Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Review)

Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Overview)

Behold my fellow students. It's finally time for a review on one of the most anticipated RPGs of the year. This review is a bit late, and most of the population already owns this game. The only reason you're probably reading this because you are either one of the few that is still on the fence or just wanted to see what I had to say about it. Long story short, I was very excited when this game released and I finally got a chance to sit down and play it. I have more than 60+ hours on the game and have played every fire emblem up to this point (including those that weren't released in America). Suffice to say, I'm a huge fan of the series and have quite a bit of knowledge on the game. This review will be a bit long as I have a lot to say about the game.

Of course, if you want the short answers. Yes, this game is absolutely worth getting. Every cent of it. Is it an okay start for people new to Fire Emblem? I'm going to have to say kind of. Now if you want to hear the long version of why this game is at the absolute height of RPG's right now. Strap in because this will be a fun and exciting tale (also I promise to remain spoiler-free and unbiased despite how much I'm gushing right now).

Story and Characters

This Fire Emblem offers one of the more interesting, diverse stories out of the whole series. It also has the most lore compared to other Fire Emblems next to Radiant Dawn and Path of Radiance.

You play as Byleth (who you can name and choose a gender for) child to a well known and respected mercenary by the name of Geralt. On a mission, you and Geralt help out three students of a nearby monastery who are currently being attacked by bandits. After the dust settles, you later learn that these three students are this year's current house leaders of the monastery. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself so let me explain.

The monastery is in charge of tutoring and nurturing the young nobles and commoners of the surrounding nations. These three nations are the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance. Each nation has its own house in the monastery, the Kingdom is represented by the Blue Lions House (who are known for their military arts and nobility) the Alliance is led by the Golden Deer (who are well known for their archery and diversity), and the Empire is led by the Black Eagles (known for its magic and culture). Got it so far? Each house is led by a house leader who happens to be the next leaders of their respective nations. Edelgard is the next emperor and leads the Black Eagles, Dimitri is the next King and leads the Blue Lions, and Claude is the next Sovereign and leads the Golden Deer. Suffice to say, there are a lot of important characters in the monastery.

Anyway, one thing leads to another and you find yourself suddenly in a position to become the next professor to one of these three houses. It's your choice to who you want to lead, and the choices you make with whatever house you choose will impact the story and gameplay. Ton's of replayability as each house has its own storyline and own unique viewpoints on the world.

There are way too many characters to talk about but let's just say that this Fire Emblem has the most real cast of characters I've seen in the series. They did away with shapeshifters and psychopaths this time around and pursue more realistic characters. Each character has a unique background and story that you can learn more about through the interaction in the game. You can also feel the diversity within the houses as well. Golden Deer, for example, is mostly made up of commoners and diverse characters. Leonie had a village pay for her, while Lysithea is the youngest student ever to enroll in the monastery.

There are a lot of characters like them, and there's a character for anyone to find attachment too. The game emphasizes on learning, forming bonds, and character growth. This game should be played for the story alone. If it had a problem though. It would be the main character. Byleth is quite arguably just not an interesting character. Byleth hardly says anything and is mostly meant as a character to project your own feelings on too. That's fine if you like mute characters, but compared to past Fire Emblem characters (especially main characters)- I see it as kind of a downgrade. The story is still high in quality despite that.

Gameplay and Features

The gameplay is fun and interactive. There is a lot, and I mean a LOT going on here. It's one of the reasons why I argue that this may not be suitable for newcomers to the series. The game does an excellent job explaining its mechanics and helping newcomers understand the game. However, there's a lot of new mechanics and I find it hard to go back to older Fire Emblem games after experiencing what this one has to offer. There's also a tiny semblance of the game kind of expecting that you played past Fire Emblems as some mechanics are kind of skimmed over (of course I think that maybe just me since I'm used to playing these games) Don't let that discourage you. This is game fun either way, and I'll try to explain the gameplay as broad and simple as possible. I'll also be using a lot of terminologies that newcomers may have a hard time figuring out so bare with me.

First and foremost. This is a tactical-RPG where you command units and fight in large scale battles. This was straightforward in past games (raise units and go to war), but it's so much more than that in this game. I mentioned before that you play as a professor. This plays a very important role in the story and offers way more engagement than past Fire Emblem games. It should be mentioned if you haven't figured it out already that you decide which house you are going to teach at the beginning of the game which immediately locks you in with a select cast of students from their respective houses. Each student has their own unique talent and growth that you as a professor are in charge of. How you raise and tutor them will affect your character in battle and decides if he or she is allowed to advance in class. You only have so much time, however. To put it simply, the game is played on a calendar. Each weekend you have the chance to explore the monastery, go on missions, conduct a seminar, or simply rest. Exploring the monastery allows you to to...explore the monastery. Talk with your students, have lunch or tea with them, cook up meals for the month, learn from other professors, accept missions, find items, plant a garden, conduct a choir, join a tournament, shop for items and equipment, read at the library, donate your renown to a statue, or go fishing (yes fishing. In a game about war). There's a lot to do and each activity feel both natural and engaging (except for fishing, I feel like that mini-game was added for the sake of it). Be careful though, some activities by time and there's only so much you can do. However, you can increase the amount of time you have by increasing your professor level. You increase your professor level by simply being a professor and just doing stuff at the monastery.

If you don't feel like exploring, you can also rest (which will increase your student's morale) or go on minor missions and paralogues (which are basically sidequests that your students can offer once enough time has passed. They add more story and you can learn more about the character too). Finally, you can also conduct seminars. Seminars are extra class time which greatly accelerates the growth of your students and yourself fr that matter. This brings me to my next point.

Each week you teach you, students. You decide what to teach them. Each student has their own specialty but you can each them whatever for the most part. There is so much customization to be had here. Want an army of bow users? Go for it! Want to teach a sword user magic? Sure! Want to teach a magic-user how to use an ax? Nothing will stop you. It's viable no matter what you do. After the month ends, you advance the story by doing a very important mission that the monastery usually offers.

Now with all that explained. How's the combat? It...is...AWESOME! I argue that it's the best that Fire Emblem has been. It's too hard to explain unless you played past games, and there's too much to talk about anyway. To put it simply, they balanced the combat in such a way that it feels more tactical and less grind-heavy. See, in past games. Folks tried to min-max by cheating the system and using overpowered abilities. Now there's nothing wrong with that, but I personally hated that way of playing. Combat in this game feels natural. They did away with the level cap at 20, so you are encouraged to advance classes as soon as possible or whenever you please. I absolutely love this. You don't have to grind as hard as past games. This is supported by the fact that most of your character growth comes from how you teach your students anyway.

Finally, I should mention that you can recruit characters outside your house provided you are an expert at what they like and have bonded with them enough. Annette, for example, likes magic and will join you if your an expert in it. This also changes the story albeit in a more minor impact.

That about does it. There's a lot more to this game, but this review is already taking to long. You just need to know that the gameplay is the most interactive and unique I've seen in a Fire Emblem game. Let alone an RPG.

