Moister
Left to Rot
Team Silent's last effort went into this experimental and odd entry in the Silent Hill franchise. It is not as well remembered as the trilogy itself, at least for what I could read on the internet and asking people online. It is quite sad, but I can totally understand why after finishing it and is not everyone would enjoy, initially. Specially comming from prior entries which follow a set structure regardless of how wildly they might differ thematically. The Room is different.
We awake in an unknown apartment complex, inside what must be our room: 302. After taking a look at the main entrance to the room, we find out the door is completely shut. Someone took a huge amount effort and emphasis on not wanting us to leave the room whatsoever.
"Don't Go Out!!"
-Walter
Peeking into the door's peephole reveals that we are at least not alone, a lone woman wonders outside our door. She can't hear us and our only way to interact with "the outside world" is through pen and paper; notes. After exploring most of what the room has to offer up to that point, we end up staring at a large hole in the bathroom wall. In classic Silent Hill fashion, our protagonist ventures straight into the darkness to another entirely different location where the adventure starts.
The Room as I said before drifts away from the conventional spirit of the series. For instance, it is not even located in Silent Hill to begin with but a town nearby called South Ashfield. The town is full to the brim with people just living an everyday life, that is quite a contrast to the other three games. It makes emphasis in the room itself, not just as a place but as an enigmatic living entity that lives on it's own throughout several small changes we'll be seeing while we progress in the adventure. It feels like being inside of a creature that doesn't exist or rather, we can't comprehend.
But where does the "bad reception" comes from exactly? Tough one. The very nature of this game being an experiment of sorts for Team Silent delivers a layer of complexity above prior titles when it comes to storytelling and structure. It's story is secretly told and sparse ine the aforementioned notes, that can be found through the apartment and the world themselves we explore. How the game structures the map is simpler than prior entries, since it's divided into little worlds entirely different from one another. Think of it just as a level or zone. The absense of challenging puzzles (aside from the water prison world puzzle) might have been one of the factors too since they were not challenging at all. It is fractured into little pieces and the room serves as the central hub to take a break from time to time, read through the notes and piece the story together in something that can make sense in your head.
But, I believe there is something definitely lacking in The Room: Emotion. It is known that Silent Hill as a town can manifest people worst thoughts and transform them into reality. What does that have to do with Silent Hill exactly? This isn't about the protagonist we control, Henry. But rather it's the story of Walter Sullivan; an individual with more close ties to the town of Silent Hill, an it's religious cult. The distant nature of Henry is quite peculiar as it is non-intrusive and let's the story flow naturally while exploring a world that is not his with more ease. But it lacks that strange yet beliveable human connection characters previous titles had up to that point. This is were The Room fails to make an impact on me.
The Room is unusual, unsettling and quite interesting knowing this is Team Silent last game. Definitely feels like a side-project in the making, while Silent Hill 3 was recieveng all the manpower and money possible to develop; Silent Hill 4 was a strange experiment that they turned into a full game. For me, it's the scariest Silent Hill game by a long shot. Don't believe me? See the intro for yourself.
Team Silent's last effort went into this experimental and odd entry in the Silent Hill franchise. It is not as well remembered as the trilogy itself, at least for what I could read on the internet and asking people online. It is quite sad, but I can totally understand why after finishing it and is not everyone would enjoy, initially. Specially comming from prior entries which follow a set structure regardless of how wildly they might differ thematically. The Room is different.
We awake in an unknown apartment complex, inside what must be our room: 302. After taking a look at the main entrance to the room, we find out the door is completely shut. Someone took a huge amount effort and emphasis on not wanting us to leave the room whatsoever.
"Don't Go Out!!"
-Walter
Peeking into the door's peephole reveals that we are at least not alone, a lone woman wonders outside our door. She can't hear us and our only way to interact with "the outside world" is through pen and paper; notes. After exploring most of what the room has to offer up to that point, we end up staring at a large hole in the bathroom wall. In classic Silent Hill fashion, our protagonist ventures straight into the darkness to another entirely different location where the adventure starts.
The Room as I said before drifts away from the conventional spirit of the series. For instance, it is not even located in Silent Hill to begin with but a town nearby called South Ashfield. The town is full to the brim with people just living an everyday life, that is quite a contrast to the other three games. It makes emphasis in the room itself, not just as a place but as an enigmatic living entity that lives on it's own throughout several small changes we'll be seeing while we progress in the adventure. It feels like being inside of a creature that doesn't exist or rather, we can't comprehend.
But where does the "bad reception" comes from exactly? Tough one. The very nature of this game being an experiment of sorts for Team Silent delivers a layer of complexity above prior titles when it comes to storytelling and structure. It's story is secretly told and sparse ine the aforementioned notes, that can be found through the apartment and the world themselves we explore. How the game structures the map is simpler than prior entries, since it's divided into little worlds entirely different from one another. Think of it just as a level or zone. The absense of challenging puzzles (aside from the water prison world puzzle) might have been one of the factors too since they were not challenging at all. It is fractured into little pieces and the room serves as the central hub to take a break from time to time, read through the notes and piece the story together in something that can make sense in your head.
But, I believe there is something definitely lacking in The Room: Emotion. It is known that Silent Hill as a town can manifest people worst thoughts and transform them into reality. What does that have to do with Silent Hill exactly? This isn't about the protagonist we control, Henry. But rather it's the story of Walter Sullivan; an individual with more close ties to the town of Silent Hill, an it's religious cult. The distant nature of Henry is quite peculiar as it is non-intrusive and let's the story flow naturally while exploring a world that is not his with more ease. But it lacks that strange yet beliveable human connection characters previous titles had up to that point. This is were The Room fails to make an impact on me.
The Room is unusual, unsettling and quite interesting knowing this is Team Silent last game. Definitely feels like a side-project in the making, while Silent Hill 3 was recieveng all the manpower and money possible to develop; Silent Hill 4 was a strange experiment that they turned into a full game. For me, it's the scariest Silent Hill game by a long shot. Don't believe me? See the intro for yourself.
Killer on Debt
Suda51's Killer is Dead was one of the many titles produced during the "Dark Era" of Grasshopper Manufactured as a developer since they're not publishers themselves. The 7th gen on consoles and the craze of action games, no matter the type was an age to learn the in and outs of the market. Say; your Bayonnetas, Devil May Cries, your Metal Gear Revengeances and even No More Heroes, something more close to home. Each one adding their own flair and substance beyond just connecting combos; the story, characters, dialogue, style, music and the overall presentation helps a lot of these titles stand on their own in top of being Hack and Slash games.
What doesn't suit me much with Killer is Dead is the overall package itself. The consistency in a game is key, maintaining a structure that can last is hard. Specially when we're talking about videogames. Killer is Dead greatest sin is that it can't mantain it at all, and when it does is you start to notice that something is missing. This leads me to believe that: Development time was tight and not enough, it was too ambitious and due to a lack of funding a lot of stuff had to be cut or simple inexperience led to a subpart product.
Takes some light inspiration from No More Heroes combat, combined with a simple yet fun upgrade system and killer7 signature cell-shading style and even the word "killer" slapped on the title. The combat is really fun albeit braindead easy and can get really repetitive on longer sections that require you to fight endless hordes of faceless enemies. It emphazises a "counter and strike" playstyle towards the normal enemies and being agressive towards some bosses; either dodge or parry their attacks to squeeze more juice out of the combat. When it comes to style, Killer is Dead is one hell of a looker, we don't see many games if any with the style that originated in killer7 emphasizing the crude and raw colors over the scenery, specially the blacks disguised as overly thick shadows. Killer is Dead has some of that, but it failed to secure a peaceful cohesion with all of the visual flare it has to offer. It is very close but they might have gone overboard with the motion blur and glow in general? While killer7 remained mostly calm and gave you enough time to analyze the scenery in your head without any intrusive post-processing effect while on gameplay. It is distracting in Killer is Dead if we compare it directly to killer7, it unecessarily stains an already clean image and thus ruining some of the merit it might had towards the future at least for me.
This time we the take control of "Mondo Zappa" and no it's not Sumio Mondo's lost cousin or anything just because they share that word. "Mondo" means "World" in Italian and my guess is because both characters travel around the world very often due to their jobs. Zappa works under an agency sustained by taxes, which means they work for the goverment, and their main goal is to execute whoever the client at hand is asking. Each chapter is treated as missions or levels which can be selected on a world map alongside sitting with some side-content in top of it alá No More Heroes 2. "Giggolo" as they're called are basically side-missions were we need...to enchant women with gifts? The whole ordeal is unnecessary, used as an excuse to give us new gadgets to make combat/exploration easier. It might be one of the many corporate meddling decisions that Grasshopper wered force to include because it really feels out of place and not something even a teenager would like. Lame.
Back to the story itself. It is known by most people that Suda51 makes games for a specific type of audience, they're not for everybody and that is perfectly okay. The weird and outlandish style can both attract and discourage people to try these games. Most Suda51's work tend to be chaotic on the surface, but subtle on the inside; Killer is Dead is vague and tries to tell it's whole narrative in that style. You see, killer7 worked because it has a fundation to stand on and the details of the story while vague were presented correctly as it had a lot to tell and was complex even for it's time. Killer is Dead narrative is quite simple but burried under layers and layers of vague dialogue and shiny visuals that end up confusing more than answering the questions themselves. That is why Killer is Dead fails for the most part and it is why I feel indifferent towards it.
Killer is Dead is worse that the sum of it's part. On one side it is a good and stylish action game, on the other side the music and the story are quite underwhealing and doesn't do much to shine on it's own so I barely had any reason to go forward outside just wanting to finish it. Play it if you're in the mood but don't feel forced to do so, it's 2$ on Steam on most sales.
Suda51's Killer is Dead was one of the many titles produced during the "Dark Era" of Grasshopper Manufactured as a developer since they're not publishers themselves. The 7th gen on consoles and the craze of action games, no matter the type was an age to learn the in and outs of the market. Say; your Bayonnetas, Devil May Cries, your Metal Gear Revengeances and even No More Heroes, something more close to home. Each one adding their own flair and substance beyond just connecting combos; the story, characters, dialogue, style, music and the overall presentation helps a lot of these titles stand on their own in top of being Hack and Slash games.
What doesn't suit me much with Killer is Dead is the overall package itself. The consistency in a game is key, maintaining a structure that can last is hard. Specially when we're talking about videogames. Killer is Dead greatest sin is that it can't mantain it at all, and when it does is you start to notice that something is missing. This leads me to believe that: Development time was tight and not enough, it was too ambitious and due to a lack of funding a lot of stuff had to be cut or simple inexperience led to a subpart product.
Takes some light inspiration from No More Heroes combat, combined with a simple yet fun upgrade system and killer7 signature cell-shading style and even the word "killer" slapped on the title. The combat is really fun albeit braindead easy and can get really repetitive on longer sections that require you to fight endless hordes of faceless enemies. It emphazises a "counter and strike" playstyle towards the normal enemies and being agressive towards some bosses; either dodge or parry their attacks to squeeze more juice out of the combat. When it comes to style, Killer is Dead is one hell of a looker, we don't see many games if any with the style that originated in killer7 emphasizing the crude and raw colors over the scenery, specially the blacks disguised as overly thick shadows. Killer is Dead has some of that, but it failed to secure a peaceful cohesion with all of the visual flare it has to offer. It is very close but they might have gone overboard with the motion blur and glow in general? While killer7 remained mostly calm and gave you enough time to analyze the scenery in your head without any intrusive post-processing effect while on gameplay. It is distracting in Killer is Dead if we compare it directly to killer7, it unecessarily stains an already clean image and thus ruining some of the merit it might had towards the future at least for me.
