DONUT COUNTY REVIEW

I was so happy to finally play Donut County (Xbox always surprises me with the cool indie stuff they add to Game Pass.) Not only had I heard good things about it from friends, but I was absolutely enamored with the visual style of its promotion art. I didn't even know anything else going in; I just had a feeling that I would really like it.
... And I was right! DC is a very pleasant, relaxing experience, that's near-flawless stylistically. It doesn't overstay its welcome, either. The (approximately) 2-hour length means there's no padding. It's compact, leaving no time for you to get tired of the story or mechanics. It does what it wants to do, then it ends. It's a perfect 'in-between' title.
Turns out I played it at a perfect time, too, with Neon White just being announced! I'm super excited to see Ben Esposito's next project.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 4.5/5
Sound: 5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3.5/5
Overall score: 4/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
There is such a beautiful, unique art style permeating Donut County. So much sets it apart in this regard. Like I mentioned, this is what drew me to it initially.
I'll address the graphics first. While they ARE relatively simple, they're charming in their cartoony style and cuteness. But even if someone still had complaints about them, I think the color usage is more than enough to appeal to everyone. Everything is so bright and fun to look at, but it's also purposefully designed to not be overwhelming. DC makes excellent use of more subdued (but still pretty) background colors, so that characters and items on top of them can pop. It's perfectly balanced.
Speaking of, the character designs are all memorable and pleasant as well. Each townsperson is wildly distinctive. I love when games take liberties here; it's almost always so interesting and fun. And, of course, you can't go wrong when one of your protagonists is literally just a raccoon.
Another small detail I love is the pause menu - the background is a psychedelic effect of whatever was on-screen when you paused. It's very cool.
The only thing the game really lacks is strong movement of any kind, but everything else here makes up for that in spades; in fact, it uses this 'flaw' to its advantage for some pretty funny visual gags. In nearly every way, DC fiercely succeeds in being a visual delight. I will always, always prefer games that prioritize unique visual presentation over triple A realism.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Sound:
The soundtrack here absolutely blew me away. I was not expecting it to be this amazing - in fact, it's probably one of my new favorites. The calmness of it perfectly accentuates every other aspect of DC (such as the visuals, gameplay, and level design.) But what's most impressive about it is that, without exaggeration, it's nearly the length of the game itself. That means there's a new wonderful piece of music being shown off about every two minutes.
Something else I think DC does remarkably is utilizing a LACK of music. There are levels where a track will only begin playing after a certain point; there are ones where it will stop after a certain point. Music will sometimes pause abruptly to add to jokes during dialogue. It's all executed really, really well.
Overall, 5/5.

Story:
While Donut County does live up to being a simple, cute puzzle game, it also has surprisingly topical themes. The plot is a thinly-veiled allegory for gentrification and consumption under capitalism - but it's told in a digestible and accessible way, through endearing cartoon-like characters and a charming world. Best of all, it never sacrifices those things (or its relaxing atmosphere) to tell its story. This does also mean that it's decidedly unsubtle at times, but I kind of like it that way. It's upfront about its distaste for the stuff it's criticizing.
Do I think it's the best political commentary to come from the industry? No. Because of the short length and simplicity, it's not a very emotionally investing story. And because of how literal it is, there's not much depth to be found. But it's told in such a unique way with the cute packaging. The tone and metaphor utilized make it completely approachable. I can't help but really enjoy it, even if it's not perfect.
On top of that, the writing is actually good! There's a lot of media out there that has tried and failed spectacularly at this internet-type humor. Donut County tries and very much succeeds. The dialogue is delightful and funny, while also remaining short so that it doesn't overwhelm. There's some great comedically-timed jokes. The descriptions of the items made me laugh quite a few times.
I know that humor is a subjective thing, so I won't say that what's here will be for everyone. Still, I have to commend DC for doing what many others have fallen short with. Whether you find it personally funny or not, I think the game is written well.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Gameplay:
The gameplay in DC is undemanding, but surprisingly fun. All you do is swallow things with a hole in the ground. I think the physics play a big part in making it good. Everything moves with the same weightlessness, meaning everything is easy to swallow. As long as the hole is big enough, things will fall in no problem. Every single time I found myself getting almost frustrated, sure that something would get stuck or glitch out, it never did.
The levels are all the ideal length. I replayed the game after I mastered it, just for fun, and whenever I felt like I would dread redoing a part, I always ended up enjoying it. It makes for a really smooth experience.
There are a few nice puzzles, too! They're perfectly balanced to me - not extremely difficult, but still JUST complex enough to be fun. And there's no precision required for the ones where you have to aim. It'll probably take you two or three tries at most.
The gameplay here adds up to something that never sacrifices pacing or calmness to mechanics. It was never supposed to be extremely challenging; it's a satisfying and 'restful' game that gives you a break from all of the challenging ones. It's nothing revolutionary by any means, but it doesn't have to be. It controls well, and is rewarding and brief. It does exactly what it intends to do.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
The world is so cute and colorful. Each level is memorable in its own way. They're all crafted with such detail - which makes sense, since the focus of the gameplay is on the items themselves. The visuals, music, and environments create really great settings.
As for "lore", since it's only a few hours long, there's not really time to expand upon that sort of thing in meaningful ways. But that's fine, because the cast and plot add plenty. It gives this limited world a sense of life and fullness. It's really impressive for something this short.
Overall, 4/5.

Extra Category - Achievements: Since you can level select after you finish the game, it's a pretty easy one to master. I enjoyed 100%ing it!
Overall, 3.5/5.

Overall game score: 4/5. Donut County is such a wonderful little indie gem. It has beautiful visuals and environments. It has a downright amazing soundtrack. It has relaxing and uncomplicated gameplay. It has all of that, while also telling a story with pretty 'big' themes. It may not be the most deep or emotionally investing one, but it's one that impressed me. It all adds up to a very calming, cute, and happy experience that I really loved. This is a perfect thing to play in between more heavy games. I highly recommend it.

ACTUAL SUNLIGHT REVIEW

I don't want to dislike Actual Sunlight the way I do. The creator makes an admirable attempt at telling a very real and personal story, putting his heart on his sleeve in the process. Unfortunately, authenticity alone does not make something good - and the authenticity is exactly why it's difficult for me to acknowledge this game for what it actually is. That is to say, very bad. Miserable to play. Even borderline pretentious.
It's one of those games that desperately wants to say something. It's not trying to be an ENJOYABLE experience; the goal is to make you think. It aims to leave a lasting impact after the credits roll. But it loses itself in self-serving angst and overwhelming pessimism.
These things are undoubtedly purposeful, of course. The entire point is to depict a realistic downward spiral, and the heavy thoughts that accompany it. There's plenty of media that tells similarly tragic stories in poignant and beautiful ways. Two of my favorites of all time, LISA and Bojack Horseman, triumphantly do.
I'm saying this because I want it to be clear that my problem with Actual Sunlight isn't in the dark nature. My problem is that its presentation and writing completely fail to make it a worthwhile investment of your time. There's nothing to it EXCEPT that depressing narrative; it eventually gets tiring to read one pitiful, wordy, poorly-written inner-monologue after another. And it quickly becomes obvious that there is nothing else for it to show you.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 1.5/5
Sound: 1/5
Story: 1/5
Gameplay: 0.5/5
Worldbuilding: 1/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 2/5
Overall game score: 1/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
I understand that RPGMaker is a useful tool for new devs. I just can't pretend like I'm a fan of its pre-made graphics at this point. They're ugly and overused.
What's even worse is that Actual Sunlight DOES have some original models, but only for one specific setting! The custom-made stuff looks so much better, but the fact that it's only present half of the time makes the whole thing feel unfinished.
On top of that, there are multiple instances where pre-made stuff is used to improvise for something else. The bus is just a normal room with benches in it. The work computers are just TVs sitting on the floor near desks.
I will say that there are really nice pieces of artwork occasionally mixed in with the story. It's a very appealing style and one of the only real positives of the game. Unfortunately, it's still not enough to make up for everything else done wrong here.
Overall, 1.5/5.

Sound:
There's very few pieces of music. Even then, they're all generic and loopy. There's some sound effects. At least there's sound at all, right? And it's not actively grating or anything. Still, it's very underwhelming.
Overall, 1/5.

Story:
Actual Sunlight focuses on Evan Winters, a 30-something white man working an office job in Toronto. He is also horribly, horribly depressed.
The depiction of Evan's depression is VERY real. Nothing is terribly wrong for him, except his weight. He lives a pretty standard life otherwise. Yet, his mental illness and self-image issues still control him. The way he talks to himself and thinks about things is extremely sincere. That's commendable. It's obvious that it comes from a place of deep understanding from the dev (again, why it's so difficult for me to critique this game.)
But it all starts to fall apart with the execution.
First off, the writing is completely insufferable. It often comes across like someone who's trying way too hard to sound smart and deep. The inner-monologues that Evan has throughout almost always ended up feeling unnecessary and senseless - largely because of how long-winded they are. There's a lot of lines that just made me cringe, too, including the very first one in the game - (NSFW warning) "Why kill yourself today when you can masturbate tomorrow?"
On top of that, as I mentioned in the intro, I quickly became overwhelmed by the absolute misery that permeates Actual Sunlight. There's nothing to balance it out. No humor or good writing, no fun gameplay, no beautiful visuals or sound. It gets so tiring to just watch a man be pessimistic and cynical (oftentimes only for the sake of it) with nothing else to keep the player engaged.
None of that is even mentioning how weirdly obsessed Evan is with pointing out his own white privilege - while simultaneously trying to imply at points that he doesn't benefit from white privilege as much as other white people.
I feel like the dev had way too much confidence in his writing, too. You are pointedly told at the beginning to interact with EVERYTHING - this way you'll see all of the monologues. He also leaves a message that's directly from himself early on; it seems to assume that his game will affect people in a deeply emotional way. Now, I'm not saying that there AREN'T people who were affected by it, but it didn't do that for me at all. As a result, that came across as very arrogant.
That message as a whole is a point of contention for me too. The dev basically tells young players that they can still change the course of their life, while implying anyone older than 25-30 are stuck on the path they're currently on. It's an awful outlook that just doesn't sit well with me. No one is 'stuck'. Change is possible no matter how old you are. You're not suddenly trapped being like Evan just because you're in your 30s, are depressed, and made mistakes in your past. You can get better no matter what, not just if you're young.
The only thing I like here is the office portions. You visit this setting twice to interact with your coworkers. Seeing how they (and their individual relationships with Evan) evolve over the years is interesting. I think they are humanized in a nice way. It's the only time I found myself half-invested throughout my entire playthrough.
Overall, 1/5.

Gameplay:
The only thing that constitutes gameplay here is walking through the world, interacting with objects, and hearing Evan's thoughts on something tangentially related. Now, I'm fine with games that deploy minimal gameplay. I think it can be done well. But as I've already said, the writing isn't good, so there's no reason for me to want to engage the world in the first place.
Overall, 0.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
There's very little context given to Evan's life. In fact, the game actively avoids acknowledging certain things about him. For example, it fails to say what his exact job is, implying that it doesn't matter since they're all the same anyways. I do think that vagueness like this can be done well to play on themes. But, I don't know, here it just reads like 'I'm too lazy to think of something'. It's probably that I just loathe the writing so much as a whole.
The environments feel totally bland. There's very little going on in them visually. There's no good sound design to add atmosphere. It just feels very thrown-together.
I will say that the side characters do help to add a bit of life to the world. As I mentioned in the story section, seeing their individual evolutions is cool. It does make the game feel slightly rounded.
Overall, 1/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
There's only one achievement, and it's not for finishing it, weirdly enough. It's for interacting with a random cabinet in Evan's house. Random and not fun, but easy 100% I guess?
Overall, 2/5.

Overall game score: 1/5. I could excuse the lackluster visual and audio presentation if Actual Sunlight had anything going for it with the story, but it doesn't. While I respect the dev for trying very hard to make something worthwhile, I just can't pretend like I think this game is even a little good.
I find it hilarious that Emily is Away, another snobby indie title I hate, seems to take inspiration from this one. It references it in two easter eggs and says that you should play it if you haven't. Well, I replayed it for you, and I can soundly say that I hate it about as much as I hate Emily is Away.

A NORMAL LOST PHONE REVIEW

A Normal Lost Phone isn't perfect, not by any means. Still, I found it to be a nice break from the skill and/or emotionally intensive games I've played this year. That's not to say it doesn't deal with some heavy subject matter too, but it does so in a warm and optimistic way that I appreciated - especially when you consider how most LGBT+ narratives go.
The story isn't executed flawlessly. The pacing is off, and there are times where it feels very clinical; I think this is just an issue that comes with writing a story about a minority when you are not apart of said minority. But still, you can tell the creators put in a lot of research and effort. It's very well-meaning. The presentation helps it along, too, adding a fresh layer that many games like this one completely neglect.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 2.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Achievments (Does not count toward overall score.): 3/5
Overall game score: 3/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

VISUALS:
The phone in ANLP is very pretty. Instead of traditional minimalist icons/setups, the team opted to go for an original 'painted' look. This definitely helps it stand out in the phone/computer sim genre.
I particularly really love the color palette. The pastel pinks, purples, yellows, and blues are both nice and easy to look at. I like to think they were chosen specifically to hint toward the big twist, too.
I appreciated all of the artwork for the characters. However, I do think that some of them are a tad rushed. The facial proportions or expressions feel off at times (I say this as an artist myself.) Still, there are some really nice pieces, and I admire the effort to include so many of them at all. Being able to put faces to names adds a lot. It definitely makes the story feel more personal.
Overall, 4/5.

Sound:
For its short length, ANLP sports an impressively expansive soundtrack. I really liked the fact that there's so many songs; usually in games only an hour or two long, you end up looping the same 1-3 pieces of music over and over. That wasn't the case here. It's not really MY personal taste, but it certainly isn't bad. Most importantly, it succeeds in setting a good atmosphere.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Story:
[Spoiler warning for this whole section.]
ANLP has a touching queer/trans narrative that - amazingly - doesn't end in heartbreak. This is one of the few times where I feel like the 'trans twist' feels organic, too. After all, Samira's closeted. She's hiding things so that her family can't snoop and find out her secret. It makes sense that you only discover the truth later on, especially because of the phone format.
What really makes it work, though, is the empathy and sincerity that the devs approached it with. Like I said in the intro, I was impressed by how much effort they put into making good representation. The game is unmistakably on Samira's side throughout its entirety. She is depicted as friendly and talented. While she does experience transphobia, she gets a pretty happy ending. It's really nice to see a trans character - and her transness - portrayed in a positive light.
Also, they include a lot of good information about being trans. I think it would be really insightful for players who are less educated on the subject. And I respect how many different facets of the community are represented. In particular, I thought it was really cool how Samira has gender euphoria rather than dysphoria; this is a trans experience that isn't represented or talked about nearly enough.
Another big example of this is the trans forum you discover later on; here you read about how presentation =/= gender, how it can be difficult for trans people's partners when they first come out, what being nonbinary is like, and more. I think it's really commendable how hard the devs worked to show the diversity of our community.
That being said, I would have liked to see all of that info integrated in a more natural way. Most of it isn't tied into Samira herself, or the story. The pacing is thrown off majorly by the forum. It feels like reading an article rather than playing a game.
As another example of this, there's a point where someone is telling Samira about transphobia. Again, this conversation is solely about educating the player, rather than progressing anything. This interaction was particularly weird to me, too, given that it's a cis person explaining this stuff to a trans person. Still, it's educational; I like the idea of cis players learning what it's like to be trans through a game.
As for the writing, it's okay. All of the characters felt unique enough in their personalities and texting habits. Some people have reported being put off by the dialogue, and I think maybe it's because the game was created by a French studio? I personally didn't notice anything wrong with it, though. In fact, my only big criticism of this component is that the conversations are laid out a little TOO perfectly. But I also think this is a really difficult thing to get right in 'voyeurism' games. Making the conversations sound completely natural, while also providing the player with all the context they need, is a big task.
I do understand some of the issues levied against the story by others too - particularly the part where you send someone a photo of Samira. While she WAS planning to do so, and the person already knew she was trans, I still agree that it is a violation of her privacy. But I personally didn't find this awful enough to ruin the whole game, or the team's intentions.
MY biggest issue with the story is the way it ends. You're basically directly told how to finish the game in a very immersion-breaking way. I get that it's kind of an awkward format to close out, but there HAD to be better ways than this. For example, I think it would've been cool to have Samira text the phone directly, to see if anyone's found it. Then have it end there, with a piece of music playing you out.
Ultimately, even though it's a pretty good cis-written trans narrative, the missteps make it feel slightly impersonal (the information-dumping especially.) Of course, it's not wrong for a cis team to make this kind of story. And like I said, I think they did a decent job. However, I still can't help feeling like I'd connect with it more if it was a trans person/team creating it. That's probably in large part due to the fact that I'm trans myself, though. I don't think there's a big enough disconnect for it to bother cis players.
Overall, 3/5.

