Recent reviews by ScooterBorne

Came in Nervous, Came Out Raving
This Early Access gem is practically a full game already, and a great one at that!

If you're looking at this in 2024 or later, the vast majority of those scary negative reviews are out of date. I finished my first playthrough (just under 20 hours) and as far as I can tell, the devs are keeping in this in Early Access to add new and fresh content to an already impressive offering.

Back to the Dawn feels like precisely the kind of sprawling RPG you fantasized about creating as kid, executed masterfully. There's an impressive amount of systems, sidequests, secrets, features, customization, minigames, and more crammed in here, but it all works without feeling cluttered, overwhelming, or unnecessary. Honestly, it is one of the best RPGs of its kind I have ever had the pleasure of playing.

The animation is surprisingly detailed with some gorgeous Octopath-esque 3D backdrops for certain areas. The story is compelling and the cutscenes never overstay their welcome. The characters feel fleshed-out and have a shocking amount of dialogue and background that you can dig into. The world feels colorful and alive. Experimentation and exploration are key, but the daily constraints on your time and resources thwart the mindless "click everything" approach, making your choices more meaningful.

The gameplay loop is quite addictive and forces you to both plan ahead and roll with the punches. It's a challenging game that is constantly holding your feet to the fire, but pulling off another day and making steady progress on overarching objectives feels great, even if your run ultimately doesn't pan out as you had hoped. In any case, the devs added modes to save certain types of progress to make follow-up runs easier and even remove that pesky 21-day timer that seems to be doing a number on this page's review scorecard.

My mind is already buzzing with new strategies to try as well as areas and characters I want to pay more attention to next time around. Reading over the reviews and dev communications, I am astounded by the support this game is getting and the interplay between its creators and fans to make it even better. Back to the Dawn feels like a true labor of love and I cannot recommend this game enough.

This game is atmospheric and heartfelt. It truly feels like a passion project.

Honestly the Star Wars vibes are excellent and the bones of the combat and gunplay could be reused in another game. It seems to have really affected a lot of people with its handling of themes of guilt, loss, and regret. The opening is creative and probably was my favorite part, although the day/night cycle is beautiful as well.

Ultimately I returned it because I finished it in under an hour and I can't imagine picking it up again any time soon. But I could easily see some people turning to this as a comfort game over and over again. It's well worth it to drop a few dollars and see what you think of it. It's more than the sum of its parts.

A tactics deckbuilder with a brilliant sense of style, this game is a fresh and addictive love letter to cinematic martial arts action. Fights in Tight Spaces is a true knockout in every way that matters.

Those of you familiar with the likes of Into the Breach will recognize the format of each level. A collection of baddies spawn in and telegraph the moves they will execute next turn, leaving you to strategize a response. Unlike Into the Breach however, the emphasis is on dispatching enemies as opposed to defending objectives (although some "Rescue" levels spawn in a helpless NPC for you to protect).

The glory of this game lies in the ever-evolving moveset dealt to you each round. Acrobatic kicks, brutal hand strikes, and evasive countermaneuvers file in each turn, and different starting archetypes emphasize distinct fighting styles such as counterpunching or knife combat. Not only does each string of moves link together in a truly awesome fashion, but win or lose, you have the option to watch a replay of the fight you choreographed (a smooth, briskly-paced blow-by-blow with the UI removed).

There's a nice roguelike progression scheme that ties each individual fight together, forcing choices about what kind of fights to take on and when to stop for health and upgrades. The difficulty steps up at a fair clip, and the challenge is scaled well so that each fight could conceivably be your last. Multiple settings and game modes ensure that you can customize how forgiving Fights in Tight Spaces is towards your latest faceplant. The soundtrack is another point of pride, somehow suiting both moments of careful contemplation and juicy hand-to-hand combat.

Aside from some minor bugs (most of which are brief, self-correcting visual mishaps that don't impact the gameplay), I'm struggling to think of any complaints I have with this plucky little badass simulator. I've had this on my Wishlist for a while now and it never seems to be on sale for more than a few dollars off, so you should be prepared to pay around $22 on the lower end (well worth it, mind you, but the indie scene's more generous sales have spoiled me a bit). Of course, it could always be expanded (more cards, levels, and enemies), but what's here is more than satisfying.

