Recent reviews by Enchanted

Despite the overwhelming negative reviews I still wanted to judge it for myself since it is a story-based choice game which I love. I thought most people were disappointed because this one doesn't include the same cast of characters from the previous game, which I would have been fine with so long as it topped or at least matched the quality of the first game. Unfortunately, it did not.

New Tales From The Borderlands lacks everything that made the first one great. Amazing side characters that each bring something to the story, an interesting villain, a plot that hooks you from start to finish, comedy that's actually funny, and iconic songs each episode...it was supposed to build upon the strengths its predecessor offered but nope, it's just so mediocre and those minigames/vaultlander battles weren’t helping.

With these type of games I like to replay and do an evil/hero route but the choices didn’t feel meaningful so I have no desire to play this game again. Most of the time it was more like picking between a choice that was cringe or less cringey. I pick a dialogue choice that I think will sound cool but the character's delivery on the line was far from it. I get it, one of the main characters is a nerd, but what's the excuse for the other two playable characters? I'm trying to find the pros with this one but the only thing I can think of is the visuals/facial animations.

"To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless."

An underrated masterpiece that hides well by pretending it’s just a generic shooter. I’m torn between wanting to go into detail about how great this game is or not giving anything away because this is a type of game that’s best to play blindly. So if you’re even considering playing this then don’t look at screenshots, achievements, or any other review. Just play it and I guarantee you will have a game experience like no other.

“We will live. And we will heal. The scars...We keep them. So that we don't forget. So that we can accept. Until they don't hurt anymore.”

I've been following A Plague Tale: Innocence since they first showed the trailers back in 2018. I was so fascinated with the medieval setting and the tale about siblings struggling to survive in a world overridden with rats. It has become one of my favorite games and I’m happy to report Requiem is a worthy sequel but I have a couple of gripes about it. Unfortunately, I cannot go into detail about those without spoiling but I want to keep this review spoiler free. Rest assured, my complaints were not enough to make me regret buying this game.

Of course, playing Innocence is a must. Requiem takes place 6 months after the events of the first. Similar mechanics can be found in Requiem like the sling, cart pulling/pushing, alchemy, and flower picking but they expanded the gameplay. You’re given a blade, crossbow, and more useful alchemy recipes. Just like in Innocence, it’s up to you if you want to be sneaky or aggressive. Your companions even comment about your style which was a neat detail. Collectibles are fun to look for and worth finding. The music did not disappoint, right when I loaded the main menu I knew I was in for a treat. Visually the game is stunning. Every new area was so full of detail and it has to be one of the most impressive-looking games I’ve played so far and I wasn’t even on ultra.

The story I’m still processing if I’m being honest…I can’t tell if I enjoyed Innocence or Requiem more. Gameplay and visuals obviously Requiem takes the win but the story and characters (which I value the most) go to Innocence because it has better overall pacing and companions. There are some events in Requiem that made me question the character's actions and the last few chapters were way too short for my liking. I may come to appreciate it more once I recover from my post-game depression phase but for now, Innocence remains my favorite Plague Tale.

I review for you

Yakuza 0 has two playable protagonists. Kazuma Kiryu, current Yakuza, and Goro Majima, ex-Yakuza. Kiryu is out to clear his name while Majima is setting off to wipe his debts. You alternate playing them every two chapters and there are a total of 17 chapters. The length of the chapters differ, but I found myself beating each of them in 1-2 hrs. You might be thinking why do I have so many hrs then on my first ever playthrough…well the side content is to blame…

At first glance it may seem like it’s just a beat 'em up type of game filled with mindless action and violence. That’s what I initially thought, but I was so wrong. The story was surprisingly emotional, dark, and engrossing. The side content is fun and either hilarious or wholesome. What really sets this game apart from others is that there are so many situations where the game could have gotten away with not taking the time to add this much detail. The devs didn't have to make the karaoke and disco songs full-length bangers but they did and I love them for that.

Your progression of the plot will be interrupted with occasional sub-stories. Some include running a hostess and real estate business, helping Michael Jackson shoot his music video, joining a cult, befriending a man named “walking erection”…this is just the tip of the iceberg. As ridiculous as all this sounds, I had a blast playing the substories because it was nice to get a break from the seriousness of the plot and get into a bunch of shenanigans with the two protagonists. If you really want, you can plow through Yakuza 0 and ignore it all. The side stuff is optional, but sometimes engaging them can lead to the most interesting content that any game has to offer. I can only hope the other Yakuza games meet or top this ones quality.

“Everything is up in flames, up in flames, up in flames. Everything is up in flames, my fair lady.”

This a visual novel that I have been eagerly waiting to try. I remember buying it months ago but have been putting it off because I wanted to play it during the spooky season and I’m glad it didn't disappoint.

