Recent reviews by Fuzzle

[no story spoilers but some gameplay ones]

Take the Dream IX is a quirky game that has a lot of things going on, which can be rather confusing initially. It starts off as generic as possible, but it's fairly obvious that this is deceptive if you've seen the marketing for it. (The only way you would actually think it was a traditional generic RPG is if you went in 100% blind.) It doesn't take long to establish that something is amiss in the world, and the game does a great job at building a sense of unease and subverting expectations right when you thought you knew what was coming next. At times it feels like a traditional horror game, other times it feels like pure parody. While I personally enjoyed it, I feel like that aspect could be off-putting and frustrating to people playing.

There are a handful of puzzles throughout the game, many of which I found clever and a good balance of difficulty. The only puzzle that I felt was a bit mindless was the chemical puzzle in the last timed section, which really seemed more like a time waster than anything else. At the very least, knowing the solution made that part go by very quickly, but it was a strange disconnect from the rest of that area, which was all movement and maze based. Another part I found frustrating was avoiding the Sloppy Joes while the stick figures were in the way, as the random movements basically just made it an annoyance. At least the Sloppy Joes are merciful enough not to kill you and just warp you back to a previous section. (What even are the Sloppy Joes anyway? Their existance is so strange to me.)

Some areas that particularly stood out to me were the clock song puzzle and the dark area where you're trying not to get spotted. I played it last night before the latest patch, so I'm not sure how much the puzzle changed, but I thought it was interesting and made me think without needed to resort to trial and error. The stealth area felt the most like a horror game to me because the monsters are unsettling and I felt very on edge during the whole segment, and it was intense trying to avoid being spotted, especially when you don't really know their range of vision. (I somehow managed to get through without dying once, though I was playing it VERY safe until the end.)

Another point about the game is that it's VERY meta, almost a bit too meta for it's own good. I don't want to spoil too many story points, but it's a very "Ryan" game. If you're familiar with him and his works you'll understand what I mean when you play it. Expect to see some subtle (and not so subtle) references to his previous Steam game "Close Your Eyes." You don't need to have played that game to enjoy this one, however. It is very much a standalone story.

I guess the part I'm most conflicted about is the ending, but then again, given the information revealed in the story, I'm not really sure how I would have ended it either. Still, there is at least some sense of closure, even if it feels like there's more unanswered questions than answered ones. Overall though, I enjoyed my time playing this game, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys quirky indie games. It's free and a relatively short game, it took me about three hours, so it'll be well worth your time.

Finally! Yuri that isn't mindless fluff or melodrama! Even if the premise is a bit ridiculous, Kindred Spirits is suprisingly down to earth with it's treatment of the various relationships. The main complaint I have is the small soundtrack, and if you binge read like I do, it can get a bit repetetive. Still a very solid VN though.

I didn't want to disobey Goat Mom. I'm still in the ruins. Send help.

Since this is a free game, there's no need to answer if Everlasting Summer is worth your money. However, is it worth your time? Well, maybe.

I went into this expecting it to be something I could get through in one sitting, as there are plenty of shorter VNs on Steam that actually cost money, but this was actually quite a lengthy visual novel. It took me over 20 hours to play it to completion, but the length will fluctuate depending on how fast you read and if you actually have a walkthrough to tell you how to get the endings. Some of the decisions are less straight-forward than others, so I would reccommend it after your first playthrough.

As far as the artwork goes, it's a mixed bag. The background art is beautiful and detailed, but in comparison the sprites just feel off. Even though I got used to them, when I first played through, I got distracted by some of the characters breasts because they felt as if they were sliding off of their chests. It does't help that the bodies are centered instead of the faces, unless they're a short character like Ulyana, so you can't help but notice them. They certainly aren't the worst sprites out there, I've seen some horror stories, but they're certainly not the best either. The CGs I feel are probably the weakest part of the art work, because they are very visibly drawn in a different style than the sprites, which gets distracting. Also, the CGs mean you can't see the beautiful background art. Still, that didn't stop me from collecting all of them.

As far as story goes, it's pretty interesting, though I feel that it raises more questions than it ever answers. I still don't understand Miku's route, or the girl who you need every ending to unlock's route. I got the gist of them, but the way the mechanics of the world work is still unclear. Also, it feels weird to be able to develop a relationship with someone only over a period of a week, but that's pretty common in visual novels so I shouldn't complain. I didn't really feel like I related to the protagonist that much, but I'm not exactly the target demographic so I'm sure there are plenty of people who do. This isn't a tale for the light-hearted though, especially Lena's bad end. If you get very uncomfortable with self harm and suicide, that's the ending to avoid.

There is a patch that adds the "erotic content" back in, but to be honest, you're not missing much. I would mostly reccomend it so you don't have to deal with awkward black screens, or if you're a completionist that can't stand to have a missing CG in the gallery. Also, don't worry, you don't sleep with the 14 year old, if that would turn you off from her route. If you WANTED to sleep with the 14 year old, look elsewhere.

Overall, I would reccomend it if people have been looking for an intersting visual novel to read, but there's a chance the sprite/CG art or somewhat confusing story elements may turn you off from it. If you're looking for a quick read, this isn't it. Also, if you're looking for a game with less plot and more "plot" you would probably want to avoid it too, because its many hours of commitment for a handful of topless pictures.