John Little's Reviews
There must have been more the developers could have done with the game to keep it going for longer, and considering some of the repetitiveness and a lack of interesting levels, I think they definitely should have. But otherwise, the game is well worth a look for any shooter or bullet hell fans. It's exciting and enjoyably challenging with an aesthetic and mechanical twist that sets it apart from the plethora of other shooters available.
Stories: The Path of Destinies is a really intriguing title, and, as far as I'm concerned (and despite it's flaws), is a worthy investment, but its choice making narrative needed to offer a bit more to really make an impact. As it stands, the game feels a bit shallow.
Republique is a passionately delivered title, albeit with some annoyances, but has a great story to back it up and some serviceable stealth gameplay.
It's all a great big, quirky, hallucinogenic trip, filled to the brim with charm and potential. But, unfortunately, the game's endearing qualities accentuate my one criticism of it – it just isn't long enough.
An overall improvement and evolution of its predecessor Stories: The Path of Destinies. Omensight provides an exciting groundhog day style narrative which doesn't get tedious despite its repetition. Some challenging and swift combat sees you through, and an interesting and nicely designed world easily engages, despite some cringey dialogue.
The Council successfully innovates on what has frankly become a bit of a tired genre in my opinion, but more importantly, how they have innovated works well and is enjoyable and adds value.
Chuchel is a casual game with enough variation and challenge to engage an audience beyond children. He’s a funny little character and the world is intriguing and joyously bizarre.
The original Knack was troubled, to say the least. A lame story, tedious and simplistic gameplay, and a bizarre difficulty curve. A sequel was an odd choice, but thankfully it seems the mistakes have been learned from and the final product is better in just about every way.
RiME had a rocky road to release, but thankfully the final product was worth the wait. A beautiful world with an emotionally affecting story and some fun gameplay. Not without its issues, but a solid adventure game nonetheless.
An emotional game with an intriguing world and interesting 'meta' features. OneShot is a great little adventure game, though perhaps a bit short and initially frustrating.
A sequel to cult classic Nier was a worrying prospect to some, however Platinum Games have done a brilliant job with this spiritual sequel. While it has some niggling issues, the combat is typically brilliant for Platinum, and the game excels in almost every other respect. A beautifully crafted, yet quirky world that demands multiple playthroughs.
An interesting visual novel that incorporates some interactive elements to keep you engaged. Great story and some really nice visual design. Unfortunately the game frustrates in some areas and doesn't leave as much of a lasting impressions as it could have, however this is a solid, enjoyable experience nonetheless.
The combat is satisfying and full of strategy, the world is interesting and visually pleasing – the whole steampunk, western, space aesthetic is great, and even extends to the music with the band Steam Powered Giraffe providing the saloon band style soundtrack – and the story is quirky and comes with a nice twist.
It's not a perfect game – it can be frustrating and needlessly complicated at times – but the story, aesthetic, top notch voice acting and sound track, and creative inspiration more than make up for it.
Fetch is a great character, with an interesting back-story. The gameplay is solid and addictive, and with the inclusion of the arenas and challenges there is a decent amount of content on offer.
Generally speaking, it's a great tower offence game. There are some fun objectives in the levels and the mixture of juggling abilities, your squad's set-up and their direction is quite a thrilling challenge, which makes for some very satisfying gameplay.
There's not much in the way of story to talk about (a cat decides to play a video game of itself saving ducks, what more do you want?), but the gameplay is solid all round. The aesthetic is cheery and exciting, the music pumping and catchy, and there is enough content to keep you going.
An excellent and unique tower defence, combining lane strategy and shooter gameplay to great effect.
I don’t think there are any noteworthy improvements or flaws with this version, and if you’re a fan who’s already played another port then I can’t really see this being of interest to you. For everyone else, however, I would thoroughly recommend if you’re into visual novels or even just the anime or manga. It’s such a great story and theme, with lovable characters and solid writing.
Perhaps not as heavy as Gone Home, but Tacoma still provides an intriguing and emotional experience, and with the addition of 3D recordings to view and explore, the game offers up a unique take on the genre.