4PGP (PC, PS5, NS2, NSW) Review

After an unplanned absence and hiatus from the site for real-life reasons, I'm back in the driver's seat in more ways than one with a new review on SuperPhillip Central. It's 4PGP, offering a veritable who's who of racing game talent behind it and lots of arcade-y action in racing form. Here's the full SPC review--and not a moment too soon!

Start your engines and potentially some frustration, too.

I truly miss the era of arcade racing games. I'm talking about games like Virtua Racing, Ridge Racer, Daytona USA, etc. that don't appear in the modern gaming landscape. 4PGP (or Four-Player Grand Prix) brings with it the spirit of retro arcade racing games of that caliber with some talent that appreciates the era as well. 

For one, the game is directed by Jonathan Marole, a man who has worked on titles like The Crew and Test Drive Unlimited, while also having Kenji Sasaki, director of Virtua Racing and Sega Rally, involved too. Then, on the music front we have Tomoyuki Kawamura, whose past works include the aforementioned Virtua Racing and Sega Rally Championship. The talent is no doubt here, and it's awfully prevalent from the moment you start a race in 4PGP.

The feel of racing your formula-one vehicle is amazing. There's enough weight and tightness to the controls that it's simple to pick up and play the game. You won't have to worry about a simulation here, as 4PGP is pure unadulterated arcade racing action. From performing turns that require you to lean in on the inside of a curve or brake to not overshoot, to speeding down straightaways, the racing feels great, the sense of speed is immense, and it all handles beautifully.

Do you have the need for speed? Well, 4PGP will definitely sate it with its high-speed skirmishes.

The 14 tracks in 4PGP (three per cup, and two that unlock later on down the road) take you all across the world, from the United Kingdom to France to Japan. Turns are well choreographed, so you're seldom required to keep an eye on the mini-map for any reason other than to determine the amount of your lead (or in my case in later difficulties, how far behind the leader you are). 

Speaking of difficulties, 4PGP lures players into a false sense of security. If you start off with the Rookie difficulty, you'll find yourself easily breaking from the pack, maintaining large leads, and having a relatively easy go of racing. Novice brings about some added challenge, offering races that are much closer. That said, the distance in difficulty between Novice and the next level of races becomes a bit too large. What remains in the final difficulty is best left unsaid, as it requires a level of racing expertise that most players besides seasoned veterans most likely won't reach. The CPU is supremely punishing here and not always in a fun way. (Okay, I lied and actually said it instead!)

We may be at the middle of the pack, but there's plenty of race to go!

And that's okay, considering 4PGP would be a boring game if you could just speed through all four difficulties with ease. Instead, the latter difficulties do require the ability to read the tracks well, slipstream opponents, use the boost function sparingly but also smartly, enter into pit lane when needed at apt times, and pretty much run flawless races with perfect racing lines, applying the brake subtly to best take turns.

While there is a racing assist option available, perfect for beginning players or those who can't quite get immediate heads or tails on racing lines, it's somewhat of a handicap (and one not in your favor) in later difficulties, as it restricts you to essentially the same racing line as your CPU opponents. 

Like any racer of this type, following and executing the correct racing line is the key to victory.

My only real gripe with the difficulty settings of 4PGP other than the immense level of skill required to win on the hardest difficulty (a level of skill I decidedly did not have) is that vehicle stats are not balanced whatsoever. There is always a class of cars that is required to race in to stand a chance (or drive a chance, perhaps in this case). The starting set of vehicles do not hold a candle stat-wise and especially speed-wise to the sets and series of rides that you unlock as you beat various cups. This makes multiplayer a bit unbalanced. If a player picks a low-class vehicle, they might as well wave the flag in surrender if their opponent picks a higher class car (and that's waving the white flag and not the checkered flag).

As stated, 4PGP isn't just racing with no frills. There's some nuance here to keep the experience from feeling or being simplistic. For one, there is the boost function, which with the press of the left bumper instills your vehicle with a temporary higher speed. It isn't too pronounced, either, which might put off some players expecting a more prominent burst of speed. 

And while early difficulties don't really require keeping an eye on your tires, later ones practically require it. As you race, your vehicle's tires degrade, especially upon going off the track onto the tarmac, taking turns too fast, and so forth. The more wear and tear, as well as damage to your tires there is, the less accurate your steering becomes. This is where entering pit lane for a quick pit stop becomes mandatory. Successfully completing a short quick-time event style mini-game grants you full boost energy once more as well as fixes up your tires in a jiffy. 

Take a pit stop like the one seen here if your tires are in serious disarray.

4PGP is quite the looker on the track with impressive blur effects when blasting forward on the track to present a sensational sense of speed. This sense of speed is also mightily helped by the 60 FPS frame-rate that is as ever-present as the need to take turns well to win. The first two laps of each race is mostly accompanied by the roar of your vehicle's engine with periodic musical jingles to start each lap. It's on the final lap that the music kicks in, letting you know that the race is at its most serious apex. It works and works well here.  

4PGP is certainly quite kind on the eyes, but remember to focus on the track and not the sights if you wish to win!

4PGP delivers racing thrills with a modest amount of frills. While so many racing games nowadays chase after realism and simulation in the feel to their controls, 3goo's 4PGP is unapologetic in how it harks back to the classic era of arcade racing games. The lack of online multiplayer and steep challenge may turn off some players, however. For everyone else, 4PGP speeds past the finish line in sublime style while adding some subtle substance here and there to make for a worthwhile racer.

[SPC Says: C+] 

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire (Multi) Review

A weekend review shoots onto the scene with Mouse: P.I. For Hire. My investigation proved fruitful, offering word of a game that certainly surprised and delighted. Here's the SuperPhillip Central review. 

A Completionist's Noir-tmare

Saturday. 2:00 P.M. I parked my keister at my office chair and started rat-a-tat-tattin' at the keys like an hot Tommy Gun in hopes of finishin' my review. Like the Circuit de la Sarthe, this game I was coverin' had lots of twists, turns, and was just about as dangerous. This particular game had everything--mystery, intrigue, mice, and enough cheese to smile to one-thousand different photos. It was time to put my reviewin' skills to the test and start chattin' about Mouse: P.I. For Hire. 

...Okay, okay. I cannot keep up this Noir detective monologue bit for an entire review, so let's just get to it.

Immediately from the get-go, Mouse: P.I. For Hire delights, delivering a black and white cartoon-y art style reminiscent of Disney's Steamboat Mickey short. I was immensely amazed by just how fluid everything looked, shooting through guns blazing and seeing enemy heads pop, revealing a fountain of... let's say, ink. Yes, this is a gorgeous and well done game graphically, fully realized and nailing its cartoon aesthetic, and I'm pleased to say that it certainly holds up in the gameplay department as well.

