DarkStar
144 Reviews liked by DarkStar
Lost in Random
2021
The combat was just okay, but it was the story, world, visuals, and characters that made the game shine.
Lost in Random
2021
This review contains spoilers
This game is a delight. It also makes me sort of sad, because it's SO close.
It has one of the most interesting worlds and stories I've seen in recent memory, the stylization is delightful, the ambience and music and character designs are all a pure joy.
I'm not someone who gets precious about realism in video games and I love some super crisp graphics, but it's so, so refreshing to see something that's a.) extremely stylized and b.) stylized in a way that's 'ugly' by design. The environments are genuinely lovely and play perfectly with the story. Each world feels distinct and unique despite being populated by the same handful of character models, and I didn't even mind the model reuse because they're all SO lovely to look at. And while the very end of the story does feel a bit like it comes out of nowhere, it still fits the established themes enough that I don't even really care. It has gorgeous, deeply poignant things to say about the nature of loss, how there's no real way to be truly safe in a world that's plagued by random chance, how even despite that we have to strive to find joy and love and closeness, and how attempts to force safety just limit connection and care. It has beautiful things to say about how even the kindest people can be turned into the worst versions of themselves by fear, and how, given a chance, those people can and will redeem themselves. It says, again and again, it's okay to be terrified or angry about how unfair it all is, but you have to keep going.
And the gameplay and general movement is just...not great. It's not HORRIBLE, it's just so SLOW. I kept thinking that if the combat and movement was snappier that this game would be perfect. It reminds me a bit of Alice: Madness Returns in that way; gorgeous aesthetic and design sensibilities and a lovely story let down by their often-boring movement. Which is especially frustrating because the combat here has SO much potential to be SO GOOD. The randomization element is SO fun in theory, it just, again, is hampered by the movement being slow as hell. None of the bossfights are standouts, though some of the minibosses bring interesting things to the table.
I know I'm not the first to make the Alice: Madness Returns reference, and they do have a lot in common aesthetically and, to a lesser extent, narratively. Broadly speaking, if you liked one you'll like the other. If I had to describe it, I'd say A:MA x Psychonauts x Lemony Snicket, which, again, should be the COOLEST THING EVER and it's so frustrating that it isn't.
Normally, my go-to rating for "this is a game I'm unlikely to play again due to its various flaws but that I still enjoyed for what it is" is 3 stars, but that just feels...not right here. Like I said, it comes SO CLOSE. It has SO MUCH potential to be one of my favourite games ever and I want to honor that. I'd love to see a sequel or a spiritual successor — a quick-moving 3D platformer in the style of Psychonauts 2 with this kind of aesthetic sensibilities and semi-randomized combat has so so soooo much potential.
Despite all my bitching, I still genuinely think it's a lovely game. It's unique, it's not another huge, generic game pumped out to appeal to the widest possible demographic, and it takes itself seriously without getting precious about it. At a certain point you've got to support the flawed-but-unique things, just so there's SOMETHING there that isn't another generic RPG.
Also, Death is there just for a deeply funny cameo and the narrator, who is just a disembodied voice, at one point is kidnapped which, like, that alone is 5 stars.
It has one of the most interesting worlds and stories I've seen in recent memory, the stylization is delightful, the ambience and music and character designs are all a pure joy.
I'm not someone who gets precious about realism in video games and I love some super crisp graphics, but it's so, so refreshing to see something that's a.) extremely stylized and b.) stylized in a way that's 'ugly' by design. The environments are genuinely lovely and play perfectly with the story. Each world feels distinct and unique despite being populated by the same handful of character models, and I didn't even mind the model reuse because they're all SO lovely to look at. And while the very end of the story does feel a bit like it comes out of nowhere, it still fits the established themes enough that I don't even really care. It has gorgeous, deeply poignant things to say about the nature of loss, how there's no real way to be truly safe in a world that's plagued by random chance, how even despite that we have to strive to find joy and love and closeness, and how attempts to force safety just limit connection and care. It has beautiful things to say about how even the kindest people can be turned into the worst versions of themselves by fear, and how, given a chance, those people can and will redeem themselves. It says, again and again, it's okay to be terrified or angry about how unfair it all is, but you have to keep going.
And the gameplay and general movement is just...not great. It's not HORRIBLE, it's just so SLOW. I kept thinking that if the combat and movement was snappier that this game would be perfect. It reminds me a bit of Alice: Madness Returns in that way; gorgeous aesthetic and design sensibilities and a lovely story let down by their often-boring movement. Which is especially frustrating because the combat here has SO much potential to be SO GOOD. The randomization element is SO fun in theory, it just, again, is hampered by the movement being slow as hell. None of the bossfights are standouts, though some of the minibosses bring interesting things to the table.
