Quelconque
2016
This review contains spoilers
The story feels a bit old at some points haha, I really liked the whole Nishiki think, but I didn't really feel anything for the big villain that kinda appears out of nowhere in the story 10 minutes before the end. Also a bit weird to see all the characters introduced in 0 being killed in a few minutes haha
Other than that I got a better grasp at the gameplay so I had more fun than in 0. And Majima Everywhere is fun, though it might be a bit too much; I don't know yet if I prefer this Joker-guy over the Goro Majima I saw in 0 ...
Also this game introduced me to Mahjong ! I love it despite either being very bad at it, or having the worst luck ever.
Other than that I got a better grasp at the gameplay so I had more fun than in 0. And Majima Everywhere is fun, though it might be a bit too much; I don't know yet if I prefer this Joker-guy over the Goro Majima I saw in 0 ...
Also this game introduced me to Mahjong ! I love it despite either being very bad at it, or having the worst luck ever.
2017
This review contains spoilers
I enjoyed the story a bit more than in Kiwami, although it still feels a bit old, especially the Kiryu/Sayama relationship ... Other than that I really like Ryuji, especially after that final boss; And I like that there's this incident that happened years before but we keep going back to it, each time with a new perspective.
The new engine looks great imo, although combat is now a bit less precise, kinda struggling to lock ennemies and to do specific moves.
And personally I have fun with the cabaret-club and Majima construction modes !
( I honestly didn't expect this series and these characters to grow on me so much when I started 0 )
The new engine looks great imo, although combat is now a bit less precise, kinda struggling to lock ennemies and to do specific moves.
And personally I have fun with the cabaret-club and Majima construction modes !
( I honestly didn't expect this series and these characters to grow on me so much when I started 0 )
2019
While the gameplay can be a bit stiff (I think the plateforming is really not the best aspect of the game, there are a few collisions problem) I still enjoyed playing this game enough to do multiple playthroughs.
But more than gameplay, what stood out for me is the lore and its inspirations, the art direction, and the beautiful pixel art ! (I also really like discovering every new gore finishing move animation haha)
Really curious to see the sequel !
But more than gameplay, what stood out for me is the lore and its inspirations, the art direction, and the beautiful pixel art ! (I also really like discovering every new gore finishing move animation haha)
Really curious to see the sequel !
2019
I was really not familiar with SCP, Backrooms, or any other creepypastas really, so this kind of world was totally new to me and I loved it ! Tons of ideas and unique sequences, I really like how common objects can have their own semblance of personnality and be terrifying; gameplay is fun enough, and I noticed some interesting themes near the end of the game.
2021
This review contains spoilers
I've never played another game like that.
The falsely rhythm-based gameplay is unique and such a good idea + the big story/gameplay twist makes perfect sense. It's really addictive too, I often go back to the game to play a few bossfights.
The OST is full of bangers by different artists, and works even better ingame. Lots of creativity in its visuals too. And I really love the characters, they're all very fun !
And omg the finale is one of the greatest videogame sequence of all time really !! Having Reconciliation followed by Euthanasia Rollercoaster literally made me cry, and I loved the story despite not believing in life after death at all.
I remember the exact moment this game became one of my favorites, I want everyone to play this game.
The falsely rhythm-based gameplay is unique and such a good idea + the big story/gameplay twist makes perfect sense. It's really addictive too, I often go back to the game to play a few bossfights.
The OST is full of bangers by different artists, and works even better ingame. Lots of creativity in its visuals too. And I really love the characters, they're all very fun !
And omg the finale is one of the greatest videogame sequence of all time really !! Having Reconciliation followed by Euthanasia Rollercoaster literally made me cry, and I loved the story despite not believing in life after death at all.
I remember the exact moment this game became one of my favorites, I want everyone to play this game.
2021
This review contains spoilers
I was told this was similar to Outer Wilds and Return of the Obra Dinn so I had very high hopes, and while the similarities are there it just didn't grow on me.
The city has an overall cool atmosphere to it, it's really pretty and you really feel like exploring it. It's fun to experiment with the loop in the beginning, and the game has a few cool unique sequences.
