WAIA
2019
Played Catherine Classic! I guess you could say it really is a classic.. Catherine Classic is a modern release of the 2011 title "Catherine" By Atlus.
I really enjoyed this video game. I feel it's because it has such a strong identity and core it holds itself to. The core of the story is in relationships and trials, choices, and growing up. It's the particular way that Catherine expresses these themes
that makes it such a fun experience. It has a visual style that feels uniquely distinct. A kind of hot pink, black, and white for its UI and official art. This feels to me in contrast to its gray, brownish, muted in tone colorwork in the nightmares. The
contrast works wonderfully. Its morality system is quite interesting too leaving us with 3 endings each playing into that system. Whether you go with freedom, order, or an in-between choice all depends on your communication with all the characters and important questions in the confessional booth before going into the next level.
The game sees its protagonist, Vincent, go through these nightmares as a trail, a trail to see what the hell he's going to do with his future. Because the time is now that he makes
an important choice, it's a turning point. I think the way the nightmares/the climbing is a really cool way to fuse the gameplay and story elements together in a cohesive way. I like that the sheep we talk to in the nightmare sections later are able to be talked to again in their actual human form. Because of that, it ends up never feeling separated from each other. The game is really well put together in ways like this. Also switching between gameplay, interaction adventure game-styled events, 3d model animation cutscenes, 2d animated cutscenes makes the game all the more dynamic.
Even other elements such as the arcade game can be explained as being prepared for further nightmare-level beating. It feels that elements such as the sheep having real-life counterparts to talk to ends up making you try all kinds of options and availabilities in front of you, because you have been provoked to do so, to play, to try and to indulge. It's so good in awakening the players curiosity, mine especially.
Other games will also have choices, but I think because of the particular matter in which Catherine provokes you through its construction that you are able to follow through so heavily and in such a natural way. Well, I sure did anyway. I really felt like fiddling with all of it, reading through as much available dialogue as i could each night.
Catherine also has a really amazing soundtrack, which will have you at the edge of your seat as you solve these climbing puzzles. Classical remixes really never fall out of style.
I'm grateful that the game never felt the need to be too indulgent with its side characters or friends of Vincent. I think we might have lost the focus of this bullet of a game if we would get even more dialogue to bite on from them. The game finds a perfect balance between making the characters interesting with the amount of spotlight they get in the game itself.
The two main female characters, Catherine and Katherine are really lovely too. Being complete opposites of
each other and representing either side of the morality system. For who I love the most well.. ;)
Anyway, the game is absolutely full sassiness and you should totally play it. I really like it when a work goes about difficult themes like this in a completely unique way.
Good game! That's all I had to say. Might edit later.
I really enjoyed this video game. I feel it's because it has such a strong identity and core it holds itself to. The core of the story is in relationships and trials, choices, and growing up. It's the particular way that Catherine expresses these themes
that makes it such a fun experience. It has a visual style that feels uniquely distinct. A kind of hot pink, black, and white for its UI and official art. This feels to me in contrast to its gray, brownish, muted in tone colorwork in the nightmares. The
contrast works wonderfully. Its morality system is quite interesting too leaving us with 3 endings each playing into that system. Whether you go with freedom, order, or an in-between choice all depends on your communication with all the characters and important questions in the confessional booth before going into the next level.
The game sees its protagonist, Vincent, go through these nightmares as a trail, a trail to see what the hell he's going to do with his future. Because the time is now that he makes
an important choice, it's a turning point. I think the way the nightmares/the climbing is a really cool way to fuse the gameplay and story elements together in a cohesive way. I like that the sheep we talk to in the nightmare sections later are able to be talked to again in their actual human form. Because of that, it ends up never feeling separated from each other. The game is really well put together in ways like this. Also switching between gameplay, interaction adventure game-styled events, 3d model animation cutscenes, 2d animated cutscenes makes the game all the more dynamic.
Even other elements such as the arcade game can be explained as being prepared for further nightmare-level beating. It feels that elements such as the sheep having real-life counterparts to talk to ends up making you try all kinds of options and availabilities in front of you, because you have been provoked to do so, to play, to try and to indulge. It's so good in awakening the players curiosity, mine especially.
Other games will also have choices, but I think because of the particular matter in which Catherine provokes you through its construction that you are able to follow through so heavily and in such a natural way. Well, I sure did anyway. I really felt like fiddling with all of it, reading through as much available dialogue as i could each night.
