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[Solarstrike]

 

[AndrewRyan]

Absolutely loving these demo days! Tried out Spirit X Strike Demo- a highly stylized CG fighting game with customizable combos. Interesting concept and beautiful animation. Don't always know what's going on so lots to learn.

 

[Solarstrike]

 

[PeterBazooka]

Very fun, mecha 2D fighter with tight controls and easy to pull combos. Day 1 for me.

 

[Branded]

Mmm you know I think that's a big problem with these demos. Too many roguelites. And none of them really stand out to me.

Sorry and this isn't aimed at you specifically but I never get this genre complaint that I hear these days. Oh there's "too many hero shooters" or "too many roguelikes". So weird as there's hundreds upon hundreds of a games coming out each month for each genre,ranging from 4X Strategy to RPG or Simulator to co-op party stuff.

Bit of a rant but it really depends on where you look yourself.

 

[MagiusNecros]

Sorry and this isn't aimed at you specifically but I never get this genre complaint that I hear these days. Oh there's "too many hero shooters" or "too many roguelikes". So weird as there's hundreds upon hundreds of a games coming out each month for each genre,ranging from 4X Strategy to RPG or Simulator to co-op party stuff.

Bit of a rant but it really depends on where you look yourself.

I've gone through about 50 demos of games that are different but all play the same. Nothing really grabs me to keep me playing the game. I think the core problem isn't that are too many games of one genre but rather once you've played one of these you've played them all. So may as well just play the original.

It's really no different then drinking a can of soda(let's say Pepsi) that you love and drinking offbrand cans of soda that offer the same experience but can't quite match what Pepsi in this case feels and tastes like.

Clearly the effort went into making a game but most just seem hollow and soulless.

Another example is retro shooters are also plentiful but none of the ones available are going to hold my attention like Selaco.

 

[drotahorror]

I've gone through about 50 demos of games that are different but all play the same. Nothing really grabs me to keep me playing the game. I think the core problem isn't that are too many games of one genre but rather once you've played one of these you've played them all. So may as well just play the original.

It's really no different then drinking a can of soda(let's say Pepsi) that you love and drinking offbrand cans of soda that offer the same experience but can't quite match what Pepsi in this case feels and tastes like.

Clearly the effort went into making a game but most just seem hollow and soulless.

Another example is retro shooters are also plentiful but none of the ones available are going to hold my attention like Selaco.

I think there's a lot of burnout'ness involved especially when we've been spoiled by the best in each sub genre.

Oddly enough I was hype as fuck for Selaco but I haven't even got around to playing it. Got burnt out on retro shooters shortly before with Amid Evil, Dusk, Boltgun, Cultic etc.

I will say I'm pretty much over any reverse bullet hell w.e games (Vampire Survivors etc). I was hype for that Jottunheimer or whatever it was called but it's the same shit. I'll just play Halls of Torment or Death Must Die for that fix if I ever need it.

I did find a couple that broke the mold for ,e though that I'm excited for. Like The Spirit of the Samurai. Cool ass game

 

[MagiusNecros]

Vampire Survivors clones, card deck battlers, hero shooters, PVPVE Extraction shooters, Arena Shooters I don't much care for. But I do think you are correct it is burnout on being spoiled by the best. Like eating a Steak and downgrading to a Salad.

 

[SolidQ]

For those who love Quake1 from Vaporium devs

 

[Herbspiceguy]

• Chinese devs shamelessly copying Warcraft characters, making them look like they're meant for a mobile game, check
• Gacha mechanics, check
• Yet, I'm hooked to this (single character) auto battler and have been grinding my way up to Platinum 3, it's a lot of fun to figure out the best skills/synergies for your character while countering others. I'll likely play full release. I'm just a bit wary they'll introduce P2W stuff.

 

[Branded]

AI Limit - Aside from the afwul name this is an instant avoid for me. The combat felt awfully slow & clunky plus the level design consisted of nothing but grey sewer after grey sewer with a bit of grey sewer sprinkled on top for good measure. This has all the hallmarks of being a very mediocre Soulslike at best.

