I could see my rating going up or down given more time to reflect on this, but my gut reaction is that I had a really great time with this somewhat messy game. It's absolutely trying to be a jack of all trades, and as a result feels noncommittal but at the same time also provides a lot of variety. The castle is taking elements from the sort of "pursuer" gameplay that something like RE2 Remake does, the Beneviento house is cribbing from the modern crop of defenseless "run and hide" horror games, etc.

Thankfully I really enjoyed each one of these individual pieces, even if they don't quite come together cohesively. The factory is definitely the weakest area and feels long in the tooth, but the other segments are appropriately paced.

At the end of the day this still has the core tenants of RE that make the games so enjoyable, the main elements of scavenging for materials, light puzzle solving, and combat are still very well designed. (The puzzles less so, I'd say that they help break up the pacing nicely but the actual puzzles themselves are pretty weak). I know the combat here has detractors, and I think the main problem is that the starting guns before upgrades are tuned far too weak/have no stopping power. Once you get some upgrades in the problem is alleviated somewhat and combat encounters become a lot more fun, though it's certainly not quite RE4 in that department.

Another way this is not RE4 is in it's inventory design. This was one thing I genuinely thought was disappointing. I didn't fill up my inventory once in my entire playthrough. They copied this system without understanding why it was engaging in the first place, the fact that all of your pipe bombs/mines stack means you never have to worry about it. It feels sloppy and I think is a telling example of how this game's mechanics don't congeal as well as, again, something like RE2R.

Final note: I thought this game's story was... really good? It took me by surprise how well thought out everything was. It is relatively simple, but his is the first RE game that really feels like a direct sequel to it's predecessor, and they capitalize on that really well. Looking forward to RE9 as this definitely feels like the middle chapter in a trilogy.

Dang this shit is like Earthbound meets David Lynch on freakin' crack!

...but for real, I think I respect this game a lot more than I actually connected with it. The music and backgrounds really do come together to create an atmosphere pretty unlike anything else in the medium, and I was surprised how many frightening or disturbing moments were made just through having unsettling little RPG maker sprites shuffling around. More broadly it's fascinating how so much is done with so little, the game's lack of any real guidance, looping environments, and seemingly random events provide a great sense of dreamlike msytery.

Speaking of mystery - the metanarrative surrounding the game is certainly just as interesting as the game itself. It's not often a work is both as anonymous and ambiguous as this one. Part of it's lasting reputation is I think in part due to this - we'll probably never get any sort of definitive authorial statement on "what it all means." I think this is a good thing. Whether you're trying to derive the author's intent or simply take away whatever meaning jumps out at you personally, the obtuse nature of the game forces you to really think critically to arrive at your own conclusions, which is often more powerful than having the answers handed to you.

But that's also where Yume Nikki fell a bit short for me. The game is so vague that while it did get me thinking about the various themes presented therein (in my reading focusing on social isolation, depression, body dysmorphia, and suicide), I never really felt the game was saying much of anything about these things. For that reason it didn't really evoke any strong emotional reactions in me, I felt at a distance from the clearly very intensely felt pain of it's author. I think my opinion could change over time on even this though, and I only see this game getting more respect from me the more I dwell on it, even if I don't quite ever get that emotional connection (though that could still happen too!)

With all that being said, I'd still recommend this to anyone, if only to broaden their horizons as to what games can be artistically. While it didn't hit with me personally I absolutely could see it doing so for many and from a game design perspective I think a lot can be learned from the ways this game that clearly isn't "fun" manages to keep people so invested. I'm very glad I took the time to experience this.

Some of the gameplay revolving around haphazardly trying every single option multiple times until the game decides to progress is extremely archaic, but honestly props to Nintendo/MAGES for keeping the core game exactly the same as it was back in the day. Of course it's not playing the original, but just as a matter of historical record, it was really cool to have essentially that same experience as fans of this game had over 30 years ago.

