Video Game Reviews

Shenmue III Is Disappointingly Fun

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Previously on my blog, I mentioned that I am replaying Shenmue III. Now I explain why it is not as good as its predecessors.

One unique trait about me is that I can find entertainment in the most mundane things in life. For example, I enjoy reading equipment operation manuals for work.  Why?  Because I have to amuse myself if I want to retain boring information. The more I understand how things operate, the higher the chance I will do my job well. I can also tackle the unpredictability when I do face a problem. Like Ryo Hazuki, the protagonist in Shenmue III, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. It’s necessary whether you like it or not. Of course, I am speaking figuratively. In real life, I can barely handle a screwdriver to unscrew a machine. I am sure that with a little practice, I can become a pro in no time.

Ryo never giving up
I love the determination!

However, being determined and goal-oriented is a double-edged sword. You may fall into the things you despise when you are too fixated on a goal. Ryo is determined to avenge his father’s death. He doesn’t realize he is becoming Lan Di. Lan Di is the main villain in the game.

Lan Di doing martial arts
Is Lan Di really a bad guy?

In Shenmue II, Ryo is greeted with a question. A man asked him where do rivers go. The answer is the ocean, its mother. It means it is better to take the natural course and enjoy the journey. Death will come naturally. No need to speed it up.  That’s just about what you do in Shenmue. You go with the flow. Sometimes, I forget Ryo is an angry teenage boy who is grieving about his father’s murder. The pursuit to hunt down Lan Di becomes an enlightening adventure. Shenmue and Shenmue II illustrate that point clearly in game design, which I will go into detail later. For now, I will mainly talk about Shenmue III.

Winner
One more game at the arcade

Having spent 30 hours in Bailu, the first section of Shenmue III, I did everything I could.  This was the section I liked most in the entire game. I enjoyed the escape from city life. I felt the developers concentrated on this first area more than the second half. Everything flows well. Side games and side quests didn’t feel unnecessary as they incorporated well with the main plot. I thought the game should have ended here. Ryo’s story ends when he stops pursuing Lan Di. He realizes there is more to life than falling into a cycle of revenge.

Shenhua and Ryo staring at the river
Peaceful

Unfortunately, the saga doesn’t end simply because Ryo found wisdom. Ryo is too young to walk the path of enlightenment.  If I can recall, the ending to this game wasn’t satisfying. I beat the game back in 2019. This left me not caring if there will be a Shenmue IV. The story could have ended with a nice date. You finally have a conversation with the mysterious girl you kept seeing in the first game. And that’s where Shenmue III went wrong. Once Ryo enters the city, the story becomes cliché.

Ryo speaking to shenhua
Hard to follow story with all the mini game distractions

I wouldn’t necessarily call a game bad because of its weak plot. A game can still be good for its gameplay. However, it could be a problem when it disrupts the flow of the story. In this case, the game becomes less cinematic. It turns more into a dumping ground for miniature games. It reminds me a lot of a slot machine. Most of the time, you need a little luck even to win the smallest prize. Completing capsule sets and winning Lucky Hit can be such a pain. Sometimes, hard work gets you nowhere. Winning the grand prize is based on chance. I do feel like a gamer in this game. I’m gambling with my time and that is not a good thing.

Chobu-chan wanted poster
Another mini game where you hunt for this little guy.

You see, in Shenmue II, the concept of slowing down makes a lot of sense. There were many occasions when Ryo had to stop what he was doing. He needed to get a job, gamble, chase someone down, and complete errands. I can see how gamers complained about working inside a video game. It can get mundane. In Shenmue I and II, I didn’t mind so much. But in Shenmue III, it started to bother me. Nothing new was introduced in the second half portion of the game. The only positive addition to the franchise is chopping wood. At least you get the acknowledgment and recognition for your hard work. You receive praise every time you successfully chop wood, and the background music elevates your mood. Who wouldn’t want to go to work feeling like a winner? 

