Reseñas recientes de DerEider

AVEYOND 3-3: The Lost Orb {A:TLO} is the third installment of the 4-part ”Orbs of Magic” series. The adventures begin when Mel's wedding day isn't quite going according to plan. Her worst enemy has stolen her man at the altar ! Then a ghostly entity appears to inform Mel that her evil ancestor, Mordred Darkthrop, has passed down his most precious possession to her … a magical orb with the power of death … AND the evil Lord of Twilight wants it !! Wanting nothing to do with her wicked ancestor, Mel must now travel to the Empire of Eldrion and seek out the orb to destroy it. Unbeknownst to Mel, dark forces are watching her every move with dire intentions.

Solve dozens of adventure puzzles and explore an enchanting world. A:TLO is packed with monsters, magic, and humor. Explore forests, deserts, surrounding seas, and mountains within the mighty Eldrion Empire. And, hopefully, save mankind by destroying an evil orb. And whatever you do, don’t let the Empress know you can cook

Guide Mel to finding and destroying the ominous lost Black Orb of Death which was created by Mel's wicked ancestor, Mordred Darkthrop. She must do this before the evil Lord of Twilight gets his hands on it … So he can enslave mankind !!

Features:

• HUMOROUS Dialogue throughout; as the Dev put it; “You WILL laugh ... or else!”
  • You really have to go into EVERY building, TALK to any/all NPCs, SEARCH all area corners, & INTERACT with every indicated object to gain full appreciation of this game
• Huge world-space with MANY, varied environments
  • Visit several different Kingdoms with unique creatures
    
  • Many Dungeons, forests, mazes to solve & clear
    
  • LOTS of monsters, evil doers, LOOT, & strange natives !
• Optional Difficulties; Easy, Normal, Expert
  • Most monsters respawn on EXPERT Difficulty ==>
    
  • May build up Experience & Wealth by going back through a cleared area
• Numerous QUESTS drive game's course; easily tracked with Journal
  
• Travel with a large party of friends with diverse skills
  • Up to 4 “Battlers” plus additional non-fighting supernumeraries
    
  • Choose a Leader {who will be seen on the map} and which 4 will Battle
• Protagonist & mages learn spells through use of powerful Staffs
  
• There are {Optional} GOODY CAVES containing OP stuff that detract from the feeling of the game, but may just be carried without using them
  
• SAVE game any time … there is an AUTO-Save
  • Save OFTEN to enable recovery from surprise defeats by Monsters
    
  • Game reverts to last save when Mel is defeated <you sorry excuse for an adventurer !>
• Play with mouse or keyboard; I found Keyboard to be preferable
  
• May gain a HEADSTART by starting game using the final Save in the preceding episode

Cons:

• Limited # of saves => Must manage which to keep
  
• As is typical in RPGs, sell-back of equipment is at ½ of purchase price
  • Solved this problem by simply keeping all equipment {never near the 99 count limit}
    
  • May need anyway to outfit added Party members :D
• Mazes can be complicated – for ME {I'm terrible with mazes :steamfacepalm:}
  
• No Steam Achievements
  
• Developer has withdrawn from Steam due to policy disputes
  • May be reachable at her gaming web site ?… Not sure of current address; AMARANTHIA.com & KOMODO.com, given by Steam for support, are no longer valid

AVEYOND 3-2: Gates of Night {A:GoN} is an interesting and enjoyable RPG, that I also consider to be a Visual Novel. Combat is turn-based. I highly Recommend playing through all four episodes … They all are excellent games that combine to make a memorable tale

{A:GoN} is the second installment of the 4-part ”Orbs of Magic” series. A villainous vampire mage had acquired a magical relic <the Orb> with the power to enslave humanity. As Mel, a former Thief, YOU've managed to wrest it from his vile grasp but yet now, you're on the run! He won't rest until he finds you and takes it back. Can you find the key to defeating him, before he finds you? Even take to the high seas and explore a huge world with many diverse Kingdoms.

