Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim – Playtest Impressions

If you are missing a comfy game like Majesty 2 in your life, I got a treat for you. Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim is a spiritual successor to Majesty 2 coming out this year according to Steam. I was invited to playtest the game, where I tried out three campaign missions and an endless mode. My first impressions are very positive. It retains that cozy approach to gaming where you just feel relaxed (just like Majesty 2), due to its presentation and gameplay. Even the original narrator returns! However, even perfect weather comes with a few clouds of rain.

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Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream – Demo Impressions

My next title on the Steam NextFest repertoire is Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream. It’s a beautiful stealth game viewed from an isometric viewpoint. The premise and setting reminds me of A Plague Tale: Requiem, but with a brother sidekick that isn’t the bearer of rat demons – yet. The visuals and the story are very charming, and detailed. But what about the gameplay?

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Cyber Knights: Flashpoint 1.0 is out!

Finally, after years, and months of suffering, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint version 1.0 is here. Goodbye Early Access! I have already given it about six hours of my life, and my first impression: pretty damn good. However, it’s not without faults. I think going 3D should have come with a tad more polish concerning the visuals and animations. Characters can come across somewhat weird in a cartoony way, and when moving, it looks like agents and soldiers ice skate instead of walking. A little sloppy, unfortunately.

Two other issues are the alarm system for when going loud, which punish you with endless enemy reinforcements. Never liked these types of mechanics, even if I know why from a gameplay standpoint (to punish you for getting caught). The final problem (so far) is that initiative/turn-order is individual instead of being group based. It adds to the tedium when you have to make daring escapes, as it can be really hard to plan ahead. More in-depth first-impression coming soon (probably). Other than this, the game is fun, and the narrative device seems interesting as well. Check out the launch trailer below!

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Menace – Huge FAQ

Overhype Studios decided to release a huge FAQ about their upcoming game Menace. It contains many juicy bits, that makes it easy now to form what the game will, and will not, be. For example, it will not be a Battle Brothers clone, with an open sandbox structure. It will have a structured story campaign, with a beginning and an end.

Here are some notable questions and answers:

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Kenshi – Meet the Makers

The developer behind the apocalyptic sandbox RPG Kenshi recently released a video where they present themselves. So I thought I would share it here. The reason: It has a solid presence of indie game coziness to it. It’s just a dude (and eventually his sis) with a dream of creating a game of their own after playing countless others. A dream I can certainly recognize. They managed to do just that, and it became a unique beast. It’s an uplifting story of two people still grounded in the same world as the gamers. A refreshing tale when publishers and developers so often now seem disconnected from their audience. I’m also impressed how their company has grown, from one to now thirty. Kenshi must have sold really well! I hope everything works out for them, and that Kenshi 2 becomes something else! Video below.

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