If there's one thing NoBreadStudio is particularly good at, it's their ability to create compelling characters and story. I'm a big fan of this team, and while I don't usually keep up with video game news, I do follow them on Steam. Once they announced this game, I was beyond thrilled, and I didn't hesitate to purchase it upon release. I thoroughly enjoyed SoulSet, and fell in love with Blankspace, so suffice it to say, expectations were high for The Elevator Game with Catgirls. And NoBreadStudio easily exceeded those expectations. The art was beautiful, the puzzles were engaging, and the story was superb as always. Though I could predict several of the plot points, they still managed to subvert my expectations in little ways that made the obvious still feel fresh and interesting. Not to mention, the return of OddTillTheEnd for the music was welcome and highly appreciated.

It has been a great honour to be able to watch how this humble studio continues to grow with each new game. They've always managed to enamour me with their characters and plummet me into despair once these stories reach their zenith. That being said, though I feel they have a tendency towards open-ended endings, it does seem like those endings are imbued with the sort of hopefulness that make you want to let the story simmer in your mind, only to experience the game all over again in hopes of reaching that same addicting conclusion with fresh eyes. I fully recommend this and all of their other games, and look forward to what the future will hold for NoBreadStudio.

MAMIYA found its way onto my Steam wishlist rather inexplicably. I'm certain I must have passed it while scrolling through the front page, though I have no memory of adding it or even looking at the page at first. I had it ranked within my top 10 and every so often came back to glance at the page without reading or looking further into it. Finally, one day I bought it on a whim. This strange sense of mystery, of something being present and somehow familiar in spite of it being the exact opposite, fits MAMIYA perfectly.

MAMIYA is a visual novel with so much going for it. The game has beautiful artistic design, a deeply emphatic story, varied and compelling music, and interesting characters. Though, as with any game it doesn't come without some flaws. For instance, having to fullscreen the game manually every time you open it (which can be done after starting or loading the game with the little square box in the lower left corner--just a helpful tip). Another flaw is the lack of Steam overlay, which is not a big deal to everyone. Lastly, one scene can be a real pain if you don't read at the speed of light, but the gist of it is easy to glean. Even with these few flaws, the game has quickly catapulted itself to my top 3 favourite visual novels.

MAMIYA is captivating in every way, but it is also incredibly dark. That's often something that grabs my attention, so long as there is hope interspersed within the darkness. For the first act of MAMIYA, hope is fleeting. The issues these characters face are very real, and the writing does a remarkable job of highlighting the intense loneliness that one feels when being in the midst of these issues. The subject matter is heavy, dealing with quite a handful of topics that may be too much for some. There were even days where I put off playing entirely because of this, but the journey is worth every moment. I would advise using your own discretion when delving into this game, as MAMIYA can dig its claws into your emotions in a way that few other games can. Additionally, for any who may be concerned, there are a number of scenes that flash rapidly onscreen.

There is not much else to say about MAMIYA. You'll certainly learn more from other reviews, and even from the game's Steam page, but this is one of those games that I would recommend going into as blindly as possible.