Recent reviews by tranceromance

What an absolutely wonderful game! I just stumbled on it and decided to give it a go! Basically, Zelda, Tunic, Metroid and Final Fantasy got down together and this little bundle of joy was the result! What an adventure and it was so symbolic to real life. I may be reading too much into it but the crescendo towards the end of the game had me feeling that it was symbolic to our own lives that we live. With great power comes great responsibility, and when it's time to pass on that responsibility and let go of your gifts and powers.....do it.

ANYWAY!

The game is smooth as butter on the Steamdeck. Very responsive, and very addicting. Excellent upgrading and level up system, soundtrack is beautiful, decent challenge even on normal difficulty, exploration is very rewarding and overall I highly recommend the game. This is top tier indie gaming in my opinion.

I kind of got this game because it looked like an adventurous Streets of Rage beat em up type of game that we could play with other online players or friends. Now, I'm also playing Rotwood and have found the matchmaking to be absolutely superb over there. Unfortunately matchmaking is a headache here in Towerborne. Single player is fine but I feel cheated because I haven't been able to play with ANYONE. I see em all runnin' around on the map but there's no way to request em or play with em. Such a shame.

Overall the game is fun to play and has some great beat em up elements and reminds me of playing Hyrule Warriors or Dust an Elysian Tale. It's repetitive for sure with just a few combo combinations but I may just go back to Rotwood if I can't play with others. I'm guaranteed to play with online players over there. This game would shine if matchmaking wasn't a problem so hopefully that gets addressed and soon. I was past the mark to get a refund so I'm at least going to get my moneys worth.

Super fun game! Once you get the hang of it and start to understand the dynamics, the fun increases! It was hard for my friend and I to create a lobby to race each other so it was a bummer for that. This game looks like Ridge Racer and Daytona USA had a child. Game is smooth as butter and I really love the graphics. What a great way to pay homage to the early through mid 90s arcade and home consoles.

Interesting game. I wish there was a neutral option. Very colorful game but unfortunately it's missing some depth. Feels like a speed run type of game. My biggest issue is that I couldn't connect with the character and I really wanted to. Felt like I had no purpose.

The other issue is that while I can appreciate a game that is inspired by another game, It felt like it was trying to be Jet Set Radio and Gravity Rush with a hint of Ghostrunner. It was missing identity and emotion, for me.

I would say if you don't care about a story, love fast platforming and time challenges with a Cyberpunk skin, then I think you will actually enjoy the game. I would give this a solid 7 out of 10.

Not bad. Thumbs up to the devs.

The game is a beauty but it's sooooo slow. I can appreciate a change of pace in gaming but even if that is the case, that should not effect the overall flow of the game. Unfortunately for Scarf the pacing affects the flow and changes how you see and play the game. It's not a bad at by any means and if you like puzzles and platforming then you will probably enjoy this game.

It was okay, but I got bored. I wish there was a neutral rating.

I personally was looking for that 90's nostalgia and Dreamcast excitement like the ads gave me but there was just not enough spice. So it ended up being just unseasoned chicken for me. Bearable but I won't eat it again. The story didn't really make sense to me so I didn't feel connected to any of the characters or feel like I had any purpose in the game.

I think for someone coming in with little to no history with Sonic this will probably be an awesome game. I'm probably just a jaded ole boomer gamer. Oh well.

I enjoyed the game but I wish there was more story involved. The combat was responsive, fluid and addicting. However the countering system was trash. The art style and animation is superb and something to marvel at. The intro to the game is really the only exciting part of the story. I wish we could have got more of that through the game. Loved the power ups and puzzles. I am not a fan of Mertroidvania games but clearly with 40 hours under my belt I may start playing more of them. Maybe! For $20 this is a solid game that's fun, frustrating at times, and a bit cheesy with it's humor and innuendos. The game started at a 9 out of 10 and after I finished the game I'm going to say a 7.75 out of 10.

I like ground work the devs have set up here and I look forward to trying out more games from them. Cookie Cutter is worth a play for sure.

The soundtrack is bangin!

First of all this is a pretty straight forward game with a unique story. Pretty much "post apocalyptic" everyone went to Mars and some were left behind on Earth. Those left behind evolved and those that went to mars came back and are considered "Aliens" now. Go figure. LOL! The soundtrack and sound engineering is awesome in this game. The artwork is superb and the story is actually pretty dark as you progress but in a humorous way. Not bad for a just under a 3 hour game.

I give The Cub a 7 out of 10

"A good sample platter of the metroidvania genre"

I thought Itorah was great. I understand some of the mixed reviews though. Look, if you want hardcore NON LINEAR 2d platformer, metroidvania, Hollow knight, souls-like and all that other hard core stuff...this aint the game for you. I found this to be a great time killer. I didn't need to be overly invested but I was still curious enough to continue playing. The art work, time period of the story and retro inspired game-play was beautiful. I found myself being challenged a bit on the platforming aspect. Not to the point of extreme frustration but just enough to fix mistakes. The game does a great job of holding your hand for bit and then letting you fly. Puzzles offered easy to moderate challenges which made wanting to progress a bit more fun as well as wanting to see how the story unfolded. The enemies don't offer much of a variety as you pretty much face the same type in each world but the abilities you acquire to reach new areas or areas you couldn't access before is fun and offers unique platforming and combat combinations.

Itorah is a game that isnt going to BLOW YOU AWAY but if you are looking to get into this genre of gaming then I think this is a great starting point that anyone can pick up, play and enjoy. It's about 10 hours or less if you are fast. I took my time however I won't be going back to acquire 100% achievements. If you find the game on sale I do recommend a play through, although $20 bucks isnt an unreasonable ask for this game so.

I give Itorah a 7.0 out of 10
Great job to the devs!

I'm usually turned off by Pixel graphics but this looked to good to pass up. Boy was I right. You have to play this game. If you like indies like, Limbo, Inside, Planet of Lana, and Somerville you will absolutely go bonkers for this game. I'm a full time DJ and very much appreciated the beautifully dark yet uplifting and melodic soundtrack. It's definitely the backbone of this game as it supports everything that's happening during your short adventure. It manages to keep a mysterious tension on you and your senses as you play the game. PLAY WITH HEADPHONES! What an eargasm! Going to buy the soundtrack, no question!
I loved the platforming, I loved the power ups, I love the puzzles, I loved being able to explore and put together bits and pieces of the story, I loved the artwork and just the overall flow of the game.

An underrated masterpiece. Chef's Kiss! BON APPETITE! *licks fingers