Miguel Moran's Reviews
Denshattack is a multi-track train drifting delight, packed full of wild set-pieces, awesome characters, and killer music.
Echoes of Aincrad sadly fails as both a standalone RPG adventure or as a fan-pleasing experience for the Sword Art Online community. Its flaws hold it back a lot, and newcomers or seasoned fans alike would be better served playing any of the other games in the franchise instead of this one.
ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is a triumphant spy thriller that may be slow to start, but ramps up into an unforgettable espionage adventure by the time the credits roll.
Psyvariar 3 is a technical challenge, and an ultra satisfying arcade shooter experience. It's lacking in some much-needed tutorials and introductions, but once you do figure out how to Buzz and Level Up, it opens up one of the most unique and rewarding shoot-em-up games you'll ever experience.
Luna Abyss struggles with crafting consistently rewarding gameplay moments, but even the dullest of shooting sections is worth getting through in order to inch further into the wonderfully weird world and unforgettable story of this game.
Kotama and Academy Citadel hits the ground running and expects you to keep up from frame 1. It's a beautiful and well animated metroidvania that packs a punch when it comes to art and gameplay, but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to creating a cohesive beginning-and-end narrative experience.
Homura Hime is a blast, and it's the perfect love letter to the character action genre. In a world where these kinds of experiences are few and far between from big developers, it's so good to see an indie studio have a debut as strong as this.
Calamity Angels: Special Delivery brings some unique ideas and a loveable cast of weirdo characters to the table. I just wish it brought more interesting and engaging gameplay and combat along with it.
Esoteric Ebb is an achievement in video game storytelling, and one of the most endearing, hilarious and immersive roleplaying experiences I've ever had in the medium. It's absolutely a must-play, and carves out an astonishing identity for itself beyond the D&D and Disco Elysium inspirations that drive it.
Don't Stop, Girlypop! is a yassified delight and the kind of unabashedly girl-power game I love to see. I just wish that as much energy went into the polish and game design as it went into the art, vibes, and killer soundtrack.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a combo of action adventures that longtime fans of the series will have hours of fun with. The added gameplay features and altered visuals, unfortunately, contrast with the story experience in a way that doesn't feel as authentic to the original experience as I would have liked.
Code Vein II is a haunting, thrilling, and unforgettable action adventure. It's so much more than the sum of its parts or the games that have clearly inspired it. It has a personality of its own that shoots beyond the soulslike genre tag, and never compromises on that unique vision.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon isn't the most gripping narrative, in part due to how much it relies on knowledge of so many other games to fully understand. What it does do right, though, is that it's an incredibly fun and addictive JRPG experience that I couldn't get enough of.
Ultimately, Let It Die: Inferno has too many flaws to look past, especially when so many of those flaws are related to the base gameplay loop and experience. It can be fun and sometimes rewarding to dig through a janky game for a satisfying gameplay or story experience, but that isn't the case here. While the game looks and feels just like the original at a glance, it isn't a game I see myself putting nearly as much time into, or remembering nearly as fondly.
Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- is an incredible non-linear roleplaying experience, and the ultimate game to lose yourself in. The lack of direction and open-ended storytelling can be overwhelming at first, but if you dive into it and take your time with it you'll end up crafting an incredible adventure that's all yours.
You can't go wrong with the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack. It's the best way to experience an already incredible trilogy of heartwarming JRPGs.
Tales of Xillia Remastered is a wonderful showcase for why the Tales franchise has thrived for the past three decades. It's packed full of charm, strung together with incredible battles, and has me so excited for whichever entry in the series gets remastered next.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake elevates some of the most iconic and inspiring games in JRPG history into modern unforgettable adventures that are just as rich and rewarding as any other entry in the long-running Dragon Quest franchise.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a shock to the system that reminds us of a time before Souls-likes. It's a high-octane, unrelenting, and effortlessly cool action game experience that newcomers and franchise fans alike need to play.
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is the gold standard of JRPG remakes - a perfect blend of the charm and nostalgia of the original with all the right elements of a modern-day masterpiece.