Mothergamer Plays Ereban: Shadow Legacy

 Note: I received the game for free for my honest review. Thank you to Baby Robot Games for the Playstation 5 game key!

Ereban Shadow Legacy starts off with a very interesting premise. We are introduced to Ayana who is an Ereban; a race of people who have the ability to use shadows as a tool and can literally wrap themselves in the shadows. You learn very quickly that Ayana may be the last of her kind and she's trying to figure out what happened to her people. This gives an introduction to the tutorial to figure out how Ayana moves and how the stealth aspect of the game works. Ayana shows up to a facility called Helios which is very much giving evil mega corporation vibes, but not just a corporation, it's a corporation that relies very heavily on technology and their supreme leader known as the Nascent who has put her personality and mind into a giant AI super computer. Yes, it's very creepy. Ayana has to do a series of trials to test if she has what it takes to be a Helios agent. There's a bit of a learning curve with how Ayana moves through the shadows, but once I got used to it, it was fun having her be able to jump across walls via the shadows and sneak past enemies. The tutorial also shows how light can neutralize Ayana's shadow powers and ways to think strategically to avoid that happening. 

We meet Ayana. 

I liked Ayana a lot. She's quite witty and her sarcasm delivered in a sassy flat Daria kind of tone had me chuckling a few times. Ayana starts to realize that Helios is not what they appear to be and some of the things they claim are for the greater good are blatant lies. This causes friction and the Nascent tries to have Ayana captured, but Ayana escapes with the help of a rebel group known as The Forgotten Suns who are actively fighting Helios. 

This is where the story really dives in with Ayana working with the rebel group to find out the truth about Helios, the Nascent, and what happened to the other Ereban. The world that Ayana explores isn't exactly linear, but there are very specific paths you have to take and the game does give hints here and there about where to go. This is very much Ayana needs to use stealth via her shadow powers to avoid getting caught by Helios robots and taking them out quickly and quietly. Ayana can't do combat which could be very frustrating in some situations. She must use stealth and do shadow takedowns in order to get by. If she's caught, she has to run quickly or it's game over and you have to start from the last checkpoint.

Ayana explores some temple ruins. 

Ayana does get various tools and gadgets that help her such as a sonar pulse that reveals where enemies are and land mines for stunning them. She can also upgrade her shadow powers in a skill tree and gain abilities like blinding enemies with her shadows or making herself harder to detect. You have to plan and think about which ones you want to use in the moment because they do have a cool down timer so this made me take my time often instead of rushing in. At certain locations there is a crafting bench so Ayana can restock on gadgets and tools as long as she has the materials for them. Some would drop off enemies and others could be found in treasure chests and around the area Ayana was exploring. 

Getting ready to make some things. 

I did like exploring and while the stealth aspect was interesting, I did find myself frustrated by not being able to at least defend myself and the only thing I could do was run away. I understand what they were trying to do here with the main focus being on stealth and taking out enemies quietly, but sometimes it felt a little imbalanced and in one area that was rather challenging for me, I had to retry from the checkpoint quite a few times. The art design is interesting and I really loved the look of Ayana especially when she merges with the shadows. Her eyes glowing and the electric blue of her hair stands out beautifully in contrast against the shadows. 

I do wish there was a bit more explanation with the lore of Ereban. You get the gist of some of the world building through notes you find scattered throughout the game, but in some spots it left me with more questions than answers so this causes some of the story to feel a little flat and some characters that Ayana meets don't feel as fully realized as they could have been. The game itself is only five hours long so it feels like perhaps it should have been a little longer in order to go more in depth with the world building.

