Athing_451
I was going to play more of this but honestly it's so abysmal I can't be bothered. I will give KID credit that this game is almost impossible to port by PS2 era Sony standards, but goddamn the new sections added to replace the sex scenes etc are so bad. They didn't even manage to copy the Showa-reminiscent orthography of the original game, much less the maintain the same quality of prose. The Yura flashbacks not only ruin Yura as a character (which she wasn't much of a deep character to begin with!) but they also spoil the fucking story.
With both the remake and this version being JP only, and both adding extra routes for fanservice, just play the remake, I can't imagine it's worse than this terrible port. KID really earning its reputation as a shovelware VN company with this garbaggio game.
With both the remake and this version being JP only, and both adding extra routes for fanservice, just play the remake, I can't imagine it's worse than this terrible port. KID really earning its reputation as a shovelware VN company with this garbaggio game.
being able to change the main character's accent was the best part, shame about the rest of the game.
This review contains spoilers
“Foreword: There is a good number of English reviews on this game [several links here] but those are all kinda short and non-structured. Now I know why and mine won’t be an exception. You’ll know why soon enough as well.” - Fuwa Novel Scholar of the Pre-Moe Boom
I was going to write a "long" and "structured" review just so there was one in English of this game, but there's really not that much to write about, so I got bored and tossed it out. I should have known better than to insult my ancestors like that... -Editors note: this did become very long after adding the bonus story summary, so believe in your heart that it is also a structured review, and we can break the curse cast upon this game!
Kuon no Kizuna is a romance adventure game centered on a cast of characters who were linked together in the distant past of the Heian by bonds of love, y'know, hence the name "Eternal Bonds." In the present era, they are chained together by a curse from that same distant past, that dooms them to be reincarnated and mercilessly killed over and over again: either by each other or the literal demons of the past that haunt them. You probably can already tell, but it's a pretty melodramatic game; in the first chapter, the main heroine introduces herself to the protagonist, calling him by his name from the Heian period and declaring "I will kill you." We are at vampire tier melodrama. However, most reviews in Japanese are pretty positive so it seems to have worked out well enough!
I call it a "romance adventure game" rather than a dating sim because I think dating sim implies a bit more choice in romantic interest, which KnK doesn't afford you in the majority of its runtime. Technically, besides the mysterious transfer student main heroine Mayou, there are two other heroines with routes, but their routes are about 1500-2000 "pages" shorter (in both routes you skip the past chapter that's theoretically focused on the side heroine you didn't choose) and mostly remixes of scenes you'll see in the True End/Mayou routes (actually the same thing, the latter is just the True End's bad ending effectively.) They also trivialize the main conflict of the game because in both routes you manage to just sort of beat the great evil without too much effort, but really none of that would be if an issue if they weren't boring routes!
For Shiori childhood friend/cousin — the incest is how you know they have the soul memories of Heian aristocrats — this isn't too much of a shame, because her character arc is mostly being upset that her love is unrequited, before coming to terms with it, like everyone else in the game besides the protagonist and Mayou, except without any of the other entanglements that make the other character's motivations more interesting. In the case of Saya, protag's teacher/aunt in the Heian, it's a bit of a shame because she is one of the more sympathetic characters that's sides with the bad guys sometimes. (Oh right, she also drinks human blood so by some measure this IS a vampire story!)
Anyway, that's all pretty minor in comparison to the main issue this game has: most of it is really dull. The Heian chapter is where this game peaks and it's the second chapter in the game. The ending itself is fine, but the rest of the final modern chapter is tiresome, not because the characters and plot are particularly bad, in fact I think the character motivations and the overarching conflict is pretty strong, but because the dialogue/character interactions and action scenes are poor: the dialogue itself is usually tremendously unexciting and full of tedious monologues, and the action scenes feel like the auto-generated combat log of an rpg, with vague and formulaic expressions. This is the case for all the chapters, admittedly, but the Heian makes up for it by having a lot of good cgs as well as the fairly quality music of the game still being pretty fresh at that point. The focus on the two best characters in the game, the Heian incarnations of the protagonist and Mayou, also helps a lot.
The side scenario added in the Dreamcast version that extends the story past the True Ending only really exacerbates these issues, because when there's more downtime for the characters to interact casually, it also becomes quite apparent how little chemistry most of these characters really have. On top of that, somehow the combat sections where the now-demigod protagonist flies around fighting Yamata-no-Orochi manages to be boring to read. That this section had a mixed reception at release even, is worth noting however.
