Duo McQueen and Dooley never disappoint. <3

Detective James Renoir has one last case to solve… his own death!

Liked:

• Nice visual style
• Noir theme
• Puzzles – from easy to challenging

Not liked:

• Sluggish movement
• Bad controls
• Sometimes unclear objective
• Bad sound – James‘ voice has a big echo to make it sound like he is speaking from the other side but also makes it hard to understand, luckily there are subtitles, but it still destroys the atmosphere
• The main hero looks like 50 years old tired man (but his voice sounds younger which adds a disproportion to the character) and the whole love story seems rather unbelievable to me. Well, maybe Kitty has a thing for older men… who am I to judge, right?
• Puzzles – they are still the same, no new elements are introduced, and can become tedious/frustrating/boring
• Speedrun achievement – ridiculous

Actually rather meh. I have expected a different kind of outcome.
Enjoyed the developer commentary.

Absolutely perfect! Bruce is as handsome as ever. <3

Direct sequel although with slightly different visuals. Still no standard CGs. It's fun but getting all the achievements can take a while.

Cute little game about bringing an old bakery back to life.

Mindbending! Loved it.

Very nice adventure game inspired by the work of Jules Verne. The puzzles are pretty creative and there are usually more ways to solve them.

Love knows no boundaries.

It was fine I suppose. Some moments were quite frustrating and I can't imagine playing it on my own without the help of my partner.

Cute little game in the vibe of Amanita Design games.

A slightly different hidden object game with cute visuals and a few frustrating moments.

On one hand an enjoyable stealth game on the other rather repetitive as you are required to go through each level twice.

A deadly virus is spreading on the Earth and the only hope for a cure is located on a distant planet named Arcania. It was once considered an option for colonization but was abandoned after the machines turned against humans. As the situation is dire a group of researchers is sent back there… but the mission didn't go smoothly. Your ship is destroyed after a rocky landing and what's worse you soon learn that you are the only survivor. But the mission isn't a complete failure, yet. There is still hope.

Assuming the role of an unnamed researcher you have to navigate through various separated islands in a search for the cure's ingredients. It would be quite meaningless without any means of coming back home though, so you find a new ship, but it lacks a few improvements to make it space-worthy. And also a lot of fuel. With that in mind, you need to explore the wilderness for anything useful.
But be careful! There are a lot of wild mecha animals that won't appreciate you being around them. Luckily you are not completely powerless against them as you have a simple energy weapon for protection. To get an even better edge during the fights you can hack one of the mechas to make it fight alongside you. Another thing you need to stay safe from is the unstable weather consisting of deadly storms full of tornados!

The game is rather linear with the story told through a few notes scattered around. You explore one island and then move to the next one. Each time you need to find and activate a beacon that will lead on. You also need to collect the fuel, materials and upgrades for your ship. Some bigger exploration in a search for secrets isn't really necessary - there is none. Even though the islands differ in their environment (forest, plains, desert, taiga) the structures are still the same - beacon, main docking station, windmills (give material for leveling up) and terraforming platforms (serve as a safe spot from the storm) - the last two aren't exactly needed for a story progression so you can be quickly done with it. Besides roaming around the islands you have access to an orbit station where you can store various supplies, upgrade your stats, grow plants from collected seeds, or check the status of your mecha pets.

The main aspects of the game consist of collecting resources and fighting with mechas. Both can be fun at the beginning but as they are rather simple they sadly become repetitive. From the collected materials you can create different types of ammo or a few other useful items like a battery for ionizers which are randomly set around the islands and can calm down the weather. Even the hacked mechas don't add much to the gameplay. They will follow you and attack everything aggressive nearby, but sometimes they need help with pointing out what to do or where to go. They can also become stuck and get to your position after the fight is over. Leveling up their stats makes them stronger and quite useful. You can have up to four of them in the group, but if you hit the limit and switch for a new one you lose it and with all of the upgrades… I was quite disappointed by the inability to make a little zoo on the orbital station as there is space for just four animals.

All in all, I have enjoyed the Sky Break but it was more like playing a demo, full of potential, but still a demo. With a little love, it could have become an interesting game. Sad to see it abandoned.

Interesting, I was rather curious about what happened on the station. Though the outcome was slightly underwhelming.

In Feather you play as a bird on a lone island exploring its secrets at your own pace. Soaring high up in the sky or diving deep into the underground caves is rather enjoyable.

I managed to complete it, not an easy task. ^^

More in my review.

I think it was a good sequel to the first F.E.A.R. The atmosphere is very tense, scary, and ominous. Shooting still feels good although I miss the ability to lean out… The game has a good pace with a lot of lore to be found around.

