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<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections - Gaming]]>Tue, 17 Dec 2024 03:36:53 -0800Weebly<![CDATA["I Want to Play A Game": A Last Labyrinth Review]]>Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:22:33 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/i-want-to-play-a-game-a-last-labyrinth-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Meta VR, PSVR, Steam VR

We don't review a lot of VR games here at A-to-J, but they tend to be very unique when we do. Last Labyrinth is a horror-themed puzzle game that released on several VR platforms back in 2019, and we're going to be looking at it on the Meta Quest today. This may not be the timeliest of reviews, but seeing as VR games can be rather evergreen, and there aren't exactly tons of new releases dropping every week for them, we figured that checking this one out now isn't all that strange after all. Anyway, I guess we don't need long intros here, let's just dive right in!

Last Labyrinth has a very interesting premise, one that is simple on paper, but very complicated in execution. You play as someone completely bound to a wheelchair, with your movement being limited to just your head and your right hand. This may seem like you don't have many options as far as gameplay actions go, and indeed that is true, but you still have the ability to shake and nod your head, and you also have a laser pointer that you can set off via a trigger conveniently placed in your free hand. Naturally moving your head around, and by extension that laser pointer, wouldn't make much sense if you were alone, but thankfully you're not. Joining you in this nightmare scenario is a mysterious girl named Katia. Katia speaks in a language you can't understand, but you're going to have to cross this communication barrier quickly as she is going to be your hands. Even though she technically is your only salvation, you're also hers. You may or may not have the brains to get out of the labyrinth, but she's the one who has to perform all the actions. It won't be that easy though, as every room you enter is set up with some sort of puzzle that is also a death trap. Fans of escape rooms might have an idea of what to expect as the game goes on, but here the stakes are literally life and death. Why are you trapped here? What is Katia's relationship to you? Who is that mysterious masked man who appears every so often? You'll eventually uncover more details regarding all these questions, but I'll leave those for you to discover on your own. Story might not have the strongest focus in this title, but you'll be hard pressed to find a plot as strange as this one.

It may not seem so at first, but Last Labyrinth is essentially puzzle game at heart. Each room contains some sort of puzzle, and solving it moves you onto the next. As I hinted at earlier, failing a puzzle can bring death to both you and Katia. That's actually the biggest challenge in this game: Keeping Katia alive. Making a wrong choice basically dooms you both, but you typically have to watch her die before your own eventual fade to black. There's also a bit of guild attached to any harm that might come her way. If the switch she hits brings about her demise, it's because you told her to press it. Katia pretty much never does anything on her own, so you're the only one to blame if her actions end badly. It may sound like I'm being dramatic there, but Last Labyrinth actually does a pretty good job of keeping you invested in Katia's safety. Part of you may want to see the death animations in a Sierra adventure style way, but you'll more than likely want to see only the good outcomes. That said, you will see her die several times over the course of your journey, so be prepared for that if you plan to go into this one.

As far as the puzzles themselves go, they're pretty much all of the switch variety. This makes sense of course when you think about it, as those types of puzzles are the only ones you can command Katia to complete via a laser pointer. One doesn't have to worry too much about getting bored though, as there are a lot of variations on the switch puzzle theme. Whether it's pulling a lever, moving an item, or simply pressing a button, you first have to select it with the pointer, and then confirm it with Katia via a nod or head shake. Many puzzles require arrangement or a set-up before hitting a main switch, but some may require many small actions in quick succession. It's rather hard to explain outside of the game, but these are typically more complex than something you'd find in Saw, but also simple enough to be completed with only minimum input. Also, while many puzzles allow you to take your time and experiment, some operate on a timer. These can be a standard "act fast or die" type scenario that plays out sort of like a Quick Time Event, or it could be simply moving switch in succession before a certain action is completed. It may not be the most involved of gameplay mechanics, but Last Labyrinth manages to get a lot of mileage out of this one element of game design.

I was first drawn to Last Labyrinth when I noticed that it had a tagline that referred to it as "SAW meets ICO", and I ultimately found that to be a very accurate comparison. I didn't know much about the game beyond that initially, but I immediately saw the ICO comparisons in Katia. Imagine my surprise to learn that the team behind the game actually does have staff who have worked on ICO, as well as others who've worked on other well-respected games. Even though this obviously is a big departure from something like ICO, the spirit of creating something unique as far as gameplay goes is still present here. Part of the reason this game works so well is the character of Katia. Not only is Katia the best aspect of the game itself, but I'm positive that many players will find her to be quite endearing. During my research for this review I found many people who did not care for her all that much, even some that seemed to enjoy her death animations, and I can't wrap my head around that. She's the heart and soul of the game, and was definitely the only thing that really kept me playing. Then again these same people tended to be indifferent to the game overall, so I guess that tracks if they weren't fans of Katia in general. As you may already be able to see, I'm sort of that "one dentist out of ten" who hates the toothpaste. Or in this case, the one out of ten who actually loves this game.

Going back to Katia, one of the biggest reasons why her character works so well is due to fact that she's voiced by Stefanie Joosten. Stefanie Joosten is a voice actress who is probably best-known for providing the voice of Quiet from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and she gives an amazing performance here. This could've easily come off as a bad Simlish character, but there's so much charm and emotion to be found in lines that are basically gibberish. There are times when you might hear a syllable or two that sound like something familiar, or maybe you'll even catch a snippet of what might be a real word, but the incomprehensible nature of her language really hammers home the horrors of the situation you and Katia are in. This is actually something helped along by the presentation as a whole. The graphics aren't particularly great, but they work for this setting. You feel like you're in the liar of a Jigsaw-like madman, and there's plenty of small details in the environments for those who have keen eyes. The music is great too, as it does a perfect job of establishing a creepy atmosphere that is more than just ambient noises and stray music notes. This is a smaller title that is destined to be very niche thanks to it being a VR release, but the developers clearly put their all into this. There's simply so much to love here, and I found that I sometimes forgot how high the stakes were. An inevitable Katia death would usually bring me back down to reality, but that's just the nature of the beast.

Even though I had a great time with Last Labyrinth, and have mostly positive things to say about it, I do think there are some criticisms worth discussing. Since I just raved about how important Katia is to the overall experience, perhaps we'll start there. Even though I found her character to be quite good, there are some technical elements to the game that sometimes ruined the experience. There were plenty of times where Katia's movements would be very odd and jerky, and more than once her movements would come off as broken. It's something that's really hard to explain if you haven't played the game yourself, but it sort of felt like she was the follower in an escort mission, and the one escorting her was taking the worst possible route to the destination. That's not it either, as Last Labyrinth also seemed to like to waste your time. Failing a puzzle obviously means death, but death isn't a simple matter of pressing a button to restart. Many of the death animations are quite long, and I never figured out a way to skip them. Dying also usually takes you back to the puzzle menu, and both of those factors together often meant that it could be minutes before your back at the puzzle that was giving you trouble in the first place. Add to this the fact that there are times when Katia seems to misunderstand a nod or a head shake, and you'll start to feel the frustration creeping in. and isn't a simple matter of pressing a button to restart. This means that you'll lose minutes just getting back to the puzzle, and this frustration can spill out into other aspects of the game. The game isn't exactly hard, but it is in challenging in ways that can test one's patience.

I'm not sure how long it takes to fully clear Last Labyrinth, but I'd guess there's about 5-10 hours of content here for the completionist. The publisher claims more than that, but I think their figure is on the higher end of things. You can most definitely take more than ten hours if you're not particularly good at puzzles, but I think that most people will clear it in less time than that. Game length aside, I have to say that this is one of the best VR games I've ever played. That fact is all the more amazing when you realize that this is a five year old game. Many VR experiences are short and shallow, but Last Labyrinth manages to pull off something that actually feels like a game. It admittedly is just a collection of what are basically standalone puzzles, but the entire package comes together to form something that sticks with the player long after they reach the end. You can pick up the game for $29.99 on the Meta eShop, and at the time of this writing it's even on sale. Though that price is a bit on the premium side of things, I do think that the content is more than worth it. It may not be perfect, but it stands head and shoulders above most other VR releases.

I think it comes as no surprise that I give Last Labyrinth the fullest of recommendations. It's a must-buy for fans of puzzle games, horror games, and anyone who owns a VR headset in general. It's simple enough to be able to be played by casuals, and has elements that very niche demographics will enjoy. If you enjoy escape rooms, then there will be something for you here. The same can also be said for fans of ICO too. Obviously you'll have to also be able to deal with the graphic nature of the game's many death scenes, but there's a truly great game here for those that can get beyond that. I still feel a bit odd being such a positive voice in a sea of negativity, but those are my honest thoughts on the game. Grab it on whatever VR platform you can, and thank me later. See you in the next one!

Check Out Last Labyrinth on Meta VR:
https://www.meta.com/experiences/last-labyrinth/1427490644042488/

Story: A
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B
Music/Sound: A
Value: B

Overall: B+

Pros:
+ A game that truly captures the "SAW meets ICO" description.
+ The premise of the game may seem rather thin, but the game manages to deliver plenty of unique challenges in spite of those limitations.
+ The puzzles themselves can be quite challenging, and this can be seen as a bonus for those who are simply a fan of that style of gameplay.
+ Katia is a great character all around, and she also features awesome voice work from Stefanie Joosten that brings her to life.
+ While there admittedly isn't tons of competition, this is one of the best VR games I've experienced.

Cons:
- The long unskippable death animations make getting back into the game a bit of a chore at times.
- There are times when Katia movements, as well as her understanding, can just feel off.
- Even though this is an amazing game by VR standards, it probably wouldn't shine as bright if released on traditional gaming platforms.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

#LastLabyrinth

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Super Spy Raccoon]]>Sun, 15 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-super-spy-raccoonBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

I've reviewed several retro-themed arcade games recently from awesome publishers like Flynn's Arcade and Rawrlab Games, and I have yet another one today. Coming to us by way of developer Slain Mascot, and the aforementioned Flynn's Arcade, is Super Spy Raccoon. Super Spy Raccoon is an arcade-style game that focuses on stealth rather than action. It saw its first release on Steam last year, but it's set to drop onto the Nintendo Switch in a few days. Seeing as I've had a lot of fun with other releases from Flynn's Arcade (Check out my Cash Cow DX review HERE for another great one!), I went into this one with high expectations. Were those expectations justified? Let's dive in and find out!

Super Spy Raccoon has a very simple premise: You're a raccoon spy named Romeo Raccoon, and you have to collect several secret files across five levels without being seen. There isn't much else to the story beyond that, but this is an arcade game after all. Beating the five levels does bring you to a boss, and beating that boss loops the game. Looping several times will eventually get you a kill screen, which is a nice homage to arcade games that I wasn't expecting to find here. Even though I don't have much else to say in this part of the review, I will admit that there was enough charm in this game to make me want to know more about Romeo Raccoon and his mission. We may never get more details as to why he needs those secret files, or what's on them, but he's quite the cool character nonetheless. Anyway, with all that out of the way, let's move on to gameplay.

Even though Super Spy Raccoon has a very simple premise, it's sure to throw most players for a loop when playing it for the first time. This is not an action game by any stretch, and the focus is purely on stealth. Basically think of a fast-paced Metal Gear Solid arcade game, and maybe you'll get an idea. That's actually a bit much of course, but not too far off the mark at times. Romeo Raccoon has no attacks whatsoever, nor can he harm enemies. The only moves he has at his disposal are running and jumping. Dying is extremely easy, as it only takes an enemy looking at you to lose a life. You can also die the old fashioned way by touching enemies or stage hazards, but you're most likely going to get a game over by way of simply being seen too many times. Those files are what's important though, and your goal is to collect them all. Each level ends as soon as you collect the final file, and you move on to the next. The only power-up in the game is an invisibility potion that turns Romeo Raccoon invisible for a short time. He's not invincible in this form, but he can do pretty much anything without fear of being seen. You start each run with three lives, and you gain more through points. There are unlimited continues as well, though you lose points for having to do so. That might not matter to some players though, and the unlimited continues means that just about anyone can beat the game if they have enough patience. Files don't reappear even if you die and have to continue, so it's just a matter of attrition getting to the end. You might even get to see that kill screen if you keep at it.

