8-Bit Adventures 2 makes for a great palette cleanser between longer big-budget titles, helped along by the fantastic spritework and soundtrack. Its pacing might not be to everyone’s tastes, but this is an RPG that rarely wastes your time.
Ys X is a fun time, but there are so many elements that feel underbaked. Combat is responsive but Duo Mode is completely unbalanced, and Mana abilities are vastly underutilised. Hopefully some of these systems can be built upon for a potential Ys XI, since I definitely think they can be reworked into something special.
The gamebook style of The Nameless: Slay Dragon is not something you see often, but the overreliance on RNG checks really sours the experience. There’s a good amount of content here for those that persevere (including story threads tied to multiple playthroughs), but I can’t really say that I had fun during my time with The Nameless: Slay Dragon.
Nine Sols is an engaging metroidvania that proves Red Candle Games can tackle more than just horror (though they still manage to sneak a little of it into this latest title.) Combat is fast and fluid, paired with a setting that I genuinely wanted to learn more about. Hollow Knight fans that are waiting for Silksong should really be checking out Nine Sols instead.
Spy x Anya: Operation Memories is repetitive, and barely offers enough content for its already short 10 hour runtime. I feel like it might go over okay with younger fans due to its simplicity, though everyone else would be better off just keeping up with the manga or anime.
I went into Gestalt: Steam & Cinder with some hope despite the delays. I came out feeling like I’ve played one of the more forgettable metroidvanias in recent years. It’s far from the worst I’ve ever played (the short runtime actually helps it out in a way). I just can’t see myself recommending this unless you’ve absolutely exhausted the best this genre has to offer already.
Athenian Rhapsody is billed as a game where each player’s experience is different, and that you can play through multiple times to find new paths. But due to the focus on wacky characters over good writing, I had a hard time even wanting to finish a single run. I’d imagine some people might still have a good time, but I can safely say Athenian Rhapsody was not for me.
Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution’s poor framerate, terrible gameplay, and story with no stakes combine together to make for a thoroughly unpleasant RPG. While the game’s entire goal is to make better and better games, the actual Neptunia series seems to have instead gone on a steep downward decline.
Rabbit and Steel is an incredibly enjoyable game, merging raid mechanics and roguelites in a way I didn’t think would work so well. There’s just enough variety to keep runs fresh, while also not going too far and making it harder to learn each boss encounter. I’m more than looking forward to grabbing a few friends at launch and seeing how multiplayer turns things up another notch.
Anomaly Collapse is an interesting game, but one I’d maybe recommend waiting on a few patches for to see if certain issues can be ironed out. Despite the cute characters, it’s not for the faint of heart, and it certainly doesn’t do the best job of onboarding new players.
Terra Memoria comes across as a much larger project that had to be heavily cut down to get something out the door. I really liked the initial premise, and the character designs have a lot of charm. But everything else is just far too simplistic, leading to a story that is unmemorable and combat that requires no thought. Despite this, I wouldn’t be against another game in the same world that’s entirely focused around the robust building systems, since they hold a lot of potential.
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a barebones port of a flawed JRPG, now with a hefty £44.99 price tag. When you can get the various SaGa ports and remakes for far less, I can’t even recommend this game for fans of more unique RPGs.
Rise of the Ronin dilutes the gameplay of Nioh and Wo Long to accomodate for an open world that offers little of worth. Combat is still great despite this, but it could have been so much more
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore doesn’t quite reach the goofy highs of The Wand of Gamelon and The Faces of Evil, and its gameplay is still going to pale in comparison to modern platformers. But as a homage to the CD-i, it’s still full of charm (and actually decent to play, unlike the aforementioned games). If you go in knowing what to expect, then you’ll have a decent time
Piczle Cross Story of Seasons is a simple game, perhapss too simple for some. But if you like Story of Seasons and relaxing puzzle games, it’s absolutely worth giving a try. As a bonus, it’s also under £10 to buy, making it cheaper than the disappointing Pioneers of Olive Town Expansion Pass!
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is another solid entry in the genre, and a decent starting point for newcomers (though I’d argue The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is better for this due to its cheap price point). It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those that do brave Serpentcoil Island, you’ll find a rewarding roguelike experience to sink your teeth into.
Astlibra Gaiden: The Cave of Phantom Mist can offer a few hours of familiar action combat, with a few tweaks here and there. But the reuse of assets and a randomised dungeon system that offers no variety makes for a rather bland experience over Astlibra Revision. However, if you’re fine with the lack of story content and just want to blast through some monster-filled areas, then The Cave of Phantom Mist is the cheap DLC for you.
Remnant 2 is simply the first game but better. Improved customization, worlds, and combat all make for the perfect sequel.
Hunt the Night wastes its potential with bad combat and a world that isn't fully realized.
Despite the simple combat and some story issues at times, Atelier Ryza 3 offers an engaging gameplay loop that never gets boring.