Another new change with Shadow Warrior 3 Definitive Edition is the Hero Mode for the story playthrough. Hero mode makes it, so you have a limited amount of lives in a playthrough. If you lose those lives, you’ll have to restart the entire story mode again. It is a good test to see how well you remember the game and some of the tricks for each arena.
One Piece Odyssey is a solid JRPG experience with great animations, characterizations and story beats. It lets you relive some of the best moments of the series in bite size chunks. The ease of difficulty can feel boring to fans of the genre but overall a great experience.
Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters is an ambitious title that finally returns to the mainline series of Neptunia. Action based combat with still keeping skill setups from the previous games along with seamless transition from combat to traversal makes it a great step up to current generation hardware. The combat system without the passive effects of discs feel clunky, and the maps have plenty of reused designs but otherwise a solid entry into the series.
Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a masterclass on how to remaster a game. It has revamped graphics, combat, and voice acting. However, the PSP core is still inside the pretty graphics. Still gotta deal with bite-size levels, poor lip flaps, upscaled grainy cinematics, and random encounters. Overall it is still a fantastic game.
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered is a well-done and polished remaster that allows the player a lot of freedom. Fans of the series will be delighted at the extra characters and storylines. It still suffers from 2005 visuals and 2005 voice acting but it is nostalgic in a way.
Samurai Maiden is an enjoyable action Hack and slash game that has great visuals. The combat in the game is solid, but not all the mechanics are quite as polished as its combat. An enjoyable story that picks up quite a bit in the second half of the game. These characters are great and I do want to see more of them in the future!
Chained Echoes is a 16-bit-era JRPG that lends itself well to the genre. A definite pickup if you are wanting to do a run of more SNES-era games but still have some quality-of-life adjustments of the modern era.
Lunistice is a 3D platformer giving us the best elements of 3D Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot. Short enough that it won't take up your week but addictive enough that you may want it to.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a competent game in the Star Ocean franchise but it is hindered by some in game decision with menus, quest logs, and the party member AI. It isn't the best transition to 3D from the art, but playing and fighting enemies is very enjoyable.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers is a solid game loop that feels fun to play, especially if you are with friends. However the progression system and the cosmetics have much to be desired. Hopefully the longer this game stays in service, the better the options become.
Pretty Girls Escape is a puzzle game akin to BreakThru! but with added features and mechanics. It doesn't add a whole lot but it does add enough to be engaging and a satisfying puzzle game.
The Darkest Tales is a solid action 2D Platformer with a twist on classic Fairy Tales. A fun short adventure that tells a story about a teddy bear trying to rescue its owner. Plus, how cool is a duel-wielding Teddy Bear? How much more do you want?
Jack Move has a lot of great mechanics and customization that ultimately doesn’t get utilized due to some poor balancing. The art design and music are fantastic and we hope to see more from this world.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a solid entry into the Legend of Heroes series. It has superb sound design, art, and storytelling. It has a really good detective oriented main character that pays off quite well in the end.
Amnesia: Memories is a solid Otome game that shows a fun twist to think of how dating routes go. It has great art, and characterization, though the option of choice isn’t always very impactful.
Amnesia: Later x Crowd is a fun expansion into the world of Amnesia. It requires knowledge of Amnesia: Memories and takes place as sequels. The sad part is it doesn't have a lot of content combining the two games together.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate Definitive Edition is exactly what it claims. A definitive version of Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate that had been upgraded and put into a single purchase. It still has the problems of Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate but it is still the peak of Musou gameplay with content, characters and music.
Nine Noir Lives has some of the best voice acting and animation you can see in an indie point and click game. Sadly it does get bogged down by the pacing and relevancy of its puzzles to the main game.
Soul Hackers 2 is a masterpiece done by Atlus in Character development, musical score, plot twists, and overall story beats. A few technical hiccups and weird camera choice make this game not have a perfect score.
Digimon Survive is a masterclass Visual Novel that hooks its teeth into you and doesn't pull out until you hit the credits screen. That is if you are a fan of Visual Novel games that attract through Japanese voice acting and only a little Tactical RPG battles to set the mood. Music, atmosphere and story is top tier and makes you feel like you are literally inside the anime, if the anime had more death looming over your every decision.