RAVE: Indies' Lies

 It is time for another RAVE. After our last RANT, I have decided to bring it back to positivity. Funny enough tho for awhile, this RAVE might have been changed to our new category which is called 'OKAY' but after playing it again and at higher difficulties, I came around to appreciating it again. On that note: Let's talk Indies' Lies!

Indies' Lies is a surprisingly deep deck building rogulite created by Fun Square Games set in the fantasy world of Mecca. Even without the DLC, the game comes with 3 main classes whom are the Wizards, the Mechanist (my personal favorite class) and the Rangers with the Knights being added in the DLC the Alrayan Undertow. Each class comes with 3 main characters so you'll have a adequate pic of characters to use. The character art is one of the highlights even tho some of the female characters do spin towards Dragon's Crown top heavy-ness (players of the game y'all know whom I am talking about). Despite that, the male character are just as robust and heroic and there is some really good designs. It helps that the characters have 'character' because each one comes with their own exclusive story mode which is unique for this type of game and the story even expands into the main game. All in all, its a pretty game and you won't mind looking at it. The world is colorful the backgrounds are diverse and as par it's genre, the animation of what there is, is well made and illustrates the point of what you are doing, be it attacking, defending or casting spells.

However with the visuals being a highlight the audio and the very repetitive sound track is definitely a lowlight. I think I have maybe been spoiled by Hopoo's games and their super talented composer Chris Christodolou (RAVE about him still coming) but it being an indie game might mean one of the things they cut back on was the soundtrack. The music plays it safe and after awhile becomes nothing but background noise and half way through my full playthrough of the game I turned it off completely and started using my own soundtrack. I just turned it back on for this review and it sadly reminded me why I turned it off. Its not bad, it just not memorable and one thing I've noticed is a lot of indie games I've been enjoying lately also have very good soundtracks. Of course, Risk of Rain 2 and Deadbolt come to mind by Iratus: Lord of the Dead and Katana Zero also had some really good tunes. The actually sound effects, the grunts and sounds of slashing and blocking are also very serviceable but again nothing memorable. I honestly can see myself playing this game on mute and not missing much. It definitely does not detract from the game tho but it is worth a mention.

Where Indies' Lies does shine through is it gameplay. Clearly inspired by Slay the Spire (another amazing deck building rogulite which helped me get into the genre) and other deck builders like it, Indies' Lies is all about turned based battles as your explore a dangerous grid of randomize enemies and events. Along the way, stop at some stores, heal at alters and plot your way to the end boss of 3 challenging areas. Along the way, you earn and trade for cards to help build your deck/ build you are aiming for. Wanna go hog-wild and do nothing but stab folks? Go for it. Poison is your jam? That is possible. Want to be become such a tank that 94 damaging hits from enemies just tickles you? Yep you can do that too. The game does not feel restrictive at all and eventually you'll find something that suits you and your playstyle. Like all deck builders, finding your own synergies and broken OP combos is half of the fun.

However if it was a carbon copy of Slay the Spire (which some haters have called it on Steam) it would not be a RAVE and I would not be telling y'all about it. However Indies' Lies brings of it's own unique nuances to the board and those are what made me enjoy it more.

First are 'Rune' cards. Runes are simply utility cards, some give you extra energy to play more cards, some let you restore health, some help you recall a banished card, some help you inflict poison on enemies. Rune cards by themselves are helpful but where the fun really comes in is when you combined the Rune cards with your battle cards. Now your battle card does 6 damage x 6 now poisons the opponent as well. How about the gaining double the energy but also being able to recall a card you just banished which was previously only usable once or my personal favorite, energy cards that lower the cost of battle cards so a massive nuke card that does 60+ damage goes from a 2 energy card to a ZERO energy card. Rune cards when used correctly can really change the game and the game even has a feature where you can even add Runes to cards who did not have Rune spots by 'Punching' it at the Blacksmith or adding extra Rune slots for really powerful cards to make them even more powerful.

The second unique element of Indies' is the ability to play with a team. After beating a stage you can add a partner whom uses a deck different then yours. Partner do not have their full deck of abilities (because that would be broken) but the abilities they do bring can be very helpful in a pinch and some can really turn the tides. Again the customization in the 'main' game allows you to choose out of 3 partners each time you beat a stage or if you want to, even forego a partner and get a extra buff. This unique mechanic turns it from just a deck builder into a Squad deck builder as well. I enjoyed making a team which is catered to my build and the flexibility it brought. I could have a squad member like Daniel (a mage) be my healer and Rohan (a knight) be my tank whilst I'm the main damage dealer. This flexibility and customization made each run unique in its own way.

