In the end, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a weak game that will only appeal to Suda 51/fans of the original. Without this it's a slow moving, poorly designed and boring title that likely won't keep your interest. Combine this with a lack of voice acting and limited graphics and that is really the only appeal. Well, that and it's an easy platinum.
Attack on Titan 2 might add to the story but it doesn’t change enough to make it a compelling purchase. With it feeling largely like the previous games, it feels closer to DLC than a new expansion. This doesn’t mean there isn’t any reason to pick it up, just don’t expect it to be a massive change from the original. Combine this with very little story progression, performance issues and not a lot of content and it’s a sequel even fans can skip.
The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 comes down to what is more important to you. As much as I enjoyed the story, it won’t appeal to everyone and takes a fair amount of time to get going. That being said, if story drive titles are your thing and you enjoy Disgaea or things of the like, odds are this will be up your alley. If you’re looking for a new action RPG or hoping for a deeper version of the original, odds are you’ll walk away disappointed. Not because the gameplay is awful, it is just very simple and doesn’t offer much besides story.
Regardless of the problems, Penny-Punching Princess is a good portable game. While players can sit and grind all day, levels are short and simple enough to make it the perfect grab and go title.
If you love the Atelier series, want to play with some cute girls or simply enjoy anime/manga tropes, odds are this will be a winner. However, if you're hoping for a combat driven or deeper experience, elements of that are certainly here, it just requires a fair amount of time invested. If that doesn't sound bad, give it a go, otherwise you might want to consider sitting this one out.
Where Gal*Gun 2 is amusing and an on the nose VR experience might make it more appealing, it's hard to find a reason to play besides the underline concept. This likely won't come as a surprise, the first game was like this too, it comes down to if your desire to play something like this. Because, if you don't care for the novelty, there is absolutely nothing of note here.
In the end, Laser League's value really depends on how popular it ends up being. On release it didn't seem like an overwhelming number of people purchased or at least matchmaking is not as fast as it could be, making it a potential concern. From there, depending on how many adopt it, this could be a fighting game situation where there is a massive difference in skill between players. Despite the potential negatives, Laser League is certainly fun if you're into the metagame or just like the idea of outplaying others. While it's too soon to say where Laser League will fall, it's probably better to get in on the ground floor than spending the next couple of weeks playing catch up.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time might not be the most exciting narrative, it has enough to see and do to be fun. The art style and character interactions make it feel like an anime series, with the gameplay being deep enough to retain interest. Sadly, the time elements can be annoying, especially when you just miss something or have to wait for an event to occur but this isn't enough to ruin the fun waiting for you in Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time.
For as much as I complained about Moonlighter, it's actually a lot of fun, it just has a lot of bad parts between the fun bits. If the bugs get hammered out, upgrading becomes practical and the progression arc is reduced in the future or at least on the Switch version I can see it being a hit, but the current form needs a lot of work. Glitches and errors aside, the idea of constantly having to collect and sell loot to purchase marginally better gear is daunting, leaving an experience that is pretty bland. Combine this with the fact the experience is more static than varied and you have an interesting adventure that does almost everything in its power to squander what good it has. Hopefully it will improve in the future and those willing to take the chance on it won't have a terrible time, it just has a lot of room to improve.
In the end, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection isn't perfect but it has enough content to give it value. The various games might not have obvious differences, yet they're something fans and newcomers will appreciate. The ability to save and play online give it longevity, with history giving players more to experience. Sure, it sucks online doesn't include every title, or at least all the non-Street Fighter II ones, and there could be more training, yet this is still a great experience for fans and newcomers alike.
Vampyr is a hard game to review, because there is enough to warrant a low score, yet the experience is satisfying enough to make up for this. For better or worse, giving answers and explaining things make it easier to invest in the story, with the conclusion certainly being worth the time. The ability to interact with NPCs, heal them, figure out more about the world and extract new information also adds a lot. It's just, when it comes to gameplay, Vampyr falls short. With loading screens being common when players move too fast, combat often being more about managing stamina, difficulty stemming from how willing are you to kill innocent people and a needlessly frustrating waypoint system, it's easy to get frustrated. With this in mind, anyone looking for a vampire romance story or just want to experience a world filled with answers should consider picking Vampyr up, where as action-RPG or open world fans can probably skip it.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle might be rough around the edges and have some questionable DLC choices, though it doesn't stop it from looking great or being fun. The number of tutorials are great, with there being an okay amount for players to do. Sure, it isn't the most jam packed game Arc System Works has ever released but if you're looking for a new fighting or just enjoy the series included, odds are you'll get your moneys worth out of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn accepts and understands it's a novelty but is too heavy handed in it's approach. With a couple references to the other silly things Shaq has done in the past (Steel, Kazaam), countless TV appearances (Static Shock), other endorsements (The General Car Insurance) or even his delightful NBA 2K18 commercial this approach might've worked, though in its current form it just isn't there. If this is enough to amuse you, something that certainly gave me more than a couple laughs, especially at some of the delightful animations, then you'll likely enjoy it.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset does a good job of giving everyone something to be excited for. Crafters have jewelry, solo players have more of the usual things, guilds get a new trial to grind and world event chasers have a new challenge and world bosses. This, plus the beautiful world of Summerset make for a fantastic experience. Sure, the trial could be harder and some other minor things but overall this is a solid expansion that will make many happy.
Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares Win could be a better game if it was more hands on or featured a faster combat system, it's just too slow. This, along with an oddly paced story, which might be better on some of the other paths, makes for a fairly underwhelming experience. To put it simply, unless you're a fan of the series or really enjoy tactics, this is not going to be a fun experience.
There are so many issues in New Gundam Breaker that it manages to be the worst thing an anime game can be – a title with the sole positive being the fact it's Gundam. Combat is boring, repetitive, with a targeting system that manages to be frustrating. Even if bland gameplay is not a problem, so many of the mechanics have needless limits or seem pointless. Throw in a generic story that is about as forgettable as they come and it feels less like a game Gundam fans will love, something that has been true for previous entries, and instead a rushed title with whatever they could toss together at the last second.
The Lost Child might not be perfect, though it can be fun. Once you accept the story is a little out there, it becomes a decent ride with enough thought to be fun. Gameplay is rather dull, if only for the fact there isn't much going on, which is why the auto route and battle functions can be helpful. Combine this with fascinating characters, like a priest that reminded me of Mr. House from Fallout New Vegas, and you have a decent adventure with a fair amount to do.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory isn’t perfect, especially in terms of story, though it’s a fair amount of fun.
Lumines Remastered's enjoyment is largely dependent on your ability and interest in achieving high scores and/or think about things creatively. This makes it hard to judge, since the only mode with outside factors is versus. Even though that mode can be, in a word, brutal, the other modes offer more than enough content to have an enjoyable experience. It's also so simple that, even if you can't achieve insane combos, even a terrible player can last a while if they're good enough at managing their workspace. So, if you're looking for a puzzle game or something to do on the go, Lumines Remastered is a fantastic choice.
Despite some small annoyances, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a blast on the Switch. The simply, yet fun, combat is a winner whether you’re on the go or playing at home. Add in a thrilling story and it makes for one of the better offerings for the platform. Sure, it could perform a little better and do a better job with direction, but these things are quickly forgotten when you’re defending your settlement or finding new residents.