I did like the game and I enjoyed seeing Ayana's story unfold as she tried to come to terms with her ideas of the world and how it really is. There is also some great exposition about her ethics and morals as she fits all the pieces together about what happened to her people and how some of the people working for Helios don't necessarily know the whole truth either. Ereban has four different endings; light, hope, darkness, and darkness-blood and the game leaves it entirely up to you which one you choose. Naturally, each ending has consequences some good, some bad, and some in a morally grey area. For me, I went with the hope ending because it made the most sense in my opinion for what Ayana would choose. While there are some things I feel could have been better in terms of the gameplay and some of the world building lore, Ereban Shadow Legacy isn't a bad game and if they made a sequel to it, I would be happy to play it. 

Hiding in the shadows. 

*Ereban: Shadow Legacy is available on these platforms: Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam 

Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Coffee Talk Tokyo

 I loved the first two Coffee Talk games and I was thrilled when Coffee Talk Tokyo was announced. I couldn't wait to experience a whole new coffee shop in a new area with new characters. I splurged and got the deluxe edition which has some nice perks like a digital art book, a little pre chapter setting up the Tokyo shop, and a really cool bonus ending at the end of the main story. The set up for the coffee shop in Tokyo is well done by tying Hendry to it. Hendry explains he's taking a business trip to Tokyo and the Seattle barista recommends a coffee shop there giving Hendry their contact information.

Hendry arrives at the Tokyo coffee shop and just like the first two games we never actually see the barista, but they can chat with everyone. We're also introduced to the barista's assistant Vin and Vin quickly became one of my favorite characters in the game because of their honesty about their chronic illness and explaining spoon theory and using up their spoons. Vin made me feel seen in regards to having to manage my own spoons with my Fibromyalgia and arthritis. It was refreshing to have a character like Vin in the game.

Hendry meets Vin in Coffee Talk Tokyo. 

The way to make the drinks for customers hasn't changed from the previous games with them giving hints about what they would like. The artwork for the Coffee Talk games is vibrant, cute, and lovely. Coffee Talk Tokyo continues with that lovely art style right down to the presentation of the drinks that are served. If you get stuck trying to remember how to make a drink, you can pull up your brew pad app in the game and look up the recipes which is nice. I confess I did use a drink guide walkthrough to make sure I got all the drinks right because that's how I like to play so I can get it right and enjoy the ebb and flow of the story with the various characters and get the best ending. 

Even the drinks are very cute. 

Much like the previous Coffee Talks the barista lends an ear while listening to the various Yokai and Human customers discuss their day or issues they're having like adjusting to retirement or dealing with writer's block. Sometimes the barista can weigh in offering some sage advice or just being a comforting presence while they work it out themselves. I loved meeting the new characters in Coffee Talk Tokyo and of course I have my favorites like Vin and another interesting character, Jun. 

There's no rush in Coffee Talk Tokyo. You can take your time and savor each moment while making the perfect drink for a customer. The lo-fi music is also great setting a relaxed vibe and adding another wonderful layer to the storytelling. There were a couple of moments in the story where I found myself a little emotional on behalf of one character because their moment was bittersweet, but it was important and needed to happen for them and I was glad to see how thoughtfully it was written giving them a good ending. The game isn't too long; I finished it in about eight hours. There's also an endless drink mode where you can make all kinds of drinks for customers, experiment, and see what new recipes you can unlock. 

Coffee Talk Tokyo absolutely delivered with more endearing characters, the charming art style, and an interesting story that kept me invested, wanting to see what happened next. I loved every minute of it because all of those things tied it together beautifully making it a wonderful experience. 

Hendry with some Coffee Talk Tokyo customers.

*Coffee Talk Tokyo is available on these platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Playstation 5, and Xbox Series X/S

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

 

Mothergamer Plays Adorable Adventures

 *Note: I received the game for free for my honest review. Thank you to PQube and Wild Sheep Studio for the PS5 game key!

