Thomas Knight's Reviews
While I enjoyed My Klutzy Cupid for the characters and do recommend reading it, it certainly has its weaknesses around the story, its length, and feeling rushed at times. I’ve mentioned the slightly older Kamiyaba from the same developer a couple of times during this review, and in some ways, it feels like a budget version of that, despite Kamiyaba being slightly cheaper. It’s worth picking up and reading. I think most will enjoy it, but I don’t think it’ll blow anyone away unless they particularly like one of the heroines.
Final Fantasy XVI crafts a deep world with plenty to explore, builds a multi-faceted story with characters that kept me playing for hours on end, and blew me away with awe at the visuals at times. Adding a genuinely fun customizable combat system kept the fun going the entire time too. And if you’ve not had enough at the end of the journey, it even adds in a few extras for New Game+. While I do have a lot of nostalgia for the older Final Fantasy titles, I feel this is the best one in the series yet.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a fun if simple title. Despite major differences, I can see how it led to titles such as Atelier Ryza, Ayesha, or Sophie. The remake has done a great job of bringing it to modern audiences, but it still shows its age. Taking it for what it is though, a look back at the origins and initially a PlayStation 1 title, there's still a lot of enjoyment to be had. Just don't expect an epic JRPG tale where you save the world here. You are but a simple alchemist, helping her friends and the townspeople.
Queen Of The Otaku: There Can Only Be One puts forward an interesting idea, takes it to a dark place, and caters well to certain fetishes. It’s a rather limited title, but it does quite a lot for a fairly low price. If you enjoy the themes here and aren’t looking for much of a story, it’s not top-tier, but certainly not a bad title to pick up.
Nukitashi could easily be dismissed as an overly-sexual visual novel meant to be played one-handed. Those playing it will instead discover plenty of adult scenes, but a surprising depth of story behind it. I expect that Nukitashi will be well-regarded by most, but between the humor and writing, it may not be a hit with everyone. Still, I certainly feel it’s very worth playing—as long as you play the 18+ version.
Loop8: Summer of Gods has an interesting concept and some great characters that give a good reason to play it. My first impressions were actually quite positive and if my review was based on the first ten hours, it would probably be a 7/10 due to the great character moments and idea of growing stronger through loops. Unfortunately, the issues with gameplay and systems that came to light over the full forty-five hours it took to complete, and the method of storytelling make it difficult to outright recommend.
With an engaging plot that kept me hooked as it slowly revealed more and more, Tamayura Mirai is worth the read. There’s less of a focus on the moments spent together here than most moege, but it’s an interesting adventure that leads to romance.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is well-written, thoughtful and explores serious topics through a fantasy lens. It's worth checking out. If you enjoyed the first, this is essentially more of the same, but with new characters and stories. This is exactly what I wanted from it.
While the tone is mostly light and there are plenty of jokes, Sabbat of the Witch uses touching moments and serious issues to develop characters and build an interesting plot. Not all routes are equal, and I’d not use words like ‘masterpiece’ that I’ve seen thrown around, but this is certainly one of Yuzusoft‘s stronger titles.
Kunado Chronicles is certainly worth buying if you enjoy more of a focus on story and setting over romance. It takes an interesting world and builds it up well. Using this to then weave a plot with excitement and intrigue, the story dragged me in.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is a slow adventure that works perfectly as the culmination of Ryza’s trilogy. With tons of interconnected systems keeping things fun and a strong focus on the characters and dynamics between them, it’s a great experience for JRPG fans who enjoy slice-of-life – just make sure to begin at the start of this trilogy.
I enjoyed the final chapters of Beta-Sixdouze and it certainly added to the lore of the series well, but it felt like a long and tiresome journey to get there at times. It has plenty of good moments sprinkled throughout, but between the technical issues and the moments of tedium, it’s difficult to outright recommend this visual novel. It did feel like somewhat of a letdown, as Alpha-Nighthawk was quite good.
There are certainly some positive elements to Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star. It encourages progress, uses unlocks well, and demonstrates stretches in an easy-to-follow manner. Sadly, the issues with the core gameplay and the price point make it difficult to recommend. For some casual exercise and at a lower price-point, then it might be worth picking up, especially if you’re a fan of Fist of the North Star. But there are better options out there.
Like a Dragon: Ishin has some great characters, an immersive world, and a lot to love. The main plot may not stand out, but the smaller stories of the characters that inhabit the world do. With combat being a highlight, and tons to do, the few issues don’t stop me from recommending this. Just be sure to take it in slowly and experience the world.
Neptunia as a series does seem to suffer when it moves away from its JRPG roots. While Neptunia Sisters VS Sisters has a lot of great points, the more action-oriented gameplay aspects do let it down quite a lot. I’d not suggest rushing out and grabbing it, but Neptunia fans will certainly find a lot to enjoy and this is certainly who it’s aimed at. If you can get past the slow start and the gameplay, the story will make it worth it.
With much of the time spent on that transition period from just friends whether new or old and the conversation system simulating it, Fureraba ~Friend to Lover~ feels like something a little different than most visual novels. Even if the comedy doesn’t always land, I think most will enjoy spending their time getting to know these heroines and becoming more than friends. If nothing else, Misaki is just precious — play this and you’ll fall in love with her.
Otome Domain took me about thirteen hours to complete and I enjoyed each one. It has a fun concept that is rare in localized visual novels. The characters are great too. I really enjoyed how it connects their various personality quirks to their own challenges and a serious plot while keeping a fairly light and comedic tone throughout most of the story. Mixing in some touching, dramatic, and romantic moments kept me engaged the entire time.
Aokana – EXTRA2 is a fitting follow-up to Misaki’s route in the original Aokana, with an exciting focus on Flying Circus and the feelings that occur when competing in sports with friends and rivals. Even as someone with no interest in sports, I was hooked. If you enjoyed this side of Aokana, I’d certainly recommend you pick it up.
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten is a difficult one to rate. It has an excellent story, better than a lot of other visual novels or JRPGs, but it is severely hampered by the dated gameplay and certain design choices. If you’ve played and loved all of the Utawarerumono visual novels, I’d recommend it. Even if I found myself often frustrated, I’d certainly sign up for any potential sequel after playing.
What Samurai Maiden lacks in plot, it makes up for with excellent relationship-building scenes, and surprisingly tactical hack’n’slash gameplay. While there were a few issues, I had fun throughout. It goes beyond fanservice and delivers a surprisingly great game.