Overall, I have to say that Seven Pirates H has a lot of promise. There’s a solid basis for sea based exploration, the battle system is pretty fun, and the music is pretty catchy. Unfortunately, this effort seems undermined by how short the game is and how small the explorable areas are. If Seven Pirates H was more like the Moero titles in terms of dungeon length and bonus zones, I feel like Seven Pirates H would have fared much better. Even the upgrade system, where it allowed you to adjust your stat distribution, was an interesting idea, just falling flat against the backdrop of small areas with not much to them.
Overall, I have to say I quite enjoyed my time with Crystar. While the combat and areas you progress through tended to get a little repetitive, the storytelling, art, and music direction, as well as an interesting cast of characters, is what really keeps the title together. While I wouldn’t recommend picking up the Switch version if you already own Crystar, it is quite nice for a title that you can pick up every so often to go through a floor or two, or some of the shorter stages, without feeling the burnout.
Overall, I have to say I absolutely love how they’ve evolved, and continue to evolve, the Atelier series. Atelier Sophie was probably my favourite post PS2 Atelier title, and Atelier Sophie 2 doesn’t disappointed. With a more refined combat and alchemy system, and interesting weather feature, and improved graphics and character animations, Atelier Sophie 2 : the Alchemist and the Mysterious Dream is a must play in the Atelier series.
In conclusion, Aztech Forgotten Gods is a fun title with a cool movement and combat idea that was implemented fairly decently. The game isn’t very long, but is full of a charm that is quite nice to see. While there are a few technical issues and a lack of explanation for some of the abilities you get, Aztech Forgotten Gods was still quite enjoyable.
Overall, I had an absolutely wonderful time with Ocean’s Heart and loved it the whole way through. With that old-school Legend of Zelda vibe in both gameplay and art style, add in some unique twists and takes, and couple it with an immersive world, and you really have a recipe for success. While there were a few technical problems and design choices that I didn’t agree with, most of the time it wasn’t a big enough issue to truly worry about for the most part. With tons of bonus quests, caves to explore, and a secret boss, Ocean’s Heart is sure to keep you well entertained!
Overall, Maglam Lord had a lot of potential that it just didn’t fully capitalize on. While characters and dialogue are done really well, the combat that becomes tedious contrasting against some arbitrarily powerful or annoying bosses can be frustrating. Most enemies are simply palette swaps, including bosses that are just large normal enemies, and an annoying grind for materials at times really serve to slow the game down. Maglam Lord certainly isn’t bad, but it isn’t all it could be, either.
Overall, I have to say I really liked this Nep-Nep spin-off. While Dimension Tripper Neptune: TOP NEP might not be long, it’s definitely a really fun rail-shooter. It’s also pretty cheap, so it doesn’t feel like you’re losing out really either. The soundtrack is good, the gameplay is smooth, and while it is rather short, you can always aim to beat your high score on subsequent runs. Top Nep gets 8 puddings out of 10. Score: 8 / 10 puddings
Overall, I absolutely love Mary Skelter as a series, and the second game, while a bit different in nature, doesn’t dissuade me from the franchise at all. The characters are interesting and unique, the battle system and exploration are well mapped out, the variety of job classes make any character viable to use. While the port loses a point here or there, it’s all for fairly minor concerns, or temporary issues that soon resolved themselves. If you weren’t able to pick Mary Skelter 2 up on Switch, or you’re looking for some good dungeon crawling fun, make sure to check this out!
Overall, I have to say that Labyrinth Legacy is well worth its cost. While gameplay isn’t particularly innovative, it is pretty consistent and easy to get used to. It can feel sluggish and awkward at times, but never does it tip over to that “uncomfortable” range. Labyrinth Legacy is easy to pick up and has a good soundtrack to complement its stages. If you’re looking for a title to play with a partner, or if you’re looking for some decent roguelite action, be sure to give Labyrinth Legend a try!
Monster Rancher is easy to pick up, put down, and really starts to take off when you start experimenting with different ways to customize your monsters. If you have any nostalgia for the titles, or are looking for something a little more old-school, Monster Rancher will be sure to pique your curiosity.
Overall, Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is a pretty fun game. The combat largely takes after Senran Kagura with Neptunia themes and felt really smooth. The plot is fairly cliché, more than I was expecting for a collaboration spin-off, the side scenarios were pretty funny, and it was all in character. The illustrations are nice, the music is all great, and the stages don’t take too long to finish, so it doesn’t start to wear on you too bad. While the game is incredibly short, the post game content is a nice challenge. Fans of either Senran or Neptunia will be able to get a kick out of Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars.
Overall, I had a lot of fun playing through Caligula Effect 2, and those who felt squeamish with some of the content in the first may feel better with the second. Caligula Effect, both 1 and 2, are pretty unique games, and I highly suggest looking into either or both of them, as they are both really fun titles.
