SoraSky69
Amazing game and a true technical marvel for the Nintendo DS. Great story, characters, gameplay.
Amazing game, with amazing story and characters as expected from Uchikoshi at this point. A wonderful sequel that expands on everything I loved from the original game but with lots of new things to love!
2014
I fucking love nekos.
Fantastic journey and a truly ambitious RPG for the time. It truly lays the groundwork for many conventions of job systems in RPGS, with great music and good dragon quest gameplay.
Fate is thin, shatter it.
2013
Tearaway Review (PlayStation Vita)
1. Story
Tearaway’s story is quite silly but this silliness really gives the game a lot of heart and fun energy. Basically, you play as a messenger whose mission is to send a message to the You, aka, YOU, the player. You jump, roll, and run through the world of Tearaway to fulfill this goal. Not much else to say here, but it often had me smiling and it was very charming!
2. Gameplay
The gameplay of Tearaway is a 3d platformer with lots of interactive elements using the PS Vita’s features. There’s your basic platformer jumps, using the back touchpad to bounce. You can roll in a ball and roll down slopes. You can hold your finger on the back touchpad to raise or lower platforms, and use the touchscreen to move or create platforms. It’s all very intuitive, and it's one of the few games I have played on Vita which actually takes advantage of the console's full list of features. You can use the camera and gyro to take pictures, and the back camera is even used to show the real world sometimes. The front camera also always shows your face in the sun while playing in game, which can be pretty funny! These inputs never felt too intrusive, nor gimmicky, they were often quite precise and worked fairly well most of the game. You collect an assortment of presents throughout the game, and you can also fulfill requests from NPCS. Finally, you can also take pictures of the papercrafts in the game and go on the Tearaway website and actually make them in real life which I thought was really cool. Granted, I never did, but I might someday. One last element of gameplay is combat, where you defeat these little monsters called scraps. Not much to it here, you grab them and throw them and that's about it. The checkpoints are quite generous as well, and you can jump between chapters at any time. The gameplay was overall fun and was pretty enjoyable. It was solid and I cannot really think of anything bad to say here so I will say it gets the Ryan Seal of Approval lol.
3. Music
What does not fare as well here is the music. Most of the time it’s alright, but I think it just is not my style. The style that a lot of songs go for is using a lot of pipe instruments, and other like unusual ones you would not hear normally. It was certainly different, but just was not my style most of the time. Overall, okay, but nothing more than background noise most of the time.
4. Presentation
The presentation of this game is TOP NOTCH. This game is once again evidence that strong artstyle and art direction will always beat good graphics. This game is so creative and vibrant and full of personality. Going with the papercraft aesthetic really makes it stand out even today. You can even make all the papercraft characters and objects you collect in the game in real life! That’s so cool! From fun choices like using glue to explain being able to walk up walls and stick to them, or cut pieces of construction papers used as a track to roll down, or the enemies being made of scraps of newspaper. I just love it! You can decorate your player character, and even make your own creations in game as well. It really feels like it was CRAFTED out of love. Hehehehe. Overall, for a vita game, I say it's one of the best looking games on the system. It hasn’t aged a day since 2013!
5. Completion Process
This game was pretty easy to complete all things considered. It was your usual tasks of collecting everything, doing everything, plus some miscellaneous tasks here and there. Some stages I had to clear without dying once, and some were quite tricky, so that was a bit challenging. Some trophies were also glitched, so I had to redo some stages and really try to see what I missed sometimes. But overall, it was fairly straightforward and not agonizing.
6. Conclusion
Tearaway is a fun, pleasant, and creatively created platformer by Media Molecule. It's full of charm, fun gameplay, endearing story and characters, and the player is encouraged to be a bit creative themselves! The game has a great artstyle with vibrant and varied environments. It was a cute, fun adventure from beginning to end with an enjoyable completion process and I am glad I played it! With that being said…
7. Wrap Up
Thank you for reading! Tearaway is available on PlayStation Vita. (Most people can’t play this version because it’s a vita game, so another option is to play Tearaway Unfolded, an expanded remake of the game available on PS4, and backwards compatible on PS5!)
FINAL REVIEW SCORE: CREATIVE PAPER CRAFTS/10
1. Story
Tearaway’s story is quite silly but this silliness really gives the game a lot of heart and fun energy. Basically, you play as a messenger whose mission is to send a message to the You, aka, YOU, the player. You jump, roll, and run through the world of Tearaway to fulfill this goal. Not much else to say here, but it often had me smiling and it was very charming!