Upon first starting up Super Spy Raccoon, my mind immediately went to Donkey Kong. The levels have the same vertical layout, and there are plenty of other similarities to that game via the gameplay and graphics. Both games have very different goals, but both also feature large apes as enemies. That's right, one of the main enemies found here are apes that run from one side of the level to the other, and the only way to get past them is to run behind them, and then make a timely jump as they turn around. Apes aside, you'll face off against owls, searchlights, motion-detecting cameras, and even fireballs. All of these other hazards can also be jumped over, but you of course have think about line of sight before making any move. The easiest way to stay out of view of an enemy is to be simply be behind them, but you can also hide in bushes or behind other obstacles found throughout each stage. There are also plenty of platforms that can sometimes raise you above an enemies range, though navigating between them usually requires a bit of timing. There are plenty of ways to get through most of the levels, but you also have a timer that keeps you from taking too long. You'll more than likely never be able to run this timer out though, and it mainly exists just to add more points at the end of a stage. There's also a boss fight of sorts at the very end of the game, but it's really just a retread of the final fifth stage, but with a much harder stage hazard. That's fine though, as beating the game isn't really the point here. This is an arcade game, and that means high scores. Getting a high score is a matter of completing levels fast, doing so without losing a life, and also forgoing any of the invisibility potions since picking one up also costs you points. All that is easier said than done, but there's always the bragging rights if you manage to get a particularly high score. At the time of this writing the high scores are local only, but one can hope that an online leaderboard comes with the full launch of the game.

Presentation-wise, I have nothing but positives to say about Super Spy Raccoon. The graphics emulate the 80s arcade aesthetic perfectly, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that this could very well be passed off as a long lost arcade title, and no one would be any the wiser. Though the game itself is rather limited due to its short length, the graphics and stages are all manage to come off as interesting and unique. Each stage introduces something new in the form of hazards or mechanics, and it doesn't take one long to gain an appreciation for how tight the level design is. There are even Pac-Man style cutscenes between the levels that explain some of the new mechanics, and they're a nice way to break up the core gameplay. Graphics aside, the music also does an excellent job bringing you into the arcade experience. Each track is lively, and just about every aspect of the sound design in general is perfect. There are even graphics options at your disposal that can change the visuals to your liking. Don't like the cartoon-y bezel? You can turn that off. Hate scanlines? Those can be removed too. I'll admit that it's not a whole lot to write home about, but it's the little things that really make or break a game.

I played through several games of Super Spy Raccoon in preparation of writing this review, and the only problem I found is its longevity. I opened this review by mentioning that I've played many other modern arcade games recently, and most of them have worked their way into my regular rotation. They're not total mainstays, but I'll jump in and out of them randomly, or pull up some of them that have multiplayer modes when I'm having a game night. With that in mind, this is the first game I've received from Flynn's Arcade that I'm not sure I'll have that same experience with. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad game, I just don't see myself coming back to it any time soon. There's really not much beyond beating the game, and getting a high score. There are some costumes you can unlock, but I had trouble finding reasons to keep playing beyond the first hour. Maybe if there were additional difficulty settings, more stages, or even a multiplayer mode, I would've been more inclined to keep playing. I ultimately put it down once I had enough material for this review, and that very well be the last time I touch it. Having said all that, I should also point out that the game currently only costs $4.99 on the Switch eShop. One could easily make the argument that Super Spy Raccoon offers more than enough content for its price point, and I'm sure that there are some arcade fans out there who will love this ones gameplay loop more than I did.

Even though the issues I have with Super Spy Raccoon are rather big, I still think that this is a game worth picking up for those who are fans of retro arcade games. It has a premise like no other, and I had a lot of fun with it. Its initial magic and charm did wear off rather quickly, but I can't bring myself to say that this is a bad game by any stretch. If you go into this one with the right expectations, I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, Romeo Raccoon is so cool. I hope he gets more games in the future. Anyway, see you in the next one!

Check Out Super Spy Raccoon on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-spy-raccoon-switch/

Story: N/A
Gameplay: B+
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: A
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A fun, challenging arcade game that is also very fair for those who might not be familiar with tough-as-nails arcade difficulty.
+ I've never personally heard of any other stealth-based arcade games, so this one wins points for its originality.
+ The graphics and sound are both amazing, and the game even has some old-school Donkey Kong vibes.
+ Considering the low price of $4.99, you can grab this one without too much worry even if you're only slightly interested.
+ Romeo Raccoon is just a cool character all around!

Cons:
- The game is rather short, and there isn't a lot of reason to keep playing beyond getting an even higher score.
- Beating the game over and over again can have diminishing returns. More unlockable content, some sort of harder challenge, or even multiplayer would've been great additions.
- Not actually being able to kill the final boss can be a bit frustrating, though I guess it makes sense within context of the game's mechanics.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

]]><![CDATA[Finding The Missing Floppies: A Jerry Anker and the Quest to Get Love Review]]>Sat, 14 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/finding-the-missing-floppies-a-jerry-anker-and-the-quest-to-get-love-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (EU eShop Only)

It's not often that I get to review point-and-click style adventure games on the Nintendo Switch, and I have quite the interesting one for you all today. Jerry Anker and the Quest to Get Love is a game that recently released on the Nintendo Switch EU eShop by way of developer Ktulhu Solutions, and publisher Sometimes You. We'll get more into its release history in just a bit, but we're going to be looking at it here today, and see if it's worth my initial excitement of getting to play a game of this genre on a console. We're also hopefully going to see if it's a good game in general as well, but I'm getting ahead of myself There's a lot to go over in this one, so let's dive in!

Before I go too far into the review, there are a few points that I want to make clear. First of all is the fact that as of this writing, Jerry Anker and the Quest to Get Love is only available on the Switch eShop in EU regions. I didn't know this when I requested a review copy, but figured I'd review it anyway since accessing other eShop regions isn't all that hard on the Switch. Next up, this particular release has a title that's different from when it first launched on Steam last year. I found it strange that I wasn't about to find much info about it or its developer, and then I learned that its original title was actually Jerry Wanker and the Quest to Get Laid. That title makes a lot more sense considering the subject matter and its inspirations, but I can understand why it was changed when it arrived on a more mainstream platform like the Nintendo Switch. Lastly, this game is also censored in terms of its content. It's my understanding that the original Steam release had an option to uncensor the game's nudity, which was censored by default, and that has been removed here. The Switch version still has a lot of sexual content that easily pushes it into M-rated territory, but it's pretty much all implied rather than shown. That said, there are a couple moments here and there where I think the game "slips up", so I totally believe that there was meant to be a way to play it uncensored at some point. This may seem like it adds up to a game I might not want to review, but its premise intrigued me enough that I chose to stick with it. I guess we'll have to see if that was a good choice or not once we go more in depth.

Jerry Anker and the Quest to Get Love (Which I'm simply going to refer to as "Jerry Anker" from now on.) places you into the shoes of the titular hero named Jerry Anker. Jerry is your typical sex-obsessed (maybe?) virgin who is characterized in the same vein as Larry Laffer from the Leisure Suit Larry series. There is the fact that Jerry seems quite a bit younger than his inspiration, but I honestly felt like that made the character and subject matter feel a bit less creepy than if a middle aged man was going about his same actions. Anyway, back to the story. Jerry lives in the town of Blueball Falls, and it just so happens that the hottest girls in town are throwing a party right next door. You see, Jerry has a strong crush on his neighbor Olivia, but she is currently involved with a jerk named Bobby. After some prodding from a talking poster, Jerry investigates Olivia's house by way of a telescope. He sees Olivia and Bobby together, and vows to somehow win her over. This of course means he has to go to the party, so that's his next move. Unfortunately for him, he promptly is beat up by Bobby, and Bobby's friend Cliff. Not all is lost though, as one of the other girls attending the party, Cliff's sister Alice, convinces him to not give up hope. Getting into the house isn't going to be easy, but Jerry is determined to find love one way or another. What follows next are a series of adventures that see Jerry help out other residents of Blueball Falls in the hopes of eventually getting into said party, or at the very least attracting the attention of a girl. I'll leave the plot there so I don't give away too much for those who may wish to experience the story first hand, but rest assured that it wraps itself up in a way that is both satisfying and conclusive.

Considering that Jerry Anker is a point-and-click adventure game, it makes sense that the focus is largely placed on the story. Jerry has several goals to meet if he wants to find love, and there are plenty of side stories that he gets to take part in. Scattered throughout the game are all sorts of pop culture references, and several that remind one of the original Leisure Suit Larry games. Fans of that series might see a lot of similarities with the original game. Even though it's a bit more complicated, both games have the same goal of eventually wooing three women. (The third one I haven't mentioned so far is Olivia and Alice's friend Sofia) Getting to the end of the storylines with each of the three girls doesn't end in quite the same way though, as you have to remember that this is a censored release. There's some implied... fun... but it mainly things usually wrap up in a scene that is at least amusing.

Those expecting a long quest might be disappointed though, as Jerry's adventure is rather short. There are some optional goals to uncover, but this isn't a game that will take you several afternoons to complete. Short games aren't necessarily a bad thing though, since the quality of the story and characters can usually make up for any shortcomings. The problem here is that there seems to be a lot of missing or inconsistent triggers for puzzles and events. I was able to clear several puzzles early on simply by going for obvious solutions, and I found that I had essentially sequence broke the game. There were several times Jerry referred to characters I hadn't met yet, and quests I hadn't yet been given. Confusion aside, I simply moved on with the game, but I never could shake the feeling that I had missed integral parts of the story on accident. It also wasn't until halfway into the game that I realized that you could examine items, locations, and people for more clarity and flavor text. This is mainly due to the odd console controls, but I'll get to that later. Admittedly some of the story jumps I experienced were brought about by my own actions, but I don't think I've ever played an adventure game where things were this easy to break. Thankfully I use the term "break" loosely, as I don't think there is a way to actually get stuck. Despite these issues, I did enjoy the story, and ultimately grew to like the setting and characters to the point where I hoped that this was just the start of a full series even before I completed it.

Moving away from the story a bit, the other big aspect of a point-and-click adventure game would be the puzzles. I personally found that most of Jerry Anker's puzzles were easily solved, with some only being difficult due to the fact that the game didn't always do a good job of introducing them in the correct order. While most puzzles come at you one at a time, some puzzles are introduced early on, but aren't solved until the very end of the game. Most solutions were easy enough to figure out though, and you could also try every possible solution until you get it right through brute force. I did do that exact thing a couple times, but I mostly was able to progress without having to resort to such cheap tactics. While I wouldn't call the game's puzzles particularly intuitive, there was a simplicity to everything that made the game flow very smoothly. There aren't too many locations to visit, and your inventory management never gets too crazy, so there aren't exactly tons of options open to you anyway. There are some locations that you have to keep going back to even though you think you're done with them, but that's just the way things go with adventure games sometimes. At the very least I can say that there aren't any red herring items, or puzzles that have multiple solutions, so you don't have to be concerned about being stuck in the game for too long. Though the experience might change from player to player, I was able to beat Jerry Anker in about two hours. I imagine that most fans of point-and-click adventure titles will be able to do the same, and that's a great length for a game like this.

