ThatOneGuy
2024
While I have never written an in-depth review of the game, I will at some point, Lisa the Painful and its subsequent follow-up-, Lisa the Joyful are simply my favorite games of all time. I have been hooked on the franchise for nearly a decade at this point which has led to me scouring the internet for additional content related to Lisa. This has led me to the slew of fangames made over the series that each individually addresses or adapts specific aspects of the original games and for the most part, are pretty good at capturing that magic. However, these fangames have generated a stigma of being abandoned or having an extremely long turn around so it was such a surprise to see Lisa the Undone release after a little over a year since its original reveal trailer.
This fangame stands out from other titles as it attempts to remake the Lisa the Joyful. As much as I love it, the original Joyful is marred with problems that exist on both a narrative and gameplay level which this fangame initially plans to address. I quickly realized that the structure and story of this game are significantly different from the original making this fangame a complete reimagining rather than a simple remake. This revelation made me especially excited as now I did not know what to expect.
I embraced many of its writing changes with open arms, and I felt I was generously rewarded for doing so. It is clear that the developers are deeply passionate about the world and lore of Lisa with large parts of this game serving to just expand on these elements. There are several moments where your crew takes a breather and you all discuss the current state of things in both the game world as well as how your characters are feeling. This is the sort of downtime time, while existed in Joyful, did not flesh out the characters to the same degree this fangame does. Buddy is no longer a raving maniac right away and Rando is not just a pushover. Elements of these personalities do exist but they are no longer the defining feature of these characters. One of my favorite changes to the writing is where you are given chances to see Buddy act like an actual child with her interacting with other kids being some of my favorite parts of the game.
The expansion of the world in Undone, is another greatly enhanced addition. The world in Joyful felt very cramped and lonely which felt accurate to the game's narrative but I much prefer Undone’s expansive setting that covers many different parts of Olathe. The world feels freeing but also extra dangerous due to your decreased fighting abilities. The expanded setting is also backed up by a slew of different unique areas to explore, really funny encounters, great sprite work, and reworked very interesting encounters. This world expansion also fleshes out each Warlord more giving them more of a build-up as well as explaining how they got into the position that they are in now. A simple cutscene that depicts all of the Warlords gives them so much more characterization that I am extremely excited to see pan out.
Finally, a lot of the writing reflects on the different worldviews one would have within the setting of Lisa. Many times, you are given the chance to talk to a character who will spout off on the current state of things and how one should react to it. While not all super interesting, certain encounters reign as some of my favorite writing in all of the Lisa games. These encounters also deliver solid answers to a lot of questions about the franchise that I have had stewing in my head for nearly a decade now. Some might be turned away from the vast amount of writing the game presents, a stark contrast to previous entries, but I think for any game to have this amount of dialogue it should be for a reimagining of Joyful.
Alongside these writing changes, new gameplay mechanics have been introduced that add extra depth to Lisa’s general gameplay. No longer does Buddy wield mastery over a Katana, instead she is given several weapons that she gains mastery over time through repeated use. This is combined with a new mask system that allows Buddy access to specific skills that relate to the mask that she is wearing. This adds a new consideration as one can plan and set up a specific loadout that would fare better for certain fights. There also exist companion combo moves that allow you to team a party member for some sort of attack or buff. These new mechanics make up for the fact that throughout the whole game, you are much weaker than you ever were in Joyful.
Some interesting new additions include a dice rolling and internal monologue mechanic. Disco Elysium directly inspired these with there being not much difference in how these mechanics are presented. The dice-rolling mechanic is my favorite of the two as it can completely how an encounter plays out and adds another consideration for your loadout as gear can change outcomes. The internal monologue is developed through specific decisions made in the game which will have Buddy’s mind start to splinter off into different ways of thinking. In the game's current state, this mechanic does little to change the narrative in any way and acts more nice flavor text.
If it is not obvious, I was utterly blown away by the quality of this fan project. As it stands this may reign as my favorite fangame for the moment. The amount of care and love put into the game's writing and world-building is palpable leaving me excited as to how the second part of the story will pan out. This is not a perfect experience however as I do think some mechanics are not as quite fleshed out as they should be leaving some parts a little underwhelming, such as being a little deceiving to your contribution towards certain outcomes. Some narrative points are not given a conclusion or a very satisfying one. I also think the balance between actual fights and reading dialogue is a little uneven at the moment. While I do like the game writing I did find myself at points wishing I could get into another encounter soon. All of these problems match the current state of the game as it has just been released and a second part is on the way. I have faith that these issues will be addressed but at the end of the day this is still a very solid video game.
If you are a fan of the original Lisa games like I am, this is a must-play. The amount of added depth to the world and interesting recontextualizations make it worth a try at the very least.
(Fun Fact: I was so excited in the first 40 minutes of this game that I quickly added it to the Backloggd database. I know it doesn’t matter but this is the first time I’ve done this and I just wanted to mention it.)
This fangame stands out from other titles as it attempts to remake the Lisa the Joyful. As much as I love it, the original Joyful is marred with problems that exist on both a narrative and gameplay level which this fangame initially plans to address. I quickly realized that the structure and story of this game are significantly different from the original making this fangame a complete reimagining rather than a simple remake. This revelation made me especially excited as now I did not know what to expect.
