Recent reviews by McEwan

I've followed this game for several years, and I admit that I'm kicking myself for not writing a review earlier.

While there have certainly been some road bumps Exanima's play experience on occasion, the developers have shown time and again what it means to be an independent game studio. It's clear not just from the game itself but the consistent and insightful communication with their community through game updates and Coffee Diaries on the Bare Mettle forums that these devs are committed and more than capable of unique and pioneering formulation of mechanics and pure coding know-how.

Exanima is only a precursor to the studio's long term project, Sui Generis, but it already stands on its own as a difficult but enthralling experience that gets better with every iteration. Bare Mettle claims that this latest 0.9 version is their largest update yet, and every aspect of the update supports this statement. A game world that was already engaging has hit new heights (and depth), and a game system that already supported a huge variety of play styles has grown even more robust with an ever-expanding magical roster, an improved physical environment, and a smoothness of player experience that really just blows my mind.

I refuse to say any more, because Exanima is one of the few games on the market in the past decade where exploration in both the game's world and in the player's own abilities within that world has been truly rewarding. If you're a fan of any media with fantasy worldbuilding, character roleplaying, or grim-dark storytelling, you owe it to yourself to try this gem of a game, and to witness its growth into something truly special.

Probably one of the most promising sandbox builders since Minecraft. The game's still in its infancy, but it's already amazingly flexible, and the systems implemented are sure to be used in the future in awesome new ways. Highly reccomended!