Recent reviews by Varia

I was a big fan of Marfusha: Sentinel Girls. It was delightfully simple to play and had an incredibly charming art style despite the authorian regime setting.

This game is like a 2D tower defense with roguelike elements. You play as a cute anime girl and shoot robots that are being sent by an enemy country. You earn credits that you can spend on upgrades between waves of enemies. At certain points you return to the barracks to boost your stats further and have little interactions with your coworkers and boss.

Dare I call this VA-11 HALL-A with guns?? (Kidding ..)

Snezshinka: Sentinel Girls is a direct sequel featuring the younger sister of the first game's protagonist.

This sequel, like Snezshinka herself, takes a lot from it's predecessor and expands on it a little more.

There are a lot more weapons, the characters/coworkers have a bit more depth and some are even related to the coworkers from the first game! The story branches out a bit, and there are still several endings to unlock.

Challenge mode is pretty fun since you can play as your coworkers and unlock new upgrades. Certain coworker pairs have higher affinity which are fun to discover because you get unique interactions between them.

The music is phenomenal and I think I'll be purchasing the soundtrack. There's a couple of tracks that sound inspired by Girls' Frontline which I really enjoyed, but the music stands on it's own. I have been replaying a few tracks in my head over the last few days.

The story is very digestible and not too complex, which really suits the game. I want to learn more about these characters who have made me laugh several times through their interactions. Even now, thinking of Dochka's crude chalkboard drawings makes me scoff.

Really fun experience! I hope to see more in the future. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to play a game with not too much commitment.

I'm disappointed in myself for not having read STEINS;GATE sooner. Reading it made me feel very nostalgic for the 2010s, the era I personally believe internet culture was at its peak and the last decade where phones had physical buttons. The in-game glossary is a time capsule in its own right. The amount of terms, phrases, and jargon it has for 2010s internet/Otaku culture are many and I often found myself reminiscing about stuff I was just discovering 15 years ago. It really contributed a lot to how much I ended up enjoying the story.

Time travel in media, especially video games, is very hit or miss for me. My main gripe is that the changes to the past that we are typically asked to make tend to have a linear causality that is self-contained and is convenient for the overall narrative. STEINS;GATE is probably the first piece of media I've encountered where time is taken to understand how a small change in the timeline can be massively influential. Overall, it's a really good Sci-Fi read and only gets technical when it needs to, like when it needs to explain the different models of time travel.

The characters are another aspect of STEINS;GATE that I really fell in love with. Rintaro Okabe was a very good protagonist, mainly because I wasn't expecting the whole chuunibyo shtick. He actually got me to yell "HOUOUIN KYOUMA" out loud in my apartment on a few separate occasions, the VA is amazing. Part of me wishes there was more time dedicated to Daru. At some point after the 4th or 5th chapter, we see less and less of him which I was kinda bummed about. I know the endings are centered around the girls, but he's also Okabe's right-hand man, come on! I'm not so crazy about Christina, but respect her role in the story. She has a lot of qualities which I like and I wish we got to explore more of her @Channler nonsense. I'm on team Mayuri because that ditz can transform the mood of a scene by just showing up.

The music was decent as well. I'm not great at talking about music, but I'll say that the soundtrack never got old. It worked very well for the VN. It had just the right number of tracks to fit the different situations needed in the story. Sometimes games have an unholy amount of tracks and I can't remember the name of a single one, but STEINS;GATE's music was very enjoyable and always set the mood when it needed to.

If you're into Sci-Fi and 2010s Otaku culture, please play it. There's also a remake coming out in 2025, I'm not sure what that's about. It's going to have new art and CGs, so play the original while you can!

GSC did not mess around with this game! They were not kidding when they said that Stalker 2 would take over 100 hours to fully explore. This is a very ambitious game that takes the lore of the previous trilogy (Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, Call of Prypiat) and builds upon all we know and love about the Zone.

