<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections

<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections - Gaming]]>Mon, 04 Nov 2024 23:49:43 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Traversing Through Life One Slice At A Time: A SINce Memories Off The Starry Sky Review]]>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:21:49 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/traversing-through-life-one-slice-at-a-time-a-since-memories-off-the-starry-sky-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC

I've been a fan of visual novels for years now, and I always love to see games from long-running franchises finally get an official English-language release. SINce Memories: Off The Starry Sky originally released on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 back in 2021, and is a spin-off of the long-running Memories Off series. It comes to us now via publisher PQube, who also added PC into the available formats. We're going to be looking at the Nintendo Switch version today, and see if this game was worth the long wait. There's lots to go over in this one, so let's dive right in!

Plot

SINce Memories puts you in the role of Junya, a college student who works at his family's general store. He is always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need, but currently lives his life in grief. Having witnessed the death of his brother, Takaya, the previous year, Junya has been trying to fill the big shoes his brother left behind. This is no easy feat as Takaya was something of a local hero. Junya isn't alone though, and is surrounded by friends and family who all seem to look up to him in one way or another. This group includes his childhood friend, Chihaya, her attendant, Hinata, his sister, Misora, and his sister's best friend, Aino. Chihaya is something of an obvious love interest for Junya, but she is actually from a rich family, and is already betrothed to a man of similar status. Into this confusing circle arrives three new girls, Azusa, Chunyu, and Yuriko. Yuriko is a former idol who is hiding something from her past, Chunyu is a Chinese exchange student who hires Junya for a long-term job, and Azusa's appearance requires more explanation. Azusa is actually the one who gets the plot moving, as her arrival shakes up the current status quo. Following a chance meeting with Junya, she goes to general store to tell him point blank that she blames him for his brother's death. This accusation sets off a chain of events that I'll keep brief for the sake of not going into spoilers, but keeps everyone moving through their motions. It's part romance, part slice-of-life, and part mystery. Junya not only must find himself in all of this, but he must do so while helping out his friends, and revealing the truth behind Takaya's untimely death.

I should say now that I'm a fan of classic visual novels that focused more on characters rather than quickly laid out plots. SINce Memories is a series that was launched in 1999, so it makes sense that it would have elements of that style. It tells a deep and involved story, but does so in a way that may drive some players mad. To say that it has a slow pace would be an understatement, as it moves extremely slow right from the start. This is the sort of game that not only has you thinking that it has way more dialogue than necessary, but also have you wishing the characters would just sit down and talk to each other directly. That juxtaposition might seem odd, but you'll probably be wondering why the characters are just rambling on and not discussing important, time sensitive, matters. Specifically, there were several times when Junya's rather dense nature rubbed me the wrong way despite me liking his character overall. The entire plot would be crunched down to nearly nothing if he directly addressed Azusa's past with his brother, but he instead gives her in-game weeks to throw accusations his way and follow him around. It actually takes several scenes before you even learn her name, and that goes for some of the other characters as well. I'm not really against a visual novel taking its time to wrap up plot threads, but there have to be better ways to tell a leisurely paced story. There are also some scenes that go on longer than you think they will, and plenty that seem to repeat over and over again. Did Hinata really have to go back to the anime store with Junya twice? Does every scene in the cafe really need to be in the game? Do we need to constantly see Azusa, Misora, and Aino eating those ice cream treats? This is a game doesn't seem at all concerned about your time, and I'm sure that many will never get to the end due to a lack of patience. I once again have to reiterate that I personally found this pacing charming in its own way, but I do realize that my preferences are something of an acquired taste.

Outside of pacing issues, I think the story of SINce Memories is one that's worth experiencing. It focuses on Junya not only coming to terms with his grief, but also in discovering what exactly drives him to be the person that he is. Everyone seems to use him in, and as a player you wonder if it's done intentionally or not. Does Chihaya actually care for him, or is she simply used to always having him around helping her? Is Chunyu the better fit for him? What about Yuriko? There's lot to discover within the game, and you'll find that appropriate outcomes for each choice made. Since Junya does work at a general store that does odd jobs, the plot actually ends up becoming which of his friends he is going to help with a long-term contract. Will he help Chihaya renovate her grandfather's house into a cafe, or will he help Chunyu find a lost set of cups that once belonged to her family? I found the journeys all the characters took to be rewarding in their own ways, and I wish I had the time to fully complete the game before writing this review. A bonus of its slow pacing is that you get to know each character and their situations very well. These details might be drip fed to you over a long period, but you'll get to them all eventually. It probably goes without saying that I think the story is one of the best aspects of the game, and that is in spite of the problems I've already mentioned regarding its delivery. Oh, and I should also mention that SINce Memories doesn't have any connections to past games in the series that might confuse newcomers. There are some character cameos from older games, but they come and go in a way that won't disrupt the regular happenings of the game. These cameos basically boil down to Easter eggs for those in the know, and actually made me wish more of the series was available in English

Even though I think that SINce Memories provides one of the best stories I've read in a visual novel, it isn't without one giant flaw. Said flaw has nothing to do with the pacing or the original writing, but instead has to do with the translation found in this particular release. There were times where I felt the entire script must have been translated by AI, as I don't see how a human editor would let this game's text hit full release. The only thing that kept me from feeling that this was the case was the use of terms like "lovesessed", and the many nicknames that Misora gives the cast. I guess there could just be a human writing her dialogue specifically, or maybe AI has just gotten that good. I say "good", but there's very little about this translation that deserves that term. There are countless typos and grammatical errors scattered throughout the game's chapters, as well as some bigger errors that just take you out of the immersion totally. Certain lines were clearly translated too direct, tenses are used incorrectly all the time, pronoun usage is all over the place, and plenty more. It got to the point where I felt like I was translating the translation. I'd sit there staring at the mess of words on screen and wonder what was meant to be said. Even when the script isn't being twisted and misspelled to ruin, it often uses translations that feel dry at best. If I didn't know any better I'd swear that different people worked on different parts of the game, as some areas would be lifeless and to the point, others would be full of errors in each and every sentence, and others still felt like they were being worked on by a person who actually took pride in their work. I'm not sure who PQube got to do the translation, but this is an issue I've noticed in several of their other games. I also notice that they rarely bother patching such things, so this is probably the biggest issue I think most potential players will have with the game.

Gameplay

I know that visual novels don't really have a lot in the way of actual gameplay, but there were a few things that I wanted to mention before moving on. SINce Memories features all the usual visual novel tools like the ability to skip previously read text, and multiple save files, as well as dialogue choices that direct the course of the game. These dialogue choices are probably a bit fewer than what you'd find in most visual novels, but each seems to have more weight attached to them. Some choices lead to different lines of dialogue, while others drastically change the scenes that will come next. These shifts are usually fairly obvious, but there were times where I accidentally locked myself out of a particular route by making a choice I thought wouldn't matter all that much. Though this isn't a dating sim by any means, romance is the key plot device that drives everything forward. Each route is centered on one of the main girls, with some (one?) of them being considered "true" endings. The first four chapters of the game act as an introduction, and end in a rather big choice that pulls the game into one of two directions. That isn't where the game locks in your route though, as there are still ways to change the course of Junya's journey. Even though I've mentioned how much I love the game's plot, I did think it odd that you were able to play out romantic plots with girls who honestly don't seem all that interested in you early on. I'll not go into details for fear of going into spoiler territory, but some of the routes shocked me in the way that they played out. I guess that's a good thing, but it may throw first-time players for a loop.

Visuals

If there's one aspect of SINce Memories that I think we can all agree is pulled off to near perfection, it would have to be the visuals. The level of detail in the backgrounds is amazing, as are the character designs and CGs. Every character who has an image attached to them looks unique in their own way, and they all have variety in their outfits too. You can get a good idea of what each of their personalities is like as soon as they enter a scene. They don't have fully animated models like some visual novels, but that may be because the game has an aesthetic to it that somehow feels as retro as it is modern. I assume that has to do with the game's long-running history, but it's something that's hard to describe. Elsewhere, the world feels alive with many locations changing their look depending on the time of day. This is an admittedly small touch, but it's these small touches that elevate an amazing game from a good one. Similarly the CGs often convey entire scenes within a single image. When coupled with the sound designs (which I'll get to in just a bit!) the scenes somehow feel like they could very well have been fully animated. There are also tons of those CGs to collect across all the routes. The game also has a fully featured gallery where you can enjoy the art on its own, and that's something I recommend doing at least once following a completed route.

I guess my only true complaint as far as visuals go would have to be the font the game uses. That might sound weird, but I've complained about fonts a lot in the past. (Looking at you Square Enix!) A bad font can make a game look cheap, or just distract from the game in ways that you'd think would be easily avoided. The font used in SINce Memories is a non-standard one that often has tons of spacing issues. Letters sometimes are too close or too far, line breaks feel unnatural, and the gaps between words and punctuation never felt right. Seeing as you'll be doing tons of reading in this game, it's something that you'll likely to notice as quickly as I did. I guess I have to point out that it is something you can get used to after a while, but it made for some sadly sub-par presentation when coupled with the wonky translation. Thankfully the rest of the game makes up for it, but I can't help but wish PQube would've just chosen a more appealing font. I'd even take Comic Sans over what we got here.

Sound (Music)

Each and every review I do for a visual novel tends to circle back to the concept of "visual novel music". I use that term to refer to the upbeat, mostly generic, music one usually finds in games like these. Intentional or not, visual novel soundtracks are often unassuming collections of music that live only to serve the most basic of needs. Rarely do they stand out as great music on their own, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Having said all that, SINce Memories bucks this trend and actually provides music that stuck out to me as being particularly good. There are tons of tracks worth mentioning, but I think it's worth discussing some unique things about how music is implemented. I'm sure other visual novels have done this in the past, but something I noticed about SINce Memories' soundtrack was that each character had a theme that would play when scenes focused on them. This is an approach most often found in JRPGs, and something I was not expecting to find here. Not only were the themes noteworthy enough for me to notice them, but there were several themes that I eventually looked forward to hearing again. I mentioned before that the game has more than its share of pacing issues, and I think it was the music that helped me look past the issues that might've otherwise clouded my judgement on the game as a whole. There were times where I felt the music was taking over each scene, or at least adding to it in a way that gave enhanced whatever emotion was meant to be channeled. I honestly can't think of the last time a visual novel's soundtrack impressed me as much as this one, and I have to wonder if other MAGES titles feature music this good. I know I say things like "I'm going to find the soundtrack after I'm done with this review." a lot, but I'm definitely going to be doing exactly that once this review wraps up.

Sound (Voice Acting)

Similar to music, I have pretty much nothing but positives to say when it comes to the voice acting in SINce Memories. This is a fully voiced game, with even the Junya himself getting some voiced scenes at certain points. This means that just about every line in the game is voiced outside of the main narration, and it's all performed beautifully. There is nuance and emotion behind each of the roles, and the voice acting helped the rather dry English text come to life. I originally thought about pointing out particular performances, but I honestly feel that everyone pulled off their roles equally well. Yuriko seems charming, but you can tell she's hiding something, Azusa is calm yet mysterious, Chunyu is mostly upbeat, but has moments where her guard is let down, and Chihaya is the rich princess who has lots more lying just beneath the surface. It's no easy task to convey those kinds of characterizations simply through voice acting, but that's exactly what you get here. It's not just the main cast either, as even the side characters get similar treatment. I don't know much about the world of Japanese voice actors, but I'm willing to bet that this one has a star studded cast. I wonder if I've heard any of these actors in other roles, and the acting here actually intrigued me enough that I might go on a deep dive regarding Japanese voice actors soon. I guess I should mention that this game only features a Japanese language track, though I'm guessing no one really expected this to be dubbed into English. There's so much dialogue to be found here that I'm sure dubbing the game was never on the table. You won't be left wanting though, as the game delivers pretty much perfect sound design.

Overall Value

No matter how you slice it up, SINce Memories is a very long game. I am of the mind that the game never overstayed its welcome, but others might find some fault with its glacial pacing. It takes hours for the entire cast to be revealed and introduced, and longer still to get onto one of the main routes. This isn't the sort of visual novel where you'll be reaching an ending after 3-4 hours, nor can you expect to 100% it in less than 20. I'm not exactly sure how long it would take someone to see everything this game has to offer, but I'm willing to bet that it leans towards the 50 hours range. I consider myself a fast reader when it comes to visual novels, and I've only managed to complete two routes despite the many hours I've put into it. There's a lot of game for one to sink their teeth into, and it comes in at a very reasonable $39.99 at the time of this writing. No matter how you feel about the game's pacing and plot delivery, you'd be hard pressed to find many other visual novels that offer as much bang for your buck as this one does. There are five main routes to go through, several optional scenes to witness for completionists, and one of the best stories you'll find too. I'm not even totally sure as to how much content this game truly offers, as there doesn't seem to be much information about it online. This is the series' first translated entry, and I only had so many hours to give it before writing this review. Rest assured that you'll be getting a lot of content for its price tag, to the point where you're probably going to want to clear your schedule.

Final Thoughts

Even though part of me feels that SINce Memories: Off The Starry Sky is a bit too retro in its story pacing, I have to say that I think it’s still a must-buy for visual novel fans. It takes its slice-of-life approach seriously, and delivers a story that doesn't seem at all concerned with getting to the point quickly. This approach may not be for everyone, but I found it to be one of the best visual novels I've played in recent memory. The cast is endearing and memorable, and you get a lot of time with each character thanks to its long runtime. If you've ever found yourself enjoying a series and wishing that there was more to it, than this is the game for you. It's hard to be left wanting when a game gives you this much upfront. Pick this up now on whatever platform you can, and thank me later. Here's hoping that this means we get more games in the series translated in the future, though I'd also hope that we'd get a little more care put into any future translations. I guess I'll be back around if that happens, but until then, see you in the next one!

