Dear Mariko

Gameplay: “Better to coin a term for a new phobia!”

Pretty much Dear Mariko lacks this primarily and that the only thing you’ll do is just wander around the house aimlessly until you see a piece of paper which will cost you your life and such if you’re that guy who tends to “wait” for results. As much, there’s nothing engrossing with Dear Mariko’s gameplay because it lacks puzzles and other stuff that would keep the player engaging in a non-linear way unless you count the multiple endings as replayability.


Pros:
- Simple
- Replayability that relies on endings

Cons:
- Simple
- Nothing good to look upon
- Replayability that relies on endings







Graphics: “Can make character busts, just used this paper image I got from Google”

You’ll find the game being quite dull, with its tilesets and all. You’ll also realize of how the graphics doesn’t fit nicely with each other (the fact that the busts stand out more than the other pictures or the game’s background). There’s a contrast, but you’ll hate that. Another thing is the RTP, all over again. Though that the game is good with its artwork… if it doesn’t look at the smaller details, you’ve just ruined your chances at doing something right.


Pros:
- Good artwork

Cons:
- Pictures don’t fit nicely to each other
- Place is quite dull with the RTP and all







Audio: “Pure audible silence… until it hits you straight to the fan.”

Another thing is that you’ll notice that the title theme is going to be used in a part of the story… so yeah. RTP and all, the music is OST’d, so you’ll get some new breeze around the block.


Pros:
- OST, eh?
- This whole overture thing done right

Cons:
- Can’t blame the RTP







Story: “WALANG FOREVER, MGA ULOL! (NO FOREVER, YOU MORONS!)”

And yes, this game is really, REALLY, that short. It can be completed around 10 minutes (fast hands ) or so unless you think it’s a good idea camping inside the house, waiting for that maniacal girl for you to finally trigger the event and go back to being idle again. It features multiple endings, a feature that is long written in horror games and such.

The story is about a girl who finds his future husband missing only to find this accursed letter and just leave… or just camp in that house until you trigger this event that you need some sort of guide in order to get it which you only need to do is that you wait a minute or two. Patience can be one real thing. Afterwards, everything goes mumbo-jumbo then poof, one dies and one lives.

But both is even worse considering that a girl will take the seat of the Yandere… again.


Pros:
- No good endings
- Straightforward plot
- Love story gone horror

Cons:
- No good endings
- MC is one blank slate... or she is rock? HMMMMMM







Overall: “How many times do you have to suffer to know that there’s no such thing called a forever?”

Overall, it’s the ol’ casual horror game served like how Japan like it. Mind you, from experience, Japanese people talk like robots and even on the internet, they act like one. I guess screaming in front of one face-to-face was worth the call. Though, respects have to be given upon them considering they are that polite.

*cough* Moving on…

Dear Mariko is a horror game that is more on the story and has no power on replayability due to how short it is, even so that the endings can be multiple that it would make replayability otherwise powerful in this kind of game. It’s more on the interactive and that it features little-to-none non-linear gameplay moments which would lead to things really obvious. It has a good soundtrack but the graphics protested that they shouldn’t be there… at all. Well, I had high expectations for this but turns out judging the book by its title image wasn’t worth the try.

Next time, take a visit or two to some of the lacking departments that this game need or other games that you would do in the future. And so, I conclude, that forever does not exi-


*door breaks*

???: This is the Love Police, arrest that man!

Hiroshi: Wait, what the fu-

*obosen sound effects*

*hentai sound effects*

Love Police: Sir, we have apprehended the ‘bitter’ suspect. *chatter* Yes, he went down without resistance.

*chief bato sounds only filipinos would understand etc etc*

Love Police: Don’t worry, we’ll make the normal ending into a better ending where she meets her love again and make it look like a non-cliché game.

*chatter*

Love Police: Sad. He would’ve made games right now. I know, right?



*No Hiroshis were harmed in the making of this review.*