This is an isometric Action-Adventure with a great deal of potential. Combat is fairly simple; it's basically A Link to the Past, but with a dodge-roll and fewer gadgets. It has a little bite, but the challenge isn't super high overall. The visuals are neat; you may or may not like the character models, but the environments are cool, and unique enough. The story's really good with a lot of solid development and messages; I didn't like the main character at first, but she grew on me pretty quickly, and what she goes through is pretty gutsy for the writers. The music isn't what I'd call outstanding, but it's very pleasant, and adds a nice backdrop to your adventures. I would've loved to rate this higher, but it REALLY needs more time in the oven. Sound is nice, yes, but I had to crank it up to 60 just to hear it most of the time, because the master volume is too soft even at max. The bigger problem is how buggy the thing is. I can't even count the number of times I got softlocked because I clipped through something only to be unable to clip back, and since you often can't see your character behind the scenery, this will probably happen to you a lot, too. I had event triggers from the beginning of the game happen again and again, which wasn't game-breaking, but an area loading on top of me, causing me to be stuck underneath the walkway I'm supposed to be using definitely is. There was another part near the end where I'd go through a door, the area would load, and then I'd be unable to move; had to alt-F4 out of the game. This also happened if I'd upgrade all of my items; when there were no more upgrades left in the shop menu, I'd just get stuck. This game has been out almost a year, and none of this has been fixed. Oh, but look: they managed to put out some DLC! Fantastic... I can't recommend this in good faith unless this gets fixed, but if it does, it'll be a great game. If you decide to brave these wilds, SAVE OFTEN.
This Point-and-Click Adventure starts off alright, but it quickly wore on me. The main character is insufferable, most of the others are silly international stereotypes, and the mystery failed to hook me, so by the end, I was just going through the motions. The puzzles weren't bad, but there were a few easy-to-miss items that you needed later on, so figuring things out could be a problem for some of them. I did also run into a game-breaking bug halfway through, where I couldn't get the event to trigger, and had to start all over. There were some lovely backgrounds, but the characters looked like they were from King's Quest 7, which is a lovely artstyle, but it really clashes with the backgrounds, and some characters are oddly more detailed than others. Definitely not the worst Adventure I've played, but I didn't think it was great.
I played the SNES version (Mask of the Sun) quite a few years ago, and I remember almost nothing about it, aside from a cool dark forest village, some winged god guy, and that STUPID bump system. I don't think I'll have that problem with this remake, because it's very well done. This plays similarly to 7 and 8 (leaning more toward 8), with fast, fluid combat, and competent team members. Skills are learned and mastered quickly, so that's been fixed from 7. Challenge and pacing were also just right; the only real issue the gameplay had (and it's a fairly minor gripe) is that the bonus from perfect guarding and perfect dodging didn't have a time gauge, so it was difficult to tell when they were about to run out. The visuals were lovely, but this is from THAT era, so you'll probably want to turn the bloom all the way down; fortunately, there are tons of options to customize the game, so you can do exactly that with a little tweaking. As for the story, characters, and music, if you've played any of the Ys games before (particularly the newer ones), you know exactly what you're getting; if you haven't, the series puts action first and foremost, but still does well enough with the writing.
If you're here, you already likely know that this is basically Fallout: New Vegas, but in space, and that's not entirely inaccurate, just not as buggy, since Bethesda didn't touch this one. You've got your first-person melee and shooting combat, though instead of VATS, you've got a time dilation mechanic that I didn't use much, because it didn't seem that helpful; maybe I just didn't get the hang of it. Weapon options are fairly varied, and with mods, not only is there some great customization, but you also don't have to carry tons of junk around just because it might be useful for a mod someday, like in Fallout. Dialogue options are about what you'd expect, and skill checks are, too, though physical checks don't come up all that often. Combat's also about what you'd expect, and everything runs fairly smooth, but if you do get killed, you can get back into the action pretty quickly, which is a huge plus. The visual design is absolutely gorgeous; there are several different worlds you can visit, and they are not only diverse, but showcase both the beauty and horror of space. On one world, you'll be watching a sunset through blossoming trees with jaw-dropping Saturn-like rings as a backdrop, and on another, you'll be in a dark void of burning horror with some neon accents along the ground. Character and monster design is good, too; you've got some colorful creatures looking to eat your face! The story is interesting and told fairly well, with some pretty snarky humor to it. Likewise, your team members are a nice rogue's gallery, and they're all fun to spend time with; Parvati's easily my favorite. As for this version, I'd say it's the best buy; I've heard some nasty things about the Spacer's Choice Edition, and while the soundtrack was mostly atmospheric (and maybe you're into that sort of thing), both expansions were great, and tied into the main story pretty well.
This Platventure is pretty solid, especially if you like Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. You can equip 2 orbs, which simulate a weapon or spell, and there's a fair amount of variety to be found, even if most are just blunt or sharp, and you get only one for each elemental, which seems like a missed opportunity, but most games fall into this same trap. Each can level up on its own, so you can keep them relevant throughout the game, and still have the right elementals at your disposal; they level up fairly quickly, too, so you won't really need to grind. In fact, you won't need to grind for much of anything; movement is quick and fluid, and the game isn't super difficult overall. There are a few points where exploration really opens up, too, giving you a fair amount of freedom. The toppings of this sundae are pretty good, too. Visually, the game is stunning; the pixel art is fantastic, and character design is fairly unique. The environments are striking, too, in a dark sort of way. The soundtrack is overall very good; it's reminiscent of Castlevania, but that's not exactly a bad thing. The story was surprisingly good, too; usually time travel stories don't work very well, but this managed to tackle some interesting topics, and did a good job with most of them. If you're a fan of this kind of game, you'll probably find plenty to like, even if it isn't likely to blow your mind.
