wj12p
I never thought I would play a metroidvania pinball game—yet here I am. Yoku’s Island Express, from the now disbanded two-man team Villa Gorilla, is so much fun. The game is charming, boasting a gorgeous aesthetic similar to the Ori series, but with the vibes of Delfino Island.
You play as Yoku, a tiny dung beetle tethered to and constantly pushing around the eponymous ball in this pinball adventure. When you arrive on the island, the former postmaster corners and tasks you with delivering mail to the islands' quirky residents in his stead. You scurry off to do the lazy pterodactyl’s bidding, traversing a beautifully realized 2D world using the left and right triggers to activate pinball flippers and navigate between platforms. It’s a lot of fun to explore, discovering secret areas, picking up collectibles, opening treasure chests, and completing quests for the local denizens. There are also dedicated pinball playfields which must be completed to unlock new areas and occasionally boss monsters to defeat in order to progress the story.
That story is fairly light, the deity of the island has been injured and it's up to you to gather the local chieftains so they can perform a healing ritual. It's very low stakes, Yoku can't take damage and the only fail states in the game are losing a bit of collectable fruit (i.e., money) or sending you back to the plunger in typical pinball style. That said, I appreciated the chill atmosphere and gameplay; it would have been frustrating to constantly hit a "game over" screen thanks to my abysmal pinball skills.
In terms of critiques, I experienced some minor graphical issues and terrain clipping—at one point I got stuck in a wall, forcing me to reset to the last checkpoint. Also, the controls do not seem to take pressure sensitivity into account, so you cannot lightly tap Yoku's ball with a flipper, which is a bit disappointing. As a result, I ended up having to brute force some of the more challenging pinball segments.
However, these minor issues did not detract from my overall enjoyment of Yoku’s Island Express. I've really come to appreciate small, but lovingly crafted games that can finished in a single weekend!
You play as Yoku, a tiny dung beetle tethered to and constantly pushing around the eponymous ball in this pinball adventure. When you arrive on the island, the former postmaster corners and tasks you with delivering mail to the islands' quirky residents in his stead. You scurry off to do the lazy pterodactyl’s bidding, traversing a beautifully realized 2D world using the left and right triggers to activate pinball flippers and navigate between platforms. It’s a lot of fun to explore, discovering secret areas, picking up collectibles, opening treasure chests, and completing quests for the local denizens. There are also dedicated pinball playfields which must be completed to unlock new areas and occasionally boss monsters to defeat in order to progress the story.
That story is fairly light, the deity of the island has been injured and it's up to you to gather the local chieftains so they can perform a healing ritual. It's very low stakes, Yoku can't take damage and the only fail states in the game are losing a bit of collectable fruit (i.e., money) or sending you back to the plunger in typical pinball style. That said, I appreciated the chill atmosphere and gameplay; it would have been frustrating to constantly hit a "game over" screen thanks to my abysmal pinball skills.
In terms of critiques, I experienced some minor graphical issues and terrain clipping—at one point I got stuck in a wall, forcing me to reset to the last checkpoint. Also, the controls do not seem to take pressure sensitivity into account, so you cannot lightly tap Yoku's ball with a flipper, which is a bit disappointing. As a result, I ended up having to brute force some of the more challenging pinball segments.
However, these minor issues did not detract from my overall enjoyment of Yoku’s Island Express. I've really come to appreciate small, but lovingly crafted games that can finished in a single weekend!
A riveting detective game from the mind of Lucas Pope with clever mechanics and a beautiful "1-bit" art style reminiscent of early Macintosh software.
Players assume the role of an unnamed investigator tasked by the East Indian Company with determining the fate of the Obra Dinn, which recently returned without its crew and passengers, in order to submit an insurance claim. That's right—this an insurance inspection simulator at heart.
Armed with a logbook (which includes the ship's manifest and drawings of the crew) you have to deduce each individual's identity, how they met their demise (or, for a lucky few, where they escaped to), and who or what was responsible for killing them. It doesn't seem like much to go on, but crucially you're given a pocket watch-like device, the Memento Mortem, which allows you to experience a corpse's fate through a brief bit of audio followed by an explorable scene in an area of the ship, frozen at the moment of death.
