The Baten Kaitos Collection is a duology remaster that's full of contrasts, demonstrating perfectly the highs and lows that come with bringing decades old games to new consoles. The two games are great little JRPGs from yesteryear, however given the weird nature of the first and the generic nature of the second, it's difficult to recommend to any but those wanting the nostalgia trip or die-hard fans of the genre.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a decent anime fighter and a clear step up from its predecessor, but it isn't without its problems, some of which persist from the last game. I'm also not entirely sure of the longevity of the game, especially with how extortionate the Season 1 Pass is and the low install base this soon after launch, but fans of anime fighting games and the Granblue universe should be pleased with the overall package here.
The work that has gone into bringing Another Code: Two Memories and its sequel to Switch is impressive, giving us a pair of enthralling adventures to follow. The DAS is an excellent little gadget, and the characters and overall story are excellently written and charming, but the short length of this collection and lack of activities outside the investigating result in a somewhat one-note affair. Another Code: Recollection is a decent little package, but you might be left wanting if you have played the original releases.
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a good game, but It will not be for everyone and those with decent gaming experience won't find a challenge here... but that isn't the point. This foray with Peach into acting scratches that itch of a game that is just a fun little time within minimal stress or worry – something we all need right now. Peach's adventure isn't anything groundbreaking, but the commitment to its theming and spades of the classic Nintendo charm make it worth sticking with until the curtain call.
In trying to be so many things at once, Songbird Symphony never truly succeeds at any of them. This is far from a deal breaker, however, as the game is an enjoyable and unique combination of elements. This mix is then paired with the adorable protagonist, funny writing with a lot of childish puns, and a bouncy soundtrack to create possibly the most wholesome game this year.
With an insane (but great) storyline, borderline inappropriate dialogue and the fascination with crying aside of course, CRYSTAR is a decent little game. The combat and other things tend to be repetitive, but there's enough different things in here to keep the experience fresh. And after all, even with all of the gameplay flaws, you can still PET THE DAMN DOG.
A visually beautiful and hilariously well-written experience let down by an overbearing and clunky fundamental gameplay system. Unfortunately, Paper Mario: The Origami King falls flat in its attempts to bring one too many things into the fold.
Will you be picking up Blade Strangers, or do you have it already? What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, and keep an eye on Rice Digital for more coverage of both fighting games and other Japanese titles.
Do you think you will pick up this exploration platformer, or do you think they're games out of time? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter, and check back for more coverage of games like this and other Japanese games.
Dark Souls: Remastered is out for Nintendo Switch on October 19th, and is already available on Playstation 4, XBox One and PC. Do you think you will pick up this version of the game? Will this be your first foray into the Souls franchise? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter, and check back for more coverage of From Software titles and other Japanese games.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘N' Fun is out now for Nintendo Switch (with an alternate version out for Playstation 4). Do you think you will pick this game up? Do you consider yourself a master of the Taiko drum? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter, and check back for more coverage of games like this and other Japanese titles.
Ultimately SWORD ART ONLINE: Alicization Lycoris takes too long to get to the point both in its combat and story, leaving the player disinterested before it even really begins. There is a good game here if you do commit to it, with some great character and world design, enjoyable combat, and interesting game systems, but it's just not worth the slog to reach it.
There's a lot of depth to the combat and managing your party in Tears of Avia, whilst still remaining user friendly. However, while the effort put into the game's design can't be denied, it has a large amount of problems and rough edges. If you can get past the initial lacklustre visuals and pacing issues, Tears of Avia is a solid turn-based strategy world to explore.
Balan Wonderworld is a passable platformer marred by a string of increasingly baffling design decisions. It has charm by the bucketload and off-the-wall concepts that land well in spite of themselves, but the experience is inconsistent at best and frustrating at worst. There is a good game in here somewhere, and it is great fun at points, but waiting for those points isn't really worth it.
A formerly excellent game brought down significantly by a poor remaster with barely any upgrades to sell it to a new audience, at a price that's a little too high for what the game is. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance still has a great, classic DnD story and setting, with an excellent musical score, but the experience is marred by technical issues that range from disappearing sound effects and frame rate drops to frequent crashes.
What could have been the best strength of Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is its greatest weakness. With the amount of things to do, types of gameplay available, and sheer number of heroes to recruit, the game feels unfocused and inconsistent. Some of what it does, it does very well, but it doesn't quite overcome the negatives. Those who truly love classic JRPGs like myself will find plenty to feast on, but those who don't should go Nowa near it.
A romp through a cursed forest playing as a cute little critter. It's not doing anything groundbreaking or new by any means, but what's here is worthwhile for a palette cleanser between other platformers.
Freedom Planet is out now on Nintendo Switch. Thank you to Marvelous Games for kindly supplying this review code.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is out now for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. Why not pick up a copy? EU/US
So, should you buy Koihime Enbu RyoRaiRai? For such a low price, this is a surprisingly solid fighting game with a lot of depth to the gameplay mechanics.