RPG Fan's Reviews
Life is Strange: True Colors opens phenomenally well and then somehow loses its way, never really knowing if it wanted to tell a cheesy conspiracy story or dive completely into slice-of-life territory. I wish it chose an identity. Most of all, I wish it took some chances. I don’t want to say the series is growing stale, but there’s certainly a careful balance needed between giving fans what they expect and reinventing some aspect of itself. This is a cool world to get lost in over a weekend, but it may float on by as a passing phase.
Morteshka’s deal with the devil has paid off, as Black Book delivers a captivating story and engaging gameplay full of strategy and variety that should keep you busy for over 40 hours. Being in league with Satan usually comes with a great price, but players should be able to overcome any curses handed down to them. With strong character development and narrative, this wicked book is a page-turner that’s worth a read.
Even 30 years after release, Final Fantasy IV still shines as brightly as it did in 1991. Its genre-defining story and combat system coupled with the Pixel Remaster’s reorchestrated soundtrack and quality of life updates make this an iconic game you’d be a fool to miss. Much like Cecil struggles with his unwitting role as a killer for his king, I struggle to let go of Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster after spending a few dozen hours wrapping up its main quest. If you have even a modicum of affection for JRPGs, you will too.
OPUS: Echo of Starsong was a complete surprise to me in several ways. The gameplay was enjoyable without ever becoming too frustrating or boring, the visual presentation was beautiful, and the focus on audio was implemented well. But what ultimately stood out to me most was the creativity and care put into the story. This was an absolutely touching and memorable sci-fi tale with an endearing cast of characters, and it left quite the impression after I finished the game. Much like the echoes of ephemeral sound that the characters follow throughout the stars, OPUS: Echo of Starsong might just leave you with a lasting impression.
A casual speedrun to just get to the end will run about two hours, but if TOEM is played how it’s “intended,” then expect to get a few hours out of it, while completionists might hit five or more. If content’s your concern, there it is, but if a high-quality, easygoing experience to escape the anxiety of these pandemic times—or whatever ails you—then TOEM works wonders. The world needs more TOEM, and it’s been a pleasure to get to live in this meditative place, even if only for a short while.
Tales of Arise is a tremendous step forward for a storied JRPG series and should be experienced by all fans of the genre.
I don’t regret my stay in Providence Oaks, but like most vacations, I wish I had gotten to do more in the short time I had with the game. If you’re looking for a slice-of-life experience in a peaceful lake town and you don’t mind some bumps along the road, Lake might just be up your alley. If you want a narrative game with replay value where your choices affect the story, this vacation might leave you a little wanting.
Despite a few quibbles and an endgame that doesn’t hit quite as hard as I hoped, I enjoyed Chicken Police – Paint it RED! The characters are kind of the star of the show, and the fantastic writing and voice acting compliment the noir-style visuals. If you’re looking for a classic detective story with a unique twist, then you might be interested in the adventures of the legendary Chicken Police. Overall, it’s a clucking good time!
Despite some minor flaws, I rather enjoyed Boyfriend Dungeon. At around five to eight hours long, it might be a bit on the short side for those expecting the lengthier content of most dungeon crawlers, but I felt the length was perfect for conveying the story Kitfox Games wanted to tell. Fans of outright challenging games might want to look elsewhere, but those more interested in story and narrative choice with enjoyable-albeit-simple gameplay might want to give this game a look. Getting attached to your weapons takes on a whole new and surprisingly welcome meaning here!
As an inexpensive and relatively short title by a one-person team, it is hard for me to lend much weight to the game’s misses. Garden Story’s characters and world have a magnetism; it’s hard to stop spending time with them once you’ve begun, and once you’ve finished the game, it’s effortless to stop back in. If you are happy to delve into an experience where everything but the gameplay shines, then Garden Story is definitely worth checking out.
I imagine this will be a title that enthusiasts will speculate on and theorize over for a long while, while others will pass on it in frustration as it leaves a bad taste in their mouths. Although not totally satisfying, I’m glad I played it, and I think for the right person, this is a rewarding and thought-provoking adventure.
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.