This Platformer creates a lovely, surreal, unnerving, inviting atmosphere, like only this team can. You'll explore all kinds of environments from the dreamlike to the more realistic but rarely discussed kinds of beauty, like snow under a sunset. Each area has its own little story, and they don't always add up to much or tie into the main narrative, but that's not a knock against it, because this isn't just a game or a story, but an experience, and all those strange little details become part of it. If you are of the belief that a game's value lies solely in its gameplay and/or its story, this one might not be for you. If you are of the belief that all of a story's elements have to be contrived in service to that story, this might not be for you. If you want something that goes beyond that, and maybe makes you question later whether or not any of it was even real, then this should be right up your alley. As for the gameplay, it's interesting, fairly unique, and won't leave you with blistered thumbs, but it wasn't ever supposed to. Typical Platformer stuff, but with a Mega-Man-X-style wall jump, a neat shield mechanic that can be pointed and locked in any direction, and a lifebar that's more about balance than keeping it full. If your lifebar goes more toward the dark side, your jump gets lower, but you move more quickly; if it goes more toward the light side, you slow down, but jump higher; hit either extreme, and you die. The more action-oriented segments have just the right amount of challenge for something like this; they've got a little bite, but won't have you biting your controller. It is also more puzzle-focused, and most of the puzzles work very well. This isn't going to be for everyone, but it's something most anyone can complete, and if you're looking for such an experience, I highly recommend it.
Make no mistake: this is the game ActRaiser Rennaissance wanted to be; you've got Platforming and you've got Simulation, but each one has evolved with many of the gameplay refinements made over the years. The Simulation bits are a mashup of Real-Time Strategy, a Twin-Stick Shooter, and a little splash of the original Actraiser. The Platformer sections are like a mix of Skyblazer and Mega Man X, and you get 3 different forms, each with its own moveset that develops over time. Along the way, you'll find items to collect and challenges to complete, and these help to make your character more powerful overall. Mix in some slammin' pixel art reminiscent of the 32-bit era. and a killer soundtrack, and you have the makings of a masterpiece. Unfortunately, I had to take a star off just for general frustration. The game can be absolutely brutal at times, and while a stiff challenge is good in a game like this, Smelter takes it too far in more than just a few sections. The challenge rooms are tough, as they should be, but some are just absurd, and while the controls are generally responsive, they are not NEARLY enough so to have an even reasonable time with some of these. Even some of the regular stages are just EVIL, throwing entirely too many elements at you at once. The Real-Time Strategy bits are either super easy or absolutely relentless; there's no real pattern to it. Surprisingly, though, the bosses are very reasonable; many of them are tough, but bosses are supposed to be challenging, and most killed me far fewer than the stages that preceded them. Overall, I do recommend this to fans of ActRaiser or 2D Platformers with a fair level of complexity to them, but do be warned that it's a rough road to victory.
This 2D Platformer takes all the best from the 16-bit era, and polishes it to quite a shine. Action is fast and fluid, and once you have all of the movement abilities, everything feels SO GOOD. The loot system is done pretty well, too, with 6 different melee weapon types and 5 different gun types, allowing for several different playstyles... even if gunchucks is the correct answer. The guns have limited ammo, which is replenished with each hit you land with a melee weapon. All of this put together with the excellent level and enemy design (bosses especially) means that your strategy will likely change throughout the adventure, keeping things fresh organically, almost like working your way through all the difficulty levels in a Devil May Cry game. The other elements, such as visual design, story, and music, are all solid, too, but the gameplay is what really sells it. If you miss good old-fashioned action titles, this is a great way to scratch that itch; think of it like Shovel Knight, but for the next generation of consoles.
This is a lovely... Life Sim(?) where you run a cat café. You can decorate the store, garden, and your bedroom above. You'll find all kinds of animals out in the wild, and as soon as you make friends with them, you can send them back to your café or have them follow you around; you can even do this in the menu from anywhere on the island, so if you need a specific animal, you don't have to go searching. You also meet the town's inhabitants and help them solve their problems to raise their affection. I would've liked to have a dating option, but I can't complain too much about it, since it's a fairly short game. What really wowed me was what drew me in in the first place: the visuals. It's a beautiful, surreal world of pastels and all kinds of wondrous things to discover. It isn't quite Broken Reality, but without going full vaporwave, this was a lovely way to do it. Even the character designs are very cute and colorful; lots of different types of people from all walks of life. The animals are great, too, and look good however you decide to decorate them. The game is fairly buggy, but it wasn't really that much of a problem for me. Yes, there are some clipping issues, and sometimes characters get stuck together, but it's a lot less buggy than, say, a 3D Fallout game; it isn't THAT broken. It's also a lot less demanding; the bugs aren't a huge deal if you don't have to worry about radioactive desert mutants eating your face like in Fallout. I didn't have the game crash, and I didn't get stuck anywhere, but even if you do, there's always a potion that warps you back home, and potions have infinite uses. For me, there were just a couple of laughs at some of the unintentional weirdness from glitches, but nothing game breaking. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a pretty world to visit for a little while.
I loved Fran Bow, and was expecting about the same with this Adventure, but this is SO much darker. That's fine, if you're into that sort of thing (I am), but consider yourself warned. There were tons of choices to make, but it wasn't something that'd lock you out of the right path if you didn't magically know what you were "supposed" to do ahead of time; I liked that I was free to just have fun with it. The voices, writing, and a lot of just plain odd things happening in the background gave this a surreal edge that made it so interesting to me. To say much more would spoil some of the best parts, since this is a very narrative-driven experience, so if what you see above interests you, give it a go!
