Jennifer Rahman
Star Wars Outlaws strives to offer an engaging space adventure but stumbles with clunky stealth mechanics, forgettable characters, and uninspired mission design. While the game excels in capturing the visual and auditory essence of the Star Wars universe, its many flaws make it a frustrating experience rather than the thrilling journey it promises.
Given its early access, I found the idea behind Mika and The Witch’s Mountain appealing, but the implementation falls well short. The quest structure is repetitious, and the world seems dead with inhabitants who fail to engage the player. Still, Mika and The Witch’s Mountain was brought to life in a manner that almost fully realized its great graphics, amazing music, and sensible concept. If you appreciate the Chibig world and ignore its flaws, you might still have fun here, particularly with the returning characters from past games.
Farewell North is a stunning video game that you should play. While I was writing this review, fixes were still going out, so I hope your experience is less rocky than mine, should you choose to play. As someone who mourns the loss of her dog, I could relate to the heart-breaking tale. Farewell North is not the game for you if you are looking for a puzzle adventure game that puts more emphasis on gameplay than it does on the narrative.
Whether or not I recommend this game, I really think that Stellar Blade is mediocre, and you can get the same level of enjoyment, if not more, from several other titles of the genre. I did have fun, and this review was clearly a huge read compared to other ones I have written, but that was mostly due to the need to comment on femininity, and this game is nothing to write home about.
The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty had me in a daze upon finishing the game, but with the ending I have reached, I cannot complain. Sure, when I think back to this game, the first thing that presents itself in my brain is the memory of how uncomfortable I felt, but underneath all that, I believe that the mystery and horror elements that exist everywhere else in the game made this an experience I will not regret.
Minds Beneath Us offers decent value for the money as you may return to explore all the paths and options you have not explored before. In around twelve hours, you may complete the game—or longer if you are as picky as I am and prefer to explore every inch. I am definitely putting this as one of my favorite indie games of all time, and I will keep an open mind for other projects that are of genres I usually do not invest in.
The Star Named EOS is a beautifully hand-drawn puzzle adventure that follows Dei, a young photographer, on a sentimental journey to uncover the truth about his mother's past through recreating old photographs. With clever escape room-esque puzzles and a captivating storyline, this game offers a short yet emotionally rich experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
Dungeons of Hinterberg still let me decide which sub-narratives to pursue, and in what sequence to solve the challenges Luisa faces. Simply put, you will have the absolute freedom to indulge in moments of tranquility unless you are opting for a more violent path. The choice is yours.
SCHiM captivates players with its unique art style and simple yet engaging gameplay, where you guide a shadow creature through various challenges in a visually striking world. The game successfully combines emotional storytelling with inventive level design, offering a memorable experience despite occasional accessibility issues and minor gameplay setbacks.
Magical Delicacy stands out as a unique gem. Its gorgeous visuals and Ghibli-esque characters make you want to take each new acquaintance out for a special dinner that they have been longing for. There are a few little things like the movement and platforming seem a bit sluggish which can be fixed in an update.
B-PROJECT RYUSEI*FANTASIA is an Otome Visual Novel where you have to look after the idol career of 14 different boys. At first, all seems well and could leave one to feel carefree, but then everything takes an intense shift. Survive, for you must push these boys to the top.
DROS is a game that beautifully combines hard puzzles and platforming components with an enthralling tale and an endearing cast. If you like games like this, where exploration takes center stage and combat takes a back seat, you should give DROS a go - you will not be let down. Oh, and do tell the Captain he has a beautiful face. He would like that, I think.
From my time as a player of Princess Maker 2: Regeneration, it is impossible to not notice those features of the game, but I would still deem it to be a game worth your time. It is a proper look back at titles of the past and Japanese pop culture. The game itself is addictive and poses to be a challenge many players would not be expecting unless they are already familiar with the franchise. A fix here and there would have gone a long way for this remaster, nonetheless, it was a very memorable gaming experience for me which I will not forget anytime soon.
For those who like rogue-lite games with rapid action and well-considered choices, The Land Beneath Us is a great choice. While it is unable to innovate in many areas, its mechanical execution is still top-notch. The plot and presentation are adequate, but not particularly noteworthy when contrasted with other games in the genre.
There does not appear to be much more I can say about Zenless Zone Zero other than to reiterate my views on topics on which many people agree since it has only recently been released and has limited material that will be expanded upon in future updates. Because of my own tastes and expectations, I found the experience to be insufficient. Still, if Hoyoverse wishes for the fans of their previous games to deeply care about this newly released one, they should consider changing things quite a bit.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is yet another contemporary classic. Starting a fresh storyline after four games in a row and a reunion sequel is hardly an easy task, but Nihon Falcom pulled it off well. Even while the LGC alignment method is brilliant, it might be too ambitious, and engagement could suffer due to the lack of difficulty in battle. In any case, the following titles may address these concerns. Though longtime and new fans of The Legend of Heroes will certainly find unique change in almost every imaginable area of The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak.
Slay the Princess stands out from the crowd because of its original take on the game story, which rejects the status quo and embraces innovation. Make sure you have enough time and interest in visual novels to the point where you can complete the game.