Nick Mangiaracina's Reviews
Until Then isn’t the best narrative adventure game I’ve played but it’s definitely one I’ll remember for a long time. Don’t sleep on Until Then, it’s a worthwhile experience.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! is an incredible experience in both humor and execution. This is what a game looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders, it’s a tour de force of art, music, platforming, and puzzle solving.
While not my favorite Shin Megami Tensei game, I cannot recommend Shin Megami Tensei V enough. And with the Canon of Vengeance included, it’s a must for any RPG fan.
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.
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.
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.
Many Nights a Whisper offers a contemplative experience that acts as a meditation that might help you in your own life. Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbor have worked together to forge a masterpiece that can be experienced in a single sitting. Don’t pass this up.
LISA: Definitive Edition takes all the good and bad of the original game, improves on it, and makes it more accessible for a new generation of people to experience.
A surprisingly fun and competent genre-bend from Pixpil that's a must play for fans of Eastward.
Atelier Ryza is the best place for new fans of the series to jump in and a relaxing entry for older fans. Not the easiest game to get a handle on but once it clicks, you won’t want to put it down.
Masquerading as simply an adventure game set with Scandinavian folklore in mind, Röki offers so much more and I urge you to give it a shot if this type of game is your bag.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is not just a great entry to jump in on, but also try out if you’ve ever been curious about the franchise.
Once I found myself hitting my stride in Cozy Grove, it became a before-bed ritual.
Minute of Islands is an incredibly stunning game with a timely narrative, minimal gameplay, and small platforming puzzles.
If you’re willing to let your guard down, open up your heart, and accept Button City as it is, you will get a very wholesome experience with lots of laughs and some very charming art.
Deck Nine manages to take Life is Strange’s classic signatures of indie music, small-town mysteries, and teenage angst and elevate it from the original creation. What could have been a bumbling soft-reboot of Life is Strange, Life is Strange: True Colors turned into the best game in the series so far.
Interconnected stories between games are always going to be fun to me. Anyone who enjoyed Backbone will most assuredly love the world being explored in Tails. I hope they continue this trend because Eggnut has created a very interesting world to explore.
There’s a fine balance struck in The Last Spell between Tactical RPG and roguelike. I think Ishtar Games did an excellent job adapting the genre to a roguelike. Initially hesitant at first, The Last Spell won me over with its fast paced battles, hero customization, and light town-management gameplay.
With fun turn-based combat, enough strategy development and random elements outside of combat, and a decent primary objective, Dicefolk refines an existing genre to make something both unique and recognizable. Dicefolk isn’t just for genre fans, it’s a very enjoyable game all around, especially if you dig turn-based combat.
A stunning visual feast for the eyes that managed to create a fun and challenging set of gameplay rules that carried me through to the end in a few days.