Miguel Moran's Reviews
Dungeon Drafters is the Mystery Dungeon-Phantom Dust hybrid I never knew I needed in my life. It has all the excitement and challenge of a dungeon-diving adventure, bundled together with the one-more-pack thrill of a card-collecting game.
Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is platforming bliss. It takes the best parts of old-school collectathon games, and infuses them with a huge amount of off-the-walls charm and bright, bubbly art that's all topped off by incredible music and fluid, fun taxi-flinging action.
Mediterranea Inferno is an achievement in storytelling - not only through it's uniquely direct tackling of the effects of COVID-19 on young adults, but in how it uses the most outlandish, awe-inspiring visuals and sounds to tell that story.
Berserk Boy is a love letter to classic platformers, but in combining its inspirations together it carves out it's own path as an incredibly promising new game and, hopefully, the first entry in an unforgettable new series.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is the gold standard for mystery dungeon games. Every system, item, and mechanic come together in endlessly dynamic ways, reaching levels of emergent and exciting gameplay that I've never experienced in the world of roguelikes.
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash is a failed cash-in on an incredibly popular manga and anime franchise, that doesn't seem to understand what makes that franchise so popular to begin with.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell a game unlike any other - a metroidvania with a truly unique aesthetic that blends all my favorite things into one unforgettable package. It may be the final chapter in the Momodora story, but I can only hope there are plenty more games from Bombservice to come.
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is without a doubt the funnest fighting game of the year. An already smooth and satisfying fighter has been improved and expanded on so many levels with the new systems, mechanics, and moves this sequel adds. If you're gonna play any 2D fighting game right now, make it this one.
TEVI blends the soul of Metroidvanias with the heart of a bullet hell, and the result is unforgettable. Despite a lacklustre soundtrack and some repetitive enemy encounters, this is a rich, feature-filled adventure packed with fun characters and sweat-inducing boss fights that you owe it to yourself to play.
Laika: Aged Through Blood is a haunting metroidvania unlike any other. The blend of breakneck motorcycle combat and a harrowing story of revenge smash together to create an artistic experience few games this year can rival.
My Time at Sandrock is the perfect follow-up to My Time at Portia - building upon every solid idea from that first title, while also doing so much to give this new one a unique world and unique mechanics that set it apart from any other farm sim.
Beyond the Dawn is a hefty expansion, but a lot of that heft is stuff you'll have already seen and experienced in the original game. While it doesn't go out of the way to explore a new perspective or shake up the formula of the base game, if you're a diehard fan of Tales of Arise, this DLC is a super rewarding trip down memory lane.
CRYMACHINA has a promising story and a fresh aesthetic, but the presentation leaves so much to be desired. Convoluted and rushed world-building makes it hard to get invested, and the basic and repetitive combat encounters make it hard not to feel like the loop between gameplay and story is more of a chore than it's worth.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is an absolute gem, and one of Nihon Falcom's best games period. It's a simple, bite-sized, and endlessly rewarding action RPG that brings all the charm of a hand-held adventure to the big screen without missing a beat.
Fate/Samurai Remnant is the best game in the franchise. It's a perfect blend of Fate worldbuilding and faithfulness to the Edo-period Japanese setting. It's also an incredible next step for Omega Force, and delivers one of the most addictive and engaging action-adventure experiences I've had in ages.
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless sets a new standard for fun and flashy strategy RPGs. It's such a perfect blend of classic Disgaea feel and quirky new mechanics, and it's got some of the most memorable and entertaining characters the series has seen. This is the sequel that fans have been waiting for.
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs is full of interesting nuggets of narrative revelations for fans of the long-running Utawarerumono visual novel series, but its pacing problems and lacking quality make it much less suitable for newcomers than it should be.
Affogato manages to create a rich and flavorful blend of visual novel, tower defense, and social RPG. It may be lacking in side-activities, but what's there is special, and definitely worth digging into if you're looking for something new.
Everyone has had their edgelord phase, whether they want to admit it or not. Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer is an explosion and poop-joke filled journey through those memories, and I loved it. Zayn is crude, and weird, and narcissistic, and way too easy to relate to - he's a reflection of a dorky teenage past, brought to the surface via a fast, fierce, and unforgettable shooter experience.
There are so many expectations to live up to after delivering the first Oxenfree, but Oxenfree II charts its own course, delivering something unlike Night School Studio's previous games. It has sharper horror, more inventive storytelling, and a variety of systems to keep you engaged through hours of slow and somber small-town exploration.