Joe Morgan's Reviews
The story of Gollum actually has some interesting lore but bad encounter design, terribly executed stealth and platforming, and a host of bugs make the experience an exercise in frustration.
With a wide array of customization options and modes, AO International Tennis had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, buggy gameplay mechanics drag down what could've been a fantastic sports game.
Extinction is a fun game premise plagued with camera problems, occasional bugs, and aimless mission design. Taking down a 40-foot tall Ravenii can be satisfying, but there isn't much to hang your hat on after that. This would've been much more palatable as a budget title.
ELEX has some good ideas that will appeal to fans of Sci Fi and Fantasy. Unfortunately, the game is plagued with issues that hold it back from reaching its potential. There's fun to be had here, but the hurdles to get there are severe.
Valkyria Revolution should have been a single-season anime. Instead, we've gotten a game that's frustrating on the surface, boring in practice, and infuriating to reflect on. Save both your time and money.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a JRPG with a grandiose tale and fun combat that's heavily weighed down by poor pacing, technical issues, and design flaws.
Infinity Strash brings the story and visual flare of the beloved Dragon Quest manga to life with one of the most mediocre repetitive action RPGs in years.
Survive! Mr. Cube is a cute, simple rogue-lite that's safe for the whole family. The variety of weaponry and enemies keeps things interesting. Unfortunately, you can finish every task the game has to offer in only a couple of hours and there isn't much to do long-term.
If you're looking for a great story, Murdered will keep you going but there's very little here to warrant a full-priced purchase.
DOGOS is a decent SHMUP that does some interesting things, but the uninteresting story, poor voice acting, array of technical issues, and frustrating design choices drag down what could have been a stellar experience.
Achilles: Legends Untold brings a character many of us have written off back for an intriguing adventure, despite overselling their combat system.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a fun, cute action platformer bogged down by unnecessary repetition and tedious farming mechanics.
Hellpoint is a mediocre game with an uninteresting world overshadowed by a slew of superior entries in the genre.
Trials of Mana doesn't deliver an epic, groundbreaking narrative in 2020, but folks looking for a fun, vibrant action-RPG will enjoy their time here.
Caravan Story is a cute, free-to-play distraction that lets you do quite a bit without having to get emotionally or monetarily invested, but comes burdened by all the standard free-to-play trappings.
The Church in the Darkness is an okay stealth roguelike that shows humanity can twist religion into a dark monster.
SolSeraph takes intriguing lore and combines it with tower defense and platformer mechanics to make a game that would be engaging if it weren't so repetitive.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose is an RPG with a fun combat system, fantastic J-POP soundtrack, and wonderful audio design. Unfortunately, the story feels rote, the characters are cliche, and the Causality Link system is largely superficial. Kudos are given for allowing you to take on the role of a villain and sympathize with the antagonists.
Anthem is like playing in a mud puddle. It's a mess, but it's fun. It features fun third-person shooter combat with likable characters. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience is marred by technical bugs, bad design decisions, and poor pacing. You'll have a good time when all the gears are turning, but the downtime may cause death by a thousand papercuts.
God Wars: The Complete Legend is an enjoyable strategy RPG with a lot of customization options to keep hungry fans chewing. The lore is intriguing and the voice work is great. Unfortunately, it has a few issues that hold it back from greatness. For SRPG fans, there's a lot of meat on the bone. If you're new to the genre, though, you may want to sit a while on this one.