March 2020 Business as Usual
Not a particularly great VN, but it is relatively simple and short with a small twist at the end. You are typical otaku who quit school after a “harsh” rejection. One day after buying your favorite lewdy video game, you run into a naked girl who is in panic by the fact that she is naked. You eventually take her in and a relationship of sorts (depending on your choices) forms.
…It really is that basic and with its relatively uninspiring story and premise, I would have thought this was free to play. Perhaps it’s the potential lewd content that we are paying for? Hm… meh.
As I said, it’s not bad, just not particularly interesting or innovative.
Recommendation? Not really, maybe for the equivalent of $1.
Lewd? Kinda. A lot more implying lewd than actual lewd besides a few basic nudie scenes.
The long-anticipated sequel that reinvented and modernized RIP AND TEAR! The latest installment in the DOOM series not only confirms that it is connected and a continuation of all the previous games, but also improves on everything that came before it.
Movement has not only become essential, but amazing as you now have the ability to dash twice (either ground or air) and can now leap from bars to increase your mobility while destroying the demons in your path. A lower ammunition count has you utilizing your full arsenal giving the game a decent difficulty increase without particularly going down the path of making bullet sponge enemies. This also forced the need to use the chainsaw in order to refuel ammo supplies. I didn’t mind this too much other than having to deal with a specific enemy, and I will get to that in a second. As well, each weapon has its own particular perk against certain enemies. For example, you can now throw grenades into the mouth of a Cacodemon and it will automatically stagger (unfortunately it has a cartoony ‘gulp’ sound effect) or to more easily destroy a part on an enemy.
Enemies as a whole were enjoyable and recreating enemies from DOOM II were generally given abilities for the better. Its where new enemies came in that there were particular issues. Tentacles that pop out of select areas on the ground require a face (imagine the tentacle having a face) full of buck and only pop out when you are within range with barely amount of time to dash away (if the surrounding area allots that). The Marauder came out to be this badass enemy, that very quickly turned into an annoying fight as he has a impenetrable shield and the only real way to deal consistent damage is by attacking him during a very specific windup. This not only interrupts the natural flow of the games fast pace freedom and is generally unenjoyable. Other than that, most enemies had their own interesting play to add to the various arenas, with the slight downside of some of them not being as intimidating as they once were.
The Soundtrack is great as always and provided suitable and fitting background music to your environment and obstacles.
The story has quite a bit more lore as it is firmly and officially inserting itself and it’s prequel into the DOOM timeline. The biggest problem with story is that it skips several years between DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal where much has changed and they don’t really explain what happens between then and now. You can find some documentation of events that have happened during that time, but it doesn’t seem satisfying. On the other hand, it is a fact you can get over quickly as you get into the action.
Recommendation? Overall Yes, the fast-paced shooter with a good balance of difficulty and badassery give a great thrill. This is particularly great if you are a fan of the series, FPS, and don’t mind the limited ammo count (which seems to be the more common issue that people have with the game).
Lewd? No, no need for lewd. Only Rip… and Tear.
There isn’t too much to play of this currently as there is no single play, limited player base, and matches you join will often require you to download an excessive amount of assets to download.
A sort of cut episode and justly so as having it integrated seemed out of place and kind of random at that. Essentially the combine has a constant artillery strike against a town on the coast. Your task is to stop the artillery fire before you can move on with your mission. There isn’t too much to say about this other than that it is short and generally more Half Life 2 without really adding a whole lot. There is a commentary mode, where you can activate commentary icons to find out what they have to say about this level and generally making the game. I wasn’t particularly interested, nor did I feel like standing around to listen to some small random fact about this whatever of a level.
Recommendation? I mean… I’m pretty sure it just comes with Half Life 2, so I can’t really recommend against it as it is just more Half Life 2.
Lewd? Nothing past some nude headcrabs ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
A surprisingly decent VN coming from Dharker studios. The writing was decent with good visuals and a not entirely terrible premise that they often run themselves into. You are a woman manager who runs a lingerie shop. Due to a recent event you need to hire help to run it. Enter the three, potential, love interests. Three beautiful women who, for one reason or another, wish to apply for the job. The issue comes that you can only choose one, and depending on how you communicate with them decides how well the worker you chose fits the position. This is also one of the few Dharker studios games where someone (either you or your “party”) are actively trying to get in your pants. To put it better, you are generally just getting to know these girls as you make decisions on what to say and have them do at their job. True enough you have temptation thoughts, but that isn’t entirely out of reason for your average person in this situation. Not to mention even the protagonist tries to wipe away such thoughts, fully knowing her professional role and social standards. Overall, I was kind of impressed with this game and its writing and visuals.
