Adventure Archives - Tech-Gaming

Snowman Story review

Robert Allen — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:44:51 +0000

“I doubt we’ll ever see each other again, but take care of yourself.” Across games such as Bear’s Restaurant, Fishing Paradiso and Meg’s Monster, Minato, Tokyo-based Odencat has crafted a series of indispensable titles. Each combined Game Boy Advance-style visuals with a script that’s remarkably meditative, resulting in one of those beguilingly low-fi, yet heartfelt ...

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Astlibra Revision review

Robert Allen — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 04:59:01 +0000

Astlibra Revision took fifteen years to make. Given the RPG-like intricacy underneath the platform-based action, it feels like very little of that time was squandered. 1986’s Castlevania had a profound influence on gaming. Decades after the original release, countless titles still iterate on Hitoshi Akamatsu original as well as Toru Hagihara’s (Rondo of Blood) formulas. ...

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Dragon Quest Treasures review

Robert Allen — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 20:15:00 +0000

For an action role-playing game, Dragon Quest Treasures provides a robust amount of autonomy. You are free to run, glide, and dig into this imaginative world and largely follow your interests. But the real-time combat that doesn’t need your direction clouds Treasures entertainment value. Treasure is ubiquitous in role-playing games. Whether it’s the pursuit of ...

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Touhou: New World review

Robert Allen — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 21:49:20 +0000

Sure, it’s a bit too tempting to use Reimu or Marisa’s specials to disgrace the game’s bosses. But Touhou: New World’s accessible action and charming characters helps make up for some small balancing issues. The Touhou Project began with a collection of meticulously-coded bullet-hell shooters, or danmaku. Crafted by a former Taito programmer, who operated under ...

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Fall of Porcupine review

Robert Allen — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 15:23:17 +0000

The charms and challenges of becoming a small-town doctor Despite an anthropomorphized cast and stylized backdrops that resemble a Tex Avery cartoon, Fall of Porcupine has a few truthful insights it would like to share. Players assume the role of Finley, a junior doctor at St. Ursula’s Hospital who also happens to be a pigeon. ...

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System Shock review

Robert Allen — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 20:51:41 +0000

Lacking modern fundamentals like mouselook, System Shock deserves renovation. Nightdive Studios offers a carefully crafted remaster that improves the creakiest elements while preserving the feel of the PC classic. Yet if you haven’t played the original, you might wonder why the title is so revered. Originally released in 1994, System Shock remained influential for decades. ...

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Planet of Lana review

Robert Allen — Wed, 31 May 2023 23:51:12 +0000

Peer past the stunning vistas and Planet of Lana offers routine puzzle-solving and stealth. Swedish developer Wistfully Studios makes an inspiring first impression with Planet of Lana. The game opens with protagonist Lana and her sister Ilo dashing through their coastal community. In front of a backdrop of low-slung hills, a placid body of water, ...

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Hunt the Night review

Robert Allen — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 03:32:57 +0000

Extermination missions, Game Boy Advance-era visuals, and Soulslike tests of reflexes await. Counting the sheer number of influences found in Hunt the Night could be daunting. Visually, the game employs the same kind of gothic pixel art found in the trio of Castlevania titles for the Game Boy Advance. Here, dilapidated castles are filled with ...

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Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition mini-review

Robert Allen — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 00:24:33 +0000

Where the difference between the supernatural and the supermotivated is nearly indistinguishable Beneath the façade of professionalism, corporate workplaces can be remarkably eccentric. Certainly, that’s the case at the Sintracorp, which serves as a backdrop in developer Baroque Decay’s Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition. You play as Brian Pasternack, a good-natured but unexceptional recipient of an ...

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Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune (Early Access) review

Robert Allen — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 21:23:56 +0000

Yes, a horny hairpin steals the show. Undoubtedly, Tower Hunter: Erza’s Trial was a promising debut for IceSitruuna, a four-person development team from Chongqing. With its hack-and-slash action set in a tangled tower, the game delivered many of the fundamentals of modern Metroidvania. Like Dead Cells, the game veered away from bestowing new abilities that ...

