Publisher: Troika Games
Genre: RPG
Summary: After being turned into a vampire, you must navigate the bloody politics of the Los Angeles World of Darkness.
Gameplay: Vampire: the Masquerade was the first tabletop roleplaying game I ever played, and this game brought back lots of fond memories. Character creation is similar enough that I was (again) able to dig up old character sheets and adapt them to create game characters.
Abilities are split between traits (innate abilities like strength or intelligence), feats (learned skills like firearms or sneaking), and disciplines (magical vampire powers, which vary depending upon which type of vampire you choose to be.) Experience can go towards increasing anything, but costs vary depending upon the ability and how much it's increasing.
The game often does a good job at offering various paths to complete a quest, but there's usually combat involved somewhere. Combat itself is somewhat awkward, as it's difficult to switch quickly between all the melee, ranged, and magical abilities. There are only ten hotkeys, and those have to accommodate healing items as well.
Sometimes combat can be avoided via sneaking (and you can instakill when unnoticed behind someone, something I wish I'd learned before nearly the end of my first playthrough.) Hacking and lockpicking may be needed too. There are also sometimes persuasion options.
As a vampire, you of course will occasionally need to drink blood. It's another bar like health and is especially used up by disciplines. There are a variety of ways to get blood, again adding options.
Style: This game is atmospheric as all get out. Through excellent music and design, the settings can ooze creepiness or despair. The late night streets of L.A. are sleazy and depressing, while skyscrapers loom above in gothic splendor. People dance in clubs while mysterious whispers murmur through the sewers.
Story: The story suffers somewhat from the false urgency of the main quest distracting from the sidequests. At one point, the chain of favors for the main quest was so long I lost track of who I was supposed to be finding to help who do what. And one particular quest--the sewers--was spectacularly long and underwhelming. Then the end is a lot of dungeons and lots of things to kill.
Still, the game does excel at offering options and adventures in a dark and interesting world. You can be a heroic vampire rescuing strangers and only killing when attacked, or an evil seducer who drains without a care. You can wander off to discover all sorts of supernatural hijinks. You can solve quests subtly or just murder everybody.
Truly, choices abound, unless you'd like to romance a guy. I can think of exactly one opportunity to sleep with a guy, and it wasn't exactly a flirting situation. And it's not like there weren't possibilities! Why does every other woman hit on my character, but I can't hit on LaCroix or Nines or Reyes?
For that matter, why can I pick up girls in bars but not guys? There are literally guys there, and I can't talk to them! It really speaks to a spectacular failure of imagination on somebody's part. It's pretty clear it never occurred to the developers that someone interested in romancing men would ever play the game.
Conclusion: It wasn't intentional at first, but when I realized I was only playing the game at night, I continued to do so, it was so fitting. Despite over-reliance on combat (especially towards the end) and its failure to account for male romance, Vampire the Masquerade--Bloodlines offers an impressive amount of roleplaying options in both gameplay and characterization and takes place in an interesting and different setting.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
"Blade Runner" Review
Publisher: Westwood Studios
Genre: Adventure
Summary: A new Blade Runner investigates a dangerous group of Nexus 6 replicants.
Gameplay: McCoy can use his skycar to travel between locations to question people (you can select a mood for the responses or just choose from a list) and pick up clues. As more locations are revealed, sometimes foot travel becomes possible.
McCoy's computer helpfully lists the clues, cases, and suspects, and can subdivide by type. Photographs can be analyzed for further clues, ala the film. And of course at times McCoy will have to determine if someone is a replicant, and then be quick to chase them down and shoot them--if he's sure!
Style: As might be expected from a Blade Runner game, the landscapes are spectacular, even rendered in the older game's somewhat grainier style. There are screens a-plenty just to wander through to look at (fortunately, McCoy can run if you don't care.)
People and objects, however, are sadly extremely grainy and clash with the better backgrounds. Cutscenes are better, but not impressive today. The music is good.
Story: Blade Runner is impressive for how it manages to emulate the movie without exactly repeating it (just look at the summary!) It takes place at the same time (that is...now), and McCoy may run into many of the movie's characters (and it's impressive how many of the same voice actors are involved.)
