crow_witch
2022
Rewrote my brain chemistry.
No, genuinely. This is my first Fromsoft game. I had always thought I was "too bad" at reflex-based games to ever enjoy them. I bought ER on a whim, on sale, and said fuck it. I'm going to die a lot, but if I hate it, I can stop playing.
On some good advice, I played astrologer, and relied heavily on my girlfriend (Lhutel the headless) at the start. I died. A lot.
But I wasn't angry about dying, because, well, it's a Fromsoft game, legendary for their difficulty. Where in other games I may have given up while beating myself up for being bad at games or turned the difficulty down, I kept playing ER. I began to confront my own minor self-esteem issues: my tendency to give up and blame myself right as a new skill gets difficult instead of embracing the challenges ahead. By the time I got through Stormveil Castle, I was anticipating every challenge with nerves and, strangely, excitement.
By the time I put the game down, it had become one of my most treasured gaming experiences, ever. I have played games differently ever since. In the past, I sometimes would start a game on easy before trying it, assuming that I would never be good enough at games to get through it on normal. Now, I always start on normal, no matter the genre, with no judgement if I need to turn it down later. Before, if I couldn't beat a boss on the third try, I would blame myself for trying and give up. Now, the first five times are basically just reconnaissance, and I can see with good humor, that I was being really mean to myself for no reason.
This is not going to be everyone's experience, far from it, but if you're on the fence about ER because you don't think you're a good enough gamer: come, join me in dying a lot and having so much fun that you won't particularly mind.
This game has some flaws: some of the caves can be repetitive, I can't kiss Malenia, but it changed the way I game. Forever. Can't wait to play Dark Souls next year.
(Important note: Fromsoft should have accessibility options. And a pause button. That is a conversation for another time, but I recommend the blog "Can I Play that?" for discussions of gaming and disability).
No, genuinely. This is my first Fromsoft game. I had always thought I was "too bad" at reflex-based games to ever enjoy them. I bought ER on a whim, on sale, and said fuck it. I'm going to die a lot, but if I hate it, I can stop playing.
On some good advice, I played astrologer, and relied heavily on my girlfriend (Lhutel the headless) at the start. I died. A lot.
But I wasn't angry about dying, because, well, it's a Fromsoft game, legendary for their difficulty. Where in other games I may have given up while beating myself up for being bad at games or turned the difficulty down, I kept playing ER. I began to confront my own minor self-esteem issues: my tendency to give up and blame myself right as a new skill gets difficult instead of embracing the challenges ahead. By the time I got through Stormveil Castle, I was anticipating every challenge with nerves and, strangely, excitement.
By the time I put the game down, it had become one of my most treasured gaming experiences, ever. I have played games differently ever since. In the past, I sometimes would start a game on easy before trying it, assuming that I would never be good enough at games to get through it on normal. Now, I always start on normal, no matter the genre, with no judgement if I need to turn it down later. Before, if I couldn't beat a boss on the third try, I would blame myself for trying and give up. Now, the first five times are basically just reconnaissance, and I can see with good humor, that I was being really mean to myself for no reason.
This is not going to be everyone's experience, far from it, but if you're on the fence about ER because you don't think you're a good enough gamer: come, join me in dying a lot and having so much fun that you won't particularly mind.
This game has some flaws: some of the caves can be repetitive, I can't kiss Malenia, but it changed the way I game. Forever. Can't wait to play Dark Souls next year.
(Important note: Fromsoft should have accessibility options. And a pause button. That is a conversation for another time, but I recommend the blog "Can I Play that?" for discussions of gaming and disability).
There was so so much I loved about this game.
To start, Ichiban is one of the most wonderful AAA protagonists I have ever seen. It was so refreshing not to be in the mindset of a grizzled and cynical man, but instead with a character who is enthusiastic and so openly feels joy, love, rage, and grief.
All of the party members won me over too, and the dynamics in party chats and table talks delighted me from start to finish.
I am a self-professed minigame ignorer, but I had so much fun trying out all the minigames and sinking probably 10 hours into the management sim alone.
My nitpicks have to do with the finicky combat movement, the chapter 12 difficulty spike, and general turn-based rpg fussiness. I was so happy to hear that most (if not all) of these problems have been solved in Infinite Wealth and I cannot wait to play it.