I know I'm not the first to make the Alice: Madness Returns reference, and they do have a lot in common aesthetically and, to a lesser extent, narratively. Broadly speaking, if you liked one you'll like the other. If I had to describe it, I'd say A:MA x Psychonauts x Lemony Snicket, which, again, should be the COOLEST THING EVER and it's so frustrating that it isn't.
Normally, my go-to rating for "this is a game I'm unlikely to play again due to its various flaws but that I still enjoyed for what it is" is 3 stars, but that just feels...not right here. Like I said, it comes SO CLOSE. It has SO MUCH potential to be one of my favourite games ever and I want to honor that. I'd love to see a sequel or a spiritual successor — a quick-moving 3D platformer in the style of Psychonauts 2 with this kind of aesthetic sensibilities and semi-randomized combat has so so soooo much potential.
Despite all my bitching, I still genuinely think it's a lovely game. It's unique, it's not another huge, generic game pumped out to appeal to the widest possible demographic, and it takes itself seriously without getting precious about it. At a certain point you've got to support the flawed-but-unique things, just so there's SOMETHING there that isn't another generic RPG.
Also, Death is there just for a deeply funny cameo and the narrator, who is just a disembodied voice, at one point is kidnapped which, like, that alone is 5 stars.
Lost in Random
2021
This is a really charming little game. The combat is underwhelming, but it's sufficient; I can't name any major flaws with it, but it's ultimately the most forgettable part of the experience. Where this game really shines is in its world design, atmosphere, and presentation. As much as I love realistic AAA games like God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring, there's always a special place in my heart for more stylized titles like this, and I really can't think of another game like Lost in Random in that regard. Unless you're really hunting for the best combat gameplay experience you can find, I strongly recommend this game, and despite its flaws, I'll be more than happy to jump into any sequel that comes out for another chance to, dare I say it, get lost in Random.
The only big problem is no one in the game knows the singular form of "dice" so for that reason alone I must sadly give it a 0 out of 10.
The only big problem is no one in the game knows the singular form of "dice" so for that reason alone I must sadly give it a 0 out of 10.
Full video review: https://youtu.be/nQBBPr_Ce5o
I see some say that Sophie is one of the best starting places for the entirety of Atelier and then some say it is one of the worst entries. I found myself more in the middle. Atelier Sophie introduces some good elements that have now become the norm, but also has a few missteps along the way.
Crafting
If you are unfamiliar with the Mysterious subseries, the crafting in this one is done Tetris style. You don’t look at a menu and select ingredients for combining, but rather physically place those ingredients on a grid and rotate them, shape them, and select just the right patterns to fill that grid or otherwise get the result you want.
It’s a seemingly simple setup, but as with other games in the series, it becomes very involved very quickly and is a ton of fun to play with if you like to min-max, but it is also important to note that it is only as complex as you want it to be.
You certainly can sit there and spend hours crafting, but if you want to sit back, play some casual Tetris, and craft some neat stuff - you can just as easily ignore the more intricate elements. Sophie is very accommodating in this regard and as someone that likes a mix of both, I found the normal difficulty to be the perfect balance there. It’s some top-tier stuff regardless and one of the major reasons why I love this series so much.
Gathering
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the gathering. The actual crafting? Great. The act of going out and getting all the ingredients? Kinda basic. The environments are mostly these super-small, repetitive things and the gathering spots are just little sparkles on the ground with little indication as to what they contain.
Graphics
Sophie was the first in the series to be released on PS4, but honestly, it looks like a game designed for the PSP. The textures are super low-res, the environments are blocky, and the whole thing just looks dull. Well, aside from the character models - which are very nice in comparison and it actually makes for this weird contrast.
Combat
The combat is your traditional turn-based JRPG fare with skills, chain attacks, usable items, and the basic attacking and defending. The enemy designs are varied enough, but as usual with this series, a lot of the later variations are simple reskins of earlier ones.
Overall though, I would say the combat is satisfying enough. It’s not the best I’ve seen from the series, but it feels nice to return to the usual turn-based battles after the last couple Ryza games and their action-based systems. That and it is never not fun to spend all this time crafting some mega bomb and bust it out in battle to wipe an entire squad of enemies.
Game Loop
Unlike the more recent Atelier games, Sophie is VERY freeform. There are entire sections of the game where the plot is simply not there and you’re just going through a loop of learning a new recipe, gathering the materials for it, and then crafting it.
On one hand, this does give the game a more laidback feel to it. The freedom to go around and do what you want and when you want is nice in a way, but I also can’t deny it makes the experience feel a bit aimless - like I’m just going through a process over and over with no end in sight.
