Comprehensive Game Reviews

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From AAA titles to indie games, we cover it all. Our comprehensive reviews provide detailed insights to help you find your next favorite game.

Review: Homura: The Crimson Warriors Is Another IFI Historical Otome Idea Factory and Otomate are pretty great about releasing different types of otome visual novels that cover various themes, and they’re well known for their historical ones. I mean, they’re responsible for titles like Birushana and Hakuoki . Players who adore otome games with historical elements and combat will find Homura: The Crimson Warriors offers exactly what they’re looking for with Sengoku period romances. Those in search of a more comedic or romantic routes might want to go for something like Cupid Parasite or My Next Life as a Villainess . As I mentioned earlier, this is a Sengoku era game, which takes place after the Battle of Sekigahara. Following the deaths of Masayuki Sanada and Rokuro Mochizuki, those who supported them suffer a major setback. Rokuro’s daughter Mutsumi inherited his gift of reading the ring of energy and essence of the living (and dead) and trained as a ninja under Hakuunsai Tozawa, hoping to one day be of use to the exiled Nobushige (Yukimura) Sanada. After being sent by her master to assist Nobushige and his allies in their continued support of the Toyotomi, she finds a chance to be useful and perhaps fall in love with him or one of his allies as they prepare to face the Tokugawa shogunate and Ura Yagyu. However, that also means facing the unnatural Onibi Warriors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8AkaDItKhQ Remember how I said Homura: The Crimson Warriors is probably a game for folks who liked otome like Hakuoki earlier? Well, I’m guessing you see why now. Historical setting. Love interests based on real people like Juzo Kakei, Kamanosuke Yuri, Saizo Kirigaku, Sasuke Sarutobi, and Yukimura Sanada. Supernatural elements. Replace the Furies/Rasetsu with Onibi. Lots of focus on the conflict. It can feel very similar. That means if you enjoy these types of romantic visual novels that do pay attention to historical elements and weave them in with some fantasy elements, you are in for a treat. Especially since there is the Ring energy to see and take into account when making choices. Don’t take that to mean it feels like it is retreading old ground. Homura: The Crimson Warriors does feel unique. Its characters don’t feel like they’re copying the Shinsengumi from Hakuoki . It’s just a similar sort of style and approach. Images via Idea Factory International It also means that the more historical and dramatic elements can take precedence over actual relationship development sometimes and in some routes. It can be romantic for sure, and there are some paths where you can really see relationships develop well. (Specifically, I liked the Saizo and Kamanosuke ones best, though the Nobushige one is pretty good as long as the age gap doesn’t bother you too.) I never felt like the romance came out of nowhere when it came to any of the love interests. Just expect a lot to happen that involves current conflicts in that time period. Especially when you get to Nobushige, which does feel like the “main” route and one you should play last. I will say that after playing an Idea Factory and Otomate otome game that lacked quality of life features recently, it’s great to come back to one that does have them with Homura: The Crimson Warriors . There is a glossary, which is a godsend given all the historical references and terms that come up as you play. It’s very helpful and, since my Sengoku knowledge did come from other video games, I did make use of it. The ninja scroll chapter summaries are handy too. I didn’t need that, since I went through three routes in a row basically. However, I could see that being handy if you return to play another storyline after stepping away for a bit. There is a love catch system available too. Again, another always handy option to see if you’re making progress with the right person. Images via Idea Factory International Homura: The Crimson Warriors is also a very pretty otome game, and the artistic direction does bring to mind Hakuoki and Birushana again. The fact that there are also alternate costumes for character for some portraits is a nice touch as well. The voice acting is fantastic. Also, it feels like a solid localization too. Homura: The Crimson Warriors feels like an otome game for folks who loved Birushana and Hakuoki . The narrative and themes all follow similar courses. However, it does feel unique and like its own thing even with the whole supernatural enemy, warriors fighting back and rebelling, all while the sole female member of the group ends up being the sort of woman all of them could fall for. It’s a fun story for folks who like a little history and supernatural side to their love stories. Homura: The Crimson Warriors is available for the Nintendo Switch . The post Review: Homura: The Crimson Warriors Is Another IFI Historical Otome appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraApr 3

