dancekumquat
32 Reviews liked by dancekumquat
Chrono Trigger
1995
A time machine? Look, time travel, the kinda of time travel that you're thinking of, is a scientific impossibility.
It would violate the second law of thermodynamics.
You're talking about regrets, so if you want to ask about regrets, just ask about regrets, and leave all this time-travelling no sense out of it.
- Walter White to Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul S06E13 "Saul Gone"
It would violate the second law of thermodynamics.
You're talking about regrets, so if you want to ask about regrets, just ask about regrets, and leave all this time-travelling no sense out of it.
- Walter White to Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul S06E13 "Saul Gone"
BioShock Infinite
2013
Ken Levine was just salty that people like Bioshock 2.
Persona 3 Portable
2023
At this point I consider myself a fairly avid Persona fan. Back in 2014 my friend told me about this great game Persona 3 FES and said I should buy and play it. After downloading it on my PS3 and giving it a shot, I had my gripes with it when I started out. By the time I was finished with it, I was completely hooked. I had previously dabbled in the SMT series in the PS2 era with such cult classics as SMT 3 Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga but up to that point I had somehow completely dodged the Persona subseries entirely. After playing and finishing Persona 3 I jumped right into trying to acquire a copy of Persona 4 Golden. The rest from there is history. Now after 3 full runs of each game under my belt, Atlus comes out with ports of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden to modern consoles (finally)
Persona 3 Portable is the version of Persona 3 that I was least familiar with before this release. I did purchase P3P on the PS Vita store via the PSTV but I never got around to playing it. Having it available on the switch definitely opens up a whole new world. The decision to port Portable rather than the FES version of the game is a bit of a perplexing decision that has been discussed a lot since the announcement of the port.
Portable is the more recent port of the game and its QOL features over FES are noticeable and very helpful. Part of the appeal of the FES version of the game was just having control over your playable character during battles. In portable just like Golden, you have the option to take direct control over your party members. You have the option to still let the AI control them, but it allows more precision and less overall frustration by assuming direct control. You also can return to the top floor you have explored rather than just relying on checkpoints which is one of P3P’s best features over FES. P3P does not include the additional scenario “The Answer” which was included in the FES port, but is generally considered to be a weak additional campaign, which is all dungeon crawling with some essential features such as the persona compendium ripped out to make it artificially more difficult.
The graphics are slightly up-rezzed from the PSP version of the game, but saying the models look a little rough is an understatement. This is my biggest issue with them choosing this version over the FES version of the game. At least P4 Golden, having been a Vita game, has fairly decent graphics and doesn't look too terribly rough even in its native resolution. Portable having come from the PSP does not have that luxury. The models look like late PS1 era models that have been upscaled to have HD textures. While it looks fine, it would have looked better to just remake the models. Almost calling this port a remaster feels insulting with how little effort that appears to have been taken with the graphics.
As usual with most Atlus games, the gameplay is as stellar as usual with no big changes from the PSP version of the game. The game acts more like a visual novel rather then an open world when you are outside of Tartrus. This worked well on the psp due to limitations of the console, but just feels cheap on current hardware.
Overall the game is still excellent, just graphically could have used a better facelift then the AI overhaul that Atlus went for. The gameplay is still fantastic and I say that this game is still worth the pickup regardless of your experience with Persona 3 before this release.
This review was cross posted from: https://figleafgamingnetwork.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/persona-3-portable-switch-review/
Persona 3 Portable is the version of Persona 3 that I was least familiar with before this release. I did purchase P3P on the PS Vita store via the PSTV but I never got around to playing it. Having it available on the switch definitely opens up a whole new world. The decision to port Portable rather than the FES version of the game is a bit of a perplexing decision that has been discussed a lot since the announcement of the port.
Portable is the more recent port of the game and its QOL features over FES are noticeable and very helpful. Part of the appeal of the FES version of the game was just having control over your playable character during battles. In portable just like Golden, you have the option to take direct control over your party members. You have the option to still let the AI control them, but it allows more precision and less overall frustration by assuming direct control. You also can return to the top floor you have explored rather than just relying on checkpoints which is one of P3P’s best features over FES. P3P does not include the additional scenario “The Answer” which was included in the FES port, but is generally considered to be a weak additional campaign, which is all dungeon crawling with some essential features such as the persona compendium ripped out to make it artificially more difficult.
