tldr videogame curation
melbourne, australia

Platform: PlayStation 4

I wanted to like this after not being a fan of the previous ones but hearing that this one is more souls-like. It’s not. It’s not bad, but between the cringey story/VA and clunky combat, I’m not keen.

Another in the line of 2D soulslikes. This one is quite a bit more derivative than most, and I’m sure somewhere beneath the clunky mechanics and lack of polish is a decent game, but I struggled.

Simple but ingenious concept which will either highlight the strength in you & your partners communication, or potentially start an argument. Either way, hilarious couch/party game.

Creepy 3D puzzle platformer with stellar art direction & eery atmosphere. Great environmental storytelling throughout the 5-8hrs playtime. Puzzles range from creative and rewarding to frustrating.

I struggled with this after not being able to get invested in the characters/world, being frustrated by overbearing UI & interruptions, and the fact that combat seems based entirely around endurance.

This would have been a thumbs down upon release. Hello Games have since weathered the storm and managed to turn this into a good game. It worries me what other studios will learn from this however.

I had to install this and try to like it five times. I’m sure theres a good game somewhere among the dotted line GPS, braindead quests and interruptions at every turn, but I kinda can’t be bothered finding it.

Rogue-like with satisfying combat and a cool world. Doesn’t have as much content as the big names in the genre, and may not be as challenging, but still fun.

Fun for a while but generally more of the same. Repetitive combat has improved but is still reliant on counterplay of incredibly obvious telegraphs. Overworld plot is so arbitrary IDK why they bother.

Ashen is a refreshing take on the soulslike, capturing all the right things; challenge, exploration and intrigue. Bosses are a bit easy, but still fun. The VA is its only drastic weak point.