Recent reviews by Lua_ⵎШ

Your hard work is invaluable to the Company

Counter-Strike is back baybeeeee

This game was well worth the wait, and even better than I'd hoped for! I was worried it would be too easy or too quick… absolutely not. Everything is hard-earned. The "lives" system for championships pace the game perfectly, preventing any of it from being a breeze, and I'm glad that you earn the right to fight opponents individually once you beat a championship. The challenges and cosmetics add a lot of replayability. Fighters remain hard even after you've beaten them before. It was very exciting and rewarding to unlock each opponent one after another.

But most importantly, the fundamental game mechanics are fun. It feels as fun as it looks. I played through every league on keyboard and mouse; a gamepad/controller is definitely the superior choice, but it works as well as it could on KB&M, and preserves the feeling of leaning in to each punch.

Some of the fighters could surely use some tweaks, but I feel like most of the time, the answer to progression is to git gud, and I respect that. "Failure is a teacher"!

Blocking Shellman's spin kick probably shouldn't completely drain his stamina, as it makes him a cakewalk. The Puppet's spin punch ought to be more telegraphed (or not stun) — I really don't see any way to dodge it, and "not staying too close" is not a very intuitive lesson to teach the player. I also noticed the spaceman was called "Lazer Bob" in most places, but "Astrospoon" in the challenge descriptions. Personally I prefer the latter, but one way or the other it should be made consistent. Loved the unexpected COD Zombies reference. Lastly, I noticed a bug with the Monk where he would frequently get stuck facing away from the player, off to the side, making him difficult to target.

All in all, this game has the passion and insight of someone who truly loves games, but more importantly, someone who took the time to realize that passion into actual game development. I'm excited to see what's next for Punch a Bunch and for Pontypants.

This game is way better than I thought it was going to be. Another New Blood classic is on the way!

This game is billed as a fast-action shooter akin to DOOM Eternal -- in the words of YouTuber GmanLives, a "combat puzzle". You have abilities and weapons and need to find an effective way to chain them together for your survival. Meanwhile it has a "90's shooters" aesthetic, akin to Quake but also to newer throwback games like DUSK.

My first impression of the game was that it's hollow -- feels awkward, lacks variety, and only demands one skill: aim. It seemed the rest of the game would be a gimmick -- all the "style" points, the weird weapon mods, the movement abilities.

Then I got my ass kicked. It didn't take long, either -- I died in the Prelude on the easiest difficulty available in Early Access. I died often, in fact.

This game is not just about aim. It also demands good positioning, which demands mastery over the movement abilities, and also your ability to manage your weapons and your health at the same time.

It shares two very key traits with its triple-A contemporary, DOOM Eternal:

1. Weapon switching. You can switch weapons faster than most weapons' recovery time between shots, and you need to abuse this. This means you're constantly thinking about the best weapon to use in a given situation, and you need to master all of them.

2. Movement. Not only does ULTRAKILL give you many movement options (a dash, a slide, a slam, even wall jumping), but it encourages you to bob in and out of danger. In DOOM Eternal, you have three "bars" to worry about: Health, Armor, Ammo. Each of these require you to move close to demons to deliver killing blows and collect their pickups. ULTRAKILL only has Health, but it's even more hardcore: you have to get showered in the blood of your enemies to heal. You can't scoop it off the ground, either, so you must get right in their face, shoot, and then retreat to safety.

It also does at least one thing much better than DOOM Eternal or 2016 did, and that's weapon mods. DOOM Eternal let you upgrade your weapons as a matter of progression: the game's getting harder, so you need your weapons to do some of the work for you. But many of these mods are unbalanced and don't make the game more interesting -- you can switch between mods for a given weapon, but there's almost no reason to.

ULTRAKILL does not suffer from the same problem. Almost every weapon mod is amazing and creative in its own right, and each has a use-case. You can also swap these faster than in DOOM, and it's absolutely crucial. Each weapon's mods are practically unique weapons in their own right. The one people constantly cite/praise is the Revolver mod where you flip a coin in the air, and if you can shoot it, you deal critical damage to nearby enemies. I thought it was dumb and gimmicky at first because the coin is so small, how is anyone supposed to hit it?? But I quickly realized that the trajectory of the coin is entirely based on your own momentum. If you stand still, the coin always goes to the same place; if you're jumping and strafing, this will throw your coin off, but it's still predictable. So chalk up one more reason you need to master movement in this game.


When this game was first announced, I was surprised New Blood was publishing two chunky-looking retro FPS games back-to-back (DUSK, ULTRAKILL). I'm all for it, but I wasn't sure whether/how ULTRAKILL was going to distinguish itself. It's different in that its graphics are more inspired by the original PlayStation, whereas DUSK was inspired by PC shooters like Quake. This is reflected not only in the rendering and textures, but also in the enemies' design (lots of plain polygonal faces), and the level design, which is very room-to-room with minimal details between each.

