Recent reviews by ♫ Chicago ♫

If you're looking for a platformer, this game may be worth checking out. It has unique mechanics that allow for player expression and a surprising amount of freedom of choice in quests and puzzles. It's not groundbreaking, but it's very neat nonetheless.

If you are a fan of the old Mickey Mouse/Disney cartoons and more obscure works by Walt Disney, this game was made with you in mind; I heartily and fully recommend it.

The game is full of references to everything one might be familiar with if they grew up in a "Disney household". Every now and then I'd have to stop for a second because I'd find an old piece of art or cartoon that I haven't thought of since my childhood. One level is even filled with nothing but old Mickey Mouse merchandise, which is a real treat to explore.

Having played the original many years ago, I was very excited to pick this one up. So far, the graphics and quality of life have been a considerable improvement over the original. Movement is smoother, the lighting looks great, and the new movement options add some variety to how you get around. My favorite new change is the small bit of height the spin attack gives you, which should feel familiar to people who played Super Mario Galaxy.

The tone and art style are exactly what I want from Disney, which is such a rare statement nowadays. It's slightly grim and mysterious, while also being whimsical, fantastical, and at times goofy. It blends extremely well. There is clearly a lot of passion in the designs, and the artists definitely did their homework on Disney attractions, products, and cartoons.

The central mechanic of using thinner to destroy/interfere or paint to create/help is a great way to weave between Mickey's mischievous, trickster past and his do-gooder behavior of the modern era. I personally find joy in blending both. Quests can often have multiple solutions, though usually in a somewhat simplistic "moral/immoral" binary.

Overall, I recommend this game, especially to Disney fans. It's easy to get into, and there's plenty to see. Though if you're looking for a platformer with significant, high action challenges or intense platforming, you may find yourself feeling a bit underwhelmed. (Though the game does appear to leave room for some interesting sequence breaks and skips, at least in my experience!)

This is definitely a game where you want to take things a bit slow and explore the environments. Exploration and curiosity is often rewarded, don't be afraid to spend time talking to characters or randomly spraying paint/thinner at interesting objects.

This game does need improvements, but the love that went into making it is clear.

The economics are pretty dynamic, and the interactions between products/resources and production methods can be felt. The need for resources is constant, and the game encourages you to seek out more ways to access them. Fighting against internal political forces while you try to work towards a better economic system can be quite entertaining.

Diplomacy needs some work, and it's a bit stiff at the moment. Diplomatic plays are a very interesting concept, and I enjoy the back-and-forth that can emerge. There's excitement in trying to sway countries to your side, or at least dissuade them from joining your enemy. However, the system is quite limited at times; Goals cannot be added during a war, so the stakes can feel incredibly small in a global war when the only goals are banning slavery in a small country, while the other side demands war reparations. Not quite the nation-defining goals that would drive a country to send 100,000+ of it's men to oblivion.

Warfare is also lackluster, I appreciate the more "hands-off" nature as befitting wars of the time, but the way front lines split can cause your entire front to collapse if you don't have generals to fill a gap. This is particularly bad in Germany, where there are many borders and micro nations. The ticking war score system is also a bit inflexible at times, though there's definitely potential in it for modelling smaller-scale conflicts.

The art direction is fantastic, and it's abundantly clear that much care went into ensuring the time period was well-reflected, from the font to the little objects surrounding the map. My only complaint is that later in the game's time-frame is not reflected as well as the start date. I'd like to see some later World War I era aesthetics as advances in warfare, economics, and philosophy are made.

The culture system is interesting, though I wish it was a bit more interactive and granular. I'd like to see some dynamic cultures emerge as well. However, the use of taboos, cultural traits, and obsessions is a nice touch and allows some interactivity with the system.

As someone who dated an adult content creator in the past, this game hit pretty close to home. The interactions reminded me a lot of the types of conversations we'd have. The discussions of drugs, mental health, sex/hookups, mental health, and dealing with hateful and/or obsessive fans is very well done.

The game also has a really nice aesthetic, love the music and pixel art. Fantastic work by the artist(s). I've always been a fan of Vaporwave/Synthwave aesthetics, and this game pulls it off excellently.

Also, as a side note: I discovered this game from Wikipedia's "*Did You Know?*" section of all places.

Great game, but do not buy the Steam version at the moment. Online features are unavailable for the Steam version. Originally, you could access online features by getting your Steam CD key and redeeming it on Origin; Logging into Origin and registering a Spore account on there worked, and then you could use it on Steam. Recently, EA has blocked the ability to access the CD key for Spore copies purchased on Steam due to concerns about piracy. Regardless of whether or not these concerns are valid, the fact remains that online content is near impossible to use on the Steam version as a result.