Life Is Strange: Reunion Review – Rewinding Too Far Backwards Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Deck Nine Rating: Mature Life is Strange: Reunion lives up to its name in more ways than one. Players return to Caledon University, the setting of the previous game, Double Exposure, to unravel a new mystery alongside much of that game’s cast. Max Caulfield’s time-rewind powers from the first Life is Strange are back in full force. And, of course, fan-favorite character Chloe Price makes her grand return to the series after over a decade-long absence. Retreading these familiar grounds offers nostalgic fun and some effective emotional beats. However, Max and Chloe’s swan song also lacks the exciting freshness of its predecessor, and its core mystery takes some frustrating missteps. Reunion is a direct follow-up to Double Exposure, taking place nine months later. It's the least newcomer-friendly entry due to how much its events hinge on having played the 2024 adventure and, to a lesser extent, the first Life is Strange. Although Reunion opens with a cinematic recap of Double Exposure’s pivotal moments, character development and characterization of its cast are largely lost. The game doesn’t spend much time re-establishing the snoopy journalist Loretta or the sly and secretive Vinh, and my interactions with these characters were largely colored by knowing how they behaved in Double Exposure. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend playing the last game before embarking on this new journey.   Reunion’s plot centers on Max returning to a Caledon engulfed in a fire that kills her friends and students; she jumps backward in time three days to try to prevent this destruction. I was immediately disappointed with how Reunion quickly walks back a big element of Double Exposure’s shocking finale. Perhaps in an effort to keep newcomers on a similar level of familiarity, a reveal involving the larger cast with huge implications for the future is essentially retconned in an extremely unsatisfying way. It more or less resets most of the cast to where they were before Double Exposure’s ending, making interactions in Reunion overly familiar and devoid of interesting character growth. Reunion's new characters, like the school's villainous new president, don't fare better and are woefully one-dimensional. I was also bummed that the endgame status of one particularly special student is not followed up on in any major way, despite multiple teases. Double Exposure’s final big decision, which also had wild implications, also winds up going nowhere significant and is hardly elaborated on. Those complaints aside, it’s great to hang out with Max and her best friend Moses again. They remain a delight thanks to strong dialogue and even better performances, and this extends to Chloe and other core characters, too. Double Exposure’s reality-hopping shenanigans paved a good excuse to bring Chloe Price into the fold, a character who, depending on how you ended the first Life is Strange, may be coming back from the dead. My biggest fear coming into Reunion was that Chloe would feel shoehorned, and I’m happy to say that’s not the case. The story justifies her presence both logically (as well as multiverse stories can, at least) and thematically, and I enjoyed getting to know an older, more mature version of her character. Chloe still has her signature rebellious streak, but I like how Reunion softens her in the way growing up tends to. Chloe’s supernatural existential crisis offers some poignant moments, and I like how this thread weaves into the similar plight of Max’s frenemy, Safi. But it ultimately takes a backseat to the less intriguing, more convoluted main plot of preventing the school fire. Splitting time playing as Max and Chloe and using their respective talents to interrogate suspects has enjoyable moments, but it is overall less stimulating than Double Exposure’s more engaging reality-shifting puzzles. Rewinding time with Max was never a deep mechanic in the original game, and that remains the case here. It largely boils down to redoing actions or conversations that go awry (sometimes multiple times) until you find the one correct path, with interesting moral dilemmas, such as whether to erase someone’s memory to keep them in the dark, arising less often than I hoped. Chloe, meanwhile, has her backtalking mechanic from Life is Strange: Before the Storm, which I didn’t love then and still don’t now. This involves choosing the correct responses in a row (typically two or three) based on knowledge of events to manipulate characters as you need. Again, it’s fairly shallow, and there are surprisingly few of these sequences given how much time you spend playing as Chloe. The unfortunate downside of Max and Chloe sharing gameplay time is that neither character’s mechanics has enough time to grow in complexity. Regardless of who you control, you’ll explore familiar locations, like the Caledon school grounds and the Snapping Turtle bar, alongside a couple of new areas to gather and inspect clues to build cases against potential suspects. Your accusations can be wrong, and you can miss helpful items; doing so leads to different outcomes, and I appreciate how this adds real stakes to my sleuthing. However, I didn’t always feel as hands-on with the investigation as I would like. For instance, one crucial clue implicating a character was simply given to me toward the end. I never found this clue myself – it just appeared on the evidence board as if I always had this information – so the resulting revelation feels hollow and unearned. The mystery is a bit messy overall, to the point I lost the thread a couple of times on how or why a character could be involved. It only coalesces towards the finish line into a somewhat satisfying conclusion (the one I got, at least) despite taking a few narrative leaps to get there. The primary draw of Reunion is seeing Max and Chloe reconnect and make up for lost time. The game delivers on that front; their heartfelt interactions sometimes made me forget the game’s other shortcomings. The manner in which Deck Nine sends these two off into the sunset – again, the version I unlocked – is truly wonderful. The rest of the package is overwhelmingly familiar to Double Exposure and takes a step backward in some cases. As much as I love Max and Chloe, everything around them seems to fall apart when they come together; Reunion is, sadly, no different. Score: 6 About Game Informer's review system

