My final opinion and score for this game really comes down to the audience. If you are a fan of Japanese pop culture, or you are an otaku yourself, you are sure to find something to love in this game.
Overall, I step away from this new port of El Shaddai with much the same opinion I had as when I played the original ten years ago. It’s an intriguing premise with absolutely stunning audiovisual presentation, but the repetitive gameplay struggled to hold my interest. The story I’m mostly neutral on – it’s just plain odd and told in a weird way, which somehow works in the full package.
The act of performing combat and moving troops around, though – the core of the game – is weirdly uneven. Moving units is awkward, and the pathing issues the units have make what should be simple skirmishes often risky and sometimes infuriating.
Overall, Infinite: Beyond the Mind is a fairly straight-forward action platformer that could have been more enjoyable, despite its wonky difficulty curve, if key parts of the platforming engine actually worked reliably. When I wasn’t struggling with jumping walls or climbing ladders, I was having a decent time playing through.
At $14.99 it’s priced about right (although it’s a bit short at three hours to complete), and the game isn’t offensive, it’s just that there’s so much better available now in virtual reality, and things in Eclipse that would have been impressive at the time are fairly standard now.
There are some glimmers of inspiration here. The stupid macho tone and the comic-style cutscenes were particular portions that I enjoyed. Having them wrapped around such boring and repetitive gameplay and environments feels like a waste.
If you’re really into artistic platformers and have run out of games to play, Gravity Ghost just might be worth a look. Otherwise, there’s plenty of more recent titles that do this blend of platforming and emotions much better.
More content could have gone a long way here, but as it is, despite its strong base gameplay, Sleep Tight isn’t really worth a recommendation.
What we have here is the video game equivalent of plain yogurt. There’s nothing really notable about it, but it’s perfectly edible and gets the job done if you’re hungry. If you’re really in the need to get your JRPG fix, there’s much worse you can play than Refrain. If you’re looking for something new and interesting, though, you’re not going to find it here.
I can say I was having a lot of fun with the game until the final two areas. I really believe that if Necrosphere went with a more traditional control scheme, the entire game would’ve been much more enjoyable. The way it is now, the control scheme just adds unnecessary difficulty to an already challenging game.
Really, I wish the writers would’ve dove into the themes of escapism more, rather than just hinting at and playing with them. After completing Ai’s and Yuriko’s story routes, it was easy to look back and see all of the unrealized potential.
For fans of the series that have been waiting to return to the world of Valkyria, I’m saddened to say that this opportunity isn’t really worth your time.
For Rick and Morty fans with cash to burn, this is still quite a fun experience. For most other gamers, though, I’d highly recommend waiting for a price cut or sale.
I would highly encourage Omega Force and Koei Tecmo to continue this tactical spinoff into its own franchise. While Godseekers is somewhat mediocre, there’s a lot of promise here that could be built upon to create something great.
If you’re a fan of the Fate franchise or the musou genre, this title is definitely worth a look. To the general gaming public, I’d say to rent it first and see if it holds up for you before purchasing.
The product we have now, though, is somewhat lacking. If you’re interested in Gurumin, I’d probably point you in the direction of last year’s Steam release.
If you’re a fan of classic games and want to see some of Sega’s past, I’d suggest maybe giving this release a look. It’s not a collection for everyone, though, and I’d recommend researching the games first before diving in.
Sound of Drop appears to be a bit too ambitious for its limitations. In the end, I would say it is worth a read if you can find it on sale and want something quick and not too deep.
It's not a game for everyone; to get the most from this game, you already have to be a pinball fan…and I don't know many pinball fans. Still, for only $9.99 at release, I'd say it's worth a shot.
I’m in a weird spot with A Highland Song. On one hand, the game didn’t provide me with the kind of experience I was expecting from the trailer. On the other, what actually is here was an interesting and engaging experience. Exploring and finding the various ways forward constantly kept my interest, even through occasionally frustrating moments. The rhythm runs, while disappointingly uncommon, provided nice breaks from the core gameplay flow and some wonderful tunes to listen to alongside. While it wasn’t what I expected, it was a journey worth going on. The Scottish Highlands are calling, and it’s a call that you may just want to answer.