Nepiki
2010
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/fate-extra/
''I’m usually pretty amnesiac and therefore only review games that I’ve played in the past few months for accuracy purposes. It has actually been more than a few months since I last played Fate/Extra, but I get a warm nostalgic feeling whenever I look back on the game. Most of that has to do with the memorable characters, and the close relationship you ended up forming with your Servant. This is nothing uncommon for Visual Novel games, but I feel it was particularly executed well here as creating that relationship is also one of the major driving forces behind the story; gain their trust, and become stronger together. I am personally mixed on the combat however, which is the part of the game I don’t necessarily have warm nostalgic feelings for. The idea of learning your enemies combat behaviour through (optional) dialogue and recurring battles is brilliant, but it makes early battles very RNG-heavy and can often result in a game over. There are also a few too many pointless spaces in the school that I visited every day for completion, but most of the time it was just a time-waster. That aside, I did really enjoy Fate/Extra and therefore it truly deserves the 8.5 out of 10!''
''I’m usually pretty amnesiac and therefore only review games that I’ve played in the past few months for accuracy purposes. It has actually been more than a few months since I last played Fate/Extra, but I get a warm nostalgic feeling whenever I look back on the game. Most of that has to do with the memorable characters, and the close relationship you ended up forming with your Servant. This is nothing uncommon for Visual Novel games, but I feel it was particularly executed well here as creating that relationship is also one of the major driving forces behind the story; gain their trust, and become stronger together. I am personally mixed on the combat however, which is the part of the game I don’t necessarily have warm nostalgic feelings for. The idea of learning your enemies combat behaviour through (optional) dialogue and recurring battles is brilliant, but it makes early battles very RNG-heavy and can often result in a game over. There are also a few too many pointless spaces in the school that I visited every day for completion, but most of the time it was just a time-waster. That aside, I did really enjoy Fate/Extra and therefore it truly deserves the 8.5 out of 10!''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/danganronpa-trigger-happy-havoc/
''Despite my initial prejudice of the game, Danganronpa pleasantly surprised me. While I am still conflicted on how the detective part of the game was handled with unmissable evidence, the actual trials themselves are a joy to experience. They are fast-paced, and the knowledge you have about your own gathered evidence will be put to the test albeit not punished harshly if you fail. That, and even with the gathered evidence trials still take an unexpected turn quite occasionally with the different viewpoints other students might have. The characters overall are a good group of characteristics, but what I liked most if the chemistry between them being ”Ultimate” and it being made completely irrelevant in the setting, causing even them to fall into despair despite their happy-go-lucky life before they went to this school. You can bond further with them as well, of which most is done in the extra School Mode. It’s… okay I guess, decently fun for one playthrough but it makes you braindead every playthrough after. The main attraction–the story and plot twists–are executed very well however, and therefore Danganronpa gets an 8 from me!''
''Despite my initial prejudice of the game, Danganronpa pleasantly surprised me. While I am still conflicted on how the detective part of the game was handled with unmissable evidence, the actual trials themselves are a joy to experience. They are fast-paced, and the knowledge you have about your own gathered evidence will be put to the test albeit not punished harshly if you fail. That, and even with the gathered evidence trials still take an unexpected turn quite occasionally with the different viewpoints other students might have. The characters overall are a good group of characteristics, but what I liked most if the chemistry between them being ”Ultimate” and it being made completely irrelevant in the setting, causing even them to fall into despair despite their happy-go-lucky life before they went to this school. You can bond further with them as well, of which most is done in the extra School Mode. It’s… okay I guess, decently fun for one playthrough but it makes you braindead every playthrough after. The main attraction–the story and plot twists–are executed very well however, and therefore Danganronpa gets an 8 from me!''
