Diablo 2 Resurrected is a fantastic remake of Diablo 2, in the sense that it is Diablo 2 with prettier graphics. Outside of that, Diablo 2 feels dated at best, bland at worst. There are so many better games in the genre that outshine Diablo 2, and one of those games exists within its series. This is a nostalgia trip of the long-toothed foggies, and not much else. The bugs don’t exactly help either.
Fort Triumph isn’t a bad game. I’d even consider it a good game for a little while. Its issues are its general lack of polish and how quickly every one of its systems dull by the end of the first or second act, let alone the final act of the fourth campaign. There is oodles of content on offer here, it just wasn’t worth experiencing to the fullest. This is all made worse by the poor production values and general jank. Probably something to look out for on sale.
Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ is a pain in the arse. When it hits right, it sticks the landing with acrobatic precision. That juicy core, the multiplayer, and endless content - these all get the thumbs up from me. Its damn aspect ratio in conjunction with some lazy balancing and clunky menus do quite the number on an otherwise great title. This makes the game incredibly hard to recommend, especially to newcomers to the series or genre. Ultimately though, I did end up having quite the good time - flaws be damned.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a mixed bag, to say the least. Its strengths don’t necessarily lie in its qualities as a game, but its inclusion in a genre that is inherently addictive. The formula the genre uses has been refined and mastered to the point it has become quite the potent drug, and Olive Town can administer that narcotic effectively when it wants to. The issue is, I found it didn’t have any staying power. I was hooked whilst I was playing, but once I put it down, it was a real struggle to pick it back up. There were just too many niggling little issues that hindered my enjoyment long term. As far as farming-sims go, this one is passable and worth checking out if you have exhausted other, better games in the genre.
Kowloon High-School Chronicle is a hard game to recommend. It’s old in a way that makes it unpleasant at times, but the core concept is rock solid. Once you get past that initial wall of text, you’re in the clear. That being said, there are much better dungeon crawlers out there, and Kowloon is not good enough to recommend over them. What it has in spades, however, is a theme that is quirky, endearing, outlandish and totally unique. I would wait for a sale before you pick this up, and even then, only if you really appreciate Japanese-Indiana Jones-Anime-Horror-Comedies.
Overall Wintermoor Tactics Club is an alright game. The story is held up by solid dialogue, an interesting premise, and a cast of characters that are endearing enough to cover up some of the game’s flaws. Unfortunately, those flaws were ultimately too much for me to completely ignore and I left Wintermoor feeling disappointed. This is an incredibly accessible title for gamers who don’t have much experience with Tactical RPGs, however, if you’ve ever seen the box art for a TRPG, then you probably have enough experience to waltz through Wintermoor without breaking a sweat.
Gynoug is an experience. The gameplay is fine, it does the job and has just enough added gubbins to keep it feeling mostly fresh. The star of the show, however are the visuals. This game comes from a time long forgotten - where dripping, throbbing, scrolling, and pulsating was just an everyday occurrence. For that reason alone, providing the price is right, it’s worth a gander. Aside from that? If you are a fan of Shmups, then Gynoug should satisfy.
Overall, The Medium left me with feelings of general frustration. Not at the quality of the game, or the mechanics themselves, but the length of the ride. The game is simply too long and the vast majority of my issues are a result of the core game growing stale, or the story being broken up by long stretches of nothing. All that being said, I had a good time with The Medium. It’s not something I’d recommend people rush out and buy at full price, but it’s certainly a game worth experiencing.
Overall Pacer is a good game. It stumbles from time to time with flaccid weapons and a lack of an active online community, but in just about every other category, it does a corker of a job. When compared to other games in the genre, it holds up favorably and if you are a fan of said genre, then, honestly, this is one worth checking out. Heck, this is a pretty damn solid starting point too.
Boomerang Fu is a fun little brawler, packing depth and style in equal measure. It’s let down by a lack of online multiplayer, but if you can get a few people together, then this is absolutely worth booting up from time to time.
Despite a few niggling issues, Dungeon of the Endless is an incredibly satisfying mix of Roguelike Dungeon Crawler, Tower Defence and Resource Management.
Warborn is a game that teeters on the edge of brilliance. Poor AI and a few quality of life issues tarnish an otherwise great game. A solid TBS that can be enjoyed by newcomers and veterans alike.
Knights of the Old Republic is still a fantastic RPG. Its best years are certainly behind it, but what it does well, it does better than most games released today. If you can look beyond the clunky controls and slightly janky systems, you will find a story and cast of characters that will stick with you for life.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a bastard to rate. What we have here is a game that, when everything is working in tandem, is possibly the greatest JRPG of all time. The depth, the mechanics, the loop – it’s perfect. The things it fumbles, however, makes getting to that greatness a chore at times, and it does serious damage to the overall experience. This is a 10/10 game, trapped in an 8/10 body – which is a real shame.
Gleylancer is a fantastic shoot-em-up that holds up to today's standards. It also puts the vast majority of classic shoot-em-up ports to shame. The game has no noticeable input delay, it has loads of options for play, it adds in quality of life features, and it even throws in a modern control scheme for kicks. Sure the scoring system is a bit naff, but everything else here is golden.
Raiden IV x Mikado Remix is a return to form for the flailing Raiden series. Age be damned, Raiden IV’s core gameplay still holds up - the additional content on offer here is just the cherry on an already scrumptious cake. Fans of the genre should jump on this release, and newcomers can gently slide into the game thanks to its myriad of accessibility options.
Far Cry 6 is just dumb fun. It has its issues, but I couldn’t help but jump in for an hour here and there just to mess around and have fun. The story was a hoot too, and honestly, grinding missions just to see more of Giancarlo Esposito was more than worth it. It’s not going to blow your socks off, but there is a lot to see, a lot to do, and most of it is pretty darn good.
Overall Islanders is a game that I was not expecting to like - at all. It didn’t take long for it to sink its hooks into me and gently coerced me down a winding path of tranquillity. Genre be damned, in a world full of elevated heart rates and perpetual soul-crushing stress, Islanders is a nice break from reality. Its gaminess can be a bit off at times, but for the most part, this is a fantastic hybrid of a game.
Blaster Master Zero 3 is a fitting end to a wonderful series of games. It’s not without its flaws, namely occasional bouts of brutal difficulty and controls that could have been tightened up a tad, but overall, it’s quite the romp. Fans of the series should absolutely check out the conclusion, and newcomers should totally give it a gander - although I’d still advise playing 1 and 2 first.
Legend of Mana was a game that took a little while for me to truly understand. I went in expecting something, and it gave me something completely different. Heck, so different I can’t recall any game quite like it. It is captivating enough to play for hours on end, but it’s also bite-sized enough that short pick up and play sessions are ideal (hurray for Switch players). If deep mechanics and JRPG systems are what you want, Legend of Mana will disappoint. If a string of wonderfully crafted fairy tales set in a phenomenally realized world with secrets hidden around every syllable is your cup of tea, then Legend of Mana is an easy recommendation.