Recent reviews by Aura

A short, kinetic (no branching dialogue) visual novel taking place in Russia at Christmastime. The story centers on Andrew and Julia, two people who have heard of each other through their own relations but have never met until now. This story touches on Russian folklore as well as some sad family history readers may have had, but overall a rather lighthearted narrative.

At the time of quickly typing this up I finally finished it just under two hours, but you may well get through it even faster. Only things I could say are a negative --and this is stretching it-- is that there are a few minor spelling errors in the English translation and the store page has not been updated for the VN's current UI which while nicer than the original has the text out of alignment with the center of the screen/window.

Please be aware that I do not use this application to make my own desktop wallpapers. I only use it to collection and use others' submissions for my own enjoyment.

To put it in the simplest terms, this is the best $4 you can spend on Steam that isn't a video game. Keep reading if you want details.

Wallpaper Engine makes it easy to obtain, use, and (sometimes) partially customize wallpapers created by other Steam users. Such wallpapers themselves can be full videos submitted as they are, static images made dynamic and/or interactive, or fully interactive software if the person submitting it know what he's doing. As for the software itself, the developers highly recommend utilizing the application for searching and downloading rather than using the Steam Workshop as is. While I have had no problems using the Steam Workshop directly, I do agree it's better you follow their instructions --especially if you are adamant about avoiding some kinds of content.

A more recent feature is the ability to share wallpapers with your own mobile device. You can connect your preferred mobile devices through the companion app freely available. However, be advised that you do need to own the desktop app and have a wallpaper downloaded in order to do so. Even then the technical limitations are a minor inconvenience. You can choose to tell how Wallpaper Engine should send a file to your mobile device, be it performance friendly, quality first, or a balance --and advanced options are available for the savvy.

This software is quickly becoming the single most used app or game I've ever run on Steam. Steam only tracks the time you have the app open front and center, not while it is running in the background as you might expect! With the exception of parental guidance BORDERLINE NECESSARY FOR YOUNGER USERS, this is something I can recommended to just about everyone on Steam.

Do you enjoy choose-your-own adventure?
Do you like the idea of intentionally making the wrong choice for a good laugh and/or some easy achievements?
Do you like the idea of a never-ending stream of references and memes?

If you said "yes" to all of the questions above, there's a good chance you will legit enjoy this collection.

While I am grateful that this was given out to all owners of Borderlands: GOTY, this game was released with bad bugs for multiplayer. Voice chat is utterly broken, regardless if you try to disable in-game chat or not. You are better of sticking with the original release if you already have it.

To put it simply, Kaori After Story (KAS) only follows the Kaori route in ACE Academy. Strictly under said route can KAS be considered canon and as such it is best to have played ACE Academy and complete Kaori's route to appreciate this game. If you have come to enjoy PixelFade's choice of humor and storytelling, this will make a good pick for you. Otherwise, you may just want to skip. As this only takes 2-4 hours to complete (depending on how fast you read and listen), whether this is worth the retail price of $9.99 USD is up to you.

Try the free demo if you are unsure of this legit simulator.

DLC isn't necessary, but it does add to the experience.

FULL DISCLOSER: I have supported this game's development through their Kickstarter campaign back in 2016 plus, as of July 9th, the developer's Patreon. I have only played this game up to chapter 4 of 5 total, and as this game is incomplete, there is much to be done to finish Crystalline. This review will be replaced with a more complete one when the game is finished and I feel I have the best understanding I can make of the game.

The strengths of PixelFade's visual novel come from the execution of the story. You are presented with multiple choices as to how the main character will interact with some strangers, his companions, as well as one potential love intrest. I feel that the choices have been balanced well both in terms of how different the actions are, as well as the frequency of choices being presented to you. One thing to note, at the time of writing this, mini games, such as curcial sword fights, as well as simpler activities like dart throwing will be added later. For now, you can simply choose whether you succeed or fail. The choices themselves are just one part of the dev team's strengths.

PixelFade also employs voice actors for both your companions as well as a strangers you will meet. The VAs have done a fantastic job bringing the proper tone and feel to each scene and interaction. In addition, the devs have utilized software called Live2D to animated the character you interact with most. While it may not be anything like a 3D cutscene, it certainly helps bring some good body language into the mix.

PixelFade's writing for Crystalline has been quite strong, in my opnion, in creating an engrossing story for the main character, while also building backgrounds for your companions over time. The writting has a ton of comedy throughout the story, plenty of it being cude at times, so any parents reading this should consider keeping their children away.

I did not know what to expect when I first started reading Crystalline. The idea that the MC was a college student who had no explanation of how or why he had travelled to another world, and that some choices the MC can make would have him act as a perverted jerk, really left me apprehensive. Fortuntely, I can and will say that my experience with Crystalline has been satisfying so far, and I look forward to seeing this game become the complete product the devs have planned.

