Key

Grounded
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment

When it comes to Grounded, I seem to have a love/dislike relationship with it. And I wouldn't even go as far to say that I dislike it, more-so that I think I'm just spent with open ended survival crafting type games. They're fun, they truly are, but I think I've played enough to the point that I just don't really want to put much time into them anymore. Especially considering the fact that we have so many other great games and genres to play. And even more-so, I kind of kick myself on this one given that I have always been a supporter of Obsidian Entertainment games, but I think I simply missed the mark on this one.

Now, even after all that, do I think Grounded is a good game? Do I think it's a great game? Yeah, in fact I have played many hours of it and enjoyed my time with it and really enjoy the aspect of being stuck in your backyard while also trying to traverse as a tiny little human. Takes me back to the first time I watched Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, and that is always a good time to remember. Great movie, great cast. So when I learned we had a game that brought a similar theme, I was stoked.

When I played the first time, I did the usual create a base and get things upgraded and build better bases etc etc. And though I have heard that the game does really open up, I found myself going through the same phases that I would if I were playing any other open world survival game. Just in a backyard where everything is humongous. Which...again is really great. But it just feels like another survival game that I simply don't have the time to get into.

On top of all that though, the game looks beautiful. The game runs well, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to get some friends and create a server to hold all the things you build. You can build swings that go from one side of the yard to the next, and things really do open up as you upgrade yourself and get better materials to build with. But, just know that it can take some time to get to that point. But, that's how these types of games work in the first play.

Ultimately, I am stoked for Obsidian for being able to not only start Grounded in early access, but to then have a full release of the game, it's awesome to see. I hope Obsidian can continue to make the game great for those that are spending time on it, because it really is a fun time. Would I recommend it? Yes, certainly.

Key

Chivalry II
Developed by: Torn Banner Studios

Before I say anything, can I just say that I absolutely loved and still love the first Chivalry? There aren't many better ways to experience gaming than by being put in the middle of a battlefield full of screaming soldiers and swinging your polearms and shooting arrows from your bow to kill the opposing soldiers. What makes these games especially great is the same reason why I love Fall Guys so much. Whether you're really good at this game or if you straight up suck, you're still going to have a lot of fun. The game really shines due to the nature of it being relatively easy to pick up, and all the little nuances and creativity that goes into how the combat works next to feeling like your in a medieval movie, but also because it's just so god damn fun to swing your polearm around an enemy and proceeding to watch their arms or head fly right off...only to be stabbed by the enemy behind him. Combat is not very forgiving, but it is so much god damn fun that it doesn't even matter.

I'm sure along with everyone else, I was both excited and a little confused by the fact that we were getting a sequel, but ultimately I realized that it would allow the devs to do a lot more if they were working on updated equipment. So, naturally if they wanted to continue to make Chivalry even better than it already is, a sequel was necessary. And whether you're playing the first one or the sequel, you're going to have fun. But I strongly suggest playing the second one as it's got everything the first one has...just better.

I spent close to 2 hours last night just going from match to match, and my excitement never went away. Not sure just for the ridiculousness that is the theme itself, but the gameplay is so fluid and fun and there's virtually no time in between dying and spawning again, that it's relatively easy to just play a few matches and not even realize that you've been sitting there for 2+ hours chopping the limbs of your enemies.

Multiplayer games have not always been my go to for a variety of reasons, one simply being that I don't have the reflexes necessary to get better at handling how weapons work in an online setting, but much like Fall Guys, Chivalry II makes the game feel accessible from all aspects allowing you to sort of warm up into your favorite class without feeling like you're already underleveled and outclasses even before starting a match. I mean, my first match last night, I ended up with 20 kills, 16 deaths, and a couple of assists. But, then the next game I got close to none. It's all different and most importantly, it's all fun.

Key

My Favorite Game of 2022
It's been a helluva year

I know 2022 isn't over yet, and even with 2 more months left to go, there are still many chances that a game could surpass the experiences that I've had with games so far this year. And while I have had a large number of great experiences with gaming, there really hasn't been a whole lot to talk about when it pertains to gaming, especially this year. Blame it on covid or whatever else, but evidently things have slowed down this past year. Despite all of that, here is my favorite game of the year for 2022.

