almorica
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
Still overstays its welcome less than Great Ace Attorney even with case 5
Never will you find a more astonishingly well-connected mystery in a sillier game.
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.
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