Autumn's Journey was originally announced for NaNoRenO 2013. Unfortunately, a good idea cannot be contained to such a short time period and what was originally a small feature that represented the first team up of artist Deji-Chan and writer KittyKatStarGal began to grow. After NaNoRenO passed, development of the game continued and the team grew into the coalition dubbed Apple Cider. 

So a year has passed and now the tooth-rotting horror of Autumn's Journey has been unleashed on the world! And while I enjoy the collection of young GRRMs this small corner of the Internet is supporting (looking at you Lore), no one ever died from the Power of Friendship...although apparently the Power of Love has laid waste to entire nations. With that said, let's dive into Autumn's Journey!

A BIT over a week has passed and the news is flying across the EVN community. Apologies for the delay but, to be fair, I thought I had already posted this. 

OKAY OKAY! STOP THROWING STUFF! Let's get to the news!

I rarely mention other reviews on this site, but this is the first time, at least for this genre, that reviewers and reality have been so wildly disconnected.  My job here, thankfully, is a pretty simple one: to tell the truth as I see it. Not everyone agrees with my opinion on what truth is, but in this genre, it has proven to be pretty close to the actual truth. And here, the truth is rather simple: the critics are dead wrong about World End Economica Episode 1.

There are a number of factors that lead to that bold declaration, but let's start off with the pleasantries. World End Economica is a visual novel series that was launched in 2011 in Japan by Isuna Hasekura: the creator of the beloved Spice and Wolf franchise. While the trilogy is complete on the other side of the world, the game is just getting started here thanks to the Sekai Project: who we discovered after their announcement of Sakura Spirit AKA Boobs the Visual Novel. ANYWAY, what follows in the game proper is either a boring slog of stock market information and panty shots if you're the rest of the media OR if you're me, you get a journey of self-discovery, ambition and hard life lessons that only come when we feel the most invincible. 

As usual my fellow critics, there's no need to worry, I'll make my case. Oh and mild spoilers for those concerned about that sort of thing.

Hello all! Another week has zoomed by and we are right back here to deliver the news, believe it or not, in a timely fashion! JP the 3rd with you: Chief Writer for this here corner of the web. This week is a little light so we're going to kick this weekly update off with a note about a day that should be a little more solemn in my home country: Memorial Day.  

Quite frankly, if one more person wishes me a 'happy holiday' in reference to Memorial Day, I will break their jaw. If there is one holiday that America has managed to bastardize more than bloody Christmas, it is the day we are SUPPOSED to set aside to pay our respects to all of those who died in service to our country. Now it's a day off, a time to get drunk and, for those who can afford it, shop for things we really don't need. So, before the day begins and ends without anyone thinking twice about it, I figured someone should deliver some statistics to bring Memorial Day back to reality.

Since the inception of the United States, over 1.3 Million soldiers have died in active duty. The bloodiest war in our history was the Civil War where over 600,000 men laid down their lives. An average soldier is lucky to make over $40,000 a year before being discharged.  Every day, an average of twenty-two veterans commit suicide and according to our government one active member of the military out of every five are suffering from a mental or psychological disorder: the most common being, unsurprisingly, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, despite the gloomy statistics, the American military is the most frequently requested aid in the world whenever there is a disaster or tyrant destroying human lives. No group of people have done more for total strangers than the American military. Entire nations exist only because an American marine or battleship is nearby to ensure the evil of the world doesn't take advantage of the good and all that has been asked for in return is enough land to bury our dead.  


Every year, on every Internet platform I control, I put up the picture you see above you: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Not all of the 1.3 Million dead have a name, but their service is another drop in the stream of blood that keeps America connected. I usually post them with a quote that, in light of recent controversies, has proven more true today than ever before:

So, from VNs Now and especially from a Southern kid who grew up in the shadow of Dobbins Air Force base; thank you to all that served and died and kept us free. 

NOW, to the news!

So...we're back!

Apologies for the lack of updates but, honestly, I warned you guys of that when I started this gig.  OKAY OKAY SORRY STOP THROWING SHARP STUFF AT ME. Hopefully with the Summer upon us, we'll get more much news to discuss. As for my experiment, despite how the positive reaction, I will be keeping the news format the same. This is to make it easier for others to step in the role when necessary. I'm not saying or announcing anything, I'm just saying it's time to get this show back on the road! And while there isn't a LOT to cover, we do have a far bit that has happened since we last spoke.

So, let's start with a game that is taking the community by storm!

In Part 2, Roz gets a turn! How will this turn go for our intrepid, bright-eyed heroine? Enjoy!

In the Second Round of EVN Bingo, JP enters the world of Clockwork City; from the people who brought us Victorian Olives! What does this steampunk tale have in store for us and will this game provide our first Bingo? Only one way to find out! Enjoy Part 1!

In the hair-splitting Ending, will we found out  the true identities of the girls? Will the main character prove to have two brain cells to rub together? And, most importantly, are we close to a first round BINGO? Enjoy Part 2!

FINAL THOUGHTS: Pretty was much better than I thought it would be, but even saying that doesn't make it good. There wasn't enough time for the creator to decide whether or not he wanted us to be afraid of the cute little monsters or find them adorable. So they tried to split hairs, which means we felt neither way. Also it was far too predictable The final act was, hands down, the best part of the game as it was focused on telling its own story and not lost in the confusion of the first two-thirds of the game. Overall, they is hope that more development could end with something halfway decent from these guys. However, the most important things they have to learn from NaNoRenO are some of the same things they should have learned from the demo of Starswirl Academy:

• 'Cute', in most cases its used as a character trait, is annoying. Drop it and go for something with more substance; especially if you are trying to write a villainous character. Also there was no moment where the main character felt even remotely relevant (similar to a certain rock-inspired protagonist). They exist only for the girls to look better in contrast: not as a believable part of this universe. Go back to what I said about characters being 'cute': it doesn't work. Either find something with more substance for the ENTIRE cast or start over.
• Pick a plot direction and stick with it. Not a lot of detail needed here. The direction you want to take a story influences the way its written, so if you can't pick a direction it DOES NOT WORK. So, pick a direction. Either you want the to give the audience a suspenseful horror story OR you want to tell a cute slice-of-life tale. I'm not saying you can't do both, I'm just saying YOU can't do both (looking at you Wavedash).

I'll see you guys in Round 2!

In the first installment of the EVN Bingo series, JP tackles the first finished game from the minds behind Starswirl Academy: Pretty. Could this supernatural title brighten the future for their other works or is it a dark sign of things to come? Enjoy Part 1 of 2!

After many weeks of request, we have finally relented to demand that our podcast be available via MP3! You'll find the button for the file underneath the cut. To match the demand, we are also putting our past episodes on Blip (because I want to keep that account around), so this podcast is falling in line with many others.

Other than that, this episode was originally posted two weeks ago but that post has been taken down to fit the new format. The episode will focus on my growing fandom of The Wolf Among Us as well as Amazon Fire TV and how it fits into the future of this particular medium. Enjoy!