However as I mentioned about, Indies' Lies almost was a OKAY and not a RAVE because as I was playing it, I started getting bored of some of the elements. It also did not help that one of the story modes I was playing had a very broken boss and I felt their was no way around him. I tried to fight this boss multiple times and he kept wiping the floor with me and my team to the point where I almost gave up. I, however had a change of heart and I began exploring and like how Risk of Rain 2 rewards you for doing certain objectives, I realized Indies' had a similar way of rewarding achievements. Play at higher difficulty levels (which there is a lot!) unlock more cards, beat a certain character a certain way, another unlock. Beat the main game with no partners, unlock. This different way of approaching the game and forcing me to play ways I had not tried before really revitalized my interest in it and the OKAY became a RAVE again and that is why we are here. I am still unlocking more difficulties (some which are really challenging and force me to think outside of the box) and I finally found a way to beat the OP boss I mentioned above by doing just that. Surprisingly most Roguelites I've enjoyed playing I start with playing for fun and then ramp up the challenge with subsequent playthroughs and Indies' Lies has tapped that need in me as well.

In conclusion, if you are a fan of the genre, enjoy strategic based gameplay, like cool kind of anime/ kind of high fantasy art or just a big fan of boobs (I had to throw it in there... sorry). Indies' Lies might scratch that itch for you. I think you'll find it worthwhile and have fun with it because would I lie to you?

AV

My Risk of Rain 2 Tier List: Part 2

 So we have arrived at the S tier, the creme de la creme. Gentle reminder what our tier list looks like below and if you want my thoughts on the lower tiers make sure you check out my Part 1 of my tier list

Bringing in the back end of the tier list is the Huntress. It is funny, the Commando and the Huntress are both by default unlocked so I guess they are both 'starter' characters and they do fit that mold. However with Commando bringing up the backend of the A tiers, Huntress is a whole tier list above him (ironically also at the back end. No pun intended tho I know there is a sub-set of Huntress' fans obsessed with her bootay but lol y'all are weird). To be honest, when I heard Huntress was a glass canon type I did not flock to her and I actually only used the Commando when I first started. What a mistake that was. Huntress with her aim assist, high movement and traversal but still be able to pick off enemies is what really get into the groove of Risk of Rain 2 and she was the first Survivor I beat the game with. I recently did a run with her and just a quick play I was reminded why I enjoyed playing her so much and why she deserves her spot at the top. Also once you unlock her 'Ballista' skill it is hands down one of my favorite alternate skills especially when compared to much lack luster 'Arrow Rain'. If she did not have Ballista I would actually put her lower then Loader on the previous tier, that skill alone make her that more fun to use.

Much higher then Huntresses is Bandit. I remember when I first start using Bandit and he blew my mind away. The micro-play you can enjoy with Bandit makes him one of the most consistently fun characters to use for me. Using 'Smoke Screen' for traversal but also to get to enemies backs so you can abuse his 'Backstab' passive and do double damage. Using his 'Burst' primary but consciously double tapping so you get the best damage from his rifle and my favorite thing with him, constantly resetting his special 'Lights Out' by one shotting a annoying Wisp, reset the cooldown so you can one shot the next Wisp and so on. That became a mini-game in itself and really ups the skill ceiling with him. Top it off with 2 of the coolest skins and Ibzan inspired alternative becomes even cooler if you played and enjoyed Hopoo's other game 'Deadbolt' (make sure you check out my RAVE about that). Out of all the characters (so far) I can see myself doing back to back runs with Bandit and not getting bored at all.

