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And now my backlog has a backlog.

E3 may be dead and buried, but its spirit lives on in summertime hype fests, such as this past week. With State of Play, the Nintendo Switch 2 release, Summer Game Fest and associated showcases, and the Xbox Games Showcase falling within the same week, there's been a little something for everyone.

In my case, my backlog expanded marginally; most of that expansion, funny enough, is from demos. Will Baby Steps make me laugh until I'm breathless? Will I become emotionally invested in Building Relationships? Is Dispatch my new favorite piece of media or will it completely put me off? Will YASUKE: A Lost Descendant blow me away or bore me? Well, with all of these having demos out on Steam, I'm much more inclined to find out. This wave of marketing is something I can get behind.

Some other titles that caught my eye are Mixtape, Stranger than Heaven, Lego Voyagers, DON'T NOD's Aphelion, RollerGirl, and the long-rumored Persona 4 remake, officially titled Persona 4 Revival. "Rewind" would have been such a nice title, but alas... At any rate, I will be playing despite my belief that this remake is wholly unnecessary.

But until then, years' worth of seasonal Steam sale purchases will keep me plenty busy and I'll gladly share my thoughts on standout titles (and ones I'm not so fond of, too).

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Dead as Disco is Pretty Freakin' Cool

I can't say much of the story, as the game currently has no release date—but the demo is a sure taste of greatness.

Dead as Disco (so far) combines the simple elements of cyber-neon environments, a great music selection, and its signature feature of syncing attacks to music, to create a straightforward, stylish, and positively addicting experience.

Oh, and you can add any music you have locally. Very cool, especially considering that this is a demo. I'm looking forward to the story (and accompanying battle sequences) in the full release. If you like punches and rhythm, consider trying it out.

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Some games just aren't for events. Here are my thoughts on Tales of Berseria:

Tales of Berseria was my second tango with the Tales series, after dropping Arise on account of "not really feeling it." On paper and even on screen, Tales of Berseria seems right up my alley: it's got a brooding anime protagonist, pretty environments, plenty of dramatic flair, and an impending found family trope.

But again, I'm finding that I'm just not really feeling it. This time, I'm better able to pinpoint what's putting me off, at least. Plot points are broken up by gameplay, as with most games, but getting from one place to another feels a bit sluggish. The combat is flashy and cool, but it gets old quickly, so progressing generally feels like a drag. I do think I'd be less critical if I were more attached to the cast—they have plenty of optional dialogues that are often informative and/or amusing, and a fondness for the characters would definitely make them more enjoyable. I don't feel too much of that fondness, though. It's regrettable.

I am interested enough to continue experiencing the game by watching someone else's playthrough, because I love a good story and I love character development. I just don't love unengaging dungeons and clicking through several screens every time I need to check what direction I should be moving in.

Tales of Berseria has plenty to offer: the story, the characters, minigames, the cooking and expedition features, visuals for days, et al. It's like a seafood platter, but in this scenario, I have a shellfish allergy.

But hey, at least it shortens my backlog a bit!

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of the Devil May Just Be the Jackpot

Puns aside, it's an absolute treat.

With stylish visuals, immersive worldbuilding, enticing mysteries, and one hell of a cast (okay, done with the puns for real this time) — of the Devil is a detective visual novel enjoyer's dream.

Not that the player character is a detective, but there's plenty of investigation to be done. The process of extracting information and drawing conclusions is themed around gambling in a cyber-noir setting, which has the lovely side effect of making for a striking visual experience. This may not be a benefit for everyone, however—the many moving parts and bright colors may make this game unsuitable for photosensitive individuals, so I can only hope that an option for milder graphics comes in the future.

And that is pretty much my only issue.

The game boasts a gripping narrative, colorful characters with equally colorful exchanges, and well-timed dramatic moments that add that extra splash of satisfaction. I give extra kudos to nth Circle Studios for their pacing; sudden twists and turns are never too frequent, never too few, and consistently just far enough between. I happily recommend of the Devil to anyone who likes mysteries, graphic design, visual novels, cyberpunk and related genres, or women.

As of this post, Episode 0 (which is free) and Episode 1 are out on Steam with Episode 2 planned to also release this year. of the Devil is Steam Deck verified, but I suggest a keyboard and mouse experience where possible.

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Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a Difficult Game to Review

This post contains spoilers for the entirety of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

Lost Records is a tough game to review, partially because it frequently feels like less of a "game" and more of an "experience." In this case, I'm not referring to the gameplay but the story overall: A teenage fledgling cinematographer with little confidence becomes close friends with three other girls, with whom she hangs out in an abandoned cabin, gets into no small amount of trouble, and later, grieves. Also they discover a supernatural phenomenon that can possess people and defy the laws of reality.

