This is a beautiful Adventure that takes place in the sky. The controls take a little getting used to, but once you do, they're fine, and what the game asks of you isn't super demanding. You're mostly exploring flying islands and their ruins, solving puzzles, and reading the lore of this fallen world. The environments are stunning; very colorful, and unlike a lot of games that take place in the sky (Skyward Sword and Bioshock Infinite come to mind), it's visually interesting, and there's a lot of variety. The character models have that super low-poly look, and I'm not a fan of that at all, but it didn't totally bother me here. The mythology is beautifully written, too, though I'm not sure how much of it is borrowed. The music is mostly mystical and atmospheric, but when you're flying, it takes on this kind of cornball hipster vibe that doesn't fit the game at all. If you like these kinds of explore-'em-ups, it's definitely worth checking out, but it's pretty short, so maybe pick it up on sale.
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first. The story is just as wild and out there, if not moreso, and it was one hell of a ride; I loved it. The problem is the actual puzzles; some are easy enough, but some are really obtuse. There are some that just don't make any kind of sense because you have to hop onto the proper train of moon logic, while others are just explained very poorly.
Not sure how to classify this game, but you play as what looks like the center of a jellyfish. You move around mostly round objects in order to progress. It's very simple at its core, but new mechanics are constantly being added to keep things fresh throughout this short journey. One of the major mechanics, as the title suggests (it's French for wave) is that you can trigger sound waves to ride to the next point. For the most part, everything is very intuitive, but every once in a while, I was left wondering what I was even supposed to do. Of course, the real star of the show would be the visuals, and they are absolutely stunning. If you've ever seen the Yellow Submarine movie, the artstyle is different, but it's a similar experience, floating through abstract landscapes that are vaguely-to-moderately ocean-themed. Also similarly, it's very trippy, and the vast majority of the experience is both mesmerizing and meditative. It's short, so it's best played in one sitting. If you love art and bright colors, I can't recommend this enough.
A Boy and His Blob is one of my all-time favorite games for NES, with its big, imaginative worlds to explore, and oddball puzzles and mechanics. This takes that and breaks it into individual stages that are laid out more like obstacle courses. Jellybeans are now infinite, but you only have certain flavors for each stage, so the puzzles are a bit more deliberate, and there's no inventory management to worry about. Here, the worlds are different, ant not quite as visually interesting, but still well made. The basic mechanics are solid, and the different blob forms are fun to play around with, though there are a few mechanical frustrations with some of them. Some of the later stages are very long compared to the others, and can be a bit of a slog. You do also have boss fights, and while some are frustrating, and most require some trial and error, they're not insurmountable. The whole game has a very charming feel to it, as well. The hand-drawn characters are cute, and the blob's forms and animations are also very cute, if sometimes goofy. There's even a button to give him a hug; it serves no purpose, but definitely adds to the charm. The music is orchestral, and while it's nothing you'll be jamming out to as you cruise down the highway, it all fits well enough, and it does have the main theme from the original game. Not much story, not that you need it, but it's all told in short cutscenes with no actual dialogue, so it's something you can enjoy regardless of age or language barrier.
This is up there with Yume Nikki as one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen; the screenshots really don't do it justice. The character designs are all lovely and charming, with their own unique look that isn't part of the usual anime/gritty/pixel trinity that just about everything else adopts. The real star of the show, though, would be the environments; there is such incredible detail to them that your eyes could get lost for days. The palettes, the line work, the art direction; it all comes together to create a world unlike any other. The gameplay isn't going to really blow your mind, but it's solid; combat has timed elements, but nothing super complicated. There is a time shifting mechanic that seems super complicated at the beginning, but you don't really have to do much with it if you don't want. Some of the characters can be a little gimmicky, but they all have escape hatches, so to speak, so they can be used like normal if you prefer. Dungeons have some light puzzles; nothing brain-melting, but enough to be engaging. It can be a little oldschool - not too many free heals, and items are expensive in the beginning - but after the early-game difficulty spike flattens, it doesn't require much grinding. The story and characters are mostly charming, even if Willhelm is unnecessarily a jerk most of the time. Crisbell is warm and caring, but also surprisingly mature, which keeps her from becoming sickeningly sweet. Most of the other characters have interesting growth to them, too, though all manner of journeys of self-discovery. The story takes some interesting turns, and doesn't treat its characters like complete idiots that have to have everything spelled out for them, which is refreshing. The tone has brief moments of inconsistency, but not enough to make it an incoherent mess. Highly recommended to Paper Mario fans and art lovers alike.