Art and Music

(This is a lyric video on Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST- Edge of Dawn by Iconicah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4krPY8JKhI. I should add that Nintendo has been strict about the music so you may have a hard time finding tracks online. Keep that in mind).

Art is well done, and the animation and graphics are amazing. It's a major improvement from previous games. (This may have to do with the fact that Fire Emblem hasn't seen a console release since the Wii). Each character also has a distinct and memorable design. Byleth, in particular, has an excellent design (both male and female). These characters are bound to stick in the mind of players in the future. Battlefields are kind of less memorable compared to past games. I liked past map designs better, but this is, of course, subjective and should up to your taste.

As for music, it has the best the series has to offer since Radiant Dawn and Fates. Edge of Dawn is beautiful, and the battle theme is awesome and exciting to hear. There is one track I wished they added, and it's called "Together We Ride". One of my favorite tracks of all time. Shame it isn't here. Oh well. The music this game offers, however, is very well done and should be on everyone's playlist for tracks to listen to while driving. (I just love every sound bite).

Additional Content

I can't really review the DLC this game offers as this most of it won't be released until later this year and going into next year. I'll probably update this part for next year. Just know that there will be more maps, costumes, characters, and story added to this game for later (I can't wait). There will also be a free update later on which will add a higher difficulty option later on. Oh! Buying the season pass also adds new costume options for Byleth, so check that out if you want.

Lastly, this game offers a new game plus mode which allows you to carry certain things and get a major headstart on subsequent playthroughs. I can't really go more into that without spoiling anything, so that will have to do. I'm happy that the game has it.

Conclusion

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is an amazing addition in the series. I love everything about the game, and it's very hard to point out any real flaws that don't go into nitpicking territory. If you still aren't convinced, I urge you to try. I'll recommend this to any fan of Fire Emblem or RPG lovers in a heartbeat. Of course, you probably have the game if you already are. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for the series because right now, the future looks bright.

Evenicle (Review)

Evenicle (Overview)

Welcome ladies and gents to my world of debauchery. That's right folks. It's another "adult" game. Evenicle was developed by AliceSoft, the same folks behind the legendary Rance series. If you haven't played them before. They are considered one of the best eroge game franchises. They've made other games too and have a pretty good track record (least in Japan anyway. They are pretty underrated here in America, but have a pretty good cult following). Normally these games are hard to come by, and some aren't worth to translate. Lucky for us, Evenicle is easily purchasable on Steam in full English and uncensored glory (which is actually quite rare). This is truly a gem of a game worth playing, so I'm here to tell you all about it. With all that being said, allow me to give a warning before we continue.

Adult Warning

If your new here, I review adult games in my personal repertoire as there's just not enough attention for these games, and I feel like that's a shame. However, I will not be posting adult scenes on this blog because for one, there are other types of games I review and I don't want young ones to accidentally click here. And two, most of these games can be played without the adult content and there are some folks who like to play the game like that. That being said, however, I'll still talk about these scenes in detail when the section comes up. You've been warned. I also have to add that this games uncensored mode is on by default so keep that in mind when booting the game.

Story and Characters

Evenicle has a very funny, interesting, and well-told story that takes itself both seriously and comically at the same time. You play as Asterisk or Aster for short. He grew up on a small island in the middle of nowhere with his sisters. He has only one goal in life. To become a knight and marry both of his sisters. Now I know what you're thinking...no, he and his sisters are not related. The other thing you are probably thinking is why. See, the world of Evenicle is an interesting one. The humans of the world are blessed with the ability to grow crops and make food. However, this blessing is lost if you have sex with more than one individual or resort to murder. If you lose the blessing, you'll be marked with a black ring and you will no longer be able to cultivate or make food. These folks have to resort to stealing and murder if they want to continue surviving. There are also many other downsides for losing the blessing. It's not something you want to happen. Of course, there is a way to get past these rules. Knights have the ability to kill others and have sex with more than one individual without losing the blessing. The reason for this is because knights are considered strong but constantly put their lives in danger, so giving them the ability to produce many offspring makes sense (according to the rules placed in this world). Folks typically only marry one person who they are stuck with for life should they choose to keep the blessing, but Knights can have more than one wife and that's why Aster wants to become one. That way he can have sex and marry both of his sisters. Oh! I also have to mention that the higher the rank you are, the more wives you can have. So polygamy is very common in the world. Understand? Good! If not, it makes sense once you start playing...trust me.

Anyway, Aster was determined to become a knight so he swims from his island (yes he swims across the ocean) to the mainland in order to become a knight. Here he gets acquainted with two of our female leads. A mysterious girl by the name of Riche, and a stern knight by the name of Ramius. Aster also meets other individuals and familiarize himself with the mainland. Things quickly go astray however when a local farm girl gets kidnapped. Ramius decides to venture and save the girl while Aster decides to tag along. Ramius makes the decision to make Aster a squire of sorts, which allows him to kill without losing his blessing. The two save the girl, but Ramius gets drugged in the crossfire. It's a weird drug that makes the user go berserk if they don't have sex...you probably know where this is going. Aster makes Ramius his first wife, and the two set off on an adventure together.

As you can see, the story is very comical but it does have serious moments. Aster, in particular, is actually a really cool protagonist. Despite being a pervert, he has high respect for women and has a lot of good things to say about them. The characters he meets along the way are all very unique and interesting and each has pretty intimate, funny, and emotional moments in the story. I love every character in the story. One of the favorites being the tactician, Kathryn who quit being a knight after losing her whole squad. The story is this games strong suit, and highly recommend this game to anyone on the story alone.

Gameplay and Features

Now the gameplay is good. This is a what I call a game that happens to has hentai in it instead of being hentai that happens to have a game in it (this makes sense if you played a lot of eroge RPG's like I have).

The gameplay is a simple turn-based strategy game. Units take turns, you can exploit weaknesses for extra and damage, and you can also capture these things called "Gal-Monsters" where you can get a rather suggestive CG upon collection.

There's also an overworld to explore where you can encounter bosses, find unique items, and take on the very few sidequests throughout the game. The game doesn't do anything complicated. If you played an RPG before, this game will be quite familiar to you. That said, it isn't boring or stale oddly enough. The story is enough to invite you to keep going, and there is hardly any reason to grind other than perhaps fighting the optional bosses on the map. It's a rather easy and pleasant game which works. You don't have to be complex to be fun.

Art and Music

(Evenicle Maine Theme uploaded by kirbyksn1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0M8X0MyXg)

Music is nice and well done. It's appropriate for the scenes they play in, and tracks are pleasant to hear. None of the tracks really stick out in my mind, however, but that's a personal opinion. Art, on the other hand, are beautiful and very well done. The art is the games next best strong suit, but Alice Soft had always had fantastic art in their games so it's not much of a surprise here. Still, the art makes the game worth its price.

