I still think this game has one of the best executions of the "survival game where you have to make tough moral decisions" idea. As niche and frustrating as the mechanics are, the overwhelming feeling of stress and oppression they force unto the player meshes perfectly with the overarching narrative themes of determination in the face of hopelessness and survival at all costs. The strict but carefully tuned difficulty turns every decision into a contemplative weighing between morals and practicality. Its unrelenting harshness and trial-and-error nature culminates into a brilliant narrative trick at the end that screams ludonarrative in a way that's frankly ahead of its time.
While the highlight of the game is definitely chapter 4, the climactic title drop scene straight from its original Ludum Dare prototype, I found its other sci-fi thriller scenarios equally as interesting, except for that damn desert stage. Honestly while the desert stage had some cool ideas, the sheer amount of rng BS it also had made it probably the most unfun experience I've had in a game in a while.
The game's definitely not for everyone. I feel that many will go into it expecting a story-focused point-and-click adventure and be left disappointed by the reality of it being essentially a meter-management simulator. However, for those who can endure its initial difficulty curve and end up inexplicably Stockholm Syndrome-d into finding its mechanics enjoyable, there's actually a pretty compelling narrative to be found here.
While the highlight of the game is definitely chapter 4, the climactic title drop scene straight from its original Ludum Dare prototype, I found its other sci-fi thriller scenarios equally as interesting, except for that damn desert stage. Honestly while the desert stage had some cool ideas, the sheer amount of rng BS it also had made it probably the most unfun experience I've had in a game in a while.
The game's definitely not for everyone. I feel that many will go into it expecting a story-focused point-and-click adventure and be left disappointed by the reality of it being essentially a meter-management simulator. However, for those who can endure its initial difficulty curve and end up inexplicably Stockholm Syndrome-d into finding its mechanics enjoyable, there's actually a pretty compelling narrative to be found here.
2021
A Libertarian's dream come true. Underage girls falling in love with adult men, a gun for every child, and crippling debt imposed by unfeeling megacorporations. All adding up to a pretty mediocre gacha money hole with a fairly polished presentation.
This is probably the most sus I've ever felt while playing a video game. The sheer amount of grooming that happens in the character stories is unhinged. I truly cannot imagine a sane adult playing through this game without ever feeling skeeved out at some point. This is truly video games' The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me." The very definition of a red-flag game.
Music's pretty good, though.
This is probably the most sus I've ever felt while playing a video game. The sheer amount of grooming that happens in the character stories is unhinged. I truly cannot imagine a sane adult playing through this game without ever feeling skeeved out at some point. This is truly video games' The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me." The very definition of a red-flag game.
Music's pretty good, though.
2014
Had some cool new ideas for the series like life gems and power stance-ing but also some missteps like the torch mechanic making the environment look awful and adaptability making the game feel like shit to play. Just overall a mixed bag of innovation. Also half the bosses are just dudes in armor.
This is still probably the most disappointed I've ever been in my life.
2010
Shitty, generic military propaganda. Not worth your time.
2016
The Novakid are easily one of my favorite alien races in sci-fi. Their lone wanderer, space-western aesthetic is just so rad. But even though the game's pretty fun for a while it kind of just made me want to play Terraria again.
2020
An action porn game that primarily appeals to the monster girl and "older girl, younger boy" (おねショタ) fetishes. A lot of other eroge in the action-platformer genre can get a bit too extreme or violent for my taste, so I really liked that this game never really goes that much further than soft femdom and stays true to its cute, gentle art style. The pixel animations are smooth and well-made, though I wish the characters were just a little bit more detailed as the relatively large pixels can sometimes make it hard to tell exactly what they're doing, even if you zoom in.
The gameplay itself is legitimately fun and the combat actually feels good to play, which is honestly kind of rare for action eroge. The main mechanic of taking unique abilities from all the various types of monster girls means you end up with a pretty long list of moves you can mix and match together in creative ways. I never really found the progression to be that difficult or grindy, either, which made for an overall pleasant experience.
If there's one complaint I could make it's that while the game has a gallery for its CG scenes, it does not provide a proper one for its pixel animations. This is a little strange, as I feel like that's kind of the main appeal here. It does, at the end, give you the ability to spawn characters at will, so I guess the idea is that you make your own gallery wherever you want? It's a little annoying to use though, and I honestly would have just preferred a traditional gallery mode, but that's just me.
