The RPG - Video Game Review

 Today, I'm going to be talking about The RPG video game. Which RPG video game, you ask? The RPG video game. I was going to do a whole "Who's on First" thing but then considered the effort it would take to type it out and decided it wasn't worth it.

 

The RPG is a first-person, comedic fantasy RPG-lite game that just released on August 7th. It takes more than a few pages from Skyrim's playbook. You don't need to have played Skyrim to enjoy The RPG but you might miss some of the jokes. If "taking an arrow to the knee" means anything to you, you'll be just fine.

 

I tend to prefer more "crunchy" RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 where you build your characters as they level and find the best items for them so I wasn't sure if an RPG-lite game was going to be up my alley. The simplicity of the game play, cartoony style, and the humor just make it very enjoyable for me. 

 

 It's got all the usual things that RPG lovers expect: breaking random things to look for loot, quests, killing things, taking their stuff, leveling up and...picking mushrooms? 

 

 

Any RPG worth its salt needs quests lay out the story and there no shortage of side quests. This is an open world game so you can explore the map however you want but there's plenty of wild beasties outside the village and you need to make sure you're not tackling something above your pay grade. Luckily, death only results in you respawning at the last bonfire you lit.

 

Like most RPGs, you get experience for completing quests and killing things. Leveling up is super easy. You get 3 points to spend on 12 skills such as: Tough Guy (take less damage), Coal Skin (resist fire damage), and Wolverine (health regen).

 

Everything you pick up from treasure to toilet paper to mushrooms adds to your Loot value. You can then find vendors that will turn your Loot into Gold which you can spend. In the main village there are three vending machines: weapon, armor, and various improvements for your mushroom gun. It's a gun that shoots mushrooms, it's not for shooting at mushrooms. But I'm not here to tell you how to play your game.

 

The weapon and armor machines only ever, in my experience, have one item in them. When you buy the item, it gets replaced with a better, more expensive item. This combined with the "everything becomes Loot" mechanic eliminates any sort of inventory management. When I play other RPGs I find myself having to run back to town frequently to unload items for cash so I can go get more items. Not here!

 

In addition to Loot, you can also find special powers like Double Jump and the secret of learning some Dragon language that gives you different magic shouts that can freeze mobs in place or slow time.

 

 In the end, the lite aspect of the game and how it really streamlines the RPG experience makes it a lot of fun and easy to jump into for a quick session. The humor is more subversive than laugh out loud funny but as a veteran of decades of RPG playing, I definitely enjoy the game's take on things. 

 

The RPG is available on Steam and there is currently a demo available so you've got no excuse to not check it out. 

Monthly Media Recap - July 2025

 On one hand, just 91 days til Halloween! On the other hand, days of heat advisories don't have me looking forward to August.

 

  

Series

 

Dexter: Original Sin (Paramount+)

Like most prequels, my initial thought was "Do we really need this?" The surprise answer is yes! I enjoyed this a lot more than the New Blood season. Whoever did the casting here needs an award. Not only was everyone great but those playing characters from the original series absolutely nailed their future selves. Thrilled to find out there will be another season.

 

Gatchaman Progress 

Episodes watched this month: 6 Currently up to: 52

 

Movies

Summer movie watching usually means one thing: sharks! 

 

 

The Last Breath (2024, Shudder/Hulu)

The premise of a group of college kids diving a WWII wreck sounded interesting, you need some reason to get the victims in the shark's environment. From there, it's mostly an average "slasher" where they get picked off one by one. It's "real life" so there's nothing crazy with the shark but towards the end it does something I thought was silly which felt more B-movie than they wanted this to be. This was Julian Sands final film role and he was the one standout thing in the movie.

 

Rating: 4/10

 

Cauldron - Video Game Review

 Before we get into this, proceed with caution. If you continue reading, I take no responsibility for this game taking over and/or ruining your social life. Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you about my latest obsession...

 

Cauldron is an upgrade-heavy, minigame-centric, turn-based RPG. Play minigames to strengthen your party, then win battles to uncover more map, more heroes, more minigames, more everything! If your favorite plant is an upgrade tree, then this game is for you!  

