Titanfall 2 is the product of a developer that took to heart all the criticism that was thrown at the original. Even though the single player campaign treads familiar ground and falters in some areas, it’s a solid effort with some great moments that I’m sure to remember. The multiplayer is finely tuned, with a great variety of modes that offer different experiences.
Overall, Xenoverse 2 feels more in line with what I wanted the original game to be, with its flexible combat engine, wealth of compelling content and an online component that actually worked properly from day 1. Even with the issues with the frequent crashes and the dumb AI, this is still a wet dream for DBZ fans and comes highly recommended.
With significant improvements over the PSP version, the 3DS port of Corpse Party proves to be the definitive version to play, and for those in the mood for a horror game before Spooktober comes to an end, this nightmarish trip to Heavenly Host Elementary School just might be what you’re looking for.
While it’s great to see the talents behind the “Hotel Dusk” series back in action, “Chase: Cold Case investigations” is a much smaller and less ambitious title than its predecessors. Even though the bargain price point justifies its rather short length, the sequel bait ending and lack of variety in the gameplay leaves much to be desired. However, a visual novel lives and dies by its story and this one’s well worth reading. It just remains to be seen where the series goes from here.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is everything a sequel should be. It builds on the strengths of the original with its stylish visuals, tight controls and a fluid combat engine that reminds me of how I felt when I was playing some of my favorite 2D platformers in the past.
Exist Archive is a title elevated by its superb combat that remained enjoyable even after a thousand encounters. However, it doesn’t have much more to offer outside of the combat, as there’s a serious lack of variety in the overall gameplay. The repetitive nature of exploring one dungeon after another, punctuated by the odd event here and there played against my patience. Even though I can safely say that I enjoyed my initial playthrough, I can’t say the same about the prospect of playing through it once more to get an alternative ending.
Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak is a title that showed a lot of promise, with a great art style and an interesting premise. However, the atrocious combat mechanics hinder the overall enjoyment of the game so much to the point it’s difficult to recommend to anyone in particular.
Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary is a fun and addictive little puzzle game that makes its transition to the PC market well thanks to keyboard/controller support and removal of ads/microtransactions. It’s just unfortunate that the asking price is a bit steep for the content on offer.
Mother Russia Bleeds has a great title and a unique look with its ugly and yet beautiful 2D sprites. Unfortunately, the combat gets dull rather quickly, and with the lack of online multiplayer, it's a difficult game to recommend to anyone but the true enthusiasts of the genre.
Despite its flaws, God Eater 2 Rage Burst is a pretty fun game to play, with a fun cast of characters and a fast paced combat engine. If it had a larger player base on the PC for the multiplayer component to thrive, it would have been an easy game to recommend. However, as it stands now, I can only speak of this title as a single player experience and as such, its leaves much to be desired.
With improved visuals, new mechanics, and a more intuitive design- Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice already has a lot going for it. Factor in a story filled with intrigue that’s as exciting to watch unfold as the best of what the series has to offer thus far and you’re left with an exceptional visual novel and a return to form for the series as a whole.
A game that deserves to be on the radar of everyone who has ever in their lifetime enjoyed a single JRPG – just be sure to play the original first.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has a firm grasp on what made the original title so iconic- providing some of the best variety in how a player could approach every objective and making each of them feel just as fun and satisfying as the other.
What I was hoping for when I booted up Shiren the Wanderer was another anomaly – a title in the roguelike genre that I would enjoy, and that wasn’t what I found. Instead, what I got was a fairly standard entry in the genre- crafted well by a developer that’s been making these kinds of games for years, and even though I did not find the title to my tastes, I could easily see why someone else might.
As a fan of the Gundam series, seeing all the different mobile suits with their signature moves duking it out should have been a dream come true. However, a dull single player campaign and a complete lack of online multiplayer makes Extreme VS-Force very difficult to recommend.
There’s a lot of new interest and goodwill rolling JJBA’s way in the last few years and I truly wish that this was competent fighter that I could point to get the gamer crowd interested in this legendary manga/anime series. However, the shallow, uninteresting combat, boring story mode and the lack of a local multiplayer mode makes this one hard to recommend, even to the most diehard of fans.
Grand Kingdom features a vibrant and charming art style along with a surprisingly well implemented multiplayer mode. However, the lackluster story and repetitive combat that sits at the very core of the experience holds the game back from greatness.
From its solid character customization to its strategic and enjoyable combat, it’s yet another great JRPG to grace the 3DS.
Zero Time Dilemma is a triumph in storytelling and world building with some of the most complex and yet satisfying narrative ever to grace a videogame. Whether this is the final entry to the Zero Escape series or not, the developers can rest easy knowing that they’ve managed to craft one of the finest visual novel series of all time.
It's an absolute joy to play and one that I believe will stand head and shoulders above the rest of the anime fighting game crowd for some time to come.