I would appreciate a little less sarcasm, you of all people should know it takes time to write reviews! ::)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
For Nintendo 3DS
Story: 5/7 (How central was the story to the game? Was the story unique and riveting? Did it add to overall enjoyment?)
Spoiler
If the basic story hadn't been done before, it would have been amazing. As it is, they did a fantastic job making it feel fresh, with colorful villains and well-written cutscenes.
Spoiler
Gulley is quite frankly amazing. All of the sages have their own attitudes that you can quickly pick up on (looking at you Irene). I have to say though, Ravio is the most mysterious yet hilarious and epic deuteragonist I've ever seen in a Zelda game. However, I can't quite figure out why Queen Oren has bloating problems??
Spoiler
I'll admit it; I'm kinda bad at video games and that makes me a sucker for the slightly lower difficulty ones. I feel like ALBW set a good bar, and with Hero Mode afterwards, does not disappoint more hardcore gamers.
Spoiler
The art direction chosen for ALBW is absolutely stunning and really portrays the idyllic world that is Hyrule compared to the absolute mess of a kingdom called Lorule. Even better, it's in 3D which has absolutely beautiful effects on the environment.
Spoiler
While most of the music is remixes from ALttP, it had an amazing soundtrack by itself and this is no exception. The remixes are fresh and do a good job of illustrating the slight differences between ALBW and ALttP.
Spoiler
If any part of the game is lacking, I feel it's this part. A few of the bosses were very unique and stellar, but very many of them were just the same thing over and over. The touch screen Quick Item Switch was very counterintuitive and I would much rather pause the game to swap items out. I think the Dark Palace was my absolute favorite dungeon ever made and is a good example of what your average dungeon should be like. I'd like to mention Tower of Hera as the greatest disappointment of the bunch. So much design space was wasted here, it felt overhyped.
While The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a great Zelda game and a great 3DS game there are many other Zelda games that outclass it. I do feel Nintendo taking a step in the right direction with this one, however, adding a few great bosses to the mix and a couple of fantastic dungeons.
Stay tuned for another terrible pun in my review of Skyward Sword!
EarthBound
With a Capital B
Story: 7/7
Spoiler
Okay, is 7 too high of a score? No way. The story grabs you right off the bat and sets a unique niche in rpg stories as a sci-fi rather than fantasy setting. Even the fact that everyone seems ok with a kid being destined to save the world somehow makes sense. All boys leave home someday. That's what it said on TV. By today's standards the story is very simplistic but I feel like alien invasions don't have a lot of representation in video games, so EarthBound doesn't have much competition. The story isn't perfect, of course - after all, it is an rpg- what would they do without a final boss fight story device? It also loses micro points for a cliche ending.
Character Development: 5/7
Spoiler
A large part of the story is Ness growing as a hero and a majority of this score belongs to that change alone. It's really hard to describe this one but all the important characters in the story really change. A good example of this is the relationship between Jeff and his dad.
Reward factor: 6/7
Spoiler
So apparently this game isn't actually that hard after all, but playing through it the first time it was seriously challenging for me and the fact that I finished the game speaks volumes to how rewarding the game feels.
Art: 4/7
Spoiler
Well, it has its strong suits.
Music: 6/7
Spoiler
The only reason it doesn't get a 7 here is because I didn't like the entire soundtrack. That being said, the ost did a good job of characterizing the game and showing off how unique the game was for its time.
Gameplay: 5/7
Spoiler
So it would be really nice if the game let you know that L was the actual A button. There also wasn't a lot of space for innovation in the battle system, as it is just an rpg. The background was also mildly distracting at times, but the game doesn't lose points for that.
Overall: 34/42
This is a mobile review so I can't fully give the game justice, but it is thoroughly the most enjoyable rpg I have ever played, and I'd recommend everyone give it a try no matter your taste in gaming, because it really is in a class of its own.
Inb4 comment about great SS review
Everything is wrong about this statement.
RIP Cashwarrior
Pokemon Sun
Guys' Fashion Doesn't Matter
Story: 2/7
Spoiler
I admit, I rushed through the game way too quickly for me to give an unbiased analysis of the story, but my main beef with it was its childish labeling of right and wrong and how the entire thing feels more like an NBC drama than a video game. The fact that the story is obvious doesn't really make it lose points here. I thought it was fine, and 2/7 is a reflection of how good of a story I think it was rather than how much I enjoyed it. Lusamine wasn't necessarily in the right, but I don't really see Lillie and Gladion being in the right here either. Overall the lack of clear motivation, antagonists, and an opposition to the protagonist's goals (in fact Lusamine herself brought up the similarities between the protagonist and herself, and I agreed with her quite a bit.) made the story seem lackluster in comparison to, say, DPPt, whose antagonist is basically the best in the entire Pokemon series.