Initially, it's quite easy to identify folks based on first or last names shouted during cutscenes, distinctive attire or tools, and foreign languages spoken, but the challenge ramps up over time. Soon I found myself carefully exploring the still life dioramas produced by the Memento Mortem for clues (e.g., the direction of blood spraying from a bullet wound). Often players will need to follow the action across scenes, as grisly murders play out from corpse to corpse. That said, it never became so difficult that I wasn't making progress and I didn't have to rely on any hints or guides.
The game only validates identities and fates in groups of three, a clever mechanic that discourages pure guesswork, but can be leveraged by a savvy player. For example, I found myself "banking" two near-certain answers, then making educated guesses on a third before hitting the mark, instantly validating all three. I also took ample notes, since any information that isn't validated is wrong, which let's you learn something (and make progress) even when you guess incorrectly. It's a really satisfying gameplay loop that made me feel like Sherlock Holmes without the tedious evidence gathering and witness interrogating an Ace Attorney game might have.
The experience was soured slightly when, upon completing the game, I discovered two achievements (one a fail-state, the other a gag) that required a second play-through. I despise gag achievements and, for a game with zero replay value, a fail-state achievement was not appealing; thankfully, a helpful Steam guide provided a save file that could be easily loaded to acquire both.
Overall, I really enjoyed my 10 hours with The Return of the Obra Dinn; I also wish more creators would embrace the monochromatic "1-bit" aesthetic, which fits moody puzzle adventures especially well.
Players assume the role of an unnamed investigator tasked by the East Indian Company with determining the fate of the Obra Dinn, which recently returned without its crew and passengers, in order to submit an insurance claim. That's right—this an insurance inspection simulator at heart.
Armed with a logbook (which includes the ship's manifest and drawings of the crew) you have to deduce each individual's identity, how they met their demise (or, for a lucky few, where they escaped to), and who or what was responsible for killing them. It doesn't seem like much to go on, but crucially you're given a pocket watch-like device, the Memento Mortem, which allows you to experience a corpse's fate through a brief bit of audio followed by an explorable scene in an area of the ship, frozen at the moment of death.
Initially, it's quite easy to identify folks based on first or last names shouted during cutscenes, distinctive attire or tools, and foreign languages spoken, but the challenge ramps up over time. Soon I found myself carefully exploring the still life dioramas produced by the Memento Mortem for clues (e.g., the direction of blood spraying from a bullet wound). Often players will need to follow the action across scenes, as grisly murders play out from corpse to corpse. That said, it never became so difficult that I wasn't making progress and I didn't have to rely on any hints or guides.
The game only validates identities and fates in groups of three, a clever mechanic that discourages pure guesswork, but can be leveraged by a savvy player. For example, I found myself "banking" two near-certain answers, then making educated guesses on a third before hitting the mark, instantly validating all three. I also took ample notes, since any information that isn't validated is wrong, which let's you learn something (and make progress) even when you guess incorrectly. It's a really satisfying gameplay loop that made me feel like Sherlock Holmes without the tedious evidence gathering and witness interrogating an Ace Attorney game might have.
The experience was soured slightly when, upon completing the game, I discovered two achievements (one a fail-state, the other a gag) that required a second play-through. I despise gag achievements and, for a game with zero replay value, a fail-state achievement was not appealing; thankfully, a helpful Steam guide provided a save file that could be easily loaded to acquire both.
Overall, I really enjoyed my 10 hours with The Return of the Obra Dinn; I also wish more creators would embrace the monochromatic "1-bit" aesthetic, which fits moody puzzle adventures especially well.
I've never played a Final Fantasy game before, other than bits and pieces of various GBA, PSP, and DS titles in the distant past, so I had little idea of what to expect from Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade—needless to say, I was throughly impressed.
(I have vague memories of visiting Midgar on the PSP, which must have been Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, but I can only recall the robotic minions and dystopian, industrial aesthetic.)
---
FF VII Remake is a surprisingly complete experience despite being just the first of three standalone games remaking the 1997 PlayStation classic.
Players are immediately thrown into the action. Protagonist Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER now mercenary, is hired by group of eco-terrorists know as AVALANCHE to help infiltrate and blow up one of eight reactors that power the futuristic city of Midgar. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned; the team is discovered and have to escape before the entire building comes down on their heads.
It’s a thrilling opening sequence that effectively teaches the game’s combat while setting up it’s main conflict—the Shinra Electric Power Company is using the reactors to harvest excessive Mako (i.e., spiritual energy) from the planet, slowly killing it. Despite this, in an obvious parallel to our own society’s reliance on fossil fuels, Mako provides substantial material benefit to the citizens of Midgar (although not to the underclass of slum dwellers with whom our heroes primarily identify). These folks are not particularly evil or malicious, which introduces compelling shades of grey into the plot.