Gameplay:
I really appreciate that ANLP actually had puzzles at all. Many games like it completely neglect this aspect, despite often presenting it as an integral part of the experience. It's nothing groundbreaking here, but they're enjoyable enough for what they are. [SPOILERS] I particularly really liked the twist with the calculator app - it was a cool 'right under our noses' thing. [SPOILER END]
They do get a bit repetitive, though, because many of the puzzles are just finding correct passwords. The fact that all of the passwords are dates important to Samira does make the concept slightly more interesting - but it still gets old by the fourth or fifth time.
Overall, 2.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
As I mentioned in the story section, all of the characters are pretty unique. Some of them can be kind of one-note, but that's to be expected from a game this short - especially one that has such a large cast of minor characters. And even then, the side narratives going on give them a bit more context. That large cast benefits it, too, making the world feel more full, and Samira more realistic.
Overall, 3/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
I 100%ed this back in 2017, but looking over a guide again, I think I can safely say that it's a pretty easy one to do. A lot of them are progression-related. Most of the rest you'll probably get naturally.
Overall, 3/5.

Overall game score: 3/5. The warmth that permeates ANLP, and its above-average presentation, make it a worthy 1-2 hour experience. But while I do love all of the information included about the subject matter, I think it should have been given in a more natural way. The pacing suffers because of it, and it often feels like a slog to read through. Still, I liked Sam and I liked the direction the narrative went. This is one of the better computer/phone sims I've played.

BULLY: SCHOLARSHIP EDITION REVIEW

It's not uncommon to see calls for a Bully sequel, even fourteen years later. It is widely considered an oft-forgotten gem, particularly by those that like open worlds. I find it hard to disagree. The game is wonderful, despite a few faults.
I'd played through the first chapter a few times when I was younger, but never got much further than that. Once I finally sat down and finished it, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it had to offer. It's a super fun experience, and one of the best parts is that it doesn't overstay its welcome. It's nearly the perfect length. I appreciate it for that.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3/5
Overall score: 4/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
The graphics are pretty dated by today's standards, but I still find them incredibly charming. I will say that the remaster doesn't do much to actually improve them - that's not a huge deal to me personally, though.
I absolutely love the art style of the pieces in the loading screens/menus. It's such a cool and unique look. I wish there was more of it. All of the important members of the cast deserved to get their own portraits (especially Petey and Zoe.)
Speaking of the characters, they're are all very visually memorable. There's lots of distinction to make them stand out from one another. Jimmy's appearance will always be ingrained in my brain - after all, there's not many short, bald 15-year-old protagonists with freckles and an earring.
The world looks good, too. Each area is visually distinct, but everything makes sense in conjunction with each other. The winter setting in particular is really pretty.
Faces and hands are kind of weird during cutscenes, but even that has a certain charm about it. The characters move pretty fluidly, otherwise.
I know some people might disagree with me giving such a high rating in this department, but I really do believe Bully earns it. I don't think graphics have to be hyper-realistic to be good, and it does amazingly in every other visual aspect. The game is fun to look at; I think that's what really matters.
Overall, 4/5.

Sound:
I love the voice acting. It's so over-the-top and fun, and fits the tone of the game perfectly. The VAs do a flawless job of giving personality to these walking stereotypes. They add a lot of life to cutscenes that would not be nearly as good otherwise.
Also, the soundtrack is full of earworms. There's a lot of bass, which I really like. I've had the music stuck in my head for days. In fact, I'm listening to it as I write this review, lol.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Story:
I feel that this is the only category where the game falls short.
Don't get me wrong, there's some solid stuff here. For example, many of the characters are awesome. Jimmy is a great protagonist, and Gary is a great antagonist (more on him in a minute.) Zoe and Petey are cool. Bully does a fantastic job of making these stereotypical students and faculty relatable - either to ourselves or to our experiences with others - but cartoonish enough to be entertaining.
The humor is a standout part of the game, too. A lot of it is offensive, and it does go a bit too far at times, but I think it mostly works. Almost all of the characters are meant to be awful people that you despise, or at least dislike. The way they act and treat each other reflects that well.
I also do like the basis of story. [SPOILERS] Jimmy sets out to bring peace to the school through brute force, and ends up on top - but is usurped by the one enemy he forgot about. [SPOILER END] The main missions of the first few chapters are particularly really fun. You run around and take over these cliques, forcing them to your side.
The later missions are still fun, but feel much more rushed. I wish they had focused a bit more on [SPOILERS] Jimmy being expelled, and the school riots. [SPOILER END] These were really cool ideas that are barely used.
I particularly hate the fact that Gary is absent for a majority of the plot. He disappears after a certain point, after which he's only talked about in passing (until the final encounter.) I do understand that he's manipulating things behind the scenes, but it would still be cool to see him around. He showed up at one point just to taunt Jimmy, and I loved that. I thought he was going to randomly appear like that from then on. But, no, he just stopped appearing at all - until he was needed for the ending, of course. It made him feel much less important.
I hate how late Zoe was introduced, too. She's the main love interest, and I enjoy her character. Why was she not around until chapter 4 out of 6? She could have had a much bigger role. Also, she could've been their cool, tough female character who fights alongside Jimmy. Instead, they made her tactic flirting. It's a shame.
I will say this; throughout its entirety, the story is presented in easily digestible, short missions. There's nothing ridiculously complicated, and you never feel overwhelmed. It's a lot more fun this way. I just think that the game could have seriously benefited from a few more missions, and way more character presence.
Overall, 3/5.

Gameplay:
At its core, Bully is a game made up of many smaller minigames. I, personally, really like that - others might not like it at all. It's just a matter of personal preference.
There are different little activities for the classes. There are a multitude of different NPC errands (each with a semi-unique premise.) There are races (bike and go-kart.) There are arcade cabinets and carnival games. There's newspaper delivery and lawnmowing for cash... My point is, there's a lot of different things going on. And I think they're all fun!
Like I mentioned in the story section, everything in Bully is short and sweet. There's never anything overly-complicated. You can usually complete missions in 10-15 minutes tops. All of the side tasks are a very reasonable difficulty. I never found myself tired of any of the gameplay; there's just too much ​variety, and none of it ever sticks around for too long.
The combat is simple, but pretty fun. There are lots of combos you can learn. It gets clunky at times - I particularly found fighting groups annoying - but it's never egregiously bad. Also, I didn't expect there to be boss fights! They're each unique, leaning into associations with their clique. It's a very neat edition.
Overall, 4/5.

Worldbuilding:
It's an alive world with lots of NPCs. The students at the school even have their own passing dialogue, which gives a bit more depth to their characters.
There's a lot to do by 2006 standards, too. A ridiculous amount of activities help to add a lot of depth to Bullworth. See everything I listed in gameplay, plus even more, such as the collectables.
The map is the perfect size. It's easy to traverse and not overwhelmingly giant, but still big and full enough to keep you engaged. There are sights to see and shops to visit. The aforementioned collectables lend themselves really well to exploration, taking you to the hidden corners of the town you might not give a second thought otherwise.
Some places you'll only see once or twice, when they feature in missions. This streamlines the open world experience a bit. I'm definitely a fan. By taking out the unnecessary parts - except for when they are necessary - exploration is much less overwhelming. I don't think it would work in every game in this genre, but it definitely works here.
Overall, 4/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
The achievements are relatively fun to get, and only take one playthrough. There are some which you'll earn pretty naturally, and others you'll specifically have to go for.
I do think it's really important to note that I had some issues with glitches here. There were three instances where I had to reload and replay parts to get the achievements to pop. I highly, highly recommend keeping multiple save files.
Overall, 3/5.

Overall game score: 4/5. There's a lot to love about Bully. It's more than worthy of at least one full playthrough. The setting, characters, and humor make it a unique and very fun experience - one that I don't think will ever be replicated by other games. I would love to see a modern take on it. Give us a college sequel, Rockstar!

KONA REVIEW
Note: I give spoiler warnings for spoilers.

While looking through stuff leaving Game Pass in March, I found myself intrigued by Kona's pitch as "an episodic and narrative-driven interactive tale". That sort of thing definitely appeals to me - not to mention the reportedly short length - so I decided to give it a shot.
Unfortunately, I was left unimpressed.
The game just feels half-baked. Most of it is, at best, mediocre and boring. Even that basic stuff it sells itself on isn't executed well. The plot is dull and disjointed. The narration is unnecessary. There's very little interactivity. And it's not even episodic!
But I believe answers as to WHY Kona feels unfinished - and downright bad at times - lay in its development history.
While researching for this review, I found myself skimming its Kickstarter page from 2014 - and interestingly enough, it WAS originally supposed to be divided into four episodes... but there's no indication of that still being the case within the final product. In fact, each of those were supposed to be 1-2 hours long, and the finished game is around 5. And while I do think Kona feels half-done, it does still have a distinct beginning and end; I don't see it being returned to in the future.
Now, keep in mind that it was released in 2017. And if you look in the comments of the last Kickstarter update (posted in June of 2018), they mention they're going to e-mail backers about episodes and rewards. Then, in August of 2018, all of their social media goes completely silent. The Kickstarter, the blog, the Facebook page, the Twitter - none of them are updated anymore.
That is, until September of 2020, when they responded to a tweet by saying that they're currently working on their next project.
My guess is that the team realized the scope of what they were promising, created what they could, and then bowed out. It was kind of a doomed project from the beginning, honestly - they hadn't even made enough money from the Kickstarter itself. About half of their budget came from the 'Canada Media Fund'. And with the team now moving on to something new, I think it's safe to say we'll never see any of the other supposed episodes.
In the end, it's unsurprising that Kona isn't all that impressive, given that it seems to be only 1/4 of what the developers had in mind. And it's sad to say, but I don't have much faith that their future projects will be better. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 2/5
Sound: 2/5
Story: 1/5
Gameplay: 0.5/5
Worldbuilding: 1/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall game score.): 1/5
Overall game score: 1.5/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
The heavy snowstorm makes for an intriguing setting... for the first 20 minutes or so. After that, the largely unchanging landscape becomes pretty tiresome. The only thing that really shakes it up are the houses you visit, and even then, those are all spread too far apart. I think the game would've benefitted a lot from either downsizing the map, or implementing a fast travel system. That way you spend less time getting through the samey stuff, and more time exploring the places that are actually sort of interesting to see.
The graphics are okay. I like the interior of the shop/houses; they feel realistically lived-in. Once again, I wish they weren't buried under minutes of tedious traversal.
[SPOILERS] I also thought the design for the creature you encounter during the climax was neat. It unsettled me for a minute. I liked the ice wolves, too, as well as the frozen people. I wish this supernatural stuff had been utilized more. It provided some cool visuals. [SPOILER ENDING]
On a much more sour note, one of the things that REALLY brought the experience down for me was the UI. All of your items are displayed on god-awful, unintuitive wheel menus. This is particularly annoying when looking through the documents, especially if you collect a lot of them. You have to carefully hover over the tiny slivers to read their names (which are usually useless anyways.) I think this is especially egregious in the detective genre, where evidence like notes and files can play a big role in piecing things together. They could've just had a menu with the documents alphabetized, or sorted by the location you found them at.
The map is unhelpful, too. Its small icons were a problem for me; you have to zoom in to see the names of them, but doing so gets you way TOO close. On top of that, there's no easy way of knowing where you've already been. I wish icons were either automatically marked, or able to be marked, to keep track of their statuses (like if you're done there, need to return, or still have to visit.)
For the most part, Kona is not a bad-looking game. There's a solid foundation here that could've been turned into a cool setting. Unfortunately, it's mostly just boring; there's very little to keep you engaged while you travel from one place to the next. Plus, the poor UI brings down my opinion a lot more.
Overall, 2/5.

Sound:
There's not a lot of music to be found. The main audio accompanying you on your journey is the narrator, whom I was not a big fan of. He wasn't BAD, but his delivery was often unimpactful. His repeated cues annoyed me after a while, too; having to hear the same line over and over whenever my warmth meter was low became very grating.
I feel like the storybook narration was unneeded. Again, it's not awful, but it ended up ruining my immersion a bit. I understand that this type of story needs some exposition, but I just don't think this was the best solution. The game could've benefitted a lot from going a more traditional route, and letting the portagonist be the one to provide it. It would've created a much stronger connection to both him as a character, and the plot itself, because it would have put you in his shoes more. Add onto that a real soundtrack, and the entire experience would've been more enjoyable.
Overall, 2/5.

Story:
There ARE some interesting ideas here - an interactive detective game with supernatural elements sounds cool on paper. Unfortunately, I just don't think any of it is actually done well.
First of all, it's weird to me how much of an emphasis Kona puts on indigenous culture, and specifically how white people have affected natives... but it seems like it's just there to be a plot device. Their mistreatment is only ever really brought up to further the narrative. There are no named native characters, and there are only a few documents written by them. They're strangely absent in general, with no indication of where they might be. It sort of feels like these aspects were included solely so the game could borrow a legend from the culture.
Furthermore, it seems like the Cree were originally supposed to be a red herring for Hamilton's murder (according to the Kickstarter) - but that's never mentioned within the finished product. Given that information, I think the indigenous people were initially supposed to have a bigger, possibly more direct role within the story... and I think this is one of the things that was cut. It's just strange to me that this is what they decided to leave out, given that a large part of the plot is based around indigenous culture and mistreatment.
I'm also iffy on the way Hamilton is framed. He's a greedy rich guy destroying Cree land and abusing miners, but it never feels like Kona takes a hard stance against him. The townspeople who are attempting to stand up to him are shown as being unfit to do so - which would be fine, if the game took other steps to say definitively that what he's doing is wrong.
I believe a big part of it is that the main character, as well as the narrator, never really sympathize with the Cree or the workers. Of course, that's not to say that your protagonist has to be a perfect human being, or that narrators have to have distinct thoughts... but since they're nearly the only personalities actually present, it sets the entire tone as a little too centrist for my liking.
And as for Hamilton's actual murderer, the entire plot thread is pretty predictable and quite boring. There's no attempt to throw you for a loop. You're just pointed in the right direction pretty quickly. It's way too linear for a detective game.
The murderer's motive is at least somewhat interesting, and shows a little bit of sympathy for the Cree (nearly the only compassion given to them by anyone, minus small note snippets.) However, I feel that - like almost everything else here - it could have been expanded upon and shown in a much more compelling way. It's barely discussed at all, leaving it feeling like just another pointless plot thread that has little impact.
In regards to all of the side characters and stories, some of them are almost engaging, but they're largely throwaway. Almost none of them matter in the slightest, or are compelling enough to leave a big impression. They all feel half-finished, with no sort of conclusion. I expect this is another thing that was left unfinished. (Also, [SPOILERS] what happened to that guy Pierre? His death is very mysterious but it's never explained at all. [SPOILER END])
The final encounter is actually pretty cool (for the first minute or so.) It's a decent climax. But the bad controls - which are important during this part - end up ruining it. It's disappointing, because this is the only really intriguing part of the game.
And right at the end, you [SPOILERS] escape on a boat. While you're doing so, you can look back to try to spot the creature. But I'd gotten aboard so fast that he wasn't within my line of sight. I think this escape would've felt much more impactful if he were standing closer - but since he walks at such a leisurely pace, he wasn't anywhere near me. If there were a small puzzle to complete, or an item you had to use to progress, this sequence would have been much better. The creature would have time to get closer to you, and as a result, it would've felt like you were getting away by the skin of your teeth. [SPOILER END]
Finally, as it closes out... the game directly tells you its message. It's such an unsubtle route, but it basically HAD to take it, because it wouldn't be clear otherwise. Only a few select plot threads have anything to do with this theme, and even those are left too vague.
Overall, 1/5.

