Recent reviews by AbyssalSoul

This is one of those cases where I wish I could have a "maybe"/middle ground button but, hey. I guess I'll go for a yes since it has its merits. Scorn is a fairly short FPS survival horror/puzzler (more leaning to puzzles but the survival element is there at least for a few acts) employing a tremendously striking visual artstyle inspired by H. R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. On art and scenery alone the game is worth a playthrough.

However, it appears this game had a Kickstarter and that it completely under delivered in a lot of aspects. I cannot vouch for that since I didn't follow the campaign but I do feel that something is a bit amiss or that content had to be cut for the sake of being able to release.

All that aside, the puzzles offered here are mostly interesting but are affected by the extremely clunky and cumbersome mechanics and bugs, heaps of bugs that made me reload saves several times since buttons tend to bug and not work and sometimes the character itself would get stuck on geometry despite the efforts they made to keep you on rails. (You can't even jump.)

The weapons are very cool and alien looking but are pretty much 1 melee option, 1 pistol, 1 shotgun and a very limited grenade launcher. You would find more alien weapons in Halo, at least in the way they work than here where it's basically known guns with a coat of gory flesh. Still, it's neatly animated gory flesh I guess.

If I have to think about something is that there is too much style over substance. It's an interesting, weird alien romp that I feel falls a bit short but since it doesn't ask a lot of your time, it may still be worth it on a sale.

So, yep, not sure I would recommend it full price (considering it had a very steep price here) but worth a shot during a sale and it won't demand much of you to 100% it so that's always a plus in a sea of 100 hours romps.

Oh, one special mention to it being on Unreal Engine, so be prepared for random stutters and delays when the maps load, a hallmark of the engine. Other than that, it performed at full frame rate, all maxed out even on my aging PC.

Another one of M2's work to preserve arcade and old school games. In this case, the classic Ray/Layer Section series from Taito. These are all the arcade versions so they differ a bit from their console port counterparts (which, at the time of the writing of this review, I hope they will eventually add like they did with G-Darius if I'm not wrong) and they are considerably harder as well.

The two-layered lock-on action is amazing and we've seen the mechanics repurposed and heightened in many later STGs like the legendary Kamui or Crimzon Clover.

Pad support works perfectly. (edit: in fact, a controller is pretty much mandatory and you do get a warning to plug in one before starting the Chronolgy), I used an Xbox One controller and you have a plethora of options to configure in the menus so most boxes are ticked thankfully. The sides of the screen now feature some useful data about bosses, rank, lives, BGM, etc., which is a welcomed addition. You have the usual quick save/load which is perfect to practice but will disable your online scores. The input lag, at least while using this Samsung Odyssey G4 monitor I have (which allows for TATE mode), didn't feel too egregious but I'm not an expert on that front so please take that with a grain of salt.

The games feature some slowdown which I assume is part of the original hardware although not so sure if intended as in CAVE STGs. Either way, yeah, these games are hard, especially RayStorm and RayCrisis due to their 2.5D POV that makes it hard to see the bullets and flak coming your way.

Another aspect that heightens the challenge (perhaps a bit too much) is the rather veiled rank system present (now thankfully visible!), more noticeable in RayForce towards the end where my aging reflexes can no longer process anything anymore. The longer you power up and stay alive and blast those full chain lock-on combos, the harder things get to the point it borderlines danmaku but with an old school, much bigger ship without the speed to account for. A 1cc here is possible but certainly not an easy task.

If you are in just for the achievements, they are thankfully doable without the need to 1cc but will still provide several hours to plod through all three games, with RayCrisis being the more esoteric of the bunch with its approach to stage orders.

Speaking of, there are some interesting graphical differences between the arcade and home ports obviously, especially on RayCrisis (which features none of the cool boss warnings which now I realize are probably to hide CD loading times) and it flows quite seamlessly with its cyber/network aesthetic, giving it a very unique feel.

RayStorm on the other hand feels detached from the series, not just because the story takes pleace in another setting but also because it was the first attempt at polygon graphics and feels overall less polished. It has its charm, and it still features the missile barrages, great fleet battles and robots so I can't blame it on that front.

RayForce is pure 2D greatness and a tour-de-force for those who want to check how it looked before being ported.

Either way, if you're not convinced, pick the collection on a sale, but if you love STGs perhaps it may be worth it at full price. All in all, recommended!

This is gonna be a quick review.

It's incredible. Go get it, review it, make From and Bamco and everyone know they can still make this kind of games!

What a way to debut the series on PC and bring back a franchise that had been dormant for a decade. It runs buttery smooth even on my aging configuration. It looks great, sounds great, plays great (it instantly recognised my Xbox One controller no problem), is complete on release, no predatory DLC or microtransactions, with a level of customisation that other games could only dream of.