Side Note: I also admire the team for working on Stalker 2 despite the invasion of Ukraine. I think it takes a lot of courage to work on a project you're passionate about under those conditions, especially with game of this scale.

The story is about the length of the original trilogy's main missions combined. The first part reacquaints you with the Zone, the new characters, factions, and problems. I'm a big fan of series that allow their sequels to stand on their own and the first part of the game is just that.

There was a point where I felt as though the story was about to drag on, but then, beloved characters from the previous games began to appear. This isn't new to the Stalker games, but I really enjoyed how the protagonists and supporting characters from the original trilogy became major players in Stalker 2's story.

The characters really came to life thanks to the voice acting and new cutscenes, too. While I might not vibe with Scar, he's really fun to watch on-screen!

As for Skif, I really like the character and his ENG VA, but I kept questioning why he would consider siding with anyone other than SIRCAA. If my home blew up, I'd definitely ask the bozos who caused it for a new one! Eventually, I just gave up rationalizing and assumed the Zone grew on him.

Overall, I think the story was pretty good. Characters keep secrets, betray you, sometimes you don't know what their true intentions are and you have to play along with it. I feel like I changed sides maybe twice because everyone is mentally unstable. So it's kind of like dating, basically.

Even at the end, you might not feel truly satisfied with your ending, or any of them at all! I think I enjoyed the journey itself a lot more and just being in the Zone again.

I really enjoyed the gameplay, it felt really solid and I felt right at home. The mechanics for combat have not changed much, really. I'm still crouching and aiming for headshots (as you should).

The weapon diversity is great, Many are Warsaw pact and NATO weapons so there should be something for everyone. There's a decent selection of attachments like sights and suppressors. Ammo comes in different variations like AP or Expansive, etc.

Armor is very important in Stalker! The starting gear is always a little lackluster compared to late-game exoskeleton suits, which are peak tacticool slop.

Upgrades for your weapons are available too, this can change the functionality of your gun drastically. And if you find blueprints, you can add certain features to guns (like a mounting rail) or advanced functionality to your already upgraded suits. I REALLY liked finding weapons in Stalker 2 and checking what upgrades were available.

As for the shooting itself, it feels alright. The sounds are pretty decent and I'm so glad we kept gun jamming, it really adds to the stress during the combat-heavy sections of the game.

I miss the low crouch from the other games! Also, I would've liked night vision too, I was kinda bummed that we just had a headlight. The light didn't really fit every situation for me, especially in some levels where it was dark and I wanted to sneak around.

The lack of a proper faction system was a something that was disappointing, too. I really liked knowing how my reputation was among the different groups, as well.

In the story, your allies can turn to enemies with a single dialogue choice and it wasn't always so apparent to me. There were also times were I thought I pissed someone off, but the faction was still friendly with me.

Aside from that, I would've liked to see what faction each NPC belongs to. It was a nice detail from the original games, I personally had trouble recognizing uniforms towards the end of the game, especially at night.

Those are my only criticisms, really. I actually like that the game is janky sometimes because I just blame the Zone for it. There have been times where I could not tell if it's an anomaly or a bug.

Oh, and the music selection is really good, if you have a chance, listen to the OST because the radio had some really good jams.

If you're new to the series, I think it'd be good to watch a recap video of the original trilogy, nothing too long. When you start playing, remember to save often and that vodka cures radiation, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Atelier Ryza 3 is an easy recommendation to people who have played the previous two games in the Secret series. Story details from the previous games are heavily referenced and returning characters build on the bonds forged on the last adventures.

The Atelier games are RPGs that balance combat, crafting (synthesizing) and gathering. You HAVE to make everything; weapons, gear, accessories, traveling equipment, consumables, etc. It'd be strange if you spent more time in combat than synthesizing.

The synthesis system in the Atelier Ryza games is pretty fun. You follow a recipe that requires a specific ingredient or an ingredient of a certain category/element. The ingredients themselves have traits that can be inherited into the final product.