In the game, animations are simplistic, however.  That doesn't mean it's bad. Far from it. Enemies are represented through cute chibi like 3D models. Some enemies look intimidating, but not very many. The style isn't bad, but that's up to personal taste but I like it enough.

Uncensored Content

Right, let's get down to the debauchery. How is it? It's mostly Vanilla stuff with some kinky things here and there (some tentacle and bondage scenes). Each of these scenes is beautifully well done, and are simply the best. You can feel the intimacy, the descriptions of each scene are on point, the voice acting is fantastic, and each scene is varied and unique. Each of the girls represented in each scene is also very likable, and they all differ from each other. I'm sure you'll pick up a favorite from the cast. There are also some comedic scenes as well. They do play with rape, but it doesn't come up often so don't worry about it if it's not your thing. I also have to add that while intimacy plays a big part in this game, it doesn't come up frequently. It's talked about a lot, but sex scenes go in tandem with the story so it's not one of those eroge games where you are constantly having sex with everything you see. Don't scrutinize me though, there are a lot of scenes. Like a lot of them. Plenty to fill your everlasting lust.

Conclusion

Evenicle is a simple yet well artistic, comedic, and lewd game that anyone can enjoy (*cough* except for kids). Even without the adult content, the game's story is enough to ground this game among the holy grail of underrated gems. I loved each and every character, and the story was a fun read. I admit, it uses a lot of tropes you've most likely seen before, and the gameplay is barebones but that doesn't mean it's bad. The game prices for 45$, and that's a pretty good price for the amount of artwork that went into this game. If it suits your fancy, I highly recommend giving it a try.

That concludes this review on Evenicle. Any other games of debauchery you want to recommend? Let me know in the comments, and I'll see you all next time! Ciao!

(Evenicle is owned by Alice Soft, and all rights go to them. Please support the official release).

Persona Q2 (Review)

Persona Q2 (Overview)

Let's take back the glory and rebel against those who wish to do harm to society. The Phantom Thieves of Heart are back in the spotlight and this time they brought the Investigation Team and the members of S.E.E.S with them. This is the latest entry of the Persona series: Persona Q2 captures all the charm and uniqueness of the Persona franchise all packed in a chibi box with a painted coat of Etrian Odyessy (which is another game series I'll perhaps cover in the future). This isn't your typical Persona game, but that's just how the Phantom Thieves roll. Allow me to tell you why you should try Atlus's latest masterpiece.

Story and Characters

 If you never played a Persona game before, I highly suggest avoiding this game until you at least play any of the mainline Persona games (3,4, or 5 specifcally. RIP 1 and 2). This game pretty much expects you to know who these characters are and they're respective backstories. You will be definitely confused otherwise. With that being said, I'll be going forward expecting you to understand all the Persona lingo I'm about to throw out. You've been warned.

The story starts out pretty fast as Joker (or whatever you decided to name him) and the gang decide to do a routine mission through Mementos. Something odd happens, and the gang is suddenly brought into another world. They learn quickly they aren't welcomed here and are chased out and brought into a movie theater of all places. The gang then realize that a couple of their comrades were captured by a familiar face. The Phantom Thieves move out and explore the strange world and prepare themselves for any danger that comes their way. Lucky for them, they meet a powerful new ally along the way.

And that's how the story starts. From there, it's nothing but an entertaining ride. Characters you know and love interact with each other in such lovely and clever banter. They often make references to each other, and personalities clash in ways you never expect. I have to give it the writers for this one. It's not easy writing for so many characters. Especially since everyone is here as if someone got into the latest Smash game...oh right. Jokes aside, it's everything you expect from a collab of your favorite Persona games (rip 1 and 2). There is one major difference from the first game though. You only have Joker's POV to play from in this game compared to the first game where you had the choice between P3 and P4's POV. I agree with this choice as it didn't change much in the first Persona Q, and I feel it would've just been a cluttered mess otherwise. Oh! And you can play this game without having to play the first one. The story doesn't reference the first game, so you don't have to worry.

Gameplay and Features

(Gameplay video provided by GFM Gaming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfHtQVt6Fv0)

So the gameplay is different from your typical Persona series game. It has the Persona touch, but it plays like Etrian Odyessy. If you haven't played Etrian Odyssey, it's essentially a first-person dungeon crawler where you explore a map, avoid traps, and fight monsters or bosses that roam around the dungeon. The main gimmick of dungeon crawlers is that you have to draw the map yourself and plot your own landmarks. Now I know that sounds like a lot of work, but it's quite a lot of fun and very satisfying. If it isn't your thing. Don't fret. Compared to other dungeon crawlers, Persona Q2 is very tamed. It has a feature that draws walls on its own, and the game practically tells you where you should plot the landmarks.

Combat is pretty standard and is quite familiar to the mainline Persona series. You create a party of your choice and explore the dungeon. As you engage in combat, attacking an enemy weakness will net you bonus damage on certain moves and moves will be free of cost (if an enemy hits your weakness however they can knock out your boost and then some so watch out). Of course, there's also the Sub-Persona mechanic. Unlike the mainline games, the Protagonists are incapable of switching Personas. Instead, everyone in the party can carry two personas at the same time. The Sub-Persona supports the Main Persona and allows the user to learn additional moves and compensate for weakness making party combinations versatile and infinite. Making a new Persona's is pretty much the same. You fuse Persona's to make stronger Personas for your party. Simple...sort of. If this is your first time playing Persona Q, there are Navigation Skills. These are sperate from combat abilities and can only be utilized by your navigators (people who watch over you n the dungeon). Navigation skills are used to help explore the dungeon by revealing treasure chests and shortcuts before you even get close to them on your map. This makes fusing Persona's tricky as some have both navigation and combat skills. So you'll have to constantly fuse Persona's to separate combat and navigation skills from each other. Annoying, but that's part of the fun.

There are also new combination attacks. As you progress through the story and bond with your fellow teammates. They'll learn combination attacks which can even the playing field (plus they look really cool when they are pulled off).

Art and Music

 (Persona Q2 full opening-Road Less Taken. Uploaded by Tim Barry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGS9flfg8Vg)

The art style is adorable. Seeing all your favorite Persona characters in cute chibi form is just lovely and refreshing. It isn't for everyone I admit, but the animations and reactions each character makes are well done and amazing. If the art style isn't your thing. I understand, but you're missing out.

As for music, there is free DLC to download popular music from all the mainline games (rip 1 and 2). They sound great, and you most likely have listened to them before so I won't be getting into them. The original music this game offers fits right in with the Persona games. The opening especially can sit up there with the Last Surprise and Reach out to Truth. Shame the collector's edition didn't come with a soundtrack. Such a missed opportunity. Persona music has always been well done and never fail to resonate with fans. This game is no different.

Additional Content

So other than the free DLC which includes adding music and bonus items. There is paid DLC that allows you to buy additional items that help boost money and exp earning, additional navigator voices (like having the adorable twin wardens be your navigators), as well as popular Persona's from all the mainline games (rip 1 and 2). They also have a Picaro version. It's almost the price of a second game should you choose to download all them...which I did (don't judge me. I have to review the DLC too).

