Samantha Lienhard
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Writing For
MonsterVine
KeenGamerLatest Reviews
While it has occasional frustrating sections and leaves a lot of things up for the player to discover on their own, Blue Fire is a delight of a game filled with secrets to find and a beautiful world to explore. If you like 3D platforming challenges and exploration-based gameplay, Blue...
As you get deeper into Niwa, the dark story surrounding it is slowly revealed. It has some pretty heavy moments and touches on serious issues, with some morally gray moments where I wasn’t sure if I should be rooting for anyone in the story’s past. At the same time, the...
Shady Part of Me has a great visual style and a fantastic soundtrack that emphasizes the moodiness of some of its scenes, as well as solid voice acting for its major characters. Above all, the way it plays with light and perspective for its puzzles is very well-done and makes...
Despite its occasional repetition and odd design choices, Root Double kept me invested from start to finish, and as the story developed, my interest only grew. With a compelling cast, intriguing mysteries, and emotional storytelling, Root Double is a visual novel fans of the genre do not want to miss.
Fortunately, the story is great. There are a few links to the developer’s previous game Conarium, since the two are set in the same universe, but the plot of Transient stands completely on its own. It makes good use of its themes and progresses at a nice pace, and I...
I’ve tried to avoid making too many comparisons to Amnesia: The Dark Descent in this game. That’s mainly because I want to judge the game on its own merits rather than as a comparison to another, but also because it’s difficult to compare the two. They have many common gameplay...
The Final Word Despite an unsatisfying conclusion, Raji: An Ancient Epic is a fun action-adventure game well worth looking into for anyone who wants an enjoyable story told alongside fast-paced combat or is interested in learning more about Hindu mythology.
Tamarin left me feeling conflicted and a bit puzzled. There’s no denying that it’s fun and well-designed, with solid 3D platforming gameplay and third-person shooter combat, but the blatant lack of cohesion between these two styles of gameplay results in the overall package feeling a bit odd.
The story is delightful, too–a little predictable at times, but not quite as straightforward as you might initially expect. It should take you between 10-15 hours to complete, depending on how much you explore and how many side quests you do. There’s also a nice dose of humor, which adds...
Best Friend Forever is cute, and you’re bound to get some smiles out of it if you’re a pet-lover. Unfortunately, the rest of it ends up feeling half-hearted. It doesn’t have a great deal of depth as a simulation game, and the visual novel aspect isn’t compelling either. The dogs...
The story is interesting enough to push the gameplay along and has some great moments as you learn more about past events, and it comes to a satisfactory conclusion aided by its wonderful music. There are two endings, determined by a choice you make at the very end, although you’ll...
While the gameplay is the primary focus, Skully has a surprising amount of story. This is conveyed in part through dialogue from Terry and his siblings as you journey through each level, and also through cutscenes. There’s no clear explanation for how Terry travels with you–cutscenes show him walking alongside...