What makes it worse is that when you DO want to actually make some progress, you’re oftentimes not told what exactly that progress entails. Sometimes the next story event trigger is on a random NPC, but there are no markers to indicate this. Sometimes it’s a specific recipe or alchemy level, but again, a lot of the time you’re left without instruction. I ended up forming this mental checklist of NPCs and locations to go to in the hopes that one of them would trigger an event.
I’m fine when games leave a good amount up to player’s to figure out - and maybe I’m just spoiled by the excellent balance in the latest Atelier games - but when it’s literally the entire game loop, it does bring down the experience a bit.
Story
The characters can be interesting at times (mostly hit or miss), but given how the game loop works here, the story is hardly present until much later on and by that point it simply does not have enough time to develop something beyond your usual JRPG fare. Maybe the sequel can clean things up a bit, but Sophie has easily one of the least engaging storylines I’ve seen from this series.
Soundtrack
The graphics may be iffy, but the soundtrack absolutely slaps. Great battle themes, great field themes, great opening theme - a good range of tracks there to match both the laidback stuff and the serious stuff, even if the latter is more limited this time around.
PC Port
It runs fine at 1440p and 144 fps on my 1070 Ti without any major drops, stutters, or other such issues. The graphical options are practically nonexistent though, so don’t expect much there. And definitely don’t expect much in the way of keyboard and mouse controls. Controller works flawlessly, but the mouse movement here just does not feel right and the default layout on keyboard is clunky too. 100% a game I would recommend a controller for, but that’s pretty much the usual for this company anyways.
Overall
While not as strong as other Atelier games, I still had a good bit of fun with Sophie. It is by far the most laidback of the series, with an almost entirely freeform game loop and little in the sense of direction beyond that. This is good in that it gives you a lot of freedom to figure things out and take in the setting gradually, but it does make for a very subpar story and some frustrating moments when you are searching for direction. Still, the crafting is as good as it has ever been and the combat is nice too, even if a bit basic. I wouldn’t say Sophie would be my first recommendation for series newcomers, but if you are already into it - it is at least worth a play.
I see some say that Sophie is one of the best starting places for the entirety of Atelier and then some say it is one of the worst entries. I found myself more in the middle. Atelier Sophie introduces some good elements that have now become the norm, but also has a few missteps along the way.
Crafting
If you are unfamiliar with the Mysterious subseries, the crafting in this one is done Tetris style. You don’t look at a menu and select ingredients for combining, but rather physically place those ingredients on a grid and rotate them, shape them, and select just the right patterns to fill that grid or otherwise get the result you want.
It’s a seemingly simple setup, but as with other games in the series, it becomes very involved very quickly and is a ton of fun to play with if you like to min-max, but it is also important to note that it is only as complex as you want it to be.
You certainly can sit there and spend hours crafting, but if you want to sit back, play some casual Tetris, and craft some neat stuff - you can just as easily ignore the more intricate elements. Sophie is very accommodating in this regard and as someone that likes a mix of both, I found the normal difficulty to be the perfect balance there. It’s some top-tier stuff regardless and one of the major reasons why I love this series so much.
Gathering
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the gathering. The actual crafting? Great. The act of going out and getting all the ingredients? Kinda basic. The environments are mostly these super-small, repetitive things and the gathering spots are just little sparkles on the ground with little indication as to what they contain.
Graphics
Sophie was the first in the series to be released on PS4, but honestly, it looks like a game designed for the PSP. The textures are super low-res, the environments are blocky, and the whole thing just looks dull. Well, aside from the character models - which are very nice in comparison and it actually makes for this weird contrast.
Combat
The combat is your traditional turn-based JRPG fare with skills, chain attacks, usable items, and the basic attacking and defending. The enemy designs are varied enough, but as usual with this series, a lot of the later variations are simple reskins of earlier ones.
Overall though, I would say the combat is satisfying enough. It’s not the best I’ve seen from the series, but it feels nice to return to the usual turn-based battles after the last couple Ryza games and their action-based systems. That and it is never not fun to spend all this time crafting some mega bomb and bust it out in battle to wipe an entire squad of enemies.
Game Loop
Unlike the more recent Atelier games, Sophie is VERY freeform. There are entire sections of the game where the plot is simply not there and you’re just going through a loop of learning a new recipe, gathering the materials for it, and then crafting it.
On one hand, this does give the game a more laidback feel to it. The freedom to go around and do what you want and when you want is nice in a way, but I also can’t deny it makes the experience feel a bit aimless - like I’m just going through a process over and over with no end in sight.
What makes it worse is that when you DO want to actually make some progress, you’re oftentimes not told what exactly that progress entails. Sometimes the next story event trigger is on a random NPC, but there are no markers to indicate this. Sometimes it’s a specific recipe or alchemy level, but again, a lot of the time you’re left without instruction. I ended up forming this mental checklist of NPCs and locations to go to in the hopes that one of them would trigger an event.