2. Gameplay
The gameplay of Tearaway is a 3d platformer with lots of interactive elements using the PS Vita’s features. There’s your basic platformer jumps, using the back touchpad to bounce. You can roll in a ball and roll down slopes. You can hold your finger on the back touchpad to raise or lower platforms, and use the touchscreen to move or create platforms. It’s all very intuitive, and it's one of the few games I have played on Vita which actually takes advantage of the console's full list of features. You can use the camera and gyro to take pictures, and the back camera is even used to show the real world sometimes. The front camera also always shows your face in the sun while playing in game, which can be pretty funny! These inputs never felt too intrusive, nor gimmicky, they were often quite precise and worked fairly well most of the game. You collect an assortment of presents throughout the game, and you can also fulfill requests from NPCS. Finally, you can also take pictures of the papercrafts in the game and go on the Tearaway website and actually make them in real life which I thought was really cool. Granted, I never did, but I might someday. One last element of gameplay is combat, where you defeat these little monsters called scraps. Not much to it here, you grab them and throw them and that's about it. The checkpoints are quite generous as well, and you can jump between chapters at any time. The gameplay was overall fun and was pretty enjoyable. It was solid and I cannot really think of anything bad to say here so I will say it gets the Ryan Seal of Approval lol.
3. Music
What does not fare as well here is the music. Most of the time it’s alright, but I think it just is not my style. The style that a lot of songs go for is using a lot of pipe instruments, and other like unusual ones you would not hear normally. It was certainly different, but just was not my style most of the time. Overall, okay, but nothing more than background noise most of the time.
4. Presentation
The presentation of this game is TOP NOTCH. This game is once again evidence that strong artstyle and art direction will always beat good graphics. This game is so creative and vibrant and full of personality. Going with the papercraft aesthetic really makes it stand out even today. You can even make all the papercraft characters and objects you collect in the game in real life! That’s so cool! From fun choices like using glue to explain being able to walk up walls and stick to them, or cut pieces of construction papers used as a track to roll down, or the enemies being made of scraps of newspaper. I just love it! You can decorate your player character, and even make your own creations in game as well. It really feels like it was CRAFTED out of love. Hehehehe. Overall, for a vita game, I say it's one of the best looking games on the system. It hasn’t aged a day since 2013!
5. Completion Process
This game was pretty easy to complete all things considered. It was your usual tasks of collecting everything, doing everything, plus some miscellaneous tasks here and there. Some stages I had to clear without dying once, and some were quite tricky, so that was a bit challenging. Some trophies were also glitched, so I had to redo some stages and really try to see what I missed sometimes. But overall, it was fairly straightforward and not agonizing.
6. Conclusion
Tearaway is a fun, pleasant, and creatively created platformer by Media Molecule. It's full of charm, fun gameplay, endearing story and characters, and the player is encouraged to be a bit creative themselves! The game has a great artstyle with vibrant and varied environments. It was a cute, fun adventure from beginning to end with an enjoyable completion process and I am glad I played it! With that being said…
7. Wrap Up
Thank you for reading! Tearaway is available on PlayStation Vita. (Most people can’t play this version because it’s a vita game, so another option is to play Tearaway Unfolded, an expanded remake of the game available on PS4, and backwards compatible on PS5!)
FINAL REVIEW SCORE: CREATIVE PAPER CRAFTS/10
2021
Poison Control Review (Playstation 4 and Playstation 5)
1. Story
Where do I even start with this, it's quite a strange one. Hmmm… Okay so, you play as a girl or guy, depending on what you choose, but you play as a person who unknowingly stumbles into hell and does not remember what happened at all, and you meet this girl, a Klesha; the names of the monsters of hell; and she takes over your body. However, since you are still alive and not dead, she cannot take over your body completely. You instead combine to form a team of poison purgers. The girl, Poisonette, also does not know her past either. So with her help, you defeat Kleshas, and go through the circles of hell, helping alive or dead people finally being able to move on from their dark pasts and mistakes. Essentially, purging their hearts of the poison that's built up from things like stress, relationships, or tragedy. And hopefully, you can find out your past along the way and learn the reason you stumbled into hell! Now, this story is nothing crazy or life changing, but it's enjoyable throughout and has fun moments and funny characters thanks to a fantastic translation. Very witty writing made even scenes that are not plot relevant entertaining. It was a good story with occasional moments of emotional depth, but never took itself too seriously. Pretty cool to me!
2. Gameplay
The gameplay here too, is quite unique compared to other games I played. As I stated before, the basic gameplay loop is to go through the hells of girls who are going through issues in their life, or what was their life, and let them move on from them. How do you do this? Defeat Kleshas with your poison guns, third person shooter style, and clean up the poison, splatoon style. Add in some RPG leveling, inventory management, and collectables, and you got Poison Control. Its a very unique game and I have never played anything like it, but once I got the hang of it, it became enjoyable. However, due to the games low budget the game does have some performance hiccups and can be very stiff to control and shots have trouble hitting sometimes but it was fine most of the time. It's to be expected of a very small, niche game like this from a niche developer. For what it is, it works. You can level up and upgrade your weapons and stats and even do heart to hearts with Poisonette to further increase stats as well, and get some funny dialogue to develop your bond with her. Overall, its a very unique take on an RPG that I have not seen before and although it is rough at times, it was fun and could definitely be improved to be even more fun.
