wavebeem
2015
Cute art, fun tunes, but frustrating gameplay. Someone mashed up an old school adventure game with a platformer/lite Metroidvania game.
The combat is janky and annoying, though easy. The game gives you checkpoints in every room, but does not restore health if you die.
The real problem is that you have to collect items and combine them and constantly backtrack. It's exhausting and tedious. I looked up a guide for a bit but eventually got bored.
The combat is janky and annoying, though easy. The game gives you checkpoints in every room, but does not restore health if you die.
The real problem is that you have to collect items and combine them and constantly backtrack. It's exhausting and tedious. I looked up a guide for a bit but eventually got bored.
2011
Every single character is obnoxious. The writing is cliche. The characters all felt like silly tropes. Just another high school harem VN. I mistakenly thought this was a thriller game, but I guess that's later in the trilogy. I made it like 5 hours and I can't deal with it any more.
2021
I really wanted to love this game. I first played a demo at Portland Retro Gaming Expo a few years back. It's by a local studio whose past work I enjoy. But this didn't do it for me.
I have to start with: OMG the pixel art is incredible, the art direction and execution is beyond gorgeous, this is one of my favorite looking games on Switch.
Unfortunately, the gameplay and pacing were too much for me.
The game takes what feels like an eternity to get going. I wonder if they were worried people wouldn't understand the game. Because they could've made the game easier to understand by putting more information in the menus. Instead, you're forced to remember what NPCs say, and go back to your house to check a bulletin board in order to remember what quests you have. Then you have to cross-reference those quests with a map, which doesn't mark the locations. So you have to read all the location names on hover to figure out where to go.
To be fair, I think these might have been optional quests? I'm still not 100% sure what the point of those are.
The main story quests were kinda similar, but at least were listed in the menu screen.
The combat is bewilderingly like Dark Souls. I expected "Harvest Moon meets Zelda" but it's more like a clunkier 2D Dark Souls. Damn near every action consumes gobs of stamina. You can run, roll, swing your sword, and block. It all feels strangely slow and lumbering for a little 2D grape. Also, if you die (surprisingly easy since you have little HP, and your potions take time to drink), you get sent back home and lose a percentage of your money, and the day advances to the next one. To make matters worse, sleeping does not refill your potions (did I mention that potions work basically exactly like estus flasks in Dark Souls? Slow and lumbering, and don't heal much).
I did the first dungeon, which is apparently randomized. It was literally completely linear, and I did it 3 times before I beat the boss. The puzzles were... fine. I can't help but wonder why they thought a game that looks like Harvest Moon + Zelda should play like Dark Souls meets roguelite.
Also, the daily bonus quests are randomized, but from a small pool. I quickly found myself doing the same bonus quests multiple times, and still not being sure what the point of doing them was besides a bit of money I didn't have much use for.
I made it to the 2nd town, which was a cute beach area. The level up system is unique, but not especially balanced. There were very obvious best picks. I'll give them credit that re-spec'ing is 100% free, unlike most games.
Ultimately, the NPCs had pages of dialog I wasn't in the mood for, and the gameplay loop was slow and uninteresting to me.
I really wanted to like this game! At least the frog and the grape are cute.
I have to start with: OMG the pixel art is incredible, the art direction and execution is beyond gorgeous, this is one of my favorite looking games on Switch.
Unfortunately, the gameplay and pacing were too much for me.
The game takes what feels like an eternity to get going. I wonder if they were worried people wouldn't understand the game. Because they could've made the game easier to understand by putting more information in the menus. Instead, you're forced to remember what NPCs say, and go back to your house to check a bulletin board in order to remember what quests you have. Then you have to cross-reference those quests with a map, which doesn't mark the locations. So you have to read all the location names on hover to figure out where to go.
To be fair, I think these might have been optional quests? I'm still not 100% sure what the point of those are.
The main story quests were kinda similar, but at least were listed in the menu screen.
The combat is bewilderingly like Dark Souls. I expected "Harvest Moon meets Zelda" but it's more like a clunkier 2D Dark Souls. Damn near every action consumes gobs of stamina. You can run, roll, swing your sword, and block. It all feels strangely slow and lumbering for a little 2D grape. Also, if you die (surprisingly easy since you have little HP, and your potions take time to drink), you get sent back home and lose a percentage of your money, and the day advances to the next one. To make matters worse, sleeping does not refill your potions (did I mention that potions work basically exactly like estus flasks in Dark Souls? Slow and lumbering, and don't heal much).
I did the first dungeon, which is apparently randomized. It was literally completely linear, and I did it 3 times before I beat the boss. The puzzles were... fine. I can't help but wonder why they thought a game that looks like Harvest Moon + Zelda should play like Dark Souls meets roguelite.
Also, the daily bonus quests are randomized, but from a small pool. I quickly found myself doing the same bonus quests multiple times, and still not being sure what the point of doing them was besides a bit of money I didn't have much use for.