I say "may" because the game is impressively varied and replayable. McCoy can choose where to go, who to shoot or set free, and which faction to side with. Even ignoring that, different people are replicants every game, so each playthrough is always different.
Still, the themes of identity, humanity, and freedom can come through strongly, depending on the playthrough. Additionally, it's fun to explore in more detail the Blade Runner universe.
Conclusion: Although awkward in spots due to its age, Blade Runner still offers a fine story with great variety in a vibrant science fiction landscape.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: A new Blade Runner investigates a dangerous group of Nexus 6 replicants.
Gameplay: McCoy can use his skycar to travel between locations to question people (you can select a mood for the responses or just choose from a list) and pick up clues. As more locations are revealed, sometimes foot travel becomes possible.
McCoy's computer helpfully lists the clues, cases, and suspects, and can subdivide by type. Photographs can be analyzed for further clues, ala the film. And of course at times McCoy will have to determine if someone is a replicant, and then be quick to chase them down and shoot them--if he's sure!
Style: As might be expected from a Blade Runner game, the landscapes are spectacular, even rendered in the older game's somewhat grainier style. There are screens a-plenty just to wander through to look at (fortunately, McCoy can run if you don't care.)
People and objects, however, are sadly extremely grainy and clash with the better backgrounds. Cutscenes are better, but not impressive today. The music is good.
Story: Blade Runner is impressive for how it manages to emulate the movie without exactly repeating it (just look at the summary!) It takes place at the same time (that is...now), and McCoy may run into many of the movie's characters (and it's impressive how many of the same voice actors are involved.)
I say "may" because the game is impressively varied and replayable. McCoy can choose where to go, who to shoot or set free, and which faction to side with. Even ignoring that, different people are replicants every game, so each playthrough is always different.
Still, the themes of identity, humanity, and freedom can come through strongly, depending on the playthrough. Additionally, it's fun to explore in more detail the Blade Runner universe.
Conclusion: Although awkward in spots due to its age, Blade Runner still offers a fine story with great variety in a vibrant science fiction landscape.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
"Serafina's Saga" Review
Publisher: Woodsy Studios
Website: http://woodsy-studio.com/vn/serafinas-saga-visual-novel/
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: After her father is captured, Serafina ventures forth from the jungle for the first time in her life and must navigate a castle full of secrets and politics.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of decisions.
Style: The art is not great, but it gets across the characters and locations. The music is nice.
Story: The land of Darnia is an interesting setting of nobles descended from gods. Trying to navigate a newcomer like Serafina through these choppy political waters is an intriguing task. Romance, on the other hand, is a bit more frustrating, given the inherent mistrust of the situation and a lack of interaction opportunities with some of the possibilities. Still, there's a nice variety of romantic options.
Conclusion: Serafina feels a bit rough around the edges in its art and its pacing, but it offers plenty of choices and a good story.
Website: http://woodsy-studio.com/vn/serafinas-saga-visual-novel/
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: After her father is captured, Serafina ventures forth from the jungle for the first time in her life and must navigate a castle full of secrets and politics.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of decisions.
Style: The art is not great, but it gets across the characters and locations. The music is nice.
Story: The land of Darnia is an interesting setting of nobles descended from gods. Trying to navigate a newcomer like Serafina through these choppy political waters is an intriguing task. Romance, on the other hand, is a bit more frustrating, given the inherent mistrust of the situation and a lack of interaction opportunities with some of the possibilities. Still, there's a nice variety of romantic options.
Conclusion: Serafina feels a bit rough around the edges in its art and its pacing, but it offers plenty of choices and a good story.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
"Ninja Pizza Girl" Review
Publisher: Disparity Games
Genre: Platformer
Summary: Gemma delivers pizza for her father by parkouring across the cyberpunk cityscape and facing down corporate ninja pizza delivery rivals.
Gameplay: Each delivery is timed. Gemma can jump or crouch and must use those abilities to interact with the environment to break through walls, foil enemy ninjas, and generally make her way through an impressive breadth of cityscapes. New gameplay elements are gradually introduced.
