snivader
7 reviews liked by snivader
The perfect sick day game.
I bought this half a year ago because it really looked incredibly charming and I recognised the artist! A comfy visual novel about a young girlie named Penny who struggles to get her work done and gets up to silly business around the office sounded right up my alley and I wanted to boot it up very soon. I guess my attention wavered because I kept putting it off. But today I called in sick at work and this seemed like the perfect thing to get through the rainy day. It was indeed a cute and funny time that eventually surprised me with how relatable it was and the lengths it travelled to address an extremely contemporary real world issue.
The art style is my favourite thing on display, it’s just so freaking cute and all the character designs are amazingly pretty. Combining this with absurdity in events and deadpan dialogue made the experience extremely entertaining, cosy and bingeable for me. I saw everything that there was to see in one sitting and I didn't get bored at all.
I wasn’t quite prepared for how relatable Penny would become throughout this. I wouldn’t consider my occupation that of an artist, but there are certainly times where I feel I have to be creative or “inspired” in a sense, making little progress for days or weeks and coming short of what I wanted to achieve. Considering the main dev is an artist themselves this theme comes straight from the heart; despite all of the strange hilarious events I was taken through, there was an underlying sense of dread and depression in Penny’s days at the office that was difficult to not find painful.
The next paragraph will spoil the ending of the game.
It turns out a higher up of the company Penny works for is the embodiment of corporate evil, and the task she was given was purely to compare to the better efficiency of “creative automation”. We as the player struggle through a lot of fuckery to get her 6 posters drawn, only for the boss to demonstrate to the big wigs that a robot can steal the work of already existing creative minds, and pump them out in seconds, resulting in the redundancy of as many employees as she can and the best possible business results. This, of course, is something that everyone in the present day who even considers themselves a fan of creative outputs is very aware of and loathes. What exactly did Endless Monday have to say about this? In the end, not much at all. The climax is exaggerated and pretty drawn out, and abruptly ends with a sudden resolution where they just smash the robot and move on. I can only assume that the goal here was purely an expression of fear, and that this future feels like an inevitability with no clear solution, especially since the boss in question is seen at the end, proclaiming that she will achieve her goal and return eventually. It’s something that hits you a little harder when you’re put in the shoes of someone like Penny, who simply wants to follow her dreams, and should make you want to fight against these practices, no matter who you are, because they mean that those dreams will not be possible in the slightest.
Endless Monday is cute, fun, silly and everything in between and it also has relatable and foreboding elements mixed in that end up making it an emotionally unique couple days at the office to say the least.
I bought this half a year ago because it really looked incredibly charming and I recognised the artist! A comfy visual novel about a young girlie named Penny who struggles to get her work done and gets up to silly business around the office sounded right up my alley and I wanted to boot it up very soon. I guess my attention wavered because I kept putting it off. But today I called in sick at work and this seemed like the perfect thing to get through the rainy day. It was indeed a cute and funny time that eventually surprised me with how relatable it was and the lengths it travelled to address an extremely contemporary real world issue.
The art style is my favourite thing on display, it’s just so freaking cute and all the character designs are amazingly pretty. Combining this with absurdity in events and deadpan dialogue made the experience extremely entertaining, cosy and bingeable for me. I saw everything that there was to see in one sitting and I didn't get bored at all.
I wasn’t quite prepared for how relatable Penny would become throughout this. I wouldn’t consider my occupation that of an artist, but there are certainly times where I feel I have to be creative or “inspired” in a sense, making little progress for days or weeks and coming short of what I wanted to achieve. Considering the main dev is an artist themselves this theme comes straight from the heart; despite all of the strange hilarious events I was taken through, there was an underlying sense of dread and depression in Penny’s days at the office that was difficult to not find painful.
The next paragraph will spoil the ending of the game.
It turns out a higher up of the company Penny works for is the embodiment of corporate evil, and the task she was given was purely to compare to the better efficiency of “creative automation”. We as the player struggle through a lot of fuckery to get her 6 posters drawn, only for the boss to demonstrate to the big wigs that a robot can steal the work of already existing creative minds, and pump them out in seconds, resulting in the redundancy of as many employees as she can and the best possible business results. This, of course, is something that everyone in the present day who even considers themselves a fan of creative outputs is very aware of and loathes. What exactly did Endless Monday have to say about this? In the end, not much at all. The climax is exaggerated and pretty drawn out, and abruptly ends with a sudden resolution where they just smash the robot and move on. I can only assume that the goal here was purely an expression of fear, and that this future feels like an inevitability with no clear solution, especially since the boss in question is seen at the end, proclaiming that she will achieve her goal and return eventually. It’s something that hits you a little harder when you’re put in the shoes of someone like Penny, who simply wants to follow her dreams, and should make you want to fight against these practices, no matter who you are, because they mean that those dreams will not be possible in the slightest.
Endless Monday is cute, fun, silly and everything in between and it also has relatable and foreboding elements mixed in that end up making it an emotionally unique couple days at the office to say the least.
Evening Star's Big Breakaway
It ain't Sonic, but I'll be damned if I don't like it for some of the same reasons. I'm so happy for Evening Star's first release as an independent studio. We've been treated to a truly wonderful 3D platformer that's imbued with a great amount of creativity and passion. Slick movement on par with Mario Odyssey, colourful and quirky characters and stages, AND a totally cute as hell mascot character?!? You spoil me, tysm this is exactly what I wanted from Mania devs and they delivered. Of course the music as well is great as expected from Tee Lopes, lots of variety in the stage themes particularly.
