I've been playing the Senran Kagura games for a few years now and this was the first game that I ever played in the series. This is a classic example of the "came for the b**bs and stayed for the gameplay" scenario. I did indeed stay for the gameplay, because it's good old hack & slash action (similar to Dynasty Warriors) where you can perform combos that chain and add special techniques for super damage. You can choose between four different shinobi schools and play as all of the five characters of each respective schools. There are some other additional characters to play as too as you unlock all the different stages of the missions. There are different modes to explore and a lot of goodies to unlock. My favourite characters to play as are Asuka, Homura, Hikage, Katsuragi and Imu. I feel like they cater to my close combat play style preference, but they're all different and unique too. If you like anime graphics and visual novel elements and catchy music, then you might like this. It might contain a lot of jiggly ecchi stuff, but if you've played for example "Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed" then this will provide similar humour and fun.
I'm gonna get straight to the point. I'll get the con out of the way first. The reason why I can't give this game a higher rating is simply due to its length. The entire time I was playing this I was immersed in the story and visuals. Then it ended. The pros are that while this game is very short, it does everything well. The puzzles weren't too easy or too hard. The music was very mood-setting and relaxing. The entire game was relaxing and I didn't want it to end. I enjoyed the painting elements and all interactions. The visuals are very Studio Ghibli-like. I just wanted more. It's the same way I feel about a game like Coffee Talk. In the end, Behind the Frame is worth playing and experiencing the story, but if length is an issue for you, perhaps get it when it's on sale for $5.
There are a lot of bad reviews for this game and it makes me wonder if I'm the only one that actually likes this game. That might also mean I have bad taste, but we can all agree that Earthbound and Chrono Trigger are great games, right? Don't get your hopes up. This game is neither. I'll start off with the bad. The battle system uses mini games to execute attacks or defend against attacks and it can be very frustrating or annoying, because of how low the damage output is. It's like it doesn't even matter how much you've leveled up, because you continue to hit low double digits and the enemy/enemies have massive HP bars. Some enemies will take more damage than others, but the fact that your party just doesn't seem to see leaps in damage from level 1 to level 15 is baffling. This is even after placing points for each attribute in the mind dungeon, which is supposedly how you're supposed to get stronger... I guess? Maybe I haven't played the game enough to experience massive improvement in damage or there are some hidden weapons that actually boost damage. Oh, and Alex, the main character, is a hipster jerk. The other main characters are cool though. Now, onto the good. The soundtrack is marvelous. It's quirky just like Earthbound and when you have both Toby Fox and Garoad on the same soundtrack, you just can't go wrong. It's dreamy, catchy and surreal. The gameplay other than the aforementioned battle system is pretty good. I enjoy interacting with characters and logging onto the computer to access the forums. That netscape navigator interface is nostalgic. Speaking of nostalgia, since this game takes place in the late 90's, there's an arcade and VHS store =). I also enjoy exploring the different towns and doing side quests. The story isn't the best, but I found it interesting enough with its eerie creepypasta vibe and supernatural mystery. In the end, there are worse games out there. If you're the picky or reluctant type, get this when it's $10.
