What’s better than playing Kingdom Hearts on a PlayStation or Xbox platform or PC? Kingdom Hearts it on one of those other options and the Switch. In many circles, Kingdom Hearts coming to the Switch was long discussed. Considering the series began 20 years ago and has been available on seemingly every new generation of consoles, it makes sense that a Nintendo release would be the next step. What came as a bit of surprise, though, was that installments would arrive on the Switch as Cloud-based games. Rather than downloading them to your system, you play a streamed version that just isn’t as reliable as having the game directly on it, ready to play whenever and wherever.

Square Enix divided the games into three packages – Kingdom Hearts - HD: 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC. However, I didn’t pick a single one up until the day one patch had been out, so I could ideally play the optimal versions. As it turns out, it was still a frustrating task and waiting for the patch didn’t matter all that much.

The Good

The accessibility that comes with the Switch versions is great. As is the ability to play an entire series on a console that’s newer and in the hands of millions. This is a nostalgia grab that works. Even I’ll admit that watching the Kingdom Hearts opening again and listening to “Simple and Clean” almost had me hooked. There's also something nice about seeing the games that defined gaming for you get newer console releases and upgrades. It's validating when the things important to you receive some love.

For the most part, the opening movies for each game looked great. Outside of the release weekend, I didn’t experience much stuttering or lag during them. The more recently released games also seemed to be the most consistent, in terms of gameplay. Gameplay wasn’t perfect, mind you, but it definitely became more playable after that initial launch period. Unfortunately, that’s about all I can say regarding the benefits of these games on the Switch.

The Not So Good

The biggest problem with Kingdom Hearts on the Switch goes back to the Cloud service. Even after the patch, the games can lag depending on the state of the server or, more importantly, the state of your internet. Losing connection as you play means losing any progress you’ve made. These are old games. Which means there isn’t a guaranteed autosave to cover you if your internet decides to go out or stutter. Related to that is the fact that you can’t pause the game and put your Switch in sleep mode for a minute or let it go to sleep on its own. I often play games as I’m multitasking, and letting my system fall asleep while I take a break is something I do often.

I also love having a Switch simply because it gives me the ability to play games freely no matter where I am. The Cloud takes those options away completely. Time with the games is tethered to a strong internet connection and play sessions that lack freedom.

Connection and Cloud issues aside, even movement was off in a lot of the games. Trying to jump and run around was awkward. Hitting combos and finishing moves during fights felt oddly slow. I’ve played the Kingdom Hearts games on other consoles, and I know the controls sometimes feel weightless. This was different. It felt like a system struggling to keep up with inputs.

Really, I didn’t enjoy my time playing any of the games. I don’t believe they’re worth the time and money they require, and I doubt I’ll ever pick them up again. Regardless, I can see a lot of people looking for that nostalgic experience wanting these ports. Square Enix has been able to successfully port the series multiple times for a reason. When it comes to a beloved series, a lot of fans will understandably buy it whenever, and however, they can. The Cloud versions also give those without access to the other console releases a chance to finally play Kingdom Hearts. But again, I can’t say this is the version of the game new players should start with or one long-time fans should settle for. Plus, if something doesn’t work as well as it should, is it accessible? Not really.

Kingdom Hearts - HD: 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC are currently available on the Nintendo Switch as Cloud Versions. A complete edition that includes all three collections, titled Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece, is also available.

The post Kingdom Hearts Struggles to Find Its Place on the Switch appeared first on Siliconera.

Games that change your entire outlook on a genre are important. Despite liking a few dungeon-crawlers and roguelikes over the years, I’ve never considered myself a fan of the genre. I rarely pick up games in which that’s the main selling point. And yet, Asobism’s Vivid Knight has me rethinking those past decisions. With a rather simple premise, Vivid Knight tasks you with making your way through multi-floor dungeons to collect gems and defeat the boss. Like I said, Vivid Knight is simple until you really consider its gameplay mechanics.

That simplicity is one of Vivid Knights strongest points. The combat system is neither varied nor complicated. You set your party members and when skills are off cooldown, you make your avatar set up a shield, randomly attack or cast a buff. Party members cycle through their skills automatically until the battle is done. That’s really it. Well, sort of.

Every dungeon gives you 30 crystals as a first-time completion bonus, and it’s possible to find more crystals within dungeons and their treasure levels. After clearing a dungeon, you’re pushed back to the home screen to either spend crystals on Kingdom Grimoires, which function as a sort of gacha system, or to start a “new game.” New games are just new dungeons. From there, you head right back into the action.

The interesting and fun part of Vivid Knight comes from all the behind the scenes work you have to do. The biggest mistake I made when playing became obvious during the third dungeon. The first two were easy enough that I didn’t feel the need to pay much attention to the gems I was picking up or any of the rules regarding upgrades and party composition. I assumed I could go through levels aimlessly. I took the lack of in battle choices as a lack of difficulty, rather than the game slowly introducing you to its systems. So, I failed the third dungeon three times before realizing Vivid Knight’s gameplay was a lot more involved than I previously thought.

There are just over 50 characters to unlock and find, and they each have a color and symbol attached to them. This is a key element, and ignoring it because the first few dungeons lacked difficult battles is what caused my party to lose multiple times. Mixing colors and symbols provides your party with different attributes and effects. These make a huge difference in battle. The buffs provided range from support shields and effects to preemptive strikes and AOE magic damage. It’s up to you to remember the units you have in play and in your storage while figuring out what your party needs to progress and ultimately beat the boss.