It also is clearly inspired by the action elements in Devil May Cry, though I've never played a DMC game so I won't comment much on that. It appears to have inspired the setting (Dante's Inferno), the combo/style system, mission challenges, and also the secrets, which consist both of hidden orbs throughout a level and also "secret missions" (like the secret levels in DOOM 1993). The secrets in this game are top-notch -- very difficult to find and each cleverly placed.


This is already an excellent, vastly replayable game and it's only 1/3 complete (Early Access at time of review). It's got neat bosses, clever secrets, great mechanics. It is also hard as ♥♥♥♥. But there is a way to truly git gud at this game and it feels lovely. As always, anything New Blood touches turns to gold. Even if this specific game isn't for you, this is a publisher that should remain on your radar always. Heaven Pierce Her and Meganeko have done a wonderful job providing a fitting, pumping OST, and in spite of my initial doubts, Hakita has found the elements that make a fast-paced shooter truly exciting and skillful.

New Blood hates money. Piss them off and buy this game.

MANKIND IS DEAD.
BLOOD IS FUEL.
HELL IS FULL.

I first heard about Soviet Jump Game from the Grumps' livestream the other day. Setting their advertising techniques aside, I downloaded the game first thing this morning. Haven't been able to put it down all day!

Preface: There is lag. I expect it to slowly go away as development continues. You might find it unplayable, some people do; I don't.

The game is charming! I heard someone else describe the Soviet/bootleg theme as "unfunny jokes"; I'm easy to please, but I've found the details amusing. The "capitalist pig" that runs the store, the item qualities ("peasant", "bourgeois", "party elite", ...), the Stalin head thwomps, the falling Tetris block platforms, the Cyrillic text sprinkled throughout the UI. I get a chuckle every time I see a matryoshka doll charging at full speed, or when I see someone die to the "Iron Curtain". Soviet memes might be an easy solution, but it's certainly one way to unify an otherwise sparsely-themed game. (Not every game can be as sparse as Super Smash Bros.)

The music is fantastic. I've seen someone claim the music was "boring and unforgettable"; I've caught myself humming the main theme three times today. The composer has done other, well-received work (e.g. the OST for Crawl), and I honestly bought the soundtrack after listening to the Game Grumps' upload of it on YouTube. The level themes are beautiful and the menu themes are groovy. I especially like the track "Kremlin Castle".

The gameplay is great. When the game isn't lagging, movement actually feels pretty solid. You carry a bit of momentum, like old games tended to do (e.g. Super Mario Bros), which makes movement more skillful but still responsive -- an important aspect of a competitive platformer, IMO. The powerups are all clever and intuitive, and feel pretty good. Batting someone into a pit, holding a key position with battery charges, or charging into an area like a tank -- it's all there. The game is at its best when the environment comes into play, though: I've had so many genuine laughs when I've trapped enemies into a dead-end, sacrificing myself so that we both die to the Iron Curtain; or when I've juked players into falling into a pit. It feels really good to score multiple hits in succession. Pipes going between areas allow for sufficient counter-play -- if you don't have a positional advantage, or a strategic advantage (no powerups), then you can always run to fight another day.

As another game journal put it, (paraphrased): "The world needed a platformer Battle Royale game, and it didn't even know it. Soviet Jump Game could be that game." This game obviously draws from some familiar NES titles, like Super Mario Bros, and I think that's okay. It took a familiar setting and proposed a better, contemporary experience. Items are relatively balanced, although some are appropriately a little stronger than others in different situations. The level design, too, lends itself well to different interactions.

The cosmetic content is decent. Of course there are some filler items that you could call "generic", but there's less of those than I expected. I actually have a tough time choosing between some of my favorite "common" and "rare" items. The lesser items are still cute and animated with care; the greater items are clever and thematic. A handful of sound packs are apparently directly inspired by actual Dendy games, which is a nice gesture considering the marketing build-up to this game. Some people might feel like having microtransactions in, essentially, an early-access beta is tasteless. Maybe. But SJG is reasonably generous with the rate of earning vouchers for free stuff. Never forget that it's a completely free game with zero pay-to-win. If paying for packs will help fund the game to a better state, I am all in.

I have a feeling most people who heard about Soviet Jump Game haven't tried it for very long, and that's completely understandable. But I feel like SJG promotes some elegantly simple, emergent gameplay. Different powerups play into each other well. There's satisfaction to be had from "reading" your opponents' moves. Winning is feasible and there's several good tactics to stay ahead.

I think when the game was published on January 9, the game was poorly advertised. Lots of people have expressed concern about low player counts. Those concerns aren't unfounded, but there seems to be an influx of players (including myself) since the Grumps' livestream yesterday. I want to stress that the game is no less fun with smaller lobbies. I'd say the average match has 12 players in it right now -- the game is, of course, designed for up to 50, and I hope to see fuller matches, but this is an early access title. We are effectively beta testers.