3. Music
One aspect that does not disappoint in any regard is the music! HOLY SHIT, THESE TUNES SLAP ASS! So many good songs, with all sorts of instruments, and synth songs. Fantastic music all around and I listen to the ost frequently, so that goes to show how good it is, seriously, its that good. I have not heard of the composer before, 12sound, but if this is what he's making I am eager for more! The music is one of the best parts of the game hands down!
4. Presentation
Once again, given this game's low budget, the game has stiff animation, and not the best quality textures, graphics, or even framerate. However, this game does make up for it slightly with its really colorful and creative artstyle. The artstyle of this game definitely helps ease out its rougher edges, and the character portraits, menus, and ui elements all have some nice style. During cutscenes, played in a VN like format, the characters have little portraits which move while talking, which is a really nice touch that adds personality to cutscenes! The pause menu also has a nice animation of Poisonette which is cool, and she will pop in and talk sometimes. It even has its own song! (Which slaps.) I think the colorful vibrant artstyle of this game really helps it look good, and stand out, despite its otherwise low budget models and textures. Overall, the presentation is mixed between good artstyle versus actual gameplay.
5. Completion Process
The completion process for this game was quite a grind. Having to get all the weapons, getting all collectables, grinding a lot of money and doing everything was quite taxing. I do not think it was very good as a completion experience. Doing this added another 10 hours to my playtime. Otherwise, this game is quite short, and only about 10 hours. It just was not that fun, and was a pain to do but I managed. I do not recommend doing this. ANYWAYS…
6. Conclusion
Poison Control is a very unique and interesting game that experiments a lot with what an RPG can be, however it does not go far enough and has enough issues that it can be a bit problematic at times. It shows promise, but needs a sequel and more budget to truly make a game that can fully flesh out the concept it offers. However, considering this game never would have existed without taking a chance and a lower budget was the only option, I would rather have it as it is than not at all. It's an experience I will not forget, and has a nice heartwarming story to enjoy, with some emotional depth to boot. Nippon Ichi did a good job here, but I know they can do better if they ever decide to make a sequel.
7. Wrap Up
THANKS FOR READING! Poison Control is available on PlayStation 4, Backwards Compatible with PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
1. Story
Where do I even start with this, it's quite a strange one. Hmmm… Okay so, you play as a girl or guy, depending on what you choose, but you play as a person who unknowingly stumbles into hell and does not remember what happened at all, and you meet this girl, a Klesha; the names of the monsters of hell; and she takes over your body. However, since you are still alive and not dead, she cannot take over your body completely. You instead combine to form a team of poison purgers. The girl, Poisonette, also does not know her past either. So with her help, you defeat Kleshas, and go through the circles of hell, helping alive or dead people finally being able to move on from their dark pasts and mistakes. Essentially, purging their hearts of the poison that's built up from things like stress, relationships, or tragedy. And hopefully, you can find out your past along the way and learn the reason you stumbled into hell! Now, this story is nothing crazy or life changing, but it's enjoyable throughout and has fun moments and funny characters thanks to a fantastic translation. Very witty writing made even scenes that are not plot relevant entertaining. It was a good story with occasional moments of emotional depth, but never took itself too seriously. Pretty cool to me!
2. Gameplay
The gameplay here too, is quite unique compared to other games I played. As I stated before, the basic gameplay loop is to go through the hells of girls who are going through issues in their life, or what was their life, and let them move on from them. How do you do this? Defeat Kleshas with your poison guns, third person shooter style, and clean up the poison, splatoon style. Add in some RPG leveling, inventory management, and collectables, and you got Poison Control. Its a very unique game and I have never played anything like it, but once I got the hang of it, it became enjoyable. However, due to the games low budget the game does have some performance hiccups and can be very stiff to control and shots have trouble hitting sometimes but it was fine most of the time. It's to be expected of a very small, niche game like this from a niche developer. For what it is, it works. You can level up and upgrade your weapons and stats and even do heart to hearts with Poisonette to further increase stats as well, and get some funny dialogue to develop your bond with her. Overall, its a very unique take on an RPG that I have not seen before and although it is rough at times, it was fun and could definitely be improved to be even more fun.
3. Music
One aspect that does not disappoint in any regard is the music! HOLY SHIT, THESE TUNES SLAP ASS! So many good songs, with all sorts of instruments, and synth songs. Fantastic music all around and I listen to the ost frequently, so that goes to show how good it is, seriously, its that good. I have not heard of the composer before, 12sound, but if this is what he's making I am eager for more! The music is one of the best parts of the game hands down!
