Recent reviews by Haruka

TL;DR - A remake to the original, this is the kind of medium that hits you hard with emotion. Even with subtle telling, this game will show you how to reach out and tell your dearest you love them. If you like rhythm games, and want either a telling story or just something to unwind with, this is the game for you. 9/10

To start, this game is attractive yet melancholic. Back in the mobile days, the plot was a little bit convoluted. The cutscenes were hyped sketches that tells a bit, but does explain itself in the end what it's trying to say. This version enhances the storytelling with 3d models, cutscenes, and many other ways that allows the player to interact. I won't say anything about the story, that's for you to discover.

In this rhythm game, there's a lot of music to collect. There's no shortage of songs to jam with. You have a mix of old song from the original that are classics, and new ones that really represent the emotional feeling of the game. While you're not playing, and getting high scores, the game set yourself into an adventure to not only collect sheet music laying around the map, but to solve musical and general puzzles to go further into the story or unlock even more songs.

The tree, which is heavily shown in the game, grows as you play through the tunes you have. You play as a little girl who's wanting to figure out how to leave. With the help of Deemo, and doing some mischief with the Masked Lady, you explore more parts about the castle and figure out clues that relate to the story. Beyond this, there isn't anything else to say except spoiling.

In gameplay, this heavily relates to lane rhythm games like DJMAX, Beatmania, or pop'n. Notes come at you, and you try your best to hit them accurately as possible. The music matches with how the notes come at you, so it's definitely not random. A nice feature is that due to the change of gameplay from the mobile version (before it was touch), the charts of old songs are changed for a new refreshing feel of the song. Sadly, the hard songs you did will in the mobile version will be different in this version.

The only annoyance I have is that we don't have old songs that fans know that define Deemo (Wings of Piano, Leviathan, etc.) What I don't understand is that Rayark can just take their old charts and not only bring it to the new game but build upon it with new songs. Now, we have fans that are missing some songs and will of course complain about it. Maybe it's licensing of the songs, but it's a darn shame to not see Wings of Piano not in this game.

No matter what, this game is a definite piece to try. Whether you're an avid rhythm gamer or just someone who wants to test the waters in rhythm but at least want to check out the story, then this game is right for you!

TL;DR - With idealised elements of Japanese culture, this hard-boiled crime drama will have you up on your toes with this entertaining Yakuza game that's part gangster epic and past surreal Japanese nightlife simulator. 9/10

Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the others games, set during the 1980s in a fictional Tokyo & Osaka of Japan. If you're new to the culture, and the history of Japan in this time peroid, basically the Yakuza is the Japanese mafia where they bring terror into the streets with bloody fights and loud mouth talking. The ploit revolves around Kazuma Kiryu, one of the main characters, and a gangland incident for forces you to go on the run and prove your innocence. Continuing, you'll stumble across Goro Majima, the second main character, where you find yourself falling victim to his own conscience when he refuses to do a hit which, in turn, causes a rift with the Yakuzas.

The game takes you, with considerable length, a fantastic drama that juggles a large cast of characters with amazing ease, including some amazing voice acting. If you follow VAs, you'll definitely recognize some favorable actors (i.e Takaya Kuroda, Katsuyuki Konishi, Miyuki Sawashiro, etc). The story coincides with fantastic cinematic camerawork, where some of the cutscenes can conjure a sense of tension and danger even when they're entirely dialouge-based. What's surprising about the game though is that it's extremely funny. This game has a great side of silly side quests and moments, but Yakuza 0's mix od surreal situations and dry humor is often very funny. If you're a player that wants a game that'll have content after the story, then this is the game for you. With over 100 side missions, they offer a welcome respite from the seriousness of the game's central story.

What people would buy this game for is the combat. Honestly, it's a great system with a real sense of brutality and weight to each attack - both taken and given. Not only you learn moves and combos, but you can switch between three fighting styles (for a total of 6, 3 for each character), and there's a bigger skill tree to help out with some boss fights and mobs of Yakuza. There's no denying that the fighting does get old and a bit boring during the end of the game, but it's ignored by the vast underbelly of both cities, Tokyo and Osaka. You can tour around the cities visiting all the different shops, arcades, nightclubs, and restaurants in order to either pick up new missions or simply act as a tourist. There's a side story where you can run your own business with Kiryu doing real-estate and Majima running a hostess bar.