Game Informer ReviewsApr 3

Marvel Maximum Collection Review - The Good And Bad Of History Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Publisher: Limited Run Games, Konami Developer: Limited Run Games Rating: Everyone 10+ Collecting and celebrating older video games can be a challenging pursuit. Compilations that do so must balance the desire to preserve the original intent and structure of the games presented, while making them palatable and enjoyable to experience today. Marvel Maximum Collection mostly hits the mark, supplying fans a look at some of the most memorable and important comic book games of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and showcasing how Marvel’s position as a pop-culture juggernaut predated terms like the MCU. These are lovingly recreated games from yesteryear, and the inclusion of several quality-of-life features makes them more approachable. But are these games actually good? The answer to that is more complicated. X-Men: The Arcade Game is the undisputed heavyweight here, and it’s great fun. Old-timers will recall the multiple cabinet sizes in which this game would appear, including a massive six-player beast of a machine from which the shouted roars of Colossus would echo to every corner of the arcade. Maximum Collection players get to select which of these versions to play, and also add in friends online for those massive six-player battles. X-Men devoured quarters like few other games of its time, but the vibrant visuals, delightfully yet poorly translated dialogue, and flashy combat were simple and joyous fun. That remains the case today, and I love the chance to share that experience with friends and younger family who might have missed those heady arcade days. Captain America and The Avengers doesn’t hit those same highs; the visuals don’t pop in the same way, the action isn’t as explosive, and the punches just don’t land with the same panache. Even so, it’s fun to see the wealth of comic-book cameos, and it’s amusing as the game bounces to sequences in increasingly outlandish locations like under the sea and deep in space. Like several of the titles in the collection, we also get versions that appeared on multiple platforms. And while I can’t say I like the 2D platforming action of the NES version, it’s certainly great to see it represented. Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage and Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety were both satisfying console brawlers in their day. The former feels more impactful overall, with visuals that leap off the screen, and a notably thrilling 16-bit soundtrack. Still, its single-player limitation holds it back from the way most would want to experience a beat ‘em up. Separation Anxiety adds a second player option, but neither the story nor the fights feel quite as visceral. Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade’s Revenge was always a strange beast of a game. The webcrawler joins the likes of Gambit and Cyclops in a tour through several strangely crafted levels built by villain Arcade. Wolverine’s run through a level of playful (murderous) toys is an especially amusing concept. Sadly, both the controls and action across the game just don’t hold up all these years later. Everything feels too fiddly, the level designs too arbitrary, and the deaths too cheap. I got a kick of nostalgia remembering my attempts as a kid, but that nostalgia was mostly for the frustration the game always created. Again, it’s the chance to dive into all the versions of the game that is the real draw, including early portable games. With that said, I question why anyone would care to make their way through the Game Boy version just for fun. Silver Surfer rounds out the collection. Some will proclaim this game as exceedingly hard, but really, it’s just not very good. Silver Surfer goes through a series of shooting levels, and constantly spawning enemies immediately kill you and send you back to start again. Here, the extra cheats may be especially worth trying out. With some variation of a god mode on, you can experience the whole game and see all the places you would have died (which will be plentiful) while also getting to experience a truly awesome chiptune musical score, as well as some imaginative destinations across the universe. Cheats like those that will get you through Silver Surfer are generally available across all the games, ensuring you can see what they offer without extreme difficulty, unless that’s what you’re looking for. You also get a quick rewind function and save states, which make everything even more approachable. I also like the display tweaks, which let you see everything in a sharp, modern presentation or, optionally, add CRT and scanline filters for that old-school TV-in-the-basement vibe. A music player and some digital archives are also worthwhile historical additions; in the latter case, it’s mostly instruction manuals and advertisements, so don’t expect too much insight into the original design or development, beyond one cool document exploring the early brainstorming for Maximum Carnage. It’s silly to fault a historical compilation for including games as they originally existed. The Maximum Collection gets just about everything right, but there’s really only one game in the mix that I’d hold up as a true classic of its genre. Beyond X-Men, the experience here is likely for those hunting nostalgia or players with a particularly keen eye for understanding the early days of superhero video games. If that’s the sort of thing that makes your interior Colossus roar, you can expect a solidly good time. Score: 8 About Game Informer's review system