Though I have mostly positive things to say about my experience with Jerry Anker, there are some negatives I want to point out. Besides the progression breaking issues I mentioned earlier, my biggest complaint with the game would have to be its controls. This is a game that's clearly meant to be played with a mouse, and the console port does nothing to hide this. I never quite got used to what button was meant to do what, and this is rather amazing when you consider only two or three buttons are ever used. Going from the main screen to your inventory, and then back again, is far clunkier than it should be. There is also an item combination mechanic that is access via a workbench in Jerry's home that I always fumbled through. Admittedly, this isn't an action game where precise controls are required, but it did make me wish I had played it on PC instead. I also encountered a couple bugs during my time with the game. There were a couple inventory items I was able to collect more than once, and there was one optional item that was invisible on screen. I only learned about said invisible item after I looked up a guide for the Steam release in the hopes of finding an item I was missing. I then saw it, and was able to pick it up even though there was no visual indication the item was even there. As for the extra inventory items, those just took up space, but were otherwise harmless. There's also no player-controlled save system, and the only way to play the game again is to reset all progress from the credits screen. None of this made me dislike the game, but it did make everything feel just a bit less fun.

Visually Jerry Anker is a great-looking game that features designs and animations that are as smooth as they are colorful. There is probably an acquired taste to the visual style, but I personally thought it looked great. Jerry is truly the updated Larry Laffer, and all the characters came off feeling unique. Main graphics aside, there are also comic book style cutscenes that occur whenever you complete a big puzzle. Even though I would've preferred fully animated scenes, I was still impressed. The game is also fully voiced, and I was shocked to find that the cast of all unknowns pulled off performances that rival mainline Leisure Suit Larry games. Actually, I've played some games in the series that have voice acting far worse than what's on display here. My only real complaint as far as the presentation goes would have to be the game's music. There isn't a single track in the bunch that stood out to me, and this sort of game cries out for a memorable main theme. That said, the music isn't actually BAD, just not very good either.

Even though I had a great time with Jerry Anker and the Quest to Get Love, I'm not sure if I can give it a full recommendation. I can't help but feel that if one was going to play this game at all, it might as well be the Steam release. Censorship of the visuals aside, you at least get to play the game under its real name. I didn't mention this earlier, but I hate that they changed "Wanker" to "Anker". I hope that they keep the Wanker name if this ever gets a US release, but that of course leads me to the other big issue with this Switch release. Playing this at all outside of the EU is quite the chore, and even I had a bit of trouble setting up an account to do so for this review. I guess if this kind of game interests you, and you have access to the Switch EU eShop, then pick it up. It's a fun point-and-click adventure, and the story is fun and entertaining. Everyone else though? You're better off grabbing it up on Steam. (Which is a worldwide release by the way!) Anyhow, that's all for now. See you in the next one!

Check Out Jerry Anker and the Quest to Get Love on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Jerry-Anker-and-the-Quest-to-get-Love-2696013.html

Story: A
Gameplay: B-
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: B-
Value: B

Overall: B+

Pros:
+ A fun point-and-click adventure in the style of the Leisure Suit Larry series.
+ Even though the subject matter might not be for everyone, the story and characters are both well-written.
+ The puzzles are all fairly easy to figure out, while still requiring a bit of thought on the part of the player.
+ The voice acting is surprisingly great considering the indie nature of the game.
+ Rivals most recent Leisure Suit Larry games.

+/- This game is only available on the EU eShop. Picking it up in any other region is possible, but does require some extra work.

Cons:
- It's very easy to accidentally sequence break the game. This probably could've done with a bit more testing in the development phase.
- Though I found it to be the right length for this sort of game, most people will be able to clear this one in about two hours.
- The controls are surprisingly wonky in spite of only using a couple buttons.
- This is a censored version of the game, right down to the title, and that may put off some people.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

See you in the next one!

#JerryAnker

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Luna-3X]]>Thu, 12 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-luna-3xBy Manuel

Players: 1-2
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

I'm a big fan of small quirky indie titles, and I knew I had to play Luna-3X once I heard about it. Luna-3X is the latest game from Japanese developer Pygmy Studio, who were the team behind 2014's La-Mulana EX. While La-Mulana EX was an action platformer, Luna-3X is a rhythm action game that also carries with it a very cute aesthetic. It recently released on the Switch eShop in the US, following a Japanese release earlier this year, and we're going to take a look at it today. There's really no need for further intro, so let's dive right in!

I don't even know where to being when discussing Luna-3X's plot, as I truly think that it's far more complicated than it needs to be. I'm going to skip over most of the unnecessary details for brevity's sake, but it's a surprisingly dark story. Basically the world is brought back from the brink of destruction by humanity discovering the power of the Wave of Love. This Wave of Love stopped the poisoning of the world that was brought about when they overused a power source that they thought was infinite. Even though the people found peace again through the Wave of Love, there is a new danger just over the horizon. The Great Tsunami is set to arrive in seven days, and it will most likely destroy all life in its path in an end-of-the-world type event. This is where our heroes enter. Jonah is a young boy who has lived with a giant robot named Luna nearly all his life. His best friend Nene is also by his side, and she helps him keep Luna operational. This trio meets an old man who convinces them that the world is going to end thanks to the aforementioned Great Tsunami, and they have to do something to make sure life goes on. Their task is to rescue as many plants and critters (Critters are what animals are referred to as in this world apparently.) as possible over the course of the next seven days, in what I can only assume is a take on the story of Noah's Ark. The plot never really goes much further than this opening premise until the very end, but then again the gameplay never really needed a plot this involved in the first place. Conservation and environmentalism are clearly underlying themes here, and they're delivered in a way that feels light-hearted rather than heavy-handed. The plot could've simply been "Capture Them Critters!", and I think we would've all been fine with that. Part of me wants to knock the game for laying plot that is far too complicated than was ever needed, but I can't bring myself to do so. Besides, the characters are cool enough on their own to carry the game, so I guess I'll give this strange, oddly cataclysmic, story a pass. With that out of the way, let's move on to gameplay.

Discussing gameplay in Luna-3X is a rather unenviable task, as it is somehow both simple and complicated at the same time. The goal of each level is to capture a specific set of critters, and maybe pick up a bonus critter or plant along the way as well. You do this by taking control of both Luna and Jonah in a human fishing operation that is very reminiscent of those human-sized claw machines one can find at certain malls across the country. Luna lowers Jonah down a cliff ravine via a fishing pole, and Jonah attracts critters to him by way of his tambourine. Hitting his tambourine causes notes to fall, and notes striking a critter may entice them to jump towards Jonah. Jonah can then collect the critters, and carefully bring them back up to the surface once Luna reels him in. Jonah is able to carry a large number of critters and plants at any one time, but you can also lose them all if you're not careful. There are plenty of obstacles in each stage, and they ramp up over the course of the game. Obstacles can be something as simple as an overhanging ledge or a wall, or be as complex as a bigger animal (Not a critter I guess?) trying to outright attack Jonah. Hitting an obstacle of any kind can cause Jonah to drop critters, and you unfortunately have no recourse to actually pick up the same critters you've dropped. To make matters worse, you also have a timer that is constantly ticking down until you get reeled in. You can get power-ups that extend the timer, but it will probably be your biggest enemy. Thankfully you're not required to get all of the required critters in a single run, but doing so nets you the most points. You will have to get all the critters eventually though, as you can't go on to the next level until you complete the one before it. Luna-3X has a total of 8 worlds with three stages each, with each of the worlds acting as their own biome. That pretty much covers the basics, but there's a lot more to go over if you want to truly understand the game.

Even though Luna-3X styles itself as a rhythm game, I never really managed to figure out what beat you were supposed to hit the tambourine to. I tried my hardest, and I am no stranger to rhythm games in general, but I never got above a 2 hit combo. There is also a Fever Mode that triggers whenever Nene shows up to cheer you on, but I literally would trigger that by mashing the tambourine button. Actually, that's how I mostly played the game, smashed the button, had Luna reel me in, and hoped for the best. I assume that the rhythm and combo have something to do with attracting critters, but I couldn't say for sure. I actually don't think that the rhythm aspect of the game even matters in the long run, as I was able to clear every single level without properly figuring it out. That aside, there are some other aspects in the gameplay that I probably should mention before I go on. Frist of all are the controls. Unless you're playing in Handheld Mode, you control the fishing line with motion controls that are based on the gyro sensors on whatever controller you're using. I can't begin to describe how much harder this made the game, and I hated that you had to un-dock your Switch if you wanted to play the game in a non-gimmicky way. The amount of times I was halfway up, only to drop all the critters thanks to hitting a ledge that I was accidentally leaning into, were too many to count. I also mentioned the ability to gather plants earlier, and these are grabbed by hitting your tambourine when you're near them. This sounds very similar to how you gather the critters, but plants mostly grow along the cliff walls or ledges. I never once bothered with plants since it was hard enough keeping the critters in line, and the cliff walls and ledges were the last places I wanted to be near. Dropping all critters essentially ends your run due to the time limit, and I wonder why the game doesn't just end the second you lose whatever you're carrying. It makes no sense to go back down and grab more since you have to start the process from scratch, so you might as well restart the second it happens.

Despite the issues I had with the gameplay, I do have to admit that there were some nuances that I wasn't expecting to find that ultimately kept me in the game. There's an entire Dress Up mechanic which sees you dress up Jonah in clothes and accessories that you unlock through clearing stages. These aren't just for aesthetics either, as they also increase stats. Some outfits attract critters better, some resist wind, others help you lure out plants, and so on. I admittedly didn't mess around with the system too much beyond picking outfits I thought would get me the most critters, but it was a neat addition. There also is a multiplayer mode, which splits up Luna and Jonah's actions. This may sound like a rather simple addition, but it can make the game more fun depending on your partner. There's no better feeling than yelling at a friend who cost you the stage, and then seeing them do it all over again the next time around. Fun with mistakes aside, the game can become considerably easier since the player controlling Jonah can fully focus on the wonky controls. It's not the perfect system, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. There's also the general vibe and humor that draws you in even if you may not like other aspects of the game. There's an undeniable charm to the game's world that got me through the most frustrating sections. Luna-3X offers up a mixed bag of pros and cons when it comes to gameplay, but I think the pros win in the end by a slight margin.

I'm going to cover the sound and visuals together here, as I don't think I have a whole lot to say about either. Graphic-wise, Luna-3X has a cartoon-y 2D look that is surprisingly colorful considering the story's subject matter. The characters and monsters are a nice mix of cute and wacky, and the designs are great all around. The stages themselves can be a bit dull at times, but that's more due to how the setting than anything else. The wacky visuals spill over to the menus and text too, and it makes everything feel fun, even if you're not always experiencing that through gameplay. I should also mention that it runs perfectly on the Nintendo Switch, but that shouldn't be a surprise considering it was specifically developed with the console in mind. While I can't think of any true negatives when it comes to the game's graphics, I unfortunately have far less positive things to say about sound. Simply put, I found the sound design in Luna-3X to be the very definition of mediocre. Part of the reason I was never able to figure out the rhythm aspect of the gameplay was due to the fact that the music always seemed to be barely be there. It was more beat than anything, and I swear the entire game only used a small handful of tracks. It felt like the worst collection of "lo-fi beats to study to" that I ever heard in my life. There wasn't a single track worth singling out, as they were all pretty bad. There's also no voice acting, and all the sound effects feel muted or low in the mix. I was actually surprised how bad the sound design was, and I kept playing the game hoping it would somehow surprise me on the next stage. It never did, and it sadly left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to the game's overall presentation.

Giving Luna-3X a recommendation is tough, as I'm not sure who the game is truly meant for. Its gameplay will most likely upset rhythm game purists, and it doesn't really fit any other genre well enough to attract casual players. I'd have to say that the game feels rather incomplete overall. It's not broken by any means, but the gameplay feels like the developers just gave up partway through and put out a product that had only partly-realized mechanics. That said, this is a cute game that could provide some simple, yet good, fun. It also is priced very reasonably at $9.99, so it won't break the bank if you decide to grab it out of curiosity alone. If you do, be sure to play it in Handheld Mode so you can avoid the horrible motion controls, you can thank me later. Anyway, I'll see you in the next one!