Right now there's pleeeeeenty of bugs and everyone will let you know, but personally, I was hardly bothered by any of it; every now and then I clip through a wall and get setback slightly... alright, no problem! The game is just that damn fun that being made to replay sections was rarely something to get hung up over.
What I am appreciating the most from Penny is how the stages are designed around two distinct playstyles. It is fun to slowly take in the scenery and read silly dialogue, searching for those hidden collectibles, but at the same time you can absolutely blitz through once you get the hang of things.
I have to discuss my love for Penny herself too, she's just such a goober. Such a sick concept to have a platformer mascot use a yoyo, the way all the powerups and moves are animated and tied to this concept: seamless. Every time she danced and did tricks at the end of the stage it would put a little smile on my face. The story barely had me paying attention beyond her funny expressions, and that's all I needed to keep me going really. What can I say, she's just adorable and needs protection.
That would be one of my only complaints, that comparable to Penny, almost all the characters felt pretty bland and uninteresting (but I don't really care!!), it would have just been nice if she had some friends or something y'know, this is totally my Sonic brain speaking. Maybe next time, whether it's a sequel or something different, the next project from the studio will have a bit more scope in that sense. It's not that the story was bad, it went places and tied in with the level themes very well, I just found it not memorable whatsoever. It's all a worthy trade off though, this game is pretty perfect in the places it needs to be.
PennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweep
It ain't Sonic, but I'll be damned if I don't like it for some of the same reasons. I'm so happy for Evening Star's first release as an independent studio. We've been treated to a truly wonderful 3D platformer that's imbued with a great amount of creativity and passion. Slick movement on par with Mario Odyssey, colourful and quirky characters and stages, AND a totally cute as hell mascot character?!? You spoil me, tysm this is exactly what I wanted from Mania devs and they delivered. Of course the music as well is great as expected from Tee Lopes, lots of variety in the stage themes particularly.
Right now there's pleeeeeenty of bugs and everyone will let you know, but personally, I was hardly bothered by any of it; every now and then I clip through a wall and get setback slightly... alright, no problem! The game is just that damn fun that being made to replay sections was rarely something to get hung up over.
What I am appreciating the most from Penny is how the stages are designed around two distinct playstyles. It is fun to slowly take in the scenery and read silly dialogue, searching for those hidden collectibles, but at the same time you can absolutely blitz through once you get the hang of things.
I have to discuss my love for Penny herself too, she's just such a goober. Such a sick concept to have a platformer mascot use a yoyo, the way all the powerups and moves are animated and tied to this concept: seamless. Every time she danced and did tricks at the end of the stage it would put a little smile on my face. The story barely had me paying attention beyond her funny expressions, and that's all I needed to keep me going really. What can I say, she's just adorable and needs protection.
That would be one of my only complaints, that comparable to Penny, almost all the characters felt pretty bland and uninteresting (but I don't really care!!), it would have just been nice if she had some friends or something y'know, this is totally my Sonic brain speaking. Maybe next time, whether it's a sequel or something different, the next project from the studio will have a bit more scope in that sense. It's not that the story was bad, it went places and tied in with the level themes very well, I just found it not memorable whatsoever. It's all a worthy trade off though, this game is pretty perfect in the places it needs to be.
PennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweepPennySweep
The average ace attorney case goes something like this:
Wright hadn't seen a case much like this one. He had only a day to prepare for the defense of one Caul Pable, who was seen covered in the victims blood at the crime scene. The victim, Catt Phish, was brutalised in a fast food joint, all of his digits severed. A truly morbid sight.
Phoenix enters the courtroom with a baby dressed in traditional American kimono-spirit-medium garb, nothing in his court record but an (updated) autopsy report and three fish sticks.
Nick approaches the stand, with Edgeworth at the table opposite.
"You're not going to win this time, wright." Edgeworth grins. " Your pathetic attempts at defending this paltry man will only lead to your inevitable defeat."
His glare glides towards the accused, Caul Pable. Caul shivers.
Phoenix brushes off the prosecutors taunts, and the judge promptly orders the first witness to the stand.
The witness, bart tocks, grins from ear to ear.
"You see, all I did on Friday, the day of the murder, was fry some seafood sir, I'm not guilty by any me-"
"OBJECTION!!"
his shout is loud, reverberating throughout the courtroom.
"You see, Mr Bart... That's where you're wrong... You actually ARE guilty because, referring to this autopsy report, the murder didn't happen on Friday... IT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY!!!"
the crowd gasps, and the judge's mouth is agape.
The gavel strikes the table three times. "Wow this is looking really bad for you dude" the bearded man exclaims.
Bart breaks out in cold sweat, and starts break dancing nervously in the courtroom.
"B-but you don't have any evidence!! How could I have killed the man, I was frying fish!" Tocks stammers.
"OBJECTION!!"
"Wh-what?"
"You see Bart... You may have been deep frying... But you have also been... DEEP LYING!! May I present to the court... THESE FISH STICKS!!"