There are no manual saves only checkpoints, which scared me a little but they are quite often so I felt safe most of the time. Also, I have actually died only once at the very end so worrying about it isn't really necessary.

The ending is true to every horror movie.

There would be sometimes funny graphical bugs, slightly scary but still fun. Made a gif of my favorite one. xD

Pretty good game with a lot of possibilities in encounter solutions. Do you want to smash some heads in a brutal direct fight? Or you would rather lurk in the shadows silently taking down one enemy after another? Or are you gonna be a powerful wizard wreaking havoc among the enemies with your spells? Well, be my guest, pick whatever suits you, and even combine the three classes! Don't forget about many environmental hazards that can be used to your advantage in fights! The freedom you have is great and it's fun!

The Arkane touch is pretty clear and I felt like playing an early build of Dishonored! There are a lot of references to other games or popular media, the most apparent was probably the Master Thief Garrett. :D
The story is fine, with some nice twists leading to two different endings. The game is linear, but exploring the levels can reward you with additional weapons, armor, potions, or magic scrolls. The arsenal is vast, but the better weapons are locked behind skills, so you won't be able to use them all as you need to choose your skills carefully - you can't change them. The game looks good for its age and playing was smooth without any problems. There are lot of checkpoints, but you are free to save whenever you wish to - even during a fight!

A few complaints:
I wasn't a fan of direct fights as you can't properly feel when you land a hit. Also, you need to be very close, but enemies can hit you even from a distance you would deem safe.
Getting on ledgers or over obstacles was terrible and required a lot of tries, often resulting in falling to my death.
The loading screens between chapters contain a story summary, but you can't read it as the loading takes about a second. xD Wasn't a problem twenty years ago, I know.
The intros don't have subtitles and the main villain is hard to understand in some moments.

Overall I had a lot of fun with Dark Messiah, can only recommend it. <3

Oh well, a lot of time passed since completing the first game… 11 years. 😅 Can't say I remember the story much, only a few tidbits, but I think we have liked it.

We enjoyed this one too, the story is full of silly characters/situations and good jokes. They are mostly hit or miss but we laughed a lot. If you are thorough and exhaust every dialog option it can be a little bit overwhelming thus making the game somewhat long and slow-paced… but well, it all depends on your playstyle. ^^

Few of the achievements are tiresome and without a guide almost unobtainable.

Loved the platypus' and Ba-ba-ba-baby Goal! <3

This is such a little gem! We had so much fun. The handmade scenery is both beautiful and fascinating, it all looks so lively. The music is very catchy and suits the mood of '60. The voice acting is brilliant. Can only recommend it.

I usually manage to break the games I play in some way, did it even in this case. xD

Surprise, surprise, Dawn Harlock (or Ashmoore, who knows) is no longer the game's main heroine! This time she only appears as the side-kick who gets kidnapped and needs rescuing. xD

So, the demon huntress Dawn and her niece Lila (not sure from where she surfaced and what the hell happened to her sister?) are in Egypt searching for missing parts of a mighty artifact called Gauntlet of Horus which was sent to her doorsteps because the light is in danger… or something like that. As our aunt gets abducted by evil Seth we need to follow them into Ancient Egypt by a portal. Awaiting us there are the obligatory Sfinx with three questions and finally, a few Egyptian gods (Anubis! <3) holding the keys to releasing Horus. With his help, Lila will be ready to face Seth and save the world.

The Egyptian setting is a welcome change from the previous three mostly dark and gloomy environments. The graphics are yet again colorful and nice to look at. The music is all right. The voice acting could be better but on the bright side, we don't have to listen to our dear flat Dawn through the whole game again. The puzzles are varied and still of easier difficulty which is good as even the most hated ones can be quickly solved. Hidden object scenes are also fine. There are two collectibles to be found with an on-screen indication if collected, which is always good to have.
My biggest complaint goes to the shooting mini-game against the evil spirits - it's boring and when you miss it takes long until you are back in the right position again.

A peculiar game about a supernatural Newspaper agency. As the lead editor, you need to decide where in the city will you send your reporters. As the cases aren't anything ordinary you need to be ready for any kind of situation. You will be facing ghosts, zombies, thug gangs, cultists, aliens, barriers, and the most powerful, scariest, devilish of them all - heavy gates and hard walls! You can equip your reporters with many useful items right before you engage with an enemy (if you aren't ambushed), you just need to select the right items - it's a lot about a bit of luck too, especially at the beginning when you are low on funds. You make money by releasing your newspaper every day, the amount you earn depends on how much you investigate. Your reporter can also level up their skill over time. You can even hasten it with the right tools, but sadly they are hard to obtain.