Check Out Luna-3X on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/luna-3x-switch/

Story: B+
Gameplay: C-
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: C-
Value: B+

Overall: B

Pros:
+ A cute game that has a charm that is sure to draw players in, and keep them invested.
+ The plot may be a bit too deep for this sort of game, but that can also be rather refreshing.
+ Visually, the game is amazing. The characters, critters, and even the stage hazards, are the right mix of quirky and cute.
+ Multiplayer is a nice touch, and you get a decent amount of content for the $9.99 asking price.

+/- This game does not allow you to capture video through the Switch's capture function. This made getting screenshots for this game very difficult.

Cons:
- Though you can use the analog stick in Handheld Mode, the motion controls ruin what may have been a decent game otherwise.
- While the game isn't difficult in the normal sense, it can be very frustrating to lose all your stage progress in a second.
- I'm not sure the rhythm aspect of the gameplay even affects anything. I never got a combo above two, and I beat the game never truly understanding what beat I was supposed to be following.
- The music is just terrible all around. This is made all the worse when you remember that it should be a focus thanks to its supposed rhythm-based gameplay.
- That story is all sorts of random, and it's probably more than a game like this needed.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

I hate when I do that!

#Luna3X

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast]]>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-goblin-slayer-another-adventurer-nightmare-feastBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Games based on popular anime franchises have always been popular, but my favorites are the ones that mix in genres that feel relevant to the source material. Too often developers go the simple route of visual novels, but I want more gameplay. From RPGs to metroidvanias to resource management sims, I love it when licensed games try something that feels different. Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast (Which I'm going to refer to as simply "Nightmare Feast" from now on.) falls into that category, as it's a strategy RPG that takes place within the popular Goblin Slayer franchise. It saw a Japanese release on the Nintendo Switch earlier this year, and it's out now in the US by way of publisher Red Art Games. I'm admittedly new to the series, but I do enjoy these types of games and wanted to try it out as soon as I learned of it. This is going to be a long one, so let's dive right in!

As I said earlier, I knew very little about the Goblin Slayer franchise before I picked up this title, but I was at least aware of what the main characters from the anime looked like. I was surprised to find that no familiar faces made up the main cast, at least not at first. Add to this the fact that none of the characters have actual names, and I was thrown for a loop early on as far as getting into the story goes. Things did sort themselves out, but it was a rough start for someone totally new. I am a bit more aware of the franchise at large now, but I'll admit that I still don't know too much about its specifics. I mention this all mostly so I'll be forgiven me if I say anything odd, or if I get some lore references wrong. Nightmare Feast places you into the role of the Guild Master who has arrived to get the local Adventurer's Guild in order following the untimely death of her father. Her first mission involves her investigating a goblin sighting near a seemingly abandoned castle, but it turns out that it is indeed occupied. Said occupant is a vampire who the game only refers to as the Blood Princess. The pair form an uneasy truce, take out the invading goblins, and return back to the Adventurer's Guild. Along with the Squire, they eventually form a new party of heroes. They are soon joined by a wandering adventurer named Conan, and a Polar Bear Priest. This group then goes on a series of quests that slowly unravels the secrets of what the Guild Master's father was working on before his death; they also have to deal with an ever-increasing goblin presence. The latter issue proves to be a bit too much for our newly formed party, and they decide to contact the titular Goblin Slayer for help. Not only does he show up, but he arrives with his own party of adventurers too. The plot expands from there, but it would probably go into spoiler territory to explain details further. Suffice it to say that this is a mostly original tale that still manages to feature many characters from the popular anime. Whether or not this will please fans is probably something that would have to be determined person-to-person, but I found the story to be rather engaging once I settled into it. We'll circle back around to the story later on in the review, but let's move on to discussing gameplay first.

Nightmare Feast is a Strategy RPG in the vein of the Fire Emblem series, but with plenty of quirks unique to itself. I single out the Fire Emblem series in particular as the game features larger battles that aren't seen in genre entries like Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre. Though some side quests make use of smaller parties, many of the main story missions let you bring in a party of up to ten adventurers. Each character belongs to a specific class, complete with their own skillsets and equipment, but these classes are locked to the character they belong to. In short, this means that there isn't the ability to jump from class to class here. This system might make sense for the main party members, but you also get generic recruits that make up the thieves, mages, and berserkers, but they're locked to their starting profession too. This may seem like a way to make each character unique, but it actually means that you end up with a very bloated party where each character represents an entire class. Another problem I noticed early on is that no character has a class that is named outright. You instead have to figure out what their class is by way of their names. Instead of actual names, each of them are called things like "Wise Friend", "Gemstone Lover", "Generous Scales", "Determined Voyage", and so on. I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say that I still don't know what those terms have to do with their classes, nor what class some of them are even supposed to be in. More often than not you have to check out their stats and equipment to get an idea, and even then it can be unclear. I didn't want to start with a negative so early on, but this really hinders early gameplay. Eventually you'll either amass a set of ready to use heroes, or simply go with the big names the game gives you, but early on you'll constantly be wondering why the game didn't just give them names like "Archer", "Wizard", or anything that would make sense to the casual player. Or better yet, give the player the option of renaming them as they see fit.

If Fire Emblem games have made moves to make their gameplay appeal to those who might otherwise like the genre, then Nightmare Feast sort of goes in the opposite direction. Even though this is a tactics game, you can't play it as you would most others. Each enemy group tends to be just as powerful, if not more so, than the player characters. They have skills and spells that can easily harm large groups of adventurer, and they can also be total damage sponges. It reminds me a lot of playing against actual human opponents in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, but on a much larger scale. Thankfully enemies will never gang up you, and will only advance if you go into their threat range. This means that you won't be heading into TPK territory, but it also means that many battles feel weirdly one-sided. Most encounters involve baiting enemies in a way where your party can then gang up on them, or to lead them towards a pre-set trap. That's the other thing Nightmare Feast does differently to, as it lets you place barricades to funnel the enemy in a certain way, or damage-dealing items like bear traps to get in some cheap hits. These do a decent job of changing up the standard tactics formula, but I'd be lying if I said I made much use of them during my time with the game. The enemy can also make use of traps too, so it's a mixed bag all around. If all this wasn't bad enough, difficulty spikes in battles can easily bring about the deaths of a party member or two, with most battle ending if the Guild Master or Goblin Slayer are defeated. This generally means that you'll mainly be fighting a defensive battle against enemies that seem to be your equal in every way. You could spend lots of time power levelling so you step over them easily, but considering how slow-paced the combat is, that isn't ideal either. Though the gameplay is most definitely engaging and tactical most of the time, I can't help but feel that it might alienate fans and non-fans alike at times, and that's a problem for a game as niche as this one is.

Each chapter of Nightmare Feast has several battles one can take part in. There are training battles, side quests, and story quests, with most chapters having an additional plot thread that plays out via the side quests. Beating a set number of the non-story missions then opens up the main battle, and beating that one ends the chapter. Also similar to Fire Emblem (Just have to keep bringing it up!) the item and weapon shops have limited stock that only increases as the chapters advance. This is most likely done in an attempt to keep the player from advancing too far too early, but it does also mean that most resources come in permanently limited amounts. You're technically only able to use so many consumable items like healing potions before you exhaust the game's supply, but that's probably less important once you realize that you can only bring in a limited amount of items into a battle in the first place. Buying new equipment is what you'd expect, except that you can also augment most weapons and armor with additional upgrades. These upgrades can raise stats, but typically add an elemental affinity to an item. Besides equipping new weapons, armor, and accessories, each character levels up in a standard way. Outside of levels, each character also has an adventurer's rank. These ranks grant new spells and skills to a character, and you have to pay money in order to advance to the next rank once you hit the level threshold. This makes sense in the grand scheme of things, but I did find it odd that you also have to pay money to permanently recruit the nameless characters I mentioned earlier. What makes that particular system strange is that you can keep using them in battle anyway without pay, so I never really understood why the game wanted to grab a bit more of that in-game money. At the very least this part of the gameplay is rather easy to understand, if made a bit clunky thanks to how the menu layout.

Even though I mostly enjoyed Nightmare Feast for both its gameplay and story, there are bits of both that I have to say took away from the overall experience. My first problem with the game is the sheer hours of story scenes the game throws at you at all times. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this game began life as a visual novel that had slight RPG mechanics added in, and those eventually ballooned into what we have here. The amount of visual novel elements feels too great for anything else to be the case. I'm not one to scoff at too much reading, but it was not what I was expecting when playing a game of this genre. It's not even that it's too wordy particularly, it's that the game's dialogue is mainly full of fluff and pointless nonsense. Add to this the fact that no one has names, and that there are tons of typos and translation errors, and you get a story that drags far more than it should. Then there are the issues with the gameplay. Besides the difficulty spikes and quirks in the inventory system, the core gameplay suffers from the same slow pace the plot does. Even though enemies moving en masse would mean a quick game over, the fact that they only move when you get close to them means that many battles go on for well over a dozen turns. Limited skill and magic points also make it so that you won't be able to always use the flashiest of attacks, and then there's the disparity between the characters' abilities as a whole. I know it makes sense that characters like the Guild Master and the Goblin Slayer would be more powerful than the nameless recruits, but it makes creating a balanced party feel janky. There are clearly favorites as far as stat and skill distribution go, so it makes one wonder why the game didn't just focus on a smaller cast of usable character. Strangely, these characters dying in battle typically results in a loss, so you can't even use them as freely as you might like. It all makes for some unbalanced gameplay, and that's honestly the biggest problem with the game in general. I still found the gameplay to work for the most part, I just think the game could've done with a lot more testing prior to its release.

Fans of the Goblin Slayer anime will have lots to look forward to here as far as presentation goes, as Nightmare Feast's visuals look like they stepped right out of the anime. Yes I know this is a series that started as light novels, but you know what I mean. I personally don't care too much for the character designs displayed here, but that's a matter of personal preference. That bit aside, I can at least say that they match up perfectly with what can be found in the rest of the franchise. There are lots of characters to keep track of, but that's made easier since they pretty much all have very unique designs. That carries over to the enemies, though I did find all the repeat goblin enemies to be rather boring after a while. Elsewhere backgrounds look great during the visual novel-style cutscenes, and the attention to detail found in them also carries over the battle zones as well. Actually, the battle areas feel almost a bit too overly detailed at times, and I often wished they were made smaller and/or simpler. The only real negative I have is that spell and ability animations look very basic, almost like a game coming from the 32-bit era. We barely get anything special when you pull off a powerful move, and most of the flashy effects are recycled over and over again between different spells and skills. With that said, I can at least say that this game runs perfectly fine on the Nintendo Switch, and I never noticed anything in terms of slowdown even when there was a lot going on. I guess that makes sense considering the game was developed with the console in mind, but it's worth mentioning nevertheless. In short, while the visuals may not have achieved total perfection, I think they came pretty close.

