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Warriors: Abyss was a pleasant surprise, particularly for its price point. There are perhaps some tweaks that could be made to the formula, but it nicely implements the roguelite gameplay with hack 'n' slash, creating a fun experience, if a touch repetitive as is common with Warriors games. It's one I enjoyed and a nice one to dip into for 30 minutes here and there. The only danger is it creates that 'one more turn' feeling, and 30 minutes soon turns into 3 hours.
Under Defeat is a fine example of how when a good port is produced it can make a world of difference. I had this game on PS3 and it made such a little impression that I was apprehensive to cover it, but I am so glad I did. Clear River Games have absolutely knocked this game out of the park with all the available content and the clean-up job they have done, turning what was originally a “meh” game in my eyes into a top-tier shmup. It’s a hardcore shmup through and through, but with various control schemes, outstanding soundtracks, and various ways to play it through I’m absolutely in love with this title and would feverishly suggest that any fans of the genre pick this version up. It’s not only the definitive way to play the game but in my mind, the only way the game should be played. Bravo Clear River Games and City Connection for bringing this once dull gem out as a blinding diamond in the shmup genre.
Geminism is a visual novel that takes what's considered a normal, everyday life and shoves a healthy amount of absurdity into it. By putting a pair of twins in the center of the story, it introduces a fresh and exciting twist into the relationships surrounding your typical battle-filled story. While linear in nature, it maximizes its storyline by making use of two parallel perspectives that inevitably intersect in a ridiculous ritual for a chance at achieving normalcy. While engaging as a read, the potential for an incredibly impactful ending fails to be realized due to what feels like missed timings and rushed pacing near the ending. The characters do not feel convincing in their motivations until near the end, resulting in a lack of general investment early on that's important for establishing a rewarding payoff. Despite this, Geminism is still very good at what it does well, incorporating dynamic visuals and sounds in an entertainingly fun yet violent narrative. CRAFTWORK did a great job with it as their return title, and I am very much looking forward to their next releases. If you're looking for an action-packed visual novel that's exciting yet wholesome despite being vividly violent, go for Geminism. With its unique art direction, well-utilized soundtrack, and overall fun demeanor, it's an experience that's both cruel yet full of love.
Criminal Border 3rd Offence delivers beautifully on the tension built up in the first two episodes. It offers a thrilling, impactful narrative experience with a unique visual style and lays the stage for an explosive finale in Criminal Border Life Sentence. I continue to be impressed by the quality delivered by Purple Software, and I can’t wait to see this story through to its conclusion.
I’ve no doubt The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II may be a somewhat contentious entry depending on what peoples’ expectations are and what they play these games for. Still, even though I found it generally easier than its predecessor, I had fun the whole time playing it. The core gameplay mechanics are fun to play around with, and the cast of delightful characters and their dialogue and relationships make for a sweet treat. This series has had trouble reckoning with the consequences of its escalating stake, and alas Daybreak II is something of an odd entry that does little to fix any of this while also having its share of problems of its own. Nonetheless, taken as its own game, it has enough marginal improvements in certain areas and some interesting concepts brought forth that I still probably liked it a sliver more than the first Daybreak overall, which was already its own pretty fun (if uneven) experience.
Yes, Ninja Gaiden is well and truly back. Despite a few frustrations with the game not being as faithful as it could have been to the original Ninja Gaiden II, Ninja Gaiden II Black is still about as good as action games tend to get. A glorious facelift makes combat hit even harder, and some subtle but smart adjustments to balance and boss arrangements make it more exciting and less frustrating than its Sigma 2 counterpart. If you’ve heard of Ninja Gaiden but don’t know where to start, let it be here. You simply haven’t lived until you’ve Izuna Dropped an enemy’s head clean off. The original Ninja Gaiden Black is my favorite action game ever made, and I’m happy to say its sequel mostly manages to live up.
MACROSS -Shooting Insight- has some great ideas and a nice mix of gameplay, but parts of it are very poorly implemented. It has tons of bonus content to unlock and more to do than many other shoot 'em ups, while simultaneously seeming to skimp in certain other areas. If you happen to be a Macross fan who is very good at the genre and doesn't mind some iffy mechanics, this might be for you. Otherwise, it's fun to play around with, see some of the unique ideas, and to experience the story, but that's it.
I loved replaying The Thing. You can tell what a labor of love this was for the team at Nightdive who have a fantastic track record for not just porting titles to modern but making them a much more enticing product for everyone. Yes, the game still feels like an older title but it's both easier on the eye and easier to play. This makes The Thing: Remastered the definitive way to experience The Thing. There are so many nods and cameos relating to the original film you'd be hard-pressed to find such an impassioned love letter to a source material anywhere else.
Having played other titles from Team Ladybug, I had a feeling that Blade Chimera was going to be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to forcibly inject its way into being one of my favorite Metroidvania titles of all time. A good (albeit rather clichéd) story perfectly carried by a bloody trio of fantastic combat, smooth and responsive controls, and some of the smoothest sprite work I’ve ever seen in my life creates an almost perfect storm for fans of the genre and those tempted to dip their toes in.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a game that I have no trouble saying is better than its predecessor, yet I’m left with the sense that it’s not as much of an upgrade as it ought to be. I have no complaints with the story and feel it is about as good as a sequel to the original should have been. While in terms of gameplay, it offers up some varied systems that allows for player freedom and fun improvisation that provides dynamic play, it’s also undoubtedly cumbersome. Game speed is slow and the way it completely eschews quality of life features means that a lot of time is spent tediously fiddling with menus rather than engaging with the meat of its strategy elements. Its tutorialization is equally as clumsy, and coupled with its high difficulty, it means I can only really recommend this to highly dedicated SRPG players. A charming game with rich mechanics, to be certain, but you’ll have to wade through some weeds to fully grasp the fun.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector’s science fiction narrative stands out for its focus on the downtrodden and message of empathy, delivered through some of the best writing you’ll find in the game medium. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in narrative games or thoughtful science fiction.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD makes for an okay way to play a pretty decent and generally fun (if perhaps conservative) platformer, especially if you haven’t already played Donkey Kong Country Returns before. Otherwise, it’s a pretty unremarkable remaster which lacks many meaningful improvements and has a share of minor-yet-noticeable downsides, which is a bit of a letdown for its price tag on release. While ultimately a charming and enjoyable game with some pretty good levels at spots, I find it to be just a touch on the safe side and not as dense with ideas or moments that blew me away, especially when compared to the game that followed which received much better treatment on its move to the Switch by comparison.
