Nepiki
2016
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/superhot/
''It’s very clear from that start that SUPERHOT is a game that’s very much self-aware in how it handles the story. It is handled pretty well through the ASCII design of the main menu, but also through the gameplay itself. Since this may-or-may-not be a ”game”, it is important that the player knows what to do right away, which is accomplished through the minimalistic design. That said, however: while the gameplay is solid, the game barely evolves past what it introduces to you at first. This isn’t an issue overall because the game has a perfect length for it, but it didn’t encourage me to try out the post-game content too much. Endless mode is fine on its own, but challenges only restrict the player without any changes made to the exact same levels of the campaign that you’re going through. I did have a good amount of fun with the main campaign, but I feel the magic of what made the game fun wasn’t able to shine in anything other than the main campaign.''
''It’s very clear from that start that SUPERHOT is a game that’s very much self-aware in how it handles the story. It is handled pretty well through the ASCII design of the main menu, but also through the gameplay itself. Since this may-or-may-not be a ”game”, it is important that the player knows what to do right away, which is accomplished through the minimalistic design. That said, however: while the gameplay is solid, the game barely evolves past what it introduces to you at first. This isn’t an issue overall because the game has a perfect length for it, but it didn’t encourage me to try out the post-game content too much. Endless mode is fine on its own, but challenges only restrict the player without any changes made to the exact same levels of the campaign that you’re going through. I did have a good amount of fun with the main campaign, but I feel the magic of what made the game fun wasn’t able to shine in anything other than the main campaign.''
2014
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/xeodrifter/
''Before going into Xeodrifter, you should realise that what you’re about to play is a budget Metroidvania. Describing it as a budget game does not necessarily mean it’s bad as it isn’t; it’s enjoyable to play and the main protagonist controls pretty well despite having a fixed jump height and a very weak gun at first that is unable to shoot in multiple directions. But the Metroidvania part of the game is lacklustre, always having forced progress instead of giving you multiple options where to go. It’s also a shame that you don’t unlock shortcuts with newly-obtained upgrades, meaning that you have to go through the same sections more often than not. This is further emphasised by the world not being connected, but separated into four different levels. Boss fights are constantly repeated as well and while they function well as a ”get to learn the boss’ patterns” boss, it just gets boring after the fourth or fifth encounter. Xeodrifter is a fine game for the amount of hours it lasts (which is not long), but don’t set your expectations too high; this game isn’t going to change your viewpoint on the Metroidvania genre. I give Xeodrifter 6 unoriginal bosses out of 10!''
''Before going into Xeodrifter, you should realise that what you’re about to play is a budget Metroidvania. Describing it as a budget game does not necessarily mean it’s bad as it isn’t; it’s enjoyable to play and the main protagonist controls pretty well despite having a fixed jump height and a very weak gun at first that is unable to shoot in multiple directions. But the Metroidvania part of the game is lacklustre, always having forced progress instead of giving you multiple options where to go. It’s also a shame that you don’t unlock shortcuts with newly-obtained upgrades, meaning that you have to go through the same sections more often than not. This is further emphasised by the world not being connected, but separated into four different levels. Boss fights are constantly repeated as well and while they function well as a ”get to learn the boss’ patterns” boss, it just gets boring after the fourth or fifth encounter. Xeodrifter is a fine game for the amount of hours it lasts (which is not long), but don’t set your expectations too high; this game isn’t going to change your viewpoint on the Metroidvania genre. I give Xeodrifter 6 unoriginal bosses out of 10!''
2016
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/doom-2016/
''My first journey into the DOOM franchise has left me very satisfied, and that’s because playing DOOM itself has been made very satisfying. It is such a thrill to become a one-man army, able to slaughter any enemy in your path in the most gruesome of ways. Doomguy controls very well mechanically and has a lot up his arsenal. Eventually it does get slightly repetitive due to the variation in demons not being too big, but there are enough modes next to the main campaign to indulge yourself in. I’m afraid the multiplayer aspect won’t be very active much longer after the release of DOOM Eternal, but there’s still the map creator and arcade mode to mess around with. DOOM is great fun, and it definitely deserves my score of a 9 out of 10!''
