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Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix
Despite it's huge roster and customization options, Alice Gear Aegis CS remains threadbare in the story department and is hindered by repetitive combat.
― Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix is probably one of the most “ok” games I have ever played. It is perfectly functional and achieves everything it sets out to do. It is stable, runs at a consistent frame rate on the Switch, and has everyt...
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
Ryza is and always will be that charming, winsome alchemist with an eager smile and boundless joy for seeing the world. And it just feels good to explore the world with her and her friends.
― In the grand tradition of the Atelier games, the series is divvied up into subseries connected by protagonists. With Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, we not only see the end of the unpreced...
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
While missed opportunities keep PARANORMASIGHT from being a truly standout game, I still enjoyed the process of uncovering the story, even if it goes into some truly off-the-wall directions in its end-game content.
― PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a horror visual novel written and created for me, personally. I do not know how director and scenario writer Takanari Ishiyama tapped into...
FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse sadly never came to the United States to the disappointment of many fans fifteen years ago. KOEI Tecmo is here to right that old wrong, giving us the long-awaited localization. Was it worth the wait?
― Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse sadly never came to the United States in 2008, to the disappointment of many fans fifteen years ago. KOEI Tecmo is here to ...
Little Witch Nobeta
Little Witch Nobeta has a palpable sense of it being crafted out of genuine love for style and genre. That makes it easy to like, even as some Souls-like fans might find it too easy to beat.
― Part of me doesn't want to be this guy. I'm not even a games critic, specifically, but Little Witch Nobeta here still landed in my lap thanks to demographics and opportunity. So then I load into this thing and ...
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
You cannot help but fall into the rhythm of daily life in Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and that immersion blurs the line between player and non-player characters, between the game being played and a life being lived.
― My wife and I order the same meal from the same restaurant every Friday. We share an order of fajitas from our favorite Mexican restaurant. It's part of our weekly ritual, where we get a spe...
Wild Hearts
Wild Hearts feels like a variant of Monster Hunter Rise, but does it offer enough to stand on its own two feet?
― Wild Hearts has to deal with a very obvious elephant in the room: with its heavily-Japanese-inspired aesthetic and open-world structure, it's going to be fending off a lot of “Like Monster Hunter Rise, but...” comparisons. This isn't a death sentence: the last time Koei Tecmo tried their ...
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters
Neptunia Sisters VS Sisters isn't doing anything new in the JRPG space, but is it at least a fun ride?
― The Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise has been pretty extensive since 2010. Including the mainline games and the spin-offs, there have been over a dozen games released for the franchise spanning various genres, from online card games to side-scrolling action games to hack-and-slash games with rhyt...
Fire Emblem Engage
Fire Emblem Engage has had a rough time coming. The art style left a lot of people unconvinced, and it's coming on the heels of the widely-beloved Fire Emblem: Three Houses. How does Intelligent Systems' newest strategy RPG hold up?
― Fire Emblem Engage has had a rough time coming. The title was weird, the art style left a lot of people unconvinced, and it's coming on the heels of the widely-beloved ...
One Piece Odyssey
The presentation is top-notch the entire way through. There are plenty of gorgeous action sequences during combat, voice acting for a large majority of the game's dialogue, and a rich and beautiful world that is easy on the eyes.
― Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this game for the purposes of the review with the pre-order bonus DLC. Additionally, though I am a good ways into the main story, I...
Witch On The Holy Night
I can imagine kinetic novels being a tough sell for most gamers, but for people who are fearless of text in their stories, Witch on the Holy Night has lots to offer.
― Reviewing a kinetic novel is a curious thing. There's no gameplay to discuss or criticize, and there aren't any mechanics to discuss. What you have is a story. The good news is while Witch on the Holy Night is a prequel to Lunar Legend...
The 13th Month
This unique interpretation of Sleeping Beauty features beautiful artwork and an impressive voice cast. The only snag is some rather clunky gameplay mechanics.
― We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty, or at least the versions by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Walt Disney. The fairy tale known as ATU 410 tells of a king and queen desperate for a child who finally have one later in life. T...
Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered
With such an old installment being given new life in this modern age, is there something modern players can enjoy in this blast from the past?
― The SaGa series is considered a beloved classic franchise amongst many RPG circles. They've had mechanics that have been directly inspired by and have led on to inspire other popular RPG franchises. Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered is a remaster of ...