I absolutely loved (and sometimes hated) having to manage mana within dungeons, as running out of it meant taking damage with every movement. Deciding if I wanted to prioritize small enemy fights to unlock more party members or get to the boss with what I had as quickly as possible created an interesting predicament. Even the challenge that comes with often having a different, randomized party in every dungeon is a joy. All of these things add another layer onto a game that seemed simple and prone to repetition at first glance.

I like when a game can surprise me, and that’s exactly what happened the first time I picked this up. Vivid Knight’s gameplay loop is fast and dungeon layouts change with each level, making the game incredibly easy to play for short bursts during those in-between moments.

Vivid Knight is available on PC via Steam, and the Nintendo Switch.

The post Vivid Knight’s Gameplay Loop Avoids Repetition appeared first on Siliconera.

How do you review a game that’s technically great, but doesn’t provide much for you beyond a great visual experience and an occasional interesting story beat? That was my greatest concern when sitting down to finalize my thoughts on God of War as a game and as a PC experience. Because the reality is that God of War wasn’t just popular when it came out on PS4, it was heralded as one of the greatest games for years. Finally being a part of the people who played the game and not feeling what they felt led to an interesting experience.

God of War is a lore heavy game with a seemingly endless supply of pickups, quests, and side dialogue centered around Norse mythology and the relationship between a father, Kratos, and his young son Atreus. I played a very small portion of it on the PS4 and, while a bit clunky, it was one of the smoothest games I played on my console at the time. With the game releasing on PC, the question became, “Can I actually play it?” I have a decently built PC set up, but it’s by no means the most advanced, future-proof one a person can have. When the specs first released, I was pleasantly surprised to find that with a gaming PC, it seemed playable. Well, here’s how that went.

As most PC ports do, God of War offers plenty of settings that allow you to customize and tailor the game to whatever you have. Frankly, as someone with a more simplistic setup, I was able to keep a lot of the settings at their default state without the game’s quality suffering. Aside from the annoying splitting of the different subtitle settings into two different categories, I was satisfied with what was offered.

Really, I don’t have much to say regarding the PC port. I changed up a few graphical settings, like lighting and shadows to suit my taste, turned on vsync so the game ran smoothly with my lower end monitor, and I was good to go. God of War ran great on the PS4, and if you have a simple computer, it’s great on the PC as well.

Moving through the world as Kratos is an interesting and varied experience. The environments are genuinely beautiful. Even when I lowered my settings, the details never really suffered. As the camera follows behind Kratos' shoulder, you get a full view of one of the game's strongest points. Beyond that, God of War's more mundane exploration moments or enemy encounters are filled with sweet observations from Atreus as he educates Kratos on the lessons and stories his mother told him before her passing. Those were the moments I really enjoyed. The space where Kratos and Atreus could just exist outside of fighting and killing.

Unfortunately the slightly clunky camera remains and battles didn't always play out smoothly because of it. Transitioning from walking around the world to fighting a mob or large troll-like creature was a bit jarring. Movements end up stiff and oddly fast. Also, these are my very personal game pet peeves, but God of War lacks a real jump (something I’m always looking for). Boss battles can end up repetitive or even worse, feeling like they’re inconsequential and only in the game to prolong a narrative, not to test your actual skills.

The first hour or two of the game was enjoyable, though. Kratos smashing a fist into a chest to open it is fun. I’m a sucker for brute strength, and that’s all you get with him. Surprisingly, as I played more of the game, I realized I was less concerned about how it held up on my PC and more curious about the reception. The PS4 version of God of War that most are familiar with is four years old, and the relevancy of the story at that time is up for debate. However, now I feel the age of its narrative more than ever.

While Kratos struggles with finally having to father his child, Atreus struggles with the loss of a loving mother whose importance we only hear about from a taciturn father who expects the impossible out of him. I know God of War is the dad game. I suppose I simply wasn’t expecting the flavor of dad that Kratos provided, especially when you learn of Atreus' mother who managed to be extremely strong, yet still loving.

Sure, you can say Kratos shows his love for his son in plenty of ways. Like when he fights almost to the brink of death to protect him or shows him how to survive in the world. Ultimately, every gruff correction and harsh verbal lesson took some of the shine off those moments. Seeing Kratos reach out to comfort his child, only to pull back and teach him how to be a warrior instead pushed me further away from the emotionality of the scene. Moments between Kratos and Atreus that aren’t laced with aggression almost feel undeserved. Kratos has to be strong. He can’t allow himself to show weaknesses in moments that will cost him and his son their lives. Yet moments between just the two of them remain cold and unsatisfying. Circumstances make the man. That doesn’t mean I have to like who he becomes.

I wish Kratos felt more deserving of his son's love and respect. I wish the moments of him attempting to be a good father only to draw back weren’t so prevalent. Overall, God of War feels like a game made with a specific audience in mind, and I don’t fall into its parameters. Regardless though, the God of War PC port holds up well, gameplay remains similar, and it can be accessible to people with a variety of rigs. For that reason alone, it may be worth a shot.

God of War is available on the PS4 and PS5. It will be released on PC via Steam on January 14, 2022.

The post Review: God of War is Still Impressive on PC appeared first on Siliconera.

Demon Slayer became a beast in its own right. From the manga, to the anime and movie, it constantly tops charts as one of the most popular series to date. With the release of its new season, I want to get into what sets it apart, at least for me. Demon Slayer season 2 doesn’t hold back with its fights, and that is quickly becoming its strongest feature.

Demon Slayer shows what ufotable does best. A lot can be said about its plot, characters and the pace at which the story unfolds. But what keeps me constantly hooked is the knowledge that it only gets better. Few shows come to mind when I think of the way Demon Slayer is animated.

