Marc Kusnierz | Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 6:00PM Dungeon Color isn't the most challenging puzzle game in the world, but it does require one to step back, look at their surroundings, and figure out what needs to be done in order to proceed; for me, that's all I really want from a puzzle game. If that's all you want too, Dungeon Color is well worth checking out.
Marc Kusnierz | Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 6:00PM I wish I could tell you more about Kombinera. I wish I could give you in-depth, detailed information on what the game is and whether it might be for you. I wish I could do a lot of things--like dancing, playing guitar, and reading/speaking Japanese fluently--but I can't and that long list of "can't"s includes being informative about Kombinera. The reason for this is because I couldn't get past the controls. I don't know if it was me, the game, my TV, or a combination of all three, but I felt a noticeable input lag during my entire time with the game. Because of this, I dropped Kombinera after about 20 minutes. It's a shame, too, because I like the concept of Kombinera, a puzzle-platformer where you control multiple balls simultaneously and have to combine them in order to complete a level. It's a neat idea we don't see often and seems like a cool game, but thanks to off-feeling controls, I'll never know just how truly cool it is or isn't.
Marc Kusnierz | Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 6:00PM If you like classic arcade racers like Outrun, Rad Racer, Top Gear, and the like, you'll likely love Slipstream and hate how often I've already used "like" in this opening sentence; however, Slipstream does have an Achilles' heel. While Slipstream feels great to play--the drifting in particular is perfect thanks to how much control you're given--as good as it feels and as fun as it is, the visuals, while technically solid, bombard you with objects on both sides of the road so oppressively that it feels like someone is constantly rubbing broken glass in and around your eyes. How much this will annoy you is anyone's guess, but if you're like me, the visuals will quickly give you a headache and it's a shame that what is otherwise a great game is held back by a seemingly throwaway artistic choice.
Marc Kusnierz | Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 6:00PM On this episode of Attack the Backlog, I go on a roller coaster of love to like with Returnal, a third-person roguelite shooter that takes a lot inspiration from shmups and successfully translates it to a 3D environment. The gameplay is sublime, but because of the way it's structured, the game doesn't respect your time. What could have been one of my favorite games of all-time is, instead, just a game I liked and, well, that's fine.
Marc Kusnierz | Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 6:00PM Fluffy Cubed is a cute and fluffy little puzzle game and that's both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. While incredibly pleasant to look at, in large part because of its inviting pastel color palette, the puzzles are too easy and never increase in difficulty. Level 69 was as easy as Level 1 and, while that means it's probably great for young kids, it's not great for anyone over the age of eight. Unless you want some fast and easy achievements, you're better off spending your time and money elsewhere.
Marc Kusnierz | Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 6:00PM Splash Cars, a game where you bring color to a colorless world by driving around and leaving a trail of color behind you wherever you go, sounds like a good time and looks like one too; however, this de BLob-like with cars plays its entire hand way too fast and never does anything to keep things exciting or interesting after level one. You may be able to get a bit of mindless enjoyment from it for a half hour or so, but unless you like repetitive grinds, Splash Cars will disappoint you faster than Vin Diesel in a stock Mercury Tracer.
Marc Kusnierz | Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 6:00PM Super Dungeon Maker is the Legend of Zelda Maker you've all been waiting for...kind of; the foundation is strong, but, being the Early Access title it is, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Thankfully, as I've already stated, the foundation is strong--the core gameplay feels good, the art is fantastic, and while the tools your currently have are limited, using said tools to create dungeons is easy and intuitive whether using a controller or a mouse and keyboard. It may not have much content right now (and what user-created levels exist are not great), but the future looks bright and, if you jump in now knowing what to expect with a game that's in Early Access, I think you'll have a good time.
Marc Kusnierz | Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 6:00PM Young Souls has a lot of potential and might be a great game, but it spends so much of its opening hour talking your ear off that it's impossible to know how good the game is or what you'll spend the majority of your time doing, unless the whole game really just is, story story story, smidgen of gameplay, story story story. For this type of opening to work, the story has to be really good and Young Souls's story is not really good. It's not even kinda good. It's actually kinda bad, with forced foul language that feels out of place in a game that looks like it would be great for kids (and great for playing with kids if you're a parent). It's not all bad. What I did get to play, I liked, and I wasn't so turned off to put the game down for good, so here's to hoping the next hour is more gameplay than story because I'd love nothing more than to love Young Souls.
Marc Kusnierz | Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:00PM If you want to watch a video of someone sucking at The King of Fighters XV while talking about how they suck at The King of Fighters XV then this is the King of Fighters XV video for you! That said, if you're interested in hearing what someone who hasn't played a fighter in years thinks of The King of Fighters XV and if the game is accessible and welcoming for new players, this is also the video for you. Either way, I hope find at least some enjoyment from my suckiness, even if it's not the most informative of enjoyments.
Marc Kusnierz | Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 6:00PM
Spanning three chapters of five levels each across beautiful environments thanks to its simple but striking cartoony aesthetic, Agent Intercept puts you in the wheels of a transforming car tasked with taking down the evil organization, CLAW. In Fast and the Furious fashion, you’ll do a lot of drifting, mixed with over-the-top action, and a story so generic, you’ll forget it as you hear it. With only three buttons required for playing–one for moving left and right, one for boosting, and the last for gadgeting–anyone can feel like an action star, and the music goes a long way in bringing out those 60s spy vibes.
There are many explosions and high scores to chase, requiring combos you do not break, all of it culminating in a showdown between you and a giant mechanized scorpion. The gameplay loop is fun, but not without its faults. Boosting is a crucial mechanic , but the only way to gain boost is by letting your boost meter fill up on its own, or through pickups scattered across each level. You don’t get boost from drifting, stunts, or taking down enemies. This leads to a lot of down time where you’re not boosting and not boosting is not fun. The game is incredibly slow at normal speed, especially in boat form, feeling more like a stroll through the countryside than a high-octane adventure. You also need to be boosting as much as possible in order to keep your combo alive, so it’s not only important for making the game more enjoyable, but for completing certain objectives as well. If boost was rewarded for more actions, or the pickups were more plentiful, the gameplay loop would be a lot more satisfying.