Derek Heemsbergen's Reviews
.hack//G.U. Last Recode is a fascinating novelty, but makes a better impression as a time capsule than a compelling video game in 2017.
A high price point and some subjective duds make Namco Museum a stretch in terms of outright value, but the influence these games had on the industry makes them worth at least a cursory glance in the rearview mirror.
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.
In going so far retro, Pier Solar HD shows that it hasn't learned from modern advancements in game design.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Calling The Longest Five Minutes a deconstruction of 8- and 16-bit RPG tropes is only half-true, as it turns around and reconstructs those same tropes by journey's end. Still, it's a brisk and amusing adventure that knows how to play to its strengths.
Smoothing out the wrinkles, Perfect Chronology evens out to an experience of roughly the same calibre as the well-worn original.
Chaos;Child is a grim, gory murder mystery that could have been brilliant with some judicious edits to its content and pacing.
Episode Gladiolus is worth checking out for its rugged action and blood-pumping music, though its plot points really should've been part of Final Fantasy XV in the first place.
Kingdom Hearts fans - particularly those who can justify the game's astronomical price point of $60 for about five hours of new content - will definitely enjoy their brief time with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
At $10, Kero Blaster is pushing it in terms of justifying its price point, but there's no denying that it's a silly, well-crafted little game that feels good and oozes charisma.
Dream Daddy is a sharp and humorous visual novel that unfortunately erases the notion of queerness from male-male relationships.
This nostalgia-fueled collectathon is a pleasant, if juvenile, tour of Final Fantasy's greatest hits.
Recommended to those seeking an RPG that is light in all senses of the word.
A surreal, weird, and original RPG quite unlike anything else in the (Soul) space, YIIK's heart beats stronger than its technical shortcomings.
Bad Apple Wars' lean tale of passionate teenage love in purgatory is, in a word, fine. But "fine" doesn't leave a lasting impression.