35MM Needed More Time in the Darkroom 'Cause It's Seriously Underdeveloped | FIRST!

35MM throws you into post-apocalyptic Russia with just your buddy and a flashlight. In order to survive, you must explore the world in order to find supplies and maybe a few answers at the same time. This all sounds fine, uninspired, but fine; however, everything is lost the second you try and explore and get stopped in your tracks with the game flat out telling you, "No, no, no, no. There's nothing to see here. Please turn around and go back to where you're supposed to be." The game's constant reminders that it's a game and you can't actually do much of anything, takes away from any chance of getting immersed in the world and its story Because of that, I lost interest in 35MM after spending 45 minutes with the game. I can't say everyone will feel the same way, but if you don't like being guided while under the illusion of openness, 35MM won't for you.

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There's Nothing Curious About the Quality of Curious Expedition 2 | FIRST!

Curious Expedition 2 scratches that Oregon Trail itch. Instead of attempting to survive the Oregon trail with your family, you're attempting to survive various expeditions with your crew. Like Oregon Trail, Curious Expedition 2 is heavily reliant on randomization in order to make every playthrough unique; however, in spite of how much was out of my control, I never felt so overwhelmed into believing I was doomed to fail before I even began. I always had hope and that is exactly what I want from games like this. That said, remember that these are only my first impressions, so things may change as I put more time into the game, but, at first blush, Curious Expedition 2 is looking like a worthy game for anyone who likes the thrills that come with any good adventure.

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Super Cyborg Is Maybe a Little Bit Too Contra, but Contra Is Amazing, Soooo... | FIRST!

To say Super Cyborg was inspired by Contra would be putting it mildly when the first level of Super Cyborg is basically the first level of Contra. Now, this isn't a bad thing since Contra is one of the greatest games of all time (and Super Cyborg does a pretty good Contra impression), but it does mean you won't see, and shouldn't expect, much of anything unique in Super Cyborg; if that doesn't bother you, hell, it might even pique your interest, you'll be in for a good and challenging time, and one that won't cost you too many dimes.

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You Don’t Need to Be a Pungent Scholar to Solve the Puzzles in Dungeon Color | FIRST!

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.

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Kombinera Was Very Nera Good, But Control Issues Keep It as a Coulda Woulda Shoulda | FIRST!

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.

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Slipstream Has Looks That Could Kill, Potentially Literally for Some | FIRST!

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.

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How Returnal Went From an All-Time Great to a Game I’d Only Casually Date | Attack the Backlog

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.

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Fluffy Cubed Is Too Fluffy for Its Own Good | FIRST!

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.

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Splash Cars Shows Its Entire Hand in Level One and Never Becomes Any More Fun | FIRST!

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.

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Super Dungeon Maker Isn't Super Yet, but It's Got Potential | FIRST!

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.

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