Too bad this game was released in 2015. As-is it's just a stiff, broken, game with absolutely no reason to play it and many reasons to simply not play it. Its place is not in a game library but, rather, sautéed and served with spices as a side-dish.
Falling Skies: The Game on Nintendo Wii U eShop is so lacking in every regard, and overall terribly bland, that it is easy to get distracted from actually playing it. Not from any sort of disorder but, rather, a desire to do something else just to relieve the boredom. Everything is simply incompetently put together to a degree that seems nigh-legendary. This is the sort of game that, several generations ago, could only be known as a rumour told by a friend of a friend whose brother once heard about the game existing. To be fair, Little Orbit's title isn't actually 'terrible' so much as it is just… boring. The only thing saving this from the lowest rating is that the game that was ripped off was somewhat decent but, otherwise, it's just one that will lie forgotten in the back corners of the net. That kitty with the butterfly filing taxes is more deserving of attention than this.
There's nothing in KARAKARA resembling actual 'gameplay,' therefore, there is not much that can really be done for those who aren't exactly interested in experiencing a kinetic visual novel. In conclusion, it all boils down to the story, which is… well, it's nothing special.
While Infinite Space III doesn't do anything wrong, it also doesn't do much at all. Even bad games, while bad, at least do something to make them be distinct in one's memory. This game lacks even that. It almost feels like a bargain bin game found for only a small amount of money, surrounded by clearance copies of Bejeweled knock-offs, multiple variations of Mahjong, and that one odd Barbie game that seems like someone should have bought or thrown out but has been there untouched for several years.
Those who are interested in Sakura Swim Club will likely know already what it is and have their minds decently made up about if it should be purchased or not. As a visual novel it's flat and basic, but it does manage to avoid being frustrating and isn't really 'harmful' in any way for its audience. People not interested in this "genre" will be just fine skipping it, as it holds no desire to deviate from it.
The primary issue with The Age of Decadence is that it feels as if all its problems could be fixed with one simple patch, but weren't. Giving a bit more detail in the quest journal? Would help a lot but not available. Mini-map? Nope. A bit more colour along with some more definition? Sorry. Clothes that don't restrict AP so that streaking wouldn't be the requirement for high-AP combat? Not an option. In its current state it's unpolished at best, but has some potential; potential that, sadly, seems like it has been denied. It shouldn't be avoided, however, as it would be average and, potentially, even enjoyable with these issues ironed out - but it currently feels more of a bore to play, with little to keep interest from tediously running back and forth because it couldn't be bothered to mention where an NPC might be.
This may be a bit harsh, but, at the end of the day, positives in favour of Anno 2205 are hard to come by, while shortcomings are abundant. Everything about it feels like a sleazy, cheap, cash-in title made by a company seeking to wring the final few coins out of a franchise it doesn't care about than a legitimate attempt at a game. It feels like the developers simply slapped on some pretty graphics in the hopes of fooling people, marked the price up to off-set the lack of an online shop, then kicked it out the door to sucker people into paying far more than they would have otherwise for such a boring and underwhelming title.
Quite frankly, this practice is unacceptable. This particular expansion shouldn't be punished since the problem is broader and more wide-spread. How making an admittedly large patch then charging full price for it is a bad Paradox! Bad boy! There are people out there making workshop content and mods for free that affect far more and aren't some minor fringe either. Meanwhile, with a full team, Paradox manages to change one, admittedly large, nation? Why not sit down with all the other religions and give them their own little iconographies? Or work in something else? Anything else! This is a mini-expansion and the result of a sad, yet likely unstoppable, practice.
Princess Maker 2 Refine is still capable of evoking feelings of caring, the ability to watch her grow from a child to an adult is engaging, the multitude of potential outcomes adds in a lot of replayability, and other such things means that it's a notch above basic shovelware. However, 'notch above shovelware' isn't quite the same as 'good,' but it is worth a recommendation to those whom can stand the games many, many flaws as the reward is certainly half-decent.
