Standing proudly as a title with amazing blends of gaming components and ferocious variety, this is one of the few sims that I not only really enjoyed, but it convinced me to keep coming back again and again. I have two save files going right now, and I’m determined to see if Buff Chilia will have a better life than Nun Chilia.
It’s a beautifully put together package, and this isn’t the lackluster ending of a trilogy gone off the rails. This is a tight, enjoyable and absolutely true embodiment of what Inti Creates has been building all these years. For fans, it’s everything they could want. And for first timers…well, maybe pick up the Cliff’s Notes on what’s happened. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it.
Looking at other games released in 1991, it’s honestly stunning to think that Japanese players had Final Fantasy IV, A Link to the Past and this jaw-dropping sim all in one year (and my family decided to get me Captain America for the NES…cool). So, while it may not have aged great (and honestly has been poorly ported), fans of the series can take a look in this time capsule for a few bucks, nod in recognition, and then probably never pick it up again. Sorry princess, your audience is in another castle.
I had a good time with this particular adventure. It reminded me that the enormity of imagination is a feat and a power that is universal, and it helped make what could have been a very short visual novel or a very sad adventure game be neither. Instead, it was fun, it was bouncy, it kept me going and it was divided into good sized chapters to keep from being bloated. Replay is a possibility for more unlocks, and players will want to go back and recheck for things they missed.
This might be a piece that’s worth picking up immediately, or it might be worth waiting to see if LCB Game Studio decides to do an anthology release later on down the line. Mothmen 1966 is a brilliantly bold stab at artistic game design, and I think that it wildly succeeds. It’s by no means a perfect game, but it is entertainment, and there’s nothing wrong with being entertained for a while. If you really want to, dive in, unlock all the achievements and do your thing, or just do what the rest of us do: forget about the world around us for a while, travel back to 1966, and see what happens when the stars dance and the demons come out.
Full of side quests for more coins and cards, a pretty kickass metal soundtrack and plenty of replay value, Overrogue is what I was looking for in a contender versus Slay the Spire. No, it isn’t very serious, and I’m sure the people who enjoyed One Step From Eden or Ring of Pain will complain that it’s too easy or just not engaging. But this is a game that has clear mobile shades while still being fully fledged, engaging, funny and full of content.
I think that Birushana sits comfortably as one of the best otome titles I’ve ever picked up, and it’s a strong contender for the best visual novel I’ve grabbed this year. Anyone curious about the genre or anyone who wants a bit of love intermingled with 85% accurate historical moments should grab this game. Also, if you’re really interested, get the soundtrack and all the other goodies with the limited edition before it’s gone: Birushana honestly feels like a title that will be remembered for years to come.
The story, the music, and the interface are all great. You can spend way too long trying to work out the details yourself, or find a fast track to solving the crimes and getting the best ending possible. Again, I have to stress this, I didn’t get a crash, just general disappointment over the terrible menus and the janky performance. But I can’t promise you won’t, and I don’t want anyone to be disappointed in this game.
Freshly Frosted isn’t going to be recognized for blazing new game trails or crafting mind-blowing narratives that make you think about the human condition in a blistering reality. I’m just making donuts, and I don’t know or care who they’re for. It’s going to be there for me until I don’t need it or want it anymore, and that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes, you just need to focus on what you can control and what makes you feel happy in the moment. I feel happier knowing that I can make donuts sometimes, and, for someone else out there, maybe that’s all you need for today.
It’s not sexy enough to justify how bad the gameplay is, there is no story that could possibly explain anything that’s happening on screen (why am I hacking into a computer to look at nude photos of strangers?), and the number of titles out there that deliver more eroticism with less blatant sex pandering are high. Everyone will judge you for playing this, and no one will be your character witness in court afterwards. It’s hot trash, and if you’re seriously into the character design here, there are better games that are actually games. Please, don’t do this to yourself. You deserve better.
Mr. Prepper has decent graphics, a fun throughline for a story, and really opens up in terms of actions the further on you go. Yet it’s the needing to do it in such a limited window, both for the auto-save countdown and the lack of mouse, that keep it from being something that I’d come back to time and again. I might consider picking it up on the computer in the future, but I don’t think anyone should be playing it on the Switch. It’s just not what the burgeoning prepper deserves.
You could literally buy a decent deck of cards and just search the internet for “hot anime girls” and end up with the same result, but better. More variety in whatever waifu you want to look at, and you can play other games with the deck of cards. Maybe even play against people. Hell, this could be your gateway into socialization so that you stop wasting time on clickbait games that seek to use your libido against your wallet.
Will hook you and keep you for a couple hours, but then you gradually lose steam without some variation to the approach. It becomes a once-a-day game.
With a forgettable soundtrack and decent, if somewhat generic, graphics, Soda Crisis feels as middle of the road as you can get without it being inherently bad. I can see what they were going for, and I get glimpses of success, but that’s all it is: just glimpses. The input lag from controllers, the fidelity going to hell, and the pretty mundane nature of it all just left me very nonplussed about the entire game.
Rogue Legacy 2 is a masterwork in taking something already great and elevating it without getting lost in ambition and abandoning the core interest. It’s Mega Man 2. It’s LeChuck’s Revenge. It’s freaking Super Smash Bros. Melee. This is the way all sequels should be, and I’m ecstatic to finish my review so I can go back and play it again.
For Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 2, I think we have a better showcasing of what NIS is capable of in both good and bad servings.
Basically, if you have a handful of friends who also love Rifftrax, this is a home run, no question about it. It plays to the audience it wants to attract, and that’s all we can ask. If, though, you are less familiar with the branding and the concept, then it can get flat pretty quickly, so keep that in mind before purchasing. Still, I’ll be running this a bit more to see how deep the references go. I wonder if Torgo will make an appearance…
The name Wildcat Gun Machine feels like it should evoke something positively thrilling and explosive, like the movies and games that clearly inspired this twin-stick shooter. Instead, you just nod along and play, hardly getting more irritated than modest frustration at an untimely death. But there’s no permadeath, no chance to lose it all, and no moment that delivered a Woah. Instead, you charge ahead, shoot, upgrade, and shoot some more. For some, that might be enough. But while I was waiting for Wildcat, I just got a tabby.
Samurai Bringer is amazingly unforgiving while still being so accessible, and its frustration is matched only by its charm and variety. I would recommend this game for roguelite enthusiasts who want a bit more meat on the bones in terms of play and education. Definitely put aside some time to ferret out this game as a whole before making a decision, because there’s simply no quickly dipping in and out.
Jumping online to play something, fair enough, that’s everyone’s responsibility. But Chinatown Detective Agency is asking players to commit, unfailingly, with the penalty of wasting your own time. That’s a stopper for me, and I think that it should be for anyone else who has a life outside of their computer.