Vellum is a wonderful roguelike where you play as a "scribe", tasked with repairing tomes through ink spells through difficulties that you choose through unlocked modifiers to any given run. You have three offensive skills and a movement skill, and these skills are augmented by whatever "color signature" you pick; each color in the game gives you a different play style.

The game is still in Early Access (at the time of writing this), so there's still a lot of room for, and already (clearly) planned-out, growth.

Overall, the game is smooth and visually matches the entire theme of the game, which is words, literature and writing. As it is in early access, there isn't a whole lot to do, so it is easy to "max out" pretty quickly, so if you're looking for something you can work on for a long time, then the game isn't ready for you yet. But in that same breath, the developers are very interested in hearing from their players and have been incredibly responsive and receptive to everything we've been talking to them about. This is a great game even in its current state and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

This game has come a long way since I first got it, which was pre-Scorched Acres update, and it has only gotten better. This is one of those games where you can spend ten minutes playing, or lose yourself for hours on end. I believe my longest run (before I got killed) was 3 hours long, give or take. But I've also gotten completely obliterated on the first stage's boss here and there, too.

This game is very largely RNG-based (may RNGesus smile upon your runs...) so no two runs will be the same, even if you're running with the Artifact of Command active. It's fun to play solo, but if you have a buddy or two who can play it with you, it makes for a good time.

It's marketed as F2P but this game does push, quite heavily, for a subscription.

It's worth noting that you can earn everything that a subscriber has on a functionality level (i.e., putting on Artifact Gear, access to areas like Section X, etc.) but that will take time and credits that you might not even be able to hold as a F2P. You face less punishment for being subscribed in the past (when it runs out, you become "Preferred"), and you can still access the expansions, but this game definitely pushes all the way for you to be subscribed. It is not subtle about it in the slightest.

As far as MMORPGs go, it's got its bugs, it's got its quirks like any other, but all in all it's not a bad game. It should've been brought to Steam a hell of a lot sooner, but it is what it is in that regard.

It has 8 "classes" that are mirrored between the factions; 4 main-classes and each has two sub-classes (e.g., Sith Warrior/Jedi Knight leading into Juggernaut/Guardian or Marauder/Sentinel), and each sub-class has three discipline trees that you can choose from once you hit level 10. While the classes are mirrors of their opposite faction's, the Class Stories are still unique from one another.

It does have Operations which are this game's version of Raids, with difficulties that increase the amount of people and/or the amount of gearing/skill needed to complete them, as well as Flashpoints which are this game's "dungeons". Stories can be done with friends/allies too, mostly (excluding some expansion stuff).

Stats in this game are fairly simplistic; they're easy to learn and once you start hitting late-game they're infinitely easier to work with. I've been playing this game for a while and they went ahead and simplified it infinitely more from how it used to be, so that's not a big concern/challenge.

Its graphics aren't the best, so don't trick yourself into thinking you're going to get something like Fallen Order's level of visuals. It's an old game. All I'm going to say there. Conversations with NPCs are voice-acted, which is fairly unique compared to a lot of other games. Not going to talk too much about fashion, either. There's a *lot* of it.

There's your info wall. I do recommend the game, I quite enjoy the game, just keep in mind that a whole array of things open up for you if you're willing to give 'em $15 for that subscription.

This game is easily a staple of most Steam libraries, and for good cause. And now, we're at our Journey's End as of update 1.4.

Terraria has a little bit of something for everyone. Want to build? Go for it. Want to set up a class to slaughter enemies en masse? Go for it. Want to explore worlds and toy with randomly generated settings? Go for it. Boss rush? Go for it. Solo player? Not a problem. Multiplayer? Grab your friends and get started.