Character Development: 6/7
Spoiler
Yeah, they got me here. Not necessarily that I was a fan of Lillie undergoing such a radical change, but the way the story WAS set up left a lot of room for character development of the Aether (pronounced EE-thur for those of you wondering) family, which they definitely did a good job on delivering. The characters were pretty great too (shoutout to ya boy Guzma) and I can honestly say I understood where each character's motivations were coming from, even if they were unfocused and/or I didn't necessarily agree with their point of view.
Reward Factor: 3/7
Spoiler
This one is almost entirely my fault, since I was 100% expecting to be able to go to Kanto after the main game was over. The game was also pretty easy, meaning that beating the Totem beasts and the Captains wasn't necessarily as rewarding as it could have been, especially since they were a lot weaker than Gym Leaders. On the other hand, the Kahuna battles were quite fun. I also have an issue with Lusamine's battles, since I was REALLY REALLY REALLY expecting her Clefable to be a major headache but she was quite easy for me to take out.
Art: 3/7
Spoiler
It's 2016, you guys can do better. Not that I mind, but...
Music: 4/7
Spoiler
The battle themes are definitely catchy, but Pokemon music is generally outside of my taste. With that in mind, this is a pretty good score. I also played in the middle of the night, so I didn't get a chance to enjoy the full soundtrack. I think my favorite background music in the game is Royal Avenue. Why? I'm not sure.
Gameplay: 6/7
Spoiler
It's Pokemon man, tried and true formula. Plus they gave you cheats this time so I didn't have to agonize over whether or not my move was half effective.
Overall: 24/42
Granted, a majority of the reason why I picked up this game was the PokeBank/RBY compatibility, which I greatly look forward to experimenting with in the next few months. I wouldn't recommend this game if you're looking for a very story driven time intensive game (I beat the story in 20 hours man), but for a casual time passer it hits the spot.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Expert Rock Climber, Boulderer Drowns in Foot of Water
Pathologists Baffled
Story: 2/7 (How central was the story to the game? Was the story unique and riveting? Did it add to overall enjoyment?)
Spoiler
The story is probably the weakest point to the game due to its convoluted nature and out-of-order flashback style. The game has 3 stories: The superstory (the sheikah, guardians, and calamity ganon- the 10,000 year old section), the flashback story (the story contained overall in the flashbacks), and the main story (boy wakes up from 100 year nap and defeats embodiment of demise). The main story was pretty empty to leave room for gameplay, the superstory is riveting but also isn't done enough justice- I mean, we still don't know where the game fits in the main storyline, though I'm sticking to my guns that it's downfall timeline. The flashback story was actively bad and I wish I hadn't decided to collect all the memories.
Spoiler
I'll give this one some bonus points, because even though I didn't particularly LIKE the characters, they were well developed (Robbie, Purah, the Champions...) and despite the voice acting and generally cringey dialogue I still liked certain aspects of the characters. Mipha is waifu
Spoiler
Getting off the Great Plateau was very rewarding to me. The beginning was challenging (very much so) but as you get more powerful defeating enemies becomes tedious rather than a puzzle. Having enemies respawn as a higher powered monster helped somewhat but silver enemies still aren't strong enough to be a difficulty, even in multiples. Lynels, on the other hand, have entirely too much HP and take way too long to defeat a single one. They have nice weapons though.
Spoiler
The art aesthetic is one of the high points of the game and it's strongly suggestive of a fusion of Wind Waker and Skyward Sword. Basically, I like. The overworld is well done, but it loses a point because Nintendo somehow still can't draw trees in more than two dimensions. (Confused at what I mean? Climb an evergreen tree and look around.)
Spoiler
The music is, for the most part, unmemorable, and for a game this large I expected a better soundtrack. Haters will list all the good songs. And I'll probably agree.
