Kenny McKee's Reviews
Chaos;Child is a rather intense addition to the Science Adventure genre, but it’s still an excellent time all around. Sporting a devilishly clever story with plenty of twists and turns, and packed to the brim with raw emotion, this isn’t a Visual Novel that you’ll want to miss.
As a modern-day homage to the Golden Age of Gaming, Lumo manages to put a refreshing and contemporary spin on a number of the wonderful retro games that so many remember fondly.
You might have noticed that I’ve reviewed both the Switch and PlayStation 4 versions of this game. And, while I fully admitted that I had fun with the PS4 version, I can’t say the same for this. Part of the appeal of the Switch is being able to play the game on the go—something that you can’t currently do with this version of the game. If you really want to play the game and don’t want to wait, I’d just suggest getting it for PS4 as it runs more smoothly. But, for those diehard handheld fanatics out there, I’d hold off on getting this until it gets patched. If it ever gets patched at all.
SEGA AGES Fantasy Zone isn’t anything fancy. But it doesn’t have to be. What we have here is a beloved SEGA classic with a few fun, new implementations thrown in, adding up to a retro experience that’s sure to add up to a fun at-home or on-the-go arcade experience with a decent amount of replayability. Whether you’ve visited Opa-Opa’s world before, or want to finally set foot into it for the first time, for $8, it’s pretty hard wrong with a game like this one.
Ciel Fledge: A Daughter Raising Simulator is one of the best indie games that I’ve played in quite some time, and was some of the most fun that I’ve had with a simulator like this since I played Long Live the Queen. Sure, it’s not perfect. It’s probably a little too long for its own good, and I could see people getting tired of its repetitiveness if they don’t know what they’re in for. But all of those things are fairly trivial; they don’t really matter in the long run because they’re so small. What does matter is that this game is fun. Plain and simple. If you’re in the mood for a quality simulator, then you need not look further than this one.
Whether you’ve lived in Selphia for a long time, or have yet to make the journey, Rune Factory 4 Special is absolutely worth picking up.
By this point, it’s fair to say that I’ve talked, ad nauseam, about Persona 5 Royal. But for those of you wanting a TL;DR, here it is: Persona 5 Royal is an absolutely, positively fantastic experience, and anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of the series would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn’t pick it up. I may not know what lies in the future for the Phantom Thieves, but if this game’s any indicator, things are looking very good.
Much like the father-daughter duo that comprise its protagonists, La-Mulana 1 & 2 are clever, tough-as-nails, and don’t hold anything back. There is absolutely no denying that these games are difficult, and those who don’t take a cautious approach and mind a bit of trial-and-error might easily find themselves flustered. However, for those of you who are currently stuck at home and wanting a bit of excitement in your lives, La-Mulana and Eg-Lana await your arrival.
Let’s end by setting the record straight, because I’ve seen enough comments about this game already that I feel it necessary; Exit the Gungeon is not Enter the Gungeon. It literally says that it’s a “small, spin-off” in the Steam page description. Does that mean that it’s completely perfect? Definitely not; some of the levels are a bit too tricky for their own good, and the randomly changing gun mechanic can really hurt you if the game doesn’t play nice (which it often won’t). The devs seem to be very well aware of this, however, and seem to be actively making changes based on player feedback. And that fact, combined with how enjoyable the game already is, makes it a worthwhile pickup if you’re in the mood for something cheap (I’m mostly talking about price), challenging, and charming.
Alder’s Blood is about the least SRPG-y SRPG that I’ve ever played. And I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way. Imbuing heavy stealth mechanics into something that is, by nature, tactical, seems very foreign to me—and I’m sure to many others as well—as each primary element seems to fly directly in the face of what the other is about. I wasn’t sure how it would before playing, and, even afterward, my thoughts on the matter still aren’t entirely concrete. However, I can say this with absolute certainty; Alder’s Blood is undoubtedly unique, and, if you’re fine wading through the problems that exist, like being challenged at every single turn, and don’t mind hanging around for the devs to patch things which don’t work as well as they’d intended (which they’re very actively doing right now, so good on them), then you shouldn’t have too much to lose by checking this game out.
I feel like that my whole “playing games that feel like real life” analogy that I made during the beginning of this review might be a bit off the mark. And that’s because, after finally getting to the end review, I realized that STATIONflow is nothing like using an actual subway. It’s simple, straightforward, clean, easy to understand, and has a very soothing soundtrack on constant rotation. But, eh, I suppose that that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that STATIONflow is pretty fun. I’m not sure that it’s going to draw in anyone who wasn’t already a fan of this kind of thing, but that’s not the end of the world. If you like architecture and are looking for something to do to pass the time, you might want to stop by ol’ STATIONflow and see what direction it takes you.
When it comes down to it, Bohemian Killing is an excellent example of a game that relies too much on concept, and not enough on execution.
I’m still not sure that you can ever really call a rhythm game “perfect,” but Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is as closest to perfection as I’ve ever seen a rhythm game get. As much as I’m aware that Vocaloid music isn’t for everyone, I honestly can’t help but recommend that anyone into rhythm games do themselves a favor and at least give this game a chance. You’ll only be hurting yourself in the long run if you don’t!
As far as an audience goes, Turmoil is pretty niche. That in itself isn’t a bad thing—there are plenty of cool niche games out there—but I’m at a bit of a loss as to who this game’s target demographic is. It’s kind of fun, yeah, and it kept me entertained for a while, but it’s too long for its own good, and, much like most flash games, I eventually found my mind wandering to what other games I’d rather be playing,
Even after that rant about the game crashing at the end, I’d still say that Dungeon of the Endless is a fairly enjoyable and very unique experience. Despite the fact that it’s been out for six years already, it doesn’t feel all too old, and the mechanics, while a little too hectic for my tastes, could easily find a fanbase of its own (and undoubtedly already has).
It doesn’t matter if it’s the first, second, or tenth time that I’m playing this game; my opinion of this game is always going to be the same. Building upon an already impressive legacy, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III continues to live up to—and in many cases—exceed my expectations of what a contemporary JRPG masterpiece aught to be.
The world needs more good Metroidvanias. And, if developers like Elden Pixels are in charge of bringing those to us, especially if they’re willing to continue growing as they have been, then we’re definitely in good hands.
CrossCode is probably the most fun that I’ve ever had with being frustrated with a game. This game knows it’s good and wants to make absolutely sure that players know just how much time and painstaking effort went into creating it so that they know how good it is, too. Is it a bit gatekeep-y at times? Eh, sure, I guess. But it’s a gate that’s an absolute joy to climb over. And, if you still aren’t convinced, maybe you should just try logging into CrossWorlds yourself.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a nod to the classics. It doesn’t come packed with many of the highly useful mechanics and features that many of the newer SoS games do. But does that mean that it isn’t fun? Absolutely not. While Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral town probably isn’t something that I’d recommend to every series fan out there, its undeniable charm and simple-yet addictive gameplay should still be enough to attract its fair share of players.
I really, really like void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium. It’s got a great plot, fun Mystery Dungeon gameplay, and delightful customization features. But it’s just too short for me to give it a higher rating than the one which I’ve given it. I don’t care if it’s following the tradition of its predecessors; you can’t pace a DRPG in the same way that you can a platformer. I still think that this game is great, and I think that a lot of other people will, too. But is $60 worth a game that only takes around 20 hours to beat and might leave you with more questions than answers at its end? I’m not so sure.