RPG Fan's Reviews
Kitaria Fables is an action RPG with a failed farming component. Hell, even the action RPG aspect is failed. The dialogue, while cute and child-like, goes on and on with more telling and less showing. On its surface, this looks like a fun kids game, but the punishing enemies and excessive text tell otherwise. I’m not sure who this is for. Actually, I’d say it’s for no one. In no way is this any fun. It felt like work from beginning to end, and I can’t even say that’s because I was doing any farming.
I could go on and on about all of the other bells and whistles, like the importance of spending multitools wisely at upgrade terminals, the incredible procedural generation of the levels and enemies, the more than a dozen modes to play, all of the in-game achievements to earn, and the plentiful secrets, but those are best discovered when you buy this game. If you’ve got a strategic bone in your body, you have to buy this. Go, buy it now. It’s $25 at full price, which might as well be an act of charity considering the quantity and quality of what you’re getting.
Gaming enthusiasts whose time is too limited to sample every hot Nintendo classic might want to move along. However, those among us who can still devote ample hours to our favorite franchises (and can tolerate a few terribly repetitive angles) will find a lot to love here. That’s the most I could hope for from Skyward Sword HD, and indeed, it has delivered.
With a team consisting of Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii, of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest fame respectively, perhaps it was no huge surprise that I’d end up enjoying Chrono Trigger. Given my appreciation and fondness for those series, I enjoyed what they created, even if it did take me a little longer to give the title a chance than most. It is obvious that a lot of care and effort was put forth by the entire accomplished development team, and that stemmed into quite a few fun hours of gameplay for me. Chrono Trigger is one of those rare titles that indeed lives up to its storied reputation, and I can certainly see why it is considered a timeless classic RPG. I can’t thank everyone who has recommended and hyped Chrono Trigger to me enough, as I found that it is a journey through time well worth taking for RPG enthusiasts!
At the end of the day, though, Dodgeball Academia hits all the right notes to become a smash hit multimedia entity. Not only can I see an animation and comic book or manga series, but I can also picture a plethora of Dodgeball Academia merchandise like stickers, apparel, toys, phone accessories, dodgeballs, and much more. So you should enroll in Dodgeball Academia today and become the sports anime protagonist you’ve always wanted to be.
Ambition: A Minuet in Power is a highly interactive visual novel that details love and intrigue during a turbulent historical time not often covered in video games. It was a trip through time to an earlier Paris that proved memorable and engaging, even if the journey wasn’t without flaws. Visual novel fans looking for more romance with political machinations to maneuver through and a bit more interactivity than one usually expects from the genre should give this one a closer look.
Clocking in one whole run of about six episodes took me seven hours. After dabbling in New Game+ for a little bit to complete my relationship bars and discover all of the collectibles, I expect to invest another seven hours. Road 96 offers a unique style and storytelling that the gaming industry desperately needs right now. I worry that this one will float under many people’s radar as it’s by no means an edge-of-your-seat story with larger-than-life actors. This is a chill game with cozy vibes mixed with a little bit of social unrest to shake things up a bit. Conflict! At any rate, if you have the need for this sort of title in your life, Road 96 scratches the itch well.
I have very mixed feelings about Fuga: Melodies of Steel. On the one hand, I’m glad to see that the Little Tail Bronx series still has life in it. On the other hand, this latest entry is largely unimpressive and doesn’t hold a candle to the rollicking good times that Tail Concerto and Solatorobo were. If you are already a Little Tail Bronx die-hard, then you’ve already decided to buy Fuga: Melodies of Steel. If you’re a newcomer, I think you’d have a more enjoyable time with Tail Concerto or Solatorobo.
But there’s a moment just as the wave breaks, as it all comes crashing down, where the sea spray lingers in the air and a rainbow appears against the blue sky. From where you stand, you only see its upper arc, but there’s comfort in knowing it’s a complete circle somewhere, the rest of Bustafellows that had built up to this moment. And it’s fleeting, perhaps even quickly forgotten, but it’s beautiful.
Compile Heart, and the Neptunia series in particular, have the kind of negative reputation that begs you to push through and find the treasure that keeps these games releasing a full decade later. Sadly, if there is a diamond in all this rough, it’s not to be found in Neptunia ReVerse. The repetitiveness of the core experience is unlikely to win over non-fans, and longtime fans will feel disappointed, if not insulted, by the lack of changes from Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1, and PlayStation 5 exclusivity proves the final nail in the coffin for this remaster in search of an audience.
Dreamscaper has been in early access for about a year, and based on my time with it, I can say that time was well spent by Afterburner. They’ve created a well-balanced and engaging roguelike Action RPG that perfectly pairs with its social simulator mechanics. I continued to play long after I conquered Cassidy’s dreams and enjoyed every run, whether it was all the way to the end of the game or stupidly dying in the first level. This is a super impressive debut for the studio, and I hope that Afterburner is already working on its follow-up title! If Dreamscaper is any indication, we will be in for some sweet dreams ahead!
Episode 2 continues on in much the same manner as Episode 1. It has consistently high-quality writing, which makes for an engaging experience all the way through. Barring occasional hiccups with some of the new cast members, Episode 2 manages to improve upon its predecessor in every way, from the expanded range of choices to the overall narrative structure of the unfolding plot. The months-long wait till Episode 3 will be a painful one, but if the quality continues in this manner, I’m more than happy to wait.
If you’re hungry for a fresh Souls-like experience, this isn’t it. If you’re the type of player who craves a challenge and loves memorizing boss patterns, then this could be for you. Just don’t expect to have meaningful options.
My time with Osteoblasts was a mixture of confusion, frustration, intrigue, challenge, and laughing at the absurdity of what was going on or what I was battling with. While I had fun in some instances, I spent much of my time sighing as I missed yet another attack that would extend battle for another minute or so. There is a lot to like in the game, but it feels like it’s laser-targeted at the crowd who enjoys wandering around dungeons in a masochistic rage. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of dungeon RPGs, Osteoblasts didn’t quite click with me. That said, despite being a game about skeletons, it certainly has a lot of heart.
A gorgeous dark horse of a game with stellar art, writing, and gameplay that allow it to cut a path through the impossibly large mountain of Metroidvanias.
This version of Final Fantasy III is more than just a history lesson; it's a fun, experimental game with a cool early job system, an absolutely stunning soundtrack, a story that does more than people give it credit for, and a significant improvement from earlier games in the series that is worth playing today.
A quirkily flawed stepping stone in Final Fantasy history.
Overall, between the game’s story and gameplay, nothing sticks out as individually exceptional. Still, Final Fantasy comes together as an experience that is better than the sum of its parts. The Pixel Remaster does an excellent job of keeping the surprisingly well-aged gameplay that started the series intact while updating it with more modern pixel art and a beautiful soundtrack. Outside of a few confusing moments and poorly balanced bosses, Final Fantasy is a game I would readily recommend to modern RPG fans, and it’s a great introduction to the genre’s classics.
Chernobylite is a solid game with a thoughtful story, enjoyable characters, memorable scares, and amazing design. You have freedom in the directions you want to go with crafting and leveling up, and the narrative choices you make feel meaningful. The game keeps you constantly engaged, as it always feels like there’s an important mission to complete or something to take care of around the base. The mystery is fascinating all the way to the end, and the main narrative doesn’t overstay its welcome, feeling spot on at a tight 20-ish hours.
Dedicated fans will likely disappointed, while newcomers will be left wondering why people love this universe.