Narratively, Demon Slayer season 2 feels very much like season 1. It opens with a Mugen Train arc, which splits the narrative of the movie into seven episodes with new music and animations. From there, it moves into the Entertainment District Arc, which is where the ongoing season is currently. As our protagonist, Tanjiro is constantly growing into the power he innately possesses while his friends work alongside him. Yet season 2 brings something new. The music feels experimental at parts, while the action takes on an even more painterly quality than before.

That really leads me back into my main point. Demon Slayer works, season 2 especially, because it understands what it means to tell a story through fights. A lot goes into fight choreography, because at the end of the day, it’s a dance. A competition based purely on passion. Whether a show is live action or fully animated, fights always require the same kind of dedication.

As I’m watching season 2 of Demon Slayer, I can’t help but think of a few other anime I’ve watched recently that left me disappointed in how they failed to really grasp that fact. Constant cuts, a reliance on full body shots only and the same 1-2 punch sequences take all emotionality out of a fight. Demon Slayer and its animators seem to acknowledge that. The Mugen Train Arc was amazing for a few reasons, but what I’m always going to think about is the fight between Kyojuro and Akaza.

Even moments leading up to possible action in the Entertainment District Arc keep you immersed in the emotional journey of the characters. It’s exciting to think about where the show is going, and how wild the next fight will be.

Action sequences and fights never fail to leave me speechless as I text friends about them. The multiple art styles within them, the blasts of color, and constant motion create such a dynamic experience that’s hard to find in a lot of media. Fights are personal, and Demon Slayer lets you experience every emotion along with the characters. The intimacy and power in season 2 so far has brought me right back into the series. I love a good fight and Demon Slayer is giving me exactly that.

Demon Slayer is currently in its season 2 Entertainment District Arc on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

The post Demon Slayer Season 2 Knows What Makes Fights Work appeared first on Siliconera.

Almost ten years after its PSP debut, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is making its debut on the Switch. The first thing you may notice about Danganronpa 2 is its writing. The humor is so reminiscent of youth. It’s tongue-in-cheek and just a bit too self-aware. You also get a full cast of your typical characters: the busty teen with a slight attitude and plenty of confidence, a round-faced pervert, and the one guy who is the perfectly friendly blank slate. Initially, Danganronpa 2 did not feel like the game for me. The way it pokes fun at fanservice (while still providing it) is a little too bold, and the highly sexualized jokes about teenagers did not hit for me. Luckily, its investigation and trial systems stand the test of time.

For those unfamiliar, Danganronpa 2 opens with the protagonist Hajime Hinata discussing the school of his dreams. Hope's Peak Academy is where students go when they are the best of the best. From the child of a Yakuza to an Ultimate Gamer, these kids are the creme de la creme.

Unfortunately, our hero can’t quite figure out where he belongs in this school. Things only get worse once he and his classmates find themselves stranded on an island with no memories. Things go from bad to worse when a trip about friendship becomes a fight to the finish. In order to get off the island, people need to be killed. But you can build friendships and improve relationships as well. This is a visual novel after all.

Like I mentioned, I had a hard time finding the good in Danganronpa 2. A lot of the humor that the series is known for no longer suits my tastes as much as it might have when the games first came out. Luckily (for me at least) after a few hours of gameplay, the first murder happens and the real fun begins. That's when Danganronpa 2 kicks into gear on the Switch.

Honestly, the trial mechanics in the game go above and beyond. They have a lot of moving pieces. There's a system that never stops. Literally. You’re given a timer and have to find the lies and misinformation during a set time, and then work hard to defend your point within another short timeframe. I found myself incredibly lost during those first moments, but the change in pace was very welcome.

Despite my constant mistakes and pervasive feeling of inadequacy, I at least knew what I was meant to do. The game is very kind with instructions, and you can pause the trial to check controls or give yourself a very much needed breather. Danganronpa 2 throws a lot at you. From truth bullets and swords, the game requires you to be constantly alert as you interact with it. Having constant animations and music and moving dialogue so suddenly in a 2D visual novel was a lot, but I sure did enjoy it.

I don’t believe I’ll ever fall in love with all of Danganronpa, but I enjoyed how timeless Danganronpa 2’s investigation and trial mechanics work. The writing is incredibly smart, despite feeling dated and childish. Regardless, after a decade, I’m happy to report that Danganronpa 2 is still the same wild and unexpected murder mystery visual novel on the Switch.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair releases on the Switch either separately or in the Danganronpa Decadence bundle on December 3, 2021.

The post Danganronpa 2 is Still a Chaotic Time on the Switch appeared first on Siliconera.

It seems like Metrodivania’s come out constantly. With a genre that has remained popular for over 30 years, that makes sense. Metroidvania’s move fast, require player thought and feature a visual design that harkens back to a nostalgic era in games. Unsighted is the latest to grace my games library, and Studio Pixel Punk brought something genuinely unique to the table. Almost immediately, Unsighted proved itself to be a game that wanted to bring something new to the genre. With a focus on time and player's choices, I was in immediately.

Unsighted takes place in a sort of post-apocalyptic world where humans and automatons have clashed. You play as the amnesic, but incredibly talented, Alma who is searching for her partner. As the game continues, more automatons are introduced and it becomes clear that searching for Alma’s missing partner isn’t the only quest you’ll need to accomplish. A lack of resources is turning automatons into violent, mindless versions of themselves.

