Wordsmith's Anvil

  Image courtesy of Fabled Games This is going to be a relatively short review, mainly because it's a relatively short game.     That's not to say that you can't pour hours upon hours into Pirates Outlaws , because you certainly can, but in terms of a storyline ushering you from a start to a finish... That's not really what's going on here.     Pirates Outlaws is a deck-building roguelike with a clear pirate theme. It is divided into multiple sections, or isles, that must be unlocked through playthroughs. Only one is ready at the offset, but it has varied choices as you sail the sea that make each run unique while you fight your way through thugs, drunks, and bosses to achieve treasures lying in wait. The Good There really is some good here for such a small little indie.     The art style is incredibly unique. The characters look like little paper cut-outs mishmashed together to create a character, and that works well for a game that isn't afraid to ke...

Image courtesy of Jessica Mastorakos & Michael Pritsos Wailing of newborns could be heard from down the hallway as the two officials strode quietly to the nursery. Each man carried a wax candle with a cupped hand to shield the flame. Upon entering the nursery, they broke apart and went to the infants. The room was still dim with four torches providing light from each corner. The younger official smiled as he looked down on the inquisitive faces of each boy and girl. “Jacob,” the older man called from the other side of the room. “Careful not to spill the wax.” “I know,” Jacob replied curtly. He rolled his eyes and felt a slight tension in the room as his superior trespassed into his mind. “ I know how to do my job,” Jacob thought flippantly. “I merely wished to remind you of the children’s fragility. Watch the flame,” Esau answered without looking at his young companion. Jacob guarded his thoughts and turned to the small girl before him. He held the candle above her cradle. The flam...

  Image Courtesy of Gunfire Games A few months ago I reviewed a game called Wayfinder . It was one of the first reviews that I've done, and I wanted to showcase it early on for a couple of reasons. For one, I had just finished it so as always I wanted to stay pertinent to what I am playing at the time. For two, it was made by Airship Syndicate, a company that I have grown fond of after playing Battle Chasers and Ruined King . There's a storied past here, but I'm not going to go into full detail for the sake of your time. Suffice to say that there was once a game studio called Vigil Games (the originators of the Darksiders series) that was established by a couple individuals named Joe Madureira (comic artist/developer Joe Mad) and David Adams. Vigil eventually went bankrupt and everyone had to go their separate ways, with some of company joining Airship Syndicate with Joe Mad and the others going with David Adams to start Gunfire Games.     Fast-forward into Gunfire's re...

Image courtesy of Room C Games & Croteam Strategy RPGs are a thing nowaday in more ways than one. They’re popular, and that popularity has led to variations within the genre. Some of them are straightforward. Some are deckbuilders. Some are roguelites. And some are combinations altogether. Game studios from big to small have started tapping into the tactical RPG market, and I think this probably has a lot to do with the ease of their development. Someone can make a game for peanuts, and it can sell like hotcakes if it’s actually done well. Hand of Merlin is a game that doesn’t look like would cost very much, but still tells a coherent story with enough variation from run to run to make it stand out against the others.      Hand of Merlin ’s story takes place from medieval England all the way to medieval Jersusalem. This crusade is conducted by three simple characters chosen by the player in the beginning of the run. They go from encounter to encounter, some combative ...

Image courtesy of Respawn & EA Recently I reviewed Andor , one of the greatest television series of all time in my humble opinion, and dove into a Star Wars mode for the thousandth time in my life. I played Outlaws and reviewed it, enjoying it for what it is. My brother had recommended Jedi: Survivor a couple years back when it came out and I had put it off. Fallen Order was frustrating to me, and a lot of it stemmed from playing as Cal Kestis.     Cal is the main character of the Jedi games. Motion-captured and voiced by Cameron Monaghan of Shameless fame, Cal starts Fallen Order as a former padawan trying to steer clear of the imperial hunters known as inquisitors. He is a whiner, and weak in a lot of moments where he needs to be strong. Nevertheless, Cal comes into his own through the game, ultimately defeating a couple of these inquisitors before moving on with a renewed sense of purpose towards his Jedi training.     Fastforward a few years and Ca...