Needless to say, it'll make the game a freaking cakewalk if you decide to download them. I suggest only downloading the game-breaking DLC on a second playthrough, or play the game through a harder difficulty. You could just download them for the exclusive skills and just fuse them in Persona's at your level so you're not rolling through the game an lv 80 Persona. You do you though, play the game how you want to play.

Conclusion

Persona Q2 is a lovely addition to the Persona games and should be played by anyone who's a fan of the franchise. For newcomers, I highly recommend playing something else as this is a terrible game to introduce people to the Persona series.

Combat and gameplay are fun. The story is cute, refreshing, and enjoyable. Everything about the game is very light-hearted. My only real complaint is it doesn't do anything different from the first game other than some new characters and a couple changes here and there. The gameplay might get stale and tedious after a while, so try not to get burned out.

Still, I highly recommend giving the game a shot. Especially if you're a fan of the series. You won't be disappointed.

Thank's for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the review. Tell what you think of the game and what I should review next. See you on your next turn!

(Persona is owned by Atlus. I don't own any of the images or videos shown here Please support the official release).

Stella Glow (Review)

Stella Glow (Overview)

Good day everyone. I welcome my fellow heroes (that's you the readers if you couldn't tell) to another game review. Today I have a beloved gem that not many know about. This here is Stella Glow for the Nintendo 3DS. A beautiful rough gem of a game that was glossed over during its time. A real shame since it was developed by Atlus. They have an amazing track record when it comes to games (especially RPGs). Well, I won't let this gem go undiscovered. Allow me to explain why you should go to your local game store and try to find this forgotten treasure.

Story and Characters

The story is very well done. The world is mute of song, and the only ones capable of singing are Witches- whose very singing is so magical that it can harness the very elements. The Witch of Destruction uses her power of song to encase people into a crystal, and she and her Harbingers have been battling the kingdom and it's people ever since. You play as Alto, a young villager from a secluded town in the forest. He lived a quiet life with his adopted family, but this all changed when the Witch of Destruction attacks and encases his village in crystal. Luckily, Lisette (Alto's closest family member) summons a dormant power hidden within her. Using this newfound power, Alto and Lisette manage to hold them off long enough for the Regneat Knights to arrive.

The knights, led by commander Klaus brings Alto and Lisette after explaining to them that Lisette's power is that of the Water Witch. This power can change the tide against the Witch of Destruction's rampage against the kingdom. Alto also volunteers to join the knights. Soon after, Alto and the knights are told that they can change the people who've been turned into crystal back to normal if they combine the songs of the four elemental witches that roam the lands. With a newfound purpose, Alto, Lisette, and the Knights travel across the land in search of the other three witches while they battle the Harbringers and recruit new allies to the cause.

The story is very fun, and each of the characters you meet is all very unique and diverse. There are twists you'll never expect and character dynamic that makes the story feel engaging and alive. Besides the main story, there are also free time stories that dive further into each of your party members individual lives and personalities. This, in turn, means hours of creative storytelling. Plus it's all fully voice acted. So that's a nice touch.

Gameplay and Features

(Gameplay trailer provided by Ludophiles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBrGscxo6Tk)

Gameplay that of your classic grid-based combat system similar to games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Luminous Arc. If you've never played a game like this. You basically control units on the grid. You and the enemy take turns, controlling units, and activating skills. Combat is challenging and strategic, and it feels good when you pull of tactics and gambits from your tactical brilliance.

What's awesome about this game is that skills are accompanied by fully animated scenes that are very cool to watch (if you find them annoying after a while, your more then welcome to turn them off in the settings). Then there's the conducting system. Without going into spoilers, you'll later have the power to unleash the witches full potential by conducting them. While conducting them, they are able to sing and bring powerful effects to you and your allies or cause havoc on the enemies (all while singing amazing songs).

I mentioned before about Free Time stories. These actually serve a purpose. In between missions of the main story, you'll have periods of free time that you can use to spend time with your allies. Doing so will strengthen your bonds with them. The stronger the bond, the more powerful they become. Be careful though. You only have so much free time, so pick who you want to bond with carefully. Lastly, if you manage to max a bond with someone you are able to view their character ending once you beat the game.

Art and Music

(Stella Glow OST- To the Sea. Provided by Aeryn Zael https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6hKHt5yWtk&list=PLDKM1xIAJEeUDNRqhFHZRtq3qNnQ6WYXN)

The music is perhaps one of the best parts of the game next to its characters. It ain't your run of the mill music. No sir (or ma'am) each song is a beautiful symphony of melodies that are perfect for each of the situations they play in. Each witch also has its own song that fits the character. The fire witch, for example, has an upbeat song that matches her temperament while Lisette's song is a beautiful song that is a perfect description of the sea.

The art is also very good. It's cute, bright, and very vivid. Gameplay sprites are all chibi though, but some monsters actually look kind of cool despite that (endgame, in particular, has some interesting designed foes). Battle scenes and animations are also very well done. Each is awesome and entertaining to look that. (Rusty is my favorite. He has so many moves involving his knives, and it all looks very badass) That being said, you won't find any dark and gritty art here. It's just not the style of this game. 

Additional Content

There isn't any DLC to speak of, so that's good (or bad depending on how you look at it). There is a new game plus mode. Playing in new game plus allows more free time. Meaning you can max bond with everyone in your party. I do have one complaint though. When you beat the game, you're only allowed to view one party members personal ending (this is the same for new game plus). Meaning if you want to see other character's ending, you'll have to play through the game again or at least beat the final boss again.

This is rather annoying, especially if you want to see everyone's character ending. It makes max bonding with multiple allies almost pointless to a certain degree if it wasn't for the fact they get stronger for doing so. I wis there was an easier to do this other playing through the game again and challenging a rather difficult boss fight.

Conclusion

Stella Glow has a lot of good things that fans of the genre shouldn't miss out. It's a simple game that doesn't try anything complex to be unique. It's hard to pinpoint the flaws without going into nitpicking. I guess combat can be a bit stale at times? It doesn't really do much to spice up the gameplay, so you may find yourself doing the same tedious methods of battles multiple times. To avoid this, I recommend playing at harder difficulties should you want the challenge.

Regardless, this game shouldn't be skipped. It's a beautiful work of art that deserves attention and be played for its story and music alone. If you have 3DS, I recommend giving the game a shot. You won't be disappointed. That brings my review to an end. Please tell me what you think of the game in the comments below, and tell me what I should review next. I'll see you later!

