Never thought id be a cutsy anime girl wielding a glock but its a dream come true

I thank steam for suggesting this hidden gem of the god!

There's a lot of endings and special dialog to find, which adds to the replayability. The art is also nice and there's a lot of charm in the cutscenes.

The sequel of Marfusha, Snezhinka, improves on the original in every aspect. The story focuses on the eponymous character, Snezhinka, Marfusha’s little sister, who had watched her elder sibling worn down by the endless warfare. When Marfusha doesn’t return home one day, Snezhinka resolves to become a fixed-term contract employee at a private military company to uncover what became of her.

The game deepens the dystopian atmosphere while elevating the already impressive visuals of its predecessor. It features several new environments and introduces dynamic gameplay segments, including advancing into enemy territory aboard a vehicle. The landscapes are hauntingly draped in somber tones, amplifying the oppressive atmosphere with rot and rust that carry the smell of decay and conjure a profound sense of despair. With a greater variety of enemies and more balanced weaponry, the experience feels more polished and engaging.

There are some improvements I didn’t quite enjoy, especially in regards to the characters. Your chosen companions now have more scenes where you can learn about them during downtime after battles. However, these little story segments feel rather shallow. The characters’ personalities remain clichéd; a clumsy girl who can’t refuse help, or an emotionless one who pretends to hate everyone but secretly struggles to connect. They are just recycled anime tropes, which is fine, but if you must spend more time around them, I would’ve welcomed some more elaborate personalities, because in this form the expanded story mode feels like a wasted opportunity.

But there are fun details, such as when Hector, one of the possible companions, loses her place on the shooting range leaderboard to you. Later, upon revisiting, you see that she has once again earned the top spot with a significantly improved score. If you manage to best her once more, you’ll find her defeated, on all fours, before she regains her composure and fiercely practices to reclaim her position. These subtle touches feel far more genuine and engaging than the unoriginal conversations you have with other characters.

This is a minor gripe, as the narrative overall is much more refined compared to the first game. While the endings still depend on which character you enlist as your supporter, the plot is far more intricate with greater focus on world-building.

The tax system is one of the game’s most intriguing, albeit frustrating features. Your net income is a mere fraction of your gross wage, with deductions leaving you scrambling for savings. While you can slowly accumulate funds, this mechanic adds a sense of realism to the experience.

In conclusion, both Marfusha and Snezhinka are fantastic games that are absolutely worth their price. I’m looking forward to the final chapter in the girls’ saga.

Full review: https://kenrinzero.wordpress.com/2025/01/30/the-struggles-of-marfusha-and-snezhinka/

peak

A step up from the previous game, with a new cast of characters, more interesting levels, and a wider berth of weaponry. However, it's the same gameplay at its core, alongside the tedium of repeating the Campaign/Challenge Mode if one is a completionist, desiring to complete their Collection and achievement list. That aside, it's not the worst game, simple as it is. The atmosphere and dialogue are serviceable. But seriously, devs... let's stop with the whole "grim pessimistic post-apocalypse where every end is a bad end" stuff. Please just give us a spin-off or a third game where all the girls from Sentinel Girls get to live happily ever after? Sure there's the Ash Arms event where you can save the sisters, but c'mon.