Right next to Bandit is Mercenary. Now as I've mentioned in my previous post about him, Mercenary started as the character I thought I would gravitate towards and then as I started playing the game more I thought a pure melee character wouldn't suit the frantic speed of RoR 2. However how wrong I was. Mercenary when built correctly and in some certain builds (the Lysate cell build I've previously mentioned) breaks the game completely. You want to be Vergil from Devil May Cry? Mercenary will give you that vibe. Combined with some of the best micro-play like learning how to boost yourself to insane heights with 'Trimping', exposing multi enemies with his 'Exposed' debuff and my personal favorite, learning how to use his momentum to smash big flying enemies into the terrain. I mentioned in my previous blog how I would like the Loader more if I was able to master her traversal skills, will I've gotten pretty good with the Mercenary's skill set and its a rush like no other hence him being my third favorite Survivor

Coming in runner up and whom might have won the competition if I never bought the DLC is the Captain. The Captain can be summed up with one word. Shotgun. Never has a primary been more satisfying to use then the Captain's shotgun. It's feedback is amazing, the damage is chef's kiss and the audio design for it just makes you want to keep using it. Cap's shotgun alone makes up for the fact he has a lackluster secondary and he has very situational utilities and special. However nothing beats getting a Legendary chest for free because you choose the 'Hacking' beacon or purposely putting a 'Shock' beacon at the teleporter area and seeing tons of enemies stuck in shock field. His passive 'microbots' also have a charm being they protect Captain from a lot of ranged attacks and makes certain annoying enemies much easier to manage *cough* blind pest *cough*. Captain is made even better with mods because for story reasons he can't use the beacons or his air strikes in certain zones but the mods remove that restriction and now you can air-strike to your hearts content. He also such a cool aura to him especially in his Admiral alternative skin and trust me, you have no lived until you killed the final boss of the game Mithrix with a supply beacon. Hell, the game even encourages you to do it to unlock one of his best meme specials the 'Diablo' strike.

Finally, my favorite character in the game originally to my surprise is the Railgunner. This DLC character changed how I played RoR 2 for the better and nothing beats sniping folks in their weak spots for CRAZZZZY damage. When I first picked up the Railgunner it took me a minute to get used to her nuances and how her attack switches to her FPS view when she is about to shoot but as I mentioned with Mercenary and Bandit, certain character 'micro-play' makes them even more fun to play so it became a game to always line up that perfect shot and to time my reload also perfectly to get a boost on my next shot. The addiction I get from Bandit's 'Lights Out' loop I also tapped into with Railgunner but on a much more damaging scale. Even with basic items, Railgunner is a beast and the character I normally play when I want an engaging fun run in RoR 2 hence why she is number one. Also she is surprisingly mobile and can traverse with the best of them thanks to 'Concussion device' and using it to boost  her overall movement speed. I could go on about why Railgunner is so much fun to use but trust, once you learn how to use her, you'll understand. I always gravitated toward sniper characters to with Flint from Brute Force (a awesome Xbox original squad shooter that should have gotten more love) was always one of my favorite characters too and Railgunner scratches that itch. She also has one of the best alternative skins in the game making her resemble the Sniper from Risk of Rain.

Railgunner is "numba one" hence she gets two pics. 

So that's that. I might revisits this at a later time after my Loader, Artificer and REX replays but for now, this is my tier list for my favorite Survivors to play in Risk of Rain 2. Drop your faves in the comment section if you have your own thoughts.

AV

My Risk of Rain 2 Tier list: PART 1

 As promised, we won't be forgetting about Risk of Rain 2 even tho we are not playing it as much as we used too. A couple months ago when I finished my Void Fiend run I made a tier list that I have not shared yet but replaying Bandit today reminded me how fun he is so I've decided to publish it now.

Now this is my tier list based on fun, not OP-ness (because eventually everyone can become OP with the right items/ set up). No, this tier list is based on who I consider the most fun especially early game when the survivors' strengths shine the most.

Coming in dead last in the C tier is the Heretic. In all honesty, the Hectic is very low because you can not pick her from the start of the game. She is a special character you need to unlock piece by piece and whilst she is pretty strong and has a triple jump, I really did not think I enjoyed playing her that much. Sure she has some unique mechanics like using Ruin after stacking tons of debuffs on folks or holding them in place with her Slicing Maelstrom ability but the early micro management of her perma health debuff and no way to change up your abilities (which every other Survivor can do) makes her a decent character but definitely a last pick for me.

The lowest rank of the B tier begins with the Artificer sadly. When I first started RoR 2 I actually thought I would have fun with the Artificer and her unique movement/ floating mechanic. I actually picked her up third after Commando and Huntress but as I played her more, I found her rather restricting and you need to do a lot of on the fly play. Placing her Snapfreeze ice wall correctly, making sure you do not dash when casting her flamethrower cause it'll cancel it, making sure you keep an eye on your primary because you can't rapid fire with it (unlike the rest of the cast). Now unlike the Heretic I think I might re-visit the Artificer and see if I can find a build that'll make her more enjoyable to play esp with the buff to fire attacks and fire centric items included in the DLC. I also played her early in my RoR 2 runs so I was not used to the mechanics and nuances of the game yet.