4. Presentation
Once again, given this game's low budget, the game has stiff animation, and not the best quality textures, graphics, or even framerate. However, this game does make up for it slightly with its really colorful and creative artstyle. The artstyle of this game definitely helps ease out its rougher edges, and the character portraits, menus, and ui elements all have some nice style. During cutscenes, played in a VN like format, the characters have little portraits which move while talking, which is a really nice touch that adds personality to cutscenes! The pause menu also has a nice animation of Poisonette which is cool, and she will pop in and talk sometimes. It even has its own song! (Which slaps.) I think the colorful vibrant artstyle of this game really helps it look good, and stand out, despite its otherwise low budget models and textures. Overall, the presentation is mixed between good artstyle versus actual gameplay.
5. Completion Process
The completion process for this game was quite a grind. Having to get all the weapons, getting all collectables, grinding a lot of money and doing everything was quite taxing. I do not think it was very good as a completion experience. Doing this added another 10 hours to my playtime. Otherwise, this game is quite short, and only about 10 hours. It just was not that fun, and was a pain to do but I managed. I do not recommend doing this. ANYWAYS…
6. Conclusion
Poison Control is a very unique and interesting game that experiments a lot with what an RPG can be, however it does not go far enough and has enough issues that it can be a bit problematic at times. It shows promise, but needs a sequel and more budget to truly make a game that can fully flesh out the concept it offers. However, considering this game never would have existed without taking a chance and a lower budget was the only option, I would rather have it as it is than not at all. It's an experience I will not forget, and has a nice heartwarming story to enjoy, with some emotional depth to boot. Nippon Ichi did a good job here, but I know they can do better if they ever decide to make a sequel.
7. Wrap Up
THANKS FOR READING! Poison Control is available on PlayStation 4, Backwards Compatible with PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Amazing game with fantastic story, and adds new gameplay to make things interesting again!
2020
Fantastic pack in game to start the next generation of consoles. A love letter to PlayStation history, every second I was playing I had a smile on my face.
2015
I love anime titties.
Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles Review (PlayStation 5)
Story
The story of this game covers the first season of Demon Slayer and the movie as well. It offers a good enough substitute for the real thing, however, unlike other Shonen's which span many many episodes, I feel this one had less need to be as condensed as it is in the game. Demon Slayer has a very fast paced story, so it is more fit for a shorter story mode, however I feel it was a bit too short and skipped on too many vital details. However, it does offer extra scenes in the memory fragments you can collect when exploring or unlocking different challenge panels, so it somewhat makes up for what is not shown to the player. Either way, it is a fine enough experience.
Gameplay
Seeing as the developers are CyberConnect2, you already know what to expect here if you have played any of their previous anime fighters. Flashy combat, easy to understand and jump into kind of gameplay, with hints of depth that expand if you wish them too. However, Demon Slayer plays quite differently from say Naruto Ultimate Storm. In demon slayer, less emphasis is focused on movement and more on combos and strategy and being defensive. Movement is much more stiff and not as fast as in Storm, so you have to be smart about how you use it here. Once you get hit you are stuck unless you can get out of an attack using your team member. Which takes the entire gauge, so you have to weigh your options carefully. When using specials, you also cannot freely recharge the gauge like in Storm, it fills up on its own, so you have to be conservative with it as well. The combos are satisfying to pull off here, and you can also either boost, or use ultimate skills, which are self explanatory. I found myself getting accustomed to the controls after only a little while, so they are not too hard to learn. Playing as the demon slayer allows you to team up with any other slayer, or Nezuko, and switch between them using a bit of the ally gauge. However, when it comes to playing as demons… You are all alone. You do not get an ally, but to make up for it, you get a demon gauge which is sort of similar to the ally gauge. It fills up over time, and can allow you to escape an enemy combo at the cost of the entire meter. You can also use one to unleash powerful blood demon arts, depending on if you have one or two bars filled.
Demons are quite fun to play as, and offer a different experience from playing as slayers while also being similar enough that it’s not too jarring going from one to the other. The story mode offers great exploration with the story and is quite fun to go through. It recreates moments from the anime so well, and being able to explore the environments freely was quite fun and something I was not expecting at all. It surprised me! There is also VS mode, which allows you to fight locally, online, or with CPUS. There is training mode where you practice combos and learn lessons with specific challenges from certain characters. Although, speaking of characters, the game's roster is a bit of an issue. At least base roster concerned, the problem is too many characters are repeats and reskins of others. There is an academy version of most of the main slayers, and while it is cute, they do not offer any change in moves from their original character aside from a different ultimate animation. I would have rather seen more playable characters who are actually in the story that we do not get to play as. Also, considering the manga has been done for quite some time now, I do not know why they cut the story so short at only the first season and the mugen train when they could have done Season 2 at least considering it ended up being DLC. I just feel it should have been in the main game, but I digress. Either way, it is a lot of fun both by yourself, with friends, and online or offline. If you play on PC or PS5, then there is also a toggle for 60 FPS which is nice, although a lot of the animations will still play in 30 such as ultimate's. Overall, the gameplay gets a good score from me, quite enjoyable!
