Immortal Redneck absolutely captivated me for several hours. The story isn't really the real thing, but a title like that doesn't need that either. I had my fun with Redneck, his dialect and appearance just fit. In the beginning I was highly motivated to find all the weapons, but unfortunately the content is quickly exhausted, but the scrolls loosen it up a bit, because with every pass there was the moment that I found a new one. That brought back the fun and motivation quickly. The talent tree is nicely built, I like this feature that you can see the tree growing in real life. Also the talents you get are not unnecessary. They feel important and in higher levels they also feel decisive for the game. The blessings bring even more depth to the game, because it makes an extreme difference in the way you play if you choose an offensive or defensive deity. All in all, I had fun with Immortal Redneck, even if I wouldn't have thought so at first, but Immortal Redneck has reached many emotional worlds of mine. I was motivated, challenged and angry. That's why I recommend the game to everyone who has fun with Roguelike titles like The Binding of Isaac or Slay the Spire and no problem with Permadeath and restarts. But you will be rewarded with new weapons and items.
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Yes, yes and once again yes! Exactly such games the world needs. Valkyria Chronicles 4 has gone back to its origins, skilfully implemented and left the battle victorious with waving flags. The story of the title is incredibly exciting and you always want to know more. The fact that you have to select the individual story sections with pictures interrupts the flow of the story a bit. I was bothered by the fact that if you are in the middle of the story, the story is finished and the next picture has to be clicked. But here it should be noted that this is criticism on the highest level. Gameplay and the combat system are intuitive. You are always responsible for what happens on the battlefield. It's up to you where the unit is sent to and whether it survives. Only the evaluation after a battle I found awkwardly designed. There is simply too much emphasis on the speed of the conclusion. Because of the diversity of Valkyria Chronicles 4 I never got bored. Once I didn't feel like the story, which rarely happened, I continued the troop stories. If I wanted to learn more about my game world, I went to the accommodations and devoted myself to studies. Were there any problems with the level or the money? No problem, off to a skirmish. It was just fun to play such a wonderful game with unique characters. Anyone who is familiar with JRPG's tactics or just wants to start with such a genre will have fun here. Valkyria Chronicles 4 impresses with a breathtaking story, lovable and unique characters, enormous tactical behaviour and variety. Join Claude Wallace and Squad E on their digital campaign against the imperialist alliance!
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Marenian Tavern Story: Patty and the Hungry God looked pretty bad to me at first sight. The presentation was not the best and the story was quite flat. But after I got through the first hours I was converted. KEMCO created an interesting mix of JRPG and simulation for this title. The fights are not demanding and no graphic bomb but the rest is well done. The game then developed a certain momentum for me, so I wanted to collect more and more ingredients to be able to cook more. If you can enjoy a good mix between JRPG and simulation and don't expect graphical highlights or need a deep story, you can use this title.
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Alvastia Chronicles offers a story with ups and downs, unexpected twists and turns and surprise. You wouldn't expect this title to show that, but I was well entertained throughout. I especially liked the wealth of characters that can be recruited. At every corner of the world, you can find more friends. This feature indirectly forces you to deal with the world. It should be noted that there is no synchronization of the characters, so everything has to be read. Here you have to unpack your English knowledge, because there is no German translation. I also enjoyed the variety of the different characters. If you want to make friends with barrels or trees, this is no problem in Alvastia Chronicles. The fights are well designed throughout, but the random fights are just annoying from a certain point on. It feels like there are just too many in too short a time. A nice side note is that towards the end of the game, you're pretty overleveled, so the end boss shouldn't be a problem. If you're looking for a solid JRPG with collection factor, you'll have a lot of fun with Alvastia Chronicles!
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My time in Portia was longer than I thought, because the game captivated me. The mixture of exploring and working on the field has become optimal. In My Time at Portia you don't have to watch the fields all the time. Because of the time gained, I was able to focus more on exploration. The world of My Time at Portia offers so much to discover and I wanted to see everything! The story has been well integrated into the overall game structure. You can't see the post-apocalyptic scenario in the game, but if you delve deeper, you can see the former world at every corner. What you can give credit to My Time at Portia is the fact that the game has been completely translated into German. Here and there there are gaps where there are still English text passages, but these are rarely seen and don't disturb the flow of the game. Also you can see the game's PC past, because the gamepad controls are very spongy in some places. You can also see this when you search or select something in the menu. All in all, My Time at Portia is a wonderful game with a few quirks. If you want to play a solid simulation game with an exploration factor, My Time at Portia will definitely give you a good time.
