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.
Ultra Age executes a very fun and engaging combat system with bosses that were unique and great to fight. However, introducing so many combat mechanics with its many swords and never using them during boss fights is a major letdown. The story was basic and the dynamic of Age and Helvis never grew over the journey in the many boxed-in levels. Thus, I can not recommend this game since the only enjoyment to be found is in its combat. But the game never felt boring, and it shows the clear ambitions that weren’t executed well by two indie studios. While I won’t remember the journey Age and Helvis went through in the years to come, I will remember the fun I had with its combat.
Scarlet Nexus, while disappointing in the story overall, is saved by its relentlessly enjoyable combat. The Japanese voice cast did a superb job, even if the English voice acting was not particularly impressive. The levels, while offering stellar visuals, were too linear and never offered any interesting reason to return to explore. It feels like for every great part of this game, another lacks to a noticeable degree. Even so, Scarlet Nexus is worth the money if you are looking for a decent 25+ hour experience.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Overall, Wayfinder as a game saw a very transformative change throughout its early access. Airship Syndicate no doubt did not anticipate having to change a live service MMORPG to a fully functional and fun-to-play ARPG, however. The work that was put into adding multiple layers of build crafting depth, several large locations with lots to do and see. As well as a staggering variety of wayfinders, weapons, enemies, and bosses all wrapped in a beautifully simplistic art style is easily recommendable. Especially at its very low price tag. It is worth every penny, as it was to play every second that I did throughout its early access and many forms.
As such, Unpacking is a surprise all on its own. It can be a short 3-5 hour adventure but has so much to appreciate in it. Opening up boxes and sorting the items into a house never sounded fun or engaging to me at first. But it prevailed by having such a unique way of telling its story, finding a simple way to be compelling. While the gameplay, while simple as well, always remained fun and engaging. It’s a niche experience, that is easily recommendable, especially at its price.
Astria Ascending is a fantastic throwback to classic JRPGs. Its story may not be remarkable, but the overall gameplay experience makes the game memorable. The deep combat with the customization and unique boss battles with excellent enemy variety is what kept me playing. In fact, knowing how the game works now, I have been hungry to start a new playthrough with different character class combinations as I progress. It will be hard for players to pick up if they are not used to turn-based gameplay. However, fans of this style of game will be in for a fantastic treat. But if you are on Xbox I cannot recommend playing this game in its current state. When it is patched and you can get past the main menu, then feel compelled to pick it up.
Overall, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is an excellent re-release that handled its console versions well from a design standpoint. The value and time you find inside will far outweigh its asking price. Just be prepared for some of the moments in the main game as some will shock or make you uncomfortable. It is not advised for children or anyone experiencing mental issues to play this game, so be forewarned.
South of Midnight falls short in only very few areas of the experience. But what remains between and after feels timeless. A short 10+ hour linear story-driven game with a level of addictive forward momentum that feels like a classic being born. The combat and enemy design work hand-in-hand with the dark and surprise-filled story in a unique way. Compulsion Games gave it their all almost every single step of the way. It is a soulful journey that is worth experiencing for yourself.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.