Quelconque
This review contains spoilers
Big fan of Subnautica here, I was a bit afraid when the release trailer came out, because of all the story cutscenes and dialogues and characters, as the story was not necessarily the strength or the appeal of the first game. And I was right to be afraid.
The main problem I have with the story is how it's segmented in 3 different quests and how it badly works with the open-world structure of the game. Finishing one quest just gave me some info about another quest I was already done with. Another time, the game straight up told me ( because our characters are constantly having little not very interesting discussions ) "Remember that place ? Go there now" talking about a place I never actually explored ?
Overall, the exploration is just really not as good as in the first game. In Subnautica, you're dropped at the very center of the map, so you can go in whichever direction you want ; and during the second part of the game you have to explore those massive interconnected caves. In Below Zero you're dropped at the very north of the map (not even in water), so you can only go south and if you set your base there like me you have to go through the same zones everytime you go explore ; and there are a few caves here and there.
Same with the story : In the first game you crash on the planet so your first goal is to survive until you get to leave, and while stuff happens and some story elements do enter the stage later, ultimately the goal still stays the same during the whole game. In Below Zero you go volontarily on the planet to find your sister, and once you do that well you kinda stays there to do what feels like some sidequests. ( I've read that the main writer left the team at some point during the production of the game, and that the scenario was changed a few times )
The game is not awfully bad; the environnements and fauna are still very beautiful and unique, and I can still feel that Subnautica vibe/mood while playing. I can also understand that they tried to do stuff differently with the story being more present, or with that whole on-land section. But I had very high hopes and it just didn't met the standards of the first game ...
The main problem I have with the story is how it's segmented in 3 different quests and how it badly works with the open-world structure of the game. Finishing one quest just gave me some info about another quest I was already done with. Another time, the game straight up told me ( because our characters are constantly having little not very interesting discussions ) "Remember that place ? Go there now" talking about a place I never actually explored ?
Overall, the exploration is just really not as good as in the first game. In Subnautica, you're dropped at the very center of the map, so you can go in whichever direction you want ; and during the second part of the game you have to explore those massive interconnected caves. In Below Zero you're dropped at the very north of the map (not even in water), so you can only go south and if you set your base there like me you have to go through the same zones everytime you go explore ; and there are a few caves here and there.
Same with the story : In the first game you crash on the planet so your first goal is to survive until you get to leave, and while stuff happens and some story elements do enter the stage later, ultimately the goal still stays the same during the whole game. In Below Zero you go volontarily on the planet to find your sister, and once you do that well you kinda stays there to do what feels like some sidequests. ( I've read that the main writer left the team at some point during the production of the game, and that the scenario was changed a few times )
The game is not awfully bad; the environnements and fauna are still very beautiful and unique, and I can still feel that Subnautica vibe/mood while playing. I can also understand that they tried to do stuff differently with the story being more present, or with that whole on-land section. But I had very high hopes and it just didn't met the standards of the first game ...
2023
ok I love fishes and there are a tons in this game, weird monster fishes too, and I love it
The art is clearly the game's biggest quality ! Creature design is really on point, everything is really well painted; I get a big "Darkest Dungeon" vibe from basically every aspect of the game.
Gameplay-wise tho, it is a pretty simple fishing game that quickly gets repetitive (good thing the environments are a bit varied). Also you can get a lot of money very early and get all your boat upgrades very fast, so progression is a bit fucked and you don't really need to fish anymore.
Still, I love fishes and pokémon, and in the end the fun comes from discover and catching new fishes and abominations.
The art is clearly the game's biggest quality ! Creature design is really on point, everything is really well painted; I get a big "Darkest Dungeon" vibe from basically every aspect of the game.
Gameplay-wise tho, it is a pretty simple fishing game that quickly gets repetitive (good thing the environments are a bit varied). Also you can get a lot of money very early and get all your boat upgrades very fast, so progression is a bit fucked and you don't really need to fish anymore.
Still, I love fishes and pokémon, and in the end the fun comes from discover and catching new fishes and abominations.
I'm at peace with this game now. It definitely isn't World, it's more old-school I guess, but I had a really great time.
The big problem is to really get into it because you need hours to get to the new monsters, but the complete roster is really really good.
The new moveset thing is a nice addition, being able to play with NPCs is both fun in itself and useful if you have a shitty internet. And this seems to be an unpopular opinion but I really enjoy the new mechanics introduced with anomaly monsters.
The big problem is to really get into it because you need hours to get to the new monsters, but the complete roster is really really good.
The new moveset thing is a nice addition, being able to play with NPCs is both fun in itself and useful if you have a shitty internet. And this seems to be an unpopular opinion but I really enjoy the new mechanics introduced with anomaly monsters.