Gameplay:
Every mechanic is downright awful. Not only does nothing work in conjunction with anything else, but every gameplay element ends up disrupting what little flow Kona does manage to have. The survival system is flawed and boring. The terrible traversal methods make exploring the world a chore. The controls and menus are dreadful. And the combat and collectibles should've just been cut, given how underdeveloped they are.
There's a lot to get into here, but I'll address the control scheme first. A handful of questionable layout decisions really threw me off while playing. And the worst part is that there's no option to remap anything. I could be more forgiving if there was.
First and foremost, crouch is on LB and jump is on RB. I think that this is a pretty weird design to begin with (for this game, at least.) Even weirder, though, is that you can only jump when standing, and there's no indicator as to whether you're crouching or not. There were a few times where I forgot I had crouched; once, I thought I'd run into a glitch and just couldn't jump.
Even more egregious is the running. You do this by pressing down on the left joystick - which is a fine choice on its own, that's what I usually associate with the action. But my problem is with the balance of it. You can only run for around 5 seconds before you're fatigued, at which point you have to walk for 3-or-so seconds. And there's no indication of when you can run again. You just have to keep trying until it lets you. As a result, I was constantly jamming down on the joystick, which was really annoying and uncomfortable.
Using the weapons doesn't feel good in the slightest, either. As I've said, I think it would've been much wiser to not include combat at all. It's never very important anyways, aside from the final encounter. Removing it would've streamlined the game a bit, and taken out something that just feels unfinished and unnecessary.
Speaking of cutting things that feel unfinished and unnecessary... the collectibles (miniature totem poles) suffer the same issue.
To start with, they're never addressed in-game in any way. You only find out about them if you happen to spot the small holes in the ground (and there are only five of these spread out across a pretty big map.) You also have to complete a dumb object combination puzzle to be able to retrieve them.
There's no way to track how many you've found, either, aside from achievements. To my recollection, you're never even told how many there are. I never felt a sense of satisfaction from getting them - partially because I had to use a guide (there's no way I'd find them on my own), and partially because there was nothing driving me to keep at it.
The only purpose they really serve is to give you small meter bonuses, but I never even noticed that. Apparently the meters do pop up to tip you off, but they're so small - and I was so used to them appearing randomly while they were increasing/decreasing - that I never registered it. I only ever found out about this because I ran across one of the devs saying so online.
Those meters aren't fun, either. I'm not big on the survival genre, but even I know that there are better ways to execute this kind of thing. The campfire mechanic is obviously supposed to add a layer of tension, but it's just an annoyance. Having to search one out every few minutes in the large, boring map is nothing but a chore - doubly so when you need certain items to actually use it, and triply so when it's your only way of saving.
And, finally, my last point. traversing the world is the most unpleasant, tedious thing in the entirety of Kona. Running around, getting from place to place, it's all such a chore (especially if you want to 100%.) As I've said, there's no good way of knowing when you've completed an area, either. This means that you're probably going to have to backtrack - which just makes the flaws here even more apparent. There's also nothing to keep track of where you need to go next, or what objectives you need to complete. I mean, come on... it's a short exploration game, it's still an exploration game! This stuff would've helped a lot.
The truck does make things a bit better. However, you can only use it on main roads, and getting from one place to another with it can still take minutes. There's also a snowmobile available, if you find all of its components around a specific house/yard; you can use it to travel anywhere on the map. While this is theoretically much more useful, and I appreciate its inclusion, there are two major flaws with it.
First off, according to achievements, not many people actually got the snowmobile. It's an extremely helpful item that - again, theoretically - makes the game more enjoyable. But because of it being locked behind an obtuse search puzzle, few players got to use it. Personally, I had to look up the location of some of the components, so this doesn't surprise me. I think that it should've been made much more accessible, given that it completely changes how you get around the world (particularly since it's a short game with a big map.)
And despite the snowmobile helping you get around faster... it ends up being next-to-useless, because you can't open the map while you're on it. You have to completely stop and get off. I often ended up driving in the wrong direction, because breaking and watching the animations to get off and back on just sounded miserable, so I would try to guess instead. I'd often find myself even further from my destination than I originally was.
This is another reason why I believe a fast travel system or a smaller map would've helped a lot. Cut out a lot of this tedious traversal, and you have a much more streamlined game. By the credits, I'd felt like my playthrough was 10-11 hours long. I was surprised when I found out it had only been 5 1/2. That's how lengthy and boring it felt. Every minute drags on because of the lack of good settings, controls, or exploration methods.
Overall, 0.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
While some of the characters do have a few intriguing traits, it's not nearly enough to make them feel fully realized, especially when none of them are actually in the game. As I've said, there are a few kinda interesting side plots going on - but most of them don't have any sort of conclusion, and are only mentioned once or twice.
Including the indigenous stuff is a neat idea, but as I've said, it barely has an actual role. It would have been cool to see how the two cultures within the setting interact and clash; instead, the white people have all fled, and the Cree are mysteriously absent.
From my research, the devs seemed really uppity about Kona only having supernatural elements that 'make sense within the story'. I honestly feel like the game would've been much, much better if they had leaned into this side of things more. Feeling like you were being watched/stalked while exploring would have added a nice atmosphere. It would've built up to the ending in a better way, too.
Overall, 1/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
Definitely not worth 100%ing. Searching for all of the campfires and documents tacked on even more needless roaming, which just made me even more tired of the world. But the most frustrating part is that you'll have to complete a playthrough of the game on-foot (meaning no vehicles past a certain early point.) I was using a guide, and I still had to do a lot of running around to find all of the required documents/items before I could progress to the last quarter.
At least some of the achievements are easy to get and kinda creative, though.
Overall, 1/5.

Overall game score: 1.5/5. While there are one or two cool ideas at Kona's core, it's not nearly enough to carry it. The detective story isn't good. The survival elements are annoying (and every other gameplay element is awful, too.) The world is boring. There's little-to-no interactivity. A lot of things (such as collectibles, combat, and side plots) feel unfinished - and probably are.
The few halfway enjoyable moments in the game aren't worth sitting through everything wrong with it. Invest your time into something else instead of this rushed, half-baked mess.

GATO ROBOTO REVIEW

If Gato Roboto was specifically created for anyone in the world, it was me. I’m an avid cat fan, I love metroidvanias (though I’ve only played a few), and I devour short indie games. So, as you can imagine, I was VERY excited to dip into this - what is essentially a standard, 4 hour metroidvania, but with the novelty of getting to play as a cat in a mech suit. Is that feline MC biasing me a little bit here? Maybe. But, come on, there’s a dedicated meow button.
In all seriousness, I think that GR has a very solid game going underneath the gimmick. While it certainly isn’t anything groundbreaking, it’s a good way to spend a few hours. I even had fun speedrunning it.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Story: 2.5/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3.5/5
Overall game score: 3.5/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
Gato Roboto boasts simple, charming pixel art that fits the metroidvania genre well - but what really makes its visuals stand out is the two-tone color palette. It’s a unique, remarkably executed style that I enjoyed a lot. In fact, my favorite part of the game might be the collectible cassettes, which unlock other palettes beyond the default black and white. On top of just being a cool idea, it helps keep things fresh for the short playtime. They all look nice, too, though some are less usable than others due to the clashing colors.
The enemies and environments aren’t very memorable, but they get the job done. While it would’ve been nice to see this stuff fleshed out more, I understand that the lack of any color theory makes that more difficult. It certainly isn’t bad, at least.
The menu setup is easy to understand and appealing. I thought it was cute how the cat was the center of the power-up screen. I found the map very helpful, too, as a room isn’t added until you’ve actually entered it. This might be standard for the genre, I’m not sure, but I still appreciated it.
The cat is extremely cute. Best purrtagonist in history, maybe.
Overall, 4/5.

Sound:
While the music here is really cool. It provides amazing ambience. However, it’s also loopy and short. Like, ‘a lot of the tracks are only around a minute and a half’ short. I think it’s a great style, but that repetitiveness is definitely noticeable for me.
I feel like focusing on this area more would’ve really benefited the overall game. Distinct, longer pieces for different levels/boss fights would’ve helped set things apart in a way the visuals lack.
The sound effects are satisfying and distinct.
The cat's meow is very cute.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Story:
The story isn’t anything too special, but it’s enough to move everything along. I’m not a fan of these plots driven entirely by going from one place to the next, but I can’t say I expected much more here.
The writing and childlike humor actually made me chuckle a few times. I’m used to indie stuff like this having awful comedy, and while this one still isn’t AMAZING, it’s decent.
Overall, 2.5/5.

Gameplay:
Others have pointed out that Gato Roboto borrows heavily from the original Metroid. I personally can’t compare the two, but I would agree that GR’s mechanics are pretty typical for the genre. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, though!
While I wasn’t a big fan of its platforming initially, the ball jump and dash upgrades made it a lot more enjoyable to get around the world. There were still a few times where room/enemy setups annoyed me, but it was never egregiously bad.
I wish that the shooting felt more powerful early on. It seems obsolete for a large chunk of the game, since the missile launcher is just a lot stronger. Still, the limits put on the missile launcher incentivize shooting every once and a while, and it does become much more useful once you finally get to upgrade it.
The boss fights were fun! I only wish they’d been more diverse in visual design. They’re still entertaining, though, and most of them have a unique enough gameplay gimmick where it doesn’t get repetitive while playing. I especially enjoyed them while speedrunning, where the challenge became to beat them as quickly as possible.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
As I’ve mentioned, a lot of the environments are hurt by the lack of color. They don’t really stand out from each other, despite being drastically different settings. It’s just a sacrifice made for the two-tone style, unfortunately. That’s why I think more music would’ve helped to pick up the slack.
I really like the collectibles/hidden upgrades, though. They’re not often difficult to get, but they’re rewarding. It makes the world feel a lot larger and worth paying attention to. What Gato Roboto lacks in ‘lore’ or environmental design, it makes up for with the exploration aspect of the gameplay.
There are some ‘audio’ logs, too. It’s a nice touch that adds to the plot a bit.
Overall, 3/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
A good chunk of the achievements are progression-based, but there are a few that require additional playthroughs. To my surprise, I actually really enjoyed replaying to get those. While it was frustrating at times, it wasn’t unmanageable.
One of them is for beating the game in under an hour. This took me a few attempts, but I eventually got it while streaming for my friends. It was a very satisfying moment, and it’s probably one of my favorite achievements I’ve earned as a result.
Overall, 4/5.

Overall game score: 3.5/5. Gato Roboto is an imperfect, but fun and precise little metroidvania with a lot of heart. While I wish there was a bigger soundtrack, and the story and environmental design are lacking, the unique visual presentation, good gameplay, and great exploration make up for it. It managed to keep me entertained for multiple playthroughs. Worth a try if you’re a fan of the genre.

PORTAL 1 REVIEW
Note: I give spoiler warnings for spoilers.

Portal is a testament to the benefits of rewarding creativity and taking risks in media. It’s not something we often see AAA studios do anymore, especially not in the fashion that Valve did here. A neat little project created by indie students became a wildly successful, full-fledged title released by one of the most recognizable companies in the industry - all because Valve was willing to bet on something they saw potential in. It gave us a game that left a lasting cultural impact on our community, and that still holds up nearly 14 years later. 
On its own, Portal is already a 4-5 star experience - but it also led to a sequel that improved upon the original in nearly every way. Portal 2 is undoubtedly one of the GOATs, spearheading the series from 'great' to 'untouchable'. I doubt we’ll ever see such a unique and impressive duology again, at least not for a very long time, and not on the scale of something like Portal.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 4.5/5
Sound: 5.5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 4/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
The visual design here is simple, but that simplicity is memorable in its own way. The white walls and largely empty rooms make the puzzles slicker; everything is clearly and concisely communicated. The blue/orange portals pop, too, leaving you with a VERY memorable visual. There’s a reason this color scheme is one of the most popular parts of the game.
[SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS SECTION]
That initial plainness also makes the last act of the story stand out more; everything you’ve gotten used to is turned on its head when you’re shown the inner workings of Aperture. When Chell leaps from the artificially bright, hospital-like rooms that the scientists have created, into the deep, dark underbelly of Aperture, it is perfectly reflected in the visual shift. The messy, dark corridors are in stark contrast to everything before it. You feel like you’re not supposed to be there, because you’re not. There’s grime, rust, wires, and pipes. There’s unused test chambers and secret observation rooms.  It gives you a newfound sense of freedom - freedom which is matched in the gameplay, too, as the training wheels come off and you must figure out puzzles with little direction. You have escaped a rat’s maze, and you’re running under the furniture towards freedom.
Yet you find yourself trapped once again, this time in GLADoS’ chamber. This area is unique in its own right, with its impossibly tall ceiling and rounded, gray walls. It is the complete opposite of the cramped, square, white chambers.
Most stunning in design, though, is GLADoS herself. A giant mess of metal and parts hanging from the ceiling, she is totally unlike anything else in the game - while also reflecting both sides of it perfectly. Her sleek, stark white casing matches the ‘shell’ of the lab, or what is supposed to be seen. The black structure connecting her to the ceiling, coupled with the messy, dangling wires, are reminiscent of what lay underneath. Like the test chambers she runs, GLADoS is an Aperture creation… and just like them, there’s something going on with her that is not what it is made to look like. [SPOILER ENDING]
Overall, 4.5/5.