Game Informer ReviewsApr 2

Review: Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Preserves More Classics When it comes to Mega Man handheld spin-offs, the Battle Network entries are some that tend to steal the show, but seeing the effort Capcom put into Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection makes me hope this compilation will help more people appreciate this trilogy as well. With this selection, we’re seeing full and complete versions of games, including elements that were formerly exclusive to Japan, while preserving the online experience for people who do want to play that way. It’s yet another solid example of Capcom game preservation. With the artistic direction, pairing of a young adult with a powerful ally who can help them save and protect their community, and collection of cards for attacks, it’s easy to make comparisons between Mega Man: Battle Network and Star Force , and I generally think there are enough commonalities with regards to design and narrative choices to make one worth trying if you like the other. Here, we follow the adventures of a young man named Geo Stelar. After the trauma of losing his father, he wants desperately to hope he’s still alive and follow in his footsteps as an astronaut. It’s because of that drive and grief that he’s given the Visualizer by his father’s former coworker and friend. When he uses it, he meets Omega-Xis, an alien from Planet FM who knew his father. The two of them end up fusing to become Mega Man. With that ability, the two can head into the Wave World and protect the Andromeda Key while working toward Geo and his father’s dreams. Things start with us seeing Geo deal with his grief over the loss of his father, get accustomed to socializing with peers, handle the shock that comes from being paired with an alien being, and grow into a hero capable of handling the responsibility and abilities thrust upon him. I will say that the first game ( Dragon/Leo/Pegasus ) does take a bit of time to find its footing both with the narrative and gameplay, especially since it’s new to us. By the end, it all comes together, and the series then very much hits its stride by the sequel Zerker x Ninja/Zerker x Saurian. I suspect someone will be fully invested in Geo and Mega’s story and in finding the best combos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q073yGVIyQ0 In terms of gameplay, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection ’s three entries combine the collecting element and balance of real-world and Wave World elements. Like Lan in the Battle Network series, Geo is collecting abilities and forming a deck of sorts for battles. The difference here is perspective. While the exploration feels similar, the fights feel like action-RPG rather than a strategic situation. We watch from behind the Mega Man fusion of Geo and Mega, then select the Battle Cards that appear from our set folders to attack. By picking certain ones in the right order, we can trigger combos. So yes, there’s a strategic element to it, but it feels faster-paced and more active. Which makes it feel like a good time to talk about why the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is honestly sort of worth it just for said Battle Cards. This compilation includes what are essentially full and complete versions of each version of the three entries in the series. Capcom completely preserved pretty much everything. Now, each installment had some exclusive cards. So if you’re playing Mega Man Star Force: Dragon, Leo, or Pegasus, there will be some abilities only in each game like Dragon Sky GX, Life Aura, or Pegasus Magic. However, there were also some only available via events or crossovers that previously only appeared in Japan, like the Andromeda Giga Card or Lunar Knights crossover ones. Those are here! It’s a fantastic and, as I’ve mentioned a couple times already, a wonderful means of preserving the full experience as Capcom