Falls or hits lower Gemma's mood, but impressive moves improve it. Recyclables picked up in runs can be used to essentially "heal" her mood in-between by buying items or creating alternate outfits. Additional pick-ups reveal bonus game development or unlock alternate modes. Each run is scored at the end, and difficulty can be modified to suit tastes.
Style: The scenery is impressive and the music goes well with the tense action. The close-up graphics are a bit more awkward, but adequately convey the story, as do the comic inserts.
Story: I love a good futuristic city setting. And despite the inherent silliness of ninja pizza delivery, Ninja Pizza Girl offers a surprisingly good cyberpunk story as well. Much of the game's focus is blatantly on bullying, but in the end (perhaps inadvertently) I think it offers an even stronger story about the ability of regular people to stand up to powerful corporations (not that there's not crossover between the two concepts, given the bullying capability of corporations.) That's very cyberpunk, and quite appropriate for a small, family-made Kickstarted game.
Conclusion: Ninja Pizza Girl is a lot of fun. It is not a long game, but it is well made. It has fun gameplay with many options, a great setting, and a good story.
Genre: Platformer
Summary: Gemma delivers pizza for her father by parkouring across the cyberpunk cityscape and facing down corporate ninja pizza delivery rivals.
Gameplay: Each delivery is timed. Gemma can jump or crouch and must use those abilities to interact with the environment to break through walls, foil enemy ninjas, and generally make her way through an impressive breadth of cityscapes. New gameplay elements are gradually introduced.
Falls or hits lower Gemma's mood, but impressive moves improve it. Recyclables picked up in runs can be used to essentially "heal" her mood in-between by buying items or creating alternate outfits. Additional pick-ups reveal bonus game development or unlock alternate modes. Each run is scored at the end, and difficulty can be modified to suit tastes.
Style: The scenery is impressive and the music goes well with the tense action. The close-up graphics are a bit more awkward, but adequately convey the story, as do the comic inserts.
Story: I love a good futuristic city setting. And despite the inherent silliness of ninja pizza delivery, Ninja Pizza Girl offers a surprisingly good cyberpunk story as well. Much of the game's focus is blatantly on bullying, but in the end (perhaps inadvertently) I think it offers an even stronger story about the ability of regular people to stand up to powerful corporations (not that there's not crossover between the two concepts, given the bullying capability of corporations.) That's very cyberpunk, and quite appropriate for a small, family-made Kickstarted game.
Conclusion: Ninja Pizza Girl is a lot of fun. It is not a long game, but it is well made. It has fun gameplay with many options, a great setting, and a good story.
Friday, August 30, 2019
"The Pretenders Guild" Review
Publisher: Minyan Studios
Website: https://harlevin.itch.io/thepretendersguild
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: Former cooks Ash and Paris pretend to be adventurers to make money by escorting a rich noble.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of tonally-noted decisions (there is option for an after-decision sparkle reveal of whether it was an optimal decision for the chosen romance path.)
Style: The art is very colorful with a somewhat anime style. The characters have a nice variety of expressions and cutaways ably help set scenes and actions. The main character's race, sex, gender, hair, skin, and eyes are customizable.
Backgrounds are a bit repetitive, but do the job of establishing place. This is helped by cutaways of a map that shows the group's movement as they journey and by nice moody transitions using evening and night sky. The music is good. There are occasional typos.
Story: The Pretenders' Guild has a fun sense of humor and an interesting setting with three distinct races. Being able to customize the main character so adds variety to the already great story, as of course do the three different romances.
Conclusion: The Pretenders' Guild has lots of options, romance, fun humor, and a neat setting. It's great.
Website: https://harlevin.itch.io/thepretendersguild
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: Former cooks Ash and Paris pretend to be adventurers to make money by escorting a rich noble.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of tonally-noted decisions (there is option for an after-decision sparkle reveal of whether it was an optimal decision for the chosen romance path.)
Style: The art is very colorful with a somewhat anime style. The characters have a nice variety of expressions and cutaways ably help set scenes and actions. The main character's race, sex, gender, hair, skin, and eyes are customizable.