Adorable Adventures is very cute from beginning to end. We are introduced to the adorable baby boar Boris who is taking a nice little nap in the forest. Boris awakens and we get to do a little tutorial about how he walks, runs, and uses his nose to sniff out various scent trails and how to follow them. The whole point of this adventure is Boris needs to find his six siblings so they can free their mother who somehow got trapped in a big shed. Following the scent trails was interesting and Boris can run around until he finds the source of the scent. Once it's found, you can check it off the list and focus on the main scent of his siblings for the story. There's a narrator that cheerfully gives a summary of all of Boris's adventures which adds another lovely detail to the game.

Cute little Boris gets in a nap. 

The park is beautiful and I loved running around exploring everywhere with Boris. There were so many lovely trees, flowers, and a variety of mushrooms to find. Each new discovery can go into a sticker book which is another fun thing in the game. I would stop often just to look at the gorgeous scenery. There was always something to see from giant trees to taking a little break in a river with a cascading waterfall. 

Taking a break in the river. 

As Boris continues his journey searching for his siblings there's little side tasks he can do. Of course finding his siblings isn't that easy as some of them get into some amusing situations and he has to figure out how to help them. One of my personal favorites was finding specific types of mushrooms and then enjoying a little scene of Boris enjoying a mushroom feast with a couple of his siblings. There's no rushing in the game. You can take your time and explore as much as you like which I had a good time with because you can also use photo mode in the game capturing some beautiful landscape vistas.

Mushroom feast! 

There's also learning incorporated in the game with facts about the flora and fauna you find. The music in the game captures the mood of each moment of the story. There's even a funny high speed chase and it was a blast having Boris run as fast as he could and do a little drift as he raced around a tree or a rock. Adorable Adventures is a short game that I finished in about four hours, but short is not bad. It was obvious how much care and love went into making this game. You can also go back and look for any collectibles you missed after you finish the main story which is nice. I loved Adorable Adventures and everything in it was perfectly done right down to the smallest details. It was such a delight to play and I loved seeing Boris together with his siblings as they worked together to be reunited with their mother. It's an all around feel good game with the right amount of whimsy and cuteness. 

Boris with his siblings.

*Adorable Adventures is available on these platforms: Steam, Playstation 5, and Xbox Series X/S

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Wax Heads

  *Note: I received the game for free for my honest review. Thank you to Renaissance PR and Patattie for the Xbox game key!

From the moment I started Wax Heads, I was instantly drawn in by the unique art style and the whole vibe of music bringing us together. Suddenly, I was a sixteen year old kid again hanging out with my friends after school at the local record shop bonding over favorite bands, excited about a new album discovered, discussing an epic live show, and just enjoying that moment right there, not worried about tomorrow because we were living for that day and having fun. The fact that Wax Heads did that for me right from the start is lightning in a bottle and it made me so nostalgic for the kid I was trying to figure out her place in the world as a young Queer Filipino woman and the music and community that got me through when I needed it most. 

In Wax Heads you play as an unnamed employee who everyone just refers to as "Kid" at Repeater Records the local music shop in town. The first day is a tutorial of how to solve the puzzle of what a customer is looking for and recommending an album to them. I did like that there were great accessibility settings in the game to make this easier which I did use. If you get the recommendation right the customer is very happy and if you get it wrong they let you know it's not good. They do give you clues that hint at what they're looking for. Sometimes it's comically funny how they misheard a band name or they just remember the album cover art. This led to a few amusing conversations with customers, but I always felt a thrill at nailing that recommendation for them and seeing them ecstatic over it.

A customer ready for some music help. 

I survived my first day at Repeater Records and got some words of encouragement from the store owner and my boss Morgan. I also got to chat with some of my fellow coworkers and I instantly loved them. I also loved the sense of community and belonging with all of them. That diversity and representation made me overjoyed. My personal favorite character among the coworkers was Paul because he was full of joy, but he also understood how important it is to show up for everyone in a community especially in Queer spaces. Paul also constantly made me laugh with his humor, his roasts, and his whole attitude. 

Morgan encourages the newbie. 