The game has come a long way since when I first started playing it, and with the 1.4 update, it has really turned into something even more special. It's got all of the quirks of randomly generated worlds, including some questionable generation situations, which make for some good amusement when you're with friends. I have plenty of good memories surrounding this game and some of the people I've played it with. With the implementation of Journey & Master modes, now's a great time to delve into the game if you haven't already and to return if you were on a break after 100 percenting the game (I'm looking at you, fellow achievement hunters... enjoy that "craft your first workbench" square on your profile).

2020 Edit: Come on Terrariarns, let's give the devs the attention they deserve for all the hard work they put into this massive update so long after originally pushing the game out.

This is a great game to play... with friends.

TLDR: Combat is fun, though there is a somewhat steep learning curve to the game. It can be a bit heavy on the PC, but I run it pretty well (for the most part) on a dying laptop so it's not too bad although it could use a little more optimizing. The stat system isn't explained, so learning without any help is a bit of a problem.
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TERA (The Exiled Realm of Arboria) is an MMOARPG. That is, it's an MMORPG but styled in a "aim your skills" sort of way. If you've played BDO before, it's like that. To those completely unfamiliar with what that means, think of it like a game where for the most part, you're fighting in a shooter game style of manner, but rather than clicking one button to shoot and one button to throw grenades, you're pressing your keys to use different skills. If you've played World of Warcraft, Everquest/Everquest II, or any other MMORPG, it's like that but with shooter-styled aiming rather than tab-targeting.

Character customization is fairly broad. You do have to select from a dozen or so presets for each particular category, but you can still largely make the character your own. And, once you're actually in the game, appearance is solely up to you. I find that some of the best outfits, depending on what race and class your character is, can be earned 100% F2P with Fashion Coupons, which you can grind for off of bosses and BAMs ("Big-Ass Monsters"... yes, that's actually what they're called).

So, one your character is made, your journey begins in an island secluded from the rest of the world that is afflicted by the various gods each having their own agenda and the people and creatures fighting one another for survival and superiority over one another. And you become an agent of one of said factions, the Valkyon Federation. In your time serving the Valkyon Federation, you encounter the different gods and other factions that don't quite get along, but eventually do come together for greater threats that you've—firsthand—seen surfacing.

As you level (which is ridiculously easy if you do it through dungeon-ing (which becomes available at level 21 and up)), you'll acquire new skills that work in tandem with one another and get stronger as your gear improves and your level goes higher. If you want updated places of guides and suggestions for your class, there are discord servers for each of the classes that can help you. Throughout a majority of the game, you will be heavily... suggested... to learn where to place your character in any given fight, when in groups. Tank classes (Brawler, Lancer, and sometimes Berserkers) will be on one side of the boss, DPS (Damage Per Second)/DD (Damage Dealer) classes will be directly behind the boss, and Healers will be on one of the sides, for the most part. The crystals in your gear will tell you where you will get the most bang for your buck when you've got it equipped.

One of the major problems within this game, though, is that because of how niche it is becoming, a lot of the players will just expect you to know what you're doing already and won't take the time to explain much of anything to you. There is a bit of an elitist mentality involved in the instance matching, so while you're still learning the game, it can be frustrating trying to deal with other people. If you want a place in the game, with a guild that doesn't mind teaching you the ropes, and you play on the Velika server, search up De Venatorem Unitas and apply to join. Let us know you're new and that you saw this message and I'll make sure one of us gets you in.

I also would like to take the time to explain my scoring of the difficulty. This game is extremely simple and borderline easy throughout a majority of the content. However, once you start going through dungeons once you hit level 65, you start encountering bosses that have very specific mechanics that you have to follow (WoW/EQ/EQII/etc. players, you know how that can be). Some of these dungeons don't punish you that hard for messing up the mechanic, while others will wipe your whole party. It can be challenging, but I personally think that sort of thing makes the game more fun. It tests your skill much more that way. A majority of this game can be played solo, however you will inevitably hit a part where you have to group up with other people, even if it's random people through instance matching. I highly suggest you find a group to get comfortable with, or start the game with a group. Just be warned: progression dungeons (the ones you can go in to level up) are 3-person large, but the "endgame" dungeons are 5-person, for the most part.
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Edit Reasons: Neatening post & fixing minor errors.

