Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life likely deserves the praise it received back in 2004, but in 2023, bad decisions prevent history from repeating. Fortunately, a patch or two can address the bulk of my qualms. While I’m bewildered by the price increase, I reckon putting it on par with its former edition will bring the fun factor to its former self.
Greatness is so close, but until a few patches fix the blunders, it will never meet the standards it could. The inspiration it takes from Slime Rancher proves hurtful, too. Alchemic Cutie fails to emulate it, making me want to jump to the better choice.
In conclusion, Loop 8: Summer of Gods is dreadful. It pains me to say, but it’s easy to suggest against purchasing it. Plenty of bad decisions contribute to sucking the fun from this romp and relegating it to becoming a chore. I wanted to like it, given the pedigree, and when I found out it combined my most beloved genres, I was giddy. Unfortunately, the finished product is a big failure.
Despite the issues, LEGO 2K Drive is a promising beginning to a potential sub-franchise from 2K. There are great ideas that enamor me, thanks to how comforting they are. I hope that if the plan is to do another, the developers don’t try to toss in genres that don’t work here haphazardly. I hope they concentrate on going quickly and create side-quests that make sense for a car.
Dead Island 2, regardless of bouncing between developers, has risen like a phoenix. The punchy combat and campy dialogue coalesce to give birth to an addictive and joyous romp. The humor tickles my fancy, giving me a warm feeling in the tum tum.
This game is a statement declaring that older philosophies of yesteryear remain intact and are still relevant. The ideas are entertaining, and the dub – it ain’t half bad. That’s why I can enthusiastically hand it my seal of approval.
Yeah, there are little hiccups, but they’re minuscule and fixable with a quick patch. The WWE franchise has entered a hot streak, with 2K23 being a considerable step forward to recapturing the glory the series once held.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is an absorbing romp that leaves you dumbfounded. You could say there’s not nearly enough banter, and indeed a character or two that are forgettable, but those that get attention surely shine. If you’re someone that thinks reading in video games is lame, the Visual Novel genre isn’t for you. I won’t sugarcoat it; that’s the bread of butter and why these titles enamour me and so many.
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.