This time we the take control of "Mondo Zappa" and no it's not Sumio Mondo's lost cousin or anything just because they share that word. "Mondo" means "World" in Italian and my guess is because both characters travel around the world very often due to their jobs. Zappa works under an agency sustained by taxes, which means they work for the goverment, and their main goal is to execute whoever the client at hand is asking. Each chapter is treated as missions or levels which can be selected on a world map alongside sitting with some side-content in top of it alá No More Heroes 2. "Giggolo" as they're called are basically side-missions were we need...to enchant women with gifts? The whole ordeal is unnecessary, used as an excuse to give us new gadgets to make combat/exploration easier. It might be one of the many corporate meddling decisions that Grasshopper wered force to include because it really feels out of place and not something even a teenager would like. Lame.
Back to the story itself. It is known by most people that Suda51 makes games for a specific type of audience, they're not for everybody and that is perfectly okay. The weird and outlandish style can both attract and discourage people to try these games. Most Suda51's work tend to be chaotic on the surface, but subtle on the inside; Killer is Dead is vague and tries to tell it's whole narrative in that style. You see, killer7 worked because it has a fundation to stand on and the details of the story while vague were presented correctly as it had a lot to tell and was complex even for it's time. Killer is Dead narrative is quite simple but burried under layers and layers of vague dialogue and shiny visuals that end up confusing more than answering the questions themselves. That is why Killer is Dead fails for the most part and it is why I feel indifferent towards it.
Killer is Dead is worse that the sum of it's part. On one side it is a good and stylish action game, on the other side the music and the story are quite underwhealing and doesn't do much to shine on it's own so I barely had any reason to go forward outside just wanting to finish it. Play it if you're in the mood but don't feel forced to do so, it's 2$ on Steam on most sales.
Defend your Title
Ashura-Hen is the direct sequel to Kurohyou which I also made a review, you can find it here. I'll cover only some key aspects this game has a sequel. So to avoid any future redundancies, check out my review on Kurohyou.
Ukyo Tatsuya, now as a changed man after the events of the first game ends up fighting his way into the scene and make a name for himself leaving the illegal underground colliseum known as Dragon Heat behind. Now under the control of his agency; it's just a matter of time Tatsuya finally start to find peace and comfort in a little gym located in Kamurocho. But something is missing, who was he fighting for now? This is where Tatsuya finds out Dragon Heat was in deep trouble, the place that made him change, grow and evolve. Ashura-Hen as a sequel could've gone a lot of places narratively speaking. This time, unlike just looking for the next big thing it clings itself to the idea of protecting what made himself change. Same case with Kazuma Kiryu rejecting being the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. To put it simple, Haruka is what Dragon Heat is to Tatsuya; his reason to keep living.
It follows more or less the same gameplay structure as it's prequel. This time the map is not only limited to the same old Kamurocho but Sotenbori makes a return after being absent since it's debut in Yakuza 2, back in 2006. You won't find many surprises, as the cities are nothing but 2D background to save on processing power of the already aged PSP. So, walking around the cities is still a drag and can get boring fast. On the other hand the actual combat saw some changes and now is more centered around co-op fights rather than tackle it alone at least during street fights. Enemies wll come in hordes and they make most Yakuza thugs pale in comparasion. They're tough nuts to crack, specially on Hard Mode and the best strategy down the line is to call whoever you had recruited before. So partnerts are no longer tied to story events and that's a plus, but the game is made with that very system in mind. It counteracts a problem, giving you a little more leverage than normal, make sure to come prepared before each fight. Lowering the difficulty would be a good idea in case street fight get the best of you, don't be ashamed to lower it to Easy.
What really does sell this game isn't the story of Dragon Heat or Tatsuya itself. But it is the main villain that is well on pair with the likes of Yakuza 3 and even Lost Judgment. Is a tale as old as time; a story of revenge with a common enemy, approached differently between both the hero and the villain. The rest of the story up to that point doesn't feel that important oddly enough, but the fights on Millenium Tower always deliver no matter the game we're in.
The story might be one of the weakest aspects of this game. It plays safe as it's not as involved as the first one. Goes all over the place with moments you won't care about much for at times, as they don't add anything substantial to the main plot. Even side character stories get in the way mid-adventure, can you believe that? It doesn't feel natural. The main plot surrounding the Ashura is fine, but the overall pace gets dragged by side-character arc nonsense.
Recommended for any hardcore Yakuza fan looking for something familiar, with a refreshing intense combat. If you liked the first, there is no reason to not play this one.
Ashura-Hen is the direct sequel to Kurohyou which I also made a review, you can find it here. I'll cover only some key aspects this game has a sequel. So to avoid any future redundancies, check out my review on Kurohyou.
Ukyo Tatsuya, now as a changed man after the events of the first game ends up fighting his way into the scene and make a name for himself leaving the illegal underground colliseum known as Dragon Heat behind. Now under the control of his agency; it's just a matter of time Tatsuya finally start to find peace and comfort in a little gym located in Kamurocho. But something is missing, who was he fighting for now? This is where Tatsuya finds out Dragon Heat was in deep trouble, the place that made him change, grow and evolve. Ashura-Hen as a sequel could've gone a lot of places narratively speaking. This time, unlike just looking for the next big thing it clings itself to the idea of protecting what made himself change. Same case with Kazuma Kiryu rejecting being the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. To put it simple, Haruka is what Dragon Heat is to Tatsuya; his reason to keep living.
It follows more or less the same gameplay structure as it's prequel. This time the map is not only limited to the same old Kamurocho but Sotenbori makes a return after being absent since it's debut in Yakuza 2, back in 2006. You won't find many surprises, as the cities are nothing but 2D background to save on processing power of the already aged PSP. So, walking around the cities is still a drag and can get boring fast. On the other hand the actual combat saw some changes and now is more centered around co-op fights rather than tackle it alone at least during street fights. Enemies wll come in hordes and they make most Yakuza thugs pale in comparasion. They're tough nuts to crack, specially on Hard Mode and the best strategy down the line is to call whoever you had recruited before. So partnerts are no longer tied to story events and that's a plus, but the game is made with that very system in mind. It counteracts a problem, giving you a little more leverage than normal, make sure to come prepared before each fight. Lowering the difficulty would be a good idea in case street fight get the best of you, don't be ashamed to lower it to Easy.
What really does sell this game isn't the story of Dragon Heat or Tatsuya itself. But it is the main villain that is well on pair with the likes of Yakuza 3 and even Lost Judgment. Is a tale as old as time; a story of revenge with a common enemy, approached differently between both the hero and the villain. The rest of the story up to that point doesn't feel that important oddly enough, but the fights on Millenium Tower always deliver no matter the game we're in.
The story might be one of the weakest aspects of this game. It plays safe as it's not as involved as the first one. Goes all over the place with moments you won't care about much for at times, as they don't add anything substantial to the main plot. Even side character stories get in the way mid-adventure, can you believe that? It doesn't feel natural. The main plot surrounding the Ashura is fine, but the overall pace gets dragged by side-character arc nonsense.
Recommended for any hardcore Yakuza fan looking for something familiar, with a refreshing intense combat. If you liked the first, there is no reason to not play this one.
The Painful journey to Oblivion
Lisa: The Painful is the sequel to Lisa: The First which I also made a review, you can find it here if interested.
Let me start with a question: Is it painful to enjoy something that hurts? In Lisa, what doesn't hurt you makes you stronger and what does hurt you drags you deep into the abyss. It's a paradoxical pleasure between finding the right spot of comfort and experience. Not deliberately hurtful at least to us, nor "enjoyable" for someone that doesn't just get it. It's the same feeling as watching a sad movie, why would you ever want to cry all by yourself? It makes us think beyond what we're used to, get us outside our comfort zone for a while and experience a tale that can sit with us or leave as it came.
The Painful tell us the story of Brad Armstrong, a lone drug addict dealing with his troublesome past that suddenly finds the cure under the apocalypse: A girl in a world without women. Brad sees this girl not as a way to re-populate the world, but as a opportunity to protect her from the cruel world outside the comfort of home. During Brad's many blackouts due to his drug addiction, finds out his girl was gone. With nothing to lose, Brad sets up on an adventure to save his "child" which he called: Buddy. One of The Painful many strenghts is the setting or the place where these events occur: Olathe. A rural town, well not anymore since it has become a desolated desert in the middle of nowhwere, ruled by anarchy and the survival of the fittest. Little to no civilizated people exist, and the ones that do are under a group meant to survive among themselves. It's common for any apocalypse setting to enphatize on the sense of survival, a basic instinct among humans and animals but with The Painful there is a catch: It's a land were women doesn't exist, thus dooming humanity to extinction. A treat that doesn't differentiate from good nor evil. But it can be cured, this is where Buddy comes into play.
During Brad's journey he'll encounter a colorful cast of characters that will either help him, for self-fullfiling purposes or lunatics which will attack at sight. Most RPGs tend to rely on mythical or unexplainable creatures; your gods, your slimes, your demons, your monsters, etc. But The Painful keeps itself grounded and personal when it needs to, doesn't it? I'm lying! Fish Lawyer, Furry Artist, Bear-Man, Tiger-Man, Duck-Man and Queen (Man) can all be in your party. You get the idea. The Painful doesn't take itself serious all the time, as it finds the right moment to have jokes and moments were it knows it can't get playful with you. All characters have something meaningful to say, specially with the Definitive Edition which expands on this aspect in particular. Now it's not just about the journey itself, it's also about the little moments you share with your party; see them grow and fight alongside you but keep it mind these are total strangers that you've never met before. Everything culminates in a wacky, varied yet believable cast of characters that I personally grew up to love even if Brad can only exchange a conversation or two with each of them.
Compared this to The First, The Painful includes a new combat system which let's you slay everyone in your way with your fists. It follows the typical JRPG combat system; Stats, characters and attacks. The Painful adds an interesting system of combos only made for Brad which unlike the main attack, they deal extra damage. For example: "A, B, B" is the command where you throw a fireball, but if you feel confident it is possible to extend it as I said before to: "X, X, A, B, B" or "Y, A, A, B, B" always respecting the right command to the activate set attack. It's not as deep as I thought it would be at the start but extra damage is extra damage; the classic risk/reward balance. Outside combat, the exploration is set in a 2D plane all the time, unlike most top-down RPGs. This sets right for The Painful in particular, as the map is as linear as it gets with some secrets in between. That isn't bad per-se, not at all as verticality also help the maps feel bigger in a sort of weird match between a limited in movement platformer and a RPG. With Lisa there's always a catch, the little devil in the details is that mix between platformer and RPG is both a blessing and a curse, why? It is possible to die if you are not careful, from falling in a bottomless pit. Instant "Game Over", goodbye 1 hour and a half of process. Pain Mode it's the so-called "hard mode" in The Painful but it is not hard, is terrifying. It will only let you save once per "Save Point". So be extra careful while exploring Olathe if you chose Pain Mode. In case you skipped the text box to which warns you about Pain Mode, don't worry as save points are unlimited so you can save as much as you want. I started with Pain Mode, and even if the game is fairly short, some stupid deaths made me question if going forward without a guide was a good idea.