''My first journey into the DOOM franchise has left me very satisfied, and that’s because playing DOOM itself has been made very satisfying. It is such a thrill to become a one-man army, able to slaughter any enemy in your path in the most gruesome of ways. Doomguy controls very well mechanically and has a lot up his arsenal. Eventually it does get slightly repetitive due to the variation in demons not being too big, but there are enough modes next to the main campaign to indulge yourself in. I’m afraid the multiplayer aspect won’t be very active much longer after the release of DOOM Eternal, but there’s still the map creator and arcade mode to mess around with. DOOM is great fun, and it definitely deserves my score of a 9 out of 10!''
Full review on my website (Geofront patch): https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-from-zero/
''It comes as no surprise that I absolutely fell in love with The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero. Gameplay-wise it’s a nice improvement over the original Sky trilogy with a good amount of quality-of-life enhancements for an even better experience. But obviously when it comes to games like these, the world-building, story and characters are the driving force behind the game. Trails from Zero delivers on all three fronts with a good story that keeps the action going, a loveable cast of diverse characters and excellent world-building. Particularly the last part is noteworthy, as Crossbell uses its smaller region size to keep relations with citizens and important characters very consistent. You also learn straight away just what kind of messed-up state Crossbell actually is due to a strong start, and the game keeps being strong right till the very end with its characters and story. For a game this consistently good, it should come as no surprise that I give this game my highest possible rating: a 10 out of 10!''
''It comes as no surprise that I absolutely fell in love with The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero. Gameplay-wise it’s a nice improvement over the original Sky trilogy with a good amount of quality-of-life enhancements for an even better experience. But obviously when it comes to games like these, the world-building, story and characters are the driving force behind the game. Trails from Zero delivers on all three fronts with a good story that keeps the action going, a loveable cast of diverse characters and excellent world-building. Particularly the last part is noteworthy, as Crossbell uses its smaller region size to keep relations with citizens and important characters very consistent. You also learn straight away just what kind of messed-up state Crossbell actually is due to a strong start, and the game keeps being strong right till the very end with its characters and story. For a game this consistently good, it should come as no surprise that I give this game my highest possible rating: a 10 out of 10!''
2013
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/typerider/
''The main objective of Type:Rider is to educate people of all generations about the history of Typography. At times it feels like going through an actual museum with how it thematically set itself up, using fonts and historical people- and events as actual level design. In-between there are books to read that go more in-depth about the history of Typography. On that front, I can say that the game does a splendid job, but unfortunately gameplay matters. Playing as two dots does not only sounds complicated; it’s a mess to control. It’s not really noticeable in early stages which are pretty bland and thus don’t require a lot of platforming, but when you are forced to do platforming you’ll notice quickly how frustrating it is to play the game. I will give praise regardless for being thematically a good educational game but with gameplay like this, I can’t give it any higher than a rather generous 4 out of 10.''
''The main objective of Type:Rider is to educate people of all generations about the history of Typography. At times it feels like going through an actual museum with how it thematically set itself up, using fonts and historical people- and events as actual level design. In-between there are books to read that go more in-depth about the history of Typography. On that front, I can say that the game does a splendid job, but unfortunately gameplay matters. Playing as two dots does not only sounds complicated; it’s a mess to control. It’s not really noticeable in early stages which are pretty bland and thus don’t require a lot of platforming, but when you are forced to do platforming you’ll notice quickly how frustrating it is to play the game. I will give praise regardless for being thematically a good educational game but with gameplay like this, I can’t give it any higher than a rather generous 4 out of 10.''
2011
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/super-mario-3d-land/
''I’ve been positive- and negative towards this game, mostly about the level design- and structure. I did have a blast with this game since the levels were at least good designed though, but I didn’t feel the need to play through it more than once. Spoiler alert, I had to. But at the end of the day, we still have a good Mario game here that I’m confident every 3ds owner that enjoys Mario should own. But um, probably think about it twice (heh, spoiler alert 2.0) if you want to complete it or not. Overall, it gets an 7.5 out of 10 from me!''
