Joe Gribble's Reviews
So, all things considered, what do I think of SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy? Quite honestly, SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is about as enjoyable as the sticky, faded, musky magazines (Possibly) under your bed. It smells off, controls a bit weird, and probably should have been thrown out a while ago; there may be some sort of value in keeping it for sentimental reason, but in the end of the day, it’s just another ‘sexy’ fighting game for fans to gush over, even if, at it’s core, it’s nothing more than a subpar offering of cobbled together content.
When returning to Resident Evil 1, some obvious flaws are apparent given the title’s age, such as the game’s tank-like controls, often awkward camera and downright cheesy dialogue… But in a bizarre way that adds to the charm of the title – The thematic tension you feel when exploring the manor… The fear you feel around every corner… The tension of solving a puzzle in the nick of time or making that narrow escape… Well, there’s nothing quite like it nowadays.
All in all, Manticore: Galaxy on Fire is a very traditional arcade-like space battle title that often tries too hard to stick to conventions rather than to push the galactic boat out – Missions feel repetitive, enemies offer little variety, and locations feel samey, however when taken in short bursts, this game is a delight – Marathoning Manticore is probably the biggest disservice you can give it, as you will most likely get bored after an hour. Manticore: Galaxy on Fire isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, rather it’s not amazingly good either – It’s almost stuck in the middle, in the endless void of ‘just better than average’, much like the ships you’ll spend hours piloting.
All things considered, I am having a lot of fun with Ni No Kuni 2 – Its world is colourful, bustling and interesting, its characters engaging and exciting, and the stories of each country hook onto you and drag you in for just a few more hours. I don’t know how the game will conclude at this point, but I dearly do hope that it doesn’t abandon the darker roots of its opening, and explore more of Evan’s struggles.
verall, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a rare instance of a Kickstarter game gone right. It absolutely delivers a worthwhile and truly engaging experience to it’s backers, and does so whilst being not just a fantastic video game, but also a fantastic educational tool as well. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a very welcome fusion of classic and modern open-world RPGs, and it plays mostly to it’s strengths; it’s the 1400’s time capsule I’ll happily spend 60+ hours immersed in. Yes, there are a number of technical issues still prevalent within the game, however I’m hoping that these will be patched quickly and fully – The tale of Henry is a heartfelt one, and the world of Bohemia certainly feels alive – More-so than many open world RPG’s recently released.
So, what’s my final verdict on Monster Hunter: World? All in all, Monster Hunter: World is a beautiful, terrifyingly primal experience that sits among the best… Whilst also being somewhat of a regression for this beloved franchise – Beginners are both wholeheartedly accepted, yet left adrift by a lack of guidance or assistance, and the smaller pool of monsters leaves a lot of room to be filled (Possibly through DLC or expansions); Monster Hunter: World throws players, new and old, into a brand new world, with brand new experiences lying in wait around every corner… It just needed that little bit more polish to make the deal even sweeter.
If I had to describe Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in a nutshell, it would be "A flawed diamond", beautiful by nature and at it's core, but extremely flawed on the offset, which makes criticizing this title all the more painful; I want the Xenoblade franchise to succeed and improve, and to swell into a beautiful, wonderful franchise, however after seeing the top-notch Xenoblade Chronicles and well-performing spin-off that was Xenoblade Chronicles X, I feel that Xenoblade Chronicles 2, as a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles and on it's own merit just gets outshone by it's precursors. I would definitely recommend this title on the Nintendo Switch – It'll certainly keep you busy, but wether you'll enjoy every last second of it is a totally different, and personal story.
Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope is a slow-burn JRPG that you play when you have a spare hour or two, and nothing else major to do – Just to sit down in the Captain’s chair and blast away to other worlds. Is it as action-packed as other JRPGs, such as Final Fantasy XV or some of the Tales games? No. But that’s not a bad thing by nature… The 4K remaster does a great job of bringing this game up to modern standards, and brings a level of options tweaking that I can only hope will become industry-standard.
Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth wants to kick your arse. It wants to beat you down. It wants to be ruthless. However that feeling when you finally nail that strategy; when you overcome a floor that was kicking you down for weeks; when you beat that FOE or that boss that stopped you dead in your tracks… …Well, there’s no better feeling, really.
