Recent reviews by PointR

Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is a racing game that has so little to like about it. If anything, it inscribes itself in a lineage of failed revivals from its developers KT Racing. It started with FlatOut 4 only being redeemed by its predecessor being abysmal, kept going with V-Rally 4 which was ok-tier at best mediocre at worst, and ends with TDU:SC which... Let's get into the details.

To begin with, this game has horrid performances. My rig is far from being slow (5800X3D + 6900 XT) and yet issues kept coming as I drive through a map that looks great... 20% of the time. As for the remaining 80%, either you've already dropped your settings low enough that any beauty has gone in order to reach that ever-so-desired 60 FPS or the game simply doesn't look good at all. This released in 2024 and doesn't even feel like it was released 10 years ago. This released around Forza Horizon 5, Need for Speed Unbound, and The Crew Motorfest, while it has been in the works for nearly a decade. Despite improvements over the game's lighting with updates, it still looks like it came straight from the late 2010s.
From stutters to inconsistent framerates and significant drops in specific areas (mainly parts with lots of vegetation), this was a contribution to my loss of any remaining bit of will to even try with this game. I was playing with a mix of high and medium settings as a result of those performance issues and yet nothing would bring a consistent 60 FPS on my setup. The frame pacing is also quite terrible and so the experience feels jarring.
Jarring is also the word I'd use for the game's weird "sci-fi"-esque styling. The map menu has that futuristic style that does not work in the context of a Test Drive Unlimited game where I'd expect to see a satellite view of the game's world (on top of the icons being ridiculously small in that map menu). I don't get why the tuner shop has to be a social hub the size of a football field either, nor why do dealerships have to be so massive as you have to run a quarter mile between each cars (what was wrong with TDU2's dealerships guys? Absolutely nothing, that's what).

What doesn't help matters either are the game's settings. This was the first racing game in which I turned motion blur off, while I always kept it on for every single racing game I've played so far. The problem being that its motion blur intensity settings is completely meaningless. There are two options: low, and medium. The "low" setting is still too intense. Picture Forza Horizon 4's and 5's "long" motion blur setting: TDU:SC's is more intense than that on the "low" setting. On top of that, it intensely blurs your surroundings as the camera pans around to the point that you lose any sense of clarity on the road ahead, if the anti aliasing and upscaler didn't help (this game has one of the worst implementations of FSR I've seen so far btw).
Even the audio settings are completely off. What a great pairing to an already terrible audio mix! The opponent cars are too loud and can be heard from too far, had to turn them down in the audio settings to at least half the volume of the player's car and even then the player's car is still too quiet depending on the vehicle. Turning music down also doesn't work as you still hear music from HQs, dealerships, tuners, and other interior spaces. You can also still hear the radio coming from traffic cars. What's the point of setting any sound setting related to music down if I still hear the game's horrible soundtrack anyway?

Soundtrack which sounds like random picks from a royalty free audio bank too. In this one you'll find Dillon Francis from Temu (nope, not DJ Hanzel), Kavinsky from Wish, or Netsky from Aldi. Literally nothing sounds right in this game's soundtrack. They've made the feat of conjuring up something that I - as somebody who somehow enjoyed Need for Speed Unbound's soundtrack - found impossible to enjoy, something that to me doesn't even begin to fit with a racing game. And with how much variety KT Racing attempted to inject into this said soundtrack, they have once more aimed for the moon and instead somehow hit a blackhole.

