almorica
2018
As a lifelong rhythm game and visual novel player, the almost equal blend of the two this game presents was a dream come true.
The rhythm game aspect is both gentle and challenging. You never have to play above Hard really, and can play Easy for 95% of the game while making good leveling progress. However, Chaos and higher difficulties are great fun for someone who gets enough experience to be good at it. NO STAMINA IS NECESSARY FOR PROGRESS, EVER, and you can play as long as you want or as little as you want without feeling limited or pressured by a stamina gauge!
The story of Cytus II is a very intricate but accessible cyberpunk setting, teasing you with fictional social media posts at the start and transitioning into in-depth logs of character activity. It uses its status as a game to toy with your perceptions, and exploits the interface to tell parts of it in ways a book or movie couldn't. It's largely female-character led and has instances of subtle and overt queerness. I cried more than once and Incyde still makes me do it again anytime I listen to it.
While it is a sequel, playing Cytus 1 isn’t necessary to understand the story, and 2 greatly improved the rhythm game aspect when it comes to eye strain. It also isn’t necessary to buy any additional characters to complete the story, but there are hours on end of worthwhile backstory to find in the characters that aren’t crossovers/cameos.
Just, if you want to buy any of the DLC, do it on sale. The nine character sale repeats often, so there is never a reason to drop $10 on Xenon no matter how hot you think the helmet is
The rhythm game aspect is both gentle and challenging. You never have to play above Hard really, and can play Easy for 95% of the game while making good leveling progress. However, Chaos and higher difficulties are great fun for someone who gets enough experience to be good at it. NO STAMINA IS NECESSARY FOR PROGRESS, EVER, and you can play as long as you want or as little as you want without feeling limited or pressured by a stamina gauge!
The story of Cytus II is a very intricate but accessible cyberpunk setting, teasing you with fictional social media posts at the start and transitioning into in-depth logs of character activity. It uses its status as a game to toy with your perceptions, and exploits the interface to tell parts of it in ways a book or movie couldn't. It's largely female-character led and has instances of subtle and overt queerness. I cried more than once and Incyde still makes me do it again anytime I listen to it.
While it is a sequel, playing Cytus 1 isn’t necessary to understand the story, and 2 greatly improved the rhythm game aspect when it comes to eye strain. It also isn’t necessary to buy any additional characters to complete the story, but there are hours on end of worthwhile backstory to find in the characters that aren’t crossovers/cameos.
Just, if you want to buy any of the DLC, do it on sale. The nine character sale repeats often, so there is never a reason to drop $10 on Xenon no matter how hot you think the helmet is
A sequel I kind of recommend skipping the first entry for. It continues the general situation of the first game, but with a different cast and so much more sympathy. Plus, a big mystery of the second game will only be a big mystery if you play it first! (On the other hand, that same mystery will be spoiled in game 1 if you play game 2 first.)
In general, the Caligula Effect 2 is a very fun, easy game I gladly sunk 75 hours into. Pleasantly linear and stunningly hopeful for a game so blunt about traumas people face in all ages of life. It features very heartfelt transgender and nonbinary representation, without insisting everyone upset with their gendered treatment in life is trans by default.
Despite being a serial easy mode player, I was able to complete it the first time on the hardest difficulty without DLC aid. Make of that what you will.
Unfortunately, a decent amount of the game is only in Japanese audio, no text given: battle conversations among your party members, or between your party members and the bosses, are wholly untranslated. At least there are fan-translated versions of the party-only battle banter available, but it’s a very frustrating limitation of the official English localization.
Certain group quests take a lot of running around through tedious areas as well (one hospital floor is so poorly laid out for backtracking), and battles can also visually be rough on photosensitive people.
If you can get past those issues, amazing game, worth the time.
In general, the Caligula Effect 2 is a very fun, easy game I gladly sunk 75 hours into. Pleasantly linear and stunningly hopeful for a game so blunt about traumas people face in all ages of life. It features very heartfelt transgender and nonbinary representation, without insisting everyone upset with their gendered treatment in life is trans by default.
Despite being a serial easy mode player, I was able to complete it the first time on the hardest difficulty without DLC aid. Make of that what you will.
Unfortunately, a decent amount of the game is only in Japanese audio, no text given: battle conversations among your party members, or between your party members and the bosses, are wholly untranslated. At least there are fan-translated versions of the party-only battle banter available, but it’s a very frustrating limitation of the official English localization.
Certain group quests take a lot of running around through tedious areas as well (one hospital floor is so poorly laid out for backtracking), and battles can also visually be rough on photosensitive people.
If you can get past those issues, amazing game, worth the time.
