Alex Fuller's Reviews
Dodgeball Academia [is] a title bursting to the seams with a Saturday morning cartoon charm. While the light amount of content betrays the fact that the gameplay likely lacks enough depth to carry it much further, it nonetheless provides a ten-hour story with enough humour and speedy battles that make the time fun.
The characters and writing just sucked me in and when one case ends, the desire to jump straight into the next is palpable. It’s a hearty recommendation for existing fans of the Ace Attorney series and anyone else interested in jumping into a new series of adventure mysteries in general.
While the gameplay provides a strong loop that makes it easy to jump in, it’s the immersive atmosphere that grabs hold and keeps players engaged for multiple runs. The emotional struggles of the characters resonate, and there are important messages about how helpful the support of others can be.
Dazzlingly stylish with a superb combat system, Scarlet Nexus is a memorable new title that is huge fun to play throughout.
It’s obvious that the game comes from a place of love, and it is clear how much passion Midgar Studio has, but Edge of Eternity feels like a case where the developers have set their sights too far. There are lots of elements that could be interesting if given the proper care and attention, but in their current state most of them feel superficial and end up cluttering up the whole experience.
For those looking for playable murder mysteries, Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind are easily recommended. Though neither game requires too much hard thinking on the part of the player, both feature entertaining stories and characters, with enough interaction and drip-feeding of clues to remain engaging throughout.
This story of not just Ichiban, but also his allies both former and new, is a tour de force that sucks players in completely. It’s a roller-coaster taking players through the full gamut of emotions and an easy, if slightly caveated, recommendation even to newcomers.
In the end, it’s absolutely an enjoyable experience thanks to the way the character interactions work with its setting and themes, but doesn’t have enough to stand out from its niche.
Those looking to spend more time with the goddesses will at least enjoy more of their humour, and VTuber fans will likely get a kick out of their cameos. However, gameplay is very much lacking, with everything being done considerably better elsewhere, and ultimately, as an overall experience, Neptunia Virtual Stars remains a disappointment.
It’s nice to see a game trying new things, and Fallen Legion Revenants certainly does that, but the game’s actively hostile balancing takes away all of that goodwill.
Its setting comes with plenty of interesting ideas, but they necessitate a strong execution. Unfortunately, that execution is sadly lacking here, as those ideas fall down due to a lack of support from the rest of the game and they simply aren’t strong enough to carry things on their own.
Atlus and Omega Force have ensured that as much as possible of what made Persona 5 so beloved has been transported here and put into an appreciably tight package. Spending extra time with the Phantom Thieves and travelling with them across Japan is a much needed positive experience and well worth it.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a strong title with plenty of appeal to both Zelda and Musou fans. The enduring gameplay strengths of Omega Force’s titles are present and its interesting approach to being a prequel ensures there is some narrative interest.
CD Projekt RED's management has absolutely rushed it out before it was properly ready, and at this stage it's very much a case of buyer beware. It’s clear that lots of effort has been put into creating Night City and the well-linked major gameplay systems, but even when putting the technical issues aside, it still feels much like many open-world games that have come before.
Robotics;Notes DaSH is absolutely one for those who are already fans of the Science Adventure series rather than anything that’s going to convert anyone, though the fact that DasH is bundled with Elite makes it easier to provide a combined recommendation. It’s very enjoyable to be able to spend more time with the characters, while the excitement of its true route helps it become a very satisfying visual novel experience.
While Robotics;Notes certainly doesn’t attain the same incredible level of Steins;Gate, it nonetheless offers a highly engaging tale with plenty of interesting threads.
The game is absolutely one of this year’s standout RPGs, and it’s particularly refreshing to see that in something that brings both unique combat and storytelling to the table. Vanillaware has outdone itself here.
Though none of its constituent parts are world-beaters, the feelings they exude make Giraffe and Annika greater than their basic sum. It’s a game that’s ideal for both youngsters and those needing to spend some hours just relaxing or getting some warm, fuzzy feelings.
void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium is absolutely a solid roguelike. Those looking for such a game will find it meets their needs, but shouldn't expect anything more as its attempts at offering a more compelling experience get drowned out.
Inaba’s small-town feel, the fantastic cast, incredibly personable dialogue, excellent audio, and strong gameplay combine to make the game a superb all-around experience. Though there are no distinct advantages of playing this version over the Vita one, its release on PC should be rightfully celebrated for giving a whole new set of RPGamers the chance to play a game that resonates just as strongly now as it first did.