As such, ambition is the word. While attempting to live up to the two titles that spawned a new kind of racing games, KT Racing lost the plot. There was too much to do for such a beloved IP even as a niche entry to the genre. So much so that in nearly a decade of active development, and a year of live service, content that should have been there on day one (and was promised to be present on day one) have been added one update at a time once every 3 to 5 months.
Hitchiking missions? Still not present. Delivery missions? Freshly got added a year upon release. Housing? Still promised in future updates with the hype of "it'll be better than the way TDU1 and 2 handled it" while said housing has been rendered completely pointless by the mere presence of the "Solar Crown Hotel" where the player owns an apartment and unlimited garage space. Cross-region online play? Still not present while being one of the largest issues the game has been plagued with since its release. Offline mode? KT Racing pointed out that they will only implement such thing once the game's live service is over (yikes) despite that neither TDU1 and 2 have been always-online upon releasing (it even took KT Racing 3~6 months to enable players to start races IN SOLO MODE). I'll add the pure nostalgia bait that the Ibiza "map expansion" was (which also failed to bring new players in btw) and the addition of microtransactions in a recent update while the rest of the game doesn't work.

Sure, the game may have some strong points. But unfortunately those reside in the shadow of the huge pile of poo that stands between the player and the fun that there is to have in this game. While the handling and physics are enjoyable (which is a miracle from the people who brought you several failed WRC instalments, FlatOut 4, and V-Rally 4) and the map's layout is far from being uninteresting, it's the little problems that add up on a large pack of bigger problems stemming not only from what the game does wrong but also from what the game lacks. Due to this wall of setbacks, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown isn't just a bad Test Drive Unlimited entry but also a bad racing game. It does manage to stand out in the crowd, albeit barely and for the wrong reasons. From the art style to the performance issues, passing through the trash-tier soundtrack and lack of discerning features (seriously the only unique thing right now are delivery missions)... There just isn't much to like in this game right now. Even if TDU2's director was on this project, man's undeniably lost the plot. This leadership is on the same level of awfulness as Stéphane Beley's on The Crew and Mike Brown's on Forza Horizon. It's not too late to quit.

It'd be for the best if KT Racing simply dropped all efforts to save this release. Stop trying to fix a sinking ship that's got half of its hull missing. Save what worked, throw what didn't work down into the pits of hell where they belong, and build on the foundation that remains.

Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees takes a whole new meaning now

Did I care so much for a tiny voiceless robot?
Yes, I did.

Did this tiny robot make me cry without the game using a single word past the halfway point?
...Yes, it did.

MotionRec is an incredible piece of art. Nothing was left to chance as everything was deliberately and carefully crafted: from the gorgeous monochrome pixel art to the level design while passing through the delightful soundtrack and brilliant environmental story telling.

The gameplay is so simple yet executed so well. Maintain the record button, walk, jump, and play that move again. A simple mechanic with a wealth of uses. On your path will stand fans shooting powerful winds, portals instantly teleporting you to another end, winches that will pull you back, and buttons that must be pressed before yours. Every single element have a purpose and each provide a different challenge each time. In solving those puzzles, you will have several "Eureka!" moments for how creative and beautiful the solutions to each puzzles are.

And speaking of the puzzles, nothing is introduced to the player except the two buttons that make the entire game: record, and replay. What you make of those is up to you. There is a lot of trial and error in MotionRec, and your tiny robot will die (then immediately respawn) multiple times until you learn what works and what doesn't. This makes all the beauty of this game.

As you make your way through this world, a story draws itself with the pixels of its art. With the impeccable pixel art comes a delightful mystery to unravel. I will not spoil anything in this review, but I urge you to experience this game. There are multiple zones to explore each divided in multiple chapters, and each zone have its own mood. Who knew two colours would be enough to provide such depth to the world?

The soundtrack only complements this depth with such beauty. The ambiance shifts as the melodies change and so will your understanding of the world they interpret. From joyful to careful, with a side of despair, the beeps and bits of this chiptune are the perfect companion to the revelation of MotionRec's mysteries. Its main tune will live in my head for a little while now, making me smile about the experience I had playing this game.

Despite how short as a game and how simple MotionRec is in its concept, it isn't any less lovely. It is a breath of fresh air, much like what Öoo is, in an era during which purely environmental story telling takes a step back in favour of long winded dialogues explaining everything in excruciating detail. I would much rather piece every detail together in an experience where every of its parts contribute to painting a broader picture, and MotionRec excelled at this.

