Recent reviews by Angelo

Ah yes, The House in Fata Morgana.

The visual novel from a small developer, yet is sitting comfortably on the number one spot for "Best Switch Video Games of All Time" on Metacritic.

The visual novel that doesn't have too many Steam reviews compared to the big dogs like Danganronpa and Ace Attorney, yet is always talked about, or atleast, is always being recommended.

The visual novel that looks so different, even i didn't bother to buy it until my friend gifted it as a Christmas present.

The praise, the hype, the ratings. They're overwhelmingly positive to the point you can't blame people for going in with high expectations. Does it deliver though?

Yes. yes. All my yes. It really delivers and i can't stress this enough.

BUT..... If you haven't read The House in Fata Morgana yet, i would suggest you to go try it yourself. Reviews are always nice and good to have, of course, but this is a prime example of a game you need to experience without any knowledge prior to reading it. If you want to read what i think about the game though, i'll let you through the door. I'm not stopping you.

Here we go.

The House in Fata Morgana is a tale of tragedy. It's grim, with little room for happiness. It's hopeless and depressing, i can't even emphathize with the characters. Not because i don't want to, but because it's just impossible to put myself in their shoes.

"You were able to bear them because they weren't your tragedies," as one would say.

But even so, am i really able to bear them if i'm sitting there, sobbing uncontrollably?

-

The House in Fata Morgana's use of different time and period is very satisfying and smart. Spanning a long period of time, you meet different set of characters in a different setting, each with their own circumstances. It's very refreshing, to be honest. Even though the amount of characters can lead to some of them being shallow or undeveloped, i think they're all fleshed out.

When talking about "long", something i noticed is that, to some people it started off slow. Personally, The House in Fata Morgana gripped me from the start and never let go. Though, it's certainly true it gets significantly better at later parts. If you already enjoyed it even before the "better parts" i mentioned, you're going to have a blast. If not, hopefully you will.

I very much appreciate the way the music evolves too following the time period. For example, you get some good catchy jazz music beyond the third door, which fits the era like a glove. In general, the OST is great. From "Giselle" to "Serie de Fragmento", from "This Mutilated Body" to "Everybody's Crying". I just adore them all. Thank you, composers.

The artwork is stunning. It's just.... beautiful. Yes, i said i didn't bother to buy it because it looks different. But do note that it's because i thought it was a pure horror visual novel, which i can't really stomach. It is horror, though i spent more time crying rather than being scared. After reading more and more, i learned to appreciate the art more and i can't imagine The House in Fata Morgana having different artstyle.

With all the basic stuff reviewed, i wholeheartedly recommend you to experience The House in Fata Morgana. Oh, and A Requiem for Innocence to top it off. I enjoyed Requiem as much as i enjoyed the first entry for the Fata Morgana series. It's such a bummer that Reincarnation isn't available on Steam. Therefore, i can't give my impressions for that game.

END NOTE: A day ago, July 17 to be exact, Keika Hanada, writer for the visual novel wrote a blog post about Fata Morgana. From what i've read, he's very humble and he is also surprised to find out the visual novel is number one on Metacritic. Because of this score, Fata Morgana sales have increased on Steam and sales on Switch exceeded expectations. This is incredible news, because both sales literally saved the company from going under. And now, the team and himself can work on their new upcoming project (a game other than NarKarma EngineA, apparently). Well, whatever it is, i'm so happy for them and will buy the game day one!

Goodbye for now, The House in Fata Morgana and Novectacle.
Until our souls cross paths once more in the boundless sphere of fate.

What makes a game good? Is it the story? The characters? Or perhaps, the graphics?

You see, to me, it's the combination of the writing, the characters, the soundtracks, and a strong voice acting performance. AI: The Somnium Files fills all the criteria, hence, making this a good game. Actually? Scratch that, it's better than "good", it's a wonderful game and i don't have to be a detective like, say, the protagonist of AI, Kaname Date to figure that much. But you might wonder, what is AI: The Somnium Files?

AI: The Somnium Files is Kotaro Uchikoshi's (Zero Escape) unique take on the serial killer mystery genre. You see the world through the lens of Kaname Date, a goofy (but also serious when the situation calls for it) Metropolitan Police Department detective and his partner, Aiba, which is a pun to AI, eyeball, and Aibou (meaning: partner in Japanese).
As Date, it's your job to investigate the murder and find the culprit behind the crime, bringing justice to the victim and their family. You can do so by asking questions to people and dive deep into their dreams, which really reminds me of the anime ID:Invaded. For reference, AI came out first.

