Scarlet Bell's Reviews
Layers of Fear: Legacy puts forward a strong entry into the Switch's maturing horror genre. While short and limited in replay value, the quality of the experience it provides goes a long way in justifying its purchase.
Disgaea 7 marks a definitive return to form for the series after the slump of its predecessor. This is a great game for those with a taste for Disgaea, even if those new to the series likely find more value in older titles.
The latest game in the Nobunaga's Ambition series, Awakening puts a fresh coat of paint onto the Warring States Period of Japanese history and again asks you to quell the chaos and unify the nation. Though some of the changes may be as divisive as Nobunaga's own ideology at the time, this is a game well worth checking out for strategy fans and enjoyers of Japanese history.
Marvelous have worked their magic to give us another stellar remake from the high points of the series. A Wonderful Life puts forward a charming and unique tale that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anybody who never got to experience it all the way back in 2003.
Samurai Warriors 5 is a Warriors game set in my favourite period of history with lush presentation and classic gameplay. It's a great addition to the series and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Disgaea 4 Complete+ puts out a great game on modern hardware, that much is indisputably good. If you've played Disgaea 5 and want something to tide you over until DIsgaea 6 drops later in the year, this is for you. If you want to jump in and use this as your first glimpse into the series, it's a great choice too. However you choose to play, just make sure to avoid the shady corporate "DLC" guy.
Moero Crystal H is ultimately a game you know you're going to love or hate after so much as watching a trailer. In many respects, it does little to break from my expectations, but its by the books dungeon crawling paired with the staple humour and open degeneracy of Compile Heart and Idea Factory is reason enough to pick it up if you've enjoyed their games before.
I adore Aokana. From its characters, to its visuals, to its made up sport, I thoroughly love it all. It's the kind of story that will captivate you while saying and ultimately doing little. For visual novel fans on the Switch it's another triumphant port, and one that has me eager to see what PQube decide to bring us next.
For better or worse, this is the Mineral Town we know and love. Complete with quirks both good and bad, it stands as a faithful retelling to this classic ranch story. If you're looking for a peaceful game to play a bit at a time, or just want to revisit a beloved town from your childhood, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town might just be for you.
Nailing every key part of the Transport Tycoon formula, Railway Empire is a fantastically fun experience through and through. With a heap of content to explore and master, it's a game I'll be revisiting and enjoying regularly.
Sublevel Zero Redux is a fine example of a roguelike game with a brilliantly tight control scheme and striking visual style. Though not without fault, it's a game that drives you to observe and better your knowledge, to in turn understand and enjoy more of what really makes it stand out. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any fans of roguelikes and floaty spaceship goodness.
The Sojourn is a bizarre game. While not feeling like it pushes any kind of boundaries, it manages to put forward something new and interesting. Utilising simple graphics and an easy to grasp puzzling concept, it's incredibly easy to jump into, whether you're wanting to lose a few minutes or a few hours.
This is a game for Corpse Party fans and nobody else, and that's fine. Building on the world, lore, and characters of the first game, Book of Shadows presents an encyclopaedia of every question you never knew you wanted answering, and will keep you wanting more. This version offering HD graphics and a real point and click interaction, it stands as the best way to experience these tragic tales.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is an unexpected beauty held back by preconceptions and what is easy to consider an unreasonable price tag. The variety of difficulty paired with a well-polished gameplay experience goes a long way in putting forward something worthwhile and memorable. Add to this a simplicity and recognisable core as well as an inviting design, and you have something to be enjoyed by anybody fortunate enough to pick it up.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a fantastic game, this much I have no doubt. While I might not be able to compare it to the other games in Lara's modern trilogy, I can say with certainty this game does enough to stand proudly alone. Through great visuals, fun puzzles, and an unexpected degree of replayability, this is a game worth playing for any fan of the series, or anybody just looking for a great journey.
The Long Reach offers a slice of horror to the adventurous and puzzling among us, presenting a well-told and gripping story through its range of dialogue and optional interactions. Despite minor glitches and perhaps not offering much in the way of new content to the genre, it finds itself as a well-made and engaging first release for developers Painted Black Games, and I look forward to seeing their future work.
All in all, my passion for Collar X Malice is more than I could have ever anticipated. From its diverse and interesting cast, to its alluring version of Shinjuku in crisis, it captivated me from start to end - held back only by mundane extras and localisation errors. It stands in my eyes as the best visual novel since Virtue's Last Reward - and I hope in future it can see a PC release to free it from the niche shackles of the PS Vita.
While Fire Emblem Engage might miss the mark in terms of compelling storytelling, it stands as a series high for its gameplay. There's a lot to like about Engage, and it's a game I can recommend without hesitation to any fan of the series.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania presents a classic Super Monkey Ball experience to the modern masses, and I'm entirely captivated by it. Roll on, oh mighty monkeys. Roll on!
You don't need to love Way of the Samurai to love Katana Kami, it stands out on its own merits, and it does so brilliantly. Through its addicting gameplay loop to its humour, refined combos, and great range of weapons, you find yourself losing hour upon hour. It is great fun, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody wanting a bit of randomly generated dungeon crawling action.