Recent reviews by Rhyno Seacrest

Everything about this game is chef's kiss. Yes, the gameplay is pretty much a mash of Touhou + Vampire Survivors, but it works so well that there's really zero reason to complain about it.

The story, well... to say it'd have your brain in knots is putting it mildly.

Special points go to the soundtrack, which is both a giga banger, and a nostalgia trip for folks who appreciate soundtracks from games like Rollcage, Wipeout, or other similar racing games of the era. Strange comparison, but it works.

Boomer shooter goodness packed in a shiny engine and powerful kill feed? Who can ask for more.

A short, but sweet experience into a world that appears to have gone into madness.

Pros:

- Cutscenes (when they work) evoke the Fear Effect style perfectly
- Rain and Hana are a perfect duo, and the game preserves that little trait.
- Puzzles are satisfyingly difficult without feeling too frustrating, with elaborate death scenes to spice up the failures.
- Movement is thankfully free of the clunky tank-style controls from the first 2 games, and is much more fluid.

Cons:

- Combat is rather meh, with a clunky cover system and a tactical pause that doesn't make as much sense as it should.
- Voice acting isn't up to snuff, especially in comparison to first two Fear Effect games.
- Cutscenes have severe stuttering and are prone to cutting out, especially on lower-end machines. High-end machines don't seem to have this problem.
- Dialogue sequences ingame feel clunky, with very awkward transitions, and only really come alive during cutscenes.

For a beta demo, this is a pretty good effort, especially for a cult classic series like Fear Effect, but it really needs more polish in terms of final product. A tentative recommend from me, but only because more people need to be exposed to Fear Effect.

Become a mailman. Or travel to DC and become a shonen protagonist. With Tale of Two Wastelands, you can now do both :)

This is a troubling review.

Firstly, the few hours I played Calendula, I enjoyed my time with it.

It's certainly far more different compared to other games out there, and is certainly all the more interesting for it.

Compared to gems like Pony Island, however, Calendula ultimately comes across as a shallow experience, meant to be had once. It's not a long game either, with most achievements taken in within an hour or 2.

Its biggest failing, though, is that it could've been something good, but ultimately settles for mediocrity, namely with going for a theme that is beaten to the ground, compared to its opening premise, which easily showcases the best parts of the themes it runs with. A pity, then, that it decides to discard those in favor of something more cheap, that seems profound, but ultimately isn't.

Puzzles are fairly straightforward, with the exception of one particularly obnoxious puzzle. Though even that one can be solved with some patience.

Overall? A 5.5/10 from me.

P.S. That soundtrack is amazing.

There is simply no reason to buy this.

I got this for free, and I still feel like I got ripped off.

Oh, and those hours? Idling for trading cards to sell.

Go buy Mount and Blade instead if you're so desperate for this type of game.

Accidentally slammed into a small cramped space.

Car turned into an ostrich.

Tried to do a jump.

Car turned into an ostrich.

Tried to jump again.

Car fell off the map.

Tried another jump.

Car went haywire and caused me to fall into last position.

--

10/10 would slam into small spaces and make awesome jumps again.

Come for the fanservice.

Stay for the funny story, great characters, and good combat system.

Having never played the original Half Life, this is an entirely fresh playthrough of the game with zero prior experience barring the playthroughs I pulled off on the original freeware version.

Let's just say this.

Black Mesa is leaps and bounds better than Half Life: Source.

Using the full power of the Source Engine to craft the game proprerly certainly shows here. Every aspect of the game is crafted with care and attention to detail.

Graphics are, dare I say it, better than what HL2 pulled off years ago.

Interactions and immersion into the game make you feel like a part of the game. This is backed up by the intense firefights that happen later on.

Sound design is brilliant.

Overall, a must buy if you want a great Half Life game. The price is well worth the playtime.

PS. Don't be fooled by the playtime. I've already done two playthroughs of the original mod. The game has gone far since those days.