Smart, snappy, and chock-full of superspy charm, Fights in Tight Spaces will have you throat-punching and frontflipping your way through hours of gameplay, and loving every second.

Door Kickers 2 is an excellent puzzle game with a ton of moving parts. When your team executes a well-crafted plan and adapts flawlessly to the changing environment, the rush is incredible. However, this game is a real challenge and it can be very frustrating and unforgiving experience.

There's quite a bit of depth to the game in terms of loadouts, team compositions, and tactics (most of which I haven't come close to mastering yet). You can pause the game at any time to change plans, take direct control of operators, and reassess your strategy. A lot of experimentation, trial and error is necessary to really get comfortable with this game, but it really pays off in satisfaction when you finally crack a level. There's a great feature that allows you to save the replays of your best runs or botched operations that you want to analyze and learn from.

There's a ton of levels and content here, so you definitely won't be blazing through it in a few hours time (especially if you're after the 3-star runs and additional challenges). Sometimes the AI and UI are finicky and unintuitive and you just have to figure things out on your own. You have to spell everything out for your soldiers, think of them as robots that you're programming. If you tell them to keep their sights on the door, they'll do that even if they're taking fire from the left.

Tactical strategy about an elite anti-terror strike team with deep gameplay, a few quirks, and really satisfying payoff. 100% worth a spin.

A relaxing and atmospheric stroll through the woods, Among Trees is a refreshing comfort game perfect for those looking for a chill and therapeutic survival experience they can pick up and play.

This game makes for an excellent study break and a great way to unwind for a bit after a long day. Among Trees facilitates this by simplifying what it can and polishing what it can't. Forgoing story and combat in exchange for an emphasis on foraging/crafting was an excellent choice. The overall look of the game is smooth, soft, and ever so slightly... modern. The tastefully polygonal aesthetic really blends things all together and nothing feels out of place.

Most of your time in Among Trees will be spent exploring the world, attending to your basic needs, and working towards new tools or rooms in your cabin. Each unlocked item and area grants you new options and abilities, such as planting crops, crafting new clothes, cooking food, making medicines, etc. The game does contain a bit of peril, bears will attack if provoked and you can die of hunger, starvation, hypothermia, etc. but I would hesitate to call this "stressful". A modicum of planning will prevent you from facing any real crises, and in the event of death, you will respawn at your last save point.

That brings be to the most useful feature in the game: you can save (virtually) anytime! As long as you make it back to yoru cabin, you can interact with the journal on the desk to save your game no matter the time of day. This makes the game really great to put down and pick up again as there is virtually no minimum time commitment and you won't ever have to load a save and wonder "where's my house?" There's even a mode that removes dangerous animals entirely if you want a truly unfettered wilderness chill space, though I prefer to keep a healthy hint of danger around. You will never be besieged by animals at the cabin or anywhere near it anyways, so there's no need for paranoia.

Not much more to be said. There's a deep crafting system, a beautiful wilderness to explore, and an accommodating structure that respects the time of the busy student or part-time gamer (though I can attest that this game is quite bingeable as well).

Overall, Among Trees marries survival and tranquility in a way that shouldn't work half as well as it does. Definitely snap this one up if you've

A charming indie with an unmistakable Paper Mario twist, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling offers a deceptively challenging experience, lovable characters, and plenty of heart.

The insect aesthetic popularized by Hollowknight makes a more colorful and rounded appearance in this game, and every NPC has a unique appearance and style. Dialogue and story flow with roughly the same pace and tone as the Mario RPG games (Bowser's Inside Story, Partners in Time, Dream Team, etc.) with the key difference being that the player characters regularly comment, argue, and have conversations with the NPCs and each other, which adds some nice dynamics to the party. Each character is loaded with personality and getting to know them is a real treat. The overall story is, in the broad strokes, nothing we haven't seen before (at least in the chapters I've played). However, the lore runs deeper than it first appears and the game's lighthearted tone never comes off as outright childish. This truly feels like a labor of love on the devs part and that's always nice to see.

