moonie - video games

2023 Video Game Reviews

	Tales of Symphonia ★★★★★ Genre: JRPG, Fantasy, Action Adventure Replaying this in 2023 did not take me the same 8 months it took me to beat the game the first time I played it. It was still difficult in some areas, but that's what walkthroughs are for! This game has two paths you can choose towards the end and the first time I played the game, I picked to "side" with the character I liked the best. This time, I decided to be a masochist and do the sad ending where I didn't do that (which I honestly think is the true ending despite what the sequel says). Anyways, still a great game, but even on an easy setting the boss battles are so hard! Full Review on my Wordpress.		Oxenfree ★★★★☆ Genre: Visual Novel, Indie, Adventure After playing Jenny LeClue, I wanted another indie mystery game and this was suggested to me, especially since I love the Netflix TV show Dark as people said it felt very similar. I really did enjoy this game, but I think one of the things about it I didn't like was the inane conversations between the characters. Although, if they were supposed to realistically represent awkward teens, then they did that accurately! There are multiple ways you can end this game, but I think I had a pretty good ending. The music is also amazing! I bought the vinyl soundtrack! Full Review on my Wordpress.
	Oxenfree 2 ★★★★☆ Genre: Visual Novel, Indie, Adventure Thankfully this came out a few months after I beat the first one. I felt that that was very serendipitous. The sequel is a continuation of the first, but takes place a few years later. The new main character can help "fix" some things from the first, and so I chose to do that and got a good ending. I do like the characters in this one, but I actually think that by the end of it, I preferred the teens from the first one! Either way, this was a good way to tie all the pieces together. Full Review on my Wordpress.		Little Misfortune ★★★★★ Genre: Visual Novel, Indie, Casual One of my now favorite games of all time! It can be beat within an hour or so, and there is a mission you have to complete to get the "good" ending. Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez is so cute, and reminded me of myself when I was a kid (which is saying something...). I want to dress up as her and have my husband dress up as Benjamin, her "boyfriend" (a fox) for fun one Halloween! I really hope I see more from the company that made this game.
	Little Nightmares 2 ★★☆☆☆ Genre: Platform, Puzzle, Survival Horror Alright. I may have been nice in the last review, but goddamn. I hate these games. I was so frustrated with the last one, which I was playing with my husband, but this frustrated both of us so bad we had to just give up. We didn't actually beat it. When timing is so off that it takes you 20 times to do something right, then I don't really think that it's user-error. I get having some skill-checks in games, but stop making indie games like this so damn hard!		Baldur's Gate 3 ★★★★★ Genre: RPG, Strategy, Adventure This game is an amazing example of what all AAA games could be if they'd actually put some love and care into the games that they're making. The graphics are beautiful, the companion characters are interesting and amazing (Baezel is #1 bay-bee!) Because making different decisions actually affects your gameplay and story, you could play this game like 20 times and have different experiences each time. As of 2024 I'm on my 2nd playthrough, but it might take me a while to beat it. Full Review on my Wordpress.