During Anime Expo 2024, I had the chance to attend the Oshi no Ko Season 2 premiere and check out the first two episodes of it. Since the first season is up there with one of my favorite shows of all time, I certainly was looking forward to this new story arc. Unfortunately, it disappointed due to its awkward pacing, even though the animation was flashy.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 picks up after the end of the first season. Aqua Hoshino is looking to join a theatre troupe to find out more about Ai. The first episode starts off strong, showing off a glimpse of the stage play the troupe is putting on. The gorgeous introductions to each of the characters in the production really impressed me, thanks to the excellent animation and effects.

This beautiful introduction feels as if you are actually watching the real stage play in action. The whole sequence works so well because of that. But the strong start eventually makes way for a step back in time to examine Aqua, Akane, and the other stars in the lead-up to the big day. This transition felt like it worked, and I enjoyed meeting all of the new characters in the troupe.

As you might expect, there is plenty of drama between the leads, the director, and even the writers. The mix of drama and brilliant voice acting from the Japanese cast kept me engaged throughout the entire first episode. While this story arc certainly feels like a slight diversion from the core plot of the riveting series, it starts out as an entertaining one nonetheless.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the first episode, even though it lacked the shock value and star power of the original Season 1 feature-length premiere. The real problem I have with Oshi no Ko Season 2 wasn’t present at this point. The issues I had popped up when the second episode began at the event. Instead of continuing on from the light twist at the end of the first episode, episode two went unnecessarily further back in time.

The second episode spends way too much time focusing on Aqua and the others first joining the theatre troupe. Considering I already saw them rehearsing and spending time together in the first episode, this felt somewhat unnecessary. In fact, I would argue it almost feels like the second episode should’ve been the first one because of this timeline shift.

Watching these two episodes back-to-back completely killed the goodwill the first episode of this stage play arc introduced. I had no interest in going back in time and seeing the mostly unnecessary exposition leading up to the production. The only slight saving grace of the second episode comes from the focus on the lead writer of the stage play. His moments were surprisingly emotional and evoked some sympathy.

However, I didn’t need an entire flashback episode to provide those scenes. They could certainly work without going back in time. Overall, I feel like the first and second episodes would better swapped. Perhaps if you don’t binge these episodes it will be a bit better to watch. For now, though, I look forward to the third episode and, hopefully, better pacing that sticks to moving the story forward rather than backward.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 is streaming right now via HIDIVE. Yen Press handles the manga outside of Japan.

The post Oshi no Ko Season 2 Starts Out Flashy and Awkward appeared first on Siliconera.

In early Tokyo Babylon manga volumes, we get a good balance of seeing Subaru Sumeragi at work in various situations, but we don’t get to see as much of Seishirou Sakurazuka. However, in the third volume, the storyline focuses entirely on a single, harrowing case. As a result, we get to see more of what sets Subaru apart, as well as a hint at Seishirouo’s true power.

Editor’s Note: There will be some mild spoilers for the setup of volume 3 of the Tokyo Babylon manga, but the conclusion and major spoilers aren’t discussed.

Volume 3 of the Tokyo Babylon manga consists of two parts of the same story: “Call A” and “Call B.” It’s a continuing case in which three women calling in on a specific Dial Q Party Line, determining themselves to be warriors protecting against the end of the world by using magic against “bases” at phone numbers ending in 19■9. (Yes, it’s 100% referencing X/1999.) However, these are complete amateurs with no awareness of what sutras and the supernatural can actually do. So they’re causing tremendous damage to the people at those locations, as well as backlash to themselves that actual practitioners like Subaru are aware of. The storyline involves the tracking down of the trio and handling of the situation.

A great part of both “Call A” and “Call B” is that we’re seeing all sides of Subaru as an onmyoji. There’s the investigation portion, which involves him using actual detective-style footwork and his supernatural skills. Then, there’s the execution of handling the curses and spells the inexperienced practitioners are weaving. We are seeing him both informally and formally handling things in one of the most substantial and life-threatening situation so far, and it’s handled so well throughout both parts of this case.

What’s really important is the part Seishirou plays in Tokyo Babylon volume 3 and how it hints at his relationship to and power compared to Subaru. CLAMP did a great job of leading up to the reveals surrounding him. We have a general idea in the first two volumes. There are suggestions he possesses a strength that compares to Subaru’s. But it’s in the “Call B” portion that we really get the first real idea of what could be going on. It’s so satisfying, and it also means that the volume really helps make the wait for what happens next in the fourth one harder.

Two things constantly propel Tokyo Babylon forward, and both of them are at the forefront in volume 3 of the manga. One is seeing how Subaru deals supernatural situations. The other is the constantly evolving situation between Subaru and Seishirou. We get both of that here, and in each case the stakes and reveals are even greater than before. It’s a great showcase that helps build the tension on all fronts and leaves the reader wanting more.

Tokyo Babylon volume 3 is available now, and Yen Press will publish volume 4 of the manga on August 20, 2024.

The post Tokyo Babylon Vol 3 Shows Subaru and Seishirou’s Strength appeared first on Siliconera.

Infinity Nikki is, in only the most positive sense, a dream for every teenage girl. It’s a fashion-oriented open world RPG with plenty of exploration and a rich story set in a breathtaking world. While there are some rough edges to its current build, it’s hard to say how much of it lies in its demanding graphics.

The story of Infinity Nikki follows a girl named Nikki, who is pulled through a wardrobe into alternate world by a mysterious red dress. She meets a goddess wearing a fashionable eyepatch, who grants Nikki the Heart of Infinity. This gives Nikki the power of a Stylist, but before the goddess can explain anything, enemies attack them. The goddess saves Nikki and transports her to Miraland, which is a fantasy world of fashion and wishes.

Nikki and Momo (a bizarre cat pet thing) adjust very quickly to life in Miraland. However, while Miraland looks like a fantasy utopia at first glance, they soon learn about a mysterious coma-inducing illness plaguing the nation. Thanks to her Heart of Infinity, she's able to establish herself in Miraland and figure out what’s putting everyone into comas. It’s a lot to take in at once, to be honest, especially since it doesn't take long for Nikki to start acting like she's always been a part of Miraland. I wonder if you’re supposed to be familiar with the overall lore beforehand from Shining Nikki and Love Nikki.

Let me get this out of the way: any time I mention the visuals or performance, I have to add in the caveat that my gaming laptop is give or take five years old. It also has a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card inside of it. Infinity Nikki runs on Unreal Engine 5 and its default setting when it comes to FPS is “limitless,” which baffles me a little because that seems kind of insane. My computer cannot handle this game. It’s constantly stuttering and I doubt I’m seeing how beautiful the models and backgrounds really are.

Normally, I’d leave it at that. But this game feels like its target audience is around thirteen or fourteen years old. This isn’t a bad thing, but its rather demanding specs make me a little confused. Growing up, my father could be stingy when it came to entertainment. The laptop I used all throughout my childhood and teenage years literally had less storage space on it than my friend’s iPod and could barely handle The Sims 2.