I made it to the 2nd town, which was a cute beach area. The level up system is unique, but not especially balanced. There were very obvious best picks. I'll give them credit that re-spec'ing is 100% free, unlike most games.
Ultimately, the NPCs had pages of dialog I wasn't in the mood for, and the gameplay loop was slow and uninteresting to me.
I really wanted to like this game! At least the frog and the grape are cute.
2021
The concept is very interesting, but the puzzle execution wasn't to my liking.
I'm no stranger to puzzle platformers where one hit is instant death, but I couldn't actually get into a lot of the puzzles in this game. By the second world I was already frustrated and annoyed by some of the tighter timing required.
You can turn the entire game speed down, but it's no fun to play in slow motion. You can give yourself more hit points, but that didn't feel right either.
The first boss fight was shockingly hard. There are checkpoints in the fight, but it still follows OHKO rules, and the boss has some of the fastest and most punishing bullet patterns I've ever had to dodge. This felt completely out of place in a puzzle platformer to me.
The aesthetic is cute, and I like the gameplay concept, but the execution of its levels left me wanting something.
I'm no stranger to puzzle platformers where one hit is instant death, but I couldn't actually get into a lot of the puzzles in this game. By the second world I was already frustrated and annoyed by some of the tighter timing required.
You can turn the entire game speed down, but it's no fun to play in slow motion. You can give yourself more hit points, but that didn't feel right either.
The first boss fight was shockingly hard. There are checkpoints in the fight, but it still follows OHKO rules, and the boss has some of the fastest and most punishing bullet patterns I've ever had to dodge. This felt completely out of place in a puzzle platformer to me.
The aesthetic is cute, and I like the gameplay concept, but the execution of its levels left me wanting something.
2021
A short and sweet Metroidvania! Gorgeous art and lovely tunes.
Fun level design, cheeky writing, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Combat is fast, fluid, and easy. The focus of this game is exploration and collecting.
As with most Metroidvanias, there's some point where I got lost and looked things up... sadly the game doesn't seem very popular, so I had to just watch a Lets Play on YouTube to get thru it.
Fun level design, cheeky writing, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Combat is fast, fluid, and easy. The focus of this game is exploration and collecting.
As with most Metroidvanias, there's some point where I got lost and looked things up... sadly the game doesn't seem very popular, so I had to just watch a Lets Play on YouTube to get thru it.
Cute, cheeky, and fun. Lovely music. Great NES-style art. Plays like tower defense crossed with musou.
I think it would be more fun in co-op, especially because it's quite tough, but it's perfectly serviceable solo. Has online play too.
I think it would be more fun in co-op, especially because it's quite tough, but it's perfectly serviceable solo. Has online play too.
It's like a short indie Mario Odyssey.
Good music and lovely art. This game has a lot going in the "vibes" department.
The controls are a bit sluggish, and it's easy to forget what you should be doing at any point.
It's not a bad game by any stretch, but it could use some polish.
Good music and lovely art. This game has a lot going in the "vibes" department.
The controls are a bit sluggish, and it's easy to forget what you should be doing at any point.
It's not a bad game by any stretch, but it could use some polish.
I love the vibe of this game. Great art direction, wild music, bizarre and absurd levels.
My main gripes are the automatic camera angle is way too low for platforming (and manual is tedious), and the controls feel a bit floaty. I found myself struggling to land/walk exactly where I meant.
This game is short and sweet. At its price point, there's no reason not to pick it up for a couple hours of fun.
My main gripes are the automatic camera angle is way too low for platforming (and manual is tedious), and the controls feel a bit floaty. I found myself struggling to land/walk exactly where I meant.
This game is short and sweet. At its price point, there's no reason not to pick it up for a couple hours of fun.
2018
Great music, nice art, good story. Gameplay is all over the place.
For me, the combat was way too inscrutable and fast paced. Enemies deal massive burst damage. Luckily the difficulty sliders let me mostly nullify the fear of death in combat, though it was frequently hard still due to many enemies having puzzle-like mechanics.
The dungeon puzzles were pretty cool, but often finicky. The game uses full 360 degree analog aiming, which means your pixel precision is very hard to attain. I really think the game should've limited you to 8 way aiming, at least.
The game plays with the silent protagonist trope in fun ways, and blurs the boundaries between real life and artificial reality in a very cool way. The portraits are very expressive and beautifully detailed.
If I hadn't enjoyed the artistic aspect of the game so much, I probably would not have finished it. A guide is an absolute must, as these puzzles can be pretty arcane at times.
If you like challenging video games, and want countless Zelda-ish puzzles meshed with hyper fast combat, this is your game. And if not, you still might enjoy it on the lowest difficulty settings if you bring a guide.
The ending is kind of abrupt and expects you to play the DLC. I wasn't into the game enough to buy that, but my friend told me it's mostly just tying up a few story loose ends, and can be skipped.