Much like with Ace Combat (buddy!), it's amazing what they achieved with just showing vehicles, awesome mechs in this case. With an OST that slaps harder than a hard bass, crisp sound, excellent style and design UI elements, a non intrusive COM voice (shame you can only switch languages instead of voices but the default is great and feels like having Jarvis).

This is like a come back from another timeline where everything just was right! I've just cleared NG and on my way to NG+ and beyond (the game keeps giving!) so this is my GOTY, hands down. The Gran Turismo of postapocalyptic mecha action is finally out for all the Ravens to rejoice!

Another one on the Pixel Puzzles series. Not much you say, this one is classical paintings themed, runs on most toasters and they are a nice challenge if you're looking for puzzles, nothing weird here thankfully so go for it!

Guardian Force is a port of the Saturn version on a new engine so it can run in modern systems. It also comes with a plethora of improvements, including a rewind option (extremely useful to try bullet patterns), free play and quick save/load. Really, it runs pretty well but it suffers a few issues the affect other STG ports, especially the input lag that makes dodging the heavy ordnance quite cumbersome, especially since the tank hitbox seems a bit uneven. There is also a slow mode you can trigger with the shift key but I've yet to find its purpose other than to cheat through some bullet patterns. Also, the control scheme by default is weird as hell and I recommend changing it to something that may suit your style better.

In my case, rotating the turret was all piled together between a button and a trigger in the Xbox Controller. By mapping left rotation and right rotation to the triggers and shot to A or B you can least get a partially more modern control setup but that's just me. Thankfully you can remap controls in the game's contextual menu. (There is an in game option menu but that one let's you control credits and lives as well as the difficulty.)

Anyway, presentation and music wise this game's awesome. The story is not much clearer than "enemy empire wants to conquer all" but you seem to be descending into the underground and it really reminded me of the insane Mahou Daisakusen premise. Either way, bosses are all presented in text with names that are mostly metal as f*ck (The Unforgiven, Maverick, Gold Rush, etc.) and the soundtrack is also extremely good. I wish they would put a soundtrack DLC in FLAC/mp3. I mean, sure, it's not Radiant Silvergun or Soukyuugurentai (also, I hope this one gets ported too!) presentation-wise but it's high up there.

The mechanics require you to pick up different items that change what the turrets shoot (from a yo-yo type of weapon to missiles, machine guns and lasers) and be mindful of powering them up with the crystals you pick up along. Dying will power the weapons down and you'll lose the side arms (usually missiles) but you can usually recover faster unlike, say, Gradius or some older STGs where you might as well initiate restart syndrome. A lot of big enemies and mid bosses are timed so you are encouraged to make short work of them, bomb and aim at weak spots to get those juicy score bonuses. By the last missions you'll be assaulted from all directions by heaps of bullets so you'll need to put the 8-axis rotation turret to good use while you take refuge as the auto-scrolling stage strolls along. Easier said than done, even though the game hands you over 10 credits with 3 lives each by default!

All in all, I love seeing obscure Saturn games brought back to life in the style of M2 ports so I really hope more are brought over. Of course, the price is probably a bit steeper as is the case with most STGs so either consider it on a sale or get it if you have a buddy to play the 2-player mode, which is really enjoyable.

Recommended!

Perhaps one of the most tolerable clicker/idle games with an idol unit management theme. Pretty solid but you are obviously still affected by some random dice roll elements. You can thankfully pause the timer and the management part of the game requires you to plan ahead like a chess match before hitting the resume button. Once your idol unit is complete with the best waifus (which can be a rather boring process of re-rolling until you get the right idol), it's time to get to work, earn that dosh and sign for venues. To the moon in terms of popularity!

It certainly won't make your PC sweat and can be cleared relatively quickly all things considered. Fairly challenging at first since some of the goals seem insurmountable but props to the champ who wrote the Steam guide as it really helped me reach 100% clear so also ideal for those who don't have much time to game.

Overall, if you like idols and watching numbers go up without any predatory microtransactions or sleazy whale-hunting mechanics, this is the way to go. Recommended!

Very short but surprisingly fun clicker game, something a lot of clicker/incremental games forget, to be fun instead of a math class for crunching numbers. Here you are taken off cryostasis only to become the guinea pig of an AI with HAL-9000 complex. And seeing how things are unfolding these days, this game now feels more current than ever.

Either way, cooperate with the AI to get the ♥♥♥♥ back up and running and then return to your fleet and find a planet to colonize. There will be clicks, loads of clicks! Good luck!

Not much in the technical front, the game ran flawlessly and has the option to play full screen or windowed. Windowed allows you to resize the window which in turn will stretch the pixels but it's serviceable and definitely helps if you have multiple screens. Not much else too say because for this price you just can't go wrong, especially for those who are busy and want pain-free goals/achievements along the way.

Recommended!

I absolutely cannot believe this only has one review. Allow me to change that. This soundtrack is AMAZING! I don't usually review both the game and other components but this time I definitely felt compelled to do so.

