The biggest problem for Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale rests in the fact that it tries to be two things, but is only going halfway with both, something that creates an experience that will leave most people longing for more. It is a problematic thing as that means many are just likely to start up their favourite Harvest Moon game instead of this if they want a farming simulator, and just about any of the hundreds of other JRPG titles if that is what they desire to play. The creation of Marvelous is by no means bad, just unfocused.
While Monster High: New Ghoul in School makes very good use of the IP, it is still barely passable as a game. Fans of the show will enjoy the adventures as a new ghoul at Monster High, and being friends with Ghoulia, Spectra, Frankie, and the rest of the gang at Monster High will certainly be entertaining enough. However, there are gameplay issues which drag the score down a lot. It gets extremely boring going through the same corridors over and over again, and fearleading could not have possibly been designed worse. This makes Monster High: New Ghoul in School a title that is extremely boring to play through from start to finish, even for fans of the show.
While there are very few issues with the game from a technical point of view, and it has very few annoying features, it completely lacks a hook and great, memorable parts. Momonga Pinball Adventures is the definition of a mediocre game. It is not bad enough for people to yell for refunds, but it is certainly not good enough for anyone will return to. Much more could've been done, but simply wasn't. The addition of one big pinball table could've done wonders, providing replayability and something for pinball fans to truly enjoy. Sadly, it didn't. The developer went their own way to create a new colour, but the project clashed somewhere along the way, creating a mess instead. It is, however, hinted that there will be a sequel, maybe one that will better mix the elements into something new.
Ironically, the thing that can initially be seen as Xenoblade Chronicles X's biggest weakness will eventually turn out to be its greatest strength. While all of the details and the massive world will frighten people off at first because of its sheer complexity and depth, once adapted, it will embrace them and become an addictive and beautiful experience offering hundreds of hours of wonderful game time. It might, actually, be worthy of the title of being the ultimate RPG game for RPG fans, mixing the dearest elements of both JRPGs and WRPGs into the same package.
Pokémon Picross succeeds flawlessly with its goal of making an easily accessible Picross title with additional appeal for people who are used to the puzzles. Optional stages and challenges are sure to keep veterans on their toes, while newcomers can be perfectly happy with the main puzzles that will keep their minds stimulated without being too difficult. Nintendo even succeeded to implement Pokémon into the game in a natural way, as more than just pictures. This, mixed with a fair roof on the optional purchases, makes Pokémon Picross a wonderful game to play, no matter the desired play style or former experience with the puzzles. It's a title that is recommended for everyone with a 3DS to try out!
Besides being true to the hard lives of cosplayers in between conventions, there are not many redeemable qualities in Cosplay Maker. It succeeds perfectly with capturing all the boring aspects of the hobby, while - and almost as if it was on purpose - missing every single enjoyable and rewarding aspect of it. When most of the game is made up of "loading screens" that can't be skipped, something is seriously wrong; furthermore, every single aspect of the game that might have been enjoyable is compromised or removed completely from the game. What would have been fun in a title like this would be the option to actually design something or posing on a stage acting out the character. Instead, what is given to the player is a bunch of horribly scripted and shallow cosplay friends. Cubed3 recommends staying away from this title, unless there is a genuine interest in what the boring everyday life of a cosplay maker looks like when not on conventions.
Tomorrow Corporation has presented a clever satire with deep messages incorporated into both the story and gameplay, delivering a unique experience. The imitation of real CPUs is going to be a feature that will make programming enthusiasts crazy and puzzle veterans shake with excitement thanks to the challenge involved. However, due to some almost ridiculous difficulty spikes, Human Resource Machine will most likely not be played through to the end by anyone other than those in said groups, leaving more casual puzzle gamers behind. A smoother difficulty curve would have helped a lot to make this title shine brighter. Other than the steep difficulty, though, this is a memorable experience and a good starting point in learning how to program, starting with the basic code lines, allowing for deep gameplay.
At the parts where it shines at its brightest, G-senjou no Maou: The Devil on G-String is a wonderful experience, both emotionally and intellectually - with music that's almost in a league of its own(with glorious remakes of classical pieces), and the help of a highly complex, multi-layered story. While its strongest parts stand out, however, so do its weaknesses. A sometimes way too outdrawn storyline makes it occasionally difficult to remain interested, or feel the sense of suspense that the thriller genre is supposed to deliver to keep someone glued to the screen. 40+ hours is clearly too long a duration, and some parts could have been cut shorter to highlight those aspects that make this title shine. Fortunately, the quality of the experience as a whole makes up for those annoying segments.