Now, could we get this game ported to GameBoy Advance or Pico-8? I feel like its colour palette and visual style would work wonders on such platforms!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I FIXED HER

As much as I enjoy the setting and art style, I can't help but keep finding issues that sour the experience as a whole. So much so that I simply couldn't get myself to complete the demo. It's annoying as it's a great Paper Mario styled game, something I wish we'd see a lot more of especially after Bug Fables and Born Of Bread which both were excellent.

Firstly, the timing window to defend from attacks is ridiculously short. Sure, there is an option to make it wider as part of the game's two assists. However I don't want to strip away any challenge from playing this game as that's part of the fun.

While venturing around, it's incredibly difficult to attack enemies or at least avoid being hit in the open world before initiating combat with two of the three enemies I encountered so far: either there is that catfish with nearly impossible to dodge bubbles, or the robed guy coming at you with a knife. I'll add that nearly every single combat initiated in the open world without the player landing a hit first will result in the enemy taking the initiative. That absolutely isn't okay in the slightest. Not even the later Paper Mario entries would even dare venture towards this enemy behaviour as few enemies actually attack the player in the open world, rather they walk/run/fly towards the player without attacking thus initiating combat with nobody taking the initiative.

Finally, balancing seems all over the place in combat. I'm not sure what's the worst between catfishes being able to call reinforcements multiple times in one fight, or the clawed fish-crab monster having three strong attacks in a row that can take half your HP in one single turn. And those are just two examples.

Those completely sour an universe that's brimming with charm otherwise. The visuals are great, the sound design is brilliant, the scenes are very well detailed, and the character design has been very well executed. The platforming sections are great even if some jumps may require too much precision to my taste (e.g. the jump from the hotel balcony to a canopy).

I'm glad there finally is a demo for this game though. I've been waiting for this game for two years now as that's about how long ago I wishlisted it. I want more of this type of game out there as the Paper Mario franchise has become quite the letdown since Sticker Star. Best of luck with the final release!

Narinder and Lambert are sitting under a tree

Öoo is yet another shining example of how to perfectly execute a platformer puzzle game. With its overflow of charm, delightful soundtrack, and gorgeous visuals, it truly stands up high on the list of the greatest puzzle games ever made.

It is absolutely fascinating how Öoo manages to teach you its mechanics step by step while only teaching you its controls once at its very beginning. Each sector of the game's world will unveil one facet of its gameplay. First comes a bomb, then come the ways to use it. On your first playthrough, you could very well complete the entire game without going through the stealthy tutorial sections of the map. There isn't anything preventing you from doing so (And judging by the timer you get at the end of your playthrough, go nuts speedrunners!) All this to say, Öoo immediately shows you where the exit is whenever you enter a sector. It is only once you have understood how to use the tools you are given that you may cross the barrier to the next sector.

This in itself is nothing short of genius. While showing you the exit upon arrival is one of the core ideals of any puzzle game, I can't really think of any other games that allow you to take it whenever you feel like you are capable to do it. On a first playthrough, figuring out what the series of puzzles lead to will inevitably cause an "Eureka!" moment as a lightbulb pops up above your head (please don't look up) as you reach the last rooms. It's the culmination of multiple teachings letting you figure out what to do on your own. You don't even feel cheated in taking those baby steps as pretty much any moves are on the table. You wouldn't think being able to handle two bombs would allow such flexibility in your movements, and yet the uses seem endless.

It is quite in the same vein as Portal besides there not being anything preventing you from gunning it for the end of the game immediately. Most of the game is a long and hidden tutorial teaching you how to beat the final act. Once more, it is a very satisfying conclusion to a short yet sweet and excellent game.

The retro pixel art aesthetic is beyond mastered here. Some sprites may look a bit too simple, but when put in context with the rest of the environment everything blends in very smoothly. The use of different colour palettes for each sector goes so well with their respective styles and is quite reminiscent of some of the game's main inspirations as they are shown in the end credits. This visual experience is perfectly complemented by the amazing soundtrack that, despite being repetitive, remains catchy and unique for each sector. I really appreciated the little detail of flies singing along as they follow you around, it's such a sweet thing!