You have to work inside a video game. You also have to learn patience. This relates to the earlier concept I mentioned about following the natural course in life. Without discipline and patience, he cannot master a martial art skill.   In Shenmue II, you see Ryo dusting off books. He also catches leaves at Man Ho Temple. These activities serve as a distraction from pursuing vengeance. Cleaning is a meditation process for emotional healing.  Likewise, in Shenmue III, Ryo must complete Master Feng’s errands. Only then does Master Feng teach a new martial arts skill to Ryo. This skill is needed for the story to progress.

reaching out for steam buns and wine
Steam buns are a form of currency

The first step is to bring him a bottle of wine and steam buns. He only talks if there is wine and a steam bun. Once you complete the task. Then he wants to drink an expensive wine that costs 2000 yuan. Luckily, you don’t have to grind for money by chopping wood, a gaming mechanic introduced early in the game. You can sell the fish, pawn items, gamble, and sell herbs to complete the task. It’s the game’s way of directing players to try out all the mini-games within the game. Earning 2000 yuan is a challenge but not impossible.  Another important aspect of the game is leveling up martial arts skills: Attack, Endurance, and Kung Fu. Ryo needs to be strong. That is why Master Feng made him catch ducks as a training exercise.  He needs to take one step at a time before he can face his opponent.

All of these errands lead to a conclusion about the game. Players must work hard. You need to put in the time if you want to make things happen. You have to be careful because you can end up as a wandering martial artist or, even worse, a murderer. In the second half of the game, I did not find a purpose to all the mini-game distractions. The magic of Shenmue seems to be missing in the third installment.

Shenhua reading
Maybe I am reading way too hard between the lines

It made me wonder whether Shenmue IV is necessary. What will Ryo do once he defeats Lan Di? Have you played this game? Let me know your thoughts.

Tales of the Black Forest Review

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It might sound absurd, but I haven’t come across that many games that blew my mind away in terms of storytelling. Yes, there have been decent games, but there were only a handful of them I thought were masterpieces. But is that a bad thing? To the contrary, no. Sometimes I just want to play something stupid and fun because when a game tries too hard to be serious and deep, it loses its spark. Now I am not saying games can’t be thought-provoking, but they need to have a good balance of humor because as we all know, life is already as serious as it is. Don’t reflect our realities in games. The last horror game I played, Tales of Black Forest missed the entire point of a horror game and it rubbed me the wrong way.

fox character on a boat
I hope they find their freedom by making games and not the other way around.

After being annoyed with the game, I picked up a book to read instead. It’s not that there wasn’t a story to the game, it’s the way how it was put together that left me with a bad taste. I get the sense the developer was hoping to make money off of games by advertising cute girls and horror themes and called it a game. You know throw some achievements, cute cat cafes, cute monsters, and cute girls. Too many cute things make me feel as if I am biting into a sweet cake and we know that too much sugar is not good!

Cute cat girl cafe pondering life greatest decision
I am glad you figured out your destiny but it’s unnecessary to project it in your game.

By the time I reached the end, I was so unconvinced with the story with what it was trying to tell that I felt as if the game was more about showing off than actually creating a genuinely good horror game. Because like the protagonist… ” Sorry to dissapoint you, I can see monsters and ghosts since I was born, and I have seen more frightening stuff than this.”

Thank you for speaking out my mind because that’s exactly how I feel about this game.


I know cut them some slack. It’s a RPG Maker game, but you can’t improve if you think you can get away with pretty drawings. Make it less about you and more about the player because someone is paying for it. But of course, that’s just one customer’s opinion. 🙂

P.S.

For short version of my reviews and reccomendations you can find them here on my Steam account.

Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition Review: The Perception Game

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What we don’t understand, we call it magic, therefore, God is a wizard.

– S. (a.k.a. Halsdoll)

I just had to quote myself because that is exactly what I got from the story in Divinity Orignal Sin and so, players shouldn’t read too deeply into the story because the game is purely for entertainment purposes. As some reviewers mentioned, it’s a “great time waster.” Is that a compliment? Surely it is because the enemy of time is the Void itself! It’s an extremely intelligent game. There is a brain behind the mastermind, although it’s not always without “error”. I have already mentioned some of the things I don’t like and the things I do like previously on this blog. So you can check them if you are inclined to do so.

