Samantha Lienhard's Reviews
Although Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club has some strange pacing choices that lead to a lack of excitement in early chapters and a lessened emphasis on solving the case through detective work, it makes up for it with an excellent presentation, fun attention to detail, and a dark, emotional story that answers all its questions in the end.
Playing these two games back-to-back is a fascinating glimpse into the shift the series saw over time. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth has the snappier, fast-paced approach of the earliest games in the series, while its sequel Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit takes a longer, wordier direction like the later games and delivers one of the best stories. Having the two available on modern platforms, with Investigations 2 being translated at last, is fantastic. While it might not be the best place to start the series for newcomers, the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is an easy recommendation for Ace Attorney fans.
Noctuary combines visual novel storytelling with action RPG battles to create a memorable experience that will appeal most to fans of visual novels, though its combat is enjoyable as well. With easily over 20 hours of content and a great amount of attention to detail in its storytelling, it stands out as an overlooked gem of 2023.
Duck Detective is short enough to feel a bit lacking, and some of its mystery-solving gameplay could be polished into a more satisfactory experience. However, it's cute and charming, and it has a dedicated quack button. For a bite-sized experience playing as a duck detective, it provides an entertaining couple of hours.
Another Code: Recollection is a beautiful remake that I can hardly believe exists, bringing two niche games back when they could easily have been forgotten. In many ways, it’s a fantastic remake – enough that I wish it had all the puzzles and story details of the original so I could feel fully satisfied. Instead, the changes left me with some mixed feelings, but this remake is a solid narrative adventure game in its own right.
Detective Pikachu Returns might not push the boundaries in terms of graphics, and it certainly won’t bend your mind with its easy and straightforward deductions. However, it’s a charming game with cute character interactions, a good sense of humor, and an interesting story. Some games just make you feel happy when you play them, and I found Detective Pikachu Returns to be one of those games.
It's hard for a game to live up to expectations when you've been waiting for years. As a result, I might have hoped for more from the story of Long Gone Days than it actually delivered. However, it has a good cast of characters and presents a view of how terrible war is for civilians, presented through an RPG-style structure. Despite some bugs and other flaws, Long Gone Days is still an enjoyable experience.
Gylt is a short horror game with a lot of good ideas. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it has a solid structure that provides a clear path to follow while rewarding exploration at the same time. The world has enough potential that I wouldn’t mind revisiting it in a sequel, but either way, it’s nice to see a game like this find new life now that Stadia is gone.
While it doesn’t have too much new to offer compared to the original, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is as much a masterpiece now as it was when it first launched ten years ago. The passage of time makes some games lose their luster, but Ghost Trick shines as brightly as ever. Its story, humor, and puzzles still stand strong, and it was a delight to revisit this game.
If you're hoping for something new with Layers of Fear, you should be aware that the majority of your time will be spent on the original Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2. At the same time, if you just want to replay those games, keep in mind that the new structure means it's not as simple as that. But for fans who want to experience the games in a new way or newcomers to the series trying it out for the first time, the new Layers of Fear keeps the games largely true to the originals' themes while also making some notable improvements.
While some aspects of the gameplay and exploration disappointed me, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an unsettling journey through a haunted island that I found much more enjoyable than Maiden of Black Water.
Square Enix seems to have taken to releasing smaller-scale games in between their big-name releases, and I couldn't be happier. If you enjoy horror visual novels and games with branching viewpoints that come together to tell a single narrative, Paranormasight is one you shouldn't miss. It's short, but it's a creepy delight from start to finish with a lot of little details that make it a unique experience.
Kukoos: Lost Pets is the sort of game I would have jumped on back when the genre was in decline. It might not have the staying power of the icons in its genre, but it has some fun ideas. Fans of 3D platformers should consider it, although its short length and rougher aspects might turn some players away.
Bayonetta 3 is a strange mix of some of the series’ best moments together with some of its worst. At its high points, Bayonetta 3 easily stands with or even surpasses its predecessors, but its glory is marred by questionable decisions and missed opportunities. How much importance you place on the story will likely determine how you feel about this entry. If the story is an afterthought for you, you’ll enjoy the high-quality combat and intense action, but if the story matters, prepare yourself for tonal differences and storytelling that raises more questions than answers.
After all these years, the final chapter of Faith turned out to be worth the wait, and with all three chapters bundled in the Unholy Trinity release, there’s never been a better time to play. The dangerous world of Faith requires some patience, but the unsettling atmosphere and intense demonic encounters make it worthwhile for anyone who loves the horror genre.
Despite some flaws, Signalis is a delightful addition to the survival horror genre in the style of the classics. A lot of care has been put into its world, and its gameplay never outstays its welcome. If you like traditional survival horror games and want another game that fills that niche, Signalis is a worthy title to keep in mind.
AI: The Somnium Files was a unique game that blended a wacky sense of humor with a dark murder mystery and unexpected twists, making it a tough act to follow. Nevertheless, its sequel rises to the challenge. The scale and scope of Nirvana Initiative are different, but the story, humor, characters, and gameplay additions all come together to make it a sequel worthy of the name. If you enjoyed the first game, you’ll likely enjoy AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative as well.
If you love 3D collect-a-thon platformers, Kao the Kangaroo is worth taking a look at once its bugs are patched. It might not bring anything new to the genre, but it’s a short slice of what makes 3D platforming fun.
The Centennial Case is not the game you should look toward for gameplay, but rather for its story. With hours of live action footage as the bulk of its content, playing it feels like watching a mystery show while piecing the clues together. If you enjoy trying to figure out a mystery yourself as the story unfolds, this game’s approach should appeal to you.
While the original Blue Reflection had some notable flaws, I always hoped it would someday get a sequel, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Blue Reflection: Second Light might not be as unique in some respects, but it’s a much stronger game overall and an excellent addition to this series.