Russell Archey


171 games reviewed
82.6 average score
85 median score
80.1% of games recommended
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9.5 / 10.0 - DG2: Defense Grid 2
Oct 9, 2014

Defense Grid 2 is a very solid tower defense game.  While there are only twenty one missions, there are multiple ways to play each one as well as multiple difficulties to keep things fresh.  If you're into the genre, this one is worth picking up.  Even if you've never played a tower defense game before or are looking to get into the genre, this is a good one to start out on.

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May 18, 2015

Crypt of the Necrodancer is an awesome rhythm game you don't want to pass up if you're into the genre.  It solidly blends dungeon crawling with moving in time to the rhythm and the soundtrack is great.  Putting in your own soundtrack is a huge plus for me as well as I have a lot of classic NES music I can use to match the retro-style look of the game.  If you like rhythm games, definitely pick this one up.

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Jun 16, 2014

Whether you want to just jump right into a game or season, or want to create a league from scratch, Out of the Park '15 has the ability to do it and once again raises the bar for baseball management simulators.  While the 3D effects to need some work, there's no doubt that this is an awesome simulator for those who want to customize any and every aspect of the game.

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May 5, 2015

Out of the Park '16 proves once again why it's the go-to series for baseball management simulators.  With the new license to use real MLB players and the other additions and improvements, there's not much you can't do in this year's edition.  If you're looking for a great baseball management simulator, you'll be hard pressed to find something better.

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Apr 14, 2016

Out of the Park 17 continues to add improvements to each new version and while some of the changes this year may seem small, they’re still quite noticeable, especially the player markers showing the action during a game and the ability to have any two teams in history square off against one another.  As it’s done in the past, Out of the Park 17 shows why it’s the go-to simulation series for someone wanting to manage a baseball team, historical or present day.

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May 28, 2014

Vertical Drop Heroes is a really solid game. While there are a couple of things I could (and did) nitpick, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. If you're looking for a fun and slightly different type of RPG that you can easily play in spurts, definitely give this one a go.

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Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is an enjoyable game despite a few changes to the gameplay.  While some strategic elements were eliminated, the game still maintains a lot of what made the series enjoyable in the past, plus throws in some new elements such as the third-person dungeon exploring.  If you don't mind the strategy being dumbed down a bit, Fire Emblem Echoes is still a great game worth checking out for fans and first-timers alike.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Pinball FX3
Dec 29, 2017

Pinball FX3 delivers a great pinball experience much like its predecessors.  The touch screen controls with the Switch's vertical orientation option work surprisingly well and are really responsive, though I personally prefer using the Joy-Cons for a more machine-like feel.  As a free download and three free tables (one with the game and two as free DLC),as well as cross-play with PC and Xbox One players, you can't really go wrong with this one.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Okami HD
Aug 17, 2018

Okami HD is a beautiful and enjoyable game and I'm glad I finally got the chance to play through it.  You now have three ways to use the Celestial Brush and each way has certain instances where it might work better than the other two.  Between the great cel-shaded graphics and relaxing music and atmosphere, Okami HD is an amazing game that fans and newcomers to the game should check out.

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If you’re into hack-and-slash RPGs and don’t mind having to play through the game three times to experience the full story, give this game a shot.

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Just like Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D is an excellent remake of the N64 original.  While some things have changed, the core gameplay experience hasn't and it remains just as fun today as it did when I first played it over a decade ago.  The three-day cycle is definitely a change of pace from past Legend of Zelda games and works very well.  If you're a fan of the series, this is one you definitely don't want to overlook.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Elderand
Feb 16, 2023

If you're into Metroidvanias, Elderand is a fantastic entry for the genre.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Slay the Princess
Nov 7, 2023

Slay the Princess is my first visual novel in my roughly thirty-five years as a gamer and I enjoyed every minute of it.  With so many dialogue options to choose from, no two runs of the story are the same, and even when you get to the story's finale there are still a few different ways it can ultimately end.  The voice acting and soundtrack ties everything together beautifully and for someone who never got into visual novels, I can't recommend this one enough.  If you're looking for a psychological horror story with quite a bit of comedic dialogue thrown in, then definitely prepare to Slay the Princess…that kind of came out weird.

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9 / 10.0 - Axiom Verge
Sep 1, 2016

Axiom Verge is a great game with plenty of exploration, and the additions to the Wii U version were nicely handled.  Fans of the Metroid series will likely want to check it out.  Be cautious however, as there's a lot of back tracking to previous areas that felt like it could have been handled better.  If you can get past that, you have a great Metroid-style game that feels like it belongs on an 8-bit or 16-bit system.

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9 / 10.0 - Axiom Verge
Nov 10, 2017

If you don't mind some major backtracking at times going from one end of Sudra to the other, you'll find a great Metroid-inspired game with an interesting storyline, a multitude of weapons to choose from to fit your playstyle, and just an overall fun experience.

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Oct 12, 2014

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel isn't without its issues, but it's still a fun game.  Mostly everything about Borderlands 2 is present in The Pre-Sequel with a few changes, some good and some bad.  Overall though, with the excellent gameplay, somewhat higher difficulty and challenge, and the excellent dialogue and narrative by characters both old and new, fans of Borderlands 2 will likely get the same amount of enjoyment out of The Pre-Sequel.

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9 / 10.0 - Runbow
Sep 10, 2015

Runbow has a fairly unique concept in its playstyle that I don't believe I've seen in any other game before.  While the single player modes provide quite a bit of challenge on their own, I feel the multiplayer modes are where this game shines.  While AI opponents would have been nice so anyone could experience those modes, this is an excellent game for quick play on your own or for when you have lots of friends over.

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9 / 10.0 - FAST Racing Neo
Jan 4, 2016

Fans who enjoyed the F-Zero series won't want to pass up FAST Racing Neo.  While a bit more difficult than the classic Nintendo series, most of the core gameplay is very similar while adding a couple of new mechanics.  While the multiplayer is a bit lackluster in customization, there's a lot of single player racing to challenge players for quite a while.  Fans of fast-paced racers won't want to miss this one.

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Nov 20, 2014

Having never played a Persona RPG, I enjoyed Persona Q: Shadow of the Layrinth.  The fact that it resembles the Etrian Odyssey series in terms of gameplay is a plus and as a person new to the Persona series, I feel that this is another solid RPG from Atlus.

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Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are pretty solid entries into the series.  Players who missed going through the Hoenn Region the first time through but enjoyed Pokemon X and Y will likely enjoy this outing as X and Ys' mechanics carry over.  While I wish a few things were done differently and the difficulty increased a little bit, these are still two very enjoyable outings.

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