Ryan Pearson
Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a testament that indies can go where AAA fears to tread. A unique concept supported by strong gameplay that evolves frequently enough to keep you playing- right until it ends all too soon. At the bottom of it all, there is nothing quite like it.
If you never played the original Grandia games, this is the best way to play them – even with a less-than-stellar graphical upgrade. It does bring you back to those long nights spent as a little kid. If you played them before, this is a great way to go on your adventure again.
You do not have to be the darkest dungeon, or write a great odyssey. Sometimes you just need to take lots of good ideas, and put them together in a way that works, to make something brilliant. If you want great strategy, Mistover should not be passed over.
Townsmen does nearly everything right. It is the definition of an indie underdog that has a real chance to become something special next time the developers go to town.
While its sandbox-peers do a few things I would like to see here, it carves out its own style and has potential to develop into something that will make it stand along-side them as equals.
Cosmic Star Heroine feels like a short, classic JRPG that has been ported from an ancient system, warts and all. Some of the glitches and usability issues are criminal, and should never be acceptable.
If the only Disgaea game you can get is Disgaea 1 Complete, you will still enjoy yourself. It provides insane hour per dollar value if it scratches your team-building and strategy itches. You may just have to endure and work around some major issues. To those familiar with later Disgaea games, those older problems may be anything from a minor issue to you, to incredibly frustrating. You may still get some enjoyment nonetheless. While it can be purgatory, it is far from hell.
If you like finding loot, building giant robots, or even if you want to chill but not totally disengage your brain, this is perfect for the job. The devil might not be in the details, but you can have a hell of a lot of fun in the cockpit.
Even with nothing major done wrong, it is hard not to recommend games of similar genres unless you are on a budget. If you are however, Hellmut can be a very satisfying bite-sized morsel. If nothing else, it puts your reflexes to the test and offers a genuine challenge.
Older fans are catered to in tournaments and events, making it hard to claim it is “just a kid’s game.” Even as a kid’s game, one giant leap for Pokemon is one small step to the industry standard.