There’s a lot to love in Angels of Death because it isn’t yet another indie horror copycat.
It’s easy to say that Himawari – The Sunflower – doesn’t tell a perfect story; there are lulls early on and a bit near the middle of this massive tale which might throw a few people off. Once you’re immersed in the world and characters, however, it’s tremendously difficult to step away. With professional presentation and a truly likable cast, you’ll find yourself desiring to 100% complete the visual novel and lamenting once the journey is finally over. Visual novel fans who didn’t previously have Himawari – The Sunflower – on their radar owe this one a look.
Fans of this series have absolutely no reason to ignore Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns. It continues to improve upon the Bokujo Monogatari formula in smart ways as well as retain the core concepts which fans love.
The Shadows of Pygmalion provides a tremendously enjoyable dramatic story which showcases just how strenuous being a "hero" can be — especially when you're just a normal high schooler.
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is as close to the perfect package as is currently available for folks looking to jump into the Zero Escape world.
Snake Pass is a modern attempt to rekindle 3D platforming fun in an intelligent way.
The Las Vegas DLC is absolutely a great addition for Project Highrise. Players have already been doing their best to make hotel-like atmosphere in the game, so this gives them an actual option to do so.
The Falconers: Moonlight is an awesome debut for developer Bionic Penguin. Sure, it does show its indie status at times with a small intermittent soundtrack and lack of voice acting, but the pitch perfect writing, scenario and visuals pull things together in spite of a few missteps.
Tell a Demon is a haunting visual novel which makes readers yearn for more.
One of the best things that can be said about Red Embrace is that players will wish it were even longer.
Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi is an odd chapter. Although it fits fully within the confines of the Higurashi world, it feels thematically different from previous chapters. It's not a bad thing, though, as much as it's a much-needed change of pace after some terribly distressing chapters that came before it, such as Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi.
Sakura Sakura is the kind of game to play when you're not in the mood for anything serious.
There's a lot in Steam Prison's favor from the onset.
There's a lot to like about Seven Days. The best aspects are the intriguing storyline which takes the start of a story many people know and turns it on its head.
There's so much to love about Bokuten – Why I Became an Angel that makes the multi-year wait worth it.
While still supernatural, Tell Me Why provides more of a mature tale overall than Life is Strange. It's surprisingly dark, but uplifting at times as well. This game takes chances with the cast of characters in ways that are mostly a resounding success. It's exciting to see a LGBTQ lead character and a storyline that doesn't plunge headfirst into tropes. Here's hoping that this is a sign of where Dontnod will go in the future, because Tell Me Why is a step in the right direction.
Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei is an action-packed visual novel sure to capture the attention and hearts of otome fans.
Despite effectively being a game from 2011, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 still provides an enjoyable experience today.
This may be the first substantial DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider but it also sets a high standard. The incredibly cool hallucenogenic sequences that occur within are very much worth experiencing, even if Lara has no real part in the story. Nabbing a few extra items after completing it is pretty neat too, given their usefulness.
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.