If I was a kid today, playing this on a computer my dad got me, I’m pretty sure my device would just blow up. I was terrified to play Infinity Nikki during the daytime. My apartment heats up like crazy during the day and I legitimately worried that my laptop would combust. But the game seems to want a legitimate gaming PC to run properly, and I’m not sure if that makes it friendly for a general audience or not.

There’s a lot to do in Infinity Nikki. Aside from playing through the story, you can fight against enemies, dress Nikki up, and explore all the nooks and crannies of Miraland. You can also collect various currencies like Whimstars and Blings. Whimstars in particular usually make you complete a miniature challenge before you can get them. Examples of challenges include looking for a star in a given area or parkouring across platforms to get to the Whimstar. You can use Whimstars to unlock nodes in your Heart of Infinity, which can improve Nikki’s stats and unlock special outfits after completing a requisite quest. These special outfits are ones that grant Nikki access to certain actions on the overworld. For example, one outfit lets her shoot out her purification orb and another lets her catch insects (which are necessary to craft certain clothing items).

The game becomes infinitely more fun once you unlock the ability to fulfill NPC requests and challenges to dress Nikki up based on a set of given criteria. Most of the time, you just need to dress Nikki up in clothes that are a certain style. But there’s still a level of freedom that you have when it comes to expressing your own personal taste. Outside of these guidelines, you can always alter how Nikki looks in the overworld. Since you unlock the items via gacha, using in-game currency that you can collect, you can rack up a large amount of clothes and accessories in no time.

However, this is still a beta build, and it's easy to see. There are some technical difficulties, such as the audio desyncing during a cutscene. Nikki herself can be clunky to control, especially when it comes to combat. The encounters in this game tend to feature multiple enemies who surround Nikki, but she can only really attack in a single direction. She also needs to be manually directed to face that direction first, and that additional input can start to grate at times. There aren’t that many enemies that you have to deal with in Infinity Nikki, thankfully, but when you have to face them, the battles are easily some of the worst parts of the game.

Infinity Nikki is a promising RPG full of fashion and fun, though it can be very demanding on your system. The voiced tutorials and menu make it seem like it’s for children, but there’s a lot of general appeal in it through its open world exploration and character creation. Hopefully by the time the game comes out, I’ll have a much better computer so as to fully appreciate the beauty of this game.

Infinity Nikki is in development for the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Windows PC version previewed.

The post Preview: Infinity Nikki is a Grand Fashion Adventure appeared first on Siliconera.

B-Project Ryusei Fantasia is a fascinating sort of visual novel. It’s not an otome game, though you do get to spend time with and send messages to 14 single young men who seem to adore your character. It’s not like most visual novels, as many of the choices are tied to earning stories for the singers in the group and there aren’t many decisions influencing the endings. Also, while it involves an idol group, there’s no rhythm gameplay like in Jack Jeanne. Add in the fact that you really do need some awareness of B-Project to really enjoy it, and you’re left with one of the most niche games I’ve played in a while.

In order to really understand how big of a deal B-Project Ryusei Fantasia is in a way, you have to understand exactly how big the whole property is. It’s been running since 2016, after all, with Mages starting it with an anime and manga. Since then, there have been CDs, multiple games, and stage shows. A lot of it hasn’t been localized! Though if someone wants to prepare and get familiarized with the world and its characters, Crunchyroll does have B-Project: Zeccho Emotion and Passion Love Call streaming on the service.

Simply put, it’s a lot to take in. The best advice I can recommend going in, if you aren’t familiar, is to know the general premise. Haruhi and Yuduki Teramitsu, Akane Fudo, and Miroku Shingari were in a group called Killer King. Ryuji Korekuni and Tomohisa Kitakado performed as a duo called KitaKore. The group Moons consisted of Hikaru Osari, Kazuna Masunaga, Mikado Sekimura, Momotaro Onzai, and Tatsuhiro Nome. Finally, Thrive was a trio made up of Goshi Kaneshiro, Kento Aizome, and Yuta Ashu. Gandara Music decided to bring them all together as one big group, and the player character is essentially in charge of them. The visual novel follows you helping them prepare for more shows, while also offering a brief flashback at the start to help familiarize players with the situation.

You’re going to know in the first hour of playing B-Project Ryusei Fantasia if it is for you or not, which makes it a blessing that a PC demo is available on Steam. I’m not the biggest fan of the execution, but feel like it might work better for fans. Basically, it begins in the thick of things. You watch as four boy band idol groups called Killer King, Kitakore, Moon, and Thrive perform as the supergroup B-Project. As you celebrate with a number of young men who all are praising you, an artist & repertoire expert who worked with them come together, you flash back to the beginnings. It’s honestly throwing a lot at you at once, with no introductions to the characters or groups immediately, which may put off people unfamiliar with it. I watched some of the anime on Crunchyroll ahead of time to prepare, and I had trouble following and recognizing some people. 

I will admit that there are some minor production decisions for B-Project Ryusei Fantasia that started to get to me the more I played and added to the issue, with some being on Mages part and the other a result of a means needed to make the game work. While in the CGs and certain segments, you can really see how each member of the cast stands out, there are times when the portraits for characters have this uniformity that feels a little off-putting. Like if someone dragged and dropped pair of eyes A and hairstyle B in certain colors onto a sprite to create one person, and then pair of eyes A with hairstyle D for another. Characters are distinct, but when dealing with such a large cast I started to notice commonalities.

The other involves the text boxes. There are times when the font is a perfect size and there are two or three lines in a box. Things look fine! But then, there will be an especially wordy explanation or long-winded response. Since PQube is working within certain confines, it means getting three lines in a box and it gets difficult to read. 

However, aside from that, the execution of B-Project Ryusei Fantasia is quite fun. Using the heroine’s cell phone as the UI works well. Especially when you get Join text messages, calls, and voice mails. It helps with the immersion in the moment. The general art direction is very crisp. While some music can feel a bit generic, actual B-Pro songs sound great. The pacing of the story, once you get past the introduction and flashbacks, is also good. I’d even say once you get to personal stories, it feels a lot stronger.

B-Project Ryusei Fantasia is one of those games that is ideal for what it is for those who are aware of B-Pro and the many projects tied to the series. If you “get” it, you’ll love how it handles things and the chance to more closely interact with your favorite characters. For those who aren’t aware of this Mages project, the entry barrier is pretty high! Not impossibly so. I think it feels like PQube was aware of this and released the demo so early ahead of launch as a result to help people prepare. For those who love the series, it’s a lot of fun. I do think people curious about it should give the free trial and anime a chance, as both would really help you when it comes to deciding to pick it up.

B-Project Ryusei Fantasia will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC on July 15, 2024. 

The post Review: B-Project Ryusei Fantasia Is for Fans appeared first on Siliconera.

At Anime Expo 2024, I had the chance to preview about 20 minutes with Atlus’ next major JRPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. I came away the most impressed I have been in quite some time for a demo build of a game. This title feels like the next evolution of the Atlus JRPG formula and so much more than just a medieval spin Persona 5.