2019
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/pikuniku/
''Pikuniku is a short- and easy game, hence why the review is also not very long. It’s a simple game with a good sense of humour that is especially geared towards the children. It’s a dry sense of humour that doesn’t rely on in-jokes or adultery lines, but instead on good writing with a fun- and diverse cast of characters. It got me laughing out loud multiple times, and I feel that’s a worth accomplishment in its own right. Gameplay-wise the game is fine as well; Piku controls pretty well even with lanky legs, and there is enough variety in gameplay to keep the pace going. The puzzles are easy to understand, and there is a good amount of optional stuff–even though I’m still unsure what to do with all of it. That said, it’s a short but very fun adventure and ideal for the younger audience, but not a bad game to play for the older gamers either. My recommendation for Pikuniku is to beat it, and complete it if you so desire!''
''Pikuniku is a short- and easy game, hence why the review is also not very long. It’s a simple game with a good sense of humour that is especially geared towards the children. It’s a dry sense of humour that doesn’t rely on in-jokes or adultery lines, but instead on good writing with a fun- and diverse cast of characters. It got me laughing out loud multiple times, and I feel that’s a worth accomplishment in its own right. Gameplay-wise the game is fine as well; Piku controls pretty well even with lanky legs, and there is enough variety in gameplay to keep the pace going. The puzzles are easy to understand, and there is a good amount of optional stuff–even though I’m still unsure what to do with all of it. That said, it’s a short but very fun adventure and ideal for the younger audience, but not a bad game to play for the older gamers either. My recommendation for Pikuniku is to beat it, and complete it if you so desire!''
2019
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/touhou-luna-nights/
''It’s probably a good moment to bring up the question I asked earlier: can outsiders that are not familiar with Touhou enjoy Luna Nights? While that’s hard for me to say as I am a Touhou fan, I’m of the opinion that it’s a very solid Metroidvania that anyone should be able to enjoy. You could say that it’s a budget Metroidvania to an extend with how short it is and how much it ”borrows” from other Metroidvania’s, but the developers executed it pretty well regardless and that’s what matters most. The castle is fun to explore, there are a ton of secrets but most of all: controlling Sakuya Izayoi is an absolute joy. It is a decently difficult game with stats that barely increase over the course of the game, yet encourages risky play to recover HP and MP. Stopping time is a great mechanic to use and balanced since it’s on a cooldown–at least, for most of the game. It is true that you unlock an ability that breaks the game later on but eh, that is pretty late-game and it’s very much optional. I’ve had a good time mastering the game and especially the fun boss battles, and therefore my recommendation is to beat and complete it!''
''It’s probably a good moment to bring up the question I asked earlier: can outsiders that are not familiar with Touhou enjoy Luna Nights? While that’s hard for me to say as I am a Touhou fan, I’m of the opinion that it’s a very solid Metroidvania that anyone should be able to enjoy. You could say that it’s a budget Metroidvania to an extend with how short it is and how much it ”borrows” from other Metroidvania’s, but the developers executed it pretty well regardless and that’s what matters most. The castle is fun to explore, there are a ton of secrets but most of all: controlling Sakuya Izayoi is an absolute joy. It is a decently difficult game with stats that barely increase over the course of the game, yet encourages risky play to recover HP and MP. Stopping time is a great mechanic to use and balanced since it’s on a cooldown–at least, for most of the game. It is true that you unlock an ability that breaks the game later on but eh, that is pretty late-game and it’s very much optional. I’ve had a good time mastering the game and especially the fun boss battles, and therefore my recommendation is to beat and complete it!''
2019
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/gato-roboto/
''I have not been overly positive about Gato Roboto this review, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game; it’s just not outstanding in a market oversaturated with Metroidvania games. The world is fun to explore, but it’s almost completely linear so I can praise this game more as a platformer/action game than the genre that many people like to instantly refer to when a game has a map system with levels you can revisit after you’ve gotten new abilities. I will give special credit to the game encouraging you to sequence break however, as that was pretty fun to do. The gameplay itself feels fluid overall, though I swear the main controllable cat and its mech have butter under their feet which made platforming more difficult than it should be at times. I really enjoyed the boss battles though; they’re simple, but do use patterns with at least one mechanic you’ve been using in that area. It’s a fun game and I definitely recommend it, but your expectations should be that you’re going to be playing a short, simple Metroid-inspired game.''
