Waterzooi has crafted a vessel of expression that I see and I adore because of what it is, not what it could be. There’s hints that there may be more chapters in the future, and I, for one, would be thrilled to see even more expansion into this realm. Please, Touch the Artwork 2 thrills me with a simple concept delivered with polish, poise and aplomb.
I did not like the character. I did not like the quest. I did not think what I was doing was noble and I thought everyone sucked. But. The game is so well made the level of polish creates such a sheen it glosses over the mental disgruntlement I have. It’s an indisputably well made game that ticks the boxes like it was born to defy expectations. Pipistrello is daunting, but it knows what it has and never tries to pretend otherwise. Good luck, you’re definitely going to need it.
I feel that Maniac sets out to do what it intends to do very well: it’s chaotic, it’s dynamic, and I admit it runs pretty well on the Switch, a console now infamous for slowdowns and stutters when on screen action becomes too much. It’s a fun little experience, but, without achievements or anything beyond the surface to strive for, you can get bored fairly quickly. Having said that, it’s a good budget title for anyone with a soft spot for 90s mayhem, and it never professes to be anything it isn’t. It’s just a shame: it seems I’ve grown older, and the genre hasn’t aged with me. How bittersweet.
But other than that niggling issue, I had such a memorable, gorgeous time with Kulebra. A combination of Paper Mario, Coco and Undertale, this beautiful game brought me on a journey into unknown reaches of empathy, hope and utter heartbreak. It treated the player gently, touching on ideas of life after death without being aggressive or definitive, and it did so with absolute grace.
I think I really enjoyed Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade because I didn’t spend a lot of time chasing the next Hades clone after the success of the progenitor. There have been attempts, but I missed them, and I didn’t get into the sequel early access yet. So something that reminds me that isometric, fast paced, incrementally improving titles are fun as hell is important, and Yasha hits those notes with aplomb.
It’s great for developers to try a new idea, and for a New Zealand dev to move to Japan, get inspired by the world and craft an original game in a unique setting is a feat, and kudos for that. Labyrinth of the Demon King is going to be fun for the right crowd who enjoy getting brutalized by things beyond their control and hoping for the best in what felt like an arbitrary generation of items and consumables. For me, though, this was a disappointing, frustrating and honestly exhausting waste of my time. Have fun storming the castle, I’m going back to bed.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero was made because NIS said a survey of fans demanded these characters return for another installment, so I have to believe that someone is emphatically excited about this title. And there is a lot to see and do: randomly generated maps, tons of equipment to find and buy, customization through skills learned and taught, and generally fun combat that requires little higher brain power.
I lost my mind with 13 Sentinels back in the day, and my time with The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy was similar. It’s clever, engrossing, and it breaks up the reading with the right level of engagement and action.
It’s honestly a good time, and twinstick enthusiasts will find something to love with the smoothness of control and the ramping difficulty of the stages. You’re not going to necessarily keep dipping back in once the bag is empty, but you will be satisfied. It’s a good snack.
It’s not a perfect title, but it’s wonderfully memorable, and I highly encourage anyone and everyone to take a chance on Star Overdrive. The beauty is simple, in the end: Bios and Nous are one, and that drives their entire future to the stars and beyond.
Not every sequel is going to outstrip its predecessor, but it’s so bizarre and self-sabotaging to implement choices that defy what made the previous game work. Grim Guardians, for better or worse, married the twin protagonists and swapped necessity with a solid storyline and a well-built gameworld. Comparatively, Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark seems to have sacrificed something that wasn’t broken to begin with in order to add…nothing.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is still a horrifying, upsetting, and engrossing experience, even today. Few things have struck me as strongly, and being able to relive the trauma and the painstaking moments of discovery are satisfying as they ever were. For new players to be able to delve into something that is such a phenomenal interpretation of a great story, crafted by the author himself, cannot be overstated.
There’s enough lore constructed about the royal history and alliances with other kingdoms that the world feels lived in without overwhelming you with Three Kingdoms levels of complexity. Lan is genuinely a solid lead and her support from Collette, Yuriana, and Ignis is so uplifting. When you have encounters, you get a flutter because it’s both sensual AND romantic, and that’s some incredible work to hit a dude who has no interest in dating a twink at a magic school. In short, Battlefield Waltz is an absolute victory.
You can forgive the glossiness in favor of dedicating countless hours to exploration, reading and grinding, and I will continue to do so gladly. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this deep into a game, and, in many ways, it’s like coming home.
Glover isn’t particularly long, and most of the challenge comes from the handling of the game itself. If you’re really into 3D platformers, especially ones that are experimental in controls and execution, then you might find some investable enjoyment from this not-exactly-beloved title. If you were hoping for something that worked in the same field that Mario 64 was able to operate in, you’ve got to keep shopping. This glove doesn’t fit, so we all have to quit.
You don’t have to clear your backlog. Go ahead and put aside some time, every day, but don’t hurry. You won’t finish Ever 17: The Out of Infinity today, or tomorrow, or maybe even in a week. But you will finish it. You’ll consume the whole thing, bones and all, and you will be sated. You’ll remember words and phrases. You’ll recall stellar voice performances and marvel at how the story unfolded.
I still had a fabulous time, don’t get me wrong, and I absolutely recommend this cornerstone visual novel to better understand the history of Uchikoshi and all of his subsequent works. Never 7: The End of Infinity sets certain ideas in motion for future works: fantastical sci-fi passed off as normal, deceptively innocent ideas that grow into massive plot points, and the darker nature of humanity when it comes to curiosity and experimentation.
Recall: Empty Wishes does a phenomenal job of telling a tale and giving players agency within how the story turns out. Though the “good” ending might be a clear shot for some players, the time you take to explore, to talk and decide upon the consequence of your own and others’ actions, makes it an engaging and provocative experience.
The core ideas of Undying are what keep me coming back and what makes me want to see it through again and again. Sure, there are some translation errors, but the beating heart of it all – to make a future for your child against the screaming of the blade of time – is what makes itself most well known. It’s bleak, it’s sad, but it’s a microcosm of what we do in the every day now. Carry it on your Nintendo Switch, play it on your PC, encounter it however you’d like. It’s not perfect, but it’s damn fine and has good intent.
Wizardry: The Five Ordeals must be applauded for what it brings and how it brought it. The ports of these games were made for the original audience (Japanese Wizardry enthusiasts) first and everyone else a distant second. The price is right, and the option to add even more titles to this collection for a small fee is a smart move. The Switch version, sadly, has no level editor or option to add fan created dungeons, so keep that in mind and consider the PC version if you’re interested in home cooking.