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
The new mainline title has sold over 10 million copies and is the fastest-selling game in Nintendo history. It has a boatload of innovative and call-back features for fans but...it also runs like garbage.
― Have you heard of the fable of the Monkey's Paw? Or the idea of having one's wishes granted but not in a desired form or manner? That is probably the best way that I can describe my feelings towar...
Gungrave G.O.R.E
The controls might be the biggest hurdle in Gungrave G.O.R.E, but once the more exciting locations and bosses appear, this action game has enough charm to smooth over its shortfalls.
― Wow, it's been 18 years since Gungrave: Overdose released on the PS2! Gungrave was one of many weird, mid-budget games you could find on that old console, the likes of which you don't see as often anymore. The thing yo...
Sonic Frontiers
The Blue Blur's latest foray into 3D shows promise for future installments but still lacks the polish fans were hoping for.
― Sonic the Hedgehog is a franchise that continues to impress me with its ability to persevere even in the face of constant frustration. Despite revolving around an anthropomorphic hedgehog whose main gimmick is running fast, it's almost impressive how often Sega has tripped ove...
Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose DLC
What ties this all together is a rather beautiful conclusion to Ethan's story and while that conclusion might be predictable, it is no less emotionally rewarding.
― SPOILER WARNING: As this expansion takes place after the major events of Resident Evil Village, there will be some story spoilers for the sake of context. Please do not try to play this expansion without first completing the base game. If...
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher
This game will surely please Ultraman fans with plenty of kaiju to discover. If only it was easier to pull our favorite monsters.
― Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is quite literally Monster Rancher with the beloved kaiju from the Ultraman series replacing the usual stand-bys like Suezo. As a Monster Rancher, you'll earn a breeding license to raise and train kaiju on your ranch. As you train your kaiju, ...
Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta 3 is a game of extremes. One moment, it is mind-blowingly awesome as you smoothly fight through hordes of enemies. The next, it is rage-inducingly frustrating as the game grinds to a halt mid-climax for a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
―
© Nintendo © SEGA published by Nintendo
Bayonetta 3 is a game of extremes. One moment, it is mind-blowingly awesome as you smoothly fight through hordes o...
Amnesia: Later x Crowd
On their own, these fan discs are pretty short but paired together they offer Amnesia fans satisfying, extended stories, especially for Orion fans.
― Following on the heels of the Nintendo Switch re-release of the classic otome game Amnesia: Memories, Amnesia: Later x Crowd presents two fan discs previously unavailable in English release. If you're not familiar with the concept, a fan disc is an offi...
Dragon Ball: The Breakers
Dragon Ball: The Breakers could use an injection of the excitement and intensity of its source material.
― Dragonball is one of the few media franchises whose iconic villains remain embedded in modern-day cultural consciousness, and games like Dragonball Xenoverse have fully capitalized on that lasting appeal to just run wild with the franchise's lore. In fact, if you're a fan of those games in parti...
Voice of the Cards: Beasts of Burden
The Voice of the Cards: Beasts of Burden is an effective, low-stakes concept with solid execution, with a lot of love put into it from creatives that had a lot of fun playing with the concept.
― The roots of role-playing games lies in tabletops, but it's easy to forget that with how elaborate their presentation can get. With all of the games that try to simulate the systems of a tabletop game, it's r...
No More Heroes III
No More Heroes III is like if I went into my backyard and dug up a time capsule from the early 2000s, opening it up to find all these old video games, arcade pictures, and VHS tapes of shows that I tried to record.
― The best way I can describe No More Heroes III is that it's like if I went into my backyard and dug up a time capsule from the early 2000s, opening it up to find all these old video game...
Amnesia: Memories
Anime viewers, if the show put you off from trying the game, you should give it a second shot. The game is far more interesting and engaging than the anime could ever hope to be.
― Back when I reviewed the anime version of Amnesia, I commented that it felt like watching someone play the game. Now, having played the game myself, I have to take that back at least in part: the game is far more interesti...
Gundam Evolution
Gundam Evolution has plenty of merit for people looking for an alternative to Overwatch. But what about Gundam fans?
― There's no beating around the bush: Gundam Evolution is a Gundam-flavored take on Overwatch, plain and simple. You've got the same general set-up: the famed mobile suits are stand-ins for Overwatch's heroes, the game rules are largely the same... about the biggest difference is that ...
