Recent reviews by ECE94FSR

Note: this review covers the currently released content "Shovel of Hope", "Plague of Shadows", "Spectre of Torment" and might be updated in the future.

When I first played the "core game" Shovel of Hope, I loved it!.
The soundtrack, pixel graphics and learning curve felt perfect.
It was a fresh platformer experience without any compromise or lack of quality which in my opinion, most games in this genre suffer from. The game also has a fun narrative story which is a nice touch!

There is a good amount different enemies and fun boss fights.
The controls and mechanics are great. Including standard platforming pits and spikes.
Shovel Knight specifically uses his shovel to bounce on objects or enemies and can be nicely combined with an aerial attack with the shovel.

A great feature which is included in all 3 of the current campaigns is the "New Game+" option available after completing corresponding campaign.
It not only increases replayability but gives access to a more difficult playthrough of each campaign, with all gear carried over to the "New Game+" which I find to be a challenging and rewarding experience. Note: Once NG+ is initiated that save file is permanently only playable on NG+.
The NG+ for "Shovel Knight" makes you take double damage, there are fewer checkpoints and most turkeys (health) are replaced with bombs.

Throught the in-game stages you will find various upgrades and collectables, with differences depending on which campaign you play. In all campaigns you can aquire new "skills" specific to the character of the campaign aswell as buy armor upgrades.
There is also a "challenge mode" mode included for each character with specific shorter stages with different goals for completion.

A more odd feature is "cheats". They disable achievements and can make drastic changes to the game. You can become huge or invicible or make a minor aesthetic change like color to the character. The amount of different codes are ridiculous, but only one code can be used at a time as it corresponds to the named save slot (there are codes that combine several things). I have never tried cheats but believe it to be a nice addition to an already content rich game.
Another odd feature is "Body Swap". It gives the ability change the design of all the main characters (bosses) into female counterparts.

An exclusive feature to the "Shovel of Hope" campaign is the 2 player Co Op Mode.
I have tried it and thought it made things significantly harder, but it is still a nice feature that I imagine some people will greatly appreciate.
The game devs had speed running in mind with some though out optimization to the stages aswell as "linked achivements" for each of the campaigns (finish in less than 90 minutes).

I must admit that playing as "Plague Knight" was hard and not enjoyable at first.
This is coming from someone who had just finished Shovel Knights NG+ right before trying "Plague of Shadows" and might suggest that the difficulty is higher for Plague Knight than Shovel Knight.
At least the learning curve felt higher.
But... Once you get past that, Plague Knight is probably the most fun and satisfying character to play as.

Plague Knight is very different from the other two character as he lacks any melee combat (except by skill) and jumps by default lower than "Shovel Knight". Instead he uses "ranged projectile bombs" for combat, and utilizes "bomb jumps" to jump higher and move around. A lot harder to master but very powerful when you get good at it.
His upgrades enables you to drastically change the behavior of the "bomb jump" and you "projectile bombs".
NG+ is practically the same as Shovel Knight.

With the third campaign character comes another "revamp" in mechanics specific to the character.

Spectre Knight uses a Scythe and has to collect "red skulls" to trade for skills. Just like Shovel Knight a mana system that does not recharge by itself, is used for skills.
Spectre Knight can run on walls (short time) and wall jump making most stages a bit more redesigned than previous adaptation to the original ones. The combat and stages also take a more "aerial"approach than with previous characters.

A minor other change is the order at which you play a stage. In this campaign you can start with any stage in any order except for the last tower/castle. A major change is that you will have to revisit the past in "flash backs" and play as Spectre Knight before he was one amongs the "living dead". Not any major stages, but a change in story telling for sure.
The "learning curve" for Spectre Knight felt lower than on both previous characters, but it might have more to do with it being the last campaign played and finished, giving me more experience despite new mechanics being introduced.
While Spectre Knight felt very strong in the normal playthrough, the NG+ was brutal.
The big change being that the health and mana got combined and you constantly lose it. Naturally this removes the "give yourself health for mana skill".
Good Luck Completing It !!!

