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.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty differentiates itself from Nioh thanks to a few key mechanics, though the experience can feel a little linear and easy at times. Still a fun game for fans of Team Ninja, and faster Soulslikes in general.
A new setting is not enough to disguise Like a Dragon: Ishin!'s unbalanced combat and middling story.
One Piece Odyssey fails to captilize on a strong IP, telling neither an interesting original story nor adapting the manga into a fun game.
Chained Echoes rises above its SNES-era inspirations, crafting an experience that easily stands out for its own merits.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak won't convert diehard fans of older entries, but it still offers more solid hunting gameplay.
If you’ve not played Mary Skelter 2 or its predecessor, this is still a solid way to experience both titles (a remastered version of the first game is included for free). It has next to no graphics options, but solid support for both keyboard/mouse and controllers, and the actual dungeon crawling gameplay is enjoyable. But if you want 100% of the game to be available on PC, then you’re out of luck.
There’s still a lot to love in Lost Judgment. Nearly everything outside of the main story has been improved since Judgment, and I’m still not tired of scouring the city for new side-content. But it’s hard to ignore how poorly the story often handles one of its main subjects, and the way that certain characters are written. You’ll still get the usual mix of chaotic fights and funny one-liners though, alongside a slew of new side activities and stories, so it’s still easy to recommend Lost Judgment to fans of the franchise.
At the end of the day, Tales of Arise is an incredibly fun game. There are some things that I would have liked done differently, and the battle system is definitely simplistic, though these things likely won’t be much of an issue for most players. Honestly, any game that I can play for 50 hours in under two weeks and still enjoy is a great one in my book. I’m looking forward to seeing what Bandai Namco does with the franchise next — hopefully we wont have to wait until the PS6 for their next Tales project.
It’s hard to really see who Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is aimed at. People that were put off by some of the issues in Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed aren’t going to play its even jankier predecessor, and £34.99 is a steep asking price even for someone that might be interested in trying this out. If you’re desperate to see the series’ origins, then this might be worthwhile — just go in with appropriately low expectations!