life might be worth living, actually

things irl have been kind of miserable lately so I desperately needed to play a game that would make me feel something. of all things a pokemon isekai game for babies succeeded at this and it's mostly thanks to a bisexual grovyle. It's the single game I've played all year (other than mother 1, but I started that in 2023 and finished literally minutes after new year) that has actually invoked a reaction from me other than just nostalgia like all the mainline pokemon replays i've done. this was also a replay so despite knowing how things were going to turn out I still wound up being moved by it all

one of pmd's most appealing aspects is the world you're transported to. my enjoyment of and how much im able to resonate with mainline pokemon games fringes on its regions, but the world of pmd specifically just has a totally unmatched sense of belonging. you're immediately thrust into a welcoming, tightly-knit community of people with similar goals and the congregation of these people serves as the game's hub area for its entire runtime. all of these people, including you, has a purpose, and your presence leaves a positive impact on all of them - especially your partner. i think it's a rare example of a game actually conveying to the player that they are a part of the game world and that they as a person matter - that the world would be different without them. even minor npcs are given constantly changing dialogue thanks in part to the narrative's episodic structure - shoutouts to the toxic-yaoi wurmple-swellow duo.

spoilers for this paragraph: the latter portion of the game's narrative is what ties all of this in a neat bow for me. i've already harped on about how defying fate and saving the future is one of my favourite tropes in fiction in countless other reviews and it's no different here. there's just something so viscerally empowering about characters like grovyle or lucina or future trunks with the resolve to push on even in the most bleak of circumstances and to fight for a better tomorrow. pmd2 is one of the better examples of this given you get to experience that future firsthand and it's one of the few examples of showing the sacrifices that have to be made when messing with timelines. i hadn't actually played the grovyle postgame episode before now so that likely played a big part in the game still resonating with me despite this being a replay. that or it's because Arata Iiyoshi's compositions never fail to give me goosebumps. such an underappreciated composer, their only vgm works are seemingly for the pmd series as well as various beatmania and ddr games, and no one ever seems to bring them up by name.

probably my single gripe with pmd is that characters aside from your custom named protagonist and partner just use their normal pokemon names. no other pokemon game will make me care as much about a loudred or a wigglytuff or the other guild members but giving unique names to important story characters would've gone a long way i think. all the character personalities are so easily distinguishable already though so it's ultimately a minor complaint. doesn't stop this from being peak fiction. the gameplay is also just kinda ok but I enjoy it and tbh it's really not what you're playing this for lol










it's a monster house

7'scarlet shows its age as an Otomate release in both features and structure. It's missing what is now the standard (like a flowchart, affection-up indicators, and skip-to-choice), and the strange way later endings are unlocked and accessed certainly is an experience because of it. It's also really bad at foreshadowing; after playing Virche Evermore and seeing good examples of this, playing 7'scarlet a second time while knowing everything really has no particularly satisfying payoff.

I really like this game, though. It's partially horror and involves some instances of blood, violence and death, but it's one of the coziest games I own. The soundtrack and backgrounds are so comfortable and relaxing the majority of the time. I may not be completely sold on much of the romantic content, but I am sold on the protagonist — with a beautiful design and convincing big puppy dog eyes, I can imagine why these guys would fall for her. It was nice seeing her, Yua, Yuzuki, and Okunezato again!

Anyway, I'm glad this game ends after Yuzuki's endings and there's no secret route whatsoever❤️

Cupid Parasite is an absolutel WILD RIDE of an otome, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you love lots of laugh-out-loud moments in your otome games, then play this game. CupiPara also goes out of its way to cram in as many cheesy romance tropes as possible. Here is a list of just a few that can be found in the various routes of this story:

- Fake dating
- Soulmates
- Friends to lovers
- Forbidden love
- Secret identity

...And many more that I can't list without giving spoilers. CupiPara knows exactly what it is, and embraces its cheesiness fully. Huge recommend if you want a sweet and funny read.

Also, Ryuki is my favorite.

Disclaimer: I truly do adore this game, but there are some hiccups that can make it difficult to enjoy. That's why I'm starting with the negatives first.

This game's main story gets VERY convoluted/lore heavy near the end- one LI's story kind of collapsed under its own weight from all the 'plot twists.' There are points in the game where it feels like they're just adding unnecessary plot points for drama's sake.

There's an extremely annoying antagonist that shows up in every route, to the point where I groaned audibly every time he showed up on screen (iykyk).

There are... a LOT of flashbacks. I think somebody actually counted them all and it came out to like, 600. I love this game, but I can only handle watching the 'promise me one day you'll find your soulmate scene' so many times.

Finally (and this is my main beef with the game), there are SO MANY wonderfully written and well-developed NPCs... but they're faceless. They have no art. And that's a serious shame, because a lot of these NPCs have incredible scenes and influence the protagonist in truly beautiful ways, but we can't SEE them. (Fusou, you deserved better)

On to the positives!

The romance in this game is really, honestly, absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Every route felt like I was truly watching two soulmates find their way to one another. Though the overall plot tends to buckle under its own weight at times, the love stories themselves are flawlessly written, to the point where I was brought to tears at times.

The protagonist is great. Olympia starts out as insecure and naive, having been beaten down her entire life by grief and isolation, but she quickly grows into a compassionate, bright, headstrong heroine. I'm a huge proponent of voiced heroines in otome games, and it's a shame Olympia isn't voiced, because she's got some incredible moments. I'm also a huge fan of how she isn't a shrinking violet when it comes to romance. In several routes, she's just as forward as the men when it comes to expressing her love and desire.

The music is GREAT. Not much else I have to say there. Sometimes I'd stop playing just to listen to the music for a few minutes.

The art is truly gorgeous. From backdrops to portraits to CGs, every inch of the game is bursting with color, perfectly setting the stage that is Tenguu Island.

Finally, the voice acting. It's amazing. From tender love scenes, to steamy romance, to snappy back-and-forths, every voice actor gets a chance to shine. I can't think of a single character that doesn't have an incredible voice (besides Olympia, of course).

That's the end of my review! Doctor Kuroba, if you are free Thursday night then my number is