Khalifa
An essay about video games in video game form is certainly a novel idea but the whole thing ultimately falls flat on its face. It has nothing new or notable to say (though this is coming from someone who consumes a lot of video essays about video games) and, for something that critiques game design, it certainly doesn't know the basics of making a game fun to play in the first place.
Went in with extremely low expectations and still came out of the experience disappointed. This is an early PS3 era game with pretty graphics and unlike the phrase "this is a PS2 era game with pretty graphics!" which has a positive connotation, this has a negative one. The combat is tragic, the level design is mediocre at best, the story is a nothingburger and the game in general just never manages to shake off the "Dead Space at home" vibes. It sure is pretty, though.
Cute little celebration game! The controls are a bit wonky which is shocking considering this was made by MMG but it makes sense given the timeframe in which the game was developed. Still, it was a good time overall.
Making Yakuza/Like A Dragon a turn-based RPG franchise might genuinely be the best decision Sega and RGG have ever made. This was an absolute delight to play through again. The cast is fantastic, the dub is surprisingly immaculate (I initially played the game in Japanese but decided to go for the dub this time around and, hot take, Ichiban’s English VA is superior), the combat is fun (which is not something you'll hear me say about any other Yakuza game) and the side content is excellent which shouldn't be a surprise.
It's very obvious that this is their first go at a turn-based system though. There's a big focus on positioning yet you can't manually position your characters so the combat can come off as wonky sometimes, and the balancing is just all over the place. The true final millennium tower is just badly made and it's probably the last thing most players will do (if they go for 100%) so the game kind of ends on a bummer.
It's very obvious that this is their first go at a turn-based system though. There's a big focus on positioning yet you can't manually position your characters so the combat can come off as wonky sometimes, and the balancing is just all over the place. The true final millennium tower is just badly made and it's probably the last thing most players will do (if they go for 100%) so the game kind of ends on a bummer.
This was a cute little experience with a heartfelt story that actually got me a couple of times (god I miss my grandma) but I'm getting increasingly tired of the cinematic 2D platformer genre. I love me a good narrative-focused game, but if you decide to make it a platformer please, for the love of god, make it fun to play.
2019
I want to root for Tokyo RPG Factory so bad because I thought I Am Setsuna was a genuinely great game and had charm out the wazoo, but between this and Lost Sphear being so bland that I could only stomach a few hours of it, I'm starting to think Setsuna was a fakeout. Middling story, cumbersome combat, weak writing...it's all just so disappointing. At least this game, unlike Lost Sphear, feels like it has an identity, but...that's about it really. The atmosphere was nice? I guess?
(BacklogBeat's Game Club - January 2024 nomination)
I ultimately enjoyed my time with this but I can't help but feel that the game would've been better off if it were a narrative focused game like the developer's last game because the vibes are immaculate and the themes are wonderful, they're just dragged down by the really weird pacing that's associated with farming sim games. The gameplay's incredibly dull and interesting events happen far too infrequently. I understand what the game's trying to do, but the message isn't worth the hours upon hours of doing menial tasks when it could’ve been delivered just as effectively in a different way.
Still, it’s a game that will stick with me for a long time. I’ve never really played anything like it.
I ultimately enjoyed my time with this but I can't help but feel that the game would've been better off if it were a narrative focused game like the developer's last game because the vibes are immaculate and the themes are wonderful, they're just dragged down by the really weird pacing that's associated with farming sim games. The gameplay's incredibly dull and interesting events happen far too infrequently. I understand what the game's trying to do, but the message isn't worth the hours upon hours of doing menial tasks when it could’ve been delivered just as effectively in a different way.
Still, it’s a game that will stick with me for a long time. I’ve never really played anything like it.
2021
They tried, bless their hearts.
It's really hard to take a giant dump on a game that you can tell people put their hearts and souls into, but this was a hot doo doo mess. The visuals are incredible and the voice cast is surprisingly stacked but the story is a nothingburger, the combat is disastrously unbalanced, the music is forgettable, the writing is basic and the game is filled with bugs. I had to repeat the colosseum six times because the game kept freezing.
I don't know why I kept playing but I did. Maybe in hopes of the game getting better? I don't know. It just sucks because I'm all for more western turn-based RPGs but this isn't it.
It's really hard to take a giant dump on a game that you can tell people put their hearts and souls into, but this was a hot doo doo mess. The visuals are incredible and the voice cast is surprisingly stacked but the story is a nothingburger, the combat is disastrously unbalanced, the music is forgettable, the writing is basic and the game is filled with bugs. I had to repeat the colosseum six times because the game kept freezing.
I don't know why I kept playing but I did. Maybe in hopes of the game getting better? I don't know. It just sucks because I'm all for more western turn-based RPGs but this isn't it.
2023
Liked this more than I thought I would! The story kinda goes off the rails near the very end but man, the vibes are absolutely immaculate. The visuals are beautiful (they're very reminiscent of vewn's work) and the writing is wonderful and very impressive considering it has been put through a localization machine. I don't think I'll be forgetting Moon Palace anytime soon even if I only spent 3 hours or so there.