But the mystery's resolution just did not live up to my expectations. ( After seeing the older "hells" buried under the city, I was expecting something more related to the succeeding civilizations and religions, or uh colonialism, imperialism, I don't know ) The true ending and the epilogue were just really not my thing.
The city has an overall cool atmosphere to it, it's really pretty and you really feel like exploring it. It's fun to experiment with the loop in the beginning, and the game has a few cool unique sequences.
But the mystery's resolution just did not live up to my expectations. ( After seeing the older "hells" buried under the city, I was expecting something more related to the succeeding civilizations and religions, or uh colonialism, imperialism, I don't know ) The true ending and the epilogue were just really not my thing.
2021
A nice chill satisfying puzzle game that is really just my thing !
Very clean and pleasant pixelart and sound design. And a very cool example of storytelling through the gameplay and the environment.
It seems to be an unpopular opinion but I actually wished the game was longer haha
Very clean and pleasant pixelart and sound design. And a very cool example of storytelling through the gameplay and the environment.
It seems to be an unpopular opinion but I actually wished the game was longer haha
2023
Gameplay is good, and character animations are very smooth and polished. I was really not digging the art direction and chara-design at first, but I got used to it, there are a few characters that I find pretty.
Other than that, the story and characters are just very uninteresting to me. I straight-up hate the fact that you're playing as this Divine being, you just can't develop a proper casual relationship with the other characters. I dropped the game because I believe I met all the characters, and with no story to keep me engaged I didn't feel the need to play more after around 18 chapters or something. (Also I decided to play in classic / hard and I guess that's just not for me haha)
It's funny because after playing Three Houses I wanted a story structure more like Awakening : going on an adventure, travelling the world and recruiting new characters on every chapter. But now I realize that the 3H structure makes for deeper bonds between you and the characters.
( Didn't know where to add this but felt the need to mention it : the black girl being called "Misutira" in japanese, really; and the desert kingdom being full of colored NPCs yet amongst the 7 recruitables characters in here, 5 are white. Put a little more effort into this please )
Other than that, the story and characters are just very uninteresting to me. I straight-up hate the fact that you're playing as this Divine being, you just can't develop a proper casual relationship with the other characters. I dropped the game because I believe I met all the characters, and with no story to keep me engaged I didn't feel the need to play more after around 18 chapters or something. (Also I decided to play in classic / hard and I guess that's just not for me haha)
It's funny because after playing Three Houses I wanted a story structure more like Awakening : going on an adventure, travelling the world and recruiting new characters on every chapter. But now I realize that the 3H structure makes for deeper bonds between you and the characters.
( Didn't know where to add this but felt the need to mention it : the black girl being called "Misutira" in japanese, really; and the desert kingdom being full of colored NPCs yet amongst the 7 recruitables characters in here, 5 are white. Put a little more effort into this please )
2022
Seeing a lot of "its a meme game" and really I don't agree; It's full of jokes about poop and hotdogs and monkeys, but it's also just a very fun rhythm game, with a lot of various tracks, and the game is being very frequently updated with new songs and QoL/accessibility features (maybe too much actually, the menus are starting to be a bit overwhelming)
2022
This review contains spoilers
Knew nothing about the game and I was baffled.
So it's a very cool Zelda 1-like where you are just thrown in there and you must figure out what to do by yourself. Loved the inclusion of an old-school manual being it's own ingame thing, full of secrets if you look at it closely ( I actually spent a few hours trying to decipher the made-up language (did not succeed) ); And that feeling when you discover an ability you had since the very beginning but you didn't know because you just never tried it. The world ends up being very coherent, and overall it's a game that makes you feel very intelligent haha.
The second third of the game was a bit less interesting, more classing item-dungeon-boss, and the bosses are really not the best aspect of the game imo.
But in the final act there's this new mechanic à la The Witness and the game becomes incredible again.
(The ost is also really good, and the main artwork for the game was drawn by Aurahack and that makes me very happy to know that you can draw big tiddies online and still get some non-NSFW jobs haha)
So it's a very cool Zelda 1-like where you are just thrown in there and you must figure out what to do by yourself. Loved the inclusion of an old-school manual being it's own ingame thing, full of secrets if you look at it closely ( I actually spent a few hours trying to decipher the made-up language (did not succeed) ); And that feeling when you discover an ability you had since the very beginning but you didn't know because you just never tried it. The world ends up being very coherent, and overall it's a game that makes you feel very intelligent haha.