The start of the demo allowed me to pick between three difficulty settings, which I don’t normally see for previews. I opted for the standard difficulty and the gameplay felt breezy enough but with just enough depth and challenge to tease what’s to come. From the one dungeon I played, it seems like the gameplay will be somewhere around the challenge of Persona 5 but not quite on the level of the Shin Megami Tensei series.

This early dungeon featured three party members, including the protagonist and two additional characters; Strohl and Hulkenberg. We were on a mission to track down a necromancer a gorgeous dungeon and defeat them. Without a doubt, the basis of Persona 5’s systems and stylization is present here, but Metaphor: ReFantazio iterates on almost every single one of those aspects.

For one, the dungeon felt absolutely massive and layered with so many different floors. The neat verticality mixed well with the occasional large-scale chambers to explore. This dungeon format felt less linear than some of the offerings for past Atlus titles, which made it more intriguing to explore. It helped, too, that there was a fair bit to see and do in the location.

Besides running around and battling monsters, there were even two side quests and objectives I ran across in the midst of the dungeon. These optional quests broke up the usual progression and provided solid reasons to explore every inch. The first came right at the start, as a side character tasked me with finding someone for her.

Then partway through the dungeon, I came across a group of people kidnapped by the villainous necromancer and locked in a room. I could find the key and free them if I wanted, which is what I did. This resulted in some optional fights and a surprising payoff to freeing the people. Without spoiling too much, it turned out the locked up people had to do with the other side quest I had to find the girl.

This intertwining nature of the side quests only made them more worth completion. Better yet, I appreciated the reward I got for these quests, which felt far more impactful than money or XP. While I won’t give away everything, this reward included an entirely new bond with a side character.

Unfortunately because I spent so much time on the side content, I didn’t have enough time to finish the dungeon. That said, I still had the chance to really dive into the fascinating hybrid-style combat. It reminds me of the recent The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak. You have the usual turn-based Atlus style plus some action combat as well.

With weaker foes, you can slice and dice them to death with the X button (PS5) without ever transitioning screens. However, with stronger enemies, you can hack-and-slash them to weaken or stun them. From there, you can transition to the usual Press Turn battles but with less work to do. Here, it works like you expect from Atlus in taking advantage of elemental weaknesses to earn more turns. There are some fun changes like team skills and the Archetype system.

Instead of collecting Personas, players switch between JRPG jobs known as Archetypes. These include stuff like Warrior, Brawler, Knight, and more. They each come with their own elemental skills. In this way, Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like a solid mix of traditional Final Fantasy-style JRPGs and Atlus games.

But Metaphor: ReFantazio stands out even among its inspirations due to its stunning visual style. It continues the Persona 5 way of heavily stylizing every aspect. This includes everything from the characters to special effects to even the UI. However, I will go ahead and say it right now: this title already looks somehow significantly better than even Persona 5 Royal did. The smooth transitions in battles to the unique fonts to the richly detailed character art in the menus is extraordinary.

From my time with the sadly brief Metaphor: ReFantazio preview at Anime Expo 2024, this game simultaneously feels familiar but distinct. It carries its Persona 5 inspiration well while also carving out its own path. The hybrid combat, worthy side content, and unmatched art style makes it so much more than medieval Persona. Metaphor: ReFantazio excites me with what seems to be the next evolution of the Atlus JRPG formula.

Metaphor: ReFantazio will release for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 11, 2024.

The post Preview: Metaphor: ReFantazio Evolves the Atlus JRPG Formula appeared first on Siliconera.

For a game about encouraging fighting and battle encounters, HoYoVerse spends a lot of time in Zenless Zone Zero keeping players away from or limiting their time with the combat that is the best part. The pacing in the tutorial and campaign feels flawed. Not to mention the movement methods to “explore” the Hollow detract from the experience, given the execution and only occasional opportunities to witness the space firsthand.

I think it hits hardest because this is going on from the very start. While other HoYoVerse games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail wall off elements like multiplayer opportunities or certain events until you reach certain ranks or complete specific tutorial missions, neither feature the flawed and extended pacing of Zenless Zone Zero. The time it takes to finally meet our protagonists Wise and Belle, isn’t too bad. However, getting to a point when you can freely explore Sixth Street and access every facility involves actual hours of playtime. It’s quite a shock. 

This isn’t helped by the actual mission-based and Hollow-exploration experience. Whereas other HoYoVerse games like Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact involve exploration, unique environments, and opportunities to engage with the world, Zenless Zone Zero… doesn’t. Quests involve moving along a “map” of monitors, occasionally solving block-pushing puzzles, only to go into battle in the same sorts of bite-sized spaces repeatedly. While these enemy encounters eventually start to be a bit more varied after about five hours of play, early on it does feel like you’re spending most of your time moving along the screen grids or seeing comic panel cutscenes to take part in between two and five 2-3 minute battles. 

The way in which Zenless Zone Zero handles its characters also can result in awkward pacing, given each person controls differently. So unlike games like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, where we have versatile protagonists that can adopt different roles in teams due to shifting their element or path, we don’t have a main character who can be a Jack of all trades to help us ease into it. This is a game where who you manage to own matters more than ones where having teams of certain paths or people with certain weapon types means you can generally be fine. If you don’t like how the first few free characters you get in Zenless Zone Zero work, you’re in trouble. 

Worse, the pacing means you’re forced into using initial free characters that aren’t exactly great or easy to use. The free pre-registration bonus character Corin is a slow DPS character very dependent on fellow Victoria Housekeeping allies and additional Mindscape unlocks to be viable. Of the free Cunning Hares characters, Nicole is the only potentially viable one due to her crowd-control abilities. It is very possible you won’t even find a character you like using until you unlock the ability to use the gacha and pull someone else, which can take a few hours based on your luck. I personally didn’t start to really enjoy combat until I got a random-luck Rina from Ellen’s focus banner within my first 10 pulls and got Nekomata from Star-Studded Cast guaranteed launch five-star. 

Zenless Zone Zero didn’t start clicking for me until I helped the Cunning Hares and Nekomata with their case. By that point, I’d already been playing for at least an hour each day for five days since the July 4, 2024 launch. If I hadn’t been doing so for work, I’m not sure I would have stuck with it. All the while, I kept thinking that there are elements of a good game here! The character design is fantastic. I like the bits of lore that come through. Once I started using a team made up of Nekomata, Rina, and Anton, I even really got into the combat. However, the pacing for the campaign got me every time, and I worry that it could affect the game’s success unless HoYoVerse makes some adjustments.

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. 

The post Zenless Zone Zero Has a Bad Pacing Problem appeared first on Siliconera.

When I first played The Exit 8, it was on the Nintendo Switch. I loved it. The idea of going through, picking out what is obviously or not-so-blatantly wrong was a lot of fun, and sometimes fascinating. After playing The Exit 8 VR on the Meta Quest 3, it felt like a natural, comfortable fit and really made me feel even more pulled into the experience. 

You are in a subway tunnel. To get out, you must reach Exit 8. However, this isn’t as simple as walking down a hallway and making the right turns as you follow a map. The only way to get to the exit you need is to successfully pass through a repeating space enough times leading up to it, starting and 0. If the hallway, its layout, and its occurrences are all identical to your first walk through it, you are safe to go through and continue, and the next time you pass the Exit sign it will say 1, 2, 3, and so on. If you go through and something seems awry, you need to turn back.