Spoiler
The gameplay is supposed to be the selling point of the game and for the most part, they did a very good job. Interaction with the environment is incredibly natural and well thought out. If you think you can do something, you probably can, and that's a good thing. Combat is the same way. For example, you can cut off Guardians' legs to stop them from moving around and kiting you. You can climb on the backs of Lynels and give them a good whipping from behind. On the flipside, there are a few areas that feel completely opposite. Why is Link such a weak swimmer? My 13 year old brother can tread water longer than he does. Weapons breaking (and having such a large multitude of weapons) makes that part of the game almost overwhelming: I want to use this really cool weapon, but it might break, so I'll save it for when I really need it. I want to pick up this really cool weapon, but I already have other weapons that I might need, so I'll debate for 5 minutes and probably end up leaving this weapon here. Blood moons respawning weapons helps this issue somewhat. There are more gameplay issues that can be fixed by buying the DLC (this DLC is stuff that we deserved for the main game tbh) so with the DLC it gains 1 gameplay point and loses 1 reward factor point for being too expensive.
I was expecting it to get a higher score than this, because despite its flaws it still has reasons to come back and play it. As a bonus I'm giving you the revamped Zelda Power Rankings with BotW included:
Spoiler
1. Wind Waker
Needs no explanation.
2. A Link to the Past
The SNES is fortunate in that its games all tend to age incredibly well. ALttP is no exception.
3. Skyward Sword
Sure, this game is linear almost to a fault, but if it wasn't, it would surpass ALttP. It plays with the environment and map layouts in ways that make going back to old places exciting. Replaying it only increases my enjoyment of it.
4. Link's Awakening
No explanation needed ;_;
5. Majora's Mask
Again, probably doesn't need explanation.
6. Minish Cap
This game was in my top 5 until it got knocked off by LA. MC has some of the best dungeons in the series. The game was limited by its overcrowdedness. Rewards just weren't that valuable since they required little effort.
7. A Link Between Worlds
If you make a game this similar to ALttP, it can't be terrible.
8. Ocarina of Time
OoT is typical. Games better than it are awesome, and games worse than it are still good, but these games just don't hold up to the shining examples above.
9. Legend of Zelda
Really, go play this, it's a great game.
10. Breath of the Wild
I just reviewed it.
11. Oracle of Ages
The oracle games are so similar from a gameplay perspective that it's hard to put one over the other. That being said...
11 +1/2. Oracle of Seasons
Nayru is hotter.
12. Triforce Heroes
Despite being such an odd game, it still carries a distinct zelda charm that saves it from being lower on this list.
13. Twilight Princess
An otherwise boring game is raised up by an epic dragon fight and Wolf Link.
14. Spirit Tracks
Despite its childish appearance, this game is difficult. I still haven't beaten Malladus. Most of the game's difficulty stems from the lack of a targeting system.
15. Phantom Hourglass
See above but in 240p.
16. Adventure of Link
This game is fun if you're into sadism, but for most of us the game is just obnoxious and repetitive. The downward stab is fantastic though.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
20% Bigger
Story: 6/7 (How central was the story to the game? Was the story unique and riveting? Did it add to overall enjoyment?)
Spoiler
While the main story only takes up 15-20 hours of gameplay, it's 15-20 of the best hours I spend. I've now replayed through the main story for the seventh time as of a couple days ago and while it's lost a lot of the original draw it's still a great story that I enjoy running through perpetually. For once I finally wish I could unplay a game to get that experience back the first time I played it. At times the dialogue was way too cheesy to handle, which brings it down a bit, but for the most part it's well done.
Spoiler
The character development is mostly relegated to the partner player, but throughout the course of the story, your partner really grows up and matures. When we first meet them they're an off-the-walls prankster who's always rushing headfirst into trouble, but after spending so much time with us the partner finally starts to slow down and make mature decisions. From the part where Beheeyem leads us to the Prehistoric Ruins to saving Nuzleaf and Yveltal, your partner makes difficult decisions without any help from Ampharos etc.
Spoiler
SO GOOD ENDING
Game isn't super difficult and I've always found PMD gameplay to be too tedious to be fun, so it's nice that you can cruise through the boring parts.
Spoiler
I've never played GTI, but I think they re-used everything from that. It looks pretty good though. There are some spots where the 3D doesn't line up quite right, but overall the 3D effect adds a lot to the cutscenes.
Spoiler
I still can't decide if Explorers or PSMD has a better soundtrack because for all the greatness that is the Explorers soundtrack there are quite a few gems from PSMD. Just head over to Bespinben's arrangement thread for a small sample of the soundtrack. There are also a few key tracks that play during important story moments that bring the atmosphere to the perfect setting.