(All images, music, and gameplay shown here are all owned by Atlus. Please support the official release)

The Last Remnant (Review)

The Last Remnant (Overview)

Salutations fellow gamers of the world! (or the few that manage to find this blog. I'm not complaining either way. Happy to see anyone). I'm here with another exciting game review. Today's game is "The Last Remnant", and this game was originally released for the Xbox 360 back in 2008 and then for PC soon after. It was an underrated gem that not many (and an awesome game that was part of my childhood). The game had a unique and memorable combat system and a pretty cool story. Folks who played the game however either didn't understand the story or just didn't like the story because the game was met with mediocre reviews when it first released. So it surprises me that Square Enix decided to remaster and release the game for PS4 and quite recently, the Nintendo Switch. I'm very much happy with this, and I want to give this game the attention it deserves.

Story and Characters

This game has probably one of the best introductions I've seen because it doesn't miss a beat to show you what you're getting into. You play as Rush Sykes, a warrior from a small island. You're in search of your sister when you are suddenly caught in a war between nations. Thing's get out of hand pretty fast, and Rush unknowingly uses a latent power hidden within him. One thing leads to another, and Rush finds himself in the eyes of David Nassau- the ruler of the nation of Athlum. David offers to help Rush find his sister, and the story plays out from there.

Pretty cool right? The rest of the story is also pretty interesting and features unique characters and species. You have the four generals of Athlum for example who are all creative in their own right. Like British speaking Emma Honeywell, or the loyal four-armed cat man Torgal. There are also many other side characters you can recruit that have their own personalities and skills they add to combat.

The story does miss a beat in some sections, and Rush is debatably a generic protagonist that doesn't offer much in personality so I imagined that it won't resonate with everyone. Still, the story is subjective so I leave you to be the judge of that.

Gameplay and Features

(Gameplay Guide by PlayStation)

Typically I would go over the gameplay which is the bread and butter of the game. It's a bit hard to explain, however, but PlayStation was very kind to offer an awesome gameplay guide for newcomers so I included it here to give it a watch.

I'll instead talk about how this combat system is like to play which admittedly is a bit tricky to get into at first. Once you get the hang of it though. It's just...awesome. Commanding units, utilizing formations, raising morale, battling armies and monsters with an army of your own and using cool looking combat skills. It makes combat so much fun, and way different from any other RPG game and this game should be played just for the gameplay alone.

It's not all perfect, however. Due to the way the battle is structured, grinding can either be a chore or a nightmare. Some bosses become very hard to beat unless you're leveled accordingly. I should mention that one of the draws of the game is the ever expansive roster. You can recruit over a dozen different characters for your party either from the guild or from sidequests. Like I mentioned before, each character is very unique and even come with their own voice lines. However, this isn't a game where you can be creative. You can get by doing what you want for the most part, but there'll be some bosses where you'll be forced to min-max and play at top performance. I for one used Emma and Torgal for most of my playthrough because they were just better to use than other units.

Art and Music

(Last Remanet-OST Sword Sparks. Uploaded by Sefirosu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQXIhUhIg1U)

This being a Square Enix game and composed and drawn by the same folks who worked on games like Final Fantasy and Brave Fencer- Expect the soundtrack and art to be rocking. Which it certainly does. Especially in combat. You simply feel invigorated while in battle. It feels like you can do anything. Outside of battle, the score is also nice and very suitable for exploration.

Graphics wise, the remastered edition looks way better then it did years ago. Did it age well? That depends on how you look at it, but it certainly looks better. Especially the PS4 version. The Switch version runs surprisingly smooth, but graphics take a slight downhaul but that is to to be expected sometimes. There are some weird texture pop-ins from time to time, but not nearly as much as it was way back in the day.

Additional Content

Once upon a time, there was DLC for this game but now it's all included in the base version of the game which is a very nice addition. 

If you're looking for an additional challenge. The Last Remnant offers a new game plus mode which features a new dungeon, and the true final boss.

Does the remastered edition offer anything new? Unfortunately, it doesn't, but the game still has a lot to offer either way.

Conclusion

This game isn't for everyone, I admit. There are a few things holding it back. That doesn't mean this game should be skipped. The Last Remnant has a style that very few RPGs have these days and it should be commended for that. It ain't perfect, but it's still pretty fun if you can ignore its flaws. I urge everyone to at least it gives it a try. Sitting at a sweet 20$ in the Nintendo e-shop and PSN store. There's no reason to at least check it out.

This here concludes my review on the Last Remnant. Comment on what you think of the game and what else I should review next. I'll see you guys in the coming days. Ciao!

(All images, music, and gameplay are owned by Square Enix. I don't own anything in this review other than the words on the screen. Please support the official release)

Guitar Hero 3 (Review)

Guitar Hero 3 (Overview)

Welcome ladies and gents to another game review. Today we have a rather old game, but it was requested by a friend of mine. I want to test my writing prowess and get outside my comfort home, so I figured why not. This is Guitar Hero 3 for the PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. I've only touched the Wii version, but the other ports aren't that bad. Guitar Hero 3 was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision- Guitar Hero 3 is one of the best classic best selling rhythm games of all time back in 2007 (at least in the west. Japan has some pretty good rhythm games too, but we're not talking about those today). I know Guitar Hero is obsolete these days. Especially with games like Beat Saber basically becoming the staple rhythm game these days. I still would like to talk about this classic in hopes that we get that experience of couch co-op rhythm games with plastic instruments again. It was nostalgic, to say the least, and there was something about it that is kind of hard to explain. Ah well, allow me to give this game justice.

Story and Characters

Needless to say. Guitar Hero 3 had an unexpected story mode. It's called career mode. This mode is in other games, but this is the first game that features a full-length story mode which is portrayed by animated cartoon scenes. It's simple, but fitting. You play as a small-time neighborhood band that tries to make it big. Eventually, they find themselves in the eyes of a gruff looking music producer, and from there, things happen. All tropes of being a band happen here: they make it big, the band brakes up at one point, people think they washed out, the devil is involved at one point. You know, stuff like that. The story sounds small, and that's because it is. It isn't the main focus here, but it was a very nice addition that fans remember fondly.

As for character design, each character has a unique design that just screams rock and roll (which is the idea). Characters from past entries make a return too such as Axel Steel, and Judy Nails. Each version of the game comes with their own exclusive characters like the Wii coming with metalhead while the PS3 version has the Grim Reaper and so forth. These characters are memorable in their own right and very cool to play as in-game.

Gameplay and Features

If you never play a rhythm game before. You can't go wrong with Guitar Hero 3. It was one of the classic pioneers of the genre, and one of the easiest to learn and pick up.

Using your controller peripheral. It's a simple matter of pressing the right buttons at the right time the prompt appears on the screen. Occasionally you'll perform more unique button presses like two-to-four button prompts. That's pretty much it. The goal of the game is to achieve a high score in each track you play. There are also moments in a song where you can activate Star Power which can be achieved by building up the Star Power while getting star notes. While Star Power, notes you get right is doubled on the score multiplier. Sounds easy right? That's the beauty of rhythm games. Low skill floor, but a very high skill ceiling. Songs get harder on the more difficult modes, and pressing the right beat at the time becomes a matter of skill and truly tests how good you are at the game.