I embraced many of its writing changes with open arms, and I felt I was generously rewarded for doing so. It is clear that the developers are deeply passionate about the world and lore of Lisa with large parts of this game serving to just expand on these elements. There are several moments where your crew takes a breather and you all discuss the current state of things in both the game world as well as how your characters are feeling. This is the sort of downtime time, while existed in Joyful, did not flesh out the characters to the same degree this fangame does. Buddy is no longer a raving maniac right away and Rando is not just a pushover. Elements of these personalities do exist but they are no longer the defining feature of these characters. One of my favorite changes to the writing is where you are given chances to see Buddy act like an actual child with her interacting with other kids being some of my favorite parts of the game.
The expansion of the world in Undone, is another greatly enhanced addition. The world in Joyful felt very cramped and lonely which felt accurate to the game's narrative but I much prefer Undone’s expansive setting that covers many different parts of Olathe. The world feels freeing but also extra dangerous due to your decreased fighting abilities. The expanded setting is also backed up by a slew of different unique areas to explore, really funny encounters, great sprite work, and reworked very interesting encounters. This world expansion also fleshes out each Warlord more giving them more of a build-up as well as explaining how they got into the position that they are in now. A simple cutscene that depicts all of the Warlords gives them so much more characterization that I am extremely excited to see pan out.
Finally, a lot of the writing reflects on the different worldviews one would have within the setting of Lisa. Many times, you are given the chance to talk to a character who will spout off on the current state of things and how one should react to it. While not all super interesting, certain encounters reign as some of my favorite writing in all of the Lisa games. These encounters also deliver solid answers to a lot of questions about the franchise that I have had stewing in my head for nearly a decade now. Some might be turned away from the vast amount of writing the game presents, a stark contrast to previous entries, but I think for any game to have this amount of dialogue it should be for a reimagining of Joyful.
Alongside these writing changes, new gameplay mechanics have been introduced that add extra depth to Lisa’s general gameplay. No longer does Buddy wield mastery over a Katana, instead she is given several weapons that she gains mastery over time through repeated use. This is combined with a new mask system that allows Buddy access to specific skills that relate to the mask that she is wearing. This adds a new consideration as one can plan and set up a specific loadout that would fare better for certain fights. There also exist companion combo moves that allow you to team a party member for some sort of attack or buff. These new mechanics make up for the fact that throughout the whole game, you are much weaker than you ever were in Joyful.
Some interesting new additions include a dice rolling and internal monologue mechanic. Disco Elysium directly inspired these with there being not much difference in how these mechanics are presented. The dice-rolling mechanic is my favorite of the two as it can completely how an encounter plays out and adds another consideration for your loadout as gear can change outcomes. The internal monologue is developed through specific decisions made in the game which will have Buddy’s mind start to splinter off into different ways of thinking. In the game's current state, this mechanic does little to change the narrative in any way and acts more nice flavor text.
If it is not obvious, I was utterly blown away by the quality of this fan project. As it stands this may reign as my favorite fangame for the moment. The amount of care and love put into the game's writing and world-building is palpable leaving me excited as to how the second part of the story will pan out. This is not a perfect experience however as I do think some mechanics are not as quite fleshed out as they should be leaving some parts a little underwhelming, such as being a little deceiving to your contribution towards certain outcomes. Some narrative points are not given a conclusion or a very satisfying one. I also think the balance between actual fights and reading dialogue is a little uneven at the moment. While I do like the game writing I did find myself at points wishing I could get into another encounter soon. All of these problems match the current state of the game as it has just been released and a second part is on the way. I have faith that these issues will be addressed but at the end of the day this is still a very solid video game.
If you are a fan of the original Lisa games like I am, this is a must-play. The amount of added depth to the world and interesting recontextualizations make it worth a try at the very least.
(Fun Fact: I was so excited in the first 40 minutes of this game that I quickly added it to the Backloggd database. I know it doesn’t matter but this is the first time I’ve done this and I just wanted to mention it.)
1990
The third entry is a series of improvements and a few steps backward. While the innovations the game brings do wholeheartedly make the series better, at some point there is some head-scratching game design that felt like a regression to the formula they have established.
To go over the improvements, the simple addition of a slide mechanic feels great to control and makes traversing each level feel more dynamic. I felt I had more options when dealing with enemies making running past them a viable option that doesn't result in me getting hurt. For the first half of the game, I'd say the levels have been some of my favorite of the game so far. The same goes for the robot masters where each fight felt very hectic but had a somewhat clear pattern. I wish some of these fights were not just trivialized by other weapons and were manageable with the mega-buster. Gemi-Man is a great example of a fight I like where figuring out the rhythm of the attack patterns is very satisfying but is harmed by the fact you can destroy him with a specific weapon. The final addition I enjoyed was transforming the special weapons into the adorable robot-dog companion Rush. He still pretty much serves the same purpose as the special weapons but I'd rather look at a cute dog than a random gadget.
Onto the missteps, I said I only enjoyed half of these levels because the other half felt like a test of patience with trial and error being the main method to get through them. I did not mind the added difficulty of the revisited stages, outside of instant death spikes, but the Doc-Robot fights were not that fun. The idea is interesting with you revisiting Mega Man 2 fights but with little knowledge as to what type of boss was coming and what their weakness is I ended up dying a lot in these sections. Finally the reliance on using Rush in the Wily stages is not necessarily a bad thing but similarly to parts of the last game as soon as you run out of energy for Rush you might as well get a game over.