Phoenix tosses the fish in the air, and the day old golden brown snacks land on the table, its oily surface spreading grease on the autopsy report.
Miles grins, a dimple appearing on his cheek. With his palms to the sky, he shrugs and shakes his head. "Phoenix, my nemo-sis... you're making a mockery of this courtroom providing such fishy evidence. You better explain yourself- or you're fin-ished."
Phoenix chuckles.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, may I present to you the evidence of this man's guilt."
Phoenix peels open the fish sticks, revealing... the victims severed thumb.
"Looks like we found it. The fingers... Or should I say... Phish's fingers."
Edgeworth, taken aback, stumbles, reeling from shock. He grabs his chair to regain his bearings. As he sees phoenix grin at him, his grip tightens, turning his palms white.
"You see, the crumbs that led to me finding this out were all laid out by this witness... who was actually concealing evidence in these very same breadcrumbs... Panko breadcrumbs to be exact."
"GRRR.... I LEFT THOSE OILY THINGS OUTSIDE!!! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE WAITED FOR IT TO RAIN!!!" The defendant wails. His cries are met with furrowed brows and shaking heads.
Phoenix lifts his index finger and points it in the air triumphantly. "The only fingering you'll get... WILL BE IN PRISON!!"
Bart Tocks entire body convulses, his eyeballs repeatedly pop out of his head and snap back into their sockets, steam pouring out of his ears. Then his head explodes.
"Well looks like we've seen enough! I'm going to take a nap! Not guilty!" The judge jubilantly exclaims.
Gumshoe celebrates by throwing confetti in the air, and then is promptly escorted out of the premises. Maya is seen outside the courtroom eating a burger. Fatty.
Edgeworth slams his fists on the mahogany table with a thunderous BANG!.
"Im..impossible!!"
His head snaps toward phoenix, his eyes bloodshot, veins popping out of his temple. They lock eyes.
Then they take off their clothes and start making out in front of the judge.
-
The closest thing to ace attorney I can think of off the top of my head would be the Sam Raimi Spiderman movies. Campy, but with alot of heart.
Technically speaking, there's nothing to laud about. Other than the brilliant soundtrack, the art is average, the puzzles vary in quality, and there are massive plotholes.
But what it lacks in quality of its individual elements, it makes up for in said heart.
It's hard to describe, but this game oozes passion and style from every orifice. The creators of this game, from the writers to the localisers clearly have put in so much care into this story, producing something so utterly charming. This game expertly whisks you away in it's ridiculous yet fleshed out world full of perjury and lovable characters.
It's so easy to become engrossed in each mystery, each puzzle ranging from bafflingly simple to a complex mental rube Goldberg machine of a million moving parts that somehow all click together and make sense in the end. But this range is what keeps you guessing, and what makes it so fun.
And that's not to mention, taking each individual element on it's own is doing this game a disservice. This game, this trilogy as a whole needs to be evaluated as one single continuous story. Despite the noticably weaker second entry, each game heavily references the events of previous entries. Elements from the first and second game become retroactively improved once the final game is completed, and yet the final game wouldn't feel as gratifying and memorable without having played the first two.
The soundtrack is probably the best part of the game. The fragrance of dark coffee in particular was my favourite.
In ace attorney, throughout each case, you're fed these passive tunes during the investigations, calming soft music that mirror the scenario that the characters are in. As the case speeds up in pace, so does the ost. You enter the courtroom, and you're assaulted with tense tunes that keep you on the edge of your seat. Then, at the very climax, the moment that hours of gameplay has led up to.
The pursuit theme plays.
And there's this release. Release of all the tension and excitement that's been building up the entire time, and your ears are blessed with the best fucking music in video games.
The greatest compliment I can give ace attorney is that if I played this ten years ago I would have become insufferable and would base my entire personality off of Edgeworth. And playing it now, it fills me with this sense of whimsy that reminds me of when I played Pokémon when I was a kid. A strange sense of nostalgia that I guess comes with games made during the early 2000s.
This trilogy goes on sale on steam pretty frequently together with TGAAC, so I highly reccomend buying it when theyre bundled.
Wright hadn't seen a case much like this one. He had only a day to prepare for the defense of one Caul Pable, who was seen covered in the victims blood at the crime scene. The victim, Catt Phish, was brutalised in a fast food joint, all of his digits severed. A truly morbid sight.
Phoenix enters the courtroom with a baby dressed in traditional American kimono-spirit-medium garb, nothing in his court record but an (updated) autopsy report and three fish sticks.
Nick approaches the stand, with Edgeworth at the table opposite.
"You're not going to win this time, wright." Edgeworth grins. " Your pathetic attempts at defending this paltry man will only lead to your inevitable defeat."
His glare glides towards the accused, Caul Pable. Caul shivers.
Phoenix brushes off the prosecutors taunts, and the judge promptly orders the first witness to the stand.
The witness, bart tocks, grins from ear to ear.
"You see, all I did on Friday, the day of the murder, was fry some seafood sir, I'm not guilty by any me-"
"OBJECTION!!"
his shout is loud, reverberating throughout the courtroom.
"You see, Mr Bart... That's where you're wrong... You actually ARE guilty because, referring to this autopsy report, the murder didn't happen on Friday... IT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY!!!"
the crowd gasps, and the judge's mouth is agape.