The next question your probably asking is "Do I need a guitar controller?". The short answer is no, you can play using a regular controller. The preferred way is to play using the guitar, and it's quite arguably the definitive best way to play the game. I, however, understand that these aren't easy to get anymore depending on where you are.

There's also a very competitive multiplayer mode and a local co-op mode that adds so much fun to the game. There's nothing like being side by side with a friend, rocking out together or competing against one another. I can't imagine these types of games without them.

Lastly, this being an old game. It's not succumbing to the stupidity of microtransactions. Songs and characters can be unlocked through the game. There are additional soundtracks you can download and purchase, but most are free and not all are necessary unless you really like the song. All in all, it's just nice to see and a breathe of fresh air compared to the modern era of gaming. The only thing I have complaints about is exclusive soundtracks. There were a couple only exclusive to the 360 version. All this exclusivity is very annoying, to say the least. It just isn't fair to people who can't afford multiple consoles. Ah well, this is an older game so I can't complain much.

Song Selection

Normally I play a sample of the music, but that isn't necessary here. The songs found here are rather popular, at least for those that are fans of the rock genre. Their songs by famous bands such as the Sex Pistols and Tenacious D. If you count the number of tracks offered in-game (including bonus tracks) there are almost 100 tracks. Song variety is very important to rhythm games, and the choices here are both memorable and perfect for this game.

There's even a modding community to add custom songs on the PC version should you decide to give it a look see.

Conclusion

I know this review was rather short compared to my other ones, but there isn't a whole lot to talk about here. The game is simply a masterpiece and there's no wonder that arcade machines can still be found with this game across the world. It's a shame that the series fell so hard with the future entries, eventually being part of its inevitable downfall. Shame too. It isn't all bleak, however. The rhythm game genre is still going strong with games like Beat Saber or Persona Dancing All Night. Perhaps Guitar Hero will revive one day and become the rock legend it was meant to be.

Still, this was the arguably the best game in the series. It was everything the series was about. Style, humor, awesome music. It was a cult classic that everyone should try. Since it's an old game. It isn't too hard to pick up if you're able, or simply give it a shot at your local arcade if you haven't yet (god knows they need the business).

All that being said, I hope you enjoyed today's review. Be sure to comment on what you think of the game and tell me what I should review next. Ciao my fellow peeps!

(I don't own any images in the review. All rights go to Activision and Neversoft. Please support the official release).

Future Card BuddyFight (Card Game Review)

Future Card Buddyfight! (Overview)

Welcome one and all to another grand review on Hope for Gaming! Enjoying the summer so far? Today I'll be doing something a little different. Instead of covering a video game, I'll be covering a trading card game called Future Card BuddyFight! (I know it says Ace, but I'll get it into that later). BuddyFight is a Japanese collectible card game created by Bushiroad who also owns other franchises like Cardifgth Vanguard, Weiss Schrawz, and Love Live! BuddyFight also has manga and an anime I recommend checking out as the story isn't half bad. I will be diving into the story of BuddyFight a little bit but this review isn't about that. This review will be covering the card game, the mechanics, and the metagame. Perhaps I'll cover the anime and manga another time. With that being said, let's get started!

What BuddyFight is about and Basic Gameplay

(A game mat playing field of BuddyFIght)

So let me get into the story of BuddyFight before I start throwing terms around. The world of BuddyFight is rather interesting. In the story, our world is shared with those of others. These other worlds make up the realms of monsters, dragons, legends, fairies, heroes, etc. These monsters enter our world through cards, and we use these cards to challenge each other in duels through the game of BuddyFight. Having these cards isn't enough, however. To truly make yourself a true BuddyFighter, you need to have a Buddy which are your partner, and the main monster of your deck. Buddies actually play a role in the real card game as well albeit in a small way but it's a very nice touch none the less. That's basically the gist of it. The story is very good in my opinion and is perhaps one of the best card game animes to watch. I highly recommend watching the series on Youtube as the official BuddyFIght channel has all the episodes.

(Tutorial Video from the official BuddyFIght youtube channel. Please support the official release here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZExuO3JZDO8)

I was going to talk about how to play the game, but the guys at Bushiroad actually made a very good tutorial video that does a way better job explaining the rules of the game than me typing it. So give it a watch.

Ah! And here's a link to a website that tells you about the worlds you can play. Each world is unique and offers their own playstyle. I guarantee you'll find a world that fits you (https://en.fc-buddyfight.com/special/world-intro/)

Artsyle

The art style is very diverse and unique. Each card stands out very well on their own, and each world has its own unique style that defines them. Hero World's cards look like they came from either a comic book or a space anime while Star Dragon World has this metallic style that gives them that "future" look. It's pretty outstanding. It's not all anime either. Some cards look like cartoons while others look like they belong Magic the Gathering. It's pretty cool.

Gamestate and Meta

This game does very well in Japan (pretty much every Bushiroad game does...maybe except for Dragonbourne. I hardly hear anything about that game). There's also a wide audience in America and other countries as well. Bushiroad also hosts regional and world tournament events year-round, so there's always a competitive circuit for you to play in. The game is not in danger of dying anytime soon, however, the meta is...debatable. Right now we're in the Ace era. The Ace decks are decks that belong to the current season of the show which is Buddyfight Ace. These Ace decks are the most updated for the current state of the game. This means deck before the Ace era lacks the tools to deal with the current meta. Some decks have gotten recent updates, a couple could probably do well on their own from time to time, but for the most part- these decks are subpar and aren't advised if your planning to play them competitively. There are plans to update pre-Ace era decks in the future, so it isn't all that bad.

As for the meta itself, like I said before, it's questionable. I'll try to put it simply, but it's more balanced then it was before. The era before this was mostly just two decks and that was Thunder Empire or CHAOS. It wasn't really fun (unless you were playing these decks then I guess it was fun). The Ace era is more diverse, and every world is a "viable" option. There are many generic cards that help all worlds deal with the meta decks, but you wouldn't need these generic cards if games didn't end so quickly. Games end fast simply because the current meta pushes so much damage and games end in like two-four turns if you don't have the right cards to deal with the situation. The problem isn't within the decks. Sure, our meta focuses too much on card advantage and the game likes to draw cards...like a lot of cards. If your deck isn't drawing 5 cards per turn then you've already lost. This, however, promotes a lot of card interaction, and games go back forth a lot as each turn a player has the chance to change the tides if they play their cards right. So what's the problem? Remember when I said every deck is a "viable" option? If it was the deck itself, then this wouldn't be an issue. The problem is that players aren't paying the deck as intended. In fact, players are using their decks to play into this...

