Capes is not an experience I can recommend. I liked most of the story, but the gameplay was very middling with missions and bosses that could either just be enjoyable, or straight-up frustrating or confusing. The game runs flawlessly, but there is so much stuff not up to par with what can be enjoyed by those who are not in a hardcore genre demographic. It just could not save the day in the ways I was hoping.
Metaphor ReFantazio feels like a home run for Atlus. Especially considering the fact this is their first new IP that does not rely on already existing stories or brand association in a very long time. To me, they were able to take risks and execute new ideas without forgetting what they excel at and brought people together for a new and beautiful fantasy tale that I cannot recommend enough, even with some shortcomings. This game and its tale filled with grandiose surprises and a satisfying finale will be something that will stick with me for years to come.
To look back on how The Answer not only expands on the story Reload, but also pushes its messages further, the best way to describe it is that it shows the ugly side of life itself. You’re going to lose people, and you’re going to process it differently from others. All the while you’re going to be forced to go through more of the dull, and repetitive parts of your life that you grow numb to. But through it all, you will always reflect on what got you started and what keeps you going. The final shot of the story is closing the dorm door and leaving, ending a series of memories and moving on. You don’t want it to end, and you can never experience it all again for the first time no matter how much you wish you could.
Despite a lot of missed opportunities, Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is more than worth every penny. I highly recommend picking the game up, because no matter what difficulty you can take on, it will keep you busy for 100s of hundreds.
Despite the warning about the gambling mechanics, I still very much enjoy playing it every day and do recommend playing the game. The combat is some of the best I have experienced in years and think the more mellow moments between the very engaging story is worth your time. It currently has over 50 million downloads, and that success is very much earned from the game’s sheer quality, and breadth of content. To the finer details, like the stellar voice acting from the entire English voice cast, amazingly expressive animation, and top-notch soundtrack. It is free-to-play, so if you can restrain from falling prey to the gambling mechanics, you have nothing to lose.
Reject modernism, embrace Hypercharge: Unboxed, as it is the definition of fun. The campaign doesn't take itself seriously and has free roam and difficulty options to offer you an experience you can customize. With so much enemy variety and a collection of great bosses that spice things up. Every level is filled to the brim with so much detail and extra stuff to do. As well as a ludicrous amount of customization you take advantage of for your character. Despite some of the menu clunkiness and the reusing of bosses, and the default controller scheme being weird. It is an experience I cannot recommend enough, especially at its very generous price tag on each platform. You owe it to yourself, as you can feel like a kid and just have fun, and in the end, that is what games should be.
I do recommend this experience however, as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is almost everything I wanted in a sequel to Hellblade. The original game’s graphical fidelity for its time in 2017 matched the AAA space 1:1. With the level of graphical fidelity in this game to set a benchmark that will be very hard to top in terms of realism across the board. However, the combat, while having a better presentation, did feel mechanically stripped down in places that feel questionable. While the puzzles are mostly similar but still very enjoyable at times. This game will still feel niche, yet unique, which I feel is not a bad thing. Considering it feels designed to be the next evolution for the experience that only Hellblade can offer.
Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a game that tries to do a lot, but is only at its best in being a great game to play. While having a story component that feels mostly unnecessary to the experience and is not going to be what I recommend buying the game for. The shadow form mechanic is so interwoven into the entire game, from the enemies to the gadgets, and upgrades in-between. With so many awesome open area levels and expertly designed closed-in ones, I loved my experience in Ereban: Shadow Legacy. I just wish there was less noise, and more allowing me to just slither around and enjoy its gameplay endlessly.
Persona 3 Reload more than exceeded my expectations. Its original emotionally charged story, themes, and setting were followed to a T with new moments throughout that fleshed out its villains and various members of SEES was a welcomed surprise. Its renewed combat system was refreshing and Tartarus felt more alive and enjoyable to explore. There is a ton of replay value with its new game plus and an emotional ending I can never forget. There is not a single thing I would change about this game in the slightest and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Persona 5 Tactica is an excellent strategy game. The combat feels fast and fluid despite its turn-based nature in varied and interesting stages throughout. There’s also plenty of variety in the character roster and customization via the personas and skill trees. The story felt like its own thing while never overstaying its welcome with awesome new characters. As well as having condensed and easy-to-navigate menus to not bog down the game. It is a very easy recommendation to those who have completed Persona 5 Royal and want a very streamlined introduction to the strategy genre. Considering the game even on normal or hard feels manageable, due to mastery of its amazing combat system that is just as enjoyable as the rest of the game
Exoprimal is a strong title, despite what you might see on the surface. The story is good but never reaches any heights of other Capcom titles. But considering how the story is delivered and how interwoven it is with the gameplay and game modes. I thought it served its purpose while offering some pretty unique twists. The game mode and dinosaur variety are very excellent, and the exosuits all felt awesome to play. I just wished there were more options to experience the ten-player activities or scripted missions when I felt like it. But as the game stands, I do heavily recommend Exoprimal. It is gorgeous, it is fun, and delivered a multiplayer experience I was not expecting to love.