The biggest flaw of the game is that it's procedurally generated. The cases aren't very coherent, it's just line after line of some random names and events. You won't find any real articles describing the cases when you release your issues, instead, you are presented with the same generated lines you uncovered in your investigation. You are pursuing several cases at once which makes it hard to orient in. Shame really.

When you look aside from the non-existent story and focus on the management side it's actually rather addictive. The game is only saved when you quit the game, which can be pretty frustrating on the harder runs as even the tiniest mistake can sabotage your whole run and you will have to start again. Or you can back up your save. ;)

Recommended only if you don't mind suffering. Even though there is a tutorial and a handbook you can check any time I still feel I don't understand some of the game elements very well thus turning the game into a lottery most of the time. So it feels more like a demo, blueprint, or skeleton of some bigger game. The engine is good but it's lacking the actual soul.

Twenty years after the events in the first game (don't remember it much, completed it in 2018) the Archdemon Ragnar is one step away from entering our world. Dawn Harlock, the last descendant of the mysterious demon hunter order and paranormal investigator, needs to stop a deadly conspiracy against her and save the world, again.

The story is most of the time rather weird with characters acting stupidly and ridiculously. Our main heroine is very unsympathetic mainly thanks to her flat and emotionless voice acting (other characters are more or less mediocre). She also can't be killed by any means in the world, like by a direct hit with a bazooka, thanks to a small magic amulet thus making all of the encounters rather irrelevant. The graphics and the music are fine, could be better could be worse. Puzzles and hidden object scenes are of an easier sort, the biggest challenge is to find all of the things needed to proceed thanks to constant backtracking.

There are definitely better (i.e. more clever and prettier) HOGs.

Five years after defeating the Archdemon Ragnar Dawn Harlock lived in peace. But now she needs to step out of her retirement and investigate a mysterious case of a missing girl as it seems like supernatural powers are at play. The further she follows the trail, the more she learns about her past and heritage!

I'd say it's better than the second game although the story is pretty weak and stupid at some moments. Like when a member of a demon hunter order appears and she is surprised that such an order exists… Although our heroine is getting older with every game, she doesn't become any wiser. She also remains as unsympathetic as before. Other characters are fine, they usually end up dead pretty quickly though. The graphics are prettier now, very grim and darkish. The overall atmosphere is rather well done, there are even a few "jump scares".

Puzzles are alright, still of an easier sort. Sometimes I was thinking over the top and yet the solution was very simple. Few of them are exactly the same as in the previous game. Hidden object scenes are nicely varied and don't repeat too much. There are three different collectibles to find, luckily there is a collected indication on the screen so no stress of missing something! The backtracking isn't that much apparent, but it's still there.
After completing the main story you can play a bonus chapter to see what had happened before we got to the crime scene.

Considering how the plot developed I am curious where it will go in the next two games and if our heroine ages even more.

Extraction Point follows right where the main game ended. Our rescue helicopter crashes down with us on board. With our two surviving companions we need to navigate the destroyed city to a new extraction point which is set up in a local hospital. The area isn't safe though as the otherwise vacant streets are full of mysterious deadly entities and enemy soldiers.

Extraction Point looks and plays the same way as the main game - the gunfights are intense, the enemy AI is rather clever. It became a lot more brutal and scary though. A few of the jump scares gave me almost a heart attack. xD Storywise there are no laptops or phone calls to give us additional lore, like in the main game.

There are known problems with FPS (like with the main game), but the community repair works like a charm.

If you have liked the main game, you will enjoy the expansions even though they are not considered canon to the story. I think that the first F.E.A.R. is one of the best shooters for sure. I was quite surprised by some of the mechanics and how well it works even after all those years. Love the leaning and slow motion! I was also fascinated by how clever the enemies are and how they can create barriers from the tables, cabinets, and couches to hide behind. They also talk together (which can give their positions out), try to ambush you, react to your flashlight, etc. Really a great experience.

Perseus Mandate follows a secondary team of F.E.A.R. forces. All of it happens in parallel with the main game storyline. Our main objective is to obtain more information about secret projects at Armacham Technology Corporation's facilities.

The graphics underwent a huge overhaul, it looks more modern-ish. It remains true to its predecessors - bloody and scary. New locations, enemies, and weapons are introduced, which freshens it up a bit. I have found this one more difficult than the main game and the first expansion. The ultimate boss battle was a horrible pain… no more again. Unlike the Extraction Point there are additional laptops or phone calls to give us a little backstory, like in the main game.