I still enjoyed my time with this entry and was overall less frustrated with this entry when compared to the first one. Experimentation did lead the series off better in the long run but I was a little sad to see them slightly miss the mark.
To go over the improvements, the simple addition of a slide mechanic feels great to control and makes traversing each level feel more dynamic. I felt I had more options when dealing with enemies making running past them a viable option that doesn't result in me getting hurt. For the first half of the game, I'd say the levels have been some of my favorite of the game so far. The same goes for the robot masters where each fight felt very hectic but had a somewhat clear pattern. I wish some of these fights were not just trivialized by other weapons and were manageable with the mega-buster. Gemi-Man is a great example of a fight I like where figuring out the rhythm of the attack patterns is very satisfying but is harmed by the fact you can destroy him with a specific weapon. The final addition I enjoyed was transforming the special weapons into the adorable robot-dog companion Rush. He still pretty much serves the same purpose as the special weapons but I'd rather look at a cute dog than a random gadget.
Onto the missteps, I said I only enjoyed half of these levels because the other half felt like a test of patience with trial and error being the main method to get through them. I did not mind the added difficulty of the revisited stages, outside of instant death spikes, but the Doc-Robot fights were not that fun. The idea is interesting with you revisiting Mega Man 2 fights but with little knowledge as to what type of boss was coming and what their weakness is I ended up dying a lot in these sections. Finally the reliance on using Rush in the Wily stages is not necessarily a bad thing but similarly to parts of the last game as soon as you run out of energy for Rush you might as well get a game over.
I still enjoyed my time with this entry and was overall less frustrated with this entry when compared to the first one. Experimentation did lead the series off better in the long run but I was a little sad to see them slightly miss the mark.
1989
An improvement over the first one which was to be expected but it was interesting to see how much the developers improved in only a year. The game felt overall more forgiving than the first entry with more forgiving platforming and enemies and bosses that don’t all hit like trucks. On a first run through a level, you will still likely die, which I am not fond of, but the improvement in the level design made redoing sections far less tedious. The iconic soundtrack was great for getting me pumped up for each stage and the sprite work is stellar with the team using every pixel at their disposal to create some awesome-looking designs, my favorite being the Guts-Tank. My major gripe with the game is its reliance on certain weapon types which can lead to situations where I run out of energy for that weapon and I might as well waste all of my lives so I can get that energy back. Case in point the final boss which is only weak to one weapon type which you can not replenish in between attempts. Not a hard boss by any means but that resource management is a bit unnecessary.
There’s not much else to say as this game and the ones to come all follow a similar set up albeit with minor alterations. This title would set the groundwork for what the series will truly become and still holds up all right.
There’s not much else to say as this game and the ones to come all follow a similar set up albeit with minor alterations. This title would set the groundwork for what the series will truly become and still holds up all right.
1987
This is a title that originally served as a question for me, that question being if I wanted to dedicate time to going back and beating classic video games. Since my review reads "completed" you can probably guess what the answer was. This thought was conjured because this was my second attempt at playing the original Mega Man with the first attempt being marred by immense frustration and gawking at the old game design. My second attempt at the game started no better but it surprised me with how it forced me to take time with it and master its difficulty.
The first title in this series is built on the game design of old where making the game exceedingly difficult and time-consuming was the way to extend play time. It took me a while to align myself with this type of design, which resulted in a decently long playthrough as I memorized each level and all the tricks they threw at me. The Rock-Paper-Scissors nature of the stages is genuinely a neat way to have the levels relate to one another but I resulted in just looking up the intended order. This was a result of each of the levels being a little unfair on the first run-through. A lot of my first attempts resulted in my death due to poor signposting of enemy patterns and traps. Going in with the mindset that you will have to play the levels multiple times over does improve the experience but it does not fully redeem how unfair the game design can be at times. It is obvious through the design that this was Inafune and his team's first title like this.
Though I have grown comfortable with save states, it was interesting to go back to a title that does not hold back in making you do sections over and over again. It was kind of fun to constantly go through the first Wily stage to get a chance to fight the Yellow Devil. Having to go through a gauntlet every time to fight the hardest boss in the game was stressful but ultimately very rewarding. This sort of loop would usually not work on me but for some, I had a lot of fun slowly mastering the stages. It also helps that so much of the game soundtrack remains catchy to this day.
As an opener to a classic video game franchise, the first Mega Man is rough and I can easily see most people dropping it. I had my fun with it but I also had my fair share of frustrations with it leaving my experience a bit mixed. I am curious to see how this formula of Mega Man game evolves from here as I go through all the classic titles.
The first title in this series is built on the game design of old where making the game exceedingly difficult and time-consuming was the way to extend play time. It took me a while to align myself with this type of design, which resulted in a decently long playthrough as I memorized each level and all the tricks they threw at me. The Rock-Paper-Scissors nature of the stages is genuinely a neat way to have the levels relate to one another but I resulted in just looking up the intended order. This was a result of each of the levels being a little unfair on the first run-through. A lot of my first attempts resulted in my death due to poor signposting of enemy patterns and traps. Going in with the mindset that you will have to play the levels multiple times over does improve the experience but it does not fully redeem how unfair the game design can be at times. It is obvious through the design that this was Inafune and his team's first title like this.
