Long Overdue Updates:

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I was on a real roll there for a long time but renovations slowed me down, along with other things and now I have some serious health issues going on and I’m currently spending most of my time in bed or at my desk, while I take massive doses of antibiotics and waiting for my next dental appointment on the 9th, thanks to some complications from a very naughty wisdom tooth (man I’m a little old for this nonsense, or so I thought).

But this long drawn out process and limited energy has lead me to playing a lot of VNs now and in the future, which is really perfect and I’m glad I found this genre a year ago and have been collecting them avidly ever since. This stupid tooth problem might drag on for a very long time and might even lead to me having teeth pulled and pieces of my jawbone surgically removed, so I’m thankful to my wonderful family and friends supporting me, and for having something engaging but easy to do right now. It might be rough for a while but my spirits are high, considering I have been in awful recurring pain for many months that remained a mystery. Though it might be unpleasant in the days to come, I have faith I’ll have real relief and be back to normal on the other side of this.

That all said, I have several months to cover but not a lot of updates until recently, so let’s begin!

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• Her Lie I Tried To Believe
  

  2 hours playtime

  no achievements

• VERLIES II
  

  24 hours playtime

  44 of 44 achievements

• The Magical Silence
  

  2 hours playtime

  1 of 1 achievements

• Abandoned
  

  5 hours playtime

  no achievements

• Elizabeth Find M.D. - Diagnosis Mystery - Season 2
  

  9 hours playtime

  no achievements

• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
  

  15 hours playtime

  14 of 14 achievements

• Tales of Maj'Eyal
  

  462 hours playtime

  257 of 1746 achievements

• Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
  

  21 hours playtime

  14 of 14 achievements

• Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi
  

  20 hours playtime

  15 of 15 achievements

• Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
  

  21 hours playtime

  16 of 16 achievements

• Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
  

  11 hours playtime

  8 of 8 achievements

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Her Lie I Tried to Believe [04/04]: ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰
A short kinetic novel. Hm, what to say about this… strange mess. It’s a bit unrealistic in the most jarring, unpleasant and immersion breaking ways (instead of fun ones you can overlook or even enjoy, it’s hard to explain what I mean without spoilers but ack). It’s a glaringly harsh picture of violent mental illness, abuse and toxic relationships, and it’s a wild ride. But the thing is, is that there is nothing gained in the resolution of the story, no food for thought, no substance to the reveal (though it really -is- a strong twist), no redemption or accountability (there should have been one or the other), etc. It didn’t have a strong ending either because the reveal had no conclusion. Granted, there doesn’t have to be a “point” of a story to make it worth telling, its just in this case I don’t feel like I gained anything for choosing to experience it, if that makes any sense. Its very gritty, grimy, dark and violent, especially in the case of sexual violence. And after the huge reveal and the conclusion, it just ends. If the impact of it all had been explained (especially in a compelling way), that could change everything. But since that’s not there the end reaction as a reader was just “oh, its over”. Such unpleasantries could have actually made a really impactful and cerebral story, uncomfortable social commentary, view of mental illness, or just campy romp — depending on the handling, but HLITtB has the grace of a sledgehammer. Everything seems to have a single point — plain old shock value, at any cost.

Verlies II [04/25]: ★★★★★★★✰✰✰
Excerpt from my steam review: Punishing, wicked roguelike gridbased dungeon crawler with active combat that requires timing, strategy and actually landing your mouse cursor on the enemies as you swing. Lots of ways to combine your skills and create the build you want. Has a few interesting puzzles, one at the end of each level. This game does all it can to work against you, so that you really do feel you accomplish something every time you make it just a little further. But there are many ways to die, and permadeath is what’s at stake if you fail.

Man, I avoided this one for a long time because despite it hitting all my instabuy tags, I had the impression that it’s absolutely terrible and it’s really not. But it is weird, and probably very niche. I think a lot of the bad reviews are from people not getting what they expected initially and leaving before fully understanding the gameplay. This game absolutely hates you but I had a blast playing it. I beat it with the strongest character and it was tough. I may revisit this with someone a little less capable since I understand what’s expected a lot better, but it’s actually quite a fun game.

The Magical Silence [05/07]: ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰
Short and very interesting storybook art. For a 10 minute game I liked it, but WHY did it end like that? >.<

(Through) Abandoned [05/08]: ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰
Intriguing and very creepy. An hour long experience I enjoyed. It ends on a cliffhanger but fortunately there’s a part 2.

Elizabeth Find M.D. - Diagnosis Mystery - Season 2 [05/29]: ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰
Pretty standard low budget HOG game except the setting and required level of suspension of disbelief was off the charts, lol. I enjoyed the medical element solely because it was hilariously bad. One example: I have a patient, -in the hospital- I will point out, who needed blood drawn. Instead of getting a syringe from… you know, inside the hospital, I had to go to a remote farm, find some pruning shears and cut an overly large cabbage. Guess what was under it, in the dirt? That’s right, a syringe. (I’m sure it was sterile, what could possibly go wrong. Trust me, I’m a doctor). Extra points for dressing a wound with an ace bandage instead of gauze. I’m sure the slow impending squeeze action will do wonders for that head injury.