Check Out SINce Memories: Off The Starry Sky on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/since-memories-off-the-starry-sky-switch/

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

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A rich visual novel that tells its story in a purposely slow, slice-of-life kind of way.
+ Weaves together a plot that discusses grief, obligation, romance, and more in a surprisingly mature way.
+ The characters are all perfect, and you'll find grow to love them all if you give them the time.
+ Visuals are top-notch, with special notice being given to the character designs and CGs.
+ Features one of the best visual novel soundtracks I've ever heard, as well as some excellent voice acting.
+ There's lots to see and do here, with content going well into the tens of hours territory.
+ Chunyu is best girl!

+/- Even though this is a game within the long-running Memories Off series, it doesn't require any prior knowledge to enjoy.

Cons:
- The overall pacing might put off some. This is a game that isn't afraid to waste your time.
- Not only is the font choice questionable, but the translation is pretty bad. There are countless spelling and grammatical errors throughout.
- Even though I liked the game's pacing, there will be times where you just wish the characters would sit down and talk about the proverbial elephant in the room.
- I'll take this one away later if I'm proven wrong, but PQube rarely ever patches things pertaining to translation, so this game gets a double negative knowing that it'll stay like this forever. (Or until a fan takes it upon themselves to fix the PC version.)

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 seriously love Chunyu!

#SinceMemoriesOffTheStarrySky

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast]]>Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-moe-waifu-h-blockblastBy Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

About a month ago I reviewed a game called Moe Waifu H Genius. (A review you can find HERE!) It was a simple memory game that had a few lewd anime pictures attached to its gameplay, and I mentioned at the end of the review that there were other games in the series coming soon. That time is now, and I now introduce you to Enter Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast, a game out now on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch, by way of publisher EastAsiaSoft. We're going to be looking at it on the Nintendo Switch, and I should mention now that it is actually only available on the Switch via the Japanese eShop. Switch owners probably know how to get around such restrictions, though potential players might want to check it out on the PlayStation consoles instead if you don't want any headaches. Anyhow, let's get into it!

It probably comes as no surprise that Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast has no story at all to speak of. It features five anime girls, but they have no bios at all. Not only that, they don't even have names. I complained about this thing in the last game, and I'm shocked that they didn't fix it here. I say "fix", but all they had to do was give each girl a name to make it seem like these aren't just quick cash grab titles. Instead of that, we get five blank slates, ready to be ogled at by players everywhere. Let's move on. Each girl has three outfits, and you have to beat a game of BlockBlast in order to see each one. You start out with their basic costume, move on to a swimsuit, and then finish up with them in their underwear. There are 15 levels in total here, with the game of BlockBlast resembling Breakout with some tweaks. You're only allowed to play each level you've cleared, so that means you'll have to tackle each stage in order. There is something resembling an increase in difficulty on each subsequent stage, but you'll quickly learn that this isn't always the case. You'll often find yourself bottlenecked in a single stage for up to 30 minutes, only to clear the next one on your first try. It leads to some uneven gameplay, and I guess that's as good a segue as any to move on to discussing exactly that.

As I said earlier, BlockBlast plays a lot like Breakout, but doesn't have nearly that level of polish. Your goal in each level is to clear all of the bricks on-screen, and you have three lives to do that in. Not only are there limited lives, but you also have a time limit as well. Letting the clock hit zero is the same as losing all your lives, so it's best to move as quickly as you can. Moving quickly is often easier said than done though, as your ball moves very slowly by default. If you've never played Breakout before, it's basically a ball-launching game. The balls you launch are what actually breaks the brick, and you have a Pong-like paddle that you use to keep the ball in play. Certain bricks will drop random power-ups, and these include extra lives, extra balls, extra time, a shield, and items that either extend or shrink your paddle. Most interesting of all the power-ups are the ones that change up your ball, or grant an attack of sorts to your paddle. The latter power-up gives your paddle guns that attach to both ends, and you can take out bricks by shooting them twice. Ball power-ups come in the form of lightning, which causes the ball to move very fast after hitting something, and fire, which burns all bricks in your ball's path. Power-ups are the key to winning the game, and it's unfortunate that they drop completely at random.

Each of the five girls sort of act as "worlds" within the game, and these groups of levels all introduce new gameplay elements that build upon the basic formula. Later stages can include bombs that take out all bricks in a particular area, steel bricks that can only be destroyed with the use of power-ups, and so on. I ultimately found that RNG is the way to go if you plan on actually beating the game, and the best strategy is to try to get a fire power-up as early as possible. Not only does this item allow you to clear most of the screen in mere seconds, it'll also reveal plenty of other power-ups as well. The fire power-up is so broken that I simply would restart levels until I got it within the first few bricks I hit. Once it's loaded in, victory is all but assured. On the flip side, if you play for over a minute and don't get any interesting power-ups, or even worse get the one that shrinks your paddle, you might as well quit and restart before you lose. Part of me feels that playing this way is akin to cheating, but the game is anything but balanced, and I couldn't be bothered to play it any other way. All that said, I do have to admit that the gameplay in Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast is far more involved than what was found in Moe Waifu H Genius.

Not only is the gameplay a bit better, but I think the overall presentation is too. This is of course a matter of preference, but I found the character designs to be of better quality than those found in the first game. Not only are they just better art in general, but they're more consistent across the board too. They even slightly improved the gallery, and you can now view the unlocked art without any of those pesky borders. You still can't adjust it in any way, but it's a move in the right direction. Even the title screen looks better this time around, and it probably goes without saying that the gameplay has a much fuller aesthetic due to the more involved gameplay found here. The music is still a bit on the repetitive side, but there are extra tracks to unlock this time around. None of them were any better than the others, but at the very least you don't have to hear the same piece of music and over and over the entire time you're playing. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to seem like I'm praising the game too much. It's still a silly game that is sure to offend a lot of people, but I have to give credit where credit is due as far as the improvements made over the first game.

It ultimately took me about an hour to completely beat Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast, and I'm positive that I won't ever pick it up again outside of the occasional lol or two. With that in mind, I have to say that I walked away from it not feeling like I had completely wasted my time. Part of me still wonders why I bothered playing it in the first place, but I have to admit that I had fun with it. It's not the worst take on Breakout that I've ever played, and the anime girls are decently cute. The game is pretty cheap. I've played enough of these ecchi-styled games to know when one is absolute garbage, and I don't think that's the case here at all. Sometimes, that's all you can ask for.

In the end, I don't think I can give Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast any sort of direct recommendation. If you're the type of person who simply must own every game with "ecchi", "waifu", or "hentai" in their titles, then you're probably already grabbing this no matter what I say. If you're not that person, go play Stardew Valley instead, the new update is coming to consoles very soon and you don't want to be here when it drops. Seeing as this game seemed to improve upon the formula set in Moe Waifu H Genius, I can't help but wonder if that trend will continue. Maybe I'll return to review the next title in the series whenever it comes out. Or maybe I'll finally come to my senses and get the idea of reviewing this type of game out of my head. Either way, see you in the next one!

For More Information on Moe Waifu H - BlockBlast:
https://www.eastasiasoft.com/games/Moe-Waifu-H--BlockBlast

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

Overall: B-

Pros:
+ A fun take on the Breakout formula.
+ Some of the twists on gameplay, like the power-ups and stage hazards, are actually interesting.
+ There are five girls, with three outfits each, and they're pretty cute to boot. That might be enough for some.
+ Though it can be seen as the gameplay being broken, you can very easily cheese your way through the stages.
+ Is just an all-around better game than the one that came before.

Cons:
- Once again, there isn't a whole lot of game here, and not a lot of reason to play it once you've completed its 15 stages.
- The difficulty seems all over the place, with the level timer just feeling cruel at times.
- There is more music this time around, but none of it is all that good.
- Would it kill them to at least give the characters names?

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[A Legacy Sequel Done Right: A Beyond Shadowgate Review]]>Thu, 24 Oct 2024 22:34:48 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/a-legacy-sequel-done-right-a-beyond-shadowgate-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC

I've been a huge fan of the adventure game genre ever since my days playing the NES, and that love grew from a trio of games that are commonly referred to as the MacVenture series today. Shadowgate, Deja Vu, and Uninvited kicked off my love for the genre, and I played just about every re-release and sequel that came out over the years. Imagine my surprise when I learned that a Kickstarter for a new Shadowgate game was released, and it was successfully funded in a matter of hours! Beyond Shadowgate is the result of that Kickstarter, and it's out now on PC via Steam. It goes without saying that I had to get my hands on the game, and we're going to see if the long wait was worth it. I have quite a lot to say about this one, so let's get into it right away!

It's like seeing an old friend again!

This line always stuck out to me in the original.

Before We Begin

This review is probably going to be a bit on the longer side no matter what I do, but I'm going to give a brief history of Shadowgate for those who might not be as deep into the lore as I am. It is a rather confusing history, and there were some parts of it that even I was confused by until recently. Since this isn't exactly part of the core review, you can simply scroll a little further to the next section if you're not interested in any of that. However, if you're fine with me waxing poetic about a game and series I've loved for decades, then stick around just a bit longer to learn more.

Releasing all the way back in 1987, Shadowgate was the third MacVenture game made available on the original Macintosh computer. It was a point-and-click adventure game presented in glorious black and white, and saw several ports to other computers over the following years. Its most important port would come in the form of an NES release by way of Japanese developer publisher Kemco, then known as Kemco/Seika. Kemco would release three of the four original MacVenture games (Sorry Deja Vu II!), and gave them full-color graphics and memorable soundtracks. These were became a hit with anyone lucky enough to have played them back in the day, and have since become classics in their own right. Console success didn't mean an end to Mac support though, at least not at first. A fifth MacVenture title, known as Beyond Shadowgate, was nearly completed before it was shelved in order to make way for a release on NEC's TurboGrafx CD. This game wasn't so much a port of the unreleased Mac version as much as it was an original game that retained some of the original's characters and plot elements. It featured third person exploration and action sequences, and is something of a black sheep within the series as a whole. It also isn't remembered as fondly as the original, having released on a console that had an install base that was a fraction of the one found on the NES. Another sequel would come in 1999 in the form of Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers. This Nintendo 64 game returned the series to its adventure game roots, and took place in a free-roaming, first-person world. This was to be followed up by a game called Shadowgate Rising, but things would take a turn for series as a whole in the 2000s.

It's been too long!

Legally distinct Dick Tracy.

Shadowgate Rising was ultimately cancelled for reasons that aren't too clear, but the development of that game would provide fans with a comic book prequel that featured the character Raven. Outside of this comic book, and some Game Boy releases that finally gave non-PC players Deja Vu II, the MacVenture series would lie dormant for several years. That changed in 2012 when Zojoi, a company made up of some of the creators of the original MacVenture titles, launched a Kickstarter to create a new reimagined Shadowgate for modern consoles and PC. That Kickstarter was successful, and the Shadowgate reboot dropped in 2014. This would be followed up by Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok in 2021, which was a VR game made for the Oculus Quest. Shadowgate was alive and well, and thoughts began to drift back to that original Mac version of Beyond Shadowgate that was left unfinished thirty years before. Enter GrahfMetal, a three-person team who had created two games emulating the NES MacVenture style. Infested and Spectacle are both amazing games in their own right, and they impressed Zojoi enough that GrahfMetal were soon in charge of creating/finishing Beyond Shadowgate in that same style. The Beyond Shadowgate Kickstarter I mentioned at the beginning of this review launched in 2023, and was successfully funded in a matter of hours. It's been a little over a year since that point, and we finally have the game in our hands. Was the wait worth it? Was it actually necessary for me to launch into a long-winded history lesson? Did I just create a double intro for this review? I guess we'll just have to continue down this road to find out!

It begins.

Del has quite the journey ahead of him.

Plot

Beyond Shadowgate places you into the shoes of Del Thornwood, a fenling thief who is currently in the dungeons beneath Castle Gwenynthell following a botched attempt to steal a mystical ruby from the Duchess of Traehelm. He manages to make his way to freedom, only to be intercepted by a wisecracking wisp who speaks of adventure far beyond the scope of what Del is used to. In leaving the dungeons he discovers that the King of Gwenynthell is locked up within them too, along with several of his closest supporters. The disappearance of the King has actually sparked civil war throughout the land of Kal Torlin, and there is talk of evil doings across the land. To make matters worse, the legendary Lord Jair has arrived with an army camped directly outside of the castle's walls. Lord Jair was the hero who challenged the living castle Shadowgate 35 years before, and ultimately defeated the Warlock Lord. He was once himself an unlikely hero, and that mantle is now on the shoulders of Del. Not only must he stop a plot that goes to the very top of royalty, but he has to do so in way that doesn't cost him his life. In trying to set things right regarding the imprisoned king, Del learns that the current advisor to Prince Elryth (The King's brother who currently sits on the throne.) may have dark plans of his own. Belezsarr, the advisor in question, might even have plans that involve the dreaded Castle Shadowgate...

