eezeebee

Or do they compulsively steal? And if so, did they remember what my favourite chocolate bar is?

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But seriously, I can appreciate it. The fact that it's so memorable has to count for something.

I played Demon Turf recently and enjoyed it a lot. Never got around to trying the Demon Tides demo, but still intend to buy the full game. I find it interesting that the reviewer says the game was "held back", yet still gave it a rating of 8.

I completely agree. As a fellow souls-liker, it's way more punishing than those games. It teaches you lessons, but there are a lot of them to remember, and even then, shit happens that you can't always prepare for. It might be nice to have a checkpoint system at the last Holy Mountain you visited, but then again that might take away from the replayability. The difficulty is kind of part of its charm!

US defaultism

Noita. There is still so much to learn.

Recommend

Absolutely worth it. Had mine (MK3) for 5 years now. Besides having keys to play, I really like using the knobs to record automation, and the pitch stick to try out "bends". Those are also great for sound design in your favourite synth. I don't really use the drum pad (fun but impractical) or the other features, but they're there.

Into the Unwell

Close your eyes and think about the caboose

It can be hard to describe, thus my interest in what causes it. For myself I've somewhat narrowed it down to generally somber and emotionally-charged moments.

The vocal/scream breakdown in the middle, though I think it's important how the whole song sets the stage for it:

Deftones - Knife Party

The whole thing, but especially the higher notes sung:

Low - Laser Beam

The guitar lead starting at 1:15 & 2:05 and how it synergizes with the bass line, especially on the third and fourth measure of its melody:

Explosions in the Sky - Greet Death

It can happen in songs with different moods though it's more rare, and I kind of think those moments still share some qualities in common with the examples above.

Joyce Manor - Christmas Card

I'm not a huge open world fan. It's fine, but my preference would be more like multiple branching paths, some of which would be locked in a Metroidvania fashion, or just gatekept by strong enemies/bosses so you could still get through if you were stubborn enough. Something like DS1 interconnectivity, DS2 multiple branches, and DS3 Dancer blocking the late game, all put together.