The graphics are slightly up-rezzed from the PSP version of the game, but saying the models look a little rough is an understatement. This is my biggest issue with them choosing this version over the FES version of the game. At least P4 Golden, having been a Vita game, has fairly decent graphics and doesn't look too terribly rough even in its native resolution. Portable having come from the PSP does not have that luxury. The models look like late PS1 era models that have been upscaled to have HD textures. While it looks fine, it would have looked better to just remake the models. Almost calling this port a remaster feels insulting with how little effort that appears to have been taken with the graphics.
As usual with most Atlus games, the gameplay is as stellar as usual with no big changes from the PSP version of the game. The game acts more like a visual novel rather then an open world when you are outside of Tartrus. This worked well on the psp due to limitations of the console, but just feels cheap on current hardware.
Overall the game is still excellent, just graphically could have used a better facelift then the AI overhaul that Atlus went for. The gameplay is still fantastic and I say that this game is still worth the pickup regardless of your experience with Persona 3 before this release.
This review was cross posted from: https://figleafgamingnetwork.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/persona-3-portable-switch-review/
This review contains spoilers
3.0 is pretty good
Heavensward has a great well-written fantasy tale tackling corruption with a really amazing atmosphere.
I think 3.0 is an enjoyable experience because of the cast dynamic with Alphinaud, Ysayle, and Estinien. Coming off of the adrenaline from the 2.55 ending, the first half of the story is really interesting and the later half is more exciting. It's not all great to me however, 3.0 suffers from moments of side-tracking, especially with the primal trials or the Moogle part. This kind of doesn’t add anything to the narrative but one can argue that these are supposed to be lighthearted moments regardless the primal fights are always really cool to witness. Personally, I found the patches leading toward Stormblood the best part of heavensward as a whole especially 3.3 and 3.4
Alexandria is really fun and the alliance raid is really good sadly I skipped the story for these and plan on coming back later on.
Heavensward has a great well-written fantasy tale tackling corruption with a really amazing atmosphere.
I think 3.0 is an enjoyable experience because of the cast dynamic with Alphinaud, Ysayle, and Estinien. Coming off of the adrenaline from the 2.55 ending, the first half of the story is really interesting and the later half is more exciting. It's not all great to me however, 3.0 suffers from moments of side-tracking, especially with the primal trials or the Moogle part. This kind of doesn’t add anything to the narrative but one can argue that these are supposed to be lighthearted moments regardless the primal fights are always really cool to witness. Personally, I found the patches leading toward Stormblood the best part of heavensward as a whole especially 3.3 and 3.4
Alexandria is really fun and the alliance raid is really good sadly I skipped the story for these and plan on coming back later on.
WELP! now that all the individual patches are available to be reviewed on their own! 2.0 is going down A LOT.
2.0 is a uninteresting story about a very basic fantasy world but I think it's mostly carried by elements outside of the story like friends, FC's and aesthetics. I was on the copium of hoping that it gets gud later, I didn't really connect with the gameplay because I couldn't understand dragoon. So playing through it gets good later for the first time was a genuine struggle, But I've been able to power through these games before.
Having 3500+ I definitely have high regard for the cities and the areas. there isn't a zone I don't like.
Coils is genuinely very good and the Crystal tower series was really great too.
2.0 is a uninteresting story about a very basic fantasy world but I think it's mostly carried by elements outside of the story like friends, FC's and aesthetics. I was on the copium of hoping that it gets gud later, I didn't really connect with the gameplay because I couldn't understand dragoon. So playing through it gets good later for the first time was a genuine struggle, But I've been able to power through these games before.
Having 3500+ I definitely have high regard for the cities and the areas. there isn't a zone I don't like.
Coils is genuinely very good and the Crystal tower series was really great too.
