falariem's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Welcome Test Subject 3217]

Very clever, though it definitely takes a little getting used to. It's a lot like playing Minesweeper with your eyes closed.

Pro Tip: If you guys can't get the game to "load." try turning up your speakers.

[Roy Avoid]

Nice, simple concept. It's been done a thousand times before, but you mixed it up a little bit. I like it!

[The Infinite Ocean]

Simply epic. I have always been a fan of this style of gaming, and this is about as close to the old classics like "Myst" as I have seen in Flash in quite a while. I've only seen one other game come close, but let's not make comparisons here. This game deserves credit and respect on its own merits.

The art design was very nice. The back story was a very nice touch, although I'll be honest - I didn't read nearly half of it. But again, that took me back to the older games. The amount of sifting one has to do to solve some of the puzzles was very reminiscent of Myst, wherein there was that destroyed library, with several burned books holding the vital clues needed to pass each of the game's major puzzles. I really liked the "message parser" element of solving the puzzles. I didn't read the instructions before playing, so I got a bit hung up on figuring out what I had to do with the codes, but once I got the hang of it, it added yet another level to the depth of this game. Nothing HUGE, but a very nice touch that beat the simple "click this, click that, wave your mouse around the screen for hotspots, guess what to do next" pattern I see in a lot of other games like this nowadays!

Finally, the soundtrack was perfect, in my personal opinion. It fit the desolation and hope that I was feeling for the main character, although by the time I got halfway through, I knew how it would end for the hero... or heroine?

This was all very nostalgic for me... So my verdict is 5/5, 10/10, and added to my Favorites.

[Polygon Racer 3D]

If Nintendo's Rad Racer and Atari's Battlezone had a child...

Overall, this game is beautiful and handles likes a dream. The vector animations are smooth, and I never experienced any lag once during gameplay. The simplistic style of the artwork takes me back to the old days of vector games in the arcades, and especially Rad Racer. Clone or not, you did this in Flash, and it is amazing.

The music tracks were also very nice, and fit well with the retro style of the game. Though I haven't sampled them all, "Up Heaven's Chimney" was very catchy, and got me through most of the game.

I've looked through the past comments, and I can't say I've experienced the hitbox errors. Sadly, Flash DOESN'T work the same on every computer - I use both Macs and PCs on a daily basis, so I've seen how badly Flash can glitch up.

There is one gripe I have, though: the difficulty. Going through the "story mode" of the game, the difficulty of is very well balanced all the up to the New York track. Suddenly, I'm looking at twists and turns, weaving traffic in ALL lanes, and a very unforgiving time limit. I'm all for challenge, and I really don't mind the difficulty level at all - even though I can't finish the track. :)

The problem is, up until then, every other level was a cake walk by comparison. I could hit collisions on the sides of the road, play bumper cars with the drivers, have a slow start at the beginning, and I'd still win. It felt evenly paced, and each track felt like a scenic route that I could sit back and enjoy. In New York, though, racing a near-perfect run (after 10 tries or so) would still put me past the 0:00 timer, and I'd only pass the checkpoint because I hadn't rolled to a stop yet... even with my car fully upgraded.

As I said, though, this game is overall a piece of solid gold. It's very fast, very addicting, and all around fun. Hell, I kinda feel lame bringing up the New York "issue," considering how the rest of the game rocks so hard! I'm looking forward to more like this.

[Shadowess]

Very good strategy game.

I've been looking for one of these on Newgrounds for some time. The puzzles are nice and very challenging, and the light vs dark adds a nice dynamic to some of the puzzles, especially the later ones. Puzzle 24, I have no idea how you would solve that with 3 stars.

The atmosphere set by the music is also a great touch. 5/5, 10/10, added to favorites. I'm looking forward to your next project.

[Gray]

Very unique game!

What I got from it: Trying to find a balance through peace, no matter what side you're fighting on. As you start, you try to sway people to your cause. Taking that as far as you can, the whole mob rallies with you, and you even have followers who move around with you as you try to convert others to your cause. But then the balance shifts, and you realize that what you were fighting for is not the definitive solution. So, you fight to rally the mob back to the other side. Back and forth this goes, until, finally, neither side cares for your opinion any longer.

Maybe I'm wrong. As the preceding comments have shown, maybe there is no one right answer to what these people are fighting over. But when you think about, this game, to have generated so much debate and analysis on something so simple (the game is less than 5 minutes long, really), is a success.

My hat's off to you both! 5/5, 10/10, added to favorites.

[ImmorTall]

What can I say?

I can be considered a somewhat emotional kind of guy, but this was the first time a Flash game really got to me. Very touching story!

Even with the minimal art style (which is a plus in my book), the lack of dialogue, and the story conveyed solely by gestures and the very fitting placement of a strumming guitar, there was no room for ambiguity as to the story or the friendship felt between the alien and his new family. Especially with the daughter.

To be honest, the ending I got (saving all of the family) left me in tears. And I'm a grown man, for god's sake! 5/5, 10/10, added to favorites.

I will be following your future projects with interest. :)

[Aurora 2]

I have mixed thoughts on this one

I liked the art style a lot. The ambience set by the music was also pretty nice, and the interface was easy enough to use.

However, while I am a fan of old school point and click games, this one feels a bit lazy in that regard. At any given point, there is really only one thing you can do. Start at screen A, move your mouse until you find the hotspot C, go to screen B, talk to character C... Wait, he just stands there unless I show him item D? There's no initial dialogue, or experimenting with other items. It feels sterile.

I understand if this is supposed to be a demo, given how short it is. But this feels way too linear, and after chapter 2 started, I began asking myself "why is this even playable?" As you can only do one thing at any given time, why does the game need anything from the player to advance the story?

Just make this into a graphic novel. It has everything going for it except the overly linear gameplay.

[Jump'It]

Interesting

I see what you were going for. There are something you need to work with:
1. The music doesn't cue up until after you've already died.
2. The thing about Canabalt is that it gets harder because it gets faster and faster, and you have to find the right times to slow down.
3. No obstacles (like those dud missiles in Canabalt)
4. I personally wasn't a fan of the music, so I'm glad there's a mute button.

But, all that said, you've got something that works. It doesn't feel broken or glitchy. Graphic slowdown may happen on slower machines - mine played without a hitch. But even then, it felt too slow in the over pacing.

I also liked what you did with the graphics. Simple foreground black against the gold and orange tones of the Newgrounds logo. And the parallax effect you did in the background was a nice touch. I'd very much like to see an improved version of this. It's a good start.

[Canabalt]

Simple concept. Great game!

Very addicting. The gameplay is simple as can be, but this game overall is anything but. The pixel art is superb, the background elements, and even the foreground (collapsing buildings, dropped bombs) tell a story of pandemonium and desperation.

The sound effects work, adding even more to the atmosphere of the game. And the music, though one track, is more than enough for this one. I've been a huge fan of Mr. Baranowsky since his Relics of the Chozo days. It's good to see him still at it. :D

5/5, 10/10. Added to favorites.