Samantha Lienhard's Reviews
If you’re a diehard fan of 3D platformers and you’ve run out of better games to play in the genre, you might get some enjoyment out of Balan Wonderworld, but only if you’re willing to put up with a lot of tedium along the way.
Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire and Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion try to tell a grand story, but their flaws hold them back despite an entertaining and unusual battle system.
While it’s a tough sell based on any of its individual pieces alone, you might check it out if the story intrigues you–as long as you remember it isn’t what it first seems to be.
Best Friend Forever is cute, and you’re bound to get some smiles out of it if you’re a pet-lover. Unfortunately, the rest of it ends up feeling half-hearted.
If you like picross, Murder by Numbers has some entertaining dialogue and colorful characters to go along with your puzzles. If you aren’t going into this for picross first and foremost, however, the rest of the game isn’t going to carry it.
The World Next Door implements a nice twist on match-3 puzzles for its combat system, and it presents an interesting world with a varied cast of characters.
While holding true to the same basic gameplay formula, Layers of Fear 2 takes great steps toward distinguishing itself from the first game. Unfortunately, while this pays off in some respects, Layers of Fear 2 struggles to be as cohesive as a psychological horror game should be.
A.W.: Phoenix Festa combines the action RPG and dating sim genres, but unfortunately doesn’t excel at either.
While some aspects of the gameplay and exploration disappointed me, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an unsettling journey through a haunted island that I found much more enjoyable than Maiden of Black Water.
Kukoos: Lost Pets is the sort of game I would have jumped on back when the genre was in decline. It might not have the staying power of the icons in its genre, but it has some fun ideas. Fans of 3D platformers should consider it, although its short length and rougher aspects might turn some players away.
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a strange experience. The platforming is basic and the combat gets tedious after a while, but the surreal presentation of its loose interpretation of the Book of Enoch makes it an intriguing journey from start to finish, with beautiful art and music that help it stand out. If repetitive combat doesn’t bother you, it’s well worth a look for the spectacle alone.
Edge of Eternity is a beautiful turn-based RPG, but it left me with mixed feelings.
There’s no denying that it’s fun and well-designed, with solid 3D platforming gameplay and third-person shooter combat, but the blatant lack of cohesion between these two styles of gameplay results in the overall package feeling a bit odd.
The Shattering is a surreal, psychological adventure game. The story might not be anything groundbreaking, but its portrayal of memories makes for an intriguing storytelling experience.
While it won’t take you more than a few hours and falters a little with its supporting cast, the unusual approach to puzzle-solving in Whispers of a Machine ensure there’s enough replay value to make a return worthwhile.
Blending the storytelling of film noir with the premise of a child playing with toys, Bear With Me: The Lost Robots is a point-and-click adventure game that manages to be a lighthearted romp and a gritty crime story at the same time.
Observation’s tedious gameplay and intriguing story kept me asking myself if it would have been better as a film than a game.
Despite some flaws NAIRI: Tower of Shirin is an adorable game with solid point-and-click adventure mechanics and the potential for a great story, although the abrupt cliffhanger ending prevents it from being completely satisfying.
Although short, The Gardens Between is a relaxing puzzle game with unique ideas and a nostalgic, bittersweet snapshot of childhood friendship.
While Fate/Extella suffers from repetition and does little to ease new players into the universe, its fast-paced action and exciting story are ultimately worth it.