For the most part, I enjoyed the battle system a lot. Being able to use elemental spells with its environment makes the whole game fun and quite addictive too. I remember it took me a few tries. Like any standard RPG, there is some strategy involved; however, it’s not one of those games where you can’t get away with button mashing with the same spell and expect a powerful result. It’s a game designed for adults to use their brains. I mean to think with their eyes. That’s what the game is all about perception. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details:

Perhaps’ you can? Of course you may, but if you’re having trouble with the whole affair, I’d suggest that perhaps it’s your perception you ought to work on first! Hah!

–Alchemist
I enjoy the puns in this game. Obviously…you have to have a sharp mind to see things thoroughly, but isn’t that what makes us human? The ability to see from different angles but is susceptible to error?

Not only do I enjoy the game’s wordplay and how it integrates well with the overall theme of the story and the gameplay (I often find myself hunting and scanning for hard-to-see items), but I also like how the game encourages the player to use items as a weapon rather than relying solely on whacking enemies with a club. Sure, deep down we are all a bit primitive, but we can always learn how to be a bit diplomatic. For example, I love the Charm Spell. It comes in quite handy when you’re dealing with a powerful opponent. I used it on a stubborn bull. As you know, bulls are quite hardheaded, but with my Charm Spell, they helped me defeat my enemies in no time with their powerful head blow! I also enjoyed freezing and knocking the enemies down so that they missed their turn; there’s nothing funnier and more satisfying than seeing your opponent slipping on ice. Of course, I didn’t like it when the table turned on me. No one does because we all like to win. I also enjoyed strategizing so much that I lost track of time. From my experience, I learned that all it took was one mistake to lose a battle. The level cap in the game is up to 20 and you can level up by exploring places, completing side quests, and defeating enemies. By the time, I reached the ending, I was already level 20, which I thought would never happen!

It may sound a bit hypocritical, but my biggest gripe about the game is the side quests that relate to the story. They sure can damper the mood. One side quest I completely failed was the Goblin Story. Well, I was quick to punish a character for sending innocent people to death, which left the quest incomplete since I needed the character alive. This game would have been more enjoyable if I had tackled each quest as it came in order. I don’t know though, I learned that I wasn’t the only one with the same issue. Anyway, after reaching the climax of the story, and spending over 100 hours in the game, I lost interest in the story altogether. I found myself rolling my eyes when I learned about the lonely sorcerer turning a cat into her lover; and that the all-motherly orc can be quite the fearmonger and a big-time gold digger. I had my laughs because I would have never come up with those creative speculations toward my female kind. I suppose I understand the meaning of perversion thoroughly now. I would have never thought that God might possibly be a wizard with glasses…the god of Rivellon that is.

So back to the question of what I have uncovered through my investigation of the murder case that brought me to this grand adventure to Cyseal: Who killed Councilor Jake?

It’s nice how the game takes you back to the original main quest.

The answer is indeed, much more complex than its direct source: It was a long story, but for what it’s worth, it sure beats the VOID!

Gris Review: Sadistically Beautiful

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If I were to play this game when it was released in December 2018, I don’t think I would enjoy it as much since I was still in the grieving process of losing my mother in September that year. I couldn’t enjoy any games until almost a year later when I picked up the Cat Lady. These days I am fine; however, I still find myself with teary eyes whenever fond memories of my mother slip into my mind. So, you might think I would be emotional playing a game like Gris, which deals with the death of a love one. On the contrary, I find the game uplifting and beautiful. I enjoyed solving light puzzles; running in the forest; feeding a creature with apples; and swimming in the cold lake. It’s a game with a certain beauty that brings out the optimism in life. You see, death is natural but you will be okay.