The gavel strikes the table three times. "Wow this is looking really bad for you dude" the bearded man exclaims.
Bart breaks out in cold sweat, and starts break dancing nervously in the courtroom.
"B-but you don't have any evidence!! How could I have killed the man, I was frying fish!" Tocks stammers.
"OBJECTION!!"
"Wh-what?"
"You see Bart... You may have been deep frying... But you have also been... DEEP LYING!! May I present to the court... THESE FISH STICKS!!"
Phoenix tosses the fish in the air, and the day old golden brown snacks land on the table, its oily surface spreading grease on the autopsy report.
Miles grins, a dimple appearing on his cheek. With his palms to the sky, he shrugs and shakes his head. "Phoenix, my nemo-sis... you're making a mockery of this courtroom providing such fishy evidence. You better explain yourself- or you're fin-ished."
Phoenix chuckles.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, may I present to you the evidence of this man's guilt."
Phoenix peels open the fish sticks, revealing... the victims severed thumb.
"Looks like we found it. The fingers... Or should I say... Phish's fingers."
Edgeworth, taken aback, stumbles, reeling from shock. He grabs his chair to regain his bearings. As he sees phoenix grin at him, his grip tightens, turning his palms white.
"You see, the crumbs that led to me finding this out were all laid out by this witness... who was actually concealing evidence in these very same breadcrumbs... Panko breadcrumbs to be exact."
"GRRR.... I LEFT THOSE OILY THINGS OUTSIDE!!! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE WAITED FOR IT TO RAIN!!!" The defendant wails. His cries are met with furrowed brows and shaking heads.
Phoenix lifts his index finger and points it in the air triumphantly. "The only fingering you'll get... WILL BE IN PRISON!!"
Bart Tocks entire body convulses, his eyeballs repeatedly pop out of his head and snap back into their sockets, steam pouring out of his ears. Then his head explodes.
"Well looks like we've seen enough! I'm going to take a nap! Not guilty!" The judge jubilantly exclaims.
Gumshoe celebrates by throwing confetti in the air, and then is promptly escorted out of the premises. Maya is seen outside the courtroom eating a burger. Fatty.
Edgeworth slams his fists on the mahogany table with a thunderous BANG!.
"Im..impossible!!"
His head snaps toward phoenix, his eyes bloodshot, veins popping out of his temple. They lock eyes.
Then they take off their clothes and start making out in front of the judge.
-
The closest thing to ace attorney I can think of off the top of my head would be the Sam Raimi Spiderman movies. Campy, but with alot of heart.
Technically speaking, there's nothing to laud about. Other than the brilliant soundtrack, the art is average, the puzzles vary in quality, and there are massive plotholes.
But what it lacks in quality of its individual elements, it makes up for in said heart.
It's hard to describe, but this game oozes passion and style from every orifice. The creators of this game, from the writers to the localisers clearly have put in so much care into this story, producing something so utterly charming. This game expertly whisks you away in it's ridiculous yet fleshed out world full of perjury and lovable characters.
It's so easy to become engrossed in each mystery, each puzzle ranging from bafflingly simple to a complex mental rube Goldberg machine of a million moving parts that somehow all click together and make sense in the end. But this range is what keeps you guessing, and what makes it so fun.
And that's not to mention, taking each individual element on it's own is doing this game a disservice. This game, this trilogy as a whole needs to be evaluated as one single continuous story. Despite the noticably weaker second entry, each game heavily references the events of previous entries. Elements from the first and second game become retroactively improved once the final game is completed, and yet the final game wouldn't feel as gratifying and memorable without having played the first two.
The soundtrack is probably the best part of the game. The fragrance of dark coffee in particular was my favourite.
In ace attorney, throughout each case, you're fed these passive tunes during the investigations, calming soft music that mirror the scenario that the characters are in. As the case speeds up in pace, so does the ost. You enter the courtroom, and you're assaulted with tense tunes that keep you on the edge of your seat. Then, at the very climax, the moment that hours of gameplay has led up to.
The pursuit theme plays.
And there's this release. Release of all the tension and excitement that's been building up the entire time, and your ears are blessed with the best fucking music in video games.
The greatest compliment I can give ace attorney is that if I played this ten years ago I would have become insufferable and would base my entire personality off of Edgeworth. And playing it now, it fills me with this sense of whimsy that reminds me of when I played Pokémon when I was a kid. A strange sense of nostalgia that I guess comes with games made during the early 2000s.
This trilogy goes on sale on steam pretty frequently together with TGAAC, so I highly reccomend buying it when theyre bundled.
The average course correction goes something like this:
"Oh you're here!"
Gregson greets the up and coming lawyer, Ryonosuke, his transgender Japanese assistant, a german ace detective, and said detective's adopted doctor-daughter-mother-roommate-child.
"This is the most horrifying murder I've ever seen in my entire life... The victim, poor guy... he was smashed over the head with a blunt object and then pummelled until he approached this sorry state..."
Gregson points toward a bloody mush at the corner of the room. Brains and guts are splattered all over the floor.
"I've never been more disgusted in my entire life."
Gregson follows up this statement by stuffing his face with 30 servings of fried fish.
The 12 year old is still at the crime scene for some reason.
A suspicious figure is seen being interrogated.
"Ah, that's Call Preete, feel free to question him" the officer says.