Amazing conclusion to now one of my favorite character of all time. Kiryu's journey has been an unforgettable one and I'm glad I saw it till the end (for now at least)
There were parts of the game that I definitely hoped were better, the middle act was quite weak and gameplay/mechanic wise it is the worst of all the Yakuza games I played, coming of Yakuza 5 which had some of the best side activities this one also felt the most lacking in side content. But I absolutely love the entire first half the last chapter to bits. From start to end the game looks as good as a movie and is packed with raw, hard hitting moments that left me an emotional wreck. There's boss fights but the ones that are in this game are really memorable. Someya and Iwami were two amazing antagonists and are once again perfect foils to Kiryu in this ending. There are so many things brought up like the themes of parenthood the overarching legacy of the Yakuza and you really get to feel the weight and consequence behind it, really makes me reflect on the past games and a lot of the characters with different ideologies and resolves throughout the series.
I really like Onomichi as a city, usually not a big fan of countryside settings but it's a interesting city to explore and has its charm, especially love most of the substories set there. I think its also because I really love Yuta, Nagumo and the gang, it feels for the first time Kiryu truly found a group of people he belongs with not tied to any of his Tojo past. Seeing Kiryu finally getting the accept a new family was heartwarming, not to mention the ending is absolutely phenomenal and I cried like a real man.
This game is short for a Yakuza finale, but in the time it had it made me feel so much. As the swan song of resolving Kiryu Kazuma, the legendary Dragon of Dojima as a character, I was definitely left satisfied.
There were parts of the game that I definitely hoped were better, the middle act was quite weak and gameplay/mechanic wise it is the worst of all the Yakuza games I played, coming of Yakuza 5 which had some of the best side activities this one also felt the most lacking in side content. But I absolutely love the entire first half the last chapter to bits. From start to end the game looks as good as a movie and is packed with raw, hard hitting moments that left me an emotional wreck. There's boss fights but the ones that are in this game are really memorable. Someya and Iwami were two amazing antagonists and are once again perfect foils to Kiryu in this ending. There are so many things brought up like the themes of parenthood the overarching legacy of the Yakuza and you really get to feel the weight and consequence behind it, really makes me reflect on the past games and a lot of the characters with different ideologies and resolves throughout the series.
I really like Onomichi as a city, usually not a big fan of countryside settings but it's a interesting city to explore and has its charm, especially love most of the substories set there. I think its also because I really love Yuta, Nagumo and the gang, it feels for the first time Kiryu truly found a group of people he belongs with not tied to any of his Tojo past. Seeing Kiryu finally getting the accept a new family was heartwarming, not to mention the ending is absolutely phenomenal and I cried like a real man.
This game is short for a Yakuza finale, but in the time it had it made me feel so much. As the swan song of resolving Kiryu Kazuma, the legendary Dragon of Dojima as a character, I was definitely left satisfied.
Yakuza Kiwami
2016
This was my first yakuza game! I liked it :)
I really enjoyed running around Kamurocho and interacting with the civilians' side quests and I pretty much liked every recurring character for what they were
Kiryu Kazuma has immediately became one of my favorite video game characters ever, hes s o cool!! :> and kinda hot?
I think the story kind of suffers from the sheer abundance of side content though, such as the majima everywhere thing and the amount of side quests tht can trigger just by you talking to the person (ofc u can just put them down and come back to most of them but i never ran from any fight in the game and never declined any side quest so... definitely a me thing LMAO)
And that's another thing, i tried a quarrter of the original ps2 yakuza game out and i gotta say
some of the choices here even *i could see, most specifically majima
so many majima
so many
I do think hes absolutely hillarious but I doubt this game is a good introduction to him as a character at all really. I kind of expected more of a sadist or on some batman/joker homo opposite coins thing or.. some bullshit
but after beating this game, wow what a slut
Now i know by now* that this remake was made with the assumption of you playing yakuza 0 first and then this, uhhhhhh i didnt do that LMFAO. Kinda banking on 0 hitting really good once ive played the rest of the series? Of course that's not happening any time soon, i got a metal gear solid 2 to play.
