Birthdays the Beginning begs to be enjoyed by a particular gamer, which could hold it back from non-simulation fans to give it a try. I would have enjoyed more interaction between me and my organisms, but the game draws the line of interaction with the world to merely altering the land. With that said, the systems introduced in the game work well for a game that is supposed to the “beginning” of a much larger idea. I'm excited to see where the series goes moving forward as well as the incredible environments that are sure to come from the community.
The Caligula Effect has some of the coolest systems ever found on the Vita. The game seems to push what the system is capable of and perhaps that was asking too much. With some frame rate drops during battles and unnecessarily confusing dungeons, the game might get passed up by the more casual RPG players. However in the end, the side stories, characters, and awesome soundtrack saved the game and made me want to see it through to till the end.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd provides a very fans-only story campaign that will satisfy anyone who's enjoyed the trilogy to this point. Even though assets were reused from the previous two games, it doesn't stop Trails in the Sky the 3rd from standing out on its own and giving each character a proper conclusion. I had to wait many years, but I'm glad to have finally been able to complete the Trails in the Sky trilogy.
Cosmic Star Heroine is the perfect example of a crowdfunded indie game that might have been held back by budget and time. I enjoyed everything the game had to offer, but I was was left wanting more than a short RPG experience with an overused premise. If you're looking for a gorgeous 16-bit RPG with a unique battle system and a short campaign than Cosmic Star Heroine is going to resonate with you perfectly, but if you're looking for a story that will stick with you over the years than you probably should look elsewhere.
Developer Omega Force is truly a force to be wrecked with. The Japanese developer has not only continued a franchise, Dynasty Warriors, for 20 years, but they have found ways to bring their hack-n-slash formula to other notable series. Dragon Quest Heroes II fits in perfectly with the other entries in the Dragon Quest series, only with a splash of that musou battle system. Being a huge fan of the Dragon Quest mainline series, I was blown away with the how well this collaboration was executed and could easily call this one of my favorite games of 2017.
In the end, NEKO-NIN exHeart's comedic approach saved it from being forceable and predictable romance where the main protagonist gets all the girls without even trying. There are some pretty interesting twists in the second half of the story that adds a dose of drama and keeps the pacing fresh. I must say that for the $9.99 Steam price, there is a good four to six hour story here that won't let fans of adorable cat-girl illustrations down. I only wish that the first half of the story was as good as the conclusion, but as whole this a decent visual novel.
The Silver Case HD Remaster might seem visually dated and it has that unapologetic approach to puzzle solving that only retro games can provide, but the characters and story connecting them truly stands the test of time. I was completely drawn into the mystery and world of the game that it became difficult to take breaks or attend to daily activities. The Silver Case HD Remaster will join the catalog of other great Suda51 games that I have come to respect over the years, this westerner is happy to have the opportunity to finally play it.
Toukiden 2 shows that an already impressive series can be made even better by taking chances on new systems. The story stays in scope of the premise throughout the game even after accepting multiple side-quests, theres always clear knowledge of what to do next. Although the open world map by intimidating to some, the game offers easy quick traveling options to seamlessly get players from one place to another. After playing the game for well over 30 hours, I feel like I can continue playing for another 100 and with that I happily say, "Bring it on!"
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a perfect addition to any visual novel fan's collection. Both games are truly a work of art that combine mystery and horror to tell a story that is so gripping that it's almost impossible to put down. The only thing missing is the inclusion of the third entry of the series, Zero Time Dilemma.
By adding in an interesting story and supporting cast the game proves it can stand on its own compared to some of the all time best in the genre. Touhou Genso Wanderer is a frustrating and wonderful dungeon crawler that fits perfectly into the doujin Touhou universe.
Blaster Master Zero does everything right in terms of rebooting an old franchise. The game retains all the quirks and cues fans of the series adore and presents them in a way that a new generation of gamers can enjoy. The pacing and difficulty is set just right to keep gamers entertained for hours. In short, this is now the definitive way to play a game from my childhood that I’ve held so close to heart.
I admire Gust for delivering a product outside of their comfort zone. However, even though the open world is the most exciting new addition, it also tends to bring the most problems with it. Atelier Firis will surly impress fans of the franchise, but could feel dated to modern RPG fans.
The game removes the stress of time limits and boss battles and instead presents itself as an easy going simulator that can be played at the pace of the player. I am happy to say that Trio of Towns is a game that I plan to continue to return to over time and become the best farmer I can be.
I enjoyed my time with Berserk and the end game content offers hours and hours of replayability for fans who just can’t get enough. The gameplay would definitely stand toe-to-toe with other licensed musou games like One Piece: Pirate Warriors and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, but maybe this game could have strayed further away from the typical musou formula like what fans saw with Attack on Titan. Instead, it seems Omega Force played it a little too safe.
I appreciate what DotEmu has done with the console port of Ys Origin. A story localized this good deserves to be easily accessed by gamers on as many ports as possible. Besides the strange rending issues on screen in the beginning of the game, I would say this is a great port of ten year old PC game that serves a preface to the beloved Ys series.
Throughout my 35 hours of playing Digimon World: Next Order I began to feel like I did the first time a discovered the series. Every Digimon that joined my team made an impact on me and I wanted them all to be the best they can be. The game can be frustrating, but in the end there’s nothing like raising two healthy Digimon. The old mechanics of the Digimon World franchise prove to stand the test of time and can now be experienced by a new generation of gamers to discover and immerse themselves for hours in the digital world.
The Tales series has always found a way to satisfy my itch for a story rich JRPG with deep character development and exciting combat. In that regard, Tales of Berseria does not disappoint. The story is gripping from the very beginning and keeps hold throughout the entire game. When it comes to the new battle system, I felt that Tales of Bersaria proved to be easily accessible to newcomers as well as offer extra benefits to those who’d like to master it. Even though the environments lacked any big steps forward for series, I felt myself constantly exploring and enjoying every moment. Berseria has quickly become not only one of my favorite games in the series, but also one of my favorite RPGs of all time.
Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers is a great attempt by developer Omega Force at merging classic Warriors style gameplay with SRPG mechanics. However, the game might be a bit too easy when compared to more hardcore tactics games like those found in the Fire Emblem series or Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together. Even so, Godseekers provides a great entry point for fans to be introduced to a new genre while keeping that over the top action gameplay. In the future, I hope to see Omega Force return to the SRPG genre with more entries in order to expand on this deep and intriguing universe — perhaps one starring Daqiao?
The conclusion of Corona Blossom is one that fans can appreciate over the 3 – 5 hour story. In addition, the last couple hours totally redeem the middle of the game’s more light hearted moments. Corona Blossom Vol.3 Journey to the Stars isn’t a visual novel that is going to blow seasoned fans away like Frontwing’s other visual novels, such as The Fruits of Grisaia series. However, they did a great job at developing a group of friends and making the player care about them over three volumes. Some will find absolute joy in this story, but by playing it safe, I was left wanted more than a typical harem.
I enjoyed my time with Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star as it satisfied my craving for a game in the Fate universe. The fighting controls are tight and responsive, and the action is intense. The lack of enemy variation was disappointing, but it didn’t take away from the frenetic fun of pulling off well animated combos against thousands of aggressors. This game might not be for newcomers to the Fate series, but offers a fun and impressive story arc to the franchise.