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By their very nature, visual novels are some of the longest story-driven games out there. They are made to engross you into their worlds and become attached to their characters. DareSora fails in all of those aspects. It may look and sound pretty, but it’s only skin deep. For those of you who are still curious, I have some bad news. DareSora can no longer be purchased on the Steam store, but honestly, you’re not missing much. There are an infinite amount of better VNs on the platform that are more worth your time and money.
Onee Chanbara Origin is an addictive, arcade hack and slash. It’s about accumulating high scores and executing the best combos. Unfortunately, the music just doesn’t work well. Instead of adrenaline-pumping metal, it’s techno. Not the good kind either. For those worried about the challenge, there are difficulty modes to choose from. I had a lot of fun with Onee Chanbara Origin despite the flaws. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the full price. I also wouldn’t recommend the DLC. I think it should have been part of the package from the start. Keeping those caveats in mind, I do think that it deserves my recommendation.
Crash Bandicoot 4 is a great challenge and I couldn’t stop playing. It has a ton of variety over quite a lot of levels and the gameplay is genuinely fun. The production values are high and there’s always something to do. It’s a definite improvement on the previous games in the series, despite keeping the same feel. Despite being one of the best games I’ve played recently, I do have one big concern. I could see a lot of people giving up and coming away from this game with a bad impression because of the difficulty. While you can keep trying and trying, many areas are just incredibly difficult and some people won’t be able to pass them. This is not going to be a game for everyone and that's not a bad thing.
Aokana is one of the prettiest visual novels I’ve seen. It has a surprising amount of depth to a sport that could’ve easily been a background excuse for the events to occur, and instead, we get techniques of flight and details explanations about the sport with diagrams. The game has a great story that unfortunately falls a bit with each heroine’s route, with some of them having potential for much much more. As a statement for Aokana’s quality, despite the flaws, the game is still highly recommended for anyone who enjoys visual novels.
Spelunky 2 takes what made the first game so good and adds to it. It’s a challenge that never seems to get old and it’s easy to find yourself losing track of time, as you have just one more go. There’s a lot to learn about the mines and if you like rogue-lites, you may just find yourself addicted to this one.
Overall Space Crew is a wonderfully addictive little gem. Whilst the games loop can be a tad repetitive, this is an ideal game to take on the go. I’ve sunk an uncomfortable number of hours into this one, and most of that has been in short bursts of stress-filled glee. Space may indeed be the final frontier, but Space Crew boldly goes into its boundless depths and invites you to come along on a jolly adventure.
I recommend Prinny 1 & 2 Exploded & Reloaded for those that love the niche. For those looking for that tooth and nail gameplay. However, the needless frustration induced by the awful level design in the 2nd makes this unattractive for the casual player. To play this for a long stretch will take any semblance of fun out of the experience. You’ll then take a break and may never even return. For these reasons, I say to wait for a sale.
Overall I think this is quite a fun game and would be enjoyed by fans of the series and people who are just interested in the broomstick flight aspect. The actual flying is great and I like the customization. I do wish the difficulty was a little higher, but it’s still fun to navigate the courses at high speed. There’s also that it’s fairly short on content, but that’s about standard for most virtual reality games.
There's really not much to review in a Serious Sam game other than, it's still Serious Sam. The gameplay is fantastic and the story is cheesy as always, it's what makes Serious Sam 4 a great run n' gun shooter. While some people may like or not like the story, you can always skip it. If you're looking to continue the series, looking for something different to play, or mindlessly shoot everything in your way, I'd definitely recommend Serious Sam 4.
Despite the difficulties with the structure of the game and accessing different routes, I certainly had a good time reading Robotic;Notes Elite. The mystery unfolded an interesting way, the slightly futuristic setting was easily relatable and a lot of the character interactions and humor kept it going for the more relaxed sections. The production quality was incredibly high too, aside from a few minor parts.
My time with Crusader Kings III has been a blast. Sure, it’s had its challenges, but on the whole, this game had me hooked very quickly. “Just one more move!” I kept telling myself. It was never just one more move because before I knew it, I was embroiled in a new conflict, plot, or scheme. Crusader Kings III is endless. It comes with a steep learning curve, but never overstays its welcome. A terrific example of how a strategy game can transcend the tropes of the genre and become its own beast entirely.
