Thomas Knight's Reviews
There may be some small entertainment value in Together VR, but it's mostly based on the appeal of Mei as a character. The gameplay just isn't engaging and the technical issues certainly don't help either.
While it does have some good points and the adult content has obviously been a focus, Oedo Trigger VR!! just doesn't have good gameplay. Lots of small but important issues bring it down significantly. The movement and shooting are the most important of these, but it could've been better in so many ways. This is even more disappointing since it could have been a good alternative for the somewhat similar Gal*Gun 2 VR, which no longer works with modern VR equipment without workarounds.
Suzukuri Dungeon: Karin in the Mountain is a title I enjoyed a lot, but it has some major flaws. Fairly basic dungeon gameplay, obtuse requirements to proceed, and the occasional technical issue don’t help. Still, if you can put up with these, there are a lot of great moments with the characters. It was worth it for me, but your mileage may vary, especially if you’re not already a Koihime Musou fan.
Himegashima Island is a slow adventure with charming characters and a relaxed atmosphere. I found myself surprised at how invested I was in the stories of the islanders and the gameplay. There are certainly many areas where it could be improved, but these are mostly minor issues. I enjoyed the 21 hours I spent experiencing a relaxing summer as Kokomi.
At first, Lilja and Natsuka: Painting Lies seems like a fairly lighthearted story about a cheerful girl helping to spark the imagination of a blind painter, but there is a lot behind the premise. It's a mix of mystery, surprise reveals, and most importantly an emotional journey of character growth with a hint of romance. Supported by some great-looking art and a great performance from a surprisingly well-known anime voice cast, it's worth the read.
Between the masterful writing, exciting story, engaging mystery, and high production values, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- is absolutely worth buying.
Atelier Rorona ~The Alchemist of Arland~ DX is very much a game where you'll get what you put into it. If you choose to breeze through, you probably won't enjoy it very much, but if you engage and learn the systems, there's a great gameplay loop here. While it is marred by some frustrating elements, as long as you know what you're getting into, it's an enjoyable JRPG, if perhaps not reaching the heights that some other Atelier titles do.
Real Anime Situation! 2 lives up to the title of Real Hentai Situation! 2. As long as that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll find it, albeit with a few issues along the way. The comedy helps to keep it light despite some of the more extreme acts on display, and you’re not coming here for the plot anyway.
The Quintessential Quintuplets – Five Memories Spent With You is an interesting story of the challenges Futaro faces after choosing one of the quintuplets. It does well making each route feel different, despite the similar themes. It’s only a pity that it was marred by localization issues.
Sisters: Last Day of Summer uses animation well to tell what I found to be a surprisingly interesting story. While it certainly doesn’t lack adult content, I found myself more engaged with the central mystery and the emotional moments.
The Quintessential Quintuplets – Memories of a Quintessential Summer is very much only for fans of the series, and even then it isn’t an amazing experience. Still, it’s a nice way to spend more time with the quintuplets and there are certainly moments worth experiencing here.
Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution’s character interactions and comedy make it worth playing. However, it’s let down by its gameplay, which is occasionally good, often mediocre, and sometimes actively bad. I say this as a long-time fan of Neptunia, which might be the only group that this title appeals to.
Mashiroiro Symphony HD -Sana Edition- is a nice addition to -Love is Pure White- and I can certainly see why Sana won a popularity poll. Sana’s route had a lot to measure up to, and while it falls short of some of the -Love is Pure White- routes, it was still a great read.
Amazing Grace -What Color is Your Attribute?- is an enjoyable mystery adventure, with some pleasant romance mixed in along the way. While there are certainly some issues with the mystery requiring suspension of disbelief that will bother some more than others, it worked well with hinting at events, throwing in unexpected twists, and building up to the big reveals.
Rise of the Ronin uses exciting combat and character-driven story scenes to tell the story of one of the most interesting periods of Japanese history. Between slightly different combat and an open world with a ton of extra activities, it doesn't quite fit into the soulslike mold and is a far more accessible game for it.
Princess Peach: Showtime! offers a wide variety of gameplay in exchange for a lack of depth. Short and simple, it’s a fun adventure that anyone can enjoy but will be more suited to younger players.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is another excellent installment in the three-part remake of Final Fantasy VII. While I can't say the implementation of an open world was a complete success, the story, characters, and minigames make it absolutely worth playing.
Nukitashi 2 doesn’t have the strongest plot, but it makes up for it with humor and high production values. Perhaps it won’t be a hit with everyone as comedy is subjective, but I certainly enjoyed the experience. That said, as a direct sequel I did feel that the change in direction had it fall short of the original.
Persona 3 Reload is a top-tier JRPG with gameplay to match. Whilst the story and characters may not match up to subsequent entries in the series, they're good in their own right, becoming far stronger as it gets closer to the end. In terms of gameplay and presentation, it goes beyond most other JRPGs would ever dream of. It successfully brings the original Persona 3 story into the modern era, making it feel like this was always how it was meant to be.
In the end, I feel like KONOSUBA - God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! will be enjoyed by anyone who liked the anime. Whilst it's not exactly a great main plot and the gameplay doesn't stand out, it's a lot of fun moments spent with a cast of characters with a brilliant dynamic and plenty of fanservice.