There’s a lot of things that frustrated me while playing Arc of Alchemist. Throughout the entire adventures, there’s a variety of things that just make the game unpleasant. Had I played this game ten years ago, I might forgive it a bit more because of the unique mechanics that it introduces, but it just doesn’t work today.
Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs: The Thrilling Steamy Maze Kiwami delivers a competent yet familiar dungeon-crawling experience, blending light-hearted anime storytelling with engaging roguelike gameplay. While the narrative is enjoyable and predictably steeped in anime tropes, the game's real strength lies in its challenging gameplay and strategic depth, particularly in its item management system and the unique Resonance Hot Spring feature. However, the game's themes and visuals lack innovation, and the PC port disappoints with its limited options and subpar controller support. Despite its solid mechanics and charming narrative, the game struggles to distinguish itself in a genre filled with more compelling titles.
Mugen Souls Z may be a product of its time, but the West has finally received the full experience. The story is downright insane in a brilliant way, but the gameplay has definitely not aged well. The added DLC and mini-game definitely make this a release for all niche JRPG enthusiasts, as your 10-year-long wait has paid off, and you can finally take these hilarious girls to the bathhouse.
Hot Wheels Unleashed is really nice to look at and sometimes fun to play, but I’m not sure who it’s for. The in-game currency model is unnecessarily convoluted and annoying most of the time. The difficulty is unbalanced to the point where I was forced to play on easy and swallow my gamer pride. The online multiplayer is where the most enjoyment is, but expect to invest hours trying to pull a car that can compete with some of the rarer racers. If Unleashed were a contender in a race, it would place 12th, like I did many times.
Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed needs to played without any distractions from other games because the second you put it down, you may never care to return to it. Its lack of quality-of-life features solidifies it as a relic of the past, but its writing and characters make it out to be something that fits right in with your group of otaku friends. It’s not an easy game to get through, but its charm is enough to want a true sequel.
Edge of Eternity is a beautiful game that is held back by the ambition of the developers. There are just too many moving parts here, and nothing seems to be fully executed. It’s by no means a waste of time, though, and provides hours of fantasy adventures in a new world, but it lacks focus and implementation due to the numerous features and broken narrative.
LoveKami: Divinity Stage gives us a fun story of idol Goddesses just trying to make it in this world. Its comedic elements and lewd imagery carry the narrative but don’t expect to feel too attached to the characters after the conclusion. Ultimately, the Switch version holds this release back with a lack of additional features and low-quality assets. At least the CGs are their to hold the reader’s attention.
Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia is a tedious and almost mindless adventure that will leave you staring at the screen, wondering if it will ever get better. Sadly, it doesn’t. However, its systems are easy enough for a younger fan of the series to enjoy and receive a starter course in RPG systems. The biggest compliment I can give the game is that it works, but other than that, this Bakugan Brawl isn’t as epic as it could have been.
Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story will cause several headaches after the many forehead palms players will endure through this cryptic adventure. The story will rarely make sense, and the haphazard nature of the puzzle design force many moments of aimless backtracking. This is a game that the developer seemed to make for themselves, and it shows in the design and layout. Still, there’s something here for a follow-up release, but I really hope that quality assurance is in the budget this time around.
Warborn has a great foundation of SRPG mechanics and beautiful animations. However, I never once felt connected or concerned about my units or challenged after the first few minutes of a match. Each campaign plays out relatively the same, and after hours of gameplay, you’ll feel like you are merely playing the same mission over and over.
Utawarerumono: ZAN is a condensed version of must-read visual novel SRPG that doesn’t quite stick with you as much as the original. Sure, you’ll get the gist of the characters and the situation at hand, but nothing really stands out in the game storywise.
Koumajou Remilia II: Stranger's Requiem offers a challenging yet rewarding experience for fans of bullet-hell action platformers. This remastered title on modern hardware maintains its tough gameplay, which may not appeal to everyone but certainly satisfies those looking for a demanding test of skill. The game's intricate stage design, coupled with the need for strategic combat and mastery of Sakuya's diverse abilities, including flying, provides a deep and engaging playthrough. Despite some frustration with enemy designs and a control scheme that takes time to get accustomed to, the game's quick checkpoint resets keep the action fast-paced and addictive. The pixel art and character illustrations add charm to the gothic setting, complemented by an immersive soundtrack. While the translation shows improvement, there's still room for refinement.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is extremely fun to play once through with your friends, but when you’re expected to play the same stages multiple times, the gameplay wains on the player. It becomes more tedious than anything because the stages themselves just aren’t that interesting. Playing higher difficulties provides more challenge to your crew, but it gets repetitive. You’re expected to want to do this for more gun customization, but that’s barely interesting. Regardless, I have to admit, shooting down waves of aliens with friends sure is entertaining.
Root Film is an incredibly stylish and beautiful adventure visual novel held down by a few flimsy opening chapters. The pacing takes a dramatic hit due to a lack of direction, which caused me to step away several times. However, the second half is where the stars align and provide a solid and memorable conclusion to those who stick around.
Fantasy Tavern Sextet Vol.2 continues that adventure and won’t leave any significant impact on you after the credits roll. The scenarios are becoming repetitive, but the character development and world-building make this one of the more palatable eroge available. If you aren’t reading for the story, though, I’d definitely wait for the PC version.
Seven Knights: Time Wanderer is a rather straightforward attempt at a JRPG with the inclusion of a unique active battle system. There’s a ton of room to grow here in terms of improved dungeon design, less repetitive encounters, and a more interesting gameloop. Still, the story is rather good, and the character interactions are reason enough to see the adventure through until the end.
Hatsune Miku VR is an experience for diehard fans, but those who can’t play it aren’t missing out on anything of real substance. The rhythm gameplay provides a decent arm workout but gets old and repetitive right around the time your arms feel like they will fall off. If you have the Oculus and want to hang out with Miku for a personal concert, then don’t let the score of this review keep you from doing that.
Aquanox Deep Descent is a beautiful follow up to a series that many may have forgotten about over the years. However, it was clearly made on a budget, which seemed to hurt a few of the game’s more necessary modes. Boring supporting characters, lacking enemy environment, and a subpar coop mode won’t make any new series fans. However, those who truly dive into what this game offers will find a responsive and atmospheric submarine shooter with a deep level of strategy.
Onee Chanbara Origin is a hack-and-slash that does nothing more than any other hack-and-slash available. It’s best moments are the fluid and fast action when you’re cutting through hordes of enemies at a smooth frame rate with oceans of blood spraying all over. The series seems to be having an identity crisis about how it wants to continue. It needs to make a choice, keep the bikinis and have a bit of more campy fun with these characters, or lose them entirely and create a more polished action experience.
Nevaeh is a fast and fun puzzle platformer that doesn’t bite off more than it can chew. However, its lack of direction makes the adventure feel soulless. Nothing challenges the player, not even the boss encounters, making this more of a comfortable and cute indie puzzle experience to play in short bursts.