Herlock takes one glance at the man, and turns around to speak to naruhodo
"We got our guy"
"What? How?"
"Elementary, my dear naruhodo. You see, the man right before you VERY CLEARLY commited a dastardly crime!"
Call Preete jolts, and beads of sweat form on his forehead.
"The crime being... THAT OF POOR TASTE IN LITERATURE!!!"
Mr Preete's expression of fear is quickly replaced by confusion.
"As you can see... The evidence of this is CLEARLY SHOWN on THIS VERY TABLE!!"
Herlock points to a mahogany desk, covered in important documents that seem relevant to the case.
Call pulls his mustache, and it snaps back onto his face, the recoil of which throws him backwards, sending his body careening through multiple brick walls.
Herlock approaches the table, and knocks everything off it. Underneath the clearly useless resources, a magazine.
"As you can see, this table has a CRAPPY MAGAZINE on it. One that RIVALS the publication that my adventures are shown in!"
Herlock chuckles confidently, and Susato's eyes sparkle.
"You've done it again Mr Sholmes!" She exclaims.
Her head snaps toward the accused.
"That's a big fucking deal buster. Grounds for the DEATH penalty."
Naruhodo shakes his head, and prepares to correct the injudicious himbo.
"You see Herlock, you missed out on this key detail."
Naruhodo walks toward Call, and stares intently at his hands. They're completely covered in blood.
Ryonosyke spins around, and his gaze travels towards the unrecognisable fleshy mush of mincemeat in the room.
"Using my powers of observation.... I think this guy might have touched the victim..."
He then approaches the aforementioned wooden desk.
The young lawyer turns 15° to the left of what Herlock was originally looking at, revealing a giant 700 page book covered in blood that just prior was not visible at all from any other angle. The book is also covered in Call's fingerprints, with his name and signature on a receipt sticking out of it.
Ryonnosuke chortles.
"Looks like we caught this guy... read handed...."
Herlock starts violently flailing his arms everywhere.
"Ah yes. I actually thought this the WHOLE TIME. Thank you naruhodo."
Sholmes and Ryonnosuke then start dancing on the crime scene. A job well done.
Call Preete shivers and starts bawling.
"I-I DIDNT DO IT I PROMISE!!!"
"Ok I believe you" Naruhodo replies.
"Oh ok thanks"
Van zieks is also there, and is seen screaming
"I FUCKING HATE JAPANESE PEOPLE!!!!" At the top of his lungs in a drunken stupor.
He smashes a bottle of wine on a nearby Chinese man's head, instantly killing him.
--
Everything I liked about the original trilogy is here in spades. The iconic ost, insane breakdowns, and an interconnected story that seamlessly weaves together the overarching mystery of the two games. And though some of the characters are slightly less iconic than the original, it makes up for it with strong writing and thoroughly engaging mysteries that kept me engrossed in the story throughout it's 70 hour runtime.
I have been listening to "the great turnabout" for months after I completed this game. I have never had more fun playing a visual novel than in the final case of resolve.
"Oh you're here!"
Gregson greets the up and coming lawyer, Ryonosuke, his transgender Japanese assistant, a german ace detective, and said detective's adopted doctor-daughter-mother-roommate-child.
"This is the most horrifying murder I've ever seen in my entire life... The victim, poor guy... he was smashed over the head with a blunt object and then pummelled until he approached this sorry state..."
Gregson points toward a bloody mush at the corner of the room. Brains and guts are splattered all over the floor.
"I've never been more disgusted in my entire life."
Gregson follows up this statement by stuffing his face with 30 servings of fried fish.
The 12 year old is still at the crime scene for some reason.
A suspicious figure is seen being interrogated.
"Ah, that's Call Preete, feel free to question him" the officer says.
Herlock takes one glance at the man, and turns around to speak to naruhodo
"We got our guy"
"What? How?"
"Elementary, my dear naruhodo. You see, the man right before you VERY CLEARLY commited a dastardly crime!"
Call Preete jolts, and beads of sweat form on his forehead.
"The crime being... THAT OF POOR TASTE IN LITERATURE!!!"
Mr Preete's expression of fear is quickly replaced by confusion.
"As you can see... The evidence of this is CLEARLY SHOWN on THIS VERY TABLE!!"
Herlock points to a mahogany desk, covered in important documents that seem relevant to the case.
Call pulls his mustache, and it snaps back onto his face, the recoil of which throws him backwards, sending his body careening through multiple brick walls.
Herlock approaches the table, and knocks everything off it. Underneath the clearly useless resources, a magazine.
"As you can see, this table has a CRAPPY MAGAZINE on it. One that RIVALS the publication that my adventures are shown in!"
Herlock chuckles confidently, and Susato's eyes sparkle.
"You've done it again Mr Sholmes!" She exclaims.
Her head snaps toward the accused.
"That's a big fucking deal buster. Grounds for the DEATH penalty."
Naruhodo shakes his head, and prepares to correct the injudicious himbo.
"You see Herlock, you missed out on this key detail."
Naruhodo walks toward Call, and stares intently at his hands. They're completely covered in blood.
Ryonosyke spins around, and his gaze travels towards the unrecognisable fleshy mush of mincemeat in the room.
"Using my powers of observation.... I think this guy might have touched the victim..."