But all in all the heat moves are flashy, and fun, the side content is nice, the story is cool enough and my only real gripes are getting sandwiched between two guys in a not hot way and getting my daylights knocked out and then im just sitting there like a dipshit MASHING the A button trying to get up from the unkillable minions and the boss regenerating health ... even with all the fucking money and resources the game throws at you, thats not Fun pffffft
as a result some of the fights in the later half feel like they take longer not because of the tension but because there is genuinely something screwy going on tht clashes with what the game expects and how much reaction time you actually have when dire shit hits the fan
ofc i could also just be bad but even then i actually did g et better as i played, so i think i just dont like getting surrounded by goons while the boss sprints around like sonic
All in all tho
i like yakuza now
and thts kinda crazy
I really enjoyed running around Kamurocho and interacting with the civilians' side quests and I pretty much liked every recurring character for what they were
Kiryu Kazuma has immediately became one of my favorite video game characters ever, hes s o cool!! :> and kinda hot?
I think the story kind of suffers from the sheer abundance of side content though, such as the majima everywhere thing and the amount of side quests tht can trigger just by you talking to the person (ofc u can just put them down and come back to most of them but i never ran from any fight in the game and never declined any side quest so... definitely a me thing LMAO)
And that's another thing, i tried a quarrter of the original ps2 yakuza game out and i gotta say
some of the choices here even *i could see, most specifically majima
so many majima
so many
I do think hes absolutely hillarious but I doubt this game is a good introduction to him as a character at all really. I kind of expected more of a sadist or on some batman/joker homo opposite coins thing or.. some bullshit
but after beating this game, wow what a slut
Now i know by now* that this remake was made with the assumption of you playing yakuza 0 first and then this, uhhhhhh i didnt do that LMFAO. Kinda banking on 0 hitting really good once ive played the rest of the series? Of course that's not happening any time soon, i got a metal gear solid 2 to play.
But all in all the heat moves are flashy, and fun, the side content is nice, the story is cool enough and my only real gripes are getting sandwiched between two guys in a not hot way and getting my daylights knocked out and then im just sitting there like a dipshit MASHING the A button trying to get up from the unkillable minions and the boss regenerating health ... even with all the fucking money and resources the game throws at you, thats not Fun pffffft
as a result some of the fights in the later half feel like they take longer not because of the tension but because there is genuinely something screwy going on tht clashes with what the game expects and how much reaction time you actually have when dire shit hits the fan
ofc i could also just be bad but even then i actually did g et better as i played, so i think i just dont like getting surrounded by goons while the boss sprints around like sonic
All in all tho
i like yakuza now
and thts kinda crazy
Yakuza Kiwami 2
2017
This review contains spoilers
A game with incredible highs and some pretty obvious lows, but overall Kiwami 2 was a blast to play through, now this is how you make a Yakuza sequel
Getting into the things I didn't like first, the Dragon Engine definitely felt a bit underwhelming and I can easily see why people hated it. Considering how much I love 0 and Kiwami 1 four style system, it was definitely a bummer, along with the upgrade system which made it the first of the three games which I did not fully upgrade every single skill due to the five orb system, something about the combat just felt very unsatisfying especially when you break a combo after two hits due to guards and every non boss fight feels like you are in a bounce house. Kiryu feels stronger but also a lot more sluggish, I know I'm complaining a lot about the gameplay considering the next few games from 3 to 6 are probably worse (6 especially being the Dragon Engine first game) but if the story is this good I can honestly still go through with it. The game can look absolutely gorgeous most of the time but some of the things like the green filter also did bothered me. Story wise it's definitely an improvement from Kiwami 1 but there are still parts where I think less is more. Some of the new minigames were also like uhhhhh we did not needed this shit. These are really the only things holding it back from me giving it a higher score because everything else basically hits that Yakuza action sweet spot for me.
