Recent reviews by Insta

Most enjoyable Terms of Service screen I've ever sat at for 15 minutes. Best part was getting my 93 GB of disk space back.

Leon drives up to a rural village in Europe, barges into a stranger's home uninvited, shows the man a picture while blabbering in English, turning the stranger hostile at the invasion of privacy and disregard for language barrier. Leon's choice here is to shoot him in the head thrice and explain that he was "forced to neutralize him," even though every possible exit was open, the truck was only a dash away, and the man was unarmed and slow while Leon had a handgun, police training, and a habit of rolling out of windows and kicking down doors even when there's absolutely no need to.

For Japanese developers writing an American character, I think they got it about right.

Now that the inferior Source port is delisted, we know that Half-Life's half-life takes 25 years.

See you in 2048 for Quarter-Life's release.

My smoothie mix is all over the keyboard and it's hardly in a state I'd consider "blended." When will Valve finally do something about the misleading marketing on their store?

I'll start the review by stating the obvious. This content should've been unlocked with progression in the base game, just like everything else. I got it with my pre-order, but this shouldn't be a separate purchase for anyone else.

If you've got Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (2023) in your cart and are wondering whether to buy this, the answer is an easy yes. It's literally just two dollars and completes the game's gallery, while netting you a silly border with Missile's cute face on it. This recommendation goes double for long-time fans of the game.

If you're new to Shu Takumi's wild ride of a story, you might be tempted to disable it before the end or even pass on the DLC entirely... but hey, wondering who the black cat is and why he's important might motivate you to finish the story more :)

TL;DR: Get it. There are no reasons not to. Consider Ghost Trick a $32 game in a strange pricing move by Capcom.

The madlads did it. I can now rest in peace.

This is RetroArch, a front-end that can run various emulators. For the uninitiated, this means you can play classic games originally made for older systems on basically whatever hardware you want. This version is much easier to set up, while offering some cool additions thanks to the Steam platform.
Assuming you're already familiar with the program, I will be reviewing the differences between this Steam release and the regular standalone release, starting with pros and cons.

• Automatically updated by Steam
• Already comes pre-installed with Online Updater content (assets, controller profiles, etc.)
• Core installation is handled as Steam DLC, making them modular and easy to manage
• This release supports Windows, Mac, and Linux; with one click, Steam installs the right version for your system
• Cloud saves! Easily the selling point. No more manually copying things around or setting up complicated cloud services, Steam synchronizes them across your devices for free, and you get a whopping 20 GB for it!
• Steam Rich Presence can be enabled, which shares with your Steam Friends exactly what game you're playing
• The installation being simplified makes this version's initial setup much quicker
• Core DLCs have unique artwork made for them that are both legally distinct and visually interesting (the inspirations for them should be obvious at a glance)
• You will have spent valuable time on this Earth playing beloved classics that have running rolls and spinning jumps rather than the latest expensive Call of Shoot War®: Modern Cold Ops II™ HQ (feat. a Mostly Negative rating on Steam)

• In removing the Online Updater button, they unintentionally removed pre-fetching thumbnails for your library. (I say unintentional because you can still download thumbnails manually and on-demand, leading me to believe a future update will fix this.)
• It might be more confusing to pick cores, as for legal reasons they cannot actually name the systems they're designed for
• Due to the very same legal reasons, extra steps are required to use the popular cetacean core that runs software titles for the famous duo of cubed and plural home systems. (Note that this is no fault of the developers[dolphin-emu.org]. I list this here for informational purposes.)
• Your Steam Friends will be confused as to why you're playing old platformers when Hatchet and Crank: Ripping Apart Your Graphics Card is out now on PC No shade intended, it looks great! Side note, I will be using RetroArch to check out that series' roots at some point :)
• You may get a strongly worded letter from a well-known East-Asian game company with the question "How DARE you play a game we stopped selling 30 years ago rather than our latest system's Super Last-Gen Game Deluxe and The Myth of Gimmick Controls: Upwards Blade HD (both available now for $60 a piece or save money and buy them both for $100 if you have our paid online service)!?"
• Misleading title; there are no Greek arches in this software nor any other "retro arch"

Looking at all the changes, RetroArch on Steam is a competent port, featuring streamlined setup and much welcome quality of life improvements. It is practically identical to the standalone version, save for a single option currently being missing and the obvious lack of cores (which, again, isn't the developers' fault and I completely get why it's like this).