While the enemy variety in Mouse: P.I. For Hire isn't the highest, offering a small mix of run-at-you melee
foes or faraway shooting types, it's still quite satisfying to blast them all down.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is essentially a DOOM-like in that its levels are labyrinthine areas full of corridors, rooms, spaces, and myriad secrets while having you run, gun, and jump your way through them, mowing down or punching out everything in your P.I.'s path. 

You begin the game with nothing else but Jack's pistol, a Micer, and his fists. However, as the game and case go on, you'll acquire a shotgun, T.N.T. dynamite to chuck at foes and literally signposted walls, a riff off of a Tommy Gun called a James Gun, and more. The more inventive weapons are earned later in the game, such as the hot glue-shooting Devarnisher that melts the skin off your foes in real time, as well as a gun that fires a freezing ray to chill enemies into ice cubes, perfect for shattering. 

I'm rubber, and you're glue. Particularly hot glue. The kind that melts your skin off, bub!

Of course, that's not to mention all of the abilities that Jack learns throughout his case, such as the ability to twirl his tail to slow his descent in order to make it across large gaps or rise up air shafts, a double jump, the ability to wall run along specially marked walls, and more.  

All of these weapons and abilities do a great job in giving you a lot of options in firefights to experiment and take out baddies in a way that suits your play style. You'll certainly gets a multitude of opportunities to do so, as Mouse: P.I. For Hire really loves locking you in a large, expansive room and forcing you to clear the room out of enemies that pour in through doors with skulls on the top of them. 

Nothin' like the great outdoors to not feel so claustrophobic! 

Generally speaking, this is a common occurrence throughout the game's 10-20 hour campaign, and you get a sixth sense, sorta, of when these rooms will happen. It doesn't help that they happen so often that it can get a bit repetitive, even with all of the combat options available to you, whether that be running and gunning, jumping and shooting at exploding barrels to obliterate a squad of enemies at once, or even shooting a hanging prop like an anvil to crush an enemy as it stands below it.

By far the highlight for combat and being able to use multiple methods to dispatch baddies was that of the bosses in Mouse: P.I. For Hire. The game has a motley crew of foes to take on, and these aren't just "shoot 'em till their dead" type affairs. The best of these boss battle bunches include ones that feature attack patterns to avoid, evade, and dodge as you unleash a furious flurry of firepower and bullets their way. These are engaging and suffice to say, not as repetitive as the virtual "kill rooms" that litter the game's levels. 

The various boss battles served as quite the combat highlight for me.

When you're not brutalizing and murdering sinister foes in your path and in such kill rooms, you're on the search for clues. And in between finding these clues, there are all sorts of secrets to uncover in true DOOM-like, boomer shooter fashion. The secrets are well-hidden and many of them are quite easy to miss. Whether located in one of many vents that our gumshoe protagonist climbs through, inside locked doors and safes that must be "tailpicked" through an enjoyable enough mini-game, or simply sitting off the beaten path, these secret areas house money, newspapers, comic books, baseball cards, and other collectibles and goodies like schematics, used to upgrade your various guns and weapons. 

This, however, leads to my number one issue with Mouse: P.I. For Hire and one of my pet peeves in gaming--a game design sin, really. That's the extreme amount of missables within the game. By virtue of the structure of Mouse: P.I. For Hire, it's literally impossible to return to a completed level, which means that a lot of stuff that you missed collectible-wise is lost to you. Yes, you can purchase missed collectibles like newspapers, comics, and baseball cards from the hub city in the game--for a price, but key clues are permanently gone. 

Not exactly the warm welcome Jack Pepper was wanting here, but the welcome he was expecting all the same.

Even still, with the ability to purchase missed collectibles from the shop, there is still a finite amount of money throughout the game. Thus, if you wish to do a 100% run in one playthrough, a guide and multiple saves are a must to track everything down--from collectibles to side quests in the appropriate form of "side jobs". These, too, are easily missed and once they're gone, they're gone on your current playthrough. 

When a game is over 10 hours long for a playthrough, this gets quite frustrating quite fast, especially when the game possess multiple "points of no return" that are not clearly marked by it. Enter a door, and it can instantly lock behind you. Start a particular mission, and it can and will lock you out of returning to the hub city for the rest of the game. 

Usually each time a given level is completed, Jack returns to the city hub where his apartment and office are, enters inside, and pins various clues to his caseboard to hash out the all-encompassing, interconnected mystery that tells the story of the game. Additionally in this hub, Jack can peruse his usual stomping grounds, purchase ammunition, use schematics found in levels to upgrade his weapons and guns, enter the bar to chat with the locals, and even play a rather enjoyable card game using all the baseball cards found within levels.

Splat! My kind of 'toon!

As mentioned, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a gorgeous game and its 1930/1940s esque cartoon art style is realized to its maximum potential. It really feels like you're playing a cartoon in a Noir style, complete with enough cheese puns to fill up a party platter. That latter part was especially enjoyed by me, as not only a lover of puns but as someone who appreciates a game committing to a bit. Between the fluid action, well done old-timey detective music--as well as some real world jazzy pieces like The Glenn Miller Orchestra's "In the Mood"--and the amazing voice acting--Troy Baker does a phenomenal job as Jack Pepper, Mouse: P.I. For Hire definitely delights.

And really, that's what the game does throughout its 10-20 hour runtime: it delights. Sure, a private investigator entering a police station and mowing down all of the dirty cops inside might bring some "ludonarrative dissonance" discussions into the fray if you think about it too hard, and the numerous points of no return means achievement (or is it "a-cheese-ment") hunters will balk at the requirements, but if you're just casually playing through the game, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a ripper of a boomer shooter for sure. As a completionist, I hated having to use a guide to play through the game, as it really killed the pacing for me, but I can't argue against Jack Pepper's investigation being a thrilling and fun one. Case closed.

[SPC Says: B-] 

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Decline's Drops (PC, NSW, XBS) Review

We now turn our attention away from Mega Man for a little bit for a review of a game that's been on PC via Steam and itch.io for a bit and has only recently released on consoles, specifically the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S. This game is Decline's Drops, and despite its name, you might find yourself INclined to play this game after reading the SuperPhillip Central review!

This platformer's got some serious punch

Decline's Drops stars Globule, a mute wooden puppet who one day is tending to her lovely garden when all of a sudden, said garden is destroyed! Thus, Globule sets out to discover the perpetrators and their whereabouts to rightfully deliver some justice through her giant punching glove fists. The story is pretty scarce overall (a plus for me, as in a platformer I want to get straight to the action without much in the way of interruptions), save for the opening and ending cutscenes, and dialogue during boss battles, but the game does a nice job of providing a satirical take on concepts like pollution and corporate greed without feeling ham-fisted.

Take the gameplay of Super Smash Bros. and combine that with the platforming and secrets of Yoshi's Island, and you somewhat get an idea of what Decline's Drops is all about. Globule has her aforementioned punching gloves to bash and beat baddies to a pulp with a myriad of moves, from simple short jabs to more powerful "smash"-like attacks. All of these can be combined to jostle, juggle, and jam enemies into submission. 