Those anomalies are what makes The Exit 8 fascinating in all of its incarnations. This is essentially an observation game. You need to pay attention to your surroundings. Are the posters the same? The lights? The tiles? Is the other person who keeps walking down the hall behaving normally? Do you not hear any unusual sounds? If even one thing is awry, you need to turn around. When you do, you’ll find yourself passing another Exit sign, only with the number increasing to show you’re on the right path.

It’s simplistic, but that’s the what makes The Exit 8 VR, and the game in all its forms, work. You can’t actually interact with anything. You can walk or run forward, but that’s it. Since the space is focusing on a single hallway, it can feel fairly realistic. Though admittedly, I did encounter anomaly that seemed a bit sillier in VR than it did on the Switch. 

It’s because of that simplicity and execution here that worked favor of The Exit 8 VR. The nature of the Meta Quest 3 headset and playing it in a quiet room really made the sound design stand out. Every audio cue was easier to hear and made me felt even more like I was walking down the hallway. This also helped with anomaly spotting. It also made certain visual anomalies a little more fun to experience. Being able to see them so closely in front of me made them feel more real or even unsettling. It’s immersive in a way that was impossible on the Switch, and I enjoyed it so much more as a result.

There are a few elements that might make it a little more difficult to get into The Exit 8 VR on the Meta Quest headsets like the 3. At least, perhaps initially. It’s very easy to get accustomed to moving forward down the hall and sprinting. However, if you use the left joystick to move the camera to look, it’s a bit halting and might keep you from actually seeing something when the position snaps into place. It’s helpful at reducing VR motion-sickness, but takes getting used to. Also, when I encountered an anomaly like ones that involved an incredibly speeding retreat, I noticed it took me about an hour of playing and getting adjusted to the controls and atmosphere to recognize and extricate myself from the situation.

MyDearest and Kotake Create really did a fantastic job of pulling off The Exit 8 VR on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro. I mean, I’m sure it helps that the base game isn’t the most complex title. Even so, I felt no VR sickness or discomfort. It’s so easy find yourself immersed in it. It’s even easier to spot and experience the anomalies, thanks to the sound design and execution. Going through The Exit 8 in VR is now my favorite way to play.

The Exit 8 VR will be playable in VR on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro on July 11, 2024. 

The post Review: The Exit 8 VR Hits Different appeared first on Siliconera.

While there are exciting, thrilling moments in the lives of spy Loid Forger, assassin Yor Forger, and telepath Anya Forger, a lot of the series is a day-by-day, slice of life experience. Spy x Anya: Operation Memories, the first major Spy x Family game, really gets that by putting the focus on Anya attempting to complete a school assignment. While the nature of getting every photo does mean a bit of repetition and there is an awkward launch into it, it ended up being a fun little sim about family and photographing Anya at key moments like she’s an ever-present Pikachu in Pokemon Snap.

I was actually a bit thrown when Spy x Anya: Operation Memories began, since there was no introductory story setting the stage for the Spy x Family game. Rather, Anya Forger was in her class at Eden Academy and a tutorial went over controls right away. It didn’t even explain the whole purpose of the game until I went through learning how to move Anya, the camera, talk to people, and head home. It’s only once she was back home with her parents Loid and Yor that the whole purpose of the game was revealed in a flashback. One of her latest assignments is to create a diary. Because she wants to make it awesome and impress “Second Son” Damian Desmond to help her actually-a-spy father with his mission involving Donovan Desmond, her family agrees to help her with outings to create memories.

It’s an awkward choice, to be certain. I’m very familiar with Spy x Family, thanks to reading the manga and watching the anime, so I had no problem immediately catching up with what’s going on in the game. However, people who don’t have that familiarity are going to be completely left in the dark. Something as simple as a brief introduction with Anya explaining who she is, her telepathic powers, why her “father” Loid created the fake family, and that her “mother” Yor is actually an assassin, would be a big help and would help make the transition into the experience easier and smoother. 

Once you get past the many tutorials, it becomes fairly clear that Spy x Anya: Operation Memories is a Pokemon Snap sort of game that mixes minigames and opportunities to socialize with the cast of Spy x Family with dress-ups and photo ops. Anya will take part in a family meeting, during which the destination of the next outing will be selected. While waiting for that day to come up, she’ll go to school and spend time at home. At both locations, there are opportunities to talk with members of the series’ casts to form relationships with them and chances to make memories. There will also be chances to interact with items Anya finds especially interesting for a photo for her diary.

Said photos are their own minigame. You need to get the shot in focus, ensure the angle is correct to be able to catch all people or points of interest, then nail the timing to get the perfect shot. A visual indicator of three light-up frames let you know when that moment arrives. That’s also paired with multiple opportunities to repeat the moment, so you can be assured you’ll get a perfect three-star picture photo for the diary showing the focus, angle, and timing is just right. You get to do one of these at school each day, and another one at home every evening.

In the case of the outings in Spy x Anya: Operation Memories, those are a bit more involved. You get a chance to buy items from the in-game store with points earned from photos and minigames. These can be used at certain points in outing locations for special memories and photo ops. It also makes the prospect of purchasing or earning extra raffle outfits and accessories more appealing, since everyone’s appearance changes when you do. There are missions with rewards like raffle tickets for completing certain tasks. Plus taking photos with all three special items assigned to an area unlocks an additional shot. 

Unlocking actually comes up quite a bit, but it’s handled in such a way in Spy x Anya: Operation Memories that it doesn’t feel too burdensome. New outing prospects open up as you get through the tutorial and view existing ones. More clothing, accessories, and items do as well. Though honestly, in the case of the cosmetics, they’re more of a nice bonus than a requirement. Given how cute Anya is and how faithful Loid and Yor’s appearances are, it’s totally fine and doesn’t feel terribly limiting if you don’t completely splurge. 

The additional outings and such also unlock new minigames, which Anya can play in the evening to earn Play Points to put toward items in the store if she uses earned Eurekas. The qualities of these vary, to be honest. I wasn’t a fan of the Cooking with Yor experience, as the timing seemed awkward for cutting vegetables. I did enjoy the rudimentary beat’em up involving Thorn Princess taking down waves of enemies as she headed toward a boss. Dodgeball Day at Eden College and the Loid’s Escape stealth minigame also weren’t too bad. I appreciated there was an attempt to offer more variety and experiences tailored to the series than in most minigame collections. 

I suppose where Spy x Anya: Operation Memories succeeds is that the game really does feel like a true Spy x Family experience. It’s cozy in its way, mimicking what daily life is probably like for the Forger family. Anya is allowed to ham it up as a character, and her personality helps carry it. It also looks spot-on, with some fantastic recreations, and the voice acting helps sell it as well. The only downside is the repetitive nature, since you will need to repeat outings and go through a lot of the same minigames and motions to unlock everything for Anya’s awesome diary.