As it stands, there is no convenient way to access Spore's online features on Steam, and I greatly regret buying this version as a result. Buy it on Origin instead. (Even there I hear there's issues with online, but from what I can understand these aren't universal.)

An incredible simulator of politics. It's not just sliding bars and making numbers go up and down. There is a story to be invested in, and every choice feels meaningful. No matter what type of political path you pursue, you will find yourself wondering if you've done the right thing time and time again. Your choices matter. and even the seemingly small decisions can have impacts later. The characters have nuanced politics too, it usually isn't so cut and dry as someone being a "conservative" or "socialist" and following their ideology to the letter. Even the characters I disagreed with extensively I found myself working with at times. The game also has interesting lore and world-building; Much to offer for those curious about realistic fictional worlds. It isn't all just paperwork and policies either. You have to balance your personal relationships, your family, your connections, your investments, etc. This game utilizes interactive storytelling and political simulation very effectively. Strongly recommend.

Content is clearly unfinished in it's current state. Not worth the buying price. I usually dislike writing negative reviews, as game design isn't an easy job. However, many of the issues in this expansion could have been fixed with just a cursory glance. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the build is identical to the one that was seen 3 weeks before release, meaning many of these problems had time to be found and fixed.

Regardless of where the blame lies for the botched release of this DLC, there needs to be tangible fixes to how Paradox goes about releasing new content. Such glaring bugs and missing content should not be the expectation, especially not for $20.

EDIT 4/22/2022: The issues within the DLC have (mostly) been addressed; There's still minor issues here or there, but I find the features the DLC introduces are positive changes. The flavor added to the world is a good thing, and I particularly enjoy the addition of Polynesian tech.

I enjoy the concept, but the game is lacking in content as well as story context. There are no menus of any sort; The music is pretty loud, so have your volume mixer open to turn it down if needed. I felt no connection to the characters and had little context as to why things turned out the way they did outside of a few sentences on the British government. I liked seeing the live chat reactions to the protest, and would love to see the idea expanded.

The game is incredibly short, which is unfortunate because more background + extending on the events as they happen would have been nice. There's little buildup and no time to really get invested in the story or the characters in it. Apparently, this game's choices connect to some series as a whole, but it wasn't too clear. Even if this is the case, as a standalone title it is lacking in content.

So for the time being, I would not recommend this game. I enjoy the idea, though.

I love the attention to detail regarding the older internet chat rooms and what was popular at the time. The two characters, Emily and Evelyn, are interesting and feel like genuine friends to the main character. Definitely a game that evokes a feeling of nostalgia. Regardless of what ending you get, you will likely have felt a tug on your heartstrings at some point in the run.

The downsides I found with the game is the overall length (A single route can be finished in around 3-5 hours) and the railroading that occurs in Chapter 3. I won't spoil anything plot-related, but during Chapter 3 there are timed segments for you to respond to either Emily or Evelyn, and you cannot keep up the conversation for long with both at once. Do not waste your time trying to beat the clock, it is made to be impossible. Alongside this, some responses can feel limiting, but that is the nature of this type of game.

Don't mistake my above paragraph as a general admonishment of the game. It's a lovely time and I strongly recommend it. I just hope the next entry has some more routes/plot, and that the timer mechanic (though only appearing for brief points in the story) does not return.

Persona 4 Golden is among my favorite games. I'll try organizing some thoughts here.

Characters: The characterization is very good, and most of them feel surprisingly realistic (outside of a few anime moments and quirks, but that's to be expected, and isn't the norm.) I found myself drawing comparisons between characters and people I know in real life. The problems characters face are interesting, and the game covers some mature topics. I always enjoyed going through Social Links, because I ended up very invested in the stories of the people in Inaba.

Gameplay: The gameplay is split between the main character's social life, and a combat oriented dimension. Both are engaging, and the player usually gets a lot of freedom in what they choose to do. Personas allow for lots of creativity in combat, and they can be built around one's playstyle. Boss fights can range from formulaic to difficult and unpredictable. The game can be hard at times, especially if someone is new to Persona/SMT.

Story: The story is engaging and the turning points in the plot are usually a surprise. Despite the jovial exterior, the game has some heart-wrenching moments, and usually doesn't dwell too long on one emotion. There are points where I feel an anime trope or two overstayed it's welcome, but it's few and far between. Most of the time, hanging out with the party was enjoyable and I found myself invested in the character's banter.

Finally, a word of warning: Be VERY careful looking this game up online, spoilers are all over the place. The IGN Wiki Guide is pretty helpful, while warning of spoilers as you scroll through it.

Though the freemium model isn't exactly a favorite of mine, I wouldn't let that detract from the fact that this is a really fun game. The vehicles are made to fly/drive (mostly) accurately to their historical counterparts, and the variety in War Thunder is impressive. Combat is often interesting and strategic. I strongly recommend it.