Recommendation? Yes, it may not have the most exciting story, but it was one where I didn’t feel the want to skip through it all as soon as possible.
Lewd? Very much so. A fair bit of lewdy, strictly, women scenes and variety.
Biolapse Map
Alright, so despite getting all the achievements prior, Tripwire studio decided to release another bit of content to make me get just a few more. Biolapse is another map where it’s a bunch of small maps that you travel randomly between once you complete a wave. The bigger issue is the fact that it consists of mostly one to two small rooms. This never seems to be enjoyable and adds an uninteresting amount of difficulty as you don’t have much option for movement.
Either way, it is done and dusted and %100 again. Hopefully it stays that way.
Recommended? Not this map in particular.
Lewd? Nyet.
Side scrolling, Rogue-lite, SoulsBorne inspired game. You make your way through a series of levels that are generated differently every time with various drops and weapons/abilities/items to switch out to better your journey to face the king. As you defeat enemies and quickly make your way through levels you gain a special currency to use towards items/abilities to be added to the pool of drops and shops. Mastering the dodge, weapons, as well as combinations of abilities and items will help you as you will face relatively difficult enemies and boss battles. Once done with the main line, you are able to adjust the difficulty to not only do it again, but to face greater challenges ahead. The most offsetting bit of this game is the sort of humor that kind of just gets thrown in there. It doesn’t fit very well and seems a bit forced. A lot of the humor is interaction based, so you won’t have to face it more than you choose to.
Recommendation? Yes, fans of rogue-lite and Souls/Borne game will feel familiar settings and gameplay.
Lewd? Not even once.
To be honest… I didn’t think I would actually beat this game. A simple concept of going down a well proved challenging as you have a gun strapped to your boot and must destroy or avoid enemies on your way down. You have the option of stomping on them if they are safe to touch, which in return restores your ammo, or destroy them with your shooty booty. Either way, doing so will increase your combo counter until you touch a solid surface. A higher combo means better rewards, being more money, bigger ammo capacity, and health. This not only promotes strategy of when and how long to hold a combo, but also getting good enough to do this as you are falling through the various enemies and traps that lay below. There are 4 main areas in total, excluding the final fight, each have their own distinguished design, music, and enemy types that lay in your path. The transition between levels give you a randomized pool of upgrades to choose from which can make or break your run depending on your level of skill. As well as you go down, there are time stop rooms that will not interrupt your combo for landing, stops all enemies in their tracks, and either provides a money crystal or change in gun type with a health or capacity bonus for the rest of the run.
With all that information, this is actually quite a difficult game, and after many (many) runs only beat the game once.
Recommendation? Not for everyone as it can prove to be frustrating and maybe a little too simple in concept. However I do recommend it for a healthy challenge.
Lewd? Though you appear to be naked as you are all one color, there doesn’t seem to be anything past that. At least you have boots on.
FINALLY! After many years and several playthroughs of losing data on memory cards, not having a memory card at all, or having my PS2 laser die on me… I have finally been able to beat this game. Despite having to replay the beginning several times without actually making progress… it was worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story as well as all the characters that I had learned about by playing every other spin off Final Fantasy VII game besides the original (You are my boy, Zack). Though a major plot twist was already spoiled to me long ago, I was still surprised about all the other ones I found along the way. I also liked the combination of serious story telling while still being able to ease in the potential of silly dialogue or events. kiss King Dragon.
The combat holds pretty well for JRPG standards and most of the cast is likable and had to decide who to use as my main team. Though I started with Cloud, Aeris, and Tifa, my team eventually changed to gun only partners with Cloud, Barret, and Vincent.
The greater downsides to the game are more due to its age, among a few underwhelming or boring characters. Firstly, yes, the graphics are old and as about polygon as they get without being straight colorless shapes. Second, trying to pace the last point of no return was difficult as I got carried away with the story and wasn’t able to grind out in order to face the more difficult side quests. Though doing so would cause an issue of making the final boss far too easy considering how powerful you must be to face the Weapons. Third, grinding is a thing, and it’s not particularly been smoothed out at that day and age, nor is there a way to continue the world after or reset to a safe point without an alternate save.
