DeVuego

Laika: Aged Through Blood is a fairly remarkable game, even if it got on my nerves something fierce due to its predilection for unnecessary mechanics.

Blasphemous 2 is another excellent Metroidvania that’s quite different from its predecessor in a number of ways, even if it doesn’t quite manage to supersede it overall.

I could keep going on about the things that make Tower Princess such an awful experience (such as how you have to figure out which gift a princess likes by trial and error, as a gift is gone once you give it, or how you’re able to move during the black screen part of entering an area, which causes you to take damage before the image shows up). But I don’t want to ever think about this game again, so I’ll refrain. If you like rogue-lites, you probably shouldn’t play this game. I thought I’d get a cute 3D platformer rogue-lite, only to find a very poor attempt that fails to understand pretty much everything that makes the genre so great. Don’t walk. Run.

Tape: Unveil the Memories has compelling elements, but they're overshadowed by some truly bad mechanics and dull monster encounters.

Despite that, I did enjoy the rest of the game. The visuals are quite nice, with wide expanses and some lovely use of color, plus the controls do their job well. Everything is plenty responsive. All of the game’s elements culminate in a slight, but sweet indie game about the nature of freedom that has plenty of relaxing moments alongside plenty of strong design choices. If these kinds of games are something you enjoy, Scarf is another one to add to the list. As long as you can stand that awful, time-wasting, hide-and-seek section. I may still be just a teensy bit mad about that. Teensy.

I wasn’t expecting to walk away as impressed as I am by this game, but it really is something special. It’s easy to scoff at it due to how it wears its primary structural influence on its sleeve, but really, it mostly uses the basics to forge its own path, making for a unique, captivating experience with wonderful movement and sharp world design. If you love exploration and filling in the blanks of a world piecemeal, there’s absolutely no reason not to pick up Treasures of the Aegean.

Epic Chef got under my skin a fair amount, but it's so insanely funny that I can't help but forgive its shortcomings. I wish it was less grindy and had some of the tedium lessened, but this is an entertaining, lengthy game with a ton of personality. You hear me?!