Recent reviews by StaticSpine

Chasing Carrots nailed the Diablo atmosphere and created a solid enough core gameplay loop to provide several hours of fun.

Where they didn't excel:
1. Classes: Most of them feel either too similar or just aren't that fun to play.
2. Wellkeeper Mechanics: This system is very annoying and tiresome. I understand there is a narrative explanation for it—which is cool—but gathering 30 items just to unlock "you-know-what" is the absolute opposite of fun.

But all in all, I had a good time with it.

Subverse is all over the place.

The first gameplay mode you are introduced to is a spaceship shoot-em-up, and it’s actually pretty fun to play. However, the game then turns into a visual novel—and that is what you’ll be doing for the vast majority of the time: dialogues and cutscenes. The game tries to tell a story, but a big chunk of the writing consists of cringe-worthy jokes and constant fourth-wall breaking. Also, the protagonist is essentially a mix of Star-Lord and Deadpool wearing someone's panties as a mask.

After that, you get the turn-based tactical combat. It’s serviceable, but definitely on the boring side. Then there is the adult content, which isn't meaningfully tied to the other mechanics; you just collect a specific currency to unlock scenes.

All in all, it’s a mess. It is a really weird mix of genres, and it’s hard to tell what audience the developers had in mind.

I gave up on the newer Trails games, but the Sky arc was always my favorite, so I was looking forward to playing this one.

And boy, did it deliver. The game looks and runs great, and there is a lot of QoL (Quality of Life) improvement. Nothing was changed in the storyline. Some people complain about the localization getting worse; I did notice that the original was a bit edgier, but that's minor. The new combat system (a combo of turn-based and real-time) is neat and much better than in Daybreak.

I have a couple of nitpicks, but also nothing major. The final dungeon is a bit boring, which was also the case in the original. Also, some of the dialogue is only partly voiced (which has been the case for some time), and it is weird. I’m not asking for full VO; I’m asking for consistency—either voice everyone in a dialogue or voice nobody.

All in all, this remake is a great new entry point for newcomers to the series. Eagerly waiting for the 2nd now.

Pretty Dreadful: Heritage is a point-and-click adventure about a young man from Japan who moved from a rural village to a big city but is forced to return to confront his past.

Bit by bit, the game dips more and more into the supernatural, while keeping a melancholic tone with dark undertones.

The puzzles are not obscure, and you can usually get hints here and there.

I liked the visual style, which doesn't look fancy but is consistently cute and pleasant.

Overall, it shows that a lot of thought and passion was put into this project.

Don't look at the playtime. I finished the game when it came out, and I remember trying to play it through for the second time, but dropping it on Super Mutants because of the tedium.

I tried to get back to the game around 5 years ago, and it didn't click. I was wondering if it didn't age well, or if it was never good, and I just didn't know any better at the time.

I made another attempt, and I found an answer for myself: the game is not fun.

Fallout Tactics was definitely made with RT combat in mind, but it is too chaotic to be enjoyable, and the original Fallout combat system is serviceable but not complex enough for a squad tactics game. So the game either becomes messy or feels like a slog.

And in general, the combat is not slick. It feels slow; the animations and sounds are not that cool compared to Fallout.

I wouldn't call the game awful or even bad, but it's not good either.

I'll try to be objective here.

Pros:
- Thick urban horror atmosphere you won't find in any other RPG
- Amazing quests (the only one I never liked is the graveyard zombie hunt)
- Main locations have many quests that can be solved differently; sometimes the game feels like an immersive sim because it provides so many options
- A bunch of iconic characters

Cons:
- Very janky, even with the latest unofficial patch (without which the game won't run at all), you can encounter some bugs, accidentally break a script, or accidentally get stuck in an open door; enemies and their AI are also glitchy
- The combat is clunky and overall, not fun
- The devs were running out of budget, so later stages of the game are all linear corridors packed with enemies, so if you played a non-combat build, you're screwed
- The design decision I never understood - combat doesn't give you XP, considering how combat-focused the game becomes, it's even more frustrating

All in all, the game carries a well-deserved cult classic status, but it's a very flawed gem. If you don't care about finishing games, just play it for the good stuff; the ending is not worth it.

After nearly 60 hours, I wanted to expand this review to provide more substance. It’s certainly a niche gacha, but the components fit my tastes perfectly.

The Gameplay The core loop is turn-based tactics in the vein of modern XCOM, but with a faster, more aggressive pace suited for mobile/desktop hybrid play. Missions are short but engaging. There is a decent layer of depth with different damage types and arena gimmicks like moving parts or raisable barriers. While "stat-checking" (numbers) naturally plays a role, there is genuine challenge to be found in the various game modes, especially if you dive into the deep doll customization.

Presentation & Quality The models are excellent if you appreciate this specific visual style. A huge plus for me is the weapon customization—it’s visually detailed and adds a lot to the "gun-girl" aesthetic.

Live Service & Monetization This is where I find most of the community complaints confusing. The monetization is remarkably mild for the genre:

Low Maintenance: Dailies and Battle Pass tasks are quick. This doesn’t have to be a "second job" to make progress.

Fair Value: The Battle Pass is affordable and high-value. While you can spend on skins or meta-chasing, it is entirely skippable if you aren’t trying to out-whale the top 1%.

Generosity: The game is generous with free pulls. Every time I’ve spent money, it wasn't because the game forced me to, but because I wanted to support it and the purchase felt satisfying.

The Verdict I don’t understand the aggressive pushback. This is a live-service game; it needs to generate revenue to survive. The devs aren’t forcing your hand, and the tactical core is solid. I’m here to stay. Big thanks to the team.

This game was made by my late friend, a true man of culture.

I hope you continue making adult games, or at least fapping, in heaven.

Rest in power, bro!

The games are both good and the remaster is solid in terms of performance and QoL.

Suikoden 1
A compact game. Short and sweet dungeons. The inventory management is frustrating, though.

Suikoden 2
A bit longer than 1. The story is more intense. The inventory system is better. The dungeons sometimes feel longer than they need to be. Strategy minigame is worse than in 1 in terms of being clear what's going on, the same with duels.

All in all, enjoyable experience.

1. This is not a porn game, this is a proper RPG with some (optional) porn
2. The game is ambitious and unique

I can nitpick about many thing, but I won't since this game is a hidden gem. A flawed one, but I'll take this type of game over a polished generic slop any day.