I’m fine when games leave a good amount up to player’s to figure out - and maybe I’m just spoiled by the excellent balance in the latest Atelier games - but when it’s literally the entire game loop, it does bring down the experience a bit.
Story
The characters can be interesting at times (mostly hit or miss), but given how the game loop works here, the story is hardly present until much later on and by that point it simply does not have enough time to develop something beyond your usual JRPG fare. Maybe the sequel can clean things up a bit, but Sophie has easily one of the least engaging storylines I’ve seen from this series.
Soundtrack
The graphics may be iffy, but the soundtrack absolutely slaps. Great battle themes, great field themes, great opening theme - a good range of tracks there to match both the laidback stuff and the serious stuff, even if the latter is more limited this time around.
PC Port
It runs fine at 1440p and 144 fps on my 1070 Ti without any major drops, stutters, or other such issues. The graphical options are practically nonexistent though, so don’t expect much there. And definitely don’t expect much in the way of keyboard and mouse controls. Controller works flawlessly, but the mouse movement here just does not feel right and the default layout on keyboard is clunky too. 100% a game I would recommend a controller for, but that’s pretty much the usual for this company anyways.
Overall
While not as strong as other Atelier games, I still had a good bit of fun with Sophie. It is by far the most laidback of the series, with an almost entirely freeform game loop and little in the sense of direction beyond that. This is good in that it gives you a lot of freedom to figure things out and take in the setting gradually, but it does make for a very subpar story and some frustrating moments when you are searching for direction. Still, the crafting is as good as it has ever been and the combat is nice too, even if a bit basic. I wouldn’t say Sophie would be my first recommendation for series newcomers, but if you are already into it - it is at least worth a play.
Demo impressions:
Extremely slow, story was uninteresting, and the combat was so incredibly easy as to be some of the worst I've played in a modern rpg. The little card minigame is nice and some of the music was good (though the main overworld/battle themes sounded like someone searched "DnD fantasy traveling extended mix for DMs" and clicked on the first result... not super impressive).
Overall yeah this absolutely did not sell me lol
Extremely slow, story was uninteresting, and the combat was so incredibly easy as to be some of the worst I've played in a modern rpg. The little card minigame is nice and some of the music was good (though the main overworld/battle themes sounded like someone searched "DnD fantasy traveling extended mix for DMs" and clicked on the first result... not super impressive).
Overall yeah this absolutely did not sell me lol
Crimson Shroud
2012
The 3DS eShop is closing up next March so I’ve been looking for titles to pick up before they disappear for good. Crimson Shroud, an RPG designed by Yasumi Matsuno, the Ivalice guy, places pretty highly on those lists, and the pitch is pretty good: a short JRPG presented as if it’s a tabletop RPG with miniatures for the characters moving between little dioramas while you roll dice to determine success. The whole thing took me about eight hours to complete, tells a complete story with a compelling cast of character and a unique world. But overall my impression of it is still mixed.
Crimson Shroud is the kind of game I like to remember more than I like to play. There are a lot of big headaches that stop it from being fun to play. There are cutscenes and sections of prose that make up a strong story and the atmosphere, which is all very strong, but then they’ll be broken up by half hour sections stuck in brutal, repetitive combat, or poking at a dead end to try and find the way to progress. There are so many ideas that sound great, but are just stuffed into a game already bursting at the seams so that they’re an absolute headache. It all comes to a head in the last couple of boss fights when the difficulty overtook me and I spent two hours in absolute frustration. Multiple times difficult boss fights rewarded in powerful weapons, which did absolutely zero damage in the very next fight because of an elemental rock paper scissors system you had no way of anticipating. Overall it could have been a good deal simpler, and a fair bit easier and been every bit as memorable.
A few of the bits I really liked- some in execution, others only in theory
You have a shared resource of dice which you can commit to any attack or spell to roll for extra accuracy or damage
You earn dice by chaining together combos of elements, so sometimes you’re choosing between the best short term tactic (using super effective fire) or the best long term combo (using a wind buff)
There’s a nice layered mystery where you’re presented with the dangerous idea that this book contains heresy (it was the Devil, not God that gave people magic), and when you actually find the resolution to that it has a nice elaboration- not contradictory, but expanding the truth into something somehow more scandalous
The female lead Frea’s design looks great, even if it is the kind of horny anime design that somehow shows off a huge amount of skin despite wearing a lot of fabric. I like a mage in red, white & black!
Anyway, I’m glad I picked this up before it disappeared. A flawed gem, but a unique one.