Another downside is that some of your cast… just isn’t that interesting or good. Vincent for example has terrible Limit Breaks (ultimate attacks/forms) which render him uncontrollable once you use them. This goes for a few other characters, or their character just isn’t interesting as a whole.
I do plan to play through the game again and again with an ever changing main team and finally breed the ultimate chocobo, buuuuuuut FFVII Remake comes out soon and that will likely hold my attention for a while.
Recommendation? The graphics and battle system are a bit dated, but anyone able to get past that will be able to enjoy an iconic story and game in RPG history. I don’t believe it to be the best, but pretty damn good.
Lewd? Hmmm, maybe for trap Cloud and a tub full of muscle men ;3
With Half Life: Alyx having released that month, I decided to take some time to actually play the sequel to the beloved PC game Half Life. I had my issues with Half Life 1 and was hoping to see some improvements… and I did… I also saw some issues as well.
Overall, it takes place after Half Life 1 and you find yourself in quite the dystopia with the Combine controlling humanity. Though your efforts were not in vain and you are revered as a savior, Gordon Freeman. Combat is still fairly consistent, as well as general level design (if not better)… until you get to the ever so long airboat section. Still ever level felt generally necessary and never had the feeling “is this over yet?” (again omitting the airboat). Though I did have some issue where every chapter felt like, “Hey here’s this new mechanic/weapon/mission type. Do this for every encounter and then never again after that”.
The story telling has improved greatly, and the dialogue is great. The great downside for me (omitting the airboat) was character… more specifically Alyx. They really forced her in as a love interest, and she’s alright, but she doesn’t really do anything other than serve as a way to tell the story since we play the ever mute Gordan Freeman. Even the actions she does, likely could have been handled by our smart crowbar-wielding scientist. My dislike of her only grew in Episode 1, but we’ll get to that in the right place at the wrong time.
Recommendation? Yes! Quite enjoyable, and still stands pretty well compared it it’s prequel.
Lewd? Nope, but watch out for that crowbar flying at you from down the hall…
It’s more Half Life 2, but this time you are handcuffed to Alyx who insists on believing she is helping all the while being in constant danger to the world around you. Probably my least favorite entry to the Half Life 2: Episodes as it just doesn’t feel all that great and levels are not terribly interesting.
Recommendation? I mean yes, only to proceed to the much better episode.
Lewd? Not a once.
More Half Life 2… but we are finally free of Alyx. What’s better? We get a kick ass Vortigaunt sidekick for quite a bit of it as well. The levels were interesting, challenging enemies, and a thrilling final fight. Can’t say much more than a great Episode for the second installment of the series.
Recommendation? Very much yes.
Lewd? Nope, but protect your gnome
After so many years, there is finally another Half Life game. This time you are Alyx Vance, my previously detested character of the series and it’s in VR. Certainly a bold move to go to a technology that is still very much in it’s infancy (it also questions if this is something they plan to continue supporting), but they handled it quite well and showed how VR technology could be a little bit more matured and smooth. Being able to draw on surfaces, gravity pull items from the ground, and a mix of enjoyable gunplay and reloading made for a rather pleasant experience. Unlike most VR games, this was actually quite long. I believe my initial run took me about 9ish hours when most other VR give me 1 or 2.
I’ll have to admit, Alyx grew on me a little more this time around. Maybe it’s because I was in control of her actions and so it felt like she did more than be a potential mission failure was nice. Her dialogue was also fitting of the Half Life universe and her character.
Recommendation? I wouldn’t necessarily go out and buy a VR just for this game, but if you already have one, definitely a worthy title to add to your VR collection.
Lewd? Nothing outside of the combination of a marker, a flat glass surface, and your imagination.
Halo Combat Evolved
We are back, but this time outside of reach. Halo Combat Evolved is the original Halo that started it all. As it being the first, it has many issues. The campaign is easily one of my least favorite of the series as most of the levels re use rooms and hallways to an excessive extent. This gets to the point where the only way you can tell you are going the right way is by the either still living enemies or the corpses you use to to breadcrumb your way through. The level design in general isn’t great. Often you find yourself in an open hallway, no cover and a pack of enemies waiting for you. This might not be an issue on most difficulties but does not provide much strategic play.
The more unique thing with this game is that at a push of a button, you can switch between the original graphics as well as the remastered. Using remastered graphics can cause issues as objects that have bigger more shapely sizes in the original can block shots in what appears to be the open spaces in the remastered. As well, remastered option gives you the ability to find these terminals that give cinematic lore snippets. This does have a downside as it does not pause the game, and enemies can still kill you while you are watching.
