HaloBlues
I'm so fond of this funky little series. It's more railroaded than most CoG titles are, and I have my issues with the author, but this was the first title I played on the website so it has a special place in my heart. The first game is kind of shallow in comparison to where the story would go in The Hero Project and Heroes Rise: HeroFall (the sequels), and the romance is essentially not present at all here unless you count Black Magic who is basically forced upon you (BIG no-no in CoG games, they're all about choice and player agency), but in my opinion it doesn't deserve the sheer level of mockery directed at it these days.
Other CoG games are much better and offer much more player choice and variation in routes, but this is a good first experience of the genre to get used to the playstyle without getting overwhelmed, and it's still a story worth experiencing.
Other CoG games are much better and offer much more player choice and variation in routes, but this is a good first experience of the genre to get used to the playstyle without getting overwhelmed, and it's still a story worth experiencing.
2020
Played on iOS.
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
This one had the potential to be really cool. It had some neat world-building and ideas, the characters were interesting, and I really enjoyed Q as a romance option. The ideas taken from The Wayhaven Chronicles were obvious in things such as the varying flavours of flirt dialogue, the love triangle option, Azuridian (I forget their female-variant name) vs. Adam/Ava being extremely similar, etc., but it's not like it was plagiarised; just inspired by. I do think people were far too harsh on it for that - no idea is completely unique, and more of an enjoyable thing is still an enjoyable thing. It wasn't crossing the line into blatant copying, and I was interested in seeing where it would take the series in its own vein.
Unfortunately, the series has been discontinued, I gather in part because of the backlash and comparisons to The Wayhaven Chronicles. It's a shame, but because of that I can't really recommend it as the story will never be finished and it ends on a cliffhanger.
I do hope the author returns with another game someday, whether a revamp of this one or a new idea entirely.
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
This one had the potential to be really cool. It had some neat world-building and ideas, the characters were interesting, and I really enjoyed Q as a romance option. The ideas taken from The Wayhaven Chronicles were obvious in things such as the varying flavours of flirt dialogue, the love triangle option, Azuridian (I forget their female-variant name) vs. Adam/Ava being extremely similar, etc., but it's not like it was plagiarised; just inspired by. I do think people were far too harsh on it for that - no idea is completely unique, and more of an enjoyable thing is still an enjoyable thing. It wasn't crossing the line into blatant copying, and I was interested in seeing where it would take the series in its own vein.
Unfortunately, the series has been discontinued, I gather in part because of the backlash and comparisons to The Wayhaven Chronicles. It's a shame, but because of that I can't really recommend it as the story will never be finished and it ends on a cliffhanger.
I do hope the author returns with another game someday, whether a revamp of this one or a new idea entirely.
2020
Played on iOS (why is mobile never a platform option for CoG/Hosted Games on here?)
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
This one gets a bad rap, in my opinion. I've seen people criticising the protagonist for being 'helpless', less of a combatant than the companions, etc. but that wasn't my experience at all. I know in my playthroughs I certainly had some badass battle moments (including one where my character leapt through the air and stabbed a dragon in the head, single-handedly killing it), so I'd assume if someone genuinely is failing in fights at every turn and needs to be saved, it's down to stats or the choices they're making, not the game itself.
Anyway, the game itself is interesting and enjoyable. I loved the concept of the Soul Stones and the fact that which one you're bonded to is dependent on your personality traits - the amount of variety in the Stones and in the weapon forms they can take was fun to play around with in replays. The characters are pretty charming, and I enjoyed the option of polyamorous routes.
Although, because I am a certified villainfucker, Manerkol was obviously my favourite.
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
This one gets a bad rap, in my opinion. I've seen people criticising the protagonist for being 'helpless', less of a combatant than the companions, etc. but that wasn't my experience at all. I know in my playthroughs I certainly had some badass battle moments (including one where my character leapt through the air and stabbed a dragon in the head, single-handedly killing it), so I'd assume if someone genuinely is failing in fights at every turn and needs to be saved, it's down to stats or the choices they're making, not the game itself.
Anyway, the game itself is interesting and enjoyable. I loved the concept of the Soul Stones and the fact that which one you're bonded to is dependent on your personality traits - the amount of variety in the Stones and in the weapon forms they can take was fun to play around with in replays. The characters are pretty charming, and I enjoyed the option of polyamorous routes.