Unlock the gate to Naylith, a mystical land filled with ancient knowledge and hopefully the answer you need to defeat the vampire.

Features:

• HUMOROUS Dialogue throughout; as the Dev put it; “You WILL laugh ... or else!”
  • You really have to go into EVERY building, TALK to any/all NPCs, SEARCH all area corners, & INTERACT with every indicated object to gain full appreciation of this game
• Huge world-space with MANY, varied environments
  • Visit wildly different Kingdoms with unique creatures
    
  • Fairy, Orc, Elf & Dragon Kingdoms, land of Moth-people
• Many Dungeons, forests, mazes to solve & clear
  
• LOTS of monsters, evil doers, LOOT, & strange natives !
  • Optional Difficulties; Easy, Normal, Expert
    
  • Most monsters respawn on EXPERT Difficulty ==>
    
  • May build up Experience & Wealth by going back through a cleared area
• Numerous QUESTS drive game's course; easily tracked with Journal
  
• Steal a pirate ship!
  
• Learn to speak Orc and gain other special skills needed to advance quests
  
• Travel with a large party of friends with diverse skills
  • Up to 4 “Battlers” plus additional non-fighting supernumeraries
    
  • Choose a Leader {who will be seen on the map} and which 4 will Battle
• Protagonist & mages learn spells through use of powerful Staffs
  
• There are {Optional} GOODY CAVES containing OP stuff that detract from the feeling of the game, but may just be carried without using them

• SAVE game any time … there is an AUTO-Save
  • Save OFTEN to enable recovery from surprise defeats by Monsters
    
  • Game reverts to last save when Mel is defeated <you sorry excuse for an adventurer !>
• Play with mouse or keyboard; I found Keyboard to be preferable
  
• May gain a HEADSTART by starting game using the final Save in the preceding episode

Cons:

• Limited # of saves => Must manage which to keep
  
• As is typical in RPGs, sell-back of equipment is at ½ of purchase price
  • Solved this problem by simply keeping all equipment
    
  • May need anyway to outfit added Party members :D
• Mazes can be complicated – for ME {I'm terrible with mazes :steamfacepalm:}
  
• No Steam Achievements
  
• Developer has withdrawn from Steam due to policy disputes
  • May be reachable at her gaming web site ?… Not sure of current address; AMARANTHIA.com & KOMODO.com, given by Steam for support, are no longer valid

AVEYOND 3-1: Lord of Twilight {A:LoT} is an interesting and enjoyable RPG, that I also consider to be a Visual Novel. Combat is turn-based.
I highly Recommend playing through all four episodes … They all are excellent games that combine to make a memorable tale.

A:LoT is Chapter 1 in a four-part Aveyond series! Follow/guide the adventures of Mel, a journeyman Thief {it's just Mel, thank you}. Unbeknownst to her, Mel is heir of Mordred Darkthrop, a Sorceror from hundreds of years ago with a distinctly evil fame. Mordred attempted to fulfill a dark prophecy that would see him rule the world. He died before his goal was realized, but the prophecy lingers on due to the existence {?} of certain ORBs.

Travel across a huge world of many lands on a quest to thwart a power-crazed Vampiric lunatic who wants to enslave humanity {their “cattle”}! This “Lord of Twilight” plans to use YOU to invoke the Darkthrop Prophesy and achieve his goal. Are you brave (or foolish) enough to stop this maniac? You will have allies who may be added to your Battle Team. These include a mage healer, a prince/sword wielder, a vampire/archer and her erstwhile husband/former paladin.

