Emma Schaefer Avatar Image

Emma Schaefer


36 games reviewed
76.7 average score
80 median score
52.8% of games recommended
7.5 / 10.0 - Kingdom Hearts III
Feb 1, 2019

Can any game live up to a decade of hype? Kingdom Hearts III tries, and its meticulously-recreated Disney worlds, jam-packed combat system, and wealth of minigames offer a ton for players to explore. However, the game's bizarre pacing, an abundance of cutscenes, and an unrewarding story may leave players more bewildered than satisfied by the end.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0 - Yo-Kai Watch
Nov 10, 2015

Yo-Kai Watch is a kid-oriented, lighthearted game packed with quirky characters, secret areas to explore, and bizarre Yo-Kai to befriend. The unwieldy process of recruiting Yo-Kai to your team and an incredibly unhelpful map bog the side content down a bit, but the battling system is unique and fun and there's always more to discover.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0 - Snipperclips
Mar 10, 2017

Snipping your construction paper friends into different shapes is a clever idea, and one that will test the limits of your real-life friendships. Cute squishy faces and grade school-esque design add to Snipperclips' charms, though they're slightly offset by some shallow additional game modes and wonky multiplayer.

Read full review

Sep 26, 2017

Pokkén Tournament DX may only provide a few benefits for returning fans, but the improved local multiplayer and expanded roster may be enough to draw back the old crowd. Overly simple AI and easy Challenges make the game's single-player mode a breeze, but new players may find that simply playing with their favorite Pokémon is enough to enjoy the fight.

Read full review

Nov 17, 2015

If you're hungry for more Game of Thrones content and can't wait until the next season or book, then Telltale's Game of Thrones is the perfect game to pass the time. It weaves an interesting narrative that intersects with the franchise's main plot while still poking into unexplored corners. Unfortunately, there's a distinct lack of any real choice, and a hugely disappointing ending leaves the story hanging on a sour note.

Read full review

Jun 28, 2016

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE promises spectacle, and boy does it deliver—but all the flashy scenes, Fire Emblem cameos, and J-Pop in the world can’t cover up cramped world design and loads and loads of loading.

Read full review

Jan 23, 2017

Tales of Berseria flips the traditional heroic story on its head, taking up instead with the vengeance-driven journey of daemon-eater Velvet Crowe and the unapologetically villainous crew of misfits she picks up along the way. A fun premise and some great skits make for a good story, though middle-of-the-road combat and fairly boring dungeons and fields bog the gameplay down.

Read full review

7 / 10.0 - Everything
Jan 10, 2019

Everything is a philosophy lecture turned into a game, and if you're looking for some new insight on life and a sandbox to play in while you listen, it'll provide. While the game offers up hundreds of choices of objects to become, it comes at the sacrifice of everything feeling the same.

Read full review

7 / 10.0 - Last Day of June
Aug 29, 2017

The Last Days of June tells an emotional story of loss and acceptance, though it can't claim to have an entirely original story. An art style that's half cute storybook Claymation and half soulless, eyeless faces may be pretty divisive, but the game's time looping puzzles tie well into the feelings of repetition and despair.

Read full review

Nov 30, 2017

A wide-sweeping game with an ambitious story, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers up an intriguing world to explore. Unfortunately, confusing map markers and a padded-out combat system make actually exploring more of a chore than is necessary.

Read full review

7 / 10.0 - Fe
Feb 15, 2018

While Fe is a pretty game with some touching encounters and spectacular views, it falls prey to its own over-complicated story and a world that, for all of its beauty, doesn't provide much incentive to explore. Adding in a system to guide the player by the hand helps players navigate the confusing paths from zone to zone, but removes any desire to wander around or see what else the forests of Fe have to offer.

Read full review

Sep 14, 2018

Yo-Kai Watch Blasters never manages to shake off that minigame feel, but its core gameplay, though shallow, is fun. Don't go in expecting anything too deep (or expecting to go anywhere beyond the town of Yo-Kai Watch 2), and Blasters is an enjoyable enough way to pass the time.

Read full review

6.5 / 10.0 - We Happy Few
Aug 13, 2018

Compulsion Games transformed its randomly-generated, survival game into the dystopian narrative everyone asked for, but those randomized elements are still holding We Happy Few back from reaching its full potential. The twisted tale of a society addicted to its own Joy is lost underneath an endless hunt for bobby pins and scraps of cloth.

Read full review

5 / 10.0 - ReCore
Sep 20, 2016

ReCore has an enjoyable first few hours, but quickly hits an impassible wall of unending item collection, laboriously slow loading screens, and puzzles that are more focused on wasting the player's time than providing a challenge.

Read full review

Feb 27, 2018

While there's plenty to love about the original Secret of Mana, this remake manages to kill off most the game's charm while failing to modernize the parts of the game that actually need updating. Awkward animations, impenetrable menus, slow combat, and repeated random crashes add up to a game that, with 25 years of technological improvements under its belt, may actually be worse than the original.

Read full review

4 / 10.0 - Has Been Heroes
Mar 28, 2017

A heavy dose of randomness coupled with a lack of permanent progression makes Has-Been Heroes a chore to keep playing. Though there's a good strategy idea buried in its multi-lane gameplay, the high-risk, no-reward setup isn't satisfying enough to make up for its otherwise mediocre aspects. Coupled with repetitive enemies, forgettable assets, and bizarre controls, Has-Been Heroes is a game that can go right back into retirement.

Read full review