murkotlyvo’s profile
March'24: long time no see
It’s hard to believe time flies that fast. It’s almost November and I couldn’t find time to think about my assassinations. It’s probably gonna look weird however I want to use the remaining weeks of 2024 to look back at my yearly progress and think what games found their place in my heart, what was a big disappointment, and what I need to get back to. As for now life is busy with work as always, and with some games that suck all of my time. Not long ago I’ve finished Assassin's Creed Odyssey after more than 170 hours. I currently struggle with SILENT HILL 2 because I’m scared of the game but I am getting closer and closer to finishing it. But we can talk about it in October update. Now I wanna get back to March accomplishments!
I had my eye on Minami Lane way before it's release. Aesthetically it heavily reminds me of Animal Restaurant which is a mobile game that I used to play years ago. I do not remember why I abandoned it, but the game itself is great and still has updates if I am not mistaken. Sadly I probably lost my restaurant cause I deleted my fb account it was linked to. The similarity between these two and warm memories about my phone restaurant made me buy Minami Lane, and I was not disappointed. It's a very short game yet it's relaxing, peaceful and sweet. You have a Japanese-inspired town or I should say street, where you place houses and shops to make your citizens happy and satisfied, and earn money, of course! Game completion with all achievements takes just a few hours, however those hours are quite fun. I wish there was something like this but with an endless progress that you can enjoy daily.
Minami Lane has levels you must complete by reaching certain objectives. Every day you think of a strategy you're gonna follow to boost your villagers' happiness. There are young people and elderly and each has their own preferences and tastes you must keep an eye on. You can open book stores, flower stores, karaokes, ramen shops, boba cafes, place parks or onsens to add to street's beauty. Villagers regularly have something else on mind desiring specific bouquets of flowers or ramen recipes so they are 100% happy, so you must always pay attention to what they say and to random events that happen. There is no challenge at all so it's just an enjoyable experience that helps you to unwind in the evening when it's raining outside and you're all cozy and comfortable in bed playing something simple on your laptop or Steam Deck. By the way, it's Steam Deck verified, even though I was playing it on the computer, so not sure how it runs there, but all must be perfect.
Honestly I was not expecting Tinykin to be THAT fun. You know the game is good when you are willing to sacrifice a bit of your sleep few days in a row with no regrets. I think this is the best platformer game of the year for me, honestly. I know I've played it quite a long time ago however the memories of it are still so fresh! It has cool mechanics, interesting puzzles, cute characters and stories, incredibly colorful and detailed world to lose yourself in and enjoy every second of exploration. I loved it to the point that it was not feeling like a boring chore to search for collectibles that sometimes were just hard to find. I am so grateful that I got this game in some kind of bundle at Fanatical, I think I'd never find it another way, which would be a big loss. So what is Tinykin about? Oh yes, being tiny in a big big world!
It's a charming game. It's kind and lovely. You are running around the big house with your little helpers, tinykins, who have their own abilities that you use to complete each level of the game. They blow up, create ladders, help you to carry heavy things, and so on. Tiny does not mean useless! At the end of the game you're gonna have a whole army of those little creatures. I found them incredibly cute, especially when you leave the computer, like going to grab a cup of tea or something, you come back and see your character sleeping together with them, so sweet. Well, when you're not sleeping, you are exploring big bug cities inside bathroom, kitchen, living room, you can get into every little corner cause your size benefits you. Get inside the TV? No problem. Dive into the toilet? Lessgo man. Absolutely loved the attention to details. Also enjoyed grinding around on the bar of soap!
I do not know what else to say to praise this game enough. It's just... worth trying. If you wanna jump into something cute and sweet that reminds you of childhood, free from any worries, this is the exact game you can pay attention to.
I... don't know. I went through all circles of hell playing Lemon Cake and I am just glad I won't get back to it. I was clueless when I first saw it. It seemed so cute to me, I'm a big sucker for cooking games and I knew I'm gonna love it. Well, I did not love it, unfortunately. Why? Because it's boring. And what can be worse than playing a boring repetitive game to get all achievements? I was very close to just abandoning it but I got tips from kind users on here this winter and thanks to them I managed to finish it and uninstall it forever. I kinda feel bad hating on it so much but it was just not my thing at all.