Backgrounds are a bit repetitive, but do the job of establishing place. This is helped by cutaways of a map that shows the group's movement as they journey and by nice moody transitions using evening and night sky. The music is good. There are occasional typos.
Story: The Pretenders' Guild has a fun sense of humor and an interesting setting with three distinct races. Being able to customize the main character so adds variety to the already great story, as of course do the three different romances.
Conclusion: The Pretenders' Guild has lots of options, romance, fun humor, and a neat setting. It's great.
Friday, August 23, 2019
"Jones on Fire" Review
Publisher: Glass Bottom Games
Genre: Scroller
Summary: Jones rescues kittens from a great fire.
Gameplay: Through increasingly hazardous runs, Jones can jump or slide under to avoid fires or burning logs and save kittens. Completing certain goals and rescuing special golden kittens creates currency to purchase consumable power-ups or permanent ability increases.
Style: The game uses a simple, super-blocky style that conveys just enough detail with nary a curve to be found. The music is catchy, and the game's instructions and descriptions have a cheery humor.
Story: ...Jones rescues kittens from a great fire. There's not more here than said in the summary.
Conclusion: Jones on Fire offers a straightforward game that's fun and engaging in its own style.
Genre: Scroller
Summary: Jones rescues kittens from a great fire.
Gameplay: Through increasingly hazardous runs, Jones can jump or slide under to avoid fires or burning logs and save kittens. Completing certain goals and rescuing special golden kittens creates currency to purchase consumable power-ups or permanent ability increases.
Style: The game uses a simple, super-blocky style that conveys just enough detail with nary a curve to be found. The music is catchy, and the game's instructions and descriptions have a cheery humor.
Story: ...Jones rescues kittens from a great fire. There's not more here than said in the summary.
Conclusion: Jones on Fire offers a straightforward game that's fun and engaging in its own style.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
"Ristorante Amore" Review
Publisher: Cyanide Tea
Website: http://risamo.cyanide-tea.net/
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: A waitress at an Italian restaurant finds love...and behind the scenes, the actors of the game may, too.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of occasional choices.
Style: There are understandably minimal locations brightened by nice music.
Story: Ristorante Amore is essentially two visual novels (and can be played as such, if inclined.) The "prologue" of romance for a waitress serves perfectly well on its own. Then there's the fascinating twist of actors behind the scenes of a visual novel and seeing how they compare and contrast with their characters. It's a neat concept. Both stories are of everyday life with some romance.
Conclusion: Ristorante Amore is two interestingly connected stories of life and romance at an Italian restaurant.
Website: http://risamo.cyanide-tea.net/
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: A waitress at an Italian restaurant finds love...and behind the scenes, the actors of the game may, too.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of occasional choices.
Style: There are understandably minimal locations brightened by nice music.
Story: Ristorante Amore is essentially two visual novels (and can be played as such, if inclined.) The "prologue" of romance for a waitress serves perfectly well on its own. Then there's the fascinating twist of actors behind the scenes of a visual novel and seeing how they compare and contrast with their characters. It's a neat concept. Both stories are of everyday life with some romance.
Conclusion: Ristorante Amore is two interestingly connected stories of life and romance at an Italian restaurant.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
The Manual Rant
At first, this was going to be just a nostalgic yearning for the manuals of yore, but lately it's gotten so bad that this is going to be a genuine rant about the outright shameful lack of manuals in games today.
Yes, I remember actual paper manuals with long descriptions on how to do everything, in-character descriptions, cast lists--those were great! The physicality is not reproducible today, when even most games are downloaded, but there could at least be an equivalent pdf or file. If it's a million-dollar AAA game, they can spare the money have a writer throw together some instructions alongside some thematic graphics.
What it should not be (and what I have seen) is extra content for which I have to pay extra money. How to play the game I just bought should not cost extra! Bonus stories and such, I understand, but the basic manual? No!
It should also not be a link to a hasty, sloppy website that does not nearly cover all of the game's possibilities. I have been forced to rely on fan-made sites, which assume I already know basics. It's truly lazy to completely ignore the manual because you assume fans will take care of it.
