Elizabeth Henges's Reviews
Pillars of Eternity is worth looking into for any RPG fan. The game has a great plot and world to explore, and Obsidian has given players enough options to ensure that anyone can see the end of the story, regardless of skill level.
Supergiant goes three for three with another title you don't want to miss.
Dream Daddy is a fun and light-hearted visual novel, but it's not without its share of issues.
Ultra Despair Girls may not be as great as the first two Danganronpa titles, but it's still a worthwhile experience for fans of the multimedia franchise. There is plenty to look forward to in this entry, especially since Another Episode takes a wider look at the world than its predecessors. Getting through some of the shooting bits may be a little rough, but overall Another Episode is a game worth playing through.
For a series that only has a niche following in the West, 'Touhou' really needs to put its best foot forward to win over a bigger audience. Unfortunately, this fan-game spinoff of the doujin series is not it. While not particularly terrible,'Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity' is about as middle of the road as you can get with an action RPG, and as such does not leave a good impression as one of the few English representations of the 'Touhou' series.
MeiQ is a low quality title whose flaws permeate through every twist and turn of this dungeon crawler.
Phantom Brave PC is the definitive version of the Nippon Ichi RPG... and the game itself is pretty good, to boot.
If you already like the Neptunia series, this game is for you... as long as your PC is up to snuff. If you aren't a fan, though, there's little new here to justify giving this latest title a chance.
While Corpse Party attempts to tell an interesting tale, the PC port is clearly inferior to the PSP remake, and the narrative suffers as a result.
An unusual mash up of a little known RPG series and the rebranded Harvest Moon, Return to PopoloCrois is a simple game, but also an enjoyable romp.
'Undertale' doesn't seem like much, but it is really just a wonderful experience. This title really stuck with me this year, even beyond beating the game itself. 'Undertale' may appear unassuming, but it's full of charm, humor, and emotion. Everyone playing games in search of distinct experiences owes it to themselves to play beyond the first slow hour or so. It may not resonate with absolutely everyone, but it's a game that is best played to truly experience, at which point, the debate can begin.
2015 has been a great year for strategy RPGs. 'Stella Glow' stands along the likes of 'Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker' and 'Disgaea 5' to give SRPG fans and new genre players alike plenty of high quality titles to work through. 'Stella Glow' may have a couple of odd design quirks that may bring it down a bit, but Imageepoch's final title provides a great experience for all but the pickiest of RPG fans.
'Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below' is not a perfect package. There are some flaws with the overall nature of the game that keep it from being a truly great experience, and as such not everyone is going to have the patience to deal with some of the title's issues. Despite that, though, this game is rather solid, and if you're interested in either Musou titles or Action RPGs, 'Dragon Quest Heroes' is sure to be an enjoyable experience. All of this enjoyment value is increased exponentially for 'Dragon Quest' fans, too; it's been quite a few years since the last localize Dragon Quest title after all, and it's a good game to boot!
'Disgaea 5' is one of the best strategy RPGs I've played in years. The gameplay is fun and addicting, and the rest of the package offers more than enough incentive for me to play until the ending and beyond. Not only will series fans find another enjoyable entry, but it's easier than ever for new players to get into 'Disgaea,' with the Cheat Shop making grinding quite easy and most of the extra stuff not being forced upon them. Despite my doubts, 'Disgaea 5' sees the series come to the PS4 with all due grandeur. New player or series veteran, this is a fantastic SRPG that should not be passed up.
'Persona 4: Dancing All Night' is a good game, but it's also a game that's likely only going to appeal to a specific subset of people. Mainly, it's those that are really into the world of 'Persona' and the characters of 'Persona 4' are going to be charmed by this title, and Atlus has made 'Dancing All Night' exactly with that in mind. Unlike 'Persona 4 Arena', whose fighting game mechanics can still have a widespread appeal, this rhythm game is regulated to a more narrow audience. That's an important and viable choice. The game is by no means wanting for personality, but those that aren't invested heavily into the 'Persona' franchise might be better off looking to another rhythm title to satiate their needs.
This visual novel tells a good story, but a big flaw ruins a lot of the experience.
Following the pedigree of the first two titles, 'Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls' could be seen as a bit disappointing. It's markedly shorter than the mainline titles, and the story it tells, while good, is simply not as great as the first two 'Danganronpa' titles. While it's not the Game of the Year material of its series' herald, there is plenty to be enjoyed in 'Ultra Despair Girls' to be worth a purchase for any fan of the series.
Fairy Fencer F will surely please fans of Idea Factory's output, but it's not likely to win over any fresh blood for the fanbase.
'Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition' is quite the intriguing title. It offers plenty of content, and is worth checking out on the PS4 for anyone who missed the original release. The always shifting dungeons, the deep and more satisfying than ever before combat system, and the multiplayer gives this title a surprisingly amount of staying power. It's worth a try, alone or with friends; as long as you don't mind a few of the typical rogue-like quirks, 'Abyss Odyssey' is worth the entry price.
'Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight' is really more of the same, the same graphics, the same core gameplay, the same general goal. For most 'Etrian Odyssey' fans, however, that's not really a bad thing--after all, there's the spinoffs 'Persona Q' and 'Etrian Mystery Dungeon' available for those that want to try something different. While the Story Mode might be new, it still doesn't diverge enough from what makes the 'Etrian Odyssey' series what it is to really mark it as anything special for the series. Still, with multiple difficulties and actual characters to guide (instead of generic cutouts), 'Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold' is a great entry point for players new to dungeon crawling series.