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Will Aickman

WA
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Posts by Will Aickman

Slay the Princess review – Subversive, brilliantly executed visual novel continually surprises with impactful player choice

Slay the Princess review – Subversive, brilliantly executed visual novel continually surprises with impactful player choice

While Slay the Princess comes in a deceptively simple package, it contains what feels like a whole universe of horror, humor and humanity; it takes the visual novel format and pushes it as far as it will go, with a story that changes and adapts to every decision you make without ever forsaking its central themes of identity, eternity, and the nature of life and death... Read more

Windy Meadow: A Roadwarden Tale review – Sweeping changes made to worthwhile but very different visual novel spinoff

Windy Meadow: A Roadwarden Tale review – Sweeping changes made to worthwhile but very different visual novel spinoff

Windy Meadow uses the visual novel format to tell a moving, thoughtful story about growth, decisions and community in a gorgeously realized setting. While not a modern classic on the scale of the original Roadwarden, those who go in with the proper expectations will find it a solid, rewarding narrative adventure... Read more

Roadwarden review – Rich text detail, world-building and player choices pave the way for an excellent narrative RPG

Roadwarden review – Rich text detail, world-building and player choices pave the way for an excellent narrative RPG

Roadwarden is a highly compelling, vividly realized text-based expedition into a dynamic fantasy setting, with a deep and layered story that allows players to experience as much or as little as they choose while deciding what kind of role they want to play in its deceptively vast world... Read more

Stasis: Bone Totem review – Sci-fi horror sequel mostly reaches stunning new heights from the ocean depths

Stasis: Bone Totem review – Sci-fi horror sequel mostly reaches stunning new heights from the ocean depths

Though cracks are visible in its impressive facade by the time the credits roll, Stasis: Bone Totem is a wildly ambitious follow-up that builds effectively on the macabre promise of its predecessors... Read more

Creepy Tale 3: Ingrid Penance review – Minor sins of atmospheric sequel more than atoned for by its virtues

Creepy Tale 3: Ingrid Penance review – Minor sins of atmospheric sequel more than atoned for by its virtues

While a few questionable design choices and derivative character art keep it from achieving true greatness, Creepy Tale 3: Ingrid Penance is nonetheless a solidly eerie, atmospheric and challenging adventure... Read more

Pentiment review – Rich historical layers revealed in Obsidian’s impressive narrative adventure

Pentiment review – Rich historical layers revealed in Obsidian’s impressive narrative adventure

Pentiment is a captivating Renaissance adventure that challenges players to unravel both a murder mystery and the many enigmas of history... Read more

NORCO review – A down-to-earth, highly refined narrative adventure

NORCO review – A down-to-earth, highly refined narrative adventure

Simultaneously a work of baroque horror, a science-fictional condemnation of industrial capitalism, and a heartbroken elegy for a real-world place, NORCO is a captivating adventure game experience like no other... Read more

Perfect Tides review – A near-perfect adventure about coming of age in the early 2000s

Perfect Tides review – A near-perfect adventure about coming of age in the early 2000s

Perfect Tides is a beautifully-realized game about growing up and finding one’s place in the world; alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, it treats its subjects with honesty and respect, and it never forgets what "adventure" really means... Read more