munchm_
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Munch Reviews Games
- Thread starter munchm_
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munchm_
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Right, the new list is ready to go.
FTL - Suggested by @MaXenzie
This War of Mine - Suggested by @MaXenzie
Gunpoint - Personal Choice
Kairo - Personal Choice
Antichamber - Suggested by @MaXenzie
Prison Architect - Suggested by @MaXenzie
World of Goo - Personal Choice
The Beginners Guide - Suggested by @gigi
Cry of Fear - Suggested by @Inspector Bandito
I'm going to have to skip Starbound unless someone wants to buy it for me, sadly.
FTL - Suggested by @MaXenzie
This War of Mine - Suggested by @MaXenzie
Gunpoint - Personal Choice
Kairo - Personal Choice
Antichamber - Suggested by @MaXenzie
Prison Architect - Suggested by @MaXenzie
World of Goo - Personal Choice
The Beginners Guide - Suggested by @gigi
Cry of Fear - Suggested by @Inspector Bandito
I'm going to have to skip Starbound unless someone wants to buy it for me, sadly.
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munchm_
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gigi
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i can do the co-op session w/ you and some other boys if you want once you got the singleplayer session down
im highly experienced in such area of the game and have completed it on numerous occasions with several other members of the lemonpunch/nebulous community
munchm_
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munchm_
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This Book Is A Dungeon
this is a free game
"You remember a time when you used to steal aching glances at the clock, praying for the strike of the merciful hour that'd finally set you free." - Game intro.
That quote up there? That's how I felt when playing this.
TBID is a story driven "graphic novel" which has a very basic story: you get sucked into a dungeon that is within a book and you have to escape. I have simplified this a little but not much and this really is all the game has to offer
Whilst many graphic novels that are games give you decent choice, this one really doesn't. Do the right thing, you progress. Do the wrong thing, start all over again. The game has a good idea and premise going but its just not that fun and doesn't keep me at all hooked with anything.
I hate calling it a graphic novel since the graphics are minimal, and not the creative kind. Some of the pixel art is nice but the font choice is bad and the rooms are so easy to make in GIMP, forget Photoshop.
Really, this is a free story based browser game which would work better on a Kindle than on Steam. I'm serious, the storyline would work amazingly in a book since you have more space to bring in the atmosphere with. In this, I don't feel the atmosphere in frustration of starting again and again with my game.
You might say I'm overdoing it. Yeah, this game might be free, but it still costs time.
3/10
Importance: Medium
I really dislike how this game plays out. I do like some of the dialogue and some of the light puzzles, however, many of the puzzles were trial and error endurance challenges. It's always a guessing game and there is often no logical explanation given by the game on how to do something. If you get it wrong, you start again. And again. And again. And again. Until you get it right, then you get that wrong.
Unless you get lucky, this mechanic feels like it really drags on.
The big problem is that I got bored of the story so easily that I just kept clicking to move on and see if I could continue further to find anything interesting. I tried, but I really couldn't.
The lack of choice and the boring, linear movement does not make this a fun game at a gameplay stance.
4/10
Importance: Low
Lemme start off with what I do like: the pixel art.
Sometimes the dev does some really nice pixel art to compliment this but that's all there is that's redeemable and you won't even look at it for very long since you'll be skipping from place to place anyway.
If he had fleshed out the maps a little more that would be awesome, but they're so basic and bland.
Not to mention that the background is white when you're alive and black when you're going to die, which is insanely boring. Just make a background for each area, man. You've got the pixel art skill, goddamn use it, please.
As already stated, font choice isn't great. This is important to me because I'm a font nerd. (the font i use for my images here is ADAM CG PRO, an amazing font to use for titles and posters. i would also recommend Nevis for both titles and normal writing along with Rockwell for a more playful piece where you still want to use formality. TW Cen MT is a great font to use when you're applying for a job or doing something professional since it's a sans font. looks great on a cv. i've never really liked new times roman honestly.)
6/10 Importance:
Very High
The storyline is the main part of this game. I'll say it has potential at least.