He then approaches the aforementioned wooden desk.
The young lawyer turns 15° to the left of what Herlock was originally looking at, revealing a giant 700 page book covered in blood that just prior was not visible at all from any other angle. The book is also covered in Call's fingerprints, with his name and signature on a receipt sticking out of it.
Ryonnosuke chortles.
"Looks like we caught this guy... read handed...."
Herlock starts violently flailing his arms everywhere.
"Ah yes. I actually thought this the WHOLE TIME. Thank you naruhodo."
Sholmes and Ryonnosuke then start dancing on the crime scene. A job well done.
Call Preete shivers and starts bawling.
"I-I DIDNT DO IT I PROMISE!!!"
"Ok I believe you" Naruhodo replies.
"Oh ok thanks"
Van zieks is also there, and is seen screaming
"I FUCKING HATE JAPANESE PEOPLE!!!!" At the top of his lungs in a drunken stupor.
He smashes a bottle of wine on a nearby Chinese man's head, instantly killing him.
--
Everything I liked about the original trilogy is here in spades. The iconic ost, insane breakdowns, and an interconnected story that seamlessly weaves together the overarching mystery of the two games. And though some of the characters are slightly less iconic than the original, it makes up for it with strong writing and thoroughly engaging mysteries that kept me engrossed in the story throughout it's 70 hour runtime.
I have been listening to "the great turnabout" for months after I completed this game. I have never had more fun playing a visual novel than in the final case of resolve.
Citizen Sleeper
2022
We all have to get to know ourselves, Sleeper. To know what it is that drives us. I'm sure you'll decide to act in the manner you know. But you also have to ask yourself why it is so. Don't neglect that.
If you take one thing away from this review let it be this: If you enjoy connecting with a wonderfully diverse set of characters, learning how their experiences shaped them to be who they are and what motivates them to keep going as the world deals them a bad hand, then I can not recommend this to you enough.
As with many games I've tried through Game Pass, I knew very little about Citizen Sleeper. A couple hours in I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it. The gameplay loop was odd, the writing felt a bit verbose, I couldn't exactly keep track of what was happening in the world.
But I stuck with it because it was just giving this vibe, something that was keeping me drawn into this world, and as I kept playing, I became more and more appreciative of everything the game had to offer.
Most of the credit for keeping me entranced probably goes to the music and sound design, which is certainly one of the most immersive I've ever experienced. I would feel a sort of whiplash whenever I took my headphones off to take a break, and be genuinely stunned at the silence of my own room and the sudden realisation that all I was doing was staring at a screen. The ambience here is just mwah.
Eventually I really started to get into the gameplay loop, and at times where it was appropriate, I enjoyed the occasional strategy of trying to finish the routes for characters I was most interested in, but also trying to survive, it was engaging and satisfying! Not to mention the little details describing all the tasks you carry out, which helped those tasks feel just a bit more immersive.
As I mentioned before, the writing could feel a bit verbose for my tastes and sometimes I couldn't tell what exactly was going on, this actually persisted throughout the playthrough to some degree, I didn't fully get it all, and maybe that's due to my own literacy, I don't know.
What I do know is that despite all this, every conversation felt so deeply personal and every character was so different and brimming with individuality. When it needed to, the writing and the music would perfectly synchronise with the impact of surviving and carrying out tasks for so long, to beautifully craft moments that would move me emotionally. It didn't matter in the slightest that I wasn't fully grasping everything, I felt for everyone, for their past, for their present, and their future.
That is why I love Citizen Sleeper, and that to me is games as an art form.
(Also, Citizen Sleeper is a banger title, knocked it out of the park with that one.)
If you take one thing away from this review let it be this: If you enjoy connecting with a wonderfully diverse set of characters, learning how their experiences shaped them to be who they are and what motivates them to keep going as the world deals them a bad hand, then I can not recommend this to you enough.
As with many games I've tried through Game Pass, I knew very little about Citizen Sleeper. A couple hours in I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it. The gameplay loop was odd, the writing felt a bit verbose, I couldn't exactly keep track of what was happening in the world.
But I stuck with it because it was just giving this vibe, something that was keeping me drawn into this world, and as I kept playing, I became more and more appreciative of everything the game had to offer.
Most of the credit for keeping me entranced probably goes to the music and sound design, which is certainly one of the most immersive I've ever experienced. I would feel a sort of whiplash whenever I took my headphones off to take a break, and be genuinely stunned at the silence of my own room and the sudden realisation that all I was doing was staring at a screen. The ambience here is just mwah.
Eventually I really started to get into the gameplay loop, and at times where it was appropriate, I enjoyed the occasional strategy of trying to finish the routes for characters I was most interested in, but also trying to survive, it was engaging and satisfying! Not to mention the little details describing all the tasks you carry out, which helped those tasks feel just a bit more immersive.
As I mentioned before, the writing could feel a bit verbose for my tastes and sometimes I couldn't tell what exactly was going on, this actually persisted throughout the playthrough to some degree, I didn't fully get it all, and maybe that's due to my own literacy, I don't know.
What I do know is that despite all this, every conversation felt so deeply personal and every character was so different and brimming with individuality. When it needed to, the writing and the music would perfectly synchronise with the impact of surviving and carrying out tasks for so long, to beautifully craft moments that would move me emotionally. It didn't matter in the slightest that I wasn't fully grasping everything, I felt for everyone, for their past, for their present, and their future.
