Khurram Imtiaz's Reviews
Atelier Lulua is a significant entry in the Arland series with many noticeable improvements made for the gameplay. The story just acts as a stepping stone to send the player on an adventure with a charming lead and memorable cast.
Hob: The Definitive Edition is not going to blow you away with its design but it is a solid adventure game nonetheless. The Nintendo Switch version does end up making it the definitive edition due to some quality-of-life changes and minor improvements putting it on equal foot next to the console and PC version.
RAGE 2 offers an incredibly stylish and pleasing combat system with a variety of weapons and skills, but the open world traversal and a disappointing story make it a less than stellar experience.
Purely as a spin-off to Far Cry 5, New Dawn does manage to offer a solid continuation of the story and already established gameplay mechanics. If we take it as a completely new game, it doesn't manage to leave that great of an impression.
Onimusha: Warlords is a fantastic game that will always be fondly remembered as a true classic. This remaster is, unfortunately, rather barebones and a big missed opportunity to bring back the franchise into the limelight.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise sounds like a great concept on paper, but it has a clumsy execution. The slow pace in the start is a major hurdle but the game vastly improves in every aspect afterward. The combat is exciting with brutal finishers, and the side content is fun, even if most of it suffers from repetition. It is a solid game to recommend to Yakuza fans although it is best to play it with low expectations.
Pac-man Championship Edition 2 Plus is an amazing arcade game with addictive gameplay and a catchy soundtrack that will keep you engaged for a long time.
A great classic JRPG that has found new home on the current generation consoles. It is a nice little gem but with some short flaws that haven't aged well with time.
Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package attempts to tackle some of the issues faced by the original release, but by and large, it is ultimately the same experience that is still enjoyable, but doesn't come closer to the height of the series.
The fun combat system is somewhat held back by terrible characters and the story is not exactly memorable enough to make you care for them, but as a whole experience, it is enjoyable to some extent.
There is not a lot of new features to be excited about in Sine Mora EX but it does provide a solid side-scrolling shooter. The addition of co-op versus modes are a nice bonus to have and make it easier to recommend the Switch version.
It is rare to see co-op games these days especially one which also fully integrates puzzle aspects into the mix, thankfully Death Squared is aiming to be one of these, and it feels fresh and innovative in the current gaming landscape.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is a faithful representation of the source material that unfortunately has flaws in gameplay that can be infuriating at times. This is an unfortunate consequence of trying to follow the aesthetics of an MMO world.
Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky feels like the spiritual successor to Valkyria Profile series, but without the added depth and complexity of the story and characters. Those who were hoping for a good action RPG can still have an enjoyable experience.
Dead Rising Triple Pack offers the long time fans an opportunity to get back in the series. While there is not much of upgrade in term of visuals, the frame rate is dramatically improved, which results in a smoother experience overall.
Bulb Boy manages to surprise and even terrify with its gorgeous visual style that presents a world full of horror and terrible creatures.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War presents us the grim side of World War 1 which is now thankfully a thing of the past. It looks pleasant and this Nintendo Switch port seems to have fared better than Child of Light despite running on the same game engine, so if you are seeking a brief interactive story, this gets a solid recommendation.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is now available for the PS4 and PS Vita. It was developed by Gust Co. and published by Koei Tecmo. This review covers the PS4 version of the game.
In conclusion, Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is a neat little entry in the JRPG market, which – while not exactly revolutionary – manages to distance itself from other turn-based RPGs through the introduction of new gameplay mechanics like Star Children and Classmating. These mechanics might not necessarily be new but they are built on the preexisting concepts in a JRPG and are surprising fun for the most part.
Nights of Azure is available now on the PS4. It was developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo. The review covers the PS4 version of the game.