Overall, Rogue Lords has some really nice aspects to it. The experience system feels reasonable for unlocking characters and skills, and there a lot of really interesting takes on the old roguelike formula. That being the case, good lord the difficulty is all over the place. I can’t say “expect a challenge”, because you might not get one, and I can’t say “it’s easy”, because then you get rolled over like a soft pastry. If you really like roguelikes, and don’t mind the potential for a little extra punishment, you’ll probably be right at home here, but barring a balancing patch, newcomers may be pushed away. Rather forcibly.
Original PS4 Review (2019-06-28) https://chalgyr.com/2019/06/Review-PS4-DragonStarVarnir.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall I had a lot of fun with Varnir. Yeah, the plot is a little trope filled and cliché to an extent, but the battle system was really fun, and I felt like I was playing a sort of pokemon-esque devouring game. While that sentence may need some work, the “collectible upgrading system” was pretty fun, and I’d always try to eat as many enemies as I could. Is Varnir perect? Maybe not, But 8 out of 10 witches would probably promote it. Score: 8.5 / 10 New Nintendo Switch Review (2021-08-27) https://chalgyr.com/2021/08/review-switch-dragonstarvarnir.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- In summary, Dragon Star Varnir is an interesting title from Compile Heart that takes a few new and refreshing steps away from their standard formula. The combat system is interesting and rather unique, and while it didn’t feel as if it used its full potential, it was definitely a fun system to plan around. The devour mechanic was also a fun gimmick, although the need for each character to devour an enemy to get their upgrade grid was a little frustrating. As a port from the PS4/PC version, there isn’t really anything extra worthwhile added, and the graphic quality has lowered slightly, but the game still runs smoothly. If you already own Varnir on another platform, there isn’t a need to purchase it again, however if you missed this title on earlier, and you’re a fan of JRPGs, I would definitely recommend looking into it, especially considering the price. Score: 8.0 / 10
Overall, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is an absolutely stellar hybrid of 2D Metroidvania exploration and souls-like combat rolled into a wonderfully artistic package. With tough but smooth combat, exploration that feels both fulfilling and challenging, a beautiful art style and soundtrack, as well as an endearing story, Ender Lilies really captures a lot of great aspects. It’s incredibly hard to pick out any real issues with Ender Lilies other than personal preference, but it is really easy to recommend to anyone looking for either a Metroidvania or Souls-like. A great package that has come together magnificently, Ender Lilies will not leave you disappointed.
Overall I can say there definitely isn’t any OBJECTION to the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. The characters are endearing, the cases are interesting and pretty well formed, the music is great, and the 2D backgrounds and 3D characters provide a wealth of visual satisfaction. While the text speed may be a little slow for some, there were no real inherent issues to the game that I could find. The Ace Attorney series may be rather niche, but it’s also one that’s easily enjoyable.
Overall, Cris Tales is a game that I can’t really recommend outright. For whatever reason it’s decently cheaper on the Switch, but with the amount of technical issues and gameplay mechanics that need refining, it would still be best to wait for a sale, or part of a package deal, before I could advise playing. I liked Cris Tales, I really did. It’s charming characters, great visuals, outstanding soundtrack, and engaging battle mechanics are all aspects I enjoyed. The poor implementations, long loading times, horrid timing windows, and occasional technical issues however really can’t be overlooked. I truly hope the developers take this as a learning opportunity to produce something more refined in the future, as I’ll be looking forward to it if the kinks can be ironed out.
Overall, I have to say that Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin of a wonderful experience. With a well done battle system, plenty of monsters to collect, tons of gear to make, and some great music to match, there's not a lot to complain about. The multiplayer is extremely well put together for a turn-based system, and there were a bunch of little aspects, like unique egg coloring and the ability to see what other coop players eggs are that show just how much attention went in to the title. While it may suffer from some reused assets and questionable AI choices, most complaints are fairly surface level in nature. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin shouldn't be treated as "just a spin-off", but has earned a right to its place amongst the powerhouses of the franchise.
Overall, Mushihimesama is a great title for both new players and veteran players alike. There's plenty of difficulty and challenge for the veterans, especially with Ultra mode, yet it's easy enough to get new players into with the combination of novice mode and infinite continues available. While the goal may be to complete the game without using a continue, you still get the full stage experience even if you can't manage it. The game is smooth, and even though the plotline is a little absent, it probably isn't what you're interested in anyway. Fans of the bullet hell genre will definitely want to add this title to their library. For newer players it's also a great introduction to the genre without putting them off too much. While the genre itself is a little niche, there's a reason Cave is a household name amongst those who enjoy bullet hells of all types, and they certainly don't disappoint here.
Overall, Mighty Goose is a pretty fun game with a lot good points to it. The combat basis is pretty well done, the skills and upgrades are a neat touch, and the weapon system was enjoyable. Unfortunately, there just isn't a whole lot there to really dig into. Mighty Goose is well too short, and coupled with some of the more aggravating issues, such as the periodic slow-mo, the easy difficulty, and how the "post game" is just the main game but a little harder, Mighty Goose probably won't keep you occupied for too long. That being said, if you enjoy Metal Slug, this is definitely going to be put on your watch list, it will probably just be one of those titles you'll pick up on sale.