That is why I love Citizen Sleeper, and that to me is games as an art form.
(Also, Citizen Sleeper is a banger title, knocked it out of the park with that one.)
Class of '09
2021
Certainly the anti-visual novel it claims to be. The 2000s aesthetic is great, stereotypes are cranked up to 100 in a good way, love the voice acting. Altogether it makes some uniquely absurd and satirical characterisation. Generally quite funny and occasionally hilarious, but the humour won't be for everyone.
Yeah it's edgy, and can appear to be talking about certain topics in ways that it really shouldn't. But I don't think it's a big issue. Everything is described in such an "in your face" and absurd way that it's obviously poking fun at such things and I don't sense any ill will from it. I respect the creator for taking such a bold approach, that could very well be misunderstood.
I was a little discomforted at the constant pedophile jokes. I get what they're going for but like, why did the (can't believe I'm writing this) "racism route", which I found to be the funniest, only get like 2 endings whereas there's like, 6 paths involving fiascos with pedophiles? It just felt a tad obsessive. Still these routes usually had something interesting to offer.
I really want to know more about the development process for Class of '09. Who made it, how and why was it conceptualised, but there doesn't seem to be much information easily available on the internet. I'm not sure if there is some sort of running moral trying to be conveyed throughout despite all the (enjoyable) garbage that this game is. Pretty girls have it hard too, or something.
I don't know. Don't be like Nicole, Nicole is a sociopath. But at the same time, be like Nicole, Nicole is a bad bitch.
Edit: Shoutout to this review by Femmy which I think put some things into perspective for me and answered some thoughts I had.
Yeah it's edgy, and can appear to be talking about certain topics in ways that it really shouldn't. But I don't think it's a big issue. Everything is described in such an "in your face" and absurd way that it's obviously poking fun at such things and I don't sense any ill will from it. I respect the creator for taking such a bold approach, that could very well be misunderstood.
I was a little discomforted at the constant pedophile jokes. I get what they're going for but like, why did the (can't believe I'm writing this) "racism route", which I found to be the funniest, only get like 2 endings whereas there's like, 6 paths involving fiascos with pedophiles? It just felt a tad obsessive. Still these routes usually had something interesting to offer.
I really want to know more about the development process for Class of '09. Who made it, how and why was it conceptualised, but there doesn't seem to be much information easily available on the internet. I'm not sure if there is some sort of running moral trying to be conveyed throughout despite all the (enjoyable) garbage that this game is. Pretty girls have it hard too, or something.
I don't know. Don't be like Nicole, Nicole is a sociopath. But at the same time, be like Nicole, Nicole is a bad bitch.
Edit: Shoutout to this review by Femmy which I think put some things into perspective for me and answered some thoughts I had.
So we put on our bravest face and promise to meet again--whether it comes true or not--and we go back to our lives and keep on going
After 200+ hours over 6 months I have finally completed the Trails in the Sky trilogy. In this review I'll talk about the trilogy as a whole, and will have a section about the 3rd game specifically, without any story spoilers. If you want to read my more spoilery thoughts on the games, check out my list ranking the games.
Yeah... man. Where do I start? What is trails most known for? The world. The world of trails is the most lively and intimately crafted setting I think I've personally seen in a video game. I like to consider myself a thorough explorer in games, but I've probably only seen about half of all the dialogue that the games have to offer. No matter how small your progression may be, every single corner that's accessible always has something new to see, whether it's people reacting to events, or simply living their lives, showing a snippet of a personal story. The most mind-blowing part is how some of these insights can be relevant to someone completely different, very far away, a long long time from now. It really is an extensive dynamic system that makes the environments and NPCs feel as real as they ever could and is, to me, the biggest sign of the developers' passion for the universe they've created.
Of course this theme doesn't stop at just NPCs, there are countless links between the games main plots that are clearly planned and intentional and so well thought out that's extremely commendable. There's nothing quite like getting planned payoffs from a something multiple games ago. No AAA studio would ever have the balls to try something like this today, obviously because it's not sustainable, but in 2004 Falcom was able to take a risk and it has clearly paid off very well for them resulting in the franchise still keeping on today.
My next favourite thing is the cast of characters OH MY GOODNESS I can not believe the amount of S-Tier characters that have popped out here. It's way too many to name, but I suppose Estelle is the star of the show, being such a fantastic protagonist, whose experiences so naturally shape who she becomes that you get the pleasure of seeing every step of the way. If you want to get the most out of the characters interactions with each other, and are playing on PC, PLEASE USE THE VOICE MOD (yes they are official japanese voices, just ported from a future version of the game that I've heard is otherwise inferior), they make the interactions 10x more memorable, funny, epic, whatever. Even the smallest conversations are a joy to listen to, amazing job from the cast.
The combat is very fun, I haven't played too many turn based games, but there's alot going on here that I enjoy that added more strategy compared to others that I have played. Be it the movement system, s-breaks and orbment system. A really fun way to make builds that reflect the characters' fighting styles and personalities.
The music from all three entries is awesome, a great mix of jazz, rock, and classical from many great composers that are extremely replayable. Oddly enough alot of the tracks didn't resonate with me when I first heard them, but as I heard them more and more they have become addictive and timeless.