The main new mechanic in Ryza 3 is the Key Creation system, you basically can create these keys in-combat from weakened enemies or from fast travel locations. These keys (depending on rarity and RNG) can provide buffs in several aspects of the game. You can use one mid-combat, use one while gathering, use it during synthesis, etc. It's a little overwhelming at first and it took me a while to understand how powerful keys were, but I thought it was interesting.

As for the rest of the game, I'm not a fan of how much Ryza 3 leans towards "Open World". The maps in-game are large and there's a lot to explore, however, I found that a lot of the ingredients would repeat themselves too often. Honestly, I don't think they knew what to do with so much space. By the time I finished the main story, I think I uncovered 1/3 of the landmarks (fast travel locations) across all regions.

Even after uncovering all of these landmarks (for 100% achievements), there seemed to be a lot of NOTHING going on aside from the occasional dungeon that hosts a quest or two. While I appreciate them adding the Ryza 1 areas, they were barely used too.

As for the story, I'm split down the middle. Personally, I don't find it satisfying because there's a lack of an actual antagonist. Contrary to this, I really like the characters. Everyone in the cast has a personal struggle and it's great to see how the characters rely on each other. Though, I feel like they overdo it sometimes with the character quests. I don't like getting bombarded with slice of life cutscenes when I'm progressing through the main quest or just want to go back to the atelier to craft something.

Ryza 2 had a similar issue and that felt 10x worse ... so I guess they eased up on it a bit since then.

Combat is immaculate, it was very fun and I never got bored. I think the combat system has come a long way since Ryza 1. My favorite parts are the skill combos, swapping characters mid-fight, and the option to change which abilities trigger from Action Orders and when. It kept things from getting dull. Klaudia is best bard!

Those are my overall thoughts on Ryza 3. I'm kinda sad that Ryza's series has come to an end, but definitely looking forward to what Atelier Yumia has to offer in 2025. I hope a lot of my issues with the "open world" stuff in Ryza 3 are addressed then.

Around 11 years ago, I played a game called Gunpoint. It's a puzzle-based infiltration game where you're encouraged to experiment and push enemies through windows.

This week, I played Tactical Breach Wizards, a turn-based tactics game where you're encouraged to experiment and push enemies through windows.

Similar to Gunpoint, the humor is very lighthearted in contrast to the story's setting. I don't really want to compare it too much to an older title, but I found myself enjoying TBW a lot because of its roots. Gunpoint is a game I remember fondly.

I'd probably describe TBW as XCOM with wizards, but it's a little more nuanced than that. A lot of the frustration and urge to save scum in XCOM is non-existent in TBW. You have unlimited rewinds during your turn, so you're free to experiment and see how things play out. Ironically, I feel like I spend more time on missions as a result from playing around with the characters' abilities.

Each mission has additional character-specific objectives that add an extra (optional) layer of difficulty. Completing these objectives is the only way to acquire the currency that's needed to unlock additional outfits for the characters (as far as I know), but also add a lot of replayability to the game as well.

I highly recommend Tactical Breach Wizards if you're interested in a turn-based tactics game with minimal frustration and wizards wearing Kevlar. I have not finished the story yet, but the concept of militarized magic has been equally interesting as it has been comical.

Song of Saya is probably the first horror/eroge VN that I have ever read. If you're not a fan of eroge, the Steam version handles sex scenes by fading to black, but also leaves enough content in so you get the idea of what's happening. And as a word of caution, there's a few of instances of SA in the story, too.

Without spoiling the story, I think the scenario is beautifully complex. Fuminori Sasisaka, the protagonist, suffers from isolation as a result of an experimental life-saving neurosurgery that radically changed his perception of the world. He sees everyone as hideous, grotesque monsters. And his only anchor to reality is Saya, who appears to him as a young girl.