Gylt is a very interesting game. The setting, the gameplay, the exploration, and the puzzles are very impressive. But it falls very short when it comes to the story. It felt as though the game was trying to tell two different stories in one setting. But the game just was not able to execute it as I would have wanted considering the subject matter it does touch on. But when collectibles and environmental details do that job significantly better, I cannot help feeling let down. Outside of this though, Gylt is an easy recommendation at its price and short length of nearly seven hours to encourage multiple playthroughs for its multiple endings.
Planet of Lana is a game I had no idea what to expect from it. Just when I thought it would be a simple side-scroller, it subverted my expectations and turned into a highly engaging puzzler with emotional story moments. The sheer scale of the game and what it achieves is nothing short of incredible. Despite never knowing much of Lana, Elo, or Mui. The journey was one that I could never have expected and is an easy recommendation.
Ghostwire: Tokyo as a whole though is a very unique experience with few issues working against it. The sidekick KK stood out to me. But I was not a fan of protagonist Akito as well as most of the main cast. Even Akito’s sister felt very underutilized in the story. The gameplay and enemy variety is great. But the game’s map gets in the way of a lot of it. While only one of the four bosses was truly enjoyable. The spider’s thread game mode is great but only highlights the negatives in the bloat. For every pro there is a con, making this game only recommendable for its stellar gameplay and enemy design.
Minecraft Legends campaign was genuinely fantastic in the 15-hour playthrough I had. Between the story and the excellent usage of cutscenes that never got in the way. The very intricate yet satisfying combat and the consistently frustrating world bosses all kept me engaged. As well as having a varied open world to explore with a lot to find that felt rewarding. Minecraft Legends is definitely not going to be for everyone, but this game will solidify itself as a mainstay in the genre with how it handled all these aspects to create a memorable experience
Octopath Traveler 2 is a JRPG unlike anything I have played in recent years. Its combat system feels so fresh compared to the original considering the latest powers and EX abilities. The focus on character interactions, as well as their respective voice cast, allowed me to fall in love with every character from the main cast. As well as leaving me stunned by the calculated risks taken in the finale of the game that deliver emotionally impactful moments. The sites of Solistia and the freedom I had to explore with the soundtrack accompanying me left a lasting impact on me. Octopath Traveler 2 is an absolutely fantastic time from start to finish even when reaching the 70-hour mark. You do not want to miss it. As I believe it is the best in the class of Square Enix’s 2D-HD games so far.
8 Bit Adventures 2 is a very great game albeit with some balancing issues with bosses. The characters were very memorable and had lovingly written dialogue with distinct styles for everyone. As well as the Glitch being a very fleshed-out Villain. The game shines the brightest in its combat, and exploration of the varied and unique locales. As well as the challenging bosses with their contributions to the tale. It is an easy recommendation due to its classical yet thrilling journey.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is in a lot of ways a massive improvement over Innocence. But the lack of a few alchemical compounds and the changes in the upgrade system felt like steps backward. Especially in comparison to the leaps in quality made in the game’s graphical fidelity. As well as the game’s story is more intense and meaningful than the original. However, none of the cons including the game’s rough performance can prevent me from recommending its incredible journey. Especially for fans of Innocence.
Soul Hackers 2 was an absolute treat. The style on display from every character, location, and demon was fantastic. The story, despite having a basic plot, had incredible characters to back it up. It also knocked several emotional moments out of the park. The deep and engaging combat system with the staggering demon collecting aspect was fun and rewarding. All of this coupled with one of the most unique areas I’ve seen in a game like the Soul Matrix. Which gave me so much to enjoy in my playthrough, despite its annoying design at times, leaving me eager to start again. Soul Hackers 2 is an easy recommendation, even if you have not played a game from Atlus.
The experience provided in Triangle Strategy is one you should not miss. Its grand story with excellent writing that changes the spelling of words like “jail” to “gaol” and domain to “demesne” left me wanting to replay it immediately after experiencing the ending I got. The brutal yet satisfying combat with so many unique characters fundamentally changes how an encounter plays out. As well as the gorgeous sights and sounds of the game with wonderful voice acting that suck me in and keep me in the realm of Norzelia. This game is worth every penny and the thirty hours and more of its wonderful experience.