Music
IT IS THE DEMON SLAYER OST! IT IS UTTERLY FANTASTIC AND HYPE AT NEARLY EVERY TURN! I absolutely love it to pieces and there is not much else to say here it just slaps so hard honestly no cap fr fr.
Presentation
ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE VISUAL SHOWCASE FOR CYBERCONNECT2! ONCE AGAIN, THEY PROVE THAT THEY ARE JUST THE GODS OF ANIMATING ANIME GAMES IN 3D! Like holy shit, every frame and special animation looks like it took it straight out of the anime. Despite the game being in 3d, I often found myself doing a double take because some stills literally looked like I was watching the anime despite it not being in 2d. It just looks that good. It is an amazing work of art in its presentation, utterly phenomenal and it is essential to honoring ufotable's own amazing animation. All in all, it speaks for itself.
Completion Process
Pretty simple here, and was not too challenging at all. Completing all the story, doing training, some specific actions in versus mode, and all S Ranks made for a pretty natural Platinum without much need to go back to anything. It was very streamlined and did not take long at all. Pretty good rating on completion here.
Conclusion
Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles is a wondrous showcase of all the talent that CyberConnect2 possesses. It is yet another magnificent addition to their catalog of fantastic anime games. It is a bit light on content, but it makes up for it with amazing content for what is there as well as amazing animation and very fun gameplay. They still remain my favorite anime game developers. I look forward to their next project! (Pls be Bleach for Bosses sake) And do not forget to set your heart ablaze!
Wrap-Up
THANK YOU FOR READING! Demon Slayer the Hinokami Chronicles is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Nintendo Switch!
FINAL REVIEW SCORE: TASTY!/10
Story
The story of this game covers the first season of Demon Slayer and the movie as well. It offers a good enough substitute for the real thing, however, unlike other Shonen's which span many many episodes, I feel this one had less need to be as condensed as it is in the game. Demon Slayer has a very fast paced story, so it is more fit for a shorter story mode, however I feel it was a bit too short and skipped on too many vital details. However, it does offer extra scenes in the memory fragments you can collect when exploring or unlocking different challenge panels, so it somewhat makes up for what is not shown to the player. Either way, it is a fine enough experience.
Gameplay
Seeing as the developers are CyberConnect2, you already know what to expect here if you have played any of their previous anime fighters. Flashy combat, easy to understand and jump into kind of gameplay, with hints of depth that expand if you wish them too. However, Demon Slayer plays quite differently from say Naruto Ultimate Storm. In demon slayer, less emphasis is focused on movement and more on combos and strategy and being defensive. Movement is much more stiff and not as fast as in Storm, so you have to be smart about how you use it here. Once you get hit you are stuck unless you can get out of an attack using your team member. Which takes the entire gauge, so you have to weigh your options carefully. When using specials, you also cannot freely recharge the gauge like in Storm, it fills up on its own, so you have to be conservative with it as well. The combos are satisfying to pull off here, and you can also either boost, or use ultimate skills, which are self explanatory. I found myself getting accustomed to the controls after only a little while, so they are not too hard to learn. Playing as the demon slayer allows you to team up with any other slayer, or Nezuko, and switch between them using a bit of the ally gauge. However, when it comes to playing as demons… You are all alone. You do not get an ally, but to make up for it, you get a demon gauge which is sort of similar to the ally gauge. It fills up over time, and can allow you to escape an enemy combo at the cost of the entire meter. You can also use one to unleash powerful blood demon arts, depending on if you have one or two bars filled.
Demons are quite fun to play as, and offer a different experience from playing as slayers while also being similar enough that it’s not too jarring going from one to the other. The story mode offers great exploration with the story and is quite fun to go through. It recreates moments from the anime so well, and being able to explore the environments freely was quite fun and something I was not expecting at all. It surprised me! There is also VS mode, which allows you to fight locally, online, or with CPUS. There is training mode where you practice combos and learn lessons with specific challenges from certain characters. Although, speaking of characters, the game's roster is a bit of an issue. At least base roster concerned, the problem is too many characters are repeats and reskins of others. There is an academy version of most of the main slayers, and while it is cute, they do not offer any change in moves from their original character aside from a different ultimate animation. I would have rather seen more playable characters who are actually in the story that we do not get to play as. Also, considering the manga has been done for quite some time now, I do not know why they cut the story so short at only the first season and the mugen train when they could have done Season 2 at least considering it ended up being DLC. I just feel it should have been in the main game, but I digress. Either way, it is a lot of fun both by yourself, with friends, and online or offline. If you play on PC or PS5, then there is also a toggle for 60 FPS which is nice, although a lot of the animations will still play in 30 such as ultimate's. Overall, the gameplay gets a good score from me, quite enjoyable!