Which gets me to my one point, censorship. This game doesn't take heart with censors. You will find blood, torture, and lewd material. There is a store that you can watch softcore JAV (Japanese Adult Video) artists do their thing. You can find cutscenes that are definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes the story literally, and show how dangerous Yakuzas are. However, if you're a fan of that, that is completely fine and sure enough you can find lots of.

Usually I take graphics lightely since any game of any level of graphics can please a player, but I would say that the only drawback of the game is that the game hasn't been successful enough to justify the bigger budget needed for more realistic visuals. You can see a lot of reused assets from the PlayStation 3 era. You can also see some parts where you're like "how can this game use up so much of my GPU yet 70% of the people have PS2 era faces and the buildings don't look as complete?" And yes, this is a remaster so graphics should be better than the original. I mean, low detail visuals can be distracting, but the game feels authentic that to me it doesn't matter. In terms of the depiction of 1980s japan, and in being a Japanese-made game that refuses to pander to the West, the game feels authentic that it can be appreciated.

Overall, this is one of the most entertaining Yakuza game so far, and it's a great starting point of a wonderful series where you can learn about the characters (and hopefully see them once again in the next installment). The storytelling is excellent, and it has a huge variety of both cinematopgraphy, missions, and side missions, where you will never feel bored. For the full price, it's definitely worth it.

TL;DR - You think it's a simple wave-based zombie shooter, but it's riddled with bugs which shows how incomplete the game is. 2/10

28 Waves Later is a stereotypical wave-based zombie shooter where you attack zombies with guns. I wish I can say more, but that's about it. As far as any top-down shooter, this is not a gem nor a real game. It's broken and kind of unplayable. I tried a couple hours getting the achievements, but who knew it'll be hard for such a buggy game.

If only the developers could fix this game, but wait they're just gone and non-existant. The developer made other decent games, but this one felt like a quick cash-grab. There's simple controls with a simple objective. No customizations, no special events, no anything really.

Overall, it's buggy, glitched (even for such simple actions), and has some problems. Is it playable, yeah definitely. Go for the achievements. Is it worth your time? Honestly, no.

TL;DR - Not bored with this time management gameplay this series is famous for? Then come back with this fifth installment of 12 Labours of Hercules. While this new focus on micromanagement will be different for some veterans, players will still enjoy this extension of a familiar series. 7/10

12 Labours of Hercules V: Kids of Hellas is the fifth installment in the franchise. For some, this will feel like an expansion to an already fun series. As any long video game series, this series has its positive and negatives.

Similar to older installments, this one kept its roots for its game mechanic. You're still being tasked with two to four servants to receive resources, and spend them to clear the obstacle for Hercules and Megara. This game simplifies the level layouts with production buildings being there for you, and the removal of cost on Hercules and Megara's actions. That simplification will help newcomers get used to the game, but it will seem a bit too easy for veterans.

However, it's still the same sort of game you can expect in the series. The first levels will be a breeze for you without bonuses, but you will get some help with the energy bar. These bonuses you can receive when the energy bar reaches it will allow you to work faster, stop time, run faster, add a temporary worker, etc. It can help you get those tricky achievements and levels.

Overall, purchase this game if you're a fan of the series. These new levels will be a great refresher, and it has that charm you won't forget. I definitely recommend for newcomers that wants to try a time management game. You don't have to start with the first one, this one definitely improves over the other installments. It sometimes goes for 80% off in deals, so definitely try it when it's on sale.

TL;DR - Basically a train wreck. Numerous missteps mar an other middling experience with broken gameplay and bugs. 2/10

The trading genre is what you expect: buy goods, move goods, sell goods, upgrade transport, etc. It's present in the gameplay of 16bit Trader. Quests are periodically available, and the rewards for which are great enough that they're quite worth the time. While visually it's ok, overall gameplay is rather unpolished. Just to illustrate the laziness of the game's mechanic, there are only 12 taverns in the game each with three inhabitants. The names and images of these people are reused in different cities. It's funny to see how lazy a developer can be if they cannot think of 30~ different names (or any female ones either).