Unsighted's timing mechanic was generally interesting. Its implementation, however, is incredibly smart. Once it’s introduced, every future automaton you meet has a life timer that shows up alongside their name. Pulling up a sort of contact list only reminds you that everyone is slowly dying and biding time until they turn into a creature they can’t control. Death is inevitable, no matter how quick and skilled you are. Main characters tend to have a certain finality to them. When a story is based around someone, the expectation is that they’ll be around to see it to its end. That certainty is gone.

Unsighted fully reimagines what failure looks like in a Metroidvania. Having to restart a checkpoint doesn’t hurt nearly as much as not being able to save that one person. You exist in a world where death is inevitable and lives are dependent upon a single rare material. The pressure to either save yourself, save a friend, or be the herald of an entire community is immense. Attempting to save everyone through self sacrifice leads to death. Being understandably selfish with the one resource that can extend your own life also leads to death. It's impossible to cheat the system. Those are the kind of stakes I like in games. I also think there’s something important about a narrative where a struggling community is desperately in need of an outside resource simply to maintain their lives and autonomy.

When I think of Metrodvanias, my main focus is on gameplay. Unsighted maintains the puzzle and "forward moving" traits common in the genre, but adds an emotional layer that I wasn’t expecting. It merges gameplay and mechanics in such a seamless way. I can’t help but feel a lot of this has to do with the creators of the game. Studio Pixel Punk is headed by two trans women, and they’ve managed to make a core mechanic feel inseparable from the emotional tone of the game.

Unsighted is currently available on PC (via Steam and Xbox Game Pass) and the Nintendo Switch.

The post Unsighted is a Metroidvania With Loss at Its Core appeared first on Siliconera.

This has been the year of me playing games I’d usually never pick up and going, “Wow, this is a good game!” So let me begin this review with this -- Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is a good game that fell completely under my radar. From developer Experience, Undernauts is your typical dungeon RPG, but that doesn’t mean it’s your average DRPG. With an incredibly detailed gameplay system and an openness that surprised me, Undernauts manages to be an incredibly full and easy to understand game with only a few hiccups.

Undernauts begins with a theatrical opening that is voice acted in Japanese and subbed in English. Out of nowhere, a mysterious labyrinth appeared, full of resources and monsters. Named “Yomi,” it became the prime spot for undernauts to explore and mine… at a cost. As with most businesses built around dangerous work, only a select few are tasked with going into Yomi. Your character is a part of the Cassandra group, tasked with a job that no one else seems to want. But at least it pays a lot. Unfortunately, your entire team is wiped out by a small monster. Thus the journey begins.

I genuinely enjoyed the way Undernauts chose to introduce its world. The voice acting was quiet, but fierce, and moments of violence played out at full volume and with a black screen. A game can say a lot with a little. Despite the artwork in Undernauts being absolutely gorgeous, something like fear and horror can easily feel cheesy when the presentation doesn’t match the tone. The proper set up is there.

Moving into the character creation process was very easy. Undernauts does a great job at hand-holding in the opening moments of the game as you get acclimated to all its various systems. What begins as a very straightforward creator where you can pick from 4 archetypes -- male, grizzled, young and female protagonists -- opens up as you go deeper into developing them. From there you can change your name and nickname, add a character bio and go in to pick a job, background and trinket. All of these things essentially add up to your skills, stats and stat buffs. This system applies to anyone you add to your party as well.

The customization is greatly appreciated, and the aforementioned hand-holding was necessary. This was my first venture into an Experience game, and not once did I feel overwhelmed with all the options. Going back to those four archetypes, they have seemingly no effect on what your character looks like. At the end of making each one, you can pick what your character's appearance. The options range from a Stardom-esque woman wrestler to a Demon Chief. Everyone has different variants as well. It’s a lot.

So, about that art style. It’s amazing. The first shot of characters shocked me with its almost painterly style. Still image cutscenes, despite the horror in the game, are beautifully drawn. And while in-game backgrounds sometimes look flat, key story pieces and character sprites are detailed.

As for what the game is truly about, dungeon exploring is a varied experience. Before combat is even introduced, you have to make your way through the labyrinth to get back to camp and report the deaths of your team. Movement and navigation are so clunky during these portions. It’s to the point where I can’t even chalk it up to dungeon design. Rather than immersing you into the feeling of being lost in a cave, you end up feeling like you’re just learning to walk. Trying to hit the areas marked for enemies was like circling an extremely small dot on the ground.

Undernauts makes up for the horrible movement with an interesting take on combat. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a turn-based dungeon-crawler. That aspect is about as traditional as you can get. What really makes it a point of notice is the enemy design and player interaction through what the game calls Yomi Flowers. Enemies range from cute, small, rodent-like creatures to truly grotesque monsters. You never know what you’ll get. You can also interact with some enemies before fighting them. Sometimes that means your entire party is fully healed or restored. Other times, you lose the chance to attack and have to fight hard to survive.

The combat system in Undernauts was easy to understand but rather difficult to master. Beyond the turn-based aspect, each member defaults to either a Vanguard or Rear Guard position. Vanguards essentially end up being the tanks and taking the brunt of enemy attacks. Prior to realizing this, my poor magic users were taking constant one-hit kills as I set my party up to be more varied in formation. Combat felt more weighted, and the choices I made behind the scenes mattered just as much as the choices I made in battle. My experience never felt stale.