We own an abandoned bakery that needs our time and attention to get to its glory! Everything is broken, old, there are ghosts flying around but thanks goodness they are friendly and can help us. Everything is on us, repairs, growing ingredients for our pastries, serving customers and cleaning after them. There is no story basically. You just do your thing, that's all. I actually really loved the artstyle, loved the variety of pastries you can cook. I also liked that it's not just a cafe, but a cat cafe where customers can adopt kitties and take them home. I loved the cooking gameplay where you basically have a cooking station in the middle of your kitchen and you run around to get certain ingredients, you throw them on that station and mix them then put an almost cooked pastry into the stove. Croissants, cookies, cakes, candies, ice cream, bread, chocolate strawberries, cheesecakes, sweet rolls... There is a lot to choose from to create your daily menu. The problem is... it's gonna take you ages to earn money for all the upgrades and achievements. It took me 25 hours to complete the game and that's with using the strategy of cooking the same pastry every single day. Sadly, yes. It's just boring. You see everything the game has to offer after... I do not know, maybe 5 hours? It gets repetitive to the point it drives you crazy. You work hard every single shift running around 3 rooms all by yourself, cooking, cleaning tables, serving your customers coffee so they do not leave angry and disappointed, watering your plants, taking care of cows and chickens, throwing more wood into stoves so you can bake your pastries, clean up spills of dough on your kitchen cause it slows you down... Shifts go by, you buy an upgrade, few more shifts go by, you buy another one and again and again and again. I should have dropped it after it started to feel stressful so my experience is not ruined, but it is what it is.
Maybe it's a good game if you don't stress yourself out with progression and achieving something. I do not know. It had so much potential. It makes me wonder if all games of this developer are this way? I have Capybara Spa in my wishlist and I wish I had more motivation to try it but after Lemon Cake I doubt it, even if it's good...
Till this day I wonder, how the devs managed to create such a big and complicated game with an interesting writing, great story that keeps you on pins and needles, cool characters with their own charm, insanely good sound design, and an endless amount of possibilities and endings. Now this is what you call "choices matter". Never in my life I saw a game in which every single breath you take can change the outcome so drastically. Just wow. The Letter found its place among my favorite visual novels hands down. You play through each chapter from every character's perspective, slowly learning more about each of them, and unraveling mysteries that happen in the story. The Letter is inspired by classic Asian horror movies, however, nothing here feels cliché. There is a haunted mansion, a terrible curse and the truth that must be discovered. Our choices carry over from one chapter to another and indeed we can heavily feel the butterfly effect. There is a relationship system here too and via dialogue choices you can make characters fall in love, be just friends, or hate each other. I wish you could play this game comfortably on Steam Deck and you CAN, I started it on it, but as soon as I faced the first QTE I realized I must move to the computer because I cannot pass it on the console. But that's okay.
Seven characters, seven lives. Seriously, I really loved how developers put so much thoughts into their work. It's clear this project was made with passion and enthusiasm. I loved how characters that at first glance I hated, completely opened up from another side when I played their own story from their own point of view which made me love them. Shows you that you should never judge someone by only seeing one side of the coin. The writing is voiced over, sprites are moving, backgrounds feel alive too. Maybe to some the visuals of the game might seem a bit old-fashioned, not sure, however, it's very stylish and looks incredibly good. The game is not too scary, but it's creepy, it makes you feel uncomfortable from time to time, the atmosphere that music creates makes you shiver. It has jumpscares that you do not expect, and they don't make the game cheap, they fit really well. I think what matters the most in this game is it's branching paths and there are a lot of them. Literally, never in my life I saw so many ways the story can go. Loved it.
Maybe I will get back to it to complete it, it's worth exploring every branch of the story anyways. As we are getting closer to winter now my desire for reading some VNs is growing and I am soon about to dive into The House in Fata Morgana and I believe it's gonna be something interesting and impressive too.
march completed
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Redout: Enhanced Edition
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Minami Lane
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Say No! More
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Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
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Tinykin
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Candle
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Still There
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Children of Silentown
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Genesis Noir
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The Letter - Horror Visual Novel
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Mail Time
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Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?