Overall Wintermoor Tactics Club is an alright game. The story is held up by solid dialogue, an interesting premise, and a cast of characters that are endearing enough to cover up some of the game’s flaws. Unfortunately, those flaws were ultimately too much for me to completely ignore and I left Wintermoor feeling disappointed. This is an incredibly accessible title for gamers who don’t have much experience with Tactical RPGs, however, if you’ve ever seen the box art for a TRPG, then you probably have enough experience to waltz through Wintermoor without breaking a sweat.
When it’s all put together, I had fun with Hotshot Racing, but I don’t see myself coming back to it anytime soon. It’s by no means a poorly designed title; far from it actually! If you’re yearning for a racing game that aims to replicate the arcade games of yore, you’re going to have a blast! Especially if you’ve got some friends to join in the fun! Though if you plan to go in solo, you’ll have to deal with overly aggressive AI and an obtrusive amount of rubber banding. If you were disappointed with Team Sonic Racing last year, Hotshot Racing is sure to restore your faith in Sumo Digital!
Overall, Fight Crab was a great experience. I believe that games that don’t take themselves too seriously are always needed to balance out heavier stories on the market. When they are as fun as Fight Crab, despite its flaws, I feel like I have a moment to reset my brain and relax to truly enjoy my passion. I recommend this game for those who enjoy 3D fighters but don’t feel like they need to be taken too seriously. This isn’t for serious competition, but for those who enjoy playing a game that you can laugh along with some friends when you get together.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute, despite having a few exploitable flaws and little reward for those seeking to replay it other than for fun, is absolutely worth your time. The gameplay is satisfying, the music is superb and Awe Interactive proves its rhythm-based mechanics aren’t just a cheap marketable gimmick like many we see. It’s a fully developed and enjoyable experience with which you’ll have fun throughout the entire time playing it. I sincerely hope the developers address the main issues with this game, so it can really become something worth putting hundreds of hours into.
Overall, this game has everything I want to see in RPGs, most of which I haven’t experienced in a long time: great pixel art, simple stories with fun gameplay, and plenty of replayability. This game is worth it simply due to the theoretically infinite levels to make or download. Plus, the nostalgic feeling of embarking on a simple journey to save the world while leading an army is enough for me to relax with on a weekend.
It’s an incredible experience and does what it sets out to do. It’s a fun romp and it never takes itself seriously. Moero Crystal H bathes in its fan-service and delivers it all in the only appropriate way possible; satire. It has so many great features. There are many fun little additions to discover that when brought together with the above; it nails being a fun title. The musical tracks are more hit than miss, and I subconsciously began singing along with one of the songs. It’s superior to Chronicles H in every way and has a likable protagonist to boot.
Between the quality of the comedy, the scenes shown in the common route and the overall production quality, I’m happy to recommend IxShe Tell. I do feel like it could have been better at developing the characters or exploring their issues further in the character routes, which is what holds it back from a higher score.
Windbound is a beautiful game. I do feel that the vibrancy of the islands had to be toned down for Switch. Lush plant life had to be limited, making the terrain feel a bit barren. Food will degrade and there is a weapon durability system. The game wants you to utilize the crafting. As already mentioned, I enjoyed the game. More so when I switched over to the “Story” mode. I can’t, however, recommend this game at full price. The glitches make it feel a bit unpolished. The lifeless world is not great. There’s potential, but it hasn’t been realized fully.
Paradise Killer can stand among the greatest narratives without crumbling. The story had so many twists and turns. Even the sub-plots interweaved effortlessly and blended with the overarching take. For me, the mark of great literature is one that can keep me guessing. I found that here. Each new piece of evidence provided a new possible suspect. However, it fails to translate that recipe for success to the map system. That plummets down a cliff in terms of usability. While I wish fast traveling wasn’t useless and the map system didn’t suck, I still recommend this game. There’s just a few things that hold it back.