rainydaymilktea
1999
It's hard not to play this game and mourn the potential of what what it could have been. Playing it 25 years after release it's easy to imagine how special it was when it came out, but to me it falls short of what I really wanted it to be.
There is clearly a ton of love and creativity that went into this game. The setting, the story, and the character concepts are wonderful. I started the game excited about the themes and questions it was asking, but by the end I was totally let down by its failure to answer them in a meaningful way. Most characters are totally underwritten and there's an undercurrent of misogyny that really hurts some of the major narrative beats and is honestly just annoying. There are a few successful moments that really shine but also make me think about the game that I wish was here.
The combat, of course, is awful, but you still have to waste your time with it. And there is plenty of additional wasted time going through the same dialogue tree with countless characters (have you seen a journal?? do you know anything about ravel puzzlewell??). This time could have been much better spent fleshing out the world and characters.
I loved the game I thought would come out of this, but in the end it just consistently let me down.
There is clearly a ton of love and creativity that went into this game. The setting, the story, and the character concepts are wonderful. I started the game excited about the themes and questions it was asking, but by the end I was totally let down by its failure to answer them in a meaningful way. Most characters are totally underwritten and there's an undercurrent of misogyny that really hurts some of the major narrative beats and is honestly just annoying. There are a few successful moments that really shine but also make me think about the game that I wish was here.
The combat, of course, is awful, but you still have to waste your time with it. And there is plenty of additional wasted time going through the same dialogue tree with countless characters (have you seen a journal?? do you know anything about ravel puzzlewell??). This time could have been much better spent fleshing out the world and characters.
I loved the game I thought would come out of this, but in the end it just consistently let me down.
Hard not to be bummed out after Heavensward. Just a huge step down in storytelling and characters which makes it kind of a slog to get through 40+ hours of MMO game play (despite some nice improvements). Getting through this expansion really hurt my momentum on the game but looking forward to Shadowbringers!
Shu Takumi’s love letter to his dog.
Absolutely charming game that’s feels full of character and new ideas even a decade later. Puzzles, characters, and story are great. Visuals are great. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Like any puzzle game there are a few points that become grating rather than fun, but it’s easy to forgive. Super fun to see Shu Takumi goofiness take a form outside the Ace Attorney series.
Absolutely charming game that’s feels full of character and new ideas even a decade later. Puzzles, characters, and story are great. Visuals are great. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Like any puzzle game there are a few points that become grating rather than fun, but it’s easy to forgive. Super fun to see Shu Takumi goofiness take a form outside the Ace Attorney series.
Without Uchikoshi I would never get to experience an anime girl with pink hair explaining Jung's theory of the collective unconscious.
Overall really enjoyed this game. A good story with good twists and didn't feel overly convoluted, and one of the best uses of a flow chart I've personally experienced. It actually felt significant to see these different possibilities play out, although as I always tend to feel with these types of games I did begin to grow tired of working my way through similar feeling content just to get to the end. Some of this is alleviated by a great cast who I was very invested in.
I have to ding the game in a few areas. Again, the flowchart means repeating some of the most annoying content (for me this is stuff like the action sequences - I can only sit through so much of the same joke). The somnium sequences were a bit hit or miss for me, and wow the performance issues on the Switch got quite frustrating. But it really speaks to the quality of the story that I eagerly powered through all of that to get the conclusion to the mystery.
Overall really enjoyed this game. A good story with good twists and didn't feel overly convoluted, and one of the best uses of a flow chart I've personally experienced. It actually felt significant to see these different possibilities play out, although as I always tend to feel with these types of games I did begin to grow tired of working my way through similar feeling content just to get to the end. Some of this is alleviated by a great cast who I was very invested in.
I have to ding the game in a few areas. Again, the flowchart means repeating some of the most annoying content (for me this is stuff like the action sequences - I can only sit through so much of the same joke). The somnium sequences were a bit hit or miss for me, and wow the performance issues on the Switch got quite frustrating. But it really speaks to the quality of the story that I eagerly powered through all of that to get the conclusion to the mystery.
2002
This was my first Resident Evil and first survival horror game and it's hard not to appreciate just how well-crafted everything is: the layout of the mansion and how the experience unfolds through gaining keys and access to different areas, the ways in which the game builds tension through sectioned off areas, controlled camera angles, and waiting for each door to open, plus having to thoughtfully manage your inventory and plan your routes around dangerous areas. This game STRESSED ME OUT even when I went long stretches without actually encountering an enemy, just because the atmosphere and tension are so good. All of this is only aided by the pre-rendered backgrounds, which look great. Hard to believe the game is 20+ years old.
Uncovering the plot and getting a dose of goofy voice acting and cut scenes is also personally a plus for me, although I am sad to have missed some of the classic lines from the original :')
Uncovering the plot and getting a dose of goofy voice acting and cut scenes is also personally a plus for me, although I am sad to have missed some of the classic lines from the original :')
A relatively fun mystery that's held back by dated visual novel gameplay that's just a bit of a slog to get through. There's virtually no actual deduction, just bludgeoning your way through the story and trying to guess which specific menu interaction the game is expecting. Still pretty enjoyable overall and definitely enhanced by the updated visuals which add a strong sense of atmosphere.
I really wanted to like this game more than I did and I would love to see a better execution of the concept. The story is fun and I enjoyed myself but at the end of the day what little gameplay is present is super lacking and at points can become just a tedious chore to advance the plot. There were a few points were I felt engaged with the mystery solving but it was rare.
Could not possibly capture my thoughts and feelings about this game right now. It's lovely and I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
A sweet little game, worth a few bucks and two hours just to admire the artwork. The puzzles leave a bit to be desired and while the gameplay isn't terribly satisfying it's enough to move you through the beautiful scenes and a little vignette on grief that I enjoyed.
It's exciting to see this game finally live up to it's reputation, such a huge improvement over a ARR in basically every way but especially in terms of writing, characters, and game play. Can't wait to continue through the rest of the expansions!
2021
I played Unpacking during a particularly hectic time in my life because I was looking for something relaxing. It definitely did fill that need for me - as someone who loves organizing it felt very good to put all these little items just in their place. I felt like there were some minor mechanical frustrations but nothing that really heavily impacted my experience.
What I didn't expect from Unpacking was how much I would love the storytelling - exploring the ways life changes over time through the items we value and the places we live. The mechanics of the game do such a lovely job of communicating phases of life and how our relationships grow and change. The feeling of not wanting to move your roommate's stuff, the freedom of your own place, and the way the line between "mine" and "theirs" becomes fuzzy. To see which items are constant throughout life and which things we obtain and discard as we grow just felt very special.
Overall a game that was exactly what I needed when I needed it. It's earned a special place in my heart.
What I didn't expect from Unpacking was how much I would love the storytelling - exploring the ways life changes over time through the items we value and the places we live. The mechanics of the game do such a lovely job of communicating phases of life and how our relationships grow and change. The feeling of not wanting to move your roommate's stuff, the freedom of your own place, and the way the line between "mine" and "theirs" becomes fuzzy. To see which items are constant throughout life and which things we obtain and discard as we grow just felt very special.
Overall a game that was exactly what I needed when I needed it. It's earned a special place in my heart.
Truly excellent entry in the Ace Attorney series. The second game in particular stands toe to toe with the original trilogy for me. Great writing and characters and so much care put into the visuals and soundtrack.