siiighren
Yoko Taro has left my heart in absolute ruins and I'm still going to thank him for it. this is one of those games I wish I could play again for the first time.
sometimes the real making it up that hill was all the buying out the store we did along the way.
this game is simple, but so effective at what it does -- which is give intense emotional whiplash between glee and fury in a matter of seconds.
this game is simple, but so effective at what it does -- which is give intense emotional whiplash between glee and fury in a matter of seconds.
I'm more of a sonic fan-in-law than anything, so this is technically the first sonic game I've ever beat, and I had a fantastic time. the art direction and personality in all the characters is fantastic for a game in general, let alone a free one made for April Fool's.
2020
I don't even know how to describe how this game hit after spending a year indoors. I know part of why it was so effective for me was the timing of when I played it, but it’s absolutely masterful at conveying its feelings of isolation. I still find myself missing checking in on the little Shade.
2020
I've never enjoyed a roguelike in my life, so no one is more surprised than I am that this became one of my absolute favorite games. every part of it is a visual delight, especially the character designs, and the soundtrack is top tier. the gameplay is so fluid and fun that I didn't feel punished for being terrible at it and dying all the time, and I'm going to be chasing that feeling in other games forever.
the main plot being more character driven and an examination of Sherlock's personal morality was great, and while I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed his dynamic with Jon, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed what they did with Mycroft. they did a great job humanizing him more and making him more sympathetic without detracting from the contentious relationship he has with Sherlock.
the only thing that really bothered me is that I feel like the solutions to cases were a bit too ambiguous. while I do like that you could follow the clues to different conclusions, and that Sherlock could apply his personal morality to the outcome, part of the enjoyment of mystery games for me is being able to actually solve it and know if I've come to the correct conclusion or not. so it was pretty unsatisfying that there wasn't a way to check it later. that said there was more that worked here than didn't, and I like that Frogwares is willing to take swings even if they don't all land.
also shoutout to the Death Note cosplay painting at the end, I nearly died laughing.
the only thing that really bothered me is that I feel like the solutions to cases were a bit too ambiguous. while I do like that you could follow the clues to different conclusions, and that Sherlock could apply his personal morality to the outcome, part of the enjoyment of mystery games for me is being able to actually solve it and know if I've come to the correct conclusion or not. so it was pretty unsatisfying that there wasn't a way to check it later. that said there was more that worked here than didn't, and I like that Frogwares is willing to take swings even if they don't all land.
also shoutout to the Death Note cosplay painting at the end, I nearly died laughing.
2017
a lovely experience with some surprisingly emotional beats. I only wish that there was more of it, especially the last segment of the game, which was kind of abrupt compared to the previous ones. the game uses its detail well, teaching you about the process of body preparation as well as other aspects of the funeral industry while still staying accessible.
when the game works I've been having a blast - there's so much to do and collect and it's just generally really soothing. however it's just way too unstable - the bugs can undo a lot of progress to the point where it gets really frustrating. I'll probably pick this back up in a bit to give them a chance to patch it.
after finishing the game I can say with confidence: the most formidable enemies are jumping, and I still don't understand the UI
2021
a very cute and soothing game, that manages to do a lot with a little when it comes to its environmental storytelling.
that said, I should've been able to use the oven as storage and I will die on that hill.
that said, I should've been able to use the oven as storage and I will die on that hill.
there are a lot of very cool ideas in this game, and I do wish I could've seen how some of those would have been realized if not for the time crunch and the Russian Invasion. definitely interested to see if future installments will build on stuff I wish had been explored more here.
also once again jumpscared by that Sherlock as L painting, A++
also once again jumpscared by that Sherlock as L painting, A++
2012
the co op can be very fun with a friend, but oh my god fuck every chase sequence, the camera angle changes and clunky controls are an absolute nightmare
2020
this is probably one of my favorite mobile games, and one of the few I've felt the urge to come back to - and I found it to be just as good as when I first played it in 2020.
the design is so vivid and interesting, with several scenes making wish I could see more concept art, and the story makes use of its time perfectly. it's short, but in a perfect length for the story it's telling kind of way. it spends the time where it needs to immersing you in the mood of the environment and fleshing out characters, while conveying Carmen's feelings of guilt and jealousy. obviously on a replay you wouldn't get anything new with regards to plot or characters, but I loved doing it just to experience the atmosphere again.
the design is so vivid and interesting, with several scenes making wish I could see more concept art, and the story makes use of its time perfectly. it's short, but in a perfect length for the story it's telling kind of way. it spends the time where it needs to immersing you in the mood of the environment and fleshing out characters, while conveying Carmen's feelings of guilt and jealousy. obviously on a replay you wouldn't get anything new with regards to plot or characters, but I loved doing it just to experience the atmosphere again.
I enjoyed a lot of the gameplay and there are some really lovely character moments, but there are definitely plot elements and character choices that feel really strange when trying to look at this game as its own complete story. I'm hoping it's something that I'll change my mind on when the next part is released.
also: piss off, ghosts.
also: piss off, ghosts.
my kingdom for this to have been as long as the original game, I enjoyed my time in it but was really wanting more time with these characters since everything went by so quickly. that said, the gameplay feels much better here, especially the swinging, I actually managed to platinum the game this time.