That is to say, if this game had auto-mode, I probably would have fallen asleep several times while playing it. There are some good moments, but overall I wouldn't recommend it unless you are really interested in the setup, and this game's peculiar place in VN history as an all ages denki(伝奇, lit tales of the strange, but really occult fantasy/horror) visual novel, with all the expected grotesque and/or risqué scenes present, likely the result of extensive negotiations with SCE, (the Yoshiwara pleasure district scenes probably got a pass for reasons of "historical reality" admittedly) Since you need to be able to read Japanese to read this game, just try another untranslated denki VN or RPG if you've already read Fate and Tsukihime. If not, uhh, just reread Fate and Tsukihime I suppose. There's a 18+ version called "The Origin" that almost completely replaces the story of the game besides the basic plot outline, which is the best part of the story, so maybe that's good. I probably won't play it though, since I could just play something new and likely better instead.
Bonus: Story Summary
I didn't see much of a detailed story summary in English for KnK so I'll summarize it from memory and skimming old screenshots. I'll probably make some mistakes but it's better than nothing.
The overarching conflict of the story goes back to before the dawn of history itself, with the Amatsukami (Kami of Heaven) conquering and sealing away the Matsurowanukami (lit Kami that did not submit; Rebellious kami) who tyrannically ruled over the entire world (at least, they all talk like they ruled over the entire world, it would be funny if all of this was entirely located in Japan; the Shinto focus and lack of reincarnations outside of Japan kind of implies it might be.)
The protagonist and his best friend are Tsuchigumo, descendants of the Matsurowanukami, and their Heian period incarnations were brothers born of a breeding program to create a suitable vessel for the return of their founder kami, who will usher in a "new golden age" where the half-kami Tsuchigumo will rule over mankind, who will be forced to live as prey animals for the Matsurowanukami and the Tsuchigumo. However, this is a lie, and the ancestor kami if summoned, will consume all life, Tsuchigumo included. The two side heroines are Tsuchigumo mediums: Saya was meant to strengthen the ancestor kami in the case one of the two was suitable to incarnating it, and Shiori was meant to pacify the ancestor kami in the case both were too weak, or the stronger of the two refused to serve the Tsuchigumo.
The Tsuchigumo's plan goes awry when the Heian protagonist falls in love with a heavenly servant who has been ordered to present Ama-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi to the Japanese Emperor, who is descendant of a hero destined to rule the earth. If she does not do this, the declining imperial line will cease to be able to purify the land, and slowly the world will come to an end. Of course, she doesn't do this and instead gives the sword to the protagonist so he defeat his enemies, which since they are trying to kill his lover, and kidnapped his mother Kuzunoha (yes, the Raidou one) who was also a medium, are the Tsuchigumo. If she didn't, presumably the entire world would be Japanese, and there wouldn't be much of a story either. Anyway, this is the source of the curse that damns her, and everyone surrounding the protagonist (who were already fucked because they were mostly Tsuchigumo.)
The way out of the curse turns out for the protagonist to claim the sword himself, and become the new protector of the earth. This is, surprisingly, not that hard to do, probably because Ama-no-Murakumo, who is also the protagonist's daughter, likes the protagonist already. As a result, the great ancestor is shortly defeated, and the protagonist sets to work creating a new world, where every human can fulfill their destiny of becoming a kami, and the tsuchigumo can live in peace, maybe. Everyone lives happily ever after, (except for when he goes back in time to fix things in the bonus ending and gets sent to hell instead, but that's probably not canon so let's not worry about it.
As a side note, in the other heroine's endings, the protagonist simply uses their powers as mediums to defeat the great evil, which just deflates the entire plot, but they're not the true endings either so let's ignore them too!
I was going to write a "long" and "structured" review just so there was one in English of this game, but there's really not that much to write about, so I got bored and tossed it out. I should have known better than to insult my ancestors like that... -Editors note: this did become very long after adding the bonus story summary, so believe in your heart that it is also a structured review, and we can break the curse cast upon this game!
Kuon no Kizuna is a romance adventure game centered on a cast of characters who were linked together in the distant past of the Heian by bonds of love, y'know, hence the name "Eternal Bonds." In the present era, they are chained together by a curse from that same distant past, that dooms them to be reincarnated and mercilessly killed over and over again: either by each other or the literal demons of the past that haunt them. You probably can already tell, but it's a pretty melodramatic game; in the first chapter, the main heroine introduces herself to the protagonist, calling him by his name from the Heian period and declaring "I will kill you." We are at vampire tier melodrama. However, most reviews in Japanese are pretty positive so it seems to have worked out well enough!
