The sun is shining. The birds are singing. And with a games lists like this...
Here we go.
Number 8: Hand of FateHand of Fate feels like the
Arcanum of the CCG genre. Ingenious? Yep. Atmosphere? Oh yeah. Combat? Not so much, but the pros tend to outweight the cons.
Hand of Fate is sort of a diamond in the rough, and comes with quite a few tricks up its sleeve. The formula’s simple: Move level to level by traversing on top of cards randomly picked from your deck(which you *can* pick, woohoo!), surviving CYOA events and melee battles in the process. Cards can vary from Shops to Hole-Filled Dungeons, Brawler Fights to Bizarre Scenarios with stranger outcomes. Even more interesting is that you can *unlock* cards by succeeding through challenges within ones you own - it’s an addicting formula that keeps on giving. VA by The Dealer is like mixing Lucien LaChance and Tim Curry. Thank you sir, may I have another?
Everything’s great….right up until you get to the combat. It’s not bad, it’s just average. You fight skeletons, lizard men, and creatures you’ve probably seen a bazillion times. Mechanically, it’s a clone of Arkham titles and doesn’t really go beyond that. What’s built *around* that can be interesting, as the amount/type is generally determined by your actions on the table, not on the battlefield. Otherwise, it’s just okay.
Is Hand Of Fate worth adding to your deck.? If you absolutely *love* card games, mystifying antagonists, and can handle a less-than-stellar combat system for the sake of its adventure mode, I’d say yes. Might want to wait on a sale, but otherwise it’s a good pick.
Number 7: Fallout 4Fallout 4 has arrived in stores, and it seems everyone and their dehydrated father’s been playing it ever since. Despite my expectations, it seems the Main Quest received a massive improvement, enough that I’d preferred sticking with it over most of the side stuff til quite a ways through. While the changes to the game are hardly radical out of what‘s expected from the sequel, there’s been more than enough fine-tuning under the hood(with some exceptions) to make for a far better playing experience than Bethesda’s previous installment. Fallout 4 is a *safe* sequel, but a very satisfying one.
Visually, it’s Skyrim Plus. Lighting gets more attention and Environments look a great deal better than New Vegas or FO3. Some of the textures still have that overly flat look that’s visible in the previous gaming generation, though. Character models can vary. Humans and most conversational characters are around the quality of Saints Row IV or later PS3/360 games. Oddly enough, the handy bots seem to look the best animated of the NPCs. Their animation and movements are surprisingly natural, despite being a self-propelled 1950’s-inspired automaton. Voice Acting is *roughly* BioWare quality. On a similar note, Garrus is everywhere. It’s less of a problem than Oblivion’s Wes Johnson Talk-A-Thon, but it does kill a level of immersion. Otherwise I’ve been happy with the results, and the few celebrity voices are virtually unnoticeable. S’good.
While the core gameplay remains *mostly* untouched, what’s wrapped around it is where the main adjustments are. Assumably inspired by their own work on Skyrim, Upgrading and Scrapping plays a much larger role in getting the extra edge. Even if you could care less for upgrading, advanced weaponry/armor is still lootable(and rename able). Upgrading is also tied into what I could only call the ‘nerfing’ of the Power Armor through the fusion core system and its scrap-based repairing. Considering the godlike nature it has in terms of damage reduction and a more realistic take on the armament, I’m not entirely opposed; I’m a bit bugged on the lengths required to actually upgrade said armor. Within 50+ hours of gameplay, I’ve yet to see a piece of adhesive(an intentionally rare item) required to even advance it in the first place, assuming you’re willing to throw points via the leveling system into allowing it in the first place.
Melee enemies got some *major* changes. Similar to RAGE, the feral ghouls move more chaotically towards the player and will literally throw themselves in harm’s way. VATS tactics towards the leg are more important than ever with those buggers, especially with Legendaries. Generally, the ranged foes aren’t dramatically different from previous entries, though Bethesda’s added better variety in enemy-types. Assaultron’s the new girl in town with a nasty melee attack and an eyesore that’s far worse. Amusingly enough, shooting both her legs definitely won’t stop her in a Terminator-Esque crawl.
