James Galizio's Reviews
CyberConnect2's finale to the Fuga trilogy, while still good, feels almost like an obligation.
MercurySteam's latest project holds a lot of promise, but death by a thousand cuts holds it back from true greatness.
Monster Hunter Wilds has all the potential to become the best game in the franchise's history, even if it's not quite there yet.
At its core, Freedom Wars is still very much the same game as the PlayStation Vita original, warts and all. It has the same frustrating pacing, the same story that while conceptually interesting maybe doesn't fully deliver on that promise in practice. As fun as the high-speed action combat can be, it's still very limited in what you can actually do; and the scope of missions and the areas they take place in certainly betray the game's history as a handheld title from a decade prior. Still, even if it was merely a time capsule - I'd still be glad that Freedom Wars got to be remembered. It's a real treat, then, that this remaster has done an admirable job to polish up a game that for many Vita fanatics was the high point of the system's life. I can't say that Freedom Wars: Remastered is worth playing for those who never had the chance to play the original, but it would be nice if this wasn't the last we see of the world inside the Panopticon.
Fantasian is a wonderful JRPG, and now it's even better and accessible to all platforms.
While individually Card-en-Ciel's decks offer a fun and engaging time as you learn to play around them, if anything Grand Battle dungeons seem emblematic of the game's own worst flaws. Inti-Creates had a great idea for a gameplay system, and it's charming to see them use their own IPs as fodder for the cards to populate these systems - but at the end of the day, it feels like they simply didn't know how to design a full game around the system they'd envisioned. Card-en-Ciel isn't a bad game by any means, but you can very much feel the limits of what the team could deliver; maybe the gameplay will be enough to make it worth your while, but it's hard to give a strong recommendation when so much of the experience feels disjointed and threadbare.
More than just a blast from the past, Emio fully revitalizes the Famicom Detective Club series, making it better than ever before.
It's a massive blemish on an otherwise fascinating game, unlike anything else I've really played. Not one that makes Kunitsu-Gami a complete non-recommendation, but absolutely one that tempers my praise somewhat. Capcom has still delivered something special with this release, even if the rough edges are glaringly evident - the artstyle, the story delivered without any dialog, and the rest of the aesthetic in tow; even considering the problems with combat, level design always had something unique up its sleeve, forcing players to think on their feet to protect the one hope of containing the Seethe. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a game that feels like it mimics the equally thorny path set upon its protagonists; despite whatever stumbles along the way, it's a journey you won't soon forget.
While it hasn't completely lost its luster, Dawntrail proves that it's about time for Final Fantasy XIV to change.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an action-RPG that delivers on most of its promises, along with some solid side content that is well worth indulging in – even if the full game isn't anything particularly remarkable.
Bungie's conclusion to Destiny's first 10 years more than sticks the landing.
Regardless - Cryptmaster was a game I had hoped I would enjoy more. In the end, it's a solid proof of concept with a few hints of what it could be in the future. Cryptmaster is a game with a lot to say, but much like with the game's undead protagonists - it feels like its a bit confused on how to say it.
Taking cues from Hollow Knight and Sekiro, Nine Sols offers a metroidvania that seems perfect for RPG fans when paired with its excellent story and worldbuilding focus.
Dread Delusion sets out to create a haunting open world, evoking RPGs of the past - and succeeds.
The spirit of Soul Sacrifice remains, but Thirdverse's successor doesn't quite stick the landing.
SaGa Emerald Beyond is a bold celebration of the series' past and present, warts and all.
The first Dragon's Dogma was ahead of its time. With Dragon's Dogma 2, its vision is fully realized. The result is one of the best RPGs of the last decade.
Shiren's latest adventure proves that game sequels can benefit just as much from what they remove as well as what they add.
Nintendo and Arc System Works remake of the Nintendo DS and Wii cult classics successfully recreates Another Code for a new generation.
Monolith Soft's standalone prologue to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers a satisfying conclusion to the company's last decade of RPGs.