Reseñas recientes de Gwen Starlight

The final leg in what is unironically the most realistic (in the most messed up but accurate possible way) the most realistic high school (and post high school) sim from the POV of the best friend character. It highlights Jecka's life and why she ended up being Nicole's friend, and gets equally brutal.

It's still the same feminist dark comedy the other two were and absolutely hits home for anyone millennial or younger who was (and maybe still is) one of the "bad kids" in high school, particularly in the US.

As a big fan of the original Blaster Master, I was cautiously optimistic when I saw this. The original definitely had flaws, but also had a certain je ne cais quoi that a poorly done reboot would ruin.

My fears were put to rest as this was a faithful re-imagining of the first game with all the rough edges sanded off. Put more directly, it was everything a remake should be. It added some modern aspects of game design; it's retro in its style and presentation; and it's what people came to Blaster Master for to begin with while not being bogged down by more anachronistic things (i.e. limited continues).

One thing that particularly surprised me was the music. Sunsoft (the creators of the original Blaster Master) were known for their incredible music during the NES days, even on their less then stellar games (i.e. Festers Quest). I was worried that no reboot could measure up to the original.

Once again my fears were put to rest as while the music doesn't surpass the original (I'd be surprised if it did), it was an asymmetrically equal re-imagining and remix of the original themes, which was perfect for what it was trying to do.

Not without its flaws, obviously, but it's everything a reboot should be; it captures the essence of what made the original good while sanding off its flaws and adding compatible aspects of modern game design. It's a perfect blend of modern and retro for anyone interested in playing it.

Frankly, this game is excellent (a huge improvement on its predecessor). However, I refuse to give a positive rating to a game where NG+ and the post game dungeon is locked behind a paywall.

I get that games are expensive to make, but locking what at this point should be basic features behind a paywall goes beyond the pale. I very much want to give this game the positive review it deserves, but I ethically can't lest this paywalling of NG+ become standard practice in gaming.

As for the game proper, like I said, it's excellent.

It takes everything good about its predecessor, improves it, and shaves off the rough edges. The characters are a lot of fun and the game finds its flow more easily.

Hawaii is a setting choice we have mixed feelings about. With this series always having a political edge to it, the fact that it called out things like Hawaii's high homeless population, the sheer costs of gentrification, that's awesome. Also it's neat to see Hawaii from a Japanese perspective given its unique relationship with the island (especially after the war).

However, it feels like once again indigenous Hawaiian voices and stories are being buried. On top of that, while the story makes it clear this isn't representative of the actual believers, the main villain being what is basically a cult following Mme Pele (name changes aside) is kinda ♥♥♥♥♥♥. Not sure if that's a real life reference or not, but...yeah. I know they were trying to show the "few bad apples" justification rather to say they weren't doing that, but in essence they may as well have been.

Personal and political grievances aside, as a setting to drive the plot and take it to a new location like the game is known for it does the job. Again, Japan's unique relationship to the the colonized Island country make it an interesting jump off point.

Also, half of the game is a sendoff to Kazuma Kiryu. It's obvious they've been trying to retire him since Yakuza 4 but it never quite took. This was the sendoff he deserved. Seeing all the lives he effected (including the 5 spinoff titles he was in) and the impact he had on the adventures we all shared with him.

Like its predecessor, this is a game that goes from "it's decent, but you need to give it a chance" to "absolutely damn good" in the second half. Once everything clicks and you know how to proceed on both routes, that's when things really start to shine.

Again, excellent game once it finds its rhythm. Not for everyone but definitely worth trying out for those interested.

However again, I am forced to end where I am started. This is an excellent game with a caveat. They locked NG+ behind a <SWEAR WORDS REDACTED> paywall, and that is disgusting corporate greed right there. People need to speak up about this or it will get normalized.

Unironically the most accurate depiction of a high school setting I've ever seen. Sociopathy is a natural defense mechanism when the nature of the institution is a spawning pool for present and future predators.