Mark Steighner
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COGConnectedLatest Reviews
D-topia
D-Topia is a puzzle-heavy cozy/life-simulator set in an AI-controlled city where human life is optimized for happiness.
Town to City
Town to City is a chill city builder sim with a unique, voxel-based art design and several features like gridless building and day and night cycles.
Gothic Remake is a new version of the 2001 action RPG, with controller support, updated graphics and a more refined combat system.
I remember seeing a preview of Thick as Thieves when it was a PvPvE-focused game. It feels like the shift to single player/co-op stripped away some intangible but important elements. What remains is a fun but limited stealth action game, with lots of potential and room to grow but disappointingly...
Luna Abyss
First-person bullet hell shooters aren’t all that common, so Luna Abyss immediately stands out as something fresh. It’s a polished and confident game overall, and it doesn’t try to layer on too many systems or mechanics. It’s pretty linear and although the environments are atmospheric, they’re also static, darkly creepy...
Directive 8020
Directive 8020 is Supermassive Games doing what it does best: making a horror adventure out of genre fiction. In this case, it’s body-snatching, Alien-hunting sci-fi and a diminishing crew under increasing pressure. Both its setting and time-jumping narrative construction make it unique, but it never strays very far from the...
Kiln
I like Kiln’s cheeky humor and colorful style. I’m frankly amazed the game is more than just a wacky premise. The pottery-making sim aspect isn’t half bad. Unfortunately, Kiln feels constrained by a lack of alternative modes and maps, with systems and mechanics that could be deeper. In its present...
Tides of Tomorrow has a clever multiplayer mechanic that literally and metaphorically demonstrates how our actions, and those of others, send ripples into the world. It has a strong narrative hook and interesting characters, but it can’t quite stick the landing when it comes to gameplay, controls, and polish. I’m...
Lord of Hatred is a more robust expansion than Vessel of Hatred, and its mechanical changes and new modes are noteworthy. The Warlock class is a winner even if the Paladin is a bit of a bore, and the Isles of Skavos are an occasionally sunny change of pace. Long-time...
Minos
Minos reminded me of playing one of those wooden ball-in-a-labyrinth toys, where you tilt the maze just so to guide the ball to the end. In this case, gravity is replaced by scores of devious traps, and the goal is to stop the progress of enemies before they can defeat...
Gamers who have already invested hundreds of hours in another hack-and-slash RPG might not be tempted to make a lateral move to Dragonkin: The Banished. Then again, its depth of systems and generally excellent combat might be a satisfying alternative.
Screamer
When it comes to racing games, Screamer asserts that realism is overrated. It’s an adrenaline-fueled blast from the past that feels current, too. Although it can be a bit repetitive and over-exacting at times, there’s a lot of depth to Screamer’s narrative premise and racing mechanics. Screamer is definitely worth...
