Nedávné recenze uživatele Skiah 40k

A casual and very straightforward HOG/HOPA game that can be completed in a single afternoon. The scenes are diverse and interesting enough, and there are plenty of puzzles in between HOG scenes, including a couple I don't think I've seen used before.

There aren't any special features, achievements or collectibles, for better or worse. A few story progression based achievements would have been nice, but no achievements also means this game avoids a lot of achievement based problems many HOGs seem to have; that one achievement that won't unlock, forced puzzle type selections that require multiple plays for no good reason, 2nd speedrun playthroughs, etc. Its frustration free at least.

The interface is nice and comfy with a hint feature, a journal and a map of locations. The story is fairly predictable HOG fare, but the dark/gothic theme is interesting and the scenery is pretty. There are a lot of locations for such a short game, instead of reusing scenes which is nice, as the art is the best part of the game.

Would be a great in a bundle but is maybe too short and sweet to justify full price.

This is the toughest review I will ever write. In fact, I won't bother to even try to treat this like a real review.

One of my dearest friends and I read this roughly at the same time and talked about it a great deal. I feel like if I hadn't had that experience, my opinion might not be so high. But as I jokingly told her, "This is absolutely the hardest 10 rating I have ever given anything on VNDB, and I do it under extreme duress and with great protest." She laughed at me and told me it was a pure 10. She's apparently in possession of a much higher constitution than I am, and I'm the one that binges true crime documentaries.

I won't be detailing what this cluster♥♥♥♥ of a story is actually about. I don't know if I could even if I tried. If you want more details about what's in store, I am sure you can find the very same reviews I read that lead me to both buy this, and dread opening it at the same time. And procrastinate reading it at all.

When my friend challenged me to finally break the seal, I then stared at the screen blankly for god knows how long, in revulsion every time I found the strength to continue. The only thing higher than the existential dread of the writing was my own existential dread in pressing the enter key.

I will be very blunt. If you don't think you can stomach it, don't even try. If you aren't willing to patch this game, all you get is the prologue. If you don't patch it, there's not enough content or payoff to warrant buying it. If you do patch it, you get everything. No half measures here and no punches pulled.

This game is depraved, savage and absolutely revolting in all ways. it contains hard bullying, extreme duress, psychological torture, gore, violent sexual assault and... even worse. Its a putrefying garbage dump buffet of the worst things mankind has to offer. It also has a lot of really unsettling and eerie unreality sequences. Basically if you can handle all this kind of stuff in fiction and it interests you, give it a try. This really is a one of kind experience, and there are sections filled with poignancy and beauty. If it feels like it might be too much, just walk away. I'd be lying if I put on a front and said it didn't traumatize me.

Not as badly or long lasting as Muv-Luv Alternative or Baldr Sky, but in a totally different way that was highly uncomfortable and unpleasant. Its also worth noting that some of the worst scenes drag on so long that it feels like the author is deliberately trying to wear the reader down completely.

So dear reader, I am sure you have to be wondering why in the world I gave this a thumbs up, and even more so, how did it receive a coveted 10 out of 10? Because it is an uncategorical masterpiece *somehow*. There's nothing redeeming here. The characters are distant and detached from the reader, the setting is unremarkable, the plot is incorrigible, the events are horrific.

But I don't think I will ever experience anything like it again. To try to put this in a way that makes even a bit of sense without spoiling it. Its a story but its not a *story*. Its an illustration, a demonstration and an experiment.

My friend and I, are really big into long winded debates and the sort of psychobabble that would probably bore most people to tears. Hours long philosophical discussions and the posing of theoretical psychological questions have kept us up both up far past our bedtimes more times than I can count.

But for all our studying and debating, neither of us could even put a dent in Wittgenstein's material because he's so brilliant that he makes no sense and yet so b-a-t ♥♥♥♥ insane that he has to be right about something. But I thought I'd go to my grave not understanding a damn word he ever wrote.

...Except I now fully grasp not just the basics of Wittgenstein's analytical school of thought...

................I actually *get* the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus!!!!!

If that doesn't make it clear that Wonderful Everyday is absolutely brilliant, I don't know what else to say. I tried to reread TL-P for the hundredth time after finishing Wonderful Everyday and it actually made sense. And irrelevant or not I have to vent and admit my friend one-upped me here too because her native language is German. So she can experience the philosophical holy grail of "what the actual F is this" untranslated.

Was it worth the trauma, desperate need for eye and brain bleach, and the loss of my own sanity to get there?

It might not be worth it for everyone but it was absolutely worth it for me. It cracked the seal on the hardest text I have ever tried to digest, and provided my friend and I several weeks worth of discussion.