Spoiler
As I've already said, I find this kind of gameplay tedious. Mostly because of having to constantly fight through waves of enemies who are, on average, stronger than you. If it wasn't for AI stupidity some parts of the game would be impossible (I'm looking at you, Ominous Wind Unburden Drifblim.) PSMD fixes a lot of the gameplay issues that were present in Explorers- as Nitro put it, you had to "unlock common sense" in Explorers, which often put your team in bad situations. I'm assuming a lot of these issues were also fixed in GTI though.
Despite having a great soundtrack and greater story, everything beyond that final battle is more of the same PMD stuff, which I'm not too interested in. Explorers took its postgame more seriously and that made it a lot more palatable. Still, PSMD was good enough to get me to buy Explorers of Sky on the eShop, and I'm considering purchasing Red Rescue Team and Gates to Infinity as well thanks to Altissimo's fine let's play of the former.
Top 8 Zelda Villians
Legend of Zelda has a lot of villains, antagonists, all around bad dudes (or dudettes), and terrors. So I'm going to share the 8 best and why they're the 8 best.
#8
Ganondorf [twilight princess, ocarina of time, wind waker]
Ganondorf is the leader of the Gerudo, and has had many incarnations throughout the series. Ocarina of Time is his origin, while his personality is greatly fleshed out in Wind Waker. He's ruthless, cunning, and holds the triforce of power. If you're looking for a classic fantasy villain, look no further.
#7
Agahnim [a link to the past]
Agahnim is the mysterious wizard who attempts to revive ganon. While he doesn't share much of his personal life, he's crazy strong and link has one heck of a time trying to defeat him.
#6
Yuga [a link between worlds]
Yuga is such a hilarious enemy. While his motivations are a bit obscured at first, getting through the game reveals his true colors...
And he's aware of his own theme song, that's ganondorf-tier.
#5
Shopkeeper [link's awakening]
He taught me a valuable lesson as a kid.
#4
Dark Link [adventure of link, ocarina of time, twilight princess, a link between worlds, four swords (or fsa, one of them has a dark link)]
Dark Link is a manifestation of Link's own negative side, meaning he literally has to defeat the evil within himself. If that's not enough to put dark link on this list, I don't know what is.
#3
Ghirahim [skyward sword]
Honestly, ghirahim hits all the high notes. He's like a fabulous fusion of ganondorf and yuga. Without spoiling anything, the end is a letdown, but man! Constantly underestimating link, overconfident, creepy, cold, ruthless, and prone to outbursts of anger. It's apparent his pride is his fatal flaw and that ironically makes this demon one of the most human villains in the series.
#2
Byrne [spirit tracks]
If you didn't expect Byrne to be on this list you should be ashamed of yourself. I don't think I have to say anything here except GO BYRNE!
And maybe what did you think was going to happen working with a demon chancellor?
#1
Vaati [minish cap, four swords/ adventures]
Vaati is in my opinion the second most iconic villain of the Zelda series, and the most underrated. I'd argue he's more powerful than ganon, and we get to see his origins in Minish Cap. I might get criticism for putting him at number 1, but I think he deserves it.
What do you think of this list? Ganondorf too low? Byrne too high? Suspicious lack of bellum? I screwed up dark link and shadow link? (Don't think I did)
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
More Rails Than Spirit Tracks
I make this record now, that posterity may know of the great battle between the Hero and the Demon; yet as I am weary with battle already I must rest and regain my strength. Despite the precarious situation I find myself in, I can't help but enjoy a cruel irony- if I fail, none will be left to witness. I must defeat Demise, for this land, for Skyloft, and for the people who call it home. For... Zelda...
Story- 7/7
Zelda games rarely need a well thought out story to be a home run, yet Skyward Sword has one of the best in the series. From the idyllic school days on skyloft to chasing after a friend to realizing your part to play in the grand scheme of things, the raw story is a classic one.
In a discussion of which Zelda storylines would make the best movies, skyward sword is certainly a contender. I like how important the character relationships and conflict are to the story, and that's a sign of success. If there's anything the story did wrong, I'd say there's a bit of tension between the natural urge to explore and the natural urge to further the story, and there's not really a good marker where you can set the story down for a bit to explore each area to the fullest. That's not much of an issue though as you naturally revisit older areas as part of the story, making backtracking organic and less of a chore.
