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52 Games Challenge 2025!!!
bikingjahuty:
50. Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
If memory serves me right, this was my third attempt at getting into Metal Gear Solid, and more so, getting into a video game franchise I know enough about to really want to enjoy the Metal Gear series as much as I feel like I should. Unfortunately, my previous attempts at playing through Metal Gear Solid were met with misplaced expectations going into it and also it belonging to a sub-genre I traditionally haven't been the biggest fan of (stealth games). The last time I played MGS I made it to the first encounter with Sniper Wolf and remember being so annoyed and frustrated with the game that I turned it off and wouldn't pick it back up until years later, earlier this week. Going into playing MGS this time around, I decided I was going to lean more on walkthroughs and also go in knowing there was going to be quite a bit of stealth as well as parts that required me to think in less intuitive ways to figure out what I needed to do. Playing Metal Gear Solid with all that in mind not only allowed me to enjoy the game more, but also allowed me to experience a story and characters I ended up really liking. Unfortunately, even with my expectations and attitude adjusted prior to this play through, it wasn't enough for me to overlook blaring gameplay issues with MGS that seem to be frequently glossed over by the series' biggest fans and defenders.
Metal Gear Solid's greatest asset is its story, writing, and presentation. For a game released in 1998, there was absolutely nothing like it in terms of cinematic quality. It was the closest thing we had to a blockbuster movie game at the time it was released, and likely held that title for several more years until the early 2000s. The influences of action cinema on MGS are undeniable and they are implemented masterfully to deliver a highly entertaining experience. While there is a lack of diversity in regards to the various environments in Metal Gear Solid, the game's ultra stylized graphics and art direction will hardly make you care as this game just oozes atmosphere. Even with the limitations of the PS1's 3D graphics, it's very impressive what Kojima and team were able to pull off in terms of the character models, animations, and other visual effects you'll take in while playing. I will say, MGS was definitely not the best looking game during its time, and various acclaimed PC games, and even a few console games had it beat, but its still at that upper echelon of visually amazing late 90s video games.
As mentioned, the story and characters are also why MGS left a huge mark on so many gamers in 1998 and why it still has that ability even to this day. Playing through Metal Gear Solid is like playing a well written (mostly), action anime, with characters and villains being fairly over the top as you'd expect in various 90s and 2000s anime. Some examples include a levitating psychic in BDSM leather and a gas mask, a seductive female sniper rifle, and a massive tank of a man covered in tattoos who's somehow able to wield a machine gun that looks like it weights as much as an ATV. Through its very memorable characters, this game definitely leaves an impression on the player and made nearly all of them unforgettable. The story is also pretty interesting with it revolving around stopping a massive mech, the Metal Gear Rex, from launching a nuclear weapon. Along the way, there are bunch of twists, revelations, double crosses, and other things that keep things interesting. Throw in some philosophical banter and discussion of government conspiracies, and this game lands right up my ally. There are some flaws in the writing and several moments that made me go wtf, and not in a good way, but overall these did little to distract from what was otherwise a very interesting story filled with even more interesting characters. The backbone to all of this was probably the best voice acted dialogue in a video game to date with MGS first came out.
The voice cast in MGS is outstanding. It's so good in fact that it made me forget about how limited the OST was despite there being some very memorable tracks in the game. Nearly every single character, not matter how over the top they were meant to be is voice acted incredibly well. It's to the point where it made me realize that this game could have easily been way more forgettable if the voice cast hadn't been as good as they were. Particularly the voices of Solid Snake, Revolver Ocelot, Naomi, and Cambell were all amazing, but none of the other performance were lacking either. It was just so good and really a game unmatched in voice talent for many years to come.