Gameplay is a mix of quick-time/turn-based strategy combat and platforming/exploring. Don't let its cute face fool you, Bug Fables takes skill, quick-thinking, and smart tactics to get through. It's not the hardest game by a long shot, but there's definitely a learning curve to it that will keep you engaged. The main characters learn new maneuvers and attacks as you progress and there's an odd amount of depth to the battles without being overly complex. I do have some issues with the platforming as it can be frustrating trying to judge space and distance of 2D cutout sprites in a 3D environment, but it's a minor annoyance at most. Frequently changing party leaders is required to navigate the world, which is fine given how quick the process is, but far from my favorite aspect of the game. These are mite-size nitpicks in a game that has a whole lot to recommend it, especially as an indie product.

If you're a sucker for Nintendo-style RPGs like the Legend of Zelda or the aforementioned Mario titles, this will be right up your alley. I personally love seeing creative, bug-inspired game art and appreciate a game that can weave fun characters into a bright and original world ripe for exploring. Bug Fables did not disappoint.

Gotta say, I bought this game under the impression that it was a stealth/heist simulator where you could pull off daring bank jobs and vanish without a trace. In practice, this game is a loud, violent, guns-blazing kinda experience: every bank robber's worst nightmare.

The story missions fare better in this regard (pretty much any multiplayer action will devolve into bloody chaos in minutes), but I would recommend a game like HITMAN if you really want to feel like a smooth, ghostly infiltrator. The story missions put more emphasis on stealth, but that usually means stressful fetch-quest-like gameplay that really isn't my cup of tea. Like i said, you might as well invest in HITMAN and get a better overall experience.

The customization is nice though. You can specialize in safe-cracking, hostage-taking, or any other number or combination of skills to up your game. You can even make your own custom mask (which, I must confess, might be my favorite part).

The bottom line is that this is NOT a stealth game. Murphy's Law is the only law around here, and if you're down for high-octane panic and mountains of collateral damage, this is the game for you.

Me? I'll pass.

As a longtime fan of the Redwall series, the existence of this project gives me great hope and joy. In practice, this game is much rougher around the edges than i had hoped, but I'm optimistic, if not terribly satisfied with the game's current iteration.

Let's get the pros out there first, and this game does have its pros. The cutscene art and voice-acting are phenomenal. When I booted up this game, I actually had to close it and start over two minutes into the opening because I was physically quivering with nostalgia. They nail the Redwall aesthetic 110% and you can tell that this team has a true heart for the IP. Also, this game has AMBITION, which may be why the execution suffers a bit. A relatively unknown indie studio wanting to make a fleshed-out, multi-hour Redwall adventure game with a scent mechanic to boot? You heard me, a SCENT mechanic! They aimed for the moon with this one and you have to respect the game's guts. Finally, the setting and story are perfect for what the game is trying to be. They don't rewrite Redwall history, they just innovate in the grey areas to make a narrative that fits cleanly into the world as we know it. You play as part of the Lillygrove Scout Corp. a civil militia of sorts that patrols Mossflower Wood. There's two characters to choose from, Liam and Sophia, each with full voicelines and backstory that oozes Redwall charm.

Now for the bad news.

In its current state, the game is clunky, buggy and not all that fun to play. It's being fixed, updated, and revamped all the time thanks to the tireless work of the devs and the community, and I tip my hat to all those who are willing to put in the backbreaking labor to get this game closer to its noble aspirations. But as it stands, I can't seem to get myself to push through it. Oases of joy are separated by relatively poor segments where fetch quests meet control issues. I almost wish that this game had given up trying to be a third-person adventure and just settled for being an excellent visual novel or choose your own adventure (I hear that there is a Redwall game much closer to this premise, Escape the Gloomer, but I have not played it, so I cannot comment on that yet).