Crimson Shroud is the kind of game I like to remember more than I like to play. There are a lot of big headaches that stop it from being fun to play. There are cutscenes and sections of prose that make up a strong story and the atmosphere, which is all very strong, but then they’ll be broken up by half hour sections stuck in brutal, repetitive combat, or poking at a dead end to try and find the way to progress. There are so many ideas that sound great, but are just stuffed into a game already bursting at the seams so that they’re an absolute headache. It all comes to a head in the last couple of boss fights when the difficulty overtook me and I spent two hours in absolute frustration. Multiple times difficult boss fights rewarded in powerful weapons, which did absolutely zero damage in the very next fight because of an elemental rock paper scissors system you had no way of anticipating. Overall it could have been a good deal simpler, and a fair bit easier and been every bit as memorable.
A few of the bits I really liked- some in execution, others only in theory
You have a shared resource of dice which you can commit to any attack or spell to roll for extra accuracy or damage
You earn dice by chaining together combos of elements, so sometimes you’re choosing between the best short term tactic (using super effective fire) or the best long term combo (using a wind buff)
There’s a nice layered mystery where you’re presented with the dangerous idea that this book contains heresy (it was the Devil, not God that gave people magic), and when you actually find the resolution to that it has a nice elaboration- not contradictory, but expanding the truth into something somehow more scandalous
The female lead Frea’s design looks great, even if it is the kind of horny anime design that somehow shows off a huge amount of skin despite wearing a lot of fabric. I like a mage in red, white & black!
Anyway, I’m glad I picked this up before it disappeared. A flawed gem, but a unique one.
Lacuna
2021
I love detective games, and I love a sci-fi, so a sci-fi detective game should've been right up my alley... and it was!
This is an excellent adventure game that skips the usual point 'n click puzzles in favour of the player needing to investigate and interpret clues. There are also several branching decisions that actually present some difficult moral choices. However, the game is short, leaving it feeling too limited in scope to give proper impact to the story it's trying to tell. Still, it's solid stuff.
This is an excellent adventure game that skips the usual point 'n click puzzles in favour of the player needing to investigate and interpret clues. There are also several branching decisions that actually present some difficult moral choices. However, the game is short, leaving it feeling too limited in scope to give proper impact to the story it's trying to tell. Still, it's solid stuff.
Devs remaking 30 year old platformers improve anything other than the graphics challenge (impossible)
One of the weaker modern Falcom titles, but unlike its painfully dull sequel, Zwei: The Arges Adventure is simple enough and charming enough to be potentially worth playing. Especially if you're looking for a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Zwei is aesthetically great for the most part. It has strong background art which feels reminiscent of Legend of Mana’s isometric 2D style in the town and field. It boasts fantastic character designs- especially the main duo who feel straight up inspired by Mint and Rue from Dewprism/Threads of Fate. Pipiro’s big poofy robe with the fluffy cotton balls from head to toe is one of the comfiest and most recognizable character designs of the era imo.
However, the in-dungeon models, animations, and environments are much less impressive- the models in particular which border on uncanny. They’re super bug-eyed and have a creepy waddle when they move. Additionally, calling the attack animation an “animation” is kinda generous to begin with. It’s more like the model just dashes forward for a sec. Think Pokemon SwSh's attack animations but not quite as overtly hilarious. These areas of complaint aren’t anything too deal breaking, but when compared to the stronger aspects of the game’s visuals, it’s definitely kinda jarring.
While the visuals are solid overall, the writing is what grabs your attention from the start. In terms of like… plot? Hell no. The actual narrative itself has very little substance or intrigue to it. It’s purely just to get you moving in the dungeons and guide you towards the end. The dialogue, however, especially from Pipiro, is great at times. I think Falcom (or whoever translated it, xseed i guess? haven’t actually looked into it) knew this game would thrive off comedy and generally not taking itself seriously. The script is very light and oftentimes a straight up meme. Not in a bad way either, the quips consistently landed for me. Well... for a while, at least.
The script kinda lost its luster after the first few hours for me though, ngl. I think it’s because the NPC dialogue and actual plot were way below what I was expecting from a falcom title in this era, having played the Trails in the Sky trilogy beforehand. The script def makes a strong first impression, but you quickly come to realize that everyone’s dialogue other than Pipiro (and the occasional cringe gem from Pokkle) just kind of sucks. It definitely has its moments tho, Pipiro screaming “calm your tits” during Pokkle’s literal biggest character development moment fucking killed me.
Combat is not this game’s strong suit either. It’s clunky, mashy, and overly simplistic. Nothing actively bad, just thoroughly mid. The inventory/menuing is also worth mentioning cuz it was kind of a nightmare to play on controller at times. That is admittedly on me for stubbornly using it even though the game was clearly designed with a mouse/keyboard in mind and minimal gamepad support. But it's worth pointing out for others who share my preference.