• Est. 60-90+ hours to complete (all ach)
  
• 85 achievements (more to come for sure)
  
• 3 campaigns with a fourh on the way
  
• 3 main characters to play as in corresponding campaign (fourth coming)
  
• All playable characters feature unique mechanics and skills
  
• Collectables
  
• Learn new uniques "skills" for every character
  
• Buy and find upgrades
  
• NG+
  
• Body Swap
  
• 2 player Co Op (Shovel of Hope campaign only)
  
• Cheats to alter gameplay and aesthetics
  
• Challenge Mode (all characters)
  
• Upcoming new campaign and a new game mode
  
• Speedrun friendly Devs
  
• Lots of fun boss fights
  
• Good amount of enemy variety
  
• Classic pits and spikes platforming...
  
• Fantastic soundtrack
  
• Beautiful pixel graphic
  
• Good level desgin
  
• Very affordable price
  
• Replayability
  
• Learning curve is exceptionally good, perfect for beginners and hardcore players alike.
  
• - No achievements linked to "Challenge Mode" (feels odd)
  
  Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the best platformer I have ever played.
  It is rich with content and the difficulty really hits the sweet spot. It is also one of very few games I can recommend even at full price.
  Or buy it around 9,99€ during a sale and you do not even deserve to be disappointed if you fail to appreciate this fantastic game!
  I Strongly Recommend This Game!
  
  
  //ECE//

I did 2 very extensive review covering all the cons and pros after adding 120+ hours to my initial 10 hours~ of gameplay. With the entire review disappearing I will just make a list and a conclusion and not the normal page-long treatment.

• + Great story and voice acting through all of the dlcs and base game
  
  
• + The level of detail is very high
  
  
• + Story of the dlc connects to the base game which is cool
  
  
• + You can make choices on who lives and dies
  
  
• + You do not explode for like no reason like in GTA San Andreas
  
  
• + Achievements require some work and feel well balanced for an "open world" game.
  
  
• + Fast travel is possible with ability through friend and by utilizing taxi, always welcome
  
  
• + A lot of different things to do, offering something enjoyable for most players.
  
  
• + The satire of americans and society as a whole is pure gold and really savage.
  
  
• + The radio shows are hilarious even after hearign it several times, albeit it being very offensive especially to women.
  
  
• - Vehicle handling might be the worst part of the game, people claiming otherwise have for sure only used the faster cars. Cars tend to flip for no reason, especially slower cars also like to slide all over the place like the city is covered in ice or oil slick, that only applies to the worse cars...
  
  
• - Character handling is atrocious. Your jumping and running is very frustrating and wierd.
  Sleeping in bed and running down stairs looks savage.
  
  
• - Characters calling you to do activities constantly
  
  
• - No replay optiion for missions etc.
  
  
• - Accuracy is handled very badly in this game especially for the scores on the second dlc TBoGT. Enemies tend to duck/teleport when hit in the head from a sniper, invisible walls, aiming from cover is delayed so enemies can get back the moment you manage to shoot and will make you miss.
  
  
• - No multiplayer anymore
  
  
• - Licensing, removing tacks on the radio
  
  
• - Scoring on TBoGT being dumb eventhough it is cumultative time vs accuracy vs headshots
  
  
• - Gameplay itself is very mediocre
  
  
• - Pigeons
  
  
• - Bugs, some severe and game breaking.
  
  
• - Gets very repetitive and boring doing the same things over and over again.
  
  
• - GTA IV reviews not being saved......
  
  
• +- Graphics (Highest settigns), sometimes beautiful other times blurry, chopy etc.

Even after 100% the game and grabbing all the achievements and adding more than 120 hours to my playtime I still cannot recommend the game.
The mediocre gameplay, car and character/combat handlign is too bad.
When looking at the story, the level of detail and the humour etc. it is a a very good game. For an "open world" experience it will deliver a good amount of content and playtime, but it is not enough to save the game.

