ROLLING STAR

The game suffers from somewhat poor world design and a protagonist who is unlikeable for most of the game, but the second half of the game makes up for the shortcomings. Definitely a game to recommend for every metroidvania fan.

Oh man where to begin. It's a metroidvania that actually works to improve the formula and then throws in a fun story and memorable characters to elevate the gameplay elements. I'm still working through the hardmode content myself but it was a nice surprise to learn that hardmode isn't just "health sponge" enemies, there are actually new things to learn and implement (or not depending on your capability). I can't recommend this game enough and I'm glad I found it. Be aware that there are some difficulty spikes if you choose to ignore certain mechanics, such as using skill points (which I was kindly reminded of by the hero-helper from the 21st century and still chose to ignore until I realized my mistake). Thank you Laurie for reminding me to always look on the bright side, work for those we care about, and to keep laughing at what I find comical, or as we say in our time; LOL, LMAO.

Like TOMOMI, Rolling Star is a fun and appealing Metroidvania that never forces you into long, tenuous backtracking. The soundtrack delivers once again. The movement continues to be quick and snappy, with quite a few different abilities to master. Laurie's story is simple, but fun with her constant quips with the rest of the characters. Her blasters are a bit different than Tomomi's sword but you get used to them fast. The skill tree + stat upgrades serve their purpose enough for the game's length, and there are new equipment slots as well. The bosses were a huge step up from TOMOMI--some very cool fights like Marathon Man and Roller guy (can't remember its name). After beating Laurie's story, I immediately jumped straight into the Tomomi route and and happy to report that it is not a simple copy/paste. In fact, having played TOMOMI already, I'd say it was more enjoyable for me of the two routes due to how it plays out. Of course, Tomomi herself is still awesome to play with how fast you can fly across the maps. For it's price, Rolling Star is a short, but worthwhile experience.