Although, because I am a certified villainfucker, Manerkol was obviously my favourite.
Again, played on iOS which for some reason isn't a platform option.
Can't give this one a star rating yet because despite the fact I've played this five times (one for each route) I've completely forgotten everything that happened. That could mean the game is forgettable, or it could mean I just haven't gone back to it as often as the two previous games (all of my playthroughs were back-to-back as soon as it released), but either way I'll have to play it again sometime before I offer more concrete thoughts.
I do remember thinking the villains were pretty lackluster this time around, and I remember loving Mason's romance route as per usual. Mason honestly carries this series for me.
Can't give this one a star rating yet because despite the fact I've played this five times (one for each route) I've completely forgotten everything that happened. That could mean the game is forgettable, or it could mean I just haven't gone back to it as often as the two previous games (all of my playthroughs were back-to-back as soon as it released), but either way I'll have to play it again sometime before I offer more concrete thoughts.
I do remember thinking the villains were pretty lackluster this time around, and I remember loving Mason's romance route as per usual. Mason honestly carries this series for me.
Unsure why mobile isn't a platform option here, I played it on iOS.
My view on this one was a little dampened at first as I'd played the publicly available demo, which turned out to be 90% of the entire game, so when I purchased the full version I was pretty let-down by the fact that I'd already experienced almost all of it. I'll keep my expectations tempered for future demos.
Ignoring that personal issue, though, Retribution is even better than Rebirth, which was already well-loved and oft-recommended for a reason. Retribution adds Argent, Herald, and Steel as possible romance options, as well as fleshing out the Ortega/Herald, Ortega/Steel, and Ortega/Argent polyamorous routes, which is massively appreciated as I found the initial two options of Ortega and Mortum in Book 1 to be a little sparse.
I'm emotionally invested in my protagonists for this series at this point, and I'm eager to see how they end up.
My view on this one was a little dampened at first as I'd played the publicly available demo, which turned out to be 90% of the entire game, so when I purchased the full version I was pretty let-down by the fact that I'd already experienced almost all of it. I'll keep my expectations tempered for future demos.
Ignoring that personal issue, though, Retribution is even better than Rebirth, which was already well-loved and oft-recommended for a reason. Retribution adds Argent, Herald, and Steel as possible romance options, as well as fleshing out the Ortega/Herald, Ortega/Steel, and Ortega/Argent polyamorous routes, which is massively appreciated as I found the initial two options of Ortega and Mortum in Book 1 to be a little sparse.
I'm emotionally invested in my protagonists for this series at this point, and I'm eager to see how they end up.
2018
Love this game lots.
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
This one does have a more set player archetype than most CoG games; you're playing a hero-turned-villain who's struggling with a very rough mental state, though how you develop your character within that (e.g. if you want to go full-out supervillain who relishes in violence and murder or you want to play a more regretful and open to redemption figure) gives you some variety.
The romance options that are here are fine, though the second book adds three more that I find vastly more interesting (with the exception of perhaps Ortega; their history with your character lends a lot to that dynamic). The puppet element is interesting, as is the fact that both you and your puppet can have certain relationships with characters, which is super complicated and probably a nightmare to code variations for but definitely a neat idea.
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
This one does have a more set player archetype than most CoG games; you're playing a hero-turned-villain who's struggling with a very rough mental state, though how you develop your character within that (e.g. if you want to go full-out supervillain who relishes in violence and murder or you want to play a more regretful and open to redemption figure) gives you some variety.
The romance options that are here are fine, though the second book adds three more that I find vastly more interesting (with the exception of perhaps Ortega; their history with your character lends a lot to that dynamic). The puppet element is interesting, as is the fact that both you and your puppet can have certain relationships with characters, which is super complicated and probably a nightmare to code variations for but definitely a neat idea.
A minor step down from the first game when it comes to the central plot and the antagonists, but still enjoyable enough. The routes progress well and I really enjoy that they don't do so at the same speed and you won't be hitting the same plot beats with each route; F and N are more overtly romantic and so are quicker to commit to actual relationships, M is very sexual and open to friends-with-benefits but the romance element is more slow-burn, and A is so slow-burn that you won't be anywhere solid with them at all let alone doing anything with them. I'm eager to see where the series goes over time.