For me, the combat was way too inscrutable and fast paced. Enemies deal massive burst damage. Luckily the difficulty sliders let me mostly nullify the fear of death in combat, though it was frequently hard still due to many enemies having puzzle-like mechanics.
The dungeon puzzles were pretty cool, but often finicky. The game uses full 360 degree analog aiming, which means your pixel precision is very hard to attain. I really think the game should've limited you to 8 way aiming, at least.
The game plays with the silent protagonist trope in fun ways, and blurs the boundaries between real life and artificial reality in a very cool way. The portraits are very expressive and beautifully detailed.
If I hadn't enjoyed the artistic aspect of the game so much, I probably would not have finished it. A guide is an absolute must, as these puzzles can be pretty arcane at times.
If you like challenging video games, and want countless Zelda-ish puzzles meshed with hyper fast combat, this is your game. And if not, you still might enjoy it on the lowest difficulty settings if you bring a guide.
The ending is kind of abrupt and expects you to play the DLC. I wasn't into the game enough to buy that, but my friend told me it's mostly just tying up a few story loose ends, and can be skipped.
2019
Charming but frustrating. The idea of this game is better than its execution. I would love to be a Ghostbusters Luigi, and the co-op is great in theory.
The game design and controls feel like relics of the GameCube era. Discovering how to damage many bosses and mini-bosses is an exercise in patience and experimentation that rarely feels rewarding.
The act of pointing Luigi at a target to shoot/blow/suck/grab is nothing short of torture. I understand the desire to keep the camera perspective as-is to retain that dollhouse graphical vibe, but they need to modernize controls atop that somehow. Maybe you could overlay a reticule on-screen and have Luigi automatically aim at it? I don't know.
The graphics and art direction are great, sound design is fantastic too.
But ultimately the combat is too hit-or-miss, and exploration feels nearly meaningless since the only things you can buy with money are more lives (the game isn't too hard, especially in co-op) or hints for... more meaningless items to gather?
Sometimes cracking the puzzles was fun, but other times you were left wondering why you should both.
The game design and controls feel like relics of the GameCube era. Discovering how to damage many bosses and mini-bosses is an exercise in patience and experimentation that rarely feels rewarding.
The act of pointing Luigi at a target to shoot/blow/suck/grab is nothing short of torture. I understand the desire to keep the camera perspective as-is to retain that dollhouse graphical vibe, but they need to modernize controls atop that somehow. Maybe you could overlay a reticule on-screen and have Luigi automatically aim at it? I don't know.
The graphics and art direction are great, sound design is fantastic too.
But ultimately the combat is too hit-or-miss, and exploration feels nearly meaningless since the only things you can buy with money are more lives (the game isn't too hard, especially in co-op) or hints for... more meaningless items to gather?
Sometimes cracking the puzzles was fun, but other times you were left wondering why you should both.
2019
Amazing art. Great music. Tight gameplay. Blends bullet hell and Metroidvania flawlessly.
It's quite hard, and the final boss was just a bit too much for me. But I really liked getting better at the bosses in this game.
The non-boss areas design is a lot less interesting, but this game gets massive points for everything else.
It's quite hard, and the final boss was just a bit too much for me. But I really liked getting better at the bosses in this game.
The non-boss areas design is a lot less interesting, but this game gets massive points for everything else.
2019
What if a JRPG was made by fighting game devs?
Really fun to play, though the balance is a bit punishing for folks without perfect reflexes, near the end of the game.
Also incorporates Metroidvania exploration.
Cool story, great art.
Really fun to play, though the balance is a bit punishing for folks without perfect reflexes, near the end of the game.
Also incorporates Metroidvania exploration.
Cool story, great art.
2019
This game is part of the reason I came out as non-binary.
Setsu and Raqio are my enby heroes.
Amazing music and art. Tight "Werewolf" gameplay.
My only complaint is that it's a bit unclear how to get the true ending, which caused the game to drag on for almost 10 hours more than I think it should have.
Setsu and Raqio are my enby heroes.
Amazing music and art. Tight "Werewolf" gameplay.
My only complaint is that it's a bit unclear how to get the true ending, which caused the game to drag on for almost 10 hours more than I think it should have.
2009
I cried so much playing this game.
Once you get past the slice-of-life opening bits, it opens up into a weird sci-fi thriller.
Time travel, WW3, death of loved ones. The stakes are very high.
CAVEATS: There is a character who is probably trans, and the game does not handle them very well. The main character is attracted to them, but rejects this due to homophobia. Said character also has their genitals groped by the main character in one scene.
Once you get past the slice-of-life opening bits, it opens up into a weird sci-fi thriller.
Time travel, WW3, death of loved ones. The stakes are very high.
CAVEATS: There is a character who is probably trans, and the game does not handle them very well. The main character is attracted to them, but rejects this due to homophobia. Said character also has their genitals groped by the main character in one scene.
2014
Fantastic, hilarious pick-up-and-play 1v1 party game