The dungeon itself isn’t an entirely preset environment either. Those aforementioned Yomi Flowers take on multiple roles and names. They allow you to teleport though the dungeon, build bridges and open doors, or even spawn enemies that challenge your party. You create and destroy these flowers, and throughout the game you'll begin to unlock more options. By limiting your access to them, the game forces you to backtrack, but rewards the tediousness with an entirely new area to explore. Undernauts provides you with such a large dungeon and having the ability to change its shape and unlock new pathways makes it worthwhile.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi excels at providing you with a DRPG that feels fresh without feeling completely new. The high risk, high reward gameplay is incredibly challenging at first and becomes rewarding once you find your stride. I often found myself wishing the game opened up a lot faster and was smoother to play, but those issues feel small in the grand scheme of it all.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is currently available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC. It’ll come to the PlayStation 5 in 2022.

The post Review: Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi Puts You in Charge appeared first on Siliconera.

Impostor Factory opens like any good murder mystery should. It’s a dreary afternoon, complete with rain and an eerie sense that something’s not right. The main character Quincey enters a large mansion with the perfect horror backdrop. It’s situated on large grounds with a dilapidated and seemingly abandoned exterior. Upon entering the house, two odd assistants greet Quincey at the door. There’s a distinct feeling that some details are missing.

Impostor Factory doesn’t give players a lot to work with. Its most extravagant feature is a fast paced walk, bound to the shift key. It works, though. As the third game in the series that began with To Moon, it is still deeply invested in narratives about memories and the lengths people will go to preserve and change them. That becomes the games strongest point, and its execution is almost flawless.

I love a murder mystery. But what I love even more is a deep dive into a person’s history told through their memories. Yes, that’s specific. I’ve played a few games about love and loss that take place all within the mind of a singular character. It’s a narrative trope that lends itself to emotionality, as well as the understanding that things simply cannot be what they seem. Memories are fickle and we can be biased with our interpretations. With Impostor Factory, though, you take on the role of someone moving through another person’s memories. You become a passerby to someone else’s life.

Not long after Quincey realizes he’s stuck in a time loop, someone decides to reveal the truth to him. Her name is Linri, and he’s actually moving through a simulation of her creation. What follows is a beautiful journey through Linri’s life. It showcases her difficulties with a chronic illness and her struggles balancing work, love, and health.

The narrative never felt like it was trying to throw a lesson in your face. However, the main portion of the story is often drenched in sentimentality and melancholy. I genuinely enjoyed my time with the game, but a lot of what I loved about the story also exhausted me. Though I understand the necessity of the humor woven throughout, the moments of levity felt out of place.

On the technical side of things, it’s important for me to note that an issue I have when playing games is that I develop sensory overload very easily. Loud or busy sounds, flashing images, and a lot of movement put a real strain on me. So naturally, having the ability to go into a game's settings and fiddle around could be the difference between a 30 minute play session and a multiple hour one. Impostor Factory doesn’t give you those options. As a point and click, a lot of those options are mostly unnecessary, except for sound. The sound mixing and sound quality in the game was impossible to deal with. In the grand scheme, that seems like a smaller issue, but it still affected my time with the game.

The graphics in this game are just as simple, but have moments where they truly stand out. Especially with how serene, but unsettling wide open spaces feel. Similarly, the soundtrack is the perfect backdrop to the story. It gently leads you through the life of Linri. From her time as a child dreaming of becoming a star in the sky to an adult dedicated to science and figuring out the unknown, the music makes you feel like you’re listening to an old music box.

A lot of moments in the game fully rely on these two elements. Parts where all I did was walk through dialogue-less memories were the most touching moments in the game. The soundtrack and small, snapshot-like images provided all the emotional context needed to understand the ongoing narrative.

Impostor Factory is a surprisingly beautiful game that questions what it means to have a meaningful life. It tells a cyclical narrative that still manages to feel honest and emotionally raw. It works best if you go into it with as little information as possible, so I won’t say much more than that on how the story unfolds. It is a bit predictable and slow moving. Still it tells incredibly competent story that surprised me with how evocative it was. In the end, the bits of sc-fi and the explanation of an AI-driven time loop were the perfect additions to a game so deeply entrenched in human emotion. Impostor Factory knows what it’s about and delivers on that point.

Impostor Factory is the third, standalone game within the same universe as To Moon and Finding Paradise. It's currently available for PCs through Steam.

The post Review: Impostor Factory Takes You Through a Lifetime appeared first on Siliconera.

I haven’t stepped foot into the world of Fullmetal Alchemist in quite a while. Still, time has done little to diminish the soft spot I have for Winry Rockbell. It’s only fitting that over a decade since the most recent series ended, my foray back into the series begins with Fullmetal Alchemist: A New Beginning. Originally released in Japan in 2007, it's the sixth in a series of light novels. While the Elrics still have their part in this Fullmetal Alchemist story, this one is really all about Winry.

In a series that’s firmly about boyhood, it was nice to have a female character that was her own person. Still, Winry’s role in the shows felt limited, albeit sweet. That makes sense, as she wasn’t a main character. Still, I felt as though I wanted more from her. A New Beginning seems to take that into consideration and gives us a story that is almost entirely focused on Winry and her journey towards learning what it truly means to assist those who come to her.

This Fullmetal Alchemist story begins simple enough, with Winry starting an apprenticeship at an automail shop, Atelier Garfiel. As a sort of homebrew technician herself, this is Winry’s chance to come into her own as a professional. Under her new mentor, Winry blossoms! But not without some missteps along the way. In true heroine fashion, she must fall before she can truly thrive.

Among the different plot lines that run through A New Beginning, the most pivotal one centers on Winry and a young boy who has lost his leg and currently wears an ill-fitting automail leg. On top of the trauma he brings with him after losing a limb in an accident, he’s also been forced to deal with mechanics that care less about him and more about a quick buck.