When it comes to choosing my favorite game of the year, there are a couple factors to consider. How much enjoyment did I get out of it? And why do I consider it to be my favorite of the year. Well, simultaneously with the lack of quality releases this year, we were also blessed with a lot of duds, and those duds either were really really bad, or came close to being somewhat good, though just missed the mark in more ways than one. Though, just because a game is bad from the outside, doesn't always mean it lacks the potential to be enjoyed. It's just that there are more than bad about it than good and to me, it's hard to keep playing a game that consistently misses the mark. But, in the end it's all subjective so it doesn't really matter anyway.

With that out of the way, the one game that I got the most enjoyment and the most 'consistent' enjoyment so far this year would have to be Elden Ring. I was heavily anticipating this game when it was teased what feels like years ago. But like everyone else, I went into the hype with the expectation that I really wouldn't get too far into the game given that it was from From Software, and I just wasn't prepared to get my ass kicked. Though, once the game released and I spent a plentiful amount of hours on it, I realized that each time I was playing, I was consistently having a good time. Whether it was trying to kill a boss time and time again, or simply exploring the vast open world that this game offers. Or if it was simply just looking at the architecture and beauty of the game and just sort of getting...lost. I surprised myself time and time again the further I got through the game because I was taking on enemies and bosses that I never thought I would prevail on, and wouldn't ya guess it, I just keep beating the bosses that required a little more time, sure. But...the satisfaction of getting a killing blow on a boss that has taken what feels like hours to kill really doesn't come close to a lot of things.

That's just it though, Elden Ring is...great. Simply put. Back when there were rumors pertaining to the game and what it was going to be like and who was at the helm of its creation, my imagination ran wild. And I let it stay that was while also staying away from as many spoilers as I possible could, because I wanted to go through this game knowing virtually nothing about it. I wanted to experience going into the main area for the first time, or experiencing getting destroyed from the first boss, only to come back 20 more times to die in other creative ways. And maybe you'll get lucky and get a few good lucky shots on someone that is far higher leveled than you are. It's not recommended, but it is possible to kill any boss in the game at low levels if you're good at dodging and parrying etc. Which...I certainly am not. I'm better than I used to be...thanks to Elden Ring.

And while this game is my favorite of the year, I've only really done 2 playthroughs, both with different classes. And both times have been a fantastic experience where I left feeling like I wanted to play more. The first time I played as a duel wielding bandit with bleed weapons. the second playthrough was full on sorcery / magic. And...my god, if you didn't think magic was overpowered already, just wait until you go full on wizard in Elden Ring. You'll feel like a damned god. And good. Sometimes it's fun to get overpowered.

Yes, there are still 2 months left in the year, and sometimes it is a little premature to point out my favorite experience of this year when it comes to gaming, but based on what I've seen as far as what we will be getting in terms of releases in the next few months, I don't think anything is going to top Elden Ring for me. I can still see myself starting up another file with a class I haven't done yet simply due to the fact that it's just fun to start another file to see what you can do in comparison to another character you have that isn't nearly as powerful. For instance, when I was training my mage account, I found fighting bosses to be a lot easier due to how much health certain spells take down in comparison to going full on duel wielding bleed weapons. But...at the same time, it's not nearly as interesting since you're standing at a distance shooting spells instead of getting in their face slicing them to death. Of course some come with their own difficulties and some are much easier to learn. It's all about how you feel like playing. But I assure you, regardless of how you play, you will have a great time. At its core, Elden Ring is just that...a great game. A great experience. A great though sort of hidden story throughout. And it's basically following whatever you feel like doing, at any pace you want to do it.

If you haven't picked it up yet and you're only reason for not doing so is because you don't think you'll be good at a soulslike, just throw that notion out the window. I honestly thought the same thing when I was thinking of picking up the game, and I even surprised myself with how much progress I was making. Play it. It's really really freakin' good.

Key

My Favorite Game of 2022
part II

We've already discussed Elden Ring and why I consider my favorite experience with gaming in 2022, but...well, I wanna talk about it more, so I'm going to.

Along with everything else I've talked about, there's still quite a bit more I could bring up when talking about the quality of Elden Ring from both a gameplay standpoint and a graphical standpoint. We talked about the gameplay and classes before, so now I'm going to touch on the graphical stuff.