Pain comes in many forms, so does the decisions you'd have to make moving forward. You don't win, and at some point you'll lose someone or something you value precious beyond battle. It is as easy as letting it go, but hard as is to accepting that it is no longer with you. That is Pain. One of The Painful most devastating features is that your never feel safe. From anything, fron anyone. Everything here is meant to hurt you one way or another, because Brad isn't the chosen one in this story he is but a mere puppet driven by his mere instincts. Don't expect a hero which wants to save the world, he's just human hopelessly needing something to cling on. He's not instrinsically evil either, as it is easy to empathize with him.
The Painful for me is interesting to analyze from an outsider perspective, as someone that never played the original on PC back when it come out. So my feelings are quite fresh, and as a game as old as 2014 it holds up incredibly well to this day. It is a must for any RPG fan looking for something different. You like Fallout? Here. Earthbound? It might interest you. Omori? Absolutely.
Lisa: The Painful is the sequel to Lisa: The First which I also made a review, you can find it here if interested.
Let me start with a question: Is it painful to enjoy something that hurts? In Lisa, what doesn't hurt you makes you stronger and what does hurt you drags you deep into the abyss. It's a paradoxical pleasure between finding the right spot of comfort and experience. Not deliberately hurtful at least to us, nor "enjoyable" for someone that doesn't just get it. It's the same feeling as watching a sad movie, why would you ever want to cry all by yourself? It makes us think beyond what we're used to, get us outside our comfort zone for a while and experience a tale that can sit with us or leave as it came.
The Painful tell us the story of Brad Armstrong, a lone drug addict dealing with his troublesome past that suddenly finds the cure under the apocalypse: A girl in a world without women. Brad sees this girl not as a way to re-populate the world, but as a opportunity to protect her from the cruel world outside the comfort of home. During Brad's many blackouts due to his drug addiction, finds out his girl was gone. With nothing to lose, Brad sets up on an adventure to save his "child" which he called: Buddy. One of The Painful many strenghts is the setting or the place where these events occur: Olathe. A rural town, well not anymore since it has become a desolated desert in the middle of nowhwere, ruled by anarchy and the survival of the fittest. Little to no civilizated people exist, and the ones that do are under a group meant to survive among themselves. It's common for any apocalypse setting to enphatize on the sense of survival, a basic instinct among humans and animals but with The Painful there is a catch: It's a land were women doesn't exist, thus dooming humanity to extinction. A treat that doesn't differentiate from good nor evil. But it can be cured, this is where Buddy comes into play.
During Brad's journey he'll encounter a colorful cast of characters that will either help him, for self-fullfiling purposes or lunatics which will attack at sight. Most RPGs tend to rely on mythical or unexplainable creatures; your gods, your slimes, your demons, your monsters, etc. But The Painful keeps itself grounded and personal when it needs to, doesn't it? I'm lying! Fish Lawyer, Furry Artist, Bear-Man, Tiger-Man, Duck-Man and Queen (Man) can all be in your party. You get the idea. The Painful doesn't take itself serious all the time, as it finds the right moment to have jokes and moments were it knows it can't get playful with you. All characters have something meaningful to say, specially with the Definitive Edition which expands on this aspect in particular. Now it's not just about the journey itself, it's also about the little moments you share with your party; see them grow and fight alongside you but keep it mind these are total strangers that you've never met before. Everything culminates in a wacky, varied yet believable cast of characters that I personally grew up to love even if Brad can only exchange a conversation or two with each of them.
Compared this to The First, The Painful includes a new combat system which let's you slay everyone in your way with your fists. It follows the typical JRPG combat system; Stats, characters and attacks. The Painful adds an interesting system of combos only made for Brad which unlike the main attack, they deal extra damage. For example: "A, B, B" is the command where you throw a fireball, but if you feel confident it is possible to extend it as I said before to: "X, X, A, B, B" or "Y, A, A, B, B" always respecting the right command to the activate set attack. It's not as deep as I thought it would be at the start but extra damage is extra damage; the classic risk/reward balance. Outside combat, the exploration is set in a 2D plane all the time, unlike most top-down RPGs. This sets right for The Painful in particular, as the map is as linear as it gets with some secrets in between. That isn't bad per-se, not at all as verticality also help the maps feel bigger in a sort of weird match between a limited in movement platformer and a RPG. With Lisa there's always a catch, the little devil in the details is that mix between platformer and RPG is both a blessing and a curse, why? It is possible to die if you are not careful, from falling in a bottomless pit. Instant "Game Over", goodbye 1 hour and a half of process. Pain Mode it's the so-called "hard mode" in The Painful but it is not hard, is terrifying. It will only let you save once per "Save Point". So be extra careful while exploring Olathe if you chose Pain Mode. In case you skipped the text box to which warns you about Pain Mode, don't worry as save points are unlimited so you can save as much as you want. I started with Pain Mode, and even if the game is fairly short, some stupid deaths made me question if going forward without a guide was a good idea.
Pain comes in many forms, so does the decisions you'd have to make moving forward. You don't win, and at some point you'll lose someone or something you value precious beyond battle. It is as easy as letting it go, but hard as is to accepting that it is no longer with you. That is Pain. One of The Painful most devastating features is that your never feel safe. From anything, fron anyone. Everything here is meant to hurt you one way or another, because Brad isn't the chosen one in this story he is but a mere puppet driven by his mere instincts. Don't expect a hero which wants to save the world, he's just human hopelessly needing something to cling on. He's not instrinsically evil either, as it is easy to empathize with him.
The Painful for me is interesting to analyze from an outsider perspective, as someone that never played the original on PC back when it come out. So my feelings are quite fresh, and as a game as old as 2014 it holds up incredibly well to this day. It is a must for any RPG fan looking for something different. You like Fallout? Here. Earthbound? It might interest you. Omori? Absolutely.
2012
"The First" as in the first that triggered the whole Lisa series as we know it now.
Definitely a tricky title to talk about and I can't really blame on the developer since it was probably one of his first serious works. The message and the intention is the definitely there, and would ultimately carry a great importance to understand the story as a whole.
It tackles the subject of abuse from the perspective of a little girl called Lisa. It's all presented in an abstract, yet perfectly readable manner. In this kind of stories being subtle is key, as in not treating the players like people that can't understand an indirect approach to story-telling without going to the lengths of being cryptic. Or even worse, not being pretentious is important too. The First walks a thin line between being subtle and blunt, but ultimately all put together with a nice balance between the two striking, a clear contrast between what Lisa wanted to really do in dreams and her constant nightmare.
On the game-y side of things, it doesn't hold as good as The Painful or The Joyful. It's an old RPG Maker 2003 game, they were really popular during Yume Nikki's craze, and games that came soon after as a effective resource to tell stories for amateur game developers, mostly based on their artstic deeds rather than the ones that come from pure raw mechanical ingenuity. The First ain't much different as it just walking and avoiding obstacles on your way to the end, collecting different objects that will unlock new paths to follow. If you're thinking it's just Yume Nikki in disguise, it is inspired by the latter. Some sections, specifically with the Marty spiders are specially evil as it is the only part were it will put your skills to the absolute limits. A huge unnecessary difficulty spike from a gameplay and enjoyment standpoint, that might or not tell us more about Lisa's story in hindsight. Why spiders in particular? They can act fast, are lethal once they put one of their big creepy legs on you leading to a potential poison and leaving a big scar that won't dissapear in a short period of time. And is even worse knowing the spiders have the signature image of Marty's face. In The Painful, we can also envounter this very enemy scattered around in various parts of Olathe but we can be fight him as Brad directly, that very minor detail can give us a small glimpse of what was the overall relationship in the Armstrong family and why Brad isn't here.
Only recommended in case you want to get into the Lisa series and not much as a title of it's own. In The Painful, as soon as we boot it we can see Lisa's outcome out of this neverending nightmare. Watch it on Youtube if the spiders bother you too much, could've rated 1/2 stars higher without them.
Definitely a tricky title to talk about and I can't really blame on the developer since it was probably one of his first serious works. The message and the intention is the definitely there, and would ultimately carry a great importance to understand the story as a whole.
It tackles the subject of abuse from the perspective of a little girl called Lisa. It's all presented in an abstract, yet perfectly readable manner. In this kind of stories being subtle is key, as in not treating the players like people that can't understand an indirect approach to story-telling without going to the lengths of being cryptic. Or even worse, not being pretentious is important too. The First walks a thin line between being subtle and blunt, but ultimately all put together with a nice balance between the two striking, a clear contrast between what Lisa wanted to really do in dreams and her constant nightmare.
On the game-y side of things, it doesn't hold as good as The Painful or The Joyful. It's an old RPG Maker 2003 game, they were really popular during Yume Nikki's craze, and games that came soon after as a effective resource to tell stories for amateur game developers, mostly based on their artstic deeds rather than the ones that come from pure raw mechanical ingenuity. The First ain't much different as it just walking and avoiding obstacles on your way to the end, collecting different objects that will unlock new paths to follow. If you're thinking it's just Yume Nikki in disguise, it is inspired by the latter. Some sections, specifically with the Marty spiders are specially evil as it is the only part were it will put your skills to the absolute limits. A huge unnecessary difficulty spike from a gameplay and enjoyment standpoint, that might or not tell us more about Lisa's story in hindsight. Why spiders in particular? They can act fast, are lethal once they put one of their big creepy legs on you leading to a potential poison and leaving a big scar that won't dissapear in a short period of time. And is even worse knowing the spiders have the signature image of Marty's face. In The Painful, we can also envounter this very enemy scattered around in various parts of Olathe but we can be fight him as Brad directly, that very minor detail can give us a small glimpse of what was the overall relationship in the Armstrong family and why Brad isn't here.
Only recommended in case you want to get into the Lisa series and not much as a title of it's own. In The Painful, as soon as we boot it we can see Lisa's outcome out of this neverending nightmare. Watch it on Youtube if the spiders bother you too much, could've rated 1/2 stars higher without them.
2019
Ever wanted to relive the old Newgrounds era of bizarre videos and surreal humour? Air Marty is a WarioWare inspired game mixed with Lisa's humour and the homemade yet somewhat charming artstyle of old Newgrounds.
That is basically it. Main focus is getting to know all the endings which are a lot. While short, it has a lot to offer when it comes different artstyle/humour and the bizarre situations Marty gets in. And it's no surprise the humour and even some characters desings get inspired by Lisa, it was developed by Myles Jorgensen; and helped by no less than his brother which is the one that gave birth to Lisa The Painful in the first place: Austin Jorgensen. Funny coincidence.
Humour is a hit or miss most of the time, at least for me. Some jokes landed, some fall flat. But if random wacky humour is your thing, give it a try. For 1$ or 2$ is a good time waster.
That is basically it. Main focus is getting to know all the endings which are a lot. While short, it has a lot to offer when it comes different artstyle/humour and the bizarre situations Marty gets in. And it's no surprise the humour and even some characters desings get inspired by Lisa, it was developed by Myles Jorgensen; and helped by no less than his brother which is the one that gave birth to Lisa The Painful in the first place: Austin Jorgensen. Funny coincidence.
Humour is a hit or miss most of the time, at least for me. Some jokes landed, some fall flat. But if random wacky humour is your thing, give it a try. For 1$ or 2$ is a good time waster.
2021
Love Will Tear Us Apart, again
No More Heroes III is a very strange game. It's more No More Heroes people long yearned and waited for. What? Was it 11 years since No More Heroes 2? Do not try to look it that way, rather it was just 3 years after Travis Strikes Back in case you are really into Grasshopper and Suda51. This is not an easy game to talk about, at least for me as I have very conflicting feelings towards it.
