Recent reviews by azurebokeh

I'm a huge enthusiast for the cyperpunk genre, and a premise this unique at $5 was hard to pass up. I definitely enjoyed my time with CyberRebeat and would recommend it to anyone who find its premise or subject matter interesting, especially if you find it on sale like I did. However, it's also important to note that, as a VN itself, its production quality is considerably underwhelming (though it thankfully did not deter my enjoyment as much as it may others).

Let's start with the good though: The story is lengthy and very engaging. I found myself hooked from beginning to end and wanting more after the credits rolled. The characters and their designs are also a plus: I felt the characters were very well-rounded, not pulling too much (or too little) from their personality traits or backstories to leave a lasting impression on the reader. Background art doesn't wow much but gets the job done and, similarly, the BGM is also enjoyable despite a relatively short track list (an OST release would be a nice bonus).

Despite the good, the overall presentation of it all leaves a lot to be desired. This game only runs in 1024x576, a resolution pretty low by 2014 standards when the game was originally released as freeware and certainly even tougher on the eyes in 2018. In fact, several settings you'd typically find in the average VN today are totally absent: There's no way to reconfigure keyboard/mouse commands, resolution (as noted above) or font at all. There were also a few instances where I not only noticed minor typos in the translation, but complete errors where the wrong character was listed as speaking as well. This happened enough to where I become slightly frustrated at least once from having to read dialogue over to avoid confusion. Transitions meant to break the narrative into parts were also ambiguous from time to time, but not enough to cause any real headache.

Basically, it seems like the only difference between the the freeware version and Sekai Project's release is the English translation. I'd have love to have seen a few technical tweaks, at least...

All in all, still had tons of fun reading this one. If the material piques your interest and you can overlook the presentation mishaps, you're in for a good time.

To put it simply, the Fault series has been more than just great VNs for me: This is has been one of the most engaging narratives I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing-- whether by game, book, or movie. If you're looking to pick up any of the handful of VNs on Steam, this series is truly as good as it gets on the platform.

I can't recommmend it enough.

Highly recommended based on concept alone. Sure, it's short and controls don't always feel precise (specifically when bouncing on enemies), but with a great soundtrack and dreamscape ambience coupled with intriguing platforming elements that leave little margin for error, there doesn't exist a worthwhile 3D game quite like it: If nothing else, play it for the very last level of the game, which is exhilarating enough on its own to warrant a purchase at a discount price.

A fast-paced 2D beat-em-up with lots of cool combat mechanics and special moves. There isn't much in the way in enemy variety, but boss fights are incredibly fun and challenging. Multiple difficulties, a New Game+ with increased difficulty, and a large number of combo possiblities for 8 bucks (or 11 if you buy Ether Vapor Remaster alongside it, which is really solid shmup) is certainly worth the investment.

The world of Alice is whimsical, and beautifully imagined. Couple this with its mature concept of fighting to cope with the deaths of main character Alice's parents through escapism to Wonderland and you have a fully realized universe in Alice: Madness Returns. Invisble walls somewhat hinder your urge to explore and combat can feel clunky with its lock-on mechanics, but I must recommend it on its presentation alone. Also recommended is the orignal Amercian McGee's Alice, if you can manage to snag a copy.

Quite the underrated game, if you ask me. Remember Me takes place in an aesthetically appealing cyberpunk rendition of Paris where the memories of men and women can be swapped, stored, and manipulated through cutting-edge technology. Main character Nilin has the gift of remixing and stealing the memories of others, which she uses to take down the conglomerate that takes advantage of this tech to govern Paris through surveillance. I was already sold at this point.

Although the game is undoubtedly linear, it is paced quite nicely. Platforming proves as solid breaks between solid combat mechanics and well-presented story elements. Graphics are beautiful and there are some really awesome moments to be had within the game, particulary when you have the opportunites to playback memoires within one's conscious and rewrite them as Nilin sees fit. Definitely recommended.

It's really a shame that we'll likely never see more of this series. It was good use of the Source engine: Clean graphics, tight controls, and enough enemies to get you sweating bullets. Despite the 3-hour length and cliffhanger ending (it was meant to be the first of nine episodes), it's certainly worth the play through.

Oh, and Jessica Cannon. <3

(Note: I completed the game in about four hours while offline, which is why I have no play time.)

An enjoyable puzzle/platformer that hinges on the idea of snapping between 3D and a 2D realm in which you can platform areas using the shadows of a surface. Even if the overall level design and physics engine don't always fully utilize this super-cool concept, discovering ways to explore each area between both dimensions is rewarding nonetheless. Surprisingly, I think I enjoyed the game's narrative a bit more: It's a simple yet mature and heartwarming tale of a little girl fighting to keep her estranged family together that's presented in a way that pays homage to 1920s film noir. There are some obvious flaws to Contrast though, most notably the all-too-common ability to get stuck between objects (you can usually free yourself without a lot of hassle, though) and the moments where creativty is marred by archaic box-and-switch puzzles. Still, I think it's a game with a lot of style and a lot of heart.

The average player will likely clear this game in about an hour. Make no mistake, though: This game is well worth your time. Made by Jeppe Carlsen, the lead designer of Playdead's LIMBO], 140 is a slick minimalistic platformer with a gameplay element element that changes the level layout to the rhythm of the game's BGM. If you've played LIMBO before, you're already familar with this creator's ability to marry simple controls with extremely clever level design. That same concept applies here. The style of this game is also oh-so appealing: It's an ode to retro gaming that still proves to look entirely modern. The electronic soundtrack—especially that infectious tite screen music—also nalls this ideal perfectly. Lastly, although the game is about an hour long there is some replayability to be had, as beating the game unlocks a mode in which you can play every level from the opposite direction.

There isn't much that beats Counter-Strike's gun play. Controls are as precise and responsive as you'll ever find from a shooter, and no individual weapon feels similar to the next. And while it appears to be simple at surface-level, the game's true dynamics are more often intangible than not. If you're looking for snap-based cover systems, melee attacks, grenade launchers and RPGs, the inhuman ability to regenerate to full health moments after being shot or spray an enitre magazine clip with no regards to recoil, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Rather, much the real complexity of CS comes from its unforgiving, unapologetic community that pours hours daily into honing their skills while taking into account every imaginable element of the game that will give them a competitive edge. There is very little patience given to novice players: They are even likely to be kicked from non-competitive modes until they begin to hold their own. This rite of passage, however, opens doors to complex, team-based FPS play that you likely won't find anywhere else. As far as how CS:GO compares to previous installments of the series, it's on par with the rest. Small system changes and a good amount of new weapons and maps aside, it's still a lot like what you may have played in 1999—and that's not really a bad thing at all.