Recent reviews by Quebec Dragon

Low budget and low effort rail shooter game with flying superhero dogs. No cinematics to speak of between levels, just dialogue panels with static portraits. Repetitive and shallow gameplay that doesn't even control that well. Repetitive and very limited number of sound clips for the dogs, maybe 4 or 5. Navigating the menus is a chore if you have a gamepad because the cursor drifts and the interface seems to be made for a mouse. Yet for actual flying and shooting, I wouldn't play this without a gamepad. The levels, all in Metropolis, always look the same in each of the three city sections. In the first city section, you'll constantly see the same 3 or 4 lame billboards as if they couldn't afford to do more. Paltry selection of uninspired enemies, just green and purple bots, maybe 5 or 6, not counting the boring bosses.

The members of the League that aren't the dogs, Krypto and Ace, are not controllable and are like afterthoughts with one bonus given by each (useless for the turtle). There's an adoption game tacked on that initially seemed like a nice distraction, but it once again repeats graphics and lines way too much, which is a problem especially when you see people looking the same adopting. Plus even if you suck at finding compatible matches, you'll have maxed this up long before the game is over. I was intially attracted by the colorful graphics and the fact I didn't hate the movie, but this overpriced licensed cash grab was a disappointment. I doubt even kids would be interested in this one for long. Speaking of which, expect 1.5 hours to 3 hours of game length depending on how much you waste time in the adoption centre and if you play the side missions (which should have been part of the main game as they at least change the perspective and gameplay a bit).

This is something novel I haven't played before, combining 2d puzzle platformer with vehicle maintenance so it keeps moving, although you can stop it at any time so it's not really stressful, which doesn't mean it can't be suspenseful. I had doubts about whether this game was for me mostly because of the graphics and the type of gameplay, but it turns out I played it all in one game session. Took about 3 hours and a half and it did not outlast its welcome. The gameplay is rather simple with basically only a jump and take button, but the game does a lot with it. I should not forget the buttons to zoom out of the vehicle for a better view of the surroundings or close inside it which I both appreciated.

You've got to keep your rolling vehicle running, constantly feeding it energy from scraps you find, but it's not frustrating or complicated. The game was quite atmospheric by moments. The music was sparse but effective to convey appropriate moods. Even turns out I did like the graphics, although the main character was so tiny. I thought the environmental puzzles were very good and fair, even had a few ah, ah moments. I wish more had been done story-wise because it left too much to the imagination. Overall, I recommend taking the trip even if you have big reservations. There's a demo if you want to make sure.

QD's first impressions of WrestleQuest

*PSA* This is free on the Netflix mobile app if you're subscribed.

Just played around 5 hours, so I don't consider this a real review by my own criteria. WrestleQuest is actually a traditional turn-based RPG like the old Final Fantasy games, but with strong WWF wrestling trappings... complete with famous wrestlers from the 80's and 90's that you'll see, even "summon" (not seen that yet), but don't play as. What I didn't expect is that this is in a toy world and that all the wrestlers are action figures. In fact, all the characters are toys from one kind or another. I had to get used to that look, but it turns out that, in fact, it permits the game to be more imaginative and varied. Other than that, the graphics made me initially think of something made with RPG Maker (not a compliment), but that was an unfair assessment. They're pretty, they're detailed and they grew on me. The animations are well done and there's lots of little incidental stuff in the world.

There's all the typical retro RPG tropes, but they're very well integrated into the wrestling/Toy Story theme, surprinsingly so. You have levelling, exploring towns, talking to people there, walking on the overland map, equiping better gear and turn-based battles with gimmicks (think magic). There's also trash talking before certain matches (think Monkey Island insult swordfighting), managers with different bonuses, designing your own entrance, karma level (good or evil by your dialog choices), silly mini-games and hyping the crowd which are nice touches. All of that, except the hype meter, has been introduced but little used up to now.
However, most of the time will eventually be spent wandering around "dungeons" with battles that are not really wrestling matches (no extras) but easy fights with flunkies until you get to the big boss. Not that noticeable up to now, but I do see the battles getting strategic with the special moves and status effects. I was afraid the lack of enemy variety might get tiresome, but the "dungeons" seem to end roughly at the right time (up to now). I actually like the QTE (quick-time events) but would have liked less frequency and more variety beyond pressing one of the four gamepad buttons. The option to slow them down doesn't seem to do much of anything, but I'm sure that will be fixed, and an option to win them automatically is forthcoming. In fact, there are toggles to make the game as easy as you want it to be.

The characters you meet are fun, the cornier the better, although there's a lot of model recycling, which is to be expected in that type of RPG. I like the story and I like that you alternate between two parties. I wish some party members had more personality (looking at you Barbae and Toy Box Jimmy). It feels like I've barely scratched the surface of the game considering how many famous wrestlers I haven't seen yet, so there's tons of content. It's a love letter to an era of wrestling, but it's definitely *not* a wrestling action game, and I also think it can appeal to fans of retro RPGs who'd like a change from the typical fantasy setting. This is like the Final Fantasy/Mario RPG/WWF Wrestling/Toy Story hybrid I never thought I'd see or wanted. I'm rather pleased up to now, and I just hope it doesn't get too tedious as I advance.

