Life Is Strange: Before the Storm's Episode 1: Awake focus on themes of depression, loss, and the inability to fit in, which it does an excellent job at presenting throughout this first episode. Sadly, the episode's main focus on Chloe and Rachel's friendship can feel a little forced early on, but inevitably lands on plausible after learning about the mental state of each of the characters.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has introduced a new type of adventure to the Ys series and does it incredibly well. The game takes the action-RPG genre to a new level with its excellent story pacing and gameplay. The game offers many hours of exploring and fast-paced action along with plenty more for those who'd like to dive deeper into the mysteries of the island. The truth is after picking up Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana I simply couldn't put it down until I finished the story. In the end, I found myself attached to many of the characters that I met along the way and part of me wished that this Ys adventure never had to end. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana will also release on PS Vita and PC.
Warriors All Stars is definitely a game for fans of Koei Tecmo and musou games. There are many interesting character interactions that you'll only see in this game and for some fans that will be enough to look past it's shortcomings. I hope Koei Tecmo continues the All Stars series because I know we'll continue to see improvements made to it in other entries. Sadly, even with the awesome battle system, Warriors All Stars just felt average.
Let it be known that White Day: A Labyrinth Named School frightened me on multiple occasions and kept me feeling anxious through most of the story, like every good survival horror game should. For a game originally released in 2001, there are some truly terrifying scenes to experience, but the repetitive Janitor encounters and reused assets make the game feel frustrating and repetitive towards the final puzzles of the game.
Moero Chronicle is an interesting and entertaining dungeon crawler, which is difficult to mess up given the game's premise. Furthermore, the game's writing is hilarious and self aware which makes it even more delightful. Sadly, the best way to describe the battle system would be mediocre and could have used some unique mechanics to make it stand out in the genre. If you're looking for a game that is not to be taken seriously, full of half-naked monster girls, has a basic battle system, and a touching mini-game then look no further because Moero Chronicle is exactly what you have been looking for.
From the beginning to the end, I couldn't seem to put Sonic Mania down. One playthrough, without collecting all the Chaos Emeralds took me about six hours, I never said I was the fastest Sonic player. Sonic Mania has helped me rediscover what it was I loved about Sonic when growing up and it took me back to a time where I could just pick up a game and have fun. This if for Sonic fans everywhere and it will not disappoint.
In the end, Collar X Malice is a great visual novel that happens to also be an otome. The story is dark, stressful, and creates an atmosphere that forces the player to want to continue. True, there are many wrong paths, but once you see the end in sight you will understand what makes this game so good. I enjoyed my time with Collar X Malice and I'm eager to experience the remaining routes and endings that I missed, which could easily take 40 hours of accumulative playtime.
The story of Eshe is confusing and mysterious. Throughout the game there are many questions to be asked about what her goal is or how she feels about her unfortunate predicament. However, these questions fade as the drive to fulfill Eshe's unspeakable goal consumed me. I didn't care why she was doing it, I just knew that it must be important enough to put up with all of this to obtain it and that was enough for me. Parts of me wish Sundered never ended, but I was satisfied with the conclusion which made me look back at the choices I made and wonder: if I did it again again, would I embrace or resist this power?
Accel World VS Sword Art Online had the potential to bring these two words together in a unique way, but that ended up stopping at the story. The similarities between this game and Sword Art Online: Lost Song are just too much to overlook. If you enjoyed the past Sword Art Online games then this is for you, but if you know nothing about either of these worlds and are just looking for a fun action RPG, I'd look elsewhere.
Children of Zodiarcs is the game that story-driven SRPG fans have been waiting for. It's evident when playing through that the developers at Cardboard Utopia are passionate about delivering a product that could potentially fall in line with some of the genre's greats. However, by adding unique mechanics and a focus on character growth, Children of Zodiarcs stands out as simply a great SRPG.
I love Tokyo Xanadu for what is: a solid action RPG with a dramatic premise and an awesome cast of characters. The game impressed me with the responsive battle controls and beautiful special attacks. Even though the story didn't amount to the standards Falcom has set in the past, Tokyo Xanadu truly shows what the PlayStation Vita is capable in terms of graphics and playability and I would happily play through the game again.
Although the game looks a bit dated and the story can be messy at times, God Wars: Future Past is a game that should be played by anyone who craves a great SRPG that tests your skills and knowledge of the genre. Kadokawa Games seemed to take the feedback of what they did wrong with Natural Doctrine and deliver a game that fits in well with other notable SPRG titles, while adding unique systems that allow it to stand out.
Mighty Gunvolt Burst is something that you'll want to show your friends who quit playing games in the 90's or youngsters who haven't experienced a true retro style game. In a generation that pushes hardware to limits, Inti Creates continues to deliver these five – six hour long experiences that push our 2D action platforming skills to the test. Now if only we can get Beck in a proper Azure Striker Gunvolt game.
Nekopara Vol. 3 is a welcome addition to the series. It holds everything great about the previous entries, while giving it a plot with real character development. I enjoyed my time with the visual novel and can't wait to see the wonderful characters and story beats that Sayori brings to the series in the future.
Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! is for gamers who want a quick and satisfying dungeon-crawling experience. The game is fast enough to pick up for ten minutes and complete a few missions, but also has some deep systems that can take hours of your time and push the game to its highest potential.
Being my first otome visual novel, Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds has made me a fan of the Hakuoki series. The game handles the large cast of characters wonderfully and allows the story of the Shinsengumi to shine through. For new visual novel fans this is the definitive way to start the Hakuoki series and date the guys that older fans had to wait years for.
Although Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada is a spin-off of the mainline series of games, it shouldn't be seen as anything less than the best companion to Samurai Warriors 4. I enjoyed returning to the battlefield once more and learning all that I could about the Sanada clan while following their lives over the course of the game. The character driven plot was much appreciated as well as the graphical improvements made to the battlefields from previous games. I would definitely like to see more spin-offs of the series that focus on some of the other clans.
Disgaea 5 Complete is an awesome addition to the Nintendo Switch line-up of games. Taking this time-intensive tactical RPG on the go with me was an enjoyably experience; I am not always at home and willing to spend 80 hours on my couch playing a game. The game's premise feels like a soap opera at times, but it adds to the enjoyment when acted out by these silly characters. My only word of advice is to bring your Switch charger with you, because you're going to need it.
Akiba's Beat caters to the niche audience who will definitely have a good time discovering the ins and outs of Akihabara through an entertaining and interesting story. However, hardcore RPG fans will be disappointed with the combat and dungeon exploration that they're probably used to seeing in PS2 and early PS3 games. There is fun to found in Akiba's Beat for those who wish to give it a try, but it will most likely be added to the backlog and quickly forgotten.
Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Vol. 1's premise fits in perfectly with the rest of the Grisaia titles, that includes the beautiful character designs that the series is known for. However, the introductory chapter felt rushed, which ended up hurting any chance for proper character development. As such, the climax of the story to feel out of place. Phantom Trigger Vol 1. begs to be longer in order to allow the reader to care enough to want to move on to the later volumes in the series. Hopefully, now that the introductions are out of the way, the real story can start.