Though I have grown comfortable with save states, it was interesting to go back to a title that does not hold back in making you do sections over and over again. It was kind of fun to constantly go through the first Wily stage to get a chance to fight the Yellow Devil. Having to go through a gauntlet every time to fight the hardest boss in the game was stressful but ultimately very rewarding. This sort of loop would usually not work on me but for some, I had a lot of fun slowly mastering the stages. It also helps that so much of the game soundtrack remains catchy to this day.
As an opener to a classic video game franchise, the first Mega Man is rough and I can easily see most people dropping it. I had my fun with it but I also had my fair share of frustrations with it leaving my experience a bit mixed. I am curious to see how this formula of Mega Man game evolves from here as I go through all the classic titles.
Since the industries foundation, games have looked to other media sources for inspiration. Whether it’s creating a game heavily inspired by a story or trying to translate a property into the video game format I.e licensed titles. From this collaboration of mediums came the desire to push games even further and instead have them emulate these other forms of stories. Whether it’s big bombastic triple A games that recreate the style and flair of movies or visual novels that are basically books with added flairs. Through all the years of style imitation, it’s clear to me that Disco Elysium is the first title I’ve played that masterfully combines the elements of movies, books and video games into one of the best stories I have ever experienced
2023
For the past decade, so many different big titles have been getting remastered and remade so much so that it has become a bit of a joke. That’s why it surprised me when I heard they were making a remake of the original Risk of Rain. It’s not very often you hear a remake for an indie game of all things and especially one you put a great deal of time into. A bit of a hot take but I was always one who preferred the original Risk of Rain to its sequel. I always felt the first one was built better for single-player and it also doesn’t have a final boss that I hate. This announcement turned into one of my most anticipated games of this last year.
Having finally gotten around to it and sinking around a dozen hours into it, I can confidently say that this is the definitive version of the original title. The graphical update is extremely pleasing while staying true to the simpler sprites of the original version. Also, the basic movement and combat feel more streamlined to match the fluidity of Risk of Rain 2. What really makes this version worth playing is the large amount of new content. The new characters are a blast to play as with their skills translating well into 2D. The Pilot especially is one I want to spend more time with as I really enjoyed learning their skills in the trial levels
Speaking of trials, the new Providence Trials are an incredibly inventive way to think about how you can use each character differently and it’s a way to unlock new skills and costume skins for each character. I wanted to try out each trial as soon as they unlocked to see what sort of creative spin on the game’s mechanics the developers would devise. Not all of these trials are extremely fun as some of them feel a little too needlessly difficult or confusing to figure out what you are even needing to do. For the most part, though, they are a fun set of levels that rewards you with skills that add added depth and customization to each of the characters which is the most stellar addition to the game.
While I did enjoy all the new additions, I was left wanting a little more from this remake. As someone who put countless hours into the original, this remake is just more of the same in a lot of ways which isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just not compelling me to come back to it as often. The lack of any updated music tracks was another reason this game initially felt like it was just a facelift. I absolutely still enjoyed my time with it though and am planning to go back and play some more soon, hopefully with some buddies. If you enjoyed the original Risk of Rain, you owe it to yourself to try out Returns as it is a stellar improvement. If you are someone who has only played Risk of Rain 2, I would still encourage trying this game as its different dimension of play does offer playstyles that are separate from the sequel.
Having finally gotten around to it and sinking around a dozen hours into it, I can confidently say that this is the definitive version of the original title. The graphical update is extremely pleasing while staying true to the simpler sprites of the original version. Also, the basic movement and combat feel more streamlined to match the fluidity of Risk of Rain 2. What really makes this version worth playing is the large amount of new content. The new characters are a blast to play as with their skills translating well into 2D. The Pilot especially is one I want to spend more time with as I really enjoyed learning their skills in the trial levels
Speaking of trials, the new Providence Trials are an incredibly inventive way to think about how you can use each character differently and it’s a way to unlock new skills and costume skins for each character. I wanted to try out each trial as soon as they unlocked to see what sort of creative spin on the game’s mechanics the developers would devise. Not all of these trials are extremely fun as some of them feel a little too needlessly difficult or confusing to figure out what you are even needing to do. For the most part, though, they are a fun set of levels that rewards you with skills that add added depth and customization to each of the characters which is the most stellar addition to the game.
While I did enjoy all the new additions, I was left wanting a little more from this remake. As someone who put countless hours into the original, this remake is just more of the same in a lot of ways which isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just not compelling me to come back to it as often. The lack of any updated music tracks was another reason this game initially felt like it was just a facelift. I absolutely still enjoyed my time with it though and am planning to go back and play some more soon, hopefully with some buddies. If you enjoyed the original Risk of Rain, you owe it to yourself to try out Returns as it is a stellar improvement. If you are someone who has only played Risk of Rain 2, I would still encourage trying this game as its different dimension of play does offer playstyles that are separate from the sequel.