I know many people never read manuals and prefer to learn in-game. Sure, there's something to be said for learning as you go, but there's always going to be one action or some information you could more easily find by reading. Besides, people learn differently, so redundancy helps. And I've seen games strain mightily to elaborately contain tutorials in their stories over the years, when so much could be simply explained by including a dang manual.
Yes, I remember actual paper manuals with long descriptions on how to do everything, in-character descriptions, cast lists--those were great! The physicality is not reproducible today, when even most games are downloaded, but there could at least be an equivalent pdf or file. If it's a million-dollar AAA game, they can spare the money have a writer throw together some instructions alongside some thematic graphics.
What it should not be (and what I have seen) is extra content for which I have to pay extra money. How to play the game I just bought should not cost extra! Bonus stories and such, I understand, but the basic manual? No!
It should also not be a link to a hasty, sloppy website that does not nearly cover all of the game's possibilities. I have been forced to rely on fan-made sites, which assume I already know basics. It's truly lazy to completely ignore the manual because you assume fans will take care of it.
I know many people never read manuals and prefer to learn in-game. Sure, there's something to be said for learning as you go, but there's always going to be one action or some information you could more easily find by reading. Besides, people learn differently, so redundancy helps. And I've seen games strain mightily to elaborately contain tutorials in their stories over the years, when so much could be simply explained by including a dang manual.
Monday, June 24, 2019
"Aloners" Review
Publisher: sonnet009
Website: sonnet009.com
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: You awake after the apocalypse and become close with a lone survivor.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of options in action and dialogue.
Style: Backgrounds are photorealistic, which clashes a bit with the single drawn character, but are otherwise helpful at conveying at the worn, dusty atmosphere. The music is good but tends to cut out at odd times. There are nicely dramatic chapter titles.
Story: Aloners tells an excellent and engaging story. Although the post-apocalyptic world is stereotypical, the time given to details of survival make it feel enjoyable. The story itself has its twists, and the character of Trash is rich. I do wish that all the options in responses and actions resulted in a bit more variation in the story, but I'm still glad they're there.
Conclusion: Aloners offers an interesting and exciting post-apocalyptic romance.
Website: sonnet009.com
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: You awake after the apocalypse and become close with a lone survivor.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of options in action and dialogue.
Style: Backgrounds are photorealistic, which clashes a bit with the single drawn character, but are otherwise helpful at conveying at the worn, dusty atmosphere. The music is good but tends to cut out at odd times. There are nicely dramatic chapter titles.
Story: Aloners tells an excellent and engaging story. Although the post-apocalyptic world is stereotypical, the time given to details of survival make it feel enjoyable. The story itself has its twists, and the character of Trash is rich. I do wish that all the options in responses and actions resulted in a bit more variation in the story, but I'm still glad they're there.
Conclusion: Aloners offers an interesting and exciting post-apocalyptic romance.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
"Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood" Review
Publisher: Sierra
Genre: Adventure
Summary: As Robin Hood, you must gather money for the king's ransom while avoiding the Sheriff of Nottingham's men.
Gameplay: Gameplay is a mix of arcade sequences involving things such as playing backgammon or (of course) archery and puzzles, which are a mix of item usage, wayfinding, and memory. Thankfully, there is a difficulty slider for the arcade sequences.
As for the puzzles, many of them depend upon the game's copy protection, which uses things such as coats of arms and arcane druid knowledge. It's interesting stuff, but it feels over-used. Other puzzles aren't bad, but there are some annoying instances where it takes a bit to realize how to implement what you want to do.
Style: The graphics have lovely VGA colors with plenty of inset portraits to convey characters. Sherwood Forest is vibrant and there are plenty of screens, but also lots of maps so you don't have to tromp about to get everywhere. The music is beautiful.
Story: The story takes place very sequentially, with certain events happening each day and the day ending when events are completed. Thus the game can go quite quickly if you know what to do and quite slowly if you do not. It's also possible to have something go awry early in the game and then play the rest of the game to go a horrible ending. Despite these issues, the game builds nicely and includes lots of Robin Hood touchstones.
