All together Ray Gigant was very impressive and it’s extremely easy to get lost in the world they created. I fell in love with all of the characters and their stories. If you are a big anime fan and a lover of RPG’s like me, I definitely recommend this game. You could beat this game in around 20 hours if you speed through it, but if you decide to take your time and see the different endings this game has to offer you will not be upset with what you get.
Benjamin Rivers Inc. easily has an instant classic with Alone With You.
All together I thought PSYCHO-PASS: Mandatory Happiness was very good. Every choice you make changes the outcome in the end so be very careful with what choices you make. And this goes without saying for veterans of visual novels, but save often! It makes multiple playthroughs a lot easier. At the end of the day, I felt like I could also start bringing justice to the world. I just have to start managing my own Hue first!
I really enjoyed Job Simulator and I wish it was longer so I could enjoy it even more. I liked that it was simple yet challenging enough so it didn’t get boring. This is a great kid friendly game that is also fun for adults. Job Simulator is by far my favorite VR game out right now.
This is a great game for what it is. I feel like if this wasn’t a Batman related game it wouldn’t of been as good, and that’s a huge flaw. The best parts of it were being able to actually be a hero that you have always wanted to be but if it was just a normal person it would’ve lost my interest. It kind of felt like a “take your child to work day” kind of game.
I would say that this is more of an experience than a game, but there is nothing wrong with that. You get to experience something different and unique with light interactions to make you feel like you are not just sitting there. I wish there were more songs or maybe different interactions, but I know more songs are coming with the Second Stage and Third Stage DLC’s. Unfortunately, because there isn’t much else to do, the game only lasts as long as the songs, so you can get through the entire thing, minus replayability for the unlockable costumes, in roughly 20 minutes.
I haven’t fallen in love with a new Sims expansion in a while but I am so happy I finally have one that is keeping my attention.
All in all I thought Root Letter was okay. Again it was a great idea of a story but I finished all the endings and I am still confused about a few things that I wish were cleared up. I would say this game is for you if you’re into visual novels along with mysteries, but if you’re looking for a great story due to the fact that this is a visual novel, I think you will be slightly disappointed.
If you are looking for a game with a great story, art, characters, and makes you feel like a detective, this is the best game out there for that. I’ve played these games to completion twice now, and I would gladly do it all over again. Now we enter the final six month stretch until Killing Harmony! At least we have Ultra Despair Girls to look forward to on the PlayStation 4 in June until then.
New Frontier Days ~Founding Pioneers~ is one that I would recommend if you own a Nintendo Switch and are into farming/city building mechanics with a bit of a challenge. This is a great mix of all of those elements combined. Those that are easily put off by the simplistic style, or aren’t fans of the farming and city building genres may want to steer clear of this release. It’s a fun game, but I can say with certainty that it won’t be for everyone.
Although with all of this being said, if you are looking for an adventure/point-and-click style detective game, this is definitely one to take into consideration. The main issue I have with The Silver Case is that it shows its age all too well. You can easily tell by looking at and playing the game that it was originally released over 17 years ago. No amount of remastering is going to make this any better, unless the entire game was to be remade from the ground up, which just isn’t feasible at the moment. However, fans of Suda51 should absolutely pick this up and digest it at some point, as it is extremely fun to go back and see where his career with Grasshopper Manufacture all began. Everyone else should probably think hard before jumping in.
Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is definitely a game I would tell my friends to buy. Especially my anime loving friends who appreciate the art of sexy anime men. I wish it would of had better love interactions towards the conclusion so the game didn’t feel so flat at the end. I am very interested for the future of Hakuoki to see what exactly is going to come next. Trust me, I’ll be anxiously waiting to play whatever is next! Your life with the Shinsengumi is short lived in this part of the visual novel with a lot of questions left unanswered and it keeps you wanting more. All in all this is still a fantastic game and one of my favorites.
Overall, Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ is a great game that may have a few downs when it comes to the dictionary words and the way some of the people in the game treated each other but nothing to the point it made the game unpleasant to play. Throughout, I never got bored and I was excited to know when the ending was coming because my favorite parts are when the men FINALLY confess their love for you in the most romantic way. This is a game I would tell my girlfriends to play because it didn’t take very long to play through all the characters and it was nice having a different style visual novel.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is an amazing game and after playing it I understand why it got so much praise over seas. It was funny, exciting, charming, and so much more. I cannot wait for the second part to come here. If you are looking for a game that has a great sense of humor and amazing gameplay all throughout this is the one I would recommend. It is also one of those games that I had a hard time even trying to find a flaw with. It was great being able to have a refreshing experience that you were able to just sit back and really enjoy everything it offered without being overwhelmed or feel like there's just so much to do and so little time. By far one of the better games I have played so far this year.
The game fell flat at times and I wish they would’ve spent more time on the characters all together to help make the story a little better. With all the flaws present, you could still find yourself enjoying a game that others may question because of the slow yet fast paced of everything and the way it doesn’t really tell you where to go exactly. You’re forced to just explore every single section of the area you’re in to get to the next point in the game. All in all, The Caligula Effect is a fun game but it could’ve been better.
Ever Oasis is all about trying to be as happy as possible and making a happy place for others to live. This is definitely a cute game and it's refreshing to be able to sit down and really enjoy a game with only minor things you would change. Between the peaceful music as you walk around the Oasis and the cute penguins who purchase items from the town, it is sweet and nice. Battles, puzzles, quest. This game offers so many great features it's hard not to enjoy.
Collar x Malice is one we at Level Down Games will highly recommend and be adding onto one of out top favorite visual novels. The story, gameplay, art style, love interest, and a fresh take on how a visual novel should be… this is one I will always recommend to my friends and family who are looking for a new game to play. If you decide to play this game for yourself you will not be disappointed.
All and all this is a great continuation of a great series. Even though the game is long you will not feel like your time is wasted. Not many visual novels can match up to the Utawarerumono series and after playing the games we can definitely understand why.
Although Bad Apple Wars may have a slow beginning, it is worth pushing through to allow yourself to learn about these amazing backgrounds and build great friendships and romances in one visual novel.