The story continues building on this strong foundation, pitting Cloud and AVALANCHE against Shinra and its various corporate goons. It's largely linear, which works to the story’s benefit, in my opinion. Too often, games try to mimic successful open worlds (e.g., Elden Ring) and fall far short; the tailored experience that the team at Square Enix has created here feels far more purposeful—players are never left wondering what to do or where to go next and don't need to grind for levels, it all just works, playing out like a movie would. In fact, the pseudo-open world segements (e.g., Chapter 14) are the weakest parts of the story, padded with extraneous side quests that detract from the momentum of the narrative. The final sequence, from Chapter 15 onwards, is riveting, catapulting players to the credits through a high-stakes infiltration, motorcycle chase, and several epic boss fights.
We also meet a wonderful cast of characters throughout the roughly 40 hour-long story. Tifa, Cloud's childhood friend who wants revenge on Shinra, but is held back by her desire to avoid violence; the fiery and sometimes brash leader of a local AVALANCHE cell, Barrett, who wants to save the planet and protect his adorable daughter; AVALANCHE members Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie, who become friends with the apathetic Cloud and slowly draw him out of his shell. And of course the relentlessly optimistic Aerith; descended from the Ancients that originally inhabited this world and whose fate is pivotal to the plot.
The game features phenomenal combat that mixes the Active Time Battle (ATB) system of the original with real-time action using normal (X) and strong (Y) attacks. Characters can roll to dodge (B), guard (R1), and access a menu of special abilities, spells, and items (A), which slows time to a crawl letting you spend segments of the ATB bar. Alternatively, players can assign abilities to custom shortcuts and execute them in real-time. Taken together, these elements make for fluid and fun combat that preserves the feeling of a turn-based RPG thanks to the rhythmic nature of building and spending ATB segements.
Each of the four playable characters - Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, and Aerith - have their own special abilities as well as normal and strong attacks. Personally, I spent most of my time with Cloud, who plays in a traditional hack-and-slash style, switching to Barrett, who possesses potent survivability skills, on harder fights. The game encourages players to switch between characters to take advantage of boss mechanics and often restricts party members for story reasons.
This action plays out in a beautifully realized world. The team has pulled off a stunning aesthetic using Unreal Engine 4—the characters are realistic, but also stylized and cartoonish in their own way (e.g., Cloud's iconic spiky hair or Barrett's huge build). The monsters are often very quirky in typical Final Fantasy fashion, but they fit in nicely with the world seemingly due to exquisite texture work. Midgar is industrial, overbearing and claustrophobic, shrouded in perpetual night, while the slums beneath (where players spend most of their time) are crowded and dilapidated, but warm and welcoming. Perhaps my expectations were unreasonably low given lack of recent experience with AAA titles, but the graphics and animation work blew me away.
Finally the music. Original composer Nobuo Uematsu and collaborators Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki have crafted a truly magical score. There is an unbelievable number of tracks and the audio adapts based on the player's actions, fading arrangements in and out to match what's on screen. Some personal favorites are Tifa's Theme - Seventh Heaven and Aerith's Theme - Home Again, just beautiful orchestral arrangements.
(I have vague memories of visiting Midgar on the PSP, which must have been Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, but I can only recall the robotic minions and dystopian, industrial aesthetic.)
---
FF VII Remake is a surprisingly complete experience despite being just the first of three standalone games remaking the 1997 PlayStation classic.
Players are immediately thrown into the action. Protagonist Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER now mercenary, is hired by group of eco-terrorists know as AVALANCHE to help infiltrate and blow up one of eight reactors that power the futuristic city of Midgar. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned; the team is discovered and have to escape before the entire building comes down on their heads.
It’s a thrilling opening sequence that effectively teaches the game’s combat while setting up it’s main conflict—the Shinra Electric Power Company is using the reactors to harvest excessive Mako (i.e., spiritual energy) from the planet, slowly killing it. Despite this, in an obvious parallel to our own society’s reliance on fossil fuels, Mako provides substantial material benefit to the citizens of Midgar (although not to the underclass of slum dwellers with whom our heroes primarily identify). These folks are not particularly evil or malicious, which introduces compelling shades of grey into the plot.
