You can see in Dark Deity that the developers have a great love for classic SRPGs like Fire Emblem. Even if the story and presentation aren't overwhelming, the battle system does a lot right. Starting with the active abilities, which really add something and aren't just a decorative effect. Then there are the different classes, which gave me the opportunity to customize my squad the way I wanted. Finally, to the little things, like the battle animations, which add a lot of charm to the game. In my opinion, if more had been invested in the story presentation in addition, the title could have reached a wide range of players. Thus, Dark Deity remains an insider tip among SRPG fans that can be bought without hesitation.
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It's been a long time since I've been so torn when it came to rating a game. Mario Party Superstars has a lot of good points, such as the different co-op options and the mini-game mountain with a selection of the best games in Mario Party history. But exactly the second argument also brings a disadvantage. With the given number of mini-games, the air is out very quickly. I also find it a shame that you no longer have to unlock the games or boards. This means that the replay value is quickly lost, especially if you have played through all the boards. With the coins won from them, you can still go shopping in the Toadshop, but these things have no relevance in the end. All in all, Mario Party Superstars is a good game if you want to indulge in fond nostalgic memories. As long as you are aware of this fact and don't expect any too important innovations, you will have your fun with the title.
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Super Mario 3D All-Stars shows the young generation what the evolution of Nintendo's mascot has looked like. Starting with an edgy 3D representation with camera problems, up to a wonderfully designed plumber, who is looking for his princess in space. Even nostalgics will enjoy the collection. You may return to your childhood and experience Mario again. You only have to give deductions in the implementation of the games. That in Super Mario 64, no 16:9 aspect ratio was inserted, is a sad fact. Also the price of 60 Euro was chosen very high for a remaster which was not really remastered. All in all, you will have fun with Super Mario 3D All-Stars, no matter if you accompany Mario on one of his 3D adventures for the first time or if you have already experienced them several times.
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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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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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Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a homage to the entire series. The background music has always been an essential part of the franchise. That's why I was all the more pleased when this game was announced. The story sections are told in their most essential features, which is good for newcomers, but simply too little for veterans. Also the scope is exhausted relatively quickly and the other modes are nice, but it doesn't have a real added value. The enemy types are also exhausted after a while. The real highlight is and remains the music, because every single track reminded me of the wonderful events around Kingdom Hearts. If you want to remember such moments, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a must buy. If you don't have any nostalgic memories of it, you will have to think twice about buying it.
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Ys IX Monstrum Nox is a role-playing pearl that I wouldn't want to miss. The ninth part also convinced me with its battle system and story. Especially the plot is, in my opinion, the best story of the series. Unexpected twists combined with exciting character relationships have me under their spell. The graphics are, as in the other sequels, unfortunately outdated and could use a beauty treatment. With 20 to 30 hours and six different difficulty levels, you can spend quite some time in Balduq. The New Game Plus mode also invites you to collect forgotten items and explore all the secrets of the prison city. All in all, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a solid JRPG title that you won't regret buying.
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I had an enormous amount of fun with New Pokémon Snap. That's especially because it's so wonderfully decelerating. Just turn on the Switch and dive into the tropical forests for a few hours and look for the perfect picture of Arbok. Since the game concept doesn't overwhelm, even children will have their fun with the title. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the gameplay is very repetitive and almost doesn't change at all from the beginning to the end. It also leaves the bland aftertaste that you only move along predefined routes. All in all, it's a good remake of the original title. If you can get excited about the likes of Animal Crossing, you'll definitely enjoy New Pokémon Snap.
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Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom is definitely not an everyday RPG. You can argue whether the new combat system is innovative or disruptive. I didn't like the fact that in the end there is no reward for winning battles. The coins earned can be spent in the store for various accessories, but these are soon bought up. That's why the normal fights are disturbing and you try to avoid them later in the game. The absolute highlight remains the setting, because the gorgeous colors and the character sprites are shining like hell. Also the search for the toads is motivating and lets you enjoy the whole game world. Finally, it remains to say that Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom unfortunately can't hold a candle to its predecessors. The story around Mario and Origami ruler Olly is well done, but the stressful fighting system makes the game fun to play.
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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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Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity bridges the time until the release of Breath of the Wild 2, but unfortunately only briefly. While the environment and enemy types may seem varied at first, you become dulled as the game progresses. However, the search for crogs or the prey hunt for special items and weapons remains particularly motivated. There are more than enough side tasks to complete. Besides the simple booty hunts, you can also sit down in the huge colossuses to defeat even more enemies in a short time. But especially when a lot of enemies appear on the screen, the performance of the Switch can reach its limits. All in all Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a decently made Warriors game that you will have fun with if you are a fan of such Musou titles.