I'm being intentionally vague regarding the plot of Beyond Shadowgate as I think that's it's one of the best parts of the game, and can easily be spoiled with too much detail. Adventure games live and die by the stories they tell, and what we get here is one that's full of twists and turns, and more than a few callbacks to other games in the series. Fans of Shadowgate 64 might recall that it too featured a protagonist also named Del, and that Del was trying to stop the plans of a villain known as Belzar. I wonder if that means that Shadowgate 64 also borrowed bits from the unfinished Beyond Shadowgate, but I'm not really sure if that's the case at this point. What I can be sure of is the sheer scope this game offers. Del's adventure takes him far beyond the limits of a single castle, and give him an entire kingdom to explore. Jair can only hope to have travelled as much of the land during his adventure as Del does, with Del even going to places that don't make too much sense in the grand scheme of things. The glory of Kickstarters is that they often have stretch goals attached to them, and Beyond Shadowgate was able to successfully funded two chapters based on to the other MacVenture games. Though completely out of left field, Del's journey will ultimately take him to the worlds of both Deja Vu and Uninvited. This means that the plot is quite large, and it offers plenty for played of all types to enjoy. There's a rich, sometimes light-hearted, fantasy story for those who are looking for simply that, as well as a tale that's sure to please those who have been waiting years for a proper Shadowgate sequel.

Thankfully, you're not alone.

Damn, he's racist too!

Gameplay

Considering it was created in a style similar to the NES game, it goes without saying that Beyond Shadowgate is a point-and-click adventure game at its heart. The world is presented to you in a first-person view, with the current screen being shown in the top left of the screen. Each location has several elements that can be interacted with, with some of them making up puzzles that must be completed in order to finish the game. A set of commands takes up the bottom half of the screen, and it's these that you'll use to interact with the world. Doors can be opened or closed, items can be used, people and objects can be hit, Del can move from one screen to the next, just about everything can be looked at, and so on. Most actions can be done in a trial and error sort of way, but some can actually lead to your death. Don't worry if you die, as death is a common occurrence in the MacVenture games. As a matter of fact, there's a lot of fun to be had simply in discovering the many ways that Del can meet an untimely end. You're always placed a screen away from whatever killed you anyway, so you don't have to worry too much when it comes to experimentation. Speaking of which, Beyond Shadowgate does not allow for players to ever become soft-locked. Certain choices could be made in the original games that would lock out players from being able to complete the game, but none of that can be found here. This is definitely an improvement over the core design of the original games, and is made all the more important when you realize that Beyond Shadowgate is well over five times the size of the original. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like making a wrong choice in the eleventh hour that forced me to restart the game entirely.

Fans of the original MacVenture games, as in the versions released on the Macintosh, will most likely be familiar with the time limits those games featured. Shadowgate in particular required the player to always have a torch lit, and there were only a finite number of torches available in-game. Running out of torches meant a game over, and you could screw yourself good if you took too long to play the game. This was technically the only time limit that made its way to the NES port, and I'm pleased to say that there's no torch mechanic to be found here. Even though the soft-locking part of the equation is gone, there is something akin to a timer present in Beyond Shadowgate. The Grim Reaper is always lurking above the main game screen, and the flashing Eyes of Death mean that you have to make a decision fast. Basically, certain scenarios will have a fixed time limit where a solution must be found before Del dies. This usually occurs when you're facing off with enemy, or if you have to move to safety when something dangerous is headed your way. I found this is a fun way to include the time limit found in the original, while keeping it from becoming annoying. I rarely had trouble with these timed sections, with their solutions often feeling clear to me in the heat of the moment. If timed puzzles aren't your cup of tea, you don't have to worry. These timed events can actually be turned off within the options menu. This is just one of the new gameplay elements that keep the game accessible to those just wanting to experience the game's story, and it goes hand-in-hand with the hints that the wisp provides. The wisp will never directly give you a solution to any of the game's puzzles, but they'll often point you in the right direction if you're lost. You might be asking why you'd need hints at all, and we're going to have to take a look at the game's puzzles in order to explain that.

Hidden items are sometimes hidden well.

A slightly different puzzle.

Most puzzles found within Beyond Shadowgate are of the "use item on this or that to proceed" variety. NPCs will send you on fetch quests, and you'll often find your path blocked until you find the right combination of items that will allow you to progress. Not only that, but just about every door will be locked too. Your inventory does get rather large by the end of the game, but Beyond Shadowgate does a good job of eliminating a lot of the fluff. The original game featured a "Drop" command that could be used to get rid of items that were no longer necessary, but that option is removed here. This doesn't mean that your inventory will become bloated with nonsense though, as it simply means that the process is now automated. You no longer have to worry about trying items that have long become useless here, though there still are a few red herring items to be found. With that in mind, I personally feel that the puzzles are easier to figure out than in previous MacVenture games. I don't want to make it sound like the game is easy, but I instead mean that they don't require leaps of logic to figure out. I was able to get through much of the game without using any sort of guide, though I did look up solutions to a couple puzzles that had me stumped longer than I was hoping for. It never gets too bad, but I'd be lying if I said that Beyond Shadowgate didn't come with its own brand of "Moon Logic". Thankfully messing up a puzzle's solution will only briefly kill you, so your adventure is rarely interrupted.

Besides inventory management, the magick system from the original Shadowgate also returns. Your spell book is a bit bigger this time around, with the spells having more optional uses. Several of them still act as indirect items, but it's a nice piece of world building nevertheless. I could've definitely done with the spells having a dedicated button, as clicking through each page of the inventory did get old after a while, but it was never too much of an issue. One does have to question how easy it is to learn magic within this world, but that's neither here nor there. Oh, and now's a good time as any to mention that some puzzles have multiple solutions, and said solutions can actually alter the way certain later events play out. Though essentially an extension of the games that came before it, it's clear that a lot of work was put into streamlining the NES MacVenture gameplay. There's still hints of that NES clunkiness, but it all comes together to make a system that feels very intuitive, while also still being challenging.

Fast travel is a thing.

Better move fast!

There are some final things I want to cover regarding gameplay before I move on, and they mostly involve Steam achievements. I actually had to rewrite this part of the review as a recent update fixed some of the complaints I had previously mentioned. If you go to the Steam community tab, you'll find plenty of players feeling that they've locked themselves out of the ending, and saying that they were forced to restart. Without giving away any spoilers, what they actually stumbled upon was the beginning of a second route of the game. While I'm not exactly a fan of having to play a game fully a second time if you want to see everything, that's what you have to do here. My previous complaints revolved around having to go through hours of text to get back to that point, but the aforementioned update added a new special options menu that allowed for in-game text to be skipped. This menu also allows for the game's timer to be displayed, which is important for certain achievements and speedruns. I can't begin to describe my shock when I figured I'd never get the "Beat The Game In Under 2 Hours" achievement, only for it to unlock when I reached the end. I had been playing for about six hours up to that point, but I guess the game only turns on the timer on certain occasions. While I like that the developers cared enough to make repeat playthroughs easier, I can't help but wish that they'd just give players the option to create multiple save files. The branching paths could've been handled so much easier with this one fix, and it would also allow players to revisit areas that become closed off once completed. Enjoyed those looks at the world of Deja Vu and Uninvited? Well, the only way to see them again is to play the game a second time! Thankfully most of the achievements can be finished within a single playthrough, but it can be a nightmare for completionists.

A very iconic image.

You can't reason with a skeleton.

Visuals

If there's one aspect of Beyond Shadowgate that is executed to near perfection, it has to be its visuals. I don't think I'm exaggerating one bit when I say that this could very well be a long-lost NES game. It really looks that spot on, and there aren't too many modern twists that ruin the illusion. Everything is pleasantly retro and pixel-y, and it's proudly presented in fullscreen with an ever-changing border. Not only is the pixel art great, but the world of Beyond Shadowgate is varied in its characters and locations too. Even though it all takes place in what essentially amounts to one really long day trip, you'll never once get bored with the scenery. Not only are the main visuals amazing, but the sections related to Uninvited and Deja Vu manage to capture the look and feel of those games as well. The graphics are easily the best part of this entire package, and it makes sense considering the previous games in GrahfMetal's catalogue. I can recall playing Infested and wondering what a new, official NES MacVenture game would look like. What we have here is the answer to that question, and it doesn't disappoint. I'd be remiss if I didn't also point out that there aren't many graphics options, but why mess with perfection? I guess I might've preferred the inclusion of a CRT filter, but I completely understand why there aren't any pixel-smoothing modes to be found in the options menu. I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about the visuals, beyond maybe wishing there was more of the world to see. Beyond Shadowgate is about twice as big as any of related games that came before it, but you can never have too much of a good thing.

A hero returns!

They really should've just killed him.

Audio

One of the most interesting aspects of the original MacVenture games has that the soundtracks we've come to associate with the games. The thing about those soundtracks is that they're only found in the NES ports which were handled by Kemco. The original games didn't feature full soundtracks in the proper sense, so those classic themes have a rather tenuous connection to the series as a whole. This obviously causes a bit of problems for Beyond Shadowgate, as it's meant to emulate those NES versions. Sadly, none of the familiar themes are present in this release. I guess I should say that I don't know the recent Zojoi titles well enough to recognize tracks that might've come from them, but those looking for a truly nostalgic NES journey will be left a bit disappointed. With all that said, the music we do get in this game is by no means bad. It's actually a great collection of tracks that are just as memorable as those found in the NES versions. Also, since it's all created using an 8-bit style sound font, it feels like it could very well have come from a game of that vintage. The music adds to that "long lost NES game" thing I mentioned earlier, and I eventually stopped caring that the game didn't feature the NES MacVenture themes.

I like to say things like "I'm going to look into getting the soundtrack after I'm done with this review." and for once I'm one step ahead of that. Not only do I already own the soundtrack, but listening to it outside of the scope of the game really allows one to appreciate how good these tracks really are. This is the point of the review where I shamelessly plug the soundtrack, and remind everyone that it's also available for purchase on the game's Steam page. It's not just the music either, as the sound effects manage to capture the vibes of the NES Shadowgate as well. The thunks and zaps of attacks and strikes, and even the screen wipes that are used to transition one room to the next, live rent free in my head even right now, days removed from actually playing the game. Lastly, there is no voice acting to be found here, but were you really expecting any? The greedier part of me wishes there was the option to switch between "retro" and "modern" versions of the music, and maybe add in some crunchy voice samples too, but I'm totally pleased with what we have here as it stands.

Del lowkey becomes a wizard!

Lakmir really should've handled this all better.

Value

One of the things that really shocked me about Beyond Shadowgate was how long it took to beat. I'm used to adventure games maybe taking more than five hours to clear, but that's not something I was expecting from a game in the MacVenture series. This is a series of games that notoriously all had some form of time limit, with Shadowgate having limited torches that would kill you if they ran out. For better or worse, this is a much more drawn out experience. I have fond memories of beating the original Shadowgate for fun in an afternoon, taking maybe an hour and a half or so at most to beat it. Comparatively, my first run of this game took me a bit over six hours, and I have to admit that I looked up solutions for two of the game's trickier sections. It's safe to say that a first time player will take anywhere from 6-10 hours to clear this one, and that's just on one playthrough. I don't want to get into spoiler territory, but if you plan to 100% the game, you'll need to clear it at least twice. Not only that, but there's also plenty of achievements to collect, the Developer's Commentary to check out, and the simple fun of just trying out different solutions to the game's many puzzles.

Beyond Shadowgate is a highly replayable game, and it's priced perfectly at $17.99. Not only that, but you can also add on the DLC pack for another $6.99 if you want the complete package. The DLC pack includes a prequel comic featuring Del's adventures before ending up in the dungeons of Castle Gwenynthell , another comic featuring Raven (The main character from the cancelled Shadowgate Rising.), and yet another comic that acts as a hint guide to the original NES game. You also get a digital map of the lands that the Shadowgate series takes place in, the full soundtrack I raved about earlier, and a strategy guide that's made to look like a Nintendo Power Player's Guide. I have to admit that I found the strategy guide to be lacking since it didn't include information on how to 100% the game, but it was a fun read nevertheless. It leaves out quite a bit, but I guess that's what exploration and trial and error are for. No matter how you choose to pick this one up, you're looking at a lot of bang for your buck.

Don't bring a crossbow to a gun fight.

Uninvited can totally become an anthology series.

The Future?

Before I wrap up the review, I want to close out my thoughts regarding the MacVenture series as a whole, as well as those pertaining to this game's placement in the series. First off, the weird mishmash of plots and names in this one do wrap themselves up neatly by the end, but I'm left a bit disappointed that the TurboGrafx CD game is apparently retconned out of the main continuity. Having said that, I do appreciate that Beyond Shadowgate essentially acts as a solid conclusion to the original MacVenture NES trilogy. (Sorry again Deja Vu II!) It closes out pretty much every storyline from the main games, and even manages to wrap up all of the loose ends found within the greater Shadowgate series too. The question is, what's next? It would make obvious sense to give this same level of treatment to Deja Vu and/or Uninvited, but I'm not sure if that's actually a good idea. While I'm all for those games getting legacy sequels too, I also feel that they were already wrapped up nicely here. Maybe Ace Harding has a few more adventures up his sleeve, but what else is there for Uninvited besides a different horror game created in its style? Part of me feels sad that the bonus chapters in Beyond Shadowgate were funded at all, since I would've loved to see those games stand on their own, and not just act as inserts for this one. Then again I found out about the Kickstarter a bit too late to join, so I have no real reason to comment on it anyway.