Catherine also has a really amazing soundtrack, which will have you at the edge of your seat as you solve these climbing puzzles. Classical remixes really never fall out of style.
I'm grateful that the game never felt the need to be too indulgent with its side characters or friends of Vincent. I think we might have lost the focus of this bullet of a game if we would get even more dialogue to bite on from them. The game finds a perfect balance between making the characters interesting with the amount of spotlight they get in the game itself.
The two main female characters, Catherine and Katherine are really lovely too. Being complete opposites of
each other and representing either side of the morality system. For who I love the most well.. ;)
Anyway, the game is absolutely full sassiness and you should totally play it. I really like it when a work goes about difficult themes like this in a completely unique way.
Good game! That's all I had to say. Might edit later.
2017
Honestly a pretty big jump from the first game in quality and I had a lot more fun reading this one. Making it a kind of more multi-media-esque experience by leading you outside of the game itself is really fun and dynamic. Also the fact we now have two characters to talk to, sometimes at the same time ends up making the game a lot more interesting and enticing, are you gonna be able to keep up with the timer conversations?! It really feels like an improved version of the original through these changes of the game its structure.
Great!
Great!
2015
It's a cute little experience, the confinement of the messaging is cozy. But for a game of choices, the story and its choices don't end up being particularly interesting. Its mood and aesthetics certainly have a kind of nostalgic attribute. And I like how soft the art of the interface is. But overall it's not an interesting game, even if the concept of the game is interesting.
It kind of feels like wasted potential
It kind of feels like wasted potential
2013
No, in tears by how terrible this game was, never again.
That was very fun! I really liked the Somniums themselves the most because of the way they were designed. The Somniums also perfectly display the two halves of AI: The Somnium files which is Crime drama mixing light-hearted humor. The Psychological sense and strange design vibe in these somniums also go super hard.
The split between the more light-hearted comedy and full-on human drama might turn some people off. I thought this double-edged nature made the game more interesting and unique.
The route structure is used nicely too. Slowly uncovering different facets of the story through the use of these split-up routes made it even more enjoyable for when things came together.
Curious as to what the sequel is going to be like.
Don't have much else to say, i had a good time. Aiba <3
The split between the more light-hearted comedy and full-on human drama might turn some people off. I thought this double-edged nature made the game more interesting and unique.
The route structure is used nicely too. Slowly uncovering different facets of the story through the use of these split-up routes made it even more enjoyable for when things came together.
Curious as to what the sequel is going to be like.
Don't have much else to say, i had a good time. Aiba <3
Feels like the weakest Makura work.
Even if i liked parts of it...
Even if i liked parts of it...
2014
To be honest, i just dont enjoy idle games like this for the first minute or 5 it can be fun but the moment you spend more time into it it becomes boring to me. After 8 years i decided to give it some more time but after about 10 more hours (now at about 41 hours in total) i can say its pretty bland.
Id say for an IDLE game its solid and it does pretty much what one would expect. So if your into that kind of stuff go ahead.
Id say for an IDLE game its solid and it does pretty much what one would expect. So if your into that kind of stuff go ahead.
Unreal fucking game. From the height of seething highest anger to the most tender understanding. An absolute golden game. I went from despising and stupidly fumbling through this title to enjoying the walks, the many sights, the many enemies, the many fights, the history, and everything the game had to offer. The complete switch I made from when I started playing compared to now is really something. But I really came to appreciate and love this game from the bottom of my heart.
(More writing soon, might make a full blogpost instead.)
(More writing soon, might make a full blogpost instead.)
2010
SPEEDY
JUICY
WET
MEATY
Shelved until i feel like going back to it, again..
JUICY
WET
MEATY
Shelved until i feel like going back to it, again..
I liked playing this title, I think thats probably due to the background elements while I was playing it. They are really fancy and aesthetically defined. Its font is also a very soft one. The game is never cruel against the player in some kind of textual way so the game just feels like a nice breeze to playthrough. The music is also very nice. Level 11 - heracles by Yooh is probably my favourite level and in the game.
1997
Note: I will keep adding and removing stuff to this until i feel satisfied, it is merely a place for me to dump thoughts into.
extra note: my japanese is only good to an extent so if i misunderstood anything i add into this just let me know
Even though Moonlight Syndrome is an incredible mess of a game, and is really hard to put together narratively because of missing details in the story being cut out. It is also absolutely a thrilling playthrough. Especially if your a fan of Suda51's work.
