Trails of Cold Steel doesn't lack for a pretty atmosphere throughout, and I enjoy the design elements quite a bit regardless of graphic quality. The music isn't anything mind-blowing, but it is still Falcom quality goodness.
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is the ultimate follow-up to the first collection, and brings us to a full 10 Mega Man games now available on the PS4. This collection boasts some truly high quality Mega Man experiences, as well as a large number of challenges for experienced players. The Mega Man games speak for themselves largely on quality, but they have been packaged here in a very attractive and improved fashion.
Accel World vs. Sword Art Online is a fairly magnificent little JRPG that surprised me with its depth of characters and customizable options within, and a world where I can fly, explore, and battle dozens of monsters along the way. I'm reminded so much of the golden PlayStation 2 era of JRPG gaming, with all the good and some of the bad that comes with that distinction. Overall, Accel World vs. Sword Art Online is a very solid JRPG title and one that any fan of the genre will enjoy.
Dark Rose Valkyrie doesn't blow the doors off the hinges, but it does serve as a much improved JRPG over what has been a largely tepid series of releases from Compile Heart and others. The story is fine, the battle system is fun and unique, and exploration is a large part of the adventure. While there are some cliches and rehashed elements throughout, Dark Rose Valkyrie represents what a top end-formulaic JRPG can be.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is a dream come true for many diehard Vvardenfell fans, and does an admirable job in presenting something new and fresh in a way that also makes sure to pay homage to the past. The game expands ESO to include a new 4x4x4 arena mode, and offers hours of new content to enjoy. Any players who are already enjoying Elder Scrolls Online should be expanding, and any fans of the original Morrowind who have held out on ESO may want to consider giving it a try now.
Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada is a fun and heavy slasher game, where you'll mow down thousands of enemies in the spirit of war and blood letting. The game captures so much of what makes the Samurai Warriors series well loved, while bringing in a few new features and environmental adaptations that allow the game to stand on its own. Several issues with balance and presentation betray an otherwise solid game.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a text based adventure that masquerades as a tactical RPG. There are hours upon hours of low-grade, simple cutscenes with countless lines of text that you'll be reading instead of playing a video game. There are elements of this title that shine through the darkness of boredom, but there are few who can stomach the ride finding them.
Drawn to Death is a bloody, messy, childish romp through adolescent notebook art, putting you into the art itself in a series of deathmatches. The art style is endearing and interesting, but it leads to some confusion in the gameplay itself. Fast-paced, unique, and creative, Drawn to Death provides a gnarly experience unlike any other, but suffers from a bit of monotony all too quickly, mimicking high school quite well.
The Disney Afternoon Collection combines several of the great NES games into a single collection, featuring Duck Tales, Chip & Dale, Darkwing Duck, and Tail Spin. All of these games have their own nostalgic charm, and are presented in this collection with style, a hugely functional and awesome rewind button, and enough good extras to make any Disney TV fan go wild.
Out of the Park Baseball 18 is just another fantastic entrant into the game's series and is perhaps the best-received new release in years. Clean, sleek, accurate, and easy to learn and navigate, OOTP 18 gives players ultimate control over their team, in any form, year, or league they choose. The inclusion of new leagues, new features, and the all-new Challenge Mode enhances a game I already consider the capstone of the genre. A must-own for any sport simulation fans.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is a collection that can provide countless hours of RPG action and mixes Square Enix’s brilliant esoteria with Disney’s magical childlike wonder into a story unlike any other. It is also a collection of games that have been around for years, and provides little new content to long time fans. Brilliant is a word to describe the content, albeit familiar, but a little refresher may be just the thing to get you fully amped for the future of the series.
Not unlike the gray pebble on the bed of gaming’s great river, Toukiden 2 does nothing to harm or hinder the flow, but does nothing special to draw anyone in either. Action RPG first and prototype ice skating hack and slash second, Toukiden 2 is as worthy of a look as it is a pass.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a triumphant release, capturing all the nostalgic wonder of 8-bit platforming within a very unique shell. Gloomy, challenging, and only occasionally unfair, Momodora is a fantastic adventure with a fun story and lots of secrets to uncover.
Atelier Firis: Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey is the first open-world Atelier game and it takes the fun battles and item creation modes from the previous titles and makes improvements and additions that make this the most impressive game in the series. Fans of the series will find this a triumph, and even those unacquainted will be impressed with this fun, strategic, and light-hearted adventure.
Toy Odyssey is marred with some old-school platforming woes that should not be featured in a 2017 release, but this Metroid-style nighttime toy adventure also provides lots of fun and plays fine enough to be worth the frustration. Lots of difficult platforming challenges and fighting await you in this dark and spooky title, if you can get past the random generation issues and unfair pitfalls.
Digimon World:Next Order is a bright, slow-paced game that intermixes a open-world RPG with monster raising to great success. Refreshingly simple and fun, the game overcomes some issues with AI to be a surprisingly addictive title. With team based battles focused on strategy and plenty of exploration, Digimon World: Next Order provides solid content worth a look.
Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is a morsel that updates a small bit of the past with a very nice Dream Drop Distance HD Remaster, details a bit of the present with the χ Back Cover cinematic, and shows a smidge of the glorious future with Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. The gaming content is high quality, but low quantity, leaving you wanting more. Great for junkies needing a Kingdom Hearts bump to get them through the long wait should get this immediately.
Let it Die is hacky, slashy, and sometimes a little spendy, but with a game like this you can’t turn away. A deliberate and intense action murder simulator rife with humor, morbidity, and tons of style, Let it Die overcomes a few flaws to be a top notch and surprisingly great title. As it is free, there is absolutely no reason not to get it on the action.
Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a remake of the PlayStation 3 exclusive, and finds a fantastic landing spot on the PlayStation Vita with all new secrets and content to explore. The game is easy to learn, fun and well paced, and provides a nice mix of JRPG exploration and battles with an item creation system that serves as the series signature. Colorful, well designed, and only slightly stilted, Atelier Shallie Plus is another great title in the Atelier line.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a highly familiar, yet fresh take on 2D platforming, and the results are a game I can easily imagine scaled down to 16-bit on a Sega Genesis. A nostalgia hound for the 90s will find a lot to love with this game, from the gameplay down to the look, feel, and story it presents. Far from perfect, but charming beyond its expectations, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is wonderfully fun.