Riko and Reg's descent to the netherworld is a classic in existential dread and worldbuilding. Playing in this broken world imparts an even worse sense of dread.
There is a fundamentally good, core Darkest Dungeon-like experience somewhere underneath this rushed, languid, and poorly executed turn-based rogue-lite.
Soulless yet almost serviceable as a light hack 'n slash Valkyrie Profile spinoff, Elysium is a 15-hour chore of ugly visuals, repetitive combat, and a mundane plot.
Unambitious, dated, and dreadfully lacking in polish, only series fans eager for more classic Saints gameplay need apply.
Perhaps Ubisoft's most mediocre new IP launch to date, eliciting neither excitement nor offence.
The atmospheric visual overhaul marks the best part of this exhausting and dated remake, while the villainous AI SHODAN remains a timeless antagonist.
Persona 5's toe-tapping tunes and infectious energy are present, but Tactica forgets to bring fresh ideas or variety.
A tight card-driven skirmisher is the beating heart of a deeply troubled Marvel game, burdened by feature creep and endless hours of terrible dialogue.
The DioField Chronicle's interesting mix of strategy and tactics just barely keeps afloat a bloated package of repetition, achingly dull characters, and eye-rolling writing.
Bloated, buggy and with its best ideas in the back half, Neocore's grimdark tactical King Arthur spin-off is halfway decent might and magic.
A sensory achievement for nostalgic JRPGs left without any enjoyable game under the hood and falls short of an already exceptional 2021 JRPG roster.
Star Ocean's 25th-anniversary title celebrates its beloved PS2 classic with a spiritual remake, but its adherence to archaic series' design will ward off new players
For the small audience looking for a romantic World War 2 satire featuring a harem of loli leaders, My Little Dictator will entertain for dozens of hours. Just skip the combat.
This earnest, occasionally awkward epilogue to Tales of Arise isn't essential, but it packs enough delights to reward returning fans.
Despite underwhelming combat and gameplay mechanics, Thirsty Suitors has stellar style and character writing wrapped up in a charming and sincere package.
This spooky age of piracy has charming supernatural characters and visuals, but the hardcore stealth action on offer is an uncompromising, often unwieldy beast.
Positively overflowing with meaty, tactical combat and terrific character writing, Trails of Reverie is held back by its dated presentation and sky-high barrier to entry.
While Final Fantasy XVI didn’t meet this fan’s expectations for a new series entry, newcomers to epic fantasy and action games will be swept away by the eye-melting combat and enormous-yet-approachable scale.
A stunning One Piece game great for fans and JRPG newbies, but one that won't satisfy hardened min-maxers.
Repetitive combat and exploration pad out this wonderfully remastered cult JRPG experience that falls just short of a recommendation.