Recent reviews by Paapurup

Heard the news of the sequel said to be released in 2025. Then, I realized I had the prequel after checking my library and decided to give it a try. A short story as it starts okay but feels dull in the end. I'm hoping the story has the answer in the sequel. Gameplay feels boring, ammo is really scarce even in normal mode, combat feels clunky, and I can't avoid enemy punches with blocking. Gunbots can shoot through walls (wallbang). I'm just hoping the sequel is better than the prequel. The only thing I like is the environment.

---

The bundle is the best way to experience this series. Both are short, sweet, calming, and filled with meditative puzzles. Monument Valley 2 features new puzzles mechanics and environments. Its story is about a mother and her child. And include 1 extra content about the explorer travels into a lost forest. Took 1.5 hours for me (slightly shorter than previous series), but the gameplay stays, no need to rush.

---

Monument Valley
Click for Review

---

That's it. This sheet good. A captivating story about time/time-travel/time-bending/time-machine. Kept me hooked until the end. Lots of feelings happened. Interesting that part of the story were live action mini-episode. I enjoyed those episodes, they were well-acted and well-produced. Characters are real-life actors/actresses. Thank you, Lance Reddick.

I'm taking my time exploring and collecting various things, some provide additional insights into the story. Besides collectibles, the visuals are surprisingly beautiful. Despite the game being 7 or 8 years old now, the environments and visual effects are pucking good. If I may mention a game with great visuals from that era or earlier, it's Ryse: Son of Rome.

One aspect that I liked was the choice options. Unlike other games with generic options, Quantum Break allows you to see the outcome of your choices before making a decision. I'm unsure whether these choices affect the story or will lead to an alternative story. Gameplay is simple but it's super fun with the superpowers in combat. And cool facial capture, like this one below (but it's a static facial), https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3239705729

---

Alan Wake
Click for Review

I enjoyed half of the story but when it comes to the ending, I was surprised but not satisfied. It feels like there are some stuff cut from the game, maybe 'cause they were running low on cash or had to release the game ASAP. It's got a solid concept, but the delivery? Not so much.

In terms of gameplay, it's a good 3D point and click game, but unfortunately, the bugs destroy the experience. Chapter 1 frustrated me so much with the camera angle, forcing me to move the character forward-backward repeatedly just to see if the game changes the camera angle miraculously. But there's more, several time happened when my character went invisible after I clicked an object. Walk in circles in an infinite loop. Delay time to next conversation or next animation. Buggy audio and animation.

And there's one character that gives me Uncanny Valley vibe. Also, pitch-black areas? They're seriously pitch-black. I can't see a single environment clearly. And what was that locpicking mechanism? Never seen a lockpicking puzzle like that. I can't tell should you play the original or the remastered. I'm worry if the remastered has more bugs than the original.

It's the sequel, Agent Tethers is back. Back to investigate the cliffhanger. This time, the investigation has the answer of 'what is going on'. That's all I can say. Anyway, if you want 100% completion, make sure you do not submit a wrong answer. DO NO MAKE A SINGLE MISTAKE. I didn't got the score 10 of all puzzles 'cause I admit that I HATE MATH! But overall I like it.

---

Puzzle Agent
Click for Review

Ya, heckuva puzzles right there! Puzzle rules had me scratching my head, especially math! Glad I bought the bundle at a low price.
An unusual mid short story game but the VO and the art what make me like it. Story finished with a cliffhanger. Lemme see what happens in the sequel. Didn't know Telltale made this kind of game!

---

Puzzle Agent 2
Click for Review

Rise of Tomb Raider shares some similarities with the first reboot but adds new features. Battle with zombies in one of the DLCs, optional tombs now look amazing with challenging puzzles, and you can access a variety of weapons and upgrade stats. New mechanics like rope swinging, climbing arrows, tree climbing, and swimming. Stunning visuals and sounds, side missions, wild animals, more outfits (Use mod outfits, iykwim). Plus, you can grab chickens and yeet 'em.

Collect documents and artifacts or examine relics, monoliths, and murals to increase Lara's language skills. There are 3 languages: Greek, Russian, Mongolian. By learning those languages, reveals ancient coins on the map after translating the monolith, which you can trade for items. Discover new materials while exploring, such as hides, special hides, and cloth, etc.

Second reboot were interesting and cinematic than the first. The settings are diverse and expansive. Glad it doesn't feel like a survival game to me because there aren't that many materials and fighting enemies was easy on the 'Survivor' difficulty during my playthrough. Lara's face is so beautiful (probably beautiful Lara I've ever seen). The story kinda similar to first reboot in some aspects and it's predictable 'cause you know, standard adventure story stuff but it was fine. You fought with Samurai in first reboot and now you have to deal with ancient knights.