The writing is very good, I'll give the guy that. He must write books a lot and I hope he keep writing because he is amazing at it.
However, I've seen horror stories before. I've seen creatures that eat things before. I've heard of some of these deaths before. He's taking boring ideas that I know about and describing them so intricately, and it bugs me.
He could choose something I would never expect where some three legged spider wants to tie me into his cobweb and depending on my choice I either end up killing it, running away, dying in combat or waiting until he comes back for lunch as I then try to escape. Whichever one I choose is more descriptive than "note on the ground" and "north" so I actually read them more, too.
But no. Instead, we choose bugs in walls, creepy shadows, green work and weird looking bird that looks similar to the Plague Doctor out of Shovel Knight. It's not very interesting, really.
He did have a few ideas that I appreciated but the ones in the dungeon were especially bad. Gallery is a little better.
He can do it though. He is very good at writing, and I want to rephrase that multiple times so you know.
7/10
Importance: Medium
The concept for this is a little bland, but it's not terrible. I get where he was going with this and it's a really interesting idea, but it's not the same as a game that is similar and also a graphic novel known as Depression Simulator, which...no, this is probably better than Depression Simulator. That was too easy, and if anything, this is difficult because you have to keep playing it.
Back on topic. The idea for this game is good, but having a linear line to play on and a lack of options kills it and this relates back to the games concept. It's difficult to play this in it's current state but I would love to see this get remastered, trust me.
LACK OF SOUND: This kills it for me. The room being dead silent isn't at all fun when playing this, so I recommend you go over to www.noisli.com to add your own sounds when playing. This isn't even an ad or anything, it just helps build it a little. Put on the more depressing and dark sounds and your experience will improve drastically. This is extremely lazy development, though
MONSTERS: Some of them are interesting, some of them aren't. Remember the bullsquid from Half Life? Yeah, he wasn't interesting or notable. The Vortigaunt was, though, and you'll get a bit of both here if you know what I mean.
NOT MY GENRE: I don't like dark, stingy dungeons full of goblins and weird mystical creatures. Only creatures like that I like are ones that are not cliche, with good examples coming from C.S Lewis's Narnia series. They were thought out well and I liked the creativity there. Once again, this is just me. Maybe this isn't you, I don't know.
Remaster this game with the following:
-Music
-More options
-A better dungeon area
-Better maps
-Sounds
-Possible voice acting
-Backgrounds
-A more simplistic and nice looking font
Then, this game will be much more enjoyable.
OVERALL RATING: D
this is a free game
"You remember a time when you used to steal aching glances at the clock, praying for the strike of the merciful hour that'd finally set you free." - Game intro.
That quote up there? That's how I felt when playing this.
TBID is a story driven "graphic novel" which has a very basic story: you get sucked into a dungeon that is within a book and you have to escape. I have simplified this a little but not much and this really is all the game has to offer
Whilst many graphic novels that are games give you decent choice, this one really doesn't. Do the right thing, you progress. Do the wrong thing, start all over again. The game has a good idea and premise going but its just not that fun and doesn't keep me at all hooked with anything.
I hate calling it a graphic novel since the graphics are minimal, and not the creative kind. Some of the pixel art is nice but the font choice is bad and the rooms are so easy to make in GIMP, forget Photoshop.
Really, this is a free story based browser game which would work better on a Kindle than on Steam. I'm serious, the storyline would work amazingly in a book since you have more space to bring in the atmosphere with. In this, I don't feel the atmosphere in frustration of starting again and again with my game.
You might say I'm overdoing it. Yeah, this game might be free, but it still costs time.
3/10
Importance: Medium
I really dislike how this game plays out. I do like some of the dialogue and some of the light puzzles, however, many of the puzzles were trial and error endurance challenges. It's always a guessing game and there is often no logical explanation given by the game on how to do something. If you get it wrong, you start again. And again. And again. And again. Until you get it right, then you get that wrong.
Unless you get lucky, this mechanic feels like it really drags on.