Sound:
Similarly to the visuals, the sound design in Portal is left rather simplistic. There’s not much of a soundtrack; instead, you spend most of your time accompanied only by GLADoS’ voice, as well as the sounds of the chambers (which, like the visuals, contribute to the clarity of the puzzles.) It makes for a perfect atmosphere, and allows GLADoS' character to stand out even more. This is a rare exception where I actually prefer a game having little music - I think any more of it would have taken away from these things. 
And, of course, it goes without saying that GLADoS’ delivery is always perfect. Sometimes she's robotic. Sometimes she's eerily human. Sometimes, she's both at once. 
[SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS SECTION]
There is just a fantastic progression for her character that only exists because of the perfect VA work. At the beginning of the game and throughout the experiment, she simply comes off like part of Aperture's setup. She seems to only be there to guide you and provide machine-like encouragement, while delivering hilarious quips in an oft-monotone voice to keep you entertained. But this, too, is turned on its head when you escape. It's as if she rapidly gains emotion. Distress and anger ooze from her as she searches for you. The robotic monotony of before now seems like it was that of a bored employee, rather than a machine lacking autonomy of its own.
And this emotionally-charged version of GLADoS evolves once again when you destroy her morality core. She loses that personality she so quickly began to show, replacing it with a much more sinister, sadistic, and calm version instead. That moment is forever ingrained in my mind because of the delivery , from the ‘whoa’s, to the evil laugh, to the ‘good news.’ 
To this day, it's incredibly impressive how Ellen McLain managed to capture three different versions of a non-human character, all while maintaining perfect comedic delivery. That's not to mention that she brings to life one of the best and most memorable songs from a video game ever. I severely doubt that Portal would have been as widely praised and beloved if it weren't for Ellen's contributions.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Story:
While the core plot is pretty basic, what it evolves into - and what is going on underneath - keep it interesting. [SPOILERS] You are bound to run into at least one Rattmann room naturally, and just that one will make it apparent that Aperture is more than it presents itself as. [SPOILER ENDING] A lot of the exact details are left vague or unexplained, and anything you DO learn is either shown visually or given through GLADoS’ superb dialogue. I think that this simplicity works really well for such a short experience. There's no clunky exposition or an overload of needless information; you are given the basics, and the aforementioned visual storytelling and dialogue deliver the rest.
[SPOILERS] As an example, I just adore the setup of the escape. It's the easiest kind of plotline to grasp - you're trapped somewhere, and you need to get out. But in Portal, it feels like you're pushing the boundaries of the game itself. The visuals, the voice acting, the writing, and the pacing really push this idea that you're doing something you're not supposed to once you’re out of GLADoS’ reach. It's like a less on-the-nose Stanley Parable. [SPOILER ENDING]
And the writing itself is just amazing. Portal still holds up 14 years later; it’s an amazing feat, especially since it has been meme’d into oblivion. GLADoS throws quippy, deadpan one-liners at you constantly. It ends up helping the pacing a lot, as it keeps you engaged throughout the entirety of the playtime. She’s entertaining enough to carry the game all on her own - but thankfully, she doesn’t have to, because the gameplay delivers as well.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Gameplay:
There aren’t many puzzle games I’ve played that I feel manage to be as engaging as Portal. The core idea of the gameplay - and its execution - are not only completely unique, but also insanely impressive and fun. The premise may SEEM complicated on paper, but the levels almost always stay fair; a few of the later ones do have a pretty sharp difficulty curve, but the strong sense of accomplishment at the end of each chamber makes it worth it.
More importantly than that, though, is that the devs did a fantastic job of meticulously constructing the progression to teach players each new mechanic in memorable and fun ways. Everything here is purposeful, down to the skips they’ve allowed to be left in. Nothing is ever rushed in design, and YOU never feel too rushed either. You are given time to fully grasp each new mechanic that’s thrown at you - which makes those last few ridiculously difficult levels feel all the more satisfying.
[SPOILERS] And then the training wheels come off during the escape. You’re left to your own devices, navigating through completely different environments with very little guidance. It really showcases how much the game has taught you in just a few hours, as it trusts the player to get through this part without hand-holding. [SPOILER ENDING]
I really gained a deeper understanding of the effort put into the gameplay from replaying with the dev commentary. I highly recommend everyone do so, because I walked away with a new appreciation for not only Portal itself, but game development in general. For example, they do a great job of discussing how they utilize ‘timed puzzles’ (the auto-closing doors.) Puzzles without any sort of timed aspect have room to be more complex, because there isn’t any pressure. As a result, they tend to be much more dramatic in scope. But the timed ones give a sense of urgency - while they may be easier on you mentally, they challenge your ability to actually execute the solution. I love that they included both approaches.
In the end, I do think some of the puzzles in Portal are weaker than others, but I can’t help but appreciate each of them for the effort; there’s a fantastic amount of care to make the gameplay clear and concise. There’s thought and love put into each level. And the mechanics themselves are so ridiculously fun and satisfying - especially the momentum puzzles - that I can’t help but adore the gameplay, even if it’s not always perfect.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
The worldbuilding is the weakest aspect of Portal, but it's still good in it's own way. I feel the game slightly suffers in this aspect because of the simple, clean settings that are built around the gameplay - but, to be fair, I also think this was the right choice to make. Still, a bit more could have been done to flesh out the lore. But the eerie emptiness of the lab, and the mystery surrounding your situation, do add a thick atmosphere that helps a lot. 
[SPOILERS] Generally, the main pieces of worldbuilding we do see are the Rattmann dens. These break the usual visual style of the test chambers to show you the cluttered, messy guts of the lab, even before you escape; it gives a clear sense early on that something is terribly wrong (if you find them.) All the dens are pretty similar, but there are little details in them that make them interesting the first one or two times. [SPOILER ENDING]
There's not much else to be said here, honestly. It's not spectacular, but the vagueness can be gotten away with when nearly everything else in the game is perfect. The mysteriousness of Aperture carries it well enough.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
There are a few cool achievements that make replays interesting by limiting what you are allowed to do with the mechanics. I think this is a really, really great thing for achievements to do. I had fun 100%ing it.
Overall, 4/5.

Overall game score: 4.5/5. There’s so much to love and appreciate about Portal. It feels like a ‘handmade’ experience - while it’s not the most CONVENTIONALLY impressive in some ways, it makes up for it with its endless charm and unique approaches to every aspect of game design. It’s amazing that we got this game at all; it’s one that undoubtedly deserves the praise it gets, even all these years later. An experience that’s only a few hours long and keeps you hooked the entire way through, Portal is worth coming back to again and again. If you still haven’t played it by now, I highly recommend giving it your time.

Wow.
It's been years since a new game has gripped me like Yakuza 0 did; rarely anymore do I fall in love with one in every way. But Y0 is something incredibly, undeniably special.
It's debated amongst fans of the series whether 0 is a valid point of entry for newcomers. As one of those newcomers, I have to say that I found it to be a perfect starting place. 0 absolutely hooked me.
It has a spectacular story shown through beautiful cutscenes. It's told against one of the best, most gorgeous settings in video game history. It's built on wonderful characters and gut-punching voice acting. And that's not to mention the incredible depth in the gameplay, both combat-wise and within the world. There's so many things to love about Y0 that it's difficult to feel like I can fit all of it into a single review. But I'm up for the challenge.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 5.5/5
Sound: 5.5/5
Story: 5.5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 5.5/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 4/5
Overall Score: 5/5 [5.4/5]


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
In an industry where every new product is striving to be as hyper-realistic as possible, Y0 may not be at the very top of that particular list. It's six years old at this point, after all. But hyper-realism isn't the most important thing in games - in fact, I think it's far from it. Y0 DOES manage to look realistic, while also having a distinct visual style in its slightly exaggerated character design.
Kiryu has a wider build and a young face set in a permanent grimace. You can tell that, despite his outward toughness, he's not yet consumed by the violence surrounding him. He's relatively innocent compared to many other members of the cast.
Majima is slimmer and sports a neat ponytail and an expensive black suit, but also an eyepatch and a grizzled face. He looks exactly like what he is - a man who's (temporarily) left behind a violent, dark life to join the world of the rich and extravagant.
Wei Han Lee is an intimidating, hulking brute with full tattoo sleeves. He's initially presented as - and made to look like - a dangerous man. But while he does have a dark past, and isn't above doing bad things, he's also protective, loyal, and fatherly toward Makoto. I appreciate this role flip, and his look plays a pivotal role in its effectiveness.
As you can see, each and every member of the main cast are visually distinct. There’s so much love and thought put into each of them. Their badass tattoos, their (often colorful and/or patterned) suits, their unique faces and hairstyles. I could honestly go on and on. Even the casts for the side stories are purposefully made, so that their charm and goofiness shine through.
And the world has a ridiculous level of attention to detail, too. Sotenbori and Kamurocho are filled with trash, cars, NPCs, posters, and unique storefronts. The two cities feel completely alive and are endlessly fun to explore - not only because of how much there is to do, but how much there is to LOOK at, too. I was constantly noticing new things while running through the streets.
Finally, these thought-out design aspects culminate in gorgeous cutscenes. Every time one came on, I gave it my full, undivided attention. To start with, the lighting and camera positions are so well-directed that it genuinely feels like a movie. There are some truly film-quality shots. But just as important are the emotive expressions and animations that bring the characters to life. They move (and talk) like real people, much more so than the majority of video game characters. Even when the focus is over-the-top violence (such as the awesome heat actions and QTEs), it feels realistic in regards to the movement, which always remains smooth and perfectly choreographed.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Sound:
Speaking of, the voice acting in Y0 is next level - which plays just as big a role in making the characters authentic. The language barrier poses no issue, because the performances will assuredly capture anyone who listens, whether they speak Japanese or not. I doubt this game would have made me cry so many times if it weren’t for the work of the VAs.
The soundtrack rules, too. Electric guitar, drums, and electronic influences combine into fun, energetic, and memorable music that easily gets you into the Yakuza spirit. Not only are the combat tracks notably good, but the songs for the karaoke and disco minigames are such pure joy to listen to. Just like everything else in Y0, the soundtrack perfectly balances its serious and silly tones.
Even the smaller details, such as the sound effects, are given attention. Starting a new substory, pausing, scrolling through the menu - it all sticks out in my mind, because of the sounds accompanying them. Y0 is so good at being memorable in these tiny ways that most games might neglect.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Story:
I wholeheartedly believe that Y0 has one of the most compelling stories ever told in a video game. It’s not absolutely perfect - namely, side characters and b plots that don’t feel quite important enough - but the brilliant writing and carefully woven narrative make up for any flaws tenfold. The action of the crime underworld and the emotional storytelling of the cast are perfectly interweaved; not only is there never a dull moment, but there are many that are forever ingrained in my mind because of how powerful they are.
Really, anything you could ask for, Y0 delivers. There’s nonstop violence and exciting twists to keep you engaged. There are beautiful character interactions and interesting motivations to keep you emotionally invested. There are even a plethora of lighthearted, wacky substories for when you need a break from the heaviness of the main plot.
But while everything else is amazing in its own right, it’s really the characters that tie it all together. You might expect a cast largely made up of Yakuza to be one-note, but that’s far from the case here. Many of them do share some penchant for violence and crime, but they all go about it in their own ways; each one is so unique in their convictions and personality.
[SPOILERS] Not only that, but most of them go through truly astounding arcs, many of which head in completely unexpected directions. I’ve already discussed Wei Han Lee, one of my favorite characters. I love his clashing personality. On the one hand, he’s willing to murder a random, innocent girl to solve a problem - on the other hand, that ‘problem’ is protecting another innocent girl whom he’s taken a paternal role for (not to mention that he looks out for other vulnerable women who need help.) So, instead of discussing him in-depth any further, let’s take that ‘someone’ as an example instead. Makoto Makimura.
[SPOILERS STILL] If I’m being honest, I was not fond of Makoto at first. On top of being the single female member of the main cast, she’s initially presented as a textbook damsel in distress. However, while she does remain reliant on others for most of the story, she eventually becomes determined to gain her independence - and successfully does so. Not only does she have a great arc, but she is very sympathetic and strongly written. She became someone I could personally relate to; her sort of trauma is not one readily touched on in most games, at least not so directly. I think it was handled in a surprisingly heartfelt manner, too. By the end of the game, she was one of my favorites, despite any prior hesitation towards her. [SPOILER ENDING]
And while characters such as Wei Han Lee and Makoto Makimura are already great, it’s the interactions between the cast that make them fully realized. Unlikely friendships and alliances, heated rivalries and deep-rooted hatred, people showing care for each other in their world which is haunted by pain and misery. It’s beautiful.
[SPOILERS] A perfect illustration of what I mean is Majima and Makoto. They’re amazing on their own, but it’s their relationship that completely draws you in. Despite how different they are in personality, they’re stark reflections of each other. Both were tortured to the point of becoming visually impaired. Both lost brothers they cared for deeply. Both form a strong reliance on the other. The way their relationship evolves - and the buildup to a truly heart-wrenching series of final interactions - is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the game. [SPOILER ENDING]
But - as I’ve mentioned - whenever you do need a break from all of that, Y0 consistently provides. You are often given the opportunity to instead focus on the light, often downright hilarious, substories. You can have a chicken manage your real estate firm. You can make friends with the horniest man alive. You can pretend to be a movie producer. You can protect Michael Jackson from zombies. There are so many wacky adventures for you to partake in. It ensures that there’s never any downtime in Y0, even when you’re just messing around.
Particularly great, in the case of the side content, are the cabaret club and real estate plotlines. They stand well on their own, with a charming and goofy cast that tell heartfelt little stories. The insanity and humor of these bring a much-needed balance to the main plot.
Ultimately, it would be a disservice to say that I’ve covered everything that makes Y0’s story so breathtaking. There’s so much nuance and emotion in every aspect of it. Maybe it’s not perfect on a beat-for-beat level, but it’s perfect in nearly every other way. As such, it would be a crime for me to reward anything lower than a 5 here.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Gameplay:
This is where I struggle to speak definitively, since I’m not huge on the brawler genre; not because I don’t see the appeal, but because I’m honestly just not very good at it. Y0 made an honest attempt to get thoughtful gameplay out of me, but at the end of the day, I still struggled to do little more than button mash. Of course, this was entirely a fault of my own, so it doesn’t mean the combat isn’t good. I just don’t know enough to say how good it REALLY is.
What I will say, though, is that I did find it to be fun. There’s a variety of different techniques for both characters, with radically different fighting styles that you can switch between on a whim. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses - none of them feel totally outclassed by the others. And there’s tons of possible combos to execute, all of which are visually exciting, too. That’s not to mention the plethora of cool new abilities to unlock through the money system.
Speaking of, while this type of ‘leveling up’ through money might not be for everyone, I personally love it. It adds a lot more value to the cash than simply buying items or playing minigames. It also feels much more in-tune with the tone and style of the game, as opposed to something more traditional.
But I think my favorite part of the combat is the heat action system. Each one is a cinematic little slice of violence that never gets old. Their existence makes the fights ten times more entertaining in my book.
Not only that, but this is one of the few games where I actually LOVE the QTEs. Even if you fail one, you still get to watch a cool little cinematic instead of auto-losing. They’re just as cool as the heat actions.
Both of these features are a testament to how amazing the animations in Y0 are, too; they’re so smooth and perfectly executed, demanding your attention each time they’re on-screen. It’s a perfect combination of fun visuals and engaging mechanics.
Of course, the combat is only half the gameplay. Sitting on the other side of the fence are the minigames and substories.
Giving a blanket opinion for those proves just as difficult, though. Since there’s such a ridiculous amount of quality content, I can’t rightly hold the few bad things against the game too much. And unless you’re a lunatic who tries to 100% the completion list (like me), you can easily ignore almost anything you don’t like. The karaoke, the disco, the real estate agency and cabaret club, the circuit racing, the arcades, the mahjong, the hilarious substories... all of this had me coming back for more. Maybe there is an occasional cat fight club or batting cage that aren’t up to par, but the bad is far outweighed by the good.
At the end of the day, there’s an endless amount of fun content to sift through here; I doubt you wouldn’t find at least a few things you enjoy, no matter who you are.
Overall, 5/5.

Worldbuilding:
The settings and lore of Y0 are absolutely enthralling. As I’ve already discussed, Kamurocho and Sotenbori are packed to the brim with tiny details that bring them to life, to the point that they both genuinely feel like real places. On top of that, they’re fleshed out even further by the side content and the unique characters created for it. Around every corner is a possibility of running into a new substory or minigame.
And the depth within the main plot gives an incredibly rich history to the Yakuza clans. The factions and hierarchies, and how they interact with each other, are made important early on. The character’s backstories and the way they tie together are just as important, too. But it’s honestly not surprising that things like this are so well-thought-out in Y0, given how old the Yakuza series is. As I briefly mentioned, I do think there are characters and subplots within the main plot that don’t feel important enough. But, on the flip side, their existence makes the world feel even bigger. Having the story remain TOO self-contained would have been just as harmful, if not more.
At the end of the day, the visuals, the story, the characters, and the writing add up to some truly wonderful worldbuilding in Y0. It’s just one of an infinite amount of things that the game executes pretty much flawlessly.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Extra Category - Achievements:
It’s an insane choice to attempt mastering, but I found it still fun minus a few frustrating minigames. It’s rewarding to whittle away at the cities and learn them inside and out!
Overall, 4/5.

Overall Game Score: 5/5. There are so few games that I believe are 99% perfect; Yakuza 0 has joined those few. It’s an action-packed and thrilling experience from beginning to end, one that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys RPGs. The beautifully crafted world and story, the gorgeous cutscenes, the vibrant characters, the entertaining side content, the grandiose presentation - everything here adds up to something really, truly special. Every time this game wanted to tell me something, I listened. I hope that many more people choose to listen to it too. Please give Yakuza 0 your time.

