Caught inside during a summer storm like this fair reviewer is? Well, hopefully the JayIsGames Vault can bring you a little sunshine, with some excellent games from our archives. Today we'll got classic works from the visual novel, arcade, and interactive art genres, no umbrella neccesary
- Air Pressure - It's a rare work that can simulatenously serve as both an introduction to a genre, as well as a treat for experienced fans. Air Pressure, a visual novel by Bento Smile, pulls it off. It's a story of a man who must choose whether to ignore or deal with the worries he has with his girlfriend... or maybe not. If you haven't played it before, it's a game worth going into with a blank slate. A heady, symbolic work, Air Pressure is not for everyone. Still, you should definitely give it a chance to blow your mind.
- Doeo - Doeo! Raitendo's 2008 arcade release clearly had the Moai series in mind when it was created, but it manages to stand on its own two lack-of-feet. The colorful, constantly-changing environments, bouncy music, and kawaii character designs call to mind a demented Nick Jr. program, but the good kind of demented. It's hard not to crack a smile as the screen fills with those little pink uni-browed rectangles, and you won't stop playing till you've caught all that you can catch. Doeo!
- Immortall - Call me a sucker for emotionally manipulative narrative techniques, but man, every book/TV show/movie/game about an initially-frightening cryptid/alien/robot/Sloth who forms a protective bond with a cute kid always gets me right in the feels. Immortall, a 2010 artsy platformer by Pixelante is right up there with the best. Presented with stark visuals to match it's wordless-but-powerful storytelling, Immortall manages to display a surprising amount of emotion in its short length. And while I know that the NPCs are all just characters on a screen controlled by their programming, it doesn't stop me from feeling that there's some life in this simple story of a Girl and her Blob.
While we welcome any comments about this weekly feature here, we do ask that if you need any help with the individual games, please post your questions on that game's review page. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and rediscover some awesome!
Agggh, Air Pressure. Such a good game.
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