River City Girls 2 is one of those titles that’ll solidify itself as a comfort playthrough. Despite the problems I’ve noted, the core foundation is stronger than ever. It retains that fun loop the brawler genre has, with great RPG elements to throw an intriguing wrench into proceedings. With its short duration from start to finish, this is a romp that positions itself to be one that you can knock out in a weekend.
If I had to settle on a single qualm, it’s that I wasn’t able to cover the game on Nintendo Switch. Take that as a hell of an endorsement since, despite a loss of 60fps, I reckon it’s carried by mouth-watering gameplay. Honestly, words can’t even begin to describe the glee I feel.
Soccer Story has an idea worth fleshing out but is let down by appalling stability. The gameplay loop has fun moments, but unintuitive buttons fight against that, keeping it from excelling. The football notion has me smitten, and I felt nostalgic for my childhood due to a specific quest with goal lines constructed by adjacent objects. The caveat here is that it desperately needs tweaks and reworked controls.
The PS5 port of YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a joyous romp that profits immensely from 60fps. No one can dispute how much the silky transitions and animations leave a person salivating in awe.
I have played on three separate occasions and I loved each one. There’s something truly special about the way the mechanics marry together. I love their cohesiveness. Thanks to fixes made to nonsensical calls from the vanilla version, I had a blast.
Batora: Lost Haven is a thrilling romp of fast-paced carnage. The combat system is a blast and left me constantly engaged, gripping my total and utter attention. Once beaten, I immediately hopped back into New Game+ for another round.
NIS Classics Collection Vol. 3 continues revisiting the vault, but this time, it fails to grab hold of a pair of winners.
Potion Permit is brilliant, offering some incredible quality of life improvements to ease a player into the genre. It introduces several accommodations that I hope become the golden standard of slice-of-life romps.
Idol Manager is a riveting hidden gem buried underneath piss poor performance. The way mechanics actively attempt to sabotage each other is quite the head-scratcher, too.
Blossom Tales 2 continues what the first set out to achieve – paying respects to the golden standard and not only accomplishing that, but killing it too. It’s a masterstroke of unadulterated glee, with nods to its inspiration and other unrelated genres.
Super Bullet Break is on the cusp of being a silly, addictive good time. I was having a blast when I had to decide the optimal strategies to advance without taking maximum harm. That excitement flushes down the drain when I’m effortlessly slaughtered with one hit.
Digimon Survive is a spectacular visual novel that proved well worth the wait. The characters made a lasting impression on me, birthing an emptiness within the pit of my stomach. Even now, I sit here, reminiscing over my friends in the digital world.
Coromon is a quaint journey full of fun, smiles, and kick-ass evolutionary forms. Nothing is offensive. The issues I noted can swiftly be addressed with a patch. In other words, it’s at the cusp of being a superb monster collector. The foundation is hard as a rock, with no signs of chipping – it’s time to build on it.
Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is an ideal example of a murder mystery that isn’t innovative but has a compelling story. It may lack flesh on its bones, but the skeleton is sturdy. Despite some predictable plot beats, an equal amount subverts expectations by throwing in a slight twist. There’s a truckload of untapped potential here.
Metal Max Xeno Reborn is unsatisfying. It tries to reinvent itself from its original release but ends up retreading the same systems, only now with shinier paint. My hopes were high when I came into it but with each minute spent playing, it all plummeted. It got to the point that I’d dread having to continue.
Deadcraft is an amalgamation of inspirations coming together to create something distinct. And you know what, the various fascinating ideas and mechanics are enough to assure there’s fun. What ends up bogging down the session are odd decisions.
Touken Ranbu Warriors may not be the hardcore love letter fans crave. What it is, however, is an impeccable entry point for anyone looking to dive into the world of 1 vs 1000.
What I suspect will become the biggest hurdle to conquer, though, is the subject matter being alienating. In no universe are people not going to criticize groping an unconscious woman – it’s revolting. Even if it didn’t include such a heinous act, the crashes are the perfect deterrent. Seven Pirates H is the equivalent of being egregiously creepy on main. Compared to others in the Genkai Tokki series, it’s also the weakest. I don’t recommend it.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a fantastic hybrid that does both genres justice. The tribute to the old school days of JRPGs is so delightful to see infused into a modern-day example. More importantly, if this is what this team can do with a spin-off, I’m beyond excited for the granddaddy JRPG.
While I wholeheartedly recommend the game, I warn everyone to stay away from the Nintendo Switch port until the issues are ironed out. As for me, I’m seeking out the Playstation 5 version as I’m legitimately curious about the ending.