I really appreciate the upgrade recieved for free and this providing me a reason to retry and play it through with achievements being added. It is great that the game is not ruined by windows live anymore but sad that multiplayer is gone eventhough I never experience it appears to have been good.
Do not let other reviewers trick you, while there is some nice realism, the driving is even after getting used to it really unrealistic and bad. Those people must for sure have played it too little or simply only driven faster cars who handle a lot better than bigger slower ones.


//ECE//

About this review
I have previously written reviews for the 4 different dlcs available to Borderlands and therefore will only lightly speak about them and focus on the base game and the GOTY-edition as a whole. Personal experience will be shared and in the end an overview and conclusion of the GOTY-edition will be made.

Already here I will state that I always recommend buying the "GOTY-edition" on a sale as the price befits this aging game at around 9,99€ very well in my opinion. I also recommend permanently deleting "Borderlands" if you bought it stand alone if you intend to get the dlcs as you can then buy the GOTY-edition which is not available to owners of Borderlands. In my experience the GOTY-edition is generally cheaper than Borderlands standalone at sales and the same goes for the dlcs.
This might not always be true so check carefully before purchasing. (remember that you can ask for a refund in worst case, within 14 days and less than 2 hours played). This is also one thing I am very critical about, as there are many different bundles and some are sadly straight rip offs...
You have been warned!

Borderlands is a fantastic game which introduced a new kind of RPG/Shooter.
With its unique painted graphic, loot generating sytem, aswell as Co-Op love with focus on rewarding multiplayer, it quickly became a well loved game.
I first played this game on PC around its release and later on xbox 360 Co-Op with my brother.

However that was a long time ago and for the most part I have played "Borderlands 2", its sequel.
Why then make this review?
I recently bought Borderlands and played about 75 hours (68 on my profile since I played a bit offline) spread over 16 day till I 100% making it an average of almost 5 hours a day...

I remember a lot of it from the past and for the first time I have reached the max level of 69 and beaten every dlc and completed every mission available through all of the dlcs with the exception of the second playthrough for Moxxi, Claptrap and Doctor Ned dlcs.

My main goal was to relive Borderlands and quickly finish of all of the achievements.
To get the Co Op and multiplayer achievements I LAN:ed with myself lol.

As with "Borderlands 2", the difficulty increases with more players and as a reward better loot should appear.
This was very true as I waltzed throught the first playthrough until I added another player and entered "Old Haven", it was not easy anymore! It was even clearer with the "Spiderants" where occasionally some "Badasses" would spawn solo, three immediately spawn like all the time when just playing with another player.
Unlike "Borderlands 2" I have never played 4 players in Borderlands, but expect it to be the most enjoyable experience.

I did play the whole game solo in truth and enjoyed it, but would strongly advise playing Borderlands with at least one other player. It is more fun than solo and is much more manageble than playing 4 players in general.


With the base game alone the level caps at 50/51 and you can complete 50/51 achievements of the total 80 available.
Completion estimate is 40-50 hours.
Despite the store page telling you about vehicle combat like it is a main feature, the truth is that there only exists one vehicle in the base game, that is available to the player and it is quite fragile, in other words: do not have high expectations on the vehicular combat.
The story and the core gameplay is solid, but really feels most complete with the dlcs through the GOTY-edition.

One thing that not even the dlc can save Borderlands from is the "barren ladscape" and the amount and variation of enemies. Sure it gets better with the dlcs but at the end of the day a more colourful settings and variation to the landscapes would have been great. (This is a lot better in Borderlands 2)
The graphic is good at best, when playing at the highest available settings and should be expected of an aging game like this.

A big part of the game and what set Borderlands apart when released was the loot rng system.
I personally like finding and trying a lot of different weapons but later in the game it felt overwhelming.
Borderlands 2 felt easier when it comes to gear. Most of the weapons in this game has to be tried to truly feel how good they are. The stats even feel a bit missleading, especially when it comes to the legendary weapons.
What I am trying to say is that the loot will start to drain you after a while, learn to early familiarize yourself with how different weapons and attachment behave to make it easier. Otherwise you can mod to increase your storage, which I do not recommend. The bank (Moxxi DLC) is another option.

