[Standard Warning: Erotic Game.] After trying and quitting three separate times, it's time to let this one go. I think what killed it for me is that the "good adult content" referenced here is entirely still images. What's more, the imagery is of a style that is... rougher and sloppier than I prefer. Not for nothing, the overall quality-- the non-lewd content, the dialogue, the characterization-- is clearly a cut above most of the rest of its "genre." That would be fine except it is still very much of its genre: the only way its simplistic gameplay survives criticism is with the lewd content serving as the centerpiece.
I've heard good things and would love to give it a try. But I'm beyond done with EULAs, especially on single-player games. Especially on GOG. To put it mildly, I wish terrible things upon the ones responsible.
I had a more nuanced review up, but the game has some non-trivial issues that really should be addressed, and so instead, I'm using my review as a PSA. 1. The "Polluted" Status: this is incredibly poorly explained. Avoid polluted water at all costs until you get a doctor and a Fabricator. Then, you need to builds homes that ONLY HOUSE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE. Then, finally, go to the upgrades page of the house and you should be able to figure it out from there. 2. The Mysterious Signal: DO NOT TAKE THE QUEST FOR A MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL. Once it it started, you might find yourself stuck because of requirements you do not meet and you may be incapable of getting. It shouldn't even be made available until all the requirements are met, but instead, I'm sending you this warning. 3. Beware of Architect Mode. The "pathfinding" logic for walkways is severely ****ed. At some point, you WILL find yourself unable to delete a/many walkway/s, even if connected to absolutely nothing. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on my layout, just to flush everything out of frustration.
More like a 3.5, but I'll err on the side of positivity. It's simultaneously simplistic and deeper than you might expect. And for those reading the 'most helpful' reviews from Early Access, rest assured the game is now finished-- though perhaps not as expansive as you might expect it to be-- for a given run, anyway. This is the kind of game you play and beat many times over, doing things differently each time. Much like other pachinko-style games, luck is a huge factor here, but there's much more room to be clever and come out ahead here, both within any given "match" and the various decisions you make in between them. If the gameplay clicks with you, you could easily spend dozens of relatively thought-free hours on this. (Almost certainly second-screening it, if we're being perfectly honest. And that's not a bad thing; it fulfills that role very well.)
[Spoiler Free Review] I've only just started but I can already tell this COMPLETELY ORIGINAL property (which is 100% legally distinct from any existing property in function and form) has an excellent base. Anyway... - The visuals are stylized as hell. The graphics are not just reminiscent of, but rooted in the early 2000's, right down to the blocky characters and cel-shading. - The music is decidedly "not mainstream" and it... certainly fits the aesthetic. I'll probably mute it pretty soon. - Despite being trick-heavy, the game is not especially technically-demanding. (At least on the 'medium' difficulty I chose.) Mis-timing a trick doesn't punish you with 10 seconds of waiting for your character to pick themself up. And actually, that seems like a good point to end on: Bottom Line: In general this game is all about serious fun and funk. The game doesn't bother much with the "punishment" aspect of game design. It doesn't waste your time either. If you mess up, just keep going or immediately try again. Every game library could use a lighthearted title like this in it.
Replayed it like six times on another platform. It's not without flaws, but it's beautifully animated, the progression is satisfying, the tech tree is varied enough to make each playthrough at least somewhat different, and you've got a few different endings as incentive to do those extra playthroughs. Overall, a solid "Metroidvania" I'd recommend to any fan of the genre. (Tangentially, on the genre name, some have suggested "Search-Action" but that's stupid; I would however be open to "Exploraction.")
I was cautiously optimistic about this one after playing the demo. Not sold on the idea, but it had potential. Well, when I finally got it off my backlog and started my first campaign, I got a fair way in and... got killed and thrown back to the beginning. And that just bummed me out. Turns out it wasn't so much a "campaign" as a "run." I've played many a roguelike. I'm not opposed to the mecahnic. Sometimes it lends itself very well to the overall gameplay structure. In this case, it feels like putting any thought or care into a given run would just be a waste of time. Maybe I'll give it another shot later and go into it with the right mindset.
There's a decent experience here. Plenty to do, plenty to see, plenty to build and upgrade. My main problem is the experience feels... directionless. Apart from running out the clock on my first year, I don't feel like it's building toward anything whatsoever. It feels like a game of sidequests, and not the deep, engaging sort. It's the sort where you get 50 gold and a checkmark on a list. Mind you, I'm well aware that's very much some people's bag. Minecraft wouldn't have sold a quadrillion copies otherwise. If that's you, bump the score up an extra star, because even with that caveat, it's still got some rough edges.
I can certainly see the appeal, and if you can get the hang of it, it's probably an excellent portable or second-screen title. Personally, I just found the controls so awkward and unintuitive that I bounced right off it, landed face first, and slid for several feet. I am now on a wait list for reconstructive surgery.
Leave that BS on Steam. On GOG, you sell us a product, we buy a product, end of transaction. No collecting our data, no "agreements" to surrender our legal rights. (If you promise not to screw us, we promise not to sue you. The way it's supposed to be.) Fix this and I'll be overjoyed to pay full price for one of my favorite games of all time. (Which, for those complaining, always included "cheating." Yes, it was infuriating at times, but later on, *you* get to do the "cheating," stunning your opponent for half-a-dozen turns at a time, casting spells that completely alter the board and potentially chaining together 'extra turns' off of multiple simultaneous 4+ matches while your opponent sits there and seethes.)