Companions and Characters play a much larger role this round and even involve an influence system similar to BioWare’s shtick. Some are based on decision making, others are triggered by actions like Hacking, Lockpicking, or just suiting up in Power Armor. Close to what’s mentioned above, the friendship dialogue seems to activate based on your influence and they’ll generally come to you first - it feels more organic than dropping by the same person for a one-on-one. And yep, romance. Bethursday pls. I attempted two - Piper’s, and Danse. Piper is unfortunately more of the “Oh, you *like me* like me?” deal whereas Danse feels like a better fit, since he makes it apparent he holds respect and trust for you(assuming you earned it). Nick Valentine’s a boss, and one of the few if any that includes a loyalty quest. In either case, I was impressed with this part of Fallout 4 moreso than others. All of that does raise an interesting question: If DAI was BioWare imitating Bethesda, is Fallout 4 the other way around?
The leveling system is a bit more streamlined and feels more inclined to those who shun away fancy mathematics in RPGs - this may be an issue for more hardcore fans. In the long run(with a high int), it’s hard not to feel overpowered by the stat-raising marathon and some weapon DMG upgrades. With the level cap removed where it was once around 20, the level of challenge with the right gear eventually gets tossed out the airlock where it was more of a struggle to survive. Complaints aside, the perks have some nifty traits - nerd rage adds a F.E.A.R.-esque slow-mo this round and Nuclear Physicist also compliments those who prefer Power Armor for longer ventures.
Conversational Options… is a mixed bag. The character’s fully voiced and you typically get 4 options: Neutral, Investigative, and more along the lines of Paragon/Renegade. This naturally comes with some issues - FO3(at least from what I remember) had quite a few more, as well as BIS/Obsidian being known for recognizing and utilizing the traits of your character to move the story one way or another. Unfortunately, said utilizations in FO4 are very scarce - Charisma ultimately becomes the go-to for talking your way to victory. On the flip side, The cinematics feel more dynamic in terms on NPC Interaction - Approaching and leaving characters isn’t railroaded into conversational options - Characters often start the conversation first whereas you may be used to “Press A to talk“ ad nauseum. If someone’s boring you in a cinematic, just starting walking in reverse and problem solved.
Spoilers Beyond this Point. Beware.
The Main Quest is wonderful. A beautiful tale about the profound, undying love being Two Dads. Th-
Let me try that again. Fallout 3 was about finding a loved one, which eventually spiraled into something of a grander scope, while New Vegas leaned more towards exploring various factions in the fallout Universe. I suppose that makes Fallout 4 a mix of both? With some exceptions, the game flings you into Boston’s growing tension over the “Synthetic Threat” via the institute, which has resulted in most of the factions establishing their own agendas and overall philosophies on the subject. Fortunately, a good few of the Quests within a faction involve characters challenging or quietly rebelling the mantra they’re meant to follow, which can even play out during one of the few endings. The Blind Betrayal is a great example - what happens to a man with a strong sense of loyalty to his cause, only to find out he’s become that which he’s been fighting against for years? It’s a nice touch that keeps a faction’s quest lines from getting stale.
Once you hit the institute, the main story finally kicks in high gear. It’s a clever twist on their part, and springs a very strange relationship to the player. Take expectations and toss em’ in the trash, bro. Some (myself included) may have been scratching their head on why events transpired as they did to wait on releasing him for so long, and that gets a better explanation if the institute path is continued long enough. Outside of the “Synthetic Tension” theme a la Blade Runner, it also poses the problem of an ideal, clandestine society like that with the spotlight on their location finally removed. BOS/Institute, and even Railroad/Institute couldn’t truly live peacefully with one another - the endings are appropriately bittersweet. BOS is probably the closest I’d see to the true villainous ending. I trust Maxson about as far as I can throw him(in Power Armor). If it were Danse as the Elder, maybe a different story. Railroad is the closest to a Non-Institute good ending, as far as I can tell - at least some “lives” are saved, though BOS’s role after that is somewhat unclear.
Side Quests are fairly improved from yesteryear. There *are* fetch quests like Quartermastery, which seemingly go on forever?! I never bothered finishing it all, though I suppose if you’re looking to find new locations and want to grab additional execution points, it’s not a bad route. The Minutemen faction similarly feels like a starting ground for that sort of deal before digging into the meatier quests and it didn‘t take long for me to take the questing elsewhere. As far as Super-Wacky-Random side quests, they’re still Super-Wacky-Random. I helped defend a group of Well-Idiomed Robotic Seamen from scallywags before watching them propel their dirigible through a concrete jungle, gave a demonic egg back to satan, met a Botanical Zsa Zsa Gabor, found pussy in the darndest place, made paint, and found the video game equivalent of based Crusty.