Character Development-7/7
I just love the characters in skyward sword. Groose and his henchmen, link and Zelda themselves, many other less-than-side characters- they all progress throughout the game in a way that leaves you legitimately attached to them and interested in what they're up to. Pippit and Fledge are good examples of this.
There are also several character dynamics and relationships that change, especially in the realm of characters' interactions with link. A big part of this may be from the gratitude crystals, a sidequest award that leaves you feeling pretty empty until you see the sweet rewards in exchange for those crystals. Doesn't helping people feel great?
Reward Factor-4/7
While the battles themselves are very rewarding to partake in, the puzzles are middling headscratchers that sometimes are too simple and sometimes cause no end of grief because you overlooked a single detail. A few of the more challenging ones can also be trivialized with a basic reading ability. Not one of the game's strong points here, but the journey is where the fun's at in this case.
Art-6/7
So, apparently skyward sword is in 480p, a result of being on the back end of the Wii. That being said, the art style meshes so well that after about 10 minutes of playing I couldn't even account for the lower resolution anymore. Very well done here, and I think the art will help make this one of the timeless entries in the series.
Music-7/7
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Everything is perfect
Gameplay-7/7
Thank you for the most fun I have ever had wielding a bow. Seriously. Maybe I'm just a sucker for wiimote nunchuk controls, but they hit a sweet spot and skyward sword utilized gameplay to the max. Tons of fun unique items that stayed strangely relevant throughout the game. Also, skyward sword did something very few games do. The final battle with ghirahim brought a smile to my face. It was just plain fun. Difficulty level a non-factor, skyward sword has the most individual fun battles I've ever seen in a game and I think that goes unsaid a lot. I battled demise before writing this, but only had like 3 or 4 hearts and didn't make it past the lightning stage. It was a more fun battle than I remember, but it's ruined by just being worse than the battle immediately preceding it.
Overall-38/42 (did I count wrong? That seems high...)
Maybe I didn't play it enough in large bursts to pick up on what others dislike about it, because I enjoyed the ride. Top 5 Zelda games of all time, and I found myself comparing it to wind waker a lot, which is a good thing. At some point I'll review the behemoth itself, and I think it deserves a perfect score.
This has been a mobile review.
*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD. I ADVISE AVOIDING IF YOU INTEND TO PLAY THE GAME BELOW*
*but it's okay to click the spoiler on overall. That's safe.*
Doki Doki Literature Club
I Swear I'm Not a Weeb
The game that has been echoed throughout the discord chat. I ask, "Is it free to play?" And Brainy responds, "Yes." So I play it, having absolutely no idea what it is or what to expect, other than the fact that it seems really weeaboo-ish.
Story: 5/7
Spoiler
I enjoyed it. I took away the points because of how convoluted and nonlinear the story is meant to be, so if you don't mind the chore that is keeping multiple save files separate, feel free to put a 7 here. Myself I'll stick with running through it just the once, no save files. It's pretty thought-provoking, actually. The multiple metaphors wrapped in the game are clearly intentional.
Also, I took away the points because
[11:37 PM] Angry Penguin: hot take: monika is actually a psychopath and she killed sayori and is going to kill everyone else
predictable/7
Character Development: 6/7
Spoiler
Rather than actual development, you learn more about the characters slowly. I guess that way it's meant to hurt more when Monika talks about them so casually. Like "I hope you're not hung up about what happened to Sayori!" Which, not gonna lie, was pretty funny.
Reward factor: 5/7
Spoiler
Okay, so I got the Monika ending, which is what I was going for. Cause apparently if you're trying to get a date, you might as well get a date with the best one, right? So Monika sat there talking intermittently, and I was waiting for it to end. It didn't end. But she kept saying stupid stuff hinting towards deleting her character, which I absolutely didn't want to do, but apparently I can't end the game without doing it, so I went ahead and changed her character name into "sayori.chr", which has the same effect as deleting her. Finally, I got to the blessed credits scene, which made everything worth it. So even though there were some frustrating parts, it was rewarding to finally get to the actual ending. Which is actually a very good credits scene.
Art: 6/7
Spoiler
I can't judge this too heavily since I've got nothing really to compare to, but it looked alright to me.
Music: 3/7
Spoiler
I liked the credits theme fair enough, but the music was mostly cheery enough or erratic enough to make me keep the volume off.