Captain Blood - I really wanted to like this but unfortunately it's very undercooked. The AI is either braindead or can literally stunlock you into defeat by the sheer number of 'em all. I can forgive the dated visuals but the gameplay itself just isn't very fun or engaging. Pass.

Tenebris Somnia - I was pleasantly surprised by this. The combination of Point-and-Click Adventure with live-action cutscenes works really well and adds to the creepy atmosphere. In many ways it reminded me of old school Resident Evil in terms of the 'clunky' combat and puzzle mechanics. Won't be running out to grab this on day one but will probably give it a go at some point when it's nice and cheap.

Toads of the Bayou - Played only one battle of this to know that I will thoroughly enjoy the full game! The presentation along with the easy to grasp tactical combat and Roguelike mechanics instantly won me over. Another game that wasn't on my radar at all but definitely going on the wishlist now.

 

[Branded]

The co-op section:

Slime Heroes - I initially thought this was going to be a fun co-op experience but turned it off after reaching the first boss. Very janky and rudimentary. Especially with stuff like Ravenswatch, Windblown... hell even that new TMNT roguelike; I see no reason to play this.

SUPERVIVE - I hate to admit it but I actually enjoyed this top down MOBA Battle Royale. I don't really have any experience with these more traditional MOBA type games and despite the steep learning curve the gameplay itself feels very smooth and frenetic. Not sure if I will stick with it for a longer amount of time but if it's free on release then I'll give it a whirl for sure.

Luma Island - Only played for a brief amount of time with a friend to know that I will be all over this when it launches this November. This game is ultimate the ultimate cozy simulator, that visual style is simply perfect.

Popucom - This was an absolute delight and me and a friend (female btw, no sharp knees, etc) can't wait for the full game now. It's super polished already; full of smart and engaging design. Highlight of the Next Fest for me so far!

 

[Branded]

Ascendant - This one's... weird. On the one hand the production value here is crazily good and it shows what with its licensed 80s soundtrack and impressive visuals. On the other... the entire 'capture-the-flag-but-it's-also-an-extraction-shooter' game mode feels a bit convoluted? That plus the gunplay felt very, very arcadey (dare I say basic). Which is odd as every other aspect of the game seems to have a lot of heart put into it. The HUB alone is ridiculously detailed and functional with an impressive firing range and other side activities as well (time trial parkour, hide and seek, etc). It seems like the devs behind this genuinely set out to make a solid game but the gunplay just ain't it. I mean there's aim assist on mouse and keyboard.

Awaken Astral Blade - A competent Metroidvania but like its name is also very generic. There's no shortage of far better Metroidvanias out there.

Loco Motive - This was fantastic and dare I say the best the Point-and-Click genre has to offer? The VO and writing are full of charm and wit, the animation is top tier and there's no clunky interface or control annoyances to speak of. Never heard of this game before but after having played the demo I can't wait for it to come out!

Phoenix Springs - This was pretty much the opposite of Loco Motive in every regard. On the Steam page it prides itself as being an "immersive neo-noir point & click adventure game, fully voice acted". That last bit isn't something I'd boast about considering only one character speaks and does so in an incredibly monotonous tone. The surreal and difficult to parse visuals aren't my cup of tea either. It's a distinctive look and stuff and they definitely nail the noir vibe but when I have to resort to a guide three times during a 30 min session then nah... I'm good.

 

[Branded]

DIESELDOME: Oil & Blood - A movement-based FPS Survivorlike (or whatever we call these nowadays) that's not bad by any means but still needs a lot of work. The proportions seem off (enemies are tiny compared to the player/environment) and there's some performance issues as well. Decent fun though.

Cursebane - A linear Action-Roguelike that's quite relaxing in terms of general atmosphere and combat. Not sure I'll run out to buy it but it has potential.

Dimensionals - Another, you guessed it, Roguelike Card Battle-Em-Up. And not a bad one at that. The soundtrack is kind of grating but the battle system itself is very straight forward, basically just a typical (dungeon) RPG. Not sure if it has the staying power of something like Slay the Spire or Monster Train but I will stick it on the wishlist for now.

Ballionaire - A pachinko Roguelike... It was at this point that I started to wonder what I'm doing with my life.