We finally moved on directly to a grander scale and higher stakes from just the internal Tojo clan conflicts, setting up confrontations and all-out war between Omi and the Tojo Clan, with the Jingweon Mafia being a third party who's true intentions remain undefined until the end having me on the edge of my seat constanty. One thing I was worried was how the story would go forward considering Tojo Clan is washed af at the start and a lot of the investment holding it for me like Nishiki, Kazama and Shimano are gone but Daigo definitely fills that hole for me and I'm excited to see where he will go from here, he's a charismatic character and I love that him and Kiryu has this rebellious son and father/uncle dynamic throughout the game.
Easily the best part of the game though, of course I can't forget to mention the man, Ryuji Goda, what a fucking amazing antagonist he is. He steals the show in every scene he is in and acts as a perfect foil for Kiryu at this point in time. Kiwami 2 explores themes of parenthood and how it shaped Ryuji into the broken man he is, under different circumstances he could have ended up on a different path just like Nishiki and is a reflection of Kiryu if he never had someone like Kazama in his life. Hence another perfection of a final boss, a battle between two dragons and only through winning will Ryuji is able to create meaning in his life. Damn from Shibusawa to Nishiki to Ryuji, Yakuza just can't stop making peak fiction final bosses, the final fight is probably one of my favorite so far in the series as well, A Scattered Moment went so hard. I doubted whether I would like someone as arrogant as him at first but at the end it was him and Kiryu, two broken man beating each other up and wanting to the respect of the other, this shit fucking broke me man, seeing his final words to his sister was just ahhhhhhhhhh painnnn
Speaking of Kiryu he's great as well, in this game he starts having to shoulder the responsibilities and burden of the Tojo clan caused by him in Kiwami 1 and the weight of sins Kazama left behind, further enhancing some of the events back in 0 and Kiwami 1 where we learned more about Kazama, his relationship with Sayama is also great here, I wished she wasn't written out in the next game from what I know later on, bro and Nishiki could never get over Yumi it seems.
Majima is cool as always, his substory felt a bit tact on but seeing Makoto again and their scenes/karaoke made me bawled my eyes out so I will forgive it. He's also such a fun wild card in this game and I'm glad they toned down his crazy psycho shit a bit, Majima Construction Clan Creator is the best thing of all time and as someone who finished all levels, if it ain't peak gaming then idk what is. It was also nice seeing him reunited with Yuki again in the cabaret minigame though yeah the cabaret minigame in Kiwami 2 is pretty bad compared to back in 0.
Overall, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives for me and being a story over gameplay guy I can overlook some of the flaws with it I love the direction of the story too much to not be invested in it and at the end of the day I still found the Dragon Engine fun to play, just a few gripes but otherwise I do welcome the change and looking at how good Judgment is as the third dragon engine game I'm definitely in support of it, the next few games will definitely be an interesting direction from here.
Getting into the things I didn't like first, the Dragon Engine definitely felt a bit underwhelming and I can easily see why people hated it. Considering how much I love 0 and Kiwami 1 four style system, it was definitely a bummer, along with the upgrade system which made it the first of the three games which I did not fully upgrade every single skill due to the five orb system, something about the combat just felt very unsatisfying especially when you break a combo after two hits due to guards and every non boss fight feels like you are in a bounce house. Kiryu feels stronger but also a lot more sluggish, I know I'm complaining a lot about the gameplay considering the next few games from 3 to 6 are probably worse (6 especially being the Dragon Engine first game) but if the story is this good I can honestly still go through with it. The game can look absolutely gorgeous most of the time but some of the things like the green filter also did bothered me. Story wise it's definitely an improvement from Kiwami 1 but there are still parts where I think less is more. Some of the new minigames were also like uhhhhh we did not needed this shit. These are really the only things holding it back from me giving it a higher score because everything else basically hits that Yakuza action sweet spot for me.
We finally moved on directly to a grander scale and higher stakes from just the internal Tojo clan conflicts, setting up confrontations and all-out war between Omi and the Tojo Clan, with the Jingweon Mafia being a third party who's true intentions remain undefined until the end having me on the edge of my seat constanty. One thing I was worried was how the story would go forward considering Tojo Clan is washed af at the start and a lot of the investment holding it for me like Nishiki, Kazama and Shimano are gone but Daigo definitely fills that hole for me and I'm excited to see where he will go from here, he's a charismatic character and I love that him and Kiryu has this rebellious son and father/uncle dynamic throughout the game.