So there ya go. That’s Fallout 4 in a verbally-compact nutshell.
Is Fallout 4 Worth Buying? lol no, play new vegas you pleb. NEXT
Number 6: Tales From the BorderlandsI tried pinning down one particular thing about the game that won me over, but I think it’s the little pieces of genius, wit, and 4th wall breaking that made this my favorite borderlands game. It’s been a while since I really enjoyed an adventure game from top to bottom, and this was it. At first my impressions were fairly mild - the initial dialogue and characters didn’t really win me over. Things changed a bit around halfway.
Bits from Episode 1 the way they switch around perspectives to not only add to events in the same timeline add a very different flavor to the overall narrative. The technological mechanics(both Rhys and otherwise) is something you couldn’t get away with other telltale games… not unless Westeros started a Cyberpocalypse without me knowing. Seemingly simple choices early on can payoff big time as far as the very end of the bloody game, which is a big surprise to me. I can’t help but wonder what the other choices would’ve lead me to, especially considering the identity of the “Truth Seeker”.
Tales From the Borderlands definitely has flash and panache - the new name reveals always bring a smile(or confused look) to my face, and some of the camera work is pretty impressive. Voice Acting is pretty top notch, so no complaints there. Visually, it’s one of the closest they’ll get to removing the barrier between the franchise’s visual fidelity and the game itself. Working within the visual limits of the borderlands video game in terms of animation is likely a better fit than something outside of that. Visual gripes: The telltale “Surprise” face still makes me laugh for the wrong reasons, and the lip animation isn’t really beyond PS2 or early PS3. There were a couple animation errors later in the game, but nothing terribru.
As far as the story itself, they certainly got it on the nose. Besides a few moments that stretch things more than I’d like…
Rhys falling an impossibly high altitude and surviving in the beginning of Act 5
…It makes for a satisfying, borderline insane story of heists, action, betrayal, lovable robots, unlovable humans, and specialty pizzas while keeping the setting and the characters’ personality as an outlet of its humor, rarely if ever at the cost of it. It’s a cool game for attractive people, and I may even give it another go to see how the other choices play out.
Is Tales of the Borderlands worth the journey? Considering it’s all one big game compiled instead of a play-and-wait situation, incentive to try is a bit higher. If you’re looking for an epic adventure with tons of humor and a bit of drama/mystery, it’s a good telltale pick. The art style may feel more appropriate compared to more realistic settings from telltale I.e. GoT.
Number 5: SOMAOf the Frictional Games Library, SOMA is really the only one to date that can(and should) be played for its storyline. Taking a myriad of inspirations from Phillip K. Dick to System Shock 2, Frictional’s intent is have the player reflect over its philosophical theming amidst a dark and disturbing locale. While it succeeds in Narrative, Fear Factor, and Atmosphere, some may be put off by its undemanding puzzles.
Though I’d prefer to avoid Spoiler-ish Storyline talk, I can say that it’s a dramatic shift in comparison to their previous work; Amnesia could easily be played without knowing a damn thing besides Spooky house is Spooky. A bit like NWN, the Custom Creations helped assuage the Original Campaign. With SOMA, a great deal of work was put in to build a more scripted and thought-provoking experience. Most of the Dialogue/Environmental Narrative will feel similar to Dead Space/SS2, but they‘ll spent a good while on the bizarre possibilities of a Not-So-Distant Future. I was pleasantly surprised to find a strange new way of extracting information…instead of listening to someone voluntarily record themselves on how turrible everything is and the end is nigh. Regarding the philosophical themes themselves, this is expressed not just in occasional banter with [REDACTED], but some rather disturbing puzzle sequences.
Puzzles generally stick around the technological - the most memorable being one that explores darker uses for the tech revolving around the story. Most aren’t very difficult - A Ph.D in math or an intimate knowledge of Shakespearean plays won’t be required to beat the game. While Puzzles are
far more memorable than SOMA’s predecessor, it’s hard not to feel a lacking in the Challenge. The game focuses moreso on exploration and NPC/Narrative dialogue a la “Walking Simulators”.