Lost World (This is a bit of rant but this is important)

This right here is quite arguably is what is ruining the game right now. Lost World is a special mechanic that allows you to play with two different decks. You start off with your original deck that hs two lost world flag cards. If you draw a lost world flag, you may choose to play it at the end of one of your opponents turns at the small cost of two gauges. From here, you switch to your Lost World deck and play with that for the rest of the game. This concept is actually pretty cool, but the execution...oh the execution. The problem- Lost World is broken. Every card is a free draw, free destruction, and free defense. Monsters deal ridiculous amounts of damage (most monsters have can deal 9-10 damage if they connect. YOU START OUT WITH 10 LIFE! While other monsters can clear entire boards without any effort. Oh! And they have no size limit. Meaning you can as many broken monsters as you want with your only boundary being you can only summon three at them. Three is all you need really). They also have cards that deal 10 damage (did I mention you start out with 10 life?). Lost World can be played in any deck. Meaning all worlds have access to this thing. That's why I said every deck is a "viable" option. It doesn't really matter what you play. Once you get into this. Your all set. Because of this, players focus on turbo into this thing as fast as possible using whatever means necessary. Once it's out, it's almost impossible to deal with.

Now people are going to say "it isn't all that bad". They mostly say "just kill them before they get into lost world" or "it isn't that broken if you have the right cards". First of all, killing them is easier said then done when decks these days draw their entire deck and can get this thing in like two turn (especially if you're playing Dimension Dragons which is basically the main turbo lost world). This is worst if their stall deck. I would like to kill them before they get into this thing, but most decks have the options to stop you....a lot of options surprisingly. Second. saying that you deal with them if you have the right cards in hand is like saying you can stop a tank if you're equipped with a rocket launcher. Yes, they're beatable. Yes, you can get lucky sometimes. They're not impossible to deal with. It isn't easy, however, and not every deck is built to do so.

At the very top level of the competitive circuit, games mostly play out like this. "Who's going to hit lost world first?". Yes, there are decks that don't use a lost world. There isn't many. If you look at all the top winning decks. Almost 90% of the meta is all lost world users. It's true that you don't actually have to use lost world, but your basically screwed if the other player decides to. Because of this focus on Lost World, the market has also grown more...toxic as of late. This brings me to my next point.

Market

Just guess how much this card is? If you guessed 50-100$ Then you are a psychic. This card is also pretty much core if you want a good lost world deck (you also need four of them so..you know). This card alone has won way too many games in the competitive circuit which is why it's so expensive. The market is quite frankly awful. The problem isn't with Bushiroad (kind of). It's the community. I never understood these ridiculous prices. Top meta decks are like 150-300$ and if your adding lost world to the mix, tag another 200-300$. I think the problem is that Bushiroad tends to short print cards which cause sellers to upmarket these things. A simple solution is just to print more cards. That way meta decks are afforable and more people can play the game. Yugioh does this all the time 100$ dollar cards turn into 10$ cards the next day. Sure you can argue you can get by with cheaper options, and that's fine if your playing for fun. Do what you want in that case. But competitive wise, this game is expensive, and not very budget friendly. Some cards are just key, and those cards can cost anywhere between 10-50$ (50-100$ if your Vanity)

Other

I thought I mention this, but Bushiroad is collaborating with properties to release cards starring animes. The first of these is Detective Conan with Bang Dream Girls! possibly coming to America soon. This is actually a pretty good promotion, and Japan already has these cards and according to the gameplay; these decks are awesome and fun to play with. With the continued support of the game. There's no telling what Bushiroad might release next, and it's quite exciting to anticipate what's next.

Conclusion

Despite all the negative things I've said about the game. I still recommend you play it or at least give it a try. Buddyfight offers simple yet diverse gameplay that a lot of fun once you get down to it. The worlds, the monsters, and the decks are all so unique and wild and add so much flair to the game. The only thing stopping this game in its tracks right now is Lost World and the secondary market. Thankfully, Lost World has calmed down a bit with the upcoming news of the Thunder Empire support and Detivce Conan playsets. There are also plans to support pre Ace era decks in the future. This is a fine line, however, and the while the player base is doing fine for now. This may change in the future depending on how future sets turns out. Let's hope Bushiroad knows what they're doing.

That's it for my review on Buddyfight. Let me know what you think of the game in the comments and what I should review next. Check out my other reviews too. Until next time.

(Buddyfight is owned by Bushiroad and all rights go to them. Please support the official release)

Nekopara Collection (Review on the entire series)

This game is for 18+. Censored version drops this game to a hard M rating though)

!!!WARNING!!!

This game features explicit sexual content and graphic nudity. Scenes depict cute cat girls having vanilla sex-provided you play on the uncensored version of the game. You have been warned.


Foreword
Hello, my ladies and gents. Welcome to another exciting game review. I have something different for everyone today. Long story short, I've decided to add hentai games to my repertoire. For one, they don't get see a lot of attention and so a lot of them don't see an English release. Two, these games are good and I want to spread the word about them. And finally, it's just something I decided to do. These hentai and adult games deserve just as much love as any other game. Of course, I understand that these don't suit everyone and not everyone is into the content in these games. That's why any time I review these types of games. I'll be slapping a warning detailing all the adult content that goes in these games. Oh! And I won't be showing any of adult imagery on the website. It kind of goes without saying why I won't be doing that. Go buy the games if you're so interested. However, with the warning placed. I'm free to use more...explicit terms in these reviews if you know what I'm saying ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). With all that being said. I hope you enjoy this new world of debauchery with me.

Nekopara (Overview)

Ah, Nekopara. A fantastic gateway game in the world of hentai visual novels. Nekopara developed by Neko Works and published by Sekai Project. These guys are the brains behind the cute world of catgirls from Nekopara volume 0-3, and Nekopara Live and Nekopara Extra. They also made Super Night Riders and Light Fairytale. Each of the Nekopara games can be found on PC, PS4 and weirdly enough the Nintendo Switch. Although the Switch and PS4 version only come with the censored version of the game for obvious reasons. Should you decide to see the adult content, I highly recommend getting the game on PC with the uncensored patch that is sold separately (or with the game depending on if you get it from). Each of the games can be bought for 10$-20$ depending on sales and if you bought the games with the uncensored patch with Nekopara volume 0 and extra being the exception as those games have no adult content, and focus more on story elements (they also happen to be much cheaper to boot). I'll be talking about all the Nekopara games today since the only real difference between all of them are story each game tells (I won't be talking about Nekopara Live as that's a VR game and I don't own a VR and is very different from the other games in the collection. Perhaps I'll talk about it another time). With all of that being said, allow me to introduce you into the world of Nekopara!

Story and Characters

(Our characters from left to right. Vanilla, Chocola, Maple, Cinnamon, Shigure, Coconut, and Azuki)

The story takes place in a world much like ours. Except for one major difference. That would be the existence of catgirls. The story explains why they exist, but it boils down to "They're here. Just accept them". Which I'm cool with. Catgirls have a weird status in this world. They are basically treated as pets who can talk. Again, the story explains this in a way that sort of makes sense. Oh! And the term Nekomata or Nekos is used to describe these catgirls. Just keep this in mind moving forward. Anyway, the story stars our main protagonist- Kashou Minaduki. A young man who moved away from home to open up a confection shop. After he settles in his new place, he finds two stowaways hidden inside his boxes. Two adorable catgirls by the name of Vanilla and Chocola. They couldn't bear the thought of their owner moving away, so they stowed away to be closer to him. Kashou is hesitant at first, but his sister (Shigure) convinces him to have them work and live there. Without going too much into spoilers. Some spicy things happen, and our protagonist becomes closer to the Nekos then he ever had before.
Later, he's joined by the other Nekos that are owned by his family (and his sister who has deep feelings for him) and they all end up working for him in his cafe that was given the grand name- La Soleil. The confection shop attracted a lot of business thanks to the catgirls who work there. Life hasn't been sweeter for our protagonist.

