Finished Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana. I was looking for a JRPG with a likeable roster and I got a sense from user reviews that it might be what I was looking for. I'd say it surpassed my expectations, got a good classic JRPG/action-rpg feel and a colourful vibrant atmos - really had a bit of a relaxing transportive effect on me for a while. It starts very childish in tone then after a while the world starts to come together, with some interesting lore and surprising developments. But the complete dogshit ending did it's best to leave me with a lasting bad taste. I'd say it failed in ruining the game, so I can recommend it as a good time.
Reading Baldr Sky Dive 1&2, on route 3 of 6, I believe - not sure how comparable this is to the all ages version on Steam since I've nabbed the Japanese version, of which there's a bunch more instalments under the Baldr Sky title than what's available in English. I stuck with what I understood to be the JP version of the one available in English. Felt a hankering for a cyberpunky dystopic story, but reading this at the same time as playing Scarlet Nexus got a bit confusing since I started to confuse some of the plot points; they both have the same 'cyber-enhanced youths in a virtually augmented world' central flavour. Baldr Sky's keeping me entertained even though it has a tough act to follow, as the last VN I read was the excellent FMD Muramasa. Main char in Baldr Sky is a chump in comparison, but the world is likeable.
I shelved Scarlet Nexus ages ago after completing the story for one of the 2 main characters - it was getting a little repetitive by the end but it was enjoyable enough that I've made a mental note to return and do the second char's campaign eventually.
Playing Circadian Dice in 20 minute blasts here and there. Cheap but compulsive indie game where you roll dice to beat baddies and you get different kinds of attacks, defences, skills, resources and die faces based on which of the 10-ish classes you pick. Lot of different 'dungeons', couple different modes and a hard mode, decent meat in that game for the price. Art's a little wack.
And playing a long-ago gifted copy of Batman: Arkham Origins since someone else recently gifted me Arkham Knight. I love Arkham City but Origins is really kind of balls. Janky af and everything's slightly off-brand or recycled-feeling in it, since it wasn't a Rocksteady effort. Just trying to power through it. Honestly I don't have much higher hopes for Knight either, but some eye candy would be nice.
Also I was playing Kingdom Come the other week on and off when my net was busted. I abandoned the plot long ago but I like the pastoral escapism.
I've quit Mahjong Soul. Fuck my luck and every jammy cunt still playing.
I adored Scarlet Nexus. Great character building. I'm assuming you beat the story with Yuito first. I think I enjoyed it even more playing through with Kasane. I really hope they make another game in the series with a bigger budget. Also, I added the theme song to my streaming playlist. DREAM in DRIVE!!
Yeah I beat Yuito's route first. I feel like I clicked with the combat pretty nicely and it was pitched about right for me on Hard (can't remember if there was a hardEST).
I enjoyed just about everything about it, just that with the challenge rooms and the social links (which I did max in the end) I started to feel the game stretching away for hours ahead of me without changing much, and without even having touched Kasane's side of the game. Do the SAS bond levels carry over into her side...??
A bigger budget would be lovely because the limited number of locations was starting to be a drag as well, but I loved the look and concept. It's maybe the best representation I've seen of augmented reality in a world - so cool how the main city (I wanted to say Suzushiro City? but that's Baldr Sky lmao) turns completely drab and grey when all the augments shut off. And that's the city that bellpeppers/duds see all the time, compared to Yuito and co. Nice ideas.
It's been a while but I'll get back to it for Kasane.
I think you can do a new game plus when you start with her. That would carry over items and levels I think, but don't believe bonds do.
The limited environments was a bummer, but like you said they did a nice job changing the mood in them to at least give the appearance of a different area. And there are some different locations in each story so another reason to play both
Finished Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana. I was looking for a JRPG with a likeable roster and I got a sense from user reviews that it might be what I was looking for. I'd say it surpassed my expectations, got a good classic JRPG/action-rpg feel and a colourful vibrant atmos - really had a bit of a relaxing transportive effect on me for a while. It starts very childish in tone then after a while the world starts to come together, with some interesting lore and surprising developments. But the complete dogshit ending did it's best to leave me with a lasting bad taste. I'd say it failed in ruining the game, so I can recommend it as a good time.
Reading Baldr Sky Dive 1&2, on route 3 of 6, I believe - not sure how comparable this is to the all ages version on Steam since I've nabbed the Japanese version, of which there's a bunch more instalments under the Baldr Sky title than what's available in English. I stuck with what I understood to be the JP version of the one available in English. Felt a hankering for a cyberpunky dystopic story, but reading this at the same time as playing Scarlet Nexus got a bit confusing since I started to confuse some of the plot points; they both have the same 'cyber-enhanced youths in a virtually augmented world' central flavour. Baldr Sky's keeping me entertained even though it has a tough act to follow, as the last VN I read was the excellent FMD Muramasa. Main char in Baldr Sky is a chump in comparison, but the world is likeable.
I shelved Scarlet Nexus ages ago after completing the story for one of the 2 main characters - it was getting a little repetitive by the end but it was enjoyable enough that I've made a mental note to return and do the second char's campaign eventually.
Playing Circadian Dice in 20 minute blasts here and there. Cheap but compulsive indie game where you roll dice to beat baddies and you get different kinds of attacks, defences, skills, resources and die faces based on which of the 10-ish classes you pick. Lot of different 'dungeons', couple different modes and a hard mode, decent meat in that game for the price. Art's a little wack.
And playing a long-ago gifted copy of Batman: Arkham Origins since someone else recently gifted me Arkham Knight. I love Arkham City but Origins is really kind of balls. Janky af and everything's slightly off-brand or recycled-feeling in it, since it wasn't a Rocksteady effort. Just trying to power through it. Honestly I don't have much higher hopes for Knight either, but some eye candy would be nice.
Also I was playing Kingdom Come the other week on and off when my net was busted. I abandoned the plot long ago but I like the pastoral escapism.
I've quit Mahjong Soul. Fuck my luck and every jammy cunt still playing.
I adored Scarlet Nexus. Great character building. I'm assuming you beat the story with Yuito first. I think I enjoyed it even more playing through with Kasane. I really hope they make another game in the series with a bigger budget. Also, I added the theme song to my streaming playlist. DREAM in DRIVE!!
Yeah I beat Yuito's route first. I feel like I clicked with the combat pretty nicely and it was pitched about right for me on Hard (can't remember if there was a hardEST).
I enjoyed just about everything about it, just that with the challenge rooms and the social links (which I did max in the end) I started to feel the game stretching away for hours ahead of me without changing much, and without even having touched Kasane's side of the game. Do the SAS bond levels carry over into her side...??
A bigger budget would be lovely because the limited number of locations was starting to be a drag as well, but I loved the look and concept. It's maybe the best representation I've seen of augmented reality in a world - so cool how the main city (I wanted to say Suzushiro City? but that's Baldr Sky lmao) turns completely drab and grey when all the augments shut off. And that's the city that bellpeppers/duds see all the time, compared to Yuito and co. Nice ideas.
It's been a while but I'll get back to it for Kasane.
I think you can do a new game plus when you start with her. That would carry over items and levels I think, but don't believe bonds do.
The limited environments was a bummer, but like you said they did a nice job changing the mood in them to at least give the appearance of a different area. And there are some different locations in each story so another reason to play both