The gameplay itself is legitimately fun and the combat actually feels good to play, which is honestly kind of rare for action eroge. The main mechanic of taking unique abilities from all the various types of monster girls means you end up with a pretty long list of moves you can mix and match together in creative ways. I never really found the progression to be that difficult or grindy, either, which made for an overall pleasant experience.
If there's one complaint I could make it's that while the game has a gallery for its CG scenes, it does not provide a proper one for its pixel animations. This is a little strange, as I feel like that's kind of the main appeal here. It does, at the end, give you the ability to spawn characters at will, so I guess the idea is that you make your own gallery wherever you want? It's a little annoying to use though, and I honestly would have just preferred a traditional gallery mode, but that's just me.
Amplitude Studios' Endless series of 4X games, to me, have always been characterized by visually striking, high concept civilizations and incredibly evocative lore writing. Big picture world building has always been the series' strength, but I've always found the smaller details and character writing to be just a bit lacking. This is, of course, completely fine in a 4X game, where you're managing entire armies and building massive superstructures. But in a more intimate setting like a dungeon crawler, where individuals are the focus, I couldn't help but want a bit more out of the heroes' colorful personalities. While the between-level elevator conversations are fantastic and give a tiny glimpse into who these people actually are, the more interesting ones are unfortunately relatively sparse as unique dialogues aren't even guaranteed to happen unless you happen to have a specific combination of characters. Even then there's only so many elevator rides before a run's over.
I understand if the focus is on the gameplay, but to be honest, while the series' games do fulfill a niche of providing fun, unique spins on 4X archetypes, they never quite reach the same level of depth and replayability that classics in the genre, such as the Civilization games, are known for. I find the same problem to be true for this particular foray into the tower defense/dungeon crawler genres. And while there's definitely a lot of polish and some pretty interesting interpretations of the mainline games' 4X mechanics, for some reason I just never found Dungeon of the Endless to be as addictive as the many other roguelike dungeon crawlers on the market. A lot of cool ideas here though, so hopefully they'll improve upon them in Endless Dungeon, the slightly confusingly-named spiritual sequel.
I understand if the focus is on the gameplay, but to be honest, while the series' games do fulfill a niche of providing fun, unique spins on 4X archetypes, they never quite reach the same level of depth and replayability that classics in the genre, such as the Civilization games, are known for. I find the same problem to be true for this particular foray into the tower defense/dungeon crawler genres. And while there's definitely a lot of polish and some pretty interesting interpretations of the mainline games' 4X mechanics, for some reason I just never found Dungeon of the Endless to be as addictive as the many other roguelike dungeon crawlers on the market. A lot of cool ideas here though, so hopefully they'll improve upon them in Endless Dungeon, the slightly confusingly-named spiritual sequel.
Absolutely livid that Nintendo gave you the baddest character design on god for like 5 minutes at the very end. You telling me I gotta buy a whole ass Hyrule Warriors game just to see my goth queen again? Simply diabolical.
2020
The mixing of horror and comedy can be a tricky balancing act. Too much comedy and the horror elements can turn kitschy and ridiculous. Too much horror and the comedy turns into a lame distraction. Discover My Body, thanks to its punchy, ingenious writing, sufficiently manages both without taking too much of your time.
The term Kafkaesque is often used to describe works focusing on transformative body horror but it's rarer to see Metamorphosis-inspired fiction that seems to understand the famous author's wit and tries a similar kind of comedy. The game manages to be funny and horrifying! Yames' excellent brand of dark humor has been even more developed in his latest game Growing My Grandpa!, a game that further explores these themes of body transformation and human connection. And while this particular game is but a simple, five minute exploration of the idea, it can still serve as an excellent introduction to the developer's uniquely surreal aesthetic and pungent writing that is wonderfully expanded upon in their later projects.