This Point-and-Click Adventure isn't the kind that will keep you stumped for days, but that's not a bad thing in my book. Where it really shines is the writing; it starts off pretty intense with the player character having a demon exorcised from him/her, along with flashbacks to their origin story, which you can choose to some extent. From there, you choose your team for each paranormal case that you investigate within the city; each character has their own talents, and who you choose determines how some of the puzzles are solved. Some of the characters resonated with me more than others, but even the ones that didn't got into situations that REALLY knew how to twist that knife; the stories were compelling, rather than just killing off characters for cheap shock value, like a lot of "emotional" stories like to fall back on. Wadjet Eye nails it once again.
I'm not opposed to the idea of WRPGs, but one thing that usually pushes me away is lousy combat; it's typically, clunky, obtuse, and doesn't feel good at all. This has fast, fluid combat that resembles a scaled-back Devil May Cry or God of War. I don't know why this kind of thing isn't more common, but hey, we have it here, and it's spectacular. On top of that, your classes may be the usual brick, skulker, and spell-slinger, but the game's pretty loose with them; you can easily combine, plate mail with a staff and longbow, or whatever else floats your boat. Skills are pretty easy to mix and match, too, and the only thing resembling a formal class is something you can switch any time in the menu that just gives some great stat bonuses. It's very playful in its approach, and encourages you to experiment, because it isn't back-breakingly difficult; it just wants you to have fun. The writing starts off pretty badly, cramming so much lore down your throat you feel like your lungs are going to burst, and none of it is really explained at all. It's the usual fantasy sludge you've seen a million times, but you don't know who or what any of these things are. Once you get past that, it gets pretty philosophical, and not all is as it seems, but in an interesting way, not the usual, "HEY LOOK HOW TWISTY OUR PLOT IS YOU'RE SO SURPRISED RIGHT!?" Since experience is pretty generous, you're also free to explore these story arcs or not, according to your interest; I skipped out on at least three entire factions, and I easily hit the level cap by the end. I found myself really liking some of the characters, too. It's a much longer game than I usually want to play, but it kept me engaged throughout the whole thing... though maybe get the basic version, because I was not a fan of the Fatesworn expansion.
I know what you're thinking just looking at this, and yes, it is reminiscent of Zelda, but it goes in directions that Nintendo should've figured out ages ago, so it is no cheap imitation. The combat is solid, and while I don't want to spoil anything, the inventory contains at least one item you've wanted in a 2D Zelda since the early '90s. There aren't a ton of items that you need to solve puzzles, but the game is much more focused on exploration. In fact, for most of the game, there are several different places you can explore, which may or may not relate to the main quest. The structure isn't so rigid, either; you don't have big, important dungeons that exist just to keep you from the next plot point, and the bosses aren't such a big deal, either, so it all feels very natural. That does put this a bit on the easier side, but if that really bothers you, there are several NPCs that give you hints as to where you can find Hard Mode. The bells and whistles are pretty good, too, starting with the writing. Tilia is a fun protagonist that's always willing to help, whether or not that means cracking a few skulls. She's no frail mage, but she also isn't one of those female protagonists that's CONSTANTLY reminding you how tough she is; she strikes a very good balance. Pretty decent humor is sprinkled throughout the adventure, too, and there are some great characters to meet along the way. Visually, you can see from the screenshots that the world is very pretty, and you'll wind up in some intriguing places. The music does a great job of fitting the areas where it plays, even if it isn't something I'd listen to out of context. If you like what Zelda has to offer, or even if you want to, but you've found it lacking, this comes highly recommended.
I didn't like the first movie, and I didn't watch any of the others, but this was still surprisingly fun. You now have hidden objects that you use a compass to find, but other than that, it's just your standard LEGO goodness. The characters and abilities were fun, and the puzzles were interesting. It didn't really have obnoxious minigames or timed bonus levels or anything, either, so it wasn't bad to complete. The only thing I didn't really like was not having a menu to buy characters.
This Point-and-Click Adventure is gorgeous, especially in the first area, and while the musical element seems intimidating at first, you really don't need to be smart at music to play it. It is on the shorter side, and the puzzles are fairly easy, for the most part, but I don't think that's really a problem. Its only real flaw is that the story is a little all over the place, and it just... ends. This is why you don't plan for a game to be a trilogy ahead of time.
