I wouldn’t say Diablo IV reinvents the wheel, but I wouldn’t say it needs to. The core experience is quite fun that is just a pleasurable experience. Add in the endless amounts of content, the ability to play as multiple different classes, and upcoming changes, and it should be a safe choice for anyone looking for their looter fix. Especially if they love everything, Diablo has to offer. So if you’re on the fence, there is no better time to join than now.
It’s great to see Square Enix reach into their past and allow a new generation to experience some of its best titles. While there are some negatives to Live A Live, such as weak combat and bite-size adventures, these quirks work in portable versions favors. This version loads slightly faster, so many performance quirks are part of the software. Since this isn’t quite a complete remake, the differences are marginal at best.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a reasonably safe AAA experience. Combat can be fun, especially if you’re good at it. For those who need more help or want to slice down foes, there is also a difficulty for you. Locations might have some derivative mechanics, yet that doesn’t stop me from wanting to explore them. Add in what fans love about Star Wars, and it might not be revolutionary, but it is an experience fans of the franchise or sci-fi itself will almost certainly enjoy.
At its core, Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord feels like a different take on the Neptunia formula. For this reason, fans of the franchise will absolutely enjoy this adventure. For everyone else, it’s a good strategy RPG with amusing dialogue. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s still a lot of fun. Especially if you take the time to do all the optional content.
Triangle Strategy does what it sets out to do quite well. It’s engaging, the story is interesting if you’re invested in it and there is the ability to explore or ignore it if you want to. Unfortunately, the slower aspects won’t appeal to everyone, some might even be overwhelmed by the options, though it’s a solid strategy RPG that will give you plenty to do at home or on the go.
What makes Elden Ring work is a deep understanding of both what players like about the games and what makes the setting different. It should immediately feel different, yet the same, making for a wonderful experience. Some might be put off by the more accessible nature, at least initially, though it does a good job of offering this without taking away from what makes the experience special. You’ll still struggle, die, make another mistake, die, get to the boss and then die again. Just instead of putting people off, it encourages using the awareness to your advantage. For these reasons, along with the wonderful cutscenes that touch on a fascinating narrative and delightful scenery, it’s easy to recommend Elden Ring.
Shin Megami Tensei V is the Shin Megami Tensei game fans have been waiting for. Not only it does improve the core gameplay, but it also offers a dark-gritty storyline that exceeds previous efforts. There is so much to do in Shin Megami Tensei V that could make you easily forget how long you’ve been playing. If you have been a fan of the SMT games, Shin Megami Tensei V is a must-buy, and for JRPG gamers, it is a game you don’t want to miss.
Unfortunately, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water wasn’t perfect when it released on Nintendo Wii U, nor is does the remaster fix everything. While the flaws hold it back, the game succeeds by providing the horrific and eerie atmosphere that the franchise is known for. There is a lot that fans will appreciate, it’s newcomers who might not care for the dated approach. However, whether you’re a fan or newcomer, if you give Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water a fair chance, you’ll likely not be disappointed.
New World could be presented as a gateway to MMOs (“My First MMO,” if you will). The simplistic combat may entice those who have been overwhelmed by the busy hotbars of games like Final Fantasy XIV. The many allusions to survival games also provide an easy way to integrate those new to the genre. But I don’t believe everything on offer here is going to pull anyone away from the titan MMOs still holding their thrones. New World is at its best when you wander into the dense forests and toil away endlessly with the (arguably therapeutic) gathering portion of the game. Those pork chops and apple sauce meals won’t cook themselves, after all.
Speaking for myself, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes starts very strong, takes an instant nose dive, and then meanders to one of the conclusions. Linear paths, obvious secrets, blatant choices, and more take so much out of the experience. Sure, players are still rewarded with so many tiny details, it just isn’t interesting enough to warrant the ride. It’s hard to go from a man in a golden mask taking the life of a woman before his people are brutally killed by monstrous beasts to getting orders about how this insurrection is going to play out and then three hours in a hole looking for more interesting things to do. It’s a shame too since the interesting things are there, it would probably just work better as a movie than a game.
Simply put, BPM: Bullets Per Minute does a good job of being more than the sum of its parts, though not enough where it transcends things. It's absolutely a game that will either hook you or break your controller before giving up. I'd suggest trying it out or possibly study a video, as it's fun but also an investment.
Alan Wake Remastered does a good job standing the test of time. While combat has aged a little bit, Remedy Entertainment’s exemplary storytelling will keep you interested. For these reasons and more it’s easy to suggest Alan Wake Remastered to fans and newcomers alike. Especially with Remedy Entertainment looking to expand this world and it’s important to know how things began.
Overall, Mary Skelter Finale is in a rough place. It's far from accessible to newcomers, the opening can be fairly intimidating and there is a lot of stuff thrown at you at once. This makes it hard to recommend to newcomers and have the potential to fail with returning fans. Those who enjoy dungeon crawlers and put in the time are greeted with a rather interesting experience that concludes the series nicely.
For the money, Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1: Phantom Brave / Soul Nomad is a great deal. Phantom Brave is one of their best tactical RPGs and Soul Nomad has enough to justify the experience. It's a shame the latter is a port over a remake but the gameplay itself is still decent by today's standards and including Phantom Brave makes it easier to overlook.
Greak: Memories of Azur is a great example of nice art and ideas failing due to implementation. I don't know if there is a great way to accomplish exactly what Greak: Memories of Azur was going for but this is absolutely not it. The extra characters add nothing to the core experience could be improved so many ways that it's easy to focus on what it did wrong over the positives. It makes for a rough suggestion and one many will just find lacking.
The hard thing about Trigger Witch is that it proves you can be worse than the sum of its parts. Instead of creating an experience that feels like a lot of thought and effort went into it, like Enter the Gungeon, it feels like someone had a neat idea and they just wanted to build that as far as they could go. This isn't to say you can't have fun with Trigger Witch or even that it's bad, there are just better efforts out there.
Overall, Blightbound has a good base, it just needs to expand on it more and a faster way to get there. Playing as a class you don't like until the version you do appears sucks and then leveling it can be a bit long. Certain enemies could also further the need to master each classes unique offering, so it isn't three damage dealers with one of them being responsible for healing. Given the roadmap suggests good things are coming, along with the progress we've seen thus far, but in its current state it needs a little more time to bake.
Add this in with an opening that is brutal, even more mechanics that get thrown away or ignored long term (why have the tent that heals your party cost 10,000 marbles, what Cris Tales uses for currency, when by the time you can afford it, you'd have no use for it?), spending most of your time talking to people in towns that are obvious padding and so much more. It's a shame Cris Tales simply can't live up to the charm of its art but there is no consistency on what it wants to be. Even the bosses go from a joke to making me feel like I am woefully under-leveled, back to Neptunia level in the span of 20 minutes and one level. For some the art might be enough, but if you want a good RPG, this isn't it.
In reality, Neptunia ReVerse does what it ultimately needs to accomplish. The things that matter look nice, new modes give most players something to look forward to and it’s an experience a lot of players likely never got to see.
Overall, there really isn't much to say about the improved version of Judgment. It has some of the same shortcomings, such as a rather slow story, with performance being substantially better. I would say anyone holding off for those reasons should strongly consider the upgraded version, with current owners gaining very little. Yes, the experience is more refined, the world looks so much more real and models were improved substantially, it just isn't different enough to warrant double-dipping.