Angelic☆Chaos RE-BOOT! has some great heroines, plenty of fun interactions, and a pretty good plot to enjoy with some beautiful illustrations. It's a somewhat long read, but worth the time.
Reviewing The Shell Part III: Paradiso has been difficult. I’m so disappointed that it wasn’t able to live up to the high of The Shell Part II. This should have been a triumph, it should have been excellent, but it’s not. If you could somehow remove the context of the prior games, then The Shell Part III is an alright mystery visual novel with some gorgeous art and music. I can’t judge it on its own merits alone though, it has a legacy to live up to. I do think it is worth playing through The Shell Part III to see how this story comes to an end, and to get closure for its characters. That said, there is a voice in the back of my head that wonders if perhaps this game needed to exist at all. It does exist, and so this is the series’ conclusion, there’s no avoiding that. I just think maybe I would be happier living forever in the aftermath of The Shell Part II, even if it meant leaving some loose threads behind. Given that I’m wondering if things would be better had The Shell Part III never been created, I suppose I can’t recommend it, as sad as that makes me. I’ll always love The Shell, and The Shell Part II in particular is an experience that I’ll never forget, but I’ll also never forget the disappointment the series’s conclusion has left me with.
SACRIFICE VILLAINS is a superhero nukige centering around the ironic chase for justice using degenerate means. Featuring large amounts of violence and sexual assault, it’s a visual novel that’s definitely not for those who are just looking for a quick and good time. The game caters more to readers who might have unique tastes related to the hobby, promising a large selection of scenes that’s sure to tickle at least one person’s fancy. For people looking for a serious story, this is definitely not the place to look for it. Although it excels quite well in the art department, perhaps due to ramping up the concentration of adult content in SACRIFICE VILLAINS, the more interesting premise of a villainous world order was put aside to focus on creating a satisfying experience rehabilitating rebellious heroines. Most of its story elements are taken for granted and are introduced as convenient plot devices to justify the use of particular instruments in adult scenes. In a way, to best enjoy the visual novel, it necessitates taking its content at face value and just enjoying what you can see and hear. If you’re feeling freaky and craving something new, then SACRIFICE VILLAINS might just have the thing for you.
While Tales of Graces f Remastered won't win any awards for its typical plot about an ever-growing threat, its tale of friendship and the moments between characters just might. It's an excellent remaster of a JRPG with surprisingly engaging combat, and well worth playing.
DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou is a hardcore shmup title to its bones. If you’re new to the genre then this probably isn’t going to be the title that converts you; rather it’s a love letter to ship-flying, credit-popping, bomb dropping gamers who love to hit the wall of Level 3 over and over again, maximizing those scores and using the smallest of windows to avoid colorful death. The lack of an English translation beyond a few menus does a major disservice to this release, but as a whole, it is great to see such an obscure and highly sought title in a more convenient to purchase and play package. It’s a game I’ll be returning to night after night trying to push ever closer to the mythos that is the one-credit clear true last boss which, much like this title, has never been more attainable.
Pirates VR: Jolly Roger gives a good first impression, but this pirate adventure quickly loses its luster. The gameplay has quite a few issues, leading it to be quite a disappointment. I wish I had more to say about this VR game, but there just isn’t really much worth talking about here. Perhaps there’s some charm here in the environment, but I found myself glad that it was such a short experience.
Dreamlike Love with Seira is a sweet romance story about being served by a beautiful maid to comfort you from the hardships of daily life. Indulgent to readers’ fantasies, it is a nice and relaxing read that definitely helps the reader wind down from the high tension stories pervasive in a lot of mainstream media titles. Simple and cute, there’s not much to think about besides putting your feet up and enjoying your time with Seira. Featuring gorgeous art by Rubi-sama and at an incredibly affordable price tag, readers will find themselves satisfied with their overall experience with the visual novel. I recommend grabbing Dreamlike Love with Seira if you’re currently craving a low investment, instant feel-good read to help soothe your wounds from the rough and cruel reality of our day-to-day lives. You never know, you might be the next person to encounter a visit from the girl of your literal dreams!
As a remaster, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is subtly slick and exactly what it needed to be. While it doesn’t necessarily improve my thoughts on The Oath in Felghana foundationally, it is the best version that you can buy. It looks sharp, runs great, and additions like new artwork and narration for Adol help to further uplift the story. That said, it’s difficult to overstress that these additions don’t fix the game’s problems, nor was that necessarily the point. It still has an anemic story and a noticeably weak first half. Frustrations like poor hitboxes and a smattering of horrible bosses also still remain. While it does have good pacing, I’m also left with the sense that a lot of its gameplay elements aren’t able to fully breathe. To its credit, it comes together quite admirably during its climax and in a few instances offers up some of the most memorable encounters in the series. Once it gets good, it stays good, but the aforementioned problems leave me weary of the prospect of playing it again in the future. Fun for the one time, but ultimately not what I would call a favorite despite its strengths.