The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure does a great job of capturing the world of Peanuts and its characters. Well-themed stages based on each character is a driving force to explore and play the game from start to finish, and is sure to bring many smiles to the faces of Peanuts fans. Besides nostalgia, there is sadly not much else to get in The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure, though. Between backtracking and stages that hardly stand a second playthrough, it ends up being just another decent platformer. It is by no means a bad title, just underwhelming. More actual challenge would be a plus to the title, if only for the hunt for the collectibles, as, currently, nothing in the game is even remotely dangerous or challenging to bypass, which adds to the overall low replay value of the stages. For Peanuts fans, young and old, a charming reunion with the characters is to be had, but everyone else might not find many redeemable qualities to get this over other platformers on the market.
Bedlam is, on many points, an interesting title. It has a fascinating story, nostalgia, and fun with universe meme. The world building around the game and the inclusion of old-school titles in the setting are features truly well-worked upon. Sadly, the same can't be said about Bedlam itself.
Goat Simulator is a hilariously fun game, especially in multiplayer, that will offer many hours of fun during late Saturday nights, but due to the severe number of bugs and issues, it's impossible to give Goat Simulator a high grade while keeping a straight face. It is a horrible game done horribly right, a game that is so bad it actually becomes a great experience, so long as players enter it with the right mindset.
Disgaea 5 fulfils exactly everything desired and expected from a Disgaea title, though, and what more could fans or newcomers to the franchise ask for? Ultimately, Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is a great game for any fan of the SRPG genre, and it shows why this franchise is a great entry port into the genre.
This is not the remaster Legend of Kay needed nor deserved. Legend of Kay: Anniversary improves on many parts of the game except the one which held it back in the first place, namely the camera. It is a good title plagued with a horrible camera, which, even at the time of its original release, was problematic, and as time has gone on the standards have improved to the degree that it is unacceptable today. Unless able to stand the camera, stay away from Legend of Kay Anniversary. It is a fine game, but not fine enough to excuse the bad camera.
Overall, Ar nosurge Plus: Ode to an Unborn Star is fantastic. There are a lot of things it does better than most others in the genre. The characterization is on a level rarely seen outside visual novels, and the models are extremely pretty. It isn’t without its flaws; the weird difficulty spike right after the first third of the game sabotages the rhythm of progression, and the fact that the final boss is little more than a massive time-consuming wall is very apparent. The careless way Gust has chosen to play with the fourth wall (mainly in the second part of the Cass and Delta section of the story) makes it all too transparent that this story device was used as nothing more than a cover-up to excuse plot holes that were already of the nature that people expect and to a certain degree forgive. When the leaning of the fourth wall is used well, it helps improve the experience, but when it’s not, it damages more than it helps, and hopefully this will serve as a lesson learned.
Besides some balancing issues that can be justified in teaching newcomers the ropes, Zen Pinball 2: Portal is a wonderful table and should be a natural starting point for any new pinball player's career towards the more challenging tables out there.
As a co-op game, this is a treat that should be on any co-op gamer's shelf. The multiplayer brings up the fun at any gaming weekend, and is likely going to become a favourite in most gaming circles. However, without people to play with, Magicka 2 turns very boring very fast, and its sometimes unfair difficulty and even unwinnable extra missions do not help against that. If into co-op, Magicka 2 is a must-buy. If not, it is a game that should be passed on.
While the gameplay is fun, it is poorly laid out, though. The fact that almost all components are delivered in the tutorial, with no new elements added during the rest of the game, makes the latter half of Schrödinger's Cat feel more like a chore. Other than that, it is a great game with top quality ideas, and one that is certainly worth looking up for fans of the genre.
It is a good game that completely lacks mass appeal. If just wanting to dip the toes into the farming experience there are far better options out there, but for farming or simulator enthusiasts, a great game awaits to fulfil that sweet spot that only a great simulator can do.
The reason behind this score is simply because of the fake difficulty that makes Infinity Runner enter almost unplayable territory. This is sad since, at its core, it could have been on the opposite side of the spectrum and become a good, if not great, title that could have helped improve the genre.
Due to the wonderful mixture of impressive gameplay and beautifully creative artwork, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. brings with it a fresh and new-thinking experience that has the sort of great balance that could only be delivered by the giant in the genre, Intelligent Systems. Whether or not it becomes a classic over time, and maybe something that even becomes a long running franchise, only time will tell, yet right now Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is definitely another great hit from the true masters in the field. Steampunk fans and those that love strategy titles in general should certainly strongly consider this.