It takes the best aspects of No More Heroes, with the overall improvements found in No More Heroes 2 combat and the Death Glove's abilities added from Travis Strikes Back. So, this is for me the most fun combat No More Heroes ever had and probably one of the core aspects the team at Grasshopper focused on during it's development. It is really fun on a fundamental level, never gets old on sequential playthroughs or any combat sequence that is. But this is just the combat, aspects such as the open world and the mini-game do not hold much of the importance as they once had in the first game. It is sparse, messy, unorganized but the open world is somehow still beautiful underneath it's ugly appereance. As while it doesn't convey exactly what it wants to communicate, it's clumsiness and overall silly, empty yet full of personallity appereance makes it seem like an honest to heart attempt at making an open world. Ambition when the budget is not high, in a console that isn't particulary made to handle a load this heavy. A recipe for disaster that to some extent was fixed in the prior home-console release.
As a tradition in Grasshopper titles, the presentation is as distinctive as it is very in line with Grasshopper. It is bold, rash but most importantly confident of itself and knows were to go regardless what throws at you. It is not afraid to surprise you, nor afraid to show it's true intentions. There is passion plastered all around it. To me, this is a direct contrast to Grasshopper's "Dark Age" as while their signature style was still there, it was afraid to be seen, didn't hold enough meaning or was totally turned down in favor of cohesion with the base game visuals. No More Heroes III embraces it's wacky but endearing presentation with open arms and runs with it, as far as possible without looking back.
As far as the story goes, it's a direct contrast to Travis Strikes Back seemingly confined but personal adventure. This time is an over the top alien invasion over not just Santa Destroy but the world itself. Sets the tone perfectly, and doesn't get much deeper than that. As usual in Grasshoppers work, there are undertones that don't get explored directly but are hidden and left for interpretation. And this is exactly why I love talking about Grasshopper titles so much. It is not without it's flaws though, or rather bits that seem unfinished or aren't fleshed out for the most part. Things that flat out doesn't get explained and appear out of thin air, expecting you to care or have previous knowledge of it. Midori, Kamui, Blackhole, Bishop's brother know Travis, but he doesn't know any of them. So it comes out a bit akward, extending some of that fanservice Travis Strikes Back lefts us. It's like being in a party up late at night, most people left but you are left with a couple of strangers and old friends to share drinks with. What is important is the narrative that unfolds all the way to the end, and there is a lot to unpack there just as No More Heroes did back then. In No More Heroes the rank, and the assasins were and work around Travis arrival. It was the sign of his future, or what he could be in that world of assasins but in No More Heroes III everything works for FU, as everything centers around him. See the contrast? FU is number one on his very own rank on a contest he suddenly came up with while invading earth. FU is Travis if he never had fight to make it to the top, because he was aready up there from the beginning. The assasins bend their knee to FU for different reasons that get explored as the story goes on. In fact, Travis goes for FU not only becuase he's annoying but as an act of revenge. It is close enough of what No More Heroes 2 did back in the day. Simple, but it works at the end of the day. Travis Strikes Back already stablished "most" of the principals that would mold No More Heroes III story, go play it if you haven't.
Suda51 and the No More Heroes series go a long way, and the games made him more known here in the west. It was this sucess that leaded into giving this franchise a try once again with No More Heroes 2, and serve his reflection in Travis Strikes Back. No More Heroes is Suda51's son or the embodiment of everything he likes mashed into one product. This is the end of the series, one that was never meant to be more than a one-off job but ultimately grow bigger as we know now. And it is strange because every single game from this franchise feels different from each other with something that makes them unique and standout from each other and don't pile up as "This, but better" as most franchise tend to do. III's wacky ending doesn't tell me that this is specifically the end, but the start of something different. A new era of sorts. It's like sending your kid to college on another city far off were you live from, making sure as a father that everything would be ok before his eventual departure. Over the top, as high as it can be to make sure all of what the team wanted is fullfiled as ridiculous as it might sound.
Go out with a bang!
No More Heroes III is a very strange game. It's more No More Heroes people long yearned and waited for. What? Was it 11 years since No More Heroes 2? Do not try to look it that way, rather it was just 3 years after Travis Strikes Back in case you are really into Grasshopper and Suda51. This is not an easy game to talk about, at least for me as I have very conflicting feelings towards it.
It takes the best aspects of No More Heroes, with the overall improvements found in No More Heroes 2 combat and the Death Glove's abilities added from Travis Strikes Back. So, this is for me the most fun combat No More Heroes ever had and probably one of the core aspects the team at Grasshopper focused on during it's development. It is really fun on a fundamental level, never gets old on sequential playthroughs or any combat sequence that is. But this is just the combat, aspects such as the open world and the mini-game do not hold much of the importance as they once had in the first game. It is sparse, messy, unorganized but the open world is somehow still beautiful underneath it's ugly appereance. As while it doesn't convey exactly what it wants to communicate, it's clumsiness and overall silly, empty yet full of personallity appereance makes it seem like an honest to heart attempt at making an open world. Ambition when the budget is not high, in a console that isn't particulary made to handle a load this heavy. A recipe for disaster that to some extent was fixed in the prior home-console release.
As a tradition in Grasshopper titles, the presentation is as distinctive as it is very in line with Grasshopper. It is bold, rash but most importantly confident of itself and knows were to go regardless what throws at you. It is not afraid to surprise you, nor afraid to show it's true intentions. There is passion plastered all around it. To me, this is a direct contrast to Grasshopper's "Dark Age" as while their signature style was still there, it was afraid to be seen, didn't hold enough meaning or was totally turned down in favor of cohesion with the base game visuals. No More Heroes III embraces it's wacky but endearing presentation with open arms and runs with it, as far as possible without looking back.
As far as the story goes, it's a direct contrast to Travis Strikes Back seemingly confined but personal adventure. This time is an over the top alien invasion over not just Santa Destroy but the world itself. Sets the tone perfectly, and doesn't get much deeper than that. As usual in Grasshoppers work, there are undertones that don't get explored directly but are hidden and left for interpretation. And this is exactly why I love talking about Grasshopper titles so much. It is not without it's flaws though, or rather bits that seem unfinished or aren't fleshed out for the most part. Things that flat out doesn't get explained and appear out of thin air, expecting you to care or have previous knowledge of it. Midori, Kamui, Blackhole, Bishop's brother know Travis, but he doesn't know any of them. So it comes out a bit akward, extending some of that fanservice Travis Strikes Back lefts us. It's like being in a party up late at night, most people left but you are left with a couple of strangers and old friends to share drinks with. What is important is the narrative that unfolds all the way to the end, and there is a lot to unpack there just as No More Heroes did back then. In No More Heroes the rank, and the assasins were and work around Travis arrival. It was the sign of his future, or what he could be in that world of assasins but in No More Heroes III everything works for FU, as everything centers around him. See the contrast? FU is number one on his very own rank on a contest he suddenly came up with while invading earth. FU is Travis if he never had fight to make it to the top, because he was aready up there from the beginning. The assasins bend their knee to FU for different reasons that get explored as the story goes on. In fact, Travis goes for FU not only becuase he's annoying but as an act of revenge. It is close enough of what No More Heroes 2 did back in the day. Simple, but it works at the end of the day. Travis Strikes Back already stablished "most" of the principals that would mold No More Heroes III story, go play it if you haven't.
Suda51 and the No More Heroes series go a long way, and the games made him more known here in the west. It was this sucess that leaded into giving this franchise a try once again with No More Heroes 2, and serve his reflection in Travis Strikes Back. No More Heroes is Suda51's son or the embodiment of everything he likes mashed into one product. This is the end of the series, one that was never meant to be more than a one-off job but ultimately grow bigger as we know now. And it is strange because every single game from this franchise feels different from each other with something that makes them unique and standout from each other and don't pile up as "This, but better" as most franchise tend to do. III's wacky ending doesn't tell me that this is specifically the end, but the start of something different. A new era of sorts. It's like sending your kid to college on another city far off were you live from, making sure as a father that everything would be ok before his eventual departure. Over the top, as high as it can be to make sure all of what the team wanted is fullfiled as ridiculous as it might sound.
Go out with a bang!
2021
Bloober Team's attempt at a Silent Hill game in a era (which we are still trapped in) of a lack of a serious presence of the series as a whole.
My only experience with Bloober's work has been Observer which I played last year out of sheer curiosity. This game oddly enough shares most of it's strenght and weaknesses which it shouldn't be surprising knowing it's comming from the same studio. Unlike Observer's cyberpunk-dystopian inspired setting, The Medium goes back in time to 90's poland and the camera shifts to a third person perspective. To my surprise there are differences as much as are similarities between both titles: scripted chases, limited combat, great atmosphere and very linear progression. But underneath the superficial aspects, The Medium hides it's true face and there are a lot of reasons it didn't reasonate with me as much as I hoped to.
The Medium for the most part is a walking sim, with puzzle elements here and there. And the most important aspect of all the "The Medium™ mechanic" which let's you see both realities at once, thank you next generation! It is a strong selling point which isn't even used that much in the game, keeps itself simple for a couple of puzzles to solve...and that is pretty much were it dies. Now, there are moments were it's use is justified and arguably the best use of this mechanic was in the very ending. It left a lot to be desired as it never goes beyond being an extension of the "Material World". Not entirely different. it offers nothing a quick change in scenery would have done with the power and speed M.2 and SSD provide just for a quick puzzle solution. Very hardware taxing too, specially for PCs. It is a neat idea on the surface, but one that ends up being heavly underutilized for whatever reason.
It takes some cues from the Silent Hill games, and definitely noted some influences from SH2 the most. In interviews, developers clearly stated their love for the forgotten Konami franchise. But does Bloober Team made a commendable effort to differentiate or at least be a game that adds to the genre as a whole? Not much. Let's be honest, the most famous Silent Hill games aren't exactly known for their deep gameplay mechanics rather it is the heavy opressing atmosphere of the town, the music score, beloved main characters and by times dark stories. But The Medium isn't any different, at times it can even be worse than the game released 20 years ago. First off, no map is needed to explore or mark notes on as the exploration is as linear as it gets. Total anhilation of your only limited guide through the game, it could've come in handy in the very last section. And second, combat is totally ditched outside certain scenes were it's not even required to continue. I'm all for a combat-less horror game, but this is straight up boring. Puzzles were fun and that is pretty much were my praises end.
The story surprisingly isn't all that bad, as Marianne our protagonist pieces the puzzles that is her past through her powers as a medium. It gets really dark after a while, tackling some sensitive issues such as suicide or even child trauma. Not talking "My mon hid my DS" child trauma, but rather problems that do occur in our society frequently that are hard to erradicate/change. A cycle of victims and perpetrators which share a common demon, no matter the time or person. Interesting topics to assemble a narrative, though I would say the overall message it delivers by the end fumbles what good will started to build in the beginning. It is possible to save someone with enough care and time into it. But there are times were it is truly impossible, that is all I'm going to say.
The Medium is full of design issues that kill what efficiency, time and resourses could've poured into other Bloober projects. The worst you can do is a game to feel longer than it really is while keeping yourself always comming with new maps, and new ideas that end up being never used ever later into the game. Misses the shot, and it misses again and time again with each oportunity they have to redeem themselves from it. Think about it, they have to create two whole different worlds for each scenario that end up being the same in layout just with different decoration. Highly inefficient from my point of view as it harms development time and resources. The more I think about this unique mechanic, the more issues I see.
But it's ok, they hired Akira Yamaoka...right?