''I have not been overly positive about Gato Roboto this review, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game; it’s just not outstanding in a market oversaturated with Metroidvania games. The world is fun to explore, but it’s almost completely linear so I can praise this game more as a platformer/action game than the genre that many people like to instantly refer to when a game has a map system with levels you can revisit after you’ve gotten new abilities. I will give special credit to the game encouraging you to sequence break however, as that was pretty fun to do. The gameplay itself feels fluid overall, though I swear the main controllable cat and its mech have butter under their feet which made platforming more difficult than it should be at times. I really enjoyed the boss battles though; they’re simple, but do use patterns with at least one mechanic you’ve been using in that area. It’s a fun game and I definitely recommend it, but your expectations should be that you’re going to be playing a short, simple Metroid-inspired game.''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-to-azure/
''I’m not sure if I would call the Crossbell duology my favourite of the The Legend of Heroes series, but I can certainly say it’s the best when it comes to the amazing plot. There were so many plot twists, world-building has become even better and it’s probably the most important game in the entire series with how it affects not only Crossbell, but its neighbouring countries as well. Unfortunately there is one massive elephant in the room here, being that the game has never been officially localized. There is a translation patch which is very much capable if you come here for just the story, but obviously does not live up to an official localization. And honestly I also have doubts that the Crossbell duology will ever get an official localization so if you are planning to delve deeper into the franchise, this is pretty much your only option for now. I definitely think this is a must-play, but only if you have played all the games before it. Despite not being the most accessible game, I still give this game the highest rating I could possibly give though I will cut off a slight bit for the fun rating due to me playing the game differently than I normally would because of the patch.''
''I’m not sure if I would call the Crossbell duology my favourite of the The Legend of Heroes series, but I can certainly say it’s the best when it comes to the amazing plot. There were so many plot twists, world-building has become even better and it’s probably the most important game in the entire series with how it affects not only Crossbell, but its neighbouring countries as well. Unfortunately there is one massive elephant in the room here, being that the game has never been officially localized. There is a translation patch which is very much capable if you come here for just the story, but obviously does not live up to an official localization. And honestly I also have doubts that the Crossbell duology will ever get an official localization so if you are planning to delve deeper into the franchise, this is pretty much your only option for now. I definitely think this is a must-play, but only if you have played all the games before it. Despite not being the most accessible game, I still give this game the highest rating I could possibly give though I will cut off a slight bit for the fun rating due to me playing the game differently than I normally would because of the patch.''
2012
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/dishonored/
''If there’s one thing I can give Dishonored the highest praise for, it’s that the game allows you to play the game however you want by giving you tons of freedom. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pacifist or hate all living beings; Dishonored gives you all the resources you need to execute either playstyle. Your actions also directly affect how the remainder of the game will play out for you, as the amount of chaos you create will be reflected in a respective amount of alertness by the opposite side. The main protagonist Corvo is really fun to play as because he has so many tools and abilities on his side that compliment your alignment. I find the world of Dishonored interesting too, but I couldn’t really care about any of the characters in the game and what their fate would be so the impact of my actions didn’t affect me as much as I wanted it to do. Putting that aside however, Dishonored is a really fun game to play and it’s a definite recommendation to finish as least once, with a second recommendation being that you should try out both playstyles. Third recommendation, be sure to check out the options before- or during playing as there is a high possibility the game might make you sick (which also slightly affects my Fun rating).''
''If there’s one thing I can give Dishonored the highest praise for, it’s that the game allows you to play the game however you want by giving you tons of freedom. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pacifist or hate all living beings; Dishonored gives you all the resources you need to execute either playstyle. Your actions also directly affect how the remainder of the game will play out for you, as the amount of chaos you create will be reflected in a respective amount of alertness by the opposite side. The main protagonist Corvo is really fun to play as because he has so many tools and abilities on his side that compliment your alignment. I find the world of Dishonored interesting too, but I couldn’t really care about any of the characters in the game and what their fate would be so the impact of my actions didn’t affect me as much as I wanted it to do. Putting that aside however, Dishonored is a really fun game to play and it’s a definite recommendation to finish as least once, with a second recommendation being that you should try out both playstyles. Third recommendation, be sure to check out the options before- or during playing as there is a high possibility the game might make you sick (which also slightly affects my Fun rating).''