The real reasons for the low rating are actually a bit more problematic than the downright silliness though. I actually enjoyed how ludicrous the patient care was. But there are only 3 short cases to solve, and combined its still not longer than the average game of its type. It’s nothing great to look at, actually it’s downright ugly. I would give it a pass on aesthetics since this modern medical setting might have made whimsical prettiness difficult, but not a single screen was pleasing to the eye in any way. Very low res and cheap looking. The music was passible but there’s not much variety. And it has 3 major shortcomings in gameplay. 1 — There are only a few locations and the required objects seem to be random. Meaning after you’ve visited it the first time, you’re going to end up with half the things you need being repeated on return visits. 2 — While I understand more than one patient might need blood work plot wise, the very brief and scant puzzles also repeat. 3 — Some of the locations are also repeated in the 3 cases, and adding this to point one means you probably picked up the same roll of tape a dozen times. And this is where it comes to a sickly conclusion. I won this game on steamgifts, and I hope the creator got it in a bundle but on the steam store this game is listed for 19.99 LOL. I have no idea why. You could buy a huge collection of the 1.99 to 2.99 HOG games for this price, and the quality is about the same. Or 2 Artifex Mundi HOGs with much higher production values and quality in all areas. I’m not even gonna get into what you could do with a bundle or steam sale but this game is incredibly overpriced.

Honestly I liked it well enough for what it was, like enjoying a B rated movie because its corny. It really is so awful storyline wise that its amazing. But at the same time this particular B movie charges premium red carpet admission for some odd reason. I don’t regret a moment of time spent but I’d never pay full price for this farce. I enjoyed it more than the stars show, but at the same time I can’t give it anything higher without losing all credibility lol.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice [06/25]: ★★★★★★★★★★
I put this right below SOMA in regards to importance to me, which says all I need to say if you’ve ever heard me rant about SOMA. Deep, thoughtful, terrifying, tragic and beautiful. It’s an absolute triumph of storytelling. Every moment feels tense and vital to survival, with a permeating sense of lingering dread that never truly goes away. Because even when there seems to be a reprieve, you’ve long since learned not to trust the quiet. As far as technical things go, it’s also a triumph. I’m not sure how to describe the way this game looks, because I don’t think its a flat, easy “this game has the highest quality graphics ever”. I’m sure its not. But there’s something about the art direction and style that impressed me more than I think anything ever has. The facial rendering and expressions, as well, were unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The audio is… impeccable for what it sets out to do, that’s for sure. And the music, while sparse, always elevated the experience tremendously. Especially in long combat sequences. I won’t say much about the story because the story is everything, here. But it is a mature, honest and gritty representation of pain, isolation, and grief. It also respectfully tackles topics most devs wouldn’t dare touch. After finishing the game, you can watch a making of sort of featurette from the main menu, and this addition really shows how much care was put into trying to get things right. It’s a masterpiece.

Tales of Maj’Eyal [Never]: ★★★★★★★★★★
I’m putting this here now because I feel that if I don’t, I may never get the chance. The heat death of the universe may come before 100%ing Tales of Maj’Eyal, but I think I’ve done enough to make a post.

I have two ways of approaching a very special game experience, my personal masterpieces, basically. Because while both categories really matter to me, they are at odds with each other. One type is reserved for things like SOMA and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (VNs go here too), where the story touched me or even changed me in some way. An immersive narrative experience that lingers, and hopefully makes me see something in a new light. You can replay games in this category if you wish, but it will not be the same as the first time around. Story is everything and these games absolutely must be at least moderately linear or the narrative is sacrificed.

The other type is the opposite of this. There can be storytelling, world building and lore, but the gameplay itself is the wow factor. This is where Desktop Dungeons goes, with my 1000 hour playtime. I find games that fit in this category very rarely.

Then I finally bought and “tried out” Tales of Maj’eyal. At about 450 hours later, all I can say is, this game is an outright 10/10. I’ve unlocked a lot of races, classes and hidden talent trees, but there are still many more. I’ve played both campaigns. I’ve beaten Normal. I’ve beaten Nightmare. I’ve had very strong Insane runs, and I’m in the middle of one as I write this. But after that there is Madness, which few people have ever conquered. And I can also switch from recommended Adventure mode with a few lives, to true roguelike, with a single life and no take backs on any difficulty. And look at my achievements. I’ve barely made a dent in them. I’ve also barely scratched the surface of my playtime hours, most likely. This game is addictive for me in a way I can’t explain, it seems to fill my every gameplay wish even if I myself wasn’t aware of what those things were before I discovered it.

I had it in my inventory for a while but never got around to it, because despite having it at the top of my WL for a long time, I saw there was a new DLC on the way so I just waited. Then came Forbidden Cults. The Lovecraftian eldritch expansion. Well, that sealed the deal. Lol. Nothing can bait me like eldritch horrors.

So all this playtime is recent, since that release. This is already getting long, so I’m going to get to the point.