Instead, the best aspect of the game in terms of gameplay is without a doubt the food progression system. Basically, experience point gains in this game are tied directly to eating food. You eat something, you get exp. This alone wouldn’t be anything noteworthy, but what IS noteworthy is the way the system is implemented. Experience in Zwei is an inherently risk vs reward proposition. By eating the food items you’ve gathered right away, you can use them as a consumable to get free emergency healing in dungeons. If you save up 10 of a certain food type, however, you can trade them up for a much better item in town- an item that will not only give you a bigger one-use heal, but will provide a bigger exp gain than those 10 items would’ve given you altogether. Eventually, you can even save up 10 of the exchanged dishes for another tier of item above that, which was extremely satisfying to see after finally saving them all up.
Therefore, aggressive and risky gameplay pays huge dividends for the player in Zwei. The longer you go through the dungeons while risking death by not eating, the more you will be rewarded with a relative amount of bonus exp when you’re finally back in the town. It's a really simple but brilliant mechanic that increases tension while in dungeons while simultaneously increasing the satisfaction of completing dungeons with a handicap. The entire gameplay loop revolves around this system of tradeoffs, and I’m thankful it does. Because along with the charming script, it was one of the few aspects of the game that actually compelled me to play it to the end.
Zwei isn’t very good in a lot of ways. But the satisfying gameplay loop and occasionally strong script carry it. I don’t really regret the 15 or 20 hours I ended up spending on it, since it was easy to quickly plow through the endgame once I was feeling ready to move on. But I doubt I’ll ever touch it again unless it’s to play the Typing of Ys minigame. That shit on hard difficulty was one of the most randomly peak and jarringly-brutal minigames I’ve ever played. Doubly so by comparsion, since the main game of Zwei is a cakewalk. I’d recommend the minigame for Ys fans on the merit of that challenge alone, plus some cool references to Ys Books I and II which are among my favs in the series. But... maybe only if you type over 100 WPM. If not, it’s basically impossible.
Otherwise, I’d only be comfortable recommending Zwei to hardcore Falcom fans. Or those who dig short, comfy, and very lighthearted (borderline to a fault) JRPGs without the narrative or mechanical substance to deepen your investment.
Zwei is aesthetically great for the most part. It has strong background art which feels reminiscent of Legend of Mana’s isometric 2D style in the town and field. It boasts fantastic character designs- especially the main duo who feel straight up inspired by Mint and Rue from Dewprism/Threads of Fate. Pipiro’s big poofy robe with the fluffy cotton balls from head to toe is one of the comfiest and most recognizable character designs of the era imo.
However, the in-dungeon models, animations, and environments are much less impressive- the models in particular which border on uncanny. They’re super bug-eyed and have a creepy waddle when they move. Additionally, calling the attack animation an “animation” is kinda generous to begin with. It’s more like the model just dashes forward for a sec. Think Pokemon SwSh's attack animations but not quite as overtly hilarious. These areas of complaint aren’t anything too deal breaking, but when compared to the stronger aspects of the game’s visuals, it’s definitely kinda jarring.
While the visuals are solid overall, the writing is what grabs your attention from the start. In terms of like… plot? Hell no. The actual narrative itself has very little substance or intrigue to it. It’s purely just to get you moving in the dungeons and guide you towards the end. The dialogue, however, especially from Pipiro, is great at times. I think Falcom (or whoever translated it, xseed i guess? haven’t actually looked into it) knew this game would thrive off comedy and generally not taking itself seriously. The script is very light and oftentimes a straight up meme. Not in a bad way either, the quips consistently landed for me. Well... for a while, at least.
The script kinda lost its luster after the first few hours for me though, ngl. I think it’s because the NPC dialogue and actual plot were way below what I was expecting from a falcom title in this era, having played the Trails in the Sky trilogy beforehand. The script def makes a strong first impression, but you quickly come to realize that everyone’s dialogue other than Pipiro (and the occasional cringe gem from Pokkle) just kind of sucks. It definitely has its moments tho, Pipiro screaming “calm your tits” during Pokkle’s literal biggest character development moment fucking killed me.
Combat is not this game’s strong suit either. It’s clunky, mashy, and overly simplistic. Nothing actively bad, just thoroughly mid. The inventory/menuing is also worth mentioning cuz it was kind of a nightmare to play on controller at times. That is admittedly on me for stubbornly using it even though the game was clearly designed with a mouse/keyboard in mind and minimal gamepad support. But it's worth pointing out for others who share my preference.