If you have not used RetroArch before and want a good place to start, then look no further.
This is the cross-platform, cloud save supporting, pre-configured version of RetroArch. In other words, it's practically a plug-and-play experience, assuming you already have your content stored in a folder somewhere. Getting extra cores only takes a few clicks, and getting cores beyond that is only a few more clicks away.

There really aren't that many changes from the standalone release, all things considered.
Benefits: Easy portability across different machines, Steam Rich Presence support, built-in cloud storage
Drawbacks: Manual updating and installing of certain cores, lack of thumbnail pre-fetching

If you'd like to try it out, you can always just copy your RetroArch over the Steam version. Make sure to verify the install in case something Steam-related got overwritten.

I recommend RetroArch on Steam because the positives outweigh the negatives; the benefits of the Steam distribution platform makes it easier to configure and run, while the drawbacks are easily solved with some manual file fetching.

Long live emulation. May we one day see our beloved sea mammal on Steam as well.

About a decade ago, I had my first exposure to Ghost Trick via the Nintendo Channel on my Wii. They had several demos you could upload to a Nintendo DS for cool games like Rhythm Heaven, Picross 3D, and, of course, Ghost Trick. I liked checking them out, because after all, what better way to see what the DS had to offer?

Without getting into the story, Ghost Trick is a game that leaves an immediate impression on you. From the highly stylized graphics to Masakazu Sugomori's signature compositions, to the vibrant characters and intriguing storyline, this is not a game you simply "check out."

Having played the game from start to finish multiple times, and even considering playthroughs of it a reoccuring pilgrimage for me (I have 200%'d it on RetroAchievements just because I could, if that's any indication), I can safely attest that it's a timeless masterpiece well worth playing even today. Even tomorrow. Even in another decade!

Alas, due to Capcom's infamously poor marketing campaign for Ghost Trick, it ended up selling poorly, and worse yet, falling under the radar, becoming a so-called hidden gem. For years, I simply couldn't find the game in any store near me. The iOS port existed, but I had no iOS device to play it... not to mention the port eventually became defunct with Apple's decision to remove support for 32-bit apps.

I want to make it clear that I am by no means a "casual" fan of this game. It has shaped the way I look at video games, and I'd liken its existence to that of a very good book. Every aspect of its design, from the moment you start it up, to the moment you're returned to the title screen after beating it, is meticulously crafted in a way that no other game I've played has ever been. It does not need a sequel. It does not need a remake. Anyone who's beaten it knows it is already perfect.

And yet, in my many years of knowing about the game, and indeed, shamelessly having played it in an emulator several times over (reminder: I didn't feel like buying a second phone just for one game), Capcom seemed to simply have forgotten about it.

I poked my head into Capcom's many Twitter accounts on June 19, 2020. That was the 10th anniversary of the game's initial release. I expected them to finally announce, or at least acknowledge, anything related to Ghost Trick.

Not even a single tweet was made to acknowledge its existence. As far as I could tell, the game was, ironically, a ghost.
Its memory lingered in everyone who had played it, but with the only two versions either not being sold anymore, or not running on modern devices, it was as good as dead.

I went on with my life, fully aware that Ghost Trick was never coming back. My hopes and dreams had been crushed by the deafening silence on that fateful day.

Out of nowhere, Capcom announces Ghost Trick. "Yeah, we're bringing Ghost Trick back. It's in HD. Animations run at 60 FPS. We made an arranged soundtrack. It's on every modern platform. It's only $30."