1992
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/space-megaforce-super-aleste/
''I really enjoyed my playthrough of Super Aleste, and to have finally finished it despite being one of my first games ever. I must admit that I’m in no way an expert on the Schumps genre despite liking them, but Super Aleste is definitely amongst my favourites out there. It is helped by the great amount of variety in weapons, with each having a secondary effect as well allowing for a lot of experimentation. Giving you a lot of freedom in a game such as this is welcome as it’s pretty difficult as well, but not unfair. And despite being difficult, the checkpoints are very forgiving with infinite retries, allowing you to gradually get better at the game. Furthermore, it’s impressive when it comes to performance with the SNES, having a consistent framerate and graphics that still look beautiful today. I would say it’s a good introduction to the Shmup genre as well despite there being many more that are easier, and definitely one you shouldn’t miss out on if you’re a fan of the genre in general.''
''I really enjoyed my playthrough of Super Aleste, and to have finally finished it despite being one of my first games ever. I must admit that I’m in no way an expert on the Schumps genre despite liking them, but Super Aleste is definitely amongst my favourites out there. It is helped by the great amount of variety in weapons, with each having a secondary effect as well allowing for a lot of experimentation. Giving you a lot of freedom in a game such as this is welcome as it’s pretty difficult as well, but not unfair. And despite being difficult, the checkpoints are very forgiving with infinite retries, allowing you to gradually get better at the game. Furthermore, it’s impressive when it comes to performance with the SNES, having a consistent framerate and graphics that still look beautiful today. I would say it’s a good introduction to the Shmup genre as well despite there being many more that are easier, and definitely one you shouldn’t miss out on if you’re a fan of the genre in general.''
2018
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/celeste/
''I think it speaks volume that someone who doesn’t really enjoy pixel-perfect platformers that much still had a great time with Celeste as a whole. This is not only because the game is very forgiving and overall not that extremely difficult when just focussing on the main game and ignoring collectables, but also because of how well it compliments the theme of the game which, without spoilers, is definitely one of the high points of the game. The level design is set up very well in that regard too, as the early parts teach you everything you need to know about a stage and its stage-specific obstacles, while later on you’re tested with variants on them and longer segments. Madeline also controls very well, with the best thing being that there are a lot of hidden speedrunner moves available from the start that the game only teaches you in the post-game levels. I do wish there was a way to cancel dashes however, and the levels allowing for little backtracking is also something I’m not fond of. Regardless, Celeste is an excellent game and I’m not surprised by the amount of love it has gotten from gamers all around the world.''
''I think it speaks volume that someone who doesn’t really enjoy pixel-perfect platformers that much still had a great time with Celeste as a whole. This is not only because the game is very forgiving and overall not that extremely difficult when just focussing on the main game and ignoring collectables, but also because of how well it compliments the theme of the game which, without spoilers, is definitely one of the high points of the game. The level design is set up very well in that regard too, as the early parts teach you everything you need to know about a stage and its stage-specific obstacles, while later on you’re tested with variants on them and longer segments. Madeline also controls very well, with the best thing being that there are a lot of hidden speedrunner moves available from the start that the game only teaches you in the post-game levels. I do wish there was a way to cancel dashes however, and the levels allowing for little backtracking is also something I’m not fond of. Regardless, Celeste is an excellent game and I’m not surprised by the amount of love it has gotten from gamers all around the world.''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light/
''The biggest problems with Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light are the many questionable- and restrictive decisions made. The game is built around these exclusions, but that still doesn’t excuse the inability to target enemies- or allies. Allies being split-up to focus on character development is a good idea on paper, but the execution was done rather poorly. Most of the issues that I did have however, were almost all negated in the second half of the game where the heroes united. While the first half was still good but occasionally frustrating for me personally, the second half had me far more excited due to giving me a lot of strategic freedom and the story also having an interesting twist. The Crown system in and of itself saved most of the battle system’s shortcomings due to how flexible it is, and the story started focussing on a singular goal for all the heroes after each of them were given their own spotlight. This storybook approach of telling the story was one I appreciated very much, and will definitely be one of the defining factors that I will remember from my journey through this game.''
