The Ballad Singer
As much as I would like to recommend this game, I just can’t. I could say that it has beautiful graphics, is fully voiced, has an intricate story with 4 characters, who sometimes cross with each other, has nice soundtrack and several QoL features, like ability to double the speed of narrator’s voice to speed up the game.
But all of this gets completely ruined by absolutely unfair death mechanic and BS choices. At the beginning of the game you’re warned that you will die here, a lot, that’s why developers created fate system. You have limited amount of fate points, every time your character dies you can either continue the game as other character or restart your last choice. Both of these options consume 1 fate point. Ok, so you decided to create a game that revolves around constant danger and death traps, fine. Surely, you will spend extra time making these deaths logical, so only if player actually made a mistake they would die, right? No. Most of choices in the game that lead to your death are absolutely random and, unless you already know which one is the right one, you will die not because you’ve made a mistake, but because you drew a short stick. Here are few examples, technically spoilers:
! I am an “elf” in the middle of the forest who needs to get to the cabin in the distance and sees two roads: a big, stone one or small, trodden one. She has to pick one. I chose small, trodden one. Game then tells me that I spend some time walking on that road and noticed that it leads in completely other direction from the cabin and that day is closing to the night. Now I’m faced with another choice - continue on this road, or go back and choose other road. I, thinking that this new piece of information is game hinting me that I chose wrong, choose to go back and pick the big road. And I died. Because apparently there’s some shitty death trap on the big road. How was I supposed to know that? There were no hints, there was actually a fake hint that made me choose the wrong road.. Another example -
! I am a mage and am currently fighting a giant water elemental. She (yes, she has gender) creates a water wave and I need to defend myself. There are three options: make a tornado, create stone wall or create a flame shield around me. Now, the last one is obviously a bad desision as I’m fighting a water elemental who, surely, can easily fight fire (also, earlier in the game, we already used another water elemental to fight fire elemental, so it’s logical even in game). This would be a logical death choice. Developers could choose other two choices as “right” ones - they will allow you to continue the fight, but give different texts or future options, because the fight would progress differently. That would be cool. But no. Only one of these choices is correct - tornado. Why? Why the fuck should I pick tornado, except by random? I picked the stone wall, because surely, the stone wall can stop water wave. No, you died, fool. And, despite me playing only for two hours, the game gave me tons of such choices already. They, aside from making the player angry, completely ruin the immersion. No, you’re not a mage trying master the elements, you’re an idiot, sitting before your PC and who was unlucky to pick the wrong choice, so now you have to reload and make the “correct” one and it’s correct because developer said so. A death should be a result of either one very dumb and obviously wrong decision, or a series of bad decisions with hints that you’re doing everything wrong. Not what we have here.
– Real player with 15.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Music Hand-drawn Games.
If you came here with one thumb on your lighter, ready to lose yourself in some heart-wrenching ballads, I’m afraid I’ve got bad news for you. I didn’t encounter my first ballad until at least 3 or 4 hours in, and it was pretty underwhelming when it finally arrived.
Yeah, their choice of titles doesn’t make a lot of sense, and neither do most of the other choices in this game.
Well, I can’t say I wasn’t warned. They always told me not to judge a book by its cover, and that’s exactly what I did. Can you blame me, though? On the surface it looks great. It’s got that Extremely Fantasy, D&D manual sort of vibe. Everywhere you look you find fierce monsters and sharpened blades, towering dragons, fireball-hurling wizards and pots of stew consumed in shady inns full of adventures just waiting to happen.
– Real player with 7.8 hrs in game
Kooring VR Wonderland:Mecadino’s Attack
Fun and cute, but I must say contents of game is bit lacking. I hope the dev adds more stages as DLC: I would like to buy it!
– Real player with 1.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Music Character Action Game Games.
I prefer casual games, so when I saw the screenshot of ‘Kooring Wonderland VR’ I thought it would suit my taste and downloaded it. I liked the protagonist character, but the rabbit-like guys who appeared as monsters were so cute that I had a lot of fun while playing the game. The games surprisingly had a good hit satisfaction, and the overall operation was intuitive, so there is no burden in enjoying the games with children. There is a lot of possibility for a sequel, so if it becomes a series, I think I will be able to enjoy the games again.
– Real player with 1.4 hrs in game
Neo Art Space
Neo Art Space VR is a wow-inspiring immersive art experience. Traveling through space and time, you emerge in a new universe as an explorer of dazzling moving colorful light art, planets, stars and galaxies. You explore over 30 experiences orchestrated with gorgeous music to help you move from the everyday 3D experience to a transcendent 5D consciousness.
You can create your own experience via teleporting wherever you want to go on pathways through glowing light caves, into planets, through vibrantly alive forests, inside zinging energy fields, or out into space observatory see an eclipse. The array of experience and the levels you can go are as boundless as the universe you are in. You can even create your very own interactive geometric art.
Sharing the experience with others only amplifies its effect. You can meet family and friends inside and experience the sense of awe and wonder in the Neo Art Space VR together, making unforgettable memories that are as unique as the environment you are in.