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I enjoyed Dandy Ace enormously with its colorful layout. The immersion in the world of magic and illusion also convinced me. Defeating enemies with cards or giving them hell with fireworks fits perfectly into the overall concept. With the amount of enemies and the clarity, the developer could perhaps still create a remedy in an update. Because two waves of enemies with six to eight opponents is a bit much and gets frustrating very quickly. With more than thirty different maps and different endings, you can invest some time in Dandy Ace. Even if the game doesn't come close to The Binding of Isaac, it's a worthy successor to Skul: The Hero Slayer. I remain hopeful that the game will be fed with many updates and expansions.
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Monkeys, man's best friends! This motto can be applied very well to The Survivalists. Without the hairy companion, you are very quickly lost at the title. The game offers a solid sandbox survival adventure with strengths and weaknesses. The crafting aspect is the highlight of the title. Many different items need to be built by the stranded person to make island life bearable. Also the constant hunger is not as bad as it sounds at the beginning. Since the food can't rot, you can build a big camp. On the negative side, it should be mentioned that crafting often gets in the way of itself. If you want to create several objects at the same time, you can do this in a detour. Also, if you have several monkeys, it can get confusing if you want to teach a certain monkey something. All in all The Survivalists remains a beautifully designed survival game with an enormous learning curve. The different biomes are nice to look at and a long-term motivation is definitely given by the different generated worlds.
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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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Mario Kart Live - Home Circuit is a new version of the classic racing game. The AR features are refreshing and a lot of fun. Bringing the aspect of the race track into the living room was a clever move by Nintendo. With the right size there are no limits to your fantasy. The co-op mode is unfortunately not possible online. You are limited here to the local version. Why Nintendo considered this step, I did not understand. I imagine it to be especially funny to play with players all over the world in their living rooms.
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Mario Golf: Super Rush joins the ranks of Nintendo's various simulation games. Even though the title has more simulation aspects than other representatives, like Mario Kart or Mario Football, the game is fun. However, with Battle Golf, you get the typical and insane gameplay presented. When it comes to the adventure mode, I would have liked to see more variety in terms of character selection. It's all well and good if you can experience the adventure with your Mii, but I would have been more pleased if I could go on this journey with Warluigi. But in the end, you only get real fun when you play with several people. Mario Golf: Super Rush offers both online mode and local co-op. These modes are well done and do what you expect. All in all, golf fans will get their money's worth and have a lot of fun with the title. However, if you have nothing to do with golf, it will be difficult to enjoy the game.
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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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I'm always happy when I hear that remakes or remasters of JRPGs will be released, and Legend of Mana was no exception. After the well-done Trails of Mana, I was in enormous anticipation, but unfortunately it was not satisfied. Legend of Mana is a role-playing game that was innovative in the area of presentation and storytelling 20 years ago. But today it can't keep up these aspects. Is it on the one hand because the style mix of new backgrounds and old sprites really harmonize in my opinion, on the other hand also because of the weak protagonist. With this character, I never felt as if he had a purpose or development in the game. What saves the story, however, are the wonderful supporting characters. The charming characters, were able to keep me glued to the game even over a long period of time. It should also be noted that although the main plot is missing, the short stories were convincing. For gamers who don't have much time to follow a long story, this aspect is convincing. Exciting stories can be experienced again and again in small bites. All in all, you have to have a love for old JRPGs and innovative ideas to like Legend of Mana. But if you get involved, you'll experience a smorgasbord of different stories and loving characters in a good forty hours.
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void tRrLM(); Void Terrarium is a rogue-like title as there are quite a few already. But there are special features that made me play the game longer than I first thought. On the one hand you have a wonderfully mysterious relationship between the robot and Toriko. The girl seems small and fragile and the robot has the same characteristics. But in the course of the story it turns out that the robot is more than nothing and fragile, it is strong and brave! Exactly this development has been well done and NIS America has made the best use of the emotions and the setting.
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WarioWare: Get It Together! is a nice collection of different microgames under time pressure. Very often I found that you have much less time to understand and master the individual games. Fortunately, there is a training mode where you can work off these disadvantages. Unfortunately, however, long-term motivation falls by the wayside. After a good three hours, the main part is done, and if you invest a few more hours afterwards, all the microgames are done at least once. The cosmetic changes also don't bring the freshness that the developer probably imagined. It would have been more interesting if each character had special skins. What the title definitely shines with, however, is the multiplayer. Online or locally, you will have fun with the creative games and crazy sceneries. For single player, the air is out very quickly and you have to think carefully about whether you want to pay the full price.
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