1996
It’s no stranger to anyone at this point that Konami was once a powerhouse video game company, especially in the 90s. During this decade they developed and published so many classic and interesting titles that it’s no wonder some of them have fallen to somewhat obscurity. Vandal Hearts is a perfect example of this as I had only heard of this game from a specific YouTuber and outside of their videos I would never hear anyone discuss it even when talking about games from this era. This could be due in part to its lackluster sales or its sorta basic setup and gameplay, though regardless I still think Vandal Hearts is worth looking back on.
The easiest way to describe this game is that it’s a PS1 Fire Emblem game, sporting a similar type of grid-based maps albeit with more 3D elements than older Fire Emblem titles. The gameplay is also similar with different characters that have varying classes and skills that you use to your advantage. There is a class promotion mechanic that adds some sort of customization even if in the long run it doesn’t matter too much (more on that in a second). One of my favorite parts of the gameplay is the intense sound design that goes with each swing of a sword or casting of a spell. The best part is whenever you defeat an enemy they explode in a shower of blood. That aspect is one part of the game that stuck in my mind for so long.
The story itself is pretty basic but effective with it being another rendition of having to defeat an evil empire before they take over the world kinda shtick. As you progress through the game, you acquire more characters in your party ending with a little over 10 characters to use in every level. I wish you had the chance to interact with party members in between levels as there are certain story beats that flesh out characters somewhat but it never got as deep as I would have liked. The choice to not have to swap characters in and out for levels, though lessens customization, actually made me care about them a little bit more as I felt we were one large band marching through events.
The biggest problem the game suffers from is its stagnation. The first half of the game had me seriously considering where I should move my units when I should attack and use support spells. About halfway through you realize that this game is not as tactical as it makes it out to be. For starts, if a party member falls in battle your only penalty, besides reduced chances of winning, is losing some money at the end of the battle which you will be swimming in most of the time. Each level is uniquely made though only a few of them have some sort of gimmick which the latter half of the game stops doing. Some of my favorite examples of these gimmicks were setting up an ambush for a powerful group of enemies and advancing up a train as the carts are slowly released behind you. Once you reach a certain level with your sorcerer you can spam their highest spells for great damage which kind of loses some of the strategy when going through levels.
That being said, I still had a blast playing Vandal Hearts. Simple, defeat the Empire stories, worked on me a lot and it was fun going through a short war campaign. I also wanted to mention how much I love the art style of this game. It looks so unique compared to its contemporaries with the designs being a mixture of anime and high fantasy artwork that emphasizes exaggerated expressions. It’s a shame the artist, Hiroshi Kyomasu, has not worked on much sense as I enjoy there style.
I think if you enjoy games like Fire Emblem or just tactic games with medieval settings then Vandal Hearts is still worth checking out.
The easiest way to describe this game is that it’s a PS1 Fire Emblem game, sporting a similar type of grid-based maps albeit with more 3D elements than older Fire Emblem titles. The gameplay is also similar with different characters that have varying classes and skills that you use to your advantage. There is a class promotion mechanic that adds some sort of customization even if in the long run it doesn’t matter too much (more on that in a second). One of my favorite parts of the gameplay is the intense sound design that goes with each swing of a sword or casting of a spell. The best part is whenever you defeat an enemy they explode in a shower of blood. That aspect is one part of the game that stuck in my mind for so long.
The story itself is pretty basic but effective with it being another rendition of having to defeat an evil empire before they take over the world kinda shtick. As you progress through the game, you acquire more characters in your party ending with a little over 10 characters to use in every level. I wish you had the chance to interact with party members in between levels as there are certain story beats that flesh out characters somewhat but it never got as deep as I would have liked. The choice to not have to swap characters in and out for levels, though lessens customization, actually made me care about them a little bit more as I felt we were one large band marching through events.
The biggest problem the game suffers from is its stagnation. The first half of the game had me seriously considering where I should move my units when I should attack and use support spells. About halfway through you realize that this game is not as tactical as it makes it out to be. For starts, if a party member falls in battle your only penalty, besides reduced chances of winning, is losing some money at the end of the battle which you will be swimming in most of the time. Each level is uniquely made though only a few of them have some sort of gimmick which the latter half of the game stops doing. Some of my favorite examples of these gimmicks were setting up an ambush for a powerful group of enemies and advancing up a train as the carts are slowly released behind you. Once you reach a certain level with your sorcerer you can spam their highest spells for great damage which kind of loses some of the strategy when going through levels.
That being said, I still had a blast playing Vandal Hearts. Simple, defeat the Empire stories, worked on me a lot and it was fun going through a short war campaign. I also wanted to mention how much I love the art style of this game. It looks so unique compared to its contemporaries with the designs being a mixture of anime and high fantasy artwork that emphasizes exaggerated expressions. It’s a shame the artist, Hiroshi Kyomasu, has not worked on much sense as I enjoy there style.
I think if you enjoy games like Fire Emblem or just tactic games with medieval settings then Vandal Hearts is still worth checking out.
2023
Astonishing what you can achieve with such a simple concept. I've put nearly 10 hours into this game at this point and every session still has me screaming like a baby and laughing my ass off. Easily one of the best multiplayer experiences I've had in a while and I am excited about how this game will be innovated on through updates and its inevitable copycats.