I've played through this more times than I care to admit, but I finally settled on five solidifed playthroughs/characters, one for each route (including the love triangle option).
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
The four love interests are varied enough in personality, though my opinion on them is coloured by the later developments in each romance; it's difficult for me to stick purely to Book One in my thoughts here.
The Wayhaven Chronicles is a good choice of CoG game if you're interested in a more typical YA-style vampire/supernatural romance; although you play as a detective, I wouldn't go for this purely for the mystery/detective work aspect, because there really isn't a lot of it in this one.
I admit I mostly like this series for Mason.
All the usual selling points of Choice of Games/Hosted Games titles are here - massive amounts of player choice, diversity, character customisation, fun stats.
The four love interests are varied enough in personality, though my opinion on them is coloured by the later developments in each romance; it's difficult for me to stick purely to Book One in my thoughts here.
The Wayhaven Chronicles is a good choice of CoG game if you're interested in a more typical YA-style vampire/supernatural romance; although you play as a detective, I wouldn't go for this purely for the mystery/detective work aspect, because there really isn't a lot of it in this one.
I admit I mostly like this series for Mason.
2020
I played this game a week ago and already forgot almost everything about it. This either says something about me or The Corridor.
2016
GRAPHICS: Good quality by visual novel standards. The CG quality can vary slightly but never dips into anything less than good, and there are some genuinely beautiful moments (revenants dissolving into petals comes to mind).
CHARACTERS: There's a good variety of options here, and almost every character has some sort of backstory reveal or twist that connects them to the broader plot, which I really enjoyed. I went into it assuming that Isora would be my favourite, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I loved all of the major characters -- Toa isn't far behind Isora, I loved Yua, and even Hino's route, a pretty typical 'childhood best friends to lovers' dynamic that usually struggles to hook me as much, was super endearing.
DIALOGUE: Well-written and engaging - I didn't notice any typos or errors in the translation that I can recall.
PLOT: This was genuinely very good. It felt like every time I thought the twists were over with and I knew everything, some other big and well-done revelation occurred. I went into it vaguely suspecting certain things (namely who the harmless revenant was), and I figured others out immediately (A-TO's identity), but there was so much here that sincerely surprised me in the best way. It all came together pretty well, and most of it felt well-earned and cleverly hinted at rather than out of the blue.
GAMEPLAY: It's a visual novel, so not much here. Read the text, click along, make occasional decisions that alter the route you're on and the ending you get.
MULTIPLAYER: N/A.
Favourite Male Character: Isora
Favourite Female Character: Yua
First Character I Liked: Isora
Favourite Character Design: A-TO
Favourite Scene: [Redacted] dissolving after the A-TO concert in one ending
Least Favourite Character: Yasu
CHARACTERS: There's a good variety of options here, and almost every character has some sort of backstory reveal or twist that connects them to the broader plot, which I really enjoyed. I went into it assuming that Isora would be my favourite, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I loved all of the major characters -- Toa isn't far behind Isora, I loved Yua, and even Hino's route, a pretty typical 'childhood best friends to lovers' dynamic that usually struggles to hook me as much, was super endearing.
DIALOGUE: Well-written and engaging - I didn't notice any typos or errors in the translation that I can recall.
PLOT: This was genuinely very good. It felt like every time I thought the twists were over with and I knew everything, some other big and well-done revelation occurred. I went into it vaguely suspecting certain things (namely who the harmless revenant was), and I figured others out immediately (A-TO's identity), but there was so much here that sincerely surprised me in the best way. It all came together pretty well, and most of it felt well-earned and cleverly hinted at rather than out of the blue.
GAMEPLAY: It's a visual novel, so not much here. Read the text, click along, make occasional decisions that alter the route you're on and the ending you get.
MULTIPLAYER: N/A.
Favourite Male Character: Isora
Favourite Female Character: Yua
First Character I Liked: Isora
Favourite Character Design: A-TO
Favourite Scene: [Redacted] dissolving after the A-TO concert in one ending
Least Favourite Character: Yasu
2000
I can't really give this a star rating, but it was kind of my entire childhood. Like, I had a genuine addiction to this game. Every second I was allowed on the computer I was on Habbo.