Before, i mentioned the game's strong points. I'd like to elaborate that.

The writing for AI is excellent. It's a mystery game so it's obvious that you will understand little at the beginning and start to learn more over the course of the game. But, the writing makes you keep guessing, theorizing, only for it to be thrown out of the window. That makes it more rewarding when you correctly predict something. Learning the truth is such a mindblowing experience. And before you know it, the game is over, leaving you wanting more. AI makes me angry, happy, confused, anxious, even bawl in tears. From start to finish, i really enjoyed the feels trip.

The characters are charming and well-developed. They feel real, and every little bit of interactions will make you like them better. For example, Date and Aiba's banter and stupid puns, Date and Mizuki's silly conversation, the list goes on. This is where the strong voice acting performance comes in. Personally, i played through the game with Japanese dub, and it's truly great to see the way the voice actors bring their characters to life.

The gameplay is fairly simple. On one hand, you have the investigation where you just talk to people. On the other hand, you search for clues in their dreams by choosing the correct choice to unlock their "Mental Locks". You only have 6 minutes to clear all Mental Locks. Usually, every choice will be followed by a short interaction between Date and Aiba, and that is precisely why i ended up trying all the choices. To see them interact more, to get to know them better.

I can't end the review without singing my praises to the composer of this game, Keisuke Ito, notably known for his works on the DS and 3DS Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series (with my favorite being Explorers of Sky). He really knocked it out of the park with his musical pieces for AI, from downright silly, happy-go-lucky, serious, somber, and the ones that tug at your heartstrings and make you cry. If it was on Steam, i would definitely buy it.

Thank you Uchikoshi and Spike Chunsoft for creating AI: The Somnium Files. I hope more people will try this game, because honestly it's such a crime that AI is severely slept on. It needs more love. AI might not be that popular when compared to other Visual Novels available on the market but it sure is a masterpiece, and has a special place in my heart.

EDIT: AI Sequel, "AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative" is coming in Spring 2022! Steam storepage is already available, so go wishlist it~. I'm so excited.

"A group of friends helplessly playing the Happy Birthday song with their musical instruments while their ship is sinking due to insufferable damage caused by the Kraken, a Megalodon, and the Skeleton Pirates, simultaneously."

If that sounds fun to you, then you arrrr going to enjoy Sea of Thieves!

Sea of Thieves is a game that puts you into a pirate's shoes (or rather, peg legs). Which means, you get to do what pirates normally do! For example, getting killed by the Kraken, searching for One Piece, dueling skeletons in a sword fight because apparently they have a bone to pick with you! (They also eat bananas to regain HP, just like in real life), and FISHING! I guess..

My main point is, you have a lot to do in this game, such as the campaign a.k.a Tall Tales, sidequests, and you can do it at your own pace. Want to fish all day instead of sailing the seas? Sure, why not? Want to get pointlessly killed and robbed by other players? Sure, why not? Whatever floats your boat.

At first, the game might be intimidating because of how overwhelming it is. Atleast to me. Trust me, initially i knew jack ♥♥♥♥ about how the game works. Gave it some time and now i'm hooked. Heh, sea what i did there? See what i did there again just now?

Graphic wise, the game looks beautiful. It's so vibrant and colorful, and i will never get tired of it. The most impressive part is the water graphic and animation. Seriously, it looks so good! If that Miiverse person who bought every game on Wii U and reviewed its water graphic still plays videogames until this day, then they'd be proud and crying ocean of tears upon seeing Sea of Thieves.

So, why should you buy Sea of Thieves? My answer would be "immersion". The game is very immersive and a blast to play with friends. I can't say anything for the solo players but i assure you, grab a friend or two and you'll see what i mean. You fight with the terror of the seas, explore, loot, duel with other pirates, and the game makes all that experience immersive and feel great. Not a lot of game can pull this off. It's truly a rare experience, heh. I'm sure i will treasure all these moments because they're just gold.

If you're a solo player, please read other reviews and think twice before buying. But, if you're planning to play this with friends, then i strongly recommend Sea of Thieves. Do not miss out on this gem. Heh.

Helltaker is a very short game, but i would say it's one hell of a game.

It's charming, the gameplay is very simple which reminds me of Crypt of the Necrodancer, the art looks great, the soundtracks are addicting, and it has uhh.. demon girls?

I'm sure there are like 666 reasons to play Helltaker, but to me, one of it is that the game Styx with you, just because it's so full of personality.

All in all, you should play this game. It's free, and it doesn't take much of your time, so it would be a sin not to try Helltaker and see what's all the fuss about.


(Not sorry for the puns. Call me a devil or anything. I had to.)