Simply put, Elden Ring looks amazing. To the breeze hitting the trees to the glow of the Erd tree in the distance, to the designs of bosses and enemies. Everything shows a level of originality and creativity that we see a lot in From Software games, but never in any other games of similar stature. Steel Rising does a pretty decent job, but still, the enemies typically feel the same and there isn't much variation in how to take them on. But with From Software and Elden Ring specifically, you can spend hours in one area taking on a certain type of enemy with a certain attack style, then move onto another area to take on another wave of enemies with different attack styles and typing. Causing you to sort of strategize how you take things on. Or...just don't take it on at all and grind on the weaker enemies to get your levels up. But...obviously it does take longer since you don't gain nearly as much experience as you would if you were taking on a larger and much more difficult enemy. The choice is ultimately yours. Hell, you can spend all your time fighting the first enemies in the first area if you want. You'll still level up, be it very slow.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in a post a while back, but I honestly lost count of the amount of times I just stood on a cliff or mountains edge and just looked at the surroundings. The sunsets, the sunrises, the clouds, everything. They nailed the atmosphere to a T and it is truly something to behold. I'll be curious to see where they take this style of gameplay next, because most certainly this is a humongous step forward for From Software. And who knows, will we see a sequel to Elden Ring? It's possible though only time will tell

Key

Fallout 76
Published by: Bethesda Softworks

Fallout 76 has certainly at this point had an interesting lifespan when looking at it from its release to current. So much so, that it's kind of crazy to think that the game is still going, and going strong if I'm honest. I was unfortunately one of the many that jumped into the game when it was released, and while I was not as disappointed as a lot of other hardcore fans were, I definitely saw more and more that it really wasn't what they were promising. Especially when you consider the likes of Elder Scrolls Online, though that's not exactly a fair comparison given that ESO was developed by Zenimax Online Studios, and published by Bethesda. Not the same with Fallout 76.

Now, fast forward to now, is Fallout 76 a good game? Has it redeemed itself No Man's Sky style and is now a game worth putting your time into? I mean, yeah. If anything, I'd right off the bat recommend that you excuse all the negative reviews and jump in for yourself. The game definitely feels a lot more like a standard single player Fallout experience...just online. Which is precisely what I was looking for upon its initial release, though I can imagine that wasn't the same with everyone. When the game was released, and for a game to be based in a barren wasteland, it really felt like a barren wasteland, so much so that it really felt like there was close to nothing to do other than what was available at the time. I mean...no NPC characters? Of course that was fixed in subsequent updates, but still...who's decision was it to take out one of the most crucial parts of a Fallout experience in NPC characters?! That, along with the addition of more quests and more customization in other aspects, it's brought a lot of life back into the game that it desperately needed. I do not think it would have survived this long has they not done something

Anyway, aside from adding the essentials of a Fallout experience, performance wise the game runs very smoothly, with little to no hiccups along the way. There's still the little mishap here and there, and again, it's nowhere near perfect, but it's much closer to the expectations of those that were waiting for this game when it was announced. And instead of just throwing it out as another lost cause, it was instead brought back to life, and honestly, I'm having more fun playing now than I did during release. Of course I imagine that should go without saying given what I've said about Fallout 76 thus far.

I still to this day hold Fallout 3 in very high regard so much that I still think it's my favorite Fallout experience, but I also hold Fallout: New Vegas to a lot of the same high standard and honestly, the two tend to battle it out as far as what is my favorite experience. But now with Fallout 76 being where it's at, it's certainly nowhere near my favorite experience for Fallout of all time, but being able to jump into a game that you were excited for, disappointed by, then later on found that it's actually worth a lot of my time, is quite exciting.

Fallout 4 is very much the same for me as Fallout 76 when it comes to my overall feelings of it. I love it, but not as much as the others. To be honest, Far Harbor is the closest Fallout 4 got to coming close to my favorite experience, but that's solely due to the fact that it reminded me of my Fallout 3 experience with how dark and spooky it is. Far Harbor is definitely the reason why Fallout 4 is worth going back to, because honestly as time has gone on, and I have played it more and more over the years, it falls short on a lot of things. Not necessarily bad, just falls short.

At the end of the day though, we're all just fans of what we like and we stay away from things we don't like. I will reiterate if you have played Fallout 76 and are still recovering from the burn it left behind as a result of a ****ty release, give it another shot. Start a new character, or just continue with your current one. You'll have a good time, or if anything, an improved experience in relation to your last one.

And base building is still a thing. I like base building.