At this point, you'd probably think I'd bought completely into the MGS hype and that I now considered this game a nearly unrivaled masterpiece as many MGS fans would have you believe. While its presentation, story, and audio are hard to fault, MGS's gameplay is what not only kept me from beating this game for so long, but also what caused my first complete play through to be filled with frustration and annoyances far more than I would have liked. What's ironic is that the part of MGS's gameplay that felt the most polished and well implemented was the part that kept me from playing MGS for so long, the stealth. Between the enemy radar system and also the game providing mostly intuitive options for remaining undetected, the stealth ended up being the part of Metal Gear Solid's gameplay I have the least amount of complaints about, and in fact was pretty good overall. For better or worse, there was actually less stealth in this game than I was led to believe over the years, especially in the last third of the game which mostly just becomes a straight up action game where you'll be shooting things more than hiding from them. There are many different gameplay elements in MGS to discuss, but for the sake of not making this review any longer than it needs to be, most of these systems range from being okay, or pretty annoying and janky. Sections where you control a Nakita missile to destroy and power box and then later on to defeat one of the bosses are not terrible, but not great either. On the flip side a slow as hell sniper rifle scope mechanic made a few boss fights some of the most annoying and frustrating parts of the game for me. Then there are common mechanics such as shooting where are general inaccurate and stiff, and also some level sections which are just poorly designed and unintuitive. Perhaps the thing I hated the most about MGS are all the gotcha traps that you'd never know where there if you hadn't played this game before or in a long time. These take the forms of hidden traps doors on the floor, hidden land mines, including ones that somehow remain hidden in doors on solid metal flooring...not sure how that one works, hidden motion detector gun turrets, and blind spots where enemies or other obstacles are waiting to damage or kill unsuspecting players. I despise gotcha traps in games that more or less make you get killed or lose health to know they're there, simply for committing the sin of never having played the game before. I don't know how many times I simply rolled my eyes or just turned the game off in annoyance and one or more of these stupid surprise traps killed me or made me an easy target for later traps or enemies.
Of course, there are also all the quarky and memorable gameplay elements like you needing to look at the actual physical CD case for MGS to get someone's codec frequency, or having ti plug your controller into the second port during a particular boss battle. I found some of these esoteric gameplay flourishes to be clever and interesting, while others obnoxious and a bit try hard. Despite my overall good opinion of MGS after beating it, I still contend that Hideo Kojima is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest edgelord in gaming and this shines through more than any other place in these very weird, sometimes fourth wall breaking gameplay elements. But overall, I didn't hate the gameplay despite having a lot of complaints about it, but it does admittedly teeter on that fine line between being good and bad, with it leaning just ever so slightly towards the good side.
More than enjoying MGS and finally being able to say I beat what is widely considered one of the best games ever made, I'm thrilled that I liked the first game enough to want to play some of its many sequels. From my research, it seems like two thirds of fans seem to either think MGS2 or MGS3 are the best games in the franchise. The other third is a mix of other MGS titles, including the first game which some consider to be the best ever made still. My point is that I'm hoping that when I get around to playing MGS2 and possibly 3 if I enjoy the second game enough, that I'll just enjoy the series more and more until I too can consider myself a fan of it. Once again, I really want to get into this series, if for nothing else than its rich story and characters. I also sincerely hope the gameplay gets better as well, since if not for how meh it was in MGS, I too might have considered this game a absolute masterpiece. Instead, it's a game I mostly enjoyed, but is far from being the near perfect game it's made out to be, and I'd say is even, dare I say, a bit overrated. Still, I enjoyed MGS and look forward to playing more games from this esteemed series in the future. (4/18/25) [37/50]
dhaabi:
22. Octopath Traveler || Nintendo Switch || 04.14.2025
After several years not really engaging with more traditional turn-based RPGs, I decided to finally play through Octopath Traveler in spite of its lengthy play time needed to reach the game's end. It's a game that instantly drew me in based on its "HD-2D" art direction which, I believe, was the first of its kind, and I'm glad to have finally experienced it.
As its name implies, Octopath Traveler features eight protagonists who each have their own narrative paths to follow. They can be freely selected in any order and, unlike games with one clear story, the stories do not converge together but instead focus on the journey each character faces and the challenges they must endure. As a result, players are able to progress through the game in any way they choose including deciding the order of protagonists played and how their stories are progressed. Of the eight characters, their stories are told over the course of four individual chapters, so there are 32 in total to play. Generally, each chapter is self-contained to one locale and follows the same structure: they are first introduced to a new problem or development to their existing problem and then explore some nearby dungeon to overcome it. Despite this narrative structure, there is still plenty of optional party banter and conversation to engage with during certain scripted moments. And, of course, there are plenty of NPCs which adds a considerable level of depth to both the immediate area and the world at large.
Before discussing gameplay specifically, I will mention the weight of the player's very first decision in choosing what's properly referred to as the game's one protagonist. Over time, players will manage a party of four characters with the other four being benched. However, it was only after recruiting the fifth party member did I learn that the first character selected is regarded as the campaign's protagonist and cannot be removed from the party until their entire story has been completed. The game doesn't mention this detail at all upon starting a new game, so it's certainly something to consider and something I ultimately didn't regret. Personally, I don't see the added benefit to this limitation as the game doesn't prioritize or give preferential treatment to the protagonist in any way. I would have much rather been given the full ability to customize the party at all times throughout the playthrough.