''I’ve been positive- and negative towards this game, mostly about the level design- and structure. I did have a blast with this game since the levels were at least good designed though, but I didn’t feel the need to play through it more than once. Spoiler alert, I had to. But at the end of the day, we still have a good Mario game here that I’m confident every 3ds owner that enjoys Mario should own. But um, probably think about it twice (heh, spoiler alert 2.0) if you want to complete it or not. Overall, it gets an 7.5 out of 10 from me!''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/mega-man-maverick-hunter-x/
''Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X is a remake in the truest sense of the word. It does not change a lot, neither is it a replacement of the original. Instead, it’s a love letter to the original game that fans of the franchise that enhances the experience even further. Fair warning in advance though: don’t expect your knowledge about chronological power-up locations to work here, because it won’t. I’m still sort-of conflicted on that point but for now, I’ll say it doesn’t do that much harm. Vile was very fun to play around with as well despite having the same theme song every. single. stage. His wide arsenal of different weapons does certainly make up for that. On top of that, some quality-of-life updates and a 30-minutes animated short make this a remake no Mega Man X fan should miss out on. For being a solid remake, Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X gets a solid 9.0 out of 10!''
''Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X is a remake in the truest sense of the word. It does not change a lot, neither is it a replacement of the original. Instead, it’s a love letter to the original game that fans of the franchise that enhances the experience even further. Fair warning in advance though: don’t expect your knowledge about chronological power-up locations to work here, because it won’t. I’m still sort-of conflicted on that point but for now, I’ll say it doesn’t do that much harm. Vile was very fun to play around with as well despite having the same theme song every. single. stage. His wide arsenal of different weapons does certainly make up for that. On top of that, some quality-of-life updates and a 30-minutes animated short make this a remake no Mega Man X fan should miss out on. For being a solid remake, Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X gets a solid 9.0 out of 10!''
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/castlevania-dawn-of-sorrow/
''Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a worthy sequel to many’s favourite Metroidvania game in the franchise, and a good title in the franchise overall. The castle was good for the most part, but did have some weird puzzle rooms because they had to force touchscreen controls in. I don’t think the touchscreen controls make the game worse; it just doesn’t make it better, which it probably could have if it was used better and didn’t punish you if you failed. It did improve further on the prequel however when it comes to duplicate soul handling, but somehow made it even worse to get these souls to begin with. The RNG in this game easily is the low point for me and managed to kill my enjoyment at times. Fortunately it is still optional so if you’re not a completionist, you probably won’t have too much issue with this. While I was bummed out, one of the best post-game modes in any Castlevania game was waiting around the corner, so I did end the game on a high note before it was able to influence my mindset. With that in mind, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow gets an 8 ”Final Guard I hate you so much with your big health pool and low soul drop rate” out of 10!''
''Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a worthy sequel to many’s favourite Metroidvania game in the franchise, and a good title in the franchise overall. The castle was good for the most part, but did have some weird puzzle rooms because they had to force touchscreen controls in. I don’t think the touchscreen controls make the game worse; it just doesn’t make it better, which it probably could have if it was used better and didn’t punish you if you failed. It did improve further on the prequel however when it comes to duplicate soul handling, but somehow made it even worse to get these souls to begin with. The RNG in this game easily is the low point for me and managed to kill my enjoyment at times. Fortunately it is still optional so if you’re not a completionist, you probably won’t have too much issue with this. While I was bummed out, one of the best post-game modes in any Castlevania game was waiting around the corner, so I did end the game on a high note before it was able to influence my mindset. With that in mind, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow gets an 8 ”Final Guard I hate you so much with your big health pool and low soul drop rate” out of 10!''
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!''
2015
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/jumpjet-rex/
''I had a really good time with JumpJet Rex, as my constant praises have probably already given you the impression. But honestly yeah, there is very little negative I can say about the game because it’s a very solid experience from start- to end. Rex is easily one of the better controlling main characters in games that pay homage to the 8-bit and 16-bit era. He’s not the best as combat but he can make spiky hallways not that scary, and not a lot of platforming heroes can say that. Furthermore, Rex can brag about how accessible he is to all kinds of gamers. The game is forgiving to casual players, and can be made difficult for people who want to try their hand at no-death runs. Levels compliment this accessibility, as they are short overall and can thus be easily replayed- or mastered by the player. There is a good amount of collectables and objectives as well but they’re completely optional, yet again enforcing accessibility. You’re probably tired of what word by now so let’s wrap it up. It’s not often that I give a random platformer indie game a high score like this, but I truly believe JumpJet Rex deserves that 8.5 out of 10!''
