Recent reviews by Robin

Honse

I love my boys

The way Akatsuki Games killed this wonderful game 3 months after release because it was not profitable enough by their standards -- even though the dev team and writers already had future chapters written out.

It feels silly calling things a scam but there is no other word coming to mind when they publish a whole roadmap first, only to then axe all development with no consideration for the people who actually got invested in it despite all initial downfalls. The company also has DBZ Dokkan Battle so they're not exactly poor, either.

Consider avoiding all future Akatsuki live service games cause they don't gaf about the player base at all as it turns out, lol.

Revisited this after agesss, and it’s still a very heartfelt, well put-together story. Timeless classic.

Some of the language around autism is of course dated by today’s standards, but you can tell the writing overall is earnest.
It is an RPG Maker game, which not many gamers even today are used to, and the writers could have left you head-scratching with the reversed chronology, but instead it’s clear they were not there to confuse the reader. They give you just enough without making it too obvious, bit by bit, and if there are any questions left, the characters tie it up in a nice bow with a quick recap, then go to the next mystery. Normally this would’ve annoyed me, as I like piecing the story together by myself, but in this case it makes the game so wonderfully accessible. It doesn’t need to have any big riddles taking hours to solve.

For the team, the goal was to convey the full story honestly with all its feelings, and they succeeded.

It is sappy and cheesy as hell, but I think sometimes this kind of easy reading, modern fairytale love story is needed in our lives. 🌕🐇

This game is super sweet and impressive! I never expected it to cover topics like pressure from expectations or suicide, and it does so wonderfully, with kindness and care, despite the short play time. It’s simple, but the way the events are sewn together and affect the endings stays with you for a while.

Character interactions don’t feel forced, which is a plus, and the art is very soft and atmospheric, too.

[Game works on Steam Deck]
Cute character designs and clean, fresh UI? Check.
Pleasant soundtrack to go along with it? Check!
And a story that can teach you something new, with queer characters who actually feel realistic? Check!!

Navigating medical spaces as a non-binary individual can be hell on its own sometimes, and combined with a condition that not many have expertise in can make that so much more nerve-racking. Medical unprofessionalism, lack of adequate sex ed in schools, people who are supposed to help being flat-out racist or transphobic to you — it needs to be talked about, still! So even though it was a short game, I’m very happy it was made and is now available for everyone to read and reflect on. You can tell the people who worked on it put a lot of love into the project.

The game also touches upon communication in relationships, which is extremely important, and has a bunch of warm, sweet moments between Val and their gf 🧡🏳️‍🌈
I think we could all use a reminder that there ARE ways to deal with something that feels impossible — through communication, mutual understanding, and patience.

And especially if you are a cis guy, play this one, please ✌🏻

Atlus did me so dirty when they announced an actual facelift remake of Persona 3 after I had JUST spent 100 hours on this waifu2x'd remaster thinking we wouldn't get anything better... I don't regret any of it, however, and even years after its initial release the P3P experience is solid, with a story that is frank about some of the darker aspects of life and issues any real teen could struggle with. Despite that, it is careful to never slip into the full doom and gloom or excessive dramatics, and that is one of P3P's strongest points.

The game also has some of the most unforgettable social links in the series (please take your time to complete Sun social link fully!), and the characters DO feel like someone who could exist in real life. Having played this all the way back as a teen also, it was the social links that have left the biggest impression, and that I kept thinking back to throughout the years.

What I think can ruin the experience, though, is the dungeon grinding or looking up walkthroughs too often. Try to enjoy the story, the characters, and leave the grinding and achievements for later! speaking from experience... orz

A game that can either look like the last dream you could have if you are in your early 20’s and live in Eastern Europe, or, on the other hand, symbolize the light and will that guide you through your most hopeless moments — it’s up to you what to make of it.

Sometimes, maybe the only right decision is to let go.

(The music meanwhile sounds like a Gregg Araki movie and I’m here for it!)

Cute game with an interesting premise, but quite simple in its execution.

Grabbing as much as you can and trying to soak in and decode everything you see is thrilling in the beginning and there is definitely a sense of accomplishment, but could feel repetitive by the end as the game IMO lacks variety in the activities it actually offers you. Even if you have most of the words figured out, it is very easy to miss certain special scenes if you haven't clicked around the house enough, which again invites repetitiveness... which is a shame, really! Despite everything, the game did a good job leaving just enough hints about the characters to make me wonder and wish there was a way to get to know their stories more, which is a nice bonus to the actual language-cracking gameplay.

All in all a curious little thing with its ups and downs, and if you are into riddles or language learning, I would recommend giving it a shot!

What Die Hard is for Christmas movies, 2064: ROM is for the video games — bringing together action, noir-inspired investigation and social drama, all tied up with that warm, festive vibe.

While the story is not too complicated per se, the wide array of different characters you get to interact with throughout is what really brings this game to life and makes it difficult to forget, along with the funky music and wonderfully made pixel graphics & cutscenes.
Having a robot companion by your side also brings in an extra level of interactivity to the game, unlike your standard visual novel, and although the replies you get to pick are mostly predictable, it is clear a lot of work and attention was dedicated to Turing — you exchange some jokes, and even get to discuss Bob Ross, of all things, along with your plans for the future. Early on the player also goes through the whole new user setup process for name, pronouns and diet preferences, which I think is pretty neat.

Overall, no matter the shortcomings, I really like this little game. It’s been amazing seeing ROM grow throughout the years, and revisiting it with full voicing upgrade or console port; especially knowing it came from a small team of indie devs.

Definitely give this a go if you are into detective stories, occasional pop culture references, cute robots or nostalgic pixel graphics 🤖💗