To start, Ichiban is one of the most wonderful AAA protagonists I have ever seen. It was so refreshing not to be in the mindset of a grizzled and cynical man, but instead with a character who is enthusiastic and so openly feels joy, love, rage, and grief.
All of the party members won me over too, and the dynamics in party chats and table talks delighted me from start to finish.
I am a self-professed minigame ignorer, but I had so much fun trying out all the minigames and sinking probably 10 hours into the management sim alone.
My nitpicks have to do with the finicky combat movement, the chapter 12 difficulty spike, and general turn-based rpg fussiness. I was so happy to hear that most (if not all) of these problems have been solved in Infinite Wealth and I cannot wait to play it.
2022
Such a wonderful delight to learn about the new content. Toem is one of those games that I only grow fonder and more appreciative of over time, and this DLC is no exception.
The quirky humor is here, the layered puzzles are here, even if I found the puzzles a little easier than the base game. The music is fantastic, and I smiled the whole way through.
Thank you to the devs for the unexpected gift, and I can't wait to support them on whatever they make next!
The quirky humor is here, the layered puzzles are here, even if I found the puzzles a little easier than the base game. The music is fantastic, and I smiled the whole way through.
Thank you to the devs for the unexpected gift, and I can't wait to support them on whatever they make next!
2020
Really enjoyed the beginning of this game.
But once I got a bit further into the main story (P F****), it just got way too repetitive for me. My other big beefs: dance battles are my favorite part of the game and until you unlock a cool tournament spot it's hard to actually do them consistently. Secondly, the cool-ironic internet-y writing just irked me. I just wanted an ounce of sincerity, please.
But! I still had fun, and maybe one day I'll head back when I have more patience.
But once I got a bit further into the main story (P F****), it just got way too repetitive for me. My other big beefs: dance battles are my favorite part of the game and until you unlock a cool tournament spot it's hard to actually do them consistently. Secondly, the cool-ironic internet-y writing just irked me. I just wanted an ounce of sincerity, please.
But! I still had fun, and maybe one day I'll head back when I have more patience.
2020
The longer this game sits with me, the more it means to me and the more I love it.
I love the take on a turn-based combat system which ties thematically into the themes of trauma, disassociation, and emotions. While I have some issues with parts of the plot, the writing of the main characters, these children and teens, carried such weight across their arcs. The balancing of tone, between grim horror, grief, playfulness, and humor helped me keep playing even in moments that were difficult. The artwork especially transitioning between different parts of the game has stayed with me.
And most of all, I love how much it made me feel, even when it was hard. I'm so glad I finally played this game.
I love the take on a turn-based combat system which ties thematically into the themes of trauma, disassociation, and emotions. While I have some issues with parts of the plot, the writing of the main characters, these children and teens, carried such weight across their arcs. The balancing of tone, between grim horror, grief, playfulness, and humor helped me keep playing even in moments that were difficult. The artwork especially transitioning between different parts of the game has stayed with me.
And most of all, I love how much it made me feel, even when it was hard. I'm so glad I finally played this game.
I love Kirby, and this game had me smiling from start to finish.
My first rhythm game! Turns out, I really like them. I had a lot of fun with this one, just playing a song or two at a time during breaks from studying during grad school.
The songs are vocaloid classics. As a rhythm game beginner, I found the mechanics straightforward and easy to learn, hard to master. I used button controls and found that better than touchscreen controls.
I didn't mess with the life sim stuff as much, I don't feel like it was very fleshed out. But the rhythm stuff was so so fun!
The songs are vocaloid classics. As a rhythm game beginner, I found the mechanics straightforward and easy to learn, hard to master. I used button controls and found that better than touchscreen controls.
I didn't mess with the life sim stuff as much, I don't feel like it was very fleshed out. But the rhythm stuff was so so fun!
I can't believe I didn't know about the sequel to West of Loathing for so long!
This was so fun, even if I found some of the puzzles a little obtuse. I found each battle to be short enough that they didn't feel tedious but involved enough I had to do a little thinking for each one, a difficult balance for RPGs. The locations and music really added to a perfect silly Halloween vibe that I recommend for scaredy cats like me.
This was so fun, even if I found some of the puzzles a little obtuse. I found each battle to be short enough that they didn't feel tedious but involved enough I had to do a little thinking for each one, a difficult balance for RPGs. The locations and music really added to a perfect silly Halloween vibe that I recommend for scaredy cats like me.