Nice, short and free point-and-click adventure. Almost every visible item had a unique and amusing description, and for me that was a big positive. I also liked how you could often choose between polite, friendly and agressive attitudes in the dialogues. I thought the writing was rather entertaining and humorous with plenty of British references (made by the Canadian and American creators). The location graphics were jolly good and detailed for a freeware game, but the same could not be said of the character graphics and animation that were uneven, sometimes poor. They weren't horrible, though. The puzzles struck me as fair enough, a bit on the easy side, but that's fine. If you like the genre and/or dry "British" humor, then you should have a pleasant 2 to 3 hours of adventuring.

The arguably ugly graphics initially turned me off, as I'm sure it will for many of you, but in the end, they turned out to be unique, making an excellent game more memorable. I never had a gaming experience quite like this one, and it really felt as if I had to deduce and think things through. It made me feel more like a detective than most point-and-click mystery adventures. And don't get me wrong, I wouldn't include this game in that category, which I love.

The plot was amazing, and it was full of clever bits. The game got challenging in a good way without going overboard, and I think the vast majority of deductions was fair, except perhaps one in case 9, which I doubt I would have ever gotten without an in-game hint. The end was a bit anticlimactic after such a build-up, but overall it was a very satisfying journey. I'd definitely be interested in other games using the same concept. If you're unsure, like I was, I suggest trying out the demo where you can play 4 out of the 12 cases.

Excellent turn-based strategy game with cards combined with a surprisingly involving social adventure aspect made by Firaxis, the developer behind recent X-Coms and Civilizations. One aspect without the other, and the game wouldn't work as well. As it is, there's a very satisfying gameplay loop. There's also an exploration aspect around your abbey headquarters, in nature, as a bonus that I liked, but that can be ignored most of the time.

My first impressions weren't great, I thought the graphics were a bit lacking for a AAA game, while still decent, but they did grow on me as time went by, especially the character models. Combat animations were brief and spectactular. Graphics in the battle fields were very good.

I'm not usually a fan of strategy games with card decks or so-called card battlers, but this one won me over. It becomes quite fun once you get the hang of it. There's depth and variety while also keeping things relatively simple. I particularly loved the knockback attacks. The field of battle is limited in size, this is not X-Com, but I thought the size was appropriate: not too big or too small. Every playable hero plays different and there didn't seem to be any clunkers. In fact, I was surprised how much I played every single hero, even though I had my favorites.

The social adventure aspect, where you build up relationships, is wonderful and obviously inspired by the Persona games. There are clubs to attend, hangouts with individual heroes, an electronic social network, and you see heroes talking to each other, training, lounging, etc, in your headquarters. It's mostly talking with a few choices here and there, but it's very well written and interesting, especially if you're a Marvel fan. It's the superhero game where it feels like I learned the most about the characters, perhaps not in term of histories, but in terms of personalities and what makes them tick.

You play as your own new character created for the game, the Hunter, male or female with customization options, and it was rather well done. He was cool, had a great voice (don't know for female), and I liked playing him. I also liked the story, not as much as the friendly character interactions, although the store page unfortunately spoils a few big things if you pay attention. The voices were mostly very good and well chosen. Highlights were Nico Minoru (played by the Runaways tv show actress), Blade (played by movie Spawn) and Captain Marvel, but your preferences will vary.

I can't go into everything, but there's a lot I could have written about, such as the text-based hero ops, levelling your card deck for each hero, decorating your room, buying clothes, creating battle items, buying gifts to offer and, of course, exploring around the grounds. They make for interesting distractions, make the game richer, and you can mostly ignore the stuff you like the least.

What I disliked was the lack of enemy variety and super-villains. For the first 30 hours or so, I mostly fought Hydra goons (think modern Nazis) and I got sick and tired of them. Then you get another set of enemies that are more interesting. Super-villains are few and far between, although they're well designed and fun to fight. Another thing I disliked were the constant enemy reinforcements appearing almost every turn. They quickly grew tiresome. I get it was probably done to keep the challenge up and to surprise, but I could have done without it or at least not as often. Last thing are the super-hero costumes, beyond your own, locked behind a pay wall with real money. They're cosmetic, there's only two extras for each hero, but in older games they would have been unlocks. As it is, for each hero except yourself, you get one initial costume (with a choice of unlockable colours) and the Midnight Sun costume near the end.

Despite my few gripes, I definitely recommend Marvel's Midnight Suns. The sum is greater than its mighty marvellous parts. *****

Once upon a time and for many, many years, the famous RPG Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar was my favorite game of all time. This new game looks like it, plays like it, but with a silly, twisted sense of humor and no combat. I had just planned to start Fit For a King, try it out a bit, but ended up playing it 3 hours straight, finishing almost everything. That's usually a good sign.

