Even though I usually enjoy any SaGa game that I play, Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered left me more annoyed than fulfilled. With that in mind, it does have redeeming qualities thanks to its great cast of characters and nifty party growth mechanics.
CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION is one of the best remasters out there thanks to its complete presentational overhaul and when you have such a great base game to work with, you're left with an action RPG that even rivals modern examples of the genre.
Alphadia Neo is a decent retro-inspired RPG with its main issue being just how profoundly unchallenging it is. With that being said, its many systems actually have a lot of promise so I hope that they're used in a future game with a bit more meat on its bones.
Chained Echoes isn't a perfect old-school RPG but it sure as heck is top-tier. I imagine that if it released on PS1 back in the mid-'90s, it would have either been a huge hit or gradually garnered a massive cult following and how many games can you say that about?
I'm very happy with how cute and accessible SMURFS KART is because it allows anyone to enjoy racing in adorable little karts as their favourite miniature blue chum. It may be a bit short on content but it's certainly not short on fun.
If you enjoy old-school arcade games as much as I do then you owe it to yourself to play the wonderful Donut Dodo. With accessible gameplay and challenging scoring mechanics as well as a genuine retro aesthetic and great music; there's a lot to munch on here.
Playing The Callisto Protocol made me feel like I'm wasting my time and I rarely feel that way when I play video games. With simple and repetitive combat and a world that's completely void of tension yet still filled with absurd amounts of violence, it can go suck an egg.
Sword of the Vagrant is a boring hack and slash RPG that has a lot of promise but will definitely begin to test your patience only a couple of hours into its campaign. It might be fun for some mindless action or to admire 2D boobies but that's about it. 👙
I'm thoroughly impressed with Wavetale as it completely surpassed my expectations by being one of the most beautifully captivating indies that I've ever played. Even though it's a tad short, I can definitely see myself playing through it again and again.
River City Girls 2 does everything that I wanted it to and a little bit more. Needless to say, if you enjoyed the original then you'll love this as well so those looking for more silly beat 'em up fun will have a blast with Misako and Kyoko in their latest wacky adventure.
Togges is a game that'll stay with me for a long time due to its uniqueness and cuteness; kind of like Wattam or Ribbit King and it's just as weird, too, but in the best sense of the word. If you like distinct gaming experiences as well then I whole-fartedly recommend it.
I thoroughly enjoyed SAMURAI MAIDEN's combat with its wealth of skills and charming cast of lovely ladies. However, it does have its issues, especially if you want to take photos of the characters' panties because you'll end up incredibly disappointed. 📸
As a fan of the original Joe and Mac, I must say that NEW Joe & Mac - Caveman Ninja is a huge disappointment as it features frustrating difficulty, floaty gameplay, and it's even missing some core elements that made the classic arcade game stand out as special.
Your enjoyment of Astronite will almost entirely rely on your patience for retreading the same paths again and again while taking unfair damage from hazards that blend in with the scenery and enemies that shoot much further than you can. Good grief!
As a long-time fan of the series, I'm delighted that FRONT MISSION 1st: Remake is available for Switch as it's great fun and looks superb to boot. With that being said, it's definitely not for everyone and I can easily see modern gamers being perplexed by this SRPG classic.
RWBY: Arrowfell is a solid stage-based Metroidvania-lite that offers enough 2D fun to please most fans of the genre. With that in mind, a lot could be done to make it a more fulfilling experience when it comes to its stiff gameplay and underwhelming bosses.
Playing Ship of Fools will have you intimidated at first and shortly after the fun starts to sink in, you'll realise just how repetitive it all is. There are still good times to be had, though, so you may only want to take short excursions on this ship.
I had a very good time with Trifox and its large variety of weapons and abilities to work with. It can be rough around the edges at times but there's still no denying that there's something special here that more games could take inspiration from.
The Knight Witch is a beautiful game that holds a lot of promise with its blend of twin-stick shooting and Metroidvania exploration. I just wish that its gameplay was finer-tuned to not be as clunky and disconnected as it currently is.
If you love grid-based SRPGs as much as I do then you owe it to yourself to play Tactics Ogre: Reborn. It may have laid much of the genre's foundation but it's impressive just how well it has held up over the years. It's still rather beautiful, too.