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival
Taiko no Tatsujin is still a bit of an underrated gem outside Asia, but make no mistake: this is a safe party game purchase that deserves a space on every Switch owner's shelf alongside the likes of Mario Party and Mario Kart.
― A beloved arcade classic in Japan, the Taiko no Tatsujin rhythm game franchise has only been seeing consistent English-language support in the last half-decade. It's still a ...
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
I wanted to like this game, I really did. But as I write this review, I'm just glad I never have to spend another moment with it. And that's not something I should feel from an open-world game at all.
― What's the worst part about an open-world game that doesn't let you explore? The knowledge that you
could be doing something—anything—besides being trapped in interminable cutscenes and boring
argumen...
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness
Does Made in Abyss make for a positively killer video game? The answer, as it turns out, is going to be based on how literally you want to take the word “killer.”
― I reckon that one of the first things people think after experiencing Made in Abyss—that is, once they've recovered from the awe-inspiring world building and the soul-crushing devastation of its story—is probably, “Gee, this whole premise...
Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions
Team up with Loid Forger, Kaiju No. 8, and more manga characters in this strategy puzzle game about how one boy's imagination gets him through trauma.
― Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions shouldn't be thought of as a Shonen Jump crossover. Not because crossovers are bad, nor because it's an “elevated crossover” or anything dumb like that. The plain and simple truth is that it isn't really a ...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is about as much JoJo as any sane person could ever ask for.
― JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has had a few fighting games in its 35-year-long legacy. Most might still clamor for the arcade classic that was Capcom's Heritage for the Future, but in the meantime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is about as much JoJo as any sane person could ever ask for....
Birushana: The Rising Flower of Genpei
Why just read about the gorgeous men of The Tale of the Heike when you could date them? Rebecca dives into this Nintendo Switch otome game of historical romance.
― Why just read about the gorgeous men of The Tale of the Heike when you could date them? Birushana: The Rising Flower of Genpei takes this timeless theme that has most commonly been applied to the Sengoku period and the Shinsengumi and uses...
RPG TIME: The Legend of Wright
Every page is a new adventure, dripping with love and care from a child who is just bursting at the seams with how much he wants to share with his friends.
― I realize I might be a bit too biased to properly review RPG Time, the new RPG from studio DeskWorks and Aniplex. It's not because it's steeped in JRPG lore or because so much of its iconography brings Dragon Quest to mind—rather, I see way too ...
Digimon Survive
I honestly feel a bit conflicted after playing Digimon Survive, because I truly admire the amount of passion and thought put into it. If you are a long-time Digimon fan, then this this is worth at least one playthrough.
― Last month, I had the honor of interviewing the producer of Digimon Survive, Habu Kazumasa, who expressed his desire to take Digimon in a darker direction and demonstrate his person...
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium
Capcom Arcade Stadium returns with a mountain of arcade titles from the ‘80s and ‘90s. How many stand the test of time?
― Capcom was born in the arcades. Yes, they made a name with Mega Man,Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and other titles created for home consoles, but before any of that Capcom put themselves on the map with arcade games. So the Capcom Arcade Stadium series is a welcome roundup of thos...
Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series
The Phantasy Reverie Series gives us two games that harken back to the time where these fun, thoughtful platformers where these fun, thoughtful platformers had more resources available to them.
― Poor, poor Klonoa. The waking world was hardly fair to Bandai Namco's Dream Traveler. The first
Klonoa game came out just as the world was getting tired of platformers and 2D games, and the second
one came o...
Capcom Fighting Collection
The Capcom Fighting Collection delivers a lineup of Darkstalkers games and lesser-known arcade titles! What holds up and what doesn’t?
― The arcades of the 1990s never wanted for fighting games. Capcom's Street Fighter II saw to that, striking gold with its 1991 debut and inspiring wave upon wave of imitators. Yet that proved a burden whenever Capcom created an arcade game that wasn't Street Fighter....
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
A shrine maiden and a tanuki take on monster hordes in this extensive remake of a classic Super NES shooter! Do Pocky and Rocky still have the magic?
― You don't need to know anything about Pocky or Rocky to enjoy their latest game, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined. You don't need to know how their series began with the Taito arcade game Kiki Kaikai or how it reached its greatest international popularity when...
Fault StP: Lightkravte
Lightkravte features gorgeous art and is interesting both as a prequel and as a game in its own right.