Although others came before it, DOOM is THE father of first person shooters. In fact, it spawned so many knock-offs that the entire genre was originally - and aptly - coined ‘DOOM clones’. Franchises like Call of Duty would never have reached the same heights without this 1993 sensation setting the stage.
Yet DOOM goes far beyond being an opening act.
Often imitated, never duplicated. There’s a reason every shooter after this one borrowed so heavily from it; its team created a near-perfect FPS right out of the gate. The gameplay requires a certain amount of skill and strategy, without being frustrating or overly-intricate. The controls are tight, responsive, and simple. Everything is thought out and balanced. That’s not to mention the beautifully grotesque packaging. It’s so easy to get swept up in DOOM’s depths and lose a few hours to blowing out monster brains.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 4.5/5
Replayability: 4.5/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5 [4.7/5]


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
DOOM’s retro graphics stay impressive to this day, for so many reasons.
An important part of its memorable style is the interesting combination of 2D sprites and 3D environments. It’s strange to consider that this presentation was simply a technical limitation at the time - I think it could still be utilized once in a while nowadays. It would surely stand out in the modern market, at least.
This 2D/3D approach also allowed for much better-looking enemy sprites than what would've been possible otherwise. The monsters have so much detail put into their designs and art, down to the exceptional shading and lighting Their death animations are especially great, too, with each being satisfyingly gory.
On the other side of the fence, of course, are the 3D environments. These are much more rudimentary than the sprites in terms of detail, but they’re still amazing in their own ways. As you travel from man-made areas filled with technology, to the gruesome, disturbing bowels of Hell, your surroundings progress with you. The variety of distinct textures, the color palettes, and the exquisite level design make each area feel like a brand new experience.
Speaking of color… this is definitely my favorite part of DOOM’s art direction. The bold and captivating usage is a large step away from the bleak palettes typical of both FPS and horror titles. That’s not to say that bleak palettes are always a bad thing - Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Silent Hill 2 are perfect examples of games that wear it wonderfully. But the approach taken by DOOM is commendable for different reasons. There are some truly macabre and unsettling environments - with imagery to match - that still incorporate colors beyond gray and brown. There are bright reds and blues, greens, oranges and yellows. Honestly, more designers should take notes on this.
For the HUD, the devs took what was originally made for Wolfenstein 3D and drastically improved upon it in every way. The gray chosen here is drastically easier to read than the original bright blue. The layout is much more organized. The red lettering pops nicely. All the information you need is easy to read, even amidst combat. While it does take up a large portion of the screen, I think that this lends to a nostalgic arcade feel.
Overall, 5/5.

Sound:
DOOM’s soundtrack is stellar. It boasts an excellent mixture of blood-bumping, metal-inspired hits, and eerie, slow melodies. You may not expect such clashing styles to work well together, but they do with ease.
The two bounce off of each other constantly to keep things fresh. Half of the time, you're being injected with the pure adrenaline needed to fight through hundreds of monsters. Then, one level later, the tone flips. The slow music treats you like prey, cornered and cautious. To get through Hell, you must overcome the terror it induces. And even though the reused tracks can get slightly repetitive, the tracks are good enough to distract from it.
Many of the sound effects are iconic in their own right, too. The Baron of Hell’s terrifying screech, Pinky’s lion-like roar, the Cyberdemon’s heavy footsteps, and the satisfying gunshots; so many of these will be burned into my mind forever. The distinct and clear sound design improves DOOM's gameplay tenfold - as well as making it all-the-more creepy.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Gameplay:
I don’t think I need to tell anyone this... but holy shit, this game is just pure, unadulterated fun.
When I first booted DOOM up, I struggled with the horizontal-only aiming. It’s a far cry from the pinpoint accuracy required by most modern day FPS games, but I found myself enjoying it a lot once I’d adjusted. It removes a great deal of the potential frustration caused by shooters, making it easier to relax and have fun. This is another unique facet of DOOM that stands the test of time.
Wandering through the levels, it’s easy to see how thoughtfully designed they are. Their pacing is spectacular. They’re never too sprawling OR too tiny. You very rarely get lost, with many rooms and corridors looping back to one another and always pointing you in the right direction. There’s tons of secret areas to find, some even requiring a little puzzle solving. Combine all of that with the great (finite!) enemy placement, well-timed ambushes, and plenty of items to aid on your journey, and every level is damn near perfect.
But a large part of what makes DOOM so entertaining is your protagonist's ridiculous arsenal. There’s not one weak gun (aside from the low-damage starting pistol); nothing is totally outclassed by anything else. Best of all is the perfect balance between them; most of them can be used at any point, but each have specific scenarios where they shine. The plasma gun and chain gun are good against long range enemies. The rocket launcher is ideal in open spaces with big groups. The shotgun will blast brains out at close range. The chainsaw is all but useless against multiple enemies, but it's great for conserving ammo when you can safely use it. And then there is, of course, the BFG; one of the most iconic video game weapons of all time, and a real sight to behold once you learn how to control it.
To me, the only weaknesses in the gameplay are the powerups. Invisibility and berserk mode are remotely useless, leaving invincibility as the only one that means much. I hope that this is improved upon in the sequels; it’s a cool idea that deserves a bit more shine.
Aside from that one minor flaw, all of the good is made even better because of simple, responsive, and tight controls. I’ve played this game with both a controller and a mouse/keyboard, and found both acceptable.
So, there’s really no wrong way to go about DOOM. Everything about it is just so wonderfully accessible, well thought-out, and ludicrously fun.
Overall, 5/5.

Worldbuilding:
DOOM's environments are stunning for their age. There are a ton of interesting details, such as the red skies, distant mountains, and corpses displayed in increasingly unsettling ways.
Things will only become more disturbing and monster-infested as you trek on. You begin your journey on Phobos, the first moon of Mars; the structures here are man-made and technology-focused. But as you descend into Hell, creepy imagery, more natural structures, and an influx of demons reflect your progression perfectly.
There’s some cool lore behind the game, too. Doomguy is surprisingly interesting; after assaulting a military superior that called for the murder of civilians, he is sent to guard Phobos. Here, a corporation is experimenting with inter-dimensional travel. Something goes wrong and monsters storm the teleportation devices, taking over the stations and bringing every human down. All except Doomguy. Now he has to try to make it out alive and stop the onslaught.
Between each episode, you are given a blurb of text that advances the story. These are actually pretty well-written; they do a great job of remaining short, while still being humorous and over-the-top.
It’s a simple narrative, but the mix of sci-fi and horror leave you with something much more creative than many FPS premises. What they lost in complexity they made up for with a focused, funny, and action-packed vision.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Replayability:
DOOM is nearly infinitely replayable to me. The variety in levels, the numerous secrets, and the fantastic pacing make it a joy to come back to again and again. That's not even mentioning the mod community that is STILL thriving to this day!
While it’s not the most complex, everything DOOM does is pretty much perfect. It provides an insanely good experience that I can’t get out of my head. It’s one of the best games for playing in short bursts to relax; maybe you won’t stick to it for hours at a time, but you’ll surely be picking it up again the next day.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Overall Game Score: 4.5/5. The presentation is bold and colorful. The gameplay is accessible, but endlessly fun. The levels and their pacing are thoughtful and smart. DOOM deserves every single bit of praise it gets. This game not only birthed a genre, but nearly perfected it right out of the gate. It’s an amazing entry point into first person shooters.
The only bad thing about DOOM is that it ends. Thankfully, I have a lot of sequels to look forward to playing.

Note: I have currently only played the ‘Sunny’ route.
Spoiler warning for many parts of this review, though I avoid any major plot twists/details.

15 minutes have passed since I’ve finished Omori, and the experience has left me emotionally exhausted, to say the least. More-so than any other piece of media. That’s saying a lot, too, because I’ve always tended towards very heavy stories (LISA and Bojack Horseman being two of my favorites.)
In a way, this game is soul-crushing. But it is worth every second of it.
At its core, Omori is about loss, escapism, change, forgiveness, and love. It’s about shared trauma and grief. It’s about opening up to the world again, after you’ve hurt for so long. It focuses on these topics that video games rarely attempt to approach, and even more rarely approach well.
It’s not often that something touches me in such a personal and powerful way, either - in a way that I know I’ll remember and cherish even a decade later. Omori has undoubtedly become one of those few. For that alone, I cannot recommend it enough.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 5.5/5
Story: 5.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 5.5/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 4/5
Overall Score: 5/5 [5.2/5]


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
The storytelling starts with its visuals.
You awaken in a stark white room, with only a few black objects to keep you company - a laptop, a sketchbook, a box of tissues, a cat, a door, and a lightbulb. You - the titular Omori - are in black and white too. If you travel too far from this area, you will be caught and teleported back by red floating hands.
Once you exit through the door, you will venture into a dreamscape known as Headspace. This world is blanketed in beautiful pastel palettes, an insane contrast from the simple White Space you resided in just moments before. It’s filled with zany characters, each of which are unique, even the ones with only a single line of dialogue. The enemies range from cutesy bunnies, to living food, to cutesy bunnies with food strapped to them, to lots of creatures cleverly designed around puns.
Furthermore, each discrete setting within Headspace stands out for its individual color scheme, architecture, nature, and weather. The moon setting - Otherworld - is largely purple, with bright trees and red-tinted water; antennas and tourists’ cars litter the area. Meanwhile, the Pyrefly Forest is covered in countless plants and a thick blanket of fog; you use a desolate minecart to traverse through its lonely depths.
Then there’s the elegant, but sickly sweet, design of Sweetheart’s gaudily pink castle. Or take the man-made, yet gut-instinct disturbing, vastness of the Underwater Highway. Each place is so distinctive in its features that they all feel like a completely different game. You never feel like you’re visiting the same one twice, and you never find yourself tired of investigating wherever you currently are.
Combine those endlessly interesting locations with the aforementioned inventive character design, and you’ve got a perfect setting to explore - especially when your main cast is a group of children. Each location feels exactly like a place a kid would wish to explore with his friends. Each being that resides here feels exactly like someone a kid would dream up.
And the best part is that many of these ideas are drawing inspiration from ‘Omori’s’ real life; there are lots of neat little details for you to notice throughout your playthrough, such as his stuffed animals taking life in Headspace.
And although some people might think that the overworld’s RPGMaker pixel style is rather generic, Omori sets itself apart by including beautiful handmade drawings within. Each main character has multiple portraits, all of which are cute and emotive. Many simple, but impactful, cutscenes are scattered throughout the game. Each of the battles include gorgeous enemy art. The style of it all is so charming; there’s just the right touch of childishness to make it a perfect fit.
But then, there’s an entirely different setting for you to sink your teeth into. It’s one that stands in stark opposition to Headspace.
Faraway Town - AKA the real world, where Omori’s real self, Sunny, resides - is much more grounded. It has realistic colors, same-y houses, and pragmatic (though still cute) character design. And although it’s much more bland than the eccentricity of Headspace, it serves a great purpose in its own way - after all, Headspace stands out all the more for Faraway Town’s existence.
I’d go so far as to say that its slight dullness reinforces how alluring escapism like Sunny’s can be, at least to a certain extent. Although his habits are mainly rooted in fear and guilt rather than boredom, I can empathize with how appealing it would seem to live in a land full of neon and endless fun, as opposed to a small town with little to do. In his eyes, here’s not much for the world outside his house to offer besides painful reminders. If that’s the case, why even bother?
To top it all off, overlaying the already superb visual design is the formidable horror imagery. The scary visions can range from creepy or unsettling to downright disturbing. Once Omori’s Yume Nikki inspiration swings into full gear, there’s no going back. The monsters and dark environments are terrifying, and there’s lots of equally terrifying symbolism to accompany them.
I was surprised how far the game pushed its boundaries, especially in the last act. There’s something truly hypnotizing about how masterfully the darker elements are handled. And, better yet, they’re always kept at bay until the perfect moment to strike.
Overall, 5/5.