Borderlands

• 40-50 hours to complete
  
• Co-Op for up to 4 players
  
• Co-Op drop in drop out system
  
• Rewarding Co-Op, more players equals tougher enemies and better loot
  
• Massive loot rng
  
• Big maps
  
• Fun characters and story
  
• Lots of missions
  
• Fast travel system
  
• - A lot less enjoyable solo
  
• - Walking Simulator*
  
• - Only one usable vehicle
  
• - No mini-map or ability to place a marker
  
• - Barren landscapes with lack of colourfulness
  
• - limited amount of different enemies
  
• - class mods not showing stats when checking skills

GOTY-edition

• 80 achievements
  
• Adding the estimates together gives 75-85 hours to complete content
  
• Increases max level from 50/51 to 69
  
• Additional back pack storage
  
• Bank to store items (Moxxi dlc)
  
• More enemies and bosses
  
• Funny cutscenes
  
• New types of areas (less barren)
  
• New rarity cyan a.k.a. Pearlescent (Knoxx dlc exclusive)
  
• Raid class boss (Knoxx dlc)
  
• INAC<3 (Claptrap dlc)
  
• More skill points
  
• Two new vehicles (exclusive to Knoxx dlc]
  
• Still everything Co-Op awesome as the base game
  
• - A lot less enjoyable solo
  
• - Lack of local dlc fast travel
  
• - Walking Simulator*
  
• - No mini-map or ability to place a marker
  
• - Still kind of barren lacking colourfulness
  
• - a lot better, but still a bit limited amount of different enemies
  
• - class mods not showing stats when checking skills
  
• - Moxxi's dlc in general...
  
  It was fun reliving Borderlands again and I really Recommend it.
  Borderlands 2 is basically better in every way and fixes many of the mentioned flaws, but without playing Borderlands, the sequel will not feel as appreciated as the story builds around the first game a bit.
  For suggestions, errors found in this review, help with achievement tips or general questions about Borderlands comment on this review.
  
  //ECE

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is the most content rich and well made dlc only beaten by "Claptraps Revolution" if "comedy" is sought, in Borderlands.
9 achievements are linked to this dlc.

The dlc adds new enemies and bosses and more back pack Sdu/s"*.
It also adds the first ever Raid classed boss "Crawmerax" and a new level of rarity color cyan, exclusive to the dlc which is ranked above orange and more commonly referred to as "Pearlescent".
Another great deal about this dlc is what it is about. A big secret armory full of nice loot.
ps. you can glitch and redo it fast without the timer for some amazing loot

Most of the time you will fight crimson lance soldiers (you know, the douchie dudes first introduced at "Old Haven") who in this game have had their arsenal expanded, with new types and badasses. While there are "some" new enemies, most are old reskins or variations and not that many are actually new in truth.

Among the few bad things there is the classic "Borderlands Walking Simulator" (ironic as you mostly will use cars to travel the worst distances of this dlc...), seriously except for the "Moxxi's Underdome dlc" there should have been local fast travel systems. My only advice here is to exit the game regulary to quickly make it to "T-bone Junction" and never go from one side to the other as it wastes a lot of time.
Of course it is nice that the dlc adds two new tank:ish vehicles, especially the lance for 4 player transportation (although I never use it solo, monster always or racer some times.) Never really understood why they made a big deal about "vehicle fights" in the store page of Borderlands.

• Classic Borderlands humour and gameplay
  
• Extra back pack Sdu/s*
  
• New bosses and enemies
  
• First and only Raid boss Crawmerax
  
• Pearlescent rarity above orange, exclusive to dlc
  
• 9 linked achievements to this dlc
  
• Secret Armory packed with awesome loot
  
• 2 new vehicles for the first time all 4 players can travel together
  
• Takes 10-12 hours to complete
  
• - Walking Simulator
  
• - Crimson Lance Soldier douchies with expanded variations (Not really a bad thing)
  
  "The Secret Armory of General Knoxx" is the best dlc available to Borderlands some even think it is better than the base game itself. Not very strange as the armory, the Pearls and Crawmerax are among the most popular things people like to play or hunt for in Borderlands if not there for Co Op only.
  