You can really see that out of this most of if not all KTP games can find their origin in so many ways. Through the rubble the rest of it is birthed and its really fascinating to me.
Its also just a really sick psychological adventure game and the way the storyline shifts in comparison to the original twilight games was really good too. I felt super engaged throughout because of the particular structure and energy the title carries. Like the aspect of having part-only audio, part-only text, ends up making the game feel even more immersive. I was always at the edge of my seat during the game.
The chapter of the "jumpers" was probably my favourite in the whole game as well as the epilogue itself. Even if iv seen in interviews that Suda51 thinks the writing was too rough in these sections I still find it super interesting and emotionally engaging.
And again this game has rough patches but its still such an awesome psychological horror, transition from pure spiritual stories to a kind of psychological collapse with layering. Super good.
extra note: my japanese is only good to an extent so if i misunderstood anything i add into this just let me know
Even though Moonlight Syndrome is an incredible mess of a game, and is really hard to put together narratively because of missing details in the story being cut out. It is also absolutely a thrilling playthrough. Especially if your a fan of Suda51's work.
You can really see that out of this most of if not all KTP games can find their origin in so many ways. Through the rubble the rest of it is birthed and its really fascinating to me.
Its also just a really sick psychological adventure game and the way the storyline shifts in comparison to the original twilight games was really good too. I felt super engaged throughout because of the particular structure and energy the title carries. Like the aspect of having part-only audio, part-only text, ends up making the game feel even more immersive. I was always at the edge of my seat during the game.
The chapter of the "jumpers" was probably my favourite in the whole game as well as the epilogue itself. Even if iv seen in interviews that Suda51 thinks the writing was too rough in these sections I still find it super interesting and emotionally engaging.
And again this game has rough patches but its still such an awesome psychological horror, transition from pure spiritual stories to a kind of psychological collapse with layering. Super good.
Funny as hell and had really sweet and cozy illustrations the visual effect that's layered on top of them really helps with this.
I can't help but feel nostalgic cause it reminded me of those point-and-click games you could get from boxes of cereal, german chocolate milk powder in Europe. Good times.
I can't help but feel nostalgic cause it reminded me of those point-and-click games you could get from boxes of cereal, german chocolate milk powder in Europe. Good times.
Abandoned again..all on his own..
What were the climbs worth..?
Even to struggle as humans yet still..
What were the climbs worth..?
Even to struggle as humans yet still..
2007
This review contains spoilers
Some thoughts (i will keep adding to this as time passes and edit it until it feels complete.)
No More Heroes 1 was a really fresh, fun game and gave me a lot of food for thoughts regarding the world we live in. It is a very mixed and dense little package of a game. What I mean is regarding the world we live in, NMH feels like it commentates on games but it specifically also feels like it is critiquing or making fun of "system" and being bound by "system" wether that system is violence or money. Critiquing the construction of a system is something suda51 has done before but the way he does it here is quite something. It is all over the game critiquing the systems and the structures. Bottom line it is kind of a fight to capitalism and the improvement based society. Everything has to be a next step in the ladder, everything has to be more and more. another grind another few more hours of work to death. Travis is somebody who falls into this trap through Sylvia the girl who manages the UAA and all of his fights because he has a sexual desire for her. (Sex, violence, power, wealth are all correlated in ways in NMH but i need to think about it more)
When we talk of the end of the game it is kind of like the ultimate finger up the ass, it is ripping away satisfaction of the player in a glorious way but it is also showing the empty journey of the system climb and how for whatever you climbed it the hole inside of you as you live in some damp motel did not grow any bigger nor any smaller. It was a complete empty journey. After that we have the beautiful fight between Travis and Henry in which they talk about escaping too paradise, this is directly referencing back to death, the only way to escape all of it, the wealth, the murder, the desire, the senseless cycle they all live in is by death. There is an illusion of free choice from the system but there is no true freedom. No More Heroes 1 talks about the horrors of "system" and the loss of freedom, the continuation of cycle violence and a world that constrains you to its systems and can only live through the systems.
I'v seen people mention that the No More Heroes title comes from a song, I also wanted to add that I believe it is in direct correlation and context to other videogames where the protagonist usually is the hero (especially quite some hack and slash titles had this motive) but in fact in No More heroes there is no hero, not even the protagonist.