Key

I'm excited for...
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Well, the sequel to Breath of the Wild now has a name, and it's called Tears of the Kingdom. Don't know how I feel about the name yet but I'm sure it'll grow on me. Furthermore, I am very excited to jump into the sequel of one of my favorite games of all time. I remember a while back I did a full on detailed review of why Breath of the Wild is so good, and I say 'is' because it's still good, if not still great. Of course, with games like this, once you've played it you kind of know what to expect. But, if you haven't yet. What are you doing?!

Breath of the Wild, to me, and to a lot of others, is definitely the best direction the Zelda series has gone in quite some time, hell I would say it's even better than the original, even with the addition of people already comparing it to the original. But that could simply be due to the fact of time and how it effects enjoyment of earlier games, etc etc. I still love the original so don't get me wrong there. I'd even wager that if I played the original today, I'd still love the **** out of it. When I heard that we were getting a sequel, I got very excited. And in typical Nintendo fashion, we didn't and still have yet to get a lot of details about the game other than the fact that it's based in the map from the previous game. Some would say that's lazy, but I certainly don't have a problem adventuring around the map again to see what kinds of things they add or change. On top of that, although I feel like they did as much as they possible could when it comes to what the map had to offer, I still think there are parts of the game that hadn't been fully realized so it will be neat to see what things are new, what things are different, and overall, just have a damn good time. And although I said we don't know a lot about the game, the obvious thing we do know as that there will be ways to adventure in the skies, much like Skyward Sword, though the general consensus is that Skyward Sword just isn't a great game. Not to it's own fault, however I don't think the ideas for Skyward Sword were fully realized which is nice to see aspects of it come into the sequel for Breath of the Wild.

What will the sequel be about? Who knows? What types of things will we be able to do? Again, who knows? All I know is that I am ready to once again dive into this version of Hyrule and see what Nintendo have in store for the sequel of one of my favorite games of all time. I really hope they don't disappoint, and I don't think they will.

Key

Games I'm Excited For [pt.1]

I realize I just did a standalone post about the new Zelda but I feel that deserved it's own post for various reasons

these are also games that were released in 2022. i have plans to go in depth about games that i haven't played yet from previous years

While there has been a little bit of a lull when it comes to new releases, there still have been a large number of games that either passed right by me, or I have made future plans to play those games, but have yet to get around to it. This is where I'll briefly talk about those as I'm sure at some point in the future, I will be talking more in depth.

Stray
Developed by: BlueTwelve Studio
It may surprise you, but a game where you play solely as a cat has been on my radar for quite some time, and once it released, I just didn't get right to it as I was and am still currently playing through other games. It's on both PS5 and PC, and unfortunately I don't have a PS5, nor do I have a comfortable place to sit down and play PC, so I don't want to waste the first time experience until I have the time for it, simply. Also, maybe it'll come out for Xbox at a later time, in which case I'll jump right into it. It's definitely on my must play list, and fortunately I have dodged spoilers. Though I think people are nice enough not to spoil a game like this as it is evident that it is very puzzle based, which will be really fun when playing as a cat. I've heard good things. Looking forward to it.

Scorn
Developed by: Ebb Software
Coincidentally, Scorn actually released on the day of me posting this, and I am very much looking forward to playing it. I've actually had it pre-installed on my Xbox since about a month or so ago, so I am so ready to jump in. Based on the teaser photos and imagery, it looks like this is going to be a treat. I'm anticipating a more in depth look at in a day or so once I have some good time with it.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Developed by: Game Freak
Although I have not played it for myself, I have seen a lot of gameplay of this, and I still want to jump in and try it out for myself. When it comes to Pokemon games, I don't really mind watching gameplay before actually playing it for myself, because you can still make it your own unique experience depending on the way you want to tackle things. I'm looking forward to when I can sit down and put some time into this one, because based on what I've seen, I really like the way this game presents itself the most in comparison to other games in the Pokemon series. And boy we've had a lot of changes along the way. I think this one certainly looks as though you have the most freedom in what you do, more-so than ever before.

Key

Scorn - My First Impressions
Developed by: Ebb Software

Keep in mind that I have probably played close to two hours of this game, and while I have heard the game is rather short, I will plan to finish it at some point as I do like what it has going on, however it does fall short of what I had expected. And while that may be the case, it doesn't necessarily mean my experience with it has been bad, though not necessarily good either.