This time, it's set after the events on Yamatai, as Lara searches for a lost city and a divine source, driven by her late father's stuff. I did care about the ending but didn't come close to crying. Hoping to see what happens next in the third reboot. And if you owned Blood Ties DLC, it gives answers about what happened to Lara's mother. As for the Baba Yaga, it was awesome and got me a jump scare at one point.

---

Tomb Raider 2013
Click for Review

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174125511Benjamin Brynn lahir dari keluarga yang sederhana, dengan ayah dan ibunya, di sebuah kota kecil tepi pantai. Ibunya adalah seorang komposer, setidaknya itulah yang dia impikan sejak dulu. Disaat impiannya tidak terwujud, dia mulai bermimpi untuk anaknya. Namun, ketika Benjamin berusia 11 tahun, dia terkena penyakit dan terpaksa tinggal di dalam rumah selama setahun.

Di tahun itu, dia mulai merasa khawatir bahwa dia tidak akan hidup begitu lama, jadi dia mulai mengarang sebuah cerita tentang kehidupan hebat yang dia pikir dia inginkan, yang malah membuatnya lupa akan kehidupan hebat yang sudah dia miliki. Padahal dia telah mengisi rumah barunya dengan cahaya, kebahagiaan, dan harapan. Dia bertemu dengan tetangganya, seorang gadis, yang merasa kesepian di dunia ini, lalu membuatnya merasa baikan lagi. Bahkan ketika dia sedang sakit, dia tetap memberikan orang tuanya sebuah harapan.

Dia mengingatkan mereka tentang siapa mereka sebenarnya, diri mereka yang hampir terlupakan. Jadi, saat dia tahu waktunya akan tiba, dia menerimanya, karena dia sudah menjalani kehidupan yang hebat. Kehidupan yang penuh makna. Dia adalah segalanya yang dia butuhkan. Seperti apa adanya.

---

Before Your Eyes teaches me a valuable lesson that what I wish for my life isn’t necessarily what I need and teaches me about life's unpredictability. Life is short. But the worst, it can be suddenly short. In the blink of an eye, everything can change. That's why it's crucial to cherish every moment, to embrace the beauty of each day, and to make the most of the time we have.

I may not be as good as someone else's story. I have to be honest I'm feeling pretty bad about myself, I'm feeling empty, and defeated. But there's one thing I know... I know that God would not put me on this earth without a purpose to fulfill. Despite feeling like I'm a failure and not living up to what I truly expect, I trust that I am where I need to be and that I am enough.

One day, when I reflect on my life, I will appreciate what my life really was, what it was meant to be, and knowing that I didn’t need to make up a story of what my life could've been. Even if I didn’t experience everything that life had to offer, I can find peace in living a simple, ordinary life.

There are moments of happiness that shine brightly, reminding me that despite challenges, there is always a reason to smile. When I reflect on the lives of those who left too soon, I find more than tears... I discover a story worth remembering.

For tomorrow is not promised. Today is all I truly have.

Some say they like it, some say they don't. Well, it depends on where you're discussing it. I portrayed reboot Lara as an innocent archeological student by education who embarks on an adventure that turned her to be a survivor and then went for another adventure instead. I can't compare her with the original Lara Croft because I've never played those games. From what I've seen of its cover and watched a bit of its playthrough, she appears to be a badass and merciless girl. But the description says that this reboot is the origin story of Lara Croft, so she has character development (or she's exploring her). The story was pretty good in overall, yet interesting in several, which kept me stay playing.

The tomb, talking about the tomb as tomb raider, it does. Each tomb I explore, it just me solving the puzzles and then collect the treasure, which is salvage for upgrading tools. The puzzles don't stay in tomb, you'll find it in several places and you need to solve it. Fortunately, the puzzles are very easy. Lots of collectibles, I particularly like collecting the documents and relics. The only thing I struggled with was the AR recoil and my aim—mine was absolutely terrible.

Anyway, on god those death animations are really graphic, the animators probably had hard time working on those sheets.

---

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Click for Review

A game based on a movie where you get to be this mad dude and drive his modified badass-looking car. Gameplay feels repetitive, but I like its mechanics, particulary foot combat. Punching, perfect parry, fury mode, and get a massive combo. Also, the badass-looking car after you grinding the game (It was a bit grindy but not too long). The story was short yet it was well-executed and managed to stir some emotions. Mad Max's open-world game is that good. The setting which is wasteland, you get a storm that maybe can destroy your car somehow, like mine below. https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3220999611

---

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3221000343 https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3220999474

---

Well, my last word, the game's kinda buggy. This one is underrated.