My only experience with Bloober's work has been Observer which I played last year out of sheer curiosity. This game oddly enough shares most of it's strenght and weaknesses which it shouldn't be surprising knowing it's comming from the same studio. Unlike Observer's cyberpunk-dystopian inspired setting, The Medium goes back in time to 90's poland and the camera shifts to a third person perspective. To my surprise there are differences as much as are similarities between both titles: scripted chases, limited combat, great atmosphere and very linear progression. But underneath the superficial aspects, The Medium hides it's true face and there are a lot of reasons it didn't reasonate with me as much as I hoped to.
The Medium for the most part is a walking sim, with puzzle elements here and there. And the most important aspect of all the "The Medium™ mechanic" which let's you see both realities at once, thank you next generation! It is a strong selling point which isn't even used that much in the game, keeps itself simple for a couple of puzzles to solve...and that is pretty much were it dies. Now, there are moments were it's use is justified and arguably the best use of this mechanic was in the very ending. It left a lot to be desired as it never goes beyond being an extension of the "Material World". Not entirely different. it offers nothing a quick change in scenery would have done with the power and speed M.2 and SSD provide just for a quick puzzle solution. Very hardware taxing too, specially for PCs. It is a neat idea on the surface, but one that ends up being heavly underutilized for whatever reason.
It takes some cues from the Silent Hill games, and definitely noted some influences from SH2 the most. In interviews, developers clearly stated their love for the forgotten Konami franchise. But does Bloober Team made a commendable effort to differentiate or at least be a game that adds to the genre as a whole? Not much. Let's be honest, the most famous Silent Hill games aren't exactly known for their deep gameplay mechanics rather it is the heavy opressing atmosphere of the town, the music score, beloved main characters and by times dark stories. But The Medium isn't any different, at times it can even be worse than the game released 20 years ago. First off, no map is needed to explore or mark notes on as the exploration is as linear as it gets. Total anhilation of your only limited guide through the game, it could've come in handy in the very last section. And second, combat is totally ditched outside certain scenes were it's not even required to continue. I'm all for a combat-less horror game, but this is straight up boring. Puzzles were fun and that is pretty much were my praises end.
The story surprisingly isn't all that bad, as Marianne our protagonist pieces the puzzles that is her past through her powers as a medium. It gets really dark after a while, tackling some sensitive issues such as suicide or even child trauma. Not talking "My mon hid my DS" child trauma, but rather problems that do occur in our society frequently that are hard to erradicate/change. A cycle of victims and perpetrators which share a common demon, no matter the time or person. Interesting topics to assemble a narrative, though I would say the overall message it delivers by the end fumbles what good will started to build in the beginning. It is possible to save someone with enough care and time into it. But there are times were it is truly impossible, that is all I'm going to say.
The Medium is full of design issues that kill what efficiency, time and resourses could've poured into other Bloober projects. The worst you can do is a game to feel longer than it really is while keeping yourself always comming with new maps, and new ideas that end up being never used ever later into the game. Misses the shot, and it misses again and time again with each oportunity they have to redeem themselves from it. Think about it, they have to create two whole different worlds for each scenario that end up being the same in layout just with different decoration. Highly inefficient from my point of view as it harms development time and resources. The more I think about this unique mechanic, the more issues I see.
But it's ok, they hired Akira Yamaoka...right?
Introspective Memorial
For the past months, starting with The Silver Case I've been analyzing Suda51's work on detail to see where the fuzz is with him and his works in particular. A clear obsession over someone's work? Everyone has their favorites; Franchises, names, characters, writters, composers, designers, companies all in the name of familiarity under the sense of comfort. No one can deny that Suda51 has made a name for himself in the industry, starting off working with several other companies before creating "Grasshopper Manufacture" his very own company. Their motto is "Video Game Band, Punk is Not Dead" which to a lesser extent refers to the act of rebellion and to standout for themselves in a little confined group of people with a clear identity, tastes and ideas. It is easy to assume that is just clever wording for "it's not for everyone". You might be right, GHM games set themselves to built a loyal fanbase with their products. They do a great job at keeping consistency, different genres or not their DNA is still prevalent.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is to a lesser extent a celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture and a introspective for Suda51 as a creator. It is a very personal title, a love letter to the indie scene and a message to the game industry I'd say. The game industry now can't sustain by itself, at least without making it obvious with predatory practices that directly affects the customer for the worst. Like Ouroboros, the game industry is eating itself up and is not growing as much as the people with money expect to. If anything, the indie scene has been growing and growing this last decade and that isn't a surprise knowing how most big productions turn out to be these days. There is a big sense of distrust amongst consumers, and everyday it seems to be getting worse. Grasshopper itself suffered through this during the best part of the 2010's, their "Dark Age" as I like to call it. Your EAs, Kadokawas, and some more that never got along well with the studio. After all that, Grasshopper shrinked to an indie sized studio and went up to create this game.
Travis Strikes Back is one of those titles that you would find in the Xbox Live Arcade or PSN Store for 20$, it kind of shows. But don't let that fool you, the Grasshopper DNA as I said before is pretty much present here and it is better than ever. Multiplayer hack and slash by day, visual novel by night. But again, underneath all of that is that powerful and personal message of unfullfiled dreams and successes that would end up carrying this company legacy. This is Travis's introspective as an assasin, climbing up the ranks to the top and enjoying what life has to offer after a hard day at work. You are already on the top, what's there to do now? How do you continue your legacy? Keep doing the same? Imrprove? Or start over? When you are lost, looking at your failures, achievements and getting to know yourself better to see what makes you, well, you is the best way to know where to head next. Travis's story hit a climax in No More Heroes 1, which asked that very same question. In Travis Strikes Back he looks back at fallen heroes, old men have already nothing to lose but their lives and this is where Travis's phillosophy shines through his speech. Not necessarily looking down on his enemies but giving his perspective on life and putting your work on the line. This is not the Travis we got to known in the first game, he has grown now, to be a wiser man. A perfect reflection to life experiences, Suda51 itself went hell and back to be where he's now and the same goes for Travis Touchdown. Aside from the main hack and slash game, we get a VN styled adventure which gives us further context of the story. Basically Travis in each scenario is searching for the "Death Balls" around the globe. As a celebration title, this game includes a lot of character from other GHM games such as Dan from Killer7, Sundance from F.S.R, Shirobayu from 25th Ward alongside others. More than anything they're cameos that don't impact much in the overall story and personally I see this just as a funny little gag.
It is as impactful as knowing you best friend deepest secret, explained by himself. All the frustrations, fears and getting to talk about what it is into on detail. What it believes, what wants to achieve, and mainly: personal goals for the future. It is not laid out to be a comprehensive documentary of the company or Suda51 itself, it is first and foremost a No More Heroes game. Though, it is without it's negatives mainly comming from the gameplay that can get old quickly. This isn't necessarily a problem since the game often goes back and forward with new gimmicks that break the main formula every now and then. Though I'd say I did felt this complain was completely valid on the last level.
All and all it is a solid action title, and a happy commemoration of Grasshopper Manufacture history. A happy reminder that even through they might have changed once or twice over the years, they still carry the soul of Punk.
For the past months, starting with The Silver Case I've been analyzing Suda51's work on detail to see where the fuzz is with him and his works in particular. A clear obsession over someone's work? Everyone has their favorites; Franchises, names, characters, writters, composers, designers, companies all in the name of familiarity under the sense of comfort. No one can deny that Suda51 has made a name for himself in the industry, starting off working with several other companies before creating "Grasshopper Manufacture" his very own company. Their motto is "Video Game Band, Punk is Not Dead" which to a lesser extent refers to the act of rebellion and to standout for themselves in a little confined group of people with a clear identity, tastes and ideas. It is easy to assume that is just clever wording for "it's not for everyone". You might be right, GHM games set themselves to built a loyal fanbase with their products. They do a great job at keeping consistency, different genres or not their DNA is still prevalent.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is to a lesser extent a celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture and a introspective for Suda51 as a creator. It is a very personal title, a love letter to the indie scene and a message to the game industry I'd say. The game industry now can't sustain by itself, at least without making it obvious with predatory practices that directly affects the customer for the worst. Like Ouroboros, the game industry is eating itself up and is not growing as much as the people with money expect to. If anything, the indie scene has been growing and growing this last decade and that isn't a surprise knowing how most big productions turn out to be these days. There is a big sense of distrust amongst consumers, and everyday it seems to be getting worse. Grasshopper itself suffered through this during the best part of the 2010's, their "Dark Age" as I like to call it. Your EAs, Kadokawas, and some more that never got along well with the studio. After all that, Grasshopper shrinked to an indie sized studio and went up to create this game.
Travis Strikes Back is one of those titles that you would find in the Xbox Live Arcade or PSN Store for 20$, it kind of shows. But don't let that fool you, the Grasshopper DNA as I said before is pretty much present here and it is better than ever. Multiplayer hack and slash by day, visual novel by night. But again, underneath all of that is that powerful and personal message of unfullfiled dreams and successes that would end up carrying this company legacy. This is Travis's introspective as an assasin, climbing up the ranks to the top and enjoying what life has to offer after a hard day at work. You are already on the top, what's there to do now? How do you continue your legacy? Keep doing the same? Imrprove? Or start over? When you are lost, looking at your failures, achievements and getting to know yourself better to see what makes you, well, you is the best way to know where to head next. Travis's story hit a climax in No More Heroes 1, which asked that very same question. In Travis Strikes Back he looks back at fallen heroes, old men have already nothing to lose but their lives and this is where Travis's phillosophy shines through his speech. Not necessarily looking down on his enemies but giving his perspective on life and putting your work on the line. This is not the Travis we got to known in the first game, he has grown now, to be a wiser man. A perfect reflection to life experiences, Suda51 itself went hell and back to be where he's now and the same goes for Travis Touchdown. Aside from the main hack and slash game, we get a VN styled adventure which gives us further context of the story. Basically Travis in each scenario is searching for the "Death Balls" around the globe. As a celebration title, this game includes a lot of character from other GHM games such as Dan from Killer7, Sundance from F.S.R, Shirobayu from 25th Ward alongside others. More than anything they're cameos that don't impact much in the overall story and personally I see this just as a funny little gag.
It is as impactful as knowing you best friend deepest secret, explained by himself. All the frustrations, fears and getting to talk about what it is into on detail. What it believes, what wants to achieve, and mainly: personal goals for the future. It is not laid out to be a comprehensive documentary of the company or Suda51 itself, it is first and foremost a No More Heroes game. Though, it is without it's negatives mainly comming from the gameplay that can get old quickly. This isn't necessarily a problem since the game often goes back and forward with new gimmicks that break the main formula every now and then. Though I'd say I did felt this complain was completely valid on the last level.
All and all it is a solid action title, and a happy commemoration of Grasshopper Manufacture history. A happy reminder that even through they might have changed once or twice over the years, they still carry the soul of Punk.
Seeking Ātman in Nirvana
Digital Devil Saga 2 continues directly were the anti-climatic ending of Digital Devil Saga left off. Unlike your Shin Megami Tenseis or Personas, Digital Devil Saga is deeply connected to it's sequel which I might add it is necessary to enjoy the story at it's fullest since this comprises the events from the past, present and the eventual future. It explains what Digital Devil Saga couldn't with it's first game, and greatly expands on the core concepts of the original to create a worthy sequel to the original.
