In a lot of ways, The Caligula Effect 2 improves the idea, offering another fantastic story, but decides to keep some concepts that held the original back.
Blue Reflection: Second Light does a good job of building on what worked in the first adventure. It’s cute, the characters are charming, with deep enough mechanics to make gameplay engaging. It might not be perfect like stealth sections are fairly pointless, but fans of the previous or this style of RPG will enjoy it. Even if it’s only over the delightful visuals.
Crash Team Rumble is far from perfect, but the current form is fun. Matches are quick without being too one-sided. Utilizing specific mechanics and a good understanding of the mechanics can turn a particular loss into a win. Unfortunately, I fear long-term, the community will adopt the more oppressive meta I already see, though I have hopes future characters/patches will help balance things. So if you’re looking for a fun multiplayer game for a few hours here and there, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is what you’d expect, given previous entries. The narrative is easily the best part, which does a great job of closing out the last story arcs. Gameplay isn’t revolutionary for the franchise, yet that is far from a complaint. It would be nice to see some improvements in graphics/performance, but other than that, it’s a solid experience fans will likely love.
In a lot of ways, I find myself conflicted. On one hand, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is basically the base game with all the DLC and more, but on the other, it's a step closer to a traditional fighter. I don't think that is a negative per se, just a choice many fans might disagree with given the mobile game and previous version spoke to a wider audience than just fighting game fans. Regardless of where you fall on the casual side, the core gameplay remains good. Anyone determined to learn has more than a few options, plus a wide variety of offline modes to enhance your skill. So, fans of the fighting game will be happy, whereas RPG fans might walk away disappointed.
At the end of the day, I found that Granblue Fantasy: Relink captured the elements I love about this genre. There are several unique bosses, each with their own shenanigans, keeping things interesting. While I would appreciate changes to the build system, it doesn't detract from the overall engagement of the experience—especially for those who aim to overcome everything Granblue Fantasy: Relink has to offer.
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.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory isn’t perfect, especially in terms of story, though it’s a fair amount of fun.
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk isn't perfect but it manages to stand out in its own way. With Baba Yaga/Dronya and Luca being a charming couple, it helps the story from dragging, ultimately leading down an interesting path.
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.
Despite the negativity, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a beautiful game. Characters look great, the animations are fantastic and the worlds are stunning to look at. The same holds true for music, something Final Fantasy is known for, making every battle feel all the more epic. It's a shame the gameplay is so simple with few modes to play with, but if you're a massive fan of the franchise or just want a fun party fighter to play, it's a solid choice. Other than that, it's a good game, just not a great one.
Strange Brigade might not have a lot of long term value, but it's a fantastic game to play with others. The interesting locations and solid visuals with stand out, with the puzzles being just hard enough to be fun, without them being so hard players will be confused or feel left out. So, if you're looking for a fun game to play with your friends, look no further than Strange Brigade. However, if you want something to play for weeks or months, you might want to consider looking at something else.
Overall, Wolfhunter is not the high end dungeon that hardcore players need to worry about, but it also isn't the introductory one no one needs to care about. There are a couple interesting new armor sets, an additional memento, a couple challenges and mechanics that are easy to grasp and hard to master. It makes for a good introduction to the higher difficulties or someone looking for an experience that is easier, but not outright easy, making it a solid addition to the world of The Elder Scrolls Online.
Even if I didn't discuss it, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions! biggest strength is song diversity. It's the only rhythm game where you can play game, anime, Jpop, classical and more songs. This alone makes it a solid choice for anyone who loves music or the rhythm genre. Sure, it might seem rather simple and overly cute but it's a game with untold amounts of depth. While online doesn't do much to maximize it and the bingo system is only compelling if you're not that skilled, it's still a solid experience.
Turf Wars does a good job of overcoming some of the challenges of being the middle segment. There was enough progress to leave me interested in the conclusion, without enough to make it pointless. Even if this is good, gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. Even if it's fun to take out Hammerhead's hideouts, complete new challenges and stop various crimes, it doesn't feel like a massive leap from the main game. Sure, if you really want to play more it's nice to have, though the main attraction is story and that hinges on how much you care about Hammerhead's plan.
Unruly Heroes has a lot of charm and is certainly fun enough to give it the time of day. Sure, the story is nothing new and the gameplay isn't going to turn heads but every game doesn't need to stand out in every way to be fun or entertaining. With a lovely art style and solid combat, it's easy to see the value if you enjoy platformers or games with simple combat systems.
The best way to explain Fade to Silence is that its designed with a specific player in mind. You need to have that desire to deal with micromanaging and drive to pick up, use and explore every place. If you're looking for a more combat or story driven adventure, this likely won't appeal to you, even if the events leading to this situation are eventually revealed. Because, at the end of the day, Fade to Silence does survival phenomenally well, it just isn't terribly interesting or check enough boxes to appeal to a wider demographic.
River City Girls has a fair amount to offer, it just is a bit rough around the edges. I had enough fun to see the value and the sprites and overall look is certainly nice, it just has some negatives that hurt it. Between the lack of online and sometimes difficult gameplay situations, it might frustrate less skilled or more casual players. This can be overcame through grinding, items and gear, but that isn't the most fun. So, if you're looking for another Castle Crashers this isn't it but it is a good beat 'em up if you're a fan of the genre.
The hard thing about this expansion is, I liked it but I didn’t love it. There is enough to do to feel like it’s worth the investment but so much of it is forgettable.
ScourgeBringer is in a weird place where it's a novel concept, it's just a question of how it all comes together. There have been efforts to bridge the gap in difficulty, like making it more accessible, though it's a fast-paced game that requires good timing. This will resonate with some, maybe even to the point where they chase after all the challenge stars, with most doing two or three runs and finishing. Given the price, it's still a good value, though it hinges on how much value that provides.