Brandon Howard's Reviews
Collateral Thinking doesn't suffer from a lack of variety so much as it suffers from its excess. The goals in each level are constantly changing, and with only 30 seconds per level, it feels like a mad rush to get moving, which is counterintuitive to how the sticky controls dictate the pace of play. The levels sort of work when confined to one specific design, but the constant jumping between objectives is annoying at best and frustrating at worst.
When it does manage to deliver a hard-hitting narrative, This Is the Police really delivers. All too frequently, however, it's hard to connect with Jack and the other faceless denizens of Freeburg. While the core gameplay does succeed at conveying the challenge of being a police chief in the midst of a collapsing personal world, it doesn't exactly pull off being fun, especially during the frequent, slower moments.
Tumblestone is delightful and surprisingly addictive. The wide variety of challenges, all which subtly change the pacing of the game, make for an experience that doesn't really grow old. The story mode keeps things fresh with twists on the basic mechanics, and the arcade and multiplayer modes present fast-paced challenges that really test observation and decision making. No matter what experience puzzle-lovers are looking for, they'll probably find it in Tumblestone.
For the devoted fans of the Neptunia series, this is definitely a title worth picking up. It's still the same reference overdosed, trope obsessed, fanservice heavy RPG series it's always been, and for some, that's great. The new characters are decently charming, and the story is substantially longer than some of the recent Neptunia spin-offs. If cute girls based off of the gaming industry's biggest titans (and has-beens) isn't your thing, though, there are other, better, RPGs worth your time.
7th Dragon III Code: VFD doesn't deviate from the standard JRPG formula, but it does challenge players to think of unique ways to approach combat.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE steals the spotlight with gorgeous visuals, memorable characters, and fast-paced, slightly over the top combat. While the gameplay won't exactly feel familiar to long time Fire Emblem fans, the characters and the relationships that they share will feel comfortingly familiar. While the developers could have gone a little further to stay true to the original inspiration for the game, there's still a lot to love about the brilliant and colourful idol-centric setting. Ultimately, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE delivers an encore worthy performance.
While Infinite Dunamis does have the familiar, comfortable feel a lot of mobile RPGs have, it's saddled itself with a number of issues that really make it a chore to play. It's badly optimised for the hardware, and suffers from multiple issues during regular gameplay. The characters are bland and honestly annoying, and there's very little to make Infinite Dunamis stand out in a long line of already lacklustre titles.
With an excellent roster and polished mechanics, this is a straight improvement over the last instalment of Guilty Gear. The problems with the series are problems common to the genre, and although they can't be ignored, they are lessened by the introduction of beginner-friendly mechanics and a cast that's easy to love. Full of gorgeous visuals and absolutely gushing style, all while retaining incredibly tight controls and mechanics, this latest entry is definitely one worth looking into, whether a genre vet or someone completely new to fighting games.
Megamagic is surprisingly deep and enjoyable after its noticeably slow start. The gameplay itself only improves as more diverse spells and playstyles become available, and the story is engaging enough to keep you invested in it through the roughly ten hours it'll take to complete.
A lot of the issues with Blues and Bullets come down to the pacing, both that of the story, and the gameplay itself. While it manages to execute them both well, it hasn't really grasped the best way to structure itself. There's a lot of information to take in, and piecing the information together along with Elliot doesn't always end up feeling satisfying. Despite its problems, however, it's a truly gripping story, and the style will definitely leave those interested looking for more.
While there's a lot of small improvements all around, the same issues that plagued the first episode are still here, albeit a bit less noticeable. It's an enjoyable experience, but one that isn't quite living up to its potential.
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom doesn't particularly succeed at anything it puts its hand to. It isn't funny, with its generically off-colour humour and a bad sense of comedic timing. It's not particularly responsive, with stiff controls and awkward level design. It's repetitive, tedious, frustrating, and completely lacking in the elements that make for a good action game, or for a good comedy game. Between its crushing lack of self-awareness and bland gameplay, it's one circus that's even unfit for the sideshow.
Despite some minor flaws in its controls and systems, Good Robot is still an immensely enjoyable experience. The visuals and sounds all play together harmoniously, and it manages to blend two very different genres in a way that's not only fun, but completely approachable for newcomers. Easy to pick up and hard to put down, it's definitely worth a look.
Aesthetically, Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus is a beautifully crafted undertaking. While the sprawling maps are gorgeous, the level design falls a bit short from a purely gameplay standpoint, and the combat, while well executed, doesn't really add much to the core exploration. It's missing a few seams, but overall it's a very well put together adventure. Even with its flaws, it's definitely one fantastical adventure, and one that's absolutely worth playing.
Ultimately, Cutie Pets Pick Berries feels grossly unsuited for its platform, largely through an input method that doesn't suit its fast pace. While there is some fun to be had by creating perfectly constructed combos of fancy fruits, the lack of direction and explanation behind the mechanics make it hard to pick up. While it might (and that's a big might) be hard to put down after that initial stage, the eventual aggravation behind a lack of endgame and its painful controls make it an outing best left out in the woods.
Guilty Gear 2: Overture blends strategy and action in a way that ultimately diminishes both aspects. While the base mechanics of both systems are solid, neither really comes across as defining, making the entire experience feel a bit half-baked. A serious push to take the game in either direction might have yielded better results, but as it stands, it's hard to imagine an audience that would really enjoy the experience this title provides.
The Banner Saga 2 is an absolute joy, with its simple, yet deep, strategy, and its hard-hitting narrative. Not only is it a worthy successor to its predecessor, but it honestly can stand on its own as an introduction to the series. It is a lot to get into at first, and the barrier for entry might be a bit high for those unfamiliar with the genre, but it's absolutely one of the most compelling strategy titles out right now, for those willing to get their feet wet.
Dance Magic has some really unique and interesting things going for it, and it's easy to come back to the battle system over and over just for how addictive it is to string together musical combos. That being said, the core game does struggle with occasionally imprecise inputs, and the actual tracks don't really feel that great to listen to again and again. While there's a lot to like here, it's definitely a title more geared towards fans of its core rhythm genre; the ones who don't mind delving into a more combative style of dancing.
République doesn't do itself any favours through its control system. It's definitely not the pinnacle of stealth gameplay but, luckily, it doesn't have to be. The characters and story are all interesting enough to grab attention through all five episodes, and each has its own unique elements of suspense and intrigue. It might be sometimes frustrating to play, but there's something utterly compelling that it's hard to want to put it down.
Despite its flaws in narrative presentation, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation is far and away the definitive experience for people who have fallen in love with the characters of the trilogy. It provides some new challenges for those more engaged in the strategy aspect of the series, but it doesn't have the fine tuning needed to set it apart in this regard. It brings to rest a lot of the questions raised in the storyline, but it asks its own questions, and these never really get resolved. While there may be DLC in the future to answer these, it still leaves behind a slight feeling of disappointment. Regardless, it's a worthy entry to the series, and one undoubtedly worth replaying time and time again, just to revisit old friends.