Oshy
6 reviews liked by Oshy
Puzzle & Dragons
2012
mfw hes mantastic AND fantastic
Inscryption
2021
This review contains spoilers
(Not really a review as much as it is just my thoughts the day after finishing)
I'm generally not a tremendous fan of card game roguelikes, Inscryption's first act is an extremely easy one to find yourself hooked on. The atmosphere and ability to break up the gameplay loop with puzzles and exploring the cabin aside, the first act's mechanics and pacing are both digestible and seamless. I found myself having trouble putting it down, as it felt so easy to just play the next turn, room, or run.
Acts 2 and 3, while more compelling from a narrative standpoint, lost the qualities that made the first Act so difficult to put down. The additions of a decklist and an overworld by themselves felt like they 'slowed' the games down enough for me to get excited as I neared the end of any given section.
Inscryption, the card game itself, I felt was strong at its core and was enjoyable to play when your deck aligned with your playstyle. The Beasts and Bones mechanics introduced in Act 1 held up throughout the entire game, while the Gem and Circuit mechanics felt cluttered and complicated to me, though in their defense I did not properly spend the time to get comfortable using them. At the time of this 'journal', I have not tried Kaycee's Mod yet, but can genuinely say that the prospect of playing through Act 1 just for the game and mechanics is something I'm very interested in doing! Even after the narrative and shock of the story built around it, Inscryption remains a fun, comfortable, and satisfying card game.
Enjoyed the game and recommend it for the first Act alone!
I'm generally not a tremendous fan of card game roguelikes, Inscryption's first act is an extremely easy one to find yourself hooked on. The atmosphere and ability to break up the gameplay loop with puzzles and exploring the cabin aside, the first act's mechanics and pacing are both digestible and seamless. I found myself having trouble putting it down, as it felt so easy to just play the next turn, room, or run.
Acts 2 and 3, while more compelling from a narrative standpoint, lost the qualities that made the first Act so difficult to put down. The additions of a decklist and an overworld by themselves felt like they 'slowed' the games down enough for me to get excited as I neared the end of any given section.
Inscryption, the card game itself, I felt was strong at its core and was enjoyable to play when your deck aligned with your playstyle. The Beasts and Bones mechanics introduced in Act 1 held up throughout the entire game, while the Gem and Circuit mechanics felt cluttered and complicated to me, though in their defense I did not properly spend the time to get comfortable using them. At the time of this 'journal', I have not tried Kaycee's Mod yet, but can genuinely say that the prospect of playing through Act 1 just for the game and mechanics is something I'm very interested in doing! Even after the narrative and shock of the story built around it, Inscryption remains a fun, comfortable, and satisfying card game.
Enjoyed the game and recommend it for the first Act alone!
Magical Starsign
2006
I wanted to say "I miss Brownie Brown" but apparently they're still around? Huh!
Magical Starsign
2006
Magical Starsign is not exactly the most mechanically solid game out there, and the art style is a little odd for the character portraits. The sprites are adorable and the world is colorful and fun... and then you reach the halfway point of the game. I have never had a game's mood whiplash hit me so hard. This game absolutely shaped my sense of humor and love of puns, and I will never forget it. I can still hear the battle theme in my head. I wouldn't call it a must play or anything, but Magical Starsign was a very fun time and I can never recommend it highly enough.
Magical Starsign
2006
If you know, you know.
Chained Echoes
2022
Chained Echoes started out feeling like a classic, lighthearted jrpg and ended feeling like a classic, introspective jrpg. The most surprising part of the game for me is the high bar of quality it holds for an indie game, where the music, designs, art, and scope of content feel like 'more' than it should be capable of, given that it was made by a single developer.
I ended the story feeling very attached to the main character and without very many questions, which was surprising given how many plot threads were running only a few hours prior. The narrative feels like so much is happening all at once in a world where no one waits for the main characters before acting, but it never felt like it lost focus or that it wasn't on track to its final destination.
The star of the game is definitely the world and exploration though. NPCs, surprise encounters, the enemy designs, the various secrets lying around are all what made the game so enticing for me. I spent the majority of my time running around trying to complete the reward board (which was a great way to add optional content without muddying up the player with side quests) and kept being surprised until the very end of my 39 hour playthrough.
The turn based combat system wasn't anything insane on its own, but the decision to pace the game with regular setpiece encounters really made the difference. Combat very rarely felt like a chore because the only times I felt forced to do it were in encounters that progressed the story or had some other draw that made them feel special. If the world building is the star of the game, the combat encounter pacing is the bread trail that keeps you playing just a littttle bit longer.
All in all, as someone who doesn't have a ton of experience in jrpgs (Pokemon, Persona, Xenoblade, and Fire Emblem mainly), Chained Echoes felt fresh, but also really digestible and quality throughout my entire playthrough. Recommended even if you dislike jrpgs.
$25 makes it a great price too.
I ended the story feeling very attached to the main character and without very many questions, which was surprising given how many plot threads were running only a few hours prior. The narrative feels like so much is happening all at once in a world where no one waits for the main characters before acting, but it never felt like it lost focus or that it wasn't on track to its final destination.
The star of the game is definitely the world and exploration though. NPCs, surprise encounters, the enemy designs, the various secrets lying around are all what made the game so enticing for me. I spent the majority of my time running around trying to complete the reward board (which was a great way to add optional content without muddying up the player with side quests) and kept being surprised until the very end of my 39 hour playthrough.
The turn based combat system wasn't anything insane on its own, but the decision to pace the game with regular setpiece encounters really made the difference. Combat very rarely felt like a chore because the only times I felt forced to do it were in encounters that progressed the story or had some other draw that made them feel special. If the world building is the star of the game, the combat encounter pacing is the bread trail that keeps you playing just a littttle bit longer.
All in all, as someone who doesn't have a ton of experience in jrpgs (Pokemon, Persona, Xenoblade, and Fire Emblem mainly), Chained Echoes felt fresh, but also really digestible and quality throughout my entire playthrough. Recommended even if you dislike jrpgs.
$25 makes it a great price too.