With Rising Lords, Nephenthesys and Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic, we’re checking out three recently released indie titles that can all be purchased now at a budget-friendly price points. Here are our reviews.
Rising Lords review (Xbox)
Rising Lords, a turn-based strategy game developed by Argonwood and published by Deck13, transports players to a medieval world where they must navigate the intricacies of ruling, conquering, and defending an empire. Despite its unique and engaging blend of overworld management and tactical combat, Rising Lords doesn’t always deliver on its ambitions.
The game’s narrative, set in a medieval realm, places players in the shoes of a young lord striving for recognition and success. While the story, competent if not spectacular, lacks the engaging depth of more compelling narratives, it serves as a backdrop to the strategic gameplay. The overworld map, where players manage their resources, forge weapons, and expand their empire, offers a charming board game-like aesthetic.
The economy-driven gameplay revolves around managing peasants, allocating them to fields, and collecting resources. While the concept of a dynamic economy influenced by seasons and events is intriguing at first, managing your resources becomes too simplistic (and almost automated) over time, detracting from the overall depth of the game. The turn-based combat, which incorporates a rock-paper-scissors system, terrain considerations, and card-based skills, initially presents an engrossing layer of tactical decision-making as well, but battles ultimately start feeling too repetitive as well. The quantity and quality of your troops often decides upon victory, making your tactical decisions feel insignificant.
Positive aspects of Rising Lords include its distinctive and quirky art style, resembling a board game right down to having miniatures that represent your units. The hand-drawn aesthetic and visually pleasing animations of these contribute to the game’s appeal. Additionally, the inclusion of multiplayer functionality, scenarios, and challenges all enhance the game’s replay value and long-term engagement.
In conclusion, Rising Lords stands as a promising concept with competent execution but lacks the depth and flair needed to ascend to the ranks of turn-based strategy greats. While the game exhibits potential, its success depends on future updates addressing its challenges – though the fact that the game was initially in Early Access could be an indication of the developer’s commitment.
Nephenthesys review (PS5)
Arcade shooter fans can go on a dangerous mission in Nephenthesys, a vertical scrolling shoot’em up developed by Let’s Dev Studios and published by Eastasiasoft. The game attempts to channel the spirit of classic arcade shoot’em ups, with the usual straightforward premise of controlling a ship, shooting enemies, and dodging bullets. And while fun to play and easy enough on the eye, most of Nephenthesys feels rather forgettable. Difficulty spikes and poorly implemented hitboxes further cement this as a game that isn’t likely to go to people’s “best ever shooter” lists as well – though for a budget game it still offers a decent diversion.
Players navigate through four different ships in Nephenthesys, each with unique stats and shot types. However, the distinctions between these ships are quite minor, diminishing the impact of player choices and appeal of extra playthroughs. Power-ups, limited to wider shots, special bombs, and shields, feel overly generic and not very impactful as well. Enemies in general are quite predictable too, despite some level designs that are nice and varied. And boss battles might not feel super inspired, but at least they generally look good and the bosses are fun to take down.
Despite the criticisms mentioned, Nephenthesys offers positives such as an energy system that links your health, shot strength, and super attacks to a single meter. Responsive controls and a steady framerate contribute to a smooth gaming experience as well, and the visuals are bright and colorful. In conclusion, Nephenthesys may appeal to die-hard fans seeking a brief and mindless arcade shooter experience, though its generic nature and lack of innovation might leave a broader audience expecting more from it.
Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic review (PS5)
Released earlier on PC, Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is now available on consoles as well. It’s a 2D hidden object game that aims to captivate players with charming visuals and a playful atmosphere, setting it apart the hidden object games you might have been playing a decade ago. Published by Rogueside and set against hand-drawn backdrops, the game offers an expansive single-player campaign across four magical eras, each narrated in a charming storybook-like style. While the narrative is relatively light and could have been expanded upon, the nicely designed graphics bring the game’s vibrant stages to life, with items reacting to player interaction to make this one quite immersive – probably especially so if you’re playing with a touch interface on the Switch.
The Reality Shift feature in the game takes center stage, allowing players to manipulate time, weather, and map states, introducing an unexpected strategic layer to the hidden-object gameplay. The transitions from day to night and seasonal changes add complexity, encouraging players to think critically while searching for items. The Architect Mode, on the other hands, stands out as a robust level editor, empowering players to craft and share their own imaginative maps with relative ease. This feature, combined with the diverse collection of structures and characters you can use, contributes to the game’s replayability.
Visually, Hidden Through Time 2 maintains a delightful cartoon aesthetic that complements its accessible gameplay. The charming atmosphere is further enriched by a very pleasant soundtrack, creating an engaging experience for players of all ages that makes this very family-friendly. However, at its core this game is quite simple in nature, despite the Reality Shift feature, so it may not appeal to everyone. Occasional challenges in finding specific items can also lead to short bouts of frustration, though that’s par for the course in the genre.
In summary, Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic stands as a lovely family game, offering a relaxed, interactive, and charming experience. Despite minor drawbacks, the game succeeds in delivering an engaging hidden-object adventure that caters to both casual and creative players alike. With attractive and engaging visuals, innovative gameplay mechanics, and a versatile level editor, Hidden Through Time 2 invites players to explore hidden secrets across enchanting landscapes.
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