If you have a tenner to spare and don't know what to play, or simply have an hour or two to spare: Öoo is a must-play. Not just for retro platformers enthusiasts, but also for puzzle games enjoyers.

Somehow got sucked into this game immediately after buying it. Might have spent around 7 or 8h just knocking down those puzzles one by one.

I'm a big fan of nonograms in general and this one is full of quality puzzles with excellent features. The cells counter and circle guess marks make this absolutely amazing to play! I'm surprised there hasn't been that many other games that thought about it either.

Also cute rats 11/10

On Your Tail is one of those stories I regret completing and would never wish to experience again. Not because of how bad it may be, but rather how great it is. It is one of the rare games that put me through so much emotional shock by the end that it feels as though I am mourning the loss of a relative or dear friend.

While the game itself is rough around the edges, I can only forgive those issues for the bigger picture makes it more than worth playing. The cosy atmosphere with occult mysteries sprinkled on top were the cherries on top of a great story packed with lovable and interesting characters, sublimed by a captivating narrative. This game also achieved something very few could do: turning its location into its own character. One you don't want to leave behind, one you grow to know like the back of your hand, and eventually fall in love with. Maybe this is what Diana's grandmother felt too?

Our adventures in this corner of Italy aren't exactly the best looking ones: it suffers from a few graphical glitches here and there like textures not loading in properly, shadows flickering as they cannot decide which resolution to use... But this, I can forgive. I haven't encountered major issues souring my enjoyment of the game. Nonetheless, I would have liked to have more graphical options than choosing between a few anti-aliasing solutions and three different kinds of camera noise. Being able to turn bloom off would have been a great addition alongside a brightness slider. Another minor nitpick I have encountered is the very basic ultrawide monitor support (I played it on a 21:9 monitor) where each cutscenes and unlockable artworks are stretched to the edges of the monitor. The HUD elements are fine however.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere coming from the game's visual presentation is all too powerful for me not to forgive those issues. The soundtrack compliments this blissfully as well as its leitmotif now resonates in my head over and over again. It makes you want to stay there a little longer. It has an air of melancholy to it, as if the show was almost over, and yet you get drawn in by it the further you go.

But still, a few things almost stopped me in my tracks: the puzzles. There are a lot of them in this game: from reconstructing events, to sorting a tool bag... I felt like many had really far fetched solutions. The four interrogations you encounter are more of a guess work than anything, the tool bag sorting riddles tend to be completely unclear at times, and rebuilding past events felt like pure guess work as well - especially one of the final ones. But still, I charged through for the story's sake.

And what a story that was. I am still shaken up by its ending. While it has a few plot holes here and there, again the bigger picture won me over. This is a story I would never want to end. One I regret closing off. It didn't have the same effect as Death Stranding, Yakuza 0, or Stray, which almost made me physically unable to complete them... But its memory will continue to wreck me. You very easily get attached to Borgo Marina and its inhabitants. Whether it's the friends you meet along the way, the people hosting you, or those helping you along the way... They all have a little something to like. Something to cling on to. And, without trying to spoil the game, all of them have a reason to follow you.

On Your Tail is an experience worth playing. The slice-of-life stories mingled into the investigations of a mysterious thief and their motives helped create a perfect blend that is all too rare to see. This game was made with pure unfiltered love, and it shows. And for that, I can forgive anything for it. I am not sure if I should wish for a sequel, or if I want it to end here. Part of me wants to stop this sense of grief, another wants to dive back into this town and meet with familiar faces once more.

And so that's it. I wish I could stay, or I wish they would follow me out of town. The way this game made me feel is the true mark of a labour of love, and the hallmark of a brilliant game. Thank you for this experience.

The right update in the right place made all the difference in the world <3