It does need more levels, but it's a quaint little game with relaxing music.
Standard run-of-the mill game like Geometry Dash, The Impossible Game, etc. Easy on the eyes.

Note about this review: I have not finished the campaign just yet, so for all intents and purposes, this review is "incomplete".
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If you like Gears of War and you like Dark Souls both, here you go. Enjoy.
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This is the baby of Gears of War and Dark Souls. Sue me for using Dark Souls in this review, I know, but I don't say that for "difficulty". What most people fail to capitalize on in the reviews is that the gear upgrade system, boss weapon/unique weapon (and weapon mod) crafting, equipment load (what you're wearing affecting stamina and dodging), "bonfire system", and mistake punishing from even the simplest of enemies all do sample from Dark Souls' example. And that is where I will end the comparison of the two games.

Enemies are diverse and they do respond to some level of physics. For example, in the desert world of "Rhom" (spelling?), you can encounter a "special" (/"elite") enemy that wears what looks vaguely like a mammoth mask. He's bigger than the others, and he likes to bum rush you. Shoot him in the kneecap, and you halt his run. Shoot something in the head and you get your head crits. Shotgun blast something up close, and most things will stagger back. This was a neat detail that I look for in a game, as I'm the one who makes fun of things like this *not* being in a game.

Ammo is scarce. Melee can be punishing if you use it in place of ammo. Therefore, knowing which to use and when becomes crucial to your playstyle. I have no doubts some will find a way to melee only, and some might go for a gun-only play style. To either, good luck. Enemies respond to your presence via sound and sight, from what I can tell. Miss a shot? The entire area around where you shot is now hunting you down with reckless abandon.

Upgrade progression can be a bit of a grind, and it doesn't break the game in that everything becomes a cakewalk if you go ahead and max your gear for the area you're in. My only concern regarding gear progression is that I happened across a hunting pistol early on that has damage rivaling my shotgun, and I can use it damn near like a sniper rifle. As a scrapper (up-close/melee-oriented class), I feel that through and through, I shouldn't be mainly using a "sniper pistol". In certain areas I'm almost forced to use a shotgun, but in most others, I can end a fight before it even begins with a well-placed shot with this pistol I got in the first level. This brings up a concern with weapon balancing. I'll get back to this with the "finished version" of this review.

The story is still unclear, though I suspect that is because I still haven't gotten through the entire game yet. This will be updated once I get there.

All in all, take your time with this game. Enjoy it, I find this game to be one you can easily lose time in.

I bought this game without any knowledge of what it would entail, at all, whatsoever, besides what the images in the Steam Store page showed. I didn't even watch the store page's videos. I saw that the overall rating was "Overwhelmingly Positive", and I saw that the game just recently fully "came out of the workshop" so to speak. I decided to give it a shot.

I'm only 7 hours in, and I love this game for a handful of reasons.

First, I'm a very big Dungeons & Dragons (Tabletop) fan. I used to play it any chance I could, when there used to be people in the area to play. It's been a while since then, and sometimes I find myself craving that Tabletop RPG sense of adventure. Second, a majority of the JRPGs I've played have earned good places in my memories. This game does both at the exact same time. I am somewhat newish to the roguelike(/-lite, sue me for specifics) genre, so I can't quite say how this game sits when it comes to that genre. What I can say though is that this game is brilliant. You're given multiple game modes to play through and you can adjust difficulty and even specify on how the game functions throughout your next playthrough/run. That doesn't mean this game is "easy", though.

They warn you on startup that you will likely die.
Dark Souls fans probably just turned their heads to look. (Guilty as charged)

Would easily recommend this to anybody who loves D&D and/or JRPGs (especially both). If you and two of your buddies want something to do, try this game.