Music
IT IS THE DEMON SLAYER OST! IT IS UTTERLY FANTASTIC AND HYPE AT NEARLY EVERY TURN! I absolutely love it to pieces and there is not much else to say here it just slaps so hard honestly no cap fr fr.
Presentation
ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE VISUAL SHOWCASE FOR CYBERCONNECT2! ONCE AGAIN, THEY PROVE THAT THEY ARE JUST THE GODS OF ANIMATING ANIME GAMES IN 3D! Like holy shit, every frame and special animation looks like it took it straight out of the anime. Despite the game being in 3d, I often found myself doing a double take because some stills literally looked like I was watching the anime despite it not being in 2d. It just looks that good. It is an amazing work of art in its presentation, utterly phenomenal and it is essential to honoring ufotable's own amazing animation. All in all, it speaks for itself.
Completion Process
Pretty simple here, and was not too challenging at all. Completing all the story, doing training, some specific actions in versus mode, and all S Ranks made for a pretty natural Platinum without much need to go back to anything. It was very streamlined and did not take long at all. Pretty good rating on completion here.
Conclusion
Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles is a wondrous showcase of all the talent that CyberConnect2 possesses. It is yet another magnificent addition to their catalog of fantastic anime games. It is a bit light on content, but it makes up for it with amazing content for what is there as well as amazing animation and very fun gameplay. They still remain my favorite anime game developers. I look forward to their next project! (Pls be Bleach for Bosses sake) And do not forget to set your heart ablaze!
Wrap-Up
THANK YOU FOR READING! Demon Slayer the Hinokami Chronicles is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Nintendo Switch!
FINAL REVIEW SCORE: TASTY!/10
2009
BAYONETTA REVIEW (PlayStation 4 version played on PlayStation 5)
1. Story
The story of Bayonetta is an interesting one. A story of war between two factions of powerful beings, The Lumen Sages and Umbra Witches. Their quarrel has raged on for eons, the Sages hunting down the Witches for unknown reasons. It is your job, as the classy badass Bayonetta, to find the answers not only to the mystery of the war, but also the mystery of your past. The story is always entertaining with fun action packed cutscenes with some offering a slower, more emotional tone. However, it never takes itself too seriously. Bayonetta’s story is one so ridiculous, yet so heartfelt, and goofy, that it always feels true to itself. I quite enjoyed the story here and it was fun to see it through to the end!
[3:39 PM]
2. Gameplay
The gameplay is the REAL MEAT AND POTATOES here. Considering this is well, an action game. Now, if you have played any Platinum Games games, you know what to expect here. The game is chapter based, and every chapter is split up into Verses, which are enemy encounters or fights within a chapter. While in each chapter, you can explore, and find collectables that will increase your health, or unlock new weapons, or give you more of your magic meter. The combat of this game is the main part and it has a lot of fun things to do, and variance to make it unique from other action games. You have your basic combos, shooting your gun, wicked weave finishers, air combos. You can switch your weapon sets anytime within the menu and during gameplay. Movement feels extremely fluid in this game, and it is quite fun to just move around and it just feels good to play. Combos are fast, fluid and satisfying to pull off. Unleashing pure carnage feels so good. One of the main draws of Bayonetta’s combat system is the unique dodge mechanic, known as WITCH TIME! If you dodge at the right time an enemy attacks time slows down, you take no damage and you get to deal it without any distractions for a limited time, but it's vital for mastering the game’s combat.
[3:39 PM]
If you can get it down you will never have to worry about getting damaged. Another addition to the combat system is unique magic meter based finishers called Torture attacks, which rain hell on your opponents in sadistic style. These attacks use your magic meter, which is built up by attacking enemies without getting hit until it fills up all the way to unleash a strong attack. This is also another benefit to mastering Witch Time, as you can build your magic meter up much faster and need to dodge in order to keep it from lowering. Torture attacks each trap an opponent and most include a button mashing bonus to increase your damage tenfold for the kill! These are pretty fun to pull off too. With the end of every Verse, and collectively Chapter, you are rated based on your performance, from bronze medal to PURE PLATINUM medals. These are quite hard to get unless you are good at dodging attacks and taking little to no damage. However, they provide incentive to go back and replay old missions and keep improving your score. Defeating enemies and getting past Verses also gives you Halos which is what you can use to buy stuff in Rodin’s shop. RODIN IS MY BOY BTW. In the shop you can purchase items, weapons, new techniques and even costumes. Do your best on those verses to get enough Halo’s to get some good shit!