In each stage, the colors represent different emotional stages one goes through: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Progressively the stage gets harder ( I could elaborate but this is a review not an analysis). There are several times I try to reach the hard-to-reach items (mementos), which are items that need to be collected to reveal a hidden cutscene on why the female protagonist is grieving. Some of the mementos can be completely missed in the first playthrough. Luckily, you can backtrack by selecting a chapter in the game. Speaking of checkpoints, they can be a bit bothersome because having to redo a puzzle can be quite annoying. There is one part toward the end of the game that frustrates me. I have to be precise about where to execute the jump button while being upside down to avoid the gravity from pulling me upward. It always takes me a minute to get through. The good thing though, once you familiarize yourself with the gaming mechanics, it’s not impossible to finish the game within 3 hours or less. I can see Speedrunner having fun with this game since there are some challenging obstacles but I definitely do not recommend this game as a coping mechanism to deal with a loss. It would only make the player more frustrated unless you are one of those people who process emotions through solving problems. Then this game might just be for you.

Here I will attach some of my favorite screenshots in no particular order. Of course, the game is so much better if you play it.

girl in despair
girl swimming in lake
gris facing the bird
gris surrounded by birds
gris diving further underwater
girl standing by the lamp
young girl hugging statue of her mother

Sometimes, pictures do tell a better story than words. In this case, the game is beautifully well-crafted by the folks from Nomada Studio. When I saw the trailer back in 2018, the game’s vibrant colors reminded me so much of El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, a game released in 2011 on the PlayStation3 and X-Box 360, but there is a newer remastered version released on Steam in 2021. Also, it looks like the game will be getting a release for the Nintendo Switch in April 2024, according to the sources online. Like Gris, the game focuses on atmosphere and colors. But I’ll stop here because this review is about Gris!

Strange Horticulture (PC) Review

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Decades ago, when nongamers thought about video games two things came to mind: 1) it’s for kids and 2) it’s violent. Well, it looks like an article titled Some developers are pushing back against violent video games from the Economist is actually finally catching up. Any passionate gamer would know that video game is such a broad term like music that not all games fall into the violent category, and so I would like to introduce my readers to a relaxing game called Strange Horticulture, a game developed by Bad Viking, published by Iceberg Interactive. 

When I initially watched the trailer, I was attracted to the variety of plants* but had my doubts about playing a game that requires players to label and manage an inventory of plants. That sounds kind of boring. How could that possibly be relaxing? To my surprise, the game is properly advertised. It’s atmospheric and relaxing. It’s dark and mysterious but not overbearingly gloomy. To some of us, the sound of rain is quite soothing to the mind, especially for those of us who suffer from anxiety. But what I enjoyed most about the game is the actual gameplay. It was fun navigating the map, reading through letters, and solving clue cards to locate plants. When you successfully locate the plants on the map, you are rewarded with a text that reveals more about the story and its characters. It reminds me of reading a novel. I like that. As the game progresses, the puzzles become more difficult but not to the point where it’s frustrating. I ended up playing the game twice and unlocked 3 endings out of 8 (You can reload your save points, so you don’t have to play from the beginning to get different endings). So, replay value is decent for those who want 100 % achievement. It’s not overly difficult as I am currently 3 achievements shy from 100% game completion. 

I also enjoyed the game’s soundtrack which I found out through reading an article from soundwave-sound.com that the tracks aren’t original. The developer states in the article that it would be too expensive to hire a composer for the game, which is understandable for a small game developer. Strangely, this notion makes me happy because it’s a win-win situation for everyone. If I never played Strange Horticulture, I would have never discovered new music. You see, you don’t have to break the bank to find some enjoyment in life. Do you want to worry less? Here is a Worryless plant for you! That’s exactly what I got out of this game! 

P.S.

I thought of a funny joke while playing this game on how it can turn from relaxing into a horror game. Well, it’s quite simple, it involves putting a price tag on plants because as we know, inflation is currently quite high.

Note: I used the term plants* instead of flowers because they are the same to me–however scientifically it’s not the case.

