MonsterVine
HomepageMonsterVine's Reviews
Mega Man Battle & Fighters is a simple but fun fighter/boss rush that I had a great time playing. It’s not especially complicated or anything, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a small and refreshing port of the Power Battle/Fighter games, with handy features that make this the most accessible version yet.
Strong satanic style outweighs nearly everything else even if the gameplay is a bit flat.
Live A Live is genuinely one of the most ambitious RPGs to have come from Square Enix. I’m truly glad that the world can now experience this gem, as it offers a unique experience that is tough to find anywhere else. If you dig RPGs but want something different and creative, I implore you to give Live A Live a shot.
Escape Academy is a unique and satisfying escape room-esque game that puzzle fans will truly dig. Some voice lines can be repetitive, and the puzzles can be a bit unclear on occasion, but otherwise, it’s a strong and delightfully puzzling adventure.
Sunbreak takes a while to get going, but the new monsters, mechanics, and armor make it worth the initial trudge through familiar content.
Eyes in the Dark doesn’t shake up the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a really fun, casual roguelike to jump into for a few quick runs with a really cute artstyle and nifty gameplay gimmicks.
Disgaea 6 Complete is the ideal way to play Disgaea 6. While your enjoyment of it will depend on whether you’re open to a simpler and more streamlined version of Disgaea, if you’re cool with it, you’ll find a robust and exciting SRPG experience to sink your teeth into. And hey, if you’re new to Disgaea, this is a brilliant way to dip your toe into the wonderfully frantic grindfest.
Sonic Origins is an overall strong collection of some of Sonic’s best titles. The PS5 version seems pretty bug-free, and the included games all play very smoothly. I wish there was a bit more content in the gallery, and the replaced Sonic 3 songs are disappointing, but otherwise, I’m quite satisfied with Sonic Origins.
If you didn’t like Cuphead when it first came out Delicious Last CourseI isn’t gonna change your mind. It’s both more of the same and also a whole new challenge to learn. The blending of challenging but fair gameplay and incredibly detailed artwork and style are unrivaled across the industry. I do hope that one day accessibility options are added, so more people can experience everything Cuphead has to offer, but on a personal level I do still love the challenge and difficulty. I hope The Delicious last Course isn’t the last we see for Cuphead content, I’d happily throw down at least $8 every few years for more new experiences in this style.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is without a doubt one of the strongest musou titles to date. It has a huge bounty of content, a unique story, and classic Warriors gameplay. It suffers a bit on the Switch, which is disappointing, but it’s still an excellent entry into both the Warriors series and Fire Emblem.
AI: The Somnium Files was a unique game that blended a wacky sense of humor with a dark murder mystery and unexpected twists, making it a tough act to follow. Nevertheless, its sequel rises to the challenge. The scale and scope of Nirvana Initiative are different, but the story, humor, characters, and gameplay additions all come together to make it a sequel worthy of the name. If you enjoyed the first game, you’ll likely enjoy AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative as well.
The Capcom Fighting Collection is a strong grouping of Capcom’s smaller fighters. Red Earth and Cyberbots alone make this a very neat collection, but the entire package is truly worthwhile. Fighting fans of all stripes will find something to enjoy here, though Darkstalkers fans will be especially happy.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is weird and surprisingly fun sports title that combines strong mechanics with a unique atmosphere. If you aren’t a big sports person, it’s best played in bursts, but for a soccer game, it’s actually incredibly enjoyable.
While other versions seem to fare better, the Switch version of Souldiers is an unfortunate mess. Until it receives some meaningful fixes (which the developer does seem dedicated to doing, judging from their Twitter), you’re better off trying it on another console. It’s a shame, as Souldiers seems like a good fit to play on the go, but the plethora of issues make that currently impossible.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the successor to Turtles in Time I’ve been waiting my entire life for. Its only fault is that I wish there was more of it; Shredder’s Revenge offers a single slice of pizza when I want the entire pie.
If you’re looking for a game to scratch that adrenaline chasing itch, Neon White might just be the thing you’re looking for.
If you love 3D collect-a-thon platformers, Kao the Kangaroo is worth taking a look at once its bugs are patched. It might not bring anything new to the genre, but it’s a short slice of what makes 3D platforming fun.
Biomotor Unitron is a slick and fun dungeon crawler that holds up pretty well. It could use a bit of a smoother tutorial, but once you get into the swing of things, you’ll have a blast plundering dungeons and battling other robots.
GIMME SOME SHIPS TO BREAK!
But if you’re looking for Vampire: The Masquerade and you are also old and you don’t want to play a janky battle royale, Vampire: the Masquerade – Swansong is…kinda interesting.