Right after her is MUL-T. MUL-T is a strange one, whilst I did not connect with Artificer's mechanics for MUL-T it is the general aesthetics I can not connect with. Sure he has one of the most versatile tool kits (pun intended) for their primary attack and a unique ability to carry multiple equipment which definitely comes in handy, I did not like his movement options nor his secondary. On top of that, I only enjoyed playing him once I download a character mod that turned him into a robo dinosaur because before that both his skins are very lacking. Whilst the Artificer will get a revisit soon, MUL-T may stay at the bottom of the scrap heap.

Also to no surprise, the Engineer comes up next. The Engineer unique turret based/ protect a spot playstyle was always a hard sell to me. One of the things I enjoy most of RoR 2 is how mobile you can be and how you can just traverse big areas with some simple speed items. However Engineer's playstyle is the opposite of that and in the end I enjoyed him but not enough to keep using him. One thing I'll say tho is with the 'Command' artifact that lets you pick your items, you can make the Engineer OP very quickly and the game becomes a breeze. I recall my Monsoon run with him being super easy even despite playing on the hardest difficulty.

The highest in the B tier is Acrid. Whilst I like the 'Poison doggo' memes as much as the next person, Acrid's fun playstyle for me really falls apart in the later game when enemies are less affected by his poison and getting up and close with some enemies in the later game as a melee Survivor can be a suicide mission. Sure you can leap from spot to spot like the Hulk but that is also a bit hard to control sometimes and you can leap over things you need. Fun to play just to muck around with not fun enough to rise above B tier.

Last in the A tier aka fun for occasional runs but not main is the ubiquitous Commando. One of the starting characters and easiest to pick up and the character I played for the longest time whilst getting used to the game. For a long time I thought I would only used Commando until I started unlocking the other Survivors. Commando is amazing when you just want to point and shoot and he is perfect for that. His skill complement this playstyle very well and some of his unlockable skills like his Tactical Slide and Phase Blast make him even more fun to play. Also it is something about hitting folks with his Suppressive Fire special and stacking debuffs on them which is so satisfying. The only reason why he is not higher is his simplicity is also his curse. After awhile you want to do more and the game has so much freedom that playing with a straight line when you can make angles and circles feel restricting. Amazing starting character tho so kudos to Hopoo for a perfect entry point into the game and to teach us the mechanics.

Ironically, the next A tier Survivor is the Void Fiend which a lot people say is a corrupted by the Void commando. Much like the Commando, the Void Fiend has a very simple game plan but their ability to go from a non-corrupted state to a corrupted state and completely change their abilities is what makes them shine above the ones below them. Sure you got to micro manage something again but unlike Heretic's micro management of her health, you can easily control Void Fiend's corruption and really unleash it when you need it. To go from a distance specialist where it's primary Drown has infinite range to an almost blaster effect when it changes into Corrupted Drown. Also their traversal abilities are amazing for getting to hard to reach places and makes them a threat all the time. The Void Fiend was the last Survivor I played and its a real testament to it's design that I instantly enjoyed using them.

REX is up next and well I can say I was pleasantly surprised by him. Definitely not the most aesthetic pleasing character but unlike MUL-T whom I feel does not have a unique personality REX has a strange charm to them that make me like him more. I can not even describe it but the first time I saw them tunnel through the ground and push things away with their secondary ability DIRECTIVE: Disperse or its alternate Bramble Volley I loved it. Combine with one of the funniest interactions by using Tangling Growth ability to draw people into things (including slamming the hidden Alloy Worship Unit boss into a pillar for hella damage) makes REX a pick I would do for fun more often then not. Also again the micro managing of health is so much easier cause he has many ways to get it back. REX is a great example of changing the gameplay loop in a way where you are not just pointing and shooting and instead using terrain to your advantage. Heck one of the ways to unlock their alternate skill was to push a Dune Strider boss into a hole. It was an amazing feeling.