As in the previous Conquest game, there are lots of pagan references, and they feel a bit odder here, perhaps because this game is set later in time. It doesn't help that Friar Tuck is the sole charitably portrayed priestly character, and he has to be included by tradition.
Conclusion: Conquests of the Longbow is a colorful and fun tale of Robin Hood with some annoyances in its puzzles.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: As Robin Hood, you must gather money for the king's ransom while avoiding the Sheriff of Nottingham's men.
Gameplay: Gameplay is a mix of arcade sequences involving things such as playing backgammon or (of course) archery and puzzles, which are a mix of item usage, wayfinding, and memory. Thankfully, there is a difficulty slider for the arcade sequences.
As for the puzzles, many of them depend upon the game's copy protection, which uses things such as coats of arms and arcane druid knowledge. It's interesting stuff, but it feels over-used. Other puzzles aren't bad, but there are some annoying instances where it takes a bit to realize how to implement what you want to do.
Style: The graphics have lovely VGA colors with plenty of inset portraits to convey characters. Sherwood Forest is vibrant and there are plenty of screens, but also lots of maps so you don't have to tromp about to get everywhere. The music is beautiful.
Story: The story takes place very sequentially, with certain events happening each day and the day ending when events are completed. Thus the game can go quite quickly if you know what to do and quite slowly if you do not. It's also possible to have something go awry early in the game and then play the rest of the game to go a horrible ending. Despite these issues, the game builds nicely and includes lots of Robin Hood touchstones.
As in the previous Conquest game, there are lots of pagan references, and they feel a bit odder here, perhaps because this game is set later in time. It doesn't help that Friar Tuck is the sole charitably portrayed priestly character, and he has to be included by tradition.
Conclusion: Conquests of the Longbow is a colorful and fun tale of Robin Hood with some annoyances in its puzzles.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
"Black" Review
Publisher: schivafrecce
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: You are confronted by a strange creature in a dark cave.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of your choices of responses and actions.
Style: As reflected in the name, the palette is largely darkness and greys, with occasional white highlights. Color is rare. Even at the highest speed, the text appears slowly, and the menu options can get a bit confusing with their in-universe titles.
Story: There isn't much to go on in Black; it relies mostly on atmosphere rather than backstory or plot. Because the game is trying to be creepy, I felt it assumed I would be more scared and cruel I wanted in my options.
Conclusion: Black is a short little game with neat (lack of) lighting. It's a little blunt for my tastes, but it offers options and good atmosphere.
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: You are confronted by a strange creature in a dark cave.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of your choices of responses and actions.
Style: As reflected in the name, the palette is largely darkness and greys, with occasional white highlights. Color is rare. Even at the highest speed, the text appears slowly, and the menu options can get a bit confusing with their in-universe titles.
Story: There isn't much to go on in Black; it relies mostly on atmosphere rather than backstory or plot. Because the game is trying to be creepy, I felt it assumed I would be more scared and cruel I wanted in my options.
Conclusion: Black is a short little game with neat (lack of) lighting. It's a little blunt for my tastes, but it offers options and good atmosphere.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
"April Was a Fool" Review
Publisher: Dragonfly Studios
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: Thanks to a resemblance to their recently deceased leader April, you have a chance to join a legendary team of adventurers.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of a few choices.
Style: The artistic style is an exaggerated, colorful anime design, with some super-deformed instances in inserts. The music is good.
Story: "April Was a Fool" is really, depending on which option you choose near the beginning, five different stories, each exploring a different member of the team, but all showing these heroes' dysfunction. These various dysfunctions can be surprisingly dark.
Conclusion: While I enjoyed the complexity of the characters, which came across well despite the shortness of the game, I found the serious topics discussed clashed with the artistic style. I realize the contrast is probably intentional, but it just didn't work for me, especially given my general dislike of the style regardless. It was worth playing "April Was a Fool" but I couldn't help wishing for different visuals.
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: Thanks to a resemblance to their recently deceased leader April, you have a chance to join a legendary team of adventurers.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of a few choices.