The story continues building on this strong foundation, pitting Cloud and AVALANCHE against Shinra and its various corporate goons. It's largely linear, which works to the story’s benefit, in my opinion. Too often, games try to mimic successful open worlds (e.g., Elden Ring) and fall far short; the tailored experience that the team at Square Enix has created here feels far more purposeful—players are never left wondering what to do or where to go next and don't need to grind for levels, it all just works, playing out like a movie would. In fact, the pseudo-open world segements (e.g., Chapter 14) are the weakest parts of the story, padded with extraneous side quests that detract from the momentum of the narrative. The final sequence, from Chapter 15 onwards, is riveting, catapulting players to the credits through a high-stakes infiltration, motorcycle chase, and several epic boss fights.
We also meet a wonderful cast of characters throughout the roughly 40 hour-long story. Tifa, Cloud's childhood friend who wants revenge on Shinra, but is held back by her desire to avoid violence; the fiery and sometimes brash leader of a local AVALANCHE cell, Barrett, who wants to save the planet and protect his adorable daughter; AVALANCHE members Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie, who become friends with the apathetic Cloud and slowly draw him out of his shell. And of course the relentlessly optimistic Aerith; descended from the Ancients that originally inhabited this world and whose fate is pivotal to the plot.
The game features phenomenal combat that mixes the Active Time Battle (ATB) system of the original with real-time action using normal (X) and strong (Y) attacks. Characters can roll to dodge (B), guard (R1), and access a menu of special abilities, spells, and items (A), which slows time to a crawl letting you spend segments of the ATB bar. Alternatively, players can assign abilities to custom shortcuts and execute them in real-time. Taken together, these elements make for fluid and fun combat that preserves the feeling of a turn-based RPG thanks to the rhythmic nature of building and spending ATB segements.
Each of the four playable characters - Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, and Aerith - have their own special abilities as well as normal and strong attacks. Personally, I spent most of my time with Cloud, who plays in a traditional hack-and-slash style, switching to Barrett, who possesses potent survivability skills, on harder fights. The game encourages players to switch between characters to take advantage of boss mechanics and often restricts party members for story reasons.
This action plays out in a beautifully realized world. The team has pulled off a stunning aesthetic using Unreal Engine 4—the characters are realistic, but also stylized and cartoonish in their own way (e.g., Cloud's iconic spiky hair or Barrett's huge build). The monsters are often very quirky in typical Final Fantasy fashion, but they fit in nicely with the world seemingly due to exquisite texture work. Midgar is industrial, overbearing and claustrophobic, shrouded in perpetual night, while the slums beneath (where players spend most of their time) are crowded and dilapidated, but warm and welcoming. Perhaps my expectations were unreasonably low given lack of recent experience with AAA titles, but the graphics and animation work blew me away.
Finally the music. Original composer Nobuo Uematsu and collaborators Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki have crafted a truly magical score. There is an unbelievable number of tracks and the audio adapts based on the player's actions, fading arrangements in and out to match what's on screen. Some personal favorites are Tifa's Theme - Seventh Heaven and Aerith's Theme - Home Again, just beautiful orchestral arrangements.
2021
This review contains spoilers
Tales of Arise is a fun adventure, featuring a compelling story, cast of likable characters, and engaging action combat.
It starts off with as fairly standard story of rebellion. Dahna is suffering under three centuries of enslavement by the Renans, technologically advanced conquerors from the neighboring planet's artificial satellite. It's various regions are kept isolated from one another and ruled over by a Lord. We meet our masked protagonist in one of these areas, a fiery land known as Calaglia. Here he runs into Shionne, a Renan princess fleeing captivity, and quickly becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the local Lord.
This sequence serves as an extended tutorial and it works fairly well, introducing players to Tales of Arise's fluid action combat and role-playing mechanics. Combat consists of standard attacks tied to R1 and artes (i.e., special attacks) mapped to the face buttons (X, Y, A), which can be chained together into combos. Characters can dodge enemy attacks (R2) and jump (B) to initiate aerial combat, which employs an entirely separate set of artes. The goal is to "break" enemies by piling on damage in order to perform special "Boost Strike" attacks with party members. Enemies have elemental affinities which can be exploited using attacks of the opposing element. They can also be downed through carefully timed "boost attacks." Each character's boost attack has a unique effect; for example, Kisara, the shield-wielding tank can jump in front of a charging enemy, interrupting its movement and leaving it vulnerable to counterattacks.