Easily the best part of the game though, of course I can't forget to mention the man, Ryuji Goda, what a fucking amazing antagonist he is. He steals the show in every scene he is in and acts as a perfect foil for Kiryu at this point in time. Kiwami 2 explores themes of parenthood and how it shaped Ryuji into the broken man he is, under different circumstances he could have ended up on a different path just like Nishiki and is a reflection of Kiryu if he never had someone like Kazama in his life. Hence another perfection of a final boss, a battle between two dragons and only through winning will Ryuji is able to create meaning in his life. Damn from Shibusawa to Nishiki to Ryuji, Yakuza just can't stop making peak fiction final bosses, the final fight is probably one of my favorite so far in the series as well, A Scattered Moment went so hard. I doubted whether I would like someone as arrogant as him at first but at the end it was him and Kiryu, two broken man beating each other up and wanting to the respect of the other, this shit fucking broke me man, seeing his final words to his sister was just ahhhhhhhhhh painnnn
Speaking of Kiryu he's great as well, in this game he starts having to shoulder the responsibilities and burden of the Tojo clan caused by him in Kiwami 1 and the weight of sins Kazama left behind, further enhancing some of the events back in 0 and Kiwami 1 where we learned more about Kazama, his relationship with Sayama is also great here, I wished she wasn't written out in the next game from what I know later on, bro and Nishiki could never get over Yumi it seems.
Majima is cool as always, his substory felt a bit tact on but seeing Makoto again and their scenes/karaoke made me bawled my eyes out so I will forgive it. He's also such a fun wild card in this game and I'm glad they toned down his crazy psycho shit a bit, Majima Construction Clan Creator is the best thing of all time and as someone who finished all levels, if it ain't peak gaming then idk what is. It was also nice seeing him reunited with Yuki again in the cabaret minigame though yeah the cabaret minigame in Kiwami 2 is pretty bad compared to back in 0.
Overall, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives for me and being a story over gameplay guy I can overlook some of the flaws with it I love the direction of the story too much to not be invested in it and at the end of the day I still found the Dragon Engine fun to play, just a few gripes but otherwise I do welcome the change and looking at how good Judgment is as the third dragon engine game I'm definitely in support of it, the next few games will definitely be an interesting direction from here.
Yakuza Kiwami 2
2017
This is an upgrade over the 1st game and is actually quite close to 0. I think I prefer 0 just a bit more due to the amazing side content.
Pokémon Shield
2019
It's so...uneven to say the least to the point where I both like this game and am disappointed in it at the same time. The Wild Area is cool, and the DLCs help it a lot, and I love the atmosphere of the gym battles being in big stadiums, and the characters were memorable. Beyond that, however, the lack of content and the fact that this game could be a lot better does make this one of the most uneven games in the series.
TL;DR, Fuck Pokemon Sword and Shield, I love it.
TL;DR, Fuck Pokemon Sword and Shield, I love it.
Night in the Woods
2017
HANDS ON HEAD I LOVE NITW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it just just such a beautiful and personal game about this 20 yo cat (Mae) who drops out and returns to her dead-end hometown and tries to re-explore her relationship with friends, family and those she previously left behind. this game is personal because it explores topics such as metal health and how rough the transition to adulthood can be on some people. the story and its characters were so fleshed out and it made me appreciate indie games more. the vibes might not be “soft cozy” but they’re definitely warm tones in its tunes, characters that you’ll eventually spend time with and lastly it’s thrilling story.
it just just such a beautiful and personal game about this 20 yo cat (Mae) who drops out and returns to her dead-end hometown and tries to re-explore her relationship with friends, family and those she previously left behind. this game is personal because it explores topics such as metal health and how rough the transition to adulthood can be on some people. the story and its characters were so fleshed out and it made me appreciate indie games more. the vibes might not be “soft cozy” but they’re definitely warm tones in its tunes, characters that you’ll eventually spend time with and lastly it’s thrilling story.