Never will you find a more astonishingly well-connected mystery in a sillier game.
Still overstays its welcome less than Great Ace Attorney even with case 5
2022
Boy, is it ever nice to be gay AND nonbinary AND treated like that’s no big deal!!
Farming starts off incredibly simple compared to something like Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, but does get slightly more varied as the game progresses.
Easy action RPG elements, slightly more complicated than the farming, but no big challenge. I only died a few times, and never to a story boss.
The way this game explores tragedy reminded me of my favorite parts of Breath of Fire 1+2 and Infinite Undiscovery. The emotions and heart in the main and side quests are powerful, but unsettlingly for such a modern game, nobody breaks down? It is some kind of experience for utterly heart-wrenching circumstances to play out over and over but the people on-screen don't have the good weep they deserve. (There is one instance of particularly sharp emotion that really sold it that time, at least.)
While there is no consistent voice acting or expressions on character models (only their portraits) to bolster the emotional moments, the soundtrack is one of the most poignant I’ve heard in a video game. Some tracks are downright haunting. Could not have asked for better!
Also the food looks unbelievably delicious and the fish look gorgeous. The artist went ham on those. 10/10.
Great, highly-recommended experience overall; no regrets on tolerating “Hellooo little croppieees~” from the fairy over my shoulder on repeat.
Farming starts off incredibly simple compared to something like Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, but does get slightly more varied as the game progresses.
Easy action RPG elements, slightly more complicated than the farming, but no big challenge. I only died a few times, and never to a story boss.
The way this game explores tragedy reminded me of my favorite parts of Breath of Fire 1+2 and Infinite Undiscovery. The emotions and heart in the main and side quests are powerful, but unsettlingly for such a modern game, nobody breaks down? It is some kind of experience for utterly heart-wrenching circumstances to play out over and over but the people on-screen don't have the good weep they deserve. (There is one instance of particularly sharp emotion that really sold it that time, at least.)
While there is no consistent voice acting or expressions on character models (only their portraits) to bolster the emotional moments, the soundtrack is one of the most poignant I’ve heard in a video game. Some tracks are downright haunting. Could not have asked for better!
Also the food looks unbelievably delicious and the fish look gorgeous. The artist went ham on those. 10/10.
Great, highly-recommended experience overall; no regrets on tolerating “Hellooo little croppieees~” from the fairy over my shoulder on repeat.
2016
Mildly entertaining for what it is (if you can easily access your device throughout most of the day each occasion you play it). Obviously low budget UI-wise however, and not where you want to go for difficult choices and character depth.
Jaehee is a great wlw option, though sadly the more overtly romantic content for her is paywalled. Still absolutely more effort than many other devs would like to put in for a female character route!
Jaehee is a great wlw option, though sadly the more overtly romantic content for her is paywalled. Still absolutely more effort than many other devs would like to put in for a female character route!
I would say Trials and Tribulations is the most quality story-wise of the series, and the fact that Dual Destinies walks back significant, interesting developments in this game doesn't help Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney -- but there is no beating this cast and the pixel art of this entry to the main line. Completely subjectively, Klavier is the best prosecutor to date, and this set of defendants and their personal backgrounds are the funniest as a crew, only outdone on an individual level by Ron DeLite.
Plus, there is nothing more outlandish than seeing GBA Phoenix's sprites against this level of visual detail. What a choice
Plus, there is nothing more outlandish than seeing GBA Phoenix's sprites against this level of visual detail. What a choice
2022
Bad as a game (both performance and ethics-wise), but good as an assortment of characters in a Pokemon entry. They feel a lot like they live in this world together, as opposed to a list of cool individuals you battle on the road to being The Best. Big missed opportunity for this level of character customization to not allow the player to use gender-neutral terms and pronouns, but Geeta, Grusha, and especially Rika are great GNC rep.
As for new Pokemon, Ceruledge is a hyper-cool destructive force beyond reckoning, and the Toedscool line are staggeringly endearing.
Basically, thanks for Rika and those little slappy feet, but get some better game-making practices going on for everyone's sake, please.
As for new Pokemon, Ceruledge is a hyper-cool destructive force beyond reckoning, and the Toedscool line are staggeringly endearing.
Basically, thanks for Rika and those little slappy feet, but get some better game-making practices going on for everyone's sake, please.
The English localization is dreadful, but it was well worth hundreds of hours for non-gender-locked clothes + hairstyles and Soseki, the hottest HM/SoS marriage candidate to date. To Me.
2016
Somehow, pretty much every review of this is correct. Chasing down locked chests and grinding for the last destination is tedious; the Blowbeat combo cheapens most strategies; It'll scratch the itch if you're looking for a shortish piano-accompanied tragedy in the style of retro RPGs.