The player controls a single character during combat, but can switch instantly to any other. Movement is critical in order to avoid telegraphed enemy attacks and to position yourself to inflict maximum damage on separately targetable weak points. Enemies do tend to be damage sponges as a result, but it's no different from what you would see in any action RPG focused on exploiting weak points al la Monster Hunter. The interplay between dodging enemy attacks, initiating your own attacks and artes, timing boost attacks, using healing items, and reacting to your AI allies’ actions (e.g., if Shionne casts healing circle, you need to stand in that circle) gives the combat an MMO feel or something similar to Xenoblade.
The RPG mechanics come in the form of gear and skills. Gear is relatively simple with a weapon, armor, and accessory slot available for each character. There is a bog standard crafting system for weapons and armor, but the accessory crafting system is actually really unique and fun to engage with. Each accessory has a core ability and additional bonuses which are unlocked as you level it up (by spending resources that could otherwise be used to craft accessories). Unlocked bonuses can then be transferred between accessories allowing players to create a variety of different "builds" for characters. This is all in addition to a rather uninspiring skills system whereby you earn skill points for completing quests and killing monsters then spend them on bonuses. Given the preponderance of skill points, theres never any reason to prioritize specific skills, rendering the whole system pretty uninteresting.
The companions you meet during a play-through are distinct and likable. In typical Tales fashion, their personalities and backstories are explored via in-game cutscenes presented in a comic book style. These are effective, although some players will dislike the amount of reading required. I tend to prefer the older style skits from Symphonia, which played out using just the characters’ heads and felt less intrusive, but can appreciate the new direction and inclusion of body language. I enjoyed the stories of Rinwell, Law, Kisara, and Dohliam. Not to mention the interplay between Alphen and Shionne, whose backstory is absolutely crucial to the plot, which sees the ragtag band of companions transform into a found family who fight and struggle together to save the world.
The game is not without failings though, namely lack of detail in the world. Assets are recycled relentlessly and there just isn’t much to do outside of the main story. Side quests are bland and uninspired, requiring you to kill monsters, speak to NPCs, or locate lost items. You can also mine ore (used in the aforementioned accessory crafting system) and fish (used in the yet to be mentioned cooking system). It's a beautiful looking game with nice lighting and shadows, expressive anime character designs, and varied environments, but the world feels empty. NPCs are also largely dull and lifeless, sometimes miraculously duplicated in the same room!
That plot takes an impressive turn once the Renan lords have been defeated. I was actually shocked when, after beating Vohlarn, the credits didn't start rolling. Everything was building up to that moment and I just assumed the game would end. Instead, you learn of the true plot and set out to save Dahna from an even larger threat—cannibalization of its life force (i.e., astral energy) by the sentient spirit of the neighboring planet, Rena. At that time, I wasn't ready for another twenty hours hours playtime. I put the game down for about a year, only to recently pick it back up and blast through the remaining story while completing most of the optional content. Although I was originally daunted, I'm glad I returned because Arise is a fun time with great combat and characters, as well as a compelling narrative.
Finally, I always appreciate when a video game includes insert music and Arise has some real bangers. The OP is phenomenal, but then the second OP hits (appropriately titled "Hello, Again") after defeating Vohlarn which really hammers in that there is work left to be done. Finally, the ED provides a beautiful moment of release when Alphen and Shionne work together to channel the spirit of Dahna and save their world.
It starts off with as fairly standard story of rebellion. Dahna is suffering under three centuries of enslavement by the Renans, technologically advanced conquerors from the neighboring planet's artificial satellite. It's various regions are kept isolated from one another and ruled over by a Lord. We meet our masked protagonist in one of these areas, a fiery land known as Calaglia. Here he runs into Shionne, a Renan princess fleeing captivity, and quickly becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the local Lord.
This sequence serves as an extended tutorial and it works fairly well, introducing players to Tales of Arise's fluid action combat and role-playing mechanics. Combat consists of standard attacks tied to R1 and artes (i.e., special attacks) mapped to the face buttons (X, Y, A), which can be chained together into combos. Characters can dodge enemy attacks (R2) and jump (B) to initiate aerial combat, which employs an entirely separate set of artes. The goal is to "break" enemies by piling on damage in order to perform special "Boost Strike" attacks with party members. Enemies have elemental affinities which can be exploited using attacks of the opposing element. They can also be downed through carefully timed "boost attacks." Each character's boost attack has a unique effect; for example, Kisara, the shield-wielding tank can jump in front of a charging enemy, interrupting its movement and leaving it vulnerable to counterattacks.
