Game Freak and Nintendo have made it clear that Pokémon: Let’s Go is not a replacement for the core RPG experience coming in 2019, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t appeal to series veterans at the same time. It is true that the exclusion of random encounters and wild Pokémon battles (among other things) is weird and makes the game a whole lot easier. However, Let’s Go still manages to exude that Pokémon essence we all know and love despite the changes. Being able to experience the wilderness of Kanto on a TV for the first time is wonderful, and the option to play with even the least experienced player out there definitely has its perks. Pokémon: Let’s Go has the potential to scratch that catch-em-all itch for a while, although hardcore challenge seekers will really have to get creative with self-limitations in order to maintain any true level of difficulty before reaching post-game. But if we’re being honest, isn’t the most difficult part of any Generation I-esque game getting Mew out from under that blasted truck near the S.S. Anne?
Cattails is surprisingly fun and full of depth despite suffering from some design and mechanical setbacks.
Because Chronicles was so mediocre and Mercenaries Wings is literally the same exact game, from its graphics and individual character abilities to the 99% broken and useless magic items and synth shop, it is hard to recommend unless you are just the biggest fanboy of the series or you just can’t get enough tactical RPGs in your life. But I can’t very well give it a harsh verdict either because it is still, in fact, a fully functional game. A mediocre game in the most genuine sense, but functional nonetheless. Mercenaries Wings could prove to be a decent filler piece in your strategy RPG slot if you are on a budget, but you’re better off picking up Chronicles first if a choice has to be made between the two.
An RPG that teaches us that more than just obesity can come out of consuming an excessive amount of food.
Xenon Valkyrie+, for the most part, succeeds in what it promises. While the story really suffers from its overhyped, pie-in-the-sky tagline, the gameplay itself is challenging (but fair), and that is coming from an inexperienced/sissy roguelike/lite consumer like myself. Some issues exist beyond the overpromised story, but it’s difficult to fault it harshly when you consider the game sits at only $9.99USD retail. It might not satisfy the most hardcore roguelike/lite fan out there, but it has certainly made me consider trying more types of these games in the future. Xenon Valkyrie+ releases on Nintendo Switch on January 1, 2019.
Despite its glaring flaws, I found Chronus Arc to be fun. The fresh take on equipment upgrades and the emphasis on puzzles are really nice to see in a JRPG. The music and graphical overhaul in comparison to your standard KEMCO RPG is a sight for sore eyes (and ears) as well. These are really the only things holding me back from giving Chronus Arc an even harsher verdict, because even partially gating the class system behind the in-game shop and grinding literally being 75% of the content just does not feel that great in practice.
Judging a game and its flaws that comes with a measly $4.99USD price tag is tough because you can’t necessarily be blinded by your experiences of more expensive (but more polished) titles. That said, Revenge of the Bird King, at its core, is a decent game for the price. Even though I’m no expert or die-hard fan of the platforming genre, I found the general gameplay loop present to be enjoyable. But the pacing of the levels combined with frequent collision-based glitches certainly soured the experience for me a bit. But, if you live for platforming games or are looking for one with just a touch of RPG flair, throwing five bucks at Revenge of the Bird King would not be a terrible investment.
For me, DragonFangZ is a great example as to why you should not judge a book by its cover alone, because hidden behind the cutesy design is a very enjoyable roguelike – one that, in some ways, challenges a few of the age-old conventions of the genre. The depth and flexibility of the Fang mechanic helps keep things fresh (and your available toolkit vast), and the added incentive to fight out in the open because of the Brave system sets in motion a nice change of pace (and is less claustrophobic than corridor farming). If you can look past the price and the abysmal translation, DragonFangZ has a lot to offer to those that prefer more RPG in their roguelikes.
Tales of Vesperia is an epic adventure that only marks the beginning for the series on Switch.
