Gensou Skydrift has little going for it. There’s little to appreciate for fans of Touhou or racing games. The story doesn’t have much charm in it to justify getting it for the campaign and the character dialogue is forgettable gibberish. The racing is unappealing due to the often abysmal track design as well as the driving that feels clunky and simplistic. Gensou Skydrift is a title that’s only worth playing for the sheer novelty of playing a Touhou racing game where characters ride on top of each other.
"Style over substance" is a reflexively-bandied phrase that's diminished in meaning over time. Although I partly agree to its usage here to highlight certain gameplay flaws, I don't think that should tarnish Narita Boy's immense successes. Studio Koba designed what they knew best – reverent 80s nostalgia, inspired techno-spirituality, beautiful 2D art, & more – with a sincerity rarely seen today.
While frustrating at times, Signs of the Sojourner does a fantastic job of nailing the actual flow of communication in the form of a card game. It also provides an excellent sense of freedom. By the time I got to one of the game’s multiple endings, I really felt like my actions and choices had earned it. I only wish that it had gone on a bit longer. Just when I really felt like I was getting everything the game was throwing at me, it ended. Still, I appreciate a game that leaves me wanting more and the different paths I could have taken provide enticement for a second trip.
If you go into this game expecting horror and mind-blowing puzzles, you’ll be disappointed. However, the storyline and the artwork justifies the purpose of the game, especially if you actually understand the story *cough* unlike me *cough*. If anything, I’ll at least be picking up a Lovecraft book from my local library so I can fake it better next time.
The writing has its fair share of material that’s worth a few sharp exhales through the nose and sensible chuckling but the committed delivery of the cast is a nice surprise and adds value. If you’re a fan of the Explosm! webcomic series and shorts, then Freakpocalypse is bound to hold a measure of interest. Just don’t go in expecting too much.
There are some things you expect coming into a Square Enix produced JRPG. You expect some grinding, you expect some weird dialogue, you even expect it to take a while to get going (I’m looking at you Final Fantasy XIII and the 30 hours it took to get good). What you don’t expect is for the game to feel like it’s just going through the motions with its story, for the central class system to not feel worthwhile, and for the battle system’s main claim to fame being you get to skip your turn to go later. Turns out Defaulting on this one is the right move.
The decision on this game comes down to the pros vs the cons, and whether you think you'd be happy to enjoy it as it is, or if you'd rather wait until some more updates. The load times and staggers can be mildly irritating and can amass during longer play sessions, but are by no means game-breaking or a reason entirely not to give it a go. Especially for those looking to play a little more casually, or in shorter bursts, or maybe aren't now accustomed to the world of SSD loading times, I still have to recommend this title as worth a go - just perhaps not necessarily the one to pick above the others.
Cathedral lacks vision where it counts. The title is focused on appealing to the hardcore with its retro presentation and difficulty that borders on irritating. The visuals and audio are certainly reminiscent of titles from the past, however, they lack that special polish that would elevate them beyond the superficial way they ape how games looked and sounded back then. Level design lacked care in checkpoint placement and enemy locations as well as quality of life features, which stacked tedium upon tedium. Overall, I have trouble recommending Cathedral; though it certainly has a niche appeal, its faults made the experience less than satisfactory.
By blending social deduction with survival mechanics Other Ocean has successfully avoided any Among Us clone accusations. Regardless of my tempered enthusiasm from Day One DLC and some polish concerns, Project Winter is a well-devised game that can lead to moments of intense distrust and cooperation few online games can equal.
