Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue

Synchronicity Prologue is a delightful surprise of a game! Team Ladybug really didn’t have to go this hard and provide one of the most concise and enjoyable indie Metroidvanias for a marketing campaign. It’s commendable how well this game manages to capture the essence of Shin Megami Tensei while adapting it to an entirely different genre AND making it more accessible to people than most games in the series tend to be. It’s not quite as mechanically extravagant and refined as Touhou Luna Nights, but I’d go as far as to say that it uses its license far better than Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth does, it's one of the most successful SMT spin-offs in terms of its execution, and that it's one of Team Ladybug's best games!

Shape Shifter

Despite its myriad frustrations, I was able to find a bit of joy in Shape Shifter, at least when I look at it as doing research and catching up on a platform I never got to grow up with. The platforming is an absolute nightmare, the RPG elements are basically nonexistent, and the inclusion of lives combined with an obtuse means of healing only makes the game needlessly stressful, but its impressive presentation and strange world do a lot to make it interesting enough to push through. While I can’t recommend Shape Shifter as something most people would enjoy, I can recommend it as something that I think people would find fascinating.