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Tayutama -Kiss on My Deity- is a story worth experiencing and has some great moments. Unfortunately, its structure makes experiencing all of its routes less than ideal, and it would have benefitted from a more comprehensive re-release. Still, I certainly enjoyed my first read quite a lot, and the new scenes in subsequent routes were ones I enjoyed.
Hentai Prison is a comedy visual novel with noir elements that makes use of the prison setting to create an unfamiliar feeling of tension amidst motifs of sex that are familiar sights to fans of the genre. The way it presents the characters as people with varying levels of sexual degeneracy pays great service to establishing how commonplace the interest in sex is even amongst the general populace, a topic that’s well-discussed in both community websites and academic papers. While generally light in tone, the visual novel gleans inspiration from prison stories and turns the game into a well-communicated message about our relationship with sex. Although having incredibly convenient plot devices at times, Hentai Prison shines as a great read for people interested in a long read about self-discovery in the weirdest places. I recommend picking it up not only because of its novelty but also because of what messages its stories try to tell. It makes sense for something so heartfelt to come from an exhibitionist—we’re the most vulnerable when we’re naked, after all!
The King of Fighters XIII Global Match should be the definitive way to play one of the best fighting games ever made, and unfortunately, it’s not in the shape it should be. It’s certainly not what I'd want anyone's first impression of King of Fighters XIII or SNK to be. If you don’t already own The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition, then this is the only version you can now buy. I would still say if you don’t own the Steam Edition but are curious about the game, there is an amazing offline game here (CPU usage permitting) that you can take on. If like me you already owned the Steam Edition, there is currently no incentive to jump in and make the upgrade. I do hope the developers are hard at work with a patch to turn this around as I’m itching to play more, but currently, as a supposed upgrade for improved online experience, this more than misses the mark.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a great game, if one that doesn’t live up to those that came before it. It’s the same as several of its predecessors in many ways and can be incredibly fun at times as a result, but it falls down on certain new or unique elements. If you enjoyed Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for their gameplay or want to see what happens after the events of those stories, then you’ll likely enjoy this.
All The Words She Wrote is a short, slow, and sweet yuri romance, with a particularly fun dynamic between a cheerful fan and a misanthropic author. While it feels like it could've done a little more post-climax, the build-up to it was particularly good. It's worth the read.
X-Out Resurfaced is a bizarre proposition. There isn’t anything particularly bad about the game, nor is there anything amazingly standout aside from the soundtrack or the opening cinematic, leaving it as little more to me than just a curiosity. I enjoyed my time with the game (and even more when I found out you can have more than one life), but I genuinely don’t think I’ll be returning to this one again due to it lacking much in the way of outstanding qualities. It’s a pick for inquisitive fans of the genre, but unless you’re starved for something to play or just HAVE to have every Shmup on the market, there isn’t much here with X-Out that you can’t get elsewhere with less bloom.
Destiny Star Girlfriend 3 is my favorite of the three titles. It has plenty of comedic moments, but what makes it special is how it handles the plot, especially in how the characters grow closer and the events toward the end. Adding this to plenty of sweet romantic moments and shows of friendship made this quiet heroine’s story stand out even more than the over-the-top Yuuri from the first title, at least to me.
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.