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The first question I always ask myself when testing various Sonic Racing titles is, why does the world's fastest hedgehog have to master various race tracks with a race car? Unfortunately, this question is not answered until the end of the game. Nevertheless, Team Sonic Racing remains an average fun racer where there is potential for more. The fact that you can help your comrades and thereby get bonuses yourself is very well done. Unfortunately some AI friends are so badly programmed that you lose because of them and the frustration level rises. My highlight in the game were the different modes. It's fun not always having to drive a Grand Prix. The various challenges are well chosen and demanding. Unfortunately the Nintendo Switch version has such immense frame rate drops and lags in the online mode that you should consider buying the game on Nintendo's handheld. Team Sonic Racing is fun, but is definitely no competition for Mario Kart!
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Even seven years after its release Torchlight II still knows how to please, the game has aged well. The typical loot system works wonderfully on the home consoles. The porting is successful except for the equipment area. The story cannot convince one hundred percent with the few twists and surprises, but it doesn't have to. Since the story is finished after a good twenty hours, in the end game you only concentrate on the optimal equipment anyway. Torchlight II can still be played today, as long as you don't have elaborate textures or detailed graphics.
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Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore provides solid JRPG performance. The story is exciting until the end. The crisp difficulty level remains challenging, but never unfair. I could really let myself fall during my several hours of travel in colorful Tokyo. This is also due to the fact that the parallel worlds were thematically wonderfully designed. Unfortunately, you can see that the ravages of time gnawed at the title. The graphics were not changed in the Encore version. There is also only a Japanese voice output. At least an English voice over could have been implemented here. JRPG fans will love Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Even people who have played the game before should consider buying it again thanks to the new dungeons, story missions and costumes.
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Heroland has good approaches, but does not implement them optimally. The story around Lucky as a leisure guide is successful and has fun moments. But the highlight is definitely the cuddly cardboard graphics. The lack of freedom while playing was especially annoying. Be it in the dungeon where you just jump from one field to the next, or the amusement park with its eight key places. Also in the area of character development one could have come up with something more. The fights in the dungeon itself, were good from the basic idea. I think this mixture of AI based attacks with Coach System is not bad. Here the importance of Lucky's intervention should have been more in the foreground.
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Rune Factory 4 Special takes the player into a magical world full of adventure and challenges. If you want to fill your virtual existence with fieldwork and explore the story of Selphia, the game will not disappoint you. The learning process is slow and steady, so that the player is not overwhelmed. When you've had enough of gardening, you swing on an animal and ride through the wilderness, beating up some monsters. The fighting could have been a little more challenging, but Rune Factory 4 Special doesn't want that. The title shines with a mix of simulation and RPG elements. This appeals to people who may not otherwise be involved with JRPGs. The new features are well done, especially the synchronisation is impressive. The developer would have liked to add some more graphic elements. The sprites look partly not well ported. If you feel like a fine mixture of Harvest Moon and JRPG, you will definitely get your money's worth.
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Yes, Warrior's Orochi 4 Ultimate sticks to its principles. You shred your way through masses of enemy hordes and get an increasingly strong troop. The game principle is clear and simple. The total package brings a lot of features that were necessary. Especially the aspect that you can now exchange the holy treasures is something I wanted. The story around Gaia and Hades brings new life into the otherwise boring plot. If you haven't bought Warrior's Orochi 4 yet and you have a preference for the genre, you can confidently go for the Ultimate version.
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Underhero is a lovingly designed indie title with lots of attention to detail. If you look at the conversations around the colleagues of 745, it is fun to listen to them. It doesn't seem to be a burden to talk to all monsters, no, you want to talk to everybody and get to know the world around the Underhero better. The bouncing passages are the shortcoming of the game. Not only once did the inaccuracy of the jump drive me crazy. But in the end I kept going until I mastered the last jump, even though it took me several years of my life. The fights were a lot of fun. I immediately remembered the Paper Mario parts where dodging and learning the attack patterns was part of survival. If you want to play a mixture of platformer and roleplaying game, spiced with a fun and exciting story, you definitely won't go wrong with Underhero.
