Recent reviews by Kvik

Seven years ago, I played Ys VIII for the first time. It was far from ideal. It was a console (PS4) copy to begin with. My TV at the time has high input lag, and NISA has yet to release the game on PC. Still, despite these issues, I enjoyed my time with the game. It was one of the best Ys games, and perhaps the best of the party-based Ys games.

Today, obviously the game is in much better shape than it was 7 years ago. Additionally, my PC rig and TV has had decent upgrades. And the game is still as fun to play as it was back then. The story and the plight of our castaways is still inspiring. Gameplay-wise, Dana is still as fast as ever, this time with a locked 120fps. The exploration still feels great, with loading times that have been greatly diminished. I've also gained a new appreciation for the characters that I hardly played in my first play through. And last but not least, the optional dungeon and boss is still as difficult as it was to get through.

Other Ys games has come after entry. But perhaps, the experience of fighting a beast at the beginning of time, just so we can say goodbye to a dear friend, while “A-to-Z” playing in the background, will stay with me as one of the best game experiences I ever had.

Dragon Quest series is practically a comfort game for me. Perhaps not in the same way as playing Boku no Natsuyasumi is comforting, but as an RPG series that hardly change its mechanics for nearly 40 years it does feel strangely nostalgic; even though I only started playing this series as a young adult.

As much as I enjoyed it, the HD remake does have its share of issues. The sprite work could use some sharpening. Camera placement can feel a little awkward in smaller dungeons. And it can feel a little too easy, even in its hardest (Draconian) difficulty. Thankfully, there are several mods available that attempts to improve the experience. I especially liked the mod to make your characters visible during battle scenes. It's a shame that it doesn't have attack animations; although I do understand that classic DQ never had our characters shown on-screen, and the HD remake adheres to that.

I'm looking forward to I + II remake in October. Maybe if I have spare time, I'll do the post-game content before then.

If I had to describe Fantasian Neo Dimension in one sentence, I would have to say something like “Fantasian is an RPG out of time”.

In my book, one of the reasons that makes Fantasian a great RPG is that it's unapologetic in its execution. If the game was released in Summer 1998, it would've been a mega hit then. Unfortunately, it was released in 2021. The world has moved on since then. Nobody has time for random encounters, pre-rendered maps, random anime silliness and steep difficulties anymore (except when it's made by FromSoft). Especially when it's first released on Apple's platform.

I believe Mistwalker is aware of these shortcomings too. Much like Kawazu with SaGa, Sakaguchi and company set out to make the game they want to make, without worrying whether it will be liked by a broader audience. However, for someone who has fond memories of Squaresoft's RPGs from that era, Fantasian is the Final Fantasy entry that never was.

Let's talk about the story a little. I have to admit, the overarching story won't break any new grounds anytime soon. If you have played at least one of these RPGs, you'll know that the primary antagonist(s) are just angry people dealing with loss --very badly. Also, there's a romance that feels rather forced without an adequate development. However, the visual novel presentation of each character substory is a highlight, and I enjoyed these immensely.

The game mechanics are simple, and each party member brings their own unique skills that we can utilise to tackle increasingly difficult bosses in different ways. There's always more than one way to skin a cat, right? This is where I felt Fantasian stumbled a bit. It still has one of the trappings of turn-based JRPGs of old: the SPD stat remains the king. Because bosses hits hard (They'll deplete more than half of the party's HP in one turn, very often) the most effective strategy is to boost the party's SPD stats, leading to more turns to gain an advantage. Unfortunately, only one character has the ability to boost SPD stat for the entire party. Consequently, bringing this character to a fight is almost a must, leaving the other characters to feel underused.

The music in this game, well, if one has any doubt whether Nobuo Uematsu still “got it”, I can tell you right now that the answer is “always”. The boss themes in this game are straight bangers. The tradition with full choir for the most important battle of the game is still alive and well, too. I implore anyone who even only has a passing interest in game music to check out the OST. I believe it's available on Amazon[www.amazon.co.jp] for physical CDs or OTOTOY[ototoy.jp] for digital distribution.

Let's hope that the recent rumour of a sequel will ring true. Considering how the game ended, there's still plenty to explore in the world of Vibra. I for one, am very much looking forward to it.

Lunaria's scenario was written by Takeshi Matsuyama. According to VNDB, it's their first writing credits. For a relative newcomer to the scene, I feel they understood the assignment much better than Ryukishi07 did in LOOPERS.

Lunaria is quintessentially a Key work, and it shows. If one has played Kanon, AIR, Clannad, Little Busters or Summer Pockets, it should come to no surprise that the star-crossed lovers trope that they've cultivated for more than two decades is still alive and well. Perhaps if it's viewed as a sci-fi work, Lunaria doesn't really break new grounds. However, what it was trying to do --showcasing the resilience of human spirit in the face of great adversity-- it certainly does it very well, and I think that is what Key's work is all about.

I'll be looking forward to play Matsuyama's next work, which is due later this year if Key's keeping their schedule.

I enjoyed the dynamics of the alchemists pair in this game. I completed both routes, although I must admit that I enjoyed Escha's route the most. The character events are enjoyable, albeit I find them somewhat… lacking. Perhaps the rather spotty localisation didn't really make a strong case of it either. Hidari's artwork is still godly, though. And the soundtrack has quite a few bangers in there as well. There are several haunting tracks, including the ED, that I feel quite fitting for the "Dusk" theme. It's not quite the best Atelier game, but the synthesis mechanics is probably the best from Dusk series.

Perhaps my favourite Key game written by Jun Maeda, after all these years this kamige still have the same impact on my soul as it was when I read it for the first time. Even I've gained a new appreciation for Minagi's route this time around. SUMMER route was still enjoyable as ever, and despite having a foreknowledge of the events at the end of AIR route, I had to put my controller down several times to compose myself. I enjoyed the First Sky Chapter too. It's a little short, honestly. I was looking forward to more of Uraha's hypercompetency and Kanna's bratty shenanigans, but there's simply not enough of it.

The official localisation is kind of a mixed bag. It has done some things really well, but it also had some interesting vocabulary choices and typos here and there. The PC port is a decent enough effort, with none of the horrid upscaling attempts we found in Kanon.

Sayuri's route hits as hard as it was in the fan translation. One of the most underrated Key heroines.

10/10 will cry into my Steam Controller again.

Don't let the modern game sensibilities and cute characters lull you into a false sense of security. This is still SaGa, and it is still tough as nails. Or at least it's only tough until you sparked Guanyin or Four Seasons. Then you can steamroll “almost” the entire Seven Heroes.

5/5 I will follow Kawazu-san everywhere.

The story is probably Lycoris' best work so far. The story has quite a bit of angst, twists and turns, but without being too melodramatic. Kaoru and Shiori's interactions are the best part of the story, and the personal growth journey they took is both rewarding and heartwarming.

Having said that, Mirei and Riku deserves their happiness as well. In a fan disc, maybe?

Meruru getting jump scared by Astrid at every opportunity never gets old, and I enjoyed my time with the game, but the requirements to clear a specific ending can be time-consuming. I ultimately only cleared 7 out of 11 endings possible. The time limit system is more forgiving compared to the earlier entries, although I feel the endings are less varied. I still might do the rest of the endings in the future, but I'm quite happy stopping here for the time being and move on to Atelier Lulua.