 

[Holammer]

NES style action adventure, it feels like the real deal by trying to follow palette, colour limitations and adhering to an 8x8 CHR grid. Except there would have been one helluva MMC innit for widescreen, extra playfields and sprites.
Gameplay feel like an authentic castlevania with very fair difficulty. Instant wishlist.

Action Roguelike going for over the top difficulty where you have to fight in tight spaces. A bit too difficult to be enjoyable and there's no controllers support.

Arcade style beat 'em up with surface similarities to Power Stone. Sounds like a good idea and it's pretty well made, but they fucked up badly with the controls for the demo as you don't get any Xbox/PS glyphs in-game, moves are only listed with buttons A-B-C-D as if you played with a Neo-Geo controller
There's also a furry muscle bara theme which is going to limit the audience. That's not me imagining things, looking at the developer twitter confirms it, it's super gay.

Roguelike/Lightgun shooter, the alpha is way too early to judge; but I did not enjoy the single screen format with hordes. Maybe it'll be better without the bugs and some polish. Play Blue Estate The Game instead for a proper on-rails shooter.

An *aggressively* 2.5D platformer which play ok. It feels like a roller coaster ride in places as the camera swings around and rounds corners while still keeping the player in frame.

An Adventure/Puzzle game with very simple controls, the demo is very early with rough edges and it did not communicate to the player how to proceed from the starting area. Good art with very Gravity Fall'ish vibes.

A co-op game where you defend a wagon while collecting wood for fuel, healing herbs and gold. Remove obstacles and fight off raiders and vote which direction to take the wagon. Game is super well made and controls great. I tried it solo, but this definitely needs 2 or more players.

Animu souls-like which plays ok. The usual oppressive setting felt lame and it seems to have the Metal Gear school of dialogue where the protagonist speaks in questions.
Try Aterigos: Curse of the Stars instead.

I did not try this one because it's a Japanese only VN. However, it looks and sounds PS2 style amazing while radiating Nippon Ichi/Disgaea energy.
As I looked at the trailer again, yes, the gameplay and screenshots makes the stylistic choice to frame it in 4:3, no wonder it looked so "right".

 

[Plague Doctor]

Hark the Ghoul - This is basically a sequel to Lunacid. And while I enjoyed that title the gameplay itself became very repetitive; the level design and presentation really carried that one. This however already seems more interesting in that regard as it incorporates physics based combat (kick objects into enemies) and the fact that you can shoot enemies with yer pistol (with satisfying feedback). Hark wasn't on my radar at all but now it's definitely going on the wishlist.

And just like that, I am in. Those are the magic words to win me over.

 

[Branded]

And the last batch:

The Axis Unseen - A "heavy Metal Horror game" that was truly awful. Tons of screenshake, horrific performance, lack of art direction, confusing gameplay... Not sure why I ever put this on my wishlist to begin with. Uninstalled after 10 minutes.

Legacy: Steel & Sorcery - A Dark&Darker or Dungeonborne type game that's seemingly not even in pre-alpha stages? But most of all: utterly devoid of any engaging elements. Another quick uninstall; never to look at again.

STRAFTAT - This was so good! It's a 1v1 arena shooter and me and a friend had a blast playing this, had to force ourselves to quit. It's coming out in a few days as a free-to-play title with over 100+ maps (according to the demo) so we'll be all over this. Really good fun.

Fragpunk - I guess this was technically also part of the Next Fest and after having put in about 14 hours I think this was by far my favorite of the event. It's a more fun Valorant basically that's also far more forgiving in its gunplay and use of character abilities. Every round your team gets to pick cards (ie: modifiers) that change up the gameplay in outlandish ways (more bomb sites, big heads, snow covered map, vampire bullets, spawn as a zombie, bullet dodging katanas, etc). The progression system is excellent and the maps already look very polished and have a ton of character to them, something I very much missed from the sterile looking Valorant maps. Overall I couldn't be happier with the way this turned out and I'm glad there's more competition in this space what with my all-time fav game of Counter-Strike dropping the ball with CS2 and its lacklustre casual content. Fragpunk is going to be where it's at for me for the foreseeable future and I'm all for it.