Timothy Nunes's Reviews
Bandai Namco created something special here. Fast-paced, accessible combat meets a well-constructed narrative told with beautiful visuals, wonderful voice work, and an impeccable soundtrack. Even with its odd issue here and there, nothing stands in the way of Tales of Arise succeeding on all levels.
Tormented Souls creates an environment that's a blast to explore, and the puzzles it provides help to enhance the engagement the locations provide. However, too many shortcomings get in the way of what could be a solid nod to classics horror games. A handful of bad things can be ignored, but having voice work, enemy integrity, and an underdeveloped main character are too much to overlook. There's an appeal here, but it lacks refinement.
Yuoni takes the hide-and-seek formula and adds a few new concepts to it. Not everything works as well as the others, particularly the design of some of the common enemies and their movements. However, it makes some thoughtful creative choices and takes chances with them to make something that at least horror fans should try out. Yuoni is far from perfect, but it still holds its own merit.
Neo: The World Ends With You offers up something all its own while still keeping its roots in view. Some slow pacing and long-in-tooth writing doesn't keep Neo from being a delightful RPG. If the art style and music don't take you, then the combat and its mechanics will.
Improving on excellence, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade takes the few shortcomings from the PS4 release and improves them. While Activity Card support is missing, alongside deep DualSense support, Intergrade cements itself as the best way to play the Final Fantasy VII Remake, bar none. If you missed out on the original release, now is the time to jump in.
Song of Horror is not the perfect return to old school horror, but it makes one hell of an impression. An adaptive adversary combined with fantastic ambience more than outweigh last gen character models, iffy voice work, and lengthy chapters. Protocol Games is onto something here, and horror fans must give it a go.
An RPG classic makes its way back to the front lines. Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster has all the bells and whistles that came with the original fan favorite title. The minimal additions that come with this remaster do little to help or hurt the formula. Merciless difficulty drops the challenge too much to capture the game's magic, visuals only offer slight clean-up, and audio is still the same PS2 audio. While the game deserves better enhancements, getting Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne in a more contemporary accessible form is still worth the price of admission.
The side scrolling side of Smelter has a lot going for it. It has a welcome execution that doesn't demand much effort and doesn't bog you down with much, even if it is overly simplistic. The tower defense side of Smelter contradicts this simplicity, however. Bad control choices coupled with halfhearted explanations makes it a hard sell for the entire package. Smelter has something unique, but that's nowhere near enough to warrant your time.
Astro Aqua Kitty adds some Metroidvania-lite elements to the shooter components of its predecessor, Aqua Kitty, and it's all the better for it. A few decisions keep this from being an instant classic, like similar-looking zones and limited locations for loadout swapping, but nothing inherently gets in the way of the good times that Astro Aqua Kitty puts in front of you.
Synergia is the product of a small team wanting to create something important. The story between Cila and Mara is heartfelt and worthwhile, leaving you wanting more in the best way. Despite the few HUD issues and occasional glanced-over narrative point, Synergia has the heart and soul worthy of a great visual novel.
Kaze and The Wild Masks is an instant classic in the side-scrolling genre. It's a simple, well-executed formula that channels tons of different inspirations while still holding true to its own vision. The gameplay is top-notch and offers everything a fan could want, from beautiful sprite work to collecting shiny objects. Consider this a must-own among the other great side scrollers.
Very little of Neptunia Virtual Stars makes it a franchise entry worth playing. Simplicity here lacks the success of other entries, instead offering something clunky and dull. Consider this a Neptunia title barely meant for die-hard fans and no one else.
Ys IX Monstrum Nox remains another strong entry in the Ys franchise, offering up engaging combat fans will love. Visuals don't push any envelopes by any stretch and the writing has its hiccups, but Monstrum Nox has everything that makes a Ys title great.
Persona 5 Strikers takes what's special about the Persona franchise and meshes it with what makes the musuo genre special. Despite some hiccups, Persona 5 Strikers offers up something special: It's equally accessible to newcomers as well as established fans, showcasing all the style of the franchise in all its glory.
Ginga Force is one of those shoot-em-ups that gives you exactly what you want all while giving just enough variety to the formula to keep things feeling fresh. A few choices along the way don't meet the mark, but nothing gets in the way of Ginga Force's fantastic gameplay.
Despite its few flaws, When The Past Was Around tells a beautiful love story through simplistic mechanics and themes. The only thing that gets in the way is puzzle pacing at the end, which breaks the formula in an uncomplimentary way.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a blast to play, no matter where you play it. Its PS4 shortcomings only lie with with graphic fidelity and loading times. Apart from that, Sackboy is back and better than ever on all fronts and generations.
Chronos: Before The Ashes brings to the Souls formula some interesting ideas that, if further explored, could expand on a beloved formula quite nicely. However, in its present form, these ideas contradict themselves, creating more of a red herring than a legitimate risk-reward system. Regardless, the game is fun to play, but the narrative and initially appealing age mechanic don't reach the end of the game with the same intensity.
NBA 2K21 nails the 3 when it comes to gameplay and performance, all but sending the PS4 version to the annals of history. However, game mode choices and lack of MyPlayer transfer keep the PS4 version relevant when it comes to time investment and previous playtime. With The City being more spread out and barriers put up between modes, NBA 2K21 on PS5 feels disconnected. Consider what your needs and wants are with this game before choosing which version to buy.
Foregone is a mix of ideas that don't mesh well. The name of the game is simplicity, but Foregone contradicts itself with randomized loot, an immense difficulty spike, and a hard turn away from "play as you like" after committing to that formula. Foregone is a copycat title through and through with a couple good ideas that are encrusted with careless execution.