''I had a really good time with JumpJet Rex, as my constant praises have probably already given you the impression. But honestly yeah, there is very little negative I can say about the game because it’s a very solid experience from start- to end. Rex is easily one of the better controlling main characters in games that pay homage to the 8-bit and 16-bit era. He’s not the best as combat but he can make spiky hallways not that scary, and not a lot of platforming heroes can say that. Furthermore, Rex can brag about how accessible he is to all kinds of gamers. The game is forgiving to casual players, and can be made difficult for people who want to try their hand at no-death runs. Levels compliment this accessibility, as they are short overall and can thus be easily replayed- or mastered by the player. There is a good amount of collectables and objectives as well but they’re completely optional, yet again enforcing accessibility. You’re probably tired of what word by now so let’s wrap it up. It’s not often that I give a random platformer indie game a high score like this, but I truly believe JumpJet Rex deserves that 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!''
2018
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/city-of-brass/
''I highly enjoyed my time with City of Brass. I mainly have to thank the perfectly customizable difficulty for this as I often get frustrated at how a lot of roguelike games pretty much force RNG and consecutive playthroughs on you. This is not the case with City of Brass as you can choose from the get-go whether you want to play just to have a good time or get challenged as much as you want to. The 3-wishes system is a brilliant addition to this as well as you don’t have to start every playthrough from the very beginning if you so desire and of course, all of this is optional. The randomly generated world is also handled pretty well as every level feels just different enough every new playthrough. I won’t deny that traps do eventually become an annoyance more than a hindrance over time though, as I always had to remain careful instead of being able to speed through the game with my gained experience. The only thing I can give them credit for is that they’re fun for luring enemies into, which is a strong point of the game as the combat overall feels very satisfying with a total of five different characters. With high replayability, I definitely recommend doing at least one full playthrough of City of Brass, and if you enjoyed it definitely check out the other characters as well!''
''I highly enjoyed my time with City of Brass. I mainly have to thank the perfectly customizable difficulty for this as I often get frustrated at how a lot of roguelike games pretty much force RNG and consecutive playthroughs on you. This is not the case with City of Brass as you can choose from the get-go whether you want to play just to have a good time or get challenged as much as you want to. The 3-wishes system is a brilliant addition to this as well as you don’t have to start every playthrough from the very beginning if you so desire and of course, all of this is optional. The randomly generated world is also handled pretty well as every level feels just different enough every new playthrough. I won’t deny that traps do eventually become an annoyance more than a hindrance over time though, as I always had to remain careful instead of being able to speed through the game with my gained experience. The only thing I can give them credit for is that they’re fun for luring enemies into, which is a strong point of the game as the combat overall feels very satisfying with a total of five different characters. With high replayability, I definitely recommend doing at least one full playthrough of City of Brass, and if you enjoyed it definitely check out the other characters as well!''
2018
Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/grip-combat-racing/
''There’s a reason my review chart now includes a “fun meter”, because I don’t think Grip: Combat Racing is a bad game at its core. If you play this game online for example, you won’t have the issues I described. The same goes for the single-player mode as you can customize the various events to your liking. But someone like me plays a game for the main campaign, and this is where Grip fails very hard. The first half of the campaign forces you on the lowest difficulties and allow you to place close to last to proceed, and the second half shows some aggravating problems with the game. A.I. love to rubberband, and weapons are too overpowered to actually be considered fun as they don’t just stun you; they completely make you go off-course and in worst case bump you off the map, and there’s very little you can do to prevent it. This is also due to the cars having almost no weight and despite there being so many, none make you have more weight and the differences are minimal aside from cosmetics. The racing itself is for the most part fine though, and therefore my recommendation is to carefully consider it with my critiques in mind.''
''There’s a reason my review chart now includes a “fun meter”, because I don’t think Grip: Combat Racing is a bad game at its core. If you play this game online for example, you won’t have the issues I described. The same goes for the single-player mode as you can customize the various events to your liking. But someone like me plays a game for the main campaign, and this is where Grip fails very hard. The first half of the campaign forces you on the lowest difficulties and allow you to place close to last to proceed, and the second half shows some aggravating problems with the game. A.I. love to rubberband, and weapons are too overpowered to actually be considered fun as they don’t just stun you; they completely make you go off-course and in worst case bump you off the map, and there’s very little you can do to prevent it. This is also due to the cars having almost no weight and despite there being so many, none make you have more weight and the differences are minimal aside from cosmetics. The racing itself is for the most part fine though, and therefore my recommendation is to carefully consider it with my critiques in mind.''