After finishing both game I now understand why they are considered underrated titles, overlooked by people and even the fandom. Digital Devil Saga story is somewhat complex if you don't understand the core concepts of Hinduism, mainly why things happen in the first place. Hunduism itself is not directly stated at any point of both games directly, rather it is present in the concepts set religion left to study and analyze. Digital Devil Saga translates those elements to give the story and gameplay a meaningful purpose. Samsara, Ātman, Nirvana and lots of other concept can flew over people's head if not careful. Did about an hour of research of the main concepts themselves, what they are how are applied here. They get directly translated, thus it is hard to sell someone on Hinduism regardless of religion or personal beliefs just to play a MegaTen game.
Now, with Digital Devil Saga 2 itself. Before entering this game my thoughs went to thinking the duology was rushed and they were supossed to be one game. It doesn't seem the case after finishing it, the tone shift is clear from the start and something this big couldn't have been achieved in one single game. Digital Devil Saga 2 gets rid of the apocalyptic and destroyed setting of the Junkyard and transport us to an urban setting, more grounded and resembling our reality. Airports, research installations, power plants, you get the idea. This is explained throughout the story, as a setting completely different from the first game. As I said before, it explains everything the prequel couldn't.
The story while not as subtle as the first game still retains that sense of mystery and symbolism that featured the prequel. Ambitious and definitely punches above it's weight most of the time as the game only shows the "key" moments to interpret the story as a whole. It is a lot to handle at once, it is possible that details get fuzzy, mixed or outright forgotten. Mainly due to the pacing which not only Digital Devil Saga 2 had but the first game as well. These are the Dungeons were it's 100% gameplay focused, sometimes story bits are introduced as a reminded of what we are currently doing. Personally, I do think they were long and bland for the most part without much of substance. Strange, knowing Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga had very fun dungeons to explore. It got tiring after a while.
On the other hand, the gameplay were the RPGs aspect take hand are expanded upon the first game. From the rings, to the new Mantra Grid and various other gadgets that will help on the adventure. It is possible to carry your data from Digital Devil Saga too, for difficulty sake I didn't do that as I thought it would break the game as it is. Luckly it isn't hard, rather I would use the world "Fair" to describe it. Now battles are more engaging as it is constantly rewarding you based on your luck. Entering....The Jack Frost Show, Omoikane's Treasure and Berserk Mode. These are made up names, but the message is: These are methods that reward your knowledge and your luck on battle. As usual it retains everything that made the original so good, leaning into heavy player expression thanks to the rings and a revamped Mantra Grid.
Ultimately Digital Devil Saga message is about moving forward, enlightment and dealing with the past from an empathic and comprehensive point of view. The point of surviving, survival of the fittest made clear in the first game gets ditched to level ourself and resolve the problem of humanity triggered by greed. It is the classic JRPG tale after all, but there are some many twists to the already stablished formula it stands for something newer while keeping compelling part of it intact. It is one of the most story involved MegaTen games too, putting aside the gameplay aspects of it. Can't say is one of my favourites, but it was worth looking for something new in the franchise.
Digital Devil Saga 2 continues directly were the anti-climatic ending of Digital Devil Saga left off. Unlike your Shin Megami Tenseis or Personas, Digital Devil Saga is deeply connected to it's sequel which I might add it is necessary to enjoy the story at it's fullest since this comprises the events from the past, present and the eventual future. It explains what Digital Devil Saga couldn't with it's first game, and greatly expands on the core concepts of the original to create a worthy sequel to the original.
After finishing both game I now understand why they are considered underrated titles, overlooked by people and even the fandom. Digital Devil Saga story is somewhat complex if you don't understand the core concepts of Hinduism, mainly why things happen in the first place. Hunduism itself is not directly stated at any point of both games directly, rather it is present in the concepts set religion left to study and analyze. Digital Devil Saga translates those elements to give the story and gameplay a meaningful purpose. Samsara, Ātman, Nirvana and lots of other concept can flew over people's head if not careful. Did about an hour of research of the main concepts themselves, what they are how are applied here. They get directly translated, thus it is hard to sell someone on Hinduism regardless of religion or personal beliefs just to play a MegaTen game.
Now, with Digital Devil Saga 2 itself. Before entering this game my thoughs went to thinking the duology was rushed and they were supossed to be one game. It doesn't seem the case after finishing it, the tone shift is clear from the start and something this big couldn't have been achieved in one single game. Digital Devil Saga 2 gets rid of the apocalyptic and destroyed setting of the Junkyard and transport us to an urban setting, more grounded and resembling our reality. Airports, research installations, power plants, you get the idea. This is explained throughout the story, as a setting completely different from the first game. As I said before, it explains everything the prequel couldn't.
The story while not as subtle as the first game still retains that sense of mystery and symbolism that featured the prequel. Ambitious and definitely punches above it's weight most of the time as the game only shows the "key" moments to interpret the story as a whole. It is a lot to handle at once, it is possible that details get fuzzy, mixed or outright forgotten. Mainly due to the pacing which not only Digital Devil Saga 2 had but the first game as well. These are the Dungeons were it's 100% gameplay focused, sometimes story bits are introduced as a reminded of what we are currently doing. Personally, I do think they were long and bland for the most part without much of substance. Strange, knowing Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga had very fun dungeons to explore. It got tiring after a while.
On the other hand, the gameplay were the RPGs aspect take hand are expanded upon the first game. From the rings, to the new Mantra Grid and various other gadgets that will help on the adventure. It is possible to carry your data from Digital Devil Saga too, for difficulty sake I didn't do that as I thought it would break the game as it is. Luckly it isn't hard, rather I would use the world "Fair" to describe it. Now battles are more engaging as it is constantly rewarding you based on your luck. Entering....The Jack Frost Show, Omoikane's Treasure and Berserk Mode. These are made up names, but the message is: These are methods that reward your knowledge and your luck on battle. As usual it retains everything that made the original so good, leaning into heavy player expression thanks to the rings and a revamped Mantra Grid.
Ultimately Digital Devil Saga message is about moving forward, enlightment and dealing with the past from an empathic and comprehensive point of view. The point of surviving, survival of the fittest made clear in the first game gets ditched to level ourself and resolve the problem of humanity triggered by greed. It is the classic JRPG tale after all, but there are some many twists to the already stablished formula it stands for something newer while keeping compelling part of it intact. It is one of the most story involved MegaTen games too, putting aside the gameplay aspects of it. Can't say is one of my favourites, but it was worth looking for something new in the franchise.
2024
Death with Legacy
Persona 3 Reload, as you may quite expect is a remake of Persona 3. Atlus hasn´t been particulary good with remaster or remakes, most of the time dressing them under re-releases with added content in top that can either add or take back part of the original experience. This was pretty common back then as they needed to have an excuse for you to buy that set game again, on a new console or the same with more content as sort of a "Revision". Persona 3 Reload is already the 4th official re-release of Persona 3 in general not counting mangas or the anime just the games themselves. Reload had a task of making itself stand out of the likes of Portable and FES re-releases, specially Portable which released last year with a lukewarm reception.
Reload instead of changing what made the original made special, it fixes key areas that made Persona 3 quite a chore to play in consequential playthroughs. Reload gives Persona 3 even more purpose to everything that the original stands for, while making it more enjoyable at a long run. It doesn't change any principals or adds a convincing new untold chapter or character, it is Persona 3 all over again but vastly improved. And believe it or not, Reload made me appreciate Persona 3 even more than I did originally. If anything I'd say Reload is a testament of how well Persona 3 story's aged throughout the years. It's one of those timeless stories that tackle a subject as human as it is natural and inevitable: Death.
Persona 3 was a game that I personally never connected with, over the years I had just bad experiences with everything Persona 3 related. I'd even say I never quite liked Persona as much other people do. It felt like old-fashioned, anitquated any synonyms you want to give it and for me at least wasn't up to what I expected from a modern JRPG and yes, I'm talking about Tartarus. It was the only reason that kept me from playing the original Persona 3 FES for so long. I did complete Portable last year when it came out. Now that I think about it, Persona 3 was the reason why I joined this page in the first place, check out my first review game is right there. I didn't connected with Portable either as it just was a slim-down version of the original Persona 3 that didn't quite live up to what a full console release could've been. This is what I been looking up for so long.
Everything here is new and lovely reworked. It takes inspiration from concepts that were present in Persona 5 to make this easier for newer audiences and refreshing for people that already experienced Persona 3 such as myself. One detail that made love Reload was the extra interactions or events that you can have with some of your teammates. They're not Social Links as it is not part of the same system, it is rather something extra but they quite work the same way. This opens up the possibility of having personal conversations with Junpei or Akihiko, even Shinji and Ken. I'd love to see that system implemented in future releases.
The original Persona 3 still has it's place on being the first game in a trilogy that sparked the popularity of Persona here in the west, and for being the game that modernize the series and gave it the distinctive charm that sets it apart from other SMT games. Reload will never replace Persona 3 at all, but it will stand tall alongside it's older brother as a celebration and the ultimate embodiment of the original release.
Persona 3 Reload, as you may quite expect is a remake of Persona 3. Atlus hasn´t been particulary good with remaster or remakes, most of the time dressing them under re-releases with added content in top that can either add or take back part of the original experience. This was pretty common back then as they needed to have an excuse for you to buy that set game again, on a new console or the same with more content as sort of a "Revision". Persona 3 Reload is already the 4th official re-release of Persona 3 in general not counting mangas or the anime just the games themselves. Reload had a task of making itself stand out of the likes of Portable and FES re-releases, specially Portable which released last year with a lukewarm reception.
Reload instead of changing what made the original made special, it fixes key areas that made Persona 3 quite a chore to play in consequential playthroughs. Reload gives Persona 3 even more purpose to everything that the original stands for, while making it more enjoyable at a long run. It doesn't change any principals or adds a convincing new untold chapter or character, it is Persona 3 all over again but vastly improved. And believe it or not, Reload made me appreciate Persona 3 even more than I did originally. If anything I'd say Reload is a testament of how well Persona 3 story's aged throughout the years. It's one of those timeless stories that tackle a subject as human as it is natural and inevitable: Death.
Persona 3 was a game that I personally never connected with, over the years I had just bad experiences with everything Persona 3 related. I'd even say I never quite liked Persona as much other people do. It felt like old-fashioned, anitquated any synonyms you want to give it and for me at least wasn't up to what I expected from a modern JRPG and yes, I'm talking about Tartarus. It was the only reason that kept me from playing the original Persona 3 FES for so long. I did complete Portable last year when it came out. Now that I think about it, Persona 3 was the reason why I joined this page in the first place, check out my first review game is right there. I didn't connected with Portable either as it just was a slim-down version of the original Persona 3 that didn't quite live up to what a full console release could've been. This is what I been looking up for so long.
Everything here is new and lovely reworked. It takes inspiration from concepts that were present in Persona 5 to make this easier for newer audiences and refreshing for people that already experienced Persona 3 such as myself. One detail that made love Reload was the extra interactions or events that you can have with some of your teammates. They're not Social Links as it is not part of the same system, it is rather something extra but they quite work the same way. This opens up the possibility of having personal conversations with Junpei or Akihiko, even Shinji and Ken. I'd love to see that system implemented in future releases.
The original Persona 3 still has it's place on being the first game in a trilogy that sparked the popularity of Persona here in the west, and for being the game that modernize the series and gave it the distinctive charm that sets it apart from other SMT games. Reload will never replace Persona 3 at all, but it will stand tall alongside it's older brother as a celebration and the ultimate embodiment of the original release.
