News
The purpose of Steam Early Access was to get unfinished games in front of Steam users and then continue development while benefiting from their feedback. Unfortunately, this meant that a lot of games ended up in Early Access limbo or were abandoned when funds and or interest ran out. Thankfully, this is not the case with Terminal Conflict, which after being deployed on Steam in 2018, has now left Early Access
PC Game Reviews
Aaero is a rhythm shooter that sees players flying through stylized environments while blasting enemies to the beat of electronic music. It is very challenging and unforgiving but also very addictive, and depending on your musical taste, it has a great soundtrack. The lack of support for things like Steam Workshop and custom songs limits the replay value a bit, but mastering all the songs should keep most players busy for ages.
Gameplay: Aaero is challenging, intense, and very addictive.
Graphics: The visuals of the game are beautiful and varied.
Sound: Aaero features a great electronic music soundtrack
PC Game Reviews
Aozora Meikyuu is a short and simple visual novel featuring a protagonist named Aoi who has given up on women. His plans to resign himself to a life of eroge games instead of actual relationships are shattered when a naked girl named Sora falls out of the sky and lands on top of him. After Sora forces herself into his house and life, Aoi has to choose whether to embrace this change or fight it every step of the way. It’s an interesting if a little cliched, premise for a visual novel but the game is just too short and mundane to make it very memorable.
Gameplay: Timed choices make things a little more interesting, but the story itself is rather humdrum.
Graphics: Decent, but somewhat lacking in good CGs.
Sound: No voice acting, but the soundtrack isn’t too bad
News
It’s not uncommon for early buyers to get penalized when new DLC or complete editions are announced at a later date, yes we are looking at you Bethesda, so it is always nice to see a reversal of this trend. Idea Factory recently announced their new Azur Lane: Crosswave DLC loyalty program, which is exclusive for Steam users. The loyalty program is basically a thank-you to all the users who pre-purchased Azur Lane: Crosswave on Steam. As such, it is restricted to users who bought the game before it was launched on February 13, 2020, at 10:00 am PST. Anyone who falls into that category is automatically eligible for the loyalty program
PC Game Reviews
Zombie Derby is short, dated and a little grindy, but the basic gameplay can still be entertaining as long as you are not expecting too much. Plowing through zombies with different vehicles while earning the cash for upgrades is fun, but it’s a pity that the game only has eight levels. There’s nothing groundbreaking or original about Zombie Derby, but it’s dirt cheap and put a smile on our face, so it cant’ be all bad.
Gameplay: Short and repetitive, but also rather fun.
Graphics: Rather dated.
Sound: Not much in the way of music or sound effects
PC Game Reviews
Pyrite Heart is an Otome visual novel that looks great, but the story is very short and lacking in depth. The heroine is also a spoiled rich princess, which might not be that appealing for players who are not fans of tsundere characters. It’s not a bad game, but there are far better titles in the genre.
Gameplay: Short and the story is not that interesting.
Graphics: The artwork is very good.
Sound: No voice acting, but the music is decent
PC Game Reviews
Wheels of Aurelia is a narrative road trip game that takes players along the winding roads of Italy during the seventies. The focus is on the conversations you have with the people you run into on the road, and your choices can lead to one of sixteen different endings. Each playthrough only lasts about fifteen minutes, but the stories are interesting enough, and things can go very differently depending on your choices. The game is a little rough around the edges and won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s certainly not without charm.
Gameplay: The game is very simple but has plenty of replay value.
Graphics: The visuals are not exactly dazzling, but they are pretty stylish.
Sound: No speech, unfortunately, but the soundtrack is good
PC Game Reviews
Creature Romances: Kokonoe Kokoro is a typical slice of life visual novel, with one exception, the love interest is a grotesque humanoid grasshopper. Unfortunately, the game simply ignores this fact, so the story progresses just like a typical, bland high school romance. The game can also be completed in less than an hour and features one choice that leads to one good or two bad endings. Overall, this game can be skipped as it has very little to offer.
Gameplay: Short, simple, and extremely bland despite the monstrous characters.
Graphics: The CGs are rather disturbing, but that’s probably the point.
Sound: The music is unremarkable, but the game does feature full Japanese voice acting
PC Game Reviews
The Gardens Between is a relaxing and charming puzzle game based around friendship and memories. It features time manipulation for puzzle solving but never becomes too complicated or convoluted. The visuals are detailed and beautiful while the audio complements the dreamlike atmosphere nicely. While it’s not a very lengthy or particularly challenging game, it still makes for an enjoyable experience.
Gameplay: The puzzles are clever, but never too taxing.
Graphics: Very detailed and beautifully animated.
Sound: The soundtrack is very soothing
PC Game Reviews
Time Tenshi is a short and simple visual novel featuring time travel. Unfortunately, the whole time-traveling aspect of the game is simply a convenient excuse for the ecchi effects it has on the women make use of the technology. This would have been fine for a nukige title, but for all its fetish content Time Tenshi is a very tame game with no sex or nudity. Unfortunately, this middle of the road approach means it is unlikely to really appeal to anyone especially with so many other options available.
Gameplay: Very short and only features one meaningful choice right at the end.
Graphics: The visuals have a very low budget look to them.
Sound: No voice acting and the music isn’t very memorable or catchy