I call it a "romance adventure game" rather than a dating sim because I think dating sim implies a bit more choice in romantic interest, which KnK doesn't afford you in the majority of its runtime. Technically, besides the mysterious transfer student main heroine Mayou, there are two other heroines with routes, but their routes are about 1500-2000 "pages" shorter (in both routes you skip the past chapter that's theoretically focused on the side heroine you didn't choose) and mostly remixes of scenes you'll see in the True End/Mayou routes (actually the same thing, the latter is just the True End's bad ending effectively.) They also trivialize the main conflict of the game because in both routes you manage to just sort of beat the great evil without too much effort, but really none of that would be if an issue if they weren't boring routes!
For Shiori childhood friend/cousin — the incest is how you know they have the soul memories of Heian aristocrats — this isn't too much of a shame, because her character arc is mostly being upset that her love is unrequited, before coming to terms with it, like everyone else in the game besides the protagonist and Mayou, except without any of the other entanglements that make the other character's motivations more interesting. In the case of Saya, protag's teacher/aunt in the Heian, it's a bit of a shame because she is one of the more sympathetic characters that's sides with the bad guys sometimes. (Oh right, she also drinks human blood so by some measure this IS a vampire story!)
Anyway, that's all pretty minor in comparison to the main issue this game has: most of it is really dull. The Heian chapter is where this game peaks and it's the second chapter in the game. The ending itself is fine, but the rest of the final modern chapter is tiresome, not because the characters and plot are particularly bad, in fact I think the character motivations and the overarching conflict is pretty strong, but because the dialogue/character interactions and action scenes are poor: the dialogue itself is usually tremendously unexciting and full of tedious monologues, and the action scenes feel like the auto-generated combat log of an rpg, with vague and formulaic expressions. This is the case for all the chapters, admittedly, but the Heian makes up for it by having a lot of good cgs as well as the fairly quality music of the game still being pretty fresh at that point. The focus on the two best characters in the game, the Heian incarnations of the protagonist and Mayou, also helps a lot.
The side scenario added in the Dreamcast version that extends the story past the True Ending only really exacerbates these issues, because when there's more downtime for the characters to interact casually, it also becomes quite apparent how little chemistry most of these characters really have. On top of that, somehow the combat sections where the now-demigod protagonist flies around fighting Yamata-no-Orochi manages to be boring to read. That this section had a mixed reception at release even, is worth noting however.
That is to say, if this game had auto-mode, I probably would have fallen asleep several times while playing it. There are some good moments, but overall I wouldn't recommend it unless you are really interested in the setup, and this game's peculiar place in VN history as an all ages denki(伝奇, lit tales of the strange, but really occult fantasy/horror) visual novel, with all the expected grotesque and/or risqué scenes present, likely the result of extensive negotiations with SCE, (the Yoshiwara pleasure district scenes probably got a pass for reasons of "historical reality" admittedly) Since you need to be able to read Japanese to read this game, just try another untranslated denki VN or RPG if you've already read Fate and Tsukihime. If not, uhh, just reread Fate and Tsukihime I suppose. There's a 18+ version called "The Origin" that almost completely replaces the story of the game besides the basic plot outline, which is the best part of the story, so maybe that's good. I probably won't play it though, since I could just play something new and likely better instead.
Bonus: Story Summary
I didn't see much of a detailed story summary in English for KnK so I'll summarize it from memory and skimming old screenshots. I'll probably make some mistakes but it's better than nothing.
The overarching conflict of the story goes back to before the dawn of history itself, with the Amatsukami (Kami of Heaven) conquering and sealing away the Matsurowanukami (lit Kami that did not submit; Rebellious kami) who tyrannically ruled over the entire world (at least, they all talk like they ruled over the entire world, it would be funny if all of this was entirely located in Japan; the Shinto focus and lack of reincarnations outside of Japan kind of implies it might be.)
The protagonist and his best friend are Tsuchigumo, descendants of the Matsurowanukami, and their Heian period incarnations were brothers born of a breeding program to create a suitable vessel for the return of their founder kami, who will usher in a "new golden age" where the half-kami Tsuchigumo will rule over mankind, who will be forced to live as prey animals for the Matsurowanukami and the Tsuchigumo. However, this is a lie, and the ancestor kami if summoned, will consume all life, Tsuchigumo included. The two side heroines are Tsuchigumo mediums: Saya was meant to strengthen the ancestor kami in the case one of the two was suitable to incarnating it, and Shiori was meant to pacify the ancestor kami in the case both were too weak, or the stronger of the two refused to serve the Tsuchigumo.
