As cool as this was, and I don’t blame anyone for completely disagreeing with me… I’d rather just play the most basic Tetris possible. The spectacle is fun to look at but it kind of gets in the way. Even the classic mode has some extra flair to it which is fine, but just doesn’t do it for me like the simple presentation of the Game Boy version. I might also just be coping because I suck at this, but I was able to beat the Journey and I’ll be playing the online modes for a while because I see myself slowly improving. I also played some couch co-op and the boss fight mode was neat, specially how all your boards connect (boards? fields? grids?). Anyway, I’ll play this if I want a tactile, immersive experience, but I’d pick up my Analogue Pocket if I just want to play Tetris.

(Played Chaos Rush translation with bug fixes)

You know, I think that missing attacks if you target a dead enemy is a good thing. Not generally, obviously, but in this specific game it adds some nuance to an otherwise stale combat experience. At least in the first half of the game, I felt motivated to strategize in order to finish the battles in as few turns as possible. This made level-ups really rewarding, like when my weak mages could finally take out enemies with one hit, which made large encounters more bearable. Of course, this fizzles out when you get strong spells later on, but combat isn’t all there is to this game.

In fact, I think what really makes this one stand out is how charming it is. The biggest contributor is probably its soundtrack, which is no surprise, but I also found its world interesting to think about. Not because it’s unique, but more because I think it does a good job at selling you on the high stakes. You see all corners of the world and meet different communities/tribes that are all being affected by the evil force you’re prepping to face, despite having little contact with each other. For such a text-limited game, I think it presents its world really well and it kept me wanting to see the next area (airship was a great moment because of this!).

Still, charming as it is, it can be a slog at times. Those early dungeons had me concerned about the amount of grinding I’d be doing, but it eventually became no problem. Some obtuse level design choices and a few simply evil fake treasure rooms kept things mildly annoying throughout. Overall? I didn’t have a great time, but definitely not a bad one either. Its charm keeps it above water for me.