Marcus Estrada
Rollers of the Realm presents a lovely concept that follows through with its aims, although not to the degree that some players may be expecting. Yes, it offers pinball play, but not the kind you'd get at an actual arcade. It's quite nuanced and based on selecting the right ball per circumstance. It also only samples from the RPG platter rather than going all in, but the result is mostly charming. With a bit more polish and tweaking, Rollers of the Realm would stand out for more than its genre mixing.
NEKOPARA is a light and fluffy visual novel that fans of catgirls will enjoy their time with.
Despite effectively being a game from 2011, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 still provides an enjoyable experience today.
Wacky is the word which first comes to mind when reading about Roundabout, and it's the lasting impression players will have even after they've stopped spinning. The mechanic of driving a limo which never quits revolving is utter nonsense but is actually a tremendously fun gameplay challenge.
Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart offers great gameplay with the unfortunate caveat that you’ll need to waste more time than expected waiting on enemies to enjoy it.
There's nothing quite as rewarding as a good Metroidvania and Ori and the Blind Forest proves itself to be classified as one. Giant, sprawling landscapes hide tons of goodies just waiting to be collected once you've gained some new skills.
Omega Quintet is a game at battle with itself. On one end, its multifaceted battle system has the potential to make JRPG fans drool. The same is true of the excellent PVS editor which will satisfy fans waiting for anything of this sort to make its way west. On the other hand, its graphics in no way push the PS4 (and some aspects look downright ancient) and all this complexity seems to be at the cost of an awesome storyline
Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker falls under the umbrella of casual game, and that’s where its value inherently lies.
The concept behind Guild of Dungeoneering is fantastic and more people should delve into tweaking genres like this. As the game stands, however, there are features that seem missing from a typical "full" release.
Submerged is not a broken game. It functions and provides an intriguing little story over its three hour timespan. However, there's no sense of joy to actually playing. Why isn't there even a feeling of awe when exploring this flooded cityscape? It's incredibly strange how this game managed to flounder so badly but it seems the key factor is uncompelling (and sometimes aggravating) gameplay. Even the most diehard collectible hunters will find it tough to slog through the slow ascent up samey buildings multiple times to grab a new drawing. Submerged had a fabulous idea but its execution simply couldn't stand up to the concept.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is great, but this greatness lies primarily with the tale it weaves and character interactions.
If you are enchanted by the prospect of Amnesia: Memories, delve right in and see how it subverts otome expectations.
There is a tremendous amount to love about Dropsy (both the game and oddball protagonist). Beyond the positive gameplay focus of bringing joy to everyone around you, the visuals, characters and variety of landscapes provide one heck of an experience.
Laserlife had immense potential. Choice Provisions created a game that only they could make, but they did so in a way which doesn't feel complete.
It's repetitive in its continuous swarms of enemies, challenging in the constant flurry of bullets headed your way and ends up sapping most of the potential fun out of itself. Bedlam may suit your needs if all you need is a trip down FPS memory lane, but you're better off seeking any number of similar titles which actually offer compelling gameplay.
This game was reviewed via a digital code received by the publisher.
A surprising amount of controversy has surrounded the release of The Devil on G-String on Steam, likely because it has such a devoted fan following. People feel so intensely about this title for a reason — it features an intriguing storyline that you'll want to see through to its conclusion. Sure, the CGs are cropped, the Japanese voice acting is an expensive addition and there are no 18+ sequences in this version, but the most important aspects still shine through. Those looking for an engaging story to keep them reading for hours on end will want to pick up The Devil on G-String.
Clannad is a visual novel that everyone should complete at least once in their lives.
No matter how you play it, you'll be in for quite a time as MetaHuman's totally unprepared CEO.
Despite the holidays, Sketchy Logic put out one patch incredibly quickly, but it's safe to say my experience playing Aviary Attorney simply didn't set my heart aflutter. Instead, it might just have broken it.