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Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure
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The Ramp
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Chasing Tails ~A Promise in the Snow~
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Lemon Cake
Feb'24: precious indie gems
It's May already and I believe there is no better time for winter update! February was unexpectedly productive and a lot has been accomplished gaming wise. My biggest achievement of that month was completing Tomb Raider which I beat it in 2017. I vacuumed the whole map and after that was lucky to find great people in discussions who helped with getting multiplayer achievements. It was a fun grind. Overall I spent a lot of time playing Sun Haven again, started Death Stranding and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, since I wanted to prove myself that I'm not afraid of long term commitment (yeah, again it's May and I already know how miserably I failed to finish these games lol) February was definitely a month of short games completion but I'm not complaining. I am also proud I've managed to complete 5 SG wins, so it's definitely a victory for me.
I think Mutazione is the most memorable game from February. It just made me feel a lot. It’s more of a slow meditative experience than a game to me, therapeutic and healing, and I fell in love with it from the first minutes. It’s beautiful, heartwarming and it feels alive. Its magic in its simplicity. You play as a girl who gets a letter from her sick granddad, he’s close to dying and thus needs to see her as soon as possible. That is the reason we end up in a mysterious village that is trying to keep living after a global cataclysm. The fall of a meteorite took lots of lives, and those who survived turned into mutants. Because of that the rest of the world prefered to ignore their existence, and this small community was forced to manage on its own. Even though their appearance is far from the "norm", they still remained who they were before – humans.
That is why I loved Mutazione a lot. Because it’s about humans and their stories. They love, they suffer, they have dreams, doubts and secrets, they are tormented by guilt, sorrow, they make mistakes and try their best to forgive themselves for them. They fall and they rise after falling. I think I enjoyed side stories much more than the main storyline of the game. So if you don’t like talking to every single NPC, you’re gonna miss literally 80% of the content. All characters are so engaging, emotional, each with their own charm that makes it worth getting to know them and listening to their drama. I also loved the gameplay of growing little gardens by using music. Its easy and more of intuitive: you collect, plant seeds and grow gardens by playing ritual melodies to them. Such a meditative experience.
It's also worth mentioning that the game is visually stunning. You walk around the remains of a once flourishing civilization, but even though the world suffered its end once, sprouts of flowering plants make their way through the ground, giving life a chance to start over. The colors, the textures, the characters design and the whole mood of the world just clicks so well. Just look at this, this and this. Absolutely stunning. And the music is just... chill and relaxing. Every aspect of the game works so good together, creating a beautiful complete story that is just addicting to dive into.
If you love story rich games and wanna take a break from the rush of the world or games that drain you, Mutazione deserves a chance. I still think of some scenes and dialogues from the game, it just touched me so deeply it's gonna be hard to move on. Now on a sad note I recently found out that the studio that developed the game, Die Gute Fabrik, is closing due to the lack of funds for games they wanna make. So yeah. I'll just give their other projects a shot, but it's definitely sad we probably not gonna see any new games from them.
Coincidentally I played another game that has to do with apocalypse and oh man how beautiful it was, but there are a lot of but's. Well, maybe the story wasn't as touching as I was hoping it's gonna be, but I still enjoyed it.
The world is going to collapse. It's doomed, but everything can be fixed. You are the chosen hero that must do all they can to prevent horrible things from happening. But can you do it if you're all alone, especially if the clock is ticking?... Honestly, I wasn't really hooked by the story of Minute of Islands. It doesn't mean it is not good. Our character is a mechanic on a journey to fix ancient bio-mecha machines that for some reason stopped working. They were the only things that kept the world going. And if we don't do anything, the polluted air is going to kill everything alive. So we grab our special tool, jump on the boat and travel between islands to help the doomed world. That's it. We go from one island to another, fixing machines, finding remains of life and meeting people who are not really happy to talk to us. The struggle and trauma of our main character are well written, the reasons of her actions are well explained, but it was not enough to make me care for her, I am not even sure why. On top of that the ending really ruined it all for me. I loved the way the story was told, especially remembering absolutely incredible narrator's voice, I just didn't like how the story ended.