No time for a rope-a-dope, so just punch that chick into submission, Globule.

Globule even has a Smash Bros-like dodge used to evade enemy attacks at the last moment, as well as being able to use the same evasion move in midair to reach higher or further away areas. Regardless, she'll need all the strength and moves in her repertoire she can muster, as the six worlds in the game pit Globule against all forms and sizes of foes, including those in rooms sprinkled about the levels where all enemies must be defeated before she can move on.

Dodging can not only be done on the ground to avoid attacks, but also in midair to move higher and farther, too!

Levels are wonderfully done, offering plenty of verticality a lot of the time, a multitude of secrets that are smartly hidden but also well telegraphed to not give players a sense of "well, how was I supposed to find THAT?!", and lots of exploration. Yes, you can simply run from point A to point B to clear levels, but exploring them and discovering their cleverly laid secrets and optional areas really gives you a fuller appreciation of these levels. 

Bounce off these streetlamps with care, Globule, or else you'll find that oil's well doesn't exactly end well!

And, goodness, do the levels house some masterfully placed secrets. As stated, secrets are telegraphed well to the point of not being unfair, but also requiring real observance of Globule's surroundings and environments to discover. I'm referring to fake walls that have the telltale signs of being able to be broken through, or ones that require Globule to make a running start so she can eventually transform into a big blue fist to smash through otherwise impenetrable blocks.  

The main optional collectible in Decline's Drops reminds me a bit of the previously mentioned Yoshi's Island and its five Smiley Flowers per level. These take the form of Heart Fragments in Decline's Drops, and you guessed it--there are five per level as well. Most are located in out-of-the-way or hard-to-find or reach locations, while others are inside specific chests, requiring passwords to open. These passwords are situated on nearby signs and come in the form of hitting the chests in specific directions in a specific pattern (aka up punches, down punches, punches from the left, punches from the right). This is where I found that sometimes my punches wouldn't land as planned. What I mean by this is that sometimes Globule would punch twice, fouling up the chest's password in the process, or Globule would smash the ground instead of simply punching downward once. 

When given enough runway to speed across, Globule can transform on
 command into a giant fist to smash through certain objects and obstacles!

Either way, gripe aside, whereas collecting all Smiley Flowers in a world in later Yoshi games unlocked a secret level in the world they were collected in... well, that's actually the same case in Decline's Drops! Instead, a more difficult platforming-filled level known as a Vanitas opens up once all Heart Fragments are obtained in a given world. These seldom host checkpoints, require careful, cautious, precision platforming, and can get the palms mighty sweaty, too! Take it from me. They're enjoyable challenges all the same, however.

Otherwise, another collectible of the optional variety in Decline's Drops' levels is that of a red key. Collecting this and finishing the level with it brings about a post-level mini-game where you pilot Globule in a big blue glove form (she takes on a somewhat similar form when underwater) as you race through a labyrinth of corridors, pathways, and boost pads to beat a pod to the finish line. Winning these races unlocks new color pallet choices for Globule, and once all the races have been won, they net a bunch of Drops, the currency of the game.

There are a wide variety of platforming challenges and enemy types to contend with throughout Decline's Drops and its carefully and cleverly crafted levels. For instance, there are rails that send Globule grinding along their path which she must switch between with caution, Donkey Kong Country-like cannons that fire our puppet protagonist out (and hopefully not into peril) with proper timing, switches and levers that need to be activated to open up gates and doors, and sequences where Globule must make haste and retreat from a pursuing wall of pollution or else find herself instantly defeated. There are also ample opportunities for the game to shine in both its platforming and punching, throwing in puzzle elements, too, such as hitting floating yellow blocks with arrows on them. The direction Globule hits one of these blocks in, sends it flying in that direction until it smacks against a solid object. There are even plenty of puzzles that require you to get these blocks from one destination to another to open locked doors and reach new heights. 

Mind the rails, mind the gap, mind the pollution--heck, just mind EVERYTHING, Globule!

Fortunately, despite all of the trials and tribulations Globule faces on her adventure, checkpoints are fairly common throughout Decline's Drops. Therefore, repeating large portions of levels is seldom a common happenstance. That said, later levels do get incredibly challenging in both battles and platforming tasks. That isn't to say they require a professional's rank of platforming prowess to progress in the latter half of the game, but you will occasionally get stuck. 

This is especially true for the bosses, which pit you against one of the six Hydra heads in battle. These end-of-world levels, like any game worth its weight, relies on witness boss patterns, acclimating to them, knowing when to go in to attack, and knowing when and how to dodge each boss' offensive advances. These battles will take not just part of your cunning, but pretty much all of it to come out unscathed--or at the very least, the victor. I did appreciate the level of challenge of the bosses, and each time I failed, it was because I didn't properly dodge attacks or got too greedy. It was always on me, and never the game.  

The first Hydra to fight. "Hi, 'Dra! Why so angry?"

Fortunately, there are ways to assist Globule and the player in general on their adventure. An in-game shop run by a genetically-engineered ape named Serge houses a host of helpful trinkets and tools that Globule can spend her fiercely fought and hard-earned Drops to purchase. Only one particular trinket can be equipped at once to Globule, but these range from boosting her special attack, doubling her health, turning all of her special attacks into massive fireballs, and providing hints as to locations of the game's hidden goodies--to name a handful of helpful wares.

Decline's Drops is a rather meaty game all-in-all, coming in at around 10 hours for me, though I was methodically going through levels to make sure I collected every Heart Fragment along the way to unlock and complete the Vanitas levels, and also played through the final optional seventh world, complete with its own challenges, platforming perils, enemy types, and yes, a true final boss. I didn't, however, opt to aim for all of the time trials, and thus take on going after all of the gold times which seemed far beyond my level of play (and honestly, far beyond my level of commitment to the game either). That said, the option is there to add even more replay value and longevity to Globule's journey.

The art style of Decline's Drops is marvelous in presentation and appearance. The entire adventure is seemingly hand-drawn, and the first world definitely brings about an aesthetic reminiscent of Yoshi's Island, which was much appreciated to me, as a fan of that game. Future worlds offer the same beautiful hand-drawn goodness, offering detailed environments, backgrounds, easy to parse areas visually, and fluid animations all-around. Musically, I found the soundtrack to be very good. In fact, I am eager to purchase it on the artists' Bandcamp page to further support it, and that's not something I do often! Nevertheless, the soundtrack is full of memorable and rather nifty and neat themes that I will enjoy listening to outside of the game.

Decline's Drops is most certainly a looker with a charming, gorgeous hand-drawn delight of an art style.

