บทวิจารณ์ล่าสุดโดย fantasticfox

So, this was my first modern Atelier game, though I end up playing all of Ayesha, a good chunk of Escha & Logy, and some Sophie as well before beating it, owing in part to a lull around the 20 hour mark that left me a little unmotivated. But once it picked up from that lull, it was really engaging and the ending was really good. I struggled with the final boss and considered grinding (I generally avoided enemies for chunks of the game), but decided instead to work on alchemy, and got through it. It felt really satisfying to think I might be underleveled but still able to solve it by thinking about it more.

Of course, the question that begs to be answered is, Is this a good entry point for the series. And I think it very much is. It's not the best Atelier has to offer and if you're going to get deep into synthesis (one of the major highlights of the series), it's a little simplistic. But I think it gives you enough of the comfy setting and good mechanics that, if you're going to like the series, you're going to like Ryza, and probably want more. Plus, there's no pressure to get a bundle.

All in all, it was a great experience and I'm very happy to have played it.

This is the first Atelier game I beat and even though it has a time limit, it's extremely lenient. I messed up for a long time, thinking I needed to craft a particular item to progress the plot, which I did not, and I still beat it in time. The freeform nature of the questline is such that the pacing can get really awkward, depending on your approach, but other than that, it's an excellent game.

Lovable characters, great music, and enjoyable battle and crafting mechanics all add up to a steller Atelier experience.

People often reference Dark Souls as kind of "the hard game", but there's a different level of difficulty to be found in games sometimes. It's something I've found mostly as a speedrunner. A game that is so punishing that you have to do it over and over and over. More than simply dying a few times in a tough area, it is an exercise in pure futility, something most people simply can not bear the stress of. It takes a certain degree of patience and willingness to fail repeatedly, improvement moving at a snail's pace.

This is the kind of game Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy is. Doing well in this game is thrilling and almost certainly returned with cruelty. If you're easily frustrated, this game is not for you. If you find repetitive failing meditative in a way, it might be a great experience. It's a great game for the right kind of player.

As far as the actual content of the game, it's really clever and fun. If it's a trash game, it's certainly very good trash.

Okay, so, here's the thing. I have spent about $100 on this game. I own almost every expansion but I also bought them all when they've reached a lower sale price than their initial sale price. It is extremely easy to spend money on this game. That said, the songs are really high quality and it's extremely fun and visually appealing.

I haven't put in enough time to really warrant how much I've spent on it, but it's still getting my recommendation because it's a good game and I could see myself eventually putting in enough time to make it worthwhile.

Edit after 31 hours: Well, it happened. I started getting my money's worth out of this game and I couldn't be more pleased that I spent all that money (plus more since coming back)! I bought V Extension 2 & 4 and was completely blown away. Like, wow, absolutely top tier rhythm gaming. Easy recommendation now. Worth waiting for a sale because of the absurd cost, but very worth getting into.

For those unwilling to devote the time and energy needed to fully appreciate this review of VIDEOBALL, let me begin with The Bottom Line:

VIDEOBALL is the platonic ideal of esports.

It is worth noting that VIDEOBALL is not a popular esport, but it is highly competitive and best played with a team of friends. It is a game filled with enthusiastic and chaotic moments and when things go right or wrong, adrenaline stirs strong emotions in your right hemisphere while your left hemisphere is making notes of what went right or wrong and how to strategize better with those scenarios in mind. You will never be a famous VIDEOBALL player, but you can work towards being a good VIDEOBALL player. In this way, VIDEOBALL is an esport specifically for those with a strong sense of “love of the game”. Is there trash talk? Are the players toxic? Only if that’s who you’re on a call with outside of the game itself (or in the same literal room as) because, thankfully for a whole lot of people who don’t want random gamers to hear their voices and don’t want to hear the voices of random gamers, there is no in-game voice chat.

As regards the “e” in “esports”, VIDEOBALL is highly electronic, representing nothing in reality whatsoever outside of balls and goals. The players are chevrons with direction that shoot triangles of different strengths, which affect objects in the game in very video gamey ways. Aesthetically, it’s Asteroids, the sport. Tim Rogers has said that VIDEOBALL has the best graphics of any game because it’s a perfect 1:1 recreation of VIDEOBALL and I believe him. VIDEOBALL doesn’t look like things in the real world or sound like things in the real world, but it does look and sound “right”, as though it is the way VIDEOBALL is supposed to be.