The Tsuchigumo's plan goes awry when the Heian protagonist falls in love with a heavenly servant who has been ordered to present Ama-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi to the Japanese Emperor, who is descendant of a hero destined to rule the earth. If she does not do this, the declining imperial line will cease to be able to purify the land, and slowly the world will come to an end. Of course, she doesn't do this and instead gives the sword to the protagonist so he defeat his enemies, which since they are trying to kill his lover, and kidnapped his mother Kuzunoha (yes, the Raidou one) who was also a medium, are the Tsuchigumo. If she didn't, presumably the entire world would be Japanese, and there wouldn't be much of a story either. Anyway, this is the source of the curse that damns her, and everyone surrounding the protagonist (who were already fucked because they were mostly Tsuchigumo.)
The way out of the curse turns out for the protagonist to claim the sword himself, and become the new protector of the earth. This is, surprisingly, not that hard to do, probably because Ama-no-Murakumo, who is also the protagonist's daughter, likes the protagonist already. As a result, the great ancestor is shortly defeated, and the protagonist sets to work creating a new world, where every human can fulfill their destiny of becoming a kami, and the tsuchigumo can live in peace, maybe. Everyone lives happily ever after, (except for when he goes back in time to fix things in the bonus ending and gets sent to hell instead, but that's probably not canon so let's not worry about it.
As a side note, in the other heroine's endings, the protagonist simply uses their powers as mediums to defeat the great evil, which just deflates the entire plot, but they're not the true endings either so let's ignore them too!
If I was the last Japanese soldier, than who was driving the truck!?
This review contains spoilers
Girl genius detective solves grand mystery with the moral support of her melancholic PI-cum-gigolo brother. Kazuna was also present.
Good god, I didn't realize I started this game in December. Given how ambivalent I was on it until I got to the alternate Kazuna ending I suppose it's only natural that I kept playing it short bursts.
Once I came to terms with this game being a bishojo game with a detective theme rather than a dedicated mystery game I started to enjoy the story. I definitely was a bit disappointed early on when the pieces of the mystery started coming together and I realized it was not quite what I was hoping for, (I can't exactly say what it is I was hoping for, I suppose I just looked at the cover, and expected something else.) I remember that being what caused me to leave the game behind the first time.
H-scenes got fairly repetitive, hell they even repeat the same damn choice for most of them. Thankfully not an issue past the first run because you've probably seen most of them! Bad endings at least try some different stuff, but does not really make up for the bulk of them being pretty damn similar.
For parts that I particularly liked: art, systems (backlog, auto settings, etc,) and general presentation was pretty good. Enjoyed that the alternate endings had unique developments from the main story that made reading them feel worthwhile instead of a complete waste of time, (hello, Shizuku!)
Now it's time to check out the PS2 version that apparently adds several endings to each character. Just going through the burial sequence and conversation with Arishima I've noticed that about a quarter of the text has been excised, so it's looking to be an interesting port to say the least.
Good god, I didn't realize I started this game in December. Given how ambivalent I was on it until I got to the alternate Kazuna ending I suppose it's only natural that I kept playing it short bursts.
Once I came to terms with this game being a bishojo game with a detective theme rather than a dedicated mystery game I started to enjoy the story. I definitely was a bit disappointed early on when the pieces of the mystery started coming together and I realized it was not quite what I was hoping for, (I can't exactly say what it is I was hoping for, I suppose I just looked at the cover, and expected something else.) I remember that being what caused me to leave the game behind the first time.
H-scenes got fairly repetitive, hell they even repeat the same damn choice for most of them. Thankfully not an issue past the first run because you've probably seen most of them! Bad endings at least try some different stuff, but does not really make up for the bulk of them being pretty damn similar.
For parts that I particularly liked: art, systems (backlog, auto settings, etc,) and general presentation was pretty good. Enjoyed that the alternate endings had unique developments from the main story that made reading them feel worthwhile instead of a complete waste of time, (hello, Shizuku!)
Now it's time to check out the PS2 version that apparently adds several endings to each character. Just going through the burial sequence and conversation with Arishima I've noticed that about a quarter of the text has been excised, so it's looking to be an interesting port to say the least.
Once again I'm thrown into a fictional summer that's just long enough that I miss it when it ends, but not so long that I ever wished it ended sooner.