While I wouldn't raise Globule's glove up and claim she and her premiere adventure are the undisputed champions or anything like that, I will say that Decline's Drops certainly surprised me with its high quality in precision platforming, engaging combat, and copious secrets in its well done level design. This mishmash of Super Smash Bros. gameplay and Yoshi's Island-like level design is one that I certainly enjoyed and can see myself coming back to in the future. Minor aggravations and gripes did pop up, and the difficulty of the game may be off-putting for many not used to Smash Bros. and its particular style of melee gameplay (and heck, even for those who ARE used to it). Overall, though, if you can dig a gorgeous hand-drawn 2D platformer with plenty of personality, charm, and character, as well as lots of action and platforming goodness to adore, then definitely "drop" what you're doing to take on the drop of a different variety with Decline's Drops.

[SPC Says: B+] 

Ys X: Proud Nordics (Multi) Review

It's been quite a while since I've had the pleasure to review an Ys game, so much so that I forgot how lengthy modern Ys games can be! Thus, this review has been a long time coming, but that's also not to say that I didn't get a case of quality and quantity with Ys X: Proud Nordics, our next review for this month on SuperPhillip Central. Let's take to the waters and "sea" how this updated and upgraded adventure shaped up!

 Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away. Come Sail Away with Ys.

Ys X: Proud Nordics is an expanded version of the original Ys X: Nordics. In a way, it's somewhat of a do-over, and in another way, it sort of has feelings of "this should have been DLC". Either way and as always, this entry of Ys stars none other than young, red-haired adventurer Adol Christin, joined by his good friend Dogi. The pair along with a doctor named Dr. Flair, find themselves in a precarious situation quite quickly as passengers aboard a boat bound for Celceta.

A group of fierce pirate warriors known as the Balta Sea Force, attack the ship, kill the captain, and not before a duel between the pirate princess and Adol. Eventually, the boat is forced to dock at a local port town called Carnac, where Adol's group is essentially stranded. This town eventually sees itself under attack by vicious monsters known as the Griegr. Unable to be killed by normal hands, only those that wield the power of Mana are able to fell and vanquish these brute beasts.

Adol's only just met Karja, and she's already got an axe to grind with him--quite literally!

Fortunately, Adol stumbles upon a magical seashell on the beach possessing the voice of a woman. This mysterious voice provides Adol with the Mana required to take down the Griegr, but not before also handcuffing Adol and the previously mentioned pirate princess, named Karja, together. With two Mana wielders linked together with no ability to remove the magical cuffs or move too far away from one another, Adol and Karja must set aside any differences to tackle the Griegr threat that plagues the Obelia Gulf.   

Tutorials and tips like the one seen here are always available within the in-game Journal menu.

Two is usually better than one, and that is especially true with the powerhouse team that is Adol and Karja. The two can move a little away from each other in battle, fighting different monsters and enemies separately, or they can team up in something called Duo Mode. This grants them the ability to attack a target together, even using special Duo-exclusive skills to make shorter work of enemies or to better whittle down the health of stronger foes. 

Adol and Karja team up to deliver one HELL of a Duo attack!

Adol and Karja each have their own set of skills that they learn during the duration of Ys X, and these can be leveled up in power through continued use. You can also spend a special currency to level them up without needing to use them, as well. This currency comes in the form of pink crystals, generally found in treasure chests and through defeating difficult enemies. 

Of course, no good offense is worthwhile without a good defense, and fortunately, Proud Nordics provides enough maneuvers and abilities for Adol and Karja to utilize to either avoid, evade, defend against, or counter attacks. By holding the right shoulder button, Adol and Karja can summon a Mana-infused barrier around them. If it's summoned right before an opponent hits with their attack, Adol or Karja can counter with an attack of their own, a devastating counterattack. 

In Duo Mode, the pair needs to be watchful of enemies and the color of the auras they can glow. A red glow from a foe means it's time to stop attacking and hold up their Mana barrier in order to withstand the otherwise damaging blow. This fills up a special meter called the Revenge Gauge, which multiplies the damage the next Duo-based skill Adol and Karja use on their attacker. While this multiplier starts low, through finding Hellfire Tomes throughout the game, the gauge can raise up to 5X. There's also a bit of strategy here, too. For tanks of enemies, it might be best to let the Revenge Gauge rise up high, so the next skill used will take off a lot more HP, but for smaller foes, using a skill right away might be the best course of action.

Just passing through, so make way or meet your maker!

Then, there are baddies that glow blue, meaning that these attacks can't be blocked through barrier usage. Instead, a well timed dodge to their attack will open them up to a counter from Adol or Karja. Finally, a white glow means the upcoming enemy attack can neither be evaded nor blocked for a counter. Instead, the best maneuver here is to just get the heck out of the way.

As Adol and Karja level up (they share experience so they both level up at the same time) through enemies slain, bosses beaten, and even items that reward XP through using them, they learn new skills as well as the ability to use a skill tree, comprised of various series of slots for both characters that open up every ten levels gained. Using Mana Seeds discovered throughout their journey, players can fit them into these slots to power up Adol and Karja considerably. It's a nice way to add a personal touch to each character, offering a way for players to shape Adol and Karja to their liking (a la builds) to best fit their own particular play style. 

Throughout Ys X: Proud Nordics, an important aspect that players are hammered over the head with is that of the concept of Adol and Karja becoming and eventually being Shield Brother and Shield Sister. This is performed through the pair during the course of the game taking on a specific, grueling challenge that proves their worth to the Normans and for that matter the leader of the Normans and Karja's father, Grimson Balta. 

I bring that up not just for story-related reasons, as it's a major focus of the game, but also because this Shield Brother/Shield Sister pairing grants the two the ability to work together more cohesively and use a series of learned Mana Abilities that work in and out of battle. From a magic grapple that can chain around specific hooks and tree limbs for Adol and Karja to swing off from to make it across otherwise impossible chasms or to reach higher heights, to summoning a makeshift Mana hoverboard to jet around areas and grind on specially marked blue rails, the abilities that Adol slowly gets introduced to, thus allowing Karja to use them, too, offer a lot of value in opening up exploration and platforming opportunities throughout the adventure.

Totally radical, bodacious, excellent, etc., Adol.

Exploration is always a fun aspect of the Ys series, and now it's expanded to the sea, too. Ys X introduces Adol and Karja to their own boat that can be customized, outfitted with various gear and weaponry, and used to sail across the Obelia Gulf. Though, there are several issues with this new mode of transportation. For one, the initial speed of their boat, the Sandras, is one of a glacial pace. Even using the Mana Boost ability that gives a temporary burst of speed to your boat isn't much of an improvement, and while you can upgrade the speed of the ship (among other things) through discovering new crew members, it's still much too slow by even the end of the game. Fortunately, when a new point of interest on the ocean is discovered, this island or area can serve as a fast travel point, making for less of a headache when sailing the high seas.

Generally, the flow of Ys X introduces players to a new area of ocean to explore, but something usually stops the Sandras from being able to advance further--whether that's not having the right equipment, a story reason, or because a Mana ability hasn't been learned yet, such as using the Mana Barrier around the Sandras to safely cross over dangerous ocean debris, for example. Many sections of the ocean are blocked off in general--the Obelia Gulf sure is labyrinthine-like, offering so many reasons to sail around rocky expanses and shallow patches of water.