intended. Another element that’s preserved is online multiplayer. You can battle other people and trade cards. There is a platform limitation in effect, so there’s no cross-play. However, it does mean you could pick one version and trade with someone else online to complete a Battle Card collection. Casual, Friend, and Ranked Match options are all available. Images via Capcom It’s also taking cues from past Capcom compilations, as the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection features a lot of quality of life changes, with some of them being optional, and the standard art gallery and jukebox for soundtracks. For example, you can choose the standard appearance or an HD filter that updates the appearance, and there is a similar choice for the Battle Cards art and soundtrack. Minigames use buttons instead of touch screens. There is a new optional difficulty and you can use a Mega Buster Mode to make battles easier. There’s an auto-save, which I appreciated. Most importantly, the Noise Mod Gear is present and immediately available without any unlocking in Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace and Red Joker . So you have the Noise, Purpose, and White Cards. But the real gem here is how much control you have over gameplay. It isn’t just about choosing a difficulty or using an upgraded buster to breeze through a fight in Assist. You can determine how often you encounter enemies, with four varying degrees or the ability to turn them off completely. It’s possibel to turn guaranteed escape on. You can adjust damage reduction percentage. After a fight, you can choose to have Mega Man fully recover and determine how much reward Zenny he gets. You can turn the EX/V2 Boss Locator on or off. It’s even possible to set up a TATE mode display so both the top and bottom screens appear, as there are center, top/bottom, left/right, and vertical as possibilities. The only downside is, if you have a Flip Grip, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection isn’t really compatible with it. That’s because when you select “vertical,” then insert the Switch in that peripheral, it will automatically be upside down. There are some elements to Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection that bother me a bit, but they’re incredibly minor compared to the additions present. Some of the UI choices look a bit odd, in terms of fonts, and it features the same sort of filter as the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection did. But then, I’m also the sort of person who’d probably have been happy to get all of these games on more platforms without any HD additions or adjustments. It’s something you do eventually get used to, but given how many other times we get choices to choose how we want the games to sound or what the dual screen layout should look like, I sort of wish there was a UI option as well. Likewise, sometimes the HD filter bugs me in the same way the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection ’s did. Images via Capcom Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is another win for Capcom game preservation efforts. It grants us access to elements unseen outside of Japan. We get complete control over the experience, with opportunities to make it easier or more difficult. We choose exactly how it displays, making the two-screen game feel as comfortable as someone would like. I’m still a bit disappointed with some font and HD filter appearances. But if you love Mega Man , this is another lovely tribute to an enjoyable spin-off series. Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC . The post Review: Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Preserves More Classics appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraApr 2

Super Meat Boy 3D ReviewSuper Meat Boy 3D proves that Meat Boy can work in three dimensions, even if some perspective-related issues keep it from reaching the heights of the 2010 classic.