With that said, Octopath Traveler is like many of the games within its genre as it features a turn-based, menu-selected battle system with a four-member party size. The expected RPG mechanics and setup is also present alongside a class system which influences active combat, skills, and equipment. How the game sets itself apart, however, is its emphasis on enemy weaknesses which can be exploited to stun them for one turn. Additionally, a boost mechanic that amplifies the effectiveness of battle actions, whether they be offensive or defensive, is implemented. Lastly, there is a preview of the current and upcoming turn order which allows for planning, and this order can be altered with certain battle actions to the player's advantage. Overall, battles are straightforward to understand, and all of the mechanics are designed to aid players. What I mean by this is that no enemy can use this system to their own advantage—party members have no weaknesses and enemies cannot utilize the boost mechanic, though some can act more than once per turn. As the game progresses, boss battles become much more engaging through their variety as they'll inflict unique disadvantages onto the player.
While the standard party system is fun in its own right, it becomes even more enjoyable and complex once party members are able to be assigned sub-classes. Sub-classes can only be assigned to one party member at a time, though they're completely interchangeable. As a result, the system allows for a lot of different play styles and party experimentation as each class grants party members a preset pool of skills. Through battle experience, points can be spent to learn additional classic-specific battle skills which also unlocks class-specific passive skills, though the latter can be assigned to members no matter their class. At the same time, each character has their own unique skill which others can't gain even when being assigned to that sub-class. These actions vary but are widely used all throughout the game such as being able to engage NPCs in combat or thievery. To a degree, party configuration will influence battle difficulty as a result of enemies' weaknesses, and this is particularly true for boss encounters.
Somewhat surprisingly, I found the early game more difficult than what is to follow. Upon completing each character's chapter 1 scenario, I felt more than capable to overcome enemies in unexplored areas. Over time, I found my party higher in level than what newly-available areas recommend as there are plenty of optional areas and side objectives to do. So, the difficulty of most tasks was lacking for some time, though occasional instances did still introduce a worthy challenge. However, this again once changed once tackling some of the advised post-game areas and boss encounters as they absolutely require strategy and focus which, up until this point, did not feel required. Until I reached post-game content—which I will clarify can be done at any point even before completing each of the eight characters' stories—I had no strict party or class setup and fully adhered to the same passive skills being assigned to party members. So, the post-game experience has been rewarding, though I'll admit I've referenced others' strategies to help me surpass certain battles.
Admittedly, it has been some time since I've played a more traditional turn-based RPG so I'm not sure what kind of more modern standards there are. Nevertheless, there are many aspects of the UI I appreciated for effectively conveying information for both battles and field exploration, such as detailing the number of turns status effects remain in effect and revealing the level of difficulty each map area has. Additionally, Octopath Traveler employs fantastic visuals and art design as it's, I believe, the first game from Square Enix to utilize the HD-2D style. And as a game that I assume is one of the studio's smaller projects, I was pleasantly surprised by its quality voice work, dialogue, and story themes. While not all lines are voiced as that's reserved for major story segments, there is a lot of dialogue to read from both key characters and NPCs which certainly brings depth to the game's world.
However, I do have some complaints, though they're few. The one most bothersome is that, randomly, aspects of the foreground will remain on screen and almost entirely obstruct the player's view. This is exclusive to wooded environments with trees (at least in my experience), and it made traversal throughout these areas annoying. It's not supposed to happen either, as there are times when the map will load correctly. Apart from this problem, there are some minor framerate issues as well, but this was perhaps entirely exclusive to a few instances while running during field exploration.
Throughout my entire time playing, I had a lot of fun with Octopath Traveler. I'm still finishing up some end-game sections but am nearing completion, though. In time, I'll play through its sequel entry since I've only read how it improves on this entry.
bikingjahuty:
51. Motorstorm Apocalypse (PS3)
My first experience with a PS3 console was at my local Best Buy back in 2006. They had a PS3 kiosk in their game section and one of the playable demos they had on it was Motorstorm. There are few games that have blown me away like the original Motorstorm in terms of its racing and damage physics. It left such a big impression on me that I'd deliberately drive up to Best Buy just to play that demo over and over again. Eventually when I got my own PS3 a couple years later, Motorstorm as well as its sequel Pacific Rift were at the top of my want list. Over the years I've thoroughly enjoyed both these games, however when the third game in the franchise came out in 2011, Motorstorm Apocalypse, I really wanted the game, but never got around to playing it. Sadly, Apocalypse has been in my collection for almost as long as it's been out and still to this day I've never played it, well, that is until this afternoon. I decided to finally play this game and see if its more urban settings held up as well as the dirt and mud soaked tracks of its predecessors.