  As usual I always recommend getting the GOTY-edition of Borderlands on a sale as the price matches an aging game like the first Borderlands very well at around 9,99€. If you only have Borderlands in your library; wait for a sale then delete it permanently from your library and get the GOTY-edition.
  
  
  //ECE

The story basically:
Claptrap's Robot Revolution is as it suggest a dlc about claptraps rebelling.
Their leader the claptrap who guides you in the beginning of Borderlands 1, now called "INAC"(Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap" is pissed and wants to free all claptraps and is taking over Pandora.
The original mission "to destroy the treasure hunters of pandora" as requested by the Hyperion Corpertion who activated this evil robots secret programming, backfired and they became the target instead.
Now you begin your mission to rid pandora of this new threat as you have been hired by the "idiots" of Hyperion Corporation themeselves. (Pay attention to the inroduction cutscene, it explains this very nicely lol).

You will face lots of claptrap enemies of various forms including old "claptrap-ified" enemies and bosses made into claptraps (like a brain attached to them).
Of course the classic claptrap as a new enemy will swarm at you in ranged, melee and kaminikaze forms etc.
There are 11 bosses according to the store page which is nice all though only 5 ones can "truly" be called new.
It is also nice that you can get to 2 new skill points and 6 additional back pack slots by playing both playthroughs.
For more info about this check the description on the store page*

There are some really nice rewards by playing this dlc and its quite funny eventhough I am not that much of a fan on the whole "Borderlands humour" that a lot love. A critical thing I have to mention are the "rare" claptrap drops.
Claptraps have a chance to drop a couple of different rare items which you have to collect to get achievements, but mostly they drop common items which you have to collect to complete a certain mission which will gradually increase the amount you will have to collect.
Of the 10 achievements linked to this dlc, 4 are linked to collecting these rare items. The drop rate is ridiculously low for some and makes no real sense when corresponding to the achievements. Lets look at it:

• "It's so realistic! - Collect 5 3D glasses": Easy, no problem to get in a "normal" playthrough.
  
• "The Lubricator - Find 25 oil cans": Very difficult, should have switched place with the 3D one as they want 25
  Waaaht?.
  
• "Bobble-Trap - Collect 15 claptrap bobbleheads": Probably tied in difficulty with the Pizzas as the most ridiculous drop rate, got like one in a whole playthrough...
  
• "What a party! -Collect 3 panties, 5 fish in a bag, and 15 pizzas": It was no party getting this "letmetellya"(Moxxi). This is just ridiculous! It should have been 3 pizzas, 5 panties and 15 or more fish in bag. Why do they want 15 pizzas when you will easily get the other two waaay before you get 1 single pizza? It is just dumb.

• Probably the funiest of the dlcs
  
• Lots of new enemies
  
• 11 bosses
  
• 2 extra skill points
  
• 6 extra back pack slots
  
• 10 achievements tied to this dlc
  
• INAC, gotta love!
  
• About 10 hours to complete
  
• Awesome reward at the end (lots of chests that can be farmed)
  
• - Wierd how the different rare clap trap items correspond to achievements with extreme rarity difference.
  
• - To get from the starting place of the dlc to the main area of the town is annoying
  
  I Really like this dlc though it is annoying to run from the start of the dlc all the time when I want to play it and there are some grindy achieves that I dislike. Overall it is humurous and has a good amount of content.
  
  As usual I always recommend getting the GOTY-edition of borderlands on a sale as the price matches an aging game like the first Borderlands very well at around 9,99€. If you only have Borderlands in your library; wait for a sale then delete it permanently from your library and get the GOTY-edition.
  
  A tip about the grindy achievements; With a 50:ish level chacter complete the dlc on normal mode. Destroy MINAC's canons and destroy all suicide claptraps with ease as your high level, they will spawn more and faster if you take them out quickly. Continue to kill lots of claptraps untill you have several huge piles of loot and collect untill all achievements related have popped. This is by far the fastest way!
  
