Elizabeth Henges's Reviews
This remake of Etrian Odyssey II is more of the same, but that's not a bad thing.
As a reviewer, I've played my share of bad video games, but honestly, few had managed to infuriate me in the ways 'Legend of Kay Anniversary' did right from the get-go. There is so much wrong with this package, from the severely outdated gameplay to the poor "remastering" job to the grating voice acting, that I truly wonder why Nordic Games decided to even give this title the time of day in the first place.
'Lost Dimension' really had the chance to be something special. The premise, and story itself are actually quite interesting, and paint an interesting world outside the tower the characters are trapped in. However, when the core of the game is rotten, it's hard to salvage the whole title, and therefore it's very hard to give this Atlus title a recommendation. If you're an RPG fan that really doesn't mind battles that are slow as molasses, you might want to give it a try, though—sitting around fifteen to twenty hours for a playthrough, it's pretty short for an RPG and may be worth a weekend romp.
'Zenzizenzic' is a solid shoot 'em up, and it a great game for genre veterans and newcomers alike. There's something for most to enjoy here, as long as they don't mind a little bit of a grind along the way. It's a title that rewards high scores and good gameplay skills, which are things that shmups oftentimes fail at.
'Onechanbara Z2: Chaos' isn't a particularly bad game. Taking the good with the bad, it lays decidedly on average, with a bit of quirkiness that's sure to appeal to a specific type of fan. However, it's far from a shining example of the genre, and with better action games having been released for the same system for a lower price, it's difficult to recommend this title to any but diehard action game fans. There's certainly a bit to like about this title, but it's only there for those who look beyond what's skin deep.
'Tembo The Badass Elephant' might have a few niggling issues with a short campaign and some difficult to reach requirements to access new stages, but all and all the title stands as solid as an elephant. It's a blast to play, smashing through enemies and exploring all of the levels, and is worth the time of anyone that enjoys platformers. It's by no means perfect, but this collaboration ended with both Sega and Game Freak on top.
While this title may not take full advantage of the PlayStation 4 hardware, 'Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut' is an enjoyable platformer adventure that's worth the time for most anyone that enjoys the genre. It is not a perfect title, and it's also not a particularly long game, but anyone who considers themselves a fan of Metriodvanias, platformers, or wishes there was a sequel to 'Monster World IV,Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut PS4 review' should not hesitate to pick this up.
'Super Chibi Knight' isn't the perfect game, but that doesn't stop it from being a lot of fun. Its short playtime makes sure that the Steam title doesn't overstay its welcome, and there's a lot to enjoy in its simplistic nature. If you have a free afternoon and want to take a break from that latest AAA game, give 'Super Chibi Knight' a download, and have a somewhat relaxing, enjoyable time.
'Omega Quintet' feels like it has a lot of potential. There's an interesting setting with some quirkiness to it, and the game's battle system is pretty fun, if maybe a bit overly complex. However, several flaws really bring the PS4 game down, and eventually bogs down this title to the point where it's difficult to recommend to most. Those that like Compile Heart's typical output will probably find a decent game, but everyone else might want to wait for a possible sequel to iron out some of the design fallacies.
If nothing else, 'Westerado: Double Barreled' is a blast to play. The gameplay is solid, and both the mechanics and setting are top notch. If you're looking for an Old Western to waste away your afternoon, don't look towards another John Wayne movie, grab this great indie title instead.
'Etrian Mystery Dungeon' really isn't a title that seemed as though it would work out: 'Etrian Odyssey' and 'Mystery Dungeon' are both very different types of games and blending them together just seemed off. However, the end result is a surprisingly great and addictive title for fans of both series alike. It's hard to tell if gamers outside the fandom will want to dive into this 3DS title, but the barrier of entry difficulty wise is low enough that most any RPG fan can jump in and have an enjoyable time, regardless of their knowledge of the series at hand.
There's little reason to recommend 'Alphadia Genesis' to anyone. While both the Wii U and Steam are a bit lacking in JRPG content at the moment, 'Alphadia Genesis skews to close towards mediocre and frustrating to safely scratch the JRPG itch. More and more JRPGS are being released on the Steam platform every week, while the Wii U is getting a nice backlog of classic games with the Virtual Console. With so many other, better options available, 'Alphadia Genesis isn't worth your time or your money.
Dear script writers: If your party's reaction to a terrifying building appearing out of nowhere is for all the ladies to dogpile on the main character for fun, you're doing something wrong.
'Pokemon Alpha Sapphire' is, to put it simply, a Pokemon game. The end goal is to go out, catch 'em all, and become the Champion. These series staples are what help to make Pokemon what it is over the years, and with this being a remake of an older title, it's not surprising to not see any twists on this age-old formula.
Game Freak takes Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire into the third dimension, but the remakes lack the polish to make them truly glimmer.
Like I said above, I've been waiting for the likes of 'Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-' for years. After the oddity of 'Guilty Gear 2', finally seeing a return to the series core fighting game mechanics filled me with endless excitement… and honestly, 'Xrd' is all I've wanted for an entry of the series. The wonderfully fast and somewhat complicated gameplay is still intact, and the graphical change is a joy to behold.
It's surprising how well 'Valkyria Chronicles' has aged over the years. Everything from the gameplay and the story, to the graphics and the sound, makes the game a joy to play through. Sega made the right choice in porting this formerly PlayStation 3 exclusive title to Steam, as now an even wider audience than ever before is able to enjoy what is bound to be a classic title.
While this may not quite topple the Civilization series, Endless Legend has plenty to offer for 4X and RPG fans alike.
'Natural Doctrine' is really a love it or hate it game. There's quite a bit of good in this little title, but at the same time there's also a lot that will drive away a great many gamers. It's complicated, even obtuse at times, but battling and steamrolling over foes when everything goes right can be a great feeling. Then again, watching the same animations over and over again because of a failed attempt or lucky critical can be rage inducing.
There is an audience out there for 'Killer Is Dead', certainly; but that audience is only going to be the most diehard fans of Suda51's work. The game is wrapped up with a wonderful art style and some good voice work and music, but the stilted, nonsensical storytelling is bound to drive away a lot of the audience that would care to enjoy it. Add in the repetitive nature of battling, which only really shines during certain bosses, and 'Killer is Dead' can be both too monotonous and spontaneous to fully enjoy. Unless you're a huge fan of the likes of Suda51's laster action titles, stay away from 'Killer Is Dead.'