Read More: Best Music Colorful Games.
Once Upon a Jester
Once Upon a Jester is a story-driven, musical adventure about two best friends who decide to start their own theater show: Jester and Sok. When a visiting princess tells them about the Royal Theatrical Spectacle — a theater festival reserved for only the best shows in the realm — Jester knows he must do whatever it takes to qualify.
Will a lonely jester and an anthropomorphic sock puppet take their hometown show from rags to riches?
IMPROVISE YOUR OWN THEATER SHOW
With branching choices and improvisational moments, no two performances will ever be the same! Whether you decide to draw your sword, talk about your feelings or just randomly play the flute — the choice is yours.
DECIDE YOUR GENRE
Should you tell a joke, turn on the waterworks or introduce a little love? Choose between Comedy, Drama, Romance, and more!
IMPRESS A DYNAMIC, RESPONSIVE AUDIENCE
Every audience has its preference. Feel the rush of a crowd that loves your every action and the deepest sorrow of one that ignores you completely.
EXPLORE A VIBRANT FANTASY WORLD
Travel to memorable, hand-crafted locations like the cozy Dorp Town, the dark mysterious Woudwoods, and the radio-obsessed Stad City.
MAKE FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY
Running a theater show is tough work, but what would life be without friends? Meet a cast of characters including an endearing sock puppet, a Wendigo who dreams of becoming a dancer and a rebel princess with a passion for theater art.
A LOFI, INDIE-INFUSED SOUNDTRACK
Catchy songs, emotional music numbers and improvised tunes are all standard fare for a game with the Bonte Avond name.
Can’t wait to start your very own theatre adventure? Wishlist here and we’ll let you know when you can!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1668190/Once_Upon_a_Jester/
Elisa: the Innkeeper
This has been a bag of mixed feelings. I appreciate the art and music. CGs are plentiful enough & no critical moment looks ignored. But the characters, the effing characters man, nearly everyone is a stiff stereotype too absorbed in their own way to ever break out of their molds. Moreover, the ‘good endings’ aren’t satisfying at all. Just one last decision at the end completely flips these characters who rigth up until then will have been acting like their way is unconditionally the right way, just to bring about that ‘good’ conclusion. I don’t know, maybe this is how the devs intended the plot and characters to be, but it soured my overalll experience somewhat :(
– Real player with 6.9 hrs in game
As far as Visual Novels go, this one has to be the most feature packed. The replayability is boosted by the ability to control the behaviors of not just the “main character” but all the supporting characters as well. Making one character a pervert, and making that same character smart and good natured in another playthrough.
There is one thing that bothers me though, and that is the Knight.
Possible Spoiler Warning
! The Prince is short tempered and stubborn, and the Merchant is level-headed but flaunts his wealth. Supposedly, the Knight was meant to be something in between these two extremes. Elisa even comments that the fact that he refuses to flirt with her makes her wants to try even harder… then within the next 10 minutes of game, he is already falling over himself to keep her around. He knows nothing about her, and she knows nothing about him. There was no character development, and yet he has become a totally different person just in the time it took her to change his bed sheets.
– Real player with 6.6 hrs in game
Fires At Midnight
Set in a “world where making love without being in love makes you spontaneously combust”, Fires At Midnight is an interactive visual novel that tells the story of two people trying to navigate their long-term relationship and regain intimacy. While the game doesn’t give any explanation on what causes people to burn while having intercourse without love apart from it being tagged as a recently emerged virus (“The Love Bug”), it’s safe to state that the whole narrative is centered around Yun and Chitra’s need to reaffirm their feelings toward each other.
– Real player with 15.8 hrs in game
I just finished with my 1st playthrough, picked the party and got the 3rd ending.
So far, I love with the story, the characters, and also the soundtracks in the game. Though I felt like some songs kind of ‘disturbing’ me on focusing to the story; with their vocals, and dialogues to read some more. Haih, kacau!
I didn’t expect the
! ghosts and horror elements in Chitra’s perspective, which is great! Some kind of good twist. Kudos!
Since this game is made by Malaysian publisher, I’m so proud of it.
– Real player with 8.5 hrs in game
Demetrios - The BIG Cynical Adventure
Very much a mixed bag for me.
Pros:
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Nice graphics
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Good production (meaning i didn’t encounter typos or bugs)
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Fun puzzles, challenging but not frustrating or ridiculously counter-intuitive.
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Good length
Cons:
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Seemed to drag on towards the middle for me. (after the first flight)
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Odd pacing/execution at some points. ie:
! hey rando neighbor i just suddenly found out the protag actually cares about let’s go to another continent with your daughter and later let’s go to Germany for five seconds
– Real player with 15.3 hrs in game
“There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.” - Frank Zappa
Well… Demetrios is COWCAT games' first project and an adventure game that I’m sincerely on the fence with. There is a truckload of good and bad about it, just within the boundaries of a perfect balance. Considering it is the first ever game of the developer, I think congratulations are in order. Aside the questionable humor, game dynamic is more than decent for an adventure game.
– Real player with 14.3 hrs in game