John Friscia
- Illusion of Gaia
- Chrono Trigger
- Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
John Friscia's Reviews
Like its brethren before it, Shovel Knight: King of Cards features some of the best platforming game design ever seen in a video game.
Shin Megami Tensei V on Nintendo Switch retains all the strategic combat elements the Atlus franchise is known for, all while radically revolutionizing its world design to create an adventure that is completely addicting and flawlessly complements the battle system. It's a truly remarkable achievement. In fact, while some people think SMT should borrow more from its spinoff Persona franchise, Shin Megami Tensei V makes me wonder if maybe Persona could learn a thing or two from its older brother.
You don’t need to love Kirby to love Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Anyone who enjoys a quality platformer or just family-friendly co-op will find a tremendous amount of entertainment in this game. The vast number of upgradeable abilities and the delightful imagination of Mouthful Mode present constant gameplay variety, and the visuals and sound work in tandem to deliver one of the more memorable experiences Nintendo Switch has ever seen. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an easy recommendation for almost any Switch owner.
Anyone who has never played Mega Man X should absolutely buy this collection and change that. And for those who have played these games before, it's probably worth their time and money to play them again.
If you love The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you would be out of your mind not to try Immortals Fenyx Rising.
Mileage will vary of course, and I can't say if my unexpected adoration of this game will extend to all players. Nonetheless, ActRaiser Renaissance is a meticulously crafted remake that genuinely improves on the original game in several respects while maintaining the spirit of what made it special in the first place. The simulation and tower defense elements are instantly addicting, and the sidescrolling sections really make you feel like God has come down to smite the wicked. ActRaiser Renaissance is almost the best-case scenario for a remake, and I hope Square Enix keeps it up.
Triangle Strategy lacks the gameplay depth of Final Fantasy Tactics, and it doesn’t come anywhere near the story richness of Tactics Ogre despite borrowing its branching-path narrative design. However, Triangle Strategy’s streamlined battle system is significantly more approachable and less likely to invoke frustration. Likewise, even with the narrative being as bland as it is, it’s exciting for its own sake to see what happens when you make a big, story-altering decision. The final result is a strategy RPG that is extremely easy to recommend to newcomers, and longtime enthusiasts will probably appreciate it too. Triangle Strategy isn’t Square at its best, but it might be Square at its most fun.
Ultimately, BQM -BlockQuest Maker- is an incredibly enjoyable game maker for its budget price.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for Switch completely faithfully updates the Game Boy classic for modern audiences, and Zelda fans would be out of their minds not to play it.
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection contains most of Inti Creates' best work, and it's another Capcom collection worth adding to your Switch library.
In Bravely Default II, you either break the battle system with some beautiful strategy, or it breaks you. And that's the thrill of it. Taking charge of massive customization options to build a party that can uniquely demolish the varied bosses is incredibly satisfying and never gets old. When you couple that stellar action with a phenomenal soundtrack, it becomes possible to forgive the game's uninspired story and technical hiccups. And while I really wish Square Enix were not struggling so much to tell a great story lately, Bravely Default II is still an utterly addicting RPG and an excellent addition to the Nintendo Switch library.
The soundtrack is monotonous, the menus are a slog, and it often becomes too easy to button-mash to victory. But otherwise, NEO: The World Ends with You is a really cleverly designed game that packs a terrific amount of content into a small game world, and that even stays true continuing into the postgame. An engaging narrative that successfully expands upon the world of the original brings the entire experience together, and the final result is another inimitably unique action RPG from Square Enix.
There is nothing like Loop Hero, and it feels born for Nintendo Switch. If you love roguelikes, nothing should stop you from playing this refreshingly weird game. And if you're like me and generally detest roguelikes, I sincerely believe you might be captivated enough by the game's unique and imaginative mechanics that you might not even think of it as a roguelike. The game just is what it is - it's Loop Hero. And it's the best example of indie ingenuity.
Ultimately, A Memoir Blue isn’t necessarily going to revolutionize video game storytelling. It is a fairly simple story of mother-daughter reconciliation, after all. However, it tells that story with an extremely thoughtful blend of 3D and 2D visuals that are densely packed with additional meaning. A Memoir Blue is in every sense a finely crafted piece of art, and that’s a pretty good way to start a new game studio.
So basically, if you’d love to play an RPG but can’t dedicate hours a day to it, Shadows of Adam could be a great solution on Switch.
Octopath Traveler isn't perfect, but its major faults mostly pertain to the story. Beyond that, the game looks beautiful in a distinct way, interacting with NPCs in the game world is goofy fun, and the combat system is a multifaceted and rewarding revamp of Square Enix's previous offerings. When you put it all together, Octopath Traveler is an engaging RPG with a unique identity that it can be proud of, even if its narrative falls far short of Square's other classics.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus is Christmas morning for dungeon crawler lovers, thanks to its incredible party customization and abundant maps.
Cinders is a short but highly replayable visual novel with dynamic characters and sharp writing. The visuals and soundtrack aren’t revolutionary but serve the narrative well. However, slowdown, while infrequent, can be a game-breaking experience when it appears.
Ultimately, Strikey Sisters is an excellent value for its price, with exciting arcade gameplay that is as accessible to adults as it is to children. This could be a great game for bridging a generation gap.
Ultimately, Grandia HD Collection is two games that play very similarly but with opposite tones. Grandia is for bright-eyed young kids, and Grandia II is for their cynical older siblings. Yet they both have excellent dialogue, open dungeon design, and battle systems that invite customization.