Derek Heemsbergen's Reviews
Trails of Cold Steel III marches the long-running series ever closer to an explosive climax with satisfying combat, characters, and music.
In reinventing Fire Emblem for a new console generation, Three Houses doubles down on its philosophy of player choice, but neglects to make all choices equally valid.
Shadowbringers is more than just a masterful arc in a beloved tale; it's one of the best Final Fantasy stories ever realized, showcasing an MMORPG at the apex of its craft.
A loving homage to a niche sub-genre of days gone past, Slay the Spire uses procedurally-generated challenges to keep its deck-building gameplay fresh.
Lulua is an exceptionally safe Atelier title that feels less like a return to form and more like an achromatic stroll down the rugged cobblestone of memory lane.
Kingdom Hearts III is the biggest, boldest, flashiest entry in the saga—one that builds upon the gameplay systems of its forebears in a kaleidoscopic carnival of action RPG jubilance.
A surreal, weird, and original RPG quite unlike anything else in the (Soul) space, YIIK's heart beats stronger than its technical shortcomings.
This anime-styled fighter goes plus ultra for fans of the My Hero Academia franchise, but its lackluster single-player content feels phoned in.
By ditching previous entries' clumsy attempts at innovation, Super Mario Party reminds us how fun it can be to crowd around a TV and roll dice with the Mushroom Kingdom crew.
Beautifully trim, transcendently polished, and unexpectedly inclusive, Timespinner is among the most capable endeavours to spring from Castlevania's picked-over carcass.
An enjoyable but extraordinarily safe follow-up that carries the torch for this beloved strategy RPG series into the next generation.
Dragon Quest XI's strength lies not in defying conventions, but in refining the concepts its predecessors pioneered to the absolute apex of what a Dragon Quest game can be.
While unlikely to ever eclipse the popularity of games starring his do-gooder counterpart—lo, art imitates life—Wario's series of wacky microgames nevertheless exudes such raw charisma and fun factor that it's hard not to root for him.
Octopath Traveler is a sublime mélange of classic role-playing sensibilities and modern conveniences that speaks to this RPG aficionado's soul.
This hack-and-slash romp is as good as it was in 2014, but remains fundamentally the same game, making it best suited for those yet to experience Hyrule Warriors whatsoever.
While indisputably overflowing with cartoonish charm, the more tedious aspects of The Swords of Ditto's design prevented me from fully engaging with everything it has to offer.
A novel, thematic conceit is the most interesting element of this repetitive experience; the rest is weighed down by crybaby characters and vague, unsatisfying gameplay objectives. Atelier is overdue for a revamp.
The Alliance Alive's one-of-a-kind atmosphere and decadent soundtrack are high notes in an experience otherwise subject to the whims of random number generation.
One of the best JRPGs released in ages, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is as charming as it is intricate, full of expressive characters and addictive gameplay systems that mesh together in perfect harmony.
The Royal Pack is a well-realized bundle of miscellany that refines the core Final Fantasy XV experience while reminding us that it's still an incomplete game sixteen months after launch.