Staring at the Abyss, in Paradise
What a way to start my vacations! Decided this would be a good game to acompany me during this travel, just for the setting alone. As I'm travelling here and there, it means internet connection is minimal, slow and sparse throughout the area, very bad. It was just me, and this game for the most part, also decided deprive myself of any guides or any type of FAQS mostly the ones centered around puzzles. So I went straight ahead into the unknow, waiting to see what this game could add to the Kill the Past series.
Flower, Sun, and Rain is a puzzle adventure game with a big focus on narrative. Specially making nods here and there to The Silver Case since it's secretly a sequel. Here in the west we never got to recieve neither The Silver Case nor Flower, Sun and Rain at the time of it's release in any type, way, shape or form. But 7 years later we got the blessing in form of an english localization. A little too late for the party, but we got it anyways. This was launched during Suda's ascent in the west with hits such as No More Heroes and Killer7, so it made sense that at least one of his beloved works left in japan would cross the sea in style.
We take control of Sumio Mondo, a so-called searcher. Search for objects, he finds them and make people's live easier or at least I think so. Main task, disarm a terrorist bomb set in a airplane...in 2001. Mind you this was released before 9/11, it was never created with only to shock with bad taste in mind. This "simple" task while strange to be delegated to someone like Mondo turns up to be more complicated than needed once "Days" pass away. Or not? It's a mystery within a mystery within a mystery. The deeper we get the darker it gets, as any hard truth might be. But in reality Flower, Sun and Rain tone isn't dark. In fact it actually leans towards something more like a surreal comedy.
It's an easygoing but slow adventure were danger is totally eliminated. So no "Game Overs" or any "Try Again" screen if you take the wrong decision or happen to go against the rules just because. While "Skill" as we know it, pressing the buttons at the right time or what not isn't necessary here; patience will be our best friend. I certanly have patience towards the things I like and I like Suda51 so I eat it all the way through without complaining. It's enjoyable if you can take silly jokes, harmless fun and math. Don't rush it, this ain't a race. Enjoy the funny DS graphics, the compressed ass songs, pink cocodrile. It's the moment, you know. Don't try to see the logical side of it if you can't make sense of it, that can hurt a cell or two at the long run with this game.
Flower, Sun and Rain as I said before is a direct sequel to The Silver Case. But I wouldn't consider that way exactly, take it more as a spin-off that will answer some very specific questions about one or two members of the The Silver Case cast. Doesn't make things go further in the Kill the Past series but gives us a very interesing insightful analysis of Sumio as a character. From this text now on this will be nothing but spoilers but I'll try to be as vague as possible in case you still reading this, I just want to make this go through. So, you ever asked what hapenned to Kodai in The Silver Case? Look it up if you don't remember. Thing is, he regrets it and the fantasy world of his would become reality. In Paradise. The Fantasy World he talked so much about, clashed with twisted reality and a bit of..let's say an impostor syndrome. The Time Loop means something incredible, an eternal trap.
Dreams are but mere reflections of past events twisted or arrange for personal purposes. This game really did happen? It doesn't matter, but it was necessary for awakening. His awakening. Flower, the flower it's you. Sun are the possitive emotions you carry, too much of it and you will burn. Rain, the rain represents struggle, too much of it and you will end up crushed. These factors makes the Flower growth healthy and strong. The Sun can represent the humour, the good vibes, the music. The Rain can represent the events that need to occur to advance the story; the puzzles or the endless walking. This is the Flower, Sumio. Kill the Past has always play with this concept, it's in the very name. Face the reality, face the consequences, to move forward. And this game is not exception. In fact, it might be it's most clear example of what Kill the Past is, altrough hidden under layers and layers of cryptic writting and events that don't seem to correlate to the main story.
My recomendation, play The Silver Case first, that goes without saying at this point. This game is not that important to the Kill the Past series in general if we take the conservative side of it being a sequel. Take it as a christmas special. Short, familiar and sweet or a halloween special. Long, weird and scary.
What a way to start my vacations! Decided this would be a good game to acompany me during this travel, just for the setting alone. As I'm travelling here and there, it means internet connection is minimal, slow and sparse throughout the area, very bad. It was just me, and this game for the most part, also decided deprive myself of any guides or any type of FAQS mostly the ones centered around puzzles. So I went straight ahead into the unknow, waiting to see what this game could add to the Kill the Past series.
Flower, Sun, and Rain is a puzzle adventure game with a big focus on narrative. Specially making nods here and there to The Silver Case since it's secretly a sequel. Here in the west we never got to recieve neither The Silver Case nor Flower, Sun and Rain at the time of it's release in any type, way, shape or form. But 7 years later we got the blessing in form of an english localization. A little too late for the party, but we got it anyways. This was launched during Suda's ascent in the west with hits such as No More Heroes and Killer7, so it made sense that at least one of his beloved works left in japan would cross the sea in style.
We take control of Sumio Mondo, a so-called searcher. Search for objects, he finds them and make people's live easier or at least I think so. Main task, disarm a terrorist bomb set in a airplane...in 2001. Mind you this was released before 9/11, it was never created with only to shock with bad taste in mind. This "simple" task while strange to be delegated to someone like Mondo turns up to be more complicated than needed once "Days" pass away. Or not? It's a mystery within a mystery within a mystery. The deeper we get the darker it gets, as any hard truth might be. But in reality Flower, Sun and Rain tone isn't dark. In fact it actually leans towards something more like a surreal comedy.
It's an easygoing but slow adventure were danger is totally eliminated. So no "Game Overs" or any "Try Again" screen if you take the wrong decision or happen to go against the rules just because. While "Skill" as we know it, pressing the buttons at the right time or what not isn't necessary here; patience will be our best friend. I certanly have patience towards the things I like and I like Suda51 so I eat it all the way through without complaining. It's enjoyable if you can take silly jokes, harmless fun and math. Don't rush it, this ain't a race. Enjoy the funny DS graphics, the compressed ass songs, pink cocodrile. It's the moment, you know. Don't try to see the logical side of it if you can't make sense of it, that can hurt a cell or two at the long run with this game.
Flower, Sun and Rain as I said before is a direct sequel to The Silver Case. But I wouldn't consider that way exactly, take it more as a spin-off that will answer some very specific questions about one or two members of the The Silver Case cast. Doesn't make things go further in the Kill the Past series but gives us a very interesing insightful analysis of Sumio as a character. From this text now on this will be nothing but spoilers but I'll try to be as vague as possible in case you still reading this, I just want to make this go through. So, you ever asked what hapenned to Kodai in The Silver Case? Look it up if you don't remember. Thing is, he regrets it and the fantasy world of his would become reality. In Paradise. The Fantasy World he talked so much about, clashed with twisted reality and a bit of..let's say an impostor syndrome. The Time Loop means something incredible, an eternal trap.
Dreams are but mere reflections of past events twisted or arrange for personal purposes. This game really did happen? It doesn't matter, but it was necessary for awakening. His awakening. Flower, the flower it's you. Sun are the possitive emotions you carry, too much of it and you will burn. Rain, the rain represents struggle, too much of it and you will end up crushed. These factors makes the Flower growth healthy and strong. The Sun can represent the humour, the good vibes, the music. The Rain can represent the events that need to occur to advance the story; the puzzles or the endless walking. This is the Flower, Sumio. Kill the Past has always play with this concept, it's in the very name. Face the reality, face the consequences, to move forward. And this game is not exception. In fact, it might be it's most clear example of what Kill the Past is, altrough hidden under layers and layers of cryptic writting and events that don't seem to correlate to the main story.
My recomendation, play The Silver Case first, that goes without saying at this point. This game is not that important to the Kill the Past series in general if we take the conservative side of it being a sequel. Take it as a christmas special. Short, familiar and sweet or a halloween special. Long, weird and scary.
Release the Beast
Digital Devil Saga is made for the classic and true to the heart RPG fans more so than the usual SMT titles with monster/demon collection involved. If Devil Summoner is SMT x Digimon, and if Persona is SMT x Tokimeki Memorial, Digital Devil Saga is SMT x Final Fantasy. Still retains every single bit of what makes a SMT title special and unique but the mechanics are what set it apart from the rest as per usual with Atlus titles that don't follow the "SMT" brand.
We play as the leader of one of the factions found in the Junkyard, Serph. He is the leader of the Embryon faction, which is basically one of many found in the Junkyard. These factions are bound to fight in a endless war which at the start of the game we don't see really the reason why. After several confortations, a revelations in the form of a human is presented to the group. This is where they awaken their demon forms and start the feel for hunger to survive. Nirvana and the human are the key to escape from that curse.
As I was saying, Digital Devil Saga takes some inspiration from Final Fantasy. The 10th numbered title to be exact, which shaped some aspects in the combat system. Most crucial of them all is the "Skill Tree" similar to the grid that can be found in Final Fantasy X. It's honestly a great concept that falls short due to characters already being specialized in one of many skill branches from the start, so there is no real rason to start and wasting macca on skills that aren't totally necessary at large. Only Serph, the main character can totally take advantage of the skill tree since his attributes aren't locked and can be changed at will after leveling up.
In case you have played Nocturne, this looks and feels very similar when it comes to presentation. At least from an outsider perspective or just at first glance. It's production value is a huge step-up from Nocturne, specially when it comes to cutscenes and...voice acting! It's really good and Atlus USA did their homework with this one. The enviroments while not many in rough quantity were really immersive and interesting.
Talking about levels, the dungeons were really fun. I don't usually have enough patience to deal with JRPG silly dungeons mechanics in general. Though I do make exceptions every now and then and DDS dungeons were simple and fun to explore. One thing does ruin it though, wich is the rate encounter. It's very high if you don't use something like Estoma Spray. And it's even harder to know when they are about to come since there is not a rough indicative bar like in Nocturne.
But I can't be that mad, the combat is solid and the Press Turn System will never not be fun. The upgrade system let's you exploit the game in ways it clearly wasn't intended to. Hell, it's possible to clear the final boss in a bunch of minutes if you are well prepared, even being several levels under from what is required or recommended at that point of the game. So, use choose the skill you need wisely and develop your team as much as possible. It's not a hard game honestly, but it gets really tough at some sections specially towards the final dungeon.
One thing I did noted is that the pace of the story is abormal and rushes the events like there is no tomorrow. I didn't found myself that interested in the story because of it, even if it handles the pacing like most JRPGs do at the end of the day. It sort of feels, out of nowhere and the ending scream sequel bait which I already fall for. Honestly more than anything feels like Part 1 of a larger series of events that will culminate on Part 2. Not a fan of that, so that is why I lowered the score. But this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this game, far from it.
More than anything, Digital Devil Saga left me wanting for more, with more answers than questions. Which I assume will be answered in the sequel. It is a great game on it's own but I can't safely say I'm totally satisfied with the end result, it isn't even that long too about 30 hours or so. The story was just starting to get good until it totally stopped.
Digital Devil Saga is made for the classic and true to the heart RPG fans more so than the usual SMT titles with monster/demon collection involved. If Devil Summoner is SMT x Digimon, and if Persona is SMT x Tokimeki Memorial, Digital Devil Saga is SMT x Final Fantasy. Still retains every single bit of what makes a SMT title special and unique but the mechanics are what set it apart from the rest as per usual with Atlus titles that don't follow the "SMT" brand.
We play as the leader of one of the factions found in the Junkyard, Serph. He is the leader of the Embryon faction, which is basically one of many found in the Junkyard. These factions are bound to fight in a endless war which at the start of the game we don't see really the reason why. After several confortations, a revelations in the form of a human is presented to the group. This is where they awaken their demon forms and start the feel for hunger to survive. Nirvana and the human are the key to escape from that curse.
