Wind Waker was to a beginning quite clunky when it comes to the controls, but it's something you get used to as you progress, at the same time you have to remember that this beaut of a gem was made in 2002.

Even if it isn't per definition an open world game, it still shares significant resemblances with Breath of the Wild, such as the open-world type of world where you can cruise around between different islands that all differ from one another in some kind of way.

There's a lot to love about Wind Waker, such as the cartoon-ish yet beautiful artstyle, the vast and expansive world, it's characters, and last but not least the great and emotional story.

As someone who adored the original, this is not the game I remember it being. This "remaster" launched with so many bugs that it was barely playable, and it's the reason it took me so long to finish it. How dare they even call this a remaster when they didn't even optimize 60fps support on PS5 while the original runs 60fps on PS4. Eventually, it got updates that added 60fps support and bug fixes, but at a cost of visual fidelity, which blows my mind since the game still looks horrible despite its "remaster" treatment. This experience has unfortunately given me a negative perception of Life is Strange -- a game I used to love. This is more of a "demaster" than a "remaster".

Pros:
✓ This game is relaxing and chill, something to take your mind off the stresses of life!
✓ The music and ambiance is very calming.
✓ Take-it-at-your-own pace playstyle. There is no need to rush through this game if you don't want! You can do everything and anything at your own pace. Some users prefer to play faster, others slower.
✓ So many villagers to meet and choose from! The villager designs are incredibly unique and there are a LOT of them in the game. Just when you think you've seen all of them there's always someone new.
✓ Island Customization - Now technically, this could be seen as a pro or a con, but I'll list this as a pro because you're able to control how your island looks. If you want to leave it the way you got it, you can! Likewise, if you want to change everything about it you pretty much can (aside from shorelines and the river mouths).
✓ Lots of cool furniture items and clothing pieces to collect.
✓ Events are fun! Toy Day, Halloween, or even your Birthday (my personal favorite), these are amazing and done so well in game. It's always fun to participate.

Cons:
✕ Repetitive Dialogue - As a avid animal crossing fan (from AC WildWorld to AC CityFolk), one thing I loved was never knowing what your villagers would say to you. It varied enough where it kept engaging them with fun, but in ACNH that isn't really the case. The villager dialogues are bland and get really repetitive really fast, making talking to them something I rarely do now.
✕ Crafting can be tedious. There's no system in place for crafting multiple items at once so you have to go through the painstakingly slow process of crafting one item at a time.
✕ No way to store your letters. The old Animal Crossing games like Animal Crossing Wild World had storage for all the letters you receive but that feature is missing here.

♡ TAIGA MY BELOVED ಥ‿ಥ ♡
Okay sorry, I needed to preface this review with some casual fangirling. 2D Husbando Club!~

Pros:
✓ The common route, the common route, oh did I mention the common route? THE COMMON ROUTE FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THE BACK- (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ. Okay but seriously, the common route in this Otome Game might be the best I've ever experienced. You get so sucked into the storyline, the plot, the way the characters interact with eachother, who the characters are... everything about the common route is chefs kiss. I literally spent half of my total hours of this game just enjoying the Common Route to its fullest extent. I'm telling you, you'll be laughing, crying, screaming into your pillow, and getting all the warm fuzzies you could ever imagine.
✓ The characters are so enticingly well defined and fleshed out! YES, they are all dramatically different from one another. So much so, that you know you're getting extremely unique routes for all of them. And, what makes it extra amazing is that because each of them are so different you really end up just appreciating them all for who they are.
✓ The chibi CG’s just have me melting into a puddle of goop. OMG! This is one of the only otome games I’ve played where they use CG’s with chibi versions of the characters and it. Is. The. CUTEST. THING. EVER! These got so many laughs and “aww” moments out of me, you will definitely enjoy those!

Cons:
✕ Ngl, I don’t understand the minigame in Variable Barricade (where you have spawn on a chess board with your LI). I tried looking up a tutorial or to get some hint as to what you’re supposed to do in it, but I don’t know. I just pressed the “A” button once during the minigame and it kinda ends it so… no clue! I wish they had some more instruction around what it is and what you’re supposed to do there.
✕ Tbh, I wish the endings were slightly less rushed and thrown together. Don’t get me wrong, they’re better than a lot of Otome endings, but it did feel just thrown together last minute on some of them.

Tbh, I have really only barely scratched the surface of this game, so I'm sure I'll come back with some more opinions the more I play, but from what I have already completed, I'm literally in love. (๑♡⌓♡๑)

Highly recommend you get this game and add it to your collection, especially if you're a fan of the Otome Genre. :")

I've been wanting to play this since it released in Japan in 2018, and the wait was worth it. Variable Barricade is a hilarious otome with a levity that was refreshing to play through. With a sharp and sensible heroine (who is fully voice acted, too!), four wacky but endearing suitors, loveable side characters, and fantastic art/CGs, Variable Barricade keeps your attention for the 40 or so hours it takes to play through. There are a couple of uncomfortable scenes/tropes that dampened my overall enjoyment of the game, but the pros far outweigh the cons here. I would recommend it to otome fans and those interested in the plot/art alike.