Payne Grist


19 games reviewed
82.1 average score
80 median score
73.7% of games recommended
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Mar 14, 2024

Unicorn Overlord provides hours of gorgeous, meaty Strategy RPG. Prospective players can be guaranteed strong core gameplay with gorgeous artwork. The beauty and tactics bleed through the parchment and spread through every facet of the game effortlessly and intentionally. Planning out your units, customizing skills, experimenting with squad formations, and proper execution of your machinations only scratch the surface of what's possible. On top of all this, the story and characters polish archetypes and tropes to a mirror sheen that should leave any genre lovers more than satisfied.

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Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is the best Mystery Dungeon game. It's absolutely heaping with mechanical depth and a breadth of content. The gameplay requires acute focus and a smart mind in order to progress. Items and enemies have a staggeringly high amount of interactivity that makes exploring even more engaging. Those who don't like roguelikes or strategic RPGs may not enjoy the randomness, as poor luck or focus can ruin a run in a flash. The game's story and characters aren't nearly as deep as the gameplay, but they offer some enjoyable respite from the challenging gameplay.

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Feb 12, 2024

Dragon Quest Builders is an excellent game. It smartly fuses the crafting elements of Minecraft with the engaging JRPG design of Dragon Quest. Even the aesthetics are beautifully combined to create an appealing world to interact with. The PC version is also the best way to experience Dragon Quest Builders, with customizable graphics options that allow the game to achieve higher spec graphics than its preceding versions and can run the game well even on low-powered systems. Not to mention, the DLC and useful features from the sequel have been included to create the ultimate package at a low price to boot! The few quibbles I have can be ironed out through patches, and all of the pros make me forget about my minuscule nitpicks.

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Another Code: Recollection is a smartly made remake that’s beautiful to look at and heartwarming to play. This collection combines both games with a unified art style and presentation while smoothing out the plot to create a cohesive whole. This game is very different from its original versions, so if you are a fan of those, don’t expect the same presentation or puzzles. I do find the puzzles weak overall, and the story enjoyment will hinge entirely on what you want out of Adventure games.

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Echoes of the Fallen is a solid DLC that offers prospective players what is essentially a "Lost Chapter" to the main game of Final Fantasy XVI. Interesting new lore about the Fallen, an additional dungeon, and one of the best boss fights in the game. You get a nice chunk of game! However, $10 as a standalone price or a $25 bundle with a DLC that isn't out is a slightly steep ask.

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Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince displays and waves the banner of its pedigree proudly. It offers the same wonderful tone and gameplay as Dragon Quest with some nice twists. The game also gives fans of Dragon Quest IV, especially some lovely fanservice that ties in properly to the melancholic, yet hopeful, story. The loop of finding new monsters, training them, and synthesizing them is very addicting and streamlined. Making new teams and refining your strategy over time is super engaging. The only things that sully the charm of the series and the satisfying gameplay loop are its rigid structure and incredibly inconsistent performance.

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Nov 29, 2023

I really liked Super Mario RPG! It's a fun time through and through. Seeing all the zany characters in a gorgeous art style, accompanied by a beautifully rearranged soundtrack really took me back. The combat is engaging and smooth, especially with the updates provided by ArtePiazza. It takes everything that was beloved about the original and keeps it intact while adding minor tweaks to sandpaper down some rough edges. Some may complain that some of the mechanical additions make combat too easy, but I find that they further push the idea of a "beginner's RPG". Super Mario RPG is a beautiful, funny, and diverse experience for any RPG player, mind you.

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Nov 7, 2023

Cuisineer is an adorable game. If aesthetics, side content, and difficulty were deterrents to you in other roguelikes then Cuisineer is a perfect game for you! Half of the draw of the game is running a restaurant while interacting with cute townsfolk. The roguelike elements are designed to be more forgiving and less brutal than many of its contemporaries while keeping an incredibly solid and polished combat experience. Many of these elements Cuisineer don't wholly appeal to me beyond a different flavor of this genre. However, I believe this game can attract a new audience to the Rogelike genre. Even roguelike fans should enjoy the more laid-back tone and additional sim elements. In short, Cuisineer is very 'to taste'.

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Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a masterfully done remake. The goal envisioned by the creators was to bring a classic game up to modern sensibilities, and they have truly outdone themselves. Star Ocean: The Second Story R takes the masterfully crafted systems of the original game, combines them with the updates from Star Ocean: Second Evolution, and wraps them up in a gorgeous and smooth package. Any qualms that can be found lie within things like the story and characters, which remain true to the original game. However, the ease of play, deep RPG elements, strong story theming, and revamped battle system more than makeup for any issues I have. Please, I implore you, to check out this absolutely astounding game.

