There really isn't much more to say about Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth Infinite Combate. It really feels like the intent was to make the simplest thing that might appeal to fans and that is unfortunate. Everything feels rushed, simple, or dated that it's hard to find a redeeming point. Sure, combat isn't the worst but there are games out there that do most aspects of Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth Infinite Combate better or at least have more to offer.
It goes without saying the darker themes and bleak elements won't appeal to everyone, but those willing to give Death end re;Quest 2 a chance will be rewarded. Not only is it a lot of fun to play, the story immediately hooks you and there is a lot to see. Combine that with improved visuals and some nicer touches and it's a great experience that might be a bit of a niche but certainly interesting in its own way.
So much of Othercide hinges on how well you handle rogue-lite elements. Those able to plan accordingly will likely suffer fewer losses than reckless players, though there is always an element of luck that comes into play. For most this will be enough to drive the experience forward, ultimately to the boss or another cycle that will end with a final confrontation. It would be nice if the mechanics were deeper or there was more to the experience than punishing mechanics, though there really isn't. Still, fans of tactical RPGs will likely find it engaging and the unique elements make it worth, if nothing else, another go, just don't expect the most complicated experience around.
Games like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is hard to review. Some people will tell you skill makes little to no difference, something I'd probably agree with for the most part, and the unpredictable elements can be annoying, yet it still manages to be engaging.
There really isn't much you can say about Skully. It's a rolling platformer that relies on rather simple concepts to sell the experience. It's enough to make the game engaging and in a number of sections challenging, but it really doesn't do anything to stand out. Story is largely just there, dialogue is a bit on the stiff side and visuals often look underwhelming. This isn't to say there is absolutely no reason to play Skully, it actually does a number of things well, it just doesn't stand out in any particular way, ultimately making average feel shine through.
The unfortunate thing about Fairy Tail isn't that it's a rather bland and forgettable gameplay experience, it's that it feels like it was made by people who understand what an RPG is but not why players enjoy them. Cool movies and strong characters aside, you'll end up spending most of your time going down the same small maps, killing a small handful of enemies, all for resources you have in excess. This forces the story to make up the difference and super fans might find it engaging enough to pursue but anyone without fond memories of the series will likely be lost and bored.
Since there is so much to say about Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS. Maxi Boost ON, it, unfortunately, comes down to broad strokes. The lack of offline content makes it even more of a niche experience but there are so many units to play as and adapt to that you can easily get a lot of value from it. You just need that desire to master the controls and a more measured playstyle. With these things you can find a lot of success, it's just a big if.
Ultimately, Hellpoint is the worst kind of inspiration by game. Outside of visuals elements and design, it feels like someone wanted to offer their own take on something like Dark Souls, without the understanding of what makes those games fun.
Seemingly simple gameplay and delightful art aside, Cuphead manages to balance challenge and difficulty fairly well.
For the most part, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break is going to appeal to a very specific type of gamer.
As someone who loved A Rose in the Twilight and the whimsical art style found in both of these games, Void Terrarium is a hard sell. At its core, you have an okay roguelike that is bogged down by countless mechanics and things to pay attention to. Fight a monster, heal yourself, replenish your energy, clean up Toriko's poop, obtain food, drop something for a blueprint, and then rush home because she is about to starve to death. It's a lot to take in and as a result, falls short of simpler and less management heavy experiences.
Games like CrossCode are fun, not because they're super challenging or add engaging elements, as much as they're simple and effective. Fights hinge on whether or not I can dodge an attack and unleash my own. Progression comes down to how many enemies I've defeated and the resources collected. It doesn't matter how simple this stuff is, because CrossCode is just a lot of fun and will be engaging throughout. So, if you're looking for something to get you through the summer, I strongly suggest giving this game a chance.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris does little to step beyond using Sword Art Online to sell this experience. It's poorly optimized, looks, at best, okay, tutorials have little forethought, subpar gameplay, and questionable effort was put into this experience. As nice as the Alicization experience is, there is nothing in this game that motivates me to play it over simply watching the anime or reading the source material. It's unfortunate, as these games could really be engaging and have so much more to them than we've seen with this and other releases.
Like the other collection, you get 11 pretty good games in Namco Museum Archives Vol 2. Galaga, Gaplus, and Dig Dug 2 add enough value to justify the collection and the modern features make it accessible for everyone. It's a shame this release features a few of the weirder titles but fans of classic games will likely enjoy replaying or experiencing these titles.
For the most part, you're getting 11 games in Namco Museum Archives Vol 1, at least three of which are classics, fewer lesser-known ones, and at least one you've probably never played for one low price. This makes it easy to recommend, as classics like Pac-Man are likely to be a hit regardless. As long as you understand these titles aren't perfect and enjoy classic shooters, arcade-style games, and silly hack and slash titles, you'll probably get your money's worth.
Fans of Darius or bullet hell games will likely appreciate everything Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade has to offer. It's crazy, flashy, and most importantly fun. It's a shame some of the games, like Darius, are not as accessible but the inclusion of Darius Gaiden helps bridge that game. Add in multiple paths, different experiences and it's easy to get a lot of value out of Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade without even bothering with high scores or online rankings.
Darius Cozmic Collection Console offers a very different experience from the arcade version. While it is still good and includes more variety, the smaller scale can make things more difficult. It also doesn't have the same ideas, such as practice mode for every game, but it's still a solid experience. It will push you to achieve a higher level and offers enough adventures to figure it out.
While some people will probably like Disintegration, it honestly doesn't have much going for it. It's a first-person shooter where you feel like that teammate that's there, but not really doing anything and a real-time strategy that is hard to control and doesn't give you very many options. Combine these with a story that relies on a cool premise to get past generic missions and you have an underwhelming experience. Online might be enough to save this long term or anyone looking for unique experience but for most people, you're probably going to just get frustrated.
While Warborn is not technically a bad game, it's fairly unremarkable. The story is bland, combat is more tactics than anything else and there isn't the charm that made similar franchises work. I don't have a Laharl to drive the experience forward or Domon Kasshu to deliver a monologue that results in a powerful blast, it's just a very technical tactical RPG that has solid tactics and little more. For some, that is probably enough but there are better options out there.
While there are things that hold Ys: Memories of Celceta back, the main concepts are good. It won't take long to be interested in where the story is going and combat is a good mixture of mindless fun and tactical planning. It's unfortunate it feels rather floaty and weapons are weightless, along with characters moving at an unnerving speed but if you can overlook these shortcomings and the dated graphics, you'll likely have an action RPG you'll want to explore and complete.