Features:

• HUMOROUS Dialogue throughout; as the Dev put it; “You WILL laugh ... or else!”
  • You really have to go into EVERY building, TALK to any/all NPCs, SEARCH all area corners, & INTERACT with every indicated object to gain full appreciation of this game
• Huge world-space with MANY, varied environments
  • Visit wildly different Kingdoms with unique creatures
• Many Dungeons, forests, mazes to solve & clear
  
• Optional Difficulties; Easy, Normal, Expert
  
• LOTS of monsters, evil doers, LOOT, & strange natives !
  • Most monsters respawn on EXPERT Difficulty ==>
    
  • May build up Experience & Wealth by going back through a cleared area
• Numerous QUESTS drive game's course; easily tracked with Journal
  
• Acquire a Ship to travel to strange distant lands
  
• Travel with a party of friends
  • Up to 4 “Battlers” plus additional non-fighting supernumeraries
    
  • Choose the leader {who will be seen on the map} and which 4 will Battle
• Mel must seek out special academies in each town where she can learn special skills {like ice skating} so that is able to explore new areas

• SAVE game any time … there is an AUTO-Save
  • Save OFTEN to enable recovery from surprise defeats by Monsters
    
  • Game reverts to last save when Mel is defeated <you sorry excuse for an adventurer !>
• Play with mouse or keyboard; I found Keyboard to be preferable
  
  
• Help Edward {the prince} find a wife or face the Queen's wrath
  
• Donate gold to {or steal from} Statues of the goddess
  
• Continually upgade the Team's weapons and equipment as you progress
  • Only carry limit is 99-count for each item
• Awesome music brought to you by an award-winning musician who has the entire Final Fantasy music library memorized.
  
• There are {Optional} GOODY CAVES containing OP stuff that detract from the feeling of the game, but may just be carried without using them

Cons:

• Limited # of saves => Must manage which to keep
  
• As is typical in RPGs, sell-back of equipment is at ½ of purchase price
  • Solved this problem by simply keeping all equipment
    
  • May need anyway to outfit new Party members :D
• Mazes can be complicated – for ME {I'm terrible with mazes :steamfacepalm:}
  
• No Steam Achievements
  
• Developer has withdrawn from Steam due to policy disputes
  • May be reachable at her gaming web site ?… Not sure of current address; AMARANTHIA.com & KOMODO.com, given by Steam for support, are no longer valid

AVEYOND 3-4: The Darkthrop Prophesy {A:DP} is an interesting and enjoyable RPG, that I also consider to be a Visual Novel. Combat is turn-based.

I highly Recommend playing through the previous three episodes … They all are excellent tales and lend to a better understanding of what is going on. If I can get it together, I'll try to put out reviews of the earlier Aveyond games.

{A:DP} is the final installment of the ”Orbs of Magic” series. The protagonist, Mel and her friends, Te'ijal, Galahad, Edward, & Stella, come together to prevent the ominous Darkthrop Prophecy of the rise of a Empire of Evil from occurring. Will you succeed in guiding them to victory? The “issue is in doubt”!!

Former career Thief Mel has gone into seclusion after she accidentally learns that she can use uncontrolled magic. To make matters worse, wicked creatures called Darklings keep popping up, convinced that Mel is the “Prophesied One” … their Dark Queen who will build a dark empire for them.

Mel's pal, Edward {ousted as heir to the throne of Thais in episode 3-3} eventually finds her hiding in the animal village of Harakauna. To her dismay, Edward is accompanied by two professors from the prestigious Shadwood Academy of magic = the LAST place she wants to go. Will they convince Mel to go to a school where she can learn to control her powers?

In this final installment of the Orbs of Magic series, Te'ijal, Galahad, Edward, Stella, and Mel come together to stop the Darkthrop Prophecy from occurring. Will they succeed?

Features:

• HUMOROUS Dialogue throughout; as the Dev put it; “You WILL laugh ... or else!”
  • You really have to go into EVERY building, TALK to any/all NPCs, SEARCH all area corners, & INTERACT with every indicated object to gain full appreciation of this game
• Huge world-space with MANY, varied environments
  
• Many Dungeons, forests, mazes to solve & clear
  
• LOTS of monsters, evil doers, LOOT, & strange species !
  • Most monsters respawn on EXPERT Difficulty ==>
    
  • Build up Experience & Wealth by going back through a cleared area
• Numerous QUESTS drive game's course; easily tracked with Journal
  
• Buy a Ship, or even a Dragon, to travel to distant lands
  
• Manage your Battle Team & choose who will be its Leader {visible on-screen}
  
• Buy & Upgrade your team's Skills, weapons & equipment
  
• Protagonist & mages learn spells through use of powerful Staffs
  
• Choose with whom to pursue true romance & marry your characters … Maybe ?
  