So, Scorn. What is it? Well, from what I gathered before its release, it's a horror survival game with shocking and twisted visuals with puzzles throughout. And while I don't really see myself as being great at puzzle games, these ones, though cryptic, are not the hardest to figure out. Though again, keep in mind I haven't gotten that much further past a few puzzles. Otherwise, you'll find yourself going through hallways, big rooms, old machinery, all with its own twisted atmosphere to it that doesn't make it super unique, though adds a nice creepy factor to sort of get lost in visually.

And subsequently, I have heard that the game does differ from its atmosphere walking simulator type deal and gets a little bit more involved with combat, but the general consensus is that the combat tends to take away from the atmosphere that the game is trying to portray, due to the fact that you focus more on how to take down the enemy quickly to get back to the creepy atmospheric vibe instead of the combat being an integral part of the gameplay. Some have said the combat shouldn't have been in the game altogether. And although I have yet to experience that aspect for myself, I can certainly understand how it would take you out of an immersive experience. To each their own, and surely I will play it for myself up to that point to get my own feel of it. But I imagine I'll go along with what others have said.

For the time being, this game will just sort of sit on the backburner and I'll jump into it from time to time. But given that it is meant to work as more of an experience and less of a fully fleshed out game, I think the timing and place in which to play it would definitely make or break the experience. I imagine the expected route would be to go full on horror game style and set your room up to be dark and just immerse yourself into the gameplay. But, again, only as far as I've seen, I didn't find many moments where I was truly freaked out. However, I imagine that will change as I progress through the game.

Unfortunately, however, I do feel that if I really want to see what this game has to offer, I may take some time away from it for now as my first experience with it hasn't necessarily been bad, but I think I just want to jump in at the right time. For the moment, I have other games that I'm putting time into, and for this game to work for me, I have to really immerse myself into it to get the full advantage of it. I did the same for Amnesia The Dark Descent and I'm happy I did that instead of just trying to get through the game as quickly as possible. Horror games are meant to take time, and artistically and visually, this game is great. As far as it being a video game? Well, like I said, I imagine more people will fall into the opinion that this is more of an experience and less of an actual game.

Do I recommend it? Sure. If you like puzzle games mixed with a horror creepy vibe, jump in.

Key

Fallout 76 [pt.2]

I know I literally just posted about Fallout 76, and I'm sure everybody by now knows that I'm having a good time playing it, especially recently. However, I wasn't anticipating that it'd become a regular gaming experience for me even after I decided to plunge into it randomly a few weeks ago. There are probably numerous reasons why I've decided to not only randomly jump in to see how things are with the game, and I know I've talked about them over and over and over again. But I think what the biggest main reason behind my enjoyment of the game is simply down to the fact that I know what kind of state this game was in back when it was released. And instead of Bethesda putting the cap on the game and moving onto something else, they decided instead to continue improving the game and putting more into it to fit the experience we were all hoping to get upon release.

Now, as it always goes with games like this, once the hype dies down, and especially if that hype was met with criticism, there are still a lot of people along with myself that decided it was time to jump back into it, prompting myself, and again, I'm sure others to enjoy the game for what it is and to try and take the faults that still linger and just sort of forget them.

---------------------------------------

Fast forward to current times: What is present in Fallout 76 that keeps bringing me back, despite it's faults? Well, as I said previously, in relation to the game when it was released, when I jump in now, I feel like I have choices as to how I want to experience the game whether it be through doing daily quests, continuing on with the main quests, or simply choosing a location on the map and stopping at landmarks along the way Skyrim style. It's got the same feel as far as gameplay goes as any other Fallout game, but I feel like I've explored more than enough of the previous games, and its honestly nice to see what this map has to offer. As it definitely feels like they put a lot into the little parts of the game to make the experience worth going through time and time again.

And although the quests are not the greatest I've ever seen in a MMO or even a Fallout game in general, it still gives the game more to do as far as activities go than it did when it was released. Which says a lot given there wasn't much to do to begin with. And even if its simply doing quests that don't have a lot of substance, I still enjoy it because I just like running around in Fallout 76 doing all kinds of things all the time. Never feeling like I absolutely have to follow a certain quests line etc.

---------------------------------------

My general consensus of Fallout 76 is pretty simple, as it is with pretty much any MMO/RPG that I want to put time into. It'll always be there for when I get the itch. Much the same as Elder Scrolls Online, I have a pretty good character on there if I get the itch to play something in the Elder Scrolls universe, and similarly I treat Fallout 76 the same way. At least until we see another mainline Fallout game. But if Fallout 76 is what we have for now, well I'm perfectly content putting my time into it.