It's really sad to see scores slowly slide down like this, but with Crusader Kings II seemingly starting to get stuck in a rut due to a lack of a desire to release things like new maps (hint: China/Japan or a fantasy-style alternate campaign), there wasn't really anywhere for Conclave to go that wasn't 'sequelitus.' As a content patch it would get an A, but as an expansion? Sadly, not so much.
It would not be fair to harp on a series for sticking to a formula that works; however Romance of Three Kingdoms XIV seems to eschew innovations in its own series for stagnant and cumbersome gameplay effectively for no reason other than to remain needlessly dated. While the improved focus on politics is certainly a positive which may elevate the title for some, it will likely hold little more than niche appeal for others who hold little interest in in the personal engagements of the Three Kingdoms period.
To say that personal frustration isn't involved would be a lie. To say that said personal frustration seems to come around because a game wasn't properly balanced between the multiplayer and single-player aspects, with it being tilted a bit too heavily towards the top dogs, would be true. As a single-player title, ARK: Survival Evolved can get quite tedious and annoying having to handle tasks meant for multiple people solo. As a multiplayer game, having to submit to survive and not have everything ruined is annoying, as well. Hopefully, a better balance can be found, but, for now, the game just feels wrong for what it's supposed to be.
It allows you to play as the Slavic nations. In other words: it offers exactly what it says on the tin. It might be one thing if this majorly changed the gameplay or tried something major but, as-is, there simply isn't anything to talk about. The Slavs do help with the Huns being OP problem, but, on the whole, it's just three new civilisations to play as.
While it's certainly not 'bad', it's also not 'good', and is more like 'just there'. Our seas aren't that deep it seems, though not quite that shallow either.
Sorry Neptune, but with this shortage of content (though what is present is at least 'decent'), and outside of the map variety, there isn't much choice for a score. This isn't a PC game. It's a port of a portable title and it shows. Maybe some of the flaws, such as character variety, will be fixed later on through DLC, but… the water is warm and, while people may be more than willing to welcome Hyperdimension Neptunia into this new field, this seems more than willing to just sit on the edge and let its feet dangle into the pool than anything.
Starships should have rated higher. It would be if Firaxis had bothered to address the simple problems that should have been obvious from day one. Simple things like making full-screen or making the computer's win conditions optional. However, as it is, it's little more than a glorified tablet game a few steps above the company's prior attempt to bring the series to the Nintendo DS way back when. With the fixes, the score would rise easily, especially if it later offers mod support, but as-is… it's just a disappointing miss for something that should have been so easy to get right.
Ultimately, Thief is a victim to the issues contained within it. These are things that could have been easily resolved, as well. Erin's capture should have been due to poor circumstance or even a legitimate failing on Garret's part; not his own self-righteous attitude. He should have had a better dialogue. The guards on the overworld should only arrest Garret if he gets caught stealing/doing thief activities, instead of on-sight, and the glitches should have been ironed out. Had those few aspects happened, Thief would have been a decent, if rather slow, game. As-is, it's just frustrating and tedious to play.
Honestly, were it not for some really glaring problems, such as the AI's problems with ledges and the poor gear balancing, the game itself would be pretty fun.
With some rebalances, polish, and work, the shortcomings of this game can easily be fixed. For those looking for enjoyment in this growing genre, Narborion Saga is easily among one of the better options and still quite fun despite its shortcomings. It's just that said shortcomings also can't be overlooked when trying to be transparent and give a good and sincere opinion, either.
Honestly, it's really not bad. While the attempt at a greater story is nice and the new maps are welcome, it's just that it's not really worth talking about unless someone is already invested in the base game. The story is thin, there aren't really all that many new mechanics (two new weapon types is about it), and the rat killing is just as fun as ever. Think of it like seconds at a meal. Nice if the meal was enjoyable, but someone isn't going to suddenly change their mind on the quality if they weren't interested before.