While I really dig the apocalyptic theme and settings of Motorstorm Apocalypse, the game just doesn't do it for me the same way the first two games on the PS3 did. For one, the emphasis in Apocalypse is no longer on the damage and destruction happening to your vehicle, but rather to the stage itself. In a way, this makes it feel like part of some other series, but for what it's worth, there still is damage done to your vehicle during the course of each race, albeit there is way less of an emphasis on it. Instead, each end of the world themed track is presented in a way that makes you feel like you're in some crazy, over the top racing series set within The Last of Us' world or something. The course you'll be racing on literally fall apart as you're competing against a dozen or so opponents. Sometimes these destructive elements in the stage create alternate routes, or destroy old ones you used before. This makes this game feel pretty fresh and novel throughout most of your playthrough. Despite there technically being a limited number of tracks, depending on what gets destroyed while you're racing, as well as what route is being taken during a particular race, you can easily think that this is the first time you've raced in that specific stage despite having done it 5 or 6 times prior. Unfortunately among all the chaos and destruction going on around you as you're racing, it can sometimes be hard to tell where you're supposed to go despite the game doing a pretty good job and marking the boundaries of the track as well as the routes you can take. Some of the tracks also don't have the best design or layout either, and when combined with the sometimes squirrelly controls and vehicle handling, it can be fairly annoying getting through certain track sections without screwing yourself up or crashing. Aside from all this, there are cards hidden within each course that allow you unlock various things for use in free play mode. There's also a Festival mode which is essentially the game's campaign mode which has generic, uninteresting stories of various characters that each represent different difficulty levels within the game. You'll probably just want to skip past this like I mostly did, and they didn't really add anything to my overall enjoyment of the game.
The visuals in Motorstorm Apocalypse are pretty impressive for a PS3 game. Once again, emphasis was put way more on the stages and the chaos occurring within them more so than the vehicles you'll be using. As a result, when your vehcile does get damaged or explodes, it won't be as cool as it was in the previous two Motorstorm games. As a trade off, Apocalypse's stages look better and more detailed than the more natural settings of the first game and Pacific Rift. There are cutscenes between races in campaign mode which aren't particularly good looking and they're presented in stills rather than fluidly animated.
Finally, the audio in Motorstorm Apocalypse is decent for the most part. Some of the vehicle sounds are really good, while others sound like a lawnmower. Destruction and other stage sound effects are all pretty good too. Unfortunately, this game uses a very generic techno soundtrack that doesn't have any particularly memorable tracks, but I guess is appropriate for this type of game. It would have been nice to have some more catchy songs to race to and not just some B-tier techno music that was probably super cheap to license.
While I did mostly enjoy Motorstorm Apocalypse, it did make me a little sad to realize it wasn't as good as either the first game or Pacific Rift. It certainluy does have a few things going for it over those two games, but overall, I'd rather be playing the other two PS3 Motorstorm titles over this one. (4/20/25) [33/50]
bikingjahuty:
Well, I did it! I've never reached 52 games beat this early in the year before, not even close. My overall goal this year is 100 games beat, but even at the 52 games milestone, things feel pretty good right now. Anyhow, let's get on with my review of the game that put me over the finish line.
52. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4)
When it comes to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (RE7), the term you're likely to hear and see plastered all over the internet is "return to form." It's easy to understand why this phrase is everywhere in association with RE7; the franchise had spent the last decade deeply imbedded in the action genre thanks to the massive pivot the series took with Resident Evil 4 back in 2005. The increase in action and over the top gameplay came at the expense of the game's horror atmosphere which had defined the previous three mainline titles plus Code Veronica. So for RE7 to completely tone down the over the top action gameplay in favor of more slow, atmospheric horror was seen very favorably by much of the fanbase that yearned for RE to be scary again. However, after beating RE7, I feel like saying this game is a return to form is a bit deceptive. While yes, RE7 definitely makes the series about horror and scares again instead of mowing down entire cities of zombies while skyscrapers explode in the background, I feel like in almost every other way, RE7 just doesn't feel like an RE game.
