Bullet Soul is quite the oddity. Rarely has an STG emphasised bullet cancelling so much. On one hand, this unique quality certainly helps the game stand out, but on the other hand, it makes the difficulty feel a little uneven. The player will sometimes feel like they're just waiting for something to happen, but when it does, they might panic and lose their ship. Over time, they'll grasp an understanding of which enemies to focus on and how long it takes to destroy them. Once that groove is established, they can turn their attention towards the deep and rewarding scoring system. All in all, this is a strange yet very enjoyable shooter. Give it a go sometime.
Overall, Revenant Saga is decent for what it is: a low budget RPG to help pass the time. It's not wholly unremarkable, thanks to its charming cast and solid battle system. The storyline also has a couple of interesting moments. Is that worth the ten or so hours it takes to see the main quest to its conclusion? That depends on if the player has the patience for dealing with stress free and mundane trips through towns and dungeons. All in all, this game is inoffensive, but not terribly compelling.
With games like Sakura Nova, it's obvious that Winged Cloud knows where their bread is buttered. Still, it's hard to ignore the lack of a compelling story and interesting characters. Mikage is nothing more than an everyday harem dullard, and his relationship with Arisa and Kaguya progresses far too rapidly. They go from awkward meetings in the changing room to best friends to living together in just a few short days. There's nothing to keep the player engaged, unless, of course, they're sticking around just to see the naughty pictures.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is, without a doubt, one of the finest action-platformers around. Given enough time, players might be able to come up with a couple of nit-picks, but what little there is to complain about simply pales in comparison. This is an adventure that one can't help but to play through several times over, long after they've gotten their money's worth. To sum it all up, this game is a required play.
With every passing month, the library of 2D fighters on Steam grows exponentially. It's a wonder how anyone can keep up with this veritable flood. Nevertheless, an unfortunate number of games slip through the cracks, never receiving the love and tenderness that they need. It's too soon to say whether Chaos Code - New Sign of Catastrophe - will keep players coming back, but by every metric, it deserves a lot of attention. The roster is filled with brilliant characters, both in terms of design and fighting style. The mechanics and various sub-systems are superbly executed. The learning curve is gradual, so newcomers don't feel like they're in over their head. Conversely, experts have a great many techniques to work their magic with. Altogether, this is one fighting game that shouldn't be missed.
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is not the most innovative, nor is it the most challenging action-adventure, but it has plenty of heart. More importantly, it's finely-tuned and constructed in a manner that respects the player. There aren't any cheap hits, let alone cheap deaths, and progress is never halted by a poorly designed puzzle. Almost every aspect is balanced, and there's enough incentive to see and do as much as possible. All in all, this game is a quality throwback.
The main problem with Switch - Or Die Trying is that it has clever ideas, but doesn't take advantage of them. Game mechanics, when they're not fully explored, are just gimmicks. If switching is integral, then it needs to have a presence in the entirety of the game, not just a portion. Maybe the switch could have more abilities, such as powering fans that push the hero where he needs to go. Ghosts could chase him, depending on whether he's a big I or a little i. This puzzle-platformer has a lot of untapped potential, and that's a shame.
Over the past several years, DRPG developer Experience has become one of the leaders of the genre. With titles like Stranger of Sword City Revisited it's easy to see why. The original game was already quite good, so Experience took all of the feedback to heart to craft a thoroughly enhanced version. The changes make the adventure more accessible, yet at the same time they don't push away fans of the original; in fact, there are now more options to consider and new challenges to overcome. All in all, while Escario is a pretty lousy vacation destination for working on that tan, it's still a thoroughly fantastic city to spend a lot of time in.
When it's not suffering from an identity crisis, Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is a fine adventure/mystery game. Each case is intelligently designed and some aspects are really fascinating. Drawing conclusions from deductions is satisfying, especially when the right call is made. However, far too much time is spent engaging in distractions. This game would be much more fulfilling if it stuck entirely to what makes Sherlock Holmes great. That means no pointless activities, no misguided characterisation, just a plethora of mysteries that are fun and interesting to solve.
Ghost Blade HD isn't going to astound its players with exhausting layers of depth, or challenge them in ways never thought possible. Still, it features a strong grasp of the basic necessities that make for a fun and exciting game. The constant loop of dodging bullets, destroying enemies, and collecting their precious stars is solidly executed. The level of difficulty is balanced well, and learning the intricacies of the scoring system will make each playthrough all the more enjoyable. All in all, this STG is a fine way to spend a weekend or three.