Underwater Sequences. This is something that Bioshock 2 Fiddled around faintly with, but believe me when I say SOMA took it farther than any game I can think of. There’s definitely a level of fear that kicks in while wandering the “deeper” sections. Enemy AI is dramatically improved. Your first major foe is hardly different from the original Amnesia, but the lingering roster need a more tactical approach than the old Duck-And-Cover method. This can mean anything between avoiding eye contact to getting past them in claustrophobic hallways with a bit of sneaking(or sprinting, if you dare).
Graphically, it stands up pretty well for an indie budget. Unlike Amnesia, you’ll need a more modern video card to really see it with all options at maximum. Audio wise, it’s been glorious. Bring Headphones.
Complaints… besides the lack of challenge, there’s a brief part during
The end(or near it) that feels a bit unnecessary and borders on using the dumb stick for the sake of adding drama. He freaked out over the same “topic” previously, and I would’ve preferred something more subdued. Something with less fucks.
There’s a small technical issue - While there really aren’t any loading screens, the game occasionally “loads” and the graphics flip out for a second. And not the intentional flip out.
After my first playthrough, hit a major game crash after one of the big moments early in the game - hope they get it patched, I intend to try the game again. In terms of atmosphere, it sometimes feels like I’m playing more of an HD remake of SS2 than something with a more unique identity, but that feeling usually passes after staring into the heart of the abyss.
While SOMA may not be the most challenging game outside of its monstrous opposition, it’s one hell of an experience that will have gamers thinking about it long after the credits are finished.
Is SOMA worth diving into? Ehhhhh, most may be better off streaming a non-commentary video of it, as the lack of challenge will be offputting for some. It also doesn’t help that $30 is a bit high on the price table. Unless you have a super hard-on for philosophical atmospheric underwater misadventures with gameplay akin to
Myst on easy mode, may want to either wait for a sale or watch it instead.
Number 4: Ori & The Blind ForestWith an introduction akin to
Up’s first 10 minutes (a.k.a. the Kleenex-Seller), Ori hits you in the feels and dares you with its myriad trappings in the Blind Forest. Ori’s a pretty cool guy. You’re the last of your kind - collect the glowy things to save the world(or something). That’s a joke. Sort of. I should point out first and foremost that Ori isn’t as heavily scripted game as it *might* seem, but for what you actually *get*, it’s a satisfying journey. Visually, well, it’s gorgeous. Animations don’t feel like animations, they feel like fluid motions of real-life creatures. Backgrounds look impressionistic and can have multiple layers of outstanding quality. Soundtrack has a great balance between Tranquil, Foreboding, and Uplifting.
So, gameplay. Level design is metroidvania, albeit more dangerous due to environments than anything else. It’s challenging. Not nail-bitingly per se, but you’ll *really* have to think out your moves in some of these sections. Enemies themselves are often ho-hum in difficulty, but plat forming/traversal will test your abilities and timing. While more conventional movesets like the double jump are present, plenty others will put new twists on the old formula. Story? Appropriate for the game - not exactly innovative, but a feels bombs will definitely land during your run. It essentially comes in 6 cinematics and bits/pieces of dialogue and set pieces. Not necessarily the main reason to play, but a very nice treat.
Should you check out Ori?If you love plat formers with a challenge and also like Studio Ghibli’s uber-artistic stylizations, this is a pretty good fit.
Number 3: The Witcher 3Actually, I’m going to keep this *really* short since my review of this will end up simultaneously derivative and ultimately inferior to those more well-versed in the game itself.
Should you touch Number 3? If you enjoy Action RPGs, and the thought of a less politically-focused TW2 doesn’t come off as a complete travesty, you’ll find plenty to enjoy with TW3. S’good.
Number 2: UndertaleUndertale.
Where do I really begin with Undertale? I don’t even have a fancy opening paragraph this round.
Okay, Undertale.
My original impressions of the game is that it was sort of an Earthbound-ish game with a strong acclaim via word-of-mouth. Beyond that, I was a blank slate.
Gameplay takes a strong diversion in Classical JRPG combat with non-violent methods of defeating foes. Creatures vary wildly in *how* to spare them in the first place, meaning virtually every encounter is a unique battle. It’s the one, and *only* time I’ve ever looked forward to Random Battles instead of dreaded them. Avoiding their attacks involves navigating unside a square grid for your “heart”. Every creature has inimitable move sets which keeps players on their toes, oftentimes in ways that break the 4th wall to humorous effect. Both In & Out of Gameplay, Toby Fox has a penchant for toying with Gamer's expectations and doing all but tossing them out like a naked baby in the woods.
