Reembarking on the journey through the original Shin Megami Tensei V, I found the character's to be unmemorable, unmotivated, uninteresting, and unequivocally dogshit. I played through the original game 2 times, and not once did a single character's name become etched into my mind. This is Shin Megami Tensei we're talking about, I could name over 100 demons just by looking at them. I remember running into a vampire demon and immediately identifying him as Kudlak, so this is inexcusable from Shin Megami Tensei V's standpoint. It was with this version though, that ATLUS seeks to come back with a Vengeance. b-because it's called Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.

Let's just say that Vengeance makes due on the qualms I had with the original game. Tao, Yoko, Dazai, Jacob, and Luke, are just barely scratching by with their memorability this time. They have proper motivations, and hit you with the titular dialogue of ideology that continuously get rehashed with each game, and characters actually converse with one another. Its sparse but consistent. I won't elaborate on too much, so just know that the writing is better, but the bar was very low with this game. The whole Qadistu are basically Zero's sisters, with the exception of Four (the character). Do with this information what you will. I didn't want to mention Drakengard in this review (I'll try to do better in the future), but I really can't not mention the fact that people are out here being turned into salt.

Now let's talk about Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance as a video game. Absolute fucking banger. This is by far the best turn-based combat game ever produced. ATLUS has always exceeded at player agency and empowerment when it came to their gameplay. Knocking all the enemies down and performing an all out attack, creating a team composition that makes every aspect of a boss obsolete. Even with these ideas in mind, SMT V:V manages to create a strong middle-ground that is genuinely thought-provoking at every turn, giving the player proper incentives that make them want to play better and hit harder. This was true even in the original version of SMTV, and was made abundantly clear to the player when they are presented with the game's first boss, wherein, they were more than likely forced to use a Mermaid in order to defeat it. Mermaid is weak to fire, the bosses magic attack of choice, which forces the player to use dampener's or guard, as no other alternative other than overcompensating with grinding can over come this challenge.

Likewise, I praised Shin Megami Tensei V for its level design above all else. If there's one thing I haven't gotten tired of in my now 3 times playing this game, it's actually playing the fucking game. This is deeply impressive coming from an RPG. Most RPG's lack that replay value, and rely on a strong story to be engaging enough for a replay. I never get tired of exploring the sand-ridden city of Minato where every sand hill is just another attempt at obfuscating the environment, always leaving you peeking over and around corners to see what's ahead, and is designed in such a natural way to where you never feel like you're looking at a wall. The dilapidated Shinagawa, has fallen into disrepair yet remains lively with demon's populating every crevice, with a fairy village off to the west that hopes to usher in a new age of nature and life into the landscape. The new area, Shinjuku, always seems to expand in size yet never feels overwhelming. The tasteful enemy placement and complexity of Kabukicho made for an experience I'd gladly play again, knowing I'm not following the same linear and uninspired path that most games tend to falter with. Navigating the landscapes of Shin Megami Tensei V never feel's like a chore. There's a strong sense of verticality (scaling buildings to get a good view, sliding down a nice slide and/or hill), the game never sabotages its momentum, only punishing you if you run carelessly into an enemy and get fucked, so you're always on your toes, making it all the more satisfying when you make it to the end.

A similar thing can be said for the demon's. The original game led me into a rhythm of 3 demon's: Yoshitsune, Idun, and Alice. Literally an unstoppable team that never fails. My 2nd playthrough let me fuse an Alice that had +20 magic when fused due to an essence skill that gives exp and stat boosts to demon's when fusing. With Vengeance, however, I know I can't defeat the cock in a wheelbarrow if I have Yoshitsune, because Yoshitsune has physical skills. Even still, I keep the team as my focus because Shin Megami Tensei V just loves encouraging you to be creative and unique with your own team composition. There's truly nothing more satisfying in Megami Tensei games than having a demon you like. I was really worried about the balancing, because I noticed that Persona 3 Reload had homo-demons (everyone was using Siegfried), but the game chose to be easier on hard difficulty by minimizing grinding to the bare minimum in favor of pure strategy.

Lastly, I've already spoken praise about the art direction of the landscapes you roam, but the enemy designs are something to complain about. Doi doesn't design demons, he's just drawing women. When there are 2 female demon's that have unique skills exclusively built around sexualization, while Jack Frost remains assless and unviable, I begin throwing sharp objects at children playing at the park. The death of these children are on Doi's hands. The sexuality is fine. Being in a post-apocalyptic world ran by demons, I'm not exactly expecting puritanism to thrive here--fucking obviously. Hearing moans in the background of SMT IV's Tarvern theme, the Magatsuhi is obviously represented as some form of ecstasy akin to sexual pleasure that Demon's love to absorb, the sexuality is core to the atomsphere, but what Doi's doing here is just pure self-indulgent sexualization. Naamah is literally Five from Drakengard 3, which makes 2 nickels in my pockets for the amount of times a Japanese man has made a sexually promiscuous blonde haired white woman. Will update if more are made.