I can't pinpoint how old I was when I started playing - my older niece let me take over her account, so it says it was made in 2006, but I was probably around 8 or 9 when I started playing which would be 2008-2009ish. The way Habbo felt back then is indescribable. It was small, cozy, pre-UK/US hotel merge so everyone kind of knew everyone when it came to the active players. I'd go into a public room and have people saying hi to me because they recognised me from the forums. It was genuinely such a warm and friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
It kind of started going downhill after the merge, but it took a while. I remember people protesting the merge because we didn't want the stinky Americans in the same hotel as us, and that shit was absolutely reciprocated - I remember going into a room and having two Americans ask me which country I was from, and when I said the UK they banned me. Shit was real back then. With the additions of VIP club on top of Habbo Club, the change in the interface and font/text bubbles, the updates, it all grew more shallow and corporate over the years, and it lost that homely feeling it had.
I've tried to go back to it a few times, but it's a completely different website now. Impossible to navigate, completely dead and inactive, features closed off behind paywalls. It's a shame, because I'd love to re-experience classic Habbo again with an active userbase.
But still, I was there for "the pool is closed", I was there for "bacon hair", I was there for Cozzie Change and Falling Furni, I was there for the casinos filled with thrones and dragons, I was there for the structured careers, I was there for the introduction of pets(!), I was there for the forum games and "Rags to Riches" stories and parkour mazes.
It'll always be special to me, even if I can never recapture it.
Oh, and this game taught me what "cum" was, because I tried to say "cum here" as a kid and it censored me so I looked it up. Classic.
I can't pinpoint how old I was when I started playing - my older niece let me take over her account, so it says it was made in 2006, but I was probably around 8 or 9 when I started playing which would be 2008-2009ish. The way Habbo felt back then is indescribable. It was small, cozy, pre-UK/US hotel merge so everyone kind of knew everyone when it came to the active players. I'd go into a public room and have people saying hi to me because they recognised me from the forums. It was genuinely such a warm and friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
It kind of started going downhill after the merge, but it took a while. I remember people protesting the merge because we didn't want the stinky Americans in the same hotel as us, and that shit was absolutely reciprocated - I remember going into a room and having two Americans ask me which country I was from, and when I said the UK they banned me. Shit was real back then. With the additions of VIP club on top of Habbo Club, the change in the interface and font/text bubbles, the updates, it all grew more shallow and corporate over the years, and it lost that homely feeling it had.
I've tried to go back to it a few times, but it's a completely different website now. Impossible to navigate, completely dead and inactive, features closed off behind paywalls. It's a shame, because I'd love to re-experience classic Habbo again with an active userbase.
But still, I was there for "the pool is closed", I was there for "bacon hair", I was there for Cozzie Change and Falling Furni, I was there for the casinos filled with thrones and dragons, I was there for the structured careers, I was there for the introduction of pets(!), I was there for the forum games and "Rags to Riches" stories and parkour mazes.
It'll always be special to me, even if I can never recapture it.
Oh, and this game taught me what "cum" was, because I tried to say "cum here" as a kid and it censored me so I looked it up. Classic.
2016
This review is based on me... avoiding having to pay, so this review doesn't factor in pricing and paywalls.
This game is so neat. I genuinely love the concept, I love the art, I love the characters. The story is surprisingly dark for such an otherwise bright and fun game, and the twists and turns are engaging and interesting.
The translation is pretty good - it's a little goofy in places where certain jokes or figures of speech in Korean don't quite land the same in English - but there's nothing that doesn't make sense.
It's a time commitment for sure if you're playing it as intended; the game lasts for 11 real-life days, with chats triggering once every hour or two up to around 3AM, and unless you want to deprive yourself of sleep you will miss some. I don't play it this way because frankly I hate missing out on content, so I tend to run through routes all at once via my... evasion.
I'm still yet to play V and Saeran's routes, as well as all of the character-specific runs through of the DLC chapters, but from what I have completed:
Jaehee: My first route, and the one I'm most fond of. I love Jaehee - she's probably my favourite character from the game as a whole, and I think she's wildly underrated (I can't blame people, considering most of the people who play this are likely straight girls, but c'mon! At least for the content!). It's sweet, cozy, wholesome, and the least dark of all the routes; the main antagonist is literally capitalism. It's light on the romance and more implications and "gal-pal"ing in the main story thanks to censorship, but it's more explicitly romantic in the DLC episodes.