Four is the amount of hours i needed to finish the game.
Short, sweet, and brutal are three things that come into my mind when thinking of this game.
Two is the amount of characters i'm really attached to in this game.
One playthrough is all it takes to not miss out on this masterpiece.
I would say there's ZERO reason not to play this game.

Corny stuff aside, you seriously need to play this action-platformer game. I had ZERO idea about the game besides the fact it's similar to Hotline Miami. With that being said, it's hard to delve in deeper without spoiling a part of the game. If you like fast-paced action with tight movement, combined with great storytelling, eye candy pixel art, and amazing soundtracks, then this is, without a doubt, a game for you.

To end this review, i just want to say that Katana ZERO is receiving a FREE DLC, so if you're avoiding this game just because it's short, there's that!

Hollow Knight is a work of art. A masterpiece, even. Yup, sounds like an exaggeration, but that's how i really feel about this game.

Everything about this game is just.. amazing. Gameplay, story, visuals, OST, sound design, and content. I'm not sure what to write since it's better if you experience the game fully blindly. For reference, i didn't like the genre before trying this game. After that? I'm eager to try more!

But if you want to know, here's what i think about the game.

Story
At first, you might know nothing about the story. Like nothing. But as your progress goes on, you will keep learning about the world. It's not handed out to you, but rather you'd have to explore and connect the dots. But don't worry, even if you don't understand, there are tons of content on the internet that can help you understand better. It's worth it.
Characters are lovable and unique. I myself feel attached to them. There's voice acting in this game so it gives the characters more personality.

Gameplay
The gameplay in this game feels really satisfying. The character's movement feels tight and not sluggish. This makes platforming in the game feel nice. The combat is fast-paced and super fun. Don't let the 'Difficult' tag fool you. It might be difficult but it's not unfair. With enough training, you can win! But if you're a hardcore player and wants something more challenging, then don't worry, because i think you'll be satisfied ;) .
Hollow Knight has skills and 'charms'. Charms can give you bonuses such as more HP, or more damage, or more speed! You can mix and match to your heart's content. This means that your gameplay can feel a lot different than the others! Because we have our own preferences which lead us to using different charms. Oh! Controller is much more comfortable to use than keyboard, unless you're really good at using keyboard. So keep that in mind.

Visuals
It's just simply gorgeous. Take a look at the screenshots and trailers on the store page. It's so detailed and refreshing. I say refreshing because there are too many games in the genre that use pixel-arts. Now don't get me wrong, i LOVE pixel-arts, but seeing something different once in a while is nice.

Music
My oh my. The soundtracks of this game are top-tier. Christopher Larkin really blessed us with various soundtracks that give you different vibes and makes you feel more immersed in the game. Honestly there are times where i deliberately let myself get killed by the boss just so i can listen to the boss music again and again. Even now i have the songs on loop. It's just that great. It wouldn't be the same without Chris' music.

Content
The game is FULL of content. There are lots of content in this game. Furthermore, Team Cherry added MORE through free expansions, namely Godmaster, Lifeblood, The Grimm Troupe, and Hidden Dreams. Don't worry about the quality, they're all great!

TL;DR
Hollow Knight is amazing in terms of gameplay, story, visuals, OST, sound design, and content. You might like it even if you don't like the genre. It's tagged as a difficult game but the gameplay is very fair. Lots of other players are giving this game a praise, for example, through Steam reviews. It's overwhelmingly positive! So if you have the time for it, go check this gem out! Who knows, maybe you'll be the next one who writes a review, praising this game ;) .

After finishing the game, i feel so hollow . With all the content and the quality of the game itself, i think buying this game at full price is worth it. Thank you Team Cherry for creating Hollow Knight. I absolutely cannot wait for Silksong!

Just Shapes & Beats is a very simple game with simple controls. It reminds me of Beat Hazard and Geometry Dash. JS&B is unique, super addicting, fun, and quite difficult to master. You are a blue cube, and your job is to complete the levels by surviving and not getting 'killed' by the pink obstacles. Sounds simple right? That's because it is! That makes this game very beginner-friendly, perfect for some local cooperative party.

OST and the level design are definitely the highlight of the game. Soundtrack is good and catchy, to the point that i saved the songs into my playlist. I still listen to them regularly. Speaking of level design, i love how the dev team kept surprising me from one level to the others. From tutorial, normal levels, and bossfights, they're all creative.

Like i said before, it's beginner-friendly. It has casual mode and party mode. You don't have to worry about losing. By playing frequently, you'll be able to get better and better. If you reach that point, try Hardcore mode! It's brutal fun.