I guess what I'm trying to get as is that I can't help but think that future games have their work cut out for them if they're ever going to get made. A better idea would be to just create new standalone Shadowgate games (Since the world is so big.), or maybe just create all-new games in general. I can only assume that Raven's inclusion in the prequel materials means that Shadowgate Rising is back on the table, and I'd love to see that game get made. Also, and I know this is a bit of a reach, but I'd love to see the original non-NES version of this game eventually get made too. I get that it's a bit weird to be asking for the developers to basically create a game in the style of an old Mac game, but those original design documents just looked so good! Anyway, I guess I'll stop rambling and close out this review. Sorry about the distracted review, I just really love Shadowgate and want to see more of it.

Just play it already!

No, thank YOU for all the great games!

Final Thoughts

It probably won't surprise anyone that I give Beyond Shadowgate the highest of recommendations, and hope that it sells well enough that we see a boom of new MacVenture-style games from both Zojoi and GrahfMetal. I remember there being talk of Steam versions of both Infested and Spectacle, and I hope that we hear more on that front soon. Whether those releases happens or not, run out and grab this game now. (And maybe Infested and Spectacle too, since they're both free on itch.io!) Beyond Shadowgate is a must-buy for fans of the Shadowgate series, the original MacVenture games, the Kemco-developed NES ports, and anyone looking to play good adventure games in general. There really aren't many games with this level of charm to them out there today, and I'd hate to see it fly under the radar. Stop reading and go buy it already. You can thank me later. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time to give that old NES game another run for old times’ sake... See you in the next one!

Check Out Beyond Shadowgate on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2332240/Beyond_Shadowgate/

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

Overall: A

Pros:
+ Not only is this a perfect NES-style MacVenture game, but it's just an all-around great adventure game too!
+ Delivers a healthy dose of nostalgia while still providing a fresh story full of challenging puzzles and quirky death scenes.
+ The hint system, and omission of situations that could end in a soft-lock, make this accessible even to those new to the genre.
+ Both the visuals and sound are worthy of infinite praise. This looks like it could very well be a long lost NES game.
+ Includes sections related to both Deja Vu and Uninvited, and also wraps up just about everything Shadowgate-related by the end of the game.
+ Plenty of achievements, as well as multiple endings, make this one highly replayable.
+ Not only is it available at a good price point on Steam, but there's a neat DLC pack that includes plenty of bonuses too.

+/- Neither here nor there, but it's refreshing to see a Kickstarter simply deliver on its promises.

Cons:
- There are some puzzles that feel like they're too random to solve without resorting to hints. (Damn you moon logic!)
- Not having access to the classic NES themes is a bit disappointing.
- Though decently integrated into the story, the Deja Vu and Uninvited sections feel somewhat out of place.
- I don't know if I should hold it against the game or not, but I was left wanting more. Here's hoping Zojoi and/or GrahfMetal have plans for more releases soon!

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 could sure go for a drink after this one!

]]><![CDATA[Luigi’s Third Spookfest: A Luigi’s Mansion 3 Review]]>Tue, 22 Oct 2024 21:48:37 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/luigis-third-spookfest-a-luigis-mansion-3-reviewBy Teepu

Players: 1-8
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

It's October, which means it is spooky season! Naturally, I had to try and make sure a review of some kind of spooky game was available. What better choice than Luigi’s Mansion 3? I played the original back at GameCube launch, then played the sequel and the remake last year. It was about time I got through the most recent entry, so let us take a dive into it together.

The game starts off with an odd story. For a game called Luigi’s Mansion, the fact that the game takes place in a hotel was odd. In short, the hotel is run by ghosts who have allied themselves with King Boo. (Who somehow escaped E. Gadd again.) They invite Mario and company to the hotel for a vacation, and proceed to capture everybody but Luigi in paintings. Luigi must then partner with E. Gadd to capture all the ghosts, defeat King Boo, and get rich. Luigi must be loaded by now, but I digress. The story is simple and straightforward, nothing fancy is needed and its exactly enough motivation to get the player moving.

Once you start moving, you will notice immediately that the controls may seem a bit odd. The goal of the game is to use your flashlight to stun ghosts then use your vacuum cleaner, the Poltergust, to suck up and capture the ghosts. You need to move Luigi as well as aim the vacuum, then proceed to move in the opposite direction of the ghosts to build up a meter before slamming the ghost on the ground to deplete its HP and ultimately capture it. The core concept of what needs to be done is remarkably simple, but due to the multiple steps needed, as well as multiple tools, the controls can be a bit overwhelming for a new player. Admittedly this is the most responsive and best controls the franchise has seen, but it still requires getting some used to. After the first floor or two it becomes second nature, and you will be capturing ghosts like an expert.

The progression of the game is tied to a floor in the hotel. Each floor features a boss ghost who guards an elevator button who must be defeated access more floors. This progression continues until you get to the final floor and defeat King Boo himself. While not complex, it helps establish early on what the gameplay loop is and helps give the player a constant goal to work towards. Every floor has its own unique theme (An Egyptian theme, a Medieval theme, etc.), and that allows for an immense level of variety.

I do wish that variety carried over to the ghosts themselves. The bosses are varied and interesting, but the general riffraff only has 3-4 different types of ghosts that you see regularly, leading to a very repetitive set of encounters by the time you get halfway into the game. It is unfortunate because the first two games felt like they had far more variety for their scope. They try to make up for this by creating some unique environmental hazards in some encounters, but it does not do the trick. The bosses are each a unique experience though, and I looked forward to each fight. Thankfully, with 15+ floors, you will have plenty of boss fights to look forward to.

Despite having so many floors to explore, they are all relatively short. You can also find hidden gems and Boos on every floor to give you more to do, but even with getting all those I spent 20 hours in the game. I imagine if you do not go for the collectibles, you are looking at a 12-15 hour experience depending on your skill level. Oddly enough, the game seems to assume you have played at least part 2. There are a couple concepts from the second game that appear here with hardly any explanation, which can cause confusion. For example, later in the game you receive a special light that reveals invisible objects. You then need to suck up small balls of darkness to have the object rematerialize. While briefly explained, the way these will be integrated into gameplay are thrust upon the player with no real sense of progression or explanation. If you played the second game, these will already be familiar, but if not, you may be confused by some puzzles or encounters. With Luigi’s Mansion 3 being on a new console, players cannot be expected to have played the 3DS games, and the game should have been designed with that in mind.

There is an entirely new mechanic that made the puzzles quite exciting: Gooigi. You can summon a goo double of yourself who can pass through fences and grates, help you in battle or help you in exploring. His one weakness? Water. This allowed for some truly creative situations that took all the concepts from the first two games to a whole new level. What is even better is that a second player can control Gooigi to allow for a cooperative experience. You have to play an hour or so of the game to unlock this feature, but for pretty much the rest of the game you can play with somebody else, which can help make some of the more challenging sequences more manageable, especially one of the late bosses who requires constant switching between the two characters. Another thing I liked about the game was that there are a bunch of in-game achievements to collect that range from general collecting to discovering unique things. It has me longing for a proper universal achievement system in Nintendo’s consoles, but at least completionists have some fun goals to work towards all the same.

In addition to the campaign there are two multiplayer modes. The first is a set of competitive mini games. Think of Mario Party, but with a Luigi’s Mansion twist. There are not a lot of them, and they are fun for a quick laugh, but feel tacked on despite the creativity. That effort could have been put towards expanding the other mode (Scarescraper) or the story. In this mode, you get together with three other players (Who can have a local player tag along as their own Gooigi, allowing for eight people total.), and try to work towards various goals in multiple randomized floors, as in 5, 10 or 20. In this mode, there are also new and unique ghosts to capture, which helps it feel like an expansion to the main game rather than a mindless wave attack mode. The unique ghosts in this mode can be added to your final gallery in the story mode too, so there’s incentive to play if you want to complete your gallery.

There’s also DLC for the game, which is strictly for multiplayer, and can be skipped if you do not care for that. It adds costumes, some unique floor themes for Scarescraper, and a couple mini games. Nothing crazy, but it is a cheap buy, so if you plan to play multiplayer it is worth the money. It being four years after release though, I found that finding people to play with online could be a bit challenging. Most of the time I did not finish a run with more than three players, which was a bummer. The Scarescraper mode requires a console per player, and one extra per console for Gooigi, online or off. Odder still, the mini games are single console only, though it still allows for up to eight players. It would have been nice if a second player could join on the same console as an independent player (Gooigi cannot leave the area the main player is in.), as you would be able to complete the mode without another console.

There is a lot going for the game, and if you are new to the franchise, I think you will find plenty to enjoy here. For me, I enjoyed the second game more than this, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 is starting to show that the franchise may have run its course of unique ideas. That is not to say it is a bad game, it's still a must-buy for Nintendo Switch owners, I simply prefer the second game. (Which is now available on the console as a remaster.) Overall though, if you enjoy fun, quirky, and unique gameplay with mediocre puzzle complexity and slightly challenging gameplay, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a good place to go. For a four-year-old game it is gorgeous and runs well. I do wish a little more effort were put into the story and Scarescraper instead of the mini-games, and I wish a little more effort were put into welcoming brand-new players, but it is a solid game through and through.

Check Out Luigi's Mansion 3 on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/luigis-mansion-3-switch/

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

OVERALL: B+

Pros:
+ Immense variety of themes for the various levels.
+ Scarescraper is far more fun than the previous entry.
+ Gooigi adds some interesting dynamics to the otherwise repetitive gameplay.

Cons:
- Each floor being a unique theme means there are a lot of short-lived concepts I would like to have seen more of.
- Mini-games felt like a waste of space and time.
- Mechanics brought back from other entries feel soulless in this game.

I think we all could use a nap too!

]]><![CDATA[Early Access Examination: Realm of Ink]]>Mon, 21 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/early-access-examination-realm-of-inkBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC

I've reviewed plenty of roguelikes recently, to the point where it takes a lot for one to draw my attention anymore. Enter Realm of Ink. Realm of Ink has an art style that's intrigued me ever since I first learned about its development over a year ago. I've kept an eye on it for months, and it's now out on Steam via Early Access. Seeing as it's still in active development, this isn't going to be a review in the proper sense. Instead we're going to examine the game as it currently exists, and see if it's worth picking up in spite of it being unfinished at the time of this writing. We have a lot to cover in this one, so let's dive right in!

Usually I like to start these types of articles with a look at the plot, but Realm of Ink makes that a bit difficult. I'm not sure if there will be more story elements added in the final release, but as it stands now I'm at a loss as to what the core plotline is supposed to be. You start the game as Red, a swordsman who I think is out for revenge against the game's Big Bad. She's accompanied by an ink pet that you'll learn more about throughout the course of the game, and she finds herself fighting across the ruins of what used to be a great land. Fighting can only get her so far though, and she eventually meets her end. Death doesn't welcome her though, instead she ends up in an Inn owned by the mysterious Miss Ching. Miss Ching has used fox blood to revive her, and guides her on her journey. I say "guides", but she never really explains much more about what's going on than I have. Despite the lack of core plot, there is a well-rounded cast of NPCs. They all have their own backgrounds and personalities, and it eventually turns out that only Red is left out as far as characterization goes. I actually tried to look up more plot details before I started writing this article, and I couldn't really find anything beyond stats of what's included in the game so far. Personally I was never bothered by this, as roguelikes often have stories that seem to take a backseat to the gameplay anyway, but I was hoping that there'd be more substance here considering how great the overall presentation looks. Disappoints aside, I guess we'll just move on and see if the gameplay fares any better.

Realm of Ink is your standard roguelike for the most part, with all the core gameplay elements you'd come to expect in a game like this. Each rune takes you through four distinct areas, each with their own enemies. Each are is further split into two parts, with each having a boss of their own. The sub-boss is more of a stronger random fight, with the actual boss providing you with the big rewards upon its death. Outside of bosses, enemies come to you in waves in each of the normal rooms, and all enemies must be defeated before moving on. Healing items, money, and other in-game currencies can be found scattered throughout, but most of these rewards only come after clearing a room. Losing all your health means a run is over, and this sends you right back to Miss Ching's Inn. Here you'll be able to use the points earned in your run to make permanent upgrades, and even check out all sorts of stats from your previous runs. Permanent upgrades generally power-up Red, but can also do things like increase drops rates, and make purchasing items during a run cheaper. Defeating bosses nets you the rarer "story relics", and these can be used to unlock new skins for Red to use. These skins basically act as other characters, usually taken from the NPCs and bosses, with each of them having different weapons, skills, and play styles. Playing with a different skin equipped amounts to a completely different experience to the core game, but you'll always remain as Red during the story scenes. You can also grow your ink pet, tackle various challenges, and even adjust the difficulty between runs. Pretty standard stuff really, but it's all executed in a way that feels well-implemented rather than basic or boring.