The big problem is that I got bored of the story so easily that I just kept clicking to move on and see if I could continue further to find anything interesting. I tried, but I really couldn't.
The lack of choice and the boring, linear movement does not make this a fun game at a gameplay stance.
4/10
Importance: Low
Lemme start off with what I do like: the pixel art.
Sometimes the dev does some really nice pixel art to compliment this but that's all there is that's redeemable and you won't even look at it for very long since you'll be skipping from place to place anyway.
If he had fleshed out the maps a little more that would be awesome, but they're so basic and bland.
Not to mention that the background is white when you're alive and black when you're going to die, which is insanely boring. Just make a background for each area, man. You've got the pixel art skill, goddamn use it, please.
As already stated, font choice isn't great. This is important to me because I'm a font nerd. (the font i use for my images here is ADAM CG PRO, an amazing font to use for titles and posters. i would also recommend Nevis for both titles and normal writing along with Rockwell for a more playful piece where you still want to use formality. TW Cen MT is a great font to use when you're applying for a job or doing something professional since it's a sans font. looks great on a cv. i've never really liked new times roman honestly.)
6/10 Importance:
Very High
The storyline is the main part of this game. I'll say it has potential at least.
The writing is very good, I'll give the guy that. He must write books a lot and I hope he keep writing because he is amazing at it.
However, I've seen horror stories before. I've seen creatures that eat things before. I've heard of some of these deaths before. He's taking boring ideas that I know about and describing them so intricately, and it bugs me.
He could choose something I would never expect where some three legged spider wants to tie me into his cobweb and depending on my choice I either end up killing it, running away, dying in combat or waiting until he comes back for lunch as I then try to escape. Whichever one I choose is more descriptive than "note on the ground" and "north" so I actually read them more, too.
But no. Instead, we choose bugs in walls, creepy shadows, green work and weird looking bird that looks similar to the Plague Doctor out of Shovel Knight. It's not very interesting, really.
He did have a few ideas that I appreciated but the ones in the dungeon were especially bad. Gallery is a little better.
He can do it though. He is very good at writing, and I want to rephrase that multiple times so you know.
7/10
Importance: Medium
The concept for this is a little bland, but it's not terrible. I get where he was going with this and it's a really interesting idea, but it's not the same as a game that is similar and also a graphic novel known as Depression Simulator, which...no, this is probably better than Depression Simulator. That was too easy, and if anything, this is difficult because you have to keep playing it.
Back on topic. The idea for this game is good, but having a linear line to play on and a lack of options kills it and this relates back to the games concept. It's difficult to play this in it's current state but I would love to see this get remastered, trust me.
LACK OF SOUND: This kills it for me. The room being dead silent isn't at all fun when playing this, so I recommend you go over to www.noisli.com to add your own sounds when playing. This isn't even an ad or anything, it just helps build it a little. Put on the more depressing and dark sounds and your experience will improve drastically. This is extremely lazy development, though
MONSTERS: Some of them are interesting, some of them aren't. Remember the bullsquid from Half Life? Yeah, he wasn't interesting or notable. The Vortigaunt was, though, and you'll get a bit of both here if you know what I mean.
NOT MY GENRE: I don't like dark, stingy dungeons full of goblins and weird mystical creatures. Only creatures like that I like are ones that are not cliche, with good examples coming from C.S Lewis's Narnia series. They were thought out well and I liked the creativity there. Once again, this is just me. Maybe this isn't you, I don't know.
Remaster this game with the following:
-Music
-More options
-A better dungeon area
-Better maps
-Sounds
-Possible voice acting
-Backgrounds
-A more simplistic and nice looking font
Then, this game will be much more enjoyable.
OVERALL RATING: D
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Eh.
It was fun while I played it, but after completing it, there's not much to do.
Goatson
Guardian
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The game wasn't made for replayability, it was made as a quick game to test an original concept.
And it did it amazingly well. Also, level editor for people like me
munchm_
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munchm_
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gigi
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i have a copy of that somewhere around my house, i could turn it into an iso so he can review it if munch doesnt have it
ddæ
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gigi
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