I'd say I was shocked, but truth be told I thought I was being messed with. A quick search led me to the website, and indeed, it was owned by Capcom. This was real. It was finally happening.

I would've settled for a simple port. It would've been fine. Like I said, the game was already perfect. Just put the iOS version on Nintendo Switch and call it a day.

Instead, I got everything I could've ever wanted and more. This remaster truly respects the source material in a way I never expected Capcom to even be capable of.
It fills my soul with joy, having waited over a decade for the opportunity to finally buy this game on a platform of my choice, with all these additions and improvements present. It feels so cathartic to open social media and see people finally being able to play the game that I and so many others had the chance to experience all those years ago!

Saying I'm grateful is an understatement. I'm never asking Capcom for anything ever again*.

Look, if you're still reading this and don't know whether or not this is the game for you, do what I did a decade ago and download the demo. Launch the demo. Play it.

Whether you enjoy it or not, whether you're going to buy the remaster or not, I can guarantee you, it's not an experience you'll ever forget. This game leaves an impression on you. If you're on the fence about it, take your time and maybe someday you'll be ready to give it a chance.

I can't think of a more fitting way to end a review for my favorite game of all time than to repeat my unofficial catchphrase...


*Oh yeah, there is one thing missing from this re-release... I want to buy the soundtrack. It's not on Steam, it's not on Spotify, it's not anywhere. Last I checked, the only release was an obscure CD in 2010.
If Ace Attorney Trilogy can get a Steam soundtrack, so should Ghost Trick, and I won't be truly satisfied until I have all these banging beats and melancholic melodies in crisp FLAC quality, preferably both iterations.
Come on, Capcom. Let me buy the music.

The music has been unleashed. This re-release is now as close to perfect as it could ever get. Thank you.
It can be streamed on Spotify[open.spotify.com] (lossy audio, Japanese track titles) and bought here on Steam with English track titles and FLAC audio quality.

Update 2: They just removed Denuvo[steamdb.info], making the main executable drop from 380 MB to just 54 MB. If you were waiting to buy it when they remuvo Denuvo, now's your time.

First attempt at launching, I had a black screen. Second attempt, it launched... but I was ten feet tall and couldn't even reach the main menu's desk. At least the Humble Bundle I got this through has games that are actually worth the money.

While my time playing PAYDAY 2 is over by now, I gave its VR mode a visit after acquiring an Oculus Quest 2.

It's confusing at first, controls aren't explained to you. After looking to the left in the menu and noticing a wall dedicated to control options, I figured out how the belt works, and while it isn't that intuitive, it definitely gets the job done.

Aiming and shooting feel as satisfying as ever, except now you're the one shooting, making for quite the cathartic experience. The gameplay was well adapted to VR, with your interactions mainly being on the left hand and weapons on the right. Look down and you'll see a menu dedicated to switching weapons (basically, reach into your right pocket to switch guns, and into the left for melee). You can also store a bag in that menu, which means you have both your hands free while moving with a bag, which is convenient. It should be noted that before noticing that bag button, I thought my drill glitched and vanished. There's no animation for the item vanishing from your left hand and entering the pocket, unlike games like Half-Life: Alyx which shrink them into the relevant spot.

You can adjust your height, arm length, and a few other things related to comfort, but I'll be honest – after playing PAYDAY 2 for several years with both keyboards and controllers, moving with teleportation just does not work for me. I'd rather sacrifice a bit of comfort for freedom of mobility, so I don't have to point to where I wanna go like a forklift. The game is just so fast-paced that anything but linear movement is impossible to deal with, so if you're sensitive to world movement, you're gonna want to keep a vomit bag nearby.

All in all, it's a great addition to the game, a treat if you will. Being able to control your heister's every move is satisfying and I regret not giving a damn about this when it was first announced.