In many ways, RE7 feels more akin to a game like Outlast, or some other horror game that took some inspiration from the Resident Evil franchise, but remained its own distinct thing. This was my experience while playing RE7, where throughout most of the game I was only given small breadcrumbs that reminded me I was playing the next game in the RE franchise and not some completely different game, or at the very least an RE spinoff. This was a big reason I avoided playing RE7 for so long despite that "return to form" declaration that 98% of the internet claimed. Still, despite the game feeling fairly divorced from the previous games in the franchise throughout most the game, at least until towards the end, I still enjoyed RE7 for the most part despite having some issues with it that have little or nothing to do with it not feeling like a Resident Evil title throughout most of it.
Unlike previous Resident Evil games, you play as an average Joe named Ethan Winters who travels to a remote area of rural Louisiana after getting a video recording of his wife who went missing 3-years ago. When you arrive at the large property where your wife is supposedly waiting for you, you quickly realize things aren't what they seem and the game takes a sharp turn into its horror aesthetic. Also, unlike previous RE games which leaned on scifi horror themes and visuals, RE7 is more reminiscent of grind house horror movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and even newer franchises like Saw and The Ring. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it definitely does not feel at all like an RE game, which is complimented even further by the fact you're playing this game in first person. The first person perspective definitely lends itself to the horror atmosphere and aesthetic, and while I get limited your situational awareness was definitely an intentional design decision to ramp up your anxiety while playing, it just seems to strip away a lot of the identity of the series which relied on a third person perspective. Luckily, RE7 did bring back a lot of the survival horror gameplay and mechanics which can definitely be lumped into that "return to form" sentiment, but compared to most other entries, RE7 is still fairly linear with a lot of keys and puzzle items getting used in the same general area you happen to be in, and only a few instances where you need to go much further back to use an item to unlock something to progress. There's also the reliance on avoiding conflict as much as possible, which is particularly true of the Baker family, the main antagonists of the game. Outside a few scripted sequences and boss fights, they're all essentially indestructible, much like Nemesis or Mr. X, however, unlike the games that contained those two iconic RE monsters, you'll often know when and where to expect Jack or Marg Baker, and plan on avoiding them accordingly. RE3 Remake was heavily criticized for doing this with Nemesis, and I never understood why RE7 gets a pass for essentially doing the same thing. Like the previous RE games, you'll be managing inventory, combining items, examining items for keys or other items, and while this definitely helped with reminding me I was playing an RE game, it wasn't enough in the grand scheme of things and definitely fell into category of being inspired by RE rather than it being RE.
One of the main mechanics in RE7 that I found particularly limiting and annoying was controlling Ethen Winters. To say Ethan's movements are slow would be an understatement. Even when running, he still doesn't even feel like he's engaged in a brisk walk. This is also true of turning around to face threats coming from behind as well. His movement speed is serviceable enough I suppose, but the player and gameplay would have benefited by controlling someone who doesn't feel like he walking underwater. Of course, with RE7 being in first person, you'll also be given various weapons and guns to help fend off the various enemies and bosses you'll be encountering. Shooting in this game is okay, which aiming not always being the easiest or most accurate thing in the world, especially with how enemies sway and walk. You'll really have to pick your shots well. Fortunately, there is a fairly ample supply of ammo and healing items, even on normal difficulty. This does undermine the survival horror aspect somewhat, but I can't knock this too much since simply increasing the difficulty easily fixes this if you want fewer items available to assist you during your play through.
RE7's graphics are its greatest asset. While it isn't the best looking game to come out around 2017, it isn't too far off either. Some environments and enemies look better than others, but overall, I had few compliant about the overall visual fidelity of the game or any framerate issues to speak of. One gripe I do have when it comes to the visuals and presentation have to do with there being a lack of variety when it comes to enemies in this game. There is a common enemy type called the Molded which you will run into throughout the game. There are a few variants of the molded, but for the most part they're all the same black blob-looking monsters that you'll be fighting half the time throughout RE7. The bosses are somewhat better, however I do have to give props to one of the last bosses you'll go up against which did give me massive RE2 vibes, but other than that you'll mostly just be fighting the Bakers which mostly just look like themselves, but slightly more grotesque than their normal selves. The character models all mostly look good too, although there is a but of uncanny valley going on with a few of them, particularly close up that took me out of the immersion a bit.