Just falling outside of the S tier is traversal queen the Loader. Remember when I mentioned earlier I love movement in this game? My God, the feeling you get when you swing from place to place at break neck speed with the Loader is a rush like no other. Combining that with a powered up punch that decimates life bars and you have a real fun time. Whilst I definitely lack in the skill department to use the Loader to her maximum potential I still enjoyed using her. I also love how the developers knew you'll be flying off things are being rocketed out of bounds so much that she does not have a fall damage penalty. Loader also can get into the thick of things and swing 'dez hands' with impunity because she also gets a mini shield as she smacks them. I believe if I spent more time getting down the nuances of speedy travelling with them she would definitely join the S tier. 

Speaking of S tier this list is getting long so we will doing a part 2 with the S tier and my explanations why they belong their in a couple days. Please stay tuned for it.

AV

RANT: Tekken 8

 As I think back on this weekend, I remember nothing but fond memories. I hanged out with some good friends, met some new people and met some new but not new people (Hi Cinn). You see this weekend specifically Saturday was Cincy Clash. Technically it was the second one but it was the first one at the new Arcade Legacy location in Sharonville and it had a great atmosphere for tournaments and everything.

There was multiple fighting games being played and even tho I am competent in a couple of them I only played one game and that was Tekken 7 and its the only fighting game I've been playing competitively for 8 years now. Before that it was Tekken 6 and Tekken 5, Tekken Tag 1 and 2. I guess the main point I am making is, I play Tekken. So it might come to a surprise to some people when I say this out-loud and with much authority, I will not be playing Tekken 8. I will not invest anytime in it and definitely will not be playing it competitively like I've done with every previous Tekken mentioned above, going ALL the way back to Tag 1.

I won't lie, this is not a decision I came to easily, after all I have dedicate a good chunk of my life to Tekken and for me to not be excited when a new installment comes out might sound a bit ridiculous but it is the truth. Every single trailer, every piece of information, every character art shared keeps telling me this game is not for me and it was not made for my sensibilities.

Breaking it down, we can go with the petty things first. I do not like how it looks. This upgrade Unreal engine has given the graphics an upgrade but I personally felt nothing was wrong with the graphic fidelity of previous Tekkens. Now all the men are grossly muscular in a way that I associated more with NRS games and that is not a compliment. On top of that, the default outfits they have are just overly busy with way too many accessories and un-necessary clutter. The women do not have the overly muscular look thankfully but their outfits too unfortunately suffer from the same aesthetic of being too busy and trying to do too much with the accessories. Before Tekken 8, we had some complex outfits but they were always reserved for special 'Player 3' slots. Now, Tekken 8 they make the overly messy outfits the default ones and if you want the regular outfits similar to the ones of Tekken past, you'll need to actual choose them they are not the defaults. I guess they want to again flex the graphic fidelity of the new engine but having more details but to me personally, it is too much and very off putting.

Also in the same department, Tekken 8 seems obsessed with hit sparks and making them even bigger and more flashier then before. It is even a meme now and of course Tekken has always been known for it more visual flare wherein it's fighting game cousin Virtua Fighter steered away from it going all the way back to the original games but this one, they have gone into maximum overdrive with the particle effects, the hit sparks and just everything. Its a mess and I really feel it will detract from the game in a way competitors will not enjoy. Now I know, I know, there is supposed to be an option to turn it down coming with the game but I can only go with what I have seen and what I have seen, I do not like. The backgrounds now have an almost Dead Or Alive look to them with more hyper realism but that realism is thrown out the window when a man is flying at you with sparks coming out of every hole.

Some people are aware and some are not but Tekken 8 is the first Tekken to be out-sourced to other people. Normally the Tekken project handles most of the work but this time Namco Bandai has saw it fit to bring in Arika of Fighting EX Layer fame to 'help' and you can clearly see their influence in design and more. Now some people say its to help with online infrastructure which Arika has made progress with especially with their version of rollback netcode but you can clearly see Arika's influence has also rolled over (pun intended) to character designs and even how the game plays.