Yoosung: Yoosung is a sweet one, and the character I probably relate to most. I enjoyed his route by the end, but the first half of it can be pretty frustrating due to his repeated insistence on comparing you to Rika, calling you Rika, telling you he pictures you as looking like Rika, etc. Not exactly inducive to a good romance. He does get over it if you're on the right ending, though, which I was relieved by (that shit did feel pseudo-incestuous at times).
Zen: Zen is probably my least favourite of the main five characters, but I don't dislike him per se - I just find his habit of making everything about him and doing nothing but complaining in every single chat he's in exhausting (seriously, keep track of how many chat rooms he just comes into and complains in when you're not on his route). That said, his route was still sweet; he's very straight-forward and romantic, which is a nice change of pace from the more slow-burn options. The antagonist in his route pissed me off for very personal reasons, and she's pretty much cartoonishly evil, but I suppose there are people out there like that.
Jumin: My favourite of the Deep Story characters, but I'm not sure how I feel about his route itself. His bad endings can be pretty wack, and the first time I played through his route I was left with such an uncomfortable, cornered feeling - and that's with getting his good ending. It wasn't what I expected at all, and there were some truly questionable elements in it. I did eventually come to appreciate it for what it is, but if you have a history of any kind of abuse or non-consensual encounters etc. you should probably know what his romance entails before starting it.
Seven: This one is the fan-favourite, and I do see why, even though it doesn't quite click with me as much as it does for others. This is the most plot-heavy and relevant route, and there's a lot going on here; there's a reason most people say you should leave this one for last. I don't personally like the 'Seven is aware of your replays' theory (it makes me feel guilty!), but I suppose that's another reason to leave this one for last.
Favourite Male Character: Jumin
Favourite Female Character: Jaehee
First Character I Liked: Jaehee
Favourite Character Design: Jumin
Favourite OST: My Half is Unknown
Least Favourite Character: ECHO Girl
This game is so neat. I genuinely love the concept, I love the art, I love the characters. The story is surprisingly dark for such an otherwise bright and fun game, and the twists and turns are engaging and interesting.
The translation is pretty good - it's a little goofy in places where certain jokes or figures of speech in Korean don't quite land the same in English - but there's nothing that doesn't make sense.
It's a time commitment for sure if you're playing it as intended; the game lasts for 11 real-life days, with chats triggering once every hour or two up to around 3AM, and unless you want to deprive yourself of sleep you will miss some. I don't play it this way because frankly I hate missing out on content, so I tend to run through routes all at once via my... evasion.
I'm still yet to play V and Saeran's routes, as well as all of the character-specific runs through of the DLC chapters, but from what I have completed:
Jaehee: My first route, and the one I'm most fond of. I love Jaehee - she's probably my favourite character from the game as a whole, and I think she's wildly underrated (I can't blame people, considering most of the people who play this are likely straight girls, but c'mon! At least for the content!). It's sweet, cozy, wholesome, and the least dark of all the routes; the main antagonist is literally capitalism. It's light on the romance and more implications and "gal-pal"ing in the main story thanks to censorship, but it's more explicitly romantic in the DLC episodes.
Yoosung: Yoosung is a sweet one, and the character I probably relate to most. I enjoyed his route by the end, but the first half of it can be pretty frustrating due to his repeated insistence on comparing you to Rika, calling you Rika, telling you he pictures you as looking like Rika, etc. Not exactly inducive to a good romance. He does get over it if you're on the right ending, though, which I was relieved by (that shit did feel pseudo-incestuous at times).
Zen: Zen is probably my least favourite of the main five characters, but I don't dislike him per se - I just find his habit of making everything about him and doing nothing but complaining in every single chat he's in exhausting (seriously, keep track of how many chat rooms he just comes into and complains in when you're not on his route). That said, his route was still sweet; he's very straight-forward and romantic, which is a nice change of pace from the more slow-burn options. The antagonist in his route pissed me off for very personal reasons, and she's pretty much cartoonishly evil, but I suppose there are people out there like that.
Jumin: My favourite of the Deep Story characters, but I'm not sure how I feel about his route itself. His bad endings can be pretty wack, and the first time I played through his route I was left with such an uncomfortable, cornered feeling - and that's with getting his good ending. It wasn't what I expected at all, and there were some truly questionable elements in it. I did eventually come to appreciate it for what it is, but if you have a history of any kind of abuse or non-consensual encounters etc. you should probably know what his romance entails before starting it.