Lastly, appreciate your own Wonderful Everyday. It is those boring, mundane and banal days of peace, the times we shrug off as uninteresting, that truly matter. The Wonderful Everyday is the ultimate victory. It took so much agony and turmoil to claim your days of peace. Learn to love every dull moment there is no cause for either meaningless -or- meaningful suffering.

...The only mystery that remains now, is how something this vile also manages to have so much soul.... and beautifully illustrate how truly fortunate we are during the times there is no pain.

I'm not really sure what to say about the experience that is Baldr Sky. There is so very much I could get into, but saying anything too specific feels like reviewing Muv-Luv Alternative as if it was a stand alone work.

While being nothing alike in ways, Baldr Sky does check a lot of the same boxes and as it is much lesser known, I'll just mention those similarities first.

-It is very creative, well thought out and complex.
-It is very sci-fi centric and technical without being dry.
-It is an incredibly engaging, edge-of-your-seat read.
-It is of epic proportions in both size and scope.
-The worldbuilding is incredible.
-It evokes a vast array of emotions in the reader.
-The stakes couldn't be higher.
-Its very tense and grim.
-The world it takes place in is beyond broken.
-It has one hell of a payoff.
-And -- knowing the hows and whys of anything I just said, would ruin the entire experience.

Baldr Sky is absolutely amazing but not without its faults. Unfortunately the two things it doesn't nail are rather important.

-Incredible characters that evoke a sense of attachment.
-A universally brilliant final antagonist.

Once again without getting into specifics, the cast of Muv-Luv's (and several other top tier VNs but I won't diverge from the best single comparison for everything) characters have a certain magic about them. They feel real, and even when they make mistakes and do stupid things, you root for them. Every life in Muv-Luv is precious.

Baldr Sky does have characters worthy of this declaration but it also has a few hollow one note, tired cardboard standees that have one single quirk that's played out until its a worn out and tired affair. They are an absolute nuisance when they appear and one in specific seems to only exist to remind you that she's subversive and quirky and is DTF with anything that has (or -had-) a pulse every single time you see her, even when people are dying and ripped to shreds next to her. There are a couple others that are grating as well, but she's by far the worst and is guaranteed to rip out all initiative and flow in the story any time she's on screen. Fortunately she (and all the others that are one note wonders) are all side characters without a route devoted to them.

The second problem is the ultimate foe. To elaborate, there is a secondary villain who is disgusting. They are a total wretch, an utterly despicable nasty p.o.s. with more flaws than this game has plot twists. But they are human through and through and there is a really unexpected development around them that's rather mindblowing even if it doesn't redeem any of their sins. There is another Very Bad Person in this game who is a rather shocking reveal and a total crushing disappointment when you finally understand what they are up to. Both of these characters are horrible people but excellent in their roles as enemies. They do their job, and do it well.

But... while the main antagonist is fascinating psychologically and an absolutely terrifying abomination, you only get this vantage point and understanding in the true ending. They spend the entire rest of the game appearing out of nowhere and being so cartoonish and gaudy that it feels juvenile and out of place. In this case there is an absolutely reasonable explanation for it later but you have to suffer from feeling like they repeatedly thrusted you into an edgy Saturday morning cartoon throughout the saga, to finally get there. I wouldn't replace this character but editing them to change their tone and delivery would be a vast improvement to the entire experience.

These flaws aside though, Baldr Sky is absolutely worth the ride. But I feel like knowing these problems ahead of time will allow the reader to enjoy the experience more.

It also has a mech gameplay mechanic that's so damn good it's almost a shame that it's attached to a visual novel, because there are many people who would pass on Baldr Sky because its a mecha action game and many people that would pass on it because its a visual novel. The gameplay portion is so deep mechanically and very satisfying. It also pulls you into the world in a really brilliant way because it makes you feel like you're there. Its the merging of two masterpieces at odds with itself. But it ticks all my buttons and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. But if you don't care to play out the action sequences, there is an easy story mode that turns it into a cakewalk.

One thing to note: a very serious content warning -- it is important to be educated on the adult only material in this game if you decide to patch it for the full experience. I don't know how much or what is left out unpatched but there is a lot of really horrible things that happen in this horrible world, so be aware if you have sensitivities. There is also love. Very hard won and emotionally painful love culminating in the face of doom. And tenderness, farewells and reunions. Oh, and there is also eye-rolling gratuitous nonsense where it doesn't belong. That all said, the adult content in uncut version is a truly mixed bag. For me personally, the gratuitous nonsense was the only part I'd choose to cut as it doesn't advance the story. Its not easy to stomach some of it but it serves its very obvious purpose -- illustrating how evil and depraved mankind can truly be.

Actually, much of Baldr Sky can be thematically summed up in the tone of it's adult content. Light vs. dark, vice vs. virtue, struggle vs. victory, a vast ocean of gray area... and a little gratuitous nonsense.