2021
I enjoyed this! Personally I found the controls on the switch to be a little tedious, so I would recommend a mouse for this game, otherwise the dragging over of items to organize gets a little tired. Still a relaxing, enjoyable experience, with a lovely ending.
Really don't know what else to say except I love Kirby. I tend to play Kirby games when I'm in a rough mental place, and I started this one for that reason. I had an absolute blast, and actually was compelled enough to go back and 100% levels, which is not something I typically do with any games. I even played minigames! Me, a professed minigame hater!
I do feel like I was spoiled, in a way, that my first two Kirby Games were Epic Yarn and Forgotten Land, while this one feels more of a predictable Kirby Game. But god, it was fun, and it made me smile when very little else could.
I decided to save the Magolor levels for the next time I need a pick-me-up, so I look forward to checking those out in the future!
I do feel like I was spoiled, in a way, that my first two Kirby Games were Epic Yarn and Forgotten Land, while this one feels more of a predictable Kirby Game. But god, it was fun, and it made me smile when very little else could.
I decided to save the Magolor levels for the next time I need a pick-me-up, so I look forward to checking those out in the future!
This was my first WarioWare game, played using the Nintendo Switch Online GBA system, and I had an absolute blast!
This game embraces chaos and absurdity from its music to its game play. I loved how goofy the cutscenes were for each of Wario's friends, and how they all ended up hanging out at the gelateria. I especially loved Kat, Mona, Dribble&Spitz's minigames!
The highest praise i can give this game is that I showed Mona's minigames to my partner who had no context for what WarioWare was, and first they laughed until they cried, then asked for the switch so they could mercilessly crush my high score on their second try. It's compelling in its commitment to the bit.
My feelings on it might be more positive because it's my first Warioware game, but it definitely won't be my last!
This game embraces chaos and absurdity from its music to its game play. I loved how goofy the cutscenes were for each of Wario's friends, and how they all ended up hanging out at the gelateria. I especially loved Kat, Mona, Dribble&Spitz's minigames!
The highest praise i can give this game is that I showed Mona's minigames to my partner who had no context for what WarioWare was, and first they laughed until they cried, then asked for the switch so they could mercilessly crush my high score on their second try. It's compelling in its commitment to the bit.
My feelings on it might be more positive because it's my first Warioware game, but it definitely won't be my last!
I can't rate this game because I have so many mixed feelings about it.
VNs are hard from me, because I read a lot more than I game, so I am PICKY when it comes to writing.
The Good: the music is incredible, the women are written with complexity and depth, Beatrice is here. I had to skim the gore/violence sections because they were so viscerally written. Up there with McCarthy in terms of being able to turn my stomach.
The Mediocre: every scene is like 20-30% too long, in my opinion. Ryukishi07 has this habit of telling me 10 times what I read and learned just fine when I read it the first time. Please, trust me, Ryukishi07 I promise I understood Shannon's character development in this volume. It's better here than in Higurashi though.
The bad: the tea party scenes are so self-indulgent and are so so so long.
Will I keep reading? Maybe. Maybe.
VNs are hard from me, because I read a lot more than I game, so I am PICKY when it comes to writing.
The Good: the music is incredible, the women are written with complexity and depth, Beatrice is here. I had to skim the gore/violence sections because they were so viscerally written. Up there with McCarthy in terms of being able to turn my stomach.
The Mediocre: every scene is like 20-30% too long, in my opinion. Ryukishi07 has this habit of telling me 10 times what I read and learned just fine when I read it the first time. Please, trust me, Ryukishi07 I promise I understood Shannon's character development in this volume. It's better here than in Higurashi though.
The bad: the tea party scenes are so self-indulgent and are so so so long.
Will I keep reading? Maybe. Maybe.
I'm excited to see what this team puts out next. This was messy, but interesting. Could've cut down on the "quirky always online" jokes. Honestly, the "Walk to the Sky" DLC was the best part of the game, the part where I actually felt deeply. Still though, this dev team shows so much talent, and I am excited to see what they do next!
I have friends who consider dragon quest "too simple" for their elite gamer brains. Well, they're just missing out on one of the loveliest rpgs. This was my first dragon quest, and I fell in love with its simple excellence. The highly detailed towns, the auto option for random encounters, the twists and turns of the story, and the characters made this game a favorite. And I just haven't stopped thinking about it.
A game that has some mess (what is the affinity system. why is it like that.), but which stole my heart anyway.