Still, I enjoyed Spy x Anya: Operation Memories more than I expected, even though this Spy x Family game occasionally feels a bit awkward and repetitive. I would have appreciated an easier introduction to the experience and less hand-holding, but it’s thoroughly pleasant and true to the series its based on. As long as you’re not trying to speedrun it or marathon it in a single weekend, I think it’d be a lovely game to play at a relaxed pace.

Spy x Anya: Operation Memoriesis available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. The Spy x Family anime is streaming on Crunchyroll, while Viz Media handles the manga outside Japan. 

The post Review: Spy x Anya Is a Spy x Family Pokemon Snap Game appeared first on Siliconera.

When we have these sorts of manga series where there’s someone who is the scrape goat and bullied, then picked as the one for a major, desired figure, it can sometimes feel like the moment ends after… well… they get together and married. With volume 2 of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga, we have a situation where Kureha and Odayaka provided enough additional motivating factors and situations to keep that story going and a reader invested.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for the first volume of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga below, as well as plot point overviews for the second.

So in the first volume of Bride of the Barrier Master, we ended up introduced to Hana and Hazuki Ichise. Both are magical practitioners, though Hazuki is considered the golden child due to seemingly being more powerful. The truth of it is Hana is the more powerful of the two, so much that she has three Shikigami spirits working alongside her and two are humans, but her abilities didn’t manifest until later. Because of that, the family prized Hazuki and ignored or abused Hana. But Hana was fine with that, because she wanted a normal life.

However, Saku Ichinomiya, head of the clan that keeps barriers up in Japan depending everyone against evil supernatural forces realizes her strength. He needs her assistance to repair and maintain one of the five Pillars, now that he’s head of the family and clan. This, in turn, means marrying her. So the whole first volume involved getting to the point where they meet and form an agreement. There was even a contract guaranteeing Hana a peaceful life and stipend so she could live carefree.

Given the nature of the arrangement, I went into the second volume expecting a bit more resistance to the marriage ahead of the ceremony. However, the Bride of the Barrier Master manga doesn’t dawdle or focus too much on that. The wedding goes smoothly. While Saku’s mother and brother don’t approve, we get to see their reactions and treatment change as they meet Hana. So already, one of the elements that might have dragged out the story in similar situations is largely resolved right away.

However, I really appreciated how the rest of the volume helped provide other reasons to keep the story compelling. One is the Ichinomiya Pillar itself. We see the two repaired it. Given the nature of these sorts of stories and the fact there are five others, it left me wondering if that could return as a plot point. After all, it’s a heavy burden on Saku and people like him. Not to mention Hana being as strong as she is could mean her help would be needed by others, now that she’s no longer hiding her power level.

We also get a chance to see what daily life is like for Saku and how he uses his practitioner abilities to aid others. Hana ends up involved in such a case. I’m not going to spoil it for those haven’t read this volume, of course. However, it does provide potential for Hana to grow as an individual. It felt like in the first volume that because of the treatment of her family and others, perhaps she saw her own skills as something to ignore so she could live peacefully. Her work with Saku makes me wonder if that could change a bit and we could see them grow to work together for the greater good.

Naturally, there’s also the developing relationship between Hana and Saku. We could see the two enjoyed sort of picking at or on each other in both of the initial volumes. Hana has someone who knows exactly who she is and accepts her for it. Saku has someone who treats him like anyone else and can properly support him. It’s really fun to read through their interactions and grow as a couple. Especially when both will exploit chances to gain ground to improve their own situations.

I really appreciate the Bride of the Barrier Master manga pacing and am glad it isn’t drawing out elements for the sake of drama. It could and still keep its excellent, sometimes comedic tone. But the way it is executing it allows Hana to be the independent, strong, and genuinely funny heroine she is, while also allowing us to see Saku and others appreciate her for herself.

Volumes 1 and 2 of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga are available now, and Yen Press will release volume 3 on November 19, 2024. Yen Press also handles the light novel outside Japan.

The post Bride of the Barrier Master Manga’s Story Stays Strong appeared first on Siliconera.

Ever since Suika Game became a phenomenon, we’ve seen tons of similar watermelon matching games. (Or ones involving matching Vtubers or Azur Striker Gunvolt elements.) With Fruit Mountain, we have a Suika Game type of title that still involves matching fruits until you reach a coveted watermelon, but the 3D element and execution makes it feel much different.

As with Suika Game, there is no story to Fruit Mountain, but we are presented with more of a motivation for why we are chucking produce like a blueberry, strawberry, peach, or apple at a plate to make a watermelon. In the background is a painter working on a still life. We are preparing the “model” by putting the fruit together. So it feels a little more unique and like we have a greater sense of purpose.

Two modes are available. One is an untimed, relaxed mode, while the other is a timed one in which you need to stack as many fruits as you can as the clock counts down. The gameplay mechanics remain the same throughout, though the pressure is on in the latter mode. When you toss fruit onto the plate, you can move left or right around it and select up or down to determine the height and position of the throw. The physics of it all mean everything tends to stay where you chucked it, though it does seem like it does congregate toward the center. Which is great, as that divot gives you a bit of leeway and security in knowing things may roll a bit into the center.

The fruits chosen and execution actually allows for a little bit of strategy in Fruit Mountain, perhaps even more so than Suika Game. You have blueberries, strawberries, what look like durians, peaches, apples, oranges, pears, dragon fruits, pineapples, melons, melons, and watermelons. The pears, dragonfruits, and pineapples especially help with positioning as you attempt to create a stack, so it really does become possible to pile up on the plate. 

What’s also nice is the combo element. If you can create a chain of fruits matching together one after another, you get a score bonus. So even early on as I started Fruit Mountain, I felt like I accomplished something even if I didn’t reach the melon or watermelon and still got to see higher scores. 

There are some elements that would benefit Fruit Mountain that aren’t here, but would be helpful. More or improved leaderboards would be handy. I’m not the biggest fan of the music, but most of the time I did end up just muting it and playing while I had some mindless TV show on or other music playing. I also found that Fruit Mountain can sometimes feel a bit too easy, once you get the hang of it, compared to Suika Game and other watermelon or fruit matching titles. However, it being a title in the space that is cozier and more relaxed could make it perfect for people.

I know we’re bound to see plenty more Suika Game clones, but as long as we get genuinely creative takes on the watermelon matching formula like Fruit Mountain, I’m okay with it. It absolutely feels like one of the more relaxed and cozy options in this new subset of the puzzle genre. The presentation looks good. Plus the implementation of tossing fruits in a 3D environment with no “walls” around a box really adds a new element of strategy to it. 

Fruit Mountain is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. 

The post Review: Fruit Mountain Adds Depth to the Suika Game Craze appeared first on Siliconera.

Darktide, oh Darktide, how you frustrate me. Self-righting admirably after a wonky launch, developer Fatshark has continued to add to the game with patches and updates of varying sizes. Secrets of the Machine God is the latest of these, but despite some decent additions it still doesn't add that certain something Darktide really needs.

