Nick Mangiaracina's Reviews
Sorry We’re Closed is one of the best games I’ve played this year. Contextually, it struck me with its storytelling wrapped-up in a tight survival horror package and delivered in short form. Ported to consoles, it runs flawlessly with no issues and an expanded option set and new modes, making Sorry We’re Closed on consoles an excellent option for play.
With the new audio, battle effects, battle speed, auto-save, and new translations Suikoden I & II HD Remaster is the definitive way to experience the first two Suikoden games. My only hope is that the rest of the games in the series receive this treatment.
I’m impressed by Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog. It’s a great story with fun twists, lots of incredible art, and a few simple but rewarding puzzles. I never felt too encumbered or lost running around the JFS Gun-Dog. And the story culminated in a very interesting way that had me excited for future entries in the series.
Despite the technical issues I had, I still love Bloom & Rage and greatly anticipate Tape 2. The bombs dropped in Tape 1 make my heart ache. I love this broody high-school drama, brilliantly shown through the eyes of Swann Holloway. If you have any love for Life is Strange or adventure games, you need to play Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1. Remember 1995!
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is one of the great modern adventure games. Though there’s a severe lack of freedom and simplicity in deduction, the ride was still very exciting. With a 15-hour play time, Urban Myth Dissolution Center doesn’t overstay its welcome. Anyone interested in adventure games, narrative-driven games, and mysteries owes it to themselves to play Urban Myth Dissolution Center.
While Waiting is a cute, fun, and simple pick-up and play style game. A perfect title for handheld gaming that offers some replayability. The art style is very cute and the objectives are usually pretty interesting. While Waiting is most assuredly a well-crafted game I think most people would find enjoyable.
Tales of Graces f Remastered is the best this game has looked and the definitive experience. While I think delisting the original was unnecessary, I think it’s great that Tales of games are being brought to all modern consoles and no longer locked to single platforms. Though a bit pricey, Tales of Graces f Remastered takes a fan favorite into the modern era and makes it available for more people than ever with some quality-of-life functionality that the original sorely needed.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is a no nonsense port that allows you to play through this masterpiece on modern consoles.
Fairy Tail 2 throws you right into the action of the final chapter of the Alvarez Empire Arc but does little to help out anyone who might be unfamiliar with the series outside of the games. Along with several bugs, performance issues, and strange UI decisions, unless you’re a fan of the series, Fairy Tail 2 can be skipped.
I think the audience for Fantasian knows what they’re looking for and they’re going to find it in Fantasian Neo Dimension. I sure did.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an exceptionally polished game with an extremely satisfying combat system, lovely and interesting companions, and a stylistic new look that gives this long-running series a much-needed fresh coat of paint.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is an incredibly beautiful game with interesting time mechanics and strong narrative hooks that eventually lead to a dissatisfying ending.
A winding and divergent narrative, Slay the Princess - The Pristine Cut is the ultimate version of Slay the Princess and one that I would recommend to almost anyone.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 offers a brand new story, and lots of new brothers and enemies. While the online community leaves a lot to be desired, World Brothers 2’s improvements over the first game remain significant enough to recommend.
Visions of Mana is a competent, visually beautiful, and fun game that might have stood out were it released any other year but this one.
I think if you even have an inkling that Bloomtown: A Different Story is your jam, you owe it to yourself to try it out.
Yars Rising gives you a straightforward experience with enough side content to add layers to customization without giving the player too much power in the end. It was a great experience and I had a really great time playing Yars Rising.
I loved Vampire Survivors on release but with everything added since Vampire Survivors is just as addictive and enjoyable as it was on release and well worth the buy now that you can enjoy it on any platform of your choosing.
Demon’s Mirror didn’t vibe with me, and while I appreciate the effort to mix up these two gameplay styles, the friction between the two left me annoyed and drained.
Overall, I have to say I’m pretty disappointed with Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash. The game is quite good looking and has a lot of fanfare for fans of the Uma Musume series but provides an extremely hollow experience full of basic UX missteps and a complete lack of depth. Golshi’s Grand Adventure 2 isn’t enough to save this game and the price tag for what’s being provided is absolutely absurd.