The game’s structure isn’t too far from Earthbound, going from place to place, all of which have the bizarre dial turned up to 11. Visually, it’s fairly good-looking for a game teetering between 8-Bit and 16-bit. The character herself is as flat as it gets, but most of the characters both in and out of combat have great designs and surprisingly unique animations, complementing their attitudes and personality. There’s also more-than-enough visual Bells & Whistles that add to the fantastical & idiosyncratic nature of Undertale.
The Characters themselves have very quirky personalities. Despite the monstrous visage, you’ll find a smorgasbord of creativity in their dialogue - this makes it far easier to empathize with them. Even the aggressive bosses have justifiable reasons for their antagonism. Sparing or slaying the main characters along the road can have significant consequences, whether gamers are aware of it or not - it’s even possible to beat the game with 0 Kills, though it won’t be easy. The one, and only complaint(though it’s hardly even a complaint) is that the method of non-lethal takedowns for bosses can sometimes be very confusing. This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if they weren’t trying to bludgeon me with a sharp pointy thing for so long. Dialogue is some of the best I’ve seen all year, and full of great humor; It’s rare for me to laugh out loud this much in one sitting, but sure enough it happened.
The Story. Most of the game keeps its story tight-lipped, outside of brief lore passages spread throughout the worlds and very sparse dialogue. This is for good Reason.
The ending is, by leaps and bounds, one of the most inventive and well thought-out conclusions I’ve experienced. I’d have to refuse saying anything beyond that, outside of private messages.
Undertale is more than a Crazy-Ass adventure with goofy characters. The game managed to push the limits of the medium to get a powerful message across. How many titles in gaming history have achieved
that? Ultimately, the game wasn't everything I'd hoped for.
It was more.
(For those curious about Undertale, the game can be found
here.)
Do you wanna have a good time?…I feel there’s a need to add one thing outside of the spoiler-free review posted above; The best parts of the game are pretty much *all* spoiler-heavy - not just the thought-provoking revelations, but moment-to-moment humor that makes the game as good as it is. This presents a very serious problem when trying to recommend UnderTale, since a game going so far retro I.e. Apple II/8-Bit Quality may not look very appealing on the surface. Not to mention that combining the Mother Series and SMT makes it a Niche Quiche, which may not be welcoming to some. It’s reiteration, but it’s necessary: The best way to play this game is with an absolute clean slate. Spoilers are lava.
Do not touch the lava. If you need reassurance, ask pretty much *anyone* who’s beaten it, check reviews…hell, even Jim Sterling gave it a 10 out of 10, which is hardly commonplace among Cynical City. This is a game I gifted 4 times immediately after beating it, which is rather telling since I rarely gift games at all.
So, bottom line: Do you like weird humor? Do you like creativity in gameplay and storyline? Would you like to see what the hubbub is all about? If so, conglaturation! You’ve been pre-selected for the Publisher’s Clearing House, since this is plainly an indie game instead. UnderTale’s so bloody close to my top this year, with the first being…
Number 1: The Order: 1886Trogdoor was a man. He was a Dragon Man…or perhaps he was a dragon, but that’s a tale for another time. You know, when I was a young warthog, I’d scour the plains looking for lone covenant, just for a quick hit-and-run. I can’t honestly say they were my most *dignified* moments in this lonely life as a sentient Jeep-Thing, but they were *my* moments. And in the end, isn’t that the greatest gift of all? To truly savor the day-to-day trivialities, juvenile or no. It’s an unfortunate case with kids these days watching their MTVs and drinking their diet coke, we forget to simply live life and cherish the little things. Actually, this reminds me of a rather amusing anecdo-
Number 1: BloodborneBloodborne is a complicated beast… let’s talk about Souls for a bit first.
Souls is great. Known for combat that rewards the observant & punishes the tactically slipshod, as well as a moody forbidden world to explore with a distinctive take on looting narrative, it’s gotten a great deal of acclaim. It’s also a bit clumsy in mechanics, occasionally stale/unbalanced in combat, and the story can come off as a minimalist chase for McGuffins cause’ the king goofed up and now we’re in Dark World for some raisin. Bloodborne manages to solve many of FromSoftware’s legacy issues while throwing in an appropriately disturbing storyline, and a few curveballs with nightmarish outcomes. Hidetaka once described it as mixing the better parts of Demon’s/Dark souls, and well, it kind of
is.