Instead, the best aspect of the game in terms of gameplay is without a doubt the food progression system. Basically, experience point gains in this game are tied directly to eating food. You eat something, you get exp. This alone wouldn’t be anything noteworthy, but what IS noteworthy is the way the system is implemented. Experience in Zwei is an inherently risk vs reward proposition. By eating the food items you’ve gathered right away, you can use them as a consumable to get free emergency healing in dungeons. If you save up 10 of a certain food type, however, you can trade them up for a much better item in town- an item that will not only give you a bigger one-use heal, but will provide a bigger exp gain than those 10 items would’ve given you altogether. Eventually, you can even save up 10 of the exchanged dishes for another tier of item above that, which was extremely satisfying to see after finally saving them all up.
Therefore, aggressive and risky gameplay pays huge dividends for the player in Zwei. The longer you go through the dungeons while risking death by not eating, the more you will be rewarded with a relative amount of bonus exp when you’re finally back in the town. It's a really simple but brilliant mechanic that increases tension while in dungeons while simultaneously increasing the satisfaction of completing dungeons with a handicap. The entire gameplay loop revolves around this system of tradeoffs, and I’m thankful it does. Because along with the charming script, it was one of the few aspects of the game that actually compelled me to play it to the end.
Zwei isn’t very good in a lot of ways. But the satisfying gameplay loop and occasionally strong script carry it. I don’t really regret the 15 or 20 hours I ended up spending on it, since it was easy to quickly plow through the endgame once I was feeling ready to move on. But I doubt I’ll ever touch it again unless it’s to play the Typing of Ys minigame. That shit on hard difficulty was one of the most randomly peak and jarringly-brutal minigames I’ve ever played. Doubly so by comparsion, since the main game of Zwei is a cakewalk. I’d recommend the minigame for Ys fans on the merit of that challenge alone, plus some cool references to Ys Books I and II which are among my favs in the series. But... maybe only if you type over 100 WPM. If not, it’s basically impossible.
Otherwise, I’d only be comfortable recommending Zwei to hardcore Falcom fans. Or those who dig short, comfy, and very lighthearted (borderline to a fault) JRPGs without the narrative or mechanical substance to deepen your investment.
my initial concern that kirby's first proper venture into 3d would be a generic safe player along the lines of super mario 3d land were swiftly vanquished by the time i got to the first boss fight. i hadn't anticipated a kid-friendly action platformer bordering on character action game out of this entry, but here we are. forgotten land is an excellent game, and an exciting step forward for the kirby franchise!
i felt the game did a very good job at combining elements of collectathon and gimmick-centric challenges into the gameplay - typically both things i'm not too keen on. mouthful mode itself was actually a blast for most of the game, because 8 times out of 10, i felt that it was used to introduce new ideas and challenges in a way that kept things fresh. forgotten lands' specialty is certainly in its combat, though, and it's easily the best the series has ever seen. some later-game boss fights felt truly monumental and the focus on tightening up a small range of copy abilities felt like the right move. i suppose my only complaint with that, though, is that only a handful of abilities (sword, hammer, fire and ranger) actually felt viable by endgame; a sequel would do well to balance out the full roster a little more, alongside bolstering the movesets of non-sword powers.
i don't really care about kirby lore but i will say that the story elements here were at the very least entertaining in the moment. presentation was pretty solid, very traditional modern kirby affair with a few stand-out moments. the haunted house levels reminded me of childhood mini-golf courses so of course that got a smile. the soundtrack was... surprisingly just okay. you can generally rely on kirby games to deliver on the music front, but a few tracks aside here, i wasn't exactly impressed. not terrible or anything, though.
having played forgotten land with 2 players, i suppose my most pressing complaint should be obvious: waddle dee sucks! and he's not fun to play as! you see kirby getting these dope new copy abilities all the time and you're stuck with waddle dee's goofy little spear attack - at least throw the guy some upgrades down the line or something! but hey, man, beyond those complaints, forgotten land is still a triumph for a first 3d kirby, and i think if hal labs is wise, they'll harness in on what made this a great entry, hone those elements, and deliver the best kirby ever next time. here's hoping.
i felt the game did a very good job at combining elements of collectathon and gimmick-centric challenges into the gameplay - typically both things i'm not too keen on. mouthful mode itself was actually a blast for most of the game, because 8 times out of 10, i felt that it was used to introduce new ideas and challenges in a way that kept things fresh. forgotten lands' specialty is certainly in its combat, though, and it's easily the best the series has ever seen. some later-game boss fights felt truly monumental and the focus on tightening up a small range of copy abilities felt like the right move. i suppose my only complaint with that, though, is that only a handful of abilities (sword, hammer, fire and ranger) actually felt viable by endgame; a sequel would do well to balance out the full roster a little more, alongside bolstering the movesets of non-sword powers.
