An extremely cool version of Link's Awakening. The four inventory slots and the overall faster inventory managment is nice in itself, but the ability to zoom out the game and be able to see several rooms at a time tremendously helps in making the game more navigatable. Sometimes, after playing so many Zelda games where getting lost is the point, it's nice to play a version where it's easy to know where is progress, and where it isn't. It's one of those things where once you experience it here, you wish every top-down Zelda got something like this.

Some minor nitpicks include the pacing of certain cutscenes being more rushed than the original was, so if you care about preserving the original "tone" of the game, the way this version of the game wants to hurry things along may be a slight turn-off for first-time players. I would've also liked there to be a toggle between the original and the Switch version of the music, as the original's OST can get repetitive here and there, and I think the Switch remake massively improved things on that front.

Regrettably, there's more than just nitpicks to be found here, as I'm hesitant to say that this remake was properly tested. Keyboard bindings reset everytime you quit out of the game, and I've noted that there's something a bit off about your sword's hitbox. Whereas in the original I was able to hit enemies diagonally, the range in this version does not seem good enough to risk doing that without getting hit yourself.

By far the worst issue are the random softlocks that may or may not happen after you collect each instrument. The first time it happened, the game saved my progress right after I defeated the boss, so getting back to the instrument was no big deal. The second time, it was not so generous, and all of my progress on the dungeon was completely reset, forcing me to do it again. I lost my motivation to continue playing by then.

Seeing as Nintendo took the game down as of writing this review, I'm not sure if we'll be seeing any patches come in. (Edit: The creator did leave the source code for it though, so maybe somebody else will pick up the slack??) Huge shame, though. We were so close to getting the best version of Link's Awakening to play, with just a little bit more fine-tuning. Now, who knows if it's gonna happen?

As a fan-made "what if" sequel that averts the events of the Act 1 ending of Doki Doki Literature Club, it is beautifully made.

It allows MC to mature into the emotionally supportive boyfriend the original DDLC hinted that he could be if not for the reset, as well as reconstruct Sayori's character (A simple love confession won't help her with her depression...but a genuine pillar of emotional support will).

While MC and Sayori's relationship blossoms, Monika's well being deteriorates due to not being able to control the game, making her a lot more tragic in a more obvious way.

It's a nice story and is an amazing next step for Sayori fans who have just finished Doki Doki Literature Club

I've decided "You are a bad person for continuing to play this video game, that you bought, which you are still progressing in" is my least favorite kind of video game narrative.

I enjoyed the first Superhot but couldn't shake the feeling there was something fundamentally unsatisfying about it. I think I figured it out, because it's just as bad here if not worse. The implication of "Time only moves when you do" and the marketing around it is that this lets the player do freaky, split-second, John-Wick-esque maneuvers to exterminate a room. But in practice the gameplay comes down to (1) figuring out how to remove enemies before they have a chance to act and (2) constantly checking your back because spawn points surround the whole area and enemies don't make noise until the damage is done. The most optimal way to play is to find a corner and wiggle your eyes until a red leg comes into view. Part of the issue is the devs are married to this wave-based survival-arena style of level design. I would love to see them try to merge these mechanics with a more traditional FPS setup.

Usually I hold off on rating/reviewing a game until I've beaten it but I just can't find the motivation to finish this now and I wanted to get my thoughts down. On a related note: did you know if you use the hotswap power on an enemy who hasn't completely emerged from their spawn point yet, you instantly die and have to start the whole stage over? Even if you were on the second to last room? It's true!