 

Cauldron just released on May 21, 2025. It's got a fun, cutesy retro art style that will no doubt be nostalgic for gamers of a certain age. In the game, you play Nyx, a young witch who, along with her ghost friend Blinkie, set off on a journey to free the land from Darkness. Not just as in the forces of evil, but literal Darkness.

 

This is your view when you start the game. The majority of the map is in Darkness. The only way to unlock more of the map, and advance your adventure, is to battle the monsters in the Darkness. 

 

The three orange (!) you see are mini-games you can play to gather resources which you use the level up your heroes. They can also be used to bribe monsters instead of fighting them but it takes a whole lot of resources to satisfy them. These minigames are where the insane addictiveness of this game comes in.

 

 They are a lot of fun on their own, maybe too much! The resources you gather in each can be used to unlock and upgrade multiple things within each game. Upgrades add new elements to the mini-game that allow you to more easily gather resources...to spend on upgrades. It's this game play loop that will have you shredding hours in one mini-game, forgetting there's a whole world out there to save.

 

And that's the dangerous part of this game...the upgrades.

 

 Each mini-game has its own upgrade tree and they are HUGE. Luckily, it's not that difficult to unlock things as you play. "Maybe just one more round so I can unlock that next thing and then I'll stop." is something you'll say a lot while playing!

 

You could even just be content playing the mini-games and amassing upgrades, but there's Darkness out there that needs to be banished. 

 

The combat is turn-based and you can choose to plan every single action your party takes or leave it up to the auto-battler. I have a tendency to use the auto-battler and set the turn speed to max. Some of the fights have waves of enemies and I just don't have it in me to make a choice every turn for each of the party members. There are behavior options for the auto-battler so you can kind of program how it fights for you. Each member of your party has their specialty, and their own upgrade tree. 

Oh boy, more upgrades!

 

I don't want to get into any spoilers but I'll just say the game seems pretty basic at the start and as you unlock more of the map, you'll find it has more to offer (including more mini-games!). As fun as the mini-games are, a lot of the joy for me has been unlocking a new feature that I had no idea was in the game.

 

Cauldron is a great time! I'm really enjoying how it combines the mini-games with an RPG story and combat. It's even easy to pick up if you just want to chill for a few minutes grinding a mini-game. Putting it back down is another story!

 

There's more than a few YouTubers that covered this game and that's what lead me to check it out. Olexa did an initial video on it and then followed that up with a couple more just on the mini-games!

 

Cauldron is available via Steam and there's a demo available. 

But don't say I didn't warn you... 

Book Report - Dungeon Crawler Carl

 A couple years ago, an ad for Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC from here on) popped up in my Facebook feed. It sounded like fun so I promptly add it to my "books to check out" list...and there it sat. Recently, the book has come up in a couple of podcasts so I figured now was the time to check it out.

 

 The apocalypse will be televised!

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

 DCC falls into the LitRPG genre. This is my first dip into LitRPG which I find kind of funny because it sounds like the kind of thing I'd really be into. LitRPG is short for literary Role-Playing Game but you probably could have figured that out. LitRPG smashes up traditional fantasy/sci-fi books with video game RPG elements.

 

DCC is a seven book series and I am currently halfway through book 2, so if you know the series and I present inaccurate information, this is why.

 

 In the tradition of Hitchhiker's Guide, aliens arrive on Earth but instead of a hyperspace bypass, these aliens are mining the planet. To enact their plan, they flatten the surface of the Earth. From cars to skyscrapers, it's all flattened, wiping out a good chunk of the population that were not outside. Those that are left alive are given the choice to compete in a galactic dungeon crawl reality show. 

 

The book has plenty of humor and action. One of the main things that made this book so much fun for me is the dynamic between Carl and Donut. The only reason Carl is alive is because Donut got outside in the middle of the night and Carl had to hurriedly get dressed to chase her. Unfortunately for him, he was only in his heart-decorated boxers and grabbed a leather jacket and his ex's too-small Crocs. One of the running jokes is that Carl isn't able to find pants or shoes.

