Alex Fuller's Reviews
Ultimately, the overall conventionality of Death Come True means that it is not a title with any great staying power. It doesn’t really manage to try anything new, though the level of production shows that there is absolutely a potential future for FMV games. It’s certainly enjoyable and at its best as the clues are dropped and there are still parts of the mystery to uncover, but expectations should be tempered accordingly.
Though — as is normal with the genre — there isn’t too much interaction required from the player, it makes great use of both the medium and its storytelling to provide an experience that sucks one in and keeps the engagement level high until the very end.
Though the level of drama and suspense is certainly nowhere near that of Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0, it’s good to be able to spend more time with characters.
It brings an appreciably different approach through puzzles that manage to be more universal through the shunning of regular logic, with a strong cast and production that easily carry its story through to a very satisfying conclusion.
The $40 launch price on Nintendo Switch is going to be an issue for many, especially given its pricing on other platforms and the selection of adventure titles also available on the system. It’s certainly an enjoyable game, and for adventure fans it’s worth keeping on the radar, but it’s an eye-widening price tag in the context of the game.
With a very satisfying final conclusion that makes impressive use of the previous reveals and clues, and a vibrant visual style, World End Syndrome is a very worthwhile pickup for those with passing interests in visual novels and mystery stories.
For those that haven’t played Steins;Gate, Steins;Gate Elite is an ideal place to start, and its use of animation will help ease in those who are less interested in the standard visual novel layouts.
While its ultimate resolution is not quite as satisfying as its brethren, the way it uses its cast, some higher-minded concepts, and the player themselves makes for another highly absorbing title across its twenty-plus hours.
It’s nice to see a game trying new things, and Fallen Legion Revenants certainly does that, but the game’s actively hostile balancing takes away all of that goodwill.
The music at least alleviates some of the monotony and players won’t need to spend too long with it to spark the ending credits, but the combat and systems contrive to make the gameplay far from enjoyable, and the story is almost not worth mentioning. One can only hope that it allows lessons to be quickly learned ahead of any future action RPG endeavours.
A complete failure to make the setting interesting, insipid progression, and mediocre gameplay make for a thoroughly underwhelming experience, with the primary appeal being to fans of the franchise who simply want to see the characters extol the unshown virtues of fictional VRMMORPGs.
Some of the puzzles and challenges are good fun and satisfying to complete, but there are also many that are made more frustrating than they need to be. With a flawed match system that becomes trivial once its workings have been figured out and technical issues that stack up as the game progresses, it’s incredibly tough to recommend.
Those looking to spend more time with the goddesses will at least enjoy more of their humour, and VTuber fans will likely get a kick out of their cameos. However, gameplay is very much lacking, with everything being done considerably better elsewhere, and ultimately, as an overall experience, Neptunia Virtual Stars remains a disappointment.
Its setting comes with plenty of interesting ideas, but they necessitate a strong execution. Unfortunately, that execution is sadly lacking here, as those ideas fall down due to a lack of support from the rest of the game and they simply aren’t strong enough to carry things on their own.
The combat is decently engaging, but the repetitiveness and lack of interesting elements outside of it means it fails to garner full attention for any extended period of time. Those looking to crawl through neon corridors and vaporise cyborg punks will find some enjoyment from it, but it’s ultimately forgettable.
Though the combat holds up, it’s just too difficult to find a way to recommend Element: Space as a whole. There’s not much of interest from a narrative standpoint, while all of the good points about the gameplay are offset by the technical problems. It’s a shame, as there’s a good base underneath it, but even with giving leeway based on the small size of the development team, the annoyances currently outweigh the good.
Everreach: Project Eden somehow manages to avoid being as annoying to play as its constituent parts would indicate, and there will be some out there who can get a decent evening or two’s entertainment from it.
A cheap-feeling experience that quickly lets any interest slip away.
The premise turns out being a rather shallow veneer on top of an enjoyable but underwhelming mission-based action RPG that bizarrely decides to try and hide its deeper elements.
Sadly, The Caligula Effect really just amounts to a waste of time.