Recent reviews by Aurora Yukihime

Despite the fact that it’s six months after I’ve played the game, I still dabble with some broad, unanswered questions this game revealed to me. If you have played ¬Doki Doki Literature Club (DDLC) before, then you may very well be familiar with what I’m talking about, but it is my intention to offer a pleasant, spoiler-free review.

But I understand we’re all at least a little spoiled, especially by now and especially that almost every character has had a viral meme for at least some time in January/February. Then again, I digress.

The game starts off like any other anime VN, and introduces the honestly waste-of-space of a main character (who is probably the most stereotypical “anime dudebro” in existence) into the world of dastardly cute, poetic nonsense that is the Literature Club. Everyone more or less follows a set archetype and seems pretty cookie-cutter at first, but careful analysis (or repeat playthoughs on my part) of dialog and shared poems reveal the thin, gilded layer disguising this game on the surface.

I don’t wish to spoil this experience for anyone picking up this game for the first time, so I won’t elaborate further. The only word of wisdom I will share, when all is said and done and you realize how much excellent merch is out there (a certain keychain maker on Etsy caught my eye) or people who share your beliefs as to who is the best girl, heed this advice: “All Dokis are best Doki, but it’s okay to have a favorite.” #loveindies

Uplink (2001) is a hacking game in the fictional "future" of 2010. The game was created by Introversion Software, a merry little indie company with active developers. While development for this game has ceased, fans, such as Miah and Tycho from Ferrous Moon (Onlink) and Cpt. McBacon of Uplink OS, continue to make the game stand on its own as not only an "oldie but goodie" but the continuing benchmark of its genre in 2016.

The game itself appears complex, minimal, and dated on first glance. The entire game is basically text and buttons. While not as aesthetically appealing as even some games from the NES, the gameplay is still action-packed. The game features several races against the often invisible clock as the player tries to seize millions of credits in funds, destroy mainframes, and evade the one-world-government's ever-motivated police force. One wrong move often spells curtains for the player if unprepared.

Uplink was a game without creative comparison during its time. Instead of the endless derivations from popular console titles, Uplink was a rare success for a game inspired by movies. As we learned from the Angry Video Game Nerd, games based on movies are often on a poor foundation (and LJN certainly didn't help)! Uplink answered the demand for Hollywood-style hacking that no other popular game could offer at the time.

One common complaint about the game is that it is complex and very difficult to play without additional walkthroughs and documentation beyond what is provided by the game. The in-game tutorial only covers one type of mission and offers a very inefficient method for removing logs - a chore that can end the game if neglected merely an hour into the game.

The game, however, seeks to emulate a hostile environment where you learn as you go and by trial-and-error. The game, unlike other games of this time period, does not wish to hold your hand through it. And through this dearth of information, it has great replay value as you learn from past mistakes, learn even more about how the game works in more complex situations, and find new challenges and secrets.

I highly recommend this game, and proclaim this game should be the rightful owner of the "Test of Time" Award.