2016
I played this first when it came out and I enjoyed it for a bit then got tired of it so I looked at a walkthrough to still see the ending and it felt like some pretentious shit (some "branlette intellectuelle" as we say in french) so I just moved on.
Came back to it a few years later and I loved it. I'm amazed by the puzzles, illusions, and how everything is taught to you without any text. I love the beauty and calm of the island.
The endings are still a bit of a "branlette intellectuelle" to me haha. But that secret lecture about easter eggs was super interesting !
Came back to it a few years later and I loved it. I'm amazed by the puzzles, illusions, and how everything is taught to you without any text. I love the beauty and calm of the island.
The endings are still a bit of a "branlette intellectuelle" to me haha. But that secret lecture about easter eggs was super interesting !
2020
I'm having such a great time following these stupid/lovable characters, combats are super fun, and it really does feel like I'm experiencing my own unique playthrough BUT the game is frustrating in many instances.
At first, the more I played the more I realized how much freedom I had and how many different approaches I could take to face 1 situation ;
but after that point, the more I played the more I realized how restrained I still was, especially in dialogues, because it's still just a video-game and I'm not actually playing with a human being in front of me.
Same for the dice rolls. I can see how it could add fun to an actual DnD game with friends, but here it just feels restrictive. Add to this the fact that some insignificant dialogue options can immediately lead to a fight to the death and this kind of stuff, it really feels like you're playing with the worst dungeon master sometimes. It all breaks the immersion, and it's so easy to just reload your save file so ...
Technically speaking too, while the game can look beautiful it just struggles a lot to load all the assets in time, from textures to animations. Loading screens are already pretty long as they are, but you still have to wait after that for everything to load properly. (tho you could argue that I just have a shit pc)
All that being said, I do love the game a lot. Might even do more playthroughs after that.
I'll really really miss Shadowheart my beloved ...
At first, the more I played the more I realized how much freedom I had and how many different approaches I could take to face 1 situation ;
but after that point, the more I played the more I realized how restrained I still was, especially in dialogues, because it's still just a video-game and I'm not actually playing with a human being in front of me.
Same for the dice rolls. I can see how it could add fun to an actual DnD game with friends, but here it just feels restrictive. Add to this the fact that some insignificant dialogue options can immediately lead to a fight to the death and this kind of stuff, it really feels like you're playing with the worst dungeon master sometimes. It all breaks the immersion, and it's so easy to just reload your save file so ...
Technically speaking too, while the game can look beautiful it just struggles a lot to load all the assets in time, from textures to animations. Loading screens are already pretty long as they are, but you still have to wait after that for everything to load properly. (tho you could argue that I just have a shit pc)
All that being said, I do love the game a lot. Might even do more playthroughs after that.
I'll really really miss Shadowheart my beloved ...
I honestly really like the first game, I think it's one of the few porn games that are actually interesting and I genuinely like most of the girls.
Unfortunately the charm is gone for me. The vast majority of the new girls are not really well-written, or not interesting, or their gimmick is just sad (Candace ...). The sex happens way faster than in the first game (I mean sure, it's a sex game) + you can only double date, so you feel less close to the girls. New artstyle is good imo, UI is nice although the shop is a little complicated to navigate through.
The big strength of the game is the gameplay, having way more depth in this sequel, specifically the "baggage" mechanic that actually ties together characters and gameplay !
Unfortunately the charm is gone for me. The vast majority of the new girls are not really well-written, or not interesting, or their gimmick is just sad (Candace ...). The sex happens way faster than in the first game (I mean sure, it's a sex game) + you can only double date, so you feel less close to the girls. New artstyle is good imo, UI is nice although the shop is a little complicated to navigate through.
The big strength of the game is the gameplay, having way more depth in this sequel, specifically the "baggage" mechanic that actually ties together characters and gameplay !
2021
Chill exploration game with no combat and a beautiful art direction. I like the story being basically just "go meet people and find what you want to do with your life", tho the writing of the dialogues is a bit weird with the protagonist not directly speaking but like, saying that she is talking ?
Also I played the game at launch and it was full (like FULL) of bugs; I've seen that they did quite a few updates but I don't know exactly what was fixed.
Also I played the game at launch and it was full (like FULL) of bugs; I've seen that they did quite a few updates but I don't know exactly what was fixed.
2017
Even just moving Mario around is already fun !
2022
I really really loved the exploration in there, although the world might actually be TOO big; there were multiple times were I got bored of the game and stopped playing for a few weeks. I especially loved the big dungeons like Stormveil Castle, Raya Lucaria, or Miquella's Haligtree.
