Raider King
HomepageRaider King's Reviews
Village in the Shade is a game which falls into two seemingly contradictory genres, yet despite that it expertly blends both the relaxing/addicting aspects of farming simulator gameplay genre and the tense, hair-raising, aspects of the horror literary genre. This title is one of the most unique farming and horror games of the past decade and should not be skipped by any gamer.
Stupid Never Dies is a game with mountainous highs and abyssal lows. The game's combat and roguelike mechanics are as perfect as they can be, running through the dungeon to eat and become enemies never failed to satisfy me throughout my entire playthrough. However, those aspects are dragged down by the game's slow pacing issues and the story's treatment of Davy's love interest. While I love the game's tone and the enjoy it while I'm playing it, these aspects drag down what could have otherwise been a perfect experience.
Alpha Nomos is sadly a disappointment. Despite its incredibly interesting concept, the actual gameplay just doesn't hold up compared to other recent roguelike releases. Both the action game elements and the rhythm game elements of the combat feel underdeveloped and lead to an experience that never feels better than just "Okay." With very little variety between runs and technical issues also dragging the game down, I find it incredibly hard to recommend this game to others.
The task of remaking one of the greatest games of all time is a hefty one that most developers would be wise to avoid trying. Despite that, Falcom has put their best foot forward an delivered a near-perfect game that is sure to please any fan of the RPG genre, be they hardcore or casual. While Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter doesn't quite live up to the original game, it's still one of the best RPGs of this generation and should be given your time and attention.
The Sinking City 2 is a game that bring nothing new to the table and doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, which can be very disappointing as this title comes from a studio who has always been one of the most unique in the industry. Despite that, The Sinking City 2 is a very well crafted Survival Horror experience that fans of the genre should take the time to enjoy. Its fast-paced gameplay, fun set pieces, and Lovecraftian horror elements allows the title to stand alongside the titans it is derived from.
Security 51 nails the checkpoint gameplay and backs it up with genuinely gorgeous pixel art. But it forgets the other half of what makes this genre work: there's no one to actually care about, no moral weight to your decisions, and almost nothing tying your daily grind to the story. Worth playing for the loop and the visuals, just don't go in expecting a narrative to match.
Agefield High is a truly awful game that had no right to release in the state that it's in, much less for $30. With awful gameplay that often doesn't work correctly, poor performance that will leave you sick, and a world so quiet and empty that it will turn you mad it's almost impossible to recommend this game to anyone. If you are a fan of the 2000s properties that inspired this title, then the best advice I can give you is to stay way and stick with those for now.
Talespinner is a game with an interesting concept with a mixed execution. While the combat and deck building elements of the game shine through and will keep nearly any gamer engaged, the rogue-like elements fall short due to the game's lack of variety outside of the deck building. Despite its flaws, the overall experience is still enjoyable and is sure to satisfy gamers looking for a short yet fun rogue-like in this style.
High Times is a game that will shock the player at every turn. Whether that be from making them double take at how many hours they've sunk into a single playthrough or by making them spit-take when a character says something unexpected, there is no way to safely predict what the game will do next. The actual cooking mechanics of the game are simple to the point of being repetitive, but the visual novel and dating simulator side of the game is well written and engaging enough to make up for that repetition. Fans of this style of game who want a bit more edge in the writing than what most cozy games provide should definitely check out this title.
Disgaea Mayhem is a game which is next to impossible to recommend. While the game's combat fundamentals could have served as the foundation for a fun game, the complete lack of any stage design and incredibly short length make this experience feel very shallow and disappointing. Fans of both the Disgaea franchise and action games in general will find very little to enjoy in this title.
Starbites is a game whose battle system had a lot of potential, but is sadly held back by a repetitive structure which sees the player traversing the same areas and performing the same actions repeatedly. It is very hard to recommend this title to JRPG fans
Road to Empress II is less of a sequel to the first game and more of a continuation. Everything beloved by the first game such as the creative storytelling, presentation, and bad ends remains in this title, but it has also inherited all of the first game's flaws such as its rough localization and demand to always be online. Due to its nature as a continuation of the first game, whether or not you will enjoy this title will be based entirely on what you thought of the original.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a very beautiful game whose gameplay unfortunately doesn't live up to that visual design. Gamers who are already a fan of this type of game or can overlook the repetition of its level design may enjoy this title, but it offers very little beyond that.
007: First Light is not only a great new interpretation of James Bond but a great game in general. While the combat of the game doesn't do much new, the incredibly engaging stealth segments and the near endless replay ability of this title will keep the attention of any gamer for the rest of the year. Do not miss out on this great spy title.
Coffee Talk Tokyo is a great game for those who want a relaxing visual novel experience. While some character stories within feel underdeveloped, the game's beautiful visuals and the central characters of the game will keep readers engaged from start to finish.
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is just as enjoyable on PC as it was on the Vita nearly a decade ago. While the game has some level design shortcomings, the endless charm of its visuals and the creativity on display make this an excellent short-platformer experience.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a game that will appeal to only a small group of people. With puzzles that take hours to solve, many technical issues, and a misunderstanding of what makes the Lovecraftian Mythos interesting many gamers will be turned away from this title. However, those who love the type of long-form puzzles the game offers may fall in love with its unique design and mechanics.
Esoteric Ebb is the rare game that makes you feel genuinely smarter and significantly stupider at the same time. A few rough edges here and there can't undo the fact that this is one of the most inventive, wickedly funny RPGs in years.
Disciples: Domination is a functional but uninspired sequel that feels more like overpriced DLC than a true follow-up to Liberation. With recycled assets, tedious combat from the start, catastrophic technical issues, broken balance, and zero meaningful improvements over its predecessor, it's hard to recommend at full price.
Ys X: Proud Nordics is a game that is often afraid to take the training wheels off and let the player truly explore its world. When it finally does though, this enjoyable Action-RPG is a welcome entry in the journals of Adol Christin. Sadly the new additions created for this port do not justify buying it a second time.