A kinetic visual novel and the followup to fault milestone one, that continues Selphine, Rune and Ritona's journey back home as they visit another town. More about the world is also shown with some focus given to the other members of their home nation, though the focus is still mainly on our heroines. Like its predecessor you can expect (mostly) fun interactions between characters, engaging if at times questionable writing and an interesting fantasy world delivered with nice art and music. The main villain does feel comically overpowered and this arc does end too soon and on a strange note, but otherwise I recommend it and its predecessor if you like fantasy visual novels, though it seems like it might not be certain if there will be another followup with how long it's been.
A visual novel that follows the love story of the only two people left on a dying world. You do flashback to before that was the case to get to know more about them and the world though. It is actually pretty touching and interesting, though it also has a tendency to embrace melodrama and rely on contrivance. The leading male is some sort of questionably young military veteran and it can be hard to tell with the game's writing whether it's trying to romanticize the military lifestyle and mindset or paint it in a more realistic light, but that is more like set dressing anyway, and the lead does end up acting more like the usual harem protagonist uninterested in all the hot women that want him in any case. The art, voice acting and music are all well done and make this pleasant to experience. It was enjoyable to read overall and I recommend it to anyone looking for a romance VN.
A visual novel/simple JRPG that has you enter the shoes of a woman who is revived by a devil and has to pay off the monetary debt that she took on as a result. Despite the grim sounding premise it is laid back, saccharine and pretty wholesome too in spite of how physically blessed the characters are. You can visit a number of locations and interact with different characters, being mindful of the time travelling to each location takes. A decent chunk of your time will be spent in the dungeon, exploring floors and earning money to pay off your debt in turn based battles. The dungeon slowly introduces puzzles to solve to progress in it and of course throws stronger enemies at you as you progress. The puzzles can be interesting but the combat can get repetitive, and the areas all look the same, though it isn't too bad with the dungeon and the game's length. The game is full of fun interactions with its colorful cast and has nice art too, and is charming enough to make you forgive its writing shortcomings. If you like visual novels and cute girls doing cute(?) things I can recommend it.
A metroidvania that follows a schoolgirl spirited away to another world as she sets out to try and regain her memories. The Heroine's low HP, high damage from enemies, potentially devastating status effects and traps strewn about make it a perilous journey, so care must be taken as you explore. Most melee weapons have some windup time and an animation you can't cancel out of, and if you take damage you will be staggered out of your attack. Most enemies can also be staggered and interrupted, so proper timing and positioning is important for fighting effectively, it gives the combat a nice strategic flavour to it. You also have magic as an offensive option, and it ranges from the elemental projectiles you can expect to more exotic options. There are also interesting things going on with environmental interactions, mainly with how liquids on surfaces and bodies of water can be affected by elemental attacks, and the ability to spread liquids on surfaces. Taking advantage of these mechanics can give you an upper hand in combat, and they are also just fun to play with. All this and the buff-giving equipment and consumables can be combined to tremendous effect, which you just might need to stay alive with how frail you can be, heheh. Standard enemies can be dispatched quickly if you know how to deal with each, though can still be challenging. Unsurprisingly you do not want to let them swarm you. There is also a good deal of variety on display. The bosses are challenging and will need you to make good use of all the tools you have on hand, along with just plain old good reflexes to survive their onslaughts, and all have impressive designs (particularly if you like anime girl eye candy). Story seems like standard stuff, you will probably see the twist long before it hits, but it is still fun to witness especially with the game's weirdness. A lot of fun overall, I strongly recommend it if you like metroidvania.
On its own it is a fun third person stealth action game. Getting through every level with minimal kills and without alerting security is entirely feasible, entertaining to attempt and satisfying to pull off. Shooting your way through things is also an option and the gunplay is good enough that it can be very tempting prospect too. The elements carried on from predecessors such as the disguise based stealth system also help make your infiltration attempts more interesting. As a Hitman game however... it does feel very lacking. Only a few levels are dedicated to the kind of puzzle-like assassination you'd expect from previous games, and it still feels simplified even compared to them. Most levels play like a more typical stealth action game that just happens to have Hitman branding and some of its trappings. If a further evolution of what Blood Money brought is what you're after then you'll probably have to look elsewhere. A notable simplification is in the disguise system. As usual there's places each disguise should and shouldn't be, but now any NPC that doesn't match your disguise will never become suspicious of you (if you don't commit acts that would alert them) and any NPC with your disguise will become suspicious if they have line of sight for long enough. Unless you use the game's "Instinct" system to inexplicably prevent NPCs from being suspicious of your disguise. There is still skill in using it appropriately but it is weird. And then we have the plot... It's bad in short. Brought to the forefront unlike previous games, but also full of characters that feel like they don't fit in their roles, are offputting and act in ways that are idiotic and only justifiable as a way to make plot things happen. Also 47 is impressively bad at rescuing people. Overall, it is fun and I recommend it if you like stealth games, but not the best option if you want to experience Hitman or care deeply about story.