One thing I disagree on is that it really needed multiple drastically different settings. Sometimes a short game can take place entirely in a winter landscape and it's fine and cohesive.
One thing I disagree on is that it really needed multiple drastically different settings. Sometimes a short game can take place entirely in a winter landscape and it's fine and cohesive.
2022
Profoundly unsettling game with a deeply fucked up vibe and suitably cool aesthetic. For budget obsession horror, it would be difficult to outperform this for me. (Better sound quality/balancing related to the voice acting is probably how.)
2021
Speaking as someone who is not cishet, the male and female soulmates + reproduction premise is more funny or eyeroll-inducing than romantic to me, but I generally enjoyed this game. It was visually and aurally gorgeous from start to finish, with one of the most believable transitions from portraits to CGs I’ve seen in a VN. Often character portraits are intricate and on point anatomy-wise while CGs are less quality, but Olympia Soirée does not cut corners anywhere. And boy, are those character designs fancy.
The romances can be nice and sometimes spicy; the M rating is earned, both for the implied sex scenes and the darker themes present. This is a game you’ll want a certain tolerance level for, and I’ll list content warnings at the very bottom of this review in case you wish to go in blind. Tokisada and Akaza have the most believable romances in my opinion, having a good focus on developing their early feelings, but others have disagreed and that’s fair.
The protagonist has a strong characterization and gets a small portrait to display her expressions throughout the game, which is really nice. It goes a long way toward letting her be her own person, considering she doesn’t have voice acting. The game doesn’t shy away from acknowledging her sexual desires either, refreshing in a niche where the male love interests are usually the only ones who get that.
I also like that this has a canon route instead of a Grand Ending, and one that doesn't try to suddenly fix everyone else's problems in an unnatural way.
My criticisms are:
- How generally weak the gender commentary is (men are Men and women are Women. Basically different species with different places in life. They are soulmates tho❤︎), and lack of acknowledgment of non-cishet attractions in a world where love in general is so often criminalized.
- Bad ends generally rely on getting a certain number of wrong choices instead of a clear single branch, making it tedious to gather more than one ending per character. There is no Skip To Choice option.
- How often certain lines are flashbacked to leads me to believe this game is meant to be played over a year or more. Sometimes the same line is flashbacked to ten lines later. As Douma once said (and was repeated one hundred times), “Uugh…!”
- How skin color is addressed is a little weird.
- The short stories section is good for filling out details that either were not in the game or might have slipped your mind, and generally it’s fine to read them as they are unlocked. However, do not read Kanan’s Memoirs until you’ve completed all routes if you want some reveals to be total surprises. If you don’t mind big hints, go ahead! I’m not your parent.
In conclusion, pretty :)! and sometimes pretty stupid :)!
Content Warnings (if I forgot one, leave a comment!): rape, dubious consent, sexual coercion, drugging, forced impregnation, incest, CSA, kidnapping and confinement, violent misogyny (including murder), suicide, classism-based bigotry, body horror
The romances can be nice and sometimes spicy; the M rating is earned, both for the implied sex scenes and the darker themes present. This is a game you’ll want a certain tolerance level for, and I’ll list content warnings at the very bottom of this review in case you wish to go in blind. Tokisada and Akaza have the most believable romances in my opinion, having a good focus on developing their early feelings, but others have disagreed and that’s fair.
The protagonist has a strong characterization and gets a small portrait to display her expressions throughout the game, which is really nice. It goes a long way toward letting her be her own person, considering she doesn’t have voice acting. The game doesn’t shy away from acknowledging her sexual desires either, refreshing in a niche where the male love interests are usually the only ones who get that.
I also like that this has a canon route instead of a Grand Ending, and one that doesn't try to suddenly fix everyone else's problems in an unnatural way.
My criticisms are:
- How generally weak the gender commentary is (men are Men and women are Women. Basically different species with different places in life. They are soulmates tho❤︎), and lack of acknowledgment of non-cishet attractions in a world where love in general is so often criminalized.
- Bad ends generally rely on getting a certain number of wrong choices instead of a clear single branch, making it tedious to gather more than one ending per character. There is no Skip To Choice option.
- How often certain lines are flashbacked to leads me to believe this game is meant to be played over a year or more. Sometimes the same line is flashbacked to ten lines later. As Douma once said (and was repeated one hundred times), “Uugh…!”
- How skin color is addressed is a little weird.