The player controls a single character during combat, but can switch instantly to any other. Movement is critical in order to avoid telegraphed enemy attacks and to position yourself to inflict maximum damage on separately targetable weak points. Enemies do tend to be damage sponges as a result, but it's no different from what you would see in any action RPG focused on exploiting weak points al la Monster Hunter. The interplay between dodging enemy attacks, initiating your own attacks and artes, timing boost attacks, using healing items, and reacting to your AI allies’ actions (e.g., if Shionne casts healing circle, you need to stand in that circle) gives the combat an MMO feel or something similar to Xenoblade.
The RPG mechanics come in the form of gear and skills. Gear is relatively simple with a weapon, armor, and accessory slot available for each character. There is a bog standard crafting system for weapons and armor, but the accessory crafting system is actually really unique and fun to engage with. Each accessory has a core ability and additional bonuses which are unlocked as you level it up (by spending resources that could otherwise be used to craft accessories). Unlocked bonuses can then be transferred between accessories allowing players to create a variety of different "builds" for characters. This is all in addition to a rather uninspiring skills system whereby you earn skill points for completing quests and killing monsters then spend them on bonuses. Given the preponderance of skill points, theres never any reason to prioritize specific skills, rendering the whole system pretty uninteresting.
The companions you meet during a play-through are distinct and likable. In typical Tales fashion, their personalities and backstories are explored via in-game cutscenes presented in a comic book style. These are effective, although some players will dislike the amount of reading required. I tend to prefer the older style skits from Symphonia, which played out using just the characters’ heads and felt less intrusive, but can appreciate the new direction and inclusion of body language. I enjoyed the stories of Rinwell, Law, Kisara, and Dohliam. Not to mention the interplay between Alphen and Shionne, whose backstory is absolutely crucial to the plot, which sees the ragtag band of companions transform into a found family who fight and struggle together to save the world.
The game is not without failings though, namely lack of detail in the world. Assets are recycled relentlessly and there just isn’t much to do outside of the main story. Side quests are bland and uninspired, requiring you to kill monsters, speak to NPCs, or locate lost items. You can also mine ore (used in the aforementioned accessory crafting system) and fish (used in the yet to be mentioned cooking system). It's a beautiful looking game with nice lighting and shadows, expressive anime character designs, and varied environments, but the world feels empty. NPCs are also largely dull and lifeless, sometimes miraculously duplicated in the same room!
That plot takes an impressive turn once the Renan lords have been defeated. I was actually shocked when, after beating Vohlarn, the credits didn't start rolling. Everything was building up to that moment and I just assumed the game would end. Instead, you learn of the true plot and set out to save Dahna from an even larger threat—cannibalization of its life force (i.e., astral energy) by the sentient spirit of the neighboring planet, Rena. At that time, I wasn't ready for another twenty hours hours playtime. I put the game down for about a year, only to recently pick it back up and blast through the remaining story while completing most of the optional content. Although I was originally daunted, I'm glad I returned because Arise is a fun time with great combat and characters, as well as a compelling narrative.
Finally, I always appreciate when a video game includes insert music and Arise has some real bangers. The OP is phenomenal, but then the second OP hits (appropriately titled "Hello, Again") after defeating Vohlarn which really hammers in that there is work left to be done. Finally, the ED provides a beautiful moment of release when Alphen and Shionne work together to channel the spirit of Dahna and save their world.
I finally rolled credits on The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. "Wow" is all I can say. I have been playing this game almost daily for the past few months and really enjoyed my time with it, but I wasn't ready for the final chapter.
Note: I played on the Steam Deck, where it’s “unsupported,” but runs flawlessly.
----
The story begins in media res with our protagonists Estelle and Joshua training to become bracers, a type of pan-national adventurer-detective. The game’s tutorial, which introduces its various mechanics, serves as their final test at which point they graduate to become junior bracers. This framing is really fun and provides background on our characters—they’re adopted siblings, both students; Joshua is moody with a mysterious past, Estelle is hotheaded and naive, but she’s a veritable prodigy with the staff. It also clears the slate for the story to come.
That story is a great change of pace from traditional JRPGs; these are young kids who set out to become full-fledged bracers—not to save the world. Even as the story progresses and they are organically drawn into larger conflicts (by virtue of their role as bracers), it remains grounded in the experience of these two individuals and our knowledge is almost always limited to what Estelle knows.
