. 

I was really excited to buy this game because I love cute exploration games like "a short hike," which I just recently replayed. Something clicked in that game that didn't in this one. .

To start, I'm terrible at directions. There are 15 different characters in the game and you have to go back and forth multiple times between most of them. I had the worst time finding them. Most of the game was me running around until I bumped into someone I recognized. I really wish they incorporated an optional minimap into the game. The forest isn't that big so I know this is mostly a me problem, but keep this detail in mind if you are directionally blind like me. 

I also thought the game was a little boring. It is just running between characters and getting tiny tidbits of information that you deliver to the next character. If the characters had a bigger emotional impact or grander stories, then it would feel more rewarding to deliver their messages. I didn't get a sense of satisfaction when I completed a character's questline. The world didn't change enough for it to feel like it mattered. 

The game is also a little buggy and the movements felt odd. The platforming felt a little slidey, and jumping and gliding onto things was hard sometimes. 

Lastly, I really thought the ending was disappointing. I won't spoil it, but it was rushed and the message at the end didn't make sense in the context of the story. I know the story isn't that important and it's just a cute mushroom game, but the ending felt like a slap in the face, if I'm allowed to be a little dramatic. 

There were definitely some good things about the game!  I do like that you can customize your character. The scout is such a cute character and the forest setting you play in is lovely to look at. The vibrant cartoon styled art speaks to me. The characters you run into are also quirky and fun. They each have a fun little personality. The dialogue is simple but well written. The game almost feels nostalgic and you can't help to smile at some parts. 

Overall, I didn't like it, but Its inoffensive and very adorable. I just wouldn't recommend it. Maybe if they add a map, I will complete it fully :P 

Steam Deck Compatibility: It is "playable" on the steam deck but not verified. It worked fine. A little buggy but that is probably the game itself. The character creation was a little buggy due to the deck controls but after that, it worked perfectly fine. 

Bokura is a two-player side-scrolling puzzle game. You can't play it by yourself or with a stranger. You have to put in a code from a friend to be able to play  It's both local and online co-op. We played the online co-op which worked great. No disconnections, lagging, or any other issue. 

I went into this game completely blind so I want this review to be the same. I didn't even read the store page, which would have given away some things that really surprised me in the game. I actually got my boyfriend to play with me, even though he is very picky about games. He only plays competitive multiplayer games, but he played through the entirety of this game and had a lot of fun. So good job Bokura! 

You and a friend play as two boys who run away from home. On the way, weird things happen, and the world gets very strange. You have to work together to solve puzzles and continue on your journey. 

The gameplay consists of doing puzzles together. The puzzles are fairly easy, but do provide some challenges throughout. A lot of puzzles later in the game require communication and teamwork. You can do certain things that your friend can not. Vice versa. Without teamwork and communication, you can't solve the puzzles. 

The story has dark moments and there are a couple choices that dictate the ending. I didn't really understand the ending, but I think you are supposed to play through the game multiple times to get the full story. I'm not sure about that, so if someone has played, feel free to verify if that's true. 

I love pixel art and I think the art looks great. The characters have depth and different personalities. Overall, I think Bokura is a hidden gem. The less you know about the game, the better. I just wish my ending was better or that I understood it better. We might have to play another run together to get the full story. 

I definetely recommend Bokura! It's worth the price.  It's a short game. The average length is 5 hours. 

Steam Deck Compatibility: Bokura is "playable" not verified on the steam deck. It works great. There is a small issue when putting in the room code. It will say it can't connect to the server, but then it will connect anyway. If it doesn't connect you can put in another code. It's a small annoyance, but otherwise it works wonderfully.