Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya is a rather low-maintenance game, yet surprisingly addicting at times. A strong presentation, lighthearted tone, and relaxing gameplay loop made it an enjoyable experience. It does drag just a bit in places, and I think Dichroic Purpilion could have implemented a few more tricky mechanics to deal with in order to spice things up, but I think what we ended up with was still solidly fun. What keeps Mystia’s Izakaya from reaching even higher heights isn’t so much in its mistakes, but rather that it doesn’t do a lot that truly goes above and beyond. I still liked a lot of what I ended up playing plenty though! This Nintendo Switch version of the game comes with all six packs of DLC, resulting in a large cast and a lot of additional content that is pretty seamlessly integrated into the game, giving you plenty of options during and after your main playthrough. While the game’s systems are limited in overall scope, there’s no shortage of things to do. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had.
Berserk Boy is a generally fun little retro-style indie action-platformer. The game is especially rewarding to play quickly due to how well-made its lightning power is. Alas, it peaks somewhat early and has its cracks. Several ideas after the first few sets of levels don’t build much upon the game’s solid foundation, which felt more like a missed opportunity. The game is presented well but doesn’t do a lot to truly stand out among its retro-style indie action-platformer peers in either novelty or consistency. Still, the fun mechanics it does have coupled with its solid soundtrack and visuals enabled me to get past some of its weaker aspects and enjoy my playthrough plenty enough.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is difficult to recommend for Trails newcomers, though there are in-game resources to help bridge that gap. If you liked Cold Steel I and II, then there’s a very solid chance you’ll enjoy III, though plenty of scenes or lines probably still go over your head if that’s all you’ve seen. With that said, Cold Steel III is incomplete by itself. Despite its excesses, its narrative builds slowly into something that isn’t fully resolved until the next game, and it has shortcomings of its own. I still find Cold Steel III to be the best game of the four narratively overall, but it’s also held back by significant pitfalls in combat. Nonetheless, I still got a decent amount of enjoyment out of the game thanks to the better aspects of the story and the core fundamentals of the Trails battle system. It’s a high-maintenance game to get the most out of, with rough edges, but I still found it enjoyable more often than not.
If the main continuous story is the primary reason you want to play The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV, then I’m afraid it doesn’t live up to its own hype. I get the sense Falcom bit off more than they could chew with this arc, dragging far too many plot threads into this already big game and not finishing many of them in a fulfilling way. Much of the story’s tension is manufactured by one incredibly frustrating plot device that did substantially more harm than good to the narrative. Despite this, I enjoyed this game a surprising amount for everything else it has to offer. Plenty of great scenes and character moments can be found outside of the main story. A lot of the bonding events and optional events in this game are genuinely, surprisingly good. While not my favorite game in the entire Trails series in terms of systems, it is still the Cold Steel title I most enjoyed in terms of gameplay sections. Several combat aspects were tweaked enough from III for me to feel like I was genuinely engaging with its systems. This game is noticeably imperfect and unlikely to be enjoyed by someone who isn’t already a fan of the series, but there’s enough to enjoy if you’re willing to spend the time to do so. The lows are among the lowest in the series, but the highs are high enough to salvage a decently enjoyable JRPG for me.
Tevi’s greatest strength is in how much fun the game is to play with its actual mechanics. At its best, it’s an absolute masterclass in 2D action game design. Combat and movement flow together seamlessly to produce a fun and acrobatic gameplay experience that stands with the best of ‘em, regardless of whether we’re talking 2D or 3D, indie or AAA. The developers and publisher poured a lot of love and care into Tevi’s design and production. Unfortunately, it’s bogged down by a weak narrative that felt like more was put into its style than making something of genuine substance, resulting in some jagged and stunted edges. The incompleteness of its latter half led me to feel at least a touch of regret over what could have been. Still, the areas in which Tevi makes good on its potential are more than worth your playtime if you’re looking for enjoyable action-heavy 2D games, Metroidvanias, or even bullet hells.