camanda
BACKER
2007
I feel like this game gets short shrift. I have replayed it as an adult a couple of times and talked a skeptical friend and fellow Nintendo diehard into playing it in the past year, and he also wound up loving it, so this isn't purely nostalgia talking.
I think the gameplay is a lot of fun and that the older Paper Marios are overrated on this score (although still fun, and I will be the first to admit that I just despise that style of combat system). I will fully admit sometimes I think the world feels a bit empty/hollow, especially compared to Thousand-Year Door. But that's no dealbreaker to me. Take the usual Paper Mario humor, charm, music, and heart, and couple it with the best story in that franchise (and of possibly any Mario game), and you have a real winner. Don't sleep on this just because it isn't TTYD2.
I think the gameplay is a lot of fun and that the older Paper Marios are overrated on this score (although still fun, and I will be the first to admit that I just despise that style of combat system). I will fully admit sometimes I think the world feels a bit empty/hollow, especially compared to Thousand-Year Door. But that's no dealbreaker to me. Take the usual Paper Mario humor, charm, music, and heart, and couple it with the best story in that franchise (and of possibly any Mario game), and you have a real winner. Don't sleep on this just because it isn't TTYD2.
The main differentiating factor in all of the Layton games is the story. The gameplay is always the same and the puzzles are always high quality. The one thing that unites the story of every game is that they all make me cry at the end, and this is the absolute worst offender in that regard. I listened to "Time Travel" this morning and got all choked up again. I hate this stupid series for making me feel feelings.
2021
Even the $16 sale price might still be a bit high given how short the game is, but it's a more comfortable price when you think about how much love went into this game. It really shows in the art, the level design, all the little details, the story (minimalist but still moving), and the music. If you think the sale price is still too steep, I don't blame you, but I would still encourage you to check it out.
Despite the fact that it's not the most original story in the world, I found it riveting. Harry and Kurt both being fully realized characters helps a lot, as does the fullness of their world.
I do not think I feel very compelled to replay for the other endings or the collectibles -- it wouldn't be hard, but I don't find the game super fun to play. It's not terrible, and it's sort of beside the point, but moving around and interacting with things just feels really janky. Wasn't a huge fan.
I did not mind the art style. It's definitely A Choice, but I think it works for the most part given the time and the setting.
Overall, mostly for the writing, I do recommend this if you get it on sale. It's an emotional, engaging little game and worth spending a few hours on.
I do not think I feel very compelled to replay for the other endings or the collectibles -- it wouldn't be hard, but I don't find the game super fun to play. It's not terrible, and it's sort of beside the point, but moving around and interacting with things just feels really janky. Wasn't a huge fan.
I did not mind the art style. It's definitely A Choice, but I think it works for the most part given the time and the setting.
Overall, mostly for the writing, I do recommend this if you get it on sale. It's an emotional, engaging little game and worth spending a few hours on.
2018
A fun and very weird/silly way to pass a few hours. Recommend if that's, you know. What you are looking for.
2019
Feels more deterministic than Stardew; it's certainly less complicated. That's not a knock on either game, it just sort of depends on what you are going for. For me this let me kill about 40 hours when I needed something simple and relatively mindless to do and it scratched that itch.
Also: this was not something I needed from this game, but I ended up playing it entirely one-handed (left hand on keyboard). If that's an accommodation that you or someone you know looks for from a game, definitely put this one on your list.
Also: this was not something I needed from this game, but I ended up playing it entirely one-handed (left hand on keyboard). If that's an accommodation that you or someone you know looks for from a game, definitely put this one on your list.
2022
Cute little game. The closest similar thing I can think of is Tappingo and Tappingo 2, a pair of puzzle games that were exclusive to the 3DS eShop. It's a good way to kill some time, not too hard, not too easy, nice chill soundtrack. Sets out what it intends to do and does it well.
I will say I own this on both Steam and the Switch, and I like it much better on Steam, but I believe it works with the Switch touch screen and that probably is a great way to play it. Trying to play it with a controller, though, I definitely cannot recommend.
I will say I own this on both Steam and the Switch, and I like it much better on Steam, but I believe it works with the Switch touch screen and that probably is a great way to play it. Trying to play it with a controller, though, I definitely cannot recommend.
A top-tier entry in this franchise and a beautifully remade game.
It's like a much more chill Stardew Valley, in that there's basically zero pressure of any kind. There's no time constraints, there's no real difficulty. And that's fine! Fun for short bursts of time, especially right after content updates when new quests are added, and easy to ignore in the interim. You could totally play it all the time as well, it would just be up to you to find something to do.
2012
There's a lot to unpack here and I don't think I can do it in a quick review. It does feel a bit of its time in many ways, but it's a truly unforgettable experience.
It's short and if you can grab it for cheap, do it.
It's short and if you can grab it for cheap, do it.
2023
This review was written before the game released
Not rating this one mostly because I just think it's not for me anymore. I tried, I really did, but the magic went out of OW1 in early 2019 for me and the 12 hours I spent on OW2 told me it's never coming back.
Fun to spend a few hours with everyone's favorite loud-shirted big lug Masaharu Kaito. The story's enjoyable, nothing to write home about, a little predictable, but not without heart. All in all it's what you expect from one of these games and that's not a bad thing.
2021
docked a half star because they tacked some weird detective story onto my dance club rhythm game???
This game is Judgment again but way more polished and feeling less reliant on its ties to the main Like a Dragon series. Superb game. I didn't like the story as much as in Judgment but I think it felt a little more whole and well-rounded here, availing itself more of the characters and fleshing things out better.
This game is Judgment again but way more polished and feeling less reliant on its ties to the main Like a Dragon series. Superb game. I didn't like the story as much as in Judgment but I think it felt a little more whole and well-rounded here, availing itself more of the characters and fleshing things out better.
This was both my first R&C game and my first PS5 exclusive game, and good lord did it blow me away on both counts. So much fun, so colorful, great characters, and the platinum was enjoyable too. Made awesome use of the PS5's features, especially the adaptive triggers. I recommend this to everyone, especially now that it's coming to PC as well.
2022
Yes, five stars. No, not ironically. Five stars. This thing prints serotonin. I want to get a cheerful "ding!" every time I complete something IRL. And it is the absolute perfect game to play while listening to a podcast or watching a show -- I played this while I rewatched M*A*S*H last year and during my recent deep dive through the back episodes of It's Christmastown (great podcast, highly recommend). And eventually I will pick it up again and play it while I binge something else and I will enjoy every second of it.