2012
Forgot how insanely charming this, but very few optional modes have completely dragged down a game for me like Death Mode has. RNG + platforming + time limits = disaster.
2016
Not going to waste any more of my time by trying to properly review this steaming pile of shit. Uchikoshi is a two-hit wonder, and I'm beginning to suspect 999 and VLR were good not because of his involvement but in spite of it. Only reason I finished this was because the platinum was easy.
2015
Played this again to prep for Undertale Yellow! I'm not smart enough to have a new or fresh take on Undertale so I'm not going to try. It's Undertale. There you go.
A really impressive sequel across the board. I have no idea how large Asobo Studio is or what type of backing they have, but out of all the Naughty Dog imitators, they manage to get the closest to them. There are some genuinely stunning set-pieces here and the visuals in general are gorgeous and are an unfathomable jump from Innocence.
The combat encounters are, similarly, much improved. One of the biggest issues the original had was the rigidness of the encounters where it seemed like there was one and only one solution to them. That's not completely gone, especially when the rats come into play, but Requiem definitely lets you spread your wings a little more. The areas are wider, the AI is a lot smarter and you’re actually allowed to use your arsenal to the fullest.
The story’s a bit exhausting to get through because it’s constantly depressing and bleak but that means it did a great job at what it wanted to do (ala The Last of Us Part II). The performances are once again excellent across the board and I actually really bought Amicia and Hugo’s relationship this time around. The supporting cast is also insanely better, partly due to them being adults and accompanying you for more than just a chapter or two. The ending’s very predictable (maybe that’s the point?) but I still thought it was incredibly effective. The plot isn’t without its issues, though. There’s a large chunk in the middle of the game where it feels like it’s going around in circles (you literally circle back to one of the locations like three times) and the lore still feels kind of underbaked, which is a shame.
I was pleasantly surprised that this ended up being a duology. The game leaves room for potential future titles, but it’s very clear that Hugo and Amicia’s story is over. It’s incredibly refreshing and I’m glad they went out with a bang. Asobo Studio is definitely on my radar now and I really can’t wait to see what they do next.
The combat encounters are, similarly, much improved. One of the biggest issues the original had was the rigidness of the encounters where it seemed like there was one and only one solution to them. That's not completely gone, especially when the rats come into play, but Requiem definitely lets you spread your wings a little more. The areas are wider, the AI is a lot smarter and you’re actually allowed to use your arsenal to the fullest.
The story’s a bit exhausting to get through because it’s constantly depressing and bleak but that means it did a great job at what it wanted to do (ala The Last of Us Part II). The performances are once again excellent across the board and I actually really bought Amicia and Hugo’s relationship this time around. The supporting cast is also insanely better, partly due to them being adults and accompanying you for more than just a chapter or two. The ending’s very predictable (maybe that’s the point?) but I still thought it was incredibly effective. The plot isn’t without its issues, though. There’s a large chunk in the middle of the game where it feels like it’s going around in circles (you literally circle back to one of the locations like three times) and the lore still feels kind of underbaked, which is a shame.
I was pleasantly surprised that this ended up being a duology. The game leaves room for potential future titles, but it’s very clear that Hugo and Amicia’s story is over. It’s incredibly refreshing and I’m glad they went out with a bang. Asobo Studio is definitely on my radar now and I really can’t wait to see what they do next.
2018
Really, really wanted to like this more than I did. l adore Soulslikes and Ashen does a great amount of this things really well, which makes its major failures all the more heartbreaking.
Other than it being absolutely gorgeous and feeling great to play, I genuinely adore how progression is handled. Not having the ability to level up and instead getting stat bonuses from exploration or doing sidequests is an insanely fresh take on character progression (in this genre at least), and I really like that an AI companion accompanies you the whole way through (other Soulslikes like Code Vein do this but a lot less successfully imo). It’s a shame, then, that the five bosses in the game range from mediocre to downright abysmal, and it’s even more saddening that most of them are on the lower end of the spectrum. Similarly, the level design is middling. The open areas are fine but the two labyrinthian dungeons in the game are an absolute slog to get through.
Still, I’d say I enjoyed my time with Ashen, and I’m hoping the team gives the IP another shot.
Other than it being absolutely gorgeous and feeling great to play, I genuinely adore how progression is handled. Not having the ability to level up and instead getting stat bonuses from exploration or doing sidequests is an insanely fresh take on character progression (in this genre at least), and I really like that an AI companion accompanies you the whole way through (other Soulslikes like Code Vein do this but a lot less successfully imo). It’s a shame, then, that the five bosses in the game range from mediocre to downright abysmal, and it’s even more saddening that most of them are on the lower end of the spectrum. Similarly, the level design is middling. The open areas are fine but the two labyrinthian dungeons in the game are an absolute slog to get through.
Still, I’d say I enjoyed my time with Ashen, and I’m hoping the team gives the IP another shot.
It's alright. I was expecting something a little more substantial but this was incredibly bite-sized. Decent prequel to the full game releasing soon, though I do hope the gameplay is somewhat improved because it was extremely barebones here.