The second third of the game was a bit less interesting, more classing item-dungeon-boss, and the bosses are really not the best aspect of the game imo.
But in the final act there's this new mechanic à la The Witness and the game becomes incredible again.
(The ost is also really good, and the main artwork for the game was drawn by Aurahack and that makes me very happy to know that you can draw big tiddies online and still get some non-NSFW jobs haha)
2021
This game hypnothised me.
It's not a basic simulator like we used to see a lot imo. I think it actually has great feedback and even level-design, splitting the surface to clean into a lot of smaller items, each having their own "health".
Also has a fun story, being a pretext to clean even more stupider stuff. DLCs are very fun in that regard too
It's not a basic simulator like we used to see a lot imo. I think it actually has great feedback and even level-design, splitting the surface to clean into a lot of smaller items, each having their own "health".
Also has a fun story, being a pretext to clean even more stupider stuff. DLCs are very fun in that regard too
When we got the first trailer for this title I already had mixed feelings about it. On one hand : I was very excited to see what could basically be BotW's Majora's Mask, a new adventure in a new world made by reusing assets but with a darker tone and unique mechanics. On the other hand : I was very afraid of the game just straight up reusing the same map, as it would have no interest to me in a game based on exploration; and well you all know what the game ended up being.
The first 5~ hours of the game was when I had the most fun, roaming through the Great Sky Island, discovering Link's new abilities, admiring the beautiful visuals ... It truly felt like Breath of the Wild 2. But that sensation quickly goes away as I reach Hyrule : nothing really changed apart from a few rocks that fell here and there ; new ennemies are cool but once again there are just a few and you'll see the same in different colors wherever you go, same goes for the caves ; Bosses are actually different from one another this time but the dungeons are very very basic ; Sky islands are very disappointing as they all look extremely similar and none of the archipelago can equal the Great Sky Island in term of level design ; the depths look scary and mysterious when you first go in but you quickly realise that they're quite empty ; 60% of the shrines are fucking Rauru's Blessing please let me have puzzles, let me use the abilities aaaaaaaa
So yeah I have a lot of problem with this game but out of all that what annoys me the most is the exploration and level-design.
Exploration, because it's the same world as in botw really, and I'm pretty sure I've already explored it quite well 5 years ago and I have a pretty good memory. And as I consider the exploration to be kinda the whole point of the game, it obviously becomes way less interesting as I'm not discovering anything.
Level-design, because BotW's world was not specifically designed for Link's new abilities in TotK, as opposed to the Great Sky Island where you actually HAVE to make constructions and vehicules to overcome the map, and it really feels like an environmental puzzle. When I reached Hyrule, I never once felt that I needed to make construction to move around, especially at the beginning of the game when you don't have much devices. (This is partly my fault as I'm not a very creative individual, but still I didn't felt that "call to creativity" reviews were talking about.)
The story is pretty cool, the new mechanics are cool, and BotW's qualities are still here. It's not a bad game, because BotW is not a bad game. But to me it kinda just is BotW ... I would have love to explore a world truly and fully designed with this game's mechanics in mind.
The first 5~ hours of the game was when I had the most fun, roaming through the Great Sky Island, discovering Link's new abilities, admiring the beautiful visuals ... It truly felt like Breath of the Wild 2. But that sensation quickly goes away as I reach Hyrule : nothing really changed apart from a few rocks that fell here and there ; new ennemies are cool but once again there are just a few and you'll see the same in different colors wherever you go, same goes for the caves ; Bosses are actually different from one another this time but the dungeons are very very basic ; Sky islands are very disappointing as they all look extremely similar and none of the archipelago can equal the Great Sky Island in term of level design ; the depths look scary and mysterious when you first go in but you quickly realise that they're quite empty ; 60% of the shrines are fucking Rauru's Blessing please let me have puzzles, let me use the abilities aaaaaaaa
So yeah I have a lot of problem with this game but out of all that what annoys me the most is the exploration and level-design.