The term Kafkaesque is often used to describe works focusing on transformative body horror but it's rarer to see Metamorphosis-inspired fiction that seems to understand the famous author's wit and tries a similar kind of comedy. The game manages to be funny and horrifying! Yames' excellent brand of dark humor has been even more developed in his latest game Growing My Grandpa!, a game that further explores these themes of body transformation and human connection. And while this particular game is but a simple, five minute exploration of the idea, it can still serve as an excellent introduction to the developer's uniquely surreal aesthetic and pungent writing that is wonderfully expanded upon in their later projects.
2020
Admittedly not much of a "game" yet, but still an incredibly original fever dream brimming with cool ideas and psychedelic, yet weirdly chill vibes. The whole world (er, galaxy) feels like splatterings of vividly colored blobs finger-painted by an ecstatic child lovingly brought to life by an older sibling game designer. The absurdist dialogue is hilariously matter-of-fact and what scant "plotlines" currently exist feel like the recordings of imaginary adventures collectively brainstormed between excitable kids on a playground. Even the combat system of manually flailing around your weapon with the mouse brilliantly invokes a kind of viscerally simplistic, childlike joy that only a game that isn't afraid to be dumb could afford to implement.
There's no music in the overworld, but when you've upgraded your character enough to properly fly, they sort of hum this calm little tune as they do so. Combining this with the surrounding scenery of mostly empty grayish rolling hills and foggy indigo skies gave me a sort of unexpected serenity akin to viewing an impressionist painting. The whole game even, seems to want to evoke some kind of impressionist feeling, but it's also not afraid to punctuate the viewings with dumb humor and pop references. The idiocy of the game's humor and its exploding creativity somehow kind of end up working pretty well together, though. I'll admit, aside from these personal takeaways, I don't really know what the "point" of the game is so far, but it's a definitely a vibe.
There's no music in the overworld, but when you've upgraded your character enough to properly fly, they sort of hum this calm little tune as they do so. Combining this with the surrounding scenery of mostly empty grayish rolling hills and foggy indigo skies gave me a sort of unexpected serenity akin to viewing an impressionist painting. The whole game even, seems to want to evoke some kind of impressionist feeling, but it's also not afraid to punctuate the viewings with dumb humor and pop references. The idiocy of the game's humor and its exploding creativity somehow kind of end up working pretty well together, though. I'll admit, aside from these personal takeaways, I don't really know what the "point" of the game is so far, but it's a definitely a vibe.
This review contains spoilers
The game's first use of rotoscope during Amy's appearance made for a genuinely good scare, completely upending the player's initial assumption of an accurately simulated, low-fidelity Atari aesthetic. I really liked this moment as well as the further uses of the pixel rotoscoping technique afterwards as a way to up the suspense and keep the player guessing as to what else this game could do to surprise them with the retro graphics. I guess the developer liked these moments too because he added more in later versions of the game, like when you encounter Michael before going into the house in the first place. Personally, I think this takes away from the original reveal with Amy, and as cool as the fluid animations are I do believe that there can be too much of a good thing.
I really do like the quaint restraint of this first game compared to the more showy plot entanglings of the subsequent chapter. There's more of a commitment to the MS-DOS/Atari aesthetic, at least for the first half of the game. And the text to speech robotic voices are distinct, striking, and easily differentiated between characters, without being relied on too much. The plot is also easier to understand while still being delightfully open to interpretation. Chapter II does pull some neat tricks and go in some interesting directions but this first chapter still feels to me like a more complete standalone experience.
I really do like the quaint restraint of this first game compared to the more showy plot entanglings of the subsequent chapter. There's more of a commitment to the MS-DOS/Atari aesthetic, at least for the first half of the game. And the text to speech robotic voices are distinct, striking, and easily differentiated between characters, without being relied on too much. The plot is also easier to understand while still being delightfully open to interpretation. Chapter II does pull some neat tricks and go in some interesting directions but this first chapter still feels to me like a more complete standalone experience.
2020
A fun free game that the developer himself admits is pretty much just fanart bait. The art is cute and stylish, and the characters themselves are excellent at appealing to a very specific taste. I'm actually pretty impressed by how the designs manage to feel cool and sexy without being revealing at all or feeling fanservice-y. I almost feel like I need to hear a fashion designer's insight on these outfits. The puzzle gameplay is quick and snappy and the main music track is infectiously bouncy. Pretty much the entire experience feels quick, polished, and to the point which is a great way to make a free game like this go viral for a bit, but also causes a lot of the new fans to want a bit more. And while there's not much to the game, what's there is quality. It really is amazing how much I ended up liking all of the girls despite them having such few lines of dialogue.
