RPGamer's Reviews
With so many new otome games on the market, Sympathy Kiss stands out for being a slice-of-life office romance simulator that does an excellent job of presenting adult themes. However, where it falters is in its mixed bag of bachelors to romance and Akari’s questionable decision-making skills.
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II demonstrates that the Spirit Hunter series continues to evolve with every entry. The writing, atmosphere, gameplay, character interaction, and art are all notable improvements. Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is a great entry in the series with its unique approach to horror and stands out in comparison to other titles in the same genre.
This is the textbook example of exploration and every point of interest begs to be found as it creates a cohesive and captivating experience that is a constant feast for the adventurous soul.
For those looking to get into otome games, this is a great one to start with, as it offers memorable characters, with a story that will have you cozying up to every member of the circus, wanting to heal their struggles.
Sovereign Syndicate provides a detailed, colourful, and visually redolent tableau of the Dockyards of London’s East End, where tenements are under siege by industrial expansion, women and children go missing in the dark of night, soot covers all and the cobblestones run wet with alcohol, fresh or recycled. It makes for a lovely take on the gaslamp fantasy genre, with the plot to back up the appearance.
This game is highly recommended for those who already love the property, but given my lack of knowledge of the series, I can also say it’s great for newcomers who love otome games with a sense of humour. Catarina Claes may be the best otome protagonist I’ve encountered yet, and I hope she gets another adventure on consoles soon.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly does a phenomenal job of wrapping up everyone’s storylines in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Although the gameplay remains largely unchanged, Coffee Talk Episode 2 is still a fantastic sequel that keeps all the cozy vibes strong.
Flynn: Son of Crimson is a pleasant surprise that filled in some quiet hours this summer. It’s fun, fast, and occasionally frantic in its action, and is a good addition to any action-gamer’s library.
Slay the Princess certainly isn’t shy about beating the player over the head with a surreal combination of elegance, raw emotion, and tense uncertainty. Fans of psychological or philosophical quandaries that aren’t too squeamish at the sight of blood will have a field day with this title.
Due to predictable story beats, odd gameplay design choices, and not allowing players to master most of the various mechanics in the game before the end credits roll, it’s hard to recommend Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story to anyone who isn’t already a fan of the source material.
Many players will be enraptured by the game’s style and will desire to get the bottom of its mysteries, as well as enjoy the risk versus reward element driven by Elise’s desires. If the game was more welcoming of players who can’t quite grasp its subtle puzzles and the precise reactions needed to get past certain sections, it would be an unqualified recommendation, but at present that does make for a significant caveat.
For younger gamers, particularly those just getting into the Pokémon series, the game and its predecessor could be a fine fit. However, the more experienced fans hoping for some engaging mystery solving and more interesting examination on casual life with Pokémon are almost certain to find the game lacking in both its storytelling and gameplay departments.
Can I recommend OU? It is certainly an experience, even if it isn’t the sort of game I would seek out on my own. Still, it’s stuck in my head, and I must share.
CD Projekt RED has admirably stuck with the game past its launch troubles, offering patches and upgrades in the two years following as it looks to finally near towards its full potential. That work has reached full fruition through the arrival of both its vaunted Update 2.0 patch and full story expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, which combine to give the game an excellent new lease on life.
Anonymous;Code may not quite reach the same heights of Steins;Gate, but its exciting pacing and more intuitive path towards its ending makes for a highly engaging story. Despite some preposterousness, it readily captures players’ attention with its take on the near future, successfully blending wider ideas about the nature of the world and science with some traditional and modern conspiracy theories.
Unfortunately, while it brings some neat ideas to the ring, the execution places far too many roadblocks in the way. Repetitive combat, slow exploration and progress, and a pretty one-note cast fails to inspire the sort of hype that the game hoped to provide.
Fiction Factory Games adds another fun tale to its catalog of games, with every character’s story worth exploring. Fans of visual novels will find a lot to love and laugh about, as Penny Larceny steals hearts and your wallet.
It’s abundantly clear that the developers of Venba poured their heart and soul into crafting this love letter of a game to share the hardship and adjustment period that comes with being a new immigrant.
While its cases might not quite have the same level of twists and zaniness as its obvious inspiration, Tyrion Cuthbert still offers an enjoyable romp through its five cases across a little over a dozen hours.
The collection can easily be recommended to both those that enjoy a good dungeon crawl but have somehow missed this series previously, and to those that have spent some time away and would love to revisit the origins of the series.