That said, the seafaring life in Ys X: Proud Nordics' Obelia Gulf isn't all smooth sailing and exploration. Sea battles against Griegr ships also comes into play. These, like land battles, happen in real time. The Sandras' task is to simply sink all of the enemy ships through using weaponry like cannons and special firepower--all with different cooldowns and some limited in ammo--before they sink you. These naval battles are rather enjoyable, and have multiple purposes for seeking them out. Sure, many pertain to the story, but many also unlock wind currents, a new Proud Nordics-exclusive addition, that make sailing faster along certain lines, as well as battles where you can board the enemy's ship and take out three waves of baddies for a special treasure. 

Three different possible perspectives present unique ways and views to sink some ships.

There are also optional missions to reclaim islands under Griegr control, and these are one half ship battles and one half land battles. The former has you destroying pillars that protect the shielded island and threats alike as the Sandras. Once all the waves (both figurative and literal) have settled, it's time to storm the fortress as Adol and Karja through a linear dungeon, fighting foes, solving simple puzzles, and/or performing some platforming to make it to the goal. This all the while being scored on enemies defeated, time taken, damage received, and the like in order to get rewards based on the grade you get for all the above aspects of these reclaiming missions.

Beyond little enhancements here and there that do make the Ys X experience better, the most notable addition to Ys X: Proud Nordics is that of a brand-new island, Oland Island, an especially large and expansive one, that delves into how the Normans were originally cast away from their homeland. It opens up around the halfway point of the game, Chapter Five, and while a new piece of the island and subsequent story unlocks with each new chapter, I would have found it more enjoyable to wait till near the end of the game to experience it. That way I could play through the whole new content all at once instead of being interrupted in a piecemeal fashion. Instead, I opted to play each section as it opened up, which made for a much more bloated experience.

Oland Island is home to some impressive sights and even more impressive treasure.

Either way, Oland Island features numerous lengthy locales, story elements, a Coliseum, Mana Board races, and also a super-hard boss at the end of the island's 10-hour journey. I found it mostly enjoyable (the new Mana Hold ability introduced here is clunky and cumbersome at best), and while I probably won't return to tackle the rest of the Coliseum's combatants or do the EX Mana Races for their respective rewards and prizes, I very much discovered value here.

While I had my fill of adventuring with Adol after my 45 hours with the game for now, 
the coliseum on Oland Island still calls to me... eventually.

At the end of the day and at the end of Adol and Karja's adventure, I discovered plenty across every island, 100%-ing each one, finding every treasure, clearing all quests (I still dislike that some can be missed or that they can expire due to story reasons), and thoroughly being taken for a wild and wonderful ride with Ys X: Proud Nordics' story. In total, my adventures with Adol and Karja took me just under 45 hours with all the aforementioned tasks done.

Now, apart from the sluggish and glacial pace of seafaring, some infuriating boss battles (the Magna Diga remains an obnoxious fight even in its revised form), and missables, one sore spot of Ys X: Proud Nordics is the visuals. The original Ys X's roots are tied to the Nintendo Switch, which is quite the ancient hardware nowadays, and it shows with Proud Nordics. Not saying Ys X's updated version is an ugly game, but it certainly is no looker, either. The textures and visuals are bland, the environmental variety is weak, and the draw distance leaves a lot to be desired, as well. My brother entering the room while I was playing and mentioning if I got out our old PlayStation 3 to play something did not inspire confidence towards Ys X: Proud Nordics' graphical prowess--that much is for certain. That said, the Switch 2 version offering 60 FPS and 120 FPS performance modes does make for a more impressive offer.

As the ol' sea cliche goes, X marks the ouch.

Speaking of offers, is what Falcom and NIS America are offering with an updated Ys X worth the asking price? If you've never played the original Ys X, then there's no question you should check this entry out with Proud Nordics. It's darn good and some of the modern Ys series's highest highs. Don't bother with the original Ys X nowadays since that is basically equivalent to playing Persona 5 instead of Persona 5 Royale. 

For those that have already played Ys X and are interested in the new content, particularly that of Oland Island, then that's a tougher proposition to want to jump on and set sail for. I could see some arguments calling this a bit of a slap in the face to offer a new updated version of a game that released less than two years ago, doesn't offer an upgrade path for most platforms, and does not carry over save data from the original game for a high price. 

At any rate, new players to Ys X should definitely check out Proud Nordics while previous players of the tenth installment should wait for a discount (or a deep discount, at that) before that dive back into Obelia Gulf's waters. The Proud Nordics package as a whole is a fantastic one, and while the game doesn't hit the same highs for me as my favorite games in the series: Oath in Felghana and Lacrimosa of Dana, it certainly offers a majestic adventure full of heart and fun.

[SPC Says: B] 

A code was provided by NIS America for the purpose of this review.

Bombun (PC) Review

Continuing the weekend theme I alluded to yesterday, we have a game starring a bunny (fitting for the Easter holiday) and one that utilizes the same style of weaponry as Bomberman--that, of course, being bombs! This is an indie romp in the form of Bombun, and SuperPhillip Central has its eyes on a verdict! Here's the review.

Is this bombing bunny's game a blast or a dud?

Sometimes fun games come from the unlikeliest of sources. Take Bombun. When I saw the previous games that the publisher, Critical Bliss, put out, they were decidedly of a "Not Safe for Work" category. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but also not my bread and butter either. Bombun relates to that type of content if only because of the developer is an artist of the NSFW type as well. Needless to say, there's nothing NSFW about Bombun, but there is plenty enjoyable about it all the same!

Rather than delve into some hackneyed narrative, you're immediately thrust into the tutorial stage with nothing in the way of story or context as to why you're off to bomb and blast away as our pyromaniac protagonist. If you're looking for either, you're not going to get it with Bombun, at least within the game. Anything related to our hero's motivation or resolve is all done outside of the game. Interesting enough choice, but okay! Fair enough.

Bombun looks over her floating fortress habitat. Turns out it's under attack, so off she goes to save it.

Either way, story is hardly a factor--that's established immediately. What we're all here for with Bombun is the explosive action, and the game delivers that splendidly. It plays similar in some regards to Bomberman Hero, at least using that game as launching pad for inspiration.

Speaking of using things as launchpads, Bombun's main gameplay mechanic consists of platforming using bombs. When Bombun has a bomb in tow, she can use it as a springboard of sorts to gain additional height, throwing the bomb downward while being propelled higher into the air. She can only do this once per jump, however. Bombun, of course, can also throw bombs at enemies, and also pump them up to bigger size by holding the bomb button.

With bomb in tow, Bombun is ready to rock and roll.

