"just as the brightest light casts the darkest shadow"

the trails series is gonna be a series where i commit to long term, as the first trails game i've played in the series this did not dissapoint me at all. One of my favourite introductions to a series. The first trails in the sky game was so fun to play i was fully immersed in the whole time, the combat is fun to play with and I already love the cast, there's not really that much to say bad about this game apart from some pacing issues but that's ok because its the first game and i'm expecting that this game will be even better after i play the other 2 in the sky trilogy due to the buildup for the later chapters.

i love estelle as a character already and i have really high hopes for joshua, the last stretch and the final few scenes were so good for joshua and was a great twist, i really liked the build up regarding his backstory. im looking foward on how Loshua and Estelle improve as a dynamic later on.

overall amazing introduction to a series I enjoyed this way more than I should have, great game

This game is pretty good. It reminds me of the Retro Studio Donkey Kong games as weird of a comparison that might be, mostly with how its presents it content, with a big world map and optional paths and a time trial mode once you've beaten a level.

The games main drill is pretty fun to use and most levels have some sort of gimmick to them to keep each one feel unique, for better or for worse. Generally any power-up that took over your main drill attack tended to be much slower going and not as fun. There's also not as many levels as I would have liked. This game follows the basic platform game formula of bunch of levels, boss, next world and for some reason it only has 4 worlds? I would have liked one more at least, 5 feels rounded out nicely.

I've also encountered a few glitches on the Switch version, nothing major, but worth mentioning.
-I've been pretty frequently been placed on the wrong level after finishing it
-The was a breakable object in a level that just wasn't breaking properly until I restarted it.
- The final boss music just cut out in between attempts and I was just trying to fight it in creepy silence.

I haven't done all the optional content yet, but the time trials have medals to go for which is pretty cool, and each world seems to have at least one optional level per world. Definitly give it a try if you are fond of 2d platformers.

Christian Whitehead’s fascination with the SEGA Saturn should be known by this point, given Sonic Mania’s use of low poly 3D models and the Saturn’s color schemes and aesthetics. Penny’s Big Breakaway feels like a step further in that department, being the 3D Saturn-esque platformer that had been worked on post-Sonic Mania. Its vibrant, lower poly aesthetic really makes so much of the platforming it demands charming. It’s genuinely so well stylized and fun. I still have no idea what the hell kind of animal Penny is based on, though. A soundtrack by Tee Lopes felt like an inevitability, but he and Sean Biallo create a jazzy and fun soundscape that further capitalizes on that Saturn aesthetic. Movement and platforming are fluid and rewarding beyond belief, and absolutely are capitalized on by pretty ruthless score caps for doing well. Like any good Sonic ranking system, I think this creates a score and speedrun paradise of sorts. And while you can use jank to your advantage, there’s some deaths and run failures that I feel weren’t my fault. Far from irreparably buggy, but you will get stuck in a wall a few times, and that sucks. Don’t let that discourage you though. This is a great time and a beyond charming experience. Lots of childlike wonder and whimsy here, and I really couldn’t put it down. I saw one critic call the bosses too hard, and I personally couldn’t disagree more; the bosses feel far too easy, if anything. Also, please don’t get this for the Switch; you do not want 30 FPS for this game.

ys origins is a game that never stops. your objective is to find the goddesses that, after a demonic attack, suddenly disappeared and went into a mysterious tower. you are in a hurry so this fast paced action rpg translates very well the necessities of our protagonists! either playing as yunica or hugo, you are all-in for action, with a variety of enemies and very well design boss fights, either cutting them with your axe or shooting them as if you were in a shmup with your magic wand, both having this kingdom hearts 2 feeling when hitting enemies and turning the combat even more pleasant. also, very good level design that utilizes everything you have at your disposal to traverse the tower, as soon as you get the abilities and powers, in a very zelda dungeon way!

while the stories of both yunica and hugo are not totally canon and the true story is the secret character you unlock after beating both of their campaigns, you get to understand them and their relationships and, later, connect the dots when playing the true story. you get to known their insecurities and how they overcome them, how important the goddesses and all key people in the tower are in their life. it's actually amazing to think that the whole celeste's discourse of "climbing a mountain and growing as a person (both as char and player)" was actually kind of made here? being a dungeon crawler rpg with characters getting to known their places and purposes as they go up in the tower is a really good narrative of coming of age and self-discovering that utilizes its game design for it. also bang ost (those guitars man...) and i really love the little VN segments that tell stories outside of the tower -- it is a cool and stylish decision and very well paced between segments and floors. really amazing videogame!! excited to play more ys games in the future.

This is the best goddamn rhythm game period. It's contemporaries like Parappa and Rhythm Heaven do not touch this game's touch on what makes rhythm games both sound good and be fun to play.

You see, you really feel like you're making music with the game when you do well. Of course, it's all an illusion. A credit to how hard the music in the game slaps. The shit is funky as hell. Whatever emotions it tries to convey to you through the music, you fucking feel it. You have to feel it or the vibe doesn't work. If you're rockin with this tutorial music then you can probably rock with the rest of the game.

The gameplay is very engaging. The first time you play a song, and you shift the stick up with the trail bar, then hitting a note and a higher octave riff plays -- it just activates pure joy in my brain. It helps that the music playing is likely an unforgettable banger; and you're in the mix fucking shit up either metaphorically or actually because this game is kind of hard sometimes.

The only thing I don't like about it is the volume is mixed too low on the voice actors in prerendered cutscenes. I think it might have to do with it being a PSP port.

Play it y'all. I don't have funnyman things to say about it. This game has a high percentage of making you feel some type of way.