He’s an angry child, upset by all that life has given him and, understandably, his first meeting with Winry goes terribly. As a technician her job is to fix issues, but a limb isn’t just an inanimate object. It was honestly surprising to see the novel go in the direction of showing what it means to have a physical disability and deal with able bodied people who feel they can “fix” you. Winry was well-meaning, but she was also ignorant to the ways in which she invalidated that child simply because she neglected to consider his automail leg as an extension of him.

Despite the novel's relative shortness, the conversations about providing a service to a disabled person were good! There’s a deeper message about the unintentional ignorance a lot of us bring into situations with non-able-bodied people. Regardless of the simplicity of the message, it nonetheless surprised me to see this discussion in a light novel.

The Fullmetal Alchemist light novels fill in the gaps and tell canonical side stories within the series' world. Despite the 14 years it took for the English localization to come out, Fullmetal Alchemist: A New Beginning feels relevant. Winry received the character development she deserved.

Fullmetal Alchemist: A New Beginning was localized by Viz Media. It's currently available for purchase through multiple storefronts.

The post Fullmetal Alchemist: A New Beginning Gives Winry Her Moment appeared first on Siliconera.

At this point, Pokemon set the stage for the monster catching and fighting RPG genre, but Nexomon attempts to go beyond that. Originally a mobile title, it takes the familiar formula and changes it in both good and bad ways. I can’t say if this game is better or worse than Pokemon; it's simply its own game within a genre that’s been around for decades.

Yes, I believe Nexomon is it’s own entity. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t borrow heavily from Pokemon. You’re a young Nexomon tamer (not trainer). Circumstances thrust you into a world where Nexomon and humans now live peacefully after an evil Nexomon overlord attempted to use said creatures to thrust the world into darkness. You aren’t fighting the town bully, you’re fighting against adults who think it's okay to burn a small house down. So... it's a little different from Pokemon.

But once you’re out on the road, it’s back to business as usual. Walk through high grass, battle wild Nexomon and attempt to catch them in star-shaped traps. Hit up each town and battle against the area's overseer. It’s feeling familiar again.

The initial question I had during my first hour or so with Nexomon was, “When does a reference become so much that the game has lost its own flavor?” Those earlier story beats and gameplay introductions make it incredibly hard to separate it from its Pokemon influences. Even the act of launching a bad guy into the stratosphere is here. Slowly, things start to change and Nexomon finds its place as an individual game.

This is where I start to feel 50/50 on the game. Nexomon provides you with seven starter types that you’ll eventually find in the world as well: normal, mineral, wind, water, fire, electric, plant. The variety is impressive and the gameplay execution was okay. While remembering what Nexomon type was weak to another and which I needed to bring out if I wanted to win the fight was initially hard, overall the variety was nice. Monster designs are fun and rather unique. For the most part. Some designs were oddly lackluster compared to others.

The parts that make Nexomon its own game separate from its influences are both fun to explore and frustrating. The story feels more involved than what I expected, but battles then feel clunky and simplistic. Moving away from a pixel art style is refreshing and new, but the narration is stilted and awkward. Like I said, 50/50.

Nexomon is a game worthy of being played and discussed apart from its influences. But at the same time, it’s almost impossible to see this and not think of another game. Despite it all, the similarities and the problems I had with gameplay and design, I still believe Nexomon is a good choice for someone who is ready to take on a new franchise.

Nexomon is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

The post Nexomon Attempts to Set Itself Apart From Pokemon appeared first on Siliconera.

Sometimes you need a game in which the execution feels both simple and familiar. As a 2D platformer, Flynn: Son of Crimson is exactly that. From the start, the game is linear and direct with what you’re expected to do. It takes a lot of cues from the pixel platformers that precede it, while still creating an experience that feels fresh.

Immediately upon starting the game, you find out that the redhead protagonist Flynn has to take charge and save the town of Rosantica. From there, you have a magical looking dog companion, evil forces, and a villain that just isn’t good enough. It’s something I’m sure we’ve all been through before, but that’s because it works. Building a hero up from the start and growing stronger after each boss defeated or world explored makes games like this feel purposeful.

While playing Flynn: Son of Crimson I never felt as though my time was being wasted. Combat in the game is simple, but easy to master, and progression happens at a steady pace. Even the movement is smooth enough that it's almost unnoticeable. A lot of platformers run into the issue of making movement almost impossible as they attempt to make it feel unique. Flynn: Son of Crimson keeps it simple. Movement is quick, there's one jump, and the 2D graphics never cause perspective issues. It’s just... nice.

Flynn: Son of Crimson really excels when it comes to its art style. 2D pixel games are common, especially with action platformers. And you can see how the art here is inspired by others. However, it is the cleanest, most detailed, and colorful pixel art I’ve seen in a minute. It’s simply stunning. Every area of the map had its own vibrant feel. Flynn’s character model and that of his dog are so beautiful and detailed that, in the first five minutes of playing, all I managed to do was take screenshots of them resting and running. When I think of this game, I think of its art style and the smoothness of every animation. Despite being reminiscent of the past, every aspect of it is modern.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Flynn: Son of Crimson feel so good to play, but it really just comes down to how easy it is to jump into it. It can be a challenging game, but with a rather linear storyline/map and combat that doesn’t take hours to master it’s a good time and a good way to play a game that still requires a bit of effort to make it to the next level. This is a simple and beautiful game. It’s nostalgic in essence while still feeling incredibly fresh and original. The soundtrack is both immersive and easy on the ears. I already know it’ll be my go to game after long work hours because it requires energy without being tiring. I appreciate it for that reason.