Worth every penny if you love electro-jazzy tunes with a funk angle. Comes with both FLAC and mp3 files. This one would probably stay in my hard drive and mobile along a few other key OSTs that really stand out on their own. If you have a good DAC and headphones or IEMs, the music will shine even further.

To conclude, the soundtrack really evoke a feeling of remembrance, of good times. It hits the balance between the clean, more modern sound but also emphasize the usage of that particular style of mid-90s synths so prominent in Capcom, Konami, SEGA and other Japanese developers of the mid 32-bit era.

Not much else to say, if the game didn't interest you but you enjoy the musical style, definitely go for this one! Hats off to Geem Audioworks, excellent work here and I hope they can cooperate with the dev for another round of funk and style!

Well, this one was surely a breath of fresh air in this stream of "boomer shooters"! No blood, gore and guts here, it's all glam, fashion, style and silly light hearted references packed in a neat set of varied missions and accompanied by an amazing OST worth the price on its own if you are a fan of SEGA-style music with a funky approach, in fact, if you like that sort of piano/grand jazz/keyboard synth ultra melodic songs that glue to your mind, this is for you. Indeed, sound design is just as prominent as the visuals here.

Anyway, quick mechanics rundown: your character is extremely agile and fast, there is no dash but there is a melee weapon used to hop and climb to greater distances. You get a small set of weapons (including one that let's you jump further ahead and move even faster) and they are arranged in a system where each one needs to be used on different enemy types to stunlock them or deal damage, that is until you get the equivalent of the BFG (which the devs kindly provide infinite ammo for if you clear the game). Each weapon fits a certain purpose and they will not be effective against certain enemy types. This is telegraphed both via audio and visual cues so you are quickly told you need to switch weapons.

Now, things get extremely chaotic and challenging once you face enemy waves with enemy combinations that require you to move around and switch like a madman until you fashionize all those terrible criminals. Each time you eliminate a target an Unreal Tournament/Devil May Cry 5 style loud voice will scream phrases and that already elevates the game above others. It just oozing style and I loved it so much more for it. It's a good way to accompany the combat! Again, it may not be the wailing of demons and electric guitars and an angry armored dude but it sure is a learning experience on fashion words in English, heh.

At the end of each mission you are evaluated by the amount of secrets, swag (basically, armor items) and enemies arrested for that sweet-yet-OCD 100% completion goal. These tallies are done incredibly well in a silly fashion parade style, with bosses getting their own special screens.

The story is kind of a spoof full of references (not gonna spoil) and certainly not quintessential to the experience although I would certainly love if the next game contains even more voiced dialogue (only the intro is voiced, the rest is what I can only describe as Banjo Kazooie noises), although the delivery and writing could make or break it. Having all enemies voiced is also great as the quotes they spew are just as ridiculous as expected, chockfull of memes that keep the arenas engaging.

While for many it may not reach the heights of some of the new torch bearers of this new old school era like DUSK or Ultrakill, the style is extremely well done, entertaining and packed with enough humor to get a special highlight. My only gripe was that a few of the encounters are confined into extremely small arenas for the amount of enemies you face and that gives you little room for maneuvers and there were a few performance hiccups using the melee belt, other than that the game ran smoothly on my PC.

I really hope the devs are working on a sequel that refines elements and ups the ante or just brings us more joy and fun to cut it up a bit with all the disembowelments and violence. Sometimes we just need a break from that with some colours and laughter. Props to the devs, hats off and suit up!

It's not a terribly long game so even aiming for the 100% should be doable. Very recommended and if on sale, even more recommended but also get it with the OST! It comes with FLACs which is always a huge plus!

Wow. When you least realize it you've already poured a few hours into this! Vampire Survivors has really spawned a genre of its own with this whole arena rogue-like become-the-bullet-hell genre that also includes choices upon levelling up (gacha-style). A lot have popped on Steam, most Early Access and this one is no exception. However, for an Early Access it already feels quite full and complete.

My only hope is that they won't over-complicate it as updates begin to roll in since so far the mechanics are easy to grasp, the minions are all cool and fun to use and you don't need to be a min/max math guru to have fun. I simply had a blast from the go and it wasn't as frustrating as others I've seen around.

It helps it's all done very humorously, with Shakespearean English with a high dose of memetic value, full of tongue in cheek comments. The graphics are also the right amount of chunky 2D pixel action with a good set of tunes to boot and, thankfully, it should easily run on most configs.

I played it using the Xbox One pad and it goes without saying it was the best experience since you don't have to aim or anything and instead control an army of undead minions as your main means of offense.

Level your precious ones up until they reach their full potential and crush those disgusting humans trying to ruin your undead party with sombreros divertidos. (I do hope they add some Día de los Muertos/Día de Todos los Santos themed minions and enemies, that would be neat.)

Whatever future updates bring, I hope it certainly goes to do its own flavor of this now shiny and surprisingly engaging genre.

Either way, go get it now. For that price it's just hard to say no.