• SAVE game any time … there is an AUTO-Save
  • Game reverts to last save when Mel is defeated <you sorry excuse for an adventurer !>
• Play with mouse or keyboard; I found Keyboard to be preferable
  
• May gain a HEADSTART by starting game using the final Save in the preceding episode
  
• Surprise ENDING

Cons:

• Limited # of saves => Must manage which to keep
  
• As is typical in RPGs, sell-back of equipment is at ½ of purchase price
  • Solved this problem by simply keeping all equipment
    
  • May need anyway to outfit new Party members :D
• Mazes can be complicated – for ME {I'm terrible with mazes :steamfacepalm:}
  
• No Steam Achievements
  
• Developer has withdrawn from Steam due to policy disputes
  • May be reachable at her gaming web site ?… Not sure of current address; AMARANTHIA.com & KOMODO.com, given by Steam for support, are no longer valid

The Legend of ARCADIEU 2 {LOA-2} is a simple Visual Novel. I hope this was one of the free games during the Winter Sale, 'cause it's surely not worth the current $4.99 US price.
Refer to Cons below for reasons I down-rated LOA-2.

Features:

• Cute characters
  
• Short, linear play with short cast of NPCs
  
• Can't lose the rare 'battles'
  
• Gallery of game pics. All pics fill in as Thumbnails; BUT <See”Cons”>;
  
• Free 18+ DLC

Cons:

• NO Achievements
  
• Gallery ==> Clicking Pic thumbnails yields BLACK SCREEN & Frozen game
  
• 18+ DLC “artist” was lazy = often Character POSES DON'T MATCH supposed ACTIONS
  
• No evidence of Developer attention to Discussions since 2020 :wowsno:

GROTESQUE** TACTICS: Evil Heroes <GT-EH> is a funny <dare I say hilarious>, indie, satirical, tactical RPG parady combining elements of popular Western and Asian RPGs. The developer and publisher is Silent Dreams {original name was Headup Games}.

GT-EH currently <DEC2024> is on sale at a -90% discount = $0.99 US !!
A bundle of 3 Grotesque Tactics series games is priced at $1.59 US.

The reluctant protagonist is a knight of questionable talents and problematic “emo” fits, who is drawn into a quest to save The Kingdom of Glory from the mercilessly minions of an evil cult; the Dark Church. He ends up teamed with a strange group of fellow questers that includes a supremely arrogant Demi-God, a blood-thirsty Vampire, an ill-tempered horny Angel and assorted other beings.

AND there are Killer Rabbits, deadly attack Mushrooms, and scores of other villainous creatures to overcome ... Treasures to find … Dungeons to clear … Scantily clad Virgins to rescue from ferocious Monsters … Outfits to upgrade and equip … Vicious and angry Bosses to defeat … Heroes to level up … An Angel to satisfy.

Combat is by turn-based tactical battles with comical animations; dropped weapons, etc.

Throughout this RPG/quest, there always is humor and satire. Gamer MUST pay attention to the dialogue or it is easy to miss it.

An interesting note from the store page ...
** In chess, a “Grotesque” is a problem or endgame study that features a particularly unlikely initial position, especially one in which White fights with a very small force against a much larger black army.
Grotesques are generally intended to be humorous.

HOTEL VIP is a FREE, casual, simulation/puzzler in which Gamer seeks to uncover “clues” {very conspicuous sparkles} and meet Girls by wandering freely around the Hotel. The Girls are simple swap-puzzles revealing their faces. The “clues” seem to have no apparent purpose except to complete the game. As is, the base game is innocuous.