IGN PC ReviewsApr 1

Review: Fishbowl Covers COVID Isolation, Grief, and Growing Up Fishbowl is an unusual experience that, on the surface, looks like a life sim, but is more of a brief visual novel where your day-to-day choices for Alo determines what happens next for her. And boy, does she need it. She’s not just dealing with one major life change and type of potential trauma, but three. It’s an examination of a life and how someone moves forward when dealing with different types of stress, as well as an examination of how small actions and interactions can change your life. Aside from a little tedium, it can feel cathartic helping someone move forward and heal. Alo is going through a lot. She’s only 21, so she’s just become an adult. She’s gotten her first major job, which entailed a move to a new city. She doesn’t know anyone there, beyond meeting the landlady. COVID started, resulting in remote work and social distancing. Oh, and her grandmother died, and she wasn’t able to see her right before it happened. And as a result of that and the current cultural situation, her family’s tea shop looks like it might close. She’s uncertain about her position, wants to be home, can’t write like she used to, and experiences nightmares every night. After a shipment from her mom of some of the things her Jaja left her arrives and a small goldfish toy she named Paplet and used to love is in it, it comes to life. Over the next month, her interactions with the toy, her job, the people she can connect to virtually, and items in her home can help shape the course of her life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyBv_qZ6xs There is so much happening to Alo at once in Fishbowl that it almost seems unbelievable, and it’s absolutely overwhelming. If it had just been a tale about dealing with grief while far from home, that would have been traumatic enough, but we’re also watching a young woman who doesn’t have much faith in herself get accustomed to an incredible job (that she clearly does deserve), adjusting to life on her own, and handling the measures you need to stay safe during a pandemic. Her grief over her family’s loss does feel like the focal point, with imissmyfriends.studio sort of prioritizing that element of the story, but the 30 virtual days do spend a lot of time dealing with all of these combined elements and the way they can weigh on an individual in a way that makes sense. Each day, there will be both scripted and unscripted events for Alo to encounter. Some of them involve Paplet and seeing past members with Jaja and other people important to Alo. Going through the editing minigame, which involves sorting items constantly moving into the right spots and deleting errors, is another and provides a means of seeing her interact with new coworkers. A friend or family member will usually call. There will be packages from Jaja’s home to sort as you go through the things she left behind. Optional activities are also possible, like eating meals, cleaning up, binge watching shows, doom scrolling social media, trying to write, and bathing. All of these can influence Alo’s mental state, which is also represented by bars and visual cues. Some are more neutral, but there are also ones with clouds overhead to suggest depression and a growing plant to signal optimism. Images via imissmyfriends.studio A thing that struck me is, as I started Fishbowl and learned how each kind of action influenced Alo’s current mood, I often felt afraid to do anything. Since her responses to people are tied to that, you can be locked out of selections if she’s too upset. Since you have no idea how different things in her apartment will affect her until you do interact with them, I found myself going out of my way to engage in repetitive (positive) activities to keep her spirits up. Likewise, if you’re hoping for more negative reactions, those can be walled off by her being in too good of a mood. (Though frankly, it seemed easier to bring her down.) It is something you become aware of very early on, since as the game begins Alo isn’t in a good place. However, since many of the positive actions are repetitive ones that can also be tied to quick-time event style interactions, that also can drag things out a bit. While for the most part Fishbowl is a exploration game and visual novel that prioritizes choosing what Alo does and how she responds to people, there are some minigames. The video editing and unpacking ones are both quite pleasant sorting activities that aren’t too tedious. In the former, you move the current item up or down so it is in the correct line, then press a button to quickly drop it into the correct position (or delete it). At most, it lasts a few minutes, and there’s positive reinforcement interactions with pleasant coworkers when it’s done. Unpacking means picking up and shifting things around in boxes to clear a path to a specific item in a method that feels inspired a bit by sliding tile puzzle games. With smaller actions like making food, washing dishes, doing laundry, or even using the toilet, you see a series of a few small images with directions below them. There’s no explanation as to what to do or press, though it’s fairly obvious except for one occasion in which I didn’t catch on that I needed to hold a trigger rather than press or hold a button. (The options do offer an accessibility option tied to those two minigames, but there’s none to eliminate the quicker interactions.) I felt like it helped reinforce a routine for the heroine. Now, that might feel a bit tedious to maintain over the in-game month, but it is there and there are benefits. Images via imissmyfriends.studio But what really is striking about Fishbowl is the artistic direction. For a game set in such a small space, it feels quite detailed. The spritework for Alo’s apartment and the things she finds when unpacking Jaja’s items are delicate and intricate. The character designs for her and her friends are gorgeous and filled with little details that cover their personality and culture. I love that when we see the video calls between her and other people, we also get to see a small video of her in the corner that shows her reactions. It’s quite pretty, and the setpieces and layouts feel meaningful. Fishbowl is a heartfelt story about dealing with many different life changes and traumas at once, all while finding a way forward. How we do so depends on choices we make. Not just responses to people around Alo, but how she chooses to live her life and push forward. While some of that routine might feel a little boring, that too feels like a commentary on life and how difficult it might feel to keep moving forward when seeing tangible results takes time. It’s one of those games where you start to really see how important actions are once you’re a few hours into it. Fishbowl is available on the PS5 and PC. A demo is available. The post Review: Fishbowl Covers COVID Isolation, Grief, and Growing Up appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 31