As I was saying, Digital Devil Saga takes some inspiration from Final Fantasy. The 10th numbered title to be exact, which shaped some aspects in the combat system. Most crucial of them all is the "Skill Tree" similar to the grid that can be found in Final Fantasy X. It's honestly a great concept that falls short due to characters already being specialized in one of many skill branches from the start, so there is no real rason to start and wasting macca on skills that aren't totally necessary at large. Only Serph, the main character can totally take advantage of the skill tree since his attributes aren't locked and can be changed at will after leveling up.
In case you have played Nocturne, this looks and feels very similar when it comes to presentation. At least from an outsider perspective or just at first glance. It's production value is a huge step-up from Nocturne, specially when it comes to cutscenes and...voice acting! It's really good and Atlus USA did their homework with this one. The enviroments while not many in rough quantity were really immersive and interesting.
Talking about levels, the dungeons were really fun. I don't usually have enough patience to deal with JRPG silly dungeons mechanics in general. Though I do make exceptions every now and then and DDS dungeons were simple and fun to explore. One thing does ruin it though, wich is the rate encounter. It's very high if you don't use something like Estoma Spray. And it's even harder to know when they are about to come since there is not a rough indicative bar like in Nocturne.
But I can't be that mad, the combat is solid and the Press Turn System will never not be fun. The upgrade system let's you exploit the game in ways it clearly wasn't intended to. Hell, it's possible to clear the final boss in a bunch of minutes if you are well prepared, even being several levels under from what is required or recommended at that point of the game. So, use choose the skill you need wisely and develop your team as much as possible. It's not a hard game honestly, but it gets really tough at some sections specially towards the final dungeon.
One thing I did noted is that the pace of the story is abormal and rushes the events like there is no tomorrow. I didn't found myself that interested in the story because of it, even if it handles the pacing like most JRPGs do at the end of the day. It sort of feels, out of nowhere and the ending scream sequel bait which I already fall for. Honestly more than anything feels like Part 1 of a larger series of events that will culminate on Part 2. Not a fan of that, so that is why I lowered the score. But this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this game, far from it.
More than anything, Digital Devil Saga left me wanting for more, with more answers than questions. Which I assume will be answered in the sequel. It is a great game on it's own but I can't safely say I'm totally satisfied with the end result, it isn't even that long too about 30 hours or so. The story was just starting to get good until it totally stopped.
2005
Whenever people bring Killer7 to the conversation, the ambiguous story and political themes will be always on the table. The way it's presented will be confusing if you don't pay attention or, piece the puzzle that is the narrative in your head. It demands the time to be known, but it gives you little glimpses of what it is or what wants to tell. It's not incoherent nonsense spitted by the writter himself Suda51 to make you feel smarter once you understand it, it's about context and knowing what do with the tools and information you currently have. That in itself is hard, the game will be full of contradictions albeit on purpose and things that will get you the wrong idea, either your mission is to interpret those contradictions or outright not use them to form your narrative on the story. Not many people seem to have a clear idea of what it is, or what objectively wants to tell. Honestly? Me neither, it is surrealism after all and a work of art that can be interpreted in various ways.
It's the battle between west and east for world dominance, good and evil, old and new, the battle between the tiger and the dragon, Dracula vs the Belmont family? Probably, it's a cycle. "The World doesn't change, all it does it turns". It's the cycle that keeps on going, this can be seen in the "Lion" chapter where it recreates the last bit of the "Angel" chapter. 100 Years, on different places the world spins around. It doesn't matter the place but what happens in it. It's all the same, the conflict keeps on going. What matters are the actors and the people who perpetrate those actions. Than itself can be a contradiction on my end. But we can change the narrative for you liking. America can take the evil role, while Japan takes the good sided role. But it's not that easy either. Law and Chaos. It's about individualism and collectivism. Maybe all that I just said can be wrong, or truth but this is just my personal interpretations sort of throwing concept at a wall to see if it sticks or that can land in a agreement with someone else.
Compared to any rail shooter, Killer7 wants to take your time to stop and think whenever you hear a maniacal laugh or the simple puzzles that require more than anything simple memorization. Shooting, and puzzles this is the premise for gameplay. Most mechanics believe it or not are part of the story itself. Having 7 type of borderline personalities will give you the advantage to use them at will. These are the Smith Syndicate, comprised by believe it or not 7 members including it's vessel Harman Smith. While all this might seem like I'm spitting nonsense it start to once you start playing. So if this is a rail shooter, shouldn't be any space for puzzle? You got it all wrong. This is 2000's Capcom, this is Mikami's Capcom era which means there are puzzles, and by that definition multiple paths to take. Puzzles can range from fairly obvious to very tricky but nothing that could leave you hanging for a long time. It really is just a Resident Evil game, that it might be why people consider it a "Horror Survival" game. It has the bases for a horror survival game without the survival aspect of it, has horror elements sure but not enough to specifically fall into the genre.
While this game might seem like a chaotic mess for the ones that look from outside. It's actually structured like a proper era video game. Not that I thought less of it, but seeing how outageous differently visually is from anything I've seen and for the looks from the trailers themselves I swear I was expecting something much more wild. In fact, the very same structure of level selection can be streched to as far back as Mega Man boss selection. 7 people, killer7, right? That streching things too far, but my point is don't be scared about it's structure. It start to get very comfortable once you get the loop, once you know what to do, once the puzzle start to feel but mere obstacles in your way. Art-sy game tend to break the mold as far as they can, but this wasn't the era nor the time to do it. Though it will play with your expectations more often than not so expect to see weird stuff regardless.
It's the style, which helps having a great sense of substance. As much as SUDA51 loves to put his art over really...anything? It stands up for something incredibly unique and obtuse first time playing it. Can't really say I've experience something like these before, outside some arcades I usually stopped by after school as a kid. None other game that I personally know has been inspired by killer7 specifically (outside of Killer is Dead but I'm yet to play that one). What other game at the time had the balls to not put real texutures into already basic geometry? These are flat colors, makes characters and objects pop-up much more while keeping the visuals simple and not obstruct with any post-processing effect like particles or not. Only gave that came up in my mind while I'm writting this is MadWorld from Platinum Games on the Wii.
What is killer7 then? I took the ideas that stood up the most to me. I can say that this is a rail shooting game with horor elements but that is keeping it short. It's an action game with deep political themes but that is selling it short. You start to get the idea, different people have different interpretations. It's the same as in this page there, is not a real truth and we can only but interpret what a work and it's purpose to the exist it. Specially as something as surreal and unique as killer7. Whenever I tried to write something about this game I always think I'm selling it short or I'm not doing enough justice. It's complicated, but fascinating to talk about.
It's the battle between west and east for world dominance, good and evil, old and new, the battle between the tiger and the dragon, Dracula vs the Belmont family? Probably, it's a cycle. "The World doesn't change, all it does it turns". It's the cycle that keeps on going, this can be seen in the "Lion" chapter where it recreates the last bit of the "Angel" chapter. 100 Years, on different places the world spins around. It doesn't matter the place but what happens in it. It's all the same, the conflict keeps on going. What matters are the actors and the people who perpetrate those actions. Than itself can be a contradiction on my end. But we can change the narrative for you liking. America can take the evil role, while Japan takes the good sided role. But it's not that easy either. Law and Chaos. It's about individualism and collectivism. Maybe all that I just said can be wrong, or truth but this is just my personal interpretations sort of throwing concept at a wall to see if it sticks or that can land in a agreement with someone else.
Compared to any rail shooter, Killer7 wants to take your time to stop and think whenever you hear a maniacal laugh or the simple puzzles that require more than anything simple memorization. Shooting, and puzzles this is the premise for gameplay. Most mechanics believe it or not are part of the story itself. Having 7 type of borderline personalities will give you the advantage to use them at will. These are the Smith Syndicate, comprised by believe it or not 7 members including it's vessel Harman Smith. While all this might seem like I'm spitting nonsense it start to once you start playing. So if this is a rail shooter, shouldn't be any space for puzzle? You got it all wrong. This is 2000's Capcom, this is Mikami's Capcom era which means there are puzzles, and by that definition multiple paths to take. Puzzles can range from fairly obvious to very tricky but nothing that could leave you hanging for a long time. It really is just a Resident Evil game, that it might be why people consider it a "Horror Survival" game. It has the bases for a horror survival game without the survival aspect of it, has horror elements sure but not enough to specifically fall into the genre.
While this game might seem like a chaotic mess for the ones that look from outside. It's actually structured like a proper era video game. Not that I thought less of it, but seeing how outageous differently visually is from anything I've seen and for the looks from the trailers themselves I swear I was expecting something much more wild. In fact, the very same structure of level selection can be streched to as far back as Mega Man boss selection. 7 people, killer7, right? That streching things too far, but my point is don't be scared about it's structure. It start to get very comfortable once you get the loop, once you know what to do, once the puzzle start to feel but mere obstacles in your way. Art-sy game tend to break the mold as far as they can, but this wasn't the era nor the time to do it. Though it will play with your expectations more often than not so expect to see weird stuff regardless.
It's the style, which helps having a great sense of substance. As much as SUDA51 loves to put his art over really...anything? It stands up for something incredibly unique and obtuse first time playing it. Can't really say I've experience something like these before, outside some arcades I usually stopped by after school as a kid. None other game that I personally know has been inspired by killer7 specifically (outside of Killer is Dead but I'm yet to play that one). What other game at the time had the balls to not put real texutures into already basic geometry? These are flat colors, makes characters and objects pop-up much more while keeping the visuals simple and not obstruct with any post-processing effect like particles or not. Only gave that came up in my mind while I'm writting this is MadWorld from Platinum Games on the Wii.
What is killer7 then? I took the ideas that stood up the most to me. I can say that this is a rail shooting game with horor elements but that is keeping it short. It's an action game with deep political themes but that is selling it short. You start to get the idea, different people have different interpretations. It's the same as in this page there, is not a real truth and we can only but interpret what a work and it's purpose to the exist it. Specially as something as surreal and unique as killer7. Whenever I tried to write something about this game I always think I'm selling it short or I'm not doing enough justice. It's complicated, but fascinating to talk about.
2019
25th Ward little story expansion, won't take you more than 15 minutes to read if you are decent at reading. This is just a fangame recreation of the manga, which is also translated by fans.
I'd rather recommend you reading the manga first since it has more illustrations and is more visually appealing overall. Text is considerably slower than either 25th or TSC too.
It's a nice fan tribute to the games themselves, artstyle and uniqueness but again just read the manga. There is a character that will end up appearing in No More Heroes 3, which is part of the greenout chapter and this is her first appearance with a little origin story. It reminded me a little of 25th Placebo very last chapter, just way shorter.
Only recommended in case...you want to hear the music while reading? Filling the gaps will be way harder without the illustrations. If you are curious, give it a try.
I'd rather recommend you reading the manga first since it has more illustrations and is more visually appealing overall. Text is considerably slower than either 25th or TSC too.
It's a nice fan tribute to the games themselves, artstyle and uniqueness but again just read the manga. There is a character that will end up appearing in No More Heroes 3, which is part of the greenout chapter and this is her first appearance with a little origin story. It reminded me a little of 25th Placebo very last chapter, just way shorter.
Only recommended in case...you want to hear the music while reading? Filling the gaps will be way harder without the illustrations. If you are curious, give it a try.