For those who haven't partaken, Darktide is a co-operative shooter based in the Warhammer 40,000 universe where players fight through hordes of cultists and zombified poxwalkers in a dystopian megacity. Think Left 4 Dead with more of a focus on melee, and a sci-fi setting that is both Grim and Dark (oh, my!). The guns are punchy, if often imprecise, and I still giggle with unfettered glee when I hit the button to rev my weapon before sawing a heretic in half. It's got fantastic gamefeel and a grimy, lived in setting, but it's long been held back by instabilities and unsatisfying loot systems that stop the gameplay loop really solidifying.

The update, Secrets of the Machine God, adds a new level, a new story character, and several weapons to Darktide on top of an array of quality of life upgrades. Perhaps the juiciest part are the weapons, which include two-handed pickaxes for the hulking Ogryn class, a double barreled shotgun, and the iconic Bolt Pistol for others. They all feel great to use, especially with the tweaks to how bolt weapon rounds explode at a certain range, but they don't especially stand out from the pack. We already have shotguns and automatic Bolters after all, so while the new additions have their own idiosyncrasies they don't offer new options or playstyles to get excited for.

The new level encounters similar issues. In it, players travel to a new area of the hive with its own short storyline and some frosty scenery, alongside a secretive new character codenamed Swagger. It's a nice addition with some slightly more involved tasks to perform mid-horde, and the banter remains entertaining without getting irritating. It fits in perfectly with the missions already available, but that's sort of where the problem lies. It doesn't really shake up the (admittedly very satisfying!) gameplay loop the game has been refining since launch. As for Swagger, he's well voiced and could lead to some new directions to explore later down the line, but for the time being he feels unnecessary when we already have several characters aboard our hub ship that we barely know.

Prior to the update, Siliconera was invited to a preview event followed by a Q&A session with the developers and early access to a test build. The atmosphere was informal, with designer Maxime Montera, Executive Producer Juan Martinez, and Team Lead Luigi di Domenico showing off trailers and some of Fatshark's plans for the game before a brief break as they answer the door for their pizza. The developers seemed keenly aware of the community's biggest gripes with the game as they laid out their future plans for the crafting system, and spoke about wanting to explore more of the less-explored hive city setting, rather than jetting off to other worlds and the like.

Darktide continues to teeter on the edge of greatness, and having seen how solid its predecessor series Vermintide became after successive updates, I have confidence it will reach it. But Secrets of the Machine God just doesn't deliver the kind of impactful changes or additions the game needs right now, even if it is still very fun.

The post Darktide’s Secrets of the Machine God Update Doesn’t Change the Game appeared first on Siliconera.

There’s been an influx in horror manga series that involve slice of life elements and romance lately. We have The Summer Hikaru Diedbringing in an eldritch abomination. Now Yen Press picked up Sai Naekawa’s This Monster Wants to Eat Me, with the first volume hinting at a potential relationship and horrifying end. In the case of this latest yuri series, perhaps the most compelling part is the potentially toxic relationship between Hinako and the mysterious Shiori.

Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for the first two chapters of the This Monster Wants to Eat Me manga below.

Hinako is an orphan. She lives alone. Her family is entirely dead. It seems like she blames herself for it. However, we don’t know exactly what happened. She has friends at school, like Miko. However, she’s clearly traumatized by her past. So much so that when she walks past the sea after school one day and is nearly killed by a monster from the depths, she doesn’t even seem all that stunned when a mermaid named Shiori brutally kills whatever it was coming after her. Then, when Shiori explains it is because she is defending her meal and she is going to devour Hinako, Hinako seems… okay with it all.

It’s a tremendous gut punch, to be certain. As I read through the introduction to the horror manga, I figured maybe the interaction with Shiori might be the motivation to help Hinako seek help. That maybe it would make her feel something again and react. But to have her accept a possible fate, and perhaps even be okay with or embrace the idea, really help set the series apart. It made me want to learn more about her, a heroine so far gone that becoming a monster’s meal would be an ideal ending for her. 

Likewise, this sort of introduction is an incredible setup for Shiori herself in This Monster Wants to Eat Me. In popular media, we’ve been trained to see mermaids as pretty and idealized creatures. They’re more of a beautiful aspiration, though some stories do depict them as horrors from the deep. And many times, Shiori is absolutely adorable! She looks like a gorgeous character, and there are many moments when she’s polite to and protective of Hinako. However, Naekawa also has these moments in the first volume of the manga that do show what a horror Shiori can be. We see grotesque vestiges lurking under the elegant facade. It’s fascinating. As I read, I wanted to know more about her. The lore surrounding mermaids here. The reason she showed up.

But also, I can’t help but wonder about Hinako’s mysteries and secrets as well. While Shiori is the more overt danger and threat, perhaps there’s something to the human girl that isn’t quite right or trustworthy either? After all, Shiori and other monsters are drawn to her because of the way she’d taste. We know there was a disaster that took the lives of her parents and sibling. Perhaps there’s some greater part she played or trouble on her end as well?

Like the relationship that is developing between Hinako and Shiori is one of predator and prey. Shiori is guarding and perhaps even toying with her meal. Hinako doesn’t realize how close danger is or perhaps doesn’t care. Neither of them is invested in this situation for the right reasons. This is going to be unhealthy and dangerous. Yet, I could see myself growing attached to them and their relationship and wanting to see this through.

This Monster Wants to Eat Me is setting itself up as a horror manga where the reader may feel as though they can’t look away, even if the relationship is doomed or disaster awaits. We know Shiori is the type of mermaid that isn’t going to be pretty and content. She’s a ruthless monster. We already saw two situations in which other abominations tried to come after Hinako. Meanwhile, we still don’t even know what’s going on with Hinako and her family to get her to this point. While she seems to be a completely innocent victim, perhaps there’s also something going on with her to cause such feelings of guilt as well. 

Volume 1 of This Monster Wants to Eat Me is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 2 of the horror and yuri manga on September 17, 2024. 

The post Horror Is Subtle in This Monster Wants to Eat Me Manga  appeared first on Siliconera.

After years of development, Zenless Zone Zero is finally ready for public release, and it’s one that I feel like will be really hit or miss among the general HoYoVerse fandom. On my end, the snazzy aesthetics, fast-paced battle system, and interesting characters are enough to outweigh any oddities present.

The story in Zenless Zone Zero follows a pair of siblings who work as "Phaethon," a Proxy whose job is to guide people through Hollows. Hollows are like interdimensional spaces. People go in there for a variety of reasons, such as for investigations. It’s more urban sci-fi than a grandiose space opera like Honkai: Star Rail. While there is an overarching storyline regarding a mysterious AI and some conspiracies that you discover, it progresses in episodic bites, introducing factions that hire or work with Phaethon due to their credible reputation.

Like in other HoYoVerse games, you can choose which sibling you want to play as. But unlike the other ones, the one you don’t choose still plays a key part in the story, along with serving as the main mission control at times. It plays very similarly to Fate/Grand Order, where the Master you choose only affects who you see and control in the main story. Phaethon characters, as a Proxy service, never actually appears as controllable allies in battle. So in my opinion, there’s less pressure. Mind that the Phaethon you choose is still the one you have to look at in the main menu (until you unlock more characters to set in the screen), as well as the character you control, so you should still put some thought into whose visual you prefer.