― The fourth game in Alice in Dissonance's fault series, Fault StP Lightkravte may raise a few eyebrows since it's being released ahead of Milestone Two: Side Below, meaning that series fans have to wait a bit longer to continue the main story. (On Steam, the developers have said that staffing issue...
Metal Max Xeno Reborn
Metal Max Xeno Reborn can be a lot of fun, but it does make you work for it. Its oblique objectives and wild difficulty curves can definitely be off-putting—and yet there's fun to be had in driving around the wasteland, scrounging for scrap metal, and blasting away mobs of cannon fodder.
― Fans of old PS2 JRPGs might remember the obscure Metal Saga; what you might not have known is that it's one in a...
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA MegaMix+
Hatsune Miku is back, with over 170 songs and customizable outfits. Does the Vocaloid gang still bring the charm in this PC game release?
― With how much a certain blue hedgehog and a would-be reformed Japanese gangster dominate
Sega's limelight, you'd be forgiven for forgetting that Sega also plays host to the video game exploits of
Hatsune Miku, the famed digital singing platform musicians have use...
Cotton Fantasy
Cotton Fantasy serves up a complete course of the “cute-‘em-up” flavor of 2-D shooting game, and it turns out light and breezy yet surprisingly filling.
― The Cotton series is nothing if not a survivor. First appearing in 1991, Cotton introduced the horizontal shooter genre to a cute little witch with a cuter, littler fairy sidekick, and it never wavered from that. The 1990s brought sequels and ports...
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
Suikoden was never an action game, and now that series creator Yoshitaka Murayama returned to it with Eiyuden Chronicle, what better form for its prequel to take than a side-scrolling action title with some RPG trappings?
― Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising makes a certain degree of sense. It's a prequel to Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which is itself the spiritual revival of the Suikoden series that s...
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Forgotten Land represents more than anything else, an opportunity for HAL Laboratory to break out of the side-scrolling mold and expand Kirby's horizons.
― In my eyes, Kirby games have always been defined by their astounding visual and musical artistic direction that is somewhat held back simple yet serviceable side-scrolling platforming gameplay. Forgotten Land represented, more than anything else, ...
Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness Game Review
But what about the players who don't have fond memories or excessive fixations surrounding that particular era of video games? What does Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness offer them? As it turns out, plenty.
― There's no shortage of modern creations that evoke the look and sound of late 1980s games. Not so much as those games actually were, but as players fondly remember them—with bigger characters,...
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition
Chrono Cross returns with a remastered treatment and its never-before-translated predecessor, Radical Dreamers! How do these follow-ups to the cherished RPG classic Chrono Trigger endure after all these years?
― The best way to approach Chrono Cross is to forget that it's a sequel to Chrono Trigger. It is, of course, but Chrono Trigger—an inventive, marvelously crafted time-travel romp that's tied wi...
Rune Factory 5
Some technical issues aside, the latest installment in the village-making RPG brings it all together in the end. What will you do with your time in Rigbarth?
― It's a little hard to talk about the Story of Seasons games (and their Rune Factory spin-offs). Not because of the complicated legal snarl involving the Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon branding, but because on the merits that most games woul...
Chocobo GP
Chocobo GP is a big improvement and an even greater risk. It's sharper, tighter, more enjoyable...and now competing directly with the latest Mario Kart on Nintendo's home turf.
― The original Chocobo Racing was not an astounding game, but it was a cleverly-positioned one. It offered the PlayStation owners of 1999 an answer to the Nintendo 64's Mario Kart while dusting itself with Final Fantasy refere...
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Review
Now that Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is out on modern platforms with a massive adoption rate, the question is how much is in here for a single-playing Persona? The answer is an inspiring "Quite a bit!"
― The rerelease of 2014's Persona 4 Arena Ultimax finds itself in an odd situation for such a thing. The fighting game scene has ballooned into an even bigger, better place in the eight years since, so put...
Jujutsu Kaisen: Escape From the Cursed Spirit of the Abandoned School
Gojo assigns you to a mission to help the first-year students investigate a creepy abandoned school. Can you and the others use your techniques -- and your smarts -- to exorcise the cursed spirit before it's too late?
― When you think of an anime world you would want to live in, Jujutsu Kaisen probably isn't at
the top of your list, if it is even on the list. But it's possible you've dreamed of going...