With that note; we have reached the crux of the matter and the main reason why I will not be playing Tekken 8. From what I've seen so far, I do not like how it will play and listening to the main head behind Tekken, Harada say he does not like footsies and proper spacing. Harada seems to looking at Tekken from a spectator's point of view so he wants more engagement, more aggression on both sides to the point where the new system 'HEAT' is focused completely on that. They want this focus to be so much on aggression that certain stapes of previously Tekken that stopped aggression are completely removed. Now counter hit wake up kicks no longer knockdown or cause a juggle, counter hit standing kicks (aka the Magic 4) no longer juggle for any character, all tools you could use to stop overly aggressive players from constantly pushing the advantage is now gone. It almost comical how they could remove such core elements from so many previous successful games and want us instead to play with a game that encourages a quick low hitting kick that can trigger Heat into more combo options into a juggle starter. This is the type of stuff that made Akuma and Eliza reviled and now they are giving it to everyone? I guess since they can't balance it for them so they will just give it to everyone else.

This focus on constant rush-down would have appealed to Phil of the past where I really liked to play a 'pit-bull' playstyle but as I got better at Tekken I realized how important spacing was, the thrill of a good whiff punish and most of all, the knowledge that I could now play both styles of an aggressor or a defender and I could switch on the fly. Tekken 8 does not want me to do that. It wants me to play the aggressor and push me away from playing a more compact defensive minded game. Heat on activation on hit or even block cause you to rush towards you opponent into a mix-up and you can tell it heavily borrows from Street Fighter 6 'Drive' system but again not something Tekken did before for all characters. Sure Claudio had something similar with his 'Rage Drive' but now everyone can do it and it takes away from Claudio's uniqueness. In the more extreme example, Akuma and Geese also had meter based offense that caused them to rush forward on activation and continue the offense and a lot of people did not like that so what does Tekken 8 do? Double down on it. You can see Arika's influence because their own franchise Fighting EX Layer also has a system based around rushing down on hit or block and gives more credence to my belief they are helping with more then just the netcode.

Now do not get me wrong. I was once very interested in playing Fighting EX Layer, heck I still want to pick it up one day eventually. However FEXL is its own franchise, its own beast and if I wanted to play with FEXL systems or Street Fighter 6 systems I would play those games. I do not need those systems baked into a game which did not have those systems before and only put in because the game director does not like footsies.  Just like how I do not mind Mortal Kombat's aesthetics in a Mortal Kombat game or Dead or Alive's wall explosions causing more extended combo routes. Those elements in those games give them an identity and I personally feel Tekken is losing its identity to keep up with these games. Instead of focusing on what made Tekken a great game and even a successful game (the sales figures for Tekken 7 do not lie) they are borrowing from others to keep up with the masses and it is clear and obvious Tekken 8 is a Tekken only in its name and characters.

Ever since I have resurrected my blog, most of my posts have been pretty positive with a lot of RAVES about games I have really enjoyed or are enjoying. However this blog series also had RANTS before and those were reserved for when I did not enjoy something or did not like something. It is sad but my first RANT for this new format is all about Tekken 8, a game series I have dedicated a lot of time and even enjoyed playing but now I can honestly say I will not anymore.

Will I change my mind once it actually becomes playable for the masses? Maybe but I also feel that is unlikely. This Tekken journey has been a ride but I believe with Tekken 8 I've reached my stop and I am fine with that.

AV

UPDATES: Ghost Song, Indies' Lies & A Rant

 Just a quick blog update to let y'all know I'm still planning on putting out blog's weekly (even tho this one was delayed... oop). Also a preview of what coming up next.

First, a RANT. This will be the first Rant since I've came back to blogging on the regular. People who know me won't be surprised but some might be on the subject of this Rant. I won't say more and let the Rant speak for itself but it should be out soon.

Also a RAVE for Indies' Lies.

Whilst I am not as high on it as I was when I first started playing it, I am still a fan and I enjoyed it. Definitely a nice deck building rogue-lite (also helped me understand what type of rouge-lites I enjoy the most) with some cool elements and ideas.

Finally, Ghost Song

This one is a bit more complex. Whilst I am enjoying it but I definitely have some issues with it that border on more frustration then challenging. I've nearly completed it so I think I'll reserve my final judgement until I've done that but right now I foresee it being neither a RANT or a RAVE. I think for the first time in RANTS & RAVES we will introduce a new category which is OKAY.

All of these blogs will be popping up soon so please check them out when they go live.

I also realized I kind of need a signature for when I finish these blogs so I've decided to go with a simple yet fitting...

AV.

RAVE: Deadbolt

 

        As the above soundtrack accompanies my key strokes, I'm trying to find words that describe what an experience 'Deadbolt' is. As I hit the 80% completed mark, I still feel like I am barely scratching the surface on how such a simple game can be also be so complex and nuanced.

