This DLC broke the game in several ways... It noticably made the game run incredibly worse than usual! Normally, I could run the settings on max at the highest resolution - but this DLC area? I had to set everything abysmally low to get it to stop jitterbugging. Gameplay-wise, there were several enemies who were getting stuck in corners and edges rather than adapting to new landscapes. I honestly quit playing when I got gunned down - even though I was mid-air on a pulley out of sight. It's not worth tolerating. Maybe your experience will be better - but I am so disappointed.
The Sexy Brutale is a stunning game - visually. There are three glaring issues, however - and each one tears away at the spectacle. The load times. The Sexy Brutale has you constantly running around the impeccable mansion - and the contant buffering and stuttering of the loading system breaks the wonder of racing against time. There will be long periods of black screens and a surprising amount of areas in the mansion in which the game will stop in order to load. This issue also bogs down many of the game's puzzles. Speaking of... The puzzles. They are unbelievably simple! Although fun at first, the middle onwards will leave you following a routine in order to find the solution. And once a simple solution is found, you will spend an uncomfortable amount of time shifting through load times and following guests in order to properly execute that solution. Unlike most Adventure / Puzzle titles, none of the solutions are whimsical. It really is a let-down. The plot. Everything happens at the end - everything. And it unwraps so hastily that it loses much of its appeal. The Sexy Brutale's lack of storytelling early on causes the plot to fall flat on its face. You cannot gain feels for a character with ten dialogue boxes. Also, there are no real oppurtunities to learn about the guests' lives in a single playthrough - and although that may be interesting, it would require one to stomach more loading times. Part of what made The Sexy Brutale such a let-down for me is that I played a fantastic Groundhog Day-alike puzzle game that also involved saving characters from their deaths: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Ghost Trick did everything right - and its a shame that The Sexy Brutale did not follow suit. Therefore, if you are interested or have already played The Sexy Brutale, please check out Ghost Trick! Literally no one knows about it - and it is an amazing puzzle game. *Played via Origin Access and completed in 5 hours.
I was immediately in love with Cuphead's throwback animation style. It appears to be effortlessly sleek while maintaining an excitement that perfectly matches the intensity of the gameplay. My experiences with titles such as Contra or Metal Sllug taught me that boss fights were... well... aggravatingly generic. This caused me to be entirely hesitant towards purchasing Cuphead - and it has done a superb job of creating intensely varied and lovable boss battles. Although few, the run'n'gun levels are totally excellent! Each one is wonderfully lengthy and contains a plethora of enemies and even mini-bosses. I love horizontal space shooters - and the fact that Cuphead implements them so seamlessly? Excellent. Their fights are lengthy and filled with Bullet Hell-esque dodging. As per the dificulty for which the internet raves about... What dificulty? Cuphead is a well-made game - so much so that any of the intense trials thrown at the player can be solved with simple deduction. Use your noggin to outsmart your enemy - don't expect to miracously win by utilizing the same tactics. It's not about the 'get gud', it's about learning.
TLDR; Amazing Dungeon RPG with minimal fan-service, an intriguing plot and fantastic mechanics! Mary Skelter: Nightmares is a First Person Dungeon RPG with Turn-Based Combat... and a realtime thrill! The plot is wonderfully dark! Enter the Jail: a violent construct packed to the gills with 'Merchans' - various creatures hellbent on Alice and Jack's demise. Team up with a group of survivors known as Dawn to investigate not only the labyrinth that has imprisoned them... but also to discover the truth behind the Blood Maidens. Merchans act as the game's random encounters. Walk around or hit an event and a turn-based battle will ensue. However, those who have played Etrian Odyssee will face an innovative take on the FOE: 'Nightmares'. The dungeon will go dark and on higher dificulties, you will lose access to your hope. These powerful beings cannot be initially killed - so remember your footing and backtrack through the blood-stained walls of Mary Skelter! Also, Nightmares do not move on your turn as an FOE would. They instead move in realtime - so run! The dungeons in Mary Skelter look stunning! Their designs remind me of Persona Q - however, Mary Skelter's dungeons are much more animated. There is also a bleed mechanic in combat that can literally paint the map Dangonronpa-bloody pink - that glows in the dark and be used to navigate the dungeon when a Nightmare closes in. Mary Skelter also hosts a nice variety of character customization. Each party member has access to a variety of jobs (and a new portrait corrosponding to that job!). There are a plethora of skills and adjustments that can be applied to every character - which is absolutely wonderful and truly encourages variety through your formation. I absolutely adore the Nightmare mechanic, and I am in love with how anxious and excited it makes me! Mary Skelter truly makes exploration dangerously fun!