So the tile-based graphics with limited colors and repeating animations look old, straight out of old-school Ultima but they do have their charm, the sprites are crisp and the colors are vivid. For gameplay, every letter of the alphabet has a different function from common to unconventional, like T for talk, L for look but also X for eXecute or M to marry. You can do most commands to most people, animals and objects, and it's ripe for shenanigans. It might seem overwhelming, but it's not, with a convenient help screen just a H key away. The exploration is fun, with secrets to find, but limited in scope to one castle, village and a surprise place. I wish there had been more. The conversations are like what I loved in the old Ultima games where you had to pay attention and type in words to learn more. I miss that a lot. Writing is good but not great. Music tracks are few and far between.

So for old-school Ultima fans with a sense of humor, this is a no brainer and a definite recommendation. For other people, it's certainly something different, something silly and varied, so if you can deal with the graphics and the many key commands, I'd recommend it too. Keep in mind it's not a normal RPG with fighting (except perhaps one), levelling up, stats or a standard inventory. It's more like a Monty Pythonesque king's life simulation or adventure.

Inexistence feels like a baresbones first attempt at a metroidvania platformer. There are much better examples out there, even from tiny development teams such as this one here. Levels are very mediocre in terms of looks and design. With a few exceptions, monster design is poor even when it comes to attacks... if they even attack. Controls are functional, but you're extremely limited in terms of moves. The dodge should have been its own button. The second quick attack when you time it correctly never felt right or satisfying. The only magic attack, a blue magic ball, is extremely underwhelming. I thought there was no map, but turns out there was one of the castle (only the castle) buried in the second page of a menu option that I learned about in the forums. The music is usually good, but not great or memorable like a Castlevania game, which Inexistence clearly takes inspiraton from. At first, the game felt fine, but the more I played, the more disappointed I was. There is an expanded "Rebirth" version of Inexistence that is probably better.

You're in a robot-populated world and play a little robot seeking revenge against his father's killer while also searching for the meaning of life. Very good point-and-click graphic adventure with an interesting, atmospheric look and logical puzzles (except perhaps one). Some of them were pretty clever, including the non-logical one. It's a game made by a small team so no voice acting and somewhat retro-looking 3d cutscenes, but I didn't mind and prefer with no voices sometimes.

Contrary to a lot of adventures, the dialogues respect your time and were short, to the point. Not much rambling here. They were well written, but I wish they had a little more "meat to the bones" so you learned more about the characters and could care about them. I also wish there had been a lot more hot spots with descriptions to look at. The interface was simple, good enough but not perfect; I wish you could get out of inventory without the extra button click. The hot spot finder with spacebar was a life saver as I would have lost a lot of time without it.

The story turned out to be surprisingly profound with an ending and moral that makes you think. Despite the cute robot, the game has some adult themes and is not aimed at kids. I didn't need any hint to complete, I finished in about 2.5 hours so the game is relatively short and I would have wanted more time in this compelling world. I think Ultreia is worth playing and might potentially appeal to even non-adventure players.

I was initially drawn in by the cuteness hoping for a fun easy game with great music. Turns out the graphics were indeed cute and pretty, especially the character designs and dance animations, but unfortunately the more I played, the less I liked the game. The platforming sections were decent enough and I liked exploring although there was no map like you'd get in a Metroidvania game. I thought at first the rhythm section "battles" were fine, perhaps even fun, but quickly enough they became harder and harder to the point I couldn't get a passing grade. But it didn't matter because even if you fail a tune, the game continues and you can still progress. So I'm probably not a good rhythm-game player, but the difficulty of those sections struck me as very hard, and I've seen reviews of experienced rhythm-game players saying it was hardcore. No possibility of an easier time with difficulty levels either. To add insult to injury, each time you hit a wrong note, and you likely would a lot, there's an annoying honk noise that is too loud and will ruin the melody.

Speaking of the music tracks in the levels, not very noticeable at first, but they're lacking, repetitive, unmemorable and should have been much, much better especially for that type of game. Even worse, they're very short loops before repeating, and even though it adds an digital "instrument" to the current song when you find a note (limited number of collectables each level), it doesn't improve the base tune enough and doesn't change the short loop time. Lucasarts used a similar changing soundtrack so much better in the Monkey Island games more than 30 years ago. In the penguin level of Songbird, I even turned the volume down to minimum, which is something I practically never do, because I couldn't stand the tune anymore.

I liked the simple story although I could see the twists coming long before. The puzzles were mostly of the pushing block and activating buttons variety, seemed fair enough, but sometimes became a bit annoying in the pipe level. I actually liked the little rhythm parts to activate things, which were incredibly easy compared to the rhythm "battles". So overall, I was rather disappointed by the game and was glad when it was over. Pick up only on deep sale and if you really, really like rhythm games.

P.S. I played on a gamepad, and there's no way to remap the keys. Would have perhaps been easier to play the rhythm sections on keyboard but I doubt it.