The story revolves around 7 people whose lives take a turn for the worse because of a letter found in the attic of a mansion. The first chapter tells the story from one character's point of view, the second moves on to a different character and so on…but it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel repetitive or tedious. So there are a total of 7 chapters (which take about 2-3 hrs to complete) + an epilogue. It is a pretty lengthy story with high replayability value.

I’ve never played a visual novel that had quick time events, it was a welcoming surprise. The character models/CGs move and it’s fully voiced. The choices aren’t just there for show, each one I made felt meaningful. The main characters can survive, fall in love, or die tragically based on the choices you make. I appreciate the fact that all characters are fully grown adults as the typical cast revolving around teenagers in a horror setting is a bit tiring. All in all, it's a high-quality visual novel. I will definitely be going back to explore different options and reach the true ending.

When it comes to JRPGs it seems like most of the love goes to the Final Fantasy or Persona series, which I can understand. They are fantastic games and I’m not undermining them. I just think it’s a shame games like this get overlooked when the quality meets that of other much more popular JRPGs.

In Ys Vlll you play as Adol, a red-headed adventurer. Adol has appeared in other Ys games (there are a total of 9 so far) but they are standalone so you can jump right into this game as I did. He and a bunch of other passengers end up shipwrecked on an island. Your goal is to explore the island in search of other castaways and build a ship. The problem is a big sea creature seems hellbent and sinking any ship it comes to contact with which makes their plan to leave all the more difficult. Just reading this, it may seem like this story is mundane but I assure you there is a lot more to it.

The more castaways you find the bigger the village gets making your life on the island easier. Exploration is much encouraged especially to find materials for building, upgrading, and crafting. I love that you only have one weapon to upgrade for each party member. Using all materials to fully upgrade a weapon only to find a more powerful weapon moments later is something I’ve always disliked in games. The castaways you rescue aren’t useless as they will actually help you, this made me more motivated to actually search for them all. Interesting story and characters, fun combat and exploration, a great soundtrack, and beautiful scenery are all here for fellow JRPG fans to enjoy.

Tips: Some areas will be inaccessible until you gain certain abilities. Things like double jump and climbing vines are abilities you will obtain naturally as you progress through the story. The game did not make this obvious so I ended up wasting time. So if you’re lost or unsure why you can’t proceed to a certain area just continue doing the main quests until you gain those abilities. I recommend using Japanese voices (Adol has the same voice actor as Eren Yeager *_*) but it’s up to your preferences. Oh, and aim for the true ending. I’ve heard the regular ending leaves much to be desired.

“The rats are dangerous but disorganized. The Inquisition, however... they'll seek the boy tirelessly.”

The year is 1349. You play as the eldest child of the de Rune family, Amicia, as she and her little brother are forced to flee for their lives when the Inquisition raids her family's chateau all while the plague spreads throughout France.

One of my favorite games. I love the France medieval setting, the visuals are gorgeous, the music is very atmospheric, the voice acting is believable, the gameplay is simple but I never got bored of it, and the rats are horrifying. As for weapons you really only have a sling but can upgrade it and equip different ammo. Amicia is a young noble lady. Of course she’s not gonna have much combat expertise which is why at the beginning of the game you’re gonna be forced to stealth. As you progress and upgrade you can become a badass killing soldiers/rats or continue to be quiet and stealthy. I love the bond Amica and Hugo share, makes me wish there were more games revolving around siblings.

Just don’t play this if you’re the type of player that complains when a game is not open-world. Honestly, I prefer linear games because open-world usually means the game is filled with meaningless fetch quests and has a boring story or mediocre characters. On a rare occasion it’s done right like Red Dead Redemption 2 for example. Anyway, this is a linear story-driven game. You do move around different areas but you’re limited when you want to explore beyond the current objective, which I don’t mind it’s just something to take note of all you open-world junkies.

“Life is one long series of problems to solve. The more you solve, the better a man you become...Tribulations spawn in life and over and over again we must stand our ground and face them.”

Kingdom Come: Deliverance tells the story of Henry on his quest for revenge and his transformation from peasant to knight after his home is raided by an enemy Kingdom. He loses everything and has no choice but to flee to a neighboring Kingdom and warn them of the upcoming war.

This game strives for realism, don’t go in expecting to play like Geralt of Rivia hacking enemies left and right. Combat can be very difficult, especially in the beginning. It’s understandable since you are technically playing as a peasant. Wouldn’t make sense to be overpowered at the start of the game. You want to get stronger? Train with a combat master and learn different skills/combos. Doesn’t matter if you have the best sword/armor in the game. You will not win a fight by simply spamming the attack button (I learned that the hard way). If you are outnumbered you will most likely die so stealth can come in handy but you can't go sneaking around in a full plate of armor so you have to be smart about what you carry on you, especially with limited space. When shooting an arrow there will be no crosshair so you will miss a lot but it does get easier with practice. Henry gets hungry, dirty, and tired so you’ll need to make sure you’re not neglecting his health or he’ll die from starvation, poison, and exhaustion. If this does not sound appealing to you then stay clear of this game unless you like pain.

