I've played three Yangyang games now, skipping only Love Esquire. All respect to the studio, 'horny guy does zany things to seduce women' did not seem like my thing. Saint Maker is kinda fascinating to witness: it's using the simpler structure of Perfect Gold to tell a horrific, personal story in the style of the Letter. They're taking multiple past successes and stringing them together for this new project.

The results are extremely strong. Keeping the focus tight on Holly and her story helps us connect with her, get inside her head. It makes some of the false choices hit far better, and the game has a few strong surprises in store by the ending. I feel this is a very strong case for a Western 'Kinetic Novel', and while tastes are subjective, I feel this is ultimately stronger than their debut. A brisk pace, closer focus on character while maintaining the scares... it feels like this has the Letter's greatest strengths, while shedding it's weaknesses.

That said... while I suspect it was outside the scope of this project, a little more branching could've made this game go from solid and strong to downright amazing! Can't elaborate on that without spoilers, so... I feel there was room narratively for a 'bad end' here. I'm not sure exactly how I'd pitch it, but with the involvement of Itadora and the Angels, Holly's fragile mental state, Gabby's survival being unclear... I feel Holly not managing to grow, focusing on what she wants to be true, could've led to a pretty cool tragic end. I like the game's ending, but branching, showing how it could've gone differently... IDK, I just feel that worked well for Perfect Gold and could've worked well here too.

But don't let what's not here detract from what is. A strong horror story that's more than worth your time!

I don't quite have the words to describe Paradise Killer. It's a strange game, making me nostalgic though I'm not quite sure what for. The vast majority of the game is focused on exploring Island Sequence 24, the powerful Syndicate's attempt at creating Paradise, searching for clues to unravel the truth behind a murder. This is a slow process, but that's very much as intended - there's a lot to find, a lot to discover and a lot to piece together before you're able to present the truth and bring down justice.

I don't want to get too deep into discussing the setting or particular characters here - IMO those are best discovered through play. I'd like instead to focus on the gameplay side. (Though brief shout out to our MC Lady Love Dies - badass of the highest order)


Island Sequence 24 is an Open World - you can explore it freely, find whatever clues you can, and present the truth to the Judge whenever you feel its ready - while some events happen in sequence relative to each other, there's no firm plot for the majority of the game. This is extremely liberating and exciting - it's a classic setup for immersive gameplay and can lead in theory to some great, unique moments when you find a key discovery early. I was able to slip into a secret passage earlier than the game seemingly anticipated, and it was exhilarating to sneak along to the other side and find several key clues to pursue new angles on the crime.

Further, I can't undersell the sheer enjoyment to be found in just exploring Island Sequence 24. The worldbuilding, combined with the environmental design, makes for one of the most memorable settings for a game I've seen in a long time. My first act in the game, after Judge had provided me with my briefing, was to pick a direction and keep walking. This place was as new to Lady Love Dies as it was to me - it really felt like I was in her shoes, learning what the Syndicate had been up to with her.

However, I'm not entirely sold on this open world approach.

The problem is that, while you can theoretically go and report at any time, there's nothing really pushing you to risk an early accusation. Indeed the game discourages this; while it's not fully comprehensive, there is a quest log for your investigation that will alert you to potential leads. With no firm ticking clock, and a list of potential leads, the player is encouraged to be slow and methodical, to gather everything before trial. This can get really tedious, as the island is heavily stocked with collectables of various sorts, a large majority of which are simply currency. This is the sort of game intended to drive completionists mad.

But far more fatal is the fact that this approach will leave you with very little need to actually think through your final answer. Once you reach the trial, if you took the time to gather all the evidence, almost everything is eminently clear. Only one point remains ambiguous, and that ambiguity is ultimately a moot point. It made the story ultimately de-escalate right at what felt like it was intended as the climax. It felt like this should've been a moment akin to Danganronpa or Ace Attorney at its best, with me in agony alongside Lady Love Dies about if the Judge will accept my findings. And instead... it was slow, laboured and the most distant I felt from the characters - I was that sure in my conclusions.

I absolutely recommend this game on grounds of aesthetic, story and for anyone interested in a fun new take on mystery games as a genre. But the investigative gameplay means I have to give a caveat to mystery fans - only go for this if you're okay knowing what went down before the climax. And not feeling too smart for working it out.

(That said... this deserves awards so if you're in season for Steam Awards, get to nominating!)