In the words of Sadie: "I hurt you, I heal you, I hurt you again. That's the pattern." That is the best summary of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation. It's following the pattern, and both the things that used to hurt and be wonderful remain the same. Those who were not already fans won't likely be charmed in by this one. Those who loved it will remain enthralled. It knows its strength, which is in its humour and characters, and doesn't even attempt to deviate from that path, for both the better and worse. It's a great title on the whole - just don't expect it to stray from the pattern.
The game is solid. It's not going to be legendary in any aspect, and has a few problems such as broken abilities, but is enjoyable all-around and nice to play. Effort was put in and it pays off in the form of actually feeling like its own unique title instead of just another rip-off even if the occasional flashback to fighting aliens happens.
At the heart, the best thing about a co-op experience is just being able to sit down with a bunch of people and have fun fighting off a massive horde of monsters, and Warhammer: The End Times -Vermintide scratches that itch beautifully. It's just that going beyond that is a pain. Other than recombining and upgrading gear, here's little reason to play solo, between a relatively unimportant story and the random gear drops. Vermintide shines with friends; it's a bit too dangerous to go alone, so take three!
[I]t's a bright flash of enjoyment that simply won't last for long once the main campaign is completed, due to a lack of alternate features. Having a friend can certainly prolong the enjoyment, but its downfall is almost certain in the end.
Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!! provides an enjoyable experience for the most part, but it's let down slightly by the storytelling side. Given the oversaturation of similarly styled fighters in the genre, it struggles to find its own identity, although fighting fans that enjoy a fast paced arcade style brawler could do much worse than picking up a copy of this. It might not stand out from the crowd, but it's very competently executed.
Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2 has a great story through and through, and the weight of the various choices and potential outcomes does, indeed, feel very heavy and involved. If nothing else, this will be worthwhile to play purely as a story. However, its short length is its real weak point, as the adventure will be over too soon, but at least there is the chance to try all of the various other paths to add some longevity.
With the involved and great story, lovely art, and multiple paths and outcomes, there is little doubt as to the quality of the game. It is a wonderful story, packaged up as the third part in a much larger, epic tale. It feels a bit short at times, but makes up for it with multiple paths and several ways to handle situations.
Hyperdevotion Noire is a great little side-game that was clearly put together with some skill, and the solid character writing more than holds it together. Those looking for a great strategy RPG may want to look elsewhere, but Neptune fans fond of the previous entries will be more than pleased to find Goddess Black Heart is a very well made game.
MegaTagmension has grown by quite a few bounds, yet still hasn't addressed the core issue that plagued its predecessor. As a portable game in which things can be handled in bite-sized pieces, some of this is excusable and fits well, but only because the game was designed with short bursts of play in mind. While the story is fun to experience, for the more dedicated gamer, there are superior choices out there in volumes.
Wiping away the Star Ocean part off of Star Ocean : Integrity and Faithlessness, this is actually pretty decent. It's a standard fantasy RPG that tried out some new ideas, did well in some, faltered at others, but came out easily on the fun side. However, remembering what series this title is actually in, it feels more like the development crew tried to read off of the Tales' series homework notes, but didn't manage to fully copy them down. Their competence saves it from failure, but it feels like they were trying to copy from another series and didn't really try to give it the distinct Star Ocean feel it should have. Decent, enjoyable, but not a "true" Star Ocean.
Ultimately, Koihime Enbu is meant for a specific audience; fans of Koihime Musou who desired a fighting game. Genre fans may enjoy the title, too, as it does boast a solid combat system and some good distinction to set itself apart from "Generic Fist Punching Guy Fighter #82" due to using weapons, special moves, and the tactics bar - but it's not going to suddenly be drawing in crowds en masse.
Make no mistake, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a big step up, and its changes are good ones. Even if it will cost more upon release, should you seek to get involved with the original, this is the entry to do it with. However, the stitch-marks where things were added in after the finished game are quite clear and unhidden. On the whole, though, it is a welcome improvement over the base title.
Honestly, as a book, Muv-Luv is fairly solid with a decent idea and capable writers backing it up. It doesn't reach its full conclusion but that's because there is a third game waiting in the wings, and the provided endings are just fine. About the only 'real' complaint that can be had is that its duel-story style can end up feeling needlessly taxing at times, resulting in irritation instead of enjoyment.
There is no doubt to its quality, yet it falls to the hurdle of its own title: Part 4. When taken altogether, the game comes off as drastically different; on its own it is simply a well-written and engaging title, if also sadly short and a bit annoying at times. For those interested in the series, it is best to start with Part 1 & 2 for the same reason it's not a great idea start reading a book from chapter 20.
In the end, Europa Universalis IV: Rights of Man simply doesn't deliver the stunning shock that would make one cry out that it is a must-buy. That, however, makes it in no way a weak expansion either. In fact, this is more where expansions of this kind should be; which is to say a good thing which will be missed out on even though it does not shake the foundations of the core game's foundations.
Honestly, the biggest draw for people in Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics will be the addition of secret societies and cults. They're a great addition and can certainly be worth it, but the feature can certainly not be worth it to someone uninterested with the features it brings. It will make every-day life more enjoyable and interesting, but it won't be some massive shake-up for those who aren't interested in what the cults and societies have to offer.
For those looking to enhance their EUIV experience to the max, Mandate of Heaven is certainly one of the more 'core' expansions. With some nice and unique changes for the Far East, it will be very promising for those seeking to play as one of those nations. However, people focused on the more Western nations won't get too much out of this beyond a few baseline modifications that really aren't worth the price of the expansion in and of themselves.
The Norsca expansion is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. The beast hunts are a nice and interesting way to deviate from the traditional building and recruitment structures, while the mechanics of the four gods is very distinct and allow for some potentially interesting choices and decisions to be made. However, it likely won't persuade anyone outside of the franchise to join in, and is pretty obvious in both what it provides and what said provision will do.
This is what an expansion for this series should look like - something that doesn't feel minor and can impact choices in many areas of the actual main game itself; even ones not directly related to it. While Crusader Kings II: Jade Dragon is certainly not quite as epic as other expansions in the series, there is no denying the positives it brings, either, making it well worth the investment for those that have been enjoying the Crusader Kings II experience so far.
Ultimately, Dragon Age: Inquisition suffers from a very simple problem. It has enough things like graphical prowess and decent combat and the like to be passable. If the Dragon Age name hadn't been attached to this project it seems doubtful it would have been green-lit. Those looking for a better resolution to the story won't find it in here, and, ultimately, it feels like little more than a polished cash-in than an attempt to build or expand.