Spirit Hunter: NG Review

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Spirit Hunter NG, released Oct. 10, 2019, developed by Experience, Ghostlight LTD, and published by Aksys Games, is a sequel to the horror visual novel Spirit Hunter: Death Mark. The game is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo Switch. I am surprised horror fans aren’t talking about it. The lack of word-of-mouth testimonies is the cause for this game not receiving more publicity. So as a horror game enthusiast, I am here to promote and tell you about a visual novel horror game I enjoyed playing in 2019! In my humble opinion, I enjoyed it more than The House in Fata Morgana, which is also a decent visual novel game with great original soundtrack.

at the bar--the hub
If you like ASMR videos, the sound and the visuals in this game can be quite relaxing, especially at an empty bar.

This game is thematically refreshing for a horror visual novel that takes place during hot summer nights, although I first played this game during cooler months. I remember sitting at my desk at work and one of the horror scenes from the game popped into my head. It made me chuckle. My co-worker, an older gentleman asked me what was so funny and asked me if I minded sharing. I tried to explain to him but it didn’t come out right. He looked puzzled. I suppose I can’t explain my morbid sense of humor, but the game developer knows its targeted audience all too well when it subtly brings up the subject to the audience.

Seji criticizing horror fans
I think the humor is exclusively meant for females like myself who enjoy a good suspenseful, horror mystery. Some of us are just weird like that.

Story

The story follows a “muscle-freak” (borrowing the description from the game) teenage boy by the name of Akira Kijima who happens to be adopted by his aunt, a popular horror novelist who owns a bar as a side job. One day, an evil doll kidnaps his precious, beloved niece. So he finds himself playing a strange game with an evil entity that involves destroying and/or purifying spirits. Along the way, Kijima the devout uncle is accompanied by his good friend Seiji Amanome, a member of the Yakuza, and Momo Kuruse, a gothic pop idol to search for his niece’s mysterious disappearance. Later down the road, he meets older and more professional folks: a gambler, a female cop, and a ghost hunter. The variety of ages and professional backgrounds balanced out the story quite well. There are times when the side characters poke fun at Kijima’s bravery and youthfulness for stupidity, which to the contrary, he has a reason for being. As the story progresses, I find the protagonist quite sympathetic which gives him all the more reason to reunite with his kidnapped niece. I like horror, but I also like rewarding, strong endings. Of course, that’s not the only reason why I enjoyed the game. What intrigued me about this game is the villain, the eternal doll who wants to play and who does not always play fairly. The doll character had such an impact on me that I composed an original song based on it. I still sing the song to this day. That’s what you call a great piece of art when it becomes the source of creative inspiration.

Gameplay

Now let’s talk about gameplay. Is it fun? Is it scary? Well, yes to both questions but it’s not going to give you nightmares. It’s not that immersive type of horror but more like a thematic haunted house ride, you’d find at the fairground. You know the feeling of walking inside a haunted house, hoping for a good fright? Yes, the game allows the player the option to select Scary Mode for those who want a jump scare experience. I selected Default Mode because I wanted to enjoy the game in its original form. Even without the additional scary factor, the story’s chilling tale combined with memorable soundtracks would strike a chord with any woman out there who is often accompanied alone. In every woman, there is a little girl that lives inside of her. Girls love fairytales because real life is rarely happy ever after. So, stay away from male doctors! Oops, did I say too much? Well, I hope I entice you rather than dissuade you from playing the game. Overall, it was a fun adventurous, horror game. I played the game with a guide to save time because, like most games with multiple endings, there is a true ending.

Conclusion

For horror fans, this is a game worth playing. Add to your collection of horror games to play because horror is a genre that is difficult to execute in video games. So, it’s nice to find a piece of gem. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the slightly erotic graphic pictures of tortured women. Why was it necessary? It’s a mystery to me. There are some things in life I simply can never understand.