However, if the Adult Content DLC is added { for $3.99 } the game would be converted to an 18+ NSFW game with a bunch of nekked Girls.

While I spent 76 minutes on Hotel VIP, I am sure a typical Gamer could reach 100% Achievement in less than 60 minutes with the Guide, which I did not consult until I {thought} I had finished the game.

Features:
There are 17 Steam Achievements … May 100% without the DLC !!
There is a GUIDE available … Provides Lock combinations for quick completion.
There is an Adult 18+, NSFW DLC available for a cost {currently $3.99 US}
Solve simple swap minigames to unlock Girls' images.
16 Girls' pictures to unlock (80 with DLC)
4 Rooms to “discover” {Must decipher “Lock” combinations}
40 Clues to collect in total (Developer says 18 base game +22 with DLC).
… However, WITHOUT the DLC, I got all 40 clues ?

#1 = It is FREE to Play in the Steam Store ! So it won't hurt to give it a go ! …

LUCY GOT PROBLEMS {LGP} is a fun, cute, comedic Visual Novel {in an Adult, NSFW sort of way}. It involves a certain airhead succubus spy on a mission into the Elven Forest to ... ?? What was that mission anyway ? All one has to do is guide poor Lucy through a forest full of dangers and lustful elves to overcome and accomplish her mission ?

Fortunately, there is the ACORN OF DOOM ? ==> an EMOTE !!

At the time of this Review {mid-December 2024}, the good news is there is a DEMO version one may try out ... Though I'm not sure it is worth passing up the $0.79 price <90% mark-down> for the real thing :D

There also is a free 18+ Adult Only patch and a discounted "Ecchi, Yuri, Comedy" bundle.
What could go wrong ??

Lust Academy Season 3 is an NSFW Visual Novel with a Sandbox feature. The tale is interesting, if a bit spicy. In addition to interactions with many fellow students and professors, the Protagonist gets to deal with the immortal Founders of the Cordale Academy of Magic and Wizardry and with assorted Demons.

There also is an LBGQT option that may be disabled. Also, there are mini-game aspects including a Laptop Puzzle, Intramural Wizard battles, and a Wizard Combat Tournament.

The story line is carried forward from the previous Seasons 1 & 2. However, LAS3 may be played without doing Seasons 1 & 2. Completing the first 2 Seasons gives a head start on the Protagonist's stats.

Refer to my LAS2 review for further details: https://steamproxy.net/profiles/76561198040702503/recommended/2126680

Partly due to my limited play of "new" Steam games, I have nominated LAS3 for the Game of the Year and Innovative Game Play and Story Line awards.

Nominated for multiple GAME OF THE YEAR Awards ...
What can a guy do ? ... I played only 3 or so 2023 games.
And Lust Academy - Season 2 {LA2} was the best of the lot.

Decent story line as a follow-on from LA1 telling the trials and tribulations of a retired-due-to-injury athlete turned unsuspecting Mage after being selected to attend a famed traditional Eastern University that actually is a front for a "dimensionally" hidden Wizards Academy.

Follow the adventures of {type in your favorite name} as he {didn't notice an option for a Female :steamSAD:} struggles though Combat Magic and Alchemy classes and valiantly handles relationships with fellow over-18 students. Lead your "House" to victory over competing houses to earn weekend passes {& a CASH stipend} to the only town in the Academy's dimension. In this town player can spend hard-earned money at a coffee bar, a massage parlor, a magic supplies shop, or a night club. All this while doing various over-18 things with fellow students and teachers.

Score points {& sometimes cash} through class attendance, non-lethal intramural magic combat, collecting lost books {stolen by Pixies !}, and part-time work { $ gained according to one's clicking skill } in the Academy Cafe. Ultimately, a goal is to have enough combat magic skill to defeat a powerful magic beast and build up skills to carry forward into Season 3.

LA2 may be played as a New Game or begun based upon the results from one's LA1 game. Presumably, the same would held true when { if ? } LA3 is released.