Recent reviews by TokyoNova.EXE

Played this as a little kid, got it again for the nostalgia. Really lovable and simple game that holds a lot of memories for me.

Absolute must-play, lightning in a bottle kind of moment for gaming. Wholesome, endearing, and subversive with a highly engaging story. Couldn't recommend it more.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting going into Outlast, maybe just another horror game like I'm used to playing, nothing to fear, but no. That was not what I got at all. Outlast is downright terrifying. It's so much more intense and crosses lines I feel a lot of games would never touch with a ten-foot pole. It takes real dedication, creativity, and grit to make a game like this. Thanks for the nightmares.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a phenomenal game that subverts and challenges the expectations of well-versed FromSoft fans in the best way possible. Miyazaki knows that even though fans may think they want the sequels, he has something completely fresh in mind that is going to be far more memorable and enjoyable than re-treading the same ground that brought his success thus far. We're on the bleeding edge here for a 2019 game, and it comes as no surprise that Sekiro takes Game Of The Year, so let me get into some of my favorite elements of Sekiro. 1. The color: Now I love Dark Souls and Bloodborne immensely, and their gloominess is most definitely a key component of the environmental storytelling. Decrepit, hopeless worlds in chaos and disarray but the variety we see in Sekiro is striking and refreshing in stark contrast to what we're used to seeing in a FromSoft game. 2. The combat. We are introduced to the revive, the ability to jump and run quite quickly giving us more freedom, a system where we are able to get our kill through a posture buildup or vitality damage allowing more options for how you wish to approach the fight, and a combat style that genuinely feels like you're trading BETWEEN offense and defense in the most realized and balanced way Fromsoft has achieved thus far. Bloodborne was tilted towards offense hacking and slashing away, and Dark souls more defensive and restricting in nature, attacking when you feel you have your safe window, but with Sekiro we truly get the most advanced combination of both worlds I think we could hope for that is challenging, adrenaline-pumping and lovable. 3. The storytelling: FromSoft games have always been unique in their all-killer no-filler style of storytelling, you're not getting spoon-fed every minute detail in a tediously dragged out way, but learning through the experience and the feeling as you set out to explore independently. This has been the case throughout all the games thus far, however what sets Sekiro apart is how clearly and directly these themes are conveyed. You can get through the entire Dark Souls trilogy feeling that you've learned so much through the emotions of the gameplay, characters, and environmental storytelling, and still struggle to articulate much of what's happened without thorough analysis of Vaatividya and item descriptions. Sekiro, while still avoiding the spoon-fed lore approach, is far less abstract in it's storytelling. It may seem simple on the surface, but there's so much depth when you start connecting the dots, rewarding exploration and attention to detail as always. Dark Souls may have had just as much thought put into the story, but Sekiro lets the player in on so much more about who we are and what role we play in our interactions with the other characters.
The bosses are consistently great with unique ideas that require the player to adapt, and we get so many mini-bosses, some as challenging as the main ones that densely pack the game with memorable fights. This was a 10/10 game that far exceeded my already high expectations of what it would be like, and it stands toe-to-toe with all the other FromSoft classics which I love equally for completely different reasons.

Detention is a game with a vivid atmosphere. You get a strong sense of place, packed with close attention to detail, cultural, mythological, and historical references, and a hauntingly beautiful ambient soundtrack. The art style is desolate, harrowing and cold, and fits the lens of fear and emptiness our protagonist is viewing the world through. There are multiple important themes and takeaways to acknowledge throughout the story, whether it be fighting for freedoms against looming government oppression and censorship, or remaining true to yourself when coping with an overwhelming depression that can warp and distort your views on reality and fill you with guilt, fear, and shame. You can accept your guilt and move forward doing what you believe in, or fall victim to the cycle until it leads you to your inevitable demise. This game encapsulates such powerful emotions and the messages within are effective and impactful. This is truly a one of a kind horror experience. If you enjoyed this, it’s also an absolute must that you seek out and play Devotion as well, which somehow managed to be even more impressive and meaningful to me. The team at Red Candle Games are absolute masters in their craft and I will be closely following any future releases.

Portal isn’t quite as enjoyable or polished as Portal 2, and there’s less story involved, but it’s still so much fun and absolutely essential for any Valve fan to play at least once. The challenge achievements were insanely difficult, but gave me a good opportunity to test my skills for this game. Very much recommend both the Portal games.

I've played through this game many times and still get a feeling from it that I've never gotten out of a point & click. It's dark, and it's intense, but never in a way that feels shallow or cheap. The emotion in this game is genuine, and quite honestly it helped give me a therapeutic escape through some really hard times. The story is thought-provoking and certainly well written, the world is pretty and unique, and the characters are captivating. The music is also placed well and fitting for the atmosphere. The CRT effect is a nice touch as well, and is applied in a way that adds personality, where other games might try to use a similar effect and leave me with nothing more than a headache. This was made with care, and appropriately approaches heavy topics with a morbidly intriguing sense of creative style.

Not too impressed with this one. It's pretty, and the aesthetic is nice, but there isn't anything redeeming that keeps this game interesting for as long as it drags on. You're also constantly speeding up and slowing down abruptly, fighting the camera, and the controls can feel very jerky and unnatural. I ran into a few glitches where I got stuck in the map, mostly in the canyon level. I can tell it's supposed to be relaxing and simplistic, but instead I just found it tedious and repetitive. It's also annoying how ineffective the level select is, trying to zoom into the flowers and it doesn't always work. Could have been designed much better. I was excited to see what else the team that made Journey had done, as I received this game bundled with it, but this does not compare to Journey in any way and hasn't aged well enough to be a worthwhile game in current year 2020.

This game is very enjoyable to explore, and the world has truly stood the test of time. It's pretty, detailed, and expansive. Flying through this game makes you feel a lot of freedom and wonder, and there's plenty of personality in the character and companions along the way, without the use of any dialogue to tell the story. It's a fairly short game, despite feeling long at times because of how slow you move when you can't fly. There's not too much to offer in terms of replayability or bonus content, but still a valuable experience that I'm glad was finally ported over to PC. One complaint I have is I lost my white robe despite collecting all the extras because the save didn't go through. Very annoying, but since I already got the achievements and saw all the game has to offer, it doesn't really matter as I probably won't play this again for quite a while.

Classic tower defense game, the best of its kind really. I've played on PC and iOS for years, and it remains a great game after all this time. Fun and challenging mini-games and puzzle mode, interesting progression where each level brings something new to the table, and the upgrades you can grind for make for a ton of replayability and post-game extras. The only reason this game got annoying is because it's addicting and I couldn't give it a rest until I had all the achievements, and it requires patience to sit through so many levels when each takes a good amount of time to complete. Probably my fault because I'm the one that doesn't take breaks to recharge and instead sits and grinds for every achievement until it's complete. Still, if you've never tried PvZ or tower defense games in general, it's very much engaging and worth your time.