I played the whole game with sword/shield and I had fun, even more at some endgame bosses like Mohg, Malenia, or Radagon; But I think I still prefer Sekiro's gameplay, which is the only other FromSoft game I've played. I get the appeal of letting the player choose their own build and style, but I often feel overwhelmed when there's many options like classes, weapons, skills ...
While the world is beautiful and feels carefully handcrafted, it still suffers from classic openworld problems : having the same points of interest copypasted multiple times with slight variations and scattered across the map, fighting the same ten minibosses in catacombs and caves ...
Speaking of openworld, I don't know if this is a hot take or not but I feel like it's really not perfect for these kinds of games with hard bosses with patterns to learn. I thought a lot about the balancing of the game during my playthrough : I never farmed EXP, but there was a whole part of the game where I was clearly overpowered. And when the game became hard again, I kept wondering whenever I struggled against a boss if I needed to just get good or if I was literally underpowered. These things don't really happen in a more linear game.
Overall I really really enjoyed this game, but reading about this actually being a revolution, I just don't see it. It's """"just"""" a very great game to me
I played the whole game with sword/shield and I had fun, even more at some endgame bosses like Mohg, Malenia, or Radagon; But I think I still prefer Sekiro's gameplay, which is the only other FromSoft game I've played. I get the appeal of letting the player choose their own build and style, but I often feel overwhelmed when there's many options like classes, weapons, skills ...
While the world is beautiful and feels carefully handcrafted, it still suffers from classic openworld problems : having the same points of interest copypasted multiple times with slight variations and scattered across the map, fighting the same ten minibosses in catacombs and caves ...
Speaking of openworld, I don't know if this is a hot take or not but I feel like it's really not perfect for these kinds of games with hard bosses with patterns to learn. I thought a lot about the balancing of the game during my playthrough : I never farmed EXP, but there was a whole part of the game where I was clearly overpowered. And when the game became hard again, I kept wondering whenever I struggled against a boss if I needed to just get good or if I was literally underpowered. These things don't really happen in a more linear game.
Overall I really really enjoyed this game, but reading about this actually being a revolution, I just don't see it. It's """"just"""" a very great game to me
This review contains spoilers
Crazy murder mystery that's very engaging and full of twists, charming characters, and a unique gameplay with a lot of new ideas every chapter. Didn't know anything about the game other than it was made by Shu Takumi, and oh boy I was in for a ride !
It very clearly has that Ace Attorney vibe to it, in the characters and designs, the writing and humor, and the amazing soundtrack too.
Like I said I really enjoyed the story. I think the pacing was particularly good (it's a short game and it's probably better that way), the characters are really well written imo; and there's this trope that I like of having a big event that happened in the past that had a big impact on the story and you keep getting back to it with each time a new perspective on it (and in the finale you're actually replaying this scene so it's really the best way to do this trope !)
Also the game ends up being a love letter to our pets and idk that's very sweet, and it's refreshing for a story like that.
It very clearly has that Ace Attorney vibe to it, in the characters and designs, the writing and humor, and the amazing soundtrack too.
Like I said I really enjoyed the story. I think the pacing was particularly good (it's a short game and it's probably better that way), the characters are really well written imo; and there's this trope that I like of having a big event that happened in the past that had a big impact on the story and you keep getting back to it with each time a new perspective on it (and in the finale you're actually replaying this scene so it's really the best way to do this trope !)
Also the game ends up being a love letter to our pets and idk that's very sweet, and it's refreshing for a story like that.
2017
This review contains spoilers
One of the first game that really moved me and made me think about many subjects, including videogames themselves.
Takes a bit of time to really get into it, but I really enjoyed how the creators/designers tried to vary the experience despite the (I presume) kinda low budget; playing with camera angles, shmup sequences, the routes system with new characters and new mechanics, etc ...
The whole final act inside the tower is one of my favorite videogame finale / moment overall. I've replayed the game 4 or 5 times, and everytime I understand more stuff/ gain new interpretation on things.
Takes a bit of time to really get into it, but I really enjoyed how the creators/designers tried to vary the experience despite the (I presume) kinda low budget; playing with camera angles, shmup sequences, the routes system with new characters and new mechanics, etc ...
The whole final act inside the tower is one of my favorite videogame finale / moment overall. I've replayed the game 4 or 5 times, and everytime I understand more stuff/ gain new interpretation on things.
2021
I'll be honest, I was expecting a more exploration-based game, like Super Metroid. This is obviously not what we got, the game ends up being very linear; but it's so satisfying to play, to master the full moveset, or even just to move Samus around really. Bosses are very fun, especially the final boss !