Lost Records isn't a story that guides you to an epic climax and a satisfactory resolution. It is foremost a recount of the summer of '95. Between the camcorder perspectives, Pacific Northwest ambience, and spectacularly natural dialogue, immersion is the game's strongest trait. Each character feels distinct, three-dimensional, and very much like... well, a teenage girl.

On the down side, because so much of the game is so mundane and authentic, the pacing of events can make playing through quite a slog, and we the audience get caught up in actions that are downright ludicrous from an adult perspective. Lost Records maintains intrigue with a suspense that lingers for pretty much the entire game, only for the payoff to be... hit-and-miss-but-mostly-miss.

In my playthrough, the sisters pushed Corey into the Abyss, which was very satisfying, in an "It's about time!" kind of way—the sisters' reconciliation afterward is easily one of if not the most emotionally charged scene in the game. My issue with this segment is a little odd. Instead of this moment not feeling earned by the events leading to it, I felt like we earned more than what we got.

Similarly, when we finally open the box, the contents are touching, but they don't quite justify all the hours of suspense we've gone through. Perhaps most puzzlingly, I vividly recall sitting there watching the Abyss call to Swann at the end of the game, creating one last question with no clear answer—that question being, "What the hell?"

In summary, Lost Records excels at immersing the player and drives home hard-to-miss statements about sisterhood, abuse, and grief. At the same time, the pervasive tension has a lackluster payoff and the game leaves us with plenty of unanswered questions. I do care enough to be curious and I'll be taking a peek at others' playthroughs, but I'd be hard pressed to recommend the game to someone unless vibes, characters, and character relationships are what they value foremost in their experiences.

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Ambience and Empathy Shine in South of Midnight

South of Midnight has garnered a considerable amount of attention between those excited for its release and those eager to bash it for... having a black female protagonist? Shame—those people may be the ones who need to play this most.

Before the story even begins, the game tells you that it is a story about empathy. Our protagonist, Hazel, is a refreshingly normal and compassionate young woman searching for her mother after a hurricane swept their home away. On her journey, she assumes her role as a Weaver—one meant to heal longstanding hurts that were once left to fester.

I have my critiques on the gameplay: some of the obstacles are annoying to traverse, the camera isn't exactly an ally during combat, and the timing on certain enemies' attacks just feels off. None of this is enough to make me recommend against playing. Each location is an immersive masterpiece from the terrain to the sound design to Hazel's complaints about mosquitoes. The delicious cherry on top is the music, which both sounds amazing and tells the story as you unravel it yourself.

Alongside empathy, South of Midnight is also about grief and guilt. It addresses heavy, tragic situations that are all too real, even within a mystical environment. Folklore does often carry some nugget of truth, after all. As the Weaver, we examine how we can help different people find different kinds of peace—and how some may find none at all.

My conclusion is this: South of Midnight is not a perfect game. But it is a good game, and an important game with great care woven into it. Definitely heed the content warnings, but it's a game I recommend to at least try.

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Fantasian: Neo Dimension is a Humble Game That Humbled Me

Disclaimer: I haven't finished the game yet, but at 53 hours in, I feel comfortable giving my thoughts so far.

It's difficult not to compare Fantasian to retro Final Fantasy titles. The game boasts a rich world to explore, a comfortable blend of woe and whimsy, and the legendary skills of Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu. It certainly feels like Final Fantasy at the very start, but very quickly clarifies that it is not.

The story hits the ground running with a down-to-earth amnesiac, a curious girl with a keen sense of smell, and a vibrant world under siege by a mechanical infestation. I had no clue where things were headed in those first few hours, and settled in for an exciting adventure with cozy, storybook-style flashbacks mixed in.

I did not foresee the spike in difficulty part-way.

Fantasian's combat is straightforward at its core, strongly resembling standard turn-based combat. What I both loathe and commend is this game's ability to knock even the strongest party off its feet. Bosses are designed to be beaten through strategic utilization of the characters' different skill sets. After a certain point, there is no powering through. This is a point of gratification for those who like a challenge, and a point of annoyance for those like myself who prefer a laid back experience. My personal preferences aside, the care put into each fight is undeniable. I intended to sail right through, and the developers made sure to prove me very, very wrong.

