The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 might scratch that action RPG itch for anyone desperately craving more from the genre, but casual fans might struggle to find much lasting power in NIS' latest endeavour. Poorly written, with a horrendous story to gameplay ratio, it's hard not to see Hundred Knight 2 as more visual novel/button masher than action RPG.
While Shantae and the Pirate's Curse may fall on the simple side when it comes to Metroidvanias, its simplicity winds up being one of its biggest strengths.
The Long Reach just barely misses the mark thanks to a painfully tone deaf script full of juvenile dialogue and puzzles that rely on process of elimination as much as actual thought-work. The general aesthetic of the world is appealing, with just well-crafted sprites, and the atmosphere is appropriately oppressive, but the overall story feels bound together by a script that can't decide between humour and tension. When every character speaks the same way, alternating between sarcastic quips and actually moving the plot along, it makes for an exhausting experience. Along with repetitive dialogue trees, it's hard to immerse oneself into the narrative. The game is short enough and might be worth buying on sale, but it certainly shouldn't be purchased for full price.
As shallow as it is boring, Guilt Battle Arena is a conceptually fine attempt at a fast-paced party shooter that does very little with its mechanics and premise. Constantly being on-rails adds a layer of difficulty, but doesn't feel necessary to the core design of the game; the obstacles are charming enough, but the static layout of each stage keeps them relatively easy to avoid with some muscle memory; and the one-bullet mechanic, as interesting as it is, doesn't feel properly taken advantage of as its held back cramped layouts. Levels and matches are certainly fast-paced, but the core gameplay isn't addictive enough to warrant long play sessions. With some mechanical re-tweaking, varied stages, and an improved main mode that doesn't boil down to endless waves of shooting and dashing, Guilt Battle Arena could turn into something worth playing. As is, however, there's nothing particularly impressive about it.
Surprisingly, thanks to, and not in spite of, its roguelike elements, Steredenn: Binary Stars takes what would otherwise be a decent shoot 'em up and turns it into a highly addictive frenzy where each run is heavily affected by whatever weapons are found along the way.
Designed for short bursts and with more than enough content to justify its incredibly generous price tag, Grid Mania offers a unique puzzle experience with plenty of challenge to go around. The four game modes aren't as distinct as they perhaps could or should be, but the core design is strong enough to keep each mode from feeling derivative of one another. As the difficulty gradually curves up and critical thought becomes a more frequent demand, Grad Mania establishes itself as a highly satisfying puzzler that still manages to be quite relaxing at its hardest.
The Final Station might be lacking in some departments, but what it does well, it does well.
Despite some technical issues, Layers of Fear: Legacy manages to weave together an incredibly intimate, and tense, family drama that can scare just as effortlessly it can intrigue.
While certainly charming and cleverly designed for its short length, Xeodrifter ultimately feels too disjointed for its own good. Separating the overworld into four, smaller maps is a good idea in theory, but the disconnect between stages takes away the interconnected feeling of exploration Metroidvanias thrive on. Bosses themselves are also a big letdown, especially since the weapon customisation would lend itself well to more varied foes. It's even difficult to recommend Xeodrifter as a beginner's Metroidvania since the early game is far harder than everything that comes after. It's endearing enough and can kill an easy three hours, but there are better Metroidvanias to choose from.
TorqueL is a tough sell, especially for those looking for an immediately rewarding or relaxing experience, but it's certainly worth the labour for anyone inclined to giving it a fair chance.
Challenging, creative, and endlessly endearing, Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition is the best take on the Metroidvania genre in years.
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is one of the finest games on the 3DS, one of the finest RPGs in its genre, and one of the finest remakes of all time. The lack of modification done to the sprites will surely sour some, but it's arguably for the best, as it preserves the aesthetic identity of an already great looking adventure. The amazing combat system is thankfully left untouched, the new scenario offers more than its weight in gameplay, and the optional nature of most of the new content means anyone uninterested in the changes can simply find comfort in an amazing base experience. Radiant Historia was good enough where it didn't need a remake, but it's wonderful it got anyway.
Tachyon Project is not bad and is a fine fit for anyone looking to kill an hour or two with arcade-like gameplay, but it comes off as disjointed. The story is presented far bigger than it actually is, the marketing tries more to sell the idea of an old shoot 'em up than a new game, and Ada's movements are stiff for the wrong reasons. That said, the missions are structured well; there's a lot to customise in Ada, and it is engaging enough to warrant a playthrough. There's a good game hiding inside Tachyon Project and hopefully a sequel can iron out the kinks to bring it out.
One third bullet hell, one third shoot 'em up, and one third roguelike, Enter the Gungeon is a magnificent blend of three genres that go together impressively well. The wide variety of guns keeps each playthrough feeling fresh, regardless of the character chosen, and the diverse enemy design is sure to keep players on their toes as they force their way through the Gungeon. There are some issues that rise from the randomness of it all, par for the course for a roguelike, but the fluid gameplay, massive weapon cache, and bullet-heavy atmosphere make Enter the Gungeon one incredibly endearing experience.
One Piece: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition is that rare licensed game with enough lasting power to please both fans and newcomers alike. Prior knowledge of the series certainly bolsters the experience, but the core mechanics are strong enough on their own where newcomers can hop in and enjoy themselves. The gameplay itself can feel repetitive during longer play sessions, but the mechanics aren't so simple to the point where they aren't at least somewhat engaging. At its core, One Piece: Unlimited World Red's MO is to be an easy to play adventure game set in the One Piece universe and, at that, it succeeds rather well.
While by no means revolutionary or necessary, the Fun Pack is a strong enough foundation to start a season pass on.
What Bleed lacks in play time, it makes up for with one of the most fluid control schemes to grace a platformer. Wryn's triple jump allows for a flow of movement that encourages dodge heavy, bullet hell style level design. Coupled with a well implemented bullet-time mechanic, stages require quick reflexes to complete, especially when taking rank into consideration. While the main story takes less than two hours to complete, unlockables, Arcade mode, and higher difficulties keep Bleed a highly addictive, and highly replayable, experience.
Far more complex and stressful than it lets on, Nuclien is a delightful tap 'em up that genuinely challenges players to focus like little else on Nintendo Switch. Unlike most games on the console, the gameplay actually takes advantage of the touch screen by removing the use of buttons during stages.
Nearly eight years later, Super Meat Boy remains a master class in balancing difficulty into engaging level design.
Against all odds, Energy Invasion manages to take its almost too simple Breakout-inspired premise and spin it into something truly original and engaging. Adding the ability to fire off miniature, bouncing balls from the main ball is an ingenious addition that elevates the gameplay from just a mere homage. While there are only 50 stages between Linear and Invasion mode, the difficulty curve allows progress to feel earned, and Endless offers an unlimited amount of levels to bounce through. Along with Nick R 61's fantastic soundtrack, Energy Invasion is a surreal, and strangely addictive, evolution of the Breakout formula.