Seven: This one is the fan-favourite, and I do see why, even though it doesn't quite click with me as much as it does for others. This is the most plot-heavy and relevant route, and there's a lot going on here; there's a reason most people say you should leave this one for last. I don't personally like the 'Seven is aware of your replays' theory (it makes me feel guilty!), but I suppose that's another reason to leave this one for last.
Favourite Male Character: Jumin
Favourite Female Character: Jaehee
First Character I Liked: Jaehee
Favourite Character Design: Jumin
Favourite OST: My Half is Unknown
Least Favourite Character: ECHO Girl
2012
Have you ever held a game so close to your heart that you can't bear to read negative reviews on it?
I'm not going to be the person who says "This game saved my life!", but I will say The Cat Lady did a lot for me.
I was 11 or 12 when I first watched a playthrough of this game. For the most part I was much too young to really understand the subtleties and overarching messages, but by that age I was already struggling with my mental health. I won't get into details, but I was already extremely depressed and deeply contemplating taking my own life.
I vividly remember watching the early part of The Cat Lady, where Susan wakes up in the afterlife and meets the Queen of Maggots, and it shook me to my fucking core. It scared me. It was the first time I'd been faced with the concept of suicide meaning I'd wake up somewhere bleak and terrifying and sinister and revolting, that it wouldn't be an escape to somewhere peaceful and relieving at all. I couldn't get it out of my head, couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of something like that being real - I was a kid with a very overactive imagination who often had night terrors at the slightest glimpse of a Scary Thing or piece of media, and my brain took this and ran with it.
And I was too scared to go through with it. I was, unironically, too scared to risk meeting this fucking maggot lady.
And, God, was I pissed at this game. I hated it. I was so incredibly angry that it had scared me away from what I'd been viewing as a solution. If I just hadn't watched it, if I just hadn't experienced this story, I would've been able to do it.
My memory of it and my fear faded over the years, and I would go on to indeed attempt suicide several times. The last time would be the worst, and I ended up in intensive care for two weeks with doctors trying to save my internal organs from shutting down.
And then I came out the other side. That was two years ago now, and I can now say with full honesty I don't want to die anymore. In fact, sometimes I'm even brave enough to call myself happy. I'm engaged to a wonderful fiancee, I have a solid support network of amazing friends who care about me, my confidence is growing, and I'm proud of who I've become and am becoming.
And so I played this game again.
The Cat Lady is heavy on the heart. It's not a light game you can play on stream, or sink into to take your mind off reality. It's a visceral and real look into the psyche of a depressed, bitterly suicidal woman, and it doesn't make her palatable for you. Susan is resentful, she's cynical, she's reclusive and messy and often rude. But her journey, through her mission and her friendship with Mitzi and her backstory unfurling to the player and her love for her cats and her mental health and her path to learn to live again - it's so, so special. It's really something for a game so unabashedly raw and unfiltered to leave you with a sense of genuine hope and optimism and appreciation for life when the credits roll.
At 11, I hated The Cat Lady for forcing me to live, and now at almost 24 I love it for being here while I learn to do it myself. It took us 13 years to do it, but Susan and I climbed that insurmountable cliff side by side, and for that I'll always sing this game's praises.
I'm not going to be the person who says "This game saved my life!", but I will say The Cat Lady did a lot for me.
I was 11 or 12 when I first watched a playthrough of this game. For the most part I was much too young to really understand the subtleties and overarching messages, but by that age I was already struggling with my mental health. I won't get into details, but I was already extremely depressed and deeply contemplating taking my own life.
I vividly remember watching the early part of The Cat Lady, where Susan wakes up in the afterlife and meets the Queen of Maggots, and it shook me to my fucking core. It scared me. It was the first time I'd been faced with the concept of suicide meaning I'd wake up somewhere bleak and terrifying and sinister and revolting, that it wouldn't be an escape to somewhere peaceful and relieving at all. I couldn't get it out of my head, couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of something like that being real - I was a kid with a very overactive imagination who often had night terrors at the slightest glimpse of a Scary Thing or piece of media, and my brain took this and ran with it.
