really great game! I went into it a little worried that trying to cram a whole game of story into one night would make it unfulfilling, but once I got a little ways in it was clear that wasn't the case at all. this game oozes charm so hard and every ounce of it is engaging and exciting. the overall story was great, and it always felt like it was keeping me on my toes - leaving enough head room to draw my own connections while also constantly surprising me, yet never feeling cheap or forced. I got really attached to the main cast as well. the gameplay is also really unique and fun, and the variety of puzzles is outstanding; there are a couple I was less fond of (see: prison. lol) but I think all those really needed was an undo button or something since it was just the constant re-doing puzzle setups to get back to a point to try something different that was a bit of a pain. but that's barely a stain on this wonderful experience - would love to see more games like this!
2022
So, so glad we finally got this game in the west, and the remaster quality is shockingly good. Aside from quite a bit of frame dropping, I was very impressed, especially by the music, which did an incredible job of making a soundtrack I already loved even better. As for the game itself - every chapter is enjoyable in its own way, and I love how much variety and creativity is displayed between them. Distant Future and Near Future were definitely my favorites of the main 6 chapters story-wise, but they were all solid. The battle system is quite fun, though I would have liked the attack descriptions to be a bit more detailed RE actual attack power, what counts as physical vs special, etc.. I also think it would have been nice to have proper maps for each area, instead of just an empty radar with some dots. My only other real complaint is that I just wish the shorter chapters were a little bit beefier; Present Day had almost no story, for example, and I wish that character had more chance to develop.
But yeah, overall - really enjoyed this game. No idea what the chances of a sequel or spiritual successor are, but I would check them out immediately. 9/10
But yeah, overall - really enjoyed this game. No idea what the chances of a sequel or spiritual successor are, but I would check them out immediately. 9/10
honestlyyyyy this game is way better than people seem to give it credit for, it's probably now my second favorite of the main series games (after AA3 of course). i thought going in that i was going to dislike the change in environment but i really ended up liking khura'in and the change of pace it provided after the slog that was dual destinies, and I didn't dislike any of the cases (though case 2 was by far the weakest). honestly my only big problem with this game is that it still suffers a bit of the oversaturation syndrome that DD did - we have all of phoenix, apollo, and athena's gimmicks at play and it feels like none of them really get to shine (it's kind of wild to still be getting mechanic tutorials in the second-to-last case...). that being said, story-wise, i loved everything that happened with those three. phoenix felt more like phoenix again, especially toward the end of the game. athena was more of a side role but the whole 4th case made her inclusion worthwhile. and it goes without saying that apollo's arc conclusion was fantastic. this just hit all the notes that DD completely missed the mark on for me, and maybe comparing this to DD directly is biasing my thoughts on it, but i don't care, i really enjoyed myself and i'm very glad to have finished off the main series (as it is currently, anyway) on a high note. 9.5/10
I loved this game so much more than I expected to. It's relatively short, and the gameplay is fairly basic outside the novel part, but I'm perfectly fine with treating this as a regular VN with a few extra sprinkles. I loved pretty much every character from the start, and aside from the very first death each one really felt like a loss to me. The dialogue oozes with charm, and the development of the MC alongside best girl was really enticing, making it really hard to put this down sometimes. And, even though it all happened pretty quickly, the messaging throughout the final reveal definitely resonates. I would love to see a sequel that puts more emphasis on the gameplay, since I think there's plenty of potential there.. and I just want more of this world, honestly. 9.5/10
1994
really solid aside from the bosses, which are mostly garbage. also some really bullshit cryptic moments (which wouldn't be so bad for optional stuff, but when required to progress...). also maridia just stinks in general. still quite fun overall though
fewer terrible puzzles than the first game so that's nice! still too many sliding puzzles and the fuckin endless peg solitaire and chess shit can die forever.