- The short stories section is good for filling out details that either were not in the game or might have slipped your mind, and generally it’s fine to read them as they are unlocked. However, do not read Kanan’s Memoirs until you’ve completed all routes if you want some reveals to be total surprises. If you don’t mind big hints, go ahead! I’m not your parent.
In conclusion, pretty :)! and sometimes pretty stupid :)!
Content Warnings (if I forgot one, leave a comment!): rape, dubious consent, sexual coercion, drugging, forced impregnation, incest, CSA, kidnapping and confinement, violent misogyny (including murder), suicide, classism-based bigotry, body horror
2021
No major criticisms of this game come to mind, so I can't say exactly why I didn't emotionally connect with anyone in this game. It was just something I played once in a while when bored until I finished it, taking me almost 6 months total. I don't regret it, at least.
On the notable plus side: an explicitly 20+ year old set of love interests and protagonist (who is also voiced)!
On the notable ??? side: if there are lines that seem to not be translated, go into the backlog and check for them there. This does mean that if you're hard of hearing or don't listen to the voice acting, you'll miss some of the lines completely.
On the notable negative side: there are numerous typos in the English localization (mainly punctuation), and Luka deserved a route. Cowards
On the notable plus side: an explicitly 20+ year old set of love interests and protagonist (who is also voiced)!
On the notable ??? side: if there are lines that seem to not be translated, go into the backlog and check for them there. This does mean that if you're hard of hearing or don't listen to the voice acting, you'll miss some of the lines completely.
On the notable negative side: there are numerous typos in the English localization (mainly punctuation), and Luka deserved a route. Cowards
The pedophiles suck so bad, but this game is excellent otherwise. Case 4 is peak standalone Ace Attorney case.
2008
This adventure game from 2008 is still special to me in 2023. The art holds up even today, delicately detailed both in character portraits and in the numerous CGs. The designs are fairly simple considering the amount of school uniform time, but each character’s personality comes across in their expressions and poses. CGs in particular aren’t afraid to show more dramatic emotion, and the brief instances of voice acting can be expertly performed enough to give me chills every playthrough. The English VAs had their work cut out for them, and in my opinion, some of them really nailed it.
The soundtrack suits the moods the game cycles through, amplifying higher energy moments and adding somber notes or tense beats to heavier ones. It could have been better on stronger hardware than the DS I think, but for a DS OST, it’s pleasant to listen to.
A very high point of the game is that the city it takes place in feels lived in. LIves go on outside the main character Atsuki Saijo’s presence, and various characters interact with each other in unexpected parts of the city. People have hobbies and interests and pre-established relationships, even between generations. Atsuki is an observer, and sometimes participant, rather than a king the game revolves around. Sometimes that’s refreshing.
One thing to be aware of before getting into this game is the heavy subject matter. Suicide is a common topic, and animal harm even more so, sometimes even spoken of from the POV of the animal. While they’re treated with the gravity they deserve, it could be rough to someone particularly sensitive to either subject.
And of course, the game is not perfect. Battling SIlent isn’t the most fluid or visually impressive experience, some characters make homophobic comments, and the English written localization is abysmal, sometimes coherent and sometimes most definitely not. The voiced segments make the most sense in the game, which puts them at odds with the words typed on the screen. If typos and poor translation really get under your skin, it will be a challenging time. At least the mind-reading segments are always on the coherent side.
All in all, I adore this game and probably will still be playing it a 17th time in 2030. Can’t wait.
The soundtrack suits the moods the game cycles through, amplifying higher energy moments and adding somber notes or tense beats to heavier ones. It could have been better on stronger hardware than the DS I think, but for a DS OST, it’s pleasant to listen to.
A very high point of the game is that the city it takes place in feels lived in. LIves go on outside the main character Atsuki Saijo’s presence, and various characters interact with each other in unexpected parts of the city. People have hobbies and interests and pre-established relationships, even between generations. Atsuki is an observer, and sometimes participant, rather than a king the game revolves around. Sometimes that’s refreshing.
One thing to be aware of before getting into this game is the heavy subject matter. Suicide is a common topic, and animal harm even more so, sometimes even spoken of from the POV of the animal. While they’re treated with the gravity they deserve, it could be rough to someone particularly sensitive to either subject.
And of course, the game is not perfect. Battling SIlent isn’t the most fluid or visually impressive experience, some characters make homophobic comments, and the English written localization is abysmal, sometimes coherent and sometimes most definitely not. The voiced segments make the most sense in the game, which puts them at odds with the words typed on the screen. If typos and poor translation really get under your skin, it will be a challenging time. At least the mind-reading segments are always on the coherent side.
All in all, I adore this game and probably will still be playing it a 17th time in 2030. Can’t wait.