Pascal Tekaia
The game is a triumph in world-building and character-driven storytelling, and its combat system is versatile enough to support it through its mammoth eighty-plus-hour runtime.
I’m a little surprised to write these words, but I daresay that Lies of P is such a masterfully crafted hardcore gothic action RPG that it could even be said to outdo FromSoftware at its own game.
With a great cast of characters expertly brought to life, a gorgeous visual style, and a seemingly never-ending supply of varied story beats to experience, it is easily worth any JRPGamer’s time, and sets the new watermark for the series moving forward.
The Surge 2 is like a juicy, metal-plated bone that gamers looking for a well-crafted yet brutal combat experience can really sink their teeth into: it will push them to their limits, hurt and punish in all the right ways, but offers that sweet, sweet payoff when you finally emerge victorious.
The Yakuza games are very much their own thing, and are so densely packed with content that they may require some palate-cleansers in between. But for those who don’t mind doing some serious homework in the form of three mandatory amazing-in-their-own-right prequels, this collection is easily a must-play.
It successfully sets out to reinvigorate the well-worn turn-based combat formula found in many games of that era while adding many smart and well-considered elements to the mix, ultimately creating a bold and involving combat experience that feels classic and fresh at the same time.
Sure, it’s not the first game to eschew fantasy and science fiction trappings or feature a historically-accurate setting, but not many have yet done so to such a satisfying end result, not to mention going the open-world route and still succeeding, for the most part, brilliantly.
Backed up by modern technology, Lost Sphear offers a thoroughly engaging take on the classic RPG formula.
Fell Seal is a game that is easy to recommend simply because it does everything well.
Originally conceived as DLC for the game’s Switch port, the franchise’s catalog of celebrated musical compositions and Nintendo’s unusual interest in lending its crown jewel to an indie developer quickly turned Cadence of Hyrule into a standalone entry that somehow manages to combine the best of both worlds.
It’s easy to pick up and play, and just as hard to put back down.
It would be easy to dismiss it merely as a novelty, as other peripheral-based games certainly have been in the past. But that would be doing a disservice to the ingenuity with which the designers have found a way to get players to try out a workout routine and, even more impressively, stick to it.
This handful of nitpicks notwithstanding, NieR Replicant is a resounding success and a great opportunity to experience a remastered version of this hidden gem.
Where you fall on Souldiers probably depends on whether you were an early adopter. [...] However, with great challenge comes great satisfaction, and the journey along the way is just so memorable; there were times I could literally not put the controller down, even after hours of playing.
Despite being essentially the same game that was first released over a decade ago, Persona 4 Golden manages to avoid feeling dated to this day. A great cast of characters, an intriguing murder mystery story, and satisfying storytelling that moves at an unhurried pace are all completed by fun combat mechanics to preserve the game’s high standard.
The world-building and presentation offer much to take in and enjoy, while the combat is deep and sound, with tons of variables to constantly keep up with that can turn the tide of battle at a moment’s notice.
Although its story isn’t always flawlessly compelling, it manages to be an overall fairly enjoyable experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Cosmic Star Heroine is far more than a simple send-up of some of the genre’s most beloved classics.
At times spooky, at times brutal or corny, on the whole this rabbit hole is one that casual and hardcore fans alike should feel comfortable diving into.
Expertly executed designs, visuals, voiceovers, and musical score still make Indivisible a great joy to behold, but its shortcomings do take away some of the triumph of actually playing it.