Review: Otome Daoshi Leans Into Anime and Manga Aesthetics Otomate and Idea Factory otome visual novels can often follow the same sort of gameplay patterns and decisions, so it’s always fun to see something a little different. Otome Daoshi: Fighting for Love , Aksys’ latest pick-up, is a fantastic example. It is a new game from all three and, while it is still a traditional visual novel, it leans into the martial arts themes by also incorporating some anime and manga design directions. However, in the process we lose some of the standard otome visual novel niceties. As Otome Daoshi begins, it feels a little like we’re being set up for something that might feel a bit like an otome game with a Dragon Ball style 21st World Martial Arts Tournament setting. Shunlin is a martial artist who is also training to be a daoshi. However, while she’s preparing to attend the Tournament of Valor with her grandfather and older brother figure (and possible love interest) Haoran, disaster strikes. Undead jiangshi, the exact types of entities daoshi take to the Forest of Chiming Souls to keep the dead from being abused or harming the innocent, appear and attack. Shunlin and other individuals there to attend or compete in the event, like love interests Longli, Shaowu, and Yuhang, get caught up in investigating and saving the day, while falling in love along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URSEVCsL8HE In terms of execution, Otome Daoshi plays like a standard visual novel. You make choices and read along with the story. Rather than your degree of affection determining which route you end up on, you flat out select whose story you pursue after getting to a certain point. You can’t end up with a bad ending, but one of the two ends for each bachelor is a “true” one. While five characters are available, only Haoran, Shaowu, and Yuhang are available on the first run. Longli only unlocks after you finish all three of their stories, and you then must finish his for the secret character whose identity is incredibly obvious. All the routes are pretty short, which means it ends up being about two to four hours to finish a storyline depending on how quickly you read or much you enjoy a path. Here’s the downside though It isn’t so much that these are shorter runs. It’s that they aren’t as well developed as other otome games Aksys picked up. Like Mistonia’s Hope is one of its other recent releases that blends love stories with subterfuge and revenge. In most of the routes, all elements are well developed and sometimes there’s an unexpected twist. I felt like I saw every plot point coming in Otome Daoshi, and the nature of the narrative means that each character’s story feels rushed with some unresolved elements. Shunlin and some of the guys fall in love way too fast for the sake of the story, with only ones like Haoran and Yuhang feeling like that element makes more sense because both knew her before the events of the game. We might see some of the mystery elements wrap up too quickly or not handled as well in some paths. It’s a bit frustrating. Which is especially frustrating since the presentation is really pretty! The character designs are fantastic. The backgrounds look good. There are story elements where manga koma are used to show what’s going on. That’s especially great, since it suits the idea of the martial arts masters and attacks against enemies so well. Screenshots by Siliconera Especially since there are other downsides to Otome Daoshi come up tied to its presentation and gameplay. Some of these sorts of games end up with extra touches that make things feel a little more finished or alive. For example, the character portraits may have some live 2D elements or animations. That doesn’t happen here. We only see static portraits. We don’t get a glossary section, which seems odd given the number of important terms like “daoshi” or “jiangshi.” There’s also no option for a voiced heroine. That’s something that isn’t always as common, so it’s a little less surprising to see it’s gone. But when combined with the lack of other features, it adds to the feeling of this release not being at the same level as others from the company. What is disappointing is the lack of an audio or visual indicator that you made a “right” choice when going through a route. See, a common element in Otomate and Idea Factory otome games is some acknowledgement in-game when a response comes up that lets you know if you made the choice that sends you toward the best ending by playing a small animation or having a sound effect play. (Idea Factory, in particular, has referred to it as the Love Catch System for years, and it’s even included as a setting you can toggle in the options of some titles.) Oddly enough, it isn’t here! You can go into the menu to check the Affection ranking after getting to a certain point in the story. (That feature is unselectable until you do.) And we are setting ourselves on a route by choosing a person after getting through a point in the introductory common route. But I’m always disappointed when it isn’t around. While Otome Daoshi: Fighting for Love’ s story isn’t as exciting as I expected a martial arts otome game to be, there are some romantic routes here. Playing it safe isn’t a bad thing, though it does mean it might feel a little more predictable than other titles in the genre. I wish it featured some quality of life titles from other Otomate titles. However, the way it does go with the theme and include the same sort of ambiance and elements as martial arts anime and manga is a nice touch. Otome Daoshi: Fighting for Love is available for the Switch. The post Review: Otome Daoshi Leans Into Anime and Manga Aesthetics appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 30