The Phaethon siblings and Fairy have a really fun dynamic together. They have a really endearing bond. Fairy’s oddly antagonistic relationship with your sibling feels more akin to a sitcom nemesis as well, making their occasional barbed comments at each other funny rather than uncomfortable. Starting from Nicole’s Cunning Hare and then the bizarre members of Victoria Housekeeping, the characters in the game all have fairly fun quirks. It makes them seem a lot more cartoonish at times compared to characters from previous HoYoVerse titles. Anby, for example, seems like a cold, stoic girl hiding a dark past. But she quickly reveals herself as a pretty silly movie otaku who delivers ridiculous lines in an earnest deadpan. That’s not to say the entire game is a joke, though, as it still goes through themes like corporate corruption, with playable characters affected by these injustices.

There are three main types of quests you can partake in: story, exploration, and combat. You should take note that certain quests are only available at certain times of day. So for example, if there’s a quest in the afternoon, you might need to kill time in the morning with another quest or something before you can move onto that. It’s never really an issue, but I remember feeling a little overwhelmed at the sheer number of quests you can get at once. As far as I saw, none of them were time-gated or anything, so you can definitely take your time without worrying about missing one forever. As a note, the game will provide a summary if you decide to skip all the cutscenes. So if you don't feel like reading or don't care, you can still have a basic understanding of the plot.

The combat in the game is the best part. It’s fast, stylish, and fun, even if you don’t fully grasp what a character’s kit can do. There’s more emphasis on the order of your team, as you only have one button to swap between the characters. So if you, for example, lower an enemy’s DEF with Nicole and then want to immediately swap in your attacker Billy, you’ll want to make sure they’re next to each other in your roster. It’s not that big of a deal if you forget though. The swap is seamless enough that one extra button press won’t cost you.

I'll say that doing a lot of combat can be killer depending on who you're using and what mode you're playing. Shiyu Defense, for example, is this game's version of Forgotten Hall and Spiral Abyss, essentially. You can play through nonstop combat rounds without having to load too many times in between. But my goodness, Nekomata teams and Soldier 11 teams made me feel like I developed carpal tunnel. This is unfortunate because their play styles are some of my favorites and always have been. I had to really readjust my posture when playing it on the mouse, so I feel like this game is better with a controller. Or, at the very least, a wrist brace.

What’s unfortunate is that some characters have very complicated kit descriptions in the menu, which can make them feel unapproachable or difficult to use. It’s far easier to go into the character’s individual tutorial in the VR Mode to get the summarized version. A more concise description of their various abilities would be nice. Aside from a character-specific tutorial, you can also go into free training mode. This is a nice way to enjoy the combat and let off steam without worrying about things like a time limit in Shiyu Defense. You can also use it as a way to better learn your characters and enemies, such as memorizing attack patterns for certain enemies if you want to main Nekomata (who gains enhanced attacks after dodging).

Aside from combat, the grid exploration aspect is still here in story and exploration commissions. When you enter Hollows in story quests and other commissions, you’ll need to go through a “map” of TV screens. In the closed beta test, I really hated these segments because they felt long and tedious. While I do think they’re still on the boring side, the option to fast-forward the animation makes it feel like less of a slog. It might also be better on a more powerful machine, as I played Zenless Zone Zero on a 5-year-old gaming laptop with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 inside of it. It’s not the most powerful machine in the world. So the load time every time you had to do an enemy encounter was not great.

I mentioned earlier that the characters feel a lot zanier in this game, making them seem like cartoon characters. The animation style definitely feels like it’s leaning into that. I can’t quite place my finger on which Cartoon Network show it reminds me of, though. The characters move a lot more than I expect in the cutscenes though, and their facial expressions can be on the more exaggerated side. This isn’t a negative, per se, but it can be surprising if you’re used to how the characters move and talk in previous HoYoVerse games.

Finally, I love the aesthetic of the game. It’s a perfect mix of retro and modern—like Y2K retrofuturism. Though it takes place in an obviously futuristic world, the Proxy siblings work in a video rental shop and can offer suggestions on old (fictional) movies for their patrons to watch. This is kind of oddly specific. But the heading font in the game reminds me so much of those Jampack demo catalogues or old skater aesthetic stores in the mall. It’s so charming in a nostalgic way, and I love how the UI looks. I’ll say that it was kind of hard to navigate at times because I wasn’t sure where anything is, but I’m sure it’ll be easier to do so with time.

Zenless Zone Zero is a snappy action game that feels rewarding to master. Though the story can fall flat at times, the characters are so fun that it’s fun to see their reactions. The presentation of the plot—the comic book format and the colorful animations—keeps it entertaining and fresh. Instead of appealing to everyone, it feels like it’s striving to hit a particular audience and I personally am one of those people. Hopefully the dailies won’t be too hard to manage on top of everything else in the market.

Zenless Zone Zero is available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

The post Review: Zenless Zone Zero Forced Me to Fix My Posture appeared first on Siliconera.

Wuthering Waves is a visual delight of a game, making full use of Unreal Engine. But even in Version 1.1, it's still got lots of growing to do before it can live up to its fun concepts.

At launch, many people complained about the confusing, jargon-filled first act. My problem with how Wuthering Waves starts has less to do with the number of proper nouns and game-specific terminology, and more to do with the lack of direction. In Fate/Grand Order, you know that you’re the last Master humanity has. Even though you aren’t qualified or trained to tackle on the Singularities, you have no choice but to do so. Genshin Impact starts with your chosen protagonist’s twin going missing after fighting a goddess. Then the Mondstadt arc introduces you to a fairly stereotypical plot about saving a town from a corrupt, dangerous dragon. They're simple stories, but there's nothing wrong with that if you want to pull in as many players as possible.

In Wuthering Waves, we are the Rover, who awaken with no memories and the mysterious power to absorb Tacet Discords, or monsters. While you do visit the first city of Jinzhou to figure out some answers about yourself, the plot feels like it loses track of itself fairly quickly. The scavenger hunt Sanhua and Jinhsi make you go on felt so long and tedious, especially for a group of people I have no reason to trust or care for. Near the end of the launch patch, there's a war scene that would feel impactful if I cared about the characters or world. In an Avengers-like sequence, playable characters work together to defend Jinzhou. Yet it came across more like Suicide Squad. I just don't know these people enough to give much of a damn.

Kuro Games did have to rewrite the plot due to feedback from the closed beta, though. So I’m willing to believe that this was a major issue in why the story isn’t very engaging. You’ll see throughout this review that those dratted rewrites are the likely cause for a lot of problems.

The thing with F2P gacha game stories is that they need some time to hit their stride. This could be due to growing familiarity with the world (thus needing less exposition), or simply that the writers need several patches' worth of time to cook. Fate/Grand Order was boring until Camelot, for example. But the market for F2P gacha games is not the same as it was in 2016. In 2024, there is a veritable treasure trove of free gacha games to enjoy that there’s no need to sit through a poor story (if that's what you're looking for). Those who dislike gacha games have an even wider selection to choose from. Surely those people wouldn't be reading a review about a gacha game though, right? Gacha games need to hit that initial impression if they want a foothold in this over-saturated market, and Wuthering Waves is just not doing it for me on almost all counts.