The multiplayer aspect leaves a weird taste in the mouth. As it was the first multiplayer of the series, it undoubtedly had kinks. Boy… is it bad, but it’s the sort of bad that made it fun. Fun, because it didn’t really feel bad if you did poorly, because it just didn’t feel it mattered as much.
Recommendation? Overall yes, the game set what is known to be a great and unique series, highly revered to this day.
Lewd? Aside from the snarky data covered nude AI you carry in your head for most of the game… nope.
Puzzle game that throws you into the objective of saving the suns. You must collect solar energy orbs and shoot them into the nearby sun(s). Doing that all the while trying not to run out of fuel, heat shield, or being blown up by various objects. Each mission gives a potential three stars, though it is quite difficult as you need to meet either a time, fuel usage, or shield consumption criteria which knowledge of the map and the ability to use precise movements with the games physics in order to get the three star.
Recommendation? Eh, the game is okay, but never really felt satisfied by completing any of the levels. So… a hard maybe.
Lewd? It may get hot, but not lewd.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
I finally took the time to get back into this game, beat the final main dungeon and face off against Calamity Ganon. This game receives a lot of praise, and I’ll admit I did enjoy it. It is solid. However, I don’t believe it to be as great as many pushes it to be. Yes, it is very open, being able to climb everything is interesting, and the wide variety of weapons that can break provides a situation we don’t’ really face quite the same in the previous entries. However, just because it is big doesn’t mean it didn’t feel empty. Finding 900 pinecones (korok seeds) doesn’t warrant all the empty space that I felt was there. The large number of small shrines doesn’t warrant the main dungeons lack of substance. Further the combat system doesn’t warrant the absolute bore of boss battles that the game provided. The boss battles felt they required very little skill and were barely unique besides the one element they reside with. Furthermore, the last boss battle is a joke if you complete the story as you are supposed to, as it reduces his health by half and provides just as much difficulty as the bosses before him. This makes me feel like I should just run up to the final fight (which you can) from the start of the game and fight him then to at least enjoy the fight a little more. Again, it is a good game, but as far as my rating is concerned it does not meet the hype and praise that people give it.
Recommendation? Yes
Lewd? No, but Zelda does ask you to eat her frog. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Thanks, enjoyed reading your short reviews. But I think you meant DOOM 2016 in your review, not 2014 :P
Did you waited for post credits scene in Half-life Alyx? And what did you think of the ending?
Also I’m glad you played original FF7. I haven’t played it myself but I know about the ending and overall story. I also saw some leaked cutscenes from remake while watching my favorite streamer who also grew up with FF7 and let’s just say that it looks like the developers nowadays don’t like it when stories have consequences… But maybe those were some scrapped story parts or w/e who knows :)
Ah yes, thank you for pointing that out. Pretty sure I had both DOOM 4 and DOOM 2016 in my head and in accident combined them both.
Yes! I did wait until after the credits and is in part why I am curious if they will continue to feature VR technology as their base for future games. Being handed the crowbar, though more largely, is a teaser for Half-Life 3, but also gives me a strong sense that it might also be VR.
I’m interested to see what you mean about “don’t like it when stories have consequences.” I’m very near the end, most clearing up side missions, but when I post my review for next month I would like to discuss this with you and see what those exactly were.
Glad you enjoyed reading them and hope you have a well
20142020 year! ^_^Whether valve sticks to VR is dependent on the success of Half-Life: Alyx, they said so themselves I think. Not sure how well it sold tbh, But it did really well with critics and players so we’ll see. Personally I really didn’t liked the ending and “cancelling” of Eli death, feels like they picked a lazy route.
I played neither original nor remake of FF7, so I’m probably not the best to discuss story of this game. It just looked like they changed ending of one character.
I agree that it felt like a cop out. Either they wrote themselves into a corner, or realized Eli was just better than Alyx and they couldn’t kill him off. The issue I think they should find themselves in is that VR is still so new. No one wants to throw another $300 minimum to their computer just to play a few of the decent games that exist yet. So I doubt the VR revolution is upon us, but perhaps Valve will push it hard enough.
Ah, I see. It’s a shame. I had finished the game, and there were some changes, but I don’t know I’d go as far to say that there were no consequences. To be honest though, I’m not sure how much this characters survival will affect anything either. We shall see when we get the next episode.