RE7's audio is somewhat of a mixed bag, but comes out being more good than bad in the end. The sound design in this game is very good, with you hearing various creaks, thuds, footsteps, and other things that really ramp up the tension while you're playing. Most of the time, you'll likely hear an enemy approaching before you actually see them which definitely adds to this game embracing the horror genre more than most of its more recent predecessors. Unfortunately, much of this game does not have any music while you're playing, which is another departure from previous RE games, going back to the first few games that came out in the 90s. I would have really liked to hear more ambient horror tracks playing during the game, but what we do get definitely fits, even though none of it is particularly memorable. Finally, the voice acting in RE7 is a mixed bag. You gave excellent performances for characters like Jack Baker and your wife Mia, but then you get awkward and sometimes wooden performances from the main character Ethan, or just goofy performances that really take you out of the immersion like with Lucas Baker. These bad voice overs do more harm than good, especially since they involve some of the most important characters. For a game that takes itself a lot more serious than most other RE games, it definitely clashes with the horror themes of this game.
This brings me to some of the writing and story of RE7 which is another area I had some problems with. Ethan Winters is probably the most forgettable, bland, and unremarkable Resident Evil character in franchise history. Part of that is the aforementioned voice acting of his character, but also him being a faceless protagonist that you never see emote. Beyond him just being like, "Oh crap, that was scary!" you don't get much out of him in terms of any character progression, back story, or anything else meaningful that made most other characters in the RE franchise so memorable. I also found RE7's story to be maybe the least inspired of any RE game I've ever played. More or less, the game just threw Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw, The Ring, and threw in a dash of classic Resident Evil and blended it all together. It's like they looked at what some popular horror movies were over the past couple decades and decided they were just going to try and appeal to fans of those franchises over their core fanbase. If not for the last hour of the game, I'd likely have disregarded RE7 and labeled it as some RE inspired, non-canon entry given how little it connects to the rest of the established franchise. Some of the writing that happens before is pretty good, but its not until the final stretch of the game where the real lore payoff happens. It's sad you have to get that far along in the game for this to happen, but as they say, better late than never.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a pretty good, competent horror game, however it's not a very good Resident Evil game. It absolutely rekindles a lot of the missing horror than many RE fans, myself included, have wanted Capcom to bring back for decades, but it changes so much while providing so little for the established lore than its less of a return to form, and more of a reboot of the series, one that isn't nearly as interesting or compelling as the majority of its forbearers. I know some people adore this game, but from experience it seems like most of these people belong to a younger crowd with little to no experience with the previous entires in the series. I also can't help but think Capcom made the decision to make this a first person horror game due to the booming popularity of similar games among the online let's play community. As a marketing strategy, it was probably a good decision, but in terms of staying true to the established franchise, it's a bit of a slap in the face. Still, no matter what your opinion is on the changes made to RE7, I still think its worth playing as an RE fan or even as someone who wants to try and get more into this incredible series. If you belong to the latter group, jsut be prepared to be greeted by a very different experience when you explore earlier games in the series. (4/24/25) [35/50]
marvelvscapcom2:
23. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Finished Apr 24th, 2025
Bloom and Rage is widlly emotional, deeply beautiful and massively relatable which puts it into this glorious trajectory on par with Life is Strange! However. Bloom and Rage is also wildly disorganized and lacks all if any plot clarity or defined purpose. Which isnt as bad as it seems. Because anything it loses by not having much real plot worth. It makes up for it by telling individuals stories. The 4 girls that make up the protagonists. Swann (nerdy bullied introvert photographer with niche passions and obsessions) Kat - (Poetry fanatic rebelious girl with sibling issues) Autumn - (soulful dancer and rockband member with a very emotional relatable way of handling social ques. And Nora - the stereotypical drug smoking bad girl that is full of metal angst. On top of these layers you get adult versions which are very equally evolved and fleshed out. That in itself is so so epically done.
Where it lacks is the entire premice of the story which I wont share because of spoilers. Is simply sorta unbelievable and meritless. Seems hyper forced and silly and kinda made for the sake of being made.
So this is a game where the worth lies with the characters internal maturity and depth. Not necessarily it's external depth of what they are actually fleshing out. Its complicated to explain. But overall it works. The characters especially Swann and Kat are gloriously written.
atmosphere
It takes place in the 90s and it does a stranger things (80s) level job replicating it. The game makes you feel so gooey with all that introspective member berry jelly. Its so so nostalgic for a 90s baby like me. I love cd players, polly pockets and damn furby lifestyle lol. It feels rawly 90s. The fonts. The language. The fashions. Its a time portal. Its the best part of the game. The conrrast between 90s and now. What a brilliant depth in atmosphere. 10/10
Rating - 88/100
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