When I break down Oh My Godheads! to its core components, there’s not really much to talk about. That doesn’t mean the game is bad by any merit, but rather that it’s rather… simple in nature? It fits right at home with traditional party minigames such as those featured in the Mario Party franchise, however as a standalone game there’s just not much here unless you’re totally engrossed with the gameplay – especially considering an asking price of £11 currently on Steam, and a suggested price increase upon the game’s final release, I can’t honestly say for certain that Godheads! is worth the asking price based on the content on offer in the current build of the game. I like the gameplay in Godheads!; I like the level variety and Godhead variety; I even like the soundtrack! However the slippery and somewhat limiting controls, minor bugs and current price for minimal content holds back what could be another great addition to the party game scene.
All in all, as a newcomer, Middle-earth: Shadow of War brings somewhat clunky controls, unnecessary loot boxes and an ending effectively locked behind either paying or grinding leads to a sour first impression. The game looks brilliant, sounds brilliant and really grips you with it’s updated rendition of the Nemesis System… But I can’t help but feel that there’s better out there. It’s a fun walk through Mordor, but a fun game…? Perhaps not entirely.
Overall, what’re my thoughts of Culdcept Revolt? All in all, Culdcept Revolt is a confusing blend of Monopoly, Fire Emblem, Mario Party, Hearthstone, and Yu-Gi-Oh…But that pot gets far too muddled far too quickly – The beginning tutorial is confusing, characters are often bland, with little to no motivation and reasoning behind them, and overall, the game looks and plays like a budget DS title. If you’re interested in this sort of game, and inside of this ‘extreme niche’, then you’d probably be better off just playing the less serious and more mechanically sound “100% Orange Juice”, which follows the same sort of mechanics and gameplay.
Overall, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a fine visual novel that improves greatly on the Danganronpa formula – The only things holding it back however are a somewhat fractured, filler-ladened plot and some poor characters.
All I have to say now is, well done Falcom. Well done. You've got a new Ys fan, and made a certified masterpiece. I haven't played a game that's captivated me this much since Rogue Galaxy, back in 2007, so keep it up. Not just for us, but for the betterment of the JRPG genre.
[The Crash N. Sane Trilogy is] ...the perfect sendoff to a lovingly crafted collection, which I hope introduces a whole new generation of gamers to the orange marsupial! Now…Let’s await a Spyro remaster…Or Jak and Daxter….Please…?
All in all, Dark Rose Valkyrie is a flawed game. It’s a disappointing game. It’s a game that falls prey to every single issue Idea Factory is known for…However if you like Idea Factory’s games (Unlike me), then this may very well be your new favourite IP from them…It’s certainly for a niche market, having not sold well even over in Japan shipping only 12,000 copies at retail on the first week of release back in 2016, however if you’re in that niche market, you could find more positives than I could.
All in all, The Silver Case is a long, enjoyable visual novel that is feeling the aches of time – The controls haven’t aged well, nor has some of the dialogue…But if you can fight through it, and battle against the urge to fall asleep during some of the lesser parts of the game and understand what the bloody hell is happening, you’ll possibly find yourself with a new gem courtesy of Suda51…
I want to love Shiness, I really do, however little things here and there keep pushing me back more and more; it annoys me, since this game has the sort of charm and love that I look for in games, just graphical and battle-system based issues keep it locked behind a low score. Shiness gets a 6.5 / 10. I REALLY want to give this title a 7 / 10, but for the reasons above, I feel like it needs a little more work to achieve this vision.
Persona 5 is a masterful game, which has breathed new life into the JRPG genre; it has injected a flair of style that hasn't quite been matched before, and as such, has become a new standard for JRPGs to match. Despite this though, the game is far from perfect, but is most definitely the most powerful evolution of Persona to date. Here's hoping we don't get 20 Persona 5 spinoffs and Persona 6 will be able to finally encrust this franchise in the annals of history forever.
I wanted to love this title, having a Mystery Dungeon game on my PS4, however I’ve come to the stern realisation that, maybe, Mystery Dungeon games should just stay on handhelds, for now. Tohou Gensou Wanderer gets a 6 / 10 for me. The asking price of £40 is FAR too high for something like this, but if you like Mystery Dungeon games, or the Touhou franchise, give it a shot!