Style: The artistic style is an exaggerated, colorful anime design, with some super-deformed instances in inserts. The music is good.
Story: "April Was a Fool" is really, depending on which option you choose near the beginning, five different stories, each exploring a different member of the team, but all showing these heroes' dysfunction. These various dysfunctions can be surprisingly dark.
Conclusion: While I enjoyed the complexity of the characters, which came across well despite the shortness of the game, I found the serious topics discussed clashed with the artistic style. I realize the contrast is probably intentional, but it just didn't work for me, especially given my general dislike of the style regardless. It was worth playing "April Was a Fool" but I couldn't help wishing for different visuals.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
"The Blackwell Convergence" Review
Publisher: Wadjet Eye Games
Genre: Adventure
Summary: Rosangela and her ghostly guide Joey investigate deaths that seem to be connected to a mysterious ghost.
Gameplay: As with the previous Blackwell game, puzzles often involve switching to Joey to make use of incorporeal ghostly skills. There is still much investigating and asking questions, plus email hacking via finding passwords. It can be a bit annoying trying to pick or type the exact right question.
Style: The style is much the same standard adventure-game graphics and blues-music. Some scanning backgrounds during the beginning and ending sequences and rain effects during parts add a little extra.
Story: I greatly enjoyed the story back in "Blackwell Unbound" so it was a pleasant surprise to see elements of it revisited here. The hints of the mysteries of the Blackwell setting are the game's greatest strength, but they are only touched on in this game. The other elements of the story provide some interesting New York City history, but suffer for randomness in connection and pacing.
Conclusion: "The Blackwell Convergence" works well as a continuation in the Blackwell series. Investment in the characters and setting helps cover the occasional irritating puzzle.
Genre: Adventure
Summary: Rosangela and her ghostly guide Joey investigate deaths that seem to be connected to a mysterious ghost.
Gameplay: As with the previous Blackwell game, puzzles often involve switching to Joey to make use of incorporeal ghostly skills. There is still much investigating and asking questions, plus email hacking via finding passwords. It can be a bit annoying trying to pick or type the exact right question.
Style: The style is much the same standard adventure-game graphics and blues-music. Some scanning backgrounds during the beginning and ending sequences and rain effects during parts add a little extra.
Story: I greatly enjoyed the story back in "Blackwell Unbound" so it was a pleasant surprise to see elements of it revisited here. The hints of the mysteries of the Blackwell setting are the game's greatest strength, but they are only touched on in this game. The other elements of the story provide some interesting New York City history, but suffer for randomness in connection and pacing.
Conclusion: "The Blackwell Convergence" works well as a continuation in the Blackwell series. Investment in the characters and setting helps cover the occasional irritating puzzle.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
"The Crossroads" Review
Publisher: Seriphinite Games
Website: https://seraphinite.itch.io/the-crossroads
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: While looking after a peaceful mansion, a woman gets to know the two handsome staff.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of making decisions. There are a nice variety.
Style: The main character's name, hair, eyes, and skin tone are customizable. The backgrounds project the peaceful setting. Occasional inserts are used sparingly but well. The music is mostly peaceful as well, but there are a few awkward cues.
Story: The Crossroads is a very relaxed romance. There's not a lot of background to the characters and the information behind the supernatural element to the story is extremely thin and very shakily explained.
Conclusion: The Crossroads doesn't inspire strong feelings, but offers some choices and low-stress romance.
Website: https://seraphinite.itch.io/the-crossroads
Genre: Visual Novel
Summary: While looking after a peaceful mansion, a woman gets to know the two handsome staff.
Gameplay: Gameplay consists of making decisions. There are a nice variety.
Style: The main character's name, hair, eyes, and skin tone are customizable. The backgrounds project the peaceful setting. Occasional inserts are used sparingly but well. The music is mostly peaceful as well, but there are a few awkward cues.
Story: The Crossroads is a very relaxed romance. There's not a lot of background to the characters and the information behind the supernatural element to the story is extremely thin and very shakily explained.
Conclusion: The Crossroads doesn't inspire strong feelings, but offers some choices and low-stress romance.
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