There are known problems with FPS (like with the main game), but the community repair works like a charm. This time though I have also experienced a few crashes and "out of memory" or "disconnected" errors. Yet again the discussions helped with that.

If you have liked the main game, you will enjoy the expansions even though they are not considered canon to the story. I think that the first F.E.A.R. is one of the best shooters for sure. I was quite surprised by some of the mechanics and how well it works even after all those years. Love the leaning and slow motion! I was also fascinated by how clever the enemies are and how they can create barriers from the tables, cabinets, and couches to hide behind. They also talk together (which can give their positions out), try to ambush you, react to your flashlight etc. Really a great experience.

Pretty good hidden object game with a rather serious and dark theme. We assume the role of private investigators trying to solve a series of mysterious and bloody murders in a secluded psychiatric asylum. As the bodies start to pile up even our own life will be put on the line!

It seemed to me like they took the setting from Shutter Island movie and added into it Scarecrow from Batman. xD It's a little bit far-stretched but surprisingly enjoyable.

The game is short with a good pace. You are moving constantly forward and there is not much backtracking, although you will revisit a few locations. Hidden object scenes are of good quality, each repeating for mostly two times. Puzzles are various, and their difficulty scales from easy to moderate. But that would be too easy so there are one or two rage-quitting puzzles…
Being a detective means that you have to examine crime scenes, collect the evidence and then piece together what happened to the victims. It works like a reverse hidden object scenes and it's actually nicely refreshing.
The visuals are nice, colorful and yet grim. The voice acting is nothing extra, mediocre but overall fine. There are three collectibles to be found and as you have to play the game two times anyway you don't have to worry about missing them on a first run.

My only complaint goes to the forced second playthrough but all in all, we had a good time so I can only recommend it.

In this To the Moon sequel we will yet again follow our duo of doctors on a quest/mission/journey through the memories of a dying man to fulfill his most desired wish which is… well, who knows? Even he doesn't know that. Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts are in for some surprises for sure. And we together with them.

RPGmaker game about life and loss. About one's dreams, hopes, regrets, desires. Through Colin's story, the game induces thoughts about our own life and values in it. Many carefree things may hold a deeper message so keep your mind open.
The storytelling is yet again rather strange as we tend to "jump" through different time sequences, but it will all be connected in the end. The story is of course quite emotional but it's not in a pandering way instead the emotions are slowly built up. The characters are nicely written, especially our main heroes. I simply love their bickering! The gameplay is straightforward, there isn't much to do other than follow the red thread of love/life/destiny. As in the previous game you need to solve a small puzzle from time to time. They are now different, but clever and nothing too hard that would keep you up from a smooth progression.

The pixel visuals are nice, you can see that they aren't only made from the default sets. We also get to examine a lot of different environments. The soundtrack is amazing, beautiful, phenomenal!

Finding Paradise is even better than To the Moon. We laughed a lot and cried even more. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

The store page pretty much sums it up. A one-hour-long story about a boy and an injured bird. The story is told without any words, just a few emoticons show up. All you can do is move around on a linear path towards the end.

We played it after the Finding Paradise and, as it is closely tied together, it was both quite heartwarming and bittersweet. The emotional impact when playing it on its own would heavily depend on your own childhood experience.

There are worse games on Steam to play and if you like the work by Freebird Games it will be a nicely spent hour for you.

In Unpacking you unpack boxes of items in your various new/old homes. As a game, it is definitely more relaxing than in real life although I have experienced it only twice - when I went to live with my partner and when my parents went to a different apartment. Can't really imagine going through it so many times… we have a saying that "it's better to burn down than to move house" after all.

Back to the game. So through unpacking the boxes, you uncover your life and how it changes with the years. Some things will get lost in the past, others will stay with you forever. I have enjoyed these kinds of small details.
The pixel graphic is cute and suits the relaxing atmosphere of the game. The music as well. It is a good game to turn off your brain and just go with the flow.

What I didn't like was that some items are hard to recognize and you can spend a lot of time searching for the place to put them - a lot of them can be hidden under the bed. In the "campaign," you are also required to put all of the items in the right places as deemed by the game - for example, I had to put a poster on the wall in the living room even though I found it unappealing for the current house setting; or I don't like putting the toothbrush next to a sink etc. But after successfully completing the home once you can apparently move the items the way you'd prefer.

Overall it's a nice and cozy game but I'd say go for it during a high sale or grab it in some bundle.