For months this game sat in my wishlist after I became highly interested in visual novels being sold here on Steam. I finally obtained a copy last year when this game was bundled for the first time through a third-party website. Once I started reading, I was instantly hooked.

fault (yes, it is spelled completely in lowercase) is a series of kinetic visual novels, so if you are looking for anything that requires more than just reading, you will need to look elsewhere. The story starts when the Kingdom of Rughzenhaide is attacked by a small group of assailants whose origins and motives are completely unknown. Princess Selphine Rughzenhaide and her personal guardian and childhood friend, Ritona Reighnvhasta, make their escape at the last possible moment through use of mana in the sense of teleportation. Unfortunately for them they find themselves in foreign lands they have never seen before and must now find their way back home. What makes this VN deeper, is that Selphine & Ritona's story is not the only one that will be told.

Without giving away spoilers, and for this series it can be hard to do, their pair of girls the story follows end up coming into contact with a society they have never seen before, as well as individuals with histories never thought possible. All the while, the developers seek to have their readers think... how should I put this? To think beyond what we individually think is normal, to try to search and find all information we can before jumping to conclusions.

I'll be open and honest here. At the time of typing this review up, I have already been supporting the developers through monthly gifts through Patreon. When I looked through their Patreon feed for older posts, I found out that they had redone all of the artwork for fault - milestone one, making every background and character more detailed and beautiful than before. The camera movements that you can see while reading were also previously non-existant before I read through milestone one. Hard work that I believe shows. In addition to improved visuals, music accompanies you through the entire VN, properly adding to the mood. The only downside would be that, especially for a slow reader like myself, may find the music to become annoying as it may seem like the soundtrack is limited at times.

All in all, I expected something enjoyable, and I still had my mind blown by the quality this VN exudes. With it, I encourage anyone with curiosity to try this. They even have a demo here on the store page, so you really don't have anything to lose for trying.

Thank you very much for reading. I know it is obvious that I am enamored with this game, but I hope this little review of mine helps you. If you have an questions or comments please feel free to share with me.

God bless, Aura

P.S. Yes, I did take the time to make this during The Steam Awards.

Disclaimer: I bought a Steam key for this game from a third-party bundle, so the price I paid was not retail.

What do you get with Tengami? You get exactly what the store page shows you; a point-&-click puzzle game in the style of a Japanese pop-up book. As a puzzle game, some people may find this to be a bit lacking as the puzzles themselves are rather simple compared to most others you'll find on Steam, and the entire game can be completed in less than 2 hours.

The game excells with the aesthetics, both with the visuals and the music paired with it. It all put me into a relaxed mood. The sum of these little things is why I recommend this game. Get this game if you want something as a break from your routine, both from your usual gaming and no doubt from real life. If you are looking for more than a relaxing moment or two, you may want to look elsewhere.

PS: I would consider buying the OST for this game.

Not even 15 minutes before I started writing this did I beat the game a second time, finish with 100%, and earn all but one achievement. Despite the fact that this says I love this game, I will acknowledge that it isn't perfect. Let's get started, shall we?

First things first, for those of you who are uneasy about the furry tag this game has, I can personally assure you that the characters in here are safe for all ages. The worst you'll notice is some language, yet even this is used rather lightly –almost not at all.

The way the story is executed leaves me little to say in here without giving spoilers. You play as Dust who has woken up in glade with no memory of who he is. A talking sword called The Blade of Ahrah as well as the sword's little guardian, Fidget, accompany him on his journey of self-discovery. Because of this kind of story, there is a lot of dialogue to go through. Whether you can enjoy that or not I cannot determine. Personally, I loved it. All of the characters had personality, and it was well brought out with the voice actors hired. The only exception to this, and this depends on your own perspective, would be Fidget. Her squeaky voice and quirky personality will either be a hit or miss. On a separated note, the only technical flaw was that the voice actors didn't use the same equipment.

So, on to the gameplay. The majority of your attacks will be with the use of your sword. Even though Fidget provides some ranged combat, it will end up feeling like a brawler. The controls are very responsive. The actually difficulty of this game may feel a bit low, and this is something I had to find out for myself during my second playthrough. A wide variety of items are dropped by slayed enemies, some more common than others, but all have their uses for crafting augments (for Ahrah), armor, pendants, and rings –of which the last you can wear two. These items can enhance, or in a few cases weaken, your attack, defense, luck (chance of a critical hit), and Fidget's power. Overall, very solid.

The artistic side of this game is probably what can put this game above many others. The artwork in here is stunning to say the least. You might find yourself staring at anything and everything in this game. It has all been hand-drawn by the one and only member of developer Humble Hearts, Dean Dodrill. The soundtrack is likewise stellar. Most tracks were created by the Northern Ireland duo Hyperduck Soundworks with a few others done by Funky Rustic, a.k.a. Alex Brandon. The only times I felt the soundtrack was lacking was during the majority of boss fights, though even this is more so of my expectations. I still listen to this game's soundtrack very often when I'm doing my weekly chores. Challenging for me to find something I enjoy as much as this.


Thanks for reading. If you have any questions/comments/critiques on this “review” of mine, feel free to share. I will appreciate it.