Game is short, like 6 hours or so, but it's 6 very polished hours. In the end I finished the game like 5 times in a short period of time; I had fun trying to speedrun it a little bit, and finding out that if you really want it the game can be not so linear ...
Game is short, like 6 hours or so, but it's 6 very polished hours. In the end I finished the game like 5 times in a short period of time; I had fun trying to speedrun it a little bit, and finding out that if you really want it the game can be not so linear ...
2019
The more I think about this game, the more I love it and realize how unique it is.
Such an amazing feeling exploring this solar system, contemplating the infinite dark space with the beautiful score playing. So satisfying to unravel the mysteries and to understand what you need to do, especially when you need to be a little bold. There's a big sense of cohesion in this whole game.
The ending is really powerful and you can really feel that you're witnessing something big.
It's not my personnal favorite game of all time, yet I feel like it might the best game ever made, if that makes sense.
As for Echoes of the Eye, while it didn't feel that connected to the rest of the game, and I thought it was way harder both in its puzzles and just mechanically ; I still really enjoyed it, adds an interesting scenario, and the art direction is just fantastic.
Such an amazing feeling exploring this solar system, contemplating the infinite dark space with the beautiful score playing. So satisfying to unravel the mysteries and to understand what you need to do, especially when you need to be a little bold. There's a big sense of cohesion in this whole game.
The ending is really powerful and you can really feel that you're witnessing something big.
It's not my personnal favorite game of all time, yet I feel like it might the best game ever made, if that makes sense.
As for Echoes of the Eye, while it didn't feel that connected to the rest of the game, and I thought it was way harder both in its puzzles and just mechanically ; I still really enjoyed it, adds an interesting scenario, and the art direction is just fantastic.
2015
This review contains spoilers
Such a great game, I was kinda part of the annoying fanbase when it came out haha
So many memorable moments, characters, ost, jokes, everything in perfect harmony.
Neutral ending is my personal favorite : Asgore fight followed by Flowey, the perfect soundtrack, then the bittersweet epilogue on the phone ...
But now as much as I love that game I can't play it anymore. I've replayed it so many times that I just know it by heart, and when I get to the waterfall I just stop.
So instead I watch Etika's playthrough, because Etika and Undertale are forever linked in my mind. He has the perfect reaction on every moment, and you can see how the game is really affecting him. That playthrough perfectly encapsulate what both Undertale and Etika are to me (in good and bad ways : Etika's chat during the genocide run is probably one of the most toxic place I've ever seen)
So many memorable moments, characters, ost, jokes, everything in perfect harmony.
Neutral ending is my personal favorite : Asgore fight followed by Flowey, the perfect soundtrack, then the bittersweet epilogue on the phone ...
But now as much as I love that game I can't play it anymore. I've replayed it so many times that I just know it by heart, and when I get to the waterfall I just stop.
So instead I watch Etika's playthrough, because Etika and Undertale are forever linked in my mind. He has the perfect reaction on every moment, and you can see how the game is really affecting him. That playthrough perfectly encapsulate what both Undertale and Etika are to me (in good and bad ways : Etika's chat during the genocide run is probably one of the most toxic place I've ever seen)
2018
I am a backer from the original crowdfunding back in 2015 ! I loved the demo, but when the game finally came out I never played past the first area somehow ... Finally decided to fully try this a few years later and wow
So yeah, visually it's gorgeous, musically too. Gameplay is very interesting (I played with Mouse+keybord), reminds me a bit of NieR. There's a lot of plateforming/parkour despite the top-down angle, and the areas are very fun to explore (although they tend to be a bit TOO large actually). Big dungeons with great puzzles and mechanics that can get quite hard. Great stuff really !
The story ends up being really good too, despite the SAO vibe haha. I think the game has interesting stuff to say about AI and virtual worlds. And I just love the characters, I don't even really know why but they just feel very human, in their interactions with each others.
It's a very inspiring game for me. They were multipe times where I had to actually stop playing because I couldn't focus because I just kept thinking about how inspiring it was ...
So yeah, visually it's gorgeous, musically too. Gameplay is very interesting (I played with Mouse+keybord), reminds me a bit of NieR. There's a lot of plateforming/parkour despite the top-down angle, and the areas are very fun to explore (although they tend to be a bit TOO large actually). Big dungeons with great puzzles and mechanics that can get quite hard. Great stuff really !
The story ends up being really good too, despite the SAO vibe haha. I think the game has interesting stuff to say about AI and virtual worlds. And I just love the characters, I don't even really know why but they just feel very human, in their interactions with each others.
It's a very inspiring game for me. They were multipe times where I had to actually stop playing because I couldn't focus because I just kept thinking about how inspiring it was ...