There is not much to say about gameplay and what made me like this game was its melancholic mood, the whole atmosphere and the beauty of the world that's falling apart. The gameplay is just walking around, getting from A to B, solving easy puzzles. I didn't mind the slow gameplay at all, I appreciate games that do not rush me and let me enjoy the experience, but sometimes it was too much. I was sitting in my chair, petting my cat and asking myself when the cutscene of traveling on the boat gonna end. But maybe it's just me, I was playing it right before going to bed so probably I was just tired and annoyed I can't speed things up.
It is definitely not polished to perfection, but it doesn't make it bad. Minute of Islands is unique in terms of artstyle and mood, but gameplay and story wise there was no chemistry between us.
BUT oh boy what a chemistry happened between me and Beacon Pines. I am impatiently waiting for part 2 if they give life to it, because ohhhh what a nice little game it was!
Strange things are happening in Beacon Pines and it's hard not to notice them! Something is going on at the old abandoned warehouse, because why would there be any lights and weird people walking around? As we go somewhere we are not supposed to, it gives a start to a crazy adventure that is going to change the world. I absolutely love mystery, I love cute animals and games about them, I love time travel, and Beacon Pines has it all, so it was love from the first click. We play as little Luka, who is curious, adventurous and smart. His loving granny begs him never get into trouble... Of course she's worried, because she's the only parent our Luka has, since he tragically lost his father years ago, and his mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances. But Luka is just a little kid, so no, granny, it's our job to FIND TROUBLE!
Beacon Pines feels like childhood. Like those days at the end of May when school is almost over and summer is just around the corner, you're ready to throw away all the books and play at the lake with your friends until the evening. It also reminded me of those fantastic tales I was reading at school's library where my granny was working. However while the game might seem really easy going, bright and cute, its story is much deeper than you think. Everything in it works so well together, the plot, the characters, the world, the TWISTS! On our journey we discover our town's most horrible secrets, find new friends and risk our lives to save them. My jaw literally dropped a few times for sure, and a few times I was crying.
Luka is literally the main character of a tale, and the story is told by the narrator who is reading the book. And we have a power to change everything. Through the story we can collect little "charms", and using them gonna help us choose a different route for our tale. Instead of "running away" we can use the word "fight", doesn't it change the whole situation to our benefit, huh? I loved that we can see many timelines, even though there is only one "true" way.
I really don't want to talk much about Beacon Pines, I just wanna say that it is such a masterpiece, such a little gem that is definitely worth checking, after all it's only 5 hours of gameplay, but each hour is gonna be unforgettable. I WANT MORE!
Hello everyone! I used to keep track of my backlog fights here some years ago, and putting together my thoughts about games and writing entries was a therapeutic experience. So I thought... why can't I start again? Its February already, but still better late than never, right? Playing games and hunting for achievements bring me a lot of joy so I'm all in for making it even more fun.
Jan'24: slowly getting started
This year began with some wonderful titles and many of them I won't even mention today since they are not beaten or completed. I spent a lot of time playing Cuisineer, Sun Haven and Lemon Cake, with first two being absolutely incredible and Lemon Cake turning out to be such a big disappointment that I literally cannot force myself to get into it again, even though I want it done and dusted. But let's talk about games I've completed in January and start with Battle Chef Brigade. I'm still playing it, since I kinda aim for 100%, and for that you need to reach a high rank in daily cooking challenges. And it's kinda hard, not because of the gameplay but cause it takes a lot of time. Right now I'm rank 6, and for getting the cheevo you need rank 12, so yeah, halfway to go.
I'm really passionate about cooking games. And I'm always excited when a game has cooking mechanics, a decent variety of food and recipes, and allows you to cook a meal step by step. When I see yummy eggs and bacon, tasty chocolate pancakes or delicious italian pasta, my mouth is watering and I get an immediate shot of joy in my brain. The aesthetic appeal of the food in games I've played through years never failed to inspire and delight me. And Battle Chef Brigade is no exception. This game is a mix of fighting and match 3 mechanic, and honestly it works really well. You go on the hunt fighting creatures and then run to your pot to cook a yummy meal from the drop. You fight against your skilled opponent so you must do your best to win the battle and cook on time! You match green, red or blue ingredients to create a "crystal" of a better quality that's gonna make your meal more tasty. Once you understand what you need to do, the game becomes extremely fun and entertaining. There is an interesting story, and as you progress through it, you can get helpful things like books that give you bonuses at the end of the battle or pots that let you match 2 of the ingredients and get a "crystal" of much better quality and so on.