No matter what skin you pick, Red will always have the ability to attack, dash, and use skills of various types. There isn't a level system for Red, but her abilities can be augmented by perks, ink gems, and more. Perks and the like are often found at random at the end of some rooms, and can also be purchased in-game. That said, any upgrade not purchased at Miss Ching's Inn is temporary, and only lasts the current run. Attacks come in two types, light and heavy, with additional skills becoming available after you defeat a world's boss. Attacks have differing range depending on what weapon is being used, but it's a rule of thumb that the heavier attacks have a great area of effect. Dashing gets you out of harm's way quickly, but you're typically only able to use it a couple times before you have to recharge it. Speaking of things that need recharging, Red will have access to two different ink skills that are related to the ink gems she currently has equipped. These not only have a cooldown attached to them, but they can also be leveled up to be made stronger. Ink gems are elemental stones that augment Red's abilities and skills. You're able to equip two of these at a time, and this mechanic is one of the key aspects to Realm of Ink's gameplay. Combining ink gems also has an effect on your ink pet, with their form and skills being changed depending on the combo of gems equipped. I should also mention that your ink pet isn't just a mascot, it will also join you in battle by attacking enemies alongside you. The attacks it can pull off are related to the form it's currently in, so it's a good idea to experiment with all sorts of builds. You also gain more powerful skills when you max out an ink gem's level, but I think you get the idea as to how that all works. There's probably a bit more I can discuss regarding these topics, but I'm basically just outlining the surprising rich gameplay Realm of Ink has even in its current Early Access form.

One of the areas where I think Realm of Ink truly excels has to be its characters and world-building. The game may not get Red's story down very well, but I fell in love with the world nonetheless. There are well over a dozen NPCs for you to interact with, and they're all full of character despite some of them only occasionally dropping by infrequently. There are times where I don't think they're even needed, but we're graced with their presence nonetheless. It won't take long for you to pick a favorite, as they're all just so loveable. They all have backstories of their own, banter back and forth with each other, and are honestly more endearing than Red herself by far. They're also all voiced, with the voice acting being of surprisingly high quality. Even the bosses stand out in the thick of things, and you get the feeling that a bigger world exists beyond the rather thin plot you're given outright. Characters always have something to say, and you never want to miss any bit of it. There's even some atmospheric storytelling to be found within the levels themselves, with each world feeling like it was corrupted by the monsters that currently occupy it. Even though I still hope that more of this gets fleshed out down the road, the world and NPCs feel like they're already ready for the full release.

By design, roguelikes mean playing the same stages over and over again, with some variants scattered in to keep things interesting. This means that it takes a special game to keep that gameplay loop feeling unique. Realm of Ink not only does a great job in keeping things interesting, but it does so without bringing anything insanely unique to the table. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, and perhaps it is, but there's something about a game just getting the standard formula spot-on correct that I just love. I already broke down how each run goes earlier, but let me give a bit more detail now. Each half of the four areas has about five rooms you have to clear before moving on, and you get a shop screen before each of the boss battles. The shop screen is where you can upgrade ink gems, buy perks, and even eat food for a temporary stat boost. You're able to choose the reward available for most of the standard rooms, with the majority of them offering the typical variants of perks or monetary rewards you'd expect. Besides those randomized rooms, you can also get ones that offer one-of-a-kind perks, or even some that offer intense challenges. These challenge rooms usually require you to defeat a certain number of enemies within a time limit, or simply survive some sort of enemy onslaught. Completing these challenges nets you the highest of rewards, but they can be insanely difficult as well. Speaking of which, another aspect of the game that I think works well is the overall difficulty. I admit I played several runs on the lowest difficulty since I was stuck on the third world's boss for a while, but I was soon able to move on to the higher ones after I cleared the game successfully. Not only was I decently versed in the game's quirks by that point, but I'd also earned enough upgrades where the higher difficulty just made more sense. It makes for an accessible experience overall, and I've noticed that the developers have mentioned balance being a key gameplay element they want to focus on.

I'm surprised I've gone this far without mentioning the ink brush-inspired art style, but it's what drew me to Realm of Ink in the first place. I've played many games recently that have used a visual style similar to the one found here, but I think it's pulled off perfectly here. Many games that use this art style go for a black and white aesthetic, but Realm of Ink embraces a colorful twist on the style. There's a vibe to everything that feels like it could've come from an animated series, and I'm all here for it. As I said before, I've been watching this game since it was announced, and I'm pleased to report that it does not disappoint visually in the least. It's not just the art style either, as the character and enemy designs all look great too. Each and every enemy has their own look and style, and they all feel like they belong to the area they're in. This goes double for the bosses and NPCs, and there's a level of detail to everything that has to be seen first-hand to truly be appreciated. There's also plenty of variety in the character skins and ink pets, with each of their attacks and skills having a lot of visual flair. I do wish that there was a bit more to see in the main game, as the current core experience is a bit short, but perhaps that can be added down the road.

Sound is another aspect of Realm of Ink that I truly enjoyed, though I hope that it too gets some small improvements over its Early Access period. Simply put, the soundtrack is excellent, and there are plenty of tracks that got stuck in my head in the best of ways. Each piece of music feels like it fits in perfectly with the scene it's attached to, and that's not always a thing one finds in roguelike games. Miss Ching's Inn has a calming track, many of the dungeon rooms have mysterious and/or atmospheric music, and the boss themes really get the blood boiling. There isn't a single complaint I have about the music, though that admittedly doesn't cover all aspects of the game's sound design. I mentioned voice acting briefly earlier, and I'll repeat that it's all spot on too. Some of the acting can be a bit cheesy at times, but it's cheesy in a way that feels fun and lighthearted rather than cheap or lazy. Chef Jade, Miss Ching, and Miss Yan were particular favorites of mine, but the entire cast does an admirable job bringing these characters to life. My one complaint would be the quality of some of the voice recordings themselves, as some seem to be weirdly crunchy as they stand now. There are also certain parts of the game where the spoken dialogue seems lost in the overall mix. Both of these problems can definitely be fixed in future updates though, so here's hoping that they're on the list of things the developers are currently working on.

Considering that Realm of Ink is still in active development, I'm surprised with how much content there is. Not only is there a lot to do in-game, but it's of a quality that already feels on par with a fully-released game. Though I don't like to give full recommendations on Early Access titles, I have to say that I think that Realm of Ink is worth its current $16.99 price tag. It's not the cheapest roguelike out there, but it's quickly become one of my favorites. The art style is impressive, the world and characters are top notch, and the game itself is so much fun to play. Fan of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into, and newcomers will appreciate how accessible the game can be made via the in-game options. Part of me wants to just review the game as it stands, but I guess that will have to wait until its full release. See you back here when that day comes!

Check Out Realm of Ink on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2597080/Realm_of_Ink/

Pros:
+ A game that gets just about every element of the roguelike genre correct.
+ Has an art style that can't be beat.
+ Not only is the music great, but the voice acting is top notch too!
+ The world and characters are all fully fleshed out, and the world building feels on par with fully-released games.
+ There is plenty to see and do here, with the gameplay loop feeling anything but repetitive.
+ Fully worth its current $16.99 price tag.

Cons:
- The main story is rather thin, as is Red's characterization. (Red being the main character.)
- There are still some bugs here and there, including some I think related to the audio.
- Even though I had a great time with the game, the actual stages themselves aren't all that numerous.
- Would love to see more detail given to the use of character skins, as in not having to see Red in each of the story scenes while she's wearing one.

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'd eat anything Chef Jade made for me!

]]><![CDATA[Caught Between Worlds : A Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open Review]]>Sun, 20 Oct 2024 01:14:11 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/caught-between-worlds-a-paper-ghost-stories-third-eye-open-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 5, PC

Arriving just in time for the spooky month, Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open is a horror-themed adventure game that's steeped in Malaysian cultures and traditions. Not only that, but it has quite the striking visual look, and maybe has more lying just beneath the surface. Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open (Which I'm going to simply refer to as "Paper Ghost Stories" from now on.) comes to us by way of developer Cellar Vault Games, and publisher Chorus Worldwide Games. It's out now on just about every current platform, and we're going to be looking at the Nintendo Switch version today. There's going to be a lot to cover here, so let's cut the intros a bit short and dive right in!

Paper Ghost Stories puts you into the role of Ting, a young girl who has the ability to see and communicate with spirits. Upon moving to a new city she happens upon the ghost of a girl named Xiu. Xiu is slightly older than Ting, but she has no recollection of her previous life before becoming a ghost. Being a solitary girl who has trouble making friends, Xiu eventually becomes Ting's closest companion. It's not just the spirit world that Ting has to deal with, as there are problems at home too. Ting's parents have widely differing views as to how they should be raising her, with her father especially not liking the fact that Ting has what he thinks is an imaginary friend. Not only that, but he also feels that Ting is becoming too rebellious, and not respecting his authority. Her mom on the other hand is far more forgiving to anything Ting does, and this rift between her parents causes a lot of conflict within the household. If that weren't enough, Ting is constantly getting into trouble for being a bit too curious about the spirits around her. In just one year's time she comes across a deadly spirit in the woods, discovers the secret behind the death of a boy who drowned at her preschool, and she even explores a house in her neighborhood that everyone says is haunted. Ting experiences it all, and is changed by each and every encounter with these spirits. Even though Ting is very shy, she does establish a friend group who trust her and want to help. Xiu is always by her side to of course, and does her best to guide and protect her. Both of those tasks are rather difficult as she is a ghost, but the bond between the two is the heart of the story. What may at first seem like a series of random events eventually coalesces into something that has far-reaching consequences. Ting has to ask herself several hard questions. Namely if the all the negative aspects of her life are the fault of the people around her, or the doing of a malevolent spirit.

I really don't want to spoil too much of the plot of Paper Ghost Stories than I already have, as I truly do think that it's the best part of the game. It weaves its way through five years of Ting's life, and tells more than just a simple story regarding ghosts. Though there are plenty spooky elements here and there, it's the humanity of the characters that's most important. Xiu is just as important to the narrative as Ting, and the dealings with spirits often take a backseat to the events going on in Ting's household. Ting's father in particular can be seen as something of a villain early on, though we are given a glimpse into why he acts the way he does. I'd also be very remiss if I didn't mention that the game is steeped in Malaysian culture and myths. You'll see night and day markets, learn about Malaysian food staples, and more. The text is even presented in a style of broken English that is common in the country. Malaysian and Chinese terms are sprinkled throughout, and the game gives you translations to them, as well as notations on cultural aspects that might be unfamiliar to those outside of Malaysia. This is a very neat look into another culture, and it can't be overstated how unique this aspect of the game is. The plot sometimes goes slower than I would've wished, but I can forgive that in this setting. I'm not actually sure as to how accurate the game's depiction of Malaysian culture is, but I hope it's spot on as it's what kept me invested. Oh, and now is as good a time as any to mention that this is actually a period release. The story it tells takes place in the early 2000s, so prepare for all sorts of references to that time period as well. I honestly think that this would've made a great TV series, or something else of that sort. The story and characters are deep and complex, with standouts like Ting and Xiu being particularly endearing. The twists and turns comes at you from left field too, and you'll always be left wondering what lies around the next chapter. I still have a lot to say about the game, but if you choose to go into it purely for the story, I'm positive that you won't be disappointed.

At its heart, Paper Ghost Stories is an adventure game, but one with a stronger focus on the narrative. I'm reminded a lot of Telltale's The Walking Dead game, as they both have limited inventory management, and a reliance on quick time events. QTEs are probably no one's favorite gameplay activity, but thankfully they aren't overly abundant here. You're usually given enough time to act on them, and you're usually reset very quickly if you fail. Inventory management is kept equally simple, with most tasks only requiring you to collect a series of items, and then take them to a final location. There are some puzzles to be found within the game, but I never found them to be very challenging. Most of them involve correctly placing items into empty slots, though some walk you through the process completely. The only aspect of the gameplay that I think is a true negative has to be the stealth sections. There are several areas of the game where you'll be forced to avoid the gaze of a character or ghost, and being spotted means you'll have to restart the current section. I actually got through most of these with ease, but my problem with them is that they all seem to be broken in some way. There were times where I felt I should have been caught, but I wasn't, and others where I was completely hidden but was forced to restart anyway. Given that these are all placed in rather dramatic moments, sometimes even acting as a sort of "boss fight", it often ruined whatever mood the game was trying to set. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but it does put a damper on what would've been a near perfect game otherwise.

My next complaint is a bit of an odd one, so bear with me. Paper Ghost Stories doesn't allow you to save manually, and instead saves regularly when certain chapter checkpoints are reached. I found this to be somewhat annoying as there are a few parts of the game where things branch out if you make certain choices over others. This wouldn't be too bad if you could simply go back to a previous save to see what the other path might've held, but that's impossible here. You can go back to the start of any chapter at any time, but that's a poor substitution for giving players control of the save system. I can only assume this was done on purpose, but it makes going through the story difficult when you feel like you've made a "mistake" in dialogue, but are unable to undo it. Somewhat realistic or not as far as consequences go, it was my biggest annoyance with the game. Thankfully I played it on the Switch, which has no achievements, as the autosave mechanic can make getting those an absolute nightmare. Thankfully you don't have to worry much as far as progression is concerned, as the game mostly railroads you to the next goal. There are always a few extra bits to check out, but you'll pretty much never get lost. Ting has a neat journal that outlines the events found in each chapter, and you can use this to guide you to the next location. Of course getting to the end of a chapter can sometimes mean different things, but that goes back to the issue I mentioned earlier. All that said, I have to admit that the autosave thing is something that many gamers won't even care about. As long as you're fine with the occasional wonky stealth section, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

I know I mentioned that the plot is the best aspect of the game earlier, but I think it's a given that the graphics follow behind as a close second. Paper Ghost Stories uses a paper theater aesthetic that is modeled after joss paper. Joss paper is usually burnt in offerings to spirits, though crafts can also be made using it. Cultural notations aside, this aesthetic gives the game a look and feel that you'll find nowhere else. This goes for everything in-game to, as the characters, buildings, and even everyday objects are all depicted using it. Scenes also pop up in a storybook-type way, and there's a depth to everything that makes the otherwise flat papercrafts feel alive. It's something that can't really be conveyed via words or pictures, and has to be seen first-hand to be truly appreciated. While the graphic style is impressive on its, not everything about the visuals is perfect. I personally was not a fan of the style used in the character portraits, especially those used for showing emotions. I'm not sure if it was simply the limited pool the game had to draw from or what, but they often felt off in a way I couldn't put my finger on. They weren't horrible by any stretch, but they often failed to convey whatever message the game was going for. I will admit that this is probably a matter of personal preferences regarding a particular style of illustration, but it kept me from loving the graphics as fully as I wanted to. I should also point out that the game ran perfectly fine on the Nintendo Switch, without a hiccup worth mentioning. Even playing the game in what has to be a sub-optimal way, I was still impressed by the visual effects seen during the intense ghost sessions. I guess you'll just have to take my word on that part of the game though, as I really don't want to get into too much detail regarding them.