No More Heroes 1 was a really fresh, fun game and gave me a lot of food for thoughts regarding the world we live in. It is a very mixed and dense little package of a game. What I mean is regarding the world we live in, NMH feels like it commentates on games but it specifically also feels like it is critiquing or making fun of "system" and being bound by "system" wether that system is violence or money. Critiquing the construction of a system is something suda51 has done before but the way he does it here is quite something. It is all over the game critiquing the systems and the structures. Bottom line it is kind of a fight to capitalism and the improvement based society. Everything has to be a next step in the ladder, everything has to be more and more. another grind another few more hours of work to death. Travis is somebody who falls into this trap through Sylvia the girl who manages the UAA and all of his fights because he has a sexual desire for her. (Sex, violence, power, wealth are all correlated in ways in NMH but i need to think about it more)
When we talk of the end of the game it is kind of like the ultimate finger up the ass, it is ripping away satisfaction of the player in a glorious way but it is also showing the empty journey of the system climb and how for whatever you climbed it the hole inside of you as you live in some damp motel did not grow any bigger nor any smaller. It was a complete empty journey. After that we have the beautiful fight between Travis and Henry in which they talk about escaping too paradise, this is directly referencing back to death, the only way to escape all of it, the wealth, the murder, the desire, the senseless cycle they all live in is by death. There is an illusion of free choice from the system but there is no true freedom. No More Heroes 1 talks about the horrors of "system" and the loss of freedom, the continuation of cycle violence and a world that constrains you to its systems and can only live through the systems.
I'v seen people mention that the No More Heroes title comes from a song, I also wanted to add that I believe it is in direct correlation and context to other videogames where the protagonist usually is the hero (especially quite some hack and slash titles had this motive) but in fact in No More heroes there is no hero, not even the protagonist.
2019
Blasphemous is a really thrilling and enjoyable game, I must say it also made me really curious about looking more into spanish expressions of Christianity and what Christianity meant to the Spanish in that time period. It is because I found the aesthetics of the game so absolutely pleasing, the extract of its ultimate religious expression so daring and gruesome that I feel like maybe reading into it a bit more. I can't say I know all that much about that kind of stuff.
Ill say though I really do think the bosses feel a bit easy, don't get me wrong I don't mind a smooth ride and I think some games should be a smooth ride. But I expected a bit more bite on the gameplay side. As in your finding the malformation of various relgious ideas and figures, literal mythical figures. But certain bosses will be super easy and the fight will be over just like that. Like for how grim and overpowering the art direction is some of the fights generally feel really weak for these climatic moments. Like Expósito is so lame. The bosses could have been so much more memorable.
I like a lot of the room designs though and I really liked all the back and forth traveling. (Metroidvania things) multiple item quest and just enjoying walking around the whole of Cvstodia. The soundtrack is beautiful and the mixing feels like it has this kind of echo in it, like it could fade away at any moment but it still there.
Also I feel that the way the game was designed as a 2D metroidvania with pixely and crunchy art even in the animated bits was a great choice especially considering a lot of the background art ends up feeling a lot more punchy with the hard edges of the pixelyness. Just a match made in heaven in that way.
Good stuff, malformation because of the pressure of an all encompassing religion that is believed without question to the highest extent and how it influences the world around it within the game and the people in it. Reading all the little bone fragments of how people came to their ends because of it was very cool and a neat way to convey ingame lore
Ill say though I really do think the bosses feel a bit easy, don't get me wrong I don't mind a smooth ride and I think some games should be a smooth ride. But I expected a bit more bite on the gameplay side. As in your finding the malformation of various relgious ideas and figures, literal mythical figures. But certain bosses will be super easy and the fight will be over just like that. Like for how grim and overpowering the art direction is some of the fights generally feel really weak for these climatic moments. Like Expósito is so lame. The bosses could have been so much more memorable.
I like a lot of the room designs though and I really liked all the back and forth traveling. (Metroidvania things) multiple item quest and just enjoying walking around the whole of Cvstodia. The soundtrack is beautiful and the mixing feels like it has this kind of echo in it, like it could fade away at any moment but it still there.
Also I feel that the way the game was designed as a 2D metroidvania with pixely and crunchy art even in the animated bits was a great choice especially considering a lot of the background art ends up feeling a lot more punchy with the hard edges of the pixelyness. Just a match made in heaven in that way.
Good stuff, malformation because of the pressure of an all encompassing religion that is believed without question to the highest extent and how it influences the world around it within the game and the people in it. Reading all the little bone fragments of how people came to their ends because of it was very cool and a neat way to convey ingame lore