Exploration, because it's the same world as in botw really, and I'm pretty sure I've already explored it quite well 5 years ago and I have a pretty good memory. And as I consider the exploration to be kinda the whole point of the game, it obviously becomes way less interesting as I'm not discovering anything.
Level-design, because BotW's world was not specifically designed for Link's new abilities in TotK, as opposed to the Great Sky Island where you actually HAVE to make constructions and vehicules to overcome the map, and it really feels like an environmental puzzle. When I reached Hyrule, I never once felt that I needed to make construction to move around, especially at the beginning of the game when you don't have much devices. (This is partly my fault as I'm not a very creative individual, but still I didn't felt that "call to creativity" reviews were talking about.)
The story is pretty cool, the new mechanics are cool, and BotW's qualities are still here. It's not a bad game, because BotW is not a bad game. But to me it kinda just is BotW ... I would have love to explore a world truly and fully designed with this game's mechanics in mind.
2019
This review contains spoilers
The gameplay was very fun in this one ! Having four characters, each with their own fighting style was quite refreshing, and even Kamurocho fonctions a bit differently for each one of them.
But while I enjoyed the characters themselves, the story didn't really make it for me ... The first part felt really weird because of the relation between Akiyama and "Lily", and overall I felt lost multiple times (like that moment near the end when everyone starts shooting and betraying each other felt a bit stupid). My favorite part was Saejima's because I've been wanting to meet this guy ever since 0, and he just kinda felt like the main character here.
Also not too fan of how murder is portrayed in this game ? Cause on one hand you have Saejima who killed 18 guys at once and had to carry this burden for 25 years but in the end he didn't kill anyone because I guess you can't really make a main character a killer. And on the other hand Yasuko killed multiple persons we don't know anything about and it's kinda adressed in a casual way idk
But while I enjoyed the characters themselves, the story didn't really make it for me ... The first part felt really weird because of the relation between Akiyama and "Lily", and overall I felt lost multiple times (like that moment near the end when everyone starts shooting and betraying each other felt a bit stupid). My favorite part was Saejima's because I've been wanting to meet this guy ever since 0, and he just kinda felt like the main character here.
Also not too fan of how murder is portrayed in this game ? Cause on one hand you have Saejima who killed 18 guys at once and had to carry this burden for 25 years but in the end he didn't kill anyone because I guess you can't really make a main character a killer. And on the other hand Yasuko killed multiple persons we don't know anything about and it's kinda adressed in a casual way idk
2023
Amazing sequel that keeps everything great from the first game : beautiful pixelart, very satisfying gore animations, fascinating lore and world ...
And it just adds more. There's even more customization possibilities ; the 3 different weapons work really well as different playstyles, and each of them having their own plateforming abilities makes for great puzzles ; speaking of plateforming, this aspect has been clearly polished since the first game, it's way more enjoyable and there's no collision problems anymore ; the dungeons have their own mechanics and unique sequences, and the map structure is great, feels even more like a metroidvania ( too bad the second half of the game is way more linear, this really felt like a step back from the first game)
I guess it just felt a bit short ? Because the first game got a lot of free DLC, it had a lot of secret bosses and challenges, new game + ... Feels weird to finish Blasphemous 2 and that's just it.
(Also as I'm writing this, 1 week after launch, there are quite a lot of small visual bugs)
And it just adds more. There's even more customization possibilities ; the 3 different weapons work really well as different playstyles, and each of them having their own plateforming abilities makes for great puzzles ; speaking of plateforming, this aspect has been clearly polished since the first game, it's way more enjoyable and there's no collision problems anymore ; the dungeons have their own mechanics and unique sequences, and the map structure is great, feels even more like a metroidvania ( too bad the second half of the game is way more linear, this really felt like a step back from the first game)
I guess it just felt a bit short ? Because the first game got a lot of free DLC, it had a lot of secret bosses and challenges, new game + ... Feels weird to finish Blasphemous 2 and that's just it.
(Also as I'm writing this, 1 week after launch, there are quite a lot of small visual bugs)