I've been mostly raving about Paper Ghost Stories throughout this review, but there is one aspect of the game that I found to be quite lacking. Horror-themed games can sometimes live or die by their soundtracks, and the one we get here falls squarely in the middle of that spectrum. I'm actually not 100% sure that there even is music to accompany much of the game, as I rarely heard any during my playthrough. There were many times where I maxed out my TV's volume to see if there was music or not, and I'm still a bit unsure if there was any half of the time. Much of the game plays in silence, with sounds falling more on the atmospheric side of things. I don't want to make it sound like the game has no music at all, as it definitely does pop up in the dramatic or scary scenes, but it was few and far between. I guess one could say that this gives the game a cinematic feel, but I can't bring myself to say that considering the rest of the sound design in general. Not only is the music barely there, but there are very little sound effects as well, and absolutely no voice acting to speak of. As far as voice acting goes, I have to say that I was not expecting to find it here anyway. This is a small, independent release, and expecting hours and hours of dialogue to be voiced is expecting far too much from a small developer. Allowing for that doesn't excuse the missing sound effects though, as several actions don't seem to have them at all. Obviously the core, story-related actions do, but much of the game is spent moving from Point A to Point B with only the barest of sounds accompanying you as you go. This doesn't cheapen the experience in greater, and I must say that the music is actually really good once it decides to kick in, but it does make everything feel a bit more hollow than it should be otherwise.

I went into Paper Ghost Stories thinking that it would be a short game, lasting only about 2 hours or so. Instead I experienced an 8-10 hour game (Possibly more depending on reading speed and skill level for the action sequences.) that went through several years of Ting's life. The narrative is rich and draws you in fully from the word go. You'll want to know what events will follow the bombshells found in previous chapters, and the game does a great job in revealing small bits about the characters throughout the entire course of the game. You'll be halfway through the narrative and suddenly rethink everything you thought you knew about Ting's family, and that too will be flipped on its head in the final chapters. There are even multiple paths through the game, but I can't really speak too much on that since going through the game a second time is a bit of a challenge without scene skip options found in visual novels. That minor caveat aside, it is a highly replayable game, and its current $16.99 price tag is a steal for the amount of content you get. Also, and I didn't notice this until I was researching the game's history for this review, you get another smaller game included for free. 7 PM is another paper theater style game that was released by the same developer a couple years ago. I didn't notice that you can choose to play it from the title screen, but it's right there in the corner for more observant gamers than me to find. It's a far shorter story, but its inclusion only adds to the overall value of this package.

It probably goes without saying that I give Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open the biggest of recommendations. It may not be the most polished game out there, but it manages to do so many things right in spite of its limitations. It offers good, simple, adventure-style gameplay, it's scary in ways that will most likely surprise you, it's full of cultural references most Westerners are probably unfamiliar with, and it just simply tells a great story that's worth witnessing. It's one of the best games I've played this year, and it's sure to go down as an underrated classic in the coming years. I really hope that the developers continue to release more games in this style, as I'm sure there are other great stories that have yet to be told. Pick it up on whatever platform you can today, and thank me later. I'll see you in the next one!

Check Out Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/paper-ghost-stories-third-eye-open-switch/

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

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ A unique horror-themed adventure game that is unlike just about anything currently on the market.
+ The plot and character are well-written and endearing. You'll come to care about the bond between Ting and Xiu, and even the supporting cast will have their time in the spotlight.
+ The visual aesthetics of Paper Theater is something that has to be seen first-hand to truly be appreciated. Simply put, this game looks amazing.
+ Full of aspects of Malaysian culture. It almost feels worth playing for that fact alone.
+ Tells a tale that goes across five years of Ting's life, and features different paths along the way.
+ Not only is it available at a good price, but it even comes with an extra game (The developer's other paper theater style game, 7 PM.) too!

Cons:
- Some of the gameplay elements, such as the stealth sections and QTEs, can detract a bit from the overall experience.
- Though possibly a matter of personal preference, I was not a fan of the style used in the character illustrations.
- Mush of the game exists in silence. I'm not sure if there are long stretches of the game that feature only ambient sound, but the soundtrack is very sparse no matter what.
- The autosave system makes replaying the game to see alternate outcomes more of a chore than it should be.

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 think I'll have a drink after this one!

#PaperGhostStoriesThirdEyeOpen

]]><![CDATA[Seizing One's Destiny: A Cain X Nica Review]]>Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/seizing-ones-destiny-a-cain-x-nica-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC

A few months ago I reviewed two visual novels from developer Aleksey Izimov. They were the games Stolen Memories and Debauched Memories (Whose reviews can be found HERE and HERE respectively!), and I have to admit that I thought that their next game was going to be another title in that same series. It turns out that I was wrong, and instead we got a visual novel with a unique sci-fi setting and plot. Cain X Nica is set to drop onto Steam November 14, and I was lucky enough to take a look at it before it launches. Is this game a worthy follow-up to the Memories series? Is it a visual novel worth playing in general? Does this review count as Early Access? Hopefully we'll answer all those questions and more in this review. Let's dive in!

Cain X Nica tells the story of a pair of siblings who bear the names in the title. Cain is a hard-working man who will do anything for his sickly sister Nica. Her exact ailment is never fully explained, but she suffers from a stigmata that creates wounds that don't heal easily. The pair live in a post-apocalyptic world that is covered in ice that traps the remnants of the previous civilization. The scope of this world is also never fully revealed to the player, but in this case I think the mystery adds to the overall setting. The society that has emerged in this world is built upon castes, of which three exist in this particular city. Closest to the top (of a mountain?) are the poorest of the poor. These unfortunate souls live off whatever scraps the next layer casts aside, and they have no hopes of ever changing their lot in life. The middle caste is the largest of them all, and is also the worker class. The work that this caste provides mainly deals with digging into the ice in hopes of finding relics from the long-lost civilization I mentioned earlier. Though they mostly live to work, their existence can be quite comfortable if they're lucky enough to amass wealth. The third caste is made up of the rich elite, and they live in the lowest of the levels. They are the closest to the world outside of the city, but those areas are completely unknown and uncharted. Cain and Nica belong to the lowest rung of society, and Cain earns cash by digging illegally in the ice. He sells what he finds in order to procure new gas mask filters to keep out the miasma that exists outside of the safety of one's home, but he's recently fallen behind on his finances. It's this bleak beginning that sets the stage for the saga that follows.

I don't want to get too far into spoilers, but there are some other aspects of Cain X Nica's plot that I feel are worth mentioning before we move on. Another important character I should mention now is Noah, the merchant who buys the scraps that Cain digs up. Noah feels something close to affection for him, and early on returns to him his family's hammer which he had previously sold her. She does this not so much out of kindness, but because she knows that his situation is indeed hopeless. You see he doesn't owe his debtors money, he owes them life-saving gas mask filters. No matter how he handles the situation, he is at a dead end. He can pay the brothers what he borrowed from them, but he will die before he can find enough scraps to keep him and his sister alive another month. Things come to a head when the bothers, named Invi and Avari, show up demanding payment. Cain has to make a choice, and that choice involves using the hammer that was just given to him by Noah. I'll refrain from spilling too much more of what happens next, but basically Cain and Nica decide to take this opportunity to move up in the world. They begin a new life away from poverty, and the story expands from there. Cain had previously found a note that questioned who or what drove a person's destiny. Though his answer to that question changes throughout his journey, he's determined to take his destiny in his own hands. That isn't always an easy path to take, but I'll leave further details for potential players to discover on their own.

I'll of course circle back around to the story before we wrap up, but I figured I'd take a moment to discuss the game's visuals. Having reviewed two other games from the same developer, I'm starting to realize that they have a distinct visual style. Part of the reason why I thought this was going to be another game in the Memories series was because I mistook some of the characters to be from there. I'm not exactly against the character designs found within Cain X Nica, but a couple of them gave me quite a bit of deja vu. Designs aside, all the characters are animated in a Live 2D sort of way, but I have the same mixed feelings towards that method of animation as I did in the Memories titles. Movement definitely brings the characters to life, but there are times when they twist, lean really far, and jump really high, to the point where I was totally taken out of the game. This is made even stranger when it's done during what is supposed to be a very dramatic scene. It's not the first time I'll mention tonal whiplash, but it's most striking in the animations. Also, there is no gallery at all in this game, and that's an odd exclusion for any visual novel.

Moving on, there are also plenty of chibi characters to be found in-game as well. These exist for just about every character, but most male characters only exist in this chibi form. This leads to several strange moments where scenes that are clearly meant to be heavy come off as laughable. This happens a lot during the scene involving Invi and Avari, but exists throughout the entire game. Having said that, I do have to admit that the chibi scenes do break up the monotony of the game. You don't get too many full on CG images, but the chibi ones are a nice touch nonetheless. While these problems with the visuals did hurt the cohesion of the game, they weren't my main issue. My biggest problem stems from me thinking that some CGs might be missing from the game as it exists now. Several scenes take place in total darkness, and I really can't shake the feeling that there was supposed to be some sort of image there that just hasn't been included yet. Also, most background images are reused constantly. There are essentially only one indoor and one outdoor scene, and they're not even touched up whenever they're recycled. I will give the game a bit of a nod for acknowledging these "similarities" within the game's dialogue, but I'd have preferred some variety nonetheless. Overall it made me think that parts of the game were just unfinished, and that might very well be the case considering there's still a month until release. Maybe they'll be added before then? Anyway, I feel like I've stayed on this part of the review far longer than I intended to, so let's move on.

Sound is a bit better in Cain X Nica compared the Memories series, but I also wonder if some of the music is being reused from there. Whether or not that's the case, I will say that no part of the soundtrack is actually bad. The music more than does its job, and there were actually a few tracks that eventually got stuck in my head in the best of ways. The voice acting is also very solid this time around, though there were several times where it felt lost in the mix. This wasn't an audio setting thing either, as it would usually just fix itself in the next scene. If I didn't know better, I'd say that it sounds like certain dialogue sections were recorded in sub-par circumstances. Of course I can't be sure of that, but that's the vibe I get. I should also mention that all the voice acting is done in Russian, but that was also the case for the other games I've mentioned. Going with the tropes of visual novels, only the female characters are voiced. The male characters exist as only text, but that's all rather par the course for this genre. Expected or not, it didn't take long for the many silent sections to bring down the entertainment factor a bit. Cain spends a lot of time talking to other male characters, and these parts of the game just seem to drag on and on. There were also a couple times where the POV shifted to Nica, and she suddenly went silent too. That was just weird, and felt like maybe they had just forgotten to record those lines. I guess the audio might also be unfinished, so let's just add it to the pile of things hopefully addressed before release.

Going back to the story, I was shocked to find that this is indeed a full-fledged tale. I of course mean "shocked" in the most positive of ways. Both of the games I previously played from this developer wrapped up in under an hour, but this one has a story that can stretch to 3-6 hours depending on reading speed and choices made. There are also far more dialogue options to explore, though only a few of them actually affect the game in any big way. That leads me to my next big complaint about the game, its story progression. There are several "Bad Ends" to be had in Cain X Nica, with most of them even involving the main characters' deaths. This would be all well and good if these only came about from some dialogue sections, but they actually come from most of them. I eventually realized that the game has about 2-3 bottleneck areas where you have to make very specific dialogue choices or the game would never progress. This might sound like something other visual novels do, but here it means that there are essentially only one or two "correct" paths through the game. Unless you save plenty of times, you're going to be restarting and using that scene skip option quite a bit. Progression aside, the overall tone of the game is all over the place. There are scenes where all the characters come off like jerks, there are times when things get weirdly lewd for no reason at all, and there are times where a plot twist just made me throw my hands up in frustration as to the characters they were screwing over in a literary way. I never hated or disliked the places the narrative went, but I wondered many times if an AI was writing the story as it went along. It was random to the point of ridiculousness, but I'm going to give the developer the benefit of the doubt, and assume that it was just wonky writing and translation that made the story what it is.

In the end, I'm not really sure on where I stand with Cain X Nica. I have to admit that it's the best game I've played so far from this developer, but I don't know if I would actually call it good. I had a fun time with it, but the story did seem to bog down by the end. Every time I thought it was wrapping up, it would continue, and I don't think that was to its benefit. I'm also not even sure if I can say that this game gives players a lot of bang for their buck, as the final retail price isn't mentioned anywhere on Steam. Seeing as I have to publish a review before its release date, I might come back here to amend a few things in late November. As it stand now, I can say that it's a decent visual novel that features a plot one doesn't always find within the genre. The characters have some depth to them, and there are several "WTF!" moments that are sure to draw a chuckle out of even the most jaded gamer. I'm still a bit on the fence as far as giving it a full recommendation goes, but as long as it's priced fairly, and especially if they fix some of the glaring issues I found within the game, I say pick it up. Either way, I look forward to seeing what the developers come up with next. See you in the next one!

