While it’s perhaps not quite as necessary these days to form long lines to purchase Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, playing the most up-to-date version of this legendary JRPG is equally as encouraged today as it was back then.
The battle system and second-half humor are definite highlights and made me glad that I gave the game a try. However, a pretty bland first half, a bevy of little bugs, and a conclusion that is more likely than not going to end badly hold the game back from being a whole-hearted recommendation.
While the narrative slightly stumbles in its execution and the post-game content feels somewhat shallow, the core gameplay loop is undeniably fun and provides immense satisfaction for monster collectors. The Dark Prince serves as a welcome celebration of the Dragon Quest Monsters series’ 25th anniversary and is a strong recommendation for fans of the monster-collecting genre and any Dragon Quest fans.
While the nostalgia may appeal to some fans of the original release, newcomers are likely to find little to redeem this lackluster remaster.
All the charm and the excellence of the original game shines through, with only a couple of decade-old gameplay elements sticking out. The game offers a great jumping on point for those not experienced with the series while staying quite accessible to those used to the gameplay of later entries. It is an easily recommended blend of life-sim and RPG that many RPGamers can find enjoyment with.
The collection can easily be recommended to both those that enjoy a good dungeon crawl but have somehow missed this series previously, and to those that have spent some time away and would love to revisit the origins of the series.
The double-battle nature of the game and the beast customization offers players a great deal of strategy to engage with while listening to an excellent soundtrack.
There’s little doubt that turn-based RPG fans will find incredible satisfaction from the title, and those who enjoy expansive lore and deep, customizable job systems will fall head-over-heels in love.
Dragon Quest Treasures is a fun game for those looking to just wander around a Dragon Quest world and dig up treasure. Long-time series fans and those used to deeper ARPG combat systems might find the game to be too feature-lite though, with a dearth of monsters being the primary culprit from a series with more than a thousand to choose from.
Packed into a pleasingly tight seven-hour experience, This Way Madness Lies is an excellent blend of disparate genres, solid gameplay, and humorous writing.
Rune Factory has always been a chill experience with some light action RPG elements to it, and that’s exactly what the newest title delivers.
All these average systems lack any standout hook for the game to hang its hat on and set itself apart from the indie pixel-game scene.
Players looking for a short romp that doesn’t overstay its welcome will want to pick up this title before tackling the sequel, which has many gameplay improvements that would be sorely missed when returning to the original.
While the first title proved that VEWO could do a nostalgic monster collecting game, Extinction shows that the developer is willing and able to push the genre forward in more modern ways.
The game is just missing too many staples that other farming sims feature. There is little main story, no NPC interaction, a near featureless battle-system, no side quests, and barely any small intermediary goals throughout the game.
The game can be a lot of fun as a humorous, simplistic RPG, but the slog gets real too soon and too often. There are indeed bright spots in the title, mainly those created by the characters that players assign to roles in the game, but the title far outstays its welcome.
While this Episode 1 shows promise of something perhaps worthwhile in the future, at this point it’s nothing more than a paid prologue.
Rune Factory 4 Special is an easy recommendation to any RPGamer who enjoys farming and life sim games, as well as for those casual Stardew Valley fans that wished for more variety in the combat aspects. It’s been long enough since the 3DS release that this game can be enjoyed fresh again, and for those who missed it the first time around, now’s the perfect time to give it a try.
Employing a fun battle system similar to the developer’s previous titles and written with as much good humor and charm as one could possibly hope for in a game starring a squid-headed god intent on saving Christmas only to destroy the world, Cthulhu Saves Christmas is a bite-sized adventure worthy of a playthough any time of year.
With a solid story and an amazing, beautiful world to explore, the White Witch on Switch is a port that many JRPG fans will enjoy, especially those like me who are getting to play this for the first time.