Development shows promise. The game literally has yet to go five days without an update; usually several updates in a single day. I'm excited to see what this game looks like after early access. I implore you all to put this game on your radar for when that day comes, even if you don't find its current state very playable.

That's all I've got. I hope to see y'all out there! I also hope to see the Game Grumps promote this game a little more.

This game is simply excellent. Other reviews do a good job explaining why this is a technical marvel or why you should support the developers, but the last question is "Is it any good?"

Absolutely.

When I started playing, it felt pretty easy. I was zipping through levels and I knew it wasn't a very long game. I did get one or two Game Overs in the Normal levels but I probably finished the first 13 in an hour and a half.

Then you have the 13 Hard Mode levels. Definitely harder, but I still wasn't sure how long it would last. Great news, though: They really are unique levels in their own right. They resemble their Normal level counterparts, but it becomes a much tighter game with clever level design. And the difficulty keeps ramping up. Absolutely no death feels "cheap"; it always comes down to how well you play. And near-death experiences keep you feeling engaged.

The big thing for me is that I have not stopped learning things about this game, and I'm 9 hours in. I've seen "secret" sections in levels that I've just learned how to get to. I keep learning moves and items and things and it's exciting to be this close to the end without having it all on the back of my hand. I still have not 100% beaten the game, nor have I even played multiplayer yet. I can't wait!

I'm a huge fan of Zachtronics' prior coding games, TIS-100 and SHENZHEN I/O. But those games were hit-or-miss with people... This, on the other hand, I recommend to anyone pursuing computer science as a hobby or as a craft.

I started playing yesterday and I've played for 9 hours (as of this review). It's addicting, and Zachtronics has a penchant for using story and features to motivate you. Indeed -- 9 hours in and I'm still unlocking completely new parts of the game (multiplayer, game sandbox, etc)!

Brilliant soundtrack as usual by Matthew Burns; I've bought the OST on Bandcamp already.

This game is far less restrictive than previous Zachtronics games. It still makes you earn it... but it's much more intuitive and you can get away with less optimal solutions. As always, the global histograms show you how you did compared to every other player -- another driver for better, efficient solutions.

Warning: Another staple of Zachtronics games, there is a set of documentation. Despite some negative reviews, keep in mind: The documentation is *all* you need to know *everything* about the game. No need to look up mysterious information on Google. And *unlike* previous Zachtronics games, EXAPUNKS' documentation reads like a magazine instead of like technical manuals. Makes it a lot more readable.

Wait for a Steam sale if you must, but put this game on your wishlist and challenge your friends to make better solutions. Custom puzzles and games and such were a harder sell in SHENZHEN I/O... but this game just makes me feel eager to participate with other players.

DUSK is the perfect blend of FPS and horror. The game doesn't use gimmicks; just simple techniques that earnestly affect both how you play the game, and how you perceive it. Your eyes and ears are freely betrayed. But one thing you can always trust is your shotgun.

The gameplay is remarkable; movement is sharp and responsive, and gunplay is exciting (enemies always fire projectiles, not hitscan -- offering you many chances to Matrix-dodge your way out of danger). Difficulty is fair and challenging. Enemies are varied and require you to react differently to each situation. The AI is not very advanced -- it doesn't have to be. Intelligent level design and enemy placement means each room requires a different strategy. One thing I will concede -- several "arenas" have a narrow entrance which is safer to hide behind, rather than running into the action. Worry not -- DUSK throws you head-first into plenty of action whether you like it or love it.

Level design is fantastic. Illumination is heavily used to set the tone for each area; sometimes you're in the spotlight, and sometimes you're lost in the darkness. Exploration is intuitive; secrets almost always give you an "a-ha!" feeling and reward cleverness; never more are the days of mindless DOOM wall-humping. Main areas are carefully designed for combat and each level's ebb & flow instills unease while encouraging you to keep moving forward. Perhaps the greatest virtue of the "throwback" low-poly graphics and minimalism is that you don't know what the game is capable of. The first episode is rigid and acquaints you with the gameplay, with a few surprises. By the last episode, DUSK is throwing you into situations you never saw coming.

The music is legendary. I just bought the soundtrack on iTunes and I'm listening to it as I write this review. The music is great on its own, but in the setting of DUSK, it's perfect. A valuable lesson was learned from DOOM, that the heavy metal score must be complemented with suspenseful themes. DUSK has the music practically choreographed with each scene you encounter.

Don't just take my word for it -- ~97% of *Early Access* players positively recommended this game. And now, there's more delicious content for the same price. There's a wonderful multiplayer reminiscent of Quake's; there's an Endless mode for that raw bloodlust; in 2019, there's an SDK for modding on the horizon ("DAWN"). The 3% of negative reviewers generally felt that this game was fine, just not worth $20. Well let me tell you, $20 got me over 40 hours on record until I beat the game, and I'm not stopping there. This will be one of the few games I "100%" and I hope to join the modding scene once it opens up in the future.