Completed all quests. Emulated on DeSmuMeVS2019. Review is spoiler-free!
Wow. I would have never expected that a DS game could absorb so much of my attention like this. This took a few months to complete, rounding out at about 26 hours. I played at a casual pace, reading everything and completing every side quest as they became available. With most chapters being about an hour long, sitting down to play one or a few in a session was perfect.
The most notable aspect of this game most people will mention is the world design. I have heard that the director conceptualized the world for 10 years before beginning the 3 year development, and it shows. Each location is bursting with life with its own unique technology, cultures, and architecture. The details and graphics of the environments are way above and beyond what I'd ever expect for a DS game.
The story, dialogue, and character/robot designs were all right up my alley as well. I usually hate reading a ton of text and prefer games with ambiguous lore and optional dialogue, such as the Soulsborne games. However, I got instantly hooked on the premise and writing style that's here. Somehow, even through translation, the characters are extremely charming and there are hilarious moments. It was a pleasant surprise to see so much inspiration from Evangelion as well, mainly in the robots, late game characters, and story elements.
In terms of basic gameplay, what's there isn't super deep, but still way above average for a DS game. The combat is simple but satisfying, becoming slightly more complex as enemies get trickier and you unlock more customization options. I personally did not use any upgrades until the post-game content, and felt that the difficulty curve was manageable, maybe even more engaging with the extra challenge.
It is worth mentioning this is also one of the most surprising games I've ever played. Giant creatures lunging erratically out of nowhere is unexpected on this hardware. New gameplay styles constantly being introduced feels like a Platinum type game. The story was always moving in an interesting direction, with some of the most meta "holy ####" moments I have experienced, as if Yoko Taro was the director.
I would say the only boring or repetitive part to me was when dying in a long quest and having to replay it, or some of the more basic Duel Ship missions. I appreciated having the speed up function in the emulator, but it never felt like I was relying on it. I also did experience some burnout about 14 hours in, so I would recommend taking it easy and not rushing to see everything. There is a lot of content here, and letting it last will keep you excited for what's next.
8-9 out of 10... However, if you aren't hooked within the first few hours, you'll probably hate the rest since you end up doing a lot of the same. The story definitely has a curve in quality as well, getting better but then losing focus over time. With how much I loved the characters, I was hoping for a bit more resolution and finality in the ending, but it feels a bit like it withers away, almost as if the writers were afraid to say goodbye to them as well. I really hope they come back in some kind of remake or sequel.
With this being my first Little Tail game, I am (cautiously) excited to see what the others have to offer!
(I've had a lot on my mind for this game, so expect this review to be edited over time.)
P.S. I would love to purchase a physical copy of this but all of the online reselling prices are astronomically high... :(
Wow. I would have never expected that a DS game could absorb so much of my attention like this. This took a few months to complete, rounding out at about 26 hours. I played at a casual pace, reading everything and completing every side quest as they became available. With most chapters being about an hour long, sitting down to play one or a few in a session was perfect.
The most notable aspect of this game most people will mention is the world design. I have heard that the director conceptualized the world for 10 years before beginning the 3 year development, and it shows. Each location is bursting with life with its own unique technology, cultures, and architecture. The details and graphics of the environments are way above and beyond what I'd ever expect for a DS game.
The story, dialogue, and character/robot designs were all right up my alley as well. I usually hate reading a ton of text and prefer games with ambiguous lore and optional dialogue, such as the Soulsborne games. However, I got instantly hooked on the premise and writing style that's here. Somehow, even through translation, the characters are extremely charming and there are hilarious moments. It was a pleasant surprise to see so much inspiration from Evangelion as well, mainly in the robots, late game characters, and story elements.
In terms of basic gameplay, what's there isn't super deep, but still way above average for a DS game. The combat is simple but satisfying, becoming slightly more complex as enemies get trickier and you unlock more customization options. I personally did not use any upgrades until the post-game content, and felt that the difficulty curve was manageable, maybe even more engaging with the extra challenge.
It is worth mentioning this is also one of the most surprising games I've ever played. Giant creatures lunging erratically out of nowhere is unexpected on this hardware. New gameplay styles constantly being introduced feels like a Platinum type game. The story was always moving in an interesting direction, with some of the most meta "holy ####" moments I have experienced, as if Yoko Taro was the director.
I would say the only boring or repetitive part to me was when dying in a long quest and having to replay it, or some of the more basic Duel Ship missions. I appreciated having the speed up function in the emulator, but it never felt like I was relying on it. I also did experience some burnout about 14 hours in, so I would recommend taking it easy and not rushing to see everything. There is a lot of content here, and letting it last will keep you excited for what's next.
8-9 out of 10... However, if you aren't hooked within the first few hours, you'll probably hate the rest since you end up doing a lot of the same. The story definitely has a curve in quality as well, getting better but then losing focus over time. With how much I loved the characters, I was hoping for a bit more resolution and finality in the ending, but it feels a bit like it withers away, almost as if the writers were afraid to say goodbye to them as well. I really hope they come back in some kind of remake or sequel.
With this being my first Little Tail game, I am (cautiously) excited to see what the others have to offer!
(I've had a lot on my mind for this game, so expect this review to be edited over time.)
P.S. I would love to purchase a physical copy of this but all of the online reselling prices are astronomically high... :(