i don't really care about kirby lore but i will say that the story elements here were at the very least entertaining in the moment. presentation was pretty solid, very traditional modern kirby affair with a few stand-out moments. the haunted house levels reminded me of childhood mini-golf courses so of course that got a smile. the soundtrack was... surprisingly just okay. you can generally rely on kirby games to deliver on the music front, but a few tracks aside here, i wasn't exactly impressed. not terrible or anything, though.
having played forgotten land with 2 players, i suppose my most pressing complaint should be obvious: waddle dee sucks! and he's not fun to play as! you see kirby getting these dope new copy abilities all the time and you're stuck with waddle dee's goofy little spear attack - at least throw the guy some upgrades down the line or something! but hey, man, beyond those complaints, forgotten land is still a triumph for a first 3d kirby, and i think if hal labs is wise, they'll harness in on what made this a great entry, hone those elements, and deliver the best kirby ever next time. here's hoping.
Way better and more elaborate than a DLC bonus episode has any right to be. A cathartic closure of three games all set in one room. The dating app minigame opened a brief window into a reality where those apps aren't hell.
Eastward
2021
This game is so incredibly close to being something really special, but instead of focusing on and really refining its best aspects (characters & story), it decides instead to have the story linger on for too long by padding it with extra unnecessary sections (Monkollywood) which I would've preferred they either cut or replaced with anything more plot relevant. The combat and puzzles also tend to lead to this problem, where instead of serving as fun, engaging sections to break up bits of the story, they instead can turn into drawn out, lengthy dungeons with combat mechanics I wish were better tuned. The art team really outdid themselves with this game though, with a somewhat short but really sweet soundtrack filled with a lot of great tracks and some of the best art direction I've seen not just from an indie game, but any game period. This game is worth a play if you're an RPG fan, but after sinking over a day into it I just wish it was a little bit more.
Eastward
2021
A bit of Zelda, dragged down by the story.
When Eastward gets going like you’re seeing on the screen, Eastward is fantastic. The animation and art design are incredible, the gameplay flows fluidly, the battles and bosses are all interesting, and the game works. This is inspired by classic Zelda games and Earthbound, and it’s worthy of that praise. I want to like this.
The problem is I just didn’t want to keep playing this game, it’s the story and narrative that makes this feel like a waste of time. In the first two hours, there were huge spans of time that were just pointlessly walking around or talking to people in long segments, and while the action was good, the pacing and narrative is pretty bad. People have said it gets better, but that’s one of those things that triggers me, because why not make the whole game good, instead of putting the best segments after potentially eight hours of a weak experience?
Pick this up if you’re willing to suffer through some bad pacing. I’d say just hammer through dialogue as there’s no way to skip it, but then you also sometimes need to know where to go next, this is sadly one of those games that I want to love, but I probably won’t return to. Maybe I will come back in the future and push through, but even with the great gameplay and combat, I don’t think I have it in me.
I covered this game as part of the Game Pass for December 2022, if you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games on Game Pass, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/zMUphOC2gMI
When Eastward gets going like you’re seeing on the screen, Eastward is fantastic. The animation and art design are incredible, the gameplay flows fluidly, the battles and bosses are all interesting, and the game works. This is inspired by classic Zelda games and Earthbound, and it’s worthy of that praise. I want to like this.
The problem is I just didn’t want to keep playing this game, it’s the story and narrative that makes this feel like a waste of time. In the first two hours, there were huge spans of time that were just pointlessly walking around or talking to people in long segments, and while the action was good, the pacing and narrative is pretty bad. People have said it gets better, but that’s one of those things that triggers me, because why not make the whole game good, instead of putting the best segments after potentially eight hours of a weak experience?
Pick this up if you’re willing to suffer through some bad pacing. I’d say just hammer through dialogue as there’s no way to skip it, but then you also sometimes need to know where to go next, this is sadly one of those games that I want to love, but I probably won’t return to. Maybe I will come back in the future and push through, but even with the great gameplay and combat, I don’t think I have it in me.
I covered this game as part of the Game Pass for December 2022, if you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games on Game Pass, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/zMUphOC2gMI
A really nice dlc! A little bit of closure to Before The Storm, more Steph (always welcome), fun working as a radio DJ and exploring the shop, some really awesome music, some sad boi/wholesome moments and a nice little tie in to the beginning of True Colors. Theres also a little dating app "minigame" that perfectly captures what its like to use one, felt hard lol.
Nancymeter - 90/100
Nancymeter - 90/100
this is ENTIRELY for before the storm and true colors fans, the random player even if he enjoyed the main story will probably be bored from this but as a fan of the franchise i really enjoyed looking at steph's soul and seeing how her life went.
nothing special tho
nothing special tho