As far as audio goes, it's another part of Nightmare Feast that I feel is executed to near perfection. The soundtrack may not stand out much as far as JRPG soundtracks go, but the music is definitely far above average. Most themes kind of come and go, but there isn't a bad track in the bunch. I would've preferred an extra vocal track or two to put over the anime vibes a bit more, but that may be asking for a bit much. I may not be running out to pick up this game's music as a standalone release, but I can't think of anything truly negative to say about it either. Not only do we get a great soundtrack, but we also get full voice acting for just about every character. The anime cast do reprise their roles as expected, and we also get plenty of big names for the characters introduced here. Not only are the performances all top notch, but they also help breathe life into the sometimes thin characters. I know I've mentioned this several times already, but it's hard to like a character that has no name, and the voice acting helps take the edge off of that at least a little bit. I guess I should mention that there is no English dub, but I for one never really care for such things anyway. It's not that I have a favored side on the sub vs. dub debate, but it's not like there's even the subtitle issue here since much of the game is told via text no matter how you look at it. Also, it just wouldn't make sense to dub a game like this that has hours and hours of dialogue when it's clearly a niche release.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Nightmare Feast is going to offer a long gameplay experience since it doesn't seem to mind meandering a bit as far as plot and gameplay go. Shockingly, the game only gives the player ten main chapters, and they can all be completed in about 20-25 hours. Your mileage may vary depending on how you level up your party and progress through the main and side missions, but there's no denying that it's a bit on the short side. The pace of the plot does pick up after Chapter 4, but the first five hours feel like a long tutorial that just never seems to end. Part of me was sad that the game didn't quite hold up against other games in the genre as far as content goes, but I also had to admit that I was glad that it didn't overstay its welcome. I more than likely would've given up on the game if it didn't move itself quickly towards the end, and I only stuck it out because I saw the goal on the horizon right when thoughts of throwing in the towel started to pop up. With that in mind, I think that its current $39.99 asking price is more than fair. That price point reflects the overall level of quality one gets here, while still being budget-friendly enough that you won't feel cheated when you hit the credits after a weekend marathon session. I also think the game will be getting DLC in the future, as I seem to recall some mention of such in an early press release, but there isn't any at the time of writing. I only mention that in the hopes that there may be more story content in store for fans down the road.

Even though I had a lot of fun with Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast, I don't know if I can give it a full general recommendation. It's definitely a must-play for fans of the genre, fans of the Goblin Slayer franchise, or even of JRPGs in general, but it isn't a good game that I think is very casual-friendly. The non-standard way battles play out, as well as the difficulty spikes and focus on visual novel elements, mean that this one will always stay within its own niche. It's a great game overall, but it's not one that's overly welcoming to outsiders. I still say pick it up if you're at all interested though, as there is plenty of fun to be had here, as long as you're willing to deal with the issues I've mentioned above. Now that I'm done with this review, I guess it's time to go watch the anime. Surely it won't shock me more than this game did. Right? See you in the next one!

Check Out Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/goblin-slayer-another-adventurer-nightmare-feast-switch/

Story: A
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B
Music/Sound: A
Value: A

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ A unique SRPG that doesn't go the easy visual novel route many anime licensed games go.
+ Thanks to it featuring a mostly original cast, it's fairly easy for those new to the franchise to jump in.
+ Gameplay elements like the use of traps keeps the game feeling unique.
+ Though challenging no matter what difficulty you pick, there is a mode that focuses more on story.
+ Features a great soundtrack, and even better voice acting.
+ Offers a great amount of content for its current asking price.
+ There's a character named Conan in here, and there's a Gary Gygax reference. Oh, and the plot involves a Hellraiser-like box. That's all just too cool.

Cons:
- The plot can move very slowly at times, and the lack of character names makes it hard to become invested early on.
- Gameplay balance feels all over the place at times, and difficulty spikes can often put a damper on the fun.
- Surprisingly short for the genre, and that's not helped by the overall slower pace of both the story and gameplay.
- There are plenty of typos, untranslated text, and minor bugs scattered throughout the game.
- The characters you expect to show up, namely the Goblin Slayer and his party, don't do so until several hours in.
- The general adventurer names really suck. I mean what is "Determined Voyage" supposed to mean?

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

#GoblinSlayerAANF

]]><![CDATA[Sonic Makes An Epic Comeback Thanks to Shadow: A Sonic X Shadow Generations Review]]>Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:14:48 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/sonic-makes-an-epic-comeback-thanks-to-shadow-a-sonic-x-shadow-generations-reviewBy Teepu

Players: 1
Platform: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam & Epic Games Store)

When one hears the name Sonic the Hedgehog, one usually thinks of mediocre games, edgy attitudes, and lots of speed. That is not too far off the mark for a franchise that has only hit a few highs during its lifetime. Do not get me wrong, I find enjoyment in most of the games, but many of them are also poorly made. Sonic X Shadow Generations promises to change the pattern (Sonic Frontiers recently already helped in that regard), but did it keep that promise?

Sonic X Shadow Generations is most comparable to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. I know some may say comparing Mario to Sonic is blasphemy, but hear me out. It includes a slightly touched up and remastered version of the original Sonic Generations game, as well as a brand new, modern expansion called Shadow Generations. For the Sonic portion of the game, besides higher resolution, it also offers an unlimited lives mode. This is a very welcome addition to a game where you go extremely fast, which inevitably leads to many mistakes and deaths. Sonic has always been about learning how to juggle momentum, speed, traps, and platforming together in a satisfying way, which makes deaths unavoidable. Having unlimited lives alleviates the unnecessary punishment and frustration that comes with losing all your lives, and makes learning the game significantly more satisfying and streamlined.

In the Sonic portion of the game, the nearly non-existent plot pushes you through a celebration of Sonic’s history up to the original release of Sonic Generations in 2011. Throughout the nine zones, you visit a highlighted zone from nine different games in Sonic’s history. It is not just a simple matter of transposing the original games levels into a collection though. Rather, every single level is completely re-done to be as polished and optimized for fun as possible. Even the most recent stage, from Sonic Colors (again, recent for the original release of this game), has been tweaked and modified to attempt to remove some of the frustrating level design of the original version. All-in-all this allows for some of the best representation of what a Sonic game can be that the franchise has ever seen. To top it off, every zone has two acts: the first act takes the design principals of the 2D Sonic games, cranks it up to 11 and designs the entire stage’s theme around that; the second act similarly takes the design principals of the 3D Sonic games and does the same. One of my favorite moments, for example, is the way they took City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 and doubled down on the GUN truck chase as the theme of the entire "classic" Sonic version of the stage. It allowed for some highly creative level design that was an absolute blast to play through, while still preserving the feel of the 3D Sonic game the level hails from. It is too bad that six of the nine zones are pulled from the 3D games, as it would have been nice to see a better balance of 2D and 3D origins, but it is a minor complaint when most of the stages are designed quite well. On top of this, as you do everything in the game you can use your currency to unlock modifiers to tailor how your character controls, which allows you to enjoy the game how you want to enjoy it.

On top of that, there are a bunch of challenge scenarios for each zone if you want some extra things to do aside from the admittedly short main story. The challenges almost double the gameplay length of the game. There are also various collectibles in each zone. Importantly, a lot of the most memorable boss fights in the franchise are only memorable because of the scale and aesthetics, and usually have shoddy controls and poor design. Well, they took six iconic fights from the franchise and redid them to be more functional, fun, and exciting. Veteran fans may remember horrifying experiences of facing the Death Egg Robot in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 without rings after having just faced another boss also without rings. Here, they completely re-imagined the fight into a multi-phase experience that gives you rings, controls better and makes things more interesting. In many ways Sonic Generations makes it hard for me to go back and play the older games, which is how much everything is improved upon. It is unfortunate that the final boss reverts to the old design principles of "let’s make it pretty and epic, but horrible to control, and totally unfair." Honestly, the final boss is an odd blight on an otherwise fantastic experience.

As far as the remastering goes, the game does look and run better, though it is just some upscaling and adding the unlimited lives option. They also added a new collectible in the stages, but it is hardly anything to write home about. This is largely the same Sonic Generations we played in 2011. The game still looks great though and sounds amazing. There are so many good music tracks that are remixed on top of being able to select from a wide selection of classic tracks while playing. Overall, Sonic Generations still holds up 13 years later as one of the best Sonic experiences to date.

Then we move on to Shadow Generations. If you plan to play the Sonic portion of the game at all, I highly recommend you do that before tackling the Shadow portion. The reason for this is that the Shadow portion is better in every way imaginable, and makes the Sonic portion feel extremely dated despite it having aged well. If Shadow did not exist the Sonic portion would be fine, but the Shadow portion, for lack of a better word, absolutely shadows the base game. First off, the game is significantly prettier and smoother. Everything is so flashy and visually appealing that it makes the Sonic portion look ancient (that is a bit of an exaggeration, but the point remains). Of note is that I played the game on the PS5, so I am not sure if the Switch version holds up quite the same.

The gameplay for Shadow plays like Sonic but enhanced. Instead of a 2D hub world, now you have a fully explorable 3D hub world that is surprisingly large and full of secrets to find. It also fully embraces Shadow’s unique mobility which makes running from section to section extremely satisfying. And I will tell you right now, Shadow’s mobility and abilities makes him far more fun to play than Sonic. As you get further into his story, you will constantly unlock new things, such as a surfing mode or the ability to fly. The game constantly upgrades you with these powers so that as you play through the story it never feels stale, you constantly feel like you are getting more powerful, and you get satisfying new ways to progress through levels. It makes Sonic’s simple run/jump/homing attack gameplay feel very juvenile in comparison.

They also, in my opinion, did a much better job selecting stages to re-do in this game. This is, of course, completely my opinion, you may love or hate the stage selection in the base game. For me, I was unhappy with almost half of the selection (the quality was still good though). Oddly, there is a stage from Sonic Frontiers here, despite Shadow having nothing to do with that game, but considering Shadow only really has relevance in three games, it is understandable. Which, if you have been counting, means there are four zones. That makes Shadow Generations just shy of half the length of the base game. It is surprisingly large, but also over far too quickly for my tastes. The stages are top notch though, as are all the boss fights (even the final boss, thankfully). Like the base game, there are also some challenges to do, both in the hub world and the individual stages. While Shadow lacks the customization of Sonic, he makes up for it in his ability progression. In some ways, I feel like Sonic's customization is there to make up for his lack of flexibility as a character. Shadow, on the other hand, gains more flexibility as you play, so there is no need to insert equippable abilities for him.

When I said it improves on the base game in every way, I meant it. The controls also feel fantastic and very tight. Imagine the great controls from Sonic Frontiers, but even better and more responsive. It helps that Shadow runs slightly slower than Sonic, which allows for some more control from the player and less twitch gameplay. It makes the player feel more in control of their wins and losses instead of the classic "Sonic is running too fast, and I ran off the edge because I couldn’t see it coming" the franchise often suffers from. The story is also a lot more interesting, relevant, and heavy than the base game. With the return of Black Doom (the villain responsible for Shadow existing), you end up exploring Shadow’s past and having him reconcile with his inner demons. It is quite touching and gives some much-needed closure to Shadow’s past that the franchise has left hanging for far too long. There are even collectibles you can find that will give you a summary of his story from various games so you can catch up without having to play those archaic and hard to play games. In short, Shadow Generations takes all the great ideas from Sonic Generations, polishes them, perfects them, and then applies them to Shadow.

When it really boils down to it, my main complaint about the base game is the same one I had over a decade ago: the odd way it ignores so much of the franchise. Representation of the portable games is not there, nor is Sonic CD (outside of the Metal Sonic race) or the storybook games. It ignores a huge chunk of Sonic’s history. I do understand that it does not want to get to the point of being bloated, but it is a bummer all the same. They could have had side-quest stages that are not required to beat the game or something similar. My only complaint about Shadow though, is that it is too short, I want a full game that plays like that starring Shadow.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is Sonic the Hedgehog at its absolute best. Despite it being both a remaster of a 13-year-old game and a modern expansion, it holds up well, plays well and is the best representation of how good a Sonic game can be if done right. Whether you are a Sonic fan or not, it is a fantastic momentum-based platformer that I recommend you check out if you can.