Layer Number One: Audio/Visual. Unlike Demon’s Depress-A-Thon and Dark’s penchant for Full Choirs pretending they’re at the dentist, the soundtrack has a healthy assortment of moody ambient & unconventional orchestrations that holds a unique vibe outside of its dark fantasy predecessors. Voice acting is great(and less prone to cackling). There’s also a greater distinction between voices too, anywhere betwixt age differences and specific accents, you hoonter of hoonters, you. Visually it borders between PS3 and PS4, but boy what they do with it. Visual detail plays a bigger part, environments are lush with gothic architecture, and plenty I’m best leaving for people to figure out by themselves. Monster types are less of the classic fantasy/berserk stylization and more of the otherworldly abomination-y kind. A scarce few visual issues mar the experience - specific spots don’t always load of how they’re supposed to and look low-rez, though it‘s a very brief problem. Otherwise, they got it right.
Layer Number Two: Gameplay. Shields are pretty much gone. Yep! If you can dodge a wretch, you can dodge a ball of ravens gunning for your throat. Shields are hardly a great fit in the Victorian era setting, and this revision can radically alter your tactics - in other words, you can’t just stand their like a ninny and wait for your foe to finish his attacks. Re-Gain is great. If you’re hit, you can hit back relatively soon and get some health back. It’s not something that most will use persistently(unless you’re as mad as the Yharnamites themselves), but it adds a neat flavor to the overall mechanics, providing greater motivation to go on the offensive. Transformation Weapons as a whole are a much-needed breadth of fresh blood. I hardly miss the Dark Souls days of having to grab a bazillion shards to even build a bloody boss weapon, with the normal equipment close to throwaway ability. What you lose in quantity is greatly made up for in quality. Even starter weapons allow instant shifts between range-over-damage, power-over-speed, with later weapons taking more unusual transformations. I’d actually *stuck* with the saw from beginning to end, as the weaponry scaling(or lack thereof?) encourages you to stick more with a certain style than just a convenient stat boost. Boost what you like, not what you get thrown into.
Boss Phases - It’s a big deal. DS 1 & 2 had this on *occasion*, but now it’s all over the bloody place. Slogging over a shadowy colossus with the same tactics simply isn’t an option, as new forms(and new enemies?) means a deeper level of challenge which hasn’t seen as much frequency in the series. Level design maintains the Overarching world of Dark Souls, while using a few tricks of Demon’s like using locked shortcuts to bridge the player between close-by areas with greater ease. Chalice Dungeons are an anomalous thing - essentially it’s a roguelike with Dark Souls, and it’s as great as it sounds. Suffers a tiny bit with repetition(which is hardly a surprise), but overall it’s a fun romp with some bosses later on that outmatch the difficulty of the vanilla game, and are actually a pillar of the game’s overall lore to boot. Cause nothing says fun like using a couple glowing slugs and a pool of blood to enjoy some inter-dimensional jolly coagulation.
The Dream And The Nightmare
Storywise, it comes with some notable changes from its antecedents. Most of your character’s actions in Quests or with Bosses from Souls may not feel like they’re accomplishing much. Opening paths, and opening more paths, and Le Final Boss. Yep. Bloodborne helps lay this to rest; Bosses aren’t just random demons that fit the area; Their stories and subsequent quests can be interconnected, opening a a hodgepodge of answers and a Pandora’s box of questions. While Souls *does* come with its own revelations, they may not always have bearing on the main story itself - this is also where BB diverges as main game areas and even Chalice Dungeons play an enormous role in building up the lore. The way FS handles the immense backstory reminds me a bit of
Chrono Cross in terms of gradually explaining the setting’s original state, and the transition to its phantasmagoric masterpiece. Having said all this, it’s one of the best narratives FromSoftware has managed. One of the greatest fears is that of the unknown, and Bloodborne comes with this in spades.
And that’s about as far as I can go without spoilers. Seriously though don’t touch the lava.
Should you Traverse the Nightmare? If you’re looking for a challenge, Dark Victorian/Lovecraftian storytelling, and a game full of dark surprises, look no further: Here‘s your dream game.