Sound:
The Omori soundtrack utilizes all kinds of different tones, instruments, and genres to create something exceptional. It ranges from calming pieces that make heavy use of acoustic, woodwind, and piano, to upbeat tunes that incorporate styles such as jazz or electronic - with lots more to discover in-between. I particularly appreciate how many of Headspace’s songs are dream-like themselves, with distortion, whistling, or a slow pace. They have a true sense of disconnection from reality. While it sounds discomforting on paper, it’s actually quite the opposite; it feels like you’re in a safe environment, with people who care about you.
And on the other side of the spectrum are the aforementioned upbeat tunes. These tracks reflect a childlike sense of wonder and fun, encouraging you to explore the fascinating world around you. They enforce the idea that the main characters are going on an exciting journey, all while strengthening their bonds with one another.
Then, there’s the truly magnificent boss themes. These blood-pumping, adrenaline-inducing pieces make every big fight feel not only important, but unique, too. Two in particular (GOLDENVENGEANCE and BREADY STEADY GO) have become some of my favorites.
Often, while writing a review, I will relisten to the game's soundtrack to set the mood; in the case of Omori, I was impressed by how well this one stuck with me. I not only remembered much of the music, but I could place a lot of it to its exact in-game location or event. All of it just fits their intended mood so perfectly.
The soundtrack for Omori is truly special. It’s one of my new favorites, and one that I think deserves a lot more love and attention.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Story:
(Spoiler warning for this whole section.)
Underneath all of that perfect presentation, Omori is a game built on its characters and their relationships.
The dual protagonists rarely - if ever - speak a word. A lot of their personality is entirely based on player observation, and how their friends talk to/about them. They’re closed off. They’re quiet. They’re undoubtedly a follower, not a leader.
And yet, you find yourself taking control of this black sheep of the cast. Not the boisterous and plucky Kel. Not the determined and tough Aubrey. Not the kind and leaderly Hero. Not even the shy but creative Basil. Sunny/Omori are just about the last of the group with the personality of a main character. But that’s what makes this story all the more fantastic.
As you slowly unravel what has made Sunny so closed off, you realize that all of his supposed apathy is nothing more than a facade. He is far from a silent, personality-void protagonist for you to project onto - even if you can choose his name. Rather, his trauma and guilt have caused him to withdraw from the people who love him, and from the world outside his house.
You are, quite literally, in the head of a broken, miserable boy, with no idea of how to cope with his past misgivings. A boy who has built a dream world full of life, color, and friendship to hide away the dark truth plaguing his mind. A boy who thoroughly believes he is undeserving of real happiness or forgiveness. This is what makes Omori one of the most powerful stories I’ve ever had the opportunity to witness - and it all starts with the breakdown of the ‘generic’ silent protag.
But it goes even deeper than that. Sunny and Omori are intertwined with each other deeply, cut from the same cloth - but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the same person. Omori began as a shell for Sunny to fill, a vessel to hide within. But as time passed, he became something much more sinister. He became something Sunny can’t control - a blight on Sunny’s own mind, a manifestation of his regret, hatred, and fear.
Eventually, Omori becomes autonomous and attempts to stop you from discovering the truth. Your own protagonist turns on you, no longer a projection of Sunny himself… and yet, in a way, he remains just that. Omori wants to stop Sunny from reliving what he’s done. He wants to fulfill the goal that Sunny himself would have done anything to fulfill in the past - of keeping his mistakes hidden, and Headspace untouched.
This is, truly, one of the most powerful arcs I’ve ever experienced in a video game. The duality of these protagonists - while remaining undoubtedly tied to each other at their core - is genius writing. There is so much depth in Sunny/Omori, and it is executed with next to no dialogue from either of them.
And surrounding them are their aforementioned friends, both the real-world versions and their permanently young Headspace counterparts. The intense analysis doesn’t stop with the protagonist - each main character paints a unique illustration of how people deal with heavy trauma, especially as children. Sunny locked himself away from everyone and everything. Kel threw himself into social activities and sports as a distraction. Aubrey became angry at the world and ‘toughened up’. Hero fell into a deep depression and gave up his dream of being a chef. Basil became much more anxious and socially withdrawn. Every one of them were forced to grow up way too soon.
And years later, they continue to be haunted by the shadow of Mari’s death; it permeates their personalities and temperaments. There is a genuine sense of loss and disconnect because of the absence of their friend… but there’s also a genuine sense of love between each character, and in each individual relationship. I’ve never seen shared trauma captured so perfectly; there are so many moments of tender sadness and grief. These people cannot be around one another without constant reminders of Mari’s tragedy. It’s a terribly heartbreaking story, one that unfortunately rings true for these types of experiences. To be able to properly move on and be in their best friends’ lives again, they will have to finally accept the past, and forgive themselves and each other.
Ultimately, this fantastic storytelling is achieved by the most natural, well-written dialogue and character interactions I’ve ever read. This is especially impressive when you remember that the main cast are all children, a demographic that most media - but especially video games - can’t seem to do justice. Everything from the heartbreakingly depressing moments, to the hilarious and lighthearted ones are done perfectly.
The brilliant writing even extends into the side content. Although it is ultimately more low-stakes and forgettable when compared to the overarching plot, there are many cute and funny little tasks for you to complete.
But what really makes that portion of Omori stand out is how the real-world objectives are worked into the main story in a small - but incredibly powerful - way. It’s rare that I come out of a game feeling like the side content ended up mattering. Here, though, that seemingly menial gameplay presented me with an even more touching ending.
You see, when Sunny wakes up in the hospital, he is surrounded by flowers and notes from the townsfolk he’s helped. Many of these people are near-strangers, but he’s shown genuine care by them because of his own kindness. He’s avoided any sort of real love for years - yet now he is overwhelmed with it. This display of appreciation from NPCs was the best possible reward I could’ve asked for as a player. It was so poignant when paired with the story of a self-loathing recluse opening up again.
That’s not all that makes the final act astounding, of course. All of the brilliantly thoughtful writing, pacing, and character work culminate into something truly breathtaking. This now rivals LISA as my favorite game ending, which is the highest compliment I can give. Every story beat lands perfectly - from the horrifically disturbing and abstract, to the powerfully sentimental and heart-wrenching. And the music and visuals tie it all together into a perfectly-executed package. Even thinking about it now, I wish I could relive the experience. I’d love to be able to rediscover Omori’s story and messages all over again. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Gameplay:
At first glance, Omori’s gameplay doesn’t seem like anything special. In actuality, though, there are many facets of its rather simple turn-based combat that make it surprisingly unique.
Take, for example, the emotions system. Both your party members and enemies can become happy, sad, or angry through skills, attacks, or items. These each provide their own unique stat modifications (such as angry raising attack, but lowering defense.) On top of that, these act almost like Pokemon starter types - each are more effective against another emotion, providing you with the chance to deal more damage if you plan around them.
I honestly didn’t like this component of the combat at first, because I felt like it was just a throwaway idea that wouldn’t actually change the way I played the game much. I figured I would brute force my way through the game whether emotions were there or not. But I was dead wrong. I quickly discovered that this system has the potential for lots of really neat combos and strategies; not to mention that many of your party members’ skills rely on utilizing the emotions to reach their maximum potential. You are constantly encouraged to explore these ideas and learn, instead of just spamming attacks.
In fact, the emotions are what end up making the boss fights stand out mechanics-wise. None of them have super unique or memorable attacks, but many use the emotions in very interesting and distinctive ways - some of them will become permanently happy, sad, or angry, while others will affect your party members’ emotions.
Another important aspect of the combat is the energy system. Through this, whenever a member of your party takes damage, you will charge up a shared energy bar by one point (up to a maximum of ten.) You can then use some of this energy when a party member performs a basic attack - doing so will execute one of three abilities unique to them, each of which incorporate another party member. There are many possible helpful effects through this, such as healing, applying emotions, and dealing tons of damage in a single turn. But what really makes this a genius idea is that it provides some small, dialogue-less character moments to strengthen the gang’s dynamics through mechanics.
Of course, I’d be remiss not to discuss my one gripe with the gameplay… the overworld encounters. I am decidedly not a fan of this trope, like many others out there. It’s outdated, repetitive, and annoying. It’s the reason I became tired of Pokemon.
But, to be fair, it’s not at its worst in Omori. You can often run past enemies or escape fights without a problem. Not much grinding is needed, either; bosses are satisfyingly difficult, but never impossible. I think the sacrifice of including this is worth it for everything that builds upon it (such as the bosses and leveling system.) Still, this is an annoying little aspect of the turn-based genre. It deserves to be talked about at some level in this review, even if it’s far from its most egregious here.
Speaking of, Omori’s leveling system is one of my favorites I’ve ever seen. Each party member has four skill slots; instead of having to ‘forget’ skills like in Pokemon, you can simply switch between what you’ve learned in a menu (outside of combat.) This allows you to set up your team for specific fights, create your own synergies, or just pick and choose between which skills seem the most fun. It’s very engaging gameplay, and much less stressful than being forced to make a permanent choice that you may regret.
The stats system and items are great, too. Everything is kept simple and clear-cut. There’s no pressure on you to put points into anything (again, avoiding the stress of permanent choices.) You instead come across items and character-specific weapons as you explore, which you can equip and switch between at your leisure. And each party member has their own strengths that grow naturally as they level up - but there’s still room for creativity, given that you can choose to either overpower that stat, or make up for their weaknesses.
These creative systems, RPG elements, and the excellent visual/audio presentation add up to some very entertaining combat. Despite there being four set characters who all have obvious strengths, there’s a surprising amount of freedom in the possible combos and strategies.
In fact, the only time I feel like the combat DOESN’T work is during the real-world segments. The usual freedom is stripped away to make the fights very basic. It’s understandable, since these parts have to be more grounded in reality - but it unfortunately just isn’t as fun. Still, I can’t complain too much. The combat is sporadic in Faraway town, with its gameplay instead focusing heavily on side tasks. Plus, you get to see the cute combat portraits for everyone, which makes it worth it.
Those side tasks are another fairly important element of Omori’s gameplay. While you have the option to completely ignore them, they do add a lot of flavor to both worlds. It’s not incredibly groundbreaking content, but many of them have cute or funny premises to keep you engaged. You often will stumble upon these randomly during your journey, which I think is the best way to do it in a game like this. There’s no pressure on you to complete them, there’s no ridiculous amount of backtracking, and there’s no repetitive fetch quests. They are not a burden on the player. They’re just some fun little things you get to do along the way.
Ultimately, there are lots of really cool and unique ideas in Omori’s mechanics that add extra layers to its simplistic core. Even if it’s not perfect, there’s so much love in it, and plenty of fun to be had. It’s a joy to play from beginning to end.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
As you’ve likely gathered at this point, there are many facets to Omori’s worldbuilding. Two completely separate settings make up the game - one of which has many smaller, distinct areas within it.
Headspace - a place of Sunny’s own creation - serves as a haven of childlike innocence, purity, and wonder. It’s a perfect representation of a child’s boundless imagination. The colorful visuals, inventive character design, fantastic music, and surreal ideas contained within make it a joy to explore. From a shoe-shaped house, to a human-shaped donut duchess, to a talking planet, there’s an endless stream of engaging concepts to keep your attention.
And as I previously discussed, many of the things Sunny uses to build this world have a basis in his reality. This packs the game with so many details to pick up on. There’s the obvious ones, of course, like many of the side cast members having Headspace counterparts. But there’s smaller ones, too. Dream Kel possesses a pet rock named after his real dog, Hector. The room the Headspace gang lives in is actually the real gang’s treehouse. There’s a character based on the real Kel’s favorite soda. The two settings are so perfectly interconnected.
The real world has its own surprising amount of content, too. Faraway town is small, but it's filled with people that have their own routines, motivations, and family. You get a small glimpse into each person's life through sidequests and dialogue. Each break from Headspace provided by Faraway Town makes exploring it again all the more refreshing, and vice versa.
Then, to tie it together, there are the incredibly striking horror elements. The symbolism and imagery are truly mind blowing at times. Omori is not afraid to fully embrace its dark side, despite revolving around a cast of children. In fact, there’s not many games I can think of that do psychological horror better. Every disturbing moment adds to the layers of Sunny’s character, Omori’s place in Sunny’s head, and Mari’s death.
The depth of Omori’s worlds, its characters, and their history together is so intricately connected and laid out. The game’s creativity and thoughtfulness demands your attention until the end, and maybe even well after.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Overall game score: 5/5. I’ve tried to express everything I love about Omori in this review, but there are so many things I could mention that it’d be impossible to address them all. In fact, there are a lot of aspects of this game that are near-impossible to describe with words. I can’t explain the heartache it makes me feel; I can’t put into words the fear it instills at points, just like I can’t the bittersweet happiness. The visuals, music, storytelling, humor, incredible attention to detail, and gameplay meld into a game I truly consider to be perfect - and it all leads to an explosive, perfectly-orchestrated final act. To fully understand why I hold so much love for Omori, you just have to play it for yourself.

GAME.exe is a bite-sized, 20 minute experience. It’s the sort of thing you play between larger time commitments to cool down. And although it's heavily flawed, there are definitely a few things to appreciate about it. The presentation is well-done, and there’s a few solid ideas within the story. It’s a commendable first attempt at a game by new developers.
However, there are still many things for these devs to learn and improve upon - and those aforementioned positives don’t necessarily make it worth the money. This leads into my main issue with GAME.exe… the price tag.
2.99 is just too much to ask for when what you provide is so shallow and short. Now, I don’t think games should be priced based solely on their length - but there’s just very little to this one. There’s no replay value, no mechanical/story depth, and nothing to give a second thought after the credits.
Even more egregious is that the original price was 6.99. I appreciate that the devs did drop it down to something more reasonable, but I still think the current price is too much. If it were free, I’d be much more willing to recommend people give it a try.
Ultimately, GAME.exe provides a slightly intriguing - but forgettable and throwaway - experience. I still hope that it was a learning process for the devs, and that they continue to hone their craft. I’d like to see something from them again.

SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 3.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Story: 1/5
Gameplay: 1/5
Worldbuilding: 1/5
Overall Score: 2/5 [2.1/5]


VISUALS
The visual style of GAME.exe is probably its strongest talking point. Its classic Windows 98 look is very well-made; there's nice program icons, bold fonts, and a handful of default backgrounds to choose from. It's nostalgic and simple - a great choice for first-time devs.
But the best thing about this aspect of GAME.exe is Oliver’s project itself - the game within the game. It harkens back to the stuff from his era, taking inspiration from well-known and beloved late 90s/early 2000s releases. It's like a tiny slice of Silent Hill or System Shock. This isn’t as well-executed as those, of course, but it's a very cool design direction to see in 2021.
Overall, 3.5/5.

SOUND
The sound effects are similarly pleasing, with satisfying clicking noises, modem whirring, and the like. There’s also a surprising amount of music to accompany you on your short journey. The soundtrack sports almost surreal vibes, with its fuzzy-sounding and nostalgia-inducing tunes. Much of it makes use of string instruments, piano, and almost mechanical noises - a much more unique approach than the ever-popular chiptune/electronic style that many indie devs use. That’s not to say that those aren’t great genres, of course, but I have to praise GAME.exe for standing out.
Although it’s copyright/royalty-free music that the devs found online, I have to give them credit for using something so out of the ordinary. The artist, Ross Bugden, is very talented.
Overall, 4/5.

STORY
This is where things start to get a bit hairy.
The basis of GAME.exe’s plot is cliche, but it’s interesting enough. A dev by the name of Oliver committed suicide while working on his dream game, and you have bought his computer from a thrift shop. However, you quickly discover that he has literally put his soul into the project, causing your almost-new computer to become possessed by its former owner. He now takes the form of a black monster with red eyes that chases you through the GAME.exe.
Creepypasta cheesiness aside, it’s a neat idea for a story in the computer simulation genre. The problem lies in its execution.
To start with, the writing is not very good. A lot of it comes across as slightly stilted English translations. It’s all very close to being correct, but there’s something just a little off about it.
More egregious than that, though, is GAME.exe’s lack of subtlety; Oliver messages you himself, telling you all the plot details in one big, unnatural exposition dump. There’s no trust in the player to read between the lines. But then again, there’s no lines to read between here. The game lacks any sort of detail.
There’s an inexcusable number of plotholes for something this short, too. Oliver tells you that he’s killed other people, but we’re never shown who, how, or why. He says the player is ‘making him’ kill, but that’s never elaborated on further. We’re never told the details of why he commits suicide, or when it happened; did he do it with the intention of becoming part of his project, or was this an unfortunate side effect?
There’s so many ideas that could have added to the intrigue and mystery of GAME.exe, but it’s all overlooked. I don’t expect a scientific explanation for how a man traps his soul in a computer - I just feel like there are a lot of things that could have been given more thought.
Overall, 1/5.

GAMEPLAY
Similarly to the story, there's so much that could’ve been done with the gameplay that’s just thrown to the side. It’s very interesting to imagine the computer itself working against you; unfortunately, this isn’t built on much. Despite his soul being in the computer, Oliver presents only a few inconvenient roadblocks. The ‘moving confirmation box’ he does at one point is reused for random trojans that you can get - which didn’t even happen to me on my first playthrough, and I only found out about through watching a Youtube video.
There’s almost no puzzles to solve, either. It’s unfortunate, because I feel like this could’ve been a good puzzle game. Computer/phone simulators often have puzzles as their main mechanic, so it’s strange to me that this one doesn’t. Another missed opportunity.
Lastly, Oliver’s game - while simple and derivative - is fine enough for what it is. It’s supposed to be unfinished and mediocre, so I’ll give the devs leniency in this regard. Besides, it’s a nice and tense little section of the overall experience; the loud sound effects and stamina bar may be trope-y, but they work well enough.
Overall, 1/5.

WORLDBUILDING
As good as its presentation is, the only actual worldbuilding GAME.exe attempts are a few chat logs between Oliver and others. Even then, most of them provide almost no background for Oliver outside of the project. The only interesting tidbit is that there was a girl he seemed to like who didn't like him back. Other than that, all of the messages are forgettable, random nonsense. You’re telling me there was no one in Oliver’s life who checked up on him? No internet friends wondering why he’d disappeared after his death?
Computer/phone simulation is such an easy genre to take advantage of when it comes to worldbuilding and character history; yet, GAME.exe doesn’t even try. There’s little on the computer relating to anything outside of Oliver’s project - and while I understand that that’s the core of the plot, proper characterization and lore would have gone a long way in expanding said plot.
Overall, 1/5.

Overall game score: 2/5 [2.1/5]. It’s sad that something with above-average presentation and a few good ideas ended up being so lackluster. But, like I said, this is pretty good for brand new devs. Others have done much, much worse for their first release.
I wish Amaro Studios the best of luck in improving, learning, and eventually launching something better. GAME.exe tells me that they may have the chops to be up for the challenge.

Laura’s Story is the indirect sequel to A Normal Lost Phone, another screen simulator focused on searching through a stranger’s messages and apps. You are a third party in both stories - a witness to the private life of someone you’ve never met. As you find the passwords to their locked accounts, you will slowly unravel their personal history and current whereabouts.
Besides their identical formula, the two games share another important similarity; both focus on different - but comparably serious - themes. They discuss subject matter that almost no other game will approach. Yet, this duology does so happily, with the aim of informing their players in an engaging way.
This ends up being a blessing and a curse in both cases. The good intentions are evident, but ANLP and Laura’s Story both feel clinical and impersonal at times. Ping put it well when they said the writing reads like a PSA, especially post-reveal.
Still, I admire the utilization of this unique aspect of video games. It’s an advantage that they have over every other entertainment medium - the inherent immersiveness and direct involvement. There is something emotionally stirring about controlling the flow of your experience, something that you don’t get with anything else. Even if you have little choice in what happens, you’re still making the story move forward. ANLP and Laura’s Story are good examples of the unique ways this can be put to use; even if they’re far from perfect in execution, they aim to put the players directly in the shoes of suffering people. It’s a powerful tool.
Yet, I still find myself disappointed by this game. It’s not like ANLP was perfect, either, but it had a lot of heart and love put into the story, presentation, and character interactions. Meanwhile, Laura’s Story has almost nothing that made ANLP memorable. I feel the need to compare the two throughout this review to properly express why I’m so disappointed by the sequel’s shortcomings.


SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 2/5
Sound: 3/5
Story: 2.5/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Worldbuilding: 1.5/5
Overall game score: 2.5/5


IN-DEPTH REVIEW

VISUALS
To start with, ANLP’s art direction is warm, inviting, and colorful. It sports a hand-painted feel, with simple - but charming - icons and interfaces. It was one of my favorite things about the game, and something that I still remember months later.
Unfortunately, Laura’s Story is the stark opposite. There are no pleasant color palettes; instead, the phone is largely an impersonal, cold ‘white and pink’. There’s no background photo, no appealing app homepages/icons. The phone has almost no personality at all; it feels so generic, totally unrelated to Laura. There’s barely even any pictures to be found, whether in the gallery or in her messages. It’s a pretty big letdown, because Sam’s phone in ANLP felt like a real slice of her life, tailored to her specifically.
On top of that, the interface is a confusing mess. ANLP’s setup is simple, but it still sets itself apart from any boring real-life phone. Meanwhile, Laura’s Story tries too hard to be unique. There’s too many ways to get to the same places, poorly-designed navigation buttons, and a perplexing home screen.
I will say that the one thing Laura’s Story has over its predecessor is the character art. While the pieces in ANLP were charming too, the ones here generally feel less rushed. The profile pictures for each character, as well as the gallery pictures, are really well-made.
But besides that, ANLP’s visual design is just better. The devs wanted to make their sequel stand out so badly that they hurt the functionality of the navigation - while at the same time removing all of the personality that made the first game feel special.
Overall, 2/5.