The main story itself hit close to home with me as it showed how vital it is to not lose our community spaces to corporate greed and how music is a universal language that can bring so many of us together in the best ways. The music throughout the entire game is incredible ranging from edgy rock to lighthearted pop and all of it flows effortlessly through the game and the story itself making Repeater Records feel real and authentic. That is pure beautiful artistry and I found myself tapping my foot and bopping my head to every tune. Yes, it's that good. 

I love the art on the shutters of the store. 

I loved the fact that we were not always at the record store and could hang out at the neighborhood bar with the Repeater Records gang seeing a live show and getting familiar with the local music scene. This also has a bit of deduction puzzles as you get to figure out what a person's favorite drink is or what type of drink they would like and buy it for them. That was a nice touch adding to the comradery between everyone. 

Wax Heads isn't just a game about music, it's about the beating heart of a community. It shows that individuality while also showing how that can shine brighter than any star when we lift each other up and face those challenges together. It's a lovely beacon of hope and optimism when we need it most and that is priceless. It also reminded that Filipino Queer kid in me that we don't have to fit in, we can stand out as our true selves without fear with love and support from our family, chosen family, and friends while celebrating those connections through music and art. I loved every single moment in Wax Heads and the ending moved me deeply because of how well it told this story in such a beautiful and thoughtful way. I was a little sad to say goodbye to the characters that I had come to know and love by the end, but I was so glad I got to experience those moments because sometimes that's all life really is; a series of moments that stay with us in our memories and our hearts reminding us that for all the bad that can happen, there is also so much good. We just have to take the time to take a breath and soak it all in and enjoy some great music along the way. 

Rocking jam session at a live show. 

*Wax Heads is available on the following platforms: Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5, and Nintendo Switch

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health and social issues:https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Review

 I had played Dragon Quest VII ages ago on the 3DS and I remember it fondly. I was very excited for the remake and dove right in. We're introduced to the hero and his best friend Kiefer who happens to be the prince of Estard, the island where they live. Hero and Kiefer discover that Estard is the only island in the world, but find a pretty big secret that allows them to travel to the past where several missing continents still exist. Forcing herself to come along with them is their friend Maribel and she's as bossy as I remembered her from the original. I never liked Maribel and I still don't like her, but she is in some ways a good foil to the Hero and Kiefer.

Starting the adventure in Estard. 

The art style is different from the original with the 3D chibi models and the diorama landscapes and it looks great while keeping the game's original whimsy and charm. The trio of friends discover that things are really messed up in the past and it's up to them to fix those issues in order to restore the present timeline and bring the missing islands back. The battle system is typical Dragon Quest, but it's been overhauled a bit for the better and battles are actually fun. There's accessibility settings that in my opinion are amazing because you can make the game easier as well as have your party automatically heal after battles as well as add shortcuts on the controller for specific tactics to name a few.

Having each island be its own separate world is smart because allows you exploration without being overwhelmed and of course each area has various map shards that you can find and once you find all of the pieces you can put them together in the hidden sanctuary unlocking more islands. There are also special hidden map tiles that unlock specific challenges you can attempt if you wish.

Placing map pieces.

The job class system is great, because once you unlock a skill known as Moonlighting, you can have two different jobs equipped at once and can change them at any time. Both job classes earn experience at the same time and as you master them you can unlock more advanced job classes. You can also swap party members in and out making the party that works for you. The dungeon crawls are pretty straight forward and it's clear they streamlined them to make things faster and easier which works great because the dungeons are actually fun and not a chore. There are some puzzles here and there as well, but nothing terribly challenging. The game does a great job of allowing a lot of freedom to figure them out.

 

Figuring out a light puzzle. 

The story itself is still the same, but playing Reimagined it felt brand new because of the modern changes and I absolutely loved it. Toriyama's artwork is timeless and the pun filled monster names always make me laugh and smile. I loved that each island was completely different from the last with a different variety of monsters and lore that matched the theme of the area. You can talk to your party members about things you see on your adventure and they will even offer insight like where to go or what to do next. Maybe it feels a bit like hand holding in places, but I didn't mind it and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game. 

