It’s been a while since I’ve played a true visual novel. By that, I mean a game that’s entirely text-based with no choices to make. There is something kind of nice about a title that has its own story to tell and just wants to do that, with the only deviation being who you want
I’m a sucker for a good narrative adventure game, especially if it has a compelling story to tell. However, not all games within this genre are created equal, and titles like South of the Circle make this quite clear. That isn’t to say I had a bad experience during my playthrough, but suffice it to
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you added ghosts to a game like Stardew Valley? More specifically, if you used a backdrop like the one found in the movie Spirited Away (the whole bathhouse for ghosts part) and coupled it with typical life sim elements? This just about sums up Spirittea, a new
The last time I wrote a review for an otome game, I couldn’t help but point out how childish the genre’s usual tropes felt from the perspective of an older player. The satisfaction I craved from that particular story never came because I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t the intended audience. This never
My boyfriend often asks me why I am such a huge fan of life-simulation games. My response is usually something like, “they’re cute,” or “I find them relaxing.” While both of these answers are true, I think what I like most about this genre is how addicting it can be when done right. I actually
Growing up in the 2000s has made me an expert on vampires. Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, you name it. I was glued to my TV trying to imagine what it would be like to live in a fang-filled world and I wrote down every detail to prepare myself. Needless to say, I never
There is nothing sadder than waiting almost a decade for a game, just to be disappointed by it. I still remember how excited I was when Rune Factory 5 was first announced. On the one hand, it was scary to think back on all the hours I poured into Rune Factory 4, but the anticipation
Is anyone else tired of some modern games not being able to put forth clear narratives? I recently experienced this with The Good Life, SWERY’s newest title, and now find myself in the same boat with The VII Enigma, a character-driven sci-fi mystery visual novel developed and published on PC via Steam by Spire Games.
One of the perks of being a game reviewer is learning about upcoming games that may be easy to miss. Sometimes, these hidden gems can provide more entertainment than big named titles, and when that happens it’s ALWAYS the best feeling. I recently had this experience with Arcadia Fallen, a modern fantasy visual novel developed
I’d like to think that given my long stint as a gamer, I have experienced everything that video games have to offer. However, there are times when I am made to realize that is not the case. Unfortunately, those experiences aren’t always positive, as is the case with The Good Life, an RPG adventure game
Have you ever wanted to like an experience, particularly one that would normally check all your boxes, but couldn’t bring yourself to do it? This is exactly how I felt while playing A Juggler’s Tale.
Despite their increasing popularity, I am not a fan of mobile games. Maybe it sounds elitist, but I think there’s just something more enticing about playing games on the big screen and being able to see the worlds crafted by game developers in their full glory. That’s why I was really happy when Witch Spring
I have to admit that it’s a great time to be an otome fan. I remember when the only source of otome games available in the west were either fan-translated ports or very questionable-looking games on sites like Newgrounds. We now get new otome releases almost every year, and as a long-time player of dating
Given that it’s still a relatively new system, I have been anxiously awaiting more games for the PlayStation 5. Scarlet Nexus was one of my most anticipated titles, as it was supposed to scratch that modern JRPG itch that I’ve felt for a while now. In a lot of ways, the game definitely delivered and
This year Ubisoft had some new and familiar faces making an appearance at their E3 press conference. Here’s everything that was shown during their presentation.
While I am not an expert on the intricacies of game development, I have noticed that video games put out by indie developers tend to take some rather unique routes and even introduce new concepts. It is one of my favorite things about the genre because it truly feels like developers have been able to
As one of gaming’s oldest genres, puzzle games are a dime a dozen. Despite that, I find myself excited when a new one is released. The reason being that because there are so many to choose from, developers are forced to either get extremely creative with their presentation or risk falling into obscurity.
The popularity of farming simulators has increased in recent years. This is probably due to games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing becoming successful all over the world. At first, I struggled to understand why doing manual labor on a virtual farm was appealing, but the more I dove into the vibrant world of the
It’s safe to assume that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit us all pretty hard, especially when it comes to developing our relationships with other people. So imagine my surprise when I found out that the developers over at Serenity Forge had decided to make a game based on this exact premise.
Gods Will Gall, the single-player hack and slash, dungeon crawler, dark fantasy action-RPG developed by Clever Beans, was first brought to my attention at an event I attended in late 2020. At that time, I remember thinking that if the game could deliver on the promises made by its creators, it would be a very