2021
There are a lot of cool things about Alan Wake despite so much of its design being indicative of video games in the 2010s. What sets it a part from other games of the time is its very unconventional narrative. Easily the best part of the game is how it piece mails the story through collectibles in a non chronological way. It's fun to collect pages of the story and have it spoil to you what would happen later in game whether it be spoiling a boss fight or critical plot points. The narrative and writing also has an obvious Twin Peaks veneer with quirky characters, small town vibes and intangible evil presence.
The actual gameplay of the game is just ok. If you've played games from this era you know what to expect. Clunky controls, repetitive set pieces and hundreds of useless collectibles to waste your time with. There is something oddly comforting about all these negative features as I grew up on games like this. To someone who is not acclimated to these design decisions you might find it a bit of a slog
My main motivation for continuing to play was just seeing what sort of interesting spin on the narrative they would pull off. Once that wore off I was just kind of going through the motions for the remainder of my time. I enjoyed this game but I think if I played it back when it came out it would have blown my mind. While it's meta narrative is interesting, its not as revolutionary as it was over a decade ago.
The actual gameplay of the game is just ok. If you've played games from this era you know what to expect. Clunky controls, repetitive set pieces and hundreds of useless collectibles to waste your time with. There is something oddly comforting about all these negative features as I grew up on games like this. To someone who is not acclimated to these design decisions you might find it a bit of a slog
My main motivation for continuing to play was just seeing what sort of interesting spin on the narrative they would pull off. Once that wore off I was just kind of going through the motions for the remainder of my time. I enjoyed this game but I think if I played it back when it came out it would have blown my mind. While it's meta narrative is interesting, its not as revolutionary as it was over a decade ago.
A much needed reimagining of a genre of Mario games that was beyond stale at this point. The wonder flowers were always a blast to find with most of them being an incredibly charming and inventive way to finish a level. I guess charming is the right word to describe this game as the wonder effects do a good job of capturing the childlike wonderment I'm sure a lot of people had when they first played a Mario game.
I do wish the gameplay was pushed a little further. The new elephant and bubble power ups, while cute, are not as interesting as initially shown off. The wonder flowers also can't really save just how utterly short a lot of the levels are or how they can often be so similar to old New Super Mario Games. The gameplay is a step in the right direction but I feel more could have been done to make it more wholly unique.
If you enjoy Mario you will have fun with this game especially if you play it with a friend.
I do wish the gameplay was pushed a little further. The new elephant and bubble power ups, while cute, are not as interesting as initially shown off. The wonder flowers also can't really save just how utterly short a lot of the levels are or how they can often be so similar to old New Super Mario Games. The gameplay is a step in the right direction but I feel more could have been done to make it more wholly unique.
If you enjoy Mario you will have fun with this game especially if you play it with a friend.
This is a weirdo RPG maker type game with obvious inspirations to games like Yume Nikki and Earthbound. On the surface, this is really up my alley as and at the start of it I really did enjoy its bizarre writing and characters. But then in order to progress you have to solve some of the most obtuse puzzles I've encountered in the longest time. Due to the nature of this being a bizarre game many of the solutions to puzzles and even traversal of certain areas are just plain frustrating and not fun to figure out. I consulted a Youtube video multiple time just to figure out what to do next and at that point, given the short length of the game, I figured what's the point in playing it as I can just watch the rest.
I really wished I enjoyed this more as there is a lot of heart put into this shown not only from the inspirations but also from some very personal writing the author included about their life. Creators using games to reflect and express their own lives is something I always enjoy seeing, I just wish it was more fun to play. I still recommend people to try it out, especially since its free, as obviously others have gotten more out of it than I have.
I really wished I enjoyed this more as there is a lot of heart put into this shown not only from the inspirations but also from some very personal writing the author included about their life. Creators using games to reflect and express their own lives is something I always enjoy seeing, I just wish it was more fun to play. I still recommend people to try it out, especially since its free, as obviously others have gotten more out of it than I have.
Having played 6 entries in the series at this point I am fully attuned to what these games offer. 20 to 25 hour stories with twists galore, wacky sidequests/minigames and men expressing their emotions through their fists. I mention this because if you have played other games in the series, Ishin follows the exact same set up almost to a tee albeit with the backdrop of 1800s Edo Japan. The lack of change outside of the setting while initially comforting also led to me being burnt out with the game sooner than I did with other entries. That being said some of the ways the game does differentiate itself are great.
The city of Kyo is a refreshing new setting that does a good job of differentiating itself from the series usual setting of Kamurocho. The addition of forming bonds with the citizens of the city and helping them out not only made it so there was always something for me to do but also added additional depth to city that I wish some of the other games took note of. I loved that fact that when I helped NPCs with problems they started to react to my presence positively as I roamed around the city. Kyo also has great parts of it that are just fun to walk around. Whether it be the bustling main street or a quiet temple path Ishin succeeds in one of my favorite aspects of the franchise, that being it's fun to just run around town.
One of the largest changes to the game is its story with many beloved Yakuza taking the roles of real life historical figures that existed during this time. Through this you get the usual structure of a Yakuza story with the slow unraveling of a grander plot being orchestrated by unknown enemies. The context that this based on historical events, albeit obviously fictionalized in many ways, made the story plenty entertaining to go through even with is predictable setups.