And I was too scared to go through with it. I was, unironically, too scared to risk meeting this fucking maggot lady.
And, God, was I pissed at this game. I hated it. I was so incredibly angry that it had scared me away from what I'd been viewing as a solution. If I just hadn't watched it, if I just hadn't experienced this story, I would've been able to do it.
My memory of it and my fear faded over the years, and I would go on to indeed attempt suicide several times. The last time would be the worst, and I ended up in intensive care for two weeks with doctors trying to save my internal organs from shutting down.
And then I came out the other side. That was two years ago now, and I can now say with full honesty I don't want to die anymore. In fact, sometimes I'm even brave enough to call myself happy. I'm engaged to a wonderful fiancee, I have a solid support network of amazing friends who care about me, my confidence is growing, and I'm proud of who I've become and am becoming.
And so I played this game again.
The Cat Lady is heavy on the heart. It's not a light game you can play on stream, or sink into to take your mind off reality. It's a visceral and real look into the psyche of a depressed, bitterly suicidal woman, and it doesn't make her palatable for you. Susan is resentful, she's cynical, she's reclusive and messy and often rude. But her journey, through her mission and her friendship with Mitzi and her backstory unfurling to the player and her love for her cats and her mental health and her path to learn to live again - it's so, so special. It's really something for a game so unabashedly raw and unfiltered to leave you with a sense of genuine hope and optimism and appreciation for life when the credits roll.
At 11, I hated The Cat Lady for forcing me to live, and now at almost 24 I love it for being here while I learn to do it myself. It took us 13 years to do it, but Susan and I climbed that insurmountable cliff side by side, and for that I'll always sing this game's praises.
2014
I was somewhere in the range of 11-14 when I first played this (God knows what version it was, I can't keep track of them all), which you'd think would psychologically scar me for life, but I came out of it relatively unscathed and with a vested interest in this game that has stuck with me to this day.
The translation is hilariously bad at times - what the hell was "butter up my pooper" about - and the writing verges on blatantly fetishistic in certain places; the developers really, really want you to indulge in their piss kink. Like, they really do.
Disregarding that, I don't think I'll ever stop being fond of Corpse Party. It's one of the games I go out of my way to get all the endings for, including the bad ones I'm usually too tragedy-averse to make myself experience, just because they're all so varied and horrific. The descriptions of death and the victims' notes scattered around the school are evocative and haunting, and everything about the emotion and fear experienced by characters both past and present is so visceral and palpable as you play through it.
This probably has one of the most horrifying 'afterlife' concepts in a game I've played, what with the feeling the pain of your method of death for every second of the rest of eternity while all of your loved ones completely forget you ever existed. Goddamn. And these are kids!
God. I wish more people knew about this series so I could talk about it. What an embarrassing, devastating, fascinating game.
Favourite Male Character: Kizami
Favourite Female Character: Ms. Yui
First Character I Liked: Mayu
Favourite Character Design: Kai
Favourite Moment: Escaping Heavenly Host
Least Favourite Character: The principal
The translation is hilariously bad at times - what the hell was "butter up my pooper" about - and the writing verges on blatantly fetishistic in certain places; the developers really, really want you to indulge in their piss kink. Like, they really do.
Disregarding that, I don't think I'll ever stop being fond of Corpse Party. It's one of the games I go out of my way to get all the endings for, including the bad ones I'm usually too tragedy-averse to make myself experience, just because they're all so varied and horrific. The descriptions of death and the victims' notes scattered around the school are evocative and haunting, and everything about the emotion and fear experienced by characters both past and present is so visceral and palpable as you play through it.
This probably has one of the most horrifying 'afterlife' concepts in a game I've played, what with the feeling the pain of your method of death for every second of the rest of eternity while all of your loved ones completely forget you ever existed. Goddamn. And these are kids!
God. I wish more people knew about this series so I could talk about it. What an embarrassing, devastating, fascinating game.
Favourite Male Character: Kizami
Favourite Female Character: Ms. Yui
First Character I Liked: Mayu
Favourite Character Design: Kai
Favourite Moment: Escaping Heavenly Host
Least Favourite Character: The principal
2020
This is a very unserious review and I understand this game is meant to be spooky and it was! But the baby teleporting around the room every time you turn your back had me crying with laughter