Like it or not, this game desperately wants to become something it simply cannot be, at least for now. The silver lining is that real, tangible progress is being made with every patch and update, and the community continues to back the devs' fight to realize their sky-high ambitions.

If you are a fan of the Redwall series, I beg you, just buy the game. Show your support for projects like this, tinker with it and follow up on the updates from time to time. Submit bug reports, get the word out, play it once in a while. Give back to a series that has given to you, even if the game itself isn't its best right now.

If (or, as I sincerely hope, when) this game finally sands off all the rough spots and comes into its own, I will be there with open arms. It just might be a little longer than I expected.

I bought this game on Steam for two reasons:
1. I was a longtime mobile player (consider checking out the mobile version as a "demo") who loved the game and genuinely wanted to support the project.
2. The additional updates and capacities that the devs are adding every few months or so. That's multiplayer, Scenario Creator (coming soon!), etc.

This game is well-researched. No two ways about it. Pretty much every initiative, in-game event, or challenge has a real-world analogue, and lots of thought was put into how the nitty-gritty of counter-insurgency could be translated into, well, a decent game.

(Note: Most of this game was modeled off of the conflict in Afghanistan, although the region, insurgents and coalition in the game are never given names or backstory)

This game is NOT a military, combat, or war simulator, at least not primarily. Yes, you do have to clash with the rebels using coalition and national soldiers. Airstrikes and offensives are present in spades. But if you approach this game as a search-and-destroy mission, you will be frustrated. More importantly, you will have missed the point.

This game is about governance. It's about meeting the infrastructure and service needs of a mistrustful population while managing the corruption that results. It's about fighting an enemy that can crop up anywhere and learning to prioritize stability and progress over military victory. It's about not letting perfect be the enemy of the good and making sacrifices or compromises with a concrete strategy in mind. It's very tough and there's a lot to keep track of. It truly is a game about counter-insurgency.

The in-game events are where this game really shines. Every so often, you'll have to confront a complex problem and live with the consequences of your decision. When presented an easy opportunity to cover up a botched airstrike, will you? Are you willing to offer the rebels amnesty for a chance at peace? Each event is a well-crafted opportunity to define your approach to nation-building, and they are easily may favorite thing about the game.

The only problem with Rebel Inc. (if I had to name one) is that it is a bird's-eye view of the topic. It's not really about trade or resource management, and we've established it's not trying to be a military sim. It's not a diplomacy game, though some scenarios and actions relate to foreign policy. It's not even a political simulator: you play as a faceless regional government where the policies you pass are less about appealing to the Left or Right and more about building roads and literally keeping the lights on. Due to the sheer scope and depth of the subject, Rebel Inc. faces a bit of a "Jack of all trades, Master of none" issue. But that's a limitation, not a flaw.

Simply put, Rebel Inc. impressed me on just about every front and the game's not even done growing yet. New maps, governors, features and challenges are coming out and I wholeheartedly support the creative work being done by the devs. I believe the saying is "winning hearts and minds"? Yeah, this game has mine.

On paper, I should hate this game.

It's an extremely unforgiving survival challenge with little to no assistance or tutorial to speak of. As time goes on, the game stops trying to hide the fact that it has been engineered to give you as difficult of a time as possible. I have yet to survive a full four seasons.

And yet, this game is fun as all get out!

The key is that it ABSOLUTELY must be played alongside of friends, at least in my opinion. "Together" is in the title for a reason. If you want to have a solo survival experience or compete with strangers online, this is not the best game for that. If your friends are down for trying (and comically failing) to survive in a strange and Alice-in-Wonderland-esque world where Mother Nature is Public Enemy No. 1, look no further.

The bottom line is that this game is ruthless and sadistic, if charming in its presentation. There's a lot to discover that I have only begun to scratch the surface of. Crafting, mini-bosses, secrets, tactics, etc. Eventually, you and your buddies will finally figure out how to put up a sizable resistance to the onslaught of monsters, freak weather, hunger and insanity. That's always a fun milestone to hit. You'll still get pounded into the dirt though, one way or another.

In my experience, the house always wins this game, so you have to enjoy the journey.