Divine Dynamo Flamefrit's Pinnochio-esque journey from a throwaway internet joke to a full-fledged real game is commendable in itself. However, the fact that it's as enjoyable as it is may be an even sweeter victory. It doesn't reinvent the wheel in any respect, and its limited action-adventure game mechanics are just about as basic as they come, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is more than satisfying and flashy enough to make up for it. Couple that with a keen sense of humour and a flurry of nostalgic aesthetic callbacks to classic anime and old-school RPGs, and you have quite the gem of a title. Just try to savour those fleeting few hours of runtime as much as you can.
It would be one thing if Reynatis was a decent enough action RPG to turn your brain off to and enjoy some simplistic, button-mashy battles with. The problem is that the creators behind this title so obviously wanted it to be more than that, but it doesn't have the writing quality, the technical spectacle, or the mechanical depth to make it happen. Just like its co-lead Marin, Reynatis' single-minded ambition to reach greater heights unveils its greatest weaknesses - a sense of aimlessness and a general apathy toward its own fantastical world. If you believe you can still find some enjoyment in Reynatis despite its failings, it might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, the performance deficiencies of this Switch release make it a game that's best played on just about any other console you have available. With plenty of other great action RPGs out on the market, you have to wonder if it's worth the trouble.
With only a handful of new refinements, Princess Maker 2 Regeneration is most notable for bringing Gainax's classic life simulator game to a wider audience than ever before. While its retro aesthetics are charming and its no-wrong-way-to-play design philosophy is still just as rewarding to tinker with all these years later, there's no denying that this title is beginning to show its age. That said, those with a deep interest in game history or the simulator genre should still be able to find plenty of enjoyment in helping their virtual daughter grow up to face the world head-on. It's an experience that may not be everyone's cup of tea - but the original wasn't either, was it?
For as many creative liberties as it takes in remaking Type-Moon's first-ever visual novel, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- exhibits a respect for the source material that borders on reverence. It feels as though every bit of the game has been carefully and lovingly crafted for the purpose of creating the definitive version of Tsukihime - one in which the shocking narrative developments hit harder, the action sequences are even more exhilarating, and the core story of life, death, and love is all the more bewitching. For fans of the original, it's not only a dream remake, but a triumphant affirmation to the rest of the world that, yes, we really have been missing out on something special for all this time.
Just as the Science Adventure games posit that human perception affects reality, not every player will experience Anonymous;Code the same way. For those new to the franchise, this latest entry is an imaginative if conceptually dense sci-fi romp. For those who have played the other entries, it's something more - a gratifying culmination of thematic and narrative strands roughly 15 years in the making. Either way, Anonymous;Code has something special to say about the universe, the soul, and video games as a medium.