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A novel take on the "death game" genre (what if prisoners were forced to work together with the people they had supposedly wronged, who held their life in their hands?), combining escape room puzzles with bullet hell segments. It's a fairly well-acted, tense game, and we love the bumbling detective duo that find themselves pushed into the action? But since this is from the person behind Kakegurui, we were hoping for something a little wilder. Compared to a game like Danganronpa, Yurukill can be downright kind RE: the dangers each character faces, and that feels a bit weird! Still, we had a pretty decent time with this one.
2022
It's a decent enough, "Naughty Dog" style platformer (to borrow a comparison that a friend used), but the "what happened to this place/humanity?" mystery is dull, and the alien chase sequences didn't land for me. If I weren't writing it up here, I might forget I even played it before the year is done.
2019
This may very well be the last opportunity we have to check in on Ryo's story, and it wastes that chance by kicking the can down the road in the least satisfying manner. And it's wild how terrible the combat feels, considering this was directed by one of the folks responsible for Virtua Fighter!
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is the rare FMV game that impresses, eschewing camp for an interesting story spanning a century in Japan. It's a love letter to mystery novels, and even if the central question doesn't engage you, the individual stories in each chapter are strong enough to stand on their own. I had a fantastic time with this game, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone who has a love for whodunits.
This is a 15-20 hour, side-scrolling ARPG that gets off to a slow start, but the cast is charming enough that it isn't too big of a deal. I did end up wishing there was more to the town-building (you complete side quests, which often result in new items being sold or new buildings entirely), but as a game built to introduce folks to the setting, it did the job well, and I'm eager to check out the "real" Eiyuden Chronicle game next year.
2022
This is a striking first-person shooter that has you both banishing and interacting with a number of supernatural beings, and K.K.'s a fun partner! It just overstays its welcome a little: one of those games that didn't need to be an open-world shooter. There's only so many gates you can cleanse before you start to feel fatigued.
I'm near the end, so I might return to it before the end of the year? But there's so many other interesting things to play that it isn't a priority.
I'm near the end, so I might return to it before the end of the year? But there's so many other interesting things to play that it isn't a priority.
2021
This is a neat roguelike that makes full use of the DualSense's unique triggers, and the bullet hell-like nature of the projectiles is classic Housemarque. I'd love to finish this someday: maybe the co-op they added in 2022 will help me get there?
2022
Polish developer makes what they claim is an "authentic," samurai film-inspired game, and aside from how silly that claim is, goddamn is it ever dull. The combat is simplistic, to the point where you can practically mash your way through, and the platforming sucks. Your time is better spent elsewhere.
2022
This was my first proper strategy RPG, and it was a blast! Each battle felt like an interesting puzzle to solve, and the maps/scenarios were unique enough that I was pushed to try plenty of mechanics that I otherwise would've ignored.
That said, the story leaves a lot to be desired. The factions break down to Monarchy, Free-Market Capitalism, and Racist Religious Sect, and while there are some fantastic characters on each side, I was so detached from the conflict at large that it weighed the whole thing down. Bummer.
That said, the story leaves a lot to be desired. The factions break down to Monarchy, Free-Market Capitalism, and Racist Religious Sect, and while there are some fantastic characters on each side, I was so detached from the conflict at large that it weighed the whole thing down. Bummer.
2022
An incredible sim racer that got me tinkering with my virtual car's stats, height and power differential, for the first time in my life. "Exhilarating" would be putting it mildly.
It's a shame that the always-online requirement and the steep credit requirement for higher-end cars takes some joy out of the experience! This is a $70 game that very much wants you to spend even more on attaining classic cars, and that sucks.
It's a shame that the always-online requirement and the steep credit requirement for higher-end cars takes some joy out of the experience! This is a $70 game that very much wants you to spend even more on attaining classic cars, and that sucks.
2022
It's an impressively gorgeous game filled to the brim with impressive, setpiece battles, and I'm never going to finish it because the open world is too damn big.
What a stellar JRPG. A vocaloid and her handlers have stuffed a bunch of the population into The Matrix, and everyone's a high school student now, regardless of who they were in real life. You run around, meeting folks more nuanced than anything you'd see in a Persona game, and do whatever you can to break this false reality and send everyone home. It's a phenomenal adventure from top to bottom, and it even has a trans character that isn't treated like shit! I loved this one to pieces.
2021
This is a slice-of-life story about a software programmer in the mid-80s, getting away from the bustle of her everyday life by visiting her home town and delivering mail. It's a solid premise, but the writing isn't quite up to the task, and I ended up bouncing off after a few hours.
First 5-10 hours are just fine! And then they move you to a space filled with nothing but skyscrapers, handing you a hang glider to get around, and it kills the parkour rhythm the first game nailed. What a disappointment.
2022
Extreme sports platforming at its finest. Roll7 went with a rounder, cartoon look to this third OlliOlli, and it pays off in spades. It even runs perfectly (or near-perfect) on the Switch! What a game.