For the most part, I had a blast with Ishin. For the first 12 hours I was glued to it with me wanting to do as much of the side content and even engage with its crafting system which I am usually not a fan of. Past this point however the intense similarities to previous titles made me start to become burnt out. Even the setting change and updated combat was not enough for me to really feel like I was playing the same game again. That being said the format the series is a lot of fun its just hard not to notice how repetitive it can be.
It's kind of sad to see this game pushed to the wayside after it came out early last year as I believe its a worthy entry and an overall great remake.
The city of Kyo is a refreshing new setting that does a good job of differentiating itself from the series usual setting of Kamurocho. The addition of forming bonds with the citizens of the city and helping them out not only made it so there was always something for me to do but also added additional depth to city that I wish some of the other games took note of. I loved that fact that when I helped NPCs with problems they started to react to my presence positively as I roamed around the city. Kyo also has great parts of it that are just fun to walk around. Whether it be the bustling main street or a quiet temple path Ishin succeeds in one of my favorite aspects of the franchise, that being it's fun to just run around town.
One of the largest changes to the game is its story with many beloved Yakuza taking the roles of real life historical figures that existed during this time. Through this you get the usual structure of a Yakuza story with the slow unraveling of a grander plot being orchestrated by unknown enemies. The context that this based on historical events, albeit obviously fictionalized in many ways, made the story plenty entertaining to go through even with is predictable setups.
For the most part, I had a blast with Ishin. For the first 12 hours I was glued to it with me wanting to do as much of the side content and even engage with its crafting system which I am usually not a fan of. Past this point however the intense similarities to previous titles made me start to become burnt out. Even the setting change and updated combat was not enough for me to really feel like I was playing the same game again. That being said the format the series is a lot of fun its just hard not to notice how repetitive it can be.
It's kind of sad to see this game pushed to the wayside after it came out early last year as I believe its a worthy entry and an overall great remake.
I think for most people this second entry is considered a vast improvement over the first game and for the most part I would agree. The basic gameplay has been improved allowing for more customization and strategies and the story does a wonderful job of paying off every major story beat set up in the first game. In all regards it is a superior game but I still think I find myself enjoying the first entry a tad bit more.
The major reason for this is the retreading of all the same locations in the first game. One of my favorite parts of an RPG is exploring new locations and making my way to new towns. The retreading of this familiar locations, while it makes complete sense in the story, lessened my enjoyment of spending time in these locations and interacting with one of the games strongest quirks that being the unique dialogue for every single NPC in the game. I praised the first game for how interconnected the whole world felt in it and this game improves that writing even more I just did not engage with this aspect nearly as much. The sheer length of the game and the retreading of familiar ground eventually lead to me burnt out more than once.
Despite my complaints the story is still great and has more cemented the fact that I am a fan of this series.
The major reason for this is the retreading of all the same locations in the first game. One of my favorite parts of an RPG is exploring new locations and making my way to new towns. The retreading of this familiar locations, while it makes complete sense in the story, lessened my enjoyment of spending time in these locations and interacting with one of the games strongest quirks that being the unique dialogue for every single NPC in the game. I praised the first game for how interconnected the whole world felt in it and this game improves that writing even more I just did not engage with this aspect nearly as much. The sheer length of the game and the retreading of familiar ground eventually lead to me burnt out more than once.
Despite my complaints the story is still great and has more cemented the fact that I am a fan of this series.
A pretty neat short fishing that is a little confused as to whether it wants to be a horror game or a fishing game which it does not fully succeed in either.
From the idea of it just being a fishing game it almost accomplishes this by having a wide variety of fish to catch and there being a satisfying loop of catching and earning money. The routine of strategically catching certain type of fish in order to upgrade your lure to go to deeper depths in an inherently satisfying concept. The first time I fished in the large part of the lake and I saw a dark hole in the middle I was motivated to get the upgrades needed to see what fish are there. It's honestly pretty satisfying to meander around the lake looking for fish. The soundtrack really adds to atmosphere with there being a few looping ambient tracks that either put me at ease or made me tense. The fishing was the best aspect of the game for me as it was relaxing to just have something on tv while I depleted the lake of the fish.
The other angle the game tries to go for is horror which is not nearly as successful. Going into this game I knew it was a horror type game but this really only occurs at the very end. The game does a good job of building up the feeling of isolation with some of the ambient tracks making it sound as if you are not alone on this lake. As you continuing playing though you realize that there is no danger and that all the uneasy elements is just set dressing. I really think there was a missed opportunity from having the horror stem from the fishing being more messed up the further down you fish as for the most part the fishing is pretty normal. The game builds up to an ending that while it is unnerving does not really feel that earned and feels like it goes from a 0 to 100 on the horror scale.
I enjoyed my time with this game but I was disappointed with how little actual horror there was. If they fleshed out the fishing more I could easily see this be a pretty fun fishing game. Like what if instead of just buying new lures and rods you could also change the look of your tent or buy items that help catch fish quicker. From a horror angle, having more messed up fish was the bare minimum.
PS: I think having to wait for the final door to open is bad design. I just barely missed it then I had to wait two in game days for it to open again which is just annoying.
PSS: I absolutely adore the clay animation art for the marketing and I kinda wish they had more elements like that in the game.
