Thomas Knight's Reviews
Mario Party Superstars is a great return to the past of Mario Party titles. Featuring some of the best of the previous games and adding a few new features to modernize, it’s worth picking up. It could do with some more content for staying power, but it’s certainly a good time.
I went into Dohna Dohna ~ Let’s Do Bad Things Together with some skepticism. I’d mostly heard about the adult scenes including forced prostitution and rape, which isn’t my type of content. Alongside that though, I found a genuinely interesting story with fun characters, surprisingly great gameplay, and amazing art. There are certainly a few issues that bring it down, but I enjoyed it a lot more than expected. As long as you know what you’re heading into and aren’t put off by those aspects, it’s one to play.
Hello Lady! - Complete Edition contains an excellent mystery. It unfolds slowly, builds up, and comes to a great ending – if we ignore the ‘true end’. The protagonist is a big personality who can overshadow other elements though, so whether a reader enjoys Hello Lady! may depend on whether they like him, rather than how much they enjoy the heroines as in some other visual novels or the mystery itself.
I enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077. The story told and moreover the world it built was truly interesting. I’d certainly recommend playing it, but wish it wasn’t held back by gameplay and technical issues, even if it's still fun despite these. I’m glad I waited for the 1.5 update, as it does sound that this is a rather better experience than the one on launch.
Dōkyūsei: Bangin’ Summer isn’t perfect, but it does a great job at bringing a classic into the modern era. The remake fixes most of the issues that would make it seem incredibly dated, along with updating it with some beautiful graphics.
Nintendo Switch Sports isn’t perfect, but there are certainly improvements to the original formula such as the inclusion of online and the addition of features or modes in some sports. While I doubt it will have the same cultural impact on gaming, it’s certainly still worth picking it up to play with the family or to keep yourself active by challenging others online.
Touken Ranbu Warriors might be a surprising entry to the Warriors franchise, but it’s a welcome addition. I’m not sure that it’ll be a hit due to its niche appeal and unusual targeting, but there’s plenty of fun to be had here.
If you enjoyed Moss, then certainly get Moss: Book II – it’s a true sequel, sticking close but making improvements along the way. If you’ve not played Moss, go and play that, then come back and play Moss: Book II. Just try and play them on a platform with decent tracking.
If you enjoyed Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche, I’d certainly recommend Kinkoi: Golden Time. While it might not reach the same high points that Golden Loveriche does, it’s consistently great throughout and explores some new characters that we didn’t see enough of the first time.
I enjoyed Digimon Survive as a visual novel and would highly recommend it if that’s all it was. That said, there is some frustration in trying to access all routes, the SRPG combat gets old after a while, and there are a multitude of small issues that do bring the experience down.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet was a pleasant surprise. It's budget-priced, and a lot of fun. It’s certainly no epic adventure like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but it’s a great party game that’s kept casual and competitive enough for all ages to play.
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate – Episode 1 has a fascinating world and engaging mysteries to solve. It hooked me from the start and just kept getting better. While the other games in the wider franchise use time looping, it does it here in a much more interesting way. While I did bring up a few issues, Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate – Episode 1 is a story worth experiencing. I’m looking forward to seeing what Episodes 2 and 3 bring.
Renai X Royale - Love's a Battle had me laughing from start to finish. It won’t be for everyone with its fourth-wall breaking and focus on comedic characters over romance routes, but it’s a ton of fun. I really appreciated how even side characters had their moments to shine too.
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet is a potential 10/10 game, trapped behind severe issues. I personally had some of the most fun I’ve had with any game all year, but there’s a lot to criticize and it certainly shouldn’t have been released in the state it was. It does bring up a conflict in terms of scoring and not everyone will agree, but I feel recommending it is still fair due to all the positives and the sheer amount of fun I had with it – if not at such a high rating
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.