Star Ocean First Departure R turns out to be the best way for newcomers to discover the Star Ocean series. Those returning to the game won’t find too much new here, but hey, if you’ve never added Pericci to the party, then now is a perfect time.
There’s so much to Black Future ’88 that makes it more than just a typical roguelike. Each run presents new challenges and different items at the player’s disposal, but the game does a bad job of explaining its features to the player.
Last Labyrinth does some amazing things with VR. The way it tells a story through themes of death had me eager to press on through this nightmare of a game. Instructing Katia came naturally, but I do wish I could understand her thoughts about some of the later puzzles.
DEEMO: Reborn is more of an experience than a rhythm game. The exploration elements and world-building far outway playing music in this title, and in the end, I was okay with that. Sadly, the conversion to a standard controller just never felt right to me, and I was stumbling on every song, which I wasn’t at all used to.
When it comes to a non-linear JRPG experience, none have done it better than Romancing SaGa 3.
Need for Speed: Heat on its own is a great time. Sadly, the cast of characters and the forced drama in the story don’t do anything for its appeal. There are elements within the game that could be tweaked, but as a package, this is an excellent entry in the series.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the best single-player adventure that I have played in a very long time. The brilliant narrative that Respawn has created in the Star Wars universe is paired with excellent gameplay mechanics and level design.
Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve Stars is a great dating sim, so if that’s what you’re looking for, then look no further. However, to get through all the dating moments, you’ll need to complete dungeons. Luckily, the automated systems are present to help players get through the dungeon-crawling, and back to their waifus.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD's steady increase in difficulty and well-ported physics engine made it easy to jump right in and get that Super Monkey Ball experience that's been missing from my life.
Disgaea 4 Complete+ is a vast game and one that any fan of tactical RPGs should play. There’s no need to play the other titles to enjoy this one, so if this is your first time playing the series, then you’ll be experiencing one of the best.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout’s focus on character and world-building is unlike anything found in the previous entries. These characters face some real hardships, and it became my personal goal to see them through until the end.
Everything the player does leads up to an epic conclusion, but the little battles along the way leave a lasting impact as well. This game is more than just a beautiful space opera; it's a real RPG adventure that has finally brought the genre to a new height.
It's been about over four years since Indivisible's announcement, but I would have to say that the wait was worth it. Do yourself a huge favor and play this game.
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX shows us a different side of Copen that I have been waiting see. It’s through this entire adventure that he makes his marks as a true main protagonist and proves he is just as awesome as Gunvolt.
If I had to describe Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered in one word, it would be "magical". The game truly takes the player to a new world of exploration and discovery as you experience it through the eyes of a boy determined to fight for the ones he loves.
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.
River City Girls is the brawler that the series needed to spark new interest in the franchise. WayForward took this classic IP and made something truly unique, yet still recognizable to long-time fans.
Gun Gun Pixies offers exactly what you’re looking for if you’re thinking about playing it and more. It is perhaps the lewdest game that I’ve played to come west on console and I ended up loving it for that.
Catherine: Full Body is the full Catherine experience and presents some of the best moments of gameplay and storytelling from any game I’ve played to date. The game’s newly added scenes and features will make it feel new to those who have played before, but if it’s your first time than you are playing the best version imaginable.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan presents some amazing steps forward in the narrative adventure genre made by Supermassive Games. They have truly outdone themselves with their attention to story development and overall design.