 

 Another effect of the alien's arrival is that Donut can now talk! Carl is an every man and Donut is his ex's prize winning show cat so they aren't exactly best friends from the start but their relationship evolves as they rely on each other to get through the dungeon.

 

Speaking of dungeons, that's the other contributing factor to my enjoyment: the Diablo-esque escapades of killing monsters, getting loot and achievements, and leveling up. It's very much like reading a video game, which I guess is what LitRPG is usually. It also seems like there's some world building as the story goes on and Carl finds out more about the dungeon itself and those behind it.

 

And just like a video game, the book is addicting. If you're one of those gamers who just has to see what's in the next room or tries to get that gear upgraded before bed, I think you'll really like this series.

Monthly Media Recap - December 2024

Happy New Year!

I feel like I was a little "short" on movies this month. I usually try to cram in a few more holiday horrors but honestly, there's so many terrible ones out there I had a hard time bringing myself to try more than what I did. I've been playing a lot of Star Wars Outlaws (love it!) and watching a few series. I also found myself just not feeling like watching movies when I was looking for something to watch.

Series

The Creep Tapes (Shudder)

Did we need a prequel anthology series to 2014's wonderfully weird found footage, serial killer movie Creep? Not really but I'm glad we got it! Each of the short episodes give Mark Duplass another chance to show his talent as this socially awkward murderer. You don't need to see the movies prior to the series, but if you're a horror fan and haven't seen Creep, you're missing out.  

 

 

Hysteria (Peacock)

I don't usually do trailers for series but I really liked this and wanted to make sure more people are aware of it. As someone that enjoys heavy metal and was around during the 80s Satanic Panic, this was a must see. I was expecting it to be more poking fun at things but it surprised me by being low-key horror with an intriguing mystery. It seems like they left it open for a sequel which I wouldn't mind so they could explain a somewhat major thing that was just left out there.

 

Game Changers (Max)

An 8 part series looking at the history of popular video games like Minecraft, Madden, and Call of Duty and the companies like Nintendo, Sega, and Atari, that made them. I'm not the biggest fan of these franchises but from a gamer history angle, they were still interesting. There's also an episode about Monopoly, Operation, and Scrabble.

Star Wars Hunters Mobile Game

 Launched last week on June 4th, Star Wars Hunters is a free-to-play, squad based 4 vs 4 game for iOS, Android, and Switch. Between the various game modes, playable characters, and customization options to unlock, there's plenty to keep you busy!

I didn't know if I was going to be into this initially but I always check out new Star Wars games. I haven't had great experiences with shooter type games like this on mobile in the past but after a couple rounds to get my virtual footing, I was really enjoying it! 

 

Check out the trailer

Haunted House by Atari

 To celebrate Atari releasing its fifth incarnation of Haunted House today on Steam (and pretty much every other platform under the sun), I thought I'd take it back to the original 1982 version I played on the Atari 2600.

You can't talk about Haunted House without talking about the box art. How great is this? Back in the day, this is what sold you on the game inside. The box art went a long way helping your imagination connect with what you actually saw on screen.

 

Here's a clip from the back of the box with a screenshot. If you're not someone that grew up with Atari, you can see what I mean about the box art selling the actual game.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Arcade Game

 Whew, this is quite possibly the longest post title in the blog's history. All June, we'll be counting down the days until the man in the hat comes back for one more hurrah with posts about everyone's favorite archeologist, Lara Croft. No, of course it's Indiana Jones! You ever notice when the phrase "everyone's favorite" is used it's almost always the only one that comes to mind?

Anyway, set your Dial of Destiny (or WABAC Machine) to 1985!

Video game adaptations of movies usually get a bad rap in the home console arena, but arcade games based on movies are on the opposite end of the spectrum. I was lucky enough to be able to play Temple at my local arcade and would keep coming back for more adventures.

 

Labyrinth of Legendary Loot - Game Review

Hail, Adventurer! Are you looking for a good ol' fashioned dungeon dive in search of an Artifact of Incredible Power that's inconveniently located on the bottom floor?

If so, then The Labyrinth of Legendary Loot (henceforth known as LLL) is for you!