Flynn: Son of Crimson is available on PC via Steam and Xbox Game Pass, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Flynn: Son of Crimson Modernizes the 2D Platformer appeared first on Siliconera.

I sunk hours upon hours into skateboarding games as a child and preteen. I often settled for PS2 hand-me-downs that I didn't give up until my console died. But despite all of the titles that have come out since, I’ve never dove back into the genre. It’s hard to pinpoint what my hesitation was, but regardless Skatebird knocked it right out of me and I'm right back into them. That probably isn’t the case for a lot of people playing this game, though.

Developed by Glass Bottom Games, the premise of Skatebird is literally in the name. It is about skateboarding, but it’s also about just hanging out in worlds that feel too big and not suited for small avian creatures. I really enjoy when a developer decides to take an established genre or game type and do something completely different with it. Games can become monotonous and sometimes a unique point or even new gimmick is exactly what you need. Skateboarding games have always had a strong focus on being technically advanced. Or focusing how realistic the stunts look and how immersive the movement feels. Glass Bottom Games captured that, but not quite in the ways you’d expect.

Before breaking the game down, I really want to talk about the birds you can play as. In addition to the budgie shown in previews, you can even skate around as an owl. Beyond that, you can change so much about the bird of your choice. Add a scarf, put on a little hat, or maybe even a pair of shades. Want a belt? You can have it. That’s the power of customization. On top of it all, the birds have such charming personalities to go with their sweet outfits. Frankly, talking to other bird NPCs and seeing the different attitudes come through was a highlight.

This isn’t the next Tony Hawk game and it isn’t marketed as such. This is Skatebird, which is a good thing! It still has all the same combo chains and tricks you would expect in a game about skateboarding. Zooming around, doing ollies, and attempting to grind on ramps (and cereal bowls) still matter. Unfortunately the ease in which you do so isn’t the best. Skatebird has plenty of options that you can mess around with. None of them really helped me get my footing in the game other than the slow down option. The ability to slow your movement and have a little more control was necessary, as the camera often felt disconnected. Falling off the skateboard seemed incredibly easy to do.

The initial frustration I felt when attempting to clear missions faded as I began to just enjoy my time changing my bird's look and skating around. I mean, it's a bird. How smooth can it really be on a skateboard?

Despite it all, I’m absolutely not good at this game. It’s taken me hours of playing to admit that, but it’s the truth. I haven’t been able to find every collectable, and unlocking every level feels like a far away dream. And still, I keep on. I dress up my bird, I search for the elusive Big Friend, and I skate. Skatebird is difficult, but it is so committed to its style and individuality that I still want to pick it up. If you're looking for a game that perfectly simulates the feeling of skateboarding, this probably won't be for you. If you like birds or have ever wondered, "What would that look like on one?" maybe pick this up.

Skatebird is currently available on PC via Steam and Itch.io, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass.

The post Skatebird Provides Hours of Bird-Like Fun and Struggles appeared first on Siliconera.

Games that you can just pick up and get lost in are important. It’s why, time and time again, I turn to farming sims or the ever popular RPG with farming elements. When I first checked out Kitaria Fables, I was excited about the ways it seemed to circumvent some of the more traditional elements of the genre with an interesting approach to quests. As I went through the final version, I was less and less inclined to believe these changes truly improved the game.

Without crafting and a strict relationship system, Kitaria Fables puts a lot of emphasis on quests. The further you get into the game, the more extensive they get. That makes sense! If you want more seeds, better food options, and a better shop selection, you have to do quests for the people that own the stalls. It’s a sort of relationship tracker built into the core mechanic of the game.

I started to have a slight problem with this after a while, though. While I initially thought the game would focus on going out and gathering ingredients in immediate areas, the reality is much more tedious. Both main quests and side quests take so long to complete in Kitaria Fables. It is a simple game both visually and in terms of gameplay. From the map to the way quests are tracked, there isn’t much to go off of. When I managed to have six quests going at once, it felt almost impossible to remember which vague marker on the map was the one I needed.

I was extremely curious to see how Kitaria Fables would set itself apart from games like Rune Factory or even Harvest Moon. And while it has done that, it’s also created a grind that feels incomparable. Trying to gather enough materials to finish a quest takes an extended amount of time, because your gear or weapon is at a low level. Or maybe the food you have doesn’t give enough of a health boost. The solution to that is to complete quests to get upgrades, leading you to need even more resources that require even more slow-paced combat. Despite spending hours in the game, the bits that I enjoyed came far and between due to the pacing and sheer amount of backtracking.

The Kitaria Fables quests aren’t all bad. They still tell a story for the most part. The fact that they unlock more items makes them feel worth it at the very least. It also has a lot of character, which makes conversations with NPCs a nice moment between grinding for materials. The story progresses slowly, but it’s there.

Unfortunately, the excitement I had during my time with the preview of Kitaria Fables was somewhat lessened when I experienced the full force of the experience. Rather than having a game focused equally on story, farming, combat and foraging, what Kitaria Fables gives you is a game that feels almost completely dependent on combat. It slows the game down and takes away from a magic filled story that deserves to shine.

Kitaria Fables is currently available digitally and physically on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. People can also get it digitally on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Kitaria Fables Quests Slow Down an Otherwise Full Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Here Comes Niko is the exact kind of game that speaks to people who feel intimidated by 60-hour adventures, multi-phase boss levels and narratives that spawn multiple games. Or for people who simply want to relax. Here Comes Niko is the “cozy 3D platformer” from Frog Vibes made with sleepy people in mind. This all sounds good on paper! A lot of games release every month, and designing a game specifically for players to relax is appealing amongst the constant stimuli of gaming.

