Alex Fuller's Reviews
The swift progression through levels and missions, combined with a highly appreciable visual style and polish provides plenty of satisfaction. It won’t do much for those looking for a strong challenge or deep gameplay, but it succeeds in what it sets out to do.
The $40 launch price on Nintendo Switch is going to be an issue for many, especially given its pricing on other platforms and the selection of adventure titles also available on the system. It’s certainly an enjoyable game, and for adventure fans it’s worth keeping on the radar, but it’s an eye-widening price tag in the context of the game.
For those that haven’t played Steins;Gate, Steins;Gate Elite is an ideal place to start, and its use of animation will help ease in those who are less interested in the standard visual novel layouts.
Final Fantasy XII feels like one of those games that has gotten more appreciation with age, and that feeling is richly deserved.
Despite bringing plenty of ideas and a deep set of systems, Zanki Zero never quite coalesces into a strong all-round experience; instead, many of its elements just seem to float on top of each other for an enjoyable but not resolute offering.
Final Fantasy VII is worth checking out and offers plenty of entertaining moments, but it's going to be appreciated by those looking at it with rose-tinted nostalgia far more than anyone picking it up for the first time.
The premise turns out being a rather shallow veneer on top of an enjoyable but underwhelming mission-based action RPG that bizarrely decides to try and hide its deeper elements.
There are annoyances, such as some unnecessary repetition, and it never really challenges as an ultimate gameplay experience, but these are more than made up for by the excellent presentation of fascinating story with intriguing and strongly-utilised themes.
God Eater 3’s approach of simply offering more of the same without doing anything to expand on what made it such a strong challenger is a disappointment. It still has its positives, but they’ve all been seen before.
For those who have enjoyed the past entries, the issues have already proven themselves to be readily surmountable and the way the game wraps up the lingering plot points will be very much appreciated.
With its charming setting and straightforward but pleasantly deep crafting system, it’s very easy to get sucked into and spend many pleasant hours in Portia, but those aiming to get through all of the story missions will likely find it overstaying its welcome.
Yo-kai Watch 3 is an enjoyable time, and though targeted at a younger audience, there’s plenty to like for RPGamers of all ages.
The use of RPG and skill elements gives players a sense of progress as Louis learns more about the situation and becomes more adept at dealing with the other characters.
The Long Journey Home never attempts to make its journey particularly thrilling, but the deliberate pacing combines well with its risk-versus-reward elements and the simple enjoyment of travelling the stars.
Thronebreaker gives those into the card game a good opportunity to test their skills and earn a few new cards and bonuses, while also offering an interesting way for those more into the narrative side of The Witcher the chance to enjoy more time in the world, though it never manages to portray the best of either element.
Though it still suffers from some familiar issues, The World Ends with You remains an easy recommendation for new and returning players alike with its excellent character development and very appealing sense of style.
Monolith Soft has created another excellent experience for Switch owners to get stuck into.
Phantom Doctrine may not quite fully follow through on its early promise, but the game is still a lot of fun and will readily supply lots of hours of enjoyment.
Shining Resonance Refrain pivots between enjoyable and very dull moments. For every good aspect, there is another that undoes it, while everything else is strictly mediocre.
Some may be tempted to write it off as an SMT knock-off, but this doesn’t strike as being fair given how its systems go a long way to stamping its own mark on everything and to make it stand out.