Kenny McKee's Reviews
Re:Turn never really gets anywhere close to feeling conclusive. Rather than making its story into a proper “hill,” where there are both ups and downs, this game’s story is more akin to an endless upward slope; you want to know what’s on the other side, but climbing for so long with no end in sight is also tiresome.
Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded is not my cup of tea, which is sad given how much I wanted to enjoy it. I always appreciate a challenging platformer when said challenge is approached in a fair manner. Still, there’s no getting past the fact that both of these penguin-packed platformers thrive on doing little more than punishing the player without giving them much notice. I know that there’s a fanbase for these kinds of games, and if you’re among them, then this is right up your alley. However, for those who don’t want to become a punching bag for the game that you’re playing, you should look elsewhere.
Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth Infinite Combate has a lot of problems, but it’s nowhere near being the worst game that I’ve ever played. If you’re looking for a content-rich dungeon-crawler, then you’ll probably want to pass on this one. There are better dungeon-crawlers out there. However, if you consider yourself to be a fan of the series and really want to experience it in a new and unique way, then picking this up still might be worth your time.
The way I see it, Nexomon is kind of like the fast-food version of monster-collecting games. It’s cheap, easily accessible, and is certainly worthy of being enjoyed by some. However, when you compare it to its more original and carefully crafted counterparts, it’s easy to see just how ersatz its formula actually is.
I really wanted to like Ever Forward. And, in some ways, I did. Its surreal beauty is mesmerizing, and its story is both tragic and heart-warming. But scenery and stories a puzzle game does not make. You’ve got to have puzzles for that to work out. Or, more specifically, good puzzles. And, while Ever Forward has the forward, I found it to be lacking in the latter. I’m not telling you not to get this game—because there is certainly enjoyment to be found within it—I’m just telling you to brace yourself several bouts of frustration if you do.
Megadimension Neptunia VII is a wonderful game, but, as it stands, the Switch version is far from being ideal. If this is your only avenue to Gameindustri and you really want to get into the series, the game’s still playable. However, if you have the luxury of picking and choosing, then I’d pick this one up on PC or PS4. Or, better yet, just get VIIR.
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.
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.
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).
I wanted to love Rain World, I really did, but in the end I couldn’t. Although it starts out strong, and boasts a variety of unique gameplay features, it ends up coming out a bit muddled due to the abusive limits it places on players and overbearing confusion.
Between the lack of puzzles, needless wandering, and general heavy-handedness with certain topics, there were certainly times when I wasn’t enjoying myself as much as I probably should have been.
Square Enix’s addition to the SaGa series is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you’ve got its storytelling and exploration mechanics—both of which feel strangely placed, and neither of which gives the proper amount of freedom that you’d expect from a SaGa title. Its masterful approach to combat, however, ensures that you’ll never have a dull moment when it comes to duking it out with the baddies—or even when setting up your own team! SaGa Emerald Beyond isn’t “middle-of-the-road” by any means. It’s a mixture of good and not-so-good. However, as long as you go into things knowing that, you’ll probably still have a pretty good time.
Just as Disgaea 6 was an example of how a good series can begin to deteriorate over time, Disgaea 7 is a good—nay, great—example of how it’s never too late for a series to get back on track. Not only does Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless fix the myriad mistakes of its predecessor to the point of over-correction (and I mean that in a good way), but it even finds ways of utilizing mechanics that debuted in Disgaea 6 in ways that are both balanced and, if you’ll pardon the pun, intelligent. Regardless of whether you lauded or loathed the adventures of Zed & co., there’s no excuse to skip out on what is both the latest and greatest entry in the Disgaea series. Hinomoto is beckoning you—answer its call!
Subjectively speaking, I absolutely adore this game. Objectively, however, it’s far from perfect. All-in-all, The Caligula Effect: Overdose is a unique JRPG with a captivating story enveloped in the fragility of human psychology, but tends to fall a bit flat when it comes to actual gameplay. Its decision to move to the PS5 also still baffles me. Still, I’d recommend playing it if you’re interested. And, hey, I guess you can play it on the modern PlayStation platform of your choice, too!
It’s kind of funny that the entirety of Tai’s journey takes place during a short visit to his grandparents because that’s what this game essentially felt like—a quick trip. Though much shorter than I would have liked it, there’s no denying that the LoZ-inspired adventure offered by Reverie: Sweet As Edition is anything other than fun, engaging, and incredibly visually appealing. It may just be a short vacation, but I’m glad that I at least got to go.
Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust is a narratively enticing piece of DLC whose tiny explorable area and lackluster magic system might scare away those looking for a follow-up with a little more oomph. It’s also worth noting that the very end of the DLC sequel baits hard. And, while I’m not sure that Frey’s second journey will ever come to fruition (I’m very aware of everything that’s been going on), In Tanta We Trust, despite its flaws, did help me to look forward to that Forspoken follow-up… if and when it happens.
Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook feels more like a first try on NIS’ part than anything else—a fun first try, but a first try nonetheless. I legitimately enjoyed my time learning the ins and outs of the game and, as a fan of roguelikes and RPGs alike, didn’t mind having the game repeatedly stomp me into the ground. With that being said, however, I’d definitely call this one niche, and I’m not sure that everyone will find its flavor quite as appealing as I did.
Playing through Twice Reborn: A Vampire Visual Novel was kind of like receiving a homemade baked good from a friend. Its wrapping might be a little crinkled and the presentation of the product itself isn’t exactly perfect, but after finally sinking your teeth into it, you realize that it’s not just good, but better than you expected. And, of course, you can tell that it was made with plenty of love.
Thymesia embodies the ever-rising popularity of the Soulslike genre incredibly well. As an indie Soulslike, it knows it can’t necessarily be as big and as bold as its source material, but it also doesn’t want to simply be written off as a sub-par copy of something that’s already been done. And the end result is something kinda-sorta in-between of those two things. I can appreciate Thymesia for what it does well—namely, its hauntingly beautiful visuals and fine-tuned combat basics—but its more creative endeavors felt more like the game trying to be different just for the sake of being different. I’m not sure that Thymesia is going to be at the forefront of its given genre, but it’s still a pestilence-ridden egg worth cracking open for those hungry for some new Soulslike action.