But if you like the sound of experiencing psychological dives, philosophical meanderings, political intrigue, deep complex stories, cyberpunk setttings, quantum shenanigans, questioning the meaning of life, pondering the nature of a higher power and witnessing a doomed romance that roars in defiance in the face of god itself in pursuit of a timeless love, Baldr Sky is the VN for you. Even with its flaws.

Do you believe in fairy tales?

Symphonic Rain is a really great visual novel. It's mostly mundane and slice of life, at least on the surface. There is a lot going on behind the scenes and while there are some clues, it doesn't really come together until the very end. One very big plot point requires a little suspension of disbelief, but this same reveal also relies on the concepts of love and faith.

Its bright and sweet, subtle and wholesome on the surface, but is truly quite dark beneath its unassuming cover.

Its important to note (haha) that music is a huge part of the plot, as it takes place in a prestigious music school and there are musical gameplay sequences specific to each character. Fortunately, the music is absolutely wonderful. The soundtrack throughout is serene and fitting, while the songs the characters themselves compose and sing are really good. They also reveal a lot about who these people genuinely are. There are a couple of songs in specific that really change meanings once you know the composer's secrets/motivations.

Everyone in this tale is not who they seem. Everything occurring in this tale is not what it seems, either. Its a subtle, slow burn done right and the payoffs are worth it though the journey itself is also enjoyable.

I definitely recommend this VN. I also suggest trying to remain unaware and avoiding spoilers before reading, but at the same time, be aware that this colorful fairy tale is genuinely fractured and completely grim under its storybook facade. Treating it like a mystery while reading adds another layer to the experience. Some of the twists might be obvious enough to figure out ahead of time while others you won't see coming -- but both are equally fun.

While it explores a lot of dark topics, has some disturbing twists and has a melancholy tone, its full of heart.

The hopelessness and depression are real. And yet? If you have enough faith and believe in love there could be a miracle. Even through the never ending rain.

To say the translation is... wonky -- is perhaps a bit too generous. Somehow though, the story still shines through and is a lot more interesting than expected. Its heartfelt and even got to me a couple of times which I did not expect in a spaceship shooter even if I am a giant sap.

But maybe you don't care about any of that anyway. That's fair, and fine as there is also an arcade mode that skips all the small talk and pondering the dreams of a shattered humanity so you can get down to what you came here to do: blow things up!

And boy, can you. It's incredibly fast paced, frantic and chaotic, very close to too busy; but somehow those are pros here rather than cons. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun not knowing what the (bullet) hell is happening.

Thankfully THotV -Ch- has difficulty modes that seem to scale from accessible to challenging on harder difficulties. But I appreciate that this is not a one-hit kill type. You have a shield that allows hits, and you charge it back up by hitting them more than they hit you.

Be aware though, while I have a real soft spot for shmups I am not great at them and the barrier to improve tends to be pretty rough since bullet hells in specific have a really high ceiling. YMMV on how hard this game comparatively is but it seems well balanced. I've heard the DLC stages are much harder but I won't be booting that up until I have beaten the main game with every character. Maybe by then I'll have put in enough practice to survive. So far its been challenging without being outright frustrating which can be a very fine line.

Its a tense and exciting game and has a very satisfying gameplay loop. The weapons systems feel powerful instead of the "sitting duck with a peashooter" vibe some of the more intimidating shmups have. Feeling vulnerable and winning against all odds has its own sense of reward, but absolutely decimating everything from time to time has its merits too!

"We'll soon get into next Space Battleground. More power to you all!"

EDIT: I just tried out one of the special modes after completing the story mode with my first character. I died more times in the first stages of the special mode than I did in the entire regular game. If you want the devastating difficulty of a bullet hell, its absolutely here, just not attached to experiencing the story!

A wholesome, bittersweet existential story that managed to make me feel more in a very short time than a VN has in a while. It might not be for everyone but I found it charming and sad, but meaningful without melodrama.

There are questionable choices, regret, reflection and despair but hope despite it all. The adult themes actually have a purpose in the storytelling and do not overstay their welcome. (And there are no H scenes, just themes that matter in the plot). The art and music were perfect for the setting and the ending is a good conclusion while still leaving it open enough to think about.

I wish there was more.

Note: While I personally received Lord of the Click for free, it was as a gift, not a key from the publisher or anything like that.

This, as a clicker, is rather basic even with the general simple formula for these games. I can't applaud the gameplay as anything special but it was a functional way to waste an hour or so, just collecting upgrades and taking out monsters. It's decent to play while simply destressing or relaxing -- especially with the TV on or something else on an extra monitor.

But I completely admit without shame that I used an autoclicker (on a reasonable semi-human interval) past level 1. I don't know if anyone would have the hand strength to get through all the levels alone, but I know that I and my carpal tunnel sure couldn't have.

