End of July Update!

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a choice-driven visual novel with lots of singing.

I loooove a good musical. I bought this game for the word "musical" alone. Although I appreciate the ambition the game had, the execution just didn't land for me.

The story was the most interesting part of the game. The beginning is a great setup, and it pulls you into this mystery that you feel the urgency and the curiosity to solve. The art style and the voice acting are also great, and the singing voices are not perfect - but perfectly imperfect. As someone would sound if they were forced into song while not a trained singer. (forced in game - not by developers lol)

The game starts to miss the mark for me when getting to know the characters. The gods specifically. Most of the gods were a little too one-note or unlikable. I'm sure it's by design. They all have specific issues to resolve, and you can help them resolve them. Even afterwards, there was no chance to see the growth or depth the characters had. I was forcing myself to talk to each character, even when I wasn't interested.

Some of the gods had really fascinating backstories, but none of it was explored after providing motive for their actions. I didn't branch out and explore other paths, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I hate being overly negative about a genuinely solid and well-made game, but I just want to say my last problem. I didn't love the music. :(

I really enjoyed the opening of the game. The song gave us a good introduction to the main protagonist's state of mind. The introduction of the other character was perfect. The tone, everything. The rest of the music just didn't keep the same consistency.

Every song fit the exact situation at hand, but none were memorable or catchy enough to listen to outside of that very specific moment the song was addressing. In the game's defense, the developers had to keep in mind the dialogue options and choices you may pick, so every song is a little unique. I totally understand the songs not being perfect or narratively tight, but I honestly can't remember any song past the opening number.

Music and writing are subjective. This is a solid game. It's impressively well done, even if it didn't land for me. It gives you fun choices that have creative dialogue choices and some branching paths in the story. Every voice actor does a great job, and it's nice to hear some imperfect but passionate singing. The mystery was the best part. Personally, I'd recommend this on sale, but not at full price.

To The Moon: A Beach Episode is the fifth game in the To The Moon series. Like the others, this one is an emotional story-driven rpg-maker game.

A Beach Episode is short and sweet. It follows Neil, Eva and other members of the sigmund group as they take a vacation to a beach resort! I'm not going to spoil anything about this, but if you enjoyed the other To The Moon games, you'll enjoy this. It has charm, good writing, and its the perfect length. The ending was a perfect conclusion to the series and yet it made me want more - in the best way possible.

I only recommend this game if you've played the other games. Only because its a little confusing otherwise. Maybe just the first game and then Imposter factory. It has nice easter eggs for the others but they aren't as important.

It's a short 2 hours, but I still recommend it full price. they stepped up the animation and it looks and runs great for a little rpg-maker game. Plus, it continues and concludes the series nicely. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

It's retro Gamecube time! This is a different kind of Pokemon game. In Pokemon Channel, Professor Oak sends you a television to test out the new Pokemon broadcast network. While you are watching this awesome new program, a curious Pikachu comes by your window to pay you a visit.

The game mainly consists of you unlocking and watching new channels while also gaining the trust of your new friend. Pikachu starts very distrustful and wary but will slowly become more attached to you.

As for the TV, channels will unlock as you watch them and interact with Pikachu. Some channels have little cartoons or shows you can watch. Others can be interacted with. Such as guessing answers on the quiz show or buying stuff for the house on the shopping network. Your Pikachu will also interact with the TV and other items around the house. There are fun items you can collect, such as Pokemon cards or plushes.

You can also unlock areas outside that allow you to see other Pokemon and interact with different outside objects with your Pikachu.

This game is very casual. It's the ultimate relaxation game, but there isn't much to do. Still, this game was like a warm hug in childhood. I remember being bullied in school and immediately coming home to draw pictures with my Pikachu. As an adult, it's not as entertaining. The lack of content can be boring. Those who need a lot of substance in games will be underwhelmed.

Still, turning on the GameCube on a rainy day and watching some virtual TV with your Pikachu brings you back to a simpler time in life.

(US) Pricecharting Prices for Pokemon Channel:

$33 - No case

$90 - With case

$278 - NEW

Do I recommend Pokemon Channel for these prices? No. If you can play by other means, I definitely recommend checking it out; it's very cute.