Pierre-Yves Lanthier's Reviews
So all in all, Element Space has some great ideas, great combat, decent storytelling which is sometimes blended into the combat sequences, but is a bit rough around the edges. Given some time and some patches though, this should be a much smoother and accessible title especially on the consoles.
Overall though, even with how short it is, Stela is worth a playthrough if for only the visual and the musical presentation. It won’t take long to go through, but this is definitely something that should have the sound system on high and the lights turned low to allow yourself to immerse into the world as Stela runs and puzzles her way through it.
So overall, especially for fans of dungeon crawlers, Conglomerate 451 is worth it. With plenty of missions with different objectives to keep you going and tons of research to make better and better versions of your squads, taking a city back from evil corporations will keep you both entertained and occupied for quite a while.
Overall, Yakuza 0 is fantastic. Two protagonists. Two engaging storylines. Six combat styles that just make this beat ‘em up style worth continuing on for hours at a time without feeling boring. Between all of the elements, my only regret is that it’s taken this long to get into this series and I’m very much looking forward to my upcoming journey’s through the current six titles while everyone waits for Ryu ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza 7 to get localized.
Overall, Giraffe and Annika is some light fun that’ll last you about a good four to six hours depending on how much cat artwork that you want to search for. It’s short, sweet, and it never overstays its welcome which is something that a lot of others could learn from as there was a clear and concise story being told. Final verdict? It’s worth checking out!
So overall, while it may not have the same expansive storyline of Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate, Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate is a solid experience which adds some neat quality of life features to the base title that came out over a year ago. Adding in just a few new characters was neat, but it’s the ability to change magics and the smoothness of the experience that really takes the show making the Ultimate add-on a worthy pick up to the original title.
All in all, this collection coming out on the back of the original Mega Man and Mega Man X Series is a must have for fans or those that never actually got around to playing them.
While NeocoreGames have moved on from the crazy world of Borgovia to the stars of Warhammer 40,000 with Inquisitor, this final chapter is a reminder that, with any luck, the developer will again its hand at something with a fantasy bent at some stage.
So overall? Rune Factory 4 Special is basically a must from me and already has a place on my 2020 Games of the Year list. Being made Royalty by proxy has never been this good and while you technically “have” to do the farming and “have” to do exploration, it never feels like you do and the ease of entry just creates a relaxing experience that is fun to play for hours on end as you choose to either befriend or romance the people of the town that you are now in charge of. Don’t want to do either? That’s why there’s exploration and combat for those moments that you just need to get away from it all!
Overall I have to say that while I preferred Psikyo Shooting Stars - Bravo over Alpha, they are both amazing packages especially for fans of the style. Coming with different experiences in Bravo, there’s plenty to enjoy right here with some titles that both stick to the norm and others that add in just that little bit more. That is until you get to the last title that just breaks the mold all together and I couldn’t have been happier to have it in the package.
Overall, Big Ant Studios and Bigben Interactive’s AO Tennis 2 is a great title. With the only real issue being the load times, playing either singles or doubles for any amount of time whether a quick set or a couple of them is great fun either against the CPU, your friends, or the scary people online that make things look way too easy like Ryouma in the Prince of Tennis.
Overall, Code Shifters, while short, is a fun platformer with plenty of replayability with the difficulty options and a whole other game inside of it. Touching on the issue of crunch time with its narrative while also giving us plenty to see and do within the different coded aspects of the game was a fun approach to why would need to cross some rather extreme terrains. Adding in that upgrades are only granted to doing your absolute best, and there’s more than enough to test those that excel at the style.
Arc of Alchemist really is more than the sum of its parts. The gameplay is stable and works for a time since it never evolves, the town building elements are really only there as a way to limit how fast you get new equipment, and there’s loads of story to experience as long as you remember to go back to the base to see it. Compared to a lot of Compile Heart titles, this is truly a short and sweet one but it’s also one that could potentially become something if they stick with it. It was fun and again, without spoilers, with how it finishes I’m hoping for a sequel that could continue the tale and hopefully add other refinements. The only thing that I’ve got to wonder though is… why did they call it Arc of Alchemist when there’s ZERO alchemy in it.
All in all, while Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot doesn’t really do anything new “overall”, it’s still an amazing time because of the way that everything has been put together. Those new to the series and long time fans alike have plenty to find and enjoy, as the pacing is just right to both let you relive some of the iconic fights of the series, and just live a little with your favourite characters.
Overall, I would say that Psikyo Shooting Stars - Alpha is just about a must for Shump fans. Six titles, six sets of leaderboards, plenty of options to change up your options such as extra continues and loads of different gameplay options, this first of two packages is worth picking up.
So mixing in some of the old with the new, and always available to bounce back and forth, Tomb Kings adds a couple new hours to Chaosbane acting as an Act 5. While it doesn’t fix what do you really do next after you finish the campaign and the expansion, it’s still a good dose of quick fun for new and returning players alike.
Overall though, if you’re a fan of RPGs, loads of dialog, cheezy yet well thought out retorts and just some good old fashioned fire fights between clones and robots? Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is worth looking into and remember, trust no one. Report everything. But most importantly, remain happy. Happiness is mandatory.
While SD Gundam G Generation Cross Days may not be for everyone, I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series and fans of turned based tactics.
Phoenix Point for me was just a blast. Literally and figuratively if you ask my enemies. Amazingly designed for one of the best damned Squad Based Turn Based Tactics that I’ve played in a long time, I fully recommend it to anyone that’s had their eye on it. Going back… two years to a sponsored Facebook post? It’s been worth the wait and even with its very late entry into the year, is hitting my 2019 Games of the Year list. Thank you Snapshot Games!
Overall though, releasing this close to the end of the year, Farabel is definitely a stealth turned based strategy hit. While not overly long, the elements in place make for quite a difference from your normal bouts of armies and heroes going up against one another.