Having played this game 20 years after its original launch, I can see why people say this is a really dated experience, yet I can't bring myself to actually dislike what I went through.
We have Ryo Hazuki as the MC trying to avenge his father, and that's pretty much the motivations behind the actual game plot going the way it does.
However, I feel the way it's pulled off feels really well-done, seeing that you can at times feel the actual resolution and determination in Ryo to go after Lan Di, the guy who killed his father, while still feeling the struggle and melancholy of leaving everything behind (including Nozomi, which actually hurts) in the actual game.
Gameplay-wise, it's just a walking simulator with some fights (gameplay being ripped out of Virtua Fighter) here and there.
However, it has to be one of the most immersive and charming experiences I've played in a good while: everything contributes to the atmosphere, from little side quests like the cat, to the soundtrack, and the actual game system, which feels closer to a real-life simulation than an actual game at times. They even took real weather data in the time frame the game takes place in and added it into the game, if that isn't dedication I don't really know what else could be it.
It's a masterpiece in its own merit, but a flawed one at that, seeing as you could actually end up waiting with no real stuff to do except wandering around or even using your phone in real life.
However, truth is, there is something so unique about this game that there is no way I could be even close to hate it.
Definitely NOT a game for everyone, but for some of you, it's worth your time.
We have Ryo Hazuki as the MC trying to avenge his father, and that's pretty much the motivations behind the actual game plot going the way it does.
However, I feel the way it's pulled off feels really well-done, seeing that you can at times feel the actual resolution and determination in Ryo to go after Lan Di, the guy who killed his father, while still feeling the struggle and melancholy of leaving everything behind (including Nozomi, which actually hurts) in the actual game.
Gameplay-wise, it's just a walking simulator with some fights (gameplay being ripped out of Virtua Fighter) here and there.
However, it has to be one of the most immersive and charming experiences I've played in a good while: everything contributes to the atmosphere, from little side quests like the cat, to the soundtrack, and the actual game system, which feels closer to a real-life simulation than an actual game at times. They even took real weather data in the time frame the game takes place in and added it into the game, if that isn't dedication I don't really know what else could be it.
It's a masterpiece in its own merit, but a flawed one at that, seeing as you could actually end up waiting with no real stuff to do except wandering around or even using your phone in real life.
However, truth is, there is something so unique about this game that there is no way I could be even close to hate it.
Definitely NOT a game for everyone, but for some of you, it's worth your time.