You play as Niko. They’ve recently left home due to a problem that seemed to involve misguided care and very little acceptance. Between worlds, Niko gets voicemails from their parents that show a home that may be loving on the surface but lacking in understanding. It starts the process of worldbuilding that initially caught my interest. Now, they need to start anew with a brand new job as a professional friend. How sweet is that? Frankly, those few sentences cover the main chunk of the narrative. It’s simplistic and follows a lot of the plot points you’d expect. I won’t spoil the ending, but it very neatly wraps up the story.

The marketing of this game was very specific, but it works. I’m constantly tired and looking for something to do after work that lets me relax without being too mindless. Here Comes Niko did that for me. When I l opened the game and played my first 90 minutes, my reaction was mostly positive. There were a few points that bothered me but at the time they felt inconsequential in the grand scheme of it all.

This is a 3D platformer with 2D character models. The goal is to traverse the levels, gather coins for the train, help some people and move on. Each level has minigames that help you get the coins you need, and the worlds are full of people to talk to. As for the minigames, a few repeat in each world, which helps keep the game understandable. Even the newly introduced games are easy to follow. Here Comes Niko has a full world, literally. Every level is so packed with characters and distinct areas and people to talk to and games to play.

Unfortunately, gameplay in Here Comes Niko, while fun, is not the most functional. The unique art style makes for confusing depth perception and a jump that feels floaty and disconnected. And this is a platformer, through and through! At the very least, I want the main mechanic to feel solid and not like guesswork. I do not enjoy when the challenge in a game comes from figuring out how to cheese the weird mechanics and not from level design itself. At least the game gives you a Tamagotchi look-alike to take care of when you need a short break from it all.

The strongest point of the game is its visual style. All of the animal characters that inhibit the world are cute with a slight edge to them. After a few levels, the models started to merge together, but that doesn’t take away from its individuality.

That said, Here Comes Niko falls into an issue a lot of “wholesome” games have. It’s cute, the art style and dosing effects feel like a nostalgic throwback and the message is simple but clear. It’s all very easy to consume and feel comfortable with, but I couldn’t shake a feeling of emptiness while playing it. Characters recite simple one-liner jokes with thin meme references, and the world's background is oddly simplistic without meaning.

Time is this game's worst enemy. It truly does not fare well for long play periods. Maybe that’s the point, though. Maybe it really is just meant to be the game you pick up for a quick hour of fun before going to bed or getting back to the real world. That may bother some. For me, that realization shifted my perspective and shifted how I truly feel about games such as this. It’s marketed as an easy game for tired people, and it works as that. It doesn’t have complex mechanics or deep world-building. Here Comes Niko provides you with just enough to enjoy the time you have with it and move on.

Here Comes Niko is available now for PC via Steam. Frog Vibes and Gears for Breakfast also plan to release a Nintendo Switch version.

The post Review: Here Comes Niko Does What It Sets Out to Do appeared first on Siliconera.

Lost in Random is an upcoming adventure game from Zoink, the studio behind Fe. Published by EA through its EA Originals program, it is shaping up to be another uniquely designed title from the company. There’s a card system, dice rolls, and a fate in place that seems stronger than its character. Already, this game feels full and ready to set itself apart. With a gothic fairytale setting and a Tim Burton-esque visual style, Lost in Random knows exactly what it is. While what I played was an early build of the game, after playing for a few hours, though, I have a lot of thoughts. I’m happy to say most of them are positive.

Lost in Random focuses on a young girl named Even who sets out to find her older sister Odd after a coming of age ritual takes her away from home. Despite Odd’s situation looking positive from the outside, Even knows it’s anything but. With a town shackled by poverty, parents who are unable to help, and a statuesque evil queen residing over it all, it’s up to Odd to save her sister. And so the journey begins.

I’m a sucker for games about siblings and Lost in Random is exactly that. It focuses on sisterhood and growing up and fate. During the preview event Zoink CEO and Head of Development Klaus Lyngeled and Director and Lead Writer Olov Redmalm said they wanted a game with a character that encompassed the feeling of “This too shall pass.” In my limited time with the it, I saw that. Odd seems like a strong child with the perseverance you want in a protagonist. No matter what, she moves forward.

Lost in Random is less about building a deck and is more interested in having players learn to move forward with the cards they’re dealt. Players are supposed to “roll with the punches,” according to Lyngeled. Despite finding that concept so incredibly on the nose in a game about random dice rolls, it still manages to be a very heartwarming sentiment. It’s also just a fun mechanic.

Combat is entertaining, and the option to change it up in the midst of battle is both important and appreciated. Even is only armed with a small slingshot that she uses to hit what looks like crystal clusters on enemies that drop collectables that fill up a die. Once the die is filled, it’s time to roll. The number rolled is essentially the number of points you can use when picking cards from the deck. Those cards are your main tools in battle. From an offensive longsword to a card that simply lets you regain health, this system is full and allows for plenty of expansion.

But again, this isn’t strictly a deck-building game. There’s no way to plan ahead, and strategizing is an on the spot ordeal. And that’s what has me the most interested in Lost in Random. The core mechanics perfectly match the grim world and the message the game is trying to get across.

Lost in Random will release on September 10, 2021 the for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Origin and Steam.

The post Preview: Lost in Random Has a Tim Burton Sort of Style appeared first on Siliconera.