Alex Fuller's Reviews
While Toward Dawn certainly tempers some of its ambitions, it is nonetheless an impressive debut title from a solo developer. It displays a fine understanding of what makes RPG tick, and its efforts to showcase and raise interest in its Welsh mythological inspirations are effective.
For those looking for an enjoyable retro adventure, Geo Mythica should fit the bill well. The combat ultimately won’t be for everyone, especially as it gets more chaotic to weave around towards the latter portions of the game, but there’s always a fun journey lying underneath it.
Even for those who had already played the original, those touches ensure it’s a delight to play, and the new epilogue is very much in keeping of what fans of the series have come to expect. Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Definitive Edition is exactly that, and another excellent late addition to the Switch’s bulging library.
Dice ‘n Goblins offers players a mixture of dungeon-crawling and turn-based combat that blends strategy and luck through its use of dice and skills. On the whole, it provides a largely fun experience with well-put together dungeons and a combat system that gives players plenty of ways to cater the dice to particular strategies.
While it may not be the most meorable entry in the series, The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II still has plenty that series fans thoroughly enjoy. Spending more time with the memorable and delightful cast is never a bad thing, and even though there are elements that don’t quite hit the same or feel a bit superfluous, there’s never any point where the game is in danger of becoming grating.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a very welcome return for the series. Omega Force has done a fine job learning from its previous collaborations to help inject a fresh feeling into the game, while retaining the strengths that have given it such success in the past.
The tight implementation and focus on the narrative works in HeistGeist’s favour, and its storytelling and gameplay do more than enough to make me interested should Alex ever return for more.
Its chaotic take on The Romance of Three Kingdoms offers some good amusement as its larger-than-life cast threatens to push it off the rails, and there is some small satisfaction in being able to just blow away all comers at times. However, those looking for some more finely-tuned combat and challenge, or any real in-depth gameplay, will need to search elsewhere.
While Investigations may include some of the usual caveats associated with the series, and those who have played all the releases in short order may be readily burned out, it is nonetheless a very appreciated opportunity and still overall highly enjoyable pair of titles that include some of the series’ best cases.
It should be said that for all of the criticism to be made about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, there’s nothing it outright does poorly. It is absolutely lots of fun in the moment, and the cast is worthy of note. However, when all is said and done, there’s little that sticks in the memory.
The ultimate experience is one that at its best illicits curiosity at where its story might be heading while easily beating up foes and wandering between checkpoints within Shibuya, while at other times it creates annoyance at the game’s systems that tend to hurt more than they help.
Beyond Galaxyland is a welcome addition to the RPG cosmos. Its audiovisual mixture is both distinctive and effective, while the gameplay and narrative keeps everything moving along nicely. The combat may get a bit rote towards the end, and there are some frustratingly unanswered story questions when all is said and done, but there’s no denying it’s a positive experience all the way through.
It offers an engaging story with appropriately speedy pacing that engages the brain without overtaxing it and there’s no bizarre leaps of logic required. Newcomers to the series can happily jump in at any point, but after the remakes showed that there’s plenty of modern appeal from its classic gameplay design, it’s great to see another title carrying the legacy on.
Panic’s Arco brings plenty of fresh ideas and inspirations to the gaming sphere. Its tale of revenge is decently paced and doesn’t run too long, meaning that despite some unfortunate technical issues, it’s easy to overlook them in favour of what the game does well.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an enjoyable experience, but may struggle to stick in the memory. There are some interesting ideas at play, but the execution just always leaves a little bit to be desired.
Dawntrail does the job it needed to do by giving players the new adventure they need to get going once again. It takes a little while to get there, but when the payoff comes it shows how the narrative team behind Final Fantasy XIV is at hitting the emotional highs.
Offering an incredibly welcome refresh for the series with its story, cast, and gameplay, The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is a delightful way to re-enrapture existing fans while being an excellent opportunity for newcomers to get on board.
An appreciably speedy yet deep combat system combines with some entertaining character interactions and a fun gameplay loop. All of its parts work nicely in tandem and many players will find the game to be a fine way to unwind.
Although it might be hard for Atlas Wept to stand out among the flood of games currently available, it offers strong bang for its buck. The dozen-hour playtime is perfectly judged and fits in nicely with the depth of gameplay and breadth of its story. It’s a worthwhile experience, offering a touching tale that examines humanity with a vital spark of hope at the end.
Despite a weaker presentation than contemporary titles and a last third that meanders without the urgency of what came before, the game is a pleasing experience and one that those with even just a passing interest in the life and crafting sim genre are likely to enjoy their time with.