And then, and this is truly the best part of RCGZ, you unlock the ability to play the Intro, Outro, and End Credit sequences from the main menu. You can also flip through scanned pages of the original game's Japanese instruction booklet if that's your bag. I haven't played too many games where the bread is the best part of the sandwich, but here we are.
Of course, grinding and questing usually means leaving and returning to the Inn, which also requires paying rent all the damn time. There’s a storyline, but since all of your characters are mute character portraits, all the dialogue and interactions come from the Inn’s colorful cast, most of whom I didn’t care for. I just don’t see the appeal of DGE. In the very crowded marketplace of JRPGs, there are way better choices out there.
More often than not, though, it feels like work. Tedious, exhausting work. And 38-year-old Zach doesn't have the patience for that anymore.
On the other hand, Crosswave already features Neptune from the Neptunia franchise--and I have to assume that the other Goddesses will move in eventually. That's probably not enough to keep me coming back, though. If you like anime-based visual novels, you might get something out of Azur Lane: Crosswave. For me, though? I like a little more "game" in my video games.
There still isn't an on-screen moves list, although even a passing familiarity with the usual SNK fighter directional combos will serve you well here. Otherwise, there's a big beautiful scan of the game's manual for you to consult (just write everything down somewhere). While I remain tickled that these NGPC ports even exist, though, I am beginning to long for different things, especially since these fighters all look more or less like the same game.
This is definitely one of those "your mileage may vary" kind of reviews; your enjoyment of Super Meat Boy Forever will be determined entirely by your particular enjoyment of masochistic platformers. If you played Super Meat Boy 1.0 and thought "man, I wish this were way harder," Forever may be just what you're looking for.
The more you know.gif.
Overall, I have pretty mixed feelings about Close to the Sun. I love the setting and the atmosphere, but the technical problems, chase sequences, and lack of story cohesion ultimately left me wanting.
If you really long for those days of playing Street Fighter II and Metal Slug while you wait for your Book It group's pizza to come out, you might want to give Eternum EX a look. I feel like it needs a two-player mode to keep things fresh because otherwise it runs out of steam pretty quickly.
**You want to read Crime and Punishment? I have a suggestion: read The Tell-Tale Heart. There. I saved you a hundred hours.
The only people I'd wholeheartedly recommend this game to are the ones who thought Runner2 was too easy. This one's for you. It sure as hell isn't for those who want a gentler stroll or don't have experience with the series.
I'm not trying to be a social justice warrior here; I'm just saying that poking at the half-naked bodies of minors is creepy. The rest of the game is fine, and maybe there's a dialogue tree that avoids those creeper parts; I don't know. If that stuff makes you uneasy, I'd avoid this waifu game.
Overall, I just wasn't enjoying the game, which is a problem. There's definitely some inventive puzzling here, but I found the experience more frustrating than fun.
If you feel the need to revisit Wonder Boy or Adventure Island, which were ported to pretty much everything available in the late 80's, you might give Wonder Boy Returns Remix a shot. For the rest of us, though, there are two much better Wonder Boy games on the Switch that you'll probably enjoy a whole lot more.
The Coma: Uncut is a good game with some jump scares and a creepy atmosphere, and I like it overall, but having to be exactly centered over any given icon to activate the action really puts a damper on the experience.
If you like meta-commentary in your video games, ICEY might be right up your alley, but I found the narration to be overdone, overlong, and overly aggressive. I appreciate ICEY's attempt to differentiate itself but…not like this. Not like this.
But it’s also true that Exile’s End is not great. It’s just mediocre and it’s not optimized for the Wii U. While I got a kick out it, I suspect many of you will become bored or frustrated. Even I started leaning on online maps to find everything (breakable walls are rarely differentiated). It’s one of those games I’m torn on recommending. Watch some videos. Your mileage may vary.
The problem is all the bulk surrounding it. Poor checkpointing, being unable to carry tech upgrades forward, and the persistent wish that I had more control over my own aiming all sort of dampen the experience. I like where this game's head is at, but I've got a list of things they can improve if Xenoraid gets a sequel.
My recommendation is to play the demo. If you really like it, understand that Fashion Forward doesn’t really evolve much beyond those walls. You might be okay with that, but I’m finding that I’m not.
Overall, there were too many irritations in Soulstorm to win any of my enthusiasm. Every play session left me somewhat frustrated, and I often had to talk myself into booting it up. If you're dying to revisit Abe's Exoddus, this is certainly the best way to accomplish that. I just wish it was a little more fun and a little less janky.