Touken Ranbu Warriors is an odd sort of Musou game. It’s a completely single-player experience, for one. Its cast is small, which is surprising given there are over 200 characters in Touken Ranbu proper. While it focuses on historical battles, it chops things up to focus on parts of a whole. It’s a very niche entry in a series that itself is on the edge of the mainstream. Not to mention it is one that simplifies the situation. Perhaps even excessively!
Have you ever looked at a crossword and thought, “This makes me think, but not as much as I’d like?” Perhaps you played a few KenKen puzzles and considered it not your thing due to the use of numbers? Maybe you started getting into puzzle games with Wordle and want to move on to something new like it. Knotwords combines elements from all three into something that feels distinctly refreshing.
However with Seven Pirates H, the latest adventure, it feels lacking compared to the other entries. There is the same level of fanservice people familiar with the series would expect. (I’d say in some ways, it feels pushes the envelope more than past games.) However, there doesn’t seem to be as much content and gameplay as other installments.
There are times when Kickstarter projects will involve “bonus games” as stretch goals. For example, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s crowdfunding campaign led to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is that for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. However, while the Inti Creates bonus game is a compelling and rich title in its own right, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is “just okay” and feels like a clunky collection of fetch quests.
Coromon is a game with a lot of promise that builds on the Pokemon formula. Is it perfect? Not quite yet.
Chrono Cross has always been an exceptional and historically important game, and this is even more true with the remaster.
A Memoir Blue is quite effective at telling a story without using words. Its experiences really help establish Miriam and her mother.
It might be missing a few series staples, but Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an atmospheric delight that is often a joyful endeavor.
If you need a farming-and-fighting fix, Rune Factory 5 is an option. It just isn’t the best one out there. It’s living in the shadow of its far superior siblings. Even if patches fix all of the technical issues, it would still feel uneven.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax absolutely feels like a definitive experience, and one which PS4-owning fans of the series and Arc System Works will appreciate.
The Hundred Year Kingdom is a brief, simple, tedious, and unchallenging civilization builder in which you manage a world while a goddess compliments you.
Atelier Sophie 2 is an upgrade to the original game, but you really have to love Sophie and Plachta to get the most out of it.
The last Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster installment is here, and FFVI is feels as innovative and impressive now as it did in 1994.
Grapple Dog can be a lot of fun, and it has a fantastic look and sound to it.
While the single-player activities are lacking, KOF XV has lots of characters and offers opportunities to take part in great fights.
It usually takes a while before we see a sequel to an RPG. Yet here we are with Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden arriving four months after The Isle Dragon Roars. Which means, well, things are going to feel similar! Not in terms of the story. This is a unique tale filled with warrior maidens, monsters, and high seas exploration. But given the brief gap between the two games, it will mechanically feel like a second verse of the same song.
Variable Barricade is another Switch otome game with that sort of set up, but this time it manages to pair a confident, outspoken heroine, imperfect love interests with some interesting backstories, and an attempt to be a bit more interactive rather well.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus dares to be different and, while sometimes it can feel like a bit of work, is quite refreshing!
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon ticks all sorts of boxes. It is absolutely a puzzle game. You need to deal with falling “blocks” in a timely fashion. It also feels like an action-RPG. You need to consider your health, your equipment, and the amount of damage you’ll take. Roguelike elements come up too, due to being kicked back to camp when you die and opportunities to unlock relics for future runs.
Fortunately for fans of the genre who might look to review potential new games for their libraries, Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani is a game with exceptional characters. It’s handled well, with great interactions and lore. The result is a visual novel that’s is a blast to play.