The meals in BCB look incredible, and they are incredibly unique since you cook them from what you get from hydras, dragons, birds and other monsters, plus you can use berries from bushes and mushrooms you find in caves. They all are different colors and when you enter the battle, you know what flavours your meals must be, green or blue or both. Each duel requires an individual approach, different tactics and different preparations, and that makes battles unique. Oh and speaking of unique, I think I forgot to mention the art style that is absolutely breathtaking, plus if I am not mistaken, its hand drawn, and wow. So beautiful.
I just regret the story ended so suddenly. When I was ready to go to bed I'd play the game for an hour, and after a few days it was done. Now I'm left with endless grind! But I'm not complaining since battles in daily challenges are fun and I don't have a feeling that I wanna give up and drop the game.
So in conclusion, if you enjoy puzzle games, match 3 games, fighting and cooking, you can find something for yourself in Battle Chef Brigade. This game was in my library for years and I wasn't paying attention to it, and ohh, if you have it in your backlog, try to think about checking it out.
Speaking of cooking games, the first game I've completed in 2024 is Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly. Of course, you cannot cook there but... technically speaking, serving tea and coffee kinda counts, right?
Back in time I've played VA-11 Hall-A and till this day it remains one of my favorite games, so when I heard about another bartender barista visual novel I knew I'm gonna like it. I got my hands on Coffee Talk in 2020 and was not disappointed, great story, fantastic artstyle and unique characters that feel real, the brewing mechanic and the fact you can change the story depending on what you make for visitors of your little cozy cafe instantly melted my heart. Well, I have the same impression after playing Coffee Talk 2.
This game made me feel like I returned home after wandering around the world for a long long time. I was happy to open the door to my cozy coffee shop again and see my old friends I got attached to in Episode 1, and to fall in love with new people. They all come to your cafe to relax after a tough day, to have a heart-to-heart talk and get something off their chests, ask for an advice and just enjoy a damn good drink from their favorite barista. I believe lots of people can find themselves in some characters since they struggle with problems we all go through. Good writing made characters feel genuine. In addition it's exciting to follow how they open up more and more with each day and open the corners of their heart to you, because you are a good listener and never judge them.
You cannot choose what to say to your guests but the drinks you serve really matter. So, it's no different from Episode 1. Sometimes your visitor expresses what they want directly, and sometimes they just hope for your insight, not telling their preferences. If you get it wrong, you'll lose a dialogue, and in the worst case it can ruin someone's life. Your drinks can make characters upset, disappointed or the opposite, give them hope, confidence or inspiration. And I almost forgot about the new feature – items. Guests sometimes forget or give you certain things and you decide what to do with them. Mr Policeman forgets his favorite lighter or you get a business card with personal number on it, maybe someone needs it and it can change their life? Who knows. It's also worth mentioning in Episode 2 we have not only coffee but also blue tea and hibiscus, which means more recipes and ingredients. The drinks are pleasant to look at, and we can do latte art as always.
The game perfectly works on Steam Deck, I was playing it in bed after celebrating New Year lol. So for a few days I was fully immersed in the story making tea and coffee and listening to life stories. What a good way to relax and start a gaming year.
The last but definitely not least liked I'd love to mention is Cat Cafe Manager.
In Cat Cafe Manager we are responsible for our own small cafe and gonna work hard to gain customers and satisfy their needs, adopt cats and give them home they deserve. As a cat person I really wanted to try this out, and it turned out to be quite a nice adventure. I cannot say I was impressed by the story but I pretty much enjoyed the gameplay. Yes, we have a cafe, we cook, we have stations we use for different food and there are different types of customers that have their own expectations for our cozy place. The more points of satisfaction they have, the more profit we get when our guest leaves. Go buy more magic decorations and witches gonna absolutely love it, unlock recipes for meals they are most likely to order, so they don't end up disappointed getting a glass of water, and yeah, that's it! So basically it's all about gaining resourses and buying more and more stuff to progress in the story and turn your little cafe into lovely place people adore and want to visit.