Mages of Mystralia is basically Zelda with wands, and that’s not a bad thing. Probably the worst thing about that fact is that it isn’t what I would consider an RPG, but the game was not marketed as one either. However, when I saw spellmaking my mind immediately went to Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and I simply hoped that Mystralia would end up having more elements of the RPG genre than the occasional weapon and resource upgrades. Regardless, I laid in the bed I made and found Mages of Mystralia to be a good action adventure game. The occasional dips in performance, shadow-based glitches, and lack of side quest tracking are minor annoyances, sure, but are annoyances nonetheless. And despite the story being well fleshed out, I found the combat and puzzle solving to be the more interesting parts of the game. Most importantly though, Mages of Mystralia makes you feel like an actual mage with its spell creation system, and who doesn’t want to be a freaking wizard from time to time?
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a fairly deep JRPG that is, unfortunately, held back by several key components. The story and cast are just not good enough to incentivize long-term play despite the excellent character customization and combat systems. Unless you adore lazy, food obsessed-men and a healthy dose of boob-jiggling physics, then you’re in for a real cinematic treat. Furthermore, the performance issues and overall poor quality of graphics in the field prevent you from fully appreciating the exploration and combat aspects of the game – that of which will make up the majority of your game time. Although you can easily get dozens of hours out of this game, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it on Switch unless you know exactly what you’re getting in to first.
Evoland Legendary Edition successfully throws back to many scenarios along the adventure / RPG timeline, and is something that I think everyone should experience.
All downsides considered, Feudal Alloy is still a fully functional game. The game runs silky smooth in almost every scenario, the medieval landscapes look nice despite suffering from a lack of variety, and combat can be challenging at times due to inclusion of the cooling mechanic. All classic Metroidvania traversal mechanics are here, but little is done beyond providing that baseline of perks. A fun, lighthearted story with an endearing leading fish is set up, but is not fleshed out enough to really amount to anything in the end. All systems work, but many are marred by questionable design decisions (like the gear and talent tree issues). Simply put, Feudal Alloy does little to truly excite a Metroidvania fan outside of its unique aesthetic, and no amount of love for fish-piloted robots will change that. It is still a decent buy if you’re fresh out of Metroidvanias, however.
Games, like Alvastia Chronicles, are the reason why I continue to get excited about the next RPG release from EXE Create and KEMCO. When the team gets it right, it is hard to find a better experience within the budget tier of the traditional JRPG market.
I commend the team behind Magic Scroll Tactics for trying out a more unique perspective in their Tactical RPG, but it didn’t turn out swimmingly in execution. The jump from 3D to 2D sidescrolling voids a lot of the things that make the traditional tactical RPG great, turning the majority of your playthrough into a rushfest rather than a genuinely methodical one. That’s not to say that more depth can’t be achieved from the sidescrolling perspective – it’s just not present here. That lack of consistent difficulty will ultimately deter many hardcore tactical RPG fans from giving it a go, and although it is more newcomer-friendly because of that, the massive spikes in difficulty in the later portion of the game might even frustrate those people. It is not a bad choice by any means – just know what to expect going into it.
What Bastion set out to do years ago still holds up well today, although the unique storytelling approach, in many ways, does more harm than good.
Alchemic Dungeons DX, though shy about difficulty in the beginning, is an enjoyable roguelike with heavy – albeit simple – RPG mechanics built right in to the experience.
SteamWorld Heist is a game that has left me with no regrets – okay, maybe the fact that I'm kicking myself for not giving it the time of day beforehand counts as one. Outside of that, I really love everything about this game – the sound, look, and feel are just stellar for a modestly priced indie affair. Like steampunk? Play this game. Tactical/Strategy enthusiast? Play it. In it just for the unicorn hat? Whatever the case may be, play this freaking game.
Some interesting development decisions and job balance woes rough up the experience a bit, but it is still a solid choice for rogue-like and Final Fantasy fans alike.
Final Fantasy VII might not seem as ambitious as it once did, but it is still an incredible ride for fans of the traditional JRPG.