''The biggest problems with Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light are the many questionable- and restrictive decisions made. The game is built around these exclusions, but that still doesn’t excuse the inability to target enemies- or allies. Allies being split-up to focus on character development is a good idea on paper, but the execution was done rather poorly. Most of the issues that I did have however, were almost all negated in the second half of the game where the heroes united. While the first half was still good but occasionally frustrating for me personally, the second half had me far more excited due to giving me a lot of strategic freedom and the story also having an interesting twist. The Crown system in and of itself saved most of the battle system’s shortcomings due to how flexible it is, and the story started focussing on a singular goal for all the heroes after each of them were given their own spotlight. This storybook approach of telling the story was one I appreciated very much, and will definitely be one of the defining factors that I will remember from my journey through this game.''
2018
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/underhero/
''Underhero came to an interesting conclusion to the question “what happens if the hero dies?”. The plot was booming with personality, having a ton of humorous characters and a whole lot of charm to it. But it doesn’t just nail the personality department, but also the overall battle system–which is very important in an RPG to me. Taking a note from the Mario RPGs but making it action-based instead was definitely something I could get behind and just like those battle systems, skilful play is rewarded in spades. There’s a good amount of different weapons- and defensive options to take against the rather small-sized pool of enemies, which I would say is one of the low points of the game but not one that really hurt the overall fun I had. Add to that fun boss battles, good enough platforming and a bunch of fun minigames and you got a game that you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.''
''Underhero came to an interesting conclusion to the question “what happens if the hero dies?”. The plot was booming with personality, having a ton of humorous characters and a whole lot of charm to it. But it doesn’t just nail the personality department, but also the overall battle system–which is very important in an RPG to me. Taking a note from the Mario RPGs but making it action-based instead was definitely something I could get behind and just like those battle systems, skilful play is rewarded in spades. There’s a good amount of different weapons- and defensive options to take against the rather small-sized pool of enemies, which I would say is one of the low points of the game but not one that really hurt the overall fun I had. Add to that fun boss battles, good enough platforming and a bunch of fun minigames and you got a game that you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/the-textorcist-the-story-of-ray-bibbia/
''The Textorcist is a charming little indie game with a good sense of dark adult humour. That said, it is also a game made for veterans of both the typing- and bullet-hell variety. While I personally don’t mind it, The Textorcist is anything but an entry-level game, with no easy mode available for playing with the keyboard. Console players don’t have this problem, but they aren’t really playing a typing game which removes half the fun of this game. I personally didn’t struggle too much with the game though, as it’s surprisingly manageable for a combination of genres that shouldn’t work on paper. You don’t take immediate damage upon being hit and spelling errors just set you back a character. I had a ton of fun fighting these bosses that all had their own mechanics, though I will curse the Latin language forevermore. The accelerating gameplay is definitely the best part of the game for me, and I can’t wait to see more games like this!''
''The Textorcist is a charming little indie game with a good sense of dark adult humour. That said, it is also a game made for veterans of both the typing- and bullet-hell variety. While I personally don’t mind it, The Textorcist is anything but an entry-level game, with no easy mode available for playing with the keyboard. Console players don’t have this problem, but they aren’t really playing a typing game which removes half the fun of this game. I personally didn’t struggle too much with the game though, as it’s surprisingly manageable for a combination of genres that shouldn’t work on paper. You don’t take immediate damage upon being hit and spelling errors just set you back a character. I had a ton of fun fighting these bosses that all had their own mechanics, though I will curse the Latin language forevermore. The accelerating gameplay is definitely the best part of the game for me, and I can’t wait to see more games like this!''