It's a direct follow-up to and the finale of the events started in the previous game so you'll definitely want to play that first. Like its predecessor it's a mostly light-hearted affair that can get pretty dark occasionally, and offers plenty of wholesome charm even where it does lack novelty. The setting also has an interesting spin on its technology and magic. The main cast are all likeable and enjoyable to watch and there's plenty of fun to be had interacting with the various side characters as they go about their lives and a few have their own little sub-plots. The stakes are higher in this game with a more imposing adversary, but that does mean the story gets a little weird whenever the cabal of villains needs to be threatening and the heroes need to overcome them eventually. Some more contrivances abound but it's ultimately an engaging experience with novel elements at times. In terms of combat, the turn-based grid battles make a return from its predecessor unchanged. Some new spells were added, a few new characters are usable in battle at certain points and each character has a new ultimate attack. On each turn you can choose between a regular attack, using magic, or using a skill. Regular attacks are free (if you can reach the enemy and the character isn't sealed) but also less effective. Magic is typically highly effective against all but the few things strongly resisting it, but needs more than one turn to cast and can be interrupted (and needs mana naturally). Skills are cast from a meter that fills when you take or do damage, but said meter is also tied to a character's ultimate attack, so you'll have to decide whether to save up for a big hit or if regular skills will suit you better. Add in a nice mix of 2D and 3D art and a lot of awesome music and you've got a highly enjoyable JRPG, strongly recommended to fans of the genre and a must play for anyone who liked the previous game.
An action RPG that sees you ascending the demon infested Darm tower and a prequel to the other Ys games. Elements of Ys I and II (maybe others I haven't played) are revisited so it can be neat to see Origin's take on those if you're familiar with them, but it is perfectly fine to start with Origin too. Unlike the other Ys games, while you do have character interactions and story sequences from time to time you don't have any cities to visit, townsfolk to interact with or sidequests to do, the game mostly being a linear progression through the tower with some deviations for extra upgrades, but there is still plenty of fun to be had. Getting to the next floor usually entails battling through enemies, hunting down items and occasionally doing some light platforming. Combat (with Yunica anyway) is fairly simple and melee focused, you have a standard combo attack and attack variants with special properties and up to three skills to earn as you progress. Each skill differs in the area it strikes and can help with movement, so knowing when to use them throughout combat is important. Upgrades and levels affect damage and defence but overall surviving depends more on your skill. Care must be taken when facing enemies, because the only source of healing is drops by enemies, a passive buff when standing still and going near save points (that you can at least teleport to), and dying will see you sent back to your last save with few exceptions. Enemies themselves will usually need you to keep alert to avoid their attacks and get enough damage in. As expected this is even more crucial for bosses, that each provide exciting challenges to overcome and can often be impressive visually. It's a great time overall and I strongly recommend it if you're a Ys fan or looking for an action focused RPG.
For both games, their combat system is interesting, mostly has you attack by running into enemies at an angle. Progression is pretty linear, not much in the way of side quests and side content outside of optional character interactions. Characters aren't deep and the plot is basic but it all still has a lot of charm to it. Nice pixel art all around and really awesome music (in 3 variants too!) that could still grow tiring from how often you hear it, the most often heard battle track usually. They're very classic RPG in that your only way to find out where to go is to talk to different characters for more information and hints, can feel rewarding if you're successful, frustrating if you're lost. You also have to make it through without a map and areas get increasingly complex and hard to navigate, but they aren't completely impenetrable at least. Even played together their runtime is pretty short for a JRPG, and it always feels like you're making rapid progress. Ys I has its flaws but Ys II makes definite improvements on the first game. In terms of bosses, they all feel like entertaining challenges, and the game also gives you additional tools to play with, such as offensive and utility magic. You can also at least use your equipped item during a boss fight but still can't change it. Regular enemies can now also perform an attack apart from just bumping into you, so there's something else to watch out for. You don't have a massive boost in power from each level and upgrade anymore but you do still feel like you're gaining power at a decent pace. The plot is more involved and there's a bit more to the character interactions, especially with the simple gifting system, and now talking to enemies is also possible after a certain point. It's basically improved on the first game in important ways and is even more enjoyable to play through. I recommend these if you're into older JRPGs overall.
A narrative driven third person shooter that tells of the story of author Alan Wake's bizarre adventure in a cosy American town. The plot is interesting enough but the distinctive way the story is presented does a lot to enhance its intrigue. It also still looks pretty good for its age. The dark presence thing is a cool concept for a villain and means the game has plenty of reason to put its impressive visual theme of darkness contrasted by the light of Alan's flashlight on display. The combat involves using light sources to expose enemies that move in to attack you in close range and shooting them dead. Feels reminiscent of a zombie shooter like Dead Space or Resident Evil 4 even if not as refined as those (notably, enemies don't take more damage depending on where you shoot.) Enemies do show an impressive sense of self preservation (more variants would be nice though) and the shooting is satisfying, so combat is fun overall. Your arsenal isn't too flashy, you'll use Alan's trusty revolver the most, but it is a good weapon. Fun to watch and play, I strongly recommend it want a good story and action.