There are six worlds in Bombun and these consist of four stages apiece. Each stage is a bite-sized affair, offering plenty of tricks, traps, obstacles, enemies, and pitfalls to overcome. I'm talking about things like moving platforms, rotating burners, lava geysers, slippery floors, bounce pads, fans, switches activated by explosions that turn certain gadgets on, and so forth. This is all the while not allowing Bombun to blow herself up in the process. Though this will not obliterate Bombun immediately, instead it will just take one heart of health away, which the game is good about presenting plenty of health pickups sprinkled throughout stages.

Bombun introduces new bomb types in the form of temporary, timed power-ups. These comes in the form of wind, ice, and bounce bombs. Wind bombs produce an updraft of wind that grants the ability to ride it upwards to reach higher up platforms. This is true with ice bombs, too, in the sense that they create large ice blocks that are primarily used as a means for traversal, either across beds of spikes, or to access higher areas. Finally, the bounce bombs create a gelatin-like sphere that can be--of course--bounced on to once again reach new areas. 

The ice power-up grants the ability to create these giant ice cube blocks.

There's little exploration to be found in Bombun. Really, the goal here of the game is to get from point A to point B, and usually the faster the better. More on that shortly. The only real discoverable exploration in Bombun is finding hidden cameo bunnies from other games/media that usually take lots of ingenuity to reach. They're placed in high-up areas, so clever bomb use is paramount to find them. 

When you get into a rhythm and in the zone, this is where Bombun truly shines. Sure, you can simply run through the game, completing each level, and beat the final boss, but the real enjoyment comes from acquiring each stage's time badge. This is performed through rushing through stages a la speed run to beat a given stage's target time. At first blush--or first blast, I guess--these times seem quite impossible to meet much less beat. However, it's all about using bomb jumps to your best ability in combination with Bombun's ability to dive. This combo is key to skipping sizable chunks of stages, making incredible leaps across chasms to shave off precious seconds of time.

Really, the time badges are the meat of this game, as you'll quickly run out of things to do in Bombun otherwise. If you're just playing through the game casually, it will take you a couple hours at most to finish. However, with going after the time badges, along with other optional objectives, such as finding a hidden bunny in each world and purchasing every cosmetic bunny in the in-game shop (bought with currency found in stages), you'll greatly increase the longevity of Bombun several-fold.

That said, these time badges are quite tight and difficult to achieve. Fortunately, the developer opted to allow for unlockable cheats. These comes in the form of post-credit permanent power-ups instead of timed ones. There's also a Dynabun character that can use explosions to propel herself to higher places without taking damage from them. She's faster, dives further, and allows for an easier time with both the game and especially the time badges. Thus, some might consider beating the time badges with these cheats something that would put an asterisk next to your efforts. I think that's fair to do, but I also believe it's fair to use the cheats, as the times are still tricky even with them used!

Fire? Cooler heads will prevail.

For a game that's basically all about speed-running in the grand scheme of things, tight controls are a must. Bombun excels in feeling good to play. The camera can cause some issues with depth perception, but fortunately, a little colorful shadow appears under Bombun, no matter how high in the air she is, so players can best determine if she's above safe ground or not. Incredibly helpful to have, indeed.

Bombun has a cel-shaded art style to it, and sort of has a lo-fi look like something out of an HD PS1 game. The music is suitably catchy, and sound effects pack a small punch--inoffensive, at the very least. The frame-rate is smooth and can be dialed way up to whatever your machine can handle. Overall, Bombun is pleasant in its presentation.

Short but relatively sweet, Bombun is a brief blast of a 3D action-platformer. If you're looking for an extensive romp or the idea of replaying levels for speed-running purposes does not appeal to you, you'll quickly discover that Bombun has an unremarkable and short fuse, then. For everyone else, the platforming is so tight, the stage design executed well enough to make speed-running a blast, and the game overall enjoyable all in all to make for a game that is far from a dud. 

[SPC Says: B-]

Piece by Piece (PC) Review

No, no, not THAT Piece by Piece. The OTHER Piece by Piece. Funnily enough, TWO games with the same title released about two weeks ago on Steam, and the developers of each took notice and opted to make a Steam bundle with both games on sale in said bundle. They couldn't be further apart in what they are, what they offer gameplay-wise, or what they set out to do, but the names are similar indeed in a fun way. I'm opting to currently cover the jigsaw puzzle-related Piece by Piece with this, the SuperPhillip Central review.

A puzzle-platformer concept you might just love to pieces.

Puzzle games run the gamut of means and methods to bust a given player's brain. Piece by Piece is one game that will do just that, getting some platforming into the mix, all the while offering routinely fresh ideas, levels that will possibly positively stump even the most spatially aware mind out there, and an overall gameplay mechanic that works remarkably well throughout.

Piece by Piece takes a relatively simple but conceptually clever idea and runs with it quite quickly through its relatively short runtime. The game tasks you, the player, with organizing levels in the shapes of jigsaw puzzle pieces on the fly as you maneuver a character from the start of the level to the goal. This is performed by picking up and connecting pieces that can be properly assembled to make a connected bridge for the character to move through, also manually done by the player. It's a puzzle-platformer at its most essential essence.

That's no Jiggy on the other side of that wall, so call off Banjo and Kazooie, all!

Along the way to the goal, each level houses a golden puzzle piece, and while some of these are optional to collect, you'll really want to go out of your way to aim for obtaining most of them. That's because these are gatekeepers for later collections of levels, and only upon having the required amount can you unlock and open the books containing these levels.

At the start of Piece by Piece, you're simply arranging puzzle pieces around, connecting, disconnecting, and shuffling the pieces around as needed, while moving your player character through the levels. Most early levels don't take but a handful, if that, of puzzle piece manipulation and movement to properly solve. 

However, Piece by Piece in its brisk runtime picks up the pace with relative speed. With 100 puzzles total, the game does a fantastic job of not lingering on one concept or mechanic too long, while also not overwhelming the player with too many new gameplay ideas in an overly fast fashion. You generally get a series of three books of levels per level selection page. The first two books each introduce a new gameplay mechanic, having you learn it, get accustomed to it enough through experimentation, and before you know it, that book is complete. The third book is where your mastery is pretty much required, as it combines both previous books' mechanics into each level. 

Get ready for a flippin' good time in these levels and Piece by Piece in general.

What mechanics and concepts does Piece by Piece introduce, you ask? Without spoiling too terribly much so prospective players can discover the majority for themselves, the game starts with simple puzzle piece shuffling and jostling around to connect, disconnect, and reconnect as required. Not before too long, you're able to rotate certain pieces, flip them over, and that's not even mentioning in-level mechanics, such as blocks your character can drill through, portals that teleport your character from one section of level to another, and gravity-based affairs as well. 

Each set of levels gives you a specific themed character to play as, too.

Each set of levels also features its own visual style alongside those previously mentioned mechanics. One of my favorites is set in the pages of a '90s era high school notebook, complete with sketches like those mysterious-in-origin "S' designs that my generation doodled in their books upon boredom. The art style in this particular book is so striking and appealing to me, and that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Each book also houses its own music, but no matter which book you enter to solve its oftentimes complex and sometimes convoluted puzzles (said with the utmost of positivity there), you're going to hear some incredibly chill tunes that do little to annoy or distract the player.