Boku no Natsuyasumi's main success was being a game that could make you cry without a single tragedy: the heartrending part of that game was saying goodbye. Throughout the entire game one's own nostalgic recollections of childhood come to overlap with the game itself, and by the end of it events that happened maybe two hours ago, feel like part of some precious memory. It's a trick that really only works once, so I was a bit worried about the sequels lacking impact.
As it turns out, there was no need to worry; being able to observe how my own memories started to work against me as the story went on made up for whatever was lost, although I don't think I lost anything. Sure, the first game's ending left more of an impression on me, but I think Two as a whole will probably stick with me longer. For me, being completely aware of what the story was trying to do, removed any doubt on whether it earned its emotional moments or not, and let me appreciate the subtler moments of the game more.
Now to get to Three in 2025...
Simon not smoking weed is a plot hole.
Boku no Natsuyasumi's main success was being a game that could make you cry without a single tragedy: the heartrending part of that game was saying goodbye. Throughout the entire game one's own nostalgic recollections of childhood come to overlap with the game itself, and by the end of it events that happened maybe two hours ago, feel like part of some precious memory. It's a trick that really only works once, so I was a bit worried about the sequels lacking impact.
As it turns out, there was no need to worry; being able to observe how my own memories started to work against me as the story went on made up for whatever was lost, although I don't think I lost anything. Sure, the first game's ending left more of an impression on me, but I think Two as a whole will probably stick with me longer. For me, being completely aware of what the story was trying to do, removed any doubt on whether it earned its emotional moments or not, and let me appreciate the subtler moments of the game more.
Now to get to Three in 2025...
Simon not smoking weed is a plot hole.
Guy whose entire resume is just certifications he got from 2000's test your brain games.
throwing hands with yojijukugo for 2000 yen.
throwing hands with yojijukugo for 2000 yen.
I'm not sure some of these good endings really fit into the category, but I guess it's all based on "how well things went after a girl found you hungover in a pile of trash."
1989
I'm all lost in the vertices
can't see a fucking thing
thank god the ai is moronic
sure hope that was an enemy
can't see a fucking thing
thank god the ai is moronic
sure hope that was an enemy
2004
halo reach
1996
[A sizable delusion sequence where the main character imagines people being turned into meat dango, it’s all very gruesome.]
“Hello, did you order a double cheeseburger and a bacon egg burger?”
I wake with a start at the sound of the voice directed at me. It’s one of the staff holding a tray.
“What?”
“Oops, excuse me,” she says, and continues to a seat further inside.
My heart is racing, and I’m absolutely covered in sweat.
Double cheeseburger.
Bacon egg burger.
Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat.
“Ugh!”
I hold back the rising urge to vomit with both my hands, and run into the bathroom.
[The rest of the game, and me trying and failing to keep my laughter in with this scene in the back of my head]
Art and atmosphere: 🐱👍
Music: 👏🐱🤝😼👍
Script: 🐱❓
I'll forgive this game for having really thin characters; I get the impression they did not have the time nor the budget to make a long enough game to really explore any of them too deeply. However, the plot is still weak as hell. I suppose all the elements of social alienation, and losing oneself do come back throughout most of the routes, but I didn't really like the payoff in most cases. In particular, the way the protagonist's delusions come back was just so silly. Ultimately the strongest scenes tend to be prior to the "plot" kicking off, or after the story is over. Not good when every time the big narrative events start happening I want them to be over!
The writing quality is usually decent. My main issues were mainly just in how repetitive some of the metaphors and similes can get, but I imagine that's less an issue with the writing itself, and more an issue of how much this game reuses parts of the script in multiple routes. Although, I will say the screen filling repetition of words can be a bit comical, as shown earlier.
Anyway, it's still worth a shot since it's so short (and so you can see the silly bonus scenario.) For a similar 90's horror vibe, I would recommend Atlach=Nacha over this though. That has much more interesting characters, and a villain (who is also the protagonist) that actually makes you curious about her motivations for the entire runtime instead of just monologuing clichés at you like the villain of this game.
“Hello, did you order a double cheeseburger and a bacon egg burger?”
I wake with a start at the sound of the voice directed at me. It’s one of the staff holding a tray.
“What?”
“Oops, excuse me,” she says, and continues to a seat further inside.
My heart is racing, and I’m absolutely covered in sweat.
Double cheeseburger.
Bacon egg burger.
Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, meat.
“Ugh!”
I hold back the rising urge to vomit with both my hands, and run into the bathroom.
[The rest of the game, and me trying and failing to keep my laughter in with this scene in the back of my head]
Art and atmosphere: 🐱👍
Music: 👏🐱🤝😼👍
Script: 🐱❓
I'll forgive this game for having really thin characters; I get the impression they did not have the time nor the budget to make a long enough game to really explore any of them too deeply. However, the plot is still weak as hell. I suppose all the elements of social alienation, and losing oneself do come back throughout most of the routes, but I didn't really like the payoff in most cases. In particular, the way the protagonist's delusions come back was just so silly. Ultimately the strongest scenes tend to be prior to the "plot" kicking off, or after the story is over. Not good when every time the big narrative events start happening I want them to be over!
The writing quality is usually decent. My main issues were mainly just in how repetitive some of the metaphors and similes can get, but I imagine that's less an issue with the writing itself, and more an issue of how much this game reuses parts of the script in multiple routes. Although, I will say the screen filling repetition of words can be a bit comical, as shown earlier.
Anyway, it's still worth a shot since it's so short (and so you can see the silly bonus scenario.) For a similar 90's horror vibe, I would recommend Atlach=Nacha over this though. That has much more interesting characters, and a villain (who is also the protagonist) that actually makes you curious about her motivations for the entire runtime instead of just monologuing clichés at you like the villain of this game.
1992
Grognard's Kingdom Come Deliverance
Very high on the list of "fucking around" RPGs. Never finished it, and honestly the game only gets worse when you try to do so. Getting stuck in a hole in some mine and then praying to the Saint of Getting Out of Holes so you can be divinely transported to safety is a unique experience.
Oh, and the separation of damage into Endurance and Strength damage I really love. There's some other rpgs like Pillars of Eternity 1 or Banner Saga that use similar systems, but they don't give you the same sense of "I'm in a giant suit of steel, and the only thing that's going to take me out is my own body failing me, or napalm" that late-game Darklands does.
Very high on the list of "fucking around" RPGs. Never finished it, and honestly the game only gets worse when you try to do so. Getting stuck in a hole in some mine and then praying to the Saint of Getting Out of Holes so you can be divinely transported to safety is a unique experience.
Oh, and the separation of damage into Endurance and Strength damage I really love. There's some other rpgs like Pillars of Eternity 1 or Banner Saga that use similar systems, but they don't give you the same sense of "I'm in a giant suit of steel, and the only thing that's going to take me out is my own body failing me, or napalm" that late-game Darklands does.
1993
Many corporate drones think they'll die during their 12-12 daily grind, but actually they're going to be gibbed after I use the persuadertron to send them running into traffic.
Alright game, has some horrendous missions but you can skip a good bit and still finish the game as far as I remember.
Alright game, has some horrendous missions but you can skip a good bit and still finish the game as far as I remember.
1999
Somehow I had not logged this on backloggd. Well, time to correct that mistake. King of Dragon Pass is easily one of the best strategy games I've ever played, and despite not being primarily a roleplaying game, also easily plows over most of that genre in terms of actual roleplaying. To finish the game you have to build an intuitive grasp of the Iron Age-inspired culture you are leading, and use that to respond to situations appropriately. It's a fantasy setting too, so sometimes that cultural knowledge is knowing that bringing out a lawyer to sue the ghost is the correct solution to a haunting.
In addition, events are a joy to read, and the art that comes with them is wonderful. If there's any criticism to levy against this game, I suppose it would be the randomness of heroquests, which can sometimes be frustrating when you are trying to finish the game. The strategy layer itself isn't that satisfying either most of the time either, but I see it as mostly a vessel for the narrative so I was never too bothered by it.
Definitely play! The best duck warriors outside of Suikoden 3 also included!
Edit: I see now that someone else mentioned the legal claim thing, well, it is a memorable event.
In addition, events are a joy to read, and the art that comes with them is wonderful. If there's any criticism to levy against this game, I suppose it would be the randomness of heroquests, which can sometimes be frustrating when you are trying to finish the game. The strategy layer itself isn't that satisfying either most of the time either, but I see it as mostly a vessel for the narrative so I was never too bothered by it.
Definitely play! The best duck warriors outside of Suikoden 3 also included!
Edit: I see now that someone else mentioned the legal claim thing, well, it is a memorable event.
2020
My main memory from this game was leading on the anti-communist old guard the entire game, and then joining the off-brand Warsaw Pact at the end. They let me wither their powerbase the entire game because I had been supporting their economic policies, so when I decided to fuck them over they couldn't do much but watch.
My wife left me though.
My wife left me though.