Originally published on June 28, 2021 12:00 am; revised October 26, 2023

Soma Review: No Escape under the Water

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Recently, I finished Soma, a science-fiction horror game released back in 2015 developed by Frictional Games. I heard about the game a few years ago but never took much interest because of the first-person view aspect. Well fast forward to the year 2023, I decided to play it for this year Halloween’s season and also to challenge myself. I played the game on and off because I was not accustomed to controlling the camera angle. Eventually, I got used to the view after quitting and starting the game every 15 minutes. I am so glad of my determination because I haven’t been scared of playing a horror game for a long time.

Story

The game begins with Simon Jarret getting ready to leave his apartment for a brain scan appointment with Dr. David Munshi due to a recent car crash that left him with severe brain damage. Things started to feel unsettling once Simon arrived at his destination at the Pace Laboratories for the brain scan. We learn that Simon has recently signed up for a research study that is in its early stage conducted by Munshi and his colleague Berg who are both neuroscience grad students. So, already right there, I started to feel uneasy about the situation. There’s no guarantee that Simon will get better. He is just a lab rat. But what choice does he have? He only has a few months to live. Some hope is better than no hope at all. After the brain scan, Simon wakes up confused inside a dark, strange facility where Munshi is nowhere to be found. It is until he meets the character, Catherine Chun that the story gets more disturbingly interesting.

Gameplay

Players can select Normal or Safe Mode. I played the game in Normal Mode but I heard the Safe Mode is the better option if you just want to experience the story and explore the atmospheric environment. I didn’t mind encountering the monsters so much in the normal mode. It adds a bit of a challenge that I am all too familiar with–the game over screen. In this game, you don’t kill the monsters, you tiptoe around them to avoid being seen. So for those who enjoy stealth games, this game is fun! Now I wonder if playing in Safe Mode would create a more seamless experience even though I got stuck on one of the puzzles; it was not overly difficult. I just didn’t have the patience to solve them since I was more interested in the storyline. So, yeah I want to know what it’s like to play in Safe Mode.

Visual Presentation

So then let’s talk about the atmosphere and the environment which tied in well with the story. The atmosphere creeped me out. I am used to being in space, in hospitals, abandoned schools, in deserted towns but underwater…. not so much. The majority of the game’s environment takes place in Pathos-II Research facility which consists of multiple facility sites all spread out in the ocean’s floor. The landscape feels compressed and massive at the same time linear. Certain times I am surprised that I didn’t wander off too far from the right direction and certain areas inside the facility feel dark and claustrophobic. I keep circling in circles when I try to escape from the monsters. Some of the monsters aren’t all that unique. I could see inspirations coming from Silent Hill 2 (2001), Dead Space (2009) and Resident Evil (1996). It’s not a bad thing. I didn’t get the impression that Soma was trying to imitate–it was more like paying tribute to the classic horror games without jeopardizing its originality. As I mentioned earlier, this is the first horror video game I played from the first-person point of view. So, the experience is uniquely refreshing especially when the climax of the story is reached. It just made sense why the game is in first-person and not third-person. The first-person view makes me more empathic toward Simon who eventually comes to terms with his new reality. I remember feeling smothered navigating in the ocean’s water. I want to swim for fresh air but I keep descending lower and lower into the bottom of the ocean. The game just gets deeper and deeper until it reaches the lowest point. It becomes depressingly poetic.

Sound

I don’t think I had ever associated horror with machines before until I played this game. The sound coming from psychotic machines and the voice recordings of conversations between powerplant engineers produce a disturbing picture of what went wrong with Pathos-II research facilities. Unlike DeadSpace where I feel like I was the only living soul, I wasn’t entirely alone in this game. The voice of Catherine Chun makes the journey bearable but that doesn’t mean it undermines the scariness and intense atmosphere of the game. Most of the gameplay involves submerging underwater and exploring abandoned facilities controlled by the WAU–an artificial intelligence that oversees the operation of the research facilities. It’s responsible for all the monsters that come across the player and thus is the main antagonist. Some of them can be pretty creepy. The grunting, metallic sound coming from them is just eerie.