The dialog is poorly edited, bugs are common, crashes slightly less, so, there's no indication of which cities are ports (and therefore connected by sea routes), and the map doesn't seem designed with any particular gameplay goals in mind. Ultimately, it doesn't matter because the game is broken due to a saving bug where you are only able to do so once on every of the available three slots you have. While the developers were quick to respond to anyone that had complaints on the game, they dissapeared once people started to complain about the save bug.

Don't buy it please. It's not worth anyone's time unless you want cards or achievements (which are hard because of bugs and glitches).

TL;DR - A simple look with a simple mechanic. Good amounts of options, yet feels pretty samey after a while. It's a party game that really tries, but never reaches it's true potential. 7/10

12 orbits seemed interesting. The ability to play with 12 players with the usage of just a button each is incredible. With simple taps, everyone would take control their character without losing focus on what lies ahead. The concept comes together in four different modes that anyone can get into easily. The major question is, obviously, are these modes even entertaining to play. Personally I had a hard time figuring this out.

This mostly comes down to the following: those who I played with wanted it to move very quickly. There is no shame in acknowledging that it happens, but it was disappointing to see. I found the four modes available interesting at the very least. Before we break those down, the thing I was most impressed by was the one button experience. Multiple people could use a singular controller, choose a button and just go. When you press the button, you will move into the orbit of a circle. If you press it again, you will move onward in a specific direction. The control you have is minimal, but that makes the appeal of it so understandable.

With this availability in hand, you play various games in which you must outwit your opponents. ‘Arena’ sees you painting all the white spheres in a specific color and you have to make sure that you evade all other colors. A variant on this can be found in ‘Trials’, where you collect the white spheres to become bigger like ‘Agario’. You can even shoot the orbs at your rivals. The team specific modes, ‘Blizzard’ and ‘Multiball’, follow a similar formula. You try to change orbs into your color, and fling them to the base of the opponent. It’s simple yet effective stuff. The modes aren't spectacular, but they get the point across nicely.

Another finely orchestrated component is the amount of modifiers and maps in 12 orbits. You have 15 maps to choose from with each changing up the way the circles are laid out. Some give you room to avoid, while others are focused on very close encounters. You can even change the maps further with the modifiers, which come with multiple presets to choose from. From ‘King of the Hill’ battles to the ‘Madness’ option, everything in this ensures that game feels constantly exclusive.

That being said, there are still some shortcomings. While the game goes for a minimalistic atmosphere, it feels very simple with those purposes. Colored orbs run this show as there isn't much else to really look at. The music doesn't really help matters as it simply feels as just a fill-in. Another missed chance is an online multiplayer component. With these simple movements, I could see some insanely big matches being possible, which is sadly something that was missed. Outside of local play, there isn't much else you can really do in 12 orbits. Yes, this is to be expected, but it is important to least point out.

In general, I found 12 orbits to be just okay. The multiplayer options and modifiers were pretty impressive, and the developer deserves to be praised here. That being said, its lasting appeal is very limited and I fell out of it after a while. The simple look and similarities between the different modes caused my friends to get bored quickly. I really can't see this being the creator's true intentions.

TL;DR - Short and simple; it's unplayable. You start the game, look at a simple instruction box, click start, and boom you move like 2 inches and you're out of fuel. I tried redownloading the game, trying any button, but no luck. I'm not sure if it's a bug, but I can't play it. I can only move left and right, and that's about it. It exits the game for me. Well, I'll exit the game and uninstall it. 0/10

TL;DR - Buy it if you like the series. Get extra new levels, and play with your favorite Greek god Hercules. 6/10

12 Labours of Hercules IV: Mother Nature is the fourth game in the franchise. The game is not much of a difference from its predecessors. The gameplay remains similar to those in most of the builder games out there; this involves building and upgrading facilities, fixing roads, getting resources and at times, summoning the "useful" Hercules to clear the heavy boulders and Megara to grow trees on deserted lands. In Mother Nature, queuing worker’s tasks are easier than ever – there are numbered flags that indicate the order in which the tasks will be completed.