Atelier Sophie 2: Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream
The Nintendo Switch struggles to handle this new entry in the Atelier franchise, but beyond its technical issues the world of Erde Wiege introduces players to characters that quickly come to feel like longtime friends.
― There are three things I've come to expect from the Atelier series: cozy atmosphere, charming character writing, and breezy combat. The series is content to dwell within that realm, ...
The King of Fighters XV
The King of Fighters XV doesn't find the series at its prettiest, boldest, or most densely populated and varied in characters. Yet this might be the most accessible it's ever been.
― If anyone ever asks you how many The King of Fighters games there are, resist the temptation to say fifteen. That may be the number on this latest flagship entry, but this is a vast and complicated series with many, many...
REVIEW: Pokémon Legends: Arceus
While the plot left much to be desired, Pokémon Legends: Arceus brings new energy and possibilities to the franchise.
― For years, it seems the big ask of Pokémon fans has been that the franchise innovate
itself in a meaningful way. Pokémon Legends: Arceus seems to be Game Freak's response to
that request, and I'd go out on a limb to say that it's exactly the sort of thing we've been waiting
for. It ...
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
As a fan, it pains me to see an entry to one of my favorite franchises fall to such low lows. But what exactly are the decisions that got us here?
― Unlike animation, video games are in large part a disposable medium. Games once hailed as era-defining breakthrough titles upon their release often become antiquated and awkward within a little less than a decade. And so we see a plethora of remakes and ...
Clockwork Aquario
The arcade game Clockwork Aquario finally arrives on modern systems after disappearing twenty-eight years ago. Is it a mere relic or a true deep-cut gem?
― Some games are delayed. Others are canceled. And then there's the unique and bizarre journey of Clockwork Aquario. Westone, creators of the Wonder Boy and Monster World games, tested this colorful side-scroller in arcades several times back in 199...
Metallic Child
Metallic Child's narrative is instantly compelling and the dialogue that accompanies its characters is entertaining to boot.
― I initially wasn't expecting much from this quietly released indie “rouge-lite” game, but found myself sad to see it go by the time I reached its ending. The greatest appeal of Metallic Child comes from the way it applies the aesthetics of the Japanese Action-RPGs without hol...
Cupid Parasite
A game with this many strengths is easy to recommend, which is why it's unfortunate that the current game is ridden with typos, ill-fitting text, and the telltale signs of a hastily edited machine translation.
― Cupid Parasite opens with some of the trashiest male love interests you could possibly imagine. One guy is exclusively interested in meeting women who are already "taken." Another literally c...
Danganronpa Decadence
Danganronpa Decadence offers a bit of new content, gameplay, and interactions between cast members, but this little something extra hardly feels decadent.
― Over ten years ago, the first Danganronpa game came out on the PlayStation Portable. Even back then, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was a standout of the visual novel genre, combining detective work and dating sim elements in a way that weirdly...
Shin Megami Tensei V
While SMT fans have no doubt chomped at the bit in anticipation of a new numbered entry arriving on consoles, some might still want to cling to the memory of Nocturne. Is this new, untested Shin Megami Tensei worth the plunge?
― Shin Megami Tensei V has one glaring problem it has to contend with: Shin Megami Tensei III:
Nocturne HD Remaster was released just this past May. While SMT fans have no doub...
Metroid Dread
The gameplay of Dread is similarly spectacular. A lot of the DNA from Samus Returns – Mercury Steam's first Metroid project – is present here, albeit with the fat shaved off the bones.
― Before diving into the meat of this review, I feel it's important to mention that it is coming from a newcomer to the series, and that I ran some short stints into Metroid: Zero Mission and Fusion in order to lend so...
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles
Being one of the most acclaimed anime of the past few years partially due to its stellar animation and fight scenes, a Demon Slayer fighting game felt like it was only a matter of time.
― Being one of the most acclaimed anime of the past few years partially due to its stellar animation and fight scenes, a Demon Slayer fighting game felt like it was only a matter of time. The game acts as an accelerat...
Mary Skelter Finale
Mary Skelter Finale's twistedly imaginative imagery are sure to sit with any player long after they've put it down.
― Of all the JRPG/visual novel hybrids I've had a chance to play, Mary Skelter Finale is by far the most memorable of the considerably homogenous bunch. Its aesthetically varied character designs, lewd but narratively significant fanservice (think Darling in the Franxx), and twistedly i...