Conclusion

This game is intense and atmospheric. I felt like I was drowning inside my head. How bad can things go for Simon when all he ever wanted was some hope to live? After all, Simon is in the process of dying from a brain injury. Luckily the story isn’t entirely tragic. Yes, something has been lost, but also something has lived on. I think that is one reason why I enjoyed the game a lot. It’s philosophical. It asks big universal existentialist questions that leave an everlasting impression on me. It is truly a horrifying and bittersweet experience that made me reflect on my existence.

The Meaning Behind NightCry

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NightCry developed by NudeMaker, and published by Playism Games was released in 2016. It was originally made for the mobile game the PlayStation Vita and the PC. It is one of those survival horror games that has an interesting concept but failed to impress some survival horror fans. Some hated it, and some enjoyed it. I am one of those who love it! After all, it’s all about introspection.

The story takes place on a luxurious cruise ship. There are three playable characters in this game. They are all well-designed and serve their role effectively. Monica’s determined persona, Leonard’s mysterious allure, and Rooney’s relatable charm added depth to the story and gave it a powerful ending. Like it or not, Rooney is a character that lives inside most of us. Some of us only come to life when our lives are threatened. The game developer might have wanted to express this concept by turning the story into a dark comedy. Depending on where you stand, you might find this sort of indirect bullying to be off-putting because you play as Rooney, a depressed college student who becomes stronger and stronger over time as she learns to fight for her life. Is the developer trying to say something about its audience? You see, there’s no “L” sound in the Japanese language so her name is Loony but is pronounced Rooney. Pun intended or not, it’s clear that the developer thinks poorly of Rooney. Her somber, docile nature proves it. Now I wonder is that why the game takes place on a cruise ship. The cruise ship may very well be an allegory about rich people who have no reason to be depressed when there are less fortunate people out there who have no time to contemplate death because they are too busy trying to survive. Take Monica for instance, she is the stronger character compared to Rooney. Unlike Rooney, she is a college student with two part-time jobs and a parent to her younger siblings. Death is not a choice; it’s a luxury.

Now let’s talk about the gameplay. The gameplay itself is straightforward, featuring light puzzles, running, and hiding. However, you can’t rely on hiding in the same spot twice and failing to hold your breath properly by pressing the button on the screen can lead you to an early death. There are countless times I laughed at my failings and yet I didn’t find Scissorwalker the antagonist to be menacing. Instead, I think it is humorous. It likes to play peek-a-boo, catching players off guard when they least expect it. Carelessly examining every nook and cranny would trigger its appearance. Nevertheless, it is a necessary risk to take. The constant threat of the Scissorwalker, combined with the character’s limited stamina, forced me to be strategic and always be aware of my surroundings. And this is where some players find it frustrating. It is a point-and-click horror game. I remember struggling to get away from the Scissorwalker in the hallway by repetitively clicking the mouse to run and often dying because it failed to register my command. Yet, it isn’t a huge glaring problem for me as I am more interested in the game’s concept than the experience. In horror games, there should be some struggles–intentional or not. It’s not a horror game if it’s just a walking simulator with pixelated monsters. It becomes a digital, interactive art.

Overall, the concept of the game reminds me of a maze puzzle because the story follows a flowchart. Depending on your choices in the game, you can end up in a bad situation, which leads you to a dead end. There are many terrible shocking ways to die. If you have a morbid sense of humor like me, you will enjoy the game. For instance, I made a mistake entering a dark room without turning on my flashlight. I got killed. I laughed. Game over. You know what they say about laughter: It’s the greatest medicine. I’m so glad I didn’t let some negative reviews hinder me from playing it. It’s not going to vibe with everyone who is looking for a straight-forward horror experience but if you are looking for a game with some depth, this game deserves another chance. To me, a good game needs good art direction. It’s the overall package that triumphs over the small imperfections because I could say the very same thing about Yume Nikki, a popular indie horror game. As long as the players find value in a game that’s all it matters.

Note: This article is a response to tangomushi’s video game essay on NightCry.