From the idea of it just being a fishing game it almost accomplishes this by having a wide variety of fish to catch and there being a satisfying loop of catching and earning money. The routine of strategically catching certain type of fish in order to upgrade your lure to go to deeper depths in an inherently satisfying concept. The first time I fished in the large part of the lake and I saw a dark hole in the middle I was motivated to get the upgrades needed to see what fish are there. It's honestly pretty satisfying to meander around the lake looking for fish. The soundtrack really adds to atmosphere with there being a few looping ambient tracks that either put me at ease or made me tense. The fishing was the best aspect of the game for me as it was relaxing to just have something on tv while I depleted the lake of the fish.
The other angle the game tries to go for is horror which is not nearly as successful. Going into this game I knew it was a horror type game but this really only occurs at the very end. The game does a good job of building up the feeling of isolation with some of the ambient tracks making it sound as if you are not alone on this lake. As you continuing playing though you realize that there is no danger and that all the uneasy elements is just set dressing. I really think there was a missed opportunity from having the horror stem from the fishing being more messed up the further down you fish as for the most part the fishing is pretty normal. The game builds up to an ending that while it is unnerving does not really feel that earned and feels like it goes from a 0 to 100 on the horror scale.
I enjoyed my time with this game but I was disappointed with how little actual horror there was. If they fleshed out the fishing more I could easily see this be a pretty fun fishing game. Like what if instead of just buying new lures and rods you could also change the look of your tent or buy items that help catch fish quicker. From a horror angle, having more messed up fish was the bare minimum.
PS: I think having to wait for the final door to open is bad design. I just barely missed it then I had to wait two in game days for it to open again which is just annoying.
PSS: I absolutely adore the clay animation art for the marketing and I kinda wish they had more elements like that in the game.
2022
On so many levels, Live A Live succeeds with its promise of delivering a very unconventional RPG experience. Playing through eight different characters and timelines each with their unique mechanics and fun stories is an incredibly compelling prospect to me. It baffles me that the ideas for this game were originally made all the way back in 1994 with its original release. We seldom see this sort of take on the RPG genre from big developers anymore so that automatically makes this game stand out. It truly is a unique gaming experience that sadly doesn't fully succeed moment to moment.
My main pain with this game is that the turn based grid is really not that interesting. I was bummed to find that was the only way combat was presented in the game. Rarely does the game present encounters as something other than spamming your strongest moves until you win which in turn makes most encounters trivial. I understand that the game instead focuses on the unique story its telling with each time period, but without a satisfying combat system most of the other gameplay boils down to "walk here", "talk to this person", "walk back to original place". I was a little bummed to see this format be consistent with good chunk of the chapters.
That being said there are standout chapters that do a good job of really differentiating themselves. The Wild West, Edo and Present Day chapters all successfully create an interesting spin on the moment to moment gameplay. So much so that I really wished the other chapters were more focused on specific gameplay ideas that actually changed how you would play normally. I did play all the chapters in a weird order so that's probably one reason as to why my enjoyment was all over the place but I know regardless the final bit of the game would be annoying no matter what.
My other major gripe is that I don't think the final chapter of this game is really that fun to play. The simple inclusion of random encounters in almost every part of the map really killed my drive to take my time and instead replaced it with "just let me beat this as quick as I can". This mindset really hurt the final bits of narrative at the end of the game since I was just so ready to be done at the end. This is a shame since I think so much of the presentation and themes are incredible and had excellent buildup especially with the penultimate chapter. It just sucks that it was dragged down by the slog it took to get there and I am a little surprised the remake didn't contain some sort of quality of life adjustment to this.
Even though I have my problems with Live A Live, I am still glad I played since it is such a unique take on a genre that can be a bit bloated and stagnant.
My main pain with this game is that the turn based grid is really not that interesting. I was bummed to find that was the only way combat was presented in the game. Rarely does the game present encounters as something other than spamming your strongest moves until you win which in turn makes most encounters trivial. I understand that the game instead focuses on the unique story its telling with each time period, but without a satisfying combat system most of the other gameplay boils down to "walk here", "talk to this person", "walk back to original place". I was a little bummed to see this format be consistent with good chunk of the chapters.
That being said there are standout chapters that do a good job of really differentiating themselves. The Wild West, Edo and Present Day chapters all successfully create an interesting spin on the moment to moment gameplay. So much so that I really wished the other chapters were more focused on specific gameplay ideas that actually changed how you would play normally. I did play all the chapters in a weird order so that's probably one reason as to why my enjoyment was all over the place but I know regardless the final bit of the game would be annoying no matter what.
My other major gripe is that I don't think the final chapter of this game is really that fun to play. The simple inclusion of random encounters in almost every part of the map really killed my drive to take my time and instead replaced it with "just let me beat this as quick as I can". This mindset really hurt the final bits of narrative at the end of the game since I was just so ready to be done at the end. This is a shame since I think so much of the presentation and themes are incredible and had excellent buildup especially with the penultimate chapter. It just sucks that it was dragged down by the slog it took to get there and I am a little surprised the remake didn't contain some sort of quality of life adjustment to this.
Even though I have my problems with Live A Live, I am still glad I played since it is such a unique take on a genre that can be a bit bloated and stagnant.