We got to ride on a giant dragon!

Overall, I loved Reimagined and it reminded me of why I first fell in love with the Dragon Quest series when I was a kid (when it was known as Dragon Warrior) and why I still love it. They always tell great stories and are filled with interesting characters, villains, and lots of whimsical fun. There's a lot of side quests throughout the game as well which add to the fun. I finished the game in about 55 hours and liked the ending. There's also post game challenges you can do so you can continue having more adventures. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined did a fantastic job and I loved every bit of it. 

Celebrating with fireworks.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is available on the following platforms: Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam

Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays The Day I Became A Bird

 *Note: I received the game for free for my honest review. Thank you so much to RenaissancePR for the PS5 game key!

The Day I Became A Bird introduces us to a young boy named Frank. Instantly I loved the art style for the game because it looks and feels like a whimsical children's book. There's a mini tutorial in Frank's bedroom on how to move him around, pick things up, and interact with surroundings. Frank even has a cute little dog that you can pet and feed before Frank heads off to school on his bike. This is where Frank's story begins and I loved the narrative pages as he tells his story because again it definitely feels like a lovely children's picture book. 

Frank begins his story. 

There's an introduction to a bike riding mini game here where Frank has to dodge puddles and ride through rings while collecting golden feathers on his bike ride to school. It's fun, but it went a little fast for me and I kept missing a ring or feather here and there. Luckily, the game doesn't judge you too harshly for that and gives you plenty of chances to get the number of rings and feathers you need. 

Trying my best at this minigame. 

Frank has a little trouble on his bike and crashes it in the park. Frank is okay and as he's sitting there he notices a girl singing to the birds. Frank is immediately drawn to this girl and can't stop thinking about her and how pretty he thinks she is. He gets to school and here Frank can talk to his classmates which gets information about the girl he saw in the park such as learning her name is Sylvia and that she's always drawing birds. There's little tasks you can do here like finding art supplies and putting together a picture that got torn apart. There's tile box style jigsaw puzzles you can do throughout the game that aren't too challenging, but definitely add to the game's charm. 

Frank notices the pretty girl singing to the birds. 

Frank comes up with a plan to get Sylvia to notice him. He decides that he will find a way to become a bird since she loves birds. There's a whole day at the park where Frank gathers the materials he needs for this like getting branches by shaking trees to knock them loose or gathering leaves from the leaf piles. Frank can also talk to all the kids there and do various tasks for them in exchange for items he needs for his bird project. The isometric navigation to 3-D is interesting with the straightforward gameplay. However, sometimes I would miss things visually and have to walk around several times before I found the item I was supposed to pick up. 

I also struggled with the minigame of Frank constructing his bird costume because the instructions weren't really clear about what I was supposed to do in order to cut out the shapes. I soon figured out that I was supposed to cut in between the dotted lines and I looked into the settings and discovered I could make the controls simplified which I greatly appreciated. That made things a lot easier for finishing this minigame and completing Frank's bird. 

The Day I Became A Bird doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It's direct and honest in the storytelling showing that this is not just a story about Frank, it's a story about that feeling of being a kid and finding first love. It does it in such a lovely and thoughtful way and the simplicity is what makes it beautiful and allows it to shine. I found myself smiling often at Frank's antics trying to impress the girl he likes while enjoying the story, the art, and the gameplay. The game isn't long at all. It's short and sweet; I finished it in about 45 minutes. I feel this works because the narrative for the story is nice and doesn't overstay its welcome with a wonderful ending that ties everything together beautifully. It was so lovely and I'm glad I got a chance to experience it. 

Become a bird! 