Check Out Cain X Nica on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3000310/Cain_x_Nica/

Story: B+
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: B+
Value: N/A (I'll amend this when the price is revealed on Steam.)

Overall: B+

Pros:
+ Tells an original story that features a surprisingly rich and deep post-apocalyptic world.
+ The visuals are great for the most part, and are animated as well.
+ Though the story doesn't always move forward as you'd expect it to, it's held together by the characters.
+ The music and voice acting (which is in Russian by the way) are both great.
+ Much longer than the developer's previous games. With full completion taking about 3-6 hours.
+ The off-the-wall nature of the plot can sometimes be amusing.

+/- I'm still not sure of the game's final retail price, so I feel a bit strange giving it the full ratings I am now.

Cons:
- Some of the character animations are so random that it can often ruin scenes.
- The general tone of the game is all over the place, and there is enough whiplash to make one dizzy.
- There are some parts of the game that feel oddly incomplete. Scenes that take place in a void, and others that are completely silent.
- Getting through some parts of the game requires very exact dialogue choices, and not all of them are intuitive.
- While I applaud the developers for going with a much longer story, it probably ran on a bit longer than it needed to.
- One of the achievements (Destiny) seems to be broken at the time of this writing.

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.

The Big Choice.

#CainNica

]]><![CDATA[Dread The Red Planet: A Mars 2120 Review]]>Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/dread-the-red-planet-a-mars-2120-reviewBy Manuel

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

I've looked at a lot of Metroidvanias recently, but we have quite the unique one today. Mars 2120 is developed by QUByte Interactive, a company whose I'm more familiar with as far as publishing goes. I'm not really sure what sort of games they develop on their own, but I guess I'm going to find out today. Mars 2120 is out on all major platforms, and we're going to be looking at it on the Nintendo Switch. There's going to be a lot to cover here, so I guess we'll just cut the intros a bit short. Time to dive in!

Mars 2120 has an odd story, one that I'm not quite sure I can describe at length. The details are all a bit murky even now, and it wasn't until I was writing this review that I realized I didn't even know the main character's name. It turns out that her name is Sgt. Anna "Thirteen" Charlotte, and the fact that I never once questioned that should give you a clue as to how important the plot is to this game as a whole. I guess I should give it a shot anyway. It's the year 2120, and the first settled colony on Mars is in trouble. Distress signals have been sent out, and you're the one who the United Nations have chosen to answer them. Why they didn't send a small army is beyond me, but I guess we wouldn't have a game if that were the case. You arrive to find the colony devoid of all human life, and scattered audio logs eventually reveal the grim downfall of humanity's presence on the Red Planet. It would probably be best for you to simply leave at that point, but the way back to your ship is closed off to you following your arrival. Continuing through the colony is your only option, and maybe you'll uncover more details regarding what brought it to its current state. In terms of modern Metroidvanias, story is usually an important factor. Here it's simply a means to an end. Razor thin plot aside, I really did like the way the story was told through Resident Evil-style first-hand accounts. You'll hear the last moments of several of the colony's residents, and even get warnings about some of the enemies you'll be facing within its halls. You will eventually uncover the exact reasons behind the colony's downfall, but it's not anything that's going to blow your socks off. You'll see most of the twists coming far in advance, though none of that ever bothered me in the least. The plot is what it is, but I'm of the mind that gameplay is what can make or break a Metroidvania. To that end, let's discuss that next.

Let me start by giving credit where credit is due, Mars 2120 tries out several gameplay quirks that keep it from being your standard Metroidvania. The first thing you'll notice is that there is a strong focus on action. Sgt. Anna can not only shoot from a distance (In all directions too!), but she also has strong melee attacks that work great in close quarters. Some enemies are better taken out with one or the other, so you'll be switching between them both regularly throughout the game. The next thing you'll notice is that you can double jump right from the start. Everyone who has played a Metroidvania expects the double jump to be unlocked after completing an early area, but here you're given most of your movement skills straight away. Progression in Mars 2120 doesn't rely on adding to your movement abilities with things like a slide or a better jump, instead the game gives you new attacks and abilities that work in a decidedly more Action RPG fashion. A new weapon or skill might allow you to access new areas by creating platforms out of mist, travelling through electrical currents, or simply shooting open a door that needed a specific attack to be opened. I will admit that this isn't the most unique idea in the world, but I found it to be a nice change of pace nonetheless. There's a heavy focus on mastering combat and platforming over exploration, but there is definitely a lot of that here too.

Since combat is arguably front and center in Mars 2120, let's tackle that topic first. I already mentioned the differences between melee and gun attacks, but both can be augmented by those aforementioned skills you'll be picking over the course of the game. Your gun changes the most, with you gaining the ability to shoot projectiles that align to the core elements. You'll have lightning, fire, and ice attacks, with each having their own rate of fire and reload times. I say "reload", but in this game that just means that your weapon will have a standard cool down after several attacks. Getting a grip on combat is really important as death is a constant factor in your quest. For all her skills, Sgt. Anna isn't exactly the strongest space marine in the fleet. It doesn't take too many hits for her to go down, and that means a forced trip back to the last save point. Thankfully you can change several settings to adjust the difficulty at any time, though I would've preferred better balance instead. It takes less than ten hits for Sgt. Anna to be taken out, and levelling up isn't exactly easy in this game. Defeating most enemies gives you life recovery items, but these can sometimes only stave off the inevitable. Besides healing items, enemies will also drop experience. Experience is used to level up, but not in the way you're probably expecting. You're able to level up most everything about Sgt. Anna in three increments, from her life, to her weapons, and so on. The problem is that you can't simply dump experience into each skill and expect it to go up. Instead you have to find a (usually hidden) item that opens up that particular level up in the first place. You then use the experience at a save point to actually acquire it. It's an odd system, and the only quirk of the gameplay that I don't like in the least.

I'll cover a few more of the negative points of Mars 2120 in just a bit, but I want to continue the mostly positive track we've been on so far first. Difficulty aside, I really liked Mars 2120's focus on action over standard RPG mechanics. I know this might be a point of contention for some, but I had a lot of fun just running and gunning. This goes doubly so for boss encounters, which always felt epic. Each boss has to be handled a different way, with some even having to be killed by the environment itself. I found the boss fights to be the most entertaining part of the game by far, and wished they weren't as spaced out as they are. I died a lot during my playthrough, but I never felt bad dying against one of the bosses. Keeping that in mind, I also appreciated the way that enemies, bosses, and even small things like the fast travel system were presented. It's all a series of small touches, but everything is thought out and relevant to the world and its mythos. The colony feels real and lived in, and that's something that I'm sure wasn't easy to pull off. The world is large and full of hidden items and areas too. You don't have to worry about getting lost for the most part either, as the in-game map does a great job of reminding you where you can't go yet, and which doors you might now be able to open. While some of these unexplored areas simply lead the next zone of the game, many of them take you to optional rooms filled with hidden items and power-ups. I was not able to fully complete the map during my time with the game, but I definitely will do so at some point.

Now with the positives out of the way, let's discuss what I think didn't work regarding Mars 2120's gameplay. Many of them will probably contradict the positives I just laid out, but that's just how these things go sometimes. Let me start with the exploration first. Even though I praise the game for moving quickly, there were still several times where I was confused as to where I was supposed to go next. This is mainly due to the game showing you the next point of interest as a single dot on the unexplored areas of the map. Not knowing the surrounding area is troublesome, as these locations often need roundabout routes to get to them. I get why the game doesn't just show you the map fully, but perhaps the layout of some areas could've been adjusted so locations weren't a confusing maze. You can sometimes walk into danger zones that are annoyingly very far away from the last save point if you're not careful, as the game likes to throw difficulty spikes at the player. That actually leads me to what may be my biggest problem with the game: its difficulty. I'm all for challenging games, but there were many times where I just had to go into the options menu and drop the enemy damage to 50%. Enemies respawn, close combat puts you in harm's way, your gun doesn't have any sort of lock on, and I died from flying enemies more times than I care to admit. Hitting an enemy isn't even enough, as they all take several hits to kill. I was not expecting the first enemies in the game to be damage sponges, but that's exactly what they are. I even died against the very first flying enemy in the game thinking that I must've stumbled into a tutorial on death. I'm not even joking. This all applies to the bosses as well, but thankfully they're often so large that they have very predictable attack patterns. Most of these issues wouldn't even exist if you could simply level up your character in the standard Metroidvania way, but what we get here is fairly ridiculous. I consider myself a thorough player, but I completed the game missing over half of the upgrades. I had tons of experience sitting unused, and I was only able to see the credits by messing with the difficulty settings. Challenging games are one thing, but Mars 2120 can sometimes feel like it's taking a page or two from Dark Souls as well.

I have a lot of mixed feeling on Mars 2120's visuals, as I definitely played it in the least optimized way. The Nintendo Switch never really struggled to run the game, but it was clear that the graphics took a hit from what can be seen in the trailers. I'm willing to bet the trailers aren't over-promising, and that the Switch is just showing its age in this case. That aside, I still can't really say that the world particularly wowed me visually. I did like the variety in the areas you visit, and their relevance to a space station did make a lot of sense. The problem is that a lot of the world feels cold and dry in a way that goes beyond the solo adventurer trope. Corridors blend into one another, and it honestly felt like some parts of the game dragged for too long. For example, I definitely wouldn't have put the ice area so early in the game, and I definitely wouldn't have made it as long as it is here. I'm also not a fan of Sgt. Anna's design. She doesn't have that "main character" vibe, and I never once felt connected to her as a character. I have similar thoughts regarding the enemies as well, but thankfully that's made up for when it comes to the aforementioned epic bosses. Each boss encounter is large, imposing, and impressive, and have far more charm than Sgt. Anna does in the few minutes you encounter them. They were always a treat, and the scope of their battles managed to impress me even on the Switch. I don't want to make this sound like a string of negatives, as I really did find Mars 2120 to be a good-looking game overall. It's just that it always felt like it was just a bit below its full potential, even if it was played on better hardware.

I'm a bit less mixed when it comes to Mars 2120's sound, as I found that it mostly fell towards the generic side of things. First of all there is only limited voice acting to be found here, but that's mainly due to the fact that the game doesn't exactly place a strong focus on the narrative in general. I normally wouldn't discuss voice acting too much in a situation like this, but I think it's worth a mention here since it's quite bad. Indie games and weak voice acting aren't exactly strangers to each other, but it hits harder here since there's so little of it scattered throughout the game. I cringed more than once at some of the line delivery, and eventually wondered if it would've been better if the audio logs were just text. Things take a slightly better turn when it comes to music, but it too falls short of being anything that draws strong opinions from me. The soundtrack is far from bad, but there were many times where I had to focus hard to even notice it. The only reason I was even doing that was because of this review, otherwise the music would've faded into the background throughout my entire playthrough. Part of me wishes the game had gone for a more retro-inspired soundtrack, as what we get here is far too atmospheric to be at all interesting. I get what the game is going for, but I'm just of the mind that there has to be something in this package to draw in players. I guess I can say that the sound effects deliver, with most attacks having some satisfying thunks and clangs to them, but I'm probably the only one who would notice such things. Once again, nothing particularly bad here, and it does dodge the mediocre label, it just doesn't stand out in the least.

My thoughts on Mars 2120 are a bit mixed, but I do think it delivers a decent Metroidvania experience at the end of the day. It gives potential players about 5-8 hours of gameplay, with there being variables for skill levels and completionist runs. There's even a bit of replayability as well. There are lots of hidden objectives and items to discover, and I think most fans of the genre will walk away from this one feeling like it was a good use of their time. It would also be a good use of their money, as the game currently has a very reasonable $19.99 price tag. It may not offer a lot in the way of replayability, but the core experience is more than enough to offset that. Then again, my experience with Metroidvanias is that they'll eventually become havens for speedrunners, and I really want to see that kind of community develop for this game. Feel free to hit me up if you eventually become a Mars 2120 speedrunner.

It may not be the strongest of recommendations I've ever given, but I do think Mars 2120 is worth picking up. It offers a unique Metroidvania experience that is challenging, surprisingly deep despite its weak story, and even has some horror elements for those looking for a that sort of thing. It's a nice counterpart to games like Metroid Dread in particular, but will also be appeal to those looking simply looking for a fun game to take over their weekend. I guess I'd recommend getting it on anything other than the Switch if you can, but it wasn't too bad there all things considered. While Sgt. Anna and the world of Mars 2120 didn't really gel with me the way I had hoped they would, I still look forward to any follow-up that may come from this one. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if that ever happens. See you in the next one!

Check Out Mars 2120 on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mars-2120-switch/

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

Overall: B-

Pros:
+ A fun Metroidvania experience that features a strong focus on combat.
+ The combat-heavy gameplay means that this is a quicker-paced, action-packed experience when compared to other genre staples.
+ Boss encounters are always epic and require special attention to defeat.
+ The Mars colony setting feels like it was a real functioning place at one point. That type of level design is quite impressive.
+ Offers a lengthy and challenging experience that's still accessible to casual players.

Cons:
- The game's plot is razor thin. It wasn't until writing this review that I realized I didn't even know the main character's name.
- Voice acting, music, and designs leave a bit to be desire. None of those elements are particular bad, but they do mean that the game has rather weak presentation overall.
- Difficulty can be all over the place. Enemies are damage sponges, and Sgt. Anna is one of the weakest Metroidvania protagonists I've seen in a while.
- Certain gameplay elements, like the wonky leveling system, feel like they need a lot of work.
- Doesn't look very good on the Nintendo Switch.

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 later!

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Find-o'-Lantern]]>Mon, 14 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-find-o-lanternBy Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC

It's the spooky month, and that means all sorts of Halloween and horror related nonsense. As far as gaming goes, there are a lot of horror titles out there that we can discuss and examine. When bringing up said spooky-related titles, it's not often that a puzzle game enters the chat. Find-o'-Lantern is a simple game that's somewhat reminiscent of Sudoku, but uses pumpkins and tombstones as playing pieces. It's out now on the Nintendo Switch, and we're going to examine it today and if it's worth playing during these cold October nights. This is going to be a quick one, so let's ditch the intro and dive right in!

Find-o'-Lantern is a rather simple puzzle game, with an even simpler premise. It actually feels a bit too simple as far as writing a review goes, but I'm going to give it my best try nonetheless. You start out with a square area of play, which can be anywhere from 5x5 to 10x10 spaces big. A pumpkin must be placed into each line of the puzzle area corresponding with the amount of squares it has. That means that a 5x5 puzzles will need five pumpkins placed to complete it, a 6x6 one will need six pumpkins, a 7x7 will need seven pumpkins, and so on. Pumpkins can't just be placed randomly though, as two pumpkins cannot touch each other in any way. This means that they not only can't touch as far as side-by-side or top-to-bottom goes, but they also can't touch via their corners either. Also, there can only be one pumpkin in each horizontal or vertical line. Sounds simple enough, but then the colored spaces come into play.

Each space in Find-o'-Lantern has a color to it, and the patterns all seem to be randomized. Some colors only occupy one space, and others spread out for a good chunk of the stage. No matter how big or small the area they occupy, only one pumpkin can be within each colored area. This was probably the most obnoxious rule for me, as the colors used are not color blind friendly. Colors blended together for me, and I had a lot of trouble clearing even simple puzzles. You can rotate the colored patterns a bit, but that doesn't help much if you can't tell the colors apart in the first place. That pretty much covers all the rules, with the only other noteworthy aspect being that later puzzles, staring from the 8x8 size I believe, require two pumpkins to be placed on each line. The rules are the same otherwise, but now you're allowed to have two pumpkins on each line and colored area.

A level ends automatically once the last correct pumpkin is put into place. There is no fanfare or score, you just get a "Congratulations" screen and are moved to the next puzzle. You'll know that you're on the right track if placed pumpkins are orange, and you'll know if you broke a rule if the pumpkins are purple. Besides pumpkins, tombstones can be placed onto spaces to mark squares you know can't have a pumpkin in them. You don't need to use the tombstones at all if you don't want to, but they can help with setting up a no-go area in the bigger stages. I guess that somewhat disjointed explanation covers all the gameplay, so let's move on to wrapping up this review.

There are plenty of puzzles to complete within Find-o'-Lantern, a total of 180 as a matter of fact. I played the game for over an hour, completing well over 100 puzzles, before I learned that you can simply skip over ones you're having trouble with. This might not matter to everyone, but it can be an important fact to keep in mind when you're stuck on a particular puzzle for minutes on end. Not only did I not know that you can jump around the puzzles themselves, but it also took me far too long to learn about the color change mechanic. That's actually one of the biggest problems with the game, its lack of coherent tutorials, and just bad presentation overall. The tutorial doesn't do a good job explaining what is expected of you, and you'll more than likely stumble around the first few puzzles blind before you get the hang of things. To make matter worse, the controls are basically broken and defy normal gaming logic. Moving around the stage is done with the right analog stick, with the left being used to cycle between pumpkins or tombstones. It's such an unintuitive system that I found myself pressing the wrong thing even at puzzle 150. Despite these issues though, I do have to admit that there was something that kept me locked into completing the game. Perhaps it was the simplicity of the puzzle system itself, or maybe it was the fact that I had to get enough content for this review, but either way I ended up playing it to near completion.

Even though I found something resembling fulfillment during my time with the game, I don't know if I can recommend Find-o'-Lantern to the casual player. The graphics leave a lot to be desired, the controls are a mess, and the music almost non-existent. There aren't even many sound effects to speak of, and I think I did a far better job explaining the game here than the game does itself. Adding insult to injury, Find-o'-Lantern currently has a price tag of $6.70. Though admittedly low, I can't help but feel that that's far too high for the game I've just described. I have played similarly simple puzzle games that cost a mere $2.99, but look and play far better than this one. There really isn't anything wrong with Find-o'-Lantern, but there isn't anything worth mentioning that would convince someone to pick it up. I'm at a loss as to what else to say about the game. If you really have to grab every Halloween-themed puzzle game out there, then at least wait for it to go on a steep discount. Other than that, you're better off simply saving your money. See you in the next one.

Check Out Find-o'-Lantern on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/find-o-lantern-switch/

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

Overall: C

Pros:
+ A simple puzzle game that can be somewhat addicting.
+ The premise is interesting, and could work in a more polished game.
+ There are 180 levels to get through, each varying in difficulty.
+ If pumpkins and tombstones are you're thing, this game has them.

Cons:
- Simply knowing how to play the game can be very confusing due to the wonky tutorials that feel very incomplete.
- The controls are a total mess, and I never properly adjusted to them.
- Graphics are bland, music is barely there, and there aren't many sound effects either.
- The simple "Congratulations" screen that greets you for completing each puzzle almost seems to mock you at times.
- Seems very overpriced even at just $6.70.

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.

#FindOLantern

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Spy Bros. (Pipi & Bibi's DX)]]>Sun, 13 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-spy-bros-pipi-bibis-dxBy Manuel

Players: 1-4
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC

I've been looking at a lot of great titles put out by publisher RAWRLAB Games recently, and we have yet another today. Spy Bros. is a remake of a classic arcade game known as Pipi's & Bibi's, and it's out now for the Nintendo Switch. It's arcade tough through and through, with more than a little quirky humor to go around as well. Is this retro classic worth picking up? How kind have the decades been to its gameplay? What exactly is a Pipi or a Bibi's? We'll hopefully answer all those questions and more in this review! Let's dive in!

Spy Bros. is a really strange game that doesn't have a lot of story to it. While I don't think there's any plot worth discussing at length, its history is rather interesting. As mentioned earlier, it's a remake of an arcade game known as either Pipi & Bibi's or Whooppee!! depending on what part of the world you're from. The premise of all versions of the game is simple: two spies enter a series of buildings, and set up bombs to blow up said buildings. They use elevators and other means of transportation to get around, and have a ray gun type weapon to keep enemies at bay. Enemies can be attacked, and even temporarily killed, but they will stay in the action no matter what until the current stage is cleared. After all the bombs are set, the spies have to flee the building before it blows up. Failing to leave in time means you die, and you have to complete the current stage from the start. There are 4 areas in each building, and a total of six buildings to destroy. A bonus level opens up to you if you get all the H Coins in any one building, and these seem to be an addition of the remake only. Clearing each stage slowly unlocks an image of the spies going about their nonsense, but the images you got in the original game were far different. The original Japanese version is classified as an eroge, as your prize for completing levels were illustrations of naked women. None of that is in this version of the game, but I think we can all agree that it's for the best. Now that we have that intro out of the way, let's look at gameplay in more detail.

The action in Spy Bros. all takes place on a single screen, and you can play all of the stages solo or with a friend. Clearing the entire game one time unlocks the "Spy Sis" mode, which introduces two female playable characters. Beating that mode unlocks a four player versus mode that I unfortunately wasn't able to try out for this review on account of not having two extra friends around. We'll get to discussing multiplayer in just a bit, but let's talk about those bombs the Spy Bros. seem so determined to place everywhere. Setting bombs in each area requires going to various computer terminals placed throughout the stages. This might sound simple and obvious, but many terminals are placed in areas that can only be accessed in a very specific way. That means you'll have to plan out your route, while also keeping in mind that you have to reach the exit before the bombs blow up. It only takes one hit to take you out, but you respawn instantly as long as it's not the bombs that did you in. You have three lives at the start of each game, as well as unlimited continues. Not only do the lives spawn you back in quickly, but the continues do too. It's a very fair system, but there's still plenty of challenge to be had in spite of all the leeway given.

Due to the nature of your spy's attack, taking out enemies can be very difficult. Even though your ray gun shoots forward decently far in a Dig Dug-like way, you can only attack a single enemy at a time. Hitting an enemy once only stuns them, while holding the attack button down for several seconds drops them to the level below the one you're currently on. If you drop them through the floor, they die. Don't get too excited though, as they'll respawn after a few more seconds from the same door they came from in the first place. Enemies move freely and randomly, with some of them being particularly persistent as far as chasing you down goes. This means some areas can quickly flood with enemies if you mistakenly corral them with your attacks or movements. Essentially, you'll want to space them out as much as possible by drawing their attention to areas where you can more easily deal with them. The very specific nature of traversing a stage through the stairs and elevators, as well as the constantly active enemies, means that this game can be frustratingly hard at times if you're going it solo. It's worth remembering that even the hardest of stages can eventually be beaten through sheer perseverance, if for no other reason than the generous lives and continues the game gives you.

There really is no sugarcoating it, Spy Bros. is not an easy game. It's tough-as-nails, it can try your patience, but it can also be very fun. If you're a sucker for classic arcade action, then you're going to right at home here. I have no experience at all with the original game, but I do love arcade style games like this. With no real frame of reference to the original game, I was reminded of other arcade classics like Elevator Action, Donkey Kong, and Dig Dug. I even got some Hotel Mario vibes here and there. It's extremely challenging at all times, but in a way that never feels cheap. There's always hope you can beat the next challenge, and indeed you can if you know what you're doing. I already mentioned just riding out the challenges through the infinite continues, but If you still find the game too difficult, you can of course recruit a friend to help out. Not only is the insanity ramped up when there are two players simultaneously on the screen, but the game does get significantly easier since you have a partner who you can split tasks with. One of you can focus on the enemies, while the other goes for the terminals. That four-player versus mode is a totally different story of course, but we'll leave that for another day. Difficulty aside, the game does offer a lot of variety too. Each building feels unique despite them all having essentially the same goals, and the changing enemies that are themed to the current set of stages is a nice touch too. It almost feels like six smaller games crammed together, with the bonus stages just being the icing on the cake.

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the visuals in Spy Bros. lean towards the retro side, but they manage to look modern while still paying homage to the arcade original. The game is presented in a full screen format, complete with a bezel you can change in the options menu. There are no screen stretch options in-game (Which I think is a good thing!), but you can smooth out the pixel graphics if you so desire, as well as add a CRT filter. I for one like the original look, but it's nice for the options to be there. I already mentioned there are no nude pictures in this version of the game, but you do get some funny illustrations that reveal themselves as you complete stages. These aren't anything too exciting, but they do give the game a bit of character it wouldn't have otherwise. Outside of all that, enemy and character designs all look great, and the game has a distinct cartoon-y vibe that opens it up to gamers of all tastes. When combined with the soundtrack that also scratches that nostalgic itch, Spy Bros' comes off looking like a long lost arcade game. This is a remake done in the best way possible, and I loved every second of it.

Seeing as this is an arcade-style game, replayability is really going to be determined by how much you like the core gameplay loop. Spy Bros. is simple and fun, but there's enough depth to keep you coming back for more. High scores are a thing, and there really is no way to describe how fun the multiplayer is without trying it out for yourself. I found it to be so much fun that I added it to my game night rotation. I do have to say that part of me wishes the entire game was open from the start, and didn't require beating the game to be unlocked. I'm willing to bet that a large percentage of players won't ever discover the Spy Sis mode or the four-player versus mode simply because the main game is too difficult. That small gripe aside, I have no real complaints. It's even perfectly priced at just $7.99. Hell, I would've even dropped an even ten on this one!

Though it might be a bit on the difficult side for casual players, I still give Spy Bros. a full recommendation. It's a treat for fans of retro arcade games, and it's accessible enough to entice those just looking for a fun game in general. The multiplayer adds another layer to everything, and it seals the deal even if you never get to unlock its full potential. This is one of my favorite arcade remakes I've ever played, and I'm starting to realize that I love most of what RAWRLAB Games puts out. Hopefully there's more like this coming down the pipeline. Anyway, pick this one up today, and thank me later. See you in the next one!

Check Out Spy Bros. (Pipi & Bibi's DX) on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/spy-bros-switch/

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

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A fun take on an otherwise forgotten arcade classic.
+ Not only are the base graphics amazing, but you can tweak them if you want a more modern, or even more retro, look.
+ The soundtrack isn't exactly the most robust, but it's great for what it is. There isn't a bad track in the bunch.
+ Fun as a solo adventure, but a real treat when played with a friend.
+ Includes new bonus levels, a new "Spy Sis" mode, and even a four-player versus mode.

Cons:
- Can be extremely challenging at times, though the unlimited continues do take the edge off a bit.
- This is a very simple game all things considered.
- Even though I don't mind them being excluded, there might be some fans who might not appreciate the removal of the original's eroge elements.

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.

That look on his face is priceless!

#SpyBros

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