"INDIKA", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: Despite an abrupt ending that kept me wanting more closure, INDIKA’s journey, with its different varieties of gameplay, gorgeous if drearily realistic environments while exploring and playful retro pixel art for the mini-game flashbacks, captivated me from beginning to the credit roll. It’s a story of right and wrong, and realizing that doing what’s expected of you through the doctrine of religion doesn’t safeguard you from evil. It raises the question of whether you should resort to turning “evil” yourself then, and whether all acts can even be categorized that way to begin with when looking at basic needs and survival. Are morals universal or merely a human construct? Is religion an absolute truth or a manipulative tool? While I was expecting quite a controversial game, I was happy to find it isn’t all that in-your-face. It certainly offers food for thought if you like to philosophize, or you can simply play the game, experience the (sometimes disturbing) five-hour story and ignore all the symbolism. I for one will be praying that the developers make more games like this!

"Sanya", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "While there’s a fair bit to do in Sanya, I waltzed through it all so easily that it never felt like enough. Most gameplay elements are fun, but they’re over so quickly I wanted even more of them, like additional logic puzzles or giving Pumpkin new commands. Others, however, could’ve used some fine-tuning or even full redesigns, like the river platforming sequence. Failing any optional mini-games won’t impede progress, but still might tempt me into a second playthrough. I want to win that bike race! Artistically this a very beautiful game, and though the narrative is quite simple, with such a short story it does what it sets out to do: telling a small, personal tale of a boy and his dog, wanting to be accepted by the neighborhood kids. Perhaps this is a game best suited to younger players, and yet if you don’t mind breezing through its very simple tasks, even adults can revel in the nostalgia of a carefree time when they still played outside and weren’t glued to their smartphones."