Story-wise, Fantasian is fairly simple but enjoyable enough. At the very least, it's enough to make me want to know how it all concludes. One complaint I do have is that progression can feel sluggish with so many concurrent quests for different characters in the latter hours of the game; it doesn't help that leveling slows down considerably after level 35. On the other hand, these same quests give the cast a limited amount of sorely needed depth while encouraging the player to visit every corner of every map. As an aside, the environments themselves are real-life dioramas, which lend no small amount of character and charm to the world.

All in all, Fantasian: Neo Dimension is a well-made title with a few hiccups—definitely worth playing for challenge seekers who also like story. It's also a beautiful example of what I wish had happened to countless mobile games that are now lost media. The full game, offline, polished up, and released on multiple platforms instead of left to rot on old hard drives and phones with error messages. It's definitely not going to end up my game of the year, but it certainly has enough packed into it to justify grabbing it on sale.

Bonus: unintentional humor.

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Is Bayonetta Worth Pl- Yes.

I bought the PC port of Bayonetta in 2019. But, with backlogs being backlogs, I somehow delayed my playthrough for nearly 6 years to the date. Starting out, I did briefly wonder whether a game now (arguably) considered retro would hold up.

I was no longer wondering by minute 5.

In fact, throughout my entire experience, I thought: "More of this. This is what gaming needs." I'm not talking about sexy women serving and slaying all over the place (let it be known, I would very much like to see more of this), but a healthy dose of extravagance and tomfoolery.

PlatinumGames has a stellar reputation as far as gameplay goes, and for good reason. From riding wild boars and hacking into enemy AI (NieR: Automata), to simultaneously controlling man and beast (Astral Chain), to striking a pose in the midst of carnage (Bayonetta), Platinum keeps the fun fresh, and in this case, a touch ridiculous. Some games take their cinematic clashes very seriously. Others, not so much. I'm a fan of both.

Combat aside, Bayonetta offers intriguing, pleasantly digestible lore alongside a lovable cast whose characters feel complete in spite of what some may consider a short run time. I finished my easy mode run in just under 9 hours, but I find myself just as fond of Cereza as I do of characters I've spent nearly 100 hours with. Kudos.

Do I have anything negative to say? Sure, but very little. I'm certain I'm far from alone in my annoyance toward certain fights and their tiny windows for button prompts. The cathartic destruction of my foes was always worth it, though.

In conclusion, yes, more than 15 years after its initial release, Bayonetta is very much worth playing. A few pain points are easily forgiven in the wake of a near constant stream of thrills, revelations, silliness, and badassery in heels.

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Our Dreams At Dusk — Gut-wrenchingly Validating

I'm queer. I read manga. And I should not have put this off for as long as I did.

The majority of the media I consume, I do so as a means of escape from the horrors of daily life. Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare is an exception. I've only read one volume and I feel as if my soul has been laid bare.

Exaggeration? Probably. But this manga very accurately depicts experiences that many queer people share:

The pain of casual homophobia

The dread of discovering one's queerness

The dread of being found out by someone else

Denial

Bullying

Gay Panic

The joy and envy of seeing queer couples out and proud

The hope in finding community

This is a manga written for anyone who is or ever has been in the closet. This is a safe space on paper, whether you need a good mope/cry, a distraction, or simply someone to (not) listen. Tasuku's experiences are viscerally, sometimes uncomfortably real, and that fact lets me know that I am seen.

If you haven't, please do yourself a favor and read.

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Hey Hey Psst. Got like 20 mins?

I helped make a short film shot entirely in VR and it would be pretty pog if you'd give it a watch. It has anime girls squaring up and a train. Trains are neat.

(And uh drop a like if you think this film is neat pls 🥺)

CW: Guns, violence, blood, death, cops

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Yayoi Summer Nights | 猫屋敷やよい

I have so many memories here. Different voices echo above the water, laughing.

I'm falling asleep beneath the fireworks.

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The Purple Fox | LensError

This place seems familiar. Or does it?

At the time of writing, the Purple Fox is the unofficial default point of public gathering — a starting place for many. The cooler palette and ambient music give it a different atmosphere from "the other side."

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ChilloutVR

I'm quite fond of this place, and find myself here when I need a break from the chaos of my more bustling circles. It's like a small town inhabited by people from all over. However, small as it may be, this place teems with potential. I eagerly await the day that potential ignites and produces something we've not yet seen.

At the time of this writing, ChilloutVR is often labeled an alternative to VRChat, which is a fair statement. In time, though, I'd like to see it become more distinct with its own identity, culture, and aesthetics. Not an "alternate" world, but a "different" world.

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She is back in july 18th!!