Samurai Warriors 5
The most creatively bankrupt aspect of Samurai Warriors 5 is by and large its combat.
― While I've called Dynasty Warrior's gameplay recipe outdated before, the franchise has gone out of its way to prove me wrong recently, with games like Age of Calamity and Persona 5 Strikers exceeding my expectations. These games have their own unique mechanics that add some much-needed depth to Warrior's combat wh...
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle
Take on the role of Hiro Ryugasaki as you engage in card duels to save your school club!
― Coming straight from Cygames, Shadowverse: Champion's Battle is a story-based adaptation of
the collectible card game app. You play as a youth who meets up with Hiro Ryugasaki, protagonist of
the Shadowverse anime, and joins Tensei Academy's Shadowverse club. It seems the club is suffering
from a lack of member...
Fuga: Melodies of Steel
It's a challenge to take on a brutal World War II retelling with imagery and characters cute enough to populate Maple Town, but CyberConnect2 sticks with it, and it's paid off.
― Cyberconnect2 is best known as the developer of gorgeous anime-to-game adaptations stretching from Naruto and .hack to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. In their heart of hearts, however, company president/CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama and ...
NEO: The World Ends With You
Well, it took fourteen years, but NEO: The World Ends with You is finally here, and it's every bit as stylish, engrossing, and outright fun as its predecessor.
― When the original The World Ends with You launched all the way back in 2007 on the Nintendo DS, it won attention and praise for its unorthodox storytelling and gameplay. It used many of the features of the Nintendo DS in experimental ways an...
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
It's easy to say that Monster Hunter Stories 2 provided the most enjoyable gameplay experience I've had within the genre in recent years.
― The monster-collecting genre might be one of the most criminally under-represented in gaming. Aside
from the Pokémon games and the steady trickle of indie projects inspired by that franchise, it's
practically barren. It is my hope that Monster Hunter Stories 2 wi...
Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed
Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is a cheeky romp through anime fandom mecca with plenty of fun references. But sadly, it's also just shy of the mark to make it a must-have.
― Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is a lot of things. It's a remaster of a 10-year-old PlayStation Portable
game. It's a cheeky romp through anime fandom mecca with plenty of fun references. But sadly, it's
also just s...
MARS RED Edge of the Nightmare
If you enjoyed the show, the story acts as a nice companion to the events of the anime, and several familiar characters from the Code Zero crew like Takeuchi, Suwa, and Kurusu all play key roles.
― Whenever a major new anime hits the scene, there's a mobile game to accompany it, like clockwork. Many of these games remain Japanese exclusives, with only a handful releasing globally. Additionally, many ...
Death end re;Quest
Death end proves me dead wrong: it demonstrates not only Idea Factory's ability to put out quality titles, but that they can also be trusted to take real creative risks and create unique games – something all too rare in today's market.
― I wasn't expecting much from Death end re;Quest when I first picked it up. It's a product of Compile Heart, which is itself a subsidiary of Idea Factory – a studio ...
No More Heroes 1 & 2
The No More Heroes franchise is first and foremost a celebration of video games.
― The No More Heroes franchise is first and foremost a celebration of video games. It perfectly captures a certain branch of gamer culture in its dialogue, visual styles, and gameplay, making for a unique experience that absolutely should not be missed. The games feature a brash comedic style, absurdly degenerate action,...
Everyday♪ Today's MENU for EMIYA Family
With its sparse content, performance issues, and tepid dialogue, Everyday♪ Today's Menu for Emiya Family is a bad game even by the standards of low-budget anime tie-ins.
― With its sparse content, performance issues, and tepid dialogue, Everyday♪ Today's MENU for EMIYA Family is a bad game even by the standards of low-budget anime tie-ins. To be fair, it's not like I had no fun with the game at all; ...
Touken Ranbu
Touken Ranbu. It's out in English now, almost six years after its initial release in Japan. I've played it for about two months, and I believe I can safely say… I'm not sure I get it.
― Touken Ranbu. It's out in English now, almost six years after its initial release in Japan. I've played it for about two months, and I believe I can safely say… I'm not sure I get it.
I mean, yeah, on the one hand, I ...
Ninja Gaiden Master Collection
For a certain vintage of gamer, Ninja Gaiden is a name that carries a certain amount of fear. Grant Jones revisits the franchise to see if the games still hold up to their legacy.
