4/5 ★ – Gandheezy's review of Bugsnax.

A charming little indie game that takes full advantage of the Dualsense controller. Great palette cleanser between big, serious games. Kinda like Pokemon Snap but you have to figure out innovative ways to catch the Bugsnax. At its heart, Bugsnax is a story about community. This is a story that will teach children and adults alike the power of friendship, watching each others backs, and sticking together through the tough times. Also excellent LGBTQ+ representation, maybe the best I've ever seen in a game. When people of all walks of life come together, they create something greater than the sum of their parts. I loved all the characters, by the end every single one had grown on me. I kind of hated Shelda at first but they became my fav by the end. And, I mean, the whole thing is just cute. The music is pleasant and the visuals are nice. The relationships were so natural too - loved Chandlo and Scorpy together, they felt very real. Comedy usually hits pretty well. And Filbo is the kind of scared but big-hearted hero we desperately need in these trying times. I really enjoyed combining both my tools and the environment to figure out new ways to catch a new snack. I did get stumped a few times and checked a guide, but overall the challenge in figuring it out was mostly fair. If you can figure out how to catch a Buffalocust on you're own, you have a much bigger brain than I. The main negative is that there is a lot of repetition and a lot of weird quests that don't really prompt you for what to do or where to go. Might require a guide unless you've got hours to dick around until something works. Anyway, great story, tragic but solid ending. There's not really a true horror element, but things will be quite scary for any kids playing in the last hour of the game.