Thomas Knight's Reviews
Overall, I find the Atelier Dusk Trilogy DX to have been done well. The games themselves are all very enjoyable and this is the definitive version of them, with some great additional features which improve things even more than most remasters would.
I would personally recommend Bokuten - Why I Became an Angel, again with the caveat that the reader knows what they are getting themselves into. This is a very sad, emotional experience with some highly disturbing scenes and topics. It is also a very well written visual novel with a great story that I would highly recommend to someone who wants to experience something out of the ordinary.
Overall, this is a great rhythm game with some decent puzzling sections – that is if you are playing in VR. I did find that the control scheme was a big issue on the DualShock controller, but with PS Moves it worked almost perfectly. I’d certainly recommend it to VR players, despite frustrating issues around advancing the story and puzzles. For players using the TV and a DualShock controller, I generally wouldn’t recommend it unless you try before you buy.
I would highly recommend Aokana - Four Rhythms Across the Blue to visual novel fans who enjoy either the sports theme or the light comedy style the story is told with. While I did have minor complaints about the romance in most routes, I felt it was one of the best visual novels of 2019.
While I have my concerns with how briefly the story is covered, I certainly enjoyed Utawarerumono: ZAN. I was surprised at how good the gameplay was when getting further into the game. It is a bit pricey for the amount of content, which I suppose is due to the niche nature of it. It will be more worth it if you plan to complete all of the modes, as story mode alone could be completed in less than 5 hours.
I definitely enjoyed reading through The Witch’s Love Diary, but I do feel somewhat conflicted. The style they used to tell the story was particularly unique, but it did come across as disjointed. The overall story was interesting and the characters were great. I can’t really say I’d prefer it as a standard visual novel where routes separate though, as it wouldn’t work with the story. It's an experience unlike most others and worth taking the time to play.
The mechanics are fairly simple, but the puzzles are well designed and the concept is unique. If you have a dark sense of humor and enjoy puzzles, I recommend it.
I would recommend World End Syndrome to visual novel fans who enjoy a light mystery story and romance. All of the characters are interesting, if not always likeable. The overall story comes together very well too and it works as a good example of a way to go through basically the same story several times while keeping things fresh. The art is amazing too.
Despite some writing issues missed in editing and minor technical issues, this rhythm game is simple, but incredibly fun and has lots of content for the budget price. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of customization and unlockables. Keep in mind though, this is a review of the PC version and the revenue model is different on some other platforms.
Sankaku Ren'ai is an absolute riot. The writing and localisation is great, all of the characters are likeable, all of the routes are interesting and production values are high all around. It's certainly very geared towards visual novel fans though - not an entry title.
Despite some technical issues, the mystery unfolding and adding more detail each time made this an interesting title, along with some characters with strong personalities.
Overall, this is quite a fun mecha game and budget priced. The story was disappointing, but the gameplay was better than I initially expected and worth praising. The several included modes give you quite a few ways to play and it works well on the Switch too, as missions can be played in short bursts. It's not much more than a fun time flying around and shooting down enemies, but as long as you don't expect more, then it's fine.
Death end re;Quest was a good JRPG. It’s strongest points are the story, the switching between worlds and the features of the battle system. It’s certainly not perfect though. Sometimes the wandering around dungeons went on too long without encountering anything and there are certain features which the game could explain better. It innovated in many ways while relying on tropes in others. Still, I enjoyed my time playing through the game and couldn’t put it down at times. It's one of the better Idea Factory JRPGs.
I’d certainly recommend the game to any visual novel fans who enjoy well-written comedy and unique settings. It raises questions and makes you think about the issues with this society. It's not your typical story.
The star of this game is the gameplay, but the cute characters, the humor and fun interactions between them add to it. As long as you don’t mind clothing coming off mid-battle, I’d recommend playing this game.
I would recommend Hello, Goodbye to visual novel fans who enjoy games with a character-driven story, a good amount of comedy keeping things light, but a serious plot in the background. I can't say that it's one of the best visual novels around and the plot didn't feel clear at times, but I certainly enjoyed reading through it and I liked the characters.
I did enjoy Vacation Simulator, but I will note that it is fairly expensive for the amount of time some people may get out of it. If this will be your go-to game for the kids and introducing people to VR, it’s a good investment. If you just want to play it through once yourself, it could be an idea to wait for a sale. It does feel like a pity to say that because of the quality of the game, but you can see most content within two hours.
I’d certainly recommend the game to any visual novel fans who enjoy comedy with a plot. While visual novels are a niche, people interested in virtual reality who enjoy anime might consider trying this out too, even if not usually a fan of visual novels.
A well-written visual novel about an unlikely and forbidden friendship. Well worth the read and budget-friendly.
This feels very much like a classic JRPG, with some extra features to bring it into the new age of gaming. This style of JRPG does require a lot of patience however, which is why I expect the turbo mode feature will be very appreciated by new and old fans alike. In the end though, it's the great story which kept me playing this game.