There is a lot of talk about Trails being a slow burn, or the first game being setup, and the 2nd game is where things really happen. This is true to an extent, but my experience did not reflect that of others. For the most part, I found all parts to be equally enjoyable for all the different things that they offered, whether that's learning about the world through the protagonists in FC, pushing the narrative forward to crazy places in SC, seeing my favourite characters have epic or endearing moments, or having fun with the combat in 3rd, I truly have very very few issues and think of this as a borderline perfect trilogy of games with plenty to offer by my own standards. I am genuinely very sad to know that the journey with these characters has come to an end.
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
This entry in particular was a fantastic conclusion that shakes up the formula. Yes the story is not told as naturally as other entries, so I can understand thinking it might feel "lazy". But given everything that has happened, I believe it to be the best way to really give all the characters their chance to be fully realised, the best way to set up plot points for future games, the best way to tie up Liberl in a nice bow, all the while providing a more typical dungeon crawling experience with the most balanced and rewarding version of the games' combat yet. I was recommended to play 3rd on hard mode for this very reason and I'm very glad I did as it gave me multiple engaging challenges.
The main plot didn't make me feel things the way the previous games did, but I think this is down to my expectations based on those games. It was still a very good story overall that touches on a difficult theme, I really appreciate the different, more personal approach. The side doors were amazing, so many fantastic moments in them that have me feeling satisfied with everyone's development, and looking forward to what's to come in the Crossbell arc.
After 200+ hours over 6 months I have finally completed the Trails in the Sky trilogy. In this review I'll talk about the trilogy as a whole, and will have a section about the 3rd game specifically, without any story spoilers. If you want to read my more spoilery thoughts on the games, check out my list ranking the games.
Yeah... man. Where do I start? What is trails most known for? The world. The world of trails is the most lively and intimately crafted setting I think I've personally seen in a video game. I like to consider myself a thorough explorer in games, but I've probably only seen about half of all the dialogue that the games have to offer. No matter how small your progression may be, every single corner that's accessible always has something new to see, whether it's people reacting to events, or simply living their lives, showing a snippet of a personal story. The most mind-blowing part is how some of these insights can be relevant to someone completely different, very far away, a long long time from now. It really is an extensive dynamic system that makes the environments and NPCs feel as real as they ever could and is, to me, the biggest sign of the developers' passion for the universe they've created.
Of course this theme doesn't stop at just NPCs, there are countless links between the games main plots that are clearly planned and intentional and so well thought out that's extremely commendable. There's nothing quite like getting planned payoffs from a something multiple games ago. No AAA studio would ever have the balls to try something like this today, obviously because it's not sustainable, but in 2004 Falcom was able to take a risk and it has clearly paid off very well for them resulting in the franchise still keeping on today.
My next favourite thing is the cast of characters OH MY GOODNESS I can not believe the amount of S-Tier characters that have popped out here. It's way too many to name, but I suppose Estelle is the star of the show, being such a fantastic protagonist, whose experiences so naturally shape who she becomes that you get the pleasure of seeing every step of the way. If you want to get the most out of the characters interactions with each other, and are playing on PC, PLEASE USE THE VOICE MOD (yes they are official japanese voices, just ported from a future version of the game that I've heard is otherwise inferior), they make the interactions 10x more memorable, funny, epic, whatever. Even the smallest conversations are a joy to listen to, amazing job from the cast.
The combat is very fun, I haven't played too many turn based games, but there's alot going on here that I enjoy that added more strategy compared to others that I have played. Be it the movement system, s-breaks and orbment system. A really fun way to make builds that reflect the characters' fighting styles and personalities.
The music from all three entries is awesome, a great mix of jazz, rock, and classical from many great composers that are extremely replayable. Oddly enough alot of the tracks didn't resonate with me when I first heard them, but as I heard them more and more they have become addictive and timeless.
There is a lot of talk about Trails being a slow burn, or the first game being setup, and the 2nd game is where things really happen. This is true to an extent, but my experience did not reflect that of others. For the most part, I found all parts to be equally enjoyable for all the different things that they offered, whether that's learning about the world through the protagonists in FC, pushing the narrative forward to crazy places in SC, seeing my favourite characters have epic or endearing moments, or having fun with the combat in 3rd, I truly have very very few issues and think of this as a borderline perfect trilogy of games with plenty to offer by my own standards. I am genuinely very sad to know that the journey with these characters has come to an end.
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
This entry in particular was a fantastic conclusion that shakes up the formula. Yes the story is not told as naturally as other entries, so I can understand thinking it might feel "lazy". But given everything that has happened, I believe it to be the best way to really give all the characters their chance to be fully realised, the best way to set up plot points for future games, the best way to tie up Liberl in a nice bow, all the while providing a more typical dungeon crawling experience with the most balanced and rewarding version of the games' combat yet. I was recommended to play 3rd on hard mode for this very reason and I'm very glad I did as it gave me multiple engaging challenges.
The main plot didn't make me feel things the way the previous games did, but I think this is down to my expectations based on those games. It was still a very good story overall that touches on a difficult theme, I really appreciate the different, more personal approach. The side doors were amazing, so many fantastic moments in them that have me feeling satisfied with everyone's development, and looking forward to what's to come in the Crossbell arc.