Gameplay: 6/7
Spoiler
Sometimes, I felt bored out of my mind, and other times, I felt like I was playing a game of chess that would determine the outcome of the fate of the world. Obviously the gameplay of a visual novel is atypical of video games, but that doesn't mean it's not there. There are tons of decision trees that all have possible ramifications. Personally I was fine with just sticking to my guns and making the single choice, though given the context clues, I think you're supposed to keep a branch of all possible decisions.
Overall: 33/42
Spoiler
Doki Doki Literature Club is a unique game that deserves a shot regardless of your tastes. The developers put a lot of work into it, and it shows. I believe that in order to make a game the best version of itself, you have to cut out extraneous complexity, but DDLC just shovels in metaphors and everything to try and confuse you, er, I think that's what it's trying to do? It definitely wasn't at all what I expected from Doki Doki Literature Club, mostly because there was a large emphasis on poetry in particular. And the rhymes weren't even that good! Just because I'm never playing the game again doesn't mean I didn't like it or I think it's a bad game. I just don't think replaying it has anywhere near the same thrill that the first time through had. Maybe that means I'm not playing the game as it's meant to be played, but decisions have consequences and you ought to see those consequences out to the end.
Life: The Video Game
Story: 4/7 (How central was the story to the game? Was the story unique and riveting? Did it add to overall enjoyment?)
Spoiler
The story started off as fantastic. You're immediately introduced to interesting characters during your first night and day back home in Possum Springs. Little bits and pieces of town history worm their way into your mind as you explore and pick apart the town. Slight elements of sad history keep you on edge constantly up to the point where something finally happens- at Harfest you see a ghost, you think. Good friends stay by your side as you gather more information about the town's history, culminating in an eye-opening microfiche page that gives you so many missing pieces of the town's story. Unfortunately after a few more really creepy scenes the story is dropped down a mine shaft (to use an appropriate metaphor) and the conclusion leaves you... bored.
Spoiler
Mae comes back home to find that everything has changed, whether she likes it or not. Throughout the course of several days in Possum Springs, your interactions with different townspeople feel authentic and refreshing. The bonds of friendship are tested in the woods, as broken childhood friends reunite and new friendships are forged through seriously traumatic events.
Spoiler
Night in the Woods wasn't very difficult. I missed a few things here and there, but the story does a really good job of propelling you along that you don't want to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb. To have the story be so gripping yet so unfulfilling is a bit of a tragedy, really. Fix the conclusion and the reward factor doubles. I didn't feel any big rush of accomplishment as the game ended. Some slight confusion mixed with the aforementioned boredom.
Spoiler
The art was cute and I think they hit the nail on the head with whatever they were trying to go for. It all seems so innocent until the fog rolls in, then you're afraid to even walk forward.
Spoiler
I mean, I had the music turned up all the way and the sound effects way down, but nothing outside of the band practice sessions really *stood out* to me. The music was serviceable for most areas. I think a special mention for the dream sequences is deserved here, since the whole point of them is to find all the musicians and have them start playing. Many games have much better music, but what's there isn't terrible or hard to listen to. It's just there.
Spoiler
Exploring the town was so much fun and I would do it again if there was a mystery to be solved. I can't really say I was expecting a descent into madness, which is more or less what Night in the Woods amounted to, but they pulled that off well. Possum Springs does a good job of imitating a small town and that comes across in the gameplay, where things happen at a typical pace- construction lasts forever, blocking access to the bridge; a friend of your grandpa's sometimes shows up with stories about him; people genuinely have interesting things to say. The occasional break to rhythm game was fun too, but Demontower wasn't really my cup of tea. Reminds me of a steam game though. Night in the Woods' exploration is different than most types of exploration. Instead of physically exploring a space you're exploring less corporeal things in the town, if that makes sense.
actual spoilers
Seriously, what is up with the story? It was going so well, then you walk and walk some more and surprise it's the conservative bad guys. No mysteries here. I was expecting a lot more in that regard. The microfiche table had so many questions and answers that I wanted to make a conspiracy board. Having Satanic cultists is totally fine, except for when your reaction to them is "u guise r old ur opinion dosent matter anymore LUL". The entire game was hyping up these weird goings-on and suddenly, when it's most important, shifts gears to what appears to be some type of schizophrenia. Relateable.
If you're going to play Night in the Woods, realize that the main storyline means absolutely nothing and spoilers are insignificant. Nobody dies, Mae doesn't go to jail, doesn't even reap the consequences of her aggressive language. Overall I'd say the game isn't quite worth the $20, even with the additional 2 "games" that came along with it. Near the end of the main story Mae and her friends suddenly become obsessed with "Good" and "Bad" labels, calling each other extremely good people, even if they're... kind of not.