2018
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/suzy-cube/
''Suzy Cube has a direct inspiration in a 3D Platformer made by a very well-known company, and has been able to translate that specific game’s design well into its own. At the same time, it doesn’t attempt to go beyond the limitations of what the inspiration was forced to work with, and as a result feels very basic in comparison. Suzy controls fairly smoothly overall, but there’s little going for her besides a regular jump and a very small pool of power-ups. The stages do all feel different and while they work well with the fixed camera, the collectables are often cheaply-placed off-camera. I liked the boss the first time, but he returns 5 times with very slight alterations that only end up in the fights dragging out. Suzy Cube is overall a fine game, but I would have liked to see it break free from its inspiration just a bit more.''
''Suzy Cube has a direct inspiration in a 3D Platformer made by a very well-known company, and has been able to translate that specific game’s design well into its own. At the same time, it doesn’t attempt to go beyond the limitations of what the inspiration was forced to work with, and as a result feels very basic in comparison. Suzy controls fairly smoothly overall, but there’s little going for her besides a regular jump and a very small pool of power-ups. The stages do all feel different and while they work well with the fixed camera, the collectables are often cheaply-placed off-camera. I liked the boss the first time, but he returns 5 times with very slight alterations that only end up in the fights dragging out. Suzy Cube is overall a fine game, but I would have liked to see it break free from its inspiration just a bit more.''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/professor-layton-and-the-curious-village/
''With a beautiful hand-drawn art style and a unique setting, Professor Layton and the Curious Village has definitely intrigued me to try out more of this franchise in due time. The characters are vibrant and designed around their personalities, and their obsessive nature with handing out puzzles at the most awkward of times made me laugh more than it probably was intended to. I also felt the puzzles were good for the most part, but there were some real stinkers in there that I disliked due to them intentionally trying to trick you… which ruined every trick question that came afterwards due to me already expecting them. I will admit that I had less fun than I wanted to due to my completionist mindset, but I have learned my lesson and will apply this knowledge to future games for sure.''
''With a beautiful hand-drawn art style and a unique setting, Professor Layton and the Curious Village has definitely intrigued me to try out more of this franchise in due time. The characters are vibrant and designed around their personalities, and their obsessive nature with handing out puzzles at the most awkward of times made me laugh more than it probably was intended to. I also felt the puzzles were good for the most part, but there were some real stinkers in there that I disliked due to them intentionally trying to trick you… which ruined every trick question that came afterwards due to me already expecting them. I will admit that I had less fun than I wanted to due to my completionist mindset, but I have learned my lesson and will apply this knowledge to future games for sure.''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/cybarian-the-time-travelling-warrior/
''The goal of Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior was to be an arcade-like game inspired by old-school platformers and beat-m-ups, and I’d say they’ve done a fairly good job at it. The difficulty is deliberately set to be an arcade-like experience, but I personally found it to be perfectly manageable overall due to later abilities slightly ruining the otherwise fine timing-based combat. I had fun going through the stages because they offered something new with every new area, but my main issue with them is a problem I have with the game in general: it’s far too short, and also a bit too simplistic. The game can easily be beaten in less than an hour, and while I certainly had fun and craved for more, I’m of the opinion that this game is too short. There’s a lot of potential for a good, or even great game here, but most of it doesn’t reach the potential it could have become.''
''The goal of Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior was to be an arcade-like game inspired by old-school platformers and beat-m-ups, and I’d say they’ve done a fairly good job at it. The difficulty is deliberately set to be an arcade-like experience, but I personally found it to be perfectly manageable overall due to later abilities slightly ruining the otherwise fine timing-based combat. I had fun going through the stages because they offered something new with every new area, but my main issue with them is a problem I have with the game in general: it’s far too short, and also a bit too simplistic. The game can easily be beaten in less than an hour, and while I certainly had fun and craved for more, I’m of the opinion that this game is too short. There’s a lot of potential for a good, or even great game here, but most of it doesn’t reach the potential it could have become.''