Usually when a game becomes a meme it's for one of two reasons: Either it's "so bad it's good" such as something like Shadow the Hedgehog or because it's "YouTuber bait" like Surgeon Simulator. Winnie the Pooh's Home Run Derby is neither of these. This unassuming children's web game has neither any major deficiencies in its core design nor is it attempting to be intentionally funny. The humor that the gaming community has collectively found, of course, is the insane difficulty curve, no, difficulty brick wall that is the devil himself, Christopher Robin. If this was themed as a hardcore baseball simulator that would be one thing, but to foist this monster, this malevolent beast of absolute pitching savagery upon children under the guise of just being a fun hang out sesh with your favorite unemployed bear is simply unconscionable.
We will never know what the designers meant by this. We will never know if the original architects of the game were acting with utter disdain towards children, or if they perhaps had much too faith in the youth's determination to overcome this challenge, or if they simply playtested it once, got it first try, and then said, "eh, it's probably fine." But whatever the case, Winnie the Pooh's Home Run Derby has made its mark upon gaming history as the only pure inside joke game the gaming community at large has ever enjoyed together. What a piece of shit. But also, what a treasure.
We will never know what the designers meant by this. We will never know if the original architects of the game were acting with utter disdain towards children, or if they perhaps had much too faith in the youth's determination to overcome this challenge, or if they simply playtested it once, got it first try, and then said, "eh, it's probably fine." But whatever the case, Winnie the Pooh's Home Run Derby has made its mark upon gaming history as the only pure inside joke game the gaming community at large has ever enjoyed together. What a piece of shit. But also, what a treasure.
2020
A pale imitation of Parappa the Rapper, and yet I cannot deny the funkiness of the beats. When I first played the game, it kinda ran like garbo, but over time it seems like they managed to tweak it enough so that the timings aren't affected at all anymore, which is great. The art style obviously continues the sort of blocky, flat look that many of the old Newgrounds mascots all seem to have. In fact, the very inclusion of those mascots into the game don't even feel that out of place here and also gave me some unexpected nostalgia. It's a little weird to think that kids nowadays will only know Pico and the Tankmen from this game instead of y'know, Newgrounds, but I digress.
The music of course, is actually really bumpin', which is good because otherwise the game wouldn't work at all. The use of chopped up Banjo-Kazooie-esque electronically manipulated voice beeps works flawlessly into the mix and the gradual transformation of the simplistic turn-taking rap battles into blossoming simultaneous duets is a welcome innovation to the Parappa formula I wasn't expecting. The genres start off as hip-hop-ish but over time takes cues from increasingly higher-bpm electronic stuff with some dance inspired tracks as well as, unexpectedly, some gabber type beats? It's all pretty danceable really and I found myself swinging my head to most of the songs.
I'm not too familiar with the fan community, as I'm probably at least a decade too old for it, but it seems like there's a pretty big modding and youtuber scene associated with the game, which is good news for the longevity of any rhythm game, really. It also seems like mods will be fully supported in the full game, which is always nice to see. Overall the developers seem pretty capable, so I'm looking forward to the full release, whenever that happens!
The music of course, is actually really bumpin', which is good because otherwise the game wouldn't work at all. The use of chopped up Banjo-Kazooie-esque electronically manipulated voice beeps works flawlessly into the mix and the gradual transformation of the simplistic turn-taking rap battles into blossoming simultaneous duets is a welcome innovation to the Parappa formula I wasn't expecting. The genres start off as hip-hop-ish but over time takes cues from increasingly higher-bpm electronic stuff with some dance inspired tracks as well as, unexpectedly, some gabber type beats? It's all pretty danceable really and I found myself swinging my head to most of the songs.
I'm not too familiar with the fan community, as I'm probably at least a decade too old for it, but it seems like there's a pretty big modding and youtuber scene associated with the game, which is good news for the longevity of any rhythm game, really. It also seems like mods will be fully supported in the full game, which is always nice to see. Overall the developers seem pretty capable, so I'm looking forward to the full release, whenever that happens!