If Night in the Woods had focused on the mental confusion and social aspect in the early game it would have done well. If it had focused on the story and seen it through to the end, it would have done well. Instead it gets stuck in this half-state where it's trying to do too much and not succeeding at any of it. So much untapped potential for Night in the Woods, it's really just a shame. If it ever goes on sale for like 30% off or something it's probably worth picking up at that point.
Well, Part of it, Anyway
Story: 5/7 (How central was the story to the game? Was the story unique and riveting? Did it add to overall enjoyment?)
Spoiler
The story is simple and to the point, and adds a lot of nuance through Susie's character progression (more on that later). I can only imagine where the story is going from here (or maybe I don't have to because that end of chapter scene was quite something) but if we take Chapter 1 to be its own story (and disregard that cliffhanger cause whew-ee) I think it did fairly well. I felt some element of being propelled thanks to story suspense, but it may have been because there's only one way to go. :v
Spoiler
Chapter 1 focuses almost fully on Susie and her progression as a person throughout the chapter. Well, that's not entirely accurate, since it's just a softer side of her that she allows to show after time. To be honest, I didn't really like Susie much at first. I think there are better ways to put on a tough guy facade than to eat chalk. You could also argue Lancer has some character progression, but I don't think he's actually learned anything. Personally I suspect that an eventual return to the dark world will see Lancer more mature and potentially antagonistic toward Kris, but for now I think from beginning to end he's just a spoiled kid with a bit of a moral compass who also likes to have fun.
Spoiler
The king was... pretty hard. I died to him the first time and took a break, but when I came back it was a bit easier for me and I was able to beat him. I wouldn't say getting through certain parts of the game felt rewarding, but there was definitely a visceral relief as I made it back to the over world. Exploring the overworld itself was pretty fun, and reminded me much more of EarthBound than Undertale ever did. In fact, I would enjoy the game much more if it allowed for more over world movement in the future. In that vein it's similar to Night in the Woods, where exploration is tied to character interaction and there's a bit less physical exploration.
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No. Everything looks blended together in MS Paint. Look, I'm not saying I could do better, cause I can't. I'm saying that you could definitely make the art in this game look more palatable to the eye. Sure, he's got this signature style or whatever, but if your signature style is ugly I think you should find a better one. As far as art promoting environment, I don't think that was very effective either. Sure you have this games cabinet them going on but it's pretty arbitrary up until the end. At which point it's just confusing.
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OH THANK HEAVENS. It's SOOOO much better than Undertale. There were several pieces where I found myself jamming along despite myself. The pieces that I don't find enjoyable still service their environment- shoutout to Lancer's theme, for really getting the point across that he's a lil dillweed. The battle theme was... a short battle theme... but fortunately the time spent battling was relatively short, so that's "less of the bad stuff", as far as RPGs go.
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I would say this is where my major complaints with the game come in. DELTARUNE carries the "don't kill anyone" schtick over from Undertale, though I'm told it doesn't matter whether or not you kill/spare everyone, which is definitely a mark up from that. The game takes the time to set up this overly complex battle system (similar to how they made chrono trigger's battle system needlessly complex) and you're constantly told not to use any of it- sparing enemies is simple and repetitive, and while I'm glad they have overworld sprite representations, I really wish they didn't respawn on map change if they aren't going to give you any actual XP. Deltarune desperately needs a level up system, something to make the harder fights a little bit easier if you're willing to put in the effort. Leveling up can be (and often is) done wrong, but it can have a purpose to allow people to progress through the game regardless of skill. Skilled bullet heck players will be able to move through the game faster than someone who needs to sit and grind a few enemies on repeat for an hour or so, but then everyone gets the opportunity to finish the game.
Overall, Deltarune gets an average score. It does some things well, but it does some things poorly, and that averages out to a game that can be enjoyed by people looking for one thing and hated by people interested in something else. It's also full of signature Toby Fox witticism and humor, which is also polarizing in my opinion. The best thing I can say about it is that it's a much more enjoyable and bearable game than Undertale, and I'm considering purchasing future Chapters on Nintendo Switch. As a bonus (and totally not a self-plug), here:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/388035206
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/388191843
My full deltarune experience is recorded within these two videos, sandwiched between a terrible Super Mario Odyssey speedrun and some mediocre splatoon gameplay.