Singleplayer is fun. Local cooperative is on a different level, though. It's much more fun and hectic. Even though it's easier since practically each of you have your own HP and you can save each other from death, it's still the better experience than playing it alone.

All in all, if you like rhythm games, this game should be worth getting. Both singleplayer and multiplayer are great. I love this game.

Risk of Rain 2 is currently an Early Access title, but i assure you that it's definitely worth picking up right now. Lots of content, great gameplay, diverse classes and items. Since it's still EA, there are still LOTS of room for improvements.

One of the best thing in Risk of Rain 2 is the seamless co-op with Steam. Back then with the first Risk of Rain, we had to port-forward or use a third party program to be able to play this game in multiplayer. Another reason why seamless co-op is nice is because co-op makes the game much more fun!

A minor problem for me is that i lag when there are too many enemies, but that's just me with my old laptop, so don't mind me.

Hopoo Games is also a great dev and very active to its community. If you didn't know already, they made Risk of Rain, Deadbolt, and now this. They have the ability to make amazing games so i wouldn't doubt this one too.

If you enjoyed the first Risk of Rain, or just like some good rogue-like games, or you're looking for a fun co-op game, then this game is a no-brainer. Go pick it up and have fun!

If you think i'm writing a review to complete the Steam Grand Prix qualifier task, guess what? You're absolutely right!

But in all seriousness, Ultimate Chicken Horse is a must-have if you're looking for a fun competitive-ish multiplayer game, be it local or online. At this point, i'll never get bored of this game because every single match is unique, different than the previous ones, thanks to the availability of modifiers, and customizations of rule sets and game modes.

There is a lot of party games in the market. But to me, Ultimate Chicken Horse is definitely one of the best, and one of my favorite party games.

So yeah, should you buy it? Well, if you're into party games, then absolutely! Do yourself a favor and buy this game.

10/10

'Overwhelmingly Positive' reviews in my Telltale game??? It has been a long time! Telltale games went downhill, caring about quantity over quality. Don't worry though, they have been trying their best to ramp up the quality of their recent games, such as GOTG, MCSM2, Batman S2, and ESPECIALLY, this game, The Walking Dead: The Final Season..

This game has overwhelmingly positive reviews, and i too am overwhelmed by this game, in a good way, of course.

Where to start? Let's just start by the story and characters. So far, the story and the characters are great. I like the setting of school and all the survivors there are just teens and kids trying to get by. It's realistic when compared to the second season of Walking Dead, where Clementine gets to decide the major choices, even though she's just a kid surrounded by adults.

Second, general atmosphere. While The New Frontier's atmosphere is kinda edgy, The Final Season's atmosphere is way darker and grittier than usual. I absolutely love it.

The artstyle (Art direction) is way better than The New Frontier. Over the shoulder point of view is cool.

Now, for the combat. I think it's amazing that we get to control more of our movements, it's not scripted anymore. The game is now very interactive, it feels more like a game. I now get more freedom when playing.

Achievements are unique. You no longer get ALL the achievements by simply completing the game. It encourages players to play the game multiple times.

Collectibles are also a neat addition to the game.

Choices and consequences are better. Now, even the simplest of thing can bring you consequences. Such as drinking water, kicking a door. I also want to point out, that, this is the last, the final season of The Walking Dead franchise, therefore, anything can happen. In previous seasons, it's kinda hard to make your choices meaningful because there's a lot of determinant characters and all that, but not in this one, not in the last season.

Last thing, I'm happy that they brought back the amazing credits sequence, like in MCSM2, Batman 2. The credits sequence in The New Frontier is too lazy and cheap.

This is absolutely a 10/10, and it's only just the first episode. I can't wait for more, and yet, i don't want it to end.

EDIT: Looks like i jinxed it :(. I said 'i don't want it to end', but looks like it's going to end without a proper ending. Episode 2 is amazing, shame we won't (probably) see more episodes. RIP Telltale, my condolences for all the employees affected.

EDIT 2 : Looks like i jinxed my jinx :D ! So happy when i first discovered Skybound will not let the franchise get cancelled. I can't thank them enough for continuing the development of the final season of The Walking Dead. I thought there would be a significant drop in quality, but i didn't see it throughout my gameplay of Episode 3. The third episode is just amazing, can't tell you more without spoiling it, go ahead and play it!

EDIT 3: The finale was an excellent rollercoaster of emotion. It was just flawless and i loved it! I would like to thank the StillNotBitten team for finishing the series with a perfect ending (atleast to me). I hope they will be able to create more games in the future!