No time for doodling, I'm afraid, as there are levels to solve!

I played Piece by Piece with my preferred controller of choice, but I overall found the controller experience a bit clunky and clumsy. Selecting puzzle pieces is done by holding a trigger on the controller and using the analog stick. It's unfortunately the same stick used for character movement, so I'd often be stumbling and fumbling with moving my character when I wanted to move a puzzle piece or conversely moving a puzzle piece when I wanted to move my character. Frustrating to say the least. So, while the controller setup isn't ideal, it works overall. Though, players may find the keyboard and mouse controls easier to work with in tandem than that of a standard controller. 

As stated, Piece by Piece isn't a long game. It took me just under six hours to complete all of its puzzles with all of its achievements knocked out. I appreciated the game for its cheeky approach to achievements. Sure, there are ones for fully completing a given book of levels--standard fare and expected for an achievement checklist--but you also get achievements of the cheekier variety. Being in the same level for ten minutes is less of an achievement (but still a literal achievement to complete) and more of an expectation for how complex and complicated later levels can get. In fact, the last set of levels took me basically a third of my total playtime of the game to beat! And good luck getting the no-death run achievement, even though--well, your character literally can't die in Piece by Piece whatsoever--but maybe YOU can be the player that fails doing it! Take THAT, ironic achievement!

Kidding aside, Piece by Piece doesn't waste the player's time with filler or linger too long on a given gameplay idea. It's a clear, concise, and clever puzzle-platformer with a fabulous concept to it that is iterated on near-perfectly throughout its six hour length. Once you clear the game, you might not have too much of a reason to return to it, but what an experience it was during those six hours for me while the game lasted! And sometimes you don't need a reason to return to a game, either. It can simply be one and done and be appreciated for that. I definitely do appreciate Piece by Piece for being mostly all-killer and no filler. Additionally, I recommend you don't just aim to take a piece (by piece) of the game, but just go ahead and enjoy the whole thing instead!

[SPC Says: B-] 

Demon Tides (PC) Review

From last week's review of the Zelda-like Under the Island, we're returning to an indie island theme with my review of Demon Tides. Instead of just one island, though, it's an entire archipelago! Let's dive in and explore!

Demon-strably fun platforming ahead

3D platforming fans are eating well in 2026. We've had Big Hops already earlier this year, and just recently we've also seen Mr. Sleepy Head release this month, too. That's not to mention games like Dracamar and Bubsy 4D coming down the platforming pipeline, as well. To say that 2026 is the year of the indie 3D platformer would not be speaking out of turn, methinks! Now, the much anticipated sequel to Demon Turf is here and ready to set sail on the open seas with Demon Tides. With a new, fully 3D look, a much more ambitious take on the genre, and plenty of spunk and charm thrown in for good measure, will Demon Tides be enough to "tide" 3D platforming players like myself over until the next game in the genre from indies arrives?

After becoming the Demon Queen in the previous game, Demon Turf, Beebz receives a letter from her absent father, the king of a massive chain of islands known as Ragnar's Rock. She opts to take her merry--and decidedly quite eccentric--crew of friends to her father's kingdom, where she quickly discovers his "mad king" rule. The denizens are suffering, the islands are in disarray, and Ragnar rules with an iron fist. Beebz decides to join the resistance, offering her expertise in trouble-making and butt-kicking to help put a stop to her father's tyranny, find out why he sent that letter, and discover why he's been absent for so long in Beebz's life.  

The gang (...crew?) is all here!

If I had to describe Demon Tides, it'd be a combination of Super Mario 3D World's Bowser's Fury half and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Our heroine Beebz traverses the wide open seas--well, mostly wide open, as they're divided up into three separate sections--in search of various islands with plenty of platforming to be found. Successful platforming finds Beebz earning new cosmetics, new talismans, and of the utmost importance for her adventure to meet Ragnar, Golden Gears. 45 of these are spread out across Demon Tides' world, and these are essentially the Power Stars of Super Mario 64 in Demon Tides' terms. As Beebz's Golden Gear collection grows, a new third of the overall map opens up for exploration. Of course, before being able to travel to the next section of Ragnar's Rock, one of King Ragnar's three right-hand villains overseeing the havoc caused in that particular region must be routed.  

Feet, don't fail me now!

Earning Golden Gears is accomplished by completing tasks across the dozens upon dozens of island locales in the game, all involving platforming of some sort--as one would expect. These tasks or challenges range from racing through rings and going from point A to point B, doing plenty of jumping, running, climbing, wall-running, wall-jumping, rail-grinding--you name it, to approach the treasure chest where the Golden Gear or other goodie (talisman, cosmetic, or otherwise) lay in wait. Other times a chest will be completely locked, but the nice thing about seeing such a locked treasure chest is that upon examining it, the camera will focus on the character whose problem you must solve in order to have them part with their treasure chest's contents. 

Feel that ocean breeze while grinding on those rails. You'll feel like a new demon!

Beebz has plenty of prowess to perform the platforming required for most of these challenges. Being a demon queen, she has the ability to effortlessly and virtually seamlessly transform into various forms while running and jumping around. A double jump will automatically see her transform into a bat, able to then enter into her spin form to gain some extra distance from said double jump, or perform a cannonball maneuver to get some quick speed and elevation before plopping downward towards the ground. Meanwhile, the snake form grants super speed, though a bit unwieldy to control at first, especially when precision is the aim of the game. I had to learn that movement was dependent on the direction where the camera was facing and make corrections as needed to go where I wanted to without as much frustration. Regardless, this snake form is the best means to jet around the waves, get to destinations in a hurry, and better succeed in the previously mentioned races.

Of course, Beebz could be perfectly fine with just this set of transformations and base abilities, but to better help players, the inclusion of talismans is available in Demon Tides. Talismans are essentially game and moveset modifiers to assist in making the experience easier or more difficult depending on the player's wants and wishes. Some affect Beebz's health, giving her an extra heart (pill capsule) to work with or one less to make the game harder. Some grant boosts to Beebz's wonderfully wide repertoire of moves, from giving Beebz's bat form a triple jump as opposed to just the double jump, to allowing for more time in Beebz's spin form to... well... spin! 

Protip: Red and black goo is bad for Beebz's health.

These talismans are unlocked through normal play, hidden in treasure chests from completing platforming challenges much like the Golden Gears (though talismans aren't progress gates like the Gears are), but they're also available to purchase on the traveling hub ship of Beebz and the gang's. This is done through the collection of floating purple eyes cleverly called Eyetems, the currency and secondary collectible of Demon Tides. The ship also houses a shop for cosmetics, from different hairstyles, to full clothing sets, to color variants for Beebz, as well.