This Fun New Puzzle-Platformer Is Limbo, But Not Creepy | Darwin's Paradox ReviewDarwin's Paradox takes the 2D puzzle-platforming sensibilities of a game like Limbo or Inside and makes it distinctly less creepy and unsettling. Whereas those games presented elements of light body horror and spooky high-contrast compositions, Darwin's Paradox evokes classic cartoons starring goofball protagonists in vibrant, colorful settings. The result is a pleasant little gem of a game with loads of variety that makes the most out of its relatively short playtime. There's a core comedic premise to Darwin's Paradox that begins subtly and then slowly becomes more obvious as time goes on. Your eponymous little octopus, Darwin, just wants to get back home to the ocean. But on his journey he haplessly bumbles his way through what is clearly a full-scale alien invasion of Earth. In most games, the hero would steel their resolve to take on the alien menace, but Darwin is just an octopus. For all he knows, this is normal among land-dwellers, and he doesn't really seem to care either way. So he's less of a hero and more of a Mr. Magoo, with his own perception limited to the threats around him as he gets flung around a hostile world and just tries his best to survive. We as the (human) viewers understand what's happening in a different context than he does, and that makes the story work on two levels at once. Though he's not a hero, Darwin certainly has an expansive move set, which makes the game's platforming feel natural and fluid. They all trace back to the behaviors and adaptations of real-life octopi, like suckers to stick to walls, shooting ink to escape predators, and camouflage to blend in with their environment. And like a real octopus, he's most mobile underwater, where you have full 360-degree freedom of movement. Though traversing your way through land environments feels good, going underwater is immediately more natural. It really accentuates the feeling that you're a fish out of water the rest of the time. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 30

Darwin's Paradox! ReviewKonami's quirky new platformer brings good times, but occasionally hits a brick wall.

IGN PC ReviewsMar 30

Marathon ReviewThis ruthless, deeply unapproachable extraction shooter is worth every ounce of hell it puts you through.

IGN PC ReviewsMar 30