"𝑾𝒐𝒘..."

"𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑨𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏: 𝑰𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑽𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆..."

"𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑯𝒂𝒉𝒂..."

Still Wakes the Deep: Menosprezado por alguns como lendas antes dele.

Não Still Wakes the Deep não é desenvolvido pela mesma Dev que fez Alien: Isolation, acho que nem publicado pela mesma publisher... E na verdade enquanto jogos eles não têm nenhuma relação entre sim...

Mas isso não significa que não existam coisas em comum aqui...

As "belíssimas" (Tom Irônico) Reviews que alguns veículos vieram a conceder para ambos os jogo...

Em geral isso também tem se repetido com jogos de Horror de diversas formas diferentes. A não ser por algumas excessões, como franquias maiores, ou devs já conhecidas... No geral jogos de terror tendem a receber no máximo uma nota 8 independente do que eles se propõem a ser.

Rolou com Darkwood, Alien: Isolation, e aquela review "Monumental" (Tom Irônico) da Ign, e agora também com Still Wakes the Deep.

Citei esses dois games pois ambos atualmente já são considerados clássicos do horror moderno na indústria. Mesmo tendo propostas diferentes, mas que são muito bem aplicadas em suas diferentes mecânicas... Assim como outros exemplos, vide Detention e Devotion, da Red Candle e até Soma, e Amnesia: The Bunker, também são exemplos.

E acredito que Still Wake também pode, caso os fãs o abracem, ser colocado nessa mesma prateleira...

Still Wakes the Deep é um game de horror narrativo, com uma pitada de ação em alguns momentos... E eu não vou mentir, gostei muito do que foi apresentando aqui. Seja no design da plataforma na qual estamos, na narrativa contada por fora das falas, nos cenários, ou até na fantástica performance dos atores de cada personagem, que só não podem ser descritos como a melhor do ano pois Hellblade II também lançou aqui.

Os momentos de tensão e de tranquilidade são muito bem balanceados, o que nesse jogo faz total diferença para que a cadência da história em si seja bem aplicada... O jogo não é longo, mas não precisa ser, sua narrativa é tão bem montada que em momento nenhum eu me senti cansado, ou com vontade de parar de jogar.

Além de que tem momentos muito interessantes nesse jogo mas que eu não posso dizer pois seria Spoiler.

Agora algo interessante que eu poderia criticar seria o fato de que seus puzzles não são muito complexos... Mas mesmo sendo um ponto negativo, isso ainda assim não há tanto peso pela forma como esses mesmos puzzles são distribuídos e aplicados...

Girar uma manivela não é difícil e dá pra aprender rápido.... Mas é difícil de fazer isso quando tem um ser que você não sabe o que é te perseguindo sem olhar a quem....

No final das contas, Still Wakes the Deep faz tudo o que se propõem muito bem... E tem muitos méritos... Acredito que no futuro olharão para esse game com o carinho que olham para outros do gênero. E devo dizer que a Chinese Room fez um ótimo retorno a indústria com ele.

Para Still Wakes the Deep um 8.8/10 ou um 4/5... Recomendo muito, principalmente por estar no Gamepass agora no lançamento...

A Short Hike simultaneously is and isn’t exactly what it sounds like. It’s a comfy and cozy exploration game where you play as a teenage bird girl named Claire. Claire is staying with her Aunt May for the summer at Hawk Peak Provincial Park, where her Aunt works as a ranger. The park is located on an island that has to be accessed by a ferry. It’s your typical beautiful looking park which surrounds a tall mountain, the kind of thing that can be hard for kids acclimated to suburban life to appreciate.

Claire lounges around her Aunt’s house, waiting for a very important phone call. Her Aunt tells her that the Park doesn’t get cellphone reception, and that she’ll have to hike up the trail to Hawk’s Peak if she wants to get a signal. Claire’s never made the journey up to Hawk’s Peak before, but this phone call is extremely important to Claire, and so she decides to make the journey so that she’ll be able to pick up when she gets the call.