And the best part is...it's FREE! Read on (or just skip to the bottom).

Let's get this out before starting our journey: this is, in fact, a dungeon with twisty corridors and is not an actual labyrinth. You will not be bumping into a tight-panted David Bowie here. Although I haven't reached the bottom floor yet, so I can't say that with 100% accuracy.

LLL is a turn-based dungeon exploring, monster smashing, loot finding adventure. Your goal is to get to the bottom of the dungeon and recover the Thing. You start your quest as a generic hero with a basic weapon for killing, some Health for living, and some Mana for abilities. Unlike other Rogue-like games, there are no mystery potions or scrolls that you have to aid you. Nor does your hero level up.

How do you keep your hero alive while the monsters get stronger every level? 

Loot!

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

 Just released on most major platforms this past Friday, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a look back at five decades of video game history. If you're around my age, no doubt Atari played a role in your childhood whether it was swiping mom's laundry quarters to play Asteroids at the corner store or going on an Adventure against duck-dragons, Atari definitely left its mark on me.

This isn't just another cash grab re-release of old video games, it also includes previously unreleased (in emulator form) games, re-imagined titles, and an interactive, multimedia Atari timeline.

 

The timeline is a real treat for fans of Atari and/or video game history. It starts in 1971 with the first arcade game Computer Space and goes up to present day, although there is a noticeable gap between 1998-2020.

 

Fundraiser for the Kids

 I'm not selling cookies or candy bars for a school trip, I'm playing video games to help kids fight cancer!

In what will likely be one of the easiest challenges in my life, I'm pledging to play at least one hour of games per week to raise money for St Jude Childrens' Research Hospital. Now, it can be any type of game: video, board, card, heck even hopscotch would do but I'm sticking with video games.

I will not be live streaming. I don't have the gear for it. Also I don't think I'd be a very entertaining personality to watch play games.

The official "challenge" starts today and if you can spare anything, please head over to my fundraiser page on Facebook and help the kids. Remember in grade school when you did a walk- or read-a-thon an people pledged by how many miles/books you finished? Well, this is a flat donation which is good for you because if you had to pledge by the number of hours I log, you'd probably be broke at the end of it!

-> My St Jude Gaming Fundraiser <-

 

Like a telethon, I've got gifts if you pledge a certain amount. This is my way of saying thanks by giving you something extra, and not connected to the fundraiser.

For every $10, I'll send you a Steam code for your choice of a game. 

You read that right, every $10 gets you one game! I have a list of codes so your choice will be limited to what I have available. Message me through Facebook or drop a comment below and we'll work it out.

For $25 you can add these merry mutants to your SuperHero Squad collection.

 

 If you pledge $50 or more, I will put together an early Trick or Treat package for you.

I only have enough things to make one box so there's only one available.

Whether you do it for the freebies or not, I appreciate any donations.

Monthly Media Recap - March 2022

If you like what you see, be sure to hit that subscribe button, smash Like and leave a comment. I didn't really have anything for this opening, just wondering if anyone actually reads it!

Series

 

Disenchantment (S4, Netflix)

I've done nothing but rave about this series since it started and will continue to do so until the quality drops or it ends. I'm guessing it will end first. Even if you're not into fantasy but enjoy humor and good characters, give it a try.

Two Sentence Horror Stories (S1, Netflix or CW app)

Before it was a show, I'm pretty sure this started off as some kind of social media thing where people would come up with very short creepy stories. I wasn't expecting much from a horror anthology on the CW but it's actually pretty decent. The episodes are short so it's good when you want a quick horror fix. Each episode is bookended by the first and second sentence which kind of lets you try to guess what will happen. 

Streaming

Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001, Amazon Prime)

So glad I decided to watch this! It's a fantastic spoof of gothic horror, in particular the Corman/Price/Poe movies. There's even a guy doing his best Vincent Price. We all know Elvira is funny but her comedic timing in this is perfection.

Rating: 8/10

Vampire Survivors - Game Review

 I play video games a lot but I wouldn't call myself a "hardcore" gamer. In a year, I may play between two and four AAA titles but the rest of the time I'm playing smaller indie games, usually on Steam. I found out about Vampire Survivors from Splattercat's YouTube channel and have been hooked on it!