Special power-ups also are back. They are really useful, especially as the levels get more complicated. Moreover, there are hidden puzzle pieces to collect in each level – every 10 levels, they can be put together to form a mosaic picture. Get that 100% while you can.

On the presentation side, 12 Labours of Hercules IV offers an ok experience, although nothing spectacular. The artwork is cartoonish with bright colors and a simple visual style; still, the animations are surprisingly nice and smooth.

The soundtrack, playing from game to game in the series, gets repetitive. It's sort of new for every game, but it just gets too repetitive and not memorable.

There are three difficulty settings available to select in Mother Nature; Relaxed, Casual and Expert. No matter which mode you decide to play on, 12 Labours of Hercules IV is a very challenging game. The difficulty of the game progresses nicely from the first level to the last, the latter levels really require some careful strategic planning as well as management skills.

Overall, this game is just like the others. The Collector’s Edition is not exactly heavy on the extras. It featured 10 bonus levels, a strategy guide, wallpapers, achievements and collectibles. Still, you get it when you purchase the game. Enjoy it, and hopefully you won't get too bored of it.

TL;DR - Enjoyable as it is, 12 Labours of Hercules III: Girl Power is just like any other game from its series. Now, you have Megara (Hercules' Wife) to play, more interesting levels to play, and a "storyline" to follow. 6.5/10

In this third 12 Labours of Hercules game, the developer tends to focus a bit more heavily on the storyline. Although the storyline still remains insignificant throughout the game, there is a fully-voiced comic-style cutscene once in a while which switches things up a little bit. Pretty interesting if you really want to know mythical lore in a fun comic style.

Apart from that, the game is very similar to its predecessors. In terms of gameplay, Girl Power does not break away from the resource-management game formulaic. At the beginning of each level, a list of tasks will be given to complete by the time that the level finishes. You then need to assign tasks for your workers to do. What we appreciate about Girl Power is the function to assign tasks in advance for workers to follow; this make the game much more fast-paced and less laid-back.

Most of the levels in 12 Labours of Hercules III: Girl Power have the right challenge level. Beginners can learn their way through the game on the Relaxed mode, while more advanced players can enjoy the more intimidating Expert mode. For the usual achievements, Girl Power also featured collectible puzzle pieces; once all of the puzzle pieces are found, a jigsaw mini-game will be unlocked at the end of every 10 levels. Go for it to get that 100%.

Like the first two games, Girl Power has bright and sharp graphics. Still, there is nothing spectacular about the visuals, we still think that the developers need to add some depths into each scene. On the other hand, the soundtracks are pure gold; they are melodic, upbeat and fit the game really well, while not being distracting.

Overall, this game adds into the series of 12 Labours of Hercules. If you enjoy the series, by all means, add this to your library. For the same price of $3, this game is worth it.

TL;DR - If you are not yet tired of all the resource-management frenzy in the market, definitely play 12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull. Still like the first game, it includes new & amazing levels and improvements! 7/10

The game is just like what you have expected; it is not revolutionary nor very exciting. Each level required you to complete tasks by collecting resources dispersed on the roads, building stations and clearing the path. Our friend, Hercules is also as lazy as he had been since the first game. He's basically useless unless you count moving that one big boulder work.

Much like the first game and a lot of others of its kind, 12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull does not have much story going on - rather it focuses on the gameplay and other aspects of the game. There is nothing spectacular about the graphics; they are bright and clean, not too fancy or anything. This goes the same for the music, suitable and relaxing for a casual game.

The levels in the game get trickier as you progress, making the achievements a tad harder. Also, it gets very challenging to manage Gold medal in time. That is if you play on Casual or Expert mode; for those who want to keep their slower-pace, the Relaxed Mode is also there as an option. The developers have added a couple of extra features in this sequel; annoying robbers (which really shouldn't exist) and puzzle pieces for instance. The puzzle pieces are Collectibles, you can put on your eyeglasses and spy each of them in every level – they can be assembled every so often. Mainly collect them for the achievements.

Overall, I give this game a mediocre 6/10. Is it different than the first game (or even the rest of the series), no. Buy this game if you really like the gameplay mechanics or the achievements. I still say its worth the money for hours of gameplay.