While very simple, the reasons that pushed this review to the positive is because I honestly enjoyed the music and the colorful pixel art. I also really liked the aesthetics/style of each level and the way the entire map slowly shifts to one side or the other as opposing sides gain control of the field.

If you know what you're getting and realize this is quick, nothing groundbreaking and buy it on sale/bundle, etc. I'd recommend it as a mindless bite sized time waster with a reasonable progression based path to 100% achievements.

As I write this review, the look on my face is like a little girl trying to make sunny-side up eggs in the microwave only to have them explode in my face and break my spirit.

I have been down here reading this long enough to laud an ant as a hero, is what I'm saying. Maybe I can just feed you some malarkey and get out of this. Mm-hmm. Science is progressing at a dizzying pace, so I doubt a little fib like this would be too far-fetched.

I shall leave a trail in my wake with this review. The weeds that have chosen the path of carnage, trying to live their lives the best they can by sprouting at the rocks near the reservoir, get crushed by my body and let out resentful screams all the while. I'll use the blubber from my big and bountiful breasts as a counterbalance? For real!

Yeah.

I didn't accidentally roll down this hill.

If I had to give an example of what trying to read this is like... it's like if the ground suddenly rose up in human form, passionately stole a kiss from me, and then told me. "Now call me your queen, peon."

Then I suddenly begin to violently hit my head against a tree, to cover up my feelings. You know what this really means. That I actually do want a piggy back ride?! At least, that's the impression you get from my movements. Leave it to the body to be forthright. I know you're tired of reading this review, but at least give high praise to the superior quality of human skin on my face before you go.

0.74 seconds before I have another make-out session with the ground, my memory miraculously comes back to me. In approximately 5.77 seconds, you will shriek at the top of your lungs and slap me right across the face!

Keep an open mind and accept me for who I am. That's a man's job.

After all, my review is just a tool to communicate with you. Humans are tool-using creatures. Someone once said long ago something to the effect of, "If you can't use a tool in times of need, then that proves that you're less a human and more of a gorilla".

Therefore, I can say that, by utilizing a tool, I've proved myself to be no gorilla.

The problem, however, lies in the fact that gorillas do indeed use tools as well.

I'm sorry.

But my face doesn't scream "sorry" in the least.

---

I took a chance on a much lesser known visual novel. It seems good on the surface. Its cheery and colorful looking. The art is gorgeous and the music is good too. It seems wholesome and happy, just what I needed in between some darker content. But I just can't do it. I can't refund it either, but the key was on sale and I will just cut my losses. I'm not even 2 hours in but its taken days to get this far because I can't stand it for long.

I tried to formulate a review that accurately explained why I have to throw in the towel and give up on this VN, and I have slogged through a great many I didn't find enjoyable, telling myself there will be a payoff eventually. And there usually is. But I can't imagine there will be here. And when I got tired of struggling to accurately explain what the problems are with the middle schooler level prose at work here, I decided to let the writing speak for itself. Aside from my references to this being a review, every phrase down to punctuation, was taken straight from the text log.

Note that all the rolling, tumbling, falling and stupid ground and weed metaphors were taken from *three different scenes*, as well. I'm sure mother earth will rise up to karate chop our heroes like a champion boxer who was almost down for the count until suddenly hitting a second wind to deliver the final blow 0.33 milliseconds before the bell rings in the final round at least 37 more times before the story ends, but I don't have the stomach to witness it for myself.

She might be a mermaid, but the narrator is *insufferable*.

Ark Noir is a short, bite sized game that could be called a dungeon crawler with plot, or a visual novel with gameplay elements. There's also some heavy rng and roguelike mechanics here, though its a straight shot down hallways towards your goals rather than exploration based.

As someone who enjoys all the elements at play here, I really enjoyed my time with this game. Something to keep in mind, is that it goes from seemingly impossible to almost trivialized over time through unlocking starting perks and additional slots to socket them in. But there's another threshold here, and once you truly understand the mechanics and know what to expect, the game becomes substantially easier.

There are 3 main characters to play as (who all have their own subplots) and several endings. One thing I really appreciate is that all unlockables, endings, and achievement requirements are explained in the menu, and the game keeps track of what you've already accomplished and what you still need to do to get to 100%.

The plot and premise is interesting enough for me to want to know more about the game world. For its briefness, the characters are intriguing and the story is good, if you can ignore one really odd deliberate plot point -- the head of security for a ship tasked with saving humanity from its demise is a 15 year old boy. Prodigy or not, that doesn't track. But as it turns out that is the way it is solely to establish that only someone small can fit in either of the ship's dive suits.

Legitimately purchased fanatical/bundle stars key from the 2018 bundle just went poof. Pera Games is the worst April Fool's joke I've seen today.