*The Day I Became A Bird is available on the following platforms: Steam, Playstation 5, and Nintendo Switch

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime

 *Note: I received the game for free for my honest review. Thank you so much to Offbrand Games and Bonte-Avond for the Nintendo Switch game key.

Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime is charming right from the start with a Bear named Bonnie in a frog onesie just vibing in their treehouse. Bonnie's friends show up with a cake to celebrate Bonnie's bearday and they brought gifts. The game is fully voice acted which is really lovely because everyone nails the tone of each character. 

Celebrating Bonnie's bearday. 

One of the gifts Bonnie's friends have for them is a toad bag in order to play a tactical game called Frogtime and yes, you play it with cute frogs. There's a tutorial with Bonnie and friends on how to play Frogtime. Different frogs have various abilities that allow them to jump over your opponent's frogs or push a frog back a tile to start. There are also toads who can't jump, but they other skills that help you on your way to victory in a Frogtime match. There's a bit of a learning curve to Frogtime and it did take me a couple of tries during the tutorial before I got the hang of it. 

It's Frogtime! 

It becomes clear pretty quickly as part of the story that the starter frogs are not strong enough to win some Frogtime battles. Luckily, there's a shop nearby that sells booster eggs so you can get better frogs and if you're lucky you can even get some legendary frogs. You can also get booster eggs for toads. The first area is Bonnie walking around and playing Frogtime with others which gets in a good bit of practice and becoming more familiar with the game. When Bonnie wins their self worth goes up which is an interesting way of level grinding. However, if they lose a match, their self worth goes down a little. The good news is you can try again if you lose a Frogtime match. I'm defininetly not the best at Frogtime and a couple of battles took me a few tries, but I was having fun with it and I liked that you could see what skills each frog has not just for your frogs, but for your opponent as well. 

Buying booster eggs. 

The main part of the story is Bonnie and friends saving their friend Ann who got stuck in a trans-dimensional seashell by mistake and discovering there are other trans-dimensional shells. Bonnie leaves home with their friends in search of a way to help Ann and find these other shells while playing Frogtime along the way. This is a smart way to introduce new frogs at the shops in these other areas. I do wish we could hold more than eight frogs in the toad bag because if you have a full roster of frogs and buy a new one, you have to choose which frog to throw away. I would have liked a storage area in the toad bag so we could have a set of frogs kind of like different card decks. It's also completely random which frogs you get to pull out of your toad bag during Frogtime. I understand what they were trying to do with this, but I really feel it would have been stronger to allow a little more control over this for the players. I also got a bit frustrated with how often I would lose a Frogtime match because at times it felt like the RNG was often in favor of the computer. There were also quite a few matches that were story locked so if I lost, I couldn't continue the story and I would find myself slightly irritated by this. It made me wish there was an accessibility setting to make the game a little easier to avoid frustrations like this. I'm very stubborn and refused to give up and eventually did manage to win those matches trying different frogs and various strategies which made me feel quite vindicated. In spite of those few critiques, I really enjoyed Frogtime and all the whimsy that came with it. 

To add to the cuteness and whimsical energy of the story, there is music throughout the entire game and all of it is lovely. There's a sweet gentle song about playing Frogtime with friends and a great upbeat dance song sung between a dapper French skeleton and their romantic ghost partner. The music and singing are wonderful and the voice acting throughout the game is great showing just how much passion and care went into creating this game and when you realize it's two musicians that created this, it makes it even more impressive.  

Making music together. 

I enjoyed the story for Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime and appreciated the many puns, the brilliant humor, the bright colors, and cute art style. The music and songs are wonderfully done adding to the general ambience of the coziness of the game. While the few things I mentioned could be better, it did not detract from the great time I had hanging out with Bonnie and their friends while solving a bit of a mystery. I'm so glad I got a chance to experience it and got to see so many adorable frogs. 

Yes, we had fun playing Frogtime with a kraken!

*Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime is available on the following platforms: Nintendo Switch and Steam

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer