My earliest memories of this game come from my friend Gianni frantically trying to explain the scary game he played that put files on his desktop, back around what must have been the ORIGINAL original release date. Being the wimp that I was (am), any time I saw that scary white face in my YouTube feed, I'd scroll past it quick, trying hard not to cry.

But I'm thankful for that, because I got to experience this game as an adult completely blind, and I doubt I would have appreciated it as much if I hadn't. Scary as this game is (again, wimp here), the ways in which you interact with it are something else. I would talk more about it, but it would risk robbing people of that experience. All I can say is, definitely check this out, you won't regret it.

Demo Impressions:

Wow, what a cool concept for a game. Combining gunplay and typical video game motorcycle gameplay is a very creative and very fun basis for a game. I loved maneuvering around the different levels and using my bike to block/parry bullets while I let loose gunfire of my own. The core gameplay loop is wide open to different level design, different weapons in both the enemy's hands and your hands (though the latter didn't appear in the demo), and shockingly fun boss fights made the demo never boring for even a moment. Even the down-time was great just getting to wander around the wastelands and listening to the vocal soundtrack portrayed with cassette tapes. I will say I wish there was more clarity what each gun is "for" per se since the crossbow being a spread shot was not something I expected; I'd recommend a visual demonstration of the weapon bought in the menu personally. I also would like to see proper variation in enemy design since "seven guys with pistols" can wear thin quickly in a full game.

Speaking of the world, goooosssh it's so pretty. The art design in this game is beautiful and transports me to the barren plains and deserts I've personally driven through. The in-game art is all wonderful with the characters all being very unique and distinct while the fully animated cutscenes bring the world to life even harder. I will say a weird quirk with the cutscenes is the pacing being way too fast for all of them. All of them are five seconds long at most and the pacing of the scenes would be better if they simply drew out the scenes. An example that was the most jarring was the FMV with Puppy howling at the funeral pyre...then abruptly cutting to the same scene in-game with Puppy moving around nonchalantly as if she wasn't just grieving. Even a fade into black and fade back into the in-game scene after would do wonders for the pacing of these scenes to make them less jarring.

The writing does a solid job of portraying a world at its wit's end trying to cope with even living in it. My personal favorite parts were Laika's interactions with her brother and daughter. Another highlight was the aftermath of a sidequest where she lies about a tree being well and the sidequest giver catches her in a lie...and thanks her anyway. That felt a very real response to me and I can't quite pinpoint why. I think the game withholds a little too much information from the player initially though, mostly with the birds and their status as the big bads. It makes the character's actions feel a bit strange since we, the player, know literally nothing about them (although torturing, crucifying, and disemboweling a child for trespassing is a pretty good reason to be PO'd at somebody).

Overall, I'm pretty hopeful of this game and hope to see it improve from the snippet shown in the demo. At worst I can see this game being meh and that's only if they don't have the ambition to follow up on the core gameplay which I don't see them doing. There's at least one fan eagerly awaiting Coyote Mom Bike Game, and I hope to see more out there.

When I first played Virtue's Last Reward five years ago, I went in completely blind, and experienced something no other piece of fiction has been able to provide, before or since. Every moment I wasn't playing the game, I was thinking about it, trying to put together the puzzle with the pieces I had. Even when interrupted by my younger sister being attacked by a shark (long story, she's fine) I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was magical, and an experience I treasure (not the shark attack part).

I'll admit, though, I was a little worried replaying it might diminish the experience somewhat, knowing all the big twists and mysteries. But, thankfully, I still love and appreciate it just as much, if not more. I can understand why 999 is usually the more highly regarded and favored of the two, but the way this game expands on the concepts it establishes just really resonates with me. It's had a massive influence on how I write, analyze, and appreciate fiction, and probably several other parts of my personality. I love Virtue's Last Reward, and it's a big part of why I am who I am today.

I spent middle and high school surrounded by Danganronpa fans, during the peak of its popularity. I played and loved Zero Escape. And yet, somehow, I managed to completely avoid this game, almost all spoilers, and the apparently radioactive fandom this has apparently spawned.

I'm so glad I did.

Going through this blind, without any outside biases clouding my judgement, was a phenomenal experience. Even the things I did know through osmosis were obscured enough within the actual plot that even finding out how said things would be revealed was still great. It also made all the deaths hit that much harder.

The gameplay is great, like a more active, dynamic version of Ace Attorney, oozing with style and personality. All the mysteries were a blast to piece together, and none were so out-there to make a reveal feel bullshit. And, I must admit, while I was never crazy about the art style from what I'd seen online, I was very surprised how good it looks in game. Stills really don't do it justice.

If your only exposure to this game is from people saying "cringe" and nothing else, I highly implore you to try it for yourself, removed from all that. I'm very happy I gave this a shot as an adult without bias, because it really is something else.

Gravity Circuit is, unquestionably, the best platformer I've ever played in my entire life. Those were my thoughts at the end of my first playthrough. During the time I've been attempting to write this review, I've finished the game an additional four times. It took getting every achievement for me to finally pry myself away from it. Words cannot express how much I love this game, but I'll try my best.

The gameplay is, frankly, perfect. I'm just coming off a binge of Mega Man 1-10 and X1-4, so when I say it trumps all of them, it's not just recency bias. Even with my absolute favorites out of those games, there was always one or two bosses or levels that made me annoyed; not the case with this game. While I definitely have my favorites, there's not a single level I don't still enjoy even after at least a dozen replays.

It's genuinely incredible how good this game just feels to play. Movement is just a blast, and unlike Mega Man, your basic attack never feels underpowered or basic in any way. Having done a run without any movement upgrades or special attacks, it never felt as though I was missing anything. And that's not to say the upgrades are pointless; there's so many to choose from, and they all change up your play style in different ways, and allow you to approach obstacles and bosses in new and interesting ways. I'd liken it to a really good plate of fries, where the seasoning and crisp is perfect already, and anything you dip em in just provides a new, different kind of perfect.

I could probably write another six or seven paragraphs about the platforming and combat, but I don't know how many times I can say "Perfect". This game is just genius.

Now, story in a platformer is a tricky thing to nail. Sorta like blackjack, you want just enough to be engaging, but not too much, or you'll take away from the gameplay. Gravity Circuit drew a clean 21. The story it tells and the world it establishes are interesting and enjoyable, without ever overstaying its welcome. I won't lie, some of the plot developments and especially the ending really got me. Admittedly, I'm already a sucker for much of the themes and ideas it explores, but it nails em, and I never felt myself being like "Alright can we get back to the game now?", which says a lot since I'm on enough ADHD medication and caffeine to kill a small gorilla almost constantly.

The music? Bangers, all bangers. Nothing else I can really say.

Before I talk about the art, lemme make a few things clear. I love the cyber-urban aesthetic. I love pixel art. I love robots that don't just look like people. And I love Mobile Suit Gundam. Gravity Circuit's visuals feel like they were designed for me personally, to an almost scary level. With that outta the way, lemme try and be objective. Obviously it's going for a "retro" aesthetic, and I feel like that's been getting a lot of flack as of late, but this art style is unlike anything I've seen. The color choice on the characters, the gorgeous backgrounds, the UI, it puts my hundreds of hours in Aseprite to shame. If pixel art is a limitation, than these artists are like Goku wearing 500-ton training gear like it's nothing; this is hands-down the best pixel art I've ever seen.

I'm stopping myself here before I go on for another six pages. I love this game. If you like platformers, chances are you will too. Please buy this game because I need them to make eight sequels.

Video games are so back.