Looking back I'm super fond of Ace Attorney 1, I think overall the game is really solid and it can standalone greatly. I love all the cases in this game. Maya Fey is one of my favorite partners in video games. I love how weird and goofy she is. Phoenix is a pretty good protagonist, And Edgeworth is pretty good in this game.
Ace Attorney is my favorite video game series as a whole, It has Amazing Music, Charm, Goofiness, and a lovable cast of characters. It gets really great and touches on some serious things at the peaks of its plots while keeping it lighthearted always which I genuinely appreciate.
Honestly, the mainline Ace Attorney games REALLY nail a slice-of-life feeling that Investigations and DGS really didn't.
My favorite case would have to be Case 5. It still really sticks out to me today.
Ace Attorney is my favorite video game series as a whole, It has Amazing Music, Charm, Goofiness, and a lovable cast of characters. It gets really great and touches on some serious things at the peaks of its plots while keeping it lighthearted always which I genuinely appreciate.
Honestly, the mainline Ace Attorney games REALLY nail a slice-of-life feeling that Investigations and DGS really didn't.
My favorite case would have to be Case 5. It still really sticks out to me today.
Persona 4 Golden
2012
I felt like this game was so close to having incredible LGBT representation. Kanji is clearly gay until suddenly he goes through 'character development' and then later wants to date a tomboy instead. I do think it makes sense for him to like Naoto more than other girls but he really should've only been set up with a guy. Feels very homophobic that the game tries so hard to change him.
As for Naoto; I think a women trying to be successful in a typically man's career field is cool, but a few lines of her writing made it feel like the writers were unsure of the end result they wanted. Throughout the story they call themselves prince, wear male clothing, do not like their body (even after their 'character development' arc), etc. As the story progresses it's revealed that she only does this to fit in with coworkers. That makes sense and I think this would be good unique writing but the timing of a few lines did not sit well with me. One second before accepting herself as "just a women that wants to be a detective" she says something along the lines of "being a women doesn't fit the imagine I have of myself." That is supposedly, as the story implies, exactly how Naoto felt exactly as she 'accepted herself'. I think 1 of 2 things should've been different. Either A: if the writers REALLY wanted this line then make Naoto a trans man because that's what it implies or more realistically B: remove a few of these specific lines from moments where they don't make sense because they do not at all fit the narrative the writers seemingly wanted and keep everything else the same. I'm not saying Naoto needed or should've been trans, but if the end result was what they were truly going for, then some lines really should not have been in the game. Remove them then I think she'd be a very excellently written character.
Regardless, I do like the game. These are easily my two favorite characters even with what I think are poor writing decisions, the music is bussin, I liked the murder mystery storyline, I genuinely laughed at a scene, and I cried at a death.
As for Naoto; I think a women trying to be successful in a typically man's career field is cool, but a few lines of her writing made it feel like the writers were unsure of the end result they wanted. Throughout the story they call themselves prince, wear male clothing, do not like their body (even after their 'character development' arc), etc. As the story progresses it's revealed that she only does this to fit in with coworkers. That makes sense and I think this would be good unique writing but the timing of a few lines did not sit well with me. One second before accepting herself as "just a women that wants to be a detective" she says something along the lines of "being a women doesn't fit the imagine I have of myself." That is supposedly, as the story implies, exactly how Naoto felt exactly as she 'accepted herself'. I think 1 of 2 things should've been different. Either A: if the writers REALLY wanted this line then make Naoto a trans man because that's what it implies or more realistically B: remove a few of these specific lines from moments where they don't make sense because they do not at all fit the narrative the writers seemingly wanted and keep everything else the same. I'm not saying Naoto needed or should've been trans, but if the end result was what they were truly going for, then some lines really should not have been in the game. Remove them then I think she'd be a very excellently written character.
Regardless, I do like the game. These are easily my two favorite characters even with what I think are poor writing decisions, the music is bussin, I liked the murder mystery storyline, I genuinely laughed at a scene, and I cried at a death.
It's the same fucking game with different artstyle, stop crying.
The Outer Worlds
2019
Ya I think its perfect. Go cry somewhere else please.