 

It's only $3 and the developer is updating it just about every two weeks with tweaks and new content. The game itself is pretty simple but there are plenty of things to unlock that will keep you saying "just one more."

Fortnite Micro Series - Dark Voyager

 I swear I've seen more Jazwares Fortnite toys come out since they announced Hasbro got the license. I saw the Micro Series popup a short while ago but every time I find them it seems to always be the same four or five figures of the 11 on the card back. But I finally found the one I've been looking for!

The Micro Series figures are about 2.5" tall and come with one accessory. While they're all decent figures, this one in particular grabbed my attention because he's a space looking dude.

Although I've been playing the game for over a year, I'm not into the lore so I don't know anything about the Dark Voyager other than he looks like he might have auditioned for a part in Dead Space.

Ghost Manor - Atari 2600

This is one game I've had on my Halloween Countdown list for years and never got around to it. When you're talking spooky games on the 2600, the obvious choice is Haunted House (which I love!) but I discovered this one while researching games for Halloween. I was a big Atari kid growing up but never played this one.

Ghost Manor was released in 1983 by Xonox, which was famous for producing double-ended 2-in-1 game cartridges. In the game you can play as a boy or girl who has to rescue the other kid from a haunted castle, which would actually be a better, and more accurate name, than Ghost Manor.

The game has 5 levels which was pretty unusual for a 2600 game. 

Screenshots from MobyGames.com

Level 1 has you running around a graveyard chasing a rainbow colored ghost or skeleton. Touching them nets you points but touching them while moving over a gravestone also awards you one spear needed for the next level. That graphic at the top of the screen is an hourglass, you only have 4 minutes!

 

Level 2 brings you the Manor gate, guarded by 7 Spooks and an ax wielding Mummy! You move along the bottom of the screen and have to shoot the Spooks with your spears while avoiding the Mummy's ax. Once the Spooks are gone, shoot the Mummy to go to the next level. If you run out of spears or get hit by the ax, it's game over!

Levels 3 & 4 are similar and have you creeping around searching coffins for crosses to use in the boss fight with Dracula. Why you'd find crosses inside of the coffins is anyone's guess. Oh, and there's also a vertical wall that moves across the level trying to crush you.

 

Level 5 is the final showdown with Dracula to rescue your friend! To defeat the black blob that is Dracula, you have to lure him the right side of the screen below the other prison cell, get below him and activate your cross to force him away from you to trap him in the cell. Then you have to lead your friend (who moves in slo-mo) to the stairs before time runs out.

The game is a little fun and can be frustrating at times, which I guess can be said for more than one Atari 2600 game. If you want to try your hand at it head over to JavaAtari. Be warned, you may want to check your volume before clicking the link. Controls are the arrow keys for movement and space bar for button. You can toggle the Color/BW switch to change between boy/girl character.

If you get to the point where you want to throw your virtual controller at the wall, you can check out The No Swear Gamer's video.

Did you dare to visit Ghost Manor?

Let me know what you thought, and if you finished it, in the comments.

 

Be sure to click below to see all the Countdown Cryptkeepers!

Square Enix's Guardians of the Galaxy Game

 Square Enix recently announced an upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy game slated for late October. I'm excited about it but at the same time a little hesitant.

As someone that loves the Guardians, why would I be anything but over the moon about their second video game? Part of it is these weird 90s X-treme character designs. I get that you want to give the game characters a unique look, make them your own, but I'm not loving most of these. 

Gamora and Rocket are the most "normal" looking out of the group. Full size Groot doesn't need to wear anything (you can't see it hidden behind the space llama but check the footage), Drax just looks weird with his tats all bunched up, and speaking of bunched up...what's up with Quill's jacket? It looks like he's perma-shrugging. Although, I do love the rock n roll look of it with pins and patches everywhere.

Have a look at the reveal trailer.

The other part is in articles I've read, they are comparing this to the recent Avengers game. I only played the demo of that for about an hour and I felt it was pretty bland. On the other hand, it also looks like they've mixed in the story choices from the Telltale Games series which is absolutely good news. Even though that style is more of an interactive movie, your choices matter and can effect your relationships.