A Short Hike is a game you’re just meant to chill and vibe with. While your goal is to get to the top of Hawk’s Peak, there’s no real sense of urgency. You can take all the time you need to get there. Exploring the Park and the rest of the island is the game’s primary focus. You can talk to the various residents throughout the park, get to know them as well as life on the island, play some beachstickball with the kids, fish with an old guy, and collect things like shells and coins. The island is very well designed with plenty of stuff to do and lots of things to find. In some ways it kind of reminds me of a level from Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine, just without any form of hazards.

Claire controls in a similar fashion to 3D platforming games. She has the ability to climb certain walls, jump and flap her wings as a method of mid-air jumping, as well as glide through the air while following the wind to carry her farther distances. In order to make it to the top of Hawk’s Peak, Claire needs to find Golden Feathers which increase her stamina, allowing her to climb taller walls as well as flap her wings in mid-air additional times. This is the most important collectable to find, as you’ll need seven of them in order to make it to the summit. There’s an abundance of Golden Feathers on the island though, so acquiring seven isn’t too difficult or too linear of a process. Claire feels very comfortable to control, and the flapping and glide mechanics feel very satisfying. Much like its title implies, the game as a whole is pretty short. It can be beaten in a little over an hour unless you’re trying to 100% the game, and even then, most people only take about four hours to complete it. I didn’t do all of the optional content, but I did some of it and I enjoyed what I played.

For the most part, its presentation is great. The game has an atmosphere that’s like a cross between Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, making for a vibe that’s all around the highest levels of cozy possible. Loved the adaptive soundtrack. I thought the default settings for the pixelation was wayyyy too high. The game genuinely looked like a poorly emulated DS game until I turned the settings for that down. Once I did, I thought the game looked great.

A Short Hike is a game that achieves what it sets out to do. It isn’t anything groundbreaking, it isn’t something you’re going to spend a lot of time with, but I think that unless you’re super jaded, it’s a game that you can at the very least vibe with and play with a smile on your face. For a lotta people, that’s more than enough. Claire’s satisfying controls, the open-ended approach towards beating the game, and the game’s impeccable aesthetic all make for a very worthwhile experience. It’s not the type of game I’m head over heels for, but at the same time, it’s a game that I really appreciate.

Outside of some wonky hitboxes, I find this to be near perfect. It's very linear and fairly dialogue heavy for a metroidvania, but that lends itself to a more engaging story and tightly paced experience.

The combat is the main draw here, with it definitely taking heavy inspiration from Sekiro, and it's great. The bosses in particular are all very well designed. You die quickly while fighting them, but once you figure out their pattern the encounters become beautiful dances that feel as if they're over in a flash.

The story and characters are all surprisingly great. I really enjoy the mesh of Taoism and sci-fi, it lends itself to a ton of great imagery. You'll be asking questions throughout the whole story, culminating in a phenomenal final boss fight and a great ending (assuming you go for the true one).

Presentation and soundtrack are also a plus here, game is beautiful and the music really elevates everything.

Im having a hard time figuring out where to start in unpacking my thoughts on Nine Sols, their pullulation of which make them hard to grasp . Im going to try coming at this in a more procedural way, starting with more superficial things I could say and digging deeper from there. The most useless thing I could say about Nine Sols is: its one of the best games Ive ever played in an era of some of the best games ever made.

The next thing I want to say that is a little clumsy but I dont think I can leave out: Nine Sols is Hollow Knight if, instead of “Dark Souls meets Metroid”, it was 30% Metroid and 70% Sekiro. This isnt a shallow comparison, Nine Sols directly shares some conventions with Hollow Knight (map acquisition, charm analogue, pogo-style platforming) but with a reduction in the platforming and map complexity in favor of more dedicated combat systems. As a Metroidvania curmudgeon, this ratio of influences suits me so much more.

Heres the rub tho: very few games even begin to come close to Fromsofts level of quality and combat spectacle, especially Sekiros - so its in fact breathlessly exciting that Nine Sols, a game made by a dev who previously only made horror games, manages to stand shoulders with titans and deliver some of the most badass combat experiences in gaming to date. Part of what drives me the most in video games is “gamefeel”, a term used somewhat nebulously but which for me refers to the experience of moving around in the game world. Nine Sols has a sense of speed and momentum, youre zipping back and forth around your enemy leaving them pockeyed with explosions in your wake; youre leaping into the air to bounce and fling yourself between the deflections of your enemies attacks like some sort of lethal bird poised to swoop down and deliver a flurry of blows in every brief window you can find. To me this is like opium, the humming nirvanaous frequency my mind vibrates at while it processes the complex array of swords and knives being thrown my way is the closest thing to euphoria Ive ever experienced without a heavy prescription and I cannot overstate how much I fucking love that shit.