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Sep 27, 2023

Silent Hope is a great time. The premise is interesting despite not always delivering on it 100%. However, the gameplay loop is engaging with a good amount of depth and planning. Deliberating on how to prepare best and proceed is rewarding. Skill isn't thrown to the wayside for an over-reliance on RNG elements, which is welcome. What you end up getting a neat and fun title to enjoy at your own pace. Although, I do see some getting burned out on the gameplay loop. This game offers a solid foundation for what hopefully branches into a nice Rune Factory side series. Also, you can pet the Story of Seasons cow!

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Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a really cute and simple game. Simply cute! The art, music, and neat characters warm my heart with the essence of the good 'ol days of interestingly fresh RPGs. The game's strengths come from the interweaving of simple mechanics and ideas, while the cracks begin to show when said simplicities are individually scrutinized. This remake is a splendid time if it meets your expectations of a simple and quaint time, but can leave those looking for a richer experience yearning for more.

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Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is an amazing game. It has the mechanical soundness you’d expect from a long-running series while offering S-Rank quality updates to a classic title. What really makes this game sing and come together is the union of the time-proven gameplay and some truly heartfelt themes. Themes of life echo throughout this game. You must nurture your crops, your relationships, your child, and your own self as you journey down the tumultuous yet rewarding road of life. Everything changes. Sometimes those changes are bittersweet. However, if you work hard and open your heart, everything will be alright.

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May 4, 2023

Live A Live is a timeless classic in my eyes. It’s as innovative and interesting as many of the genre juggernauts. Get sucked in and invested in stories that span generations and genres. An awesome premise is tied together with fun gameplay and the wonderful HD-2D art style. Personal taste can determine whether or not you enjoy a certain chapter’s gimmicks, however the bite-size of the chapters guarantee you won’t be unsatisfied for long. The PS5 version is the best console version of the game featuring high-resolution visuals and smooth 60fps gameplay. Yes, that makes a stark difference as everything looks crisp and feels sublime. The PC port is of course variable depending on your hardware, meaning that it could fall in line with the Nintendo Switch version or exceed the PS5 version. The PS4 version still boasts superior framerates and resolution to the Switch version, as well.

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Apr 24, 2023

Trinity Trigger is a simple game with a simple goal: Recreate the feeling of classic 90s RPGs. It's simple, for better and for worse. Level design, presentation, and ambition mostly suffer. However, the simplicity makes the gameplay and story really satisfying in a familiar way. In such a way that feels like catching up with an old friend. It's familiar but some things are new and different. You get a rush of nostalgia and pure enjoyment during your journey through Trinitia.

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The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series is a great set of remasters. They strongly preserve the 35-year-long legacy of Final Fantasy with resounding success. These remasters elicit the retro feel of these classic games while providing a bevy of accessibility options and extras. The new Boosters and font that were specially made for the console releases of these games are welcome additions especially. Extra content from prior releases may be missing, but the beautiful re-arranged soundtracks, Quality of Life features, and vibrant redrawn graphics do an excellent job of making up for the loss of admittedly mediocre, tacked-on content. Even underneath the modern bells, whistles, and shinier coat of paint, these are still the classic games you know and love; retaining their classic charm and flaws. As individual games, your mileage may vary, but as a retro collection, you can’t go much higher. What could go lower, however, is the price.

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Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection preserves the legacy of this Mega Man series well. These classic games still hold up and this collection keeps every aspect of the games intact; even if some of those aspects haven't aged well. Oodles of extras tie it all together to make a fine addition to any Mega Man fan's collection!

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Atelier Ryza 3 takes everything that makes the prior games great and attempts to improve, and improve it does! The new elements mix with the old to make an addicting and refined concoction. Everything from Exploration to Combat to Synthesis has been polished to a mirror sheen. Atelier Ryza 3 looks back respectfully while taking a confident step forward.

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Theatrhytm Final Bar Line is a fun time with amazing music and thoughtful options. The accessibility in the game truly allows Final Bar Line to excel above its predecessors. Final Bar Line is a celebration of the grand Final Fantasy series, with hundreds of songs to relive the dozens of adventures throughout the series. If you're looking for a content-filled rhythm game, look no further than this fantastic title!

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A great remaster that improves everything, leaving nary a reason to go back. Some of the ancient PSP dust does show up due to an outdated skeleton and presentation. The story and characters are still great in my eyes and even holds a firm candle to FINAL FANTASY VII Remake. I’m grateful for this Reunion and cherished my time with it as I did the original.

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