In sum, we have a creative, solid and flawed game. The kind of game that makes a service like Xbox Game Pass sing.
Musou games work because there’s nothing else like them, and the steps forward here have more to do with structure and presentation than gameplay. And that totally works.
Scarlet Nexus, with its rambunctious and dynamic combat, crazy (but well told) story and awesome art design, is an easy standout in 2021.
I’ve come away from Disgaea 6 more confused than disappointed, honestly. It’s still absolutely a game of its series in every way. The meat and potatoes are present and accounted for. But some of the seasoning tastes a little weird.
Overall, I think the appeal here is how explorative Legend of Mana is. You stumble upon nearly everything the game needs to progress. By exploring, trying new things, talking to people, flagging various events and stories is how to make this game tick. It requires a certain mindset, but if that’s your wheelhouse then you’ll have a great time exploring this world one Artifact at a time.
The discomfort of tragedy and survivor’s guilt, combined with the burden of faith and responsibility, make this a unique, memorable experience.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World does exactly what it sets out to do. It recreates the original game in high definition, 3D style. But if you stack it up next to the other contemporary Wonder Boy titles, the inadequacies stack up quickly.
Considering how big of a deal Ninja Gaiden was in the past, it’s a shame the Master Collection isn’t something more celebratory.
Neptunia ReVerse wears that 10th anniversary badge as a part of its feature list, rather than a decoration. You’ll get the most out of this game as a returning player who can remember what it was like to move from the PS3 original to the Vita/PC update.
I had a great time with Mighty Goose! Apparently there’s still plenty of humor left in the “geese doing crimes” genre.
This is a game that I can’t believe exists frankly, especially when you can go into the options and change the soundtrack to the original Disk System and Famicom versions. The Nintendo Switch has truly become enough of a broad success to allow room for experiments like this, even from Nintendo itself. And that rules.
Leveraging the series’ street cred and dropping a competition-ready fighter that’s small scale enough to appeal to fans and pros feels very smart.
It’s a bit rough around the edges, especially on the Switch. But Death end re;Quest is easily one of the most creative games in Idea Factory’s stable, and if you missed it before there’s plenty of value in checking it out now.
This game has been on my “GOAT” list for almost two decades, and revisiting it in 2021 hasn’t changed a thing.
If anything, R-Type Final 2 was great motivation to really go back and dive into the series’ history and get a deeper understanding of where this game came from. A lot of shooters are just that, but R-Type always felt more fueled by ideas. And considering Final 2’s theme of going back to learn from the past, it feels appropriate.
SaGa Frontier Remastered gives the game another chance in a totally different gaming climate, one that is much more receptive to games off the beaten path. And with its additional content and some light QoL features, this is easily the definitive way to play SaGa Frontier.
Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth really made my weekend. Not only did I have a blast with a fun-sized Metroidvania adventure, I also discovered a series with a fascinating history.
NEOGEO Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1’s timing has weird optics, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a quality compilation of underappreciated classics. The historical features are great, so is the emulation. And it helps that this is a pretty powerful set of games by themselves. The physical release is icing on the cake, and I hope this means the brand has been successful enough to keep things rolling.
I’m stoked to have more easy access to games like this, especially since we never got the original game Saviors of Sapphire Wings is based on. Experience has only been around since 2008 or so, and with this release we’ve plugged a hole of sorts in its library. Unfortunately the other hole is four games deep at this point, but progress is good!
Bravely Default II is disappointing. I’m the kind of person who goes berserk over a Job System, and there’s very little that’ll get in my way. But when the thing getting in the way is “everything else,” it’s a different story. Every time I made myself play further I just thought about the 3DS titles, and how much more compelling they are.