What's also great is that confusing progression aside, it still really holds up! This is just a fun murder mystery in the classic tradition, and all of the twists are well foreshadowed/set up beforehand, which makes it very satisfying to see everything revealed and find out what twists you saw coming vs. which ones did manage to take you by surprise. If I had one complaint about the story it's that the ending is slightly abrupt, the culprit's plan having so many complex stages only to end in a final step that seems very poorly thought out on their part felt a bit "too easy." But the rest of the ongoing developments really had me along for the ride, and I thought the story was well paced.

Can't believe I'm saying this but you gotta give props to Yoshio Sakamoto for writing this. Other M is a colossal failure on every level, but I think this game proves that he's capable of crafting a great story as well. I have a lot more sympathy for him now after getting to see his talents in that area really shine here. Hopefully the west getting these games is the start of a turnaround in public perception, maybe that ends with a good story for a new 2D Metroid... it's nice to dream!

The Sakamoto redemption arc continues! This one is a smoother experience than The Missing Heir on a gameplay front while still forcing you to use your brain to figure out how to progress. Once again, this is a great murder mystery, though compared to the first I didn't think the twists and turns along the way were quite as engaging. That said, it all delivers in the finale, which is executed way better than the first game's. The soundtrack in this one is also an improvement, providing a real sense of ambiance and dread. I'd definitely recommend playing both this and The Missing Heir if you have any interest in VNs or mysteries, they both are really satisfying.

Something I wanted to love a lot more than I did.

First the positives: ThorHighHeels/Adolf Nomura created a fantastic, irreverent soundtrack for this thing that surprised me constantly. The Jet Set Radio influences are apparent and that's certainly not a bad thing, funky beats abound. The soundtrack can also be surprisingly funny at points, oftentimes when a new track started I would pause for a moment just to listen to its weird off kilter groove or the often hilarious text to speech stuff.

The visual aesthetic is also great. I was one of those people who not so long ago thought "who would ever make retro games with a PS1/N64 aesthetic as we do with NES/SNES games, the early 3D era has aged so poorly graphically" and I have to say I was an absolute fool. The more recent crop of early 3D inspired indie games have tons of charm and especially in its later levels this game does some incredible things with its aesthetic.

The story here is a mixed bag for me. I think the critiques on display here of neoliberalism and concerns over climate change are pointed for sure, but pretty surface level too. On a personal level the game really never made me feel much of anything except for in the final level. I do appreciate the insights into New Zealand history that this game provides and felt those elements were some of the most personally interesting (I already know the world is fucked, give me an actual take on it). But this brings me to my biggest problem...

The gameplay and the context. The game's tutorial emphasizes that art is subjective and then the actual game design is so railroaded. For each level the game gives you a list of things you must take photos of, often with a specific type of lens. This is so infuriatingly arbitrary and not interesting, especially in the later levels. I think the intent for some of those later levels was for it to be a "puzzle" of sorts to figure out what sort of insane angle you'll need to line up 3 lanterns with a telephoto lens, but this runs totally counter to all the game's punk sensibilities! It's not enjoyable or engaging and most of the bounties aren't even getting you to think of your surroundings in a different way or getting you to engage with the story. They feel so forced.

This is why I think the context is also a problem. Who am I in this world and why am I doing any of this? If I had the freedom to express myself through photographing this place I certainly wouldn't be choosing to take a picture of 3 lanterns. You have a 10 minute time limit to get a bonus on each level, which also runs counter to the game's design (how am I supposed to explore and soak in all the details of this world if I'm constantly under time pressure) but even worse, it's not justified? Once you've taken all the photos you have to "deliver the parcel" to complete the level. Who am I delivering these photos to? Are they the ones paying me? Why do they want these arbitrary pictures and why do they want them in 10 minutes? The actual gameplay of this game feels so far removed from the world the game takes place in.

So this ended up being a bit of a long one. It was a game I really vibed with but had so many frustrating choices that it ended up disappointing me a bit. The biggest indictment I think is that the game felt shockingly limp emotionally despite it's charged messages. I am still glad I played it though and plan to play the Macro DLC in the near future, which people seem to have very polarizing opinions about. Hope I enjoy that more!!

EDIT: I did not :/ review for Macro can be found here (a lot shorter) https://www.backloggd.com/u/Hylianhero777/review/156218/