This is the absolute masterpiece of the genuine roguelikes (I love roguelites as much as the next fellow and they can be just as hard as roguelikes but its not the same thing. At all.). In terms of depth, strategy, race and class options, lore, depth, dynamics, challenge and fun, I don’t think I will ever see a roguelike I love nearly as much as ToME. Its blown my mind. It might have taken the ultimate offer of lovecraftian void horrors as a playable option to get mt to fish this out of the depths of my backlog, but it was worth it. I have never racked up hours this fast in anything ever. Will it stand the longevity test and continue to captivate me, and will I ever get past this current difficulty spike?

…I’ll check in in another 400+ hours. And hopefully I will have another difficulty level win under my belt by then. The last thing I want to say about ToME is that it is absolutely not all RNG based. RNG can and will screw you sometimes (tt can also totally be on your side), but this far in I can see that almost every death was a mistake, something avoidable or something I could have mitigated. It’s my fault I was nosy and opened that vault knowing I could die. It was my fault I went into that higher level zone too soon. It was my fault that I tackled that rare spawn 20 levels higher than me instead of running. I think the thrill of “this is a bad idea that can make or break me” is what makes this game so fun, honestly. And I have a bad habit of challenging fate: for fun and profit or at the cost of an incredibly valuable life.

Higurashi When They Cry 1-4 [06/30]: ★★★★★★★★★★
Uhhhhhhhhh. Lol. UM. Excuse me, WHAT. I’m confused beyond measure and happy about it, but I can’t begin to explain the massive amounts of w-t-f I am feeling, and I think the only people that understand how I can like this are the people that have played this series, possibly also in the fact I have stopped at 4, specifically.

I don’t know what to say that can somehow quantify this, hope to explain it, justify it or make any sense of it, even if I spoiled it all right out of the gate. Whatever you think you expect about Higurashi is wrong. All I can say for now is my friend has bought the series too, and I have deliberately stopped before the reveals begin.

And the pencil scribbles I have taken through this wild ride, aren’t helping me as much as I thought. I have to go back and review and take notes of other things that seemed less valid at the time.

Originally I would have rated this series quite a bit lower, because I really did not like the so-called slice of life bits at all, because the writing is off putting, offensive (way too many sex jokes considering the ages of the characters but that’s the only point I don’t concede, but at least it’s all dialog and not… worse), inane and absolutely… a slog to get through. …I hated it. In the first episode, I almost stopped honestly. I kept checking the reviews in shock, thinking there is no way these glowing reviews are about this embarrassment I’m suffering through. But I made myself persevere, and when the tables turned it seems like the writing improved by at least 500% in all areas. There was actually a feeling of dissonance in me when it changed. It was like a transition from the worst middle schooler’s first attempt at writing, to a true master horror writer’s creation with no warning that in itself made the creepiness heightened, no doubt. I smugly thought this was just bait and switch ala Doki Doki (I know HWtC is a lot older but it’s a comparison that makes immediate sense), but my friend actually pointed something out this morning after finishing with Ep. 1, that makes me see the silly bits in a whole new light. I have to go back… Regardless, even if I stand on that thought of “this should have been rewritten to not be so nauseatingly bad even if it is more than a ruse” in the end, wouldn’t change my 10 now. The rest props it up that much, somehow.

Technically, it’s an episodic kinetic novel mystery in 8 parts (6 currently released), with 4 building up questions and 4 to answer them. And this mystery is something that’s posed to the reader to solve, meaning the game is not in the video gameplay, but in the attempts to solve the puzzle. But nothing is what you think, even when you think you know it all. It’s so fascinating, oh my god. But the build up is twisted, disgusting, terrifying, dreadful and gripping. Is it a curse? Will of the Gods? Malicious demons? Zombie outbreak? Ghosts? Infection? Mental illness? Government conspiracy? Time travel? Quantum continuum breaking into pieces? The mob? Disgruntled children? Jealous admirer? Revenge motivated? WHO KNOWS. :D

…Because I can prove, and disprove, all of them. Don’t ask how that’s possible. I am perplexed, and confused and any time I have a quiet moment I feel my brain reverting back to solving the puzzle. The only reason I don’t recommend Higurashi to absolutely anyone that will listen, is because it’s dark, so dark, and covers a lot of harrowing material. Its tense, shocking, grotesque… but I don’t feel any of it is not well crafted and with specific reason and meaning. I can only hope the answer arcs don’t disappoint, but I can’t imagine they would. This is the real deal right here. And I don’t mind waiting for my friend to catch up, even with her tight schedule because that will just give me more time to review and ponder.

The biggest, goriest of all riddles. And it does it all without a lot of fancy, high quality polish. Just some backgrounds, character sprites, mood music and amazing writing. Its as basic as can be, and it doesn’t need to be anything more than that, to succeed.

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I might have been unable to do as much as I would like (in many areas) recently, but I can’t complain with finishing strongly enough to have 3 10 stars in a row at the end. Eventually I’ll no doubt pick a dud, but I’m really happy so far. See you next update!