Nick Mangiaracina's Reviews
Golem is one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve had in gaming. Though the initially boring world eventually became interesting and mysterious, I was too focused on making sure I wasn’t getting sick to enjoy anything the game had to offer. Golem is a game inhibited by the method it chooses to present itself and so far, that’s a first for me.
Tchia ended up becoming a frustrating and boring mess of a game.
Even among fans of dialogue-driven adventure titles, I couldn’t possibly recommend Last Stop.
Super Seducer 3 would be good fun to play with a couple of friends on a boring night or to make fun of with some lady friends. Other than that though, my hope is that any particularly lonely gamers don’t use Super Seducer 3 as a blueprint for finding companionship.
Games should exist and designers should always make games but Gordian Quest offers nothing new and does nothing exceptionally well.
The pillars holding up Eternights; Narrative, Combat, and Characters, have lots of cracks and didn’t take long to start crumbling. As impressive as it is that this game was made with such a small team, I can’t recommend this game.
Scarlet Nexus has the foundation of a great idea that’s executed poorly and spends more time introducing new systems than exploring the ones already provided.
I would avoid Cris Tales on the Switch until there’s been some patching done or you’ve tested it on another platform.
Even though Twin Mirror is listed as a thriller, there’s nothing really thrilling about it.
You remember all those ideas people throw at the wall and don’t stick? Heroland manages to pick those ideas off the floor and use them as integral parts of its game design. If you’re looking for something to play over time that doesn’t require much concentration and doesn’t really grip you, Heroland is your game.
Ultimately, Star Ocean: First Departure R is merely upscaling an already flawed game that fans of the series will enjoy, being able to play on modern hardware, but is otherwise a frustrating experience.
Despite being a complete VR experience, Eclipse: Edge of Light falls short in most areas. If I had to describe Eclipse: Edge of Light it would be ‘low effort.’ At the very least, it didn’t make me nauseous while playing.
It wasn’t a gripping experience, I wasn’t enthralled playing Open Roads, but it succeeded in what it attempted narratively and gave me a pretty satisfying conclusion and truly, that’s all I could ask for. Open Roads may not be an exciting experience for all but it was for me and I’m pretty satisfied with it.
Though not without issues, I think Silent Hope is a good game at its core and is hopefully a jumping off point for more games like this from Marvelous in the future.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key offers so much and is really the ultimate game in the Ryza series. It just wasn’t for me.
While I have my grievances, of which there are many, I still really loved playing Element TD 2 and know I’ll be sinking a lot of time into it in the future, especially if any of my issues are resolved.
Not bested by its predecessor, Bravely Default 2 offers a fairly inoffensive experience with some interesting gameplay tweaks and a very enjoyable job system.
Ryza 2 does little to break the mold, but what it does do is polish the existing formula.
The Pathless may not be my favorite game, I found quite a bit wrong with it, but the messaging was clear and resonated with me.
I think if you’re into either the anime/manga series or turn-based JRPGs you’re going to have a good time with Fairy Tail.