Recent reviews by KnightsMercy

It's my third day on the job. I'm running low on water and keyboards, and my knife is nearly broken. Worse, night is nearly here and the security bots will be on patrol.
But at least there aren't any qoualas down under down under.

If there's one thing that Hey Stranger! I Dare You to Love Me! has been able to do consistently, it's put consent front-and-center in the character interactions (which is not to say that this does the rest poorly -- I actually think the content is really sexy and fun wholistically). Yes, the game is about doing the deed with some beautiful women, but that doesn't mean that the people here aren't represented well. Quite the opposite! I think it's very sweet that the protagonist and each of the potential partners is constantly checking in to make sure things are okay, and the gameplay (sparse as it is) reflects this as well, prompting the eager player whether they want the scene to skip any intimacy or continue toward more... lacsivious content.

Examples (spoilered just in case, but nothing you won't find a mere 2-3 hours in):
1: When you first meat Val and Rose, before continuing to their room for a fun romp, the player is prompted with 2 options to select: either act like a bit of an idiot (and presumably miss out on the sexy scene), or be the gentleman and address a bigger issue: Val got so caught up in the idea of recruiting you as a cameraman that she was completely oblivious to the fact that her romantic partner, Rose, is not really comfortable with the idea herself. Should the player choose to bring up the obvious issue and talk with the couple, they are rewarded with some hot sesbian lex (after a second short, enthusiastic discussion to set ground rules for the night <3). This one was very sweet and I look forward to meeting both Val and Rose some more <3
2: After Jez fixes your car and propositions you, the player has the option to turn her down twice: once to turn Jez down completely, then again in the event the player is not interested in buttsegs. The fact that the developer not only asked if I (the player) wanted to interact with this character in this way, but also if I was okay with this particular content in a way that did not in any way detract from the experience shows how thoughtful they are in the writing and of the player's experience. Which is not to say that there are no surprises, as Jez decidedly takes charge halfway through the romp in a manner much befitting her personality and accent, for a refreshing change of pace.

I'll be honest however and say that I actually don't know what happens if you reject any of the propositions. Options in this game are very clear, those that progress to more intimate scenes clearly marked with a heart to indicate the interaction. Until something truly unusual comes up or curiosity gets the better of me, I see no reason to reject any of these lovely ladies ;)

If I had to give any gripes, they are extremely minor and hopefully resolved easily with some quality of life updates in the future:
1) I would like the option to use keyboard controls, such as spacebar to progress dialogue.
2) I would like more of the controls available to keybind on my keyboard (for the previous reason).
3) I would like the ability to hide the UI in regular dialogue.

Otherwise, if you like playful and sexy characters who are all about getting each other off, I think this is a must-have and I eagerly look forward to all the future content the developer has to show :)

A lot of people have said it already but this games was created from the holy matrimony of both Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Death Stranding, and they gave it the best coop you could hope for (you can grab your friends).

I think this has the potential to really change how learning Japanese can be approached by a wider audience. I think some of the approaches it uses are confusing at times, and I could never recommend someone just straight into this with no other supplementary tools or background, but I think this has taken my illiterate ass and helped contextualize many of the basics of Japanese grammar. There are times where, even if I don't know a kanji or word in the wild, I will see someone use words in a particular way and I can often break down the construction of the sentences. Even without the full meaning, I can take apart random phrases and at least figure out how something is being conveyed.

I think this works best in conjunction with at least one other learning resource: a class, an online course, a grammar reference, whatever. At a minimum, one of these should be dedicated to learning kanji radicals and learning how to read them. I'm personally using WaniKani, but the book Learning the Kanji and plenty of other options exist. Additionally, please take at least 2 weeks to learn Hiragana and Katakan outside of this. You'll thank yourself in the long run.

Most importantly, I think you need to engage with the learning process at least once a day, preferably several times in small chunks. Do a few lessons, walk away. Do reviews, take a nap. Etc.

Titanfall 2 is just super freaking cool.

"It is not just about rest, it is also about the reason for resting."

Wanderstop has been a most delightful little adventure, and a welcome experience. The characters are a delight, each a reflection of ourselves, a lesson to teach and learn. Perhaps now this is one of the best games you can experience if, like me, you are in your late 20's and have a position in life that you are not completely content with.

I saw once that someone said that this game wasn't cozy, that it was just chores. And I'm here to say that they are correct: this game is just chores. But it's much more than that; it's about tending to yourself, to your place, to your friends and family. It's about mindfulness, sweeping the messes you find, and sometimes leaving the messes you just can't deal with right now. It's about doing things fast or slow, sloppy or precise. It's about reflecting on your life and how you got here, and meeting other people where they are.

It's about making a nice cup of tea and just sitting around for a while, letting nothing happen. And sometimes, that's all you really need for a change.

Have a nice cuppa. It might do you well.

My friends and I learned the true family friendly values of sportsball, harassment, physical violence, and keeping grudges.

10/10

Honestly this might be the GOAT. The battles are intense and crunchy without being excessively difficult (at least this early on), the writing is genuinely funny, and the whole setting feels confusing and oppressive.

If you like 13 Sentinels, tactical combats, or great character writing, do give this a look.

This is the most mechanically interesting of the 3 Kaiju Princess titles so far, and provides a moderate challenge on its hardest mode. I have no complaints about any of the H content either, it was all very high quality and (for the most part) well written and voice acted. Lacking a specific personality type for direction, I might point a newcomer to this one first due to the overall QoL improvements and the charming characters and story.

Poochi Q is consistently funny and full of energy, and really brings the whole thing together (as expected from the star lady).

This is simply one of the best visual novels you can put time into, especially so if you like scifi and/or time travel stories. I haven't seen half of the content, but I can already tell that this story is so much bigger than the anime I started from.

Strongly suggest the Committee of Zero patch, essentially mandatory.