[3:39 PM]
Now when it comes to other types of gameplay there are the Alfheim portals. These are optional combat challenges that range from killing X amount of angels in X amount of time, or defeating angels using only wicked weaves. Some are quite challenging but doing them nets you some good rewards so I would seek them out if possible. Bayonetta also contains you guessed it, BOSS FIGHTS! These are huge, dynamic and bombastic bouts that are huge in scale compared to normal fights. These fights are so well designed. You whittle down these huge Angels, often using powerful Wicked Weaves as your basic attacks, and using mashing events to damage them further, as well as Summoning your demons to devour them. The boss fights are just very exciting as well as challenging. Each has their own patterns and feel distinct and always are unique. They are honestly the highlight of the game for me. One more gameplay thing that is added is some special unique chapters have differing gameplay styles than your usual combat, although for sake of spoilers I will not say anything more than that. Bayonetta, overall, is just a genuinely fun game that I always had fun playing, and even though it was challenging, the game gave me an ample amount of tools and as many tries as I needed to overcome its challenges. It is big, bold, and not afraid to kick your ass but I welcomed it because it never was too unforgiving. I kept trying and eventually I started getting better, and it felt great to overcome whatever I was struggling with. This game has become one of my favorite action games to date. It is one of the most fun games I have played all year. I highly recommend this game even for combat alone. Luckily, there is much else to enjoy…
[3:40 PM]
3. Music
LIKE THE MUSIC! OH MY GOD ANOTHER BANGING SOUNDTRACK! It was hard to play this game and not wanna just listen to the music because it just pumps you up so much. Fly Me To The Moon, Mysterious Destiny, Let’s Dance Boys, LET’S HIT THE CLIMAX?! Just always bangers from beginning to end and the songs never get old at all. It is always slapping at all times. Seriously, extremely high praise from me here. Hiroshi Yamaguchi seriously did an amazing job with this OST, and Helena Noguerra did great with the vocal tracks too!
[3:40 PM]
4. Presentation
This game still looks great even today, with clean crisp models, solid smooth gameplay thanks to the remastered version I played, and plenty of quality of life in this game. Not only that but the menus have a distinct personality to them, the music, animations during cutscenes and combat all have such vivacious expressions it often leaves me in awe thinking, “HOLY SHIT!” Like, the cutscenes are so well animated and full of expression. The voice acting here is on point as well. Not much else to say here but solid presentation all around!
5. Conclusion
Bayonetta is one of the strongest games in the action genre with explosively fun gameplay, a solid engaging story, amazing music, and impeccable style. It is everything a good action game should strive to be, and is fun despite the challenge it presents. However, this challenge is never overbearing and unfair and the game encourages replay ability and offers lots of incentive to come back for more. I honestly would not mind doing so myself. If a game leaves me feeling that, then it is owed glowing praise in my eyes. This is one of Platinum Game’s finest games and a wonderful start to a series that is beloved by many. I had so much fun!
[3:41 PM]
6. WRAP-UP!
Thanks for reading! Bayonetta is available on Xbox 360, Xbox One through backwards compatible with 360 version and a native HD port, Xbox Series S and X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 through backwards compatible, Steam, Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo Switch!
WITH THAT BEING SAID MY FINAL REVIEW SCORE IS
BEAUTIFUL!
1. Story
The story of Bayonetta is an interesting one. A story of war between two factions of powerful beings, The Lumen Sages and Umbra Witches. Their quarrel has raged on for eons, the Sages hunting down the Witches for unknown reasons. It is your job, as the classy badass Bayonetta, to find the answers not only to the mystery of the war, but also the mystery of your past. The story is always entertaining with fun action packed cutscenes with some offering a slower, more emotional tone. However, it never takes itself too seriously. Bayonetta’s story is one so ridiculous, yet so heartfelt, and goofy, that it always feels true to itself. I quite enjoyed the story here and it was fun to see it through to the end!
[3:39 PM]
2. Gameplay
The gameplay is the REAL MEAT AND POTATOES here. Considering this is well, an action game. Now, if you have played any Platinum Games games, you know what to expect here. The game is chapter based, and every chapter is split up into Verses, which are enemy encounters or fights within a chapter. While in each chapter, you can explore, and find collectables that will increase your health, or unlock new weapons, or give you more of your magic meter. The combat of this game is the main part and it has a lot of fun things to do, and variance to make it unique from other action games. You have your basic combos, shooting your gun, wicked weave finishers, air combos. You can switch your weapon sets anytime within the menu and during gameplay. Movement feels extremely fluid in this game, and it is quite fun to just move around and it just feels good to play. Combos are fast, fluid and satisfying to pull off. Unleashing pure carnage feels so good. One of the main draws of Bayonetta’s combat system is the unique dodge mechanic, known as WITCH TIME! If you dodge at the right time an enemy attacks time slows down, you take no damage and you get to deal it without any distractions for a limited time, but it's vital for mastering the game’s combat.