The dialogue is also phenomenal. Apparently the series is well known for it's sheer volume of text and that's definitely true. Every NPC has something to say and they constantly react to the plot as it progresses, often moving locations as you do. For example, a woman that you rescue from a bandit hideout will appear in another town talking about how grateful she is. They gossip about events taking place, speak about their hopes and dreams for the future, complain about their spouses, and discuss the latest story in the Liberl News (an in-game newspaper written by the chain-smoking reporter Nial Burns, who is constantly chasing the latest scoop). I’ve never played an RPG where the world feels so alive - it’s really special! The English translation is top notch as well and always feels natural. Estelle's script has some very funny moments too.
Visually, I love the detailed PSP-era sprites, which were given an high definition facelift and new lighting/ shadows with the PC release. It's a timeless style and I actually prefer sprite-based visuals and the limited isometric view compared to full 3D graphics from this time period. The sprites are surprisingly expressive too. A particular scene sticks in my mind of Tita, who views Estelle as an older sister, rushing across the screen to hug here - one sprite dashing to and wrapping it’s small arms around the other, the two almost melding together. It was an astonishing level of detail that really helped build out the personalities of these characters.
I really enjoyed the combat too. This is my first experience with the Trails gameplay and the combination of arts (spells) and crafts (abilities) really clicked with me. It's a relatively easy game on Normal difficulty, but I found myself mixing and matching arts and crafts (no pun intended) depending on enemy weaknesses and positioning. Turn order becomes especially important on some of the harder boss fights, especially the Lorence fight, which I had to attempt several times for the achievement.
Speaking of achievements, I followed several guides to 100% the game during my first play-through. This was the first time I've done this and it honestly felt great, like I truly mastered the game (minus the fact that I played on Normal difficult) and saw everything there was to see. I don't think using a guide diminished my experience at all, in fact, I was less frustrated because I didn't have to backtrack as much.
Overall, I loved my first foray into the Kiseki series and will definitely return for The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC!
Note: I played on the Steam Deck, where it’s “unsupported,” but runs flawlessly.
----
The story begins in media res with our protagonists Estelle and Joshua training to become bracers, a type of pan-national adventurer-detective. The game’s tutorial, which introduces its various mechanics, serves as their final test at which point they graduate to become junior bracers. This framing is really fun and provides background on our characters—they’re adopted siblings, both students; Joshua is moody with a mysterious past, Estelle is hotheaded and naive, but she’s a veritable prodigy with the staff. It also clears the slate for the story to come.
That story is a great change of pace from traditional JRPGs; these are young kids who set out to become full-fledged bracers—not to save the world. Even as the story progresses and they are organically drawn into larger conflicts (by virtue of their role as bracers), it remains grounded in the experience of these two individuals and our knowledge is almost always limited to what Estelle knows.
The dialogue is also phenomenal. Apparently the series is well known for it's sheer volume of text and that's definitely true. Every NPC has something to say and they constantly react to the plot as it progresses, often moving locations as you do. For example, a woman that you rescue from a bandit hideout will appear in another town talking about how grateful she is. They gossip about events taking place, speak about their hopes and dreams for the future, complain about their spouses, and discuss the latest story in the Liberl News (an in-game newspaper written by the chain-smoking reporter Nial Burns, who is constantly chasing the latest scoop). I’ve never played an RPG where the world feels so alive - it’s really special! The English translation is top notch as well and always feels natural. Estelle's script has some very funny moments too.
Visually, I love the detailed PSP-era sprites, which were given an high definition facelift and new lighting/ shadows with the PC release. It's a timeless style and I actually prefer sprite-based visuals and the limited isometric view compared to full 3D graphics from this time period. The sprites are surprisingly expressive too. A particular scene sticks in my mind of Tita, who views Estelle as an older sister, rushing across the screen to hug here - one sprite dashing to and wrapping it’s small arms around the other, the two almost melding together. It was an astonishing level of detail that really helped build out the personalities of these characters.
I really enjoyed the combat too. This is my first experience with the Trails gameplay and the combination of arts (spells) and crafts (abilities) really clicked with me. It's a relatively easy game on Normal difficulty, but I found myself mixing and matching arts and crafts (no pun intended) depending on enemy weaknesses and positioning. Turn order becomes especially important on some of the harder boss fights, especially the Lorence fight, which I had to attempt several times for the achievement.