  
  //ECE//

Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot is by far the smallest dlc of the 4 available to Borderlands, but ironically might be the most time demanding.

The dlc adds a place called "Moxxi's Underdome" (if i recall the name correctly) where you can participate in big coliseum fights. Three smaller tournaments can be completed for an achievement and the other 3 big ones for 4 further achievements (last one is for completing all).
Apart from this there is some (maybe only one?) short cutscenes and the ability to store your gear in a bank.
The bank can store more by buying Sdus from Marcus Vending Machine.
*(If i remember correctly you get an extra skill point as a reward for completing the small tournament)*
After each boss wave loot drops in the starting. (not anything good it seems...)

Those are the features included. Now for the tournaments.
There are three minor tournaments to begin with which you have to complete to unlock the three big ones.

The small ones are 5 rounds with 5 waves each making a total of 25 waves to clear for each tournament.
Each round layout is the same for every tournament with a "starter wave", a "gun wave", a "horde wave", a "badass wave" and a "boss wave" Each varying with enemies and amount (same bosses might appear several times).

The big ones are 20 rounds... which means 100 waves per tournament. These usually last 3+hours each which is insane. You can not leave and continue later and have to do it in one go. Fortunatley if you lose you can choose to restart at the previous round instead of giving up.

• 10 hours of gameplay at least
  
• A total of 6 tournaments with ridiculus 375 waves of enemies in total
  
• Bank to store your gear
  
• - The big tournaments can easily last 3+ hours each without possibility to save and resume later.
  
• - Extra skill point (maybe 2 with both playthroughs)
  
• - Feels unrewarding
  
• - Not fun in my opinion
  
  As a standalone dlc I would never get "Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot".
  Only reason I recommend it is as part of GOTY-edition and to get the achievements locked to this dlc + Bank storage.
  I saved this dlc for last when playing borderlands to get the remaining achievements and it was horrible! You have been warned! Nevertheless there are probably those that might enjoy this, not me however...
  
  I always recommend getting the GOTY-edition of borderlands on a sale as the price matches an aging game like the first Borderlands very well at around 9,99€. If you only have Borderlands in your library; wait for a sale then delete it permanently from your library and get the GOTY-edition.
  
  
  //ECE//

The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is the shortest of 4 dlcs available to Borderlands.

The humour and gameplay of the base game are the same here without exception.
You will kill lots of zombies and zombiefied variations of older enemies like rakks and psychos.
Experience a new plot with old loved charcters like ZNed, boss fights and content in general.
Lets you get the 5 achievements linked to this dlc.

The areas you visit lacks vehicles and will feel a bit like a walking simulator.

• New Enemies
  
• New Boss fights (not raid)
  
• Gameplay and humour like the base game
  
• Extra content in general
  
• Five achievements linked to this dlc
  
• - Only about 5 hours to complete (about half compared to the other dlcs)
  
• - Lack of transportation
  
• - Grindy achievement "Braaaaaaaaaaaaains!" given by hidden quest giver T.k. Baka at Hollow's End and not in the beginning
  
  I always recommend getting the GOTY-edition of borderlands on a sale as the price matches an aging game like the first Borderlands very well at around 9,99€. As a standalone dlc I would go for Claptrap or Knoxx dlc way before this as it just is to short compared to them. If you only have Borderlands in your library; wait for a sale then delete it permanently from your library and get the GOTY-edition.
  
  AND check up the achievement "Braaaaaaaaaaaaains!" if you are an achievement hunter so that you do not screw up and pick it up late like me...
  
  
  //ECE//

Hacknet is a game about hacking as the title might suggest.
I must admit that I have never played anything like this before.

The story was quite interesting and you progress by doing missions that consists of different tasks related to hacking.
You will change information in registries, search for specific information etc. To make this into interesting gameplay you use simple programming to achieve these things when performing hacks.

As you progress you get access to new "hacking tools" and it becomes less casual. You will sometimes work against a timer while you hack and try to achieve the task at hand. I recommend watching a trailer or in game footage to get a better grasp of what I am talking about, how the hacking progress works.