[3:39 PM]
If you can get it down you will never have to worry about getting damaged. Another addition to the combat system is unique magic meter based finishers called Torture attacks, which rain hell on your opponents in sadistic style. These attacks use your magic meter, which is built up by attacking enemies without getting hit until it fills up all the way to unleash a strong attack. This is also another benefit to mastering Witch Time, as you can build your magic meter up much faster and need to dodge in order to keep it from lowering. Torture attacks each trap an opponent and most include a button mashing bonus to increase your damage tenfold for the kill! These are pretty fun to pull off too. With the end of every Verse, and collectively Chapter, you are rated based on your performance, from bronze medal to PURE PLATINUM medals. These are quite hard to get unless you are good at dodging attacks and taking little to no damage. However, they provide incentive to go back and replay old missions and keep improving your score. Defeating enemies and getting past Verses also gives you Halos which is what you can use to buy stuff in Rodin’s shop. RODIN IS MY BOY BTW. In the shop you can purchase items, weapons, new techniques and even costumes. Do your best on those verses to get enough Halo’s to get some good shit!
[3:39 PM]
Now when it comes to other types of gameplay there are the Alfheim portals. These are optional combat challenges that range from killing X amount of angels in X amount of time, or defeating angels using only wicked weaves. Some are quite challenging but doing them nets you some good rewards so I would seek them out if possible. Bayonetta also contains you guessed it, BOSS FIGHTS! These are huge, dynamic and bombastic bouts that are huge in scale compared to normal fights. These fights are so well designed. You whittle down these huge Angels, often using powerful Wicked Weaves as your basic attacks, and using mashing events to damage them further, as well as Summoning your demons to devour them. The boss fights are just very exciting as well as challenging. Each has their own patterns and feel distinct and always are unique. They are honestly the highlight of the game for me. One more gameplay thing that is added is some special unique chapters have differing gameplay styles than your usual combat, although for sake of spoilers I will not say anything more than that. Bayonetta, overall, is just a genuinely fun game that I always had fun playing, and even though it was challenging, the game gave me an ample amount of tools and as many tries as I needed to overcome its challenges. It is big, bold, and not afraid to kick your ass but I welcomed it because it never was too unforgiving. I kept trying and eventually I started getting better, and it felt great to overcome whatever I was struggling with. This game has become one of my favorite action games to date. It is one of the most fun games I have played all year. I highly recommend this game even for combat alone. Luckily, there is much else to enjoy…
[3:40 PM]
3. Music
LIKE THE MUSIC! OH MY GOD ANOTHER BANGING SOUNDTRACK! It was hard to play this game and not wanna just listen to the music because it just pumps you up so much. Fly Me To The Moon, Mysterious Destiny, Let’s Dance Boys, LET’S HIT THE CLIMAX?! Just always bangers from beginning to end and the songs never get old at all. It is always slapping at all times. Seriously, extremely high praise from me here. Hiroshi Yamaguchi seriously did an amazing job with this OST, and Helena Noguerra did great with the vocal tracks too!
[3:40 PM]
4. Presentation
This game still looks great even today, with clean crisp models, solid smooth gameplay thanks to the remastered version I played, and plenty of quality of life in this game. Not only that but the menus have a distinct personality to them, the music, animations during cutscenes and combat all have such vivacious expressions it often leaves me in awe thinking, “HOLY SHIT!” Like, the cutscenes are so well animated and full of expression. The voice acting here is on point as well. Not much else to say here but solid presentation all around!
5. Conclusion
Bayonetta is one of the strongest games in the action genre with explosively fun gameplay, a solid engaging story, amazing music, and impeccable style. It is everything a good action game should strive to be, and is fun despite the challenge it presents. However, this challenge is never overbearing and unfair and the game encourages replay ability and offers lots of incentive to come back for more. I honestly would not mind doing so myself. If a game leaves me feeling that, then it is owed glowing praise in my eyes. This is one of Platinum Game’s finest games and a wonderful start to a series that is beloved by many. I had so much fun!
[3:41 PM]
6. WRAP-UP!
Thanks for reading! Bayonetta is available on Xbox 360, Xbox One through backwards compatible with 360 version and a native HD port, Xbox Series S and X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 through backwards compatible, Steam, Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo Switch!
WITH THAT BEING SAID MY FINAL REVIEW SCORE IS
BEAUTIFUL!
Life changing. Truly, some of the best games ever made, and Kingdom Hearts 2 is my favorite game of all time always and forever. This series will always hold a special place in my heart always.
2008
Fun with friends, but not something I would play on my own.
Digimon Cyber Sleuth, knowing nothing about Digimon coming in, was a decent time. However, lots of padding in the story and gameplay departments really brought the game down for me, as well as some weird translation issues. There is also lack of quality of life, such as no seeing the full map in the dungeons, no taking on multiple cases at a time, no backlog in cutscenes (some of which are quite long.) I also felt that the story was way too long, and could have ended easily toward the middle, but they instead decided to make the story twice as long for padding, at least, in my opinion. However, I did enjoy my time with it even so and I quite liked the character's, and art design.