The features of canceling people, bullying them or even normalizing abstract and absurd behaviour hits home too hard. It does not trigger pleasant memories. Avoid at all costs.
Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is one of Falcom's modern attempts of reviving an old IP - namely that of the Xanadu series. Unlike the older titles, the emphasis on Anime and a bigger focus at JRPG is additionally emphasized by the location, too. If you played any of the Persona titles, you will find a plethora of similarities here, as the town begins to be the victim of supernatural occurences which only Kou and his group can solve. With the addition of the eX+ story, which is accessible after you beat the main story once, the plot thickens further and a lot of unanswered questions from the core game get answered as well. Falcom is known for its great world building - and you won't find any shortage of that in this game either. Each character, each NPC and each scenery changes as you progress through the story. Subplots emerge if you decide to talk with the locals and you actually feel like they are an organical part of the town and you get more and more immersed within it. The only detriment is the lack of freedom that the game gives you in terms of conversation. The gameplay, contrary to what has been said before, is overall solid and easy to understand. Some of the later characters get quite broken, but on higher difficulty levels, you will certainly feel like you are playing something among the lines of Ys Seven. The music is great and the overall length of the game can vary depending on the motivation of the player to immersive himself within the world and do sidequests. There are also a lot of fun minigames that the player can enjoy in the meantime, as well. Overall, the game shines thoroughly in terms of gameplay, audio and world building, but the lack of freedom as to the choice of dialogue and character interaction can hold off some fans of this genre. Additionally, the design and story itself caters a lot to fans of Anime and Japanese culture. If you can look past these, you will certainly be rewarded with entertaining hack and slash and a great setting!
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is a very "queer" game. Seldom was there a title that could either polarize or disappoint its audience.. This short review will contain minor spoilers, so read this at your own discretion. Frogwares initially showed with their teaser trailer what would succeed the superb Crimes & Punishments. You had all elements from the previous title, added with a beautiful scenery of the Victorian Era London and a promising plotline. Being one of the buyers that initially got it on Steam, I was at first pleasantly surprised: You get to play through 5 different cases, which, according to Frogwares and the game itself are all connected and will lead towards a shocking conclusion. Well? That's mostly wrong. The verdict you give in those cases will only affect one specific branch of dialogue with a specific character. Now to the main issue with this title: It feels half-baked - and not like a soft cookie half-baked. The first case is vast - it gives you options to find clues with the reliable dog Toby or gather intel via Holmes's Baker Street Irregular Wiggins. The game also features slight QTEs and sneaking segments. All is fine and dandy, until you get to play past the first case. What follows are cases that are halved in length and content. Also Toby and Wiggins? Never get to use them again. You will revisit a plethora of places again and each case just feels too short. One case is also from the Doyle canon, but you will be disappointed as you find out how short it is. What about the puzzles? They are satisfying, you get to choose between two settings and fans of earlier SH titles will find some enjoyment in DD. Some are actually pretty annoying, especially the last one. So what is the verdict? I would say that Sherlock Holmes fans might want to check it out, especially for that price. Fans of great stories might want to play the older titles, or just wait for Frogwaresto release Crimes & Punishments on GOG. Better luck next time!