As a collect-a-thon-style 3D platformer, Demon Tides is great for attempting to 100% the entire game through literally 100%-ing each locale in the game. That's collecting all Eyetems at each locale, completing each task, and opening up every treasure chest. Not every locale houses Golden Gears, Eyetems, and such, but each is worthwhile enough to scope out. I often found myself saying, "one more island", "one more discovery" in my head before quitting each gaming session I had with Demon Tides, and of course, that led to three more islands I'd play before actually being done with said session. There is an addicting quality to discovering new islands and locales, as that's a whole new series of potential Eyetems, Golden Gears, talismans, and cosmetics to find.

Levels offer lots of verticality and unlockable shortcuts so you don't have to repeat climbs!

That said, I pretty routinely found myself as well quickly seeing a lot of asset and locale-style reuse. A fair amount of the discoveries are crow's nests, which aren't too terribly exciting--and they're not meant to be--but moreover, the similar discoveries of dilapidated, sinking cities with the same building types to meander over, through, and under got somewhat old relatively fast. Fortunately, the other discoveries of islands were more exciting to find. Though, that isn't to say that the platforming in the sunken city locales weren't enjoyable. It was less that and more that the environmental variety was lacking.

Otherwise, the variety in environments in general is rather pleasing. For one, I had to remember this was an indie effort, and a 3D platformer with a vast world to explore, at that. Expecting each location to be brand-new and wholly original was not realistic. And the locations overall are different enough either in design gameplay or appearance-wise. 

Last game offered the "turf", so it only makes sense that Demon Tides brings the "surf" part.

There is a Mediterranean-style area in the first section of islands where Beebz has to navigate across windy, narrow paths, scurry across walls, slip and slide down a chute of water, and scale up a tower of platforms to reach a broken windmill. Another locale is unassuming at first, but upon venturing underground, there is a vast network of moving mine carts riding over hazardous lava that Beebz has to jump back and forth on to advance. One last highlight to mention--but there are plenty more--is a science base in the arctic area of the game, which features extreme frigid temps. Only through Beebz staying near lit lanterns can she stay warm, otherwise outside of these sparse sections of heat, she'll slowly lose health from the major cold. This is all the while she needing to find and collect five pieces of a broken Golden Gear spread around and across the open area campus.

An island completely frozen in time thankfully makes these mortars safe to jump on and off of.

Less thrilling, but totally optional unless you're aiming for 100%, are the Mr. Mint trial levels. The "loved by me, hated by Beebz" character is hidden away on many islands, and opening up a teleporter for 100 Eyetems sends Beebz to a Super Mario Sunshine-esque challenge stage. These are ones that require total concentration, revolving around different platforming gimmicks seen throughout Beebz's adventure, generally the gimmick of a given Mr. Mint level is similar to the one upon the island where you find his teleporter. At any rate, while these stages could be fun challenges, they're mostly overlong in length, and you get no checkpoints whatsoever. Nothing like making it three-fourths of the way through an otherwise easy four minute stage only to continually mess up in the final fourth, having to redo everything easy leading up to that one, difficult part. 

It doesn't help that oftentimes I found myself fighting the controls and especially the dang camera. Depth perception is a strong issue I had with Demon Tides, particularly a lack of proper awareness to where Beebz was in relation to tiny, narrow platforms. Outside of these challenge stages, I didn't mind so much. You can usually place a really nifty manual checkpoint at pretty much any moment there is a non-moving surface or platform. Perish? You'll wind up back at that checkpoint automatically. Miss a jump, fall, but don't want to redo all of your previous platforming handiwork? Then, you can manually send Beebz back to that checkpoint, too, with a hold of a specific direction on the D-Pad. There are just some occasions a checkpoint is simply not possible to use--Mr. Mint levels being one of those occasions. This makes sense, but because they're so lengthy in duration, that makes for an annoying issue.

Another slightly annoying issue is that of combat. It's just not very good in feel nor in practice. Beebz uses a homing attack sort of similarly to Sonic the Hedgehog's in Sonic Adventure and beyond, but this has about as much consistency as Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). That is to say, it doesn't have much at all. Trying to hit moving targets in the form of fast foes is an effort in minor futility and major frustration. The boss battles fare better, whether they're the main baddies that take up one of the three sections of Demon Tides' world, or the optional Gearserker mini-bosses. Though, the latter suffers from a lack of variety in the encounters. Honestly, I'd have preferred combat be limited to bosses and have little peon enemies not be a thing at all. It doesn't work well in Demon Tides, whose focus is better served on the platforming action.

There are plenty of Gearserkers to battle, but if you've seen one, you've pretty much seen most of what they have to offer.

And when the platforming action works, it works like an absolute dream. There is so much freedom to be found in chaining Beebz's large arsenal of moves, transformations, and jumps together to flow so well and wonderfully. When things like combat, the camera, or sometimes even the controls get in the way, Demon Tides is less of a dream and more of a nightmare.  

Mostly, however, Demon Tides' nightmare moments are fewer and further in between than the dreamlike portions, fortunately. The game all-around took me approximately 18 hours to 100% complete. I am relatively competent at platformers of this style, so that's important to note with regard to completion time. Even with my aggravations, I found the game overall a winner.

Beebz is the captain, now.

That extends to the presentation as well, for the most part. There are some early areas, especially the boss-controlled areas, that are incredibly, ungodly garish in purple and pink colors. It's a sight to make sore eyes, as it's just egregiously bad and a bewildering artistic design decision. Thankfully, an upcoming patch (and it might even be out already before this review's published) plans to mitigate the obtrusive colors on display in these sections. Otherwise, most everything else graphically is rather lovely. Some geometry and graphical glitches are present, though. I noticed on the island with the giant lighthouse that I could go under it in Beebz's snake form because said lighthouse's foundation wasn't entirely grounded. I also saw trees that didn't stick firmly into the ground, only partway, which looked quite off. 

On the sound side, Beebz and the cast sport charming dialogue and partial voice work. I say "partial' because only the really important to accentuate lines of dialogue are spoken out loud. Everything else is silent. Musically, the compositions and tracks are serviceable. They work for Demon Tides in the sense that they fit the areas they play in, but they're also missing that special something and not really anything I'd run to listen to outside of playing the game.

Running off my Steam Deck, Demon Tides mostly held up well, with some frame-rate spikes and dips in later areas.

Demon Tides is a superb and ambitious 3D indie platformer that casts a wide net of adventure. The ability to customize your playing experience through the helpful talisman system is a pleasure to have. It truly assists in making the game more enjoyable and less frustrating when control and camera quibbles try to ruin the fun. While these problems do rock the boat a little bit, making for a non-ideal experience, all in all, Demon Tides offers more of a smooth ride rather than one in abundantly choppy waters. There's more fun than frustration to be found in Demon Tides. And like many of the locales in the game, there are clever level and gameplay concepts and a robust repertoire of moves that are mostly well executed to discover throughout Demon Tides, making it one I recommend 3D platformer fans to play.

[SPC Says: B]