Key

Despot's Game: Dystopian Battle Simulator
Developed by: Konfa Games

I want to get this out right off the bat by saying "god damn this game is good". Now that that's out of the way. God damn, Despot's Game is good, great even. It's an autobattler, it's tactics style combat, it's a roguelike, it's got upgrades, mutations, items, several ways to take on enemies every run since you can freely move your units around however you wish. Maybe you'll have a line of range fighters in the back and have some tank fighters up front to take the damage while the range fighters take down HP. I only say that because that was a run I literally just had. Convinced yet?

So, what is Despot's Game? Hell, I didn't really know how to answer that question myself, at least until I put a decent amount of time into the game to kind of figure it out and let it breath a little bit. From the outside, it just looks like your typical pixel graphics type game, but of course, with the brilliant minds of indie developers, this game has so much more than what it seen on the surface.

A typical run of Despot's Game, at least how it's been for me lately is this: you start with a group of 4 humans, one ranger, one tank, one swordsman, and one unarmed I believe. As you progress each room Binding of Isaac style, you take on enemies in each room, and the reward for doing so varies depending on what kind of room you're on. You can either use tokens that you gain through combat on food that you will need to continue to venture with your group further, or you can purchase more people to add to your team to create an arsenal of pain. However, this doesn't mean you can just keep buying more and more people to upgrade and subsequently have a powerhouse army that can't be messed with. No, they have something called hunger, which is where the purchase of food comes in. For every human you have on your team, it takes 1 piece of food to progress to the next room with that person. And so on for the rest. So, sometimes it's best to keep your team size low for the first few rooms or levels, then bank some food in your inventory by purchasing it after certain rooms. Then later on boost your army up. The only drawback to that as well however is you miss the chance to level them up, which can drastically change the look of a run depending on which kind of build you chose to go with. Basically, there's a positive and a negative to how you set your team up, which is why it's been so much fun jumping back in even after dying because one run never feels like the same run. You are open to try new strategies and see which weapons work well together which allows this game, as a roguelike dungeon crawler at its core, to shine, at least for me.

In a time where we see a lot of these devs try to mix certain things together and end up falling short, Despot's Game actually hits all the right notes for me. It's a roguelike dungeon crawler at its core as I mentioned before. But the different kinds of mutations and team builds you can come up with to take on the enemies floor after floor is some of the most creative that I've personally ever seen. It's also really nice that its an autobattler because it gives you all the satisfaction of going full on strategy mode, then basically having no control once you press "GO" and sometimes it's good to learn from your mistakes in certain situation which once again, allows the game to shine due to its high level of replayability. I strongly suggest playing the game for yourself to really get the feel for what I'm talking about, because if I were me and I had not played this game before and was listening to someone explain it, it'd be hard for me to get it, at least. It's certainly a different take but I love it all the same.

I'd also stretch a bit to say that my overall feeling towards roguelike dungeon crawlers in general is pretty positive so although this particular one took a little bit more time to kind of understand and see the depth of it, I actually have enjoyed every session I have played of it, and as of right now, I'm probably closing in on 10 hours. It's a great game to not only play, but a great game to get lost in, as most roguelikes are. Just an overall good time, and oops, I forgot to mention one of the most important aspects of any roguelike dungeon crawler, the music! And how is it?

Well...it's fantastic. Not only for this game but as a standalone soundtrack as well. Why do I know that? Well, I listened to the whole soundtrack on my way to work today and I got so immersed that I genuinely thought about playing this game the minute I got home. And I did. And it was wonderful. I'd rather not spoil it and explain what the music is like as I think it's worth it to jump in and see for yourself. It fits the game better than you'd expect, and the whole vibe that's going on really works in its favor. You can tell from the soundtrack alone that this was a work of passion from all sides, and it really shows.

Is it the greatest roguelike dunegon crawler I've ever played? Certainly not, there are many that do these same things and do it better. But what I love about Despot's Game that sets it aside from the others is that it has a lot of unique qualities working in its favor that make the experience of playing it all the more enjoyable. It's not just a roguelike, you're strategizing your team builds and finding out different ways to take on waves of enemies. It's a great time for if you're just looking for a relaxing getaway or really wanna get those juices pumping. It's also not the hardest roguelike I've ever played though it certainly does boost in difficulty as you traverse deeper and deeper. But that's what you'd expect.

I wholeheartedly recommend this as it is certainly a gem and a fun one to play.