That's basically the story. Each of the volumes focuses on two of the six catgirls and their lives and relationship with Kashou. Technically you can play them out of order if you're interested in a particular girl, but I recommend playing Nekopara Extra first and moving on to volumes 0-3 for the most optimal story experience. Surprisingly, the story is really deep and touches on a lot of subjects which is something I never expected from a game with this concept. Every character is very interesting in their own way except for Kashou who is your average guy that everyone seems to like (he's quite forgettable in my opinion, but he has his moments). Shigure (the younger sister of Kashou and the one who trains and raised the catgirls) is a wise and loveable character who wants nothing more than to see her family happy. Chocola is an energetic Neko who deeply loves Kashou with all her heart. Vanilla is the twin sister of Chocola and follows her pretty much everywhere. She's cool, calm, an collected but she cares for her sister deeply. Then there are the other Nekos of the Minaduki family. Azuki is the eldest of the catgirls and is quite mischievous. She also helps manages to the cafe and likes to act sacastic...she is also very tiny for her age. Maple is the second oldest and acts more independent from her siblings and lacks self-confidence in her abilities despite being talented. Cinnamon is the third oldest and is the closest to Maple. She has a dirty mind and ends up being aroused...a lot. She loves her sister Maple though and helps support her through all of her decisions. Lastly, we have Coconut. She's the third youngest and is depicted as the cool one, but wants to be "cute". She has self-esteem issues due to her klutziness lack of skills and wants to be more dependable. There is, even more, to talk about when it comes to the characters because...

Nekopara Extra is a touching background story on how Chocola and Vanilla adapt to their adopted family. Nekopara Volume 0 is a look into the daily lives of the catgirls and is just there to show more character and story outside the other volumes. Volume 1 is a focus on Chocola and Vanilla and how they live with Kashou. Volume 2 continues the story of the cafe and the Minaduki family. This volume focus on Azuki and Coconuts relationship with one another, and their struggle as they find a place in the cafe. Finally, we have Volume which continues from Volume 2. This volume focuses on Maple and Cinnamon and their strong relationship with another. Witness their story as they support one another, and try to make Maples dreams come true.

The stories of all the volumes surprisingly deal with a lot of issues such as inferiority complexes, self-identity issues, purpose in life. I do have to add though. This isn't a choose your own adventure story. Kashou's story is his own, and you're reading it from start to end. Keep that in mind if you decide to get the game. The story also won't take your breath away or anything. Simplicity is the strength of this game. It's life hearted and sweet and just nice to read...Having cute girls help though.

Gameplay and Features

(Title menu for Nekopara Volume 0)

 This has everything a visual novel needs and more. The game has a surprising amount of options such as changes to the UI, backlogs, autoplay (a must have dammit!!!), quicksaves, quick loading. The game even censored imagery if you decide to save on scenes you don't want your parents to walk into. Speaking of which, there's even option to turn of uncensored content should you decide too. I don't recommend it, but I'll get into the reason why later...it isn't what you think.

The game features a gallery where you can replay scenes, and look at certain images. Another must-have in visual novel games. You can even play the game in Chinese and Japanese should you decide to do so.

There are a couple other small gameplay niches. You can shake the screen to make the girls...jiggle. You can configure settings to make the physics less or more obvious. Lastly, there's a petting mode. You can pause the game at any time and pet the characters. They'll respond accordingly depending on where you pet them. It's not necessary to do so, but it's there and doesn't hinder anything so I'm not complaining.

Art and Music

(Nekopara Vol.1 OST- Cat Work. Uploaded by OshiDood. Please support the official channel by clicking this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuav0j2wVPc)

The soundtrack is very simple yet memorable. There's an emphasis on upbeat melodies and pop. The game has its fair share of serious dramatic music for the appropriate scenes. The music even gets catchy if you listen to it long enough. Voice acting is also very good. Kudos to the actors for they make every scene engaging. The main protagonist isn't voiced though. Not surprising, for whatever reason these types of games avoid voicing the male protagonist. I'm not sure why. As for art, it's really good. Like worth the price good. Like I would pay to see more good. The art and character design are by an artist by the name of Sayori. She owns a circle called NEKO WORKS and is a very talented artist. I'm willing to support more of her work in the future. 

I also have to add that the game uses a system called "E-MOTE". It allows the game to use animated sprites instead of static ones. Needless to say, the game comes out more alive this way and I wish more games followed this system. It's a lot of work sure, but the end result is so worth it. I'll keep an eye out for more games that use this system.

Uncensored Content

(Censored Bath Scene from Nekopara volume 1)

My first adult game, I figure that for these types of games I talk about the uncensored content and how the game treats it. The matter is subjective, and it all depends on taste I suppose, but if the game doesn't make sense with said content then it's just a bad porno. That being said I will not be showing uncensored content so just imagine these scene without the steam, and you can probably guess what the game has to offer. Like I mentioned before, the uncensored content is very vanilla. You won't find any hardcore stuff like BDSM or anything. If you were looking for that then I suggest turning elsewhere. The vanilla scenes, however, are very nice, well animated, well drawn, and very detailed from the sounds, voice acting, and the characters feelings. It's very intimate, to say the least.

The game does offer an option to turn off uncensored content if you're just in it for the story. I weirdly enough don't recommend it though. See, if you turn off the content. Then some scenes get blacked out and you miss out on some dialogue and story. You don't feel the intimacy this way, and it just feels disgruntled sometimes. I kind of wish this better handled for people got this game on the Switch or PS4.

Conclusion

(Promotional art for the Nekopara Anime)

The game offers something for everyone in terms of characters and story. I simply enjoy reading the story for the characters alone, and I think you would like it too. Even without the uncensored content, it's just a good visual novel. The uncensored content does make it nice to appreciate these types and games and show that they can be much more than simple porn. The reason I reviewed this game, after all, is for that very reason. I'm also not afraid to shy away from such games. I suggest supporting the anime and manga if you like the story and characters as much as I don't. All in all, I wish more visual novels take inspiration from this game because I'll be thinking of Nekopara from now whenever I hear the word "good visual novels".

Nekopara is owned by Neko Works. this includes all images, videos, and sounds shown in today's blog. Please support the official release.

Thank you for reading today's review, and tell me what you think of the game and the review in the comments. Let me know what other games I should review too. Have a nice day everyone!