Somewhere in Trulon: The Shadow Engine lies what could be a decent little RPG. The use of cards makes for an interesting spin on tradition. The somewhat bland characters and storyline are balanced out by quaint graphics and pleasant music. However, in its current state, this game is broken. It's far too easy to soft-lock it, or even ruin a save. Progress is constantly at the mercy of increasingly slipshod scripts. Attempting to play an RPG where potentially everything can go wrong is nothing more than an exercise in frustration.
A Magical High School Girl is an amusing endeavour with a lot of creativity and charm. The dungeons won't impress, but its inhabitants are handled in a manner that is both clever and challenging. The post-game content also does a good job of forcing veterans to rely solely on their wits and spells for long stretches of time, rather than hoarding and gorging on snacks. If a coming of age story with witches and junk food sounds appealing, then don't hesitate to give this rogue-lite a look.
Though not without faults and a little too easy, Brut@l is still a fairly amusing game. It's fun exploring the dungeon while crushing its many denizens. The gear system is clever and works quite well. Anyone seeking a greater challenge should probably refrain from exploiting the special attacks and vampire curse potions. This rogue-like arguably won't go down as the classic that it's inspired by, but it isn't a bad way to pass the time.
Cayne is a fairly short adventure. However, it's also completely free, so anyone who can afford to spend the time should give it a look. The puzzles can be overly obtuse and annoying, but the game delivers in most other respects. The art direction is disturbingly good. It's memorable, perhaps a bit too memorable. One might find themselves suffering a sleepless night after witnessing everything that occurs in this game. That's a credit to the art direction. Although, one has to wonder how they came up with some of this stuff. Well… Some questions are probably better left unanswered.
It's almost shocking that Nioh turned out as well as it did. While Team Ninja is an exceptional talent, they took a pretty huge risk in crafting this game. It takes a lot effort to develop a polished 3D action game, let alone one that relies heavily on RPG elements such as levelling and equipment. Thankfully, they managed to put out a winner. Every single one of the game's multitude of sub-systems co-exists with one another in perfect harmony. There is a consistent feeling of joy thanks to the phenomenal combat and acquisition of sweet gear. Popping open a demon to see colour-coded weapons and armour pour out of its lifeless body like candy from a piñata is actually fun again.
While it struggles at times, Gravity Rush 2 is every bit as thrilling and creative as its astounding predecessor. Its players will be wowed by the gorgeous visuals, and every second spent traversing is an absolute joy. This game succeeds at keeping the player involved, not just in the spectacle, but also in the minutiae. A talent for darting through city streets without clumsily slamming into walls isn't necessary to complete the story, but it's rewarding in its own way. Kat's odyssey is one well worth undertaking.
MagicalxSpiral is a short game that still manages to be very monotonous. The level of difficulty never reaches a point that can be considered "sufficient." The presentation is decent enough, thanks in part to every character being nicely drawn and voiced. Still, that provides little incentive to see the story all the way to its conclusion. If this platformer was more polished and challenging, it might have been a weekend well spent.
Tears Revolude is a formulaic adventure that accounts for the necessities, but doesn't have any style. The cast was designed by a focus group, the plot is straight out of the early 90s, and the dialogue is amusingly simple. Again, it's actually rather charming, but perhaps this is just the easily-ignorable ramblings of an old man. However, it's impossible to defend the grating music and poor graphics. Good visuals aren't quite necessary when it comes to RPGs, but the audio side can't be ignored. On the whole, this is an adventure that probably isn't worth the effort, even though it is quite short.
Double Dragon IV is, for better or worse, a direct sequel to Double Dragon II. In terms of mechanics, it's practically a carbon copy, but it goes the extra mile by including a number of new moves and enemies. The tower mode and massive selection of unlockable characters are also really nice. However, this game is trapped in an odd limbo. It doesn't do enough to compete with more modern beat 'em ups, and it isn't as iconic as its predecessor. Its appeals to nostalgia don't quite hit the mark. Perhaps the second game gets a little too much credit; some fans probably haven't played it in decades. Comparing a newer entry to fond memories is a little unfair, but maybe more could have been done to make this one really stand out.
Alwa's Awakening is altogether a very impressive effort. It takes full advantage of its 8-bit aesthetics to create a game that wouldn't look out of place on a shelf next to Clash at Demonhead and Whomp 'Em. More importantly, this action-adventure does more than enough to stand out by relying on a foundation consisting of great controls and mechanics. Zoe's three powers strike the perfect balance. They're flexible, but they also show the right amount of restraint. The result is a tightly-designed title that is sure to pleasantly surprise even the most seasoned gamers.