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A thirty year old game hasn't looked this good for a long time. The remaster of Langrisser I & II is a perfect success. The new character designs fit wonderfully into the modern game landscape. But if you want to have the original feeling like back then on the Sega Mega Drive, that's no problem either. With about 70 hours of different story paths, you have a lot to do with the bundle. Since the gameplay changes depending on the way you play, playing through the game several times is not boring. You have to endure the frustrating moments with the sometimes really stupid NPCs, but in the end you will be rewarded with an exciting story. There are not many strategy games that can hold a candle to Fire Emblem, but Langrisser I & II is definitely one of them. Strategy fans can take the titles with confidence.
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As a long-time One Piece fan, I am thrilled with One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4. The story goes all the way to Big Mom Arc and in just under 20 hours you get the main points of the story. The fighting system remains true to a Musou game. You fight your way through a level with a pirate of your choice and defeat several thousand enemies. The special abilities available to you are the graphic highlight. Each character has four attacks typical for the series. Also the innovation with the shield bars and the giant enemies brings fresh wind into the series. Unfortunately, the biggest criticism is the long waiting time for the loading screens. This aspect takes so much dynamic out of the game that it sometimes seems frustrating. Also the level of difficulty is not really demanding. At the highest of the three levels, there are isolated sections where you have to take more care. All in all One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is the best part of the series. If you have fun in the One Piece universe and own a console or PC, the title is an absolute must buy.
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Sakura Wars is a good mixture of Dating Sim, Visual Novel and few RPG elements. Because of the LIPS system you have to make many decisions in a short time. Even if it is sometimes not obvious what the outcome is, the fun sequences compensate for it. Through the many romances, you can play the game well and often. The role playing area has several problems and is just too small to convince JRPG fans. But if you are looking for a good visual novel with a touch of Musou action, you will definitely find it with Sakura War.
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The remake of Trials of Mana has remained true to its origins. The story, good versus evil, is classic and twists and turns are not to be expected. Through the six protagonists, six different perspectives can be seen in the interwoven story. This allows the title to be played through six times. With a playing time of 20 hours per character, you get a lot from a game. Unfortunately not much can be experienced apart from the story. With almost no side quests, you are "only" busy with the main story. Also there is no local co-op anymore, which could disturb one or the other. If you played the original 25 years ago, it's definitely worth playing it again. New fans have to be satisfied with a roleplay without a lot of gimmicks. But if you get involved, you get a wonderfully animated game pearl.
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Code Vein makes the entry into the Soulslike genre relatively easy. But that doesn't mean that the game becomes a pleasant walk through the forest. You will die and not once or twice, but very often, but Code Vein takes the player by the hand. The story is served to you on a plate. You don't have to puzzle the story together with item descriptions. But the constant comparison with the titles of From Software is not really necessary, because Code Vein has its own features that are way ahead of Dark Souls. So the blood codes are an enormous enrichment in the game. You can adapt the game to the situation so that no frustrating moments arise. In my opinion, the title is more of a souls-lite. The game remains challenging to the end, but I never had the feeling to have such a subjective difficulty as in Dark Souls. If you have a soft spot for anime and want to try a game similar to Dark Souls, Code Vein is the right choice. It offers everything you need to get started in the genre.
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Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an indie gem. The exciting look á la Paper Mario and the mature combat system, you will have fun playing the game throughout. You can also see the difficulty level. Quite early you get a coin where you can activate the hard mode. If the normal level of difficulty is not enough, you can safely choose the hard mode. By the adaptation with the coin, the modes can be easily switched on and off. If you want to shorten the wait for the new Paper Mario, you can confidently use this excellent title.
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Wow, great, tres bien, molto bene, that's all there is to say about such a well aged JRPG! Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition convinces with a wonderful environment, very well staged music and an incredibly twisty story. The only downer are the many quests. Due to the repetitive nature of the quests, they feel more like a burden than an adventure. Everyone who likes to play JRPG, for him Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is a must buy. Even veterans who want to play the game for the third time will be rewarded with a fifteen hour additional episode. This can also be conveniently selected directly from the main menu, a play through of the original story is not necessary.
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Ys: Memories of Celceta is a JRPG pearl like no other. A progressive storyline, different playable characters and a flood of items. If you don't mind watching a more than dusty graphic for about 20 hours, you will definitely have fun with the title. On the other hand, if you have played the version on your PC or PS Vita, the new features of the PS4-Version are too small to play the game a third time.
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