Check Out Sonic x Shadow Generations on PlayStation:
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/sonic-x-shadow-generations/

Story: B-
Gameplay: A+
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: A+
Value: A+

OVERALL: A+

Pros:
+ Despite its age, the base game holds up as a fantastic experience.
+ The expansion is not only peak Sonic gameplay, but some top-notch 3D platforming overall.
+ Full of some of the best video game music that exists.

Cons:
- Shadow Generations is over too soon.
- Odd lack of representation of most of the Sonic’s history.
- The final boss of Sonic Generations is still utter garbage.

Not this guy again!

]]><![CDATA[Starbound Impressions From An Outsider]]>Sat, 07 Dec 2024 18:58:10 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/starbound-impressions-from-an-outsiderBy Teepu

Players: 1-4
Platforms: Xbox One, Windows, macOS, Linux

Starbound is an interesting experience. I came into this expecting to play through a good chunk of the game and review it, but my adventure got cut short due to immense frustration and hours of hitting brick walls, both figuratively and literally. For a person who spends a lot of time playing a large variety of genres of video games, Starbound humbled me into realizing that not every experience is for everyone, no matter how high the quality. So instead, I come here to tell you my thoughts about the 3-4 hours of the game I played. Take this how you will, as it is a look into the mind of a player who does not enjoy the genre that Starbound represents.

To begin with, I want to be clear that the game is not necessarily bad. I do have some genuine concerns about the game on the Xbox, which is where I played it, but the core experience offers something very solid for fans of the genre. Starbound is a game where you create your own unique alien and take them on a 2D sandbox adventure through various planets. Think of it as an intriguing cross between Minecraft, Terrarria, a Metroidvania, and hints of Stardew Valley.

You begin the game on a ship, about to attend your graduation ceremony. After you get acclimated to the controls, the ship falls under attack, you have to flee, and then it turns into a game of survival as you try and gather parts to escape from the planet that you inadvertently had to land on. I am not entirely sure how strong the story is overall, as I never left the starting planet (more on that later), but it was a good enough motivator for me. I also found the character customization a bit lacking, but it was not terrible.

Anyway, I spent a few hours exploring the first planet, constantly dying and not being able to get enough materials to craft anything worthwhile. Mind you, I was playing on the easiest difficulty, and still the game kicked my butt. For the sake of transparency, I am no slouch to difficulty. I’ve 100% beaten Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne; I have played a hefty amount of Minecraft simply fine; I have bested Super Meat Boy. I could go on; the point is that challenge does not sway me yet having to turn this game down to the easiest and still being destroyed was very demoralizing. To make matters worse, the controls are quite clunky. This game clearly was meant for keyboard and mouse first. There are a lot of menus to navigate and a lot of things you are able to do. Between equipping a bunch of different weapons/items you can use on a radial wheel and the mining equipment, I constantly struggled to figure out how to switch to various things fast enough to survive when I got charged by beasts that moved faster than Sonic the Hedgehog and killed me in 2-3 hits. Trying to target blocks to mine was also an absolute pain, and constantly required me to hold my controller in very awkward positions to press all the buttons needed to succeed. Frankly speaking, these are some of the worst controls I have had in a video game, and that is saying a lot. Again, I am sure the game controls fine on PC, and they did the best they could with the Xbox controller, but it still is very lacking on Xbox. I do hope they eventually bring it to PlayStation, as the touch pad will offer some extra precision control that could help immensely. I feel confident in saying that I would have gotten further in the game had the controls not prevented me from succeeding.

Alright, so I died a ton of times. Considering the game is old at this point, I decided to get help from the internet to see if I was doing something wrong. I was not. It seems like I just got unlucky with my initial world spawn and the mine and temple I needed to access were unreasonably far from my spawn point. Well, eventually I did get to the mine I needed to find (I never found the temple) and got to a gauntlet of enemies I needed to fight through to proceed, and discovered I could either stand on a ledge and fire a weak gun for 15-20 minutes to kill them all, or jump down and whack them with my sword but then get overwhelmed and die. Die I did, over, and over, and over. At this point I realized not only was I not having fun, but I was getting extremely frustrated, upset, and angry. It was at this point I decided to delete the game and decided to do this write-up instead of a formal review.

There seems to be a lot of love for the game which has been developed and improved over many years before being released on the Xbox. If you like Terrarria and are very patient, you may find enjoyment in Starbound. As it stands, it left a very sour taste in my mouth, and I want nothing to do with it ever again. As mentioned, take my opinion with a grain of salt, it is not a genre of game I play normally, but if you are like me, an outsider looking in, wanting to see what all the fuss is about? I have a simple answer for you: DON’T.

Check Out Starbound on XBox:
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/starbound/9mtsbwpwpqvq

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Astlibra Gaiden: The Cave of Phantom Mist]]>Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:03:04 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-astlibra-gaiden-the-cave-of-phantom-mistBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)

I've reviewed a lot of roguelike games here, but rarely ones that could be considered full-fledged RPGs too. Astlibra Gaiden: The Cave of Phantom Mist is a standalone DLC game that's meant to accompany last year's Astlibra Revision. It's a roguelike RPG that is heavier on the RPG mechanics. It's out now on the Nintendo Switch and PC, and we're going to take a look at it on the Switch today. There's a lot to cover in this one, so let's dive in!

Astlibra Gaiden places you into the shoes of the local Baker's Daughter, who is never actually named. She lives a quiet life in a quiet town, but dark times have recently come about. As chance would have it, the local adventurers who typically protect the town have gone missing. It seems that they went on one adventurer too many, and have pretty much disappeared as far as the town is concerned. This is no small matter though, as monsters have started to attack the town in their absence. The game opens with one of these attacks, which has made its way to the heart of the city. No one is around who can stop the monsters, but The Baker's Daughter manages to fight them off pretty much single-handedly, armed only with a broom. Her strength draws the attention of a talking wolf named Polin who tells tasks her with exploring the titular Cave of Phantom Mist in search of the missing adventures. While she is hesitant at first, she ultimately decides to take on this quest in the hopes of re-establishing local trade so that her sick sister can get the medicine she needs. From there the plot expands a bit to include more plot regarding the other inhabitants of the town, but things never truly go beyond the initial goal of exploring the Cave of Phantom Mist, and hopefully bring back the adventurers in one piece.

While the plot here is rather thin, it works well for this style of game. The main Astlibra title is more of a standard RPG, while Astlibra Gaiden has many roguelike elements. Seeing as the gameplay loop is quite a bit different, it makes sense for the story to take a hit to its depth. Despite this, the characters and setting are both strong, and it even ties in with the original game. Admittedly I can't speak too much on that last point since I haven't played Astlibra Revision, but it's my understanding that this is a "Gaiden" in the purest sense. Its story takes place during the events found in the main game, and it even features several characters from there too. Naturally this will lead to some spoilers if you play this one before the first game, but I don't think it's all that important. You could very easily ignore the fact that this is a tie-in title in the first place, and just enjoy it for what it is. As someone who did exactly that, I can say with complete confidence that no prior knowledge of any sort is needed to enjoy this game. Those coming here from the Astlibra Revision may get more of the references sprinkled throughout, but newcomers will do just fine. In short, play it if it seems like a great game no matter where you stand as far as the first game is concerned. Now that we have story out of the way, let's talk gameplay.

I mentioned earlier that Astlibra Gaiden is a roguelike, but that's not really giving the gameplay itself justice. Your goal in the game is to complete runs in the Cave of Phantom Mist, and hopefully earn enough of the in-game currencies to gain permanent upgrades to make subsequent runs easier. The Baker's Daughter does have a standard level that determines base stats, but the level counter resets to one after each run. It also seems to max out quite low, so standard levelling doesn't play too much of a factor here. Force Gems are the real name of the game, and these are used to upgrade stats on a more permanent basis. This is done by feeding them into a large grid that's somewhat reminiscent of the sphere grid from Final Fantasy X. It's quite a bit more cramped and busy than what you'd find there, but that should give you an idea of what to expect. Not only can you unlock new stats on the grid, but you can also gain new spells, skills, and treasure. You can only access this grid back at home though, so you'll always want to keep that in mind if you're playing on a difficulty that takes away gems gained if you die. You can always lower the difficulty if you're not a fan of that sort of thing, but by default you lose some of what you gained when you fail a run. Considering you can only leave a dungeon level at the halfway point, or before fighting a boss, it's best to not push yourself too hard if you're making some good gains.

It's not just Force Gems though, as there are several other ways to upgrade your character. There's simple equipment that can be bought, crafted, or found, and many of these give The Baker's Daughter new skills and abilities as she uses them. These skills have a chart of their own (Thankfully a much less complicated one!) and you use different, multi-use, gems to equip them. These can unlock the ability to double jump, see damage given or taken, and so on. There's also a class mechanic to mess around with as well. This not only unlocks even more skills and abilities, but it also grants you a special ultimate attack, and moves your stats in a way that's relevant to the class you've currently selected. This might sound a little complicated, and honestly it sort of is at first, but it all makes sense within the context of the game. There's also the Astlibra Scale that grants special abilities depending on what items are placed onto each of its sides, but explaining it at length is probably far too much to be done within the context of a review. There's even a magic system I could get into, but I think you're starting to see the bigger picture. Suffice it to say that The Baker's Daughter is quite the customizable character, and you can craft her skills, stats, and equipment to your liking. There are many games where I've said something like: "You can make the character suit your play style very easily through the in-game mechanics!" but that's never been truer than it is here. You can even buy some new outfits, accessories, and hair styles if you so desire. It may not be a total "The sky is the limit!" type scenario, but it's pretty close.

Exploring the Cave of Phantom Mist is its own type of fun too. Each floor has multiple rooms, and there are lots of hidden treasures and even the occasional minigame to break up the monotony of exploration. I say "monotony", but I don't think I've ever played a roguelike that had such a fulfilling gameplay loop. The goal on each floor is to find the lever that opens to door to the next floor, and then drop down to it. Plenty of enemies stand in your way, and dealing with them can be quite fun. Seeing your hard work pay off by defeating hordes of enemies has never felt this good, and there's so much more you can do too. Treasure is scattered everywhere, resources can be mined, and special in-dungeon item shops can be visited and gambled in. It's really as complex as any other part of the game, and I mean that in the best way possible. Naturally death can mean a quick end to the fun, but that's what difficulty settings are for. There are also checkpoints found at the midpoint, and the final area before the boss. You can fast travel to the start and midpoint of any area you've visited, and revisiting cleared areas might be necessary if you need a certain type of Force Gem to level up. It makes for a satisfying gameplay loop that you can easily lose yourself in. I have hope that future games in the series keep the roguelike elements introduced here, as I'm of the mind that the formula has been perfected. This is probably best described as the roguelike RPG for those who may not like roguelike elements. They're included in a way that feels like you're constantly progressing in a meaningful way, but there's still the randomized "back to the start" elements too. Astlibra Gaiden has some of the best gameplay I've seen in a long while, and it probably isn't going to shock you when I say that I think it's the best aspect of the game.

Those looking for cutting edge graphics might be disappointed by what Astlibra Gaiden offers. It's not that it's unimpressive, but it the graphics lean towards a retro look. As stated earlier, the entire game takes place in a side-scrolling 2D environment, and that means lots of pixel-based graphics. Observant readers will already have seen plenty of the game via screen shots, and it goes without saying that the character and monster designs found here are among the best. Not only are they impressive as far as indie games go, but they stand out with some bigger titles as well. It's not all 2D though, as there are plenty of 3D models throughout the game too. These are placed so seamlessly into the 2D world that it doesn't make too much sense to discuss them at length separately. They're just as good, if not better, than the pixel graphics. Be they in 2D or 3D, the game's boss monsters are among the best things you'll see in the game. They're all large and impressive, and defeating them is always rewarding. The only true negative I have about the graphics would have to do with the blandness of some of the dungeon areas, but I guess that's to be expected in a roguelike game that randomizes its layout with each run. With that said, I still don't think that these parts of the game are particularly bad, just not as appealing as it could've been. Everything else makes up for it though, as even small details like weapon and costume designs look amazing. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the game runs perfectly on the Nintendo Switch. I was initially worried that it wouldn't run all that well due to how much action is always going on, but I'm pleased to report that I was wrong in that early assumption. Even though the graphics may be a bit better on certain platforms instead of others, you can pick it up on whatever works best for you and still have a smooth experience.

