There’s some fun to be had for TRPG fans in All Walls Must Fall, but only if you’re willing to spend the time to figure out its unintuitive systems.
The Legend of Mana remaster, unfortunately, shines light on its most dilapidated parts rather than complimenting its innate strengths.
The thought-provoking narrative and surreal worlds found in Blue Reflection: Second Light are sure to captivate at first, but the charm fades over time.
Rather than building upon the foundation of its predecessor, Demon Gaze Extra takes a few steps back in terms of logical design of many of its systems.
Although Mary Skelter 2 initially appears superior to its predecessor, a myriad of issues ultimately stop it from achieving the same magic as the original.
Sword of Elpisia is by no means a bad experience, but its greatest flaw is offering little that is superior compared to its more favorable KEMCO peers.
Darkest Hunters is not a bad game, especially given its price point. But the content itself quickly feels just like you're "going through the motions", save for some of the more thrilling scenarios against bosses.
Undead Horde achieves some of its aspirations, but not in a way that is likely to leave a lasting impression on you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Let me be clear: Tanzia is not a bad game. In fact, it is a good game in many ways. The storytelling is on point, with the supporting cutscenes and voice acting doing a wonderful job of portraying the scenario at hand. While the graphics may not sit well with all parties, it was right down my alley and had me reminiscing of the early days of World of Warcraft. Regardless, any RPG, especially if labeled as an action RPG, must have properly structured combat in order for the package as a whole to stand on its own. While there may be those who can look past the points I’ve made throughout my review, I simply cannot do so. I hate to be so critical of a $16USD title because there is value to be had here. And if it weren’t the combat holding it back, we would have a much different situation on our hands.
The Lost Child has the ability to take you on a roller coaster ride, complete with highs and lows, when glossing over the structure and execution of its systems. On one hand, it does well with its dungeon diving system, though possibly playing it safe when viewed by those who eat these kind of games for breakfast. The combat itself is engaging enough, backed by a decent crafting and loot progression system.
Despite its flaws, I actually found Devious Dungeon to, for the most part, be enjoyable. Its mechanics and overarching gameplay loop are nothing special, but it is a nice enough package that complements the pick-up-and-go style of the Switch well. Devious Dungeon currently sits at $6.79USD until April 9th, when it will go up to an undisclosed price (I’m guessing $9.99). Either price may be hard to digest given the mobile version is only $1.99 on Android and $2.99 on iOS, but both of those versions had in-game purchases as well (I don’t think they exist in the Switch version). Devious Dungeon isn’t going to offer a ton of content and definitely not any of the truly engaging nature, but it is a fun enough title to pick up on a sale and play for a short while. If it wasn’t for the slight input lag while docked and the short gameplay lifespan, I would have considered rating it a little higher. Given its current iteration, however, I feel like it may be expecting just a little too much from your wallet.
I realize that I have been very (and maybe a bit overly) critical of Mercenaries Saga Chronicles, and I do stand by my statements. However, it’s hard to deny the fact that series does offer a lot of content for the price. While many of the systems were too flawed to be of long-term enjoyment for myself, others may be able to overlook them and get hours upon hours of enjoyment. Are the games worth the price tag? Absolutely. Are they worth your time? If you are okay with a trio of tactical RPGs at a bargain price that are almost identical, have solid combat but lack the visual flair and storytelling of bigger tactical RPGs, then this game may be for you. Otherwise, you may want to stick to Disgaea until more games in this genre show up on the platform. Here’s to hoping Final Fantasy Tactics comes to the Switch sooner rather than later. Hey, I can dream, right?
Amnesia is among the most common RPG tropes today. In that aspect alone, The Longest Five Minutes is highly successful, putting a fresh spin on an otherwise overused plot point.
While it, without a doubt, improves on almost every aspect of its predecessor, it also manages to do a “two steps forward; one step back” shuffle. That particular jig is what makes it difficult to suggest, especially for the asking price ($50USD as of this review). Despite the hefty story and gear progression issues, I think this game would definitely be worth a purchase on a sale. It may even be worth the dive for some at full price, but you should be aware of its shortcomings before making that decision. Ultimately, it is hard to recommend Lost Sphear when there are games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 near the same price point that arguably offer a much more riveting experience.
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.