I was hoping Version 1.1 would improve on the storytelling, but perhaps the rushed fixes delayed development. At the beginning, Abby asks Rover, "Hey, do you remember that dream you had?" and then summarizes it. This was news to me, despite the fact this scene takes place literally two seconds after a conversation with Chixia and Yangyang. When, pray tell, did I have this dream? This “tell, don’t show” method is incredibly lazy and it’s worse because the dream sounds legitimately cool. Why couldn’t we have seen it? “Show, don’t tell” is one of the most rudimentary rules of writing. It’s not a good sign that they’re relying on this form of storytelling so early in their game.

The translation for Wuthering Waves Version 1.1 is much better than 1.0. Version 1.0 was rife with obvious MTL, as well as multiple problems that showed a lack of quality assurance. For example, the same character would have their name be different in the exact same thing. Dashbon turned to Dashi Bang whenever he jumped away while Minghu turned to Minghe in a dialogue option. Commas and periods appeared outside of quotation marks, as well as other little grammatical errors like using the wrong "its." In 1.1, the characters’ dialogue feels more natural and approachable. There are still issues with the map and character information not using the same names for farming locations, as well as very awkward phrasing in the Items menu. But considering all the issues Kuro Games had to fix since launch, this is something it’ll hopefully iron out in time.

Something that genuinely makes the game enjoyable is the combat. I did not like it before 1.1 because I have a very low tolerance for a camera I don’t have complete control over. Even after turning off any option that could move the camera, it would sometimes pan on its own or lock onto the furthest enemy from my character. After Version 1.1, the game plays like a dream in battle. It’s more fun to wander around the game’s map and kill whatever I see than to progress the story or complete side quests. The fast-paced battle system with so many rotation and combination possibilities is super addicting. I will say that even with the improved camera, depending on the terrain, it can get a little wonky. Anywhere with elevation or hills or just too many bushes can be frustrating.

Another thing I do like is the visuals. Changli is the only character whose design I like, but everyone has such a beautiful character model. The Unreal Engine and the developers' skill when it comes to things like sculpting and shading make the game look fantastic. I'll note that for a while, there was an issue with my screen bugging out in Version 1.1 only when fighting the Mourning Aix. This was a consistent issue since the Version 1.1 patch launched until today, when it suddenly fixed itself. I'm assuming Kuro Games implemented a hotfix of some kind, which is very nice. Kuro Games is very responsive to feedback and criticism, as we've seen in the past. And for the most part, it moves fast to get rid of the most annoying or gamebreaking bugs.

A trend I do worry about is in how Kuro Games (or, let's be real, Tencent) seems to prioritize a small yet loud subset of entitled male gamers. Frankly, the zipper in front of Scar's crotch was ugly. People made fun of it for a reason. But the zipper existed in his character design for years before the game even came out. Yet Kuro Games removed it, apparently at the behest of Chinese incels. This change was not a welcome one in the general community. Plenty of videos on Bilibili also mourn the loss (in both a legitimate and a joking way).

There were a lot of things subpar about Wuthering Waves prior to launch and in the first patch. Many people filed pretty reasonable complaints. But incel players tend to be loud. The inexperience of the team shows here in that it's taking a lot of feedback and implementing changes, but it's not always taking the time to think of the best way to do so. While the complaints about the story weren't all from the incels back during the beta and technical tests, the characters changing from being kind of rude to nonstop gassing the Rover up does make them easy scapegoats for the rewrites. Perhaps the character designer felt hurt by the crude nickname the fandom gave Scar's zipper. But the sudden change to a beloved (for better or for worse) part of his design, again, makes it seem like pandering to those loud players.

My general view of Kuro Games and Tencent right now is they’re putting a Bandaid on a lot of open wounds in Wuthering Waves. These measures are fine in the short run, but I worry they’ll damage its reputation in the long run. A free 5-star as compensation for the disastrous launch was probably the only way to shut players up long enough for Kuro Games to code hotfixes. But a gacha game fandom is like a toxic boyfriend. Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile.

It’s unfortunate because Kuro Games feels really sincere in wanting to provide a fun experience for its players. It didn’t have to give the Japanese Amazon gift cards after the Verdant Summit fiasco. But it did. It didn’t need to give everyone so many rewards for something out of the developers’ control (the rushed schedule). But it did. It seems to me that the decision to use UE4, as well as the tight development cycle it's in as a result of Wuthering Waves being a F2P gacha game, are causing a lot of issues. Despite my general misgivings and dissatisfaction towards Wuthering Waves, I sincerely hope them the best.

Wuthering Waves is readily available on the PC and mobile devices.

The post Review: Despite Its Luster, Wuthering Waves Remains Dull appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of the Hello Kitty anniversary celebrations, Bandai Namco refreshed the Tamagotchi Nano model that debuted in 2020. The concept is still the same and it is still $19.99 as usual, though there’s a new apple minigame and different forms of characters to collect. But one thing remains: I am desperately seeking Hello Kitty’s approval.

As this is a Tamagotchi Nano, the general pet raising process remains streamlined. You go straight from the baby form to an adult, depending on the level of care. You can’t actually check stats to see how happy or unhappy, as well as how full or hungry, the character is. You need to listen for alerts to see if they are sulking or left some poop. However, as is common for these crossover models, it brings in a character from another series into the spotlight. While some involve directly raising those people or animals, this involves standard Tamagotchi characters and Hello Kitty making cameo appearances.

The baby form even looks like a little apple!

Basically, it ends up like Hello Kitty is perhaps helping you raise the Tamagotchi with this Tamagotchi Nano variant. You’re feeding it Hello Kitty’s favorite foods, which are apple pie and milk. How do you think you got that? Hm? When you play minigames like the one with the piano, she’s playing for or with you. If you take poor care of it, Hello Kitty mourns its passing.

She’s a very involved virtual friend, clearly.

At the same time, I also felt like I was trying to earn the approval of Hello Kitty as I raised characters in the Hello Kitty Tamagotchi Nano. She will work with her mouse friend Joey to help clean up poop on-screen. In the apple catching minigame, we’re basically collecting the fruit for her. If we do a good job, she’s happy. A bad job? She’s sad. The additional evolution for the adult forms involves Hello Kitty basically giving the character a bow. Even the “good” ending of a run with a character involves them going off with Hello Kitty. Like she thought we did such a good job raising the character, she deems them worthy of traveling together.

I honestly felt like as I was playing with the Hello Kitty Tamagotchi Nano, I was attempting to please Hello Kitty and make her proud. It isn’t like the Chopper one, where I’m playing with a friend, or the Anya one that left me left me wanting to play dress-up. I definitely felt like I needed to achieve and earn that Hello Kitty bow. Maybe it resulted in a little more pressure on my part, but it was still quite fun.

The Hello Kitty Tamagotchi Nano will release on July 9, 2024. 

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