I liked the fact that we run around getting orders and serving customers. You can hire AI chefs and waiters but honestly, they are kinda slow and sometimes simply do nothing, maybe they get tired or something, so I was always taking responsibility for doing.. everything. Chopping salad, brewing coffee, cleaning tables, cleaning after cats, feeding cats, while my AI companions were somewhere doing... something. I wasn't even hiring more than two after some point cause I had no need for help from them. Not complaining honestly.
During the day you can lure stray cats and they are gonna live in your cafe. Cats have stats and certain useful skills, for example, witches give 20% more currency, something like that. Each type of customers gives their own currency and you can use it to buy new recipes and decorations. So the game is all about working day by day and being patient. It gets repetitive with time but that's okay. After a few hours you gonna see pretty much all gameplay and the only thing that gonna keep you playing is achievements. I stayed for them and it was entertaining to do the hunt.
This game got a lot of negative reviews due to being buggy. I honestly was lucky enough to experience no bugs at all, probably because the devs polished the game, and if that's true, it's nice to know all the flaws were fixed. By the way, as I said, you can give cats from your cafe forever home, but honestly... I got so attached to my kitties that it was impossible for me to say bye to them. They are so lovely and cute! I believe the devs should have added some kind of perks or bonuses for giving a cat forever home, because you 1) lose a cat you love 2) lose stats cat gives. And oh, you can adopt a racoon. I think it's cute and silly!
Night Call is honestly so underrated it breaks my heart, even though I understand why people dislike it but still I'm gonna defend it for life. In this game we play as a parisian taxi driver who works at night. He was attacked by a serial killer, and now he's engaged in murder mystery, trying to get and put pieces of information together to find out who is that bloody murderer. As Houssine, our main character, is on his night shifts, he meets different people that are willing to talk and share what's on their mind. I believe it's easy to vent to a taxi driver, cause you meet him once and never again, and he won't judge since he heard so many stories that are much crazier than yours. I was all in for the stories of people you meet. Every single person has their own life story and shares it with you, I enjoyed the writing and personalities, and could empathize with strangers. Unlike Coffee Talk I mentioned today, we can speak to people in our cab, and our choices really matter. Whatever we say helps to find a common language with strangers, or, make them shut down completely, or make a bad decision in their life. We must ask the right people right questions to get the information for the investigation. And the clock is ticking. We are given a few days to make our guess.
It would be too easy if we could just drive around and talk. We have limited finances we must manage carefully, or we're gonna end up fired. Houssine must have money for rent and fuel, and if we have negative balance at the end of the day or have nothing after paying our rent, it's game over. Well, not really, as you can still continue through the menu and start that night over, but better be careful with choosing the rides and money. There are a few murder mysteries we can investigate. Each has different endings that depend on our choices. By the way, Night Call doesn't end after the main story, it has a "free roaming" mode where it's much easier to meet people you had no chance to see in main game.
As you play and speak to strangers, you fill entries in "Passidex", it's some kind of an encyclopedia about people we meet during the night. And that's where I wanna complain. A lot of entries are bugged and you cannot complete Passidex for 100%, even for 90%, because even if you did everything right for the entry to be there, it just won't count at all. Also, I found a game crushing bug where I cannot give a ride to a tarot lady, as she speaks, the game crashes, and I can do nothing to fix this. Another problem I encountered is that I cannot have certain dialogues with certain people, so it's impossible to get some achievements. Sometimes you just pick up a person and game skips the whole ride and just pays you money for the ride, and you end up reading no dialogue. I can keep going, but I don't want to. By the way, it doesn't work at Deck, but that's fine.
Honestly, this game is awesome if you close your eyes on its imperfections. If you only rate stories and characters, the whole setting, the atmosphere, the writing, it's an absolute win, but all the bugs make people disappointed with Night Call. Still... no matter what, this game has my heart.
867 | games |
34% | never played |
12% | unfinished |
11% | beaten |
40% | completed |
3% | won't play |
- Currently Playing 10
- Won on Steamgifts 200
- Finished in 2024 104
- Finished in 2023 59
- Finished in 2022 12
- Finished in 2021 29
- Finished in 2020 108
- Finished in 2019 44
- Played on Deck 20
- Need DLC 11
- Dropped 1