SOUND
ANLP’s soundtrack is made up of relaxing acoustic pieces accompanied by pleasurable vocals; the lyrics often fall flat, but if you don’t overthink it, it sets a really nice atmosphere. And just like the visuals, it feels tailored to Sam. Not only do these songs feel like what she’d be into, but they discuss themes pertinent to her and what she’s been through (such as being a misfit or wanting a happier life.)
Meanwhile, Laura’s Story takes a different approach; it focuses on lyric-void lo-fi beats. It still manages to add to the atmosphere a lot - but it feels much less personal to Laura. The only song that holds any meaning to her arc is ‘True Love’, a romantic piece with a few generic lyrics. Besides that, there’s nothing that connects to her.
It’s good music, don’t get me wrong. I found it very calming. But it just feels much more low-effort when compared to ANLP’s soundtrack.
Overall, 3/5.

STORY
[Spoiler warning for this whole section.]
Laura’s Story is about the relationship between the titular Laura and her boyfriend Ben. They’ve moved in together five months before the start of the game, and things seem to be going very well between them. Both parties always appear ecstatic to be together through texts; they’re sickeningly sweet to one another, and always doing things for each other.
However, as the plot progresses, there are more and more clues that something isn’t right between them. Laura suddenly doesn’t talk to or go out with her friends. She works from home due to an embarrassing video sent to coworkers by an anonymous person. You discover that Ben is prone to jealous rages and perpetuating the abusive cycle. This relationship that seemed so idyllic at first, turns out to be abusive, manipulative, and controlling.
In my opinion, Laura’s Story is a fairly nice representation of the issue at hand. By no means is it perfect - just like ANLP wasn’t - but it makes a decent attempt at discussing a topic that’s difficult to represent accurately, especially if you haven’t been through it yourself. Most developers would never even try to make a game about such a grave matter, so I give the team props for that alone.
But, as I’ve mentioned, my main problem with the story is how clinical its writing feels post-reveal. ANLP had the same issue, where parts of it read like an information-dump, rather than organic human interaction. It’s neither immersive nor fun.
Something else I noticed was the lack of hints towards abuse within the texts. As I said, they always seem totally happy together. There are a few red flags, such as Ben faking a migraine to convince Laura to not go out with friends - but nothing that reads as 100%, undeniable mistreatment. I think there’d HAVE to be much bigger indications of the truth in a real chat history between abuser and victim.
You could make an argument that Laura deleted the upsetting texts to try to forget them, but that’s never mentioned in-game - in fact, quite the opposite. Towards the end, Laura is asked if she has incriminating evidence of his behavior to launch an investigation, and she responds that she does. So there’s really no reason for their texts to be as ‘clean’ as they are.
Of course, the devs most likely did this to stall the realization of the twist. ANLP had very good pacing in this department - Laura’s Story, not so much. To be fair, it makes sense that incriminating messages to friends, where she is questioning her relationship, would be hidden so Ben couldn’t find them easily. But there’s still almost nothing to provoke a sense of caution early on.
That being said, I do think one particular conversation was done well; Laura is talking to an ex-friend of Ben’s, who had been pretending to be a work-related contact of hers. It’s someone Ben had previously claimed is a crazy and jealous creep with a crush on him. However, said ex-friend tells Laura that Ben treated his last girlfriend very badly, that she was worried about Laura, and that she had no other way of contacting her without Ben knowing.
It’s a great turning point. After all, you can understand Laura’s feeling of betrayal when she finds out that the ex-friend had been lying about her identity. It’s executed in a realistic manner, with Laura denying the ex-friend’s points despite them being logical. It would be hard to believe someone who’d just been caught lying, over the words of your own partner.
Besides that, the one thing I think Laura’s Story does particularly well is the ending. Laura directly emails the player, explaining her situation and asking whoever finds her phone to ping the GPS app to send Ben on a wild goose chase, then erase the phone’s data. I infer that she wanted to be far away before the ping, so I think this is a sensible ending - and it’s much better than reading a conversation between two people who tell you what to do indirectly and unnaturally, like in ANLP.
Ultimately, there are a few things to appreciate about the story. Although it turned out average at best, I still respect its existence. I hope other games similar to it surface, ones that are willing to talk about real-life problems in a respectful and insightful manner.
Overall, 2.5/5.

GAMEPLAY
There are actually a few challenging puzzles in here. ANLP’s passwords were all based around dates important to Samira - they were never too hard to guess. Meanwhile, Laura’s are more complicated and unpredictable. I admire this new layer of creativity. However, some of them end up being a bit convoluted. I even had to use a guide at one point!
To be fair, though, many screen simulators put little to no effort into their mechanics - if they do include puzzles at all, they’re rarely good. These certainly aren’t the best, but it’s nice to see the thought and effort put into them, just like with ANLP.
Overall, 3/5.

WORLDBUILDING
One of my biggest problems with Laura’s Story is the lack of characterization, both in terms of Laura herself and the people around her.
Sam was a pretty in-depth character for how short the game was; we knew her hobbies, her dreams, her family life, her views, and her personal relationships. Sure, some of that HAD to be included to set the stage for the story, but there was a lot to learn and like about Sam as a character.
Meanwhile, Laura has almost no personality. All we know about her outside of her love of Ben are some of her personal relationships, her job, and that she used to go out to drink with friends. There’s little to make her a three-dimensional character. Again, the visual and sound design play a part in this; despite a phone being someone’s most personalized object in many cases, it holds almost no clues to what Laura is really like, or her background.
And everyone around Laura is just as flat. We know nothing about Ben, not even what he does for work. All of Laura’s friends type and act the same, as opposed to ANLP, where many of the side characters had their own texting style and disposition. I wish more time had been put into making each character stand out from each other more.
Overall, 1.5/5.

Overall score: 2.5/5. Even though it’s not as good as A Normal Lost Phone, I still like Laura’s Story. The plot, worldbuilding, and presentation are much more mediocre - but it’s still a decent story for a one-hour game, with relaxing music and some fun puzzles. Most importantly, it has a good heart, just like ANLP.
If you enjoyed ANLP, I’d recommend giving this one a try too. If you haven’t played either, choose ANLP over Laura’s Story.

Unpacking is an incredibly pleasant and relaxing 4-hour puzzle game; more importantly, though, it’s a triumph in both environmental storytelling and detailed worldbuilding.
You see, in those four hours of gameplay, you take part in every major move of an unnamed woman’s life. You unpack her boxes and organize her belongings. You find homes for everything from a Rubik’s Cube to D&D figures. Despite not knowing her face or name, you become an intimate part of this woman’s personal story. [SPOILERS] She gets her own room, goes to college, moves into a partner’s place, returns to her parent’s house… [SPOILER END]
None of it is a particularly original story, but that’s what makes it such a beautiful affair. These are things each and every one of us go through, in some way or another. We move out, move around, struggle to find a sense of permanence in each place we stay. No, originality is not what makes Unpacking so good. It’s how relatable it is to every single person who picks it up.



SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 5.5/5
Story: 4/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 5/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5 [4.6/5]



IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
Each room you unpack is viewed from a high-angle perspective that covers the entire area. Each is also flawlessly sized to give you enough space to work with, without it becoming overwhelming. These aspects of the visual design are so well thought-out, and a huge contributor to the game’s chill nature.
That’s not even mentioning the gorgeous pixel art. Every item made to occupy these living spaces are so detailed and lovingly created. The lighting, shadows, and textures on each make them beautifully realistic and stylish - down to the pen, and up to the bunk bed.
In fact, these items are the main factor in Unpacking’s amazing worldbuilding; it all comes down to the woman’s possessions changing over time. Her D&D figure becomes painted. Her stuffed pig gets worn and torn. Her computer upgrades from a boxy monitor to a laptop. She gains and loses stuff over the years, never remaining static. This is what really and truly makes the entire game. Every single item is given thought and attention, which is perfectly portrayed through the spectacular pixel art.
Overall, 5/5.

Sound:
Each stage is set to its own soft, relaxing track; the mixture of old-school chiptune and lovely acoustics complement each other surprisingly well. Additionally, when each piece ends, instead of immediately looping back, you’re placed into a few minutes of music-free activity. In those minutes, you find yourself accompanied only by the sounds of birds chirping, cars passing, plates stacking, and shampoo bottles being placed. It’s a calming silence, an immersive one.
But even more impressive are the sound effects. See, Unpacking sports a library of over 14,000 files to replicate ordinary, everyday sounds; you can set a can of Febreze on the same toilet five times without hearing the exact same one twice. This awe-inspiring level of detail is one of the biggest things that makes this game so immersive. Every single combination of item and placement is its own little experience.
All of these elements of the design are such an important, understated contributor to my personal love for this game. The calming atmosphere created by the music, coupled with the satisfying sound effects, gently push you to keep going.
In other words, the sound grabs your attention, while the worldbuilding and visuals grab your heart.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Story:
As I’ve already said, Unpacking does not have a particularly special story. The premise is simple; an ordinary girl goes through ordinary life changes. What is unique about this game is its show-don’t-tell portrayal of our unnamed protagonist’s personal evolution. We are presented her life path through each new place she lives, and the belongings she brings with her.
As the woman grows, her interests and tastes grow with her. She gains or cultivates hobbies (some of which are influenced by the people around her, some of which she discovers on her own.) Her goals gain clarity, and her dreams are put into motion. She advances her career and upgrades her equipment. [SPOILERS] She starts a family. [SPOILER END] All of this is told to us without a word ever being spoken.
It’s a thesis on how you don’t really need to talk to someone to know them intimately. Our possessions are a peek into our personality and passions; it’s something that applies to all of us. For me, it’s my wrestling autographs, cat figurines, sketchbooks, and video games. For my boyfriend, it’s books, movies, and jewelry. For you, it’s something else, an assortment of items that reflect what you love and care about.
But it goes beyond that. They’re a peek into our history, too. When she moves in with her first serious boyfriend, she gets into music because he loves it; she still has her ukulele and music books years later. Wherever she lives, she hangs up pictures of her with her friends. She keeps t-shirts from her college days. This woman is wrapped in a lovingly-created backstory, but it’s a backstory we witness firsthand.
During each stage, we see the woman make major life changes and grow up. Yes, it’s simplistic and mundane. There’s no high-stakes drama; it’s not reinventing the wheel. But what this game has that no other I’ve played does is an innate sense of wonder that we, as humans, attach to our belongings and surroundings. The way we grow as people, the leaps of faith we take when finding our own apartment or moving in with a partner. It’s beautiful in its own way, this display of normal - but scary - steps we all have to take, and the things we bring along for the ride.
Overall, 4/5.

Gameplay:
Underneath its fantastic story is Unpacking’s (mostly) relaxing gameplay loop. You open boxes, pull out one item at a time, and find them a place in your new home. It satisfies the human need to organize and decorate, without any pressure on you to do anything else; there’s no in-depth systems, no difficult puzzles to solve. It’s just what the name says.
You have a pretty nice amount of freedom, too. For example, I always preferred having the sketchbooks together in the woman’s workspace. Although some items are required to be in certain rooms, you can often pick and choose - so even if it’s another person’s things, it’s at least slightly customized to you.
Unfortunately, though, those item restrictions are quite annoying when they DO pop up. While it didn’t bother me personally, I understand why others found it frustrating. Putting work into what’s meant to be a relaxing experience by organizing things how you like, only to be told that you did it wrong, isn’t exactly relaxing.
Thankfully, there is an option to turn this off, so you can cater to all players. At the end of the day, Unpacking isn’t ABOUT being challenging. It’s about that simple feeling of fulfillment, and watching the story unfold before you. If people don’t want to be forced to arrange things in a certain way, they shouldn’t have to.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Worldbuilding:
I’ve already spent a large portion of this review gushing about how good Unpacking’s worldbuilding is. Through the visual and environmental storytelling, a relatively forgettable story suddenly becomes remarkable. The artistic depiction of wear and tear, of growing up, of change… that’s what makes this game special.
I have a stuffed animal, a weiner dog named Frankie. I got him since I was 12. His fur is matted and no longer shines from years of holding him while I sleep; he’s flat from years of being used as a pillow. He’s got a chip in one of his eyes. He’s old and worn, but to this day, I keep him on my bed. Why? Because he’s one of the best things from my childhood. He’s a reminder of a good memory. He’s something I can hug whenever I’m sad. He holds a decade of love in his lumpy stuffing.
The ukulele I’ve owned since I was 16 sits near my bed. Even if I rarely play it anymore, it’s my favorite Christmas gift - maybe the nicest thing my family ever did for me. The sketchbooks I’ve filled throughout my teenage and adulthood line a shelf, crammed with old characters and ideas. My closet is 1/4 wrestling t-shirts - ones my mom found in thrift stores, and ones I’ve bought as an adult.
All of this is what Unpacking is about. It’s about people, and who we are at our core. The love we put into our belongings and our homes. And although it may not be entirely intentional, it’s a wonderful showing of how special each and every person is.
Overall, 5/5.

Overall game score: 4.5/5. Unpacking is such a nice, pleasant, heartfelt game. It tells a sweet and simple story through incredible visual storytelling. While the gameplay isn’t executed perfectly and may not be for everyone, it was very charming by my account. This is a project I admire a lot for the effort and love that were obviously put into it. I’d highly recommend it to anyone.

Going into VA-11 HALL-A, I'd set my expectations decently high. I wasn't looking for a new top 10, but it's so well-loved that I had to give it a shot before it left Gamepass.
Unfortunately, I did not leave the podunk bar with the same sense of wonder as its clients and players alike. There's enough to the experience that I understand the admiration - it has exceptional music, many of the characters are charming, and there's some interesting worldbuilding - but in the end, the muddied political takes and anime-esque humor about boobs left a bad taste in my mouth. I rarely found it 'comfy' or inviting, as many others have described it. In the end, it felt like more of a chore to play.
I know that this is a downer way to start a review for something that I gave a positive score - but I feel it's important to hone in on the exact reasons I dislike VA-11 HALL-A, especially because of its overwhelmingly positive praise. Of course, I don't aim to belittle anyone who loves the game. Rather, I simply aim to approach it from a perspective that we haven't heard as much, at least on Backloggd.


SHORT REVIEW

Visuals: 4.5/5
Sound: 5/5
Story: 2.5/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5 [3.7/5]

IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
The setup of VA-11 HALL-A is definitely one of its most notable features. Instead of the typical first-person perspective, a large part of your POV is a bartending interface. Within it are specific windows for everything - character sprites, dialogue, the jukebox, and preparing drinks. Conversely, when you're in the protagonist Jill's apartment, half of the screen is her phone. Here you can read through news and forums, listen to songs, and save your game. Everything you need to play is always readily available, with no convoluted menus made to confuse you.
Those aforementioned sprites are just lovely, too. VA-11 HALL-A's detailed pixel art allows for some beautiful shading, lighting, and facial expressions. More importantly, though, it allows the very nice character design to shine.
Each of the patrons and employees stand out from one another easily - something I often find to be a fault in anime works. Each one have their own unique facial features, body types, and style. There's not many, if any at all, that you could confuse for someone else.
I'll throw a few examples out. The bar owner Dana's confidence shines through in her posture and expression, and her masculine outfit makes her stand out from the other women. Jamie, a regular patron, comes across as quite intimidating because of his bodybuilder physique and cyborg parts - but his crossed arms and inability to look you in the eye communicate that he's actually quite calm and shy.
Something else I find really impressive about Va-11 HALL-A is its avoidance of usual anime/gaming trappings in regards to female sex appeal. Almost none of the women are stereotypically attractive - in fact, the one woman who DOES fit the 'anime girl with big boobs' archetype stands out so much that others often comment on how stunning she is for it. Everyone else is much more realistic in their looks; Jill, Dana, Sei, Stella, Betty, Kimberly, and even Dorothy all have designs focusing on their individual personalities, rather than trying to market to middle-aged men.
Really, the only disappointing aspect of VA11 HALL-A's art direction is its lack of variety. There are very few locations. There's limited animations. Worst of all, though, is that you hear about many interesting things happening within your world, but you rarely see them yourself.
In some ways, its understandable. After all, you are merely a bystander in this cyberpunk dystopia, trying to live a normal life. You're not a powerful heroine. But I can't say I wouldn't have liked to witness some of the excellent worldbuilding and story aspects for myself in some small way.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Sound:
VA11 HALL-A's best quality is, without a doubt, its beautiful and expansive soundtrack. These electronic cyberpunk tunes accompany you through each step of your bartending adventure; its wide range of instruments - from electric guitar, to saxophone - provide variety and distinctiveness. There are 59 songs, and nearly each one of them are spectacular.
I honestly believe that the music is a large part of why so many cling to VA11 HALL-A. The mood and atmosphere it so effortlessly sets is THE main reason for the game's staying power. I thoroughly believe that the experience as a whole would not be half as good without it.
The fact that you can choose which music to play through the jukebox adds its own layer, too. You can pick between your favorite tracks, find ones that set a specific mood, create a playlist that mixes energetic jams with slower ones... the possibilities are pretty much endless. It makes each playthrough, and each day, feel a little more unique.
As a personal example, I ended up preferring the slower, more calming tracks (such as my favorite, Snowfall (acoustic).) This made the game as close to cozy as it could be for me. Everything became very relaxing, as it helped me get into the groove of creating drinks.
Even if you don't play VA11 HALL-A, I highly recommend giving the music a listen. I may remember nothing else about it down the line, but I will always have some of these tunes in the back of my mind.
Overall, 5/5.