I originally was going to rave about the music found in Astlibra Gaiden, but then I learned that it primarily uses royalty-free music throughout. This doesn't mean that the music is bad, far from it in fact, but it does mean that I don't feel right discussing it at too much. I don't like to judge games harshly that use bought music, but I'm of the mind that the best video game music is created with the game itself in mind. Part of me wonders if some music might actually be original, as the soundtrack just fits everything perfectly. That could just speak to the great choices the developers made during the game's development, but who knows. Either way, the entire soundtrack is full of great tunes. Dungeon themes get you through each area quickly thanks to their lively melodies, while the boss themes keep you on the edge of your seat. Similarly, the music found in the safe zones, or in the town itself, have the right mix of calming and foreboding that is hard to describe in writing. The music is so good that I wish I never learned about its origins. Music aside, it should also be mentioned that there is no voice acting to be found in this game. This is very understandable considering the scope of the game itself, but it's a slight letdown nevertheless. I would've loved to hear some of the characters brought to life via voice acting, but I guess we'll have to hope a third Astlibra title might give us that.

If this is the side-story to the main Astlibra games, then I have to wonder how much content that first game must have. I put in close to 20 hours in Astlibra Gaiden, and still have a few things to unlock. Simply put, this is a game that delivered far more content than I first anticipated. There are plenty of challenges to undertakes, character builds to try out, and lots of secrets that will take some good amount of grinding to find. There are also difficulty settings to mess around with if you want to challenge yourself on a second playthrough. I fell in love with this game pretty much instantly, and I still can't believe it only costs $9.99. I've played several games at this price point that don't offer even a quarter of the content this one does, and nothing about it feels like it's fluff either. You really can't go wrong with picking this one up now, and it even appears like it's on sale at the time of this writing. I can only assume that the main game has more than double this amount of content seeing as it comes with a much higher $24.99 price tag, but I guess we'll have to wait to see if that's true. Also, on a side note, Astlibra Gaiden is marked as DLC in most places, but it's a standalone game on every platform that I can see. It doesn't require the purchase of the original game as far as I'm aware. That might seem like an odd thing to point out, but it actually did confuse me while I was researching it for this review.

It probably comes as no surprise that I give Astlibra Gaiden: The Cave of Phantom Mist the highest of recommendations. It's a roguelike RPG that leans more into the RPG aspects, and I feel it's a great example on how to get the genre balance right. I have practically nothing at all to complain about, and I think it's a must-play for fans of either genre. It also has lots of accessibility options as far as difficulty goes, so it could be a nice intro for new players as well. It really is one of the best games I've played this year, and I hope that we get more from this series soon. If we do, or if I ever get around to playing that first game, you'll know where to find me! See you in the next one!

Check Out Astlibra Gaiden: The Cave of Phantom Mist on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/astlibra-gaiden-the-cave-of-phantom-mist-switch/

Story: A
Gameplay: A
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: A
Value: A+

Overall: A

Pros:
+ The perfect mix of roguelike and RPG gameplay mechanics. I don't think I've ever seen a game implement them better than this one does.
+ The Baker's Daughter might not have a name, but she's fully customizable in every way. It's easy to mold her to suit any play style.
+ Exploring the Phantom Cave is very fun, and provides a satisfying gameplay loop that's full of fun moments.
+ Both the graphics and music are amazing, with the presentation being spot on all around.
+ Multiple difficulty settings make this perfect for gamers of all skill levels. You can challenge yourself, or simply play for the enjoyment of the story.
+ Is an absolute steal at just $9.99.

Cons:
- There were times when I felt that the dungeon areas lacked much life or diversity.
- Learning that the music is all royalty-free, as opposed to being created specifically for the game, was disappointing to hear.
- Though I found no fault with the story, this is a game that puts gameplay first.
- May spoil the main Astlibra game for those who choose to play this one first.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

#Astlibra

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Land of Mushrooms]]>Fri, 06 Dec 2024 03:24:36 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-land-of-mushroomsBy Al

Players: 1-2
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam & Epic Game Store)

Copycat games are nothing new, but I always find them to be interesting as they can sometimes surpass the game that influenced them. Suika Game is a puzzle game that originally released in Japan back in 2021, and got a US release last year. It was a viral hit even before its US release, and its success spawned many imitators. One of those imitators is the game we're going to be looking at today. Land of Mushrooms is a game that's currently available on all current platforms, and it definitely owes its existence to Suika Game. We're going to be taking a look at it today on the Nintendo Switch and see how it compares, and how it holds up on its own. Enough intro, let's dive in!

I'll admit that I'm not totally sure if Suika Game came out of nowhere and invented the gameplay formula that it popularized. I play a lot of puzzle games, but I'm by no means an expert. That said, I personally can't recall ever having played a game quite like it. I do know that some people like to compare it to 2048, but it really is very different from that. For those that aren't familiar with it, I'll explain the basics. Suika Game, and by extension Land of Mushrooms, is a match-two puzzle game where your goal is to create as many of the biggest items as possible before you completely fill up the gameplay area. Suika Game features fruits, and Land of Mushrooms features mushrooms. You have twelve sequential items that go up an evolutionary chain, and creating pairs makes the previous two mushrooms into a single one in the next stage. They match simply by touching, but this also means you block off some mushrooms from each other if you're not careful with your placement. There is some degree strategy regarding dropping the mushrooms into the field of play, but the physics of the game often mean that things can end up falling in ways you didn't anticipate. If a mushroom falls out of the field of play, in this case a jar, then it's game over. Mushrooms can fall out by simply rolling off the top if there is no space, but they sometimes can be knocked loose by way of a combo, or even bounce out of the jar in certain situations. For reasons I'll get to later, most games of Land of Mushrooms end rather quickly. Don't worry though, as this game relies more on high scores than anything else. There are leaderboards you can get onto daily, and that's enough for some people.

Now that we have the gameplay out of the way, let's talk about what makes Land of Mushrooms different from its watermelon-based inspirations. I admittedly haven't played enough Suika Game to know if it also has all the features I'm about to mention, but I don't think it does. Most important of all, Land of Mushrooms has two items that you won't find in Suika Game. First is a bomb that destroys all mushrooms in a limited range, and second is a rainbow mushroom that can pair with any other mushroom it touches. Both of these items are fairly rare as far as drops go, but can be life savers when they do decide to pop up. Bombs can also mess up your plans if you place them without really thinking, as they can just as easily blow up a high level mushroom. There's also a timer that forces you to drop each mushroom in five seconds. It's very strict too, and it caused me to mess up more than once. I'm going to assume that there has to be something similar to it in Suika Game, but I don't remember that game forcing my hand as often as Land of Mushrooms does. There is also a reshuffle button, but it only has limited uses. Besides not being able to use it indefinitely, it doesn't even feel very effective gameplay-wise. Your available dropped mushrooms only come from the bottom half of the evolutionary scale, and it never seems beneficial to shuffle them around. Besides that there's the field of play itself, which I can't help but think is far too small. Once again I'm not totally sure on how it compares, but it can take just a few minutes for it to fill up. Overall, Land of Mushrooms feels like it adds a decent amount of new concepts to the Suika Game formula, but I don't think any of them are good.

I want to talk about the visuals and audio next, as I had some big issues with both. To put it bluntly, Land of Mushrooms gives off the vibe that it was created over a weekend using only the barest of assets. There's nothing truly appealing in the game, and I personally don't find smiling mushrooms cute. I realize that there isn't going to be a lot of visual variety in a puzzle game, but what we get here feels like the bare minimum. Very little animation, boring designs, and a singular background to boot. There's also the fact that mushrooms don't exactly compare well to fruits. Suika Game makes sense because we all know that watermelons are bigger than apples, and so on, but there's no rhyme or reason as to why one mushroom would be bigger than another. Also, speaking of size, the mushrooms seemed to change size randomly between being held up and being dropped, and this just felt like a bug after a while. I think you can actually buy other visual themes via DLC, but we'll get to that later. Music-wise things are even worse, as you only get one weirdly melancholic piano song for the entire game. Not only is the song out of place, but it sounds like it came from a stock music library. I'm not sure if it did, but if it didn't then the developers might as well have gone that route instead. We've all played puzzle games that have a single horrible track to them, but this one is just too much. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it alone nearly made me want to quit, and I eventually just had to mute the game after a while in order to keep playing it. It really is that bad.

My biggest problem with Land of Mushrooms has to be its pricing. It admittedly is mildly cheaper than Suika Game's asking price of $2.99 but it's not that simple. Even though Land of Mushrooms is priced at $2.69, there is about ten dollars or so of DLC available at the time of this writing. It's not just cosmetic DLC either, as much of it seems to be game modes that were cut out of the base game due to apparent greed. Not only is there an easier mode that only offers smaller mushrooms, but there's also a co-op mode too that are locked behind paywalls. You even see them blocked off on the start screen as if you can somehow unlock them in-game, but you can't. I would've much preferred if they went for a five or ten dollar price point and just included everything, but I think the developers were going for a sort of bait and switch. I'm sure no one would think a game like this would lock half its content away, but that's what you get here. If the base game were free I wouldn't mind this sort of pricing tactic at all, but the half-finished version costs nearly as much as the game they're ripping off. Seeing as you only get about a small chunk of the content for the initial price point, I don't know why anyone would play this over Suika Game. Oh, and in case you're wondering why I didn't mention multiplayer earlier, that's because it's rather uneventful. You can play a versus game with a friend, but neither of us found it all that much fun. It features that same piano track I mentioned earlier, and me and the friend who tried it out couldn't even be bothered to finish our first match due to it.

I honestly don't know what to wrap up this review. Land of Mushrooms isn't a horrible game, but there's no denying that Suika Game is a hundred times better. Land of Mushrooms not only a lesser version of that game, but it also throws in a lot of DLC and shady price too. I simply can't recommend this game at all. I guess you can grab this one if you absolutely must have mushrooms instead of fruits as playing pieces, but that's really the only reason I can think of as to why anyone would want to pick this one up. I guess you might find that "69" in the price point funny, but I suggest you don't let that sway you. Anyway, I'm done for now. See you in the next one!

Check Out Land of Mushrooms on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/land-of-mushrooms-switch/

Story: N/A
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B
Music/Sound: D
Value: C-

Overall: C

Pros:
+ An alright puzzle game if you overlook the obvious comparisons.
+ There are leaderboards and in-game achievements for those who care for such things.
+ The additional game modes, and cosmetic changes, are good on paper.
+ The base game is fairly cheap if you want to pick it up out of curiosity.

Cons:
- This is an obvious rip off of Suika Game, and plays a bit worse than it to boot.
- The few new gameplay additions, like the bombs and rainbow pieces, feel like afterthoughts that barely affect gameplay.
- The visuals feel rather basic, and the single music track you get in the game gets annoying very quickly.
- Most of the game, like the easy and co-op modes, is locked behind DLC paywalls.
- Just pay the thirty cents more and get Suika Game!