I feel like I need to expound on this. Theres just...... something about the sensation of being airborne in a video game. When its done right theres a mezmerizing and immensely satisfying rhythm to sustaining the lofting of your character. Its surprising then how rare this is, among action games, how terrified most games are to let you waft and fly around an arena. The crown is left uncontested for Nine Sols as it engineers moments of fluttering aerial jousting, swaying in elliptical lateraluses through your enemies with motions that feel vageuly Tai-Chi. "There is frankly not enough here" cries the man hopelessly addicted to the flow state.

But it wasnt good enough that Nine Sols could exceed my expectations just as an action game, no, Red Candle had to also somehow create a dense, expertly crafted, brilliantly laid-out taoist parable of ambition and suffering. The withholding, secretive style of narrative popularized by the Souls games is fashioned into a faceted character-driven drama in an unexpected and kinda visionary sort of way. Red Candle demonstrates an almost capricious amount of creative range, even somehow figuring out ways to infuse Nine Sols with moments of their horror pedigree. On a kickstarted budget of $420,000 Nine Sols eclipses the stories of AAA games working with 10x the financial backing, hands down, not even close. Who the hell let them cook??? For as excellent as Fromsofts work is, you wanna know one thing their games usually dont do? Make me mfing cry during the ending !! Shout it so people in the back can hear you: “Hurt People hurt people”.

"𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓..."

"𝑺𝒐 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔..."

"𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍"

Nine Sols: Digno do esforço entorno dele.

Red Candle Games... Facilmente uma das desenvolvedoras Indies mais talentosas e esforçadas que eu já vi, também uma das devs que passou por muitas coisas ruins pra ao menos tentar mostrar sua arte ao mundo.

A História da Red Candle é uma das demonstrações mais simples do porque governos autoritários tendem a destruir a busca pela arte e sua demonstração.

Mas, para não politizar a review, e tornar isso um debate politico, tirando o foco do jogo em analise em si. Eu peço por favor para que, caso queiram, que pesquisem o que aconteceu com o segundo jogo da Red Candle, Devotion, jogão inclusive, e o motivo pelo qual o jogo só é, hoje, vendido no site oficial do estúdio, e foi tirado de lojas digitais, como a steam por exemplo...

Até então, a Red Candle Games buscou apenas fazer jogos de terror, Taiwanesa, ela sempre colocou bastante de sua cultura dentro de seus jogos, nunca tendo medo de exagerar em suas experiências, em busca de tirar o maior numero de emoções, sejam boas ou ruins, daqueles que jogam os seus jogos.

Nine Sols, o terceiro jogo da desenvolvedora, não é uma exceção, embora não seja um jogo de terror em essência, e sim um metroidvania da Era Pós Hollow Knight. Sols ainda assim constrói todo o seu universo e dinâmicas com base no que isso pode trazer ao jogador, e somar com aquilo que ele já viu, antes, no gênero.

Nine não reinventa a roda, na verdade nem Hollow Knight fez isso... Porém isso não é demérito, já que aqui, temos uma história monumental, uma das melhores do gênero, e além disso, tem uma gameplay divertida, desafiadora e muito bem feita...

Não pretendo me aprofundar na historia, pois pra isso teria que dar alguns spoilers por isso, vou direto a gameplay.

Pense em Sekiro, pensou? Mescla com Hollow Knight, coloque a cultura oriental...

Nine Sols é praticamente isso, e um pouco mais... Não apenas por ter uma direção de arte belíssima, mas principalmente pois joga-lo trás muita diversão. Embora também seja desafiador, o combate de Sols é bem balanceado e a curva de aprendizado é interessante o suficiente para te manter engajado até o final de sua experiência.

Além disso, Nine também tem uma ótima trilha sonora, ótima mesmo...

No final da obra, me senti feliz, pois sabia que havia experiência um jogo que não apenas havia me saciado, mas que principalmente está acima da média, muito, em seu próprio gênero... Sols não é revolucionário, isso é fato, mas definitivamente é uma obra que guardarei com muito carinho...

Parabenizo a Red Candle Games, pelo esforço em tentar trazer o máximo de qualidade em seus jogos, é uma dev extremamente talentosa, que deve receber carinho, principalmente por tudo que passara...

Para Nine Sols um 9.5/10 ou um 5/5... Por pouco não uma obra prima...

Nota de rodapé: Infelizmente o jogo não tem Legenda em Portugues...