Story:
Unfortunately, underneath VA11 HALL-A's lovely surface is a messy, problematic underbelly. For each positive I can name in regards to the writing, there are two negatives. I'm genuinely surprised that more people don't talk about its issues.
As far as said positives go, though, the character portrayals are incredibly good. Each person you come across is entirely unique, even the ones that you only see once or twice. They speak differently. They have their own opinions and thought processes. They cultivate their own special relationship with Jill. While I don't personally like all of the characters (Dorothy, Donovan, Anna, STREAMING-CHAN), I can't deny that they all stand out and remain consistent.
Some of the dialogue is really good, too. There's a handful of funny jokes, heartwarming moments, and thought-provoking conversations. But these diamonds are buried under some rough, ROUGH coal.
Thus, my many issues with VA11 HALL-A immerge.
The first glaring problem is its humor. Now, I'm not one to immediately dismiss all jokes about dark topics as unfunny; the problem is that VA11 HALL-A makes light of such things so often that it becomes uncomfortable, overwhelming, and obnoxious. Everything from rape and sexual harassment, to bestiality, to lots and lots of pedophilia - nothing is too much for this game. I'm sorry, but a woman joking about sharing her tits and ass with another adult and a middle schooler is just disturbing, not amusing.
That's not even mentioning the purely immature side of its humor. If the game's not presenting the physically 12 sex worker as comic relief, it's talking about boobs or dicks. I swear that some of these lines were written by middle schoolers - to the point where I'm surprised there's not a single fart punchline in here (though, to be fair, there IS a poop one!)
Here's just a few examples. A very serious, personal conversation is immediately swerved into talking about boob size. A character is consistently referred to as 'Titty Hacker'. The game tries to convince me that the phrase 'stupid meat rods' is funny. Without exaggeration, these sorts of moments made me physically cringe while playing.
But all of this embarrassing "comedy" is nothing compared to the politics. The genre of cyberpunk is built on deconstructing and criticizing capitalism, corporations, and society as a whole; yet, VA11 HALL-A takes a neutral approach to not only dubious topics, but some that are undeniably wrong. It brings these things up freely in conversation, but refuses to make a statement or explore them beyond a surface level.
The most glaring example is Dorothy, a lilim (AI) sex worker designed to look 10-13. She openly talks about how much pedophilic roleplay her work consists of, yet no one has a problem with this. In fact, she is often praised for loving her work.
Of course, my problem isn't with a sex worker being proud of her job. It's that Dorothy - and everyone around her - is completely okay with her success relying on her clients pretending she's a child. The only distress this causes is that Dorothy wants to be hired for being herself, rather than someone to roleplay with - she feels like no one likes her as a person. That's it. There's never a second thought given to the moral implications of her career. Her name is literally inspired by Lolita (she says so herself!), and yet, not even the overarching game bothers to say that pedophilia is a bad thing. I can't make this shit up.
Then, there's the weird stance on political correctness. A few patrons complain about it in one way or another, lamenting both people who become offended and those who try not to offend. And - again - these conversations remain one-sided. There's nothing said to really challenge this perspective; it's simply presented as the relatively correct viewpoint to have.
And all of this is just scratching the surface. I haven't even gotten into the sentiments shared about capitalism and corporations. A character plainly states that corporations aren't evil, just greedy. She insists that they provide a lot of good, such as jobs, so we should be grateful for them. And although this idea IS challenged by another patron, the former is lauded as being the correct one, while her opposition is presented as a sore loser.
[SPOILERS] But one of the biggest plot points - the White Knights' downfall - is where things get really hairy. We're told multiple times that this group of enforcers is evil and untrustworthy; they harass and beat citizens, they're filled with traffickers and mobs, and they're used as a way to keep citizens in line.
[SPOILERS STILL] Yet, we only ever meet one member of the WK, Sei, who is completely likeable and friendly. She's a first responder, aiding people involved in accidents and natural disasters. Sei is an outlier, a rare kind soul amongst her people; so why is it that she's the only White Knight we talk to? I suppose it's a way to keep the game from becoming too stressful in its atmosphere. After all, the typical WK isn't afraid to beat innocent people senseless. But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth all the same - it wouldn't have been impossible to include a more antagonistic WK character.
[SPOILERS STILL] Not only that, but after the WK are brought down by leaks detailing their evil ways, it's made sure that the civilians are presented as equally bad, too. The guy who leaked the information killed many innocent people in the process; civilians attack and murder former WK members after the group has already disbanded.
[SPOILERS STILL] Thus, our perception is warped in such a way that we are made to sympathize with the White Knights, at least slightly. It's pretty typical centrist ideals - 'there are some good cops, protestors are just as bad' - wrapped up in an unfittingly cyberpunk blanket. Behind its progressive mask, VA11 HALL-A is determined to remain centrist on nearly every topic it brings up. It comes across as an attempt to appeal to anyone and everyone, from Redditors to 4channers to Tumblr users. [SPOILER END]
Finally, let's discuss pacing problems - because even if you stripped away all of my criticisms about the humor, politics, and ideals, there'd still be weird story beats underneath. [SPOILERS] The main example of this is Anna. A sort of ghost-like entity, she visits you a few times throughout the game. She's the first face to greet you when you boot up a new save, and she's presented as pretty important in those opening moments. It seems like she'll be a main plot point, or at least someone you'll see semi-regularly.
[SPOILERS STILL] But she doesn't show up again until the last quarter of the game, and she provides absolutely nothing to the story. All she does is make snarky, sexually-charged remarks, cause you to embarrass yourself, and leave. Although you do get an explanation for who she is if you do things right, her existence just seems like an unfinished thread. [SPOILER END]
Generally, there are a LOT of things brought up that have no resolution - Gillian's mysterious past, Jamie's apparent connection, Dana's missing arm, Rad Shiba's disappearance, the assassins Art is hunting. Of course, I don't expect all of this to have a concrete explanation, especially in a piece of media with as large a cast as this one. But there's a lot of interesting ideas presented that are just there.
Now, with all of that out of the way, I will say this - the moment-to-moment conversations are often quite engaging. If you can look past the eye-rolling jokes and politics, the game's excellent character portrayals and their interesting backstories will keep you engaged until the end.
Although I found my problems with VA11 HALL-A to be too enumerated to keep my interest from waning, there was still a lot of nice dialogue and fascinating stories. It may be different for others; maybe none of the things I critiqued here will bother you, and you'll be able to focus solely on all the positives.
Overall, 2.5/5.

GAMEPLAY
"Time to mix drinks and change lives."
VA11 HALL-A's gameplay serves exclusively as a vehicle for its characters and writing. This 'gateway' type of game is such an interesting concept; it's something I wish would be explored more often. Amid exchanges with friends and patrons, you mix drinks to fulfill their orders and keep the dialogue flowing. It's very difficult to get drinks wrong, so there's little pressure on you to do much else but enjoy the process. This is a huge factor in the game's relaxing nature, making it a great way to spend an afternoon.
Still, I do have my issues here, too. I found myself getting tired of dragging and dropping every individual ingredient into the mixer. You often have to do so ten or more times for a single drink. That repetitive action gets old eventually, even if the process of making the drinks is spread out far enough to make it bearable. I think simply clicking to add the ingredient would have been a better solution - dragging adds unneeded steps.
I also personally wish that there were more complex problems to solve. While I understand VA11 HALL-A's goal is to be a 'chill' experience first and foremost, I found the orders where you have to figure out exactly what the patron wants to be the most fun. This type of puzzle-solving adds a challenge to otherwise repetitive gameplay; and I don't think it would take away from the vibe too much, as long as the consequences were minimal.
Besides mixing drinks, you must save up the money from your job to pay bills - while also providing Jill with fun purchases to keep her from getting distracted at work. Like many others, I failed to pay my final bill on time. Consequently, I knew a bad ending was imminent. And while that 'bad ending' isn't actually bad at all, there's no way to know that while you're playing. Knowing that you're going to get evicted distracts a lot from the conversations and characters. It brought down my enjoyment of the last act quite a bit. I'm sure a lower goal for the final bill would have been better, to keep this problem from happening.
Otherwise, there's not much to the gameplay. I understand the lack of dialogue options, since Jill is her own fully-developed character; still, I think a few choices would have benefited the game in the long run, even if it was simply who to serve or what to do in your free time. The lack of player agency makes it pretty standard in many capacities. But, I don't know, maybe I'm just not a visual novel person.
Overall, 3/5.

Wordbuilding:
There's so much to ponder about VA11 HALL-A's world. An endless supply of fascinating information - provided to you by your customers - sets the stage for a technologically advanced society that is held down by capitalistic greed. You'll find yourself wondering what its cities and countries are like, what you're missing out on while stuck in the four walls of the bar. Lilim, brain-robots, talking vending machines, a place called 'Kanyevania', assassins-for-hire - it's an incredibly rich setting. Unfortunately, you view it through a very restricted lens.
Of course, there's something to be said for a game where you take the role of an average person, someone who has no control over what goes on around them. It's an insane change of pace from playing the average overpowered, world-saving hero/heroine. You simply WITNESS the downfall of the White Knights, the closing of the bars, the search for missing people and assassins. You're a backseat passenger - and while that is an engrossing, relatable adventure in its own right, I can't help but wish for a larger, more personal view of VA11 HALL-A's society.
Overall, 3.5/5.

Overall game score: 3.5/5. VA11 HALL-A is a personal, touching game for many like me - its presentation, characters, and world make it a memorable experience, one that is 'warm' and nostalgic for those people. Unfortunately, its flaws are too enumerated for me to be left with the same impression. The problems with its plot, the tasteless and vulgar jokes, the tiring politics, the confined world-view (figuratively and literally), and the lacking gameplay made my time with it quite uncomfortable. It's not something I imagine I'll be revisiting in the future.

There is a stigma within the gaming community that 'long' is synonymous with 'good'. Triple A studios pad runtimes to ridiculous lengths with meaningless exposition and repetitive quests to earn the 'good' reputation. But Florence is living proof that sometimes less is more - and that the heart you put into your product goes much further than appealing to the masses.
In 35 minutes, I was taken on a journey that spoke to me personally (and that would just about anyone.) It connected with me in such a way that I felt the urge to go into my bedroom and hug my partner, to hold him and tell him how much I love him. I found myself moved to tears over characters I'd only just met, all because of the game's genius interactivity, delightful music, and accessible narrative.
Maybe I'm just an emotional loser that cries over stories like this. Maybe it connects with me a little more deeply because of my personal issues. But maybe that makes Florence even more powerful - because, really, more games like that should exist. Ones that tell simple, human stories that we can individually relate to. After all, that's what art is about, isn't it?


SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 5/5
Audio: 5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Worldbuilding: 4.5/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5 [4.6/5]

IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
The art style is simple - but that same simplicity lends to its inviting and endearing nature. It reminds me of the old children's cartoon Madeline, with its round shapes, dot eyes, and focus on the color yellow. It's not a style you see often in this medium, which makes it all the more lovely here.
One of the most notable aspects of the game's design is its general usage of color. As Florence goes through the ups and downs of her life, the palettes reflect how she feels. Whenever she's stuck in a routine, her surroundings are dull and boring. Whenever she has something to be happy about, they're bright and lively.
I hope that more developers will take the approach Florence's has. They were unafraid to step outside of what is the 'norm' for video games, instead focusing on what can make them unique.
Overall, 5/5.

Audio:
Florence's soundtrack is utterly beautiful; in fact, it's quickly become one of my favorites in the medium, despite its short length. That's not a compliment I give lightly either, because there is some truly substantial competition.
The piano and violin just culminate into magnificent pieces, ones that resonate deeply with me. It feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Even more impressive is how each piece stands out from the others, despite their similarities in style and instrument choice.
The best part of the music, though, is how it plays into the story. It swells at just the right moments, sets just the right mood. Each track fits perfectly to the moment it's encapsulating. The game as a whole would not be nearly as impactful without it.
Overall, 5/5.

Story:
[Spoiler warning for this whole section.]
Florence follows the titular young woman as she meets, and eventually loses, the man of her dreams. We follow each stage of their relationship, and the consequential aftermath. The game speaks on how former relationships leave a lasting impact on our life, even long after they've gone.
Most beautifully, it tells us that we shouldn't look back on these relationships with contempt. Even though these people are no longer in our lives, we can appreciate them for the happiness they brought us at the time. The past is not something to live in, OR shun; it's something to appreciate, and leave behind.
Yes, it's treaded ground. It's a story you've probably seen a hundred times in movies, shows, and books. But these are topics that have not been addressed much in gaming - as is the case with the vast majority of normal, human experiences. It's a real a shame, because the level of interactivity that the medium allows makes these kinds of narratives all the more powerful.
Like I've said, the fact that it resonates with me on a very personal level doesn't hurt. I'm someone that has a lot of difficulty letting go of people. When my previous boyfriend broke up with me, I cried myself to sleep for months, even though I hadn't even been happy in the relationship. If I'd played this game at that time, I've no doubt that it would have helped me a lot.
Yes, it's a simple story. But it's one that I needed to hear, and one that others may need to hear, too. That makes it worth telling over and over again.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Gameplay:
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people found Florence's gameplay to be lackluster. After all, it's as simple as the story. There's no real barrier or challenge. You just complete straightforward actions to move the narrative along. But if you approach Florence as an interactive comic instead of a traditional game, I think you'll avoid the expectation that it should have puzzles or a fail-state.
Because, in the end, that's the exclusive goal of its mechanics - to cleverly portray its narrative. The little activities you complete give you a direct role in the story, making it all the more impactful. As Florence becomes more comfortable around Krish with each date, the speech bubbles becomes easier for you to piece together. When they fight, those pieces become jagged. You cook together, eat together, brush your teeth together. It's all painlessly uncomplicated, but that integration is what makes it genius.
Overall, 4/5.

Worldbuilding:
Florence opens by showing you the routine the titular character has found herself stuck in. Her days are tiresome, boring, and repetitive. She works a dead-end job. She has no friends. She isn't happy.
But, when she meets Krish, her world is suddenly filled with life and color. She is pushed to explore her childhood passions. [SPOILERS] She grows as a person, and continues to do so even after the relationship ends. Krish has a permanent effect on her life, one that we see firsthand. [SPOILER END]
The worldbuilding is basic, but you see just enough of Florence's history. Her strained relationship with her mom, her unhappiness with her career, her loneliness. The game tactfully avoids bloating itself with unneeded details, instead focusing on what matters to make Florence a well-rounded protagonist. Everything you need is here.
Overall, 4.5/5.

Overall game score. 4.5/5. Florence is just lovely. The art and music are brilliant. The story is touching. The mechanics, while rudimentary, are perfect for this type of game. I really hope I can find more little gems like this in the future - indie titles that don't get enough praise. This one definitely deserves more.