End of May Update!

Side Note: I started with the original Death Stranding and then switched to the Directors Cut. The hours played are a combination of the two. My review will also be of both versions combined instead of talking about each separately. Although I do recommend paying the extra 10 dollars to upgrade to the director's cut since they added a lot of fantastic additions and changes to the game. Alright, moving on. 

Death Stranding is a Hideo Kojima game about an apocalypse and the people in it trying to figure it out and rebuild the world, one delivery at a time. There is obviously so much story in the game that I wouldn't be able to sum it up. There are over 7 hours of cutscenes, with one cutscene lasting around 31 minutes. Point is, if you don't like cutscenes or story-heavy games, then this may not be for you. The story is beautiful, weird, unsettling, and unique, but it is definitely not for everyone. 

Another part of the game that is not for everyone is the gameplay. Death Stranding consists mostly of delivering packages with the occasional combat. You start off with nothing, and as you play, you get more gear, more tech, better abilities, and more fun. This is a strange comparison, but it reminds me of Kingdom Come Deliverance. The only similarity being that you start off as a nobody with nothing to your name and slowly gain a reputation, which leads to you obtaining more things to make the journey more fun. If I were to explain the gameplay, it mostly consists of walking, driving, delivering, building, and fighting.

The story starts off slow and is very cutscene-heavy. You are thrown into this fascinating world with lots of questions. The first few hours are very slow and tedious. These are the moments when people are usually turned off by the game. For me, the slow build made things more exciting, but I 100% understand why so many people stopped playing at the beginning. You have to get past 3 chapters and several hours before the game starts picking up. 

To name some things I loved about Death Stranding, I loved the soundtrack, the connection to other players, and the freedom to strategize and play the game how I want to. I'll try to be as vague and spoiler free as possible. Throughout the game, you can interact with other players in several different ways. You can't actually see or talk to the players, but what you do in the world will affect them, and vice versa. It fits both thematically and adds a unique element to the game. Even more unique than if you could just be there with the other players.

The soundtrack is also fantastic. Kojima features artists that are not as well-known or mainstream. A few different songs are original to the game, and playing the soundtrack while delivering is such a vibe. I'm someone who suffers from pretty bad anxiety, and the soundtrack (the whole game, really) has been incredibly helpful in helping me relax. The game gives you the freedom to choose which deliveries to pick up, which path to take, what to build, how to traverse the world, and when you want to move on or not. 

Personally, I give this game a 10/10 because it puts me in a good mood and hits the right buttons for me. It does have its faults, so I am giving it a 8/10 just because dropping it even lower would make me sad. It's a fascinating experience, but it's absolutely not for everyone. It's such a niche game that I would suggest playing a demo, watching gameplay, or talking to people who have played it to see if it's your thing. 

Tell Me Why is a choice-driven story game from the creators of Life is Strange. You play as two different twins who are trying to solve a mystery involving the night of their mother's death. This game has two familiar qualities from recent Dontnod games. Young characters with superpowers and LGBTQ representation. In Tell Me Why, one of the playable characters is Tyler Ronan. Tyler is transgender, and he and his sister Alyson have twin telepathy. This lets them talk to each other internally but also helps them relive their former memories. Reuniting for the first time in years, Tyler and Alyson use their powers to solve the mystery surrounding the night their mother died.

First, I will talk about what I liked about the game. The story is heartfelt. You can tell the developers and writers put care into the narrative they were telling. The LGBTQ characters were nicely represented, and you felt for the struggles each character was going through. I appreciate that Dontnod has made games that people can relate to. This didn't feel like a game that was made to sell a bunch of copies or appeal to a mass audience. It seemed like a passion project from the developers to us. It's also a nice story about sibling relationships. The siblings care about and protect each other while also getting to know each other after years of separation.

Now for the things I didn't like. The game felt very slow. So slow that I almost quit playing a couple times. Where other games like Death Stranding  or Life is Strange hooked me with their engaging stories or tough choices, Tell Me Why is very linear and kind of boring. I love story-heavy games like Life is Strange, Beyond Two Souls, The Walking Dead, etc. The problem with Tell Me Why is that the choices weren't that tough to make, and the story wasn't very exciting. The mystery of the mom is interesting, but most of the game is about the twins trying to recover their memories, and that just isn't as exciting of a concept.

Overall, I give this an average score of 5/10. These story-driven choice games are very similar to movies. Some people will hate this game, and others will love it. If you normally like this type of game then I recommend watching some gameplay videos to see if this one is for you.

Oh no, Sonic is dead! It is a murder mystery train, so it's alright… right?

Who Killed Sonic The Hedgehog is a free visual novel game that was released on April Fool's Day. It features a whole cast of Sonic characters who are playing a murder mystery game to celebrate Amy's birthday. After Sonic's body is found, it's up to you and Tails to find the culprit! 

I never thought I'd play a game of Murder on the Orient Express featuring Sonic characters, but here we are. 
I love how weird this concept is, and I think this game is delightful. The art is very cute, and the characters perfectly represented their personalities from previous Sonic installments. 
It is a visual novel, so the gameplay is simple. Mostly reading and pointing at objects around the room. There is also a little Sonic minigame every time you want to solve a mystery. Your character is helping Tails by questioning suspects and piecing together the evidence to find the killer. It's really simple, and anyone of all ages could play, excluding the slightly dark subject matter. 

The game is about two hours long depending on how fast or slow you read. I think this game was written more for people who know these Sonic characters than for newcomers, but both would enjoy it, I think. There were a couple characters I've never seen before playing, but overall, it was a great experience. 

 I recommend this. It's free, it's fun, it gives off ace attorney vibes, and the art style is so cute.