Speaking of achievements, I followed several guides to 100% the game during my first play-through. This was the first time I've done this and it honestly felt great, like I truly mastered the game (minus the fact that I played on Normal difficult) and saw everything there was to see. I don't think using a guide diminished my experience at all, in fact, I was less frustrated because I didn't have to backtrack as much.
Overall, I loved my first foray into the Kiseki series and will definitely return for The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC!
2015
Undertale is a very strange video game. I completed a neutral run, killing some monsters and sparing others with no particular plan in mind—totally unaware that there were multiple routes. It took me 5 hours and 21 minutes to roll credits on the "Exiled Queen without Undyne" ending (I spared Toriel and had more than 10 kills, including Undyne).
It was a wild ride. The story is simplistic at first (you play a small child stranded in a land of monsters, trying to find your way home), but eventually breaks the fourth wall, asking the player to consider the actions they've taken while playing—especially the lives of the monsters they’ve killed.
Those monsters (Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Dr. Alphys, and Mettaton) are quirky and unique with funny, often irreverent dialogue. The sprite work is all hand drawn, expressive and lovely. The chip-tune music, which Toby Fox composed himself, is absolutely beautiful. I especially like Snowdin Town, which plays in the cozy, monster town of Snowdin.
The "combat" system plays like a SHUMP with Final Fantasy style actions, including an option to "spare" the enemy. It is very well executed and demands constant attention. I was never bored in an encounter or tuned it out to mash the A button, like a traditional RPG, which further emphasizes the theme of actively choosing to “kill” a monster and the consequences you, the player, have on this world.
It was a wild ride. The story is simplistic at first (you play a small child stranded in a land of monsters, trying to find your way home), but eventually breaks the fourth wall, asking the player to consider the actions they've taken while playing—especially the lives of the monsters they’ve killed.
Those monsters (Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Dr. Alphys, and Mettaton) are quirky and unique with funny, often irreverent dialogue. The sprite work is all hand drawn, expressive and lovely. The chip-tune music, which Toby Fox composed himself, is absolutely beautiful. I especially like Snowdin Town, which plays in the cozy, monster town of Snowdin.
The "combat" system plays like a SHUMP with Final Fantasy style actions, including an option to "spare" the enemy. It is very well executed and demands constant attention. I was never bored in an encounter or tuned it out to mash the A button, like a traditional RPG, which further emphasizes the theme of actively choosing to “kill” a monster and the consequences you, the player, have on this world.
2021
This review contains spoilers
An enjoyable game, although “experience” might be more appropriate, since half the playtime consists of fully animated, visual novel-style cutscenes. The main highlight is the fluid combat system—you control either Kasane or Yuito, who can temporarily activate their team members’ abilities (invincibility, teleportation, duplication, etc.) or string together special attacks based on a series of constantly refilling SAS gauges for each character (controlled via the left/ right shoulder buttons). This might seem complicated, but isn’t thanks to the intuitive controls. More importantly, it feels great to obliterate a horde of monstrous Others using your diverse set of powers, despite the game requiring careful resource management during prolonged boss fights. The crew is fun as well, with strong characterization via optional “bond episodes” that delve into their individual motivations, fears, interests, etc. Although text heavy, “bond episodes” are typically cutscenes, these stories were some of my favorite in the game, especially since the main story feels overly complex and contrived at times—time travel stories are really hard to get right! The “Normal” difficulty wasn’t too punishing (I died a handful of times), but eventually I equipped a plug-in that prevented wiping—I love this option (and used it for Nier Automata as well), since I wasn’t interested in repeating tricky enemies multiple times because I missed a dodge roll. The music is good too and complements the fast pace action. Overall, Scarlet Nexus was a fun experience and, time permitting, I’ll likely play Yuito’s story in NG+, which carriers over all of your progress.
2019
A joyful experience—for the goose. Untitled Goose Game knows exactly what it wants to do and executes that vision flawlessly. While the gameplay is mechanically simple, the many interactions between objects in the world and its inhabitants provide surprising depth. The core progression, completing a to-do list worth of evil deeds, is very satisfying and hilarious- you're playing a goose after all, why do you have a to-do list? The sound design is also a standout, featuring an orchestral score that mirrors the action, quietly playing as the goose creeps along, and becoming increasingly frantic as mischief unfolds. Overall, a short (~3 hours), but fun experience.