In addition to being very electronic, VIDEOBALL is also more sportslike than any other video game I’ve played. I often criticize games for being too “physicsy” or “floaty”. I generally prefer video games be tight and precise. But sports ARE physics. In his book The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan says, “To get the ball in the basket, you must loft it at exactly the right speed; a one per cent error and gravity will make you look bad. Three-point shooters, whether they know it or not, compensate for aerodynamic drag.” Playing sports is being extremely precise with complex physics that lead to imprecision in practicality. This is what it’s like playing VIDEOBALL. Except VIDEOBALL also has precise physics at the right times. You quickly learn the exact precise timings you need to create different triangles. When you use a big triangle, all the floatiness is gone and the balls fly at high speed exactly where they’re heading. It has all the impact of the home run bat in Smash Bros., but anyone can do it in the right moment.

In short, if you like esports or regular sports or video games in general, especially if you have friends, I highly recommend VIDEOBALL. VIDEOBALL is a perfect game on the level of Tetris. People might tweak it or try to copy it, but you can not improve the core of what it is. It was clearly made by people who both love and understand video games. It can get frustrating at times, especially with some of the AI (I’m looking at you, Choppy and Punchy), but you just have to remind yourself, “Well… That’s VIDEOBALL.”

Very short and very very sweet. It's a little rough emotionally at times, but really just very nice. Very much an LGBTQIA story and just utterly delightful!

As usual for Trails, the second game in the arc is a little less formulaic (though this one is still pretty formulaic). It also feels much bigger. There are some very cool mechanics as well. Really, there's a lot to love. It drags on at some points, but that's to be expected.

All in all, a very solid entry. I'd say it's worth about 50 mira plus interest.

Okay, if you are into arcade racing, this game is, in my opinion, worth the $50 for the base game. It is a really solid racing game with a good amount of depth that is just a lot of fun. As for the DLC, which is quite expensive and not released yet, I don't think it's a wise investment. I have bought several games over the years that offered DLC, which I did not buy at the time of purchase, and I have never once regretted that decision. The sheer number of games I've fallen out of love with before the DLC was released more than makes up for the little bit extra I've paid a few times waiting until the DLC was out to get it. And really, there is so much in the base game already, you might be satisfied with that alone anyway.

So, you might be wondering if this is a "kids' game", and I would answer no, it is a "family game". If you plop your child down in front of it with no direction, they will likely get extremely frustrated because it is a challenging game to get good enough at to really enjoy and at any level higher than easy, it presents a solid challenge even to veteran gamers. But I do think it has a lot of potential for kids to enjoy, with a little direction. Get them into the track designer. Come up with ways for you to all get something out of the game beyond just racing. Get good at it yourself to provide guidance to your little one when they do want to race and provide encouragement that this is a hard game and it takes a lot of practice and losing to get good at it. You could even tell them you know a world record-holding speedrunner who got last place on medium. ;)

There are a few features that I would love to see implemented, namely, a friend list, crossplay, and first person view, but overall, I'm really pleased with it and am looking to getting real competitive once I get better and know the tracks better.

Excellent job, Milestone. I came on this totally randomly and half-jokingly clicked on it because I've been really desperate for a good, solid arcade racer and this delivered.

Should you play Trails? If you like JRPGs and/or shonen anime, 100% yes.

Should you start with this one? Weeeelllllll...

Having finished this game, I'm really divided. The last two chapters of the game have some huge moments that aren't going to hit as hard or maybe even make much sense without having played Sky FC and SC. But the finale's biggest moments don't rely on the other games and I'm sure jumping in here would be very powerful still.

I do think, from a story perspective, starting with Sky is the right move. I think, for older JRPG fans like me, the style and simplicity of the Sky trilogy would be really welcome, but for newer fans, who are getting into the genre from Persona, this might be more up your alley stylistically.

No matter what, though, I can't recommend this series highly enough. A++

I wouldn't say this game has no value to the Trails series. It offers a lot of insight and character development. Mechanically, it's kind of nice cause you can do the sidequests any time, but that doesn't make up for its faults. The plot is just not really engaging. I never felt really connected to it as it went on. I was already losing interest and close to giving up on it when I got to chapter 5.
Then, I got to sun door 4. Sun door 4 is 100% RNG. If you have bad enough luck, it is possible to spend hours playing the same tedious game and still not clear it. Easily the worst mechanic in a game I've played.
Save your money and just watch a Let's Play or read a summary.