― The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is hard to talk about in isolation. In many ways, you need a dramatic, long-winded cut scene to get the context for the release. So if you'll indulge me, I'll try to spin the tale as bes...
Capcom Arcade Stadium
Video game archives and collections of this nature are all about making sure these newer generations of gamers get a chance to experience those which laid the groundwork for the stuff that we have today in an easy-to-digest package.
― Judging collections like this is always a bit tricky because we're not reviewing a brand new game made specifically for the current generation; rather, we're technicall...
Famicom Detective Club: The Two-Case Collection
Both stories have some arbitrary info blocks like this, but even with my sus sense tingling, neither case went exactly where I expected it to go.
― This visual novel double-pack was released for English-speaking audiences for the first time on May 14, offering a shiny remake of Satoru Okada and Yoshio Sakamoto's adventure games for Nintendo. While this 2021 edition visually bears little resemblance t...
Spirit Hunter: NG
Aksys Games' release of Spirit Hunter: NG is the second in Experience, Inc.'s Spirit Hunter horror visual novel franchise, serving up over 15 hours of creeping horrors.
― Aksys Games' release of Spirit Hunter: NG is the second in Experience, Inc.'s Spirit Hunter horror visual novel franchise, serving up over 15 hours of creeping horrors. Set in the year 1999, players assume the role of Akira, a punk ...
Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne HD Remaster
It might be a little hard to recommend, but Nocturne is still one of the most gripping and rewarding JRPGs you could experience.
― Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster has a tall order to fulfill. It's a modern-day port of an older Shin Megami Tensei game that was still experimenting with 3D movement and presentation (those have mostly stuck to the Persona games while later SMTs went back to ...
Resident Evil Village
It has been three years since the events of the last game and our favorite, perfectly normal everyman Ethan Winters is trying to live a normal life with his wife and newly born daughter Rose. Unfortunately, the universe really hates Ethan.
― Capcom's Resident Evil VILLAGE, the ninth numerical installment in the Resident Evil franchise, is a game that I feel almost shouldn't work as well as it does wh...
Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139...
Okay, so we've established that Nier Replicant earns top marks for its aesthetics. The real question is whether or not it is actually any fun to play, now, and the answer is: “…kind of? Sometimes. But it's bad on purpose, I swear!”
― Yoko Taro's recent transformation from cult JRPG auteur to something of a fandom icon has been a very welcome surprise. To be clear, Taro is not the sole reason for the ...
SaGa Frontier Remastered
I do not exaggerate when I say that SaGa Frontier is extremely rude. This is a game that throws you head-first into the depths of its myriad gameplay systems with only a half-inflated life vest while telling you that you need to learn to swim right now.
― SaGa Frontier is a game whose original release could best be described as unfortunate. It came not long after Final Fantasy VII had made many new p...
Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space
Another Eden is the latest offering from members of theChrono Trigger team It has a high pedigree and some great quality-of-life features, but is it a loving tribute to those original Squaresoft titles, or just a half-baked shadow?
― It's been a long time since I sat down with a gacha game the way I have over the last couple of weeks. My disdain for the genre has always been palpable – I've never bee...
New Pokémon Snap
I took a four day weekend off work to play this and was squarely dedicated to getting the absolute most out of it. More importantly, I was never bored. There was always something more to see each time I set out on an expedition.
― By the end of 1999 Pokémon Snap was the sixth best-selling Nintendo 64 title of the year and by the console's retirement it was its 11th highest-selling title of all time. ...
Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter: Rise offers a few new features like rideable monsters, grappling hooks, and customizable weapon arts. But will it be the knockout game players have been waiting for?
― Up until now, the Monster Hunter series has mainly existed in my periphery. I knew of and respected these games for the better part of the last decade, but I never played any of them (with the exception of Monster Hunte...
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 6 is a triumphant ending to the Dragon of Dojima's story, even for all of its failings. If you've played many of the Yakuza titles and are interested in seeing how it all comes together, I can't recommend this game enough.
― Most Japanese RPGs are wildly fantastical and cartoonish in their setting, but attempt to stay grounded through relatable character writing and conflict. In contrast, Yaku...
Neptunia Virtual Stars
The game incentivizes the player to watch these clips by promising a reward and it just strikes me that the decision to leave a targeted ad embedded within a $50 game isn't the sort of thing many players would be happy about.