        First, the premise is pretty straight forward. You are Deadbolt, the living embodiment of death, a reaper whose sole mission is to send the dead back where they belong. You are helped in your mission with a fireplace whom gives you missions and Charon who is the ferryman of the dead and in this case, a merchant and arms man. Along the way you'll face zombies, vampires, skeletons, demons and more. You are armed to the teeth, equipped with the ability to travel as smoke through vents and manholes but there is one big catch. You die after one hit and its back to the start for you. No bonfires save points, no second chances resurrection, either you get it right or you die. Perfect for the guy who likes to die in video games.

             The game made by Hopoo Games (of Risk of Rain 2 fame and how I found about it) in itself looks pretty simple and even tho its a bit old by today's standards (it came out in 2016) even when it did come out, it had a very simplistic approach that gave it a retro almost 16 bit feel. However it still feels like a modern game and that is the most important thing. You move as fast (or as slow) as you feel and everything is fine tuned to your reactions. Your trigger finger better be ready too cause a precise aim is always needed cause one miss and you'll likely ended up dead. Speaking of quick reactions, 'Deadbolt' is the first game where I've seriously invest in learning Keyboard & Mouse (K&M) for. Sure, I've played deck roguelikes like Indies' Lies (RAVE coming soon) and Iratus: Lord of the Dead but they were more simplistic and were not action centric games. With 'Deadbolt' you use the keyboard to move and the mouse to aim and shoot and I definitely had growing pains plenty. For awhile I was even going to give up on the game because it did not have controller support but I've stuck with it and now I feel much more comfortable playing it. My hands still get cramps occasionally but most playthroughs are short bite-sized mission and then I take a break.

        However one of the reasons why this game gets a RAVE is because I always come back to it. I've been playing on and off for the last month and I just can't get enough of its mixture of stealth with all out guns blazing dual wielding face offs. All the while, the game pushes you to get better with a ranking system that ranks you based on how fast you completed a mission, how many times you died and more. Its a very addictive gameplay loop and once you really get the hang of it, you'll understand why you want to keep going until you beat that one stage that had thwarted you at every turn. That said mission took me a 100+ tries before I beat it and not at one point did I feel I want to quit. Its that addictive.

        Another reason why I keep coming back is how each mission is structured to be something different every-time, so far not one mission resembles another to the point where it feels like a re-trend. Be in a mission where you got to kill 2 vampire sisters but they are each other's lifelines so you need to slay them back to back to prevent one from resurrecting the other one. Or the zombie kingpin who has an army of soldiers at his disposal which you need to navigate around. Or the trap master whose whole house is booby trap and your only way to get to them is to figure out what triggers what through painful death after painful death. Every-time the fireplace gives me a mission, I know its going to be something that pushes me to my limits and the elation when I beat it, it is similar to when I takedown a super hard boss in a Souls game.

        Also, a lot needs to be said about the sound design. The crisp sounds of the guns, the loud bombs from a well placed explosive and the firm whack of a sledgehammer. Its all so perfect and when you combine the amazing OST provide by Chris Christodolou with bangers like the song above and also transcendent tracks like 'Blood on the Dancefloor' and 'Heynong Man' you actually don't mind hearing the same song because you keep dying. Once again, Chris Chris deserves his own RAVE and it's coming soon.

                                            (peep this amazing artwork by Bluerogue)

        Also as a low-key achievement hunter, this game definitely has some challenging achievements that'll keep me trying new strategies and some unique approaches to the game, for example; I recent completed the challenge where all my kills had to be headshots and that was fun and there are similar ones which I wish to attempt. 'Deadbolt' also has custom made levels created by fans that'll be fun to play around with and of course, like all my PC games these days, I definitely want to check out what mods are available.

        All in all, for a surprisingly cheap game ($9.99 when its not on sale) if you like this type of game and challenge, you'll get a lot of playtime from it and have a lot of fun along the way. The last part is me shining the spotlight on a fan who wrote this in the comments for 'Blood on the Dancefloor' video and it resonated with me and really sums up how cool 'Deadbolt' is.

            "The music is deafening and the strobe lights are blinding. They don't mind however, they died years ago. Their youthful visage is striking with their deathly pale skin. They dance and celebrate endlessly, thinking they cheated death. They haven't cheated death; they are merely in debt. For tonight, I come to collect." - veiga1000