In the beginning, Fuminori feels like a very relatable protagonist. Even though I have never suffered agnosia, I could understand the isolation he experienced and the difficulties in keeping his friendships alive after a life-changing event.

As the story progresses, you might find Fuminori's actions to be incredibly controversial, but find that many characters start to abandon pieces of their humanity, as well. I think it's a reminder that anyone can be pushed to the fringes of reason, given the right circumstance.

Song of Saya is on the short side (6-8 hours) and it's worth a read if you want to indulge in dark themes for a while.

Tunnet is a hidden gem and a treat for anyone that is interested in networking. It is mainly an automation game with a huge emphasis on exploration. You begin by connecting a mainframe computer to a couple of endpoints in the starting area, and then are encouraged to drill underground tunnels to find other endpoints to expand the network. In the process, you will come across a myriad of buildings, interesting NPCs ... and missing pages of the manual that is supposed to teach you how everything works.

This game is SPOOKY, technically. However, you can make enemies act friendly in the settings for peace of mind.

While it might seem frustrating at first, I found it very rewarding to set up the network in my own way. I would not rely on the manual to teach you everything you need to know right away, but it is nice to have the pages for tech or concepts that you may struggle to wrap your head around.

I'm still new to networking in my professional life, but having a solid foundation will come in handy while playing this. That being said, you do not need to be an expert or know anything. The concepts are simplified and all you really need to use is a bit of logic. It's a fun game and it cost less than the sushi at my local supermarket.

I've known one of the developers for nearly a decade and to say that they've poured a lot of love and effort into this project is an understatement. Also, disclaimer, lol.

Helvetii draws heavy inspiration from Muramasa: Rebirth, a game on the legacy system known as the PS Vita. Both Helvetii and Muramasa are period piece games that draw from local folklore (ancient Swiss Gaul in Helvetii's case) to influence the art style and gameplay. Team KwaKwa made a great decision in allowing their game to stand on its own as a rougelike. This allowed them to include combat assists (straight up Jojo stands), a ridiculously fun combo system (IT'S MAHVEL BABY), and various gameplay modifiers.


Dale North did a fantastic job with the music. I personally preferred the slower tracks, they're kind you sit at the menu to listen to for a minute or two. Emi Evans, most popularly known as the singer for the Nier series, features several times in the soundtrack. While I really enjoy her singing, I would have liked to have heard a different vocalist for some of the tracks.

Helvetii has just received its final patch, which introduces a lot of quality of life improvements, fixes, and additional content. Since the beginning, the team has been dedicated to delivering the best possible version of the game to players.

If anyone is interested in games set in ancient Swiss Gaul, or rougelikes, or even if you want to support a video game developer who is a literal owl, please consider picking up Helvetii.

It all started when I found VA-11 Hall-A's Itch.io page a few years back. After playing the game's prologue and demo over and over, slowly awaiting its release, I must admit that I'm a little biased. But can you blame me? There's so much about this waifu bartending simulator that just hooks its audience.

Mixing drinks is a simple, yet, essential mechanic that separates this visual novel from others. You're given all the recipes to make drinks for your customers, but what they order might not always be what they want. It's not meant to trick you, but rather reward you for taking the time to immerse yourself into VA-11 Hall-A's world. If you pay attention to what the characters say in their conversations, you'll know what they want.

Michael "Garoad" Kelly does a great job with the soundtrack. He released an album for the Prologue OST, Sukeban EP, and another one called VA-11 Hall-A Second Round, which are available on his bandcamp[garoad.bandcamp.com] and soundcloud[soundcloud.com]. I personally enjoy his Synthpop/Synthwave tracks and think they fit the game's setting perfectly.

The characters in the game really make it all come together though. Out of so many different personalities, you're bound to find one that interests you, even just a little. There's more to that robo sex worker, fedora-wearing riddler, and even your co-workers. They all have a story to tell, and the game is comfy enough for you to sit in for the ride.