― I'll admit that, upon starting up this game, I found myself slightly excited for what it would deliver. Neptunia Virtual Stars had a well-choreographed opening, and a cute eno...
Gal*Gun Returns
However, even dismissing the lack of any new challenges, locations, or prominent characters, the absence of gyro controls in aiming is inexcusable.
― Gal*Gun Returns revolves around a simple but decidedly niche concept: an arcade-style on-rails shooter a la House of the Dead where instead of being chased by zombies through a haunted mansion, you're fending off the advances of every woman in your scho...
Persona 5 Strikers
Persona 5 strives to explore social issues, and in the case of Persona 5 Strikers, this is specifically targeted at the way trauma can inflict long-lasting harm and resentment.
― Six months after the events of Persona 5 (not Royal), the Thieves have gotten back together for the summer holidays. But after meeting the AI Sophia and the police inspector Zenkichi, their plans get uprooted. While a lot of...
Nioh 2 The Complete Edition
Taking place in Japan during the 1500s, Nioh 2 allows you to design your own half-yokai character who embarks on a journey to defeat a great evil at the center of a broiling feudal war.
― Nioh 2 is Koei-Tecmo and Team Ninja's answer to the Dark Souls series. While it would be easy to write it off as a Feudal Japan-flavored Souls game, Team Ninja has injected the series with their own brand of intense...
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy
It became clear to me that Atelier truly has a beating heart as a game. Despite its missteps, this game managed to capture a spark of inspiration that kept me interested the entire time.
― Atelier Ryza 2 is somehow both one of the most belligerently boring and uniquely compelling
games that I have ever played. The plot is dull and heavy-handed. Gameplay consists in large part of
traversing an oversiz...
Shiren the Wanderer: the Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate
If you love roguelikes as a genre and want to experience one of the most satisfying, well-crafted examples of the genre, you owe it to yourself to pick Shiren the Wanderer up.
― When you ask Japanese gamers about roguelike dungeon-crawling games, there is one series that stands out as a benchmark among all others: Shiren the Wanderer. The formula developers Chun Soft (now part of Spike-Chunsoft) have...
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne
Prophecy of the Throne tells a compelling story that satisfied me greatly as a Re:Zero fan. It has everything I like about the original series: An intriguing mystery, fun characters, entertaining dialogue, and clever foreshadowing.
― The anime world is filled with cheap tie-in visual novel games aimed at niche collectors, very few of which get localized. In fact, this isn't even the first Re:Zero con...
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia
Gorgeous artwork sets Brigadine apart from other SRPGs, but will it keep players' attention? James Beckett tries out the new PS4 port to find out!
― In 1998, I was barely old enough to have a firm grasp on how RPGs as basic as Pokémon worked, so I had never even heard of the original Brigandine: The Legend of Forensa, though here in the West it has apparently amassed quite the reputation as a cult c...
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
Easily the most unique title I've picked up in recent memory, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a side-scrolling platform brawler paired with an incredibly in-depth rice-farming sim, complete with JRPG leveling systems.
― Easily the most unique title I've picked up in recent memory, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a side-scrolling platform brawler paired with an incredibly in-depth rice-farming sim, complete w...
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
The mixture requires Puyo Puyo to be faster and Tetris slower, yet the concept proved fun the first time around, particularly with four players involved. How does Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 follow that up?
― Pity the sequel to a perfectly good puzzle game. Its core idea is already established, appealing, and therefore limitlessly enjoyable. The sequel can only refine it, add to it, or broaden its player base...
Robotics;Notes: ELITE & DaSH (Double Pack)
While it has the typical trappings of a game in the Science Adventure vein, it's also bolstered by fleshed-out characters, a sense of a stable grounding in reality, and a unique narrative. However, its drawbacks are not insignificant.
― The Robotics;Notes double pack is the third in a series of visual novels I've been reviewing in recent days. And while I hold no love for the visual novel genre, I mu...
Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia
Champions of Vestroia is Bakugan's take on the monster-collecting RPG genre. It takes some unique steps in some interesting and smart directions, but also holds onto some of the more tedious aspects of other games in its fold.
― The Bakugan franchise has sold kaiju brawlers, duel simulators, and even tower defense games – these titles have variety in droves, and this is no exception. Vestroia commits...
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