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Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness review

Robert Allen — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 02:26:59 +0000

Binary Star Falling into Darkness is a skillful adaptation of the source material that will certainly delight fans by recreating the plotline, as well as putting them in the boots of a wannabe White Whistle for an original adventure. But if you aren’t familiar with the property, Made in Abyss won’t be nearly as captivating. ...

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Sword and Fairy: Together Forever review

Robert Allen — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 16:49:43 +0000

There’s a depressing lack of wuxia games on consoles. Sword and Fairy: Together Forever helps alleviate that deficiency, with dazzling visuals, stirring storytelling, and action that’s engaging. If you’re able to overlook a few unpolished facets, you’ll discover a rare gem. Much like its predecessors, the latest entry in the Sword and Fairy series suffers ...

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Astro Aqua Kitty (PS5) review

Robert Allen — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 20:39:35 +0000

The original release of Astro Aqua Kitty was a triumphant blend of classic arcade shooting with more modern mechanics, leaving scant room for improvement. Yet, the PlayStation 5 version offers a few advancements, and even bundles the PS Vita version. Originally released on the PS Mobile Store, 2012’s Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender was one of the ...

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AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative review

Robert Allen — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 23:25:29 +0000

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative doesn’t just provide a delightfully intricate murder procedural to crack. The game’s just as effective at investigating philosophy, social issues, or ethical quandaries, making it one of the more cerebrally engrossing games of the year. Multiple protagonists in the AI: The Somnium Files series have an AI-Ball ...

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Demoniaca: Everlasting Night review

Robert Allen — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 19:48:37 +0000

What if Castlevania relinquished its weapons and added Street Fighter II-style controls? Demoniaca: Everlasting Night blends the two titles, but the fusion isn’t as fun as hoped. Demoniaca: Everlasting Night’s introductory text crawl is mercifully brief, allowing you to jump right into the gothic, Castlevania-like action. Here, Demoniaca details the ambitions of ancestral demons, who ...

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Alchemical Cutie mini-review

Robert Allen — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:13:14 +0000

Veering from most farming sims, Alchemical Cutie has you nurturing jellies rather than fruits and flowers. While the concept of a farm full of Dragon Quest-esque creatures is alluring, the game’s too relaxed and directionless for its own good. A multitude of games have demonstrated the joys of simulated farming. Titles such as Harvest Moon/Story ...

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Blue Reflection: Second Light review

Robert Allen — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 18:02:21 +0000

2017’s Blue Reflection might not have sold in staggering numbers. But the game’s creative interpretation of the magical girl genre earned a wealth of fervent fans. Four years later, Second Light arrives alongside an accompanying mobile title (Sun) and an anime (Ray). While knowledge of the past and parallel properties isn’t mandatory, it would be ...

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Echo Generation review

Robert Allen — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 13:58:19 +0000

Drawing inspiration from everything from Earthbound, Paper Mario, to Stranger Things, there’s a lot to like above about Echo Generation. For many, the richly detailed voxelated visuals are nearly reason enough to give the game a go. But be warned, the title’s decidedly old-fashioned fetch quests can induce fatigue. As everything from Stranger Things, The ...

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Death’s Door review

Robert Allen — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 18:28:50 +0000

Although the taut action will be recognizable to fans of action roguelikes, shrewd level design and a moody atmosphere separate Death’s Door from a flock of peers. The gaming industry relentlessly follows trends. When there’s a successful metroidvania or battle royale game, you can be certain that a slew of copycats will emerge. Over the ...

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Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight review

Robert Allen — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 20:29:22 +0000

Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight invites players to explore locales in a tranquil puzzler that is free of combat but filled with beauty. Likely, you’ve encountered nocras’ talents before. His artwork, both 2D and 3D, has appeared in Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XIII-2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, as ...

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