also somehow the plot twist of this game is even harder to believe than the first game?? the layton universe really just does whatever it wants and rolls with it lol
still a fun game. also still pretty rough around the edges
also somehow the plot twist of this game is even harder to believe than the first game?? the layton universe really just does whatever it wants and rolls with it lol
still a fun game. also still pretty rough around the edges
This review contains spoilers
this game blew all of my expectations completely out of the water, honestly. it's somehow an improvement on the previous games in nearly every possible way. there wasn't a single character i outright disliked, and i feel like there were so many strong personalities in this game compared to the previous two that it really made the conversational dialogue shine to new heights; the training group was one of the biggest highlights for sure and i especially liked watching maki and kaito's relationship transform throughout the later chapters. kokichi alone is also possibly the most interesting character in the entire series, and his dynamic with both miu and keebo was fantastic. even the monokubs i thought were a really fun addition to the villain cast (though they took a bit of time to grow on me). characters aside, i also thought the actual cases were more fun and unique overall, especially with twists like in the 5th trial. and on the subject of trials... they're also the best in the series BY FAR - both of the first two games had serious issues with the trial minigames being anywhere from mediocre to pure misery, with few exceptions; in this game pretty near every minigame is at minimum enjoyable, if not very much so. the regular debates are made more interesting via more inspired text movement and the lie mechanic (which is SO MUCH BETTER than the flashback bullshit from the first two games). the mass panic debates are simple but cute. armament argument is EASILY the best iteration of the rhythm minigame. psyche taxi is just plain fun. mind mine is mostly whatever but it's not misery or anything. new hangman's gambit is nothing special but definitely way better than 2's (though the correct words were still sometimes a bit bullshit). v3's closing argument is also easily the best iteration of it. the only one i can say i dislike is the debate scrum, since there's no way to discern the "correct" word without either failing or letting the entire script run through, and it kind of lacked substance in general. there's also of course still some weird logic throughout the game but i didn't find it nearly as sketchy as either of the previous games. the whole game really does feel like a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, both in gameplay and story. i have heard from multiple sources that the ending is hotly debated but i really enjoyed it, even if i don't think the mastermind was a very interesting character for the most part - and i don't mind that, since in the end that was kind of a secondary reveal anyway. but yeah, this is easily my favorite of the trilogy and just a phenomenal game overall; even if i have some minor issues, this is definitely a 10/10 for me
really want to like this more than eo1u but the bosses really fuck me up man. i love the labyrinth again and the story characters are solid and the party dynamic is great and the general game mechanics are still great but nearly every single boss in this game is a godforsaken trial and error disaster that made me dread every new boss fight instead of looking forward to what was to come. trial and error! in a game series where failure is designed to be a punishment! and for most bosses, the amount of trial and error you'd have to suffer through without consulting a guide is completely unforgivable. I used the wiki extensively because there is frankly no way I would have kept my sanity otherwise, and nobody should have to play this game without it. that all said, i still enjoyed the game a lot as a whole because thankfully there aren't that many bosses and many of them are technically optional. fuck ur-child 7.8/10
2021
from the perspective of someone who has never played a final fantasy game, and especially no other version of ff1:
i enjoyed this way more than i thought i would honestly. like you can obviously tell it's an old game and they hadn't quite refined the formula yet but it's enjoyable in its simplicity. i was surprised at how easy the progression was to follow, aside from the airship (fuck the airship) there wasn't much i found too cryptic. the difficulty is really unbalanced but i mean it was an nes game so it went more smoothly than i expected. there also isn't really a story but again it's an nes game lol. the port itself definitely has a few issues; the font choice is absurd but at least it's easily modded, cursor memory being off by default is stupid (why is that even an option??), the bestiary being on the title screen and inaccessible in-game was very annoying, achievements not activating until after a battle for no clear reason is super wack, etc. overall though it's a good game and port, the remastered music is fantastic and i look forward to playing the others eventually. 7/10
i enjoyed this way more than i thought i would honestly. like you can obviously tell it's an old game and they hadn't quite refined the formula yet but it's enjoyable in its simplicity. i was surprised at how easy the progression was to follow, aside from the airship (fuck the airship) there wasn't much i found too cryptic. the difficulty is really unbalanced but i mean it was an nes game so it went more smoothly than i expected. there also isn't really a story but again it's an nes game lol. the port itself definitely has a few issues; the font choice is absurd but at least it's easily modded, cursor memory being off by default is stupid (why is that even an option??), the bestiary being on the title screen and inaccessible in-game was very annoying, achievements not activating until after a battle for no clear reason is super wack, etc. overall though it's a good game and port, the remastered music is fantastic and i look forward to playing the others eventually. 7/10
peak fiction
also act 3 is good you cowards
also act 3 is good you cowards
really glad i played these! gonna keep it pretty short; i love these games. the main gimmick is unique and fun, and for the most part the levels are designed well and flow nicely. the per-level gimmicks are surprisingly varied, especially in 2, although i wouldn't say i loved the boarding levels. i'm also surprised at how well the stories work for such short games - i mean, they're not gonna compare to a 60 hour jrpg, but they're great still in their own respect. my biggest issue with the games is simply that the gems aren't worth collecting; this may seem like a very minor thing but... the games prompt you to collect 150 gems in each stage, but actually doing so is a) a huge chore especially with limited lives, and b) pretty much completely lacking in rewards, aside from some artwork in 2. it's silly too that the double gem multiplier counts toward the collectible total; i just wish collecting the gems was more about exploration and less about dying repeatedly to perfectly execute strictly timed maneuvers (the extra stages have enough of that already!). i also think both games have disappointing and/or annoying final bosses which is kinda funny since i like most of the other bosses.
but yeah, minor complaints aside, i had a really fun time overall and would absolutely love a klonoa 3. 9/10
but yeah, minor complaints aside, i had a really fun time overall and would absolutely love a klonoa 3. 9/10