Here's a little more behind the scenes.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little let down that you'll be playing strictly as Star-Lord in the adventure. I'd definitely prefer having a little change up between levels. But maybe that will make for a stronger story telling experience. The way you can command the crew during a fight looks interesting.

Check out this game play video and see what you think.

At the end of the day, this is one of my all time favorite Marvel teams and not even these weird costume designs are going to keep me away from the game.

Monthly Media Recap - April 2021

 Wow, was it just me or did April fly by? 

 

Streaming

The Owl House (Disney Channel)

I happened on this when channel surfing and really liked the art and weirdness to it. Since all the eps are on Disney+ I decided to check it out from the start. I'm only a handful of episodes in but I am loving it. It's got an Adventure Time/Gravity Falls vibe to it which is not surprising, since the creator did storyboard art for GF and GF's creator is a creative consultant!

 

Creepshow (S2, Shudder)

I thought they were going to shoot themselves in the foot this season by putting what will likely be the best episode up first. The rest were pretty good and the season finale was great. Not as good as the opener but close behind.

Mindhunter (S1, Netflix)

I had seen a lot of people talking about it online but never really gave it a look until GI Jigsaw recommended it to me in last month's Recap when I mentioned I was on the lookout for some good true crime. I was a little hesitant at first because it was a show and not a documentary but it hooked me in pretty quickly. A couple eps in and Anna Torv showed up adding a whole new dynamic to the two main characters and that pretty much sealed the deal.

Gilmore Girls (S1, Netflix)

Yeah, yeah, I know. Not something I would ever expect to see show up here either! Mrs Dex wanted to watch it so I gave it a shot and it's really good. The Girls have great chemistry, the dialog is insanely witty, and there's plenty of people in the cast before they became household names to have fun going "Hey, look who it is!"

Slashy Camp Game Review

 If you're into mobile gaming, you've likely heard of Crossy Road or one of the seemingly hundreds of clones of it. If you're also a horror nut, you might have also heard of Slayaway Camp, a slasher inspired puzzle game. Now, the people behind Slayaway Camp have stitched these two together for a really fun casual game on Android and iOS.

Skullface, the "star" of Slayaway Camp, is back for more blood in an endless runner kill fest. Your goal is simple: romp through the woodlands, avoid hazards, and kill everything on two legs. I say two legs because even maniacal slashers shouldn't hurt forest animals. Trust me.

Tron Legacy Boots into Fortnite

It seems like the folks at Epic Games are out to get me. Get me to play Fortnite that is. I had somehow held back when previous Star Wars and Marvel events invaded the game. This past December, they brought in the Mandalorian (and Grogu!) so I decided to finally check it out. I've been enjoying the game a lot. I'm not great at it by any means (building still confuses me) but I'm okay.

Even with the Predator, Sarah Connor, and T-800 Terminator recently released, I thought the Mandalorian would be the end all of collaborations. Then they go and drop this on me last week.

Krampus in Fortnite

 Hey, where do you go for two year old news? Right here!

 

I'm just dipping my toes into Fortnite since they added the Mandalorian in-game items. I had tried playing once before but on an iPad and it was not a good experience. Definitely more at home sitting down at my PC to play this and I'm having fun with it. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't check it sooner when they had the Marvel event going on.

 

Anyway!

I was poking around the item shop when I came across this very cool (not so cool that I'm shelling out cash for it) Krampus skin originally released in 2018.

 

 I'd LOVE to see them make this into a figure. Probably be a little hard to get him to stand on those cloven feet but it'd be pretty sweet!

His back bling is a little sack with children in it. Okay, they're little doll children.

And of course, Krampus has a custom glider called Krampus' Little Helper. This thing is absolutely wicked in motion!

Not Krampus related but they've got a male and female nutcracker skin and this is one of the variations of the male one that I think is Creepmas appropriate. Actually, all the variations are appropriate, a human-sized nutcracker is pretty creepy!

Check out all the Creepmas participants by clicking below!