I very much enjoy the game, the Gacha isn't too much and the grind isn't blocking the enjoyment of the game (which did happen multiple times with Genshin Impact). The gameplay is very reminiscent to a turn-based JRPG which I really do enjoy.
It has very good looking animations, a nice anime aesthetic, fun and intuitive combat and great music, I'm pretty happy with it and I haven't used a single cent on it.
The story seems interesting and the characters work very well in their settings and missions making the narrative very enjoyable.
That being said, the grinding IS there and during some events it likes to creep its head out; still, I don't find it AS invasive as Genshin's so that's good.

Back at it again only with a more negative take, not that Star Rail got worse but its issues feel more cock abusive. The drip feed of content in live service stuff always annoyed me, a couple of months just for a few hours of story; "just go play something else" only really works if I enjoy the core gameplay. If coming back for the story yeahhhhhh might as well just youtube that shit, less of a hassle. The turn based combat here gets mind-numbing, everything takes too long even in autoplay with max speed. I've complained to a friend about this, misremembering if it really was this bad and got a simple "just play something else in the background while it autoplays", confirming my suspicion that everyone willingly playing this day in day out is engaging in some secret ring of cuckoldry while the youtube story watchers and booru researchers are sharing intimate times with their partners.

But even playing it for the first time this one felt that the combat here was a necessary evil and was more latched onto the world and characters. I've mentioned that the world felt more alive with its attention to detail in the side stuff, but the way you explore it makes me wanna make out with a shotgun. So moronic that you just teleport everywhere, making me wonder if this is the video game adaptation of the classic movie Jumper that so many of us have been clamoring for. Every sidequest you just zoom around - talk - zoom - combat that you can autoplay - cutscene maybe - zoom again for the ending convo. Just running around would've probably been tedious, but I've felt like I finished quests just for engaging with the map, surely there can be some kind of middle ground? For anyone vacuum-headed enough not to notice the issue and utter the classic "just don't use it" retort, I have to applaud you for making it this far (not talking about this jumbled mess of words). The world believability takes another big hit, of course, in its handling of dailies, with the same old man NPC asking you to get his same walking stick and shove it in his same pooper three days in a row, which promptly convinced me never to do them again (Groundhog Day was fun on first watch).

Heavens forbid something happens to these characters, I like them still (bastard OG Honkai doomers have no power here). Though will probably follow their ventures on YT from now on, gaming too hard can take toll on the neck area (careful doing headtilts in the future fellow gamers).

To The Moon is an indie game focused on telling a story that makes us reflect on our lives. Its simple gameplay allows anyone to have the same experience.

The game tells the story of two "scientists" working for a company dedicated to fulfilling the last wishes of dying clients. One day, these two set out to attend to an unconscious old man in his final days but are unable to fulfill their task until they understand why he desires his wish so strongly.

To accomplish their job, the scientists must use their machine to explore the old man's life, allowing the player to connect with the story and experience emotional moments.

I won't reveal too much, but this game made me contemplate my life and my relationships. It was the perfect game for me when I was seeking this perspective.

The gameplay is very simple. You just have to walk through different locations and solve easy puzzles. It's clear that the developers focused on the storyline and kept the gameplay simple. I don't see it as a negative aspect since their objective wasn't to have complex mechanics. In the end, they did what was necessary to provide players with a good experience.

The visuals are quite good. They have a nostalgic feel reminiscent of old games with some upgrades. Again, their objective wasn't to create something entirely unique, but the characters are expressive, and the locations are well-crafted.

To The Moon is one of those games developed to make you contemplate your life. If you enjoy this type of game, I highly recommend playing To The Moon.

Songs for a Hero is a game that tries something new. In the gaming industry, we have seen many games that are similar to one another, but that's not the case here.

When I say "something different," I'm not referring to the gameplay. Songs for a Hero is a traditional 2D platformer with jumps and sword fights against enemies. However, the gameplay feels like an old game and lacks responsiveness. Controlling the character feels heavy, which is not ideal for a game like this.

So what sets this game apart from everything else? The music! Now, if you don't know anything about this game, you might assume that I'm talking about the soundtrack. However, that's not the case.

Songs for a Hero has a narrator similar to Stanley Parable, for example. The difference is that the narrator sings a song all the time, narrating what you're doing during the game. It's incredibly fun and humorous! The narrator constantly makes jokes about gaming conventions, such as rescuing princesses and floating platforms.

The game is available in English and Brazilian Portuguese. If you are fluent in either of these languages, you'll have a great time, and I guarantee you'll be laughing within the first few minutes.

The only downside is that the narrator gives the impression that everyone will have the same experience playing the game. The developers tried to make it feel like the narrator is singing about your own journey, but ultimately, it's all scripted.

The visuals are not particularly impressive. The game lacks a distinct visual identity. If they had put more effort into this aspect, the overall experience would have been better.

In the end, Songs for a Hero is a remarkable project that originated from videos created by a small Brazilian YouTuber. I believe you should give it a try for a few minutes, and if you have fun, continue until the end. It's definitely worth a try.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes the franchise in a new direction. It's clear that Nintendo intended to follow the path of Super Mario Odyssey and create a unique 3D platformer.

When the game was revealed, I finally became interested in a Kirby game. I had played a few in the past, but they were always forgettable. Forgotten Land presented a new opportunity for me to connect with this iconic franchise.

Upon the game's reveal, I noticed some mechanics reminiscent of Mario Odyssey. They even adapted the classic Kirby power to possess enemies and now allow you to transform objects like cars. Although this mechanic is more fitting for Kirby, it reminded me of Mario Odyssey's Cap power.

The best part is seeing Kirby embark on a decent 3D adventure for the first time. It makes this game enjoyable for everyone, not just old fans and kids.

The game is everything it wanted to be, but to be honest, something was missing. I had a great time playing it, but it didn't live up to the level of fun I was expecting.

Even with that said, I can confidently say it's the best Kirby game I've ever played. It's a fantastic game, especially for kids and old fans.

Pokémon Scarlet/Violet is a missed opportunity for The Pokémon Company. The game is what many fans have dreamed of for the past 10 years, but it falls short in several aspects. We're talking about a game with so many problems that it's difficult to overlook the positives.

For years, fans have been clamoring for an open-world Pokémon game. When the franchise transitioned from portable Nintendo consoles to the Switch, we thought it was finally happening. However, our hopes were dashed when Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee and Sword/Shield were released with a more traditional approach. So when we first caught a glimpse of Scarlet/Violet, it felt like a dream come true.

It was developed to be the next big thing in the Pokémon franchise. The freedom it offers, allowing players to choose their next objective, is a refreshing experience. This newfound liberty, combined with new objectives like battling against Titans and enemy team bases, brings a much-needed sense of innovation to the franchise.

Unfortunately, the game's performance is a major drawback. And what a drawback it is... The game suffers from numerous performance issues, with frequent FPS drops below 25fps. The resolution also fluctuates between 1080p and 720p.

This game needed another year of development to become the most important game in the franchise. As it stands now, with its performance issues, it's more enjoyable to play the older games.

It's ridiculous that, even after 7 months, we still don't have a patch to address the most noticeable issues. It seems like Game Freak and The Pokémon Company don't care about the fans, and their main focus is fulfilling their generation agenda and make money.

Should you give Pokémon Scarlet/Violet a chance? Absolutely not! Your money is too precious to be given to a company like that!