Despite some very occasional problems in audiovisual and gameplay, most of the technical choices were well made for Tactics Ogre Reborn, keeping it without a doubt as one of the best, if not the best, tactical RPG. Considering the complexity of the gameplay, as well as the narrative sophistication, the coherence of the design and the polish of the game as a whole, this is obviously a must-have title for fans of the genre, and also highly recommended for those who appreciate serious and well-written stories in the context of war. However, in relation to newcomers to TRPG, although there is the Chariot Tarot, which makes the game a little less hostile, it clearly is not and does not intend to be very inviting for this audience.
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Portal: Companion Collection brings a good amount of content and compiles two of the most remarkable puzzle games ever made, most notably Portal 2, which has perhaps the most creative, ingenious and well-written design Valve has ever produced. This collection is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys comic science fiction and is a must for puzzle fans.
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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Edition (Multi) is the kind of game that's simple and easy to play, but complex and tough to review, thanks to its unique concept of game design and the originality and humor-driven insight of its interpretation and evaluation of videogame narrative. However, it's also the kind of game that can be fun and interesting for any kind of player who likes interactive fiction or those who study [the] videogame narrative [possibilities].
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Although with occasional reservations in narrative, gameplay and audiovisual aspects, NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition is a highly creative, ingenious, sensitive and deep game, with many coherent layers. In addition, it manages to be accessible and fun while experimentally integrating its exotic choices of battle, interface, music and others around humanistic and existential issues.
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Fez has a unique and visionary aesthetic, after all it is not trivial to unite the concept of Ueda with a visual style of the 8-bit era and that can be, at the same time, charismatic and profound; as well as mysterious and humorous. Fez's problems are few, probably the most serious of them being the fact that it is not very challenging: it is very easy to inductively solve the puzzles, and the real challenge is to find the hidden anti-cubes, but they are optional.
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The Longing can be interesting, elegant, creative, deep and coherent, that is enough for us to consider it a great game.
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Hashihime of the Old Book Town Append is a complex, immersive, bold and creative VN that weaves a unique and moving plot filled with unpredictable twists under the light of an stylish art with serious, lively and psychedelic traces, but one that isn't beyond reproach. Besides the budget limitations, which are clear in the audiovisual aspect, the latter routes don't hold the same energy of the first one. Sometimes the balance between reality and fantasy seems to move too much in favor of fantasy and arbitrary logic, and the last route, while having an interesting and radical side to it, is particularly problematic and controversial. Certainly, it's one of the best (if not the best) BL VNs ever made, at least when it comes to narrative design, making it highly recommended for a general public of good stories about sense of reality, mystery and romance but the player has to understand that they're diving into a practically kinetic experience. Besides that, the plot formula requires a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief to dive into this tragic, unpredictable and moving web of dreams that the young writer from a Jinbounchou library got tangled with.
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Despite the simplicity both in some technical visual aspects and in its level design and in its mechanics, NORCO knows how to use minimalism and point-and-click to its advantage with creativity and expressiveness, especially in audiovisual aspects, delivering one of the most immersive worlds , fascinating and memorable experiences I've ever experienced in video games. In particular, the text has a sophisticated narrative design, a context well motivated by important social and environmental problems of our time, and one of the best-written scripts of recent times. The debut game from the Geography of Robots studio is a strong candidate to be one of the best indies of the year, in addition to being a must-have title for adventure fans and a general recommendation for those who appreciate good stories in video games.
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The new game from Jump Over the Age is, just like NORCO and Disco Elysium, one of the best-written games in recent years, being a must-play for those who appreciate well-polished text, just as those previously mentioned, mature, thought-provoking sci-fi plot and tabletop RPG mechanics.
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Persona 5 Royal is the biggest creative leap in the series since at least Persona 3, particularly in gameplay. In addition, it has a plot that is both light and interesting, plenty of content, an exemplary interface design and a coherent audiovisual with a strong personality. The title is recommended to anyone who enjoys both JRPG and social simulation and has more than 100 hours to dedicate to it.
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Immortality brings with its ambitious, mature and daring production a critical and unique narrative experience, and manages to bring art cinema closer to video games like no other interactive film until then. The title is a must-have for any movie lover who is interested in the potential for the intersection of this medium with video games, as well as mystery adventure fans open to dealing with the irreverent eroticism and conceptualism of this work.
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Despite bringing a limited, sometimes repetitive, and somewhat simple gameplay experience in RPG elements, Pentiment is one of the best examples of historical fiction that the video game media has ever produced. Its narrative has an engaging mystery, a historically rich context with several good points for reflection on the passage from the medieval to the modern era, a coherent and immersive audiovisual and, above all, a unique text design that makes every word say much more than its mere meaning.
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Despite its clichés, as well as some excesses and pacing problems, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker has memorable scenes and dialogue and consolidates the Hydaelyn-Zodiark arc as one of the best Final Fantasy stories in a rich mythology of existential, cultural and political issues. The title is highly recommended for Final Fantasy fans and is also more accessible and enchanting than ever for newcomers to the series.
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Despite its simplicity in many ways and its sounding a little confusing or overly wacky, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure is perhaps one of the most unique and interesting games ever made with gameplay and storytelling that have not only aged well but continue to exhibit a very current and relevant critical design.
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In short, due to its design coherence, importance in mechanics, high artistic personality and conceptual depth, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is, of course, a must-have game for experienced dungeon crawlers or fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series who haven't played it yet. Due to its high difficulty and strenuous pace, both for combat and exploration, the title is not recommended for first-timers in the series, much less for those who have not played any RPG of the type.
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Despite some gameplay issues and lack of innovation compared to the title that preceded it , NEO: The World Ends with You it has fun and accessible battles, an excellent and diverse soundtrack, a plot full of character, an inviting ambiance for character development and, above all, a very coherent overall design around some of Shibuya's popular culture. As such, it's an easy recommendation for anyone who liked its predecessor or who enjoys more dynamic action JRPGs.
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As an action RPG, Unsighted may disappoint by not being too complex in terms of evolving and managing the protagonist's internal economy, but as an action-adventure, it's versatile enough and has a solid and responsive gameplay. Although its concept of temporality can be frustrating at times, the title may appeal to those looking for sensitive narratives with a different connection to the gameplay. Furthermore, it is easily recommended for those who enjoy metroidvania-style exploration dynamics and dungeons like those of the 2D games in the Zelda series.
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The strength of Dungeon Encounters is not in its art, but in its science. It is a unique and competent RPG in the role it proposes: to be a game focused on the mechanical essence of a dungeon crawler while reinventing the way of thinking about exploration and combat dynamics in games of this style. This is an RPG recommended for fans of the genre who especially appreciate the science behind dungeon crawlers in creative interactions between combat mechanics and group management with unique dungeon exploration.
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Loop Hero doesn't have stunning graphics, but its visuals will certainly sound nostalgic to those who lived through the 8-bit era, and in this project it has remained quite functional for the simple structure in which the game delivers, with excellence, an automated gameplay with a circular screen scenario with an emphasis on managing the external economy of the character's adventure.
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Triangle Strategy is unsophisticated in mechanics and level design, compared to the classics that inspired it, but it has good ideas, it's well-made and balanced, in addition to being one of the most suitable games for newcomers to TRPG. While this tactical RPG has some flaws in its script and cast, it is creative and eloquent in its political applications in narrative design and has a serious, believable and realistic tone in its theme.
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