If nothing I’ve stated above scared you off then congrats this is a game for you. It has an engaging story, beautiful scenery, lovely soundtrack, and great character development. One of the cooler mechanics in the game is how the people around Henry address/greet him. If he’s wearing a nice suit of armor you’ll be treated with respect whereas if you're wearing dirty common clothes it’ll be the opposite and you won’t have as much charisma. I like the fact that you're basically playing as a nobody with no special talents or skills and it's up to you to earn them. Learning how to read, use alchemy, heal...etc. will help in gaining reputation and passing dialogue checks. But even that is optional, it's up to you if you want Henry to be a respected knowledgeable knight. The only game over in this game is when you die. If you fail a quest you’ll have to complete it a different way. I love that there is no one specific way to complete quests be it main or side. DLC’s are absolutely worth it so I recommend getting the royal edition.

My main complaint is being unable to pause the game during cutscenes and when you want to save you have to drink savior schnapps (which you can brew/buy) or sleep in your own bed. The game does auto-save when you start a new quest but I died a lot in the beginning and had to restart a number of quests which I was not too happy about. It would have saved me from a couple of headaches if I could save whenever I want without having to quit the game. The game is well patched compared to its first year of release. Haven't encountered anything game-breaking just a few minor bugs. That’s really all I have to complain about, I know some people like to think of the ‘realism’ as a con but I don't.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, right? And the ones you love litter the roadside."

Tales from the Borderlands tells the tale of two unlikely partners. Rhys, a Hyperion up on Helios, and Fiona, a con artist down on Pandora. Despite their differences, they're forced to work together to find a treasure vault. This is the only Telltale game where you play as 2 different protagonists. The story will be told from their perspectives and it works so well. Unlike other games where all the effort is put into the main characters, I found the supporting cast to be just as good. They each bring something to the story and the writing is GOLDEN.

Different songs play during each episode intro. They're so catchy and fit the vibe of the current episode you’re playing. I don’t know who was in charge of the music but they have great taste. This is mainly a comedic game but it does have its fair share of action, gore, and drama. A bit of everything, probably why it’s easy for a non-Borderlands fan to get into. Gameplay is the usual Telltale format (point and click, QTEs) so if you’re new to Telltale games just don’t go expecting the gameplay to be like the other Borderlands games.

For those wondering if you need to play Borderlands before this the answer is no. Tales From the Borderlands is a unique story with new characters. The first time I played this I had 0 knowledge about Borderlands and only decided to play because I’m a big fan of Telltale and their previous games (The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us.) Surprisingly, I ended up loving it just as much as those games. There are some returning characters so it might be nice to recognize them but definitely will not make or break your enjoyment.

"When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not. But soon I shall be so I cannot remember any... but the things that never happened."

Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who take a trip to a local island. Aside from some tension and drama within the group, all is well until they use a radio to tune into something in a cave. Doing this unleashes a paranormal force on the island which prevents the group from leaving. Alex (who you play as) and her friends work together to figure out what the force is and how to stop it in order to go back home.

The gameplay consists of walking, talking, and using a radio to tune into the supernatural world. You can pick dialogue choices that shape how you want Alex to be. A catty ♥♥♥♥♥, goody two shoes, or something in between? Entirely your choice, just know the characters will remember how you treat them which will be reflected in the ending you get. The writing in this game is brilliant. Just the way the characters interact with each other feels so real thanks to the voice actors. An unsettling ambiance is felt throughout the game due to the music, it really fits the vibe of the story.

One thing that did bug me is the dialogue choices sometimes faded away too quickly. I would like some time to listen to what the characters are saying, read the dialogue choices, and then interpret what those choices mean. The game just does not give you enough time to do all that. Once you pick a dialogue choice you'll interrupt what the currently speaking character is saying so I’m thinking about whether I want to finish hearing what the character has to say or pick a choice too quickly in fear of losing the chance to do so because I was too slow. If you’re a speedy reader or react quickly this won’t be a problem for you. If you're sometimes indecisive (like me) you'll wish for a bit more reaction time.

Don’t let that stop you from giving this game a chance though. It was still a very enjoyable game and I was able to understand the story and the characters, both are very well written. I’ve played this game numerous times and I thought now is a good time for a replay and an even better time for newcomers to play considering Oxenfree ll is right around the corner…hopefully.