Originally published January 22, 2017 9:53 pm; Revised October 10, 2023

Elden Ring Review: The Champion Game

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I platinumed and explored everything I could in Elden Ring, a game developed by FromSoftware, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Now I am waiting for the DLC which will be released sometime in late 2023 or early 2024. I am quite curious to learn more about its story which I think I got it down, but I decided not to break it down in this review for many reasons. One, it will require some in-depth research on my part. Secondly, there are already plenty of sources on YouTube that attempted to explain the story in detail, although all of them are just based on educated guesses including mine, in which led me to the conclusion of this game: Why do we like to champion over other?

As you can tell from the blog’s post title, this game is epically unique. One, you don’t play as a hero, but as a champion. You are neither good nor bad. You are a Tarnished who is led by the Site of Grace to become the Elden Lord. Not only does the player competes with other Tarnished, but he/she also has to defeat other demigods to establish order in a shattering world. But why is the world broken? This is the question that got me hooked to the story.

I suppose this image is quite misleading. This game is not a fashion show. I did not tiptoe my way to the Site of Grace.
This image is truer to my experience.

Okay so the story is great and so is the gameplay but what’s the problem with that? It has to do with the flow of the game. Well the flow of my review is no better than the game according to AI Assistant so who am I to complain? Anyway, I was overwhelmed with the open-world aspect of the game. If only I followed the main route, I could have finished this game in a decent time. It took over 200 hours in one playthrough. I “wasted” a lot of time trying to get everything which earned me a game completion of 82 % on my first playthrough. Like Sorcerer Rogier the NPC, you might end up roaming the Lands of Between for a very long time until you lose sight of your original purpose.

I’m Tarnished, like you. But unlike you, I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of this guidance for the longest time. Still, I won’t forget how it felt when I first came here, to the Lands Between.

-Sorcerer Rogier

I don’t deny it’s a time-consuming game. Not everyone would have the pleasure to experience it entirely because it requires a lot of dedication like watching Game of Thrones, which unfortunately I have not seen for obvious reason. My preferred method of entertainment has always been gaming. So, this game was like a gift from “heaven”, but for casual and non-gamers, I can see how off-putting it can be. The characters are all interesting that you want to get to know them, but the gameplay gets in the way. Wander too far, you might come across a boss fight! At first, I struggled a bit because there is so much freedom in the game that it’s easy to “waste” time. 1) You had to explore and unlock the map. 2) You have to defeat the surrounding enemies or else you will keep dying and that will prevent you from exploring. 3) You might aimlessly wander off too long because you are bewitched by its beautiful environment. Of course, there is an efficient way to play the game, but I wouldn’t know that if I didn’t refer to a guide. Oh, I am talking about the story portion that is. There are 6 endings. If you are in just for the story, I recommend just sticking to television series. It’s much less work.

On the surface, it looks like I could go to this place easily. I remember spending hours trying to get to it only to learn that it’s part of Ranni the Witch’s quest, which occurs halfway through the game.

In terms of gameplay, apart from the main course where the player defeats the main bosses, there are also a ton of optional bosses. Some are part of the questlines. I found myself referring to the internet and walkthrough guide quite often when I got stumped, which depending on your play style, this could either be rewardingly challenging or simply annoying. The caves and catacombs themselves are like mini-side games. Some are short but some take longer, depending on how many times you slip and die or get killed by pestering skeletons. Just imagine all the indie games (which takes 1-5 hours to beat) you can play in one game. There is always a boss at the end of each “stage”. Once the player has defeated the boss in that area, the player is rewarded with unique items. So, they are worth completing. Personally, I found them quite fun. However, the downfall to this gaming experience is that it kind of breaks the flow of the game since it has nothing to do with the main story. Maybe that was the whole purpose? I was beginning to feel like a witless champion myself, a theme that reoccurred quite frequently in the story.

In conclusion, for such an ambitious game, it did champion over every other game out there for me. It’s a great game with a great story, but it sure burnt me out and I am not sure if I want to play another intense game for a long time. I suppose that might not just be a bad thing after all.

yeah…that’s one hella game!

So what about you? Have you played this game? I would love to hear your thoughts!