I think this game is fun despite its issues with timing. I don't think is as far off as some would think but it's definitely extremely hard next to other rhythm games and takes getting used to. I don't care for the art style outside of the actual gameplay and I think the cutscenes are actually pretty annoying. The final song is a crapshoot especially at the end where it basically just throws notes at you with no warning. It's also messed up that you have to sit through a 40 sequence of non-gameplay every time you restart it.

I don't usually feel challenged by the rhythm games I play so this was a nice change of pace in a way. The music is good enough that I don't mind restarting a few times (except for the last level). Short and sweet game.

I expected this game to be way better than it is based on what I've heard about it. I like the aesthetics, but that ended up being all it has going for it. Four chapters in I was ballparking that there would be like eight total but there's TWENTY. Very bad sign when I'm wondering when a game ends so early in.

The main issue with this game is that the combat is a complete joke and remains effectively the same from prologue to final chapter. It's a very literal masher with next to no challenge. It's backed up by RPG mechanics and stat customization that barely matter. I like to think I could tolerate samey combat if it's at least moderately fun to play but it straight up is not fun from the first minute. Total slog.

You do a story segment where you pick up and throw things, then get sent to do side quests where you pick up and throw things on the same reused maps. Exploring areas is plagued with interjections from your party telling you things you should already know about what to do next (e.g. "Looks like we need a crate for that button!"). The story doesn't do it any favors in between these segments. It comes across to me as just anime slop but it's made worse by the looming dread of more grabbing and throwing after the text ends. Occasionally there is a segment where you partake in a plane race, and it somehow manages to be even worse than normal gameplay.

There could be a version of this game that expanded and interesting. Free from the limitations of the Nintendo DS and blessed with modern action rpg design. I hope that comes to exist some day, because I'd love to see it. Not any time soon probably, since FUGA seems to be seeing success in its own style. Two stars is a generous rating as I have very few good things to say about this game. I really truly wanted it to be good. At least the characters are cute.

Can't imagine playing this on VR comfortably with how much moving around you do. The switch to first person isn't great, but ultimately the gameplay isn't that much different. I think the addition of openable drawers and cupboards sucks since they're so numerous and you'll never know if they're important or not unless you scan every single one. They're not always easy to click either. The second house can be very difficult, and beating it is the rarest achievement. It's better than "The House of the Past" from the second game at least.

The only thing I knew about Klonoa going in is that it exists and it's a platformer. Yeah, that was pretty on the mark. It's like Kirby but a fair bit less fun because at least Kirby can steal abilities. This game does nothing especially interesting, and the difficulty is really easy. The last levels are definitely the most interesting. Maybe I'll play this sequel at some point if it's also short, but this stuff appears to be for babies.

The big dramatic moment Klonoa has around the 2/3 point is very funny.

Was waiting for this game for ages and I was pretty excited based on the demo and music. I want to like it a lot, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the expectations I had for it. I would still say it's exactly what I expected it to be, but the execution of everything but its presentation just feels off. It's very obvious what the game is taking inspiration from but the way it emulates them just isn't on the same level.

I'm no expert on storytelling but the game puts so much emphasis on being weird at the start that I feel like it skips over some steps in character and world building. As a result, some later parts of the game fell flat for me. There are opportunities to explore the map beyond the story bits, but I had zero drive to do so.

The combat is fun but I fear some of the fights go on for a bit too long. A lot of the special skills felt only marginally better than just doing the normal attack mini-games. Stat changes didn't feel impactful at all and offensive consumables never felt useful. Normal attacks get one of three seemingly random forms, but the circle one always felt like the weakest for the most effort.

The inventory is limited in this game which is BY FAR the worst part. Maybe the intent is for me to be using consumables more regularly, but it never felt necessary so my limited slots we're full 90% of the time. You get enough items that I kept finding myself having to decide which one I'm going to throw out. There are times where you find an item and you don't even know what it does, but you have to decide if you want to toss something for it or not. Even worse, sometimes you have to drop an item to pick up a necessary key item. There is an item storage system, but they're too few and far between even after a patch meant to fix it.

Didn't dislike the game, but I wish it resonated with me a bit more. As a full work of art it's really amazing, but the game itself is just okay. Music is really incredible though, and that'll stick with me.

Dark Cloud gets a lot of extra credit from me for a couple reasons. For one I grew up watching my brother play it, so it has a nostalgia buff. Second, I went in knowing it has some shortcomings that can be mitigated with a little foresight. The weapon system is really cool but it's also a little overwhelming and leaves many doors open that could potentially lead to endless grinding. The level of commitment required to make a decent weapon is so high that breaking your main weapon is a reloadable offense. That said, the game isn't nearly as grindy as I was expecting and you can build up at least a couple decent weapons on your favorite characters that will float you through most of the challenges. The post game is a whole other beast though which I don't dare approach.

Just gonna rattle off some of my gripes now. Weapon durability is really just a pointless mechanic. I came to terms with it but in retrospect it's just a money sink since you just hoard repair powders. Some enemies just annihilate your weapon and you can't always just ignore them. There's way too many mimics and they are both costly and unrewarding to kill. Xiao's attack sound is wildly annoying. The battle music is laughable and your stuck with it the whole game. This especially sucks because I think the music is mostly excellent otherwise. Duels are underutilized. The boss fights are the worst parts of the game and are truly abysmal in their execution.

I thought there was a good chance I'd get filtered out by this game but the gameplay loop was fun enough that I actually found myself excited to play more. As far as I know there's really nothing else like it. It's not something to recommend lightly but there's enjoyment to be had, especially with a guiding hand.

Fear and Hunger is not for everyone and I couldn't really recommend it to anyone that isn't some kind of gaming masochist. If it does click with you it's an extremely rewarding experience. This game is obviously not without its flaws, most of which come from its RPG Maker limitations. Isometric maps can be a real pain even with the added diagonal movement. It's easy to get caught on things when evading enemies in the overworld. The menus work in strange ways when using items. I never encountered any game breaking bugs though (except for one crash when I died but at that point it didn't matter).

There's so much I like about this game on a conceptual level. All the characters, the designs, the story and more are just so cool. In a way it feels unfair that this game can completely and utterly shaft me and I'll accept it because it just 'comes with the territory'. The blind experience is tedious but I'll persevere anyway because I'm enjoying every moment of it.

This game wants me to be amazed and emotional but it all feels so forced. The gameplay itself is just running back and forth from flowers that juice you up. You get a few abilities that help you do that in slightly different ways. It does not have the graphical fidelity for me to be in awe of anything it's showing me. There were a few times a bug or oversight resulted in me having to reload a save. One time I did things in an order that rendered progression impossible. Another time I got pushed below the surface of the water which created an inescapable ceiling. There is a sequel in the works and I can imagine it will be much better but at this time I'm not feeling inspired by the idea of playing more.