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

#LandOfMushrooms

]]><![CDATA[The Sun Always Rises Somewhere: A Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York Review]]>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:49:15 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/the-sun-always-rises-somewhere-a-vampire-the-masquerade-reckoning-of-new-york-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

Back in 2019 a visual novel was released titled Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York. This was the first in what would be a trilogy of games that told the tales of vampires living (or unliving as it were) in New York. It was followed by Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York the following year, before taking a break in releases for a couple years. It's now 2024, and the final game in the trilogy, Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York, is now available. Releasing on all major platforms, we're going to be taking a look at the Steam version today. Will this wrap up the trilogy in a satisfactory way? Will it tell a tale worthy of diving into despite the long gap? Is the story worth enjoying on its own merits? Let's dive in and find out!

It's Christmas in New York, and there is more to this town than just Times Square and pizza. Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York (Which I'm simply going to refer to as "Reckoning of New York" from now on) places you into the role of a vampire of the Ravnos Clan named Kali. Ravnos vampires are usually tricksters or vagabonds who rarely get involved in the politics of the vampiric underworld, with Kali herself being involved in a smuggling ring. Despite not being too invested in vampire politics, things change when Kali's Sire, one Reynard Cassel, turns up on the hit list of some of the biggest names within the undead underworld. They want his head, and they want it now. The problem is that he's currently missing, so Kali is forced to take his place in front of New York's vampire elite. Rather than kill her outright, she's offered the deal of having her unlife spared if she can bring them Reynard. Though close partners prior to the events of this night, she has no idea where he is either. Be that as it may, she now has to find her missing sire in a matter of nights. She's not alone in these endeavors though, as she's accompanied by the Anarch vampire Padraic. Together they seek to figure out what exact dealings Reynard Cassel was up to prior to his disappearance, and hopefully also find out his current whereabouts. If they happen to uncover a plot that blows the lid off the New York vampire scene along the way... well, that's just what's going to happen. Did I also mention that the city is swarming with hunters for reasons that aren't immediately clear? Because it totally is. I guess it is New Year's after all, and that means lots of fireworks on the horizon...

Before I continue on with the review, I feel that I should mention now that I had very little prior knowledge of either Vampire: The Masquerade, or the World of Darkness before this game. Not only that, but I also didn't play the first two titled within this trilogy. I am familiar with all the above of course, but I entered into this game simply as a casual, but intrigued, newbie. I bring this all up so that I am forgiven for any lore mistakes I'm sure to make, and to also get ahead of any "Did this guy even play the other games?" type comments. I do think me being new to the franchise brings an interesting perspective to this review, as I'm sure you're now wondering how well this game welcomes newcomers. The quick answer is that it does an admirable job easing those like me into the world, but there's a bit more to it than just that. I didn't know this before going into the game, but Reckoning of New York stars an all-new protagonist, and mostly puts past characters and events into the background. Long-running plotlines are still present, with many of them being wrapped up by this game's end, but you're not placed into a world full of already existing characters and events. There's also an in-game journal and glossary that does a decent job of explaining the complex lore and lexicon to new players. I don't want to make it seem like it's too inviting though, as there is sure to be several scenes where words and terms start to lose all meaning, but I was surprised how quickly I was able to simply go with the flow of things and enjoy the game.

Even though I mentioned having no knowledge of Vampire: The Masquerade earlier, I do have a small confession to make. Close to twenty years ago I played a game called Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, and have been curious about the greater series ever since. Seeing new games being released on Steam over the past few years made me wonder if they were at all like that one I played so long ago. As you might have realized by now, that's not the case at all. Bloodlines is more of an Action RPG, while Reckoning of New York is most definitely a visual novel. Like most visual novels, it does have a sort of Choose Your Own Adventure twist to it that comes via dialogue and action choices, but it really leans heavily on the "novel" aspect. I would almost want to refer to this as a kinetic novel, as in one that doesn't allow players much choice, but there are a few things about it that go against that. Even though most of the game's action or dialogue options lead to essentially the same results, there are gameplay elements that keep it somewhat interesting. Kali is a vampire, and that means drinking blood, using vampiric abilities, and dodging vampire hunters. Vampiric abilities are used if you have them during in-game choices, but the other two have meters associated with them that you have to keep in check. Taking care of these tasks does feel like busywork for the most part, but you can turn off the meters themselves if you wish. While I did find them a bit too distracting to be fun, I did appreciate the break in simply reading they provided. With that said, reading is what you'll be doing the most of here, so hopefully that's something you're not against.

Going back to the story, I have to say that it is the most important aspect of the game as a whole. This may be obvious considering the genre, but it will make more sense when you see what I have to say about other aspects of the game. Not only is the story the most important, but I think it's also the thing executed the best. The plot really drew me in, and I found would've beat the game in one sitting if not for some glaring issues I'll get to in just a bit. Kali is a decent player insert too, as she has the right level of knowledge of the vampire world, but also encounters certain characters and events for the first time too. In doing research for this review I learned that many Vampire: The Masquerade fans were not at found of Kali. I guess I can see why, but I personally found her referenced negative points to be positives to me. She's flippant, full of referential humor, and a bit on the cheeky side. Simply put, I couldn't help but like her. She also plays well off of the main cast, and that includes the other main protagonist, Padraic. Their dynamic really stood out to me, and it made me want to learn more about them both. It might be a bit of a stretch to say that I grew to care for Kali over the course of the story, but I liked her nevertheless. At the end of the day this game made me want to learn even more about Vampire: The Masquerade in general, and that was largely thanks to Kali. Though I can't really speak too much as how this game's story compares to what was found in the first two games, I can say that it stands up well on its own. Maybe my views will change after playing them, but that's what I have to say for now.

Despite enjoying the story told in the Reckoning of New York, the game itself isn't without its flaws. I mentioned the light gameplay elements earlier, but I didn't really point out how tacked on they feel. You could take them out and not really have much of a different experience, as evidenced by the fact that many of them can simply be turned off. Even the vampiric powers used during story scenes felt pointless, as they usually only resulted in a different line or two. Those elements were just a minor annoyance, as the bigger issues involved game-breaking bugs, and a save system that only makes them worse. This is a game that relies solely on autosaved checkpoints, and I found that I'd somehow locked myself into a game over loop more than once. I'm now fairly certain that these were due to bugs that have mostly been ironed out, but I encountered another such occurrence days ago. These sorts of bugs, as in where you're literally stuck watching the same scenes play out and over and over again, wouldn't be an issue if you were able to save whenever you want. Being able to do exactly that is something of a hallmark of visual novels, but is totally absent here. I was forced to completely restart the game each time this happened, and there also aren't the advanced dialogue skip options you usually see in games like this either. Thankfully the game is fairly short, but I guess that's an issue and of itself. Admittedly, you do unlock Padraic after clearing the game with Kali, but his route is the exact same as Kali's, but from his perspective. I guess this makes sense as far as the game is concerned, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a huge missed opportunity. Anyway, here's hoping that they fix the bugs still in the game, because restarting from the beginning each time the game saves when you don't want it to is just annoying.

If there is any one part that I feel ruins the experience of Reckoning of New York, it would have to be the game's audio. I'm a bit torn on this topic, as it seems to be the consensus among the fandom and the developers that the soundtrack is supposed to be a sort of "music to read by" type of thing. The problem is that I've never played another visual novel that had music as boring as what's found here. I hesitate to even call it music either, as it's pretty much just a few random chords mixed with atmospheric noise. I'm not even exaggerating either, as there is not one piece of music here that anyone would refer to as a "song" in the traditional sense. Add to this the fact that there is no voice acting at all in the game, and you have one of the most silent experiences I've ever had in all my years of gaming. I've played many a visual novel that didn't have voice acting in them before, but never one that had no voice acting and no music. I know it's something that those who dislike the genre like to say, but I honestly have to wonder why this wasn't just released as a book. If they weren't going to bother much with the gameplay or audio/visual side of things, why bother releasing it in this fashion? I guess I can go on and on about how bad the audio is, but let's just move on.

Discussing the game's visuals is going to be hard, as it was something I wasn't even sure if I wanted to address in general. I actually put off reviewing this game for a quite a while because I was under the impression that it used AI art, and I wanted to see if the community would eventually get to the bottom of it, and find some answers. After going through tons of posts online regarding this issue (Some of which go as far back as when the first trailer was released.), I can report that the developers have officially stated that the game does not use AI art. Even though I have to wonder how true that is, my next question has to be why the developers decided to create art that looks exactly like it was created by AI. Every character and background image has that weird uncanny valley look to it, with characters having that smooth plastic look to them, and animations all feeling very off. There are even some AI-type mistakes here and there with hands and the like that seem a bit too suspicious to not be a giveaway. I have to wonder why the developers would let actual human artists create work that looks extremely fake. This is made all the stranger when you realize that the art style in this game is a drastic change over what's in the first two games. Those used clearly hand-drawn illustrations, and this one uses art that is at the very least totally on the digital side of things. If I'm being totally honest right now, I still think that there was AI involved in the creation of this game's art. Maybe it was done on a base level and then drawn over, used to enhance or modify existing drawings, or maybe it was work contracted outside of the company and they used AI art in "secret". I don't want to start throwing accusations like that around, but look at even the screens in this review, and the trailer I linked below, and tell me you don't think the same thing.

The lack of anything to enjoy beyond the decent story makes me wonder how I want to wrap up this review. On one hand the plot drew me in and made me want to learn more about World of Darkness as a whole, but it also let me down in just about every way a game could. I'd much rather have taken in this story via a standard novel, or maybe even in comic book for. Like I mentioned earlier, it's not very long either, and most people will probably completely clear it in completely in well under ten hours. I lost some time thanks to bugs, but it still didn't take me all that long to read everything there is to read. There is some replayability to be had, but it's rather light. There are different ways to reach the end of the game, two routes to explore, and at least two branching paths in the final chapter, but it still felt a little hollow at the end of the day. I also can't help but wish that Padraic's was somehow different, or maybe just an option available from the beginning. Making it an unlockable, when it's essentially the same content told to you a second time, just felt like padding. With that in mind, I have to say that the game's current asking price of $19.99 feels just a bit too high for the amount of content you get. Considering this is barely a step above a kinetic novel, and factoring you can get the first two games in the series for about a dollar at most times, paying twenty for this one feels wrong. That of course is a matter of opinion, but I still stand by the fact that I'd much rather have put that money towards a series of books that tell the same story.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what I have to say regarding giving Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York a recommendation, as I'm not really sure who this game is for. It's been my understanding of the game that most fans of the New York trilogy view this as the weakest game in the series, and newcomers like me are probably better off starting elsewhere. I'd be a lot more forgiving if it weren't for the lack of sound, or if the game used visuals that didn't look like they were created by AI, but that's what we get here unfortunately. I don't necessarily regret the time I spent with the game, but I don't think I can say it's worth picking up unless you're intrigued by the World of Darkness on its own, or if you've already played the other two games in the series. If it's the latter, you pretty much owe it to yourself to get this one now. With that said, I guess I'll run off and play those games next. See you in the next one!

Check Out Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2658720/Vampire_The_Masquerade__Reckoning_of_New_York/

Story: B+
Gameplay: C
Graphics: C
Music/Sound: D
Value: C

Overall: C

Pros:
+ An interesting take on the visual novel genre, and the World of Darkness setting too.
+ The plot and characters all feel well-written, and the game does a decent job of easing in new players into this complex world.
+ Even though managing them can be tiring, having to deal with random events like feeding and evading hunters did break up the monotony of reading.
+ Plenty of dialogue choices, and even a second unlockable character, make this one decently replayable.

Cons:
- Several game-breaking bugs make this one hard to enjoy at times.
- Though the story is well-written, most of the player's dialogue or action choices lead to the same conclusions.
- Runs basically in silence. There is no voice acting at all, and the music is more of a collection of random noises than anything else.
- Even though the developers claim it isn't the case, the art in this game looks like it was created by AI. Even if done by a human, it looks bad due to this fact.
- Its current price point of $19.99 feels a bit high for the amount of content one gets.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

Gotta love that K-Pop reference!

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