Sometimes the game can be tricky and you might feel a bit lost. This happened to me on several occasions.
Luckily there are some guides and helpful pages out there to help you out (Steam forums Reddit etc.).
It is also one of the most satisfying parts of the game; that you are in the dark and never really know how it all will end.

The soundtrack is really nice. Electronic music while hacking and feeling the pressure of the time running out; it feels intense!

• Unique interesting game.
  
• Exciting story.
  
• Fantastic electronic music.
  
• Smart interaction of programming.
  
• Great start to learn some programming.
  
• Feels rewarding as you learn some new things and become more independent throughout the game.
  
• - To dumbed down for real hacker enthusiasts.
  
  I got this game from humble bundle for free.
  I always recommend going for the sales.
  9,99€ is a bit steep in my opinion for the content, would recommend pricing at 4,99€.
  Of course there is Steam Workshops or you can buy the dlc for more content.
  Nevertheless I highly recommend getting Hacknet!
  
  //ECE//

"Isotiles" is isometric puzzle game with cute design.
It is a bit too easy eventhought it adds new concepts and becomes more difficult the longer you go.
In total there are 50 levels and I roughly estimate 30 to 120 minutes to complete the full game for most people.
It is not anything special in my opinion, but will praise the game for the cute block that represents the player.
Compared to other puzzle games like "SquareCells" or "CrossCells" in my previous reviews this game feels very short and costly.

• Very short, about an hour to complete the whole game.
  
• A bit too easy.
  
• Nice design choice with main character (block you move) having eyes and mouth etc. instead of just being a block.
  
• Easy to approach and understand. Suitable for kids aswell.
  
• Somewhat expensive compared to similar games.
  
• Nice with achievements, great for hunters!
  
  I would recommend "Isotiles" at a sale for a short and light brain teaser.
  It took me 80 minutes to complete the game with some breaks and it was worth it.
  1,99 Euro is not that much to ask for, but can get you a different better game in my opinion.
  
  //ECE//

"SquareCells" is a logic puzzle game with a nice and modern design.
Unlike "CrossCells" this game is driven by simple terms, instead of math which has to be calculated.

There is a total of 36 levels divided into 6 sets, where each of these "sets" have a different color than the other.
This is most likely why the option to customize the color of the blocks is not an option like in "CrossCells".
It is something I would like to change as it can get annoying with strong colors eventhough I specifically will not criticize any as "too much".
The level design is smart. With indications showing what rows you are at etc. Even with the helpful in game tools, I had some issue to see clearly the amount of rows and where I am. Maybe some markers can be implemented to see even better? The best tip I have is to take brakes as it requires a lot of focus on the larger maps. New concepts are introduced as you progress and there are difficult and trivial levels alike.

Another thing which is frustrating about this game is the "star system". I love the concept and idea behind it, but maaaan have I "misclicked" a lot. To get 3 stars you have to complete the level without any errors which is easier said than done. In the end it is not that important and you can take a pic with your phone and carefully redo it if you failed due to misclick.

Important
"Guessing" or just "randomly clicking" to solve the level and redo it perfectly or look up solutions spoils all of the fun. Ask for some advice in the forums if you get stuck.

• "SquareCells" is just just like "CrossCells" a fantastic game.
  
• There are less levels: 36 instead of 50.
  
• It would have been nice to turn of each of the different "sets" color and choose your own like in "CrossCells".
  
• The lack of math makes it a bit more accessible to those who like a more direct approach.
  
• The difficulty was harder in my opinion than "CrossCells".
  
• The "star system" makes misclicking frustrating, but forces you to focus more. It is a nice feature and is a "Pro" since it really only corresponds to an achievement in the end (get all 108 stars).
  
  With few flaws I strongly recommend "SquareCells".
  As in my previous review of "CrossCells" I suggest buying the bundle at a sale for a really good price for a great deal of content with "CrossCells" and the three "HexCells" games included.
  Furthermore if you want to give extra support to the Dev "Matthew Brown" buy it at the regular price, it is still a good deal :)
  
  //ECE//