Yurukill: The Calumniation Games - Deluxe Edition

Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

The only issue we had with Yurukill was that it never felt like it went far enough. It's a compelling tale and it moves at a brisk pace, but it lacks the malicious edge of a Danganronpa or the brain-breaking narrative of a Zero Escape. By the time it's all said and done, we'd enjoyed our time with it, but we were a mite disappointed that it didn't push us harder.

Despite our relative indifference toward the shmup sections and our frustration with some of the puzzles, by the time we cleared each team's attraction and really got to know the eccentric cast before the intense final chapters, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games had thoroughly hooked us. Individually, the puzzle-solving and shooter elements aren't anything particularly special, but they come together with some ridiculous characters to form a game greater than the sum of its parts. We'd go so far as to say we like pickles on ice cream now, and – while you might think us as crazy as Binko – we think you might, too.

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games can't quite find the right narrative justification for its intriguing gameplay hooks.

While a murder mystery survival scenario may not be the most unique concept ever made, Yurukill manages to twist things on its head by going all in to make one of the most unique Visual Novel experiences.

The puzzles rely on weird logic, the arcade sections are dull, and the courtroom-style quizzes leave a lot to be desired, making Yurukill: The Culmination Games a title that struggles on all fronts.

An entertaining enough game, although the synergy never works and the story loses steam fast. A good first effort, though

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a bit of a mess, but it definitely feels like a mess that someone tried really hard to make. While the gameplay elements sometimes feel at odds, it has a lot of charm in its characters and UI design. Even though the game's plot can feel unfocused and confusing, it does have some really good moments. The characters especially do a great job of keeping the story engaging, even when it loses itself a little. Yurukill definitely has both hits and misses, but it feels very earnest and I hope to see more games by this team soon.

Yurukill is odd combination of genres that works surprisingly well but is hamstrung by a lack of depth and short length.

Hard to be categorical with Yurukill. The shoot'em up phases are pleasant, the story is generally interesting, even if the ending will tend to disappoint, and it is quite satisfying to see the characters evolve over the course of our investigations.