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With a chunky new campaign that presents a significant spike in difficulty, and a whole new endgame to grind out, along with a plethora of new optional quests, new gear to craft, and a new wave of best-in-class monsters to hunt, Sunbreak might not present much in the way of surprises, but it’s a terrific addition to an already fantastic game that continues Capcom’s trend of complimenting the series base experiences with stellar expansions. For new players, the more logical difficulty curve that Sunbreak presents, with a meaningful endgame challenge now correct and present, means there has never been a better time to jump into Monster Hunter Rise. Similarly, for lapsed players who were eventually put off by how trivial things had become, Sunbreak provides the perfect excuse to jump back in. Whatever angle you’re approaching Sunbreak from, sharpen those blades – you’re going to need them.
That’s actually a frequent issue with Darkest Dungeon II. I admire that the team at Red Hook Studios took a real swing here, trying new paths forward for the series instead of just tinkering around the edges and making an iterative sequel. The issue is that most of the game’s strengths are still the parts that came from the first game, with most of what’s new feeling fine but also like downgrades to what they’ve replaced. It leaves Darkest Dungeon II in a strange place where, on its own merits, it’s an interesting and well-made game that doesn’t quite live up to the example set by its predecessor.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores may be more Horizon, but if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’ll be very happy with this new content. With an excellent story, interesting new characters, awesome new weapons, and enemies, as well as some of the most exciting sequences in the entire game, Burning Shores makes Forbidden West an even stronger experience than it already was.
If you’ve been salivating for a new old-school RPG on modern consoles, Live A Live is a proper treat. The selection of stories you play are lovely and varied, the beautifully upscaled look of the game brings details to vibrant new life, and there is a lot of retro arcadey goodness in here to bask in. Furthermore, the shortness of each individual story makes each of them easy to play without feeling overloaded or that you’re missing something. Live A Live can get tricky, its grid-based battle system is a little passe, and it isn’t the most awe-inspiring remake you ever saw, but it’s a lovingly crafted revitalization that will please anybody with a fondness for old-school JRPGs.
While it’s true that Bend the Roo’les is a pretty affordable experience and one that’s easier to recommend, it still has its share of problems, both in terms of glitches and bugs, but also in terms of unbalanced game design. But if you still want to take your chances and spend more time in the Kao the Kangaroo universe, you might still find some limited enjoyment here.
Even though the game’s balancing and AI issues try their best to spoil the fun, ArcRunner still manages to deliver a satisfying cyberpunk roguelike experience. Despite its shortcomings—and they are plentiful— it can feel great to give into the temptation to jam to some synthwave and gun down some nameless bots for a few hours. It’s just a shame that, apart from the killer aesthetics, there isn’t much to compel players to return to its neon-saturated streets once they’ve finished their initial playthrough. That said, if you’re looking for an in-depth approach to the familiar roguelike formula, you might want to look elswhere. Which is a shame, since ArcRunner offers a fairly decent gameplay loop along with a striking cyberpunk playground to go with it. If you’re looking to soothe that very specific aesthetic itch ArcRunner scratches, by all means, go for it and indulge in the wavey synths and rain-slicked streets. Just know that your mileage may vary.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp offers two excellent strategy titles which will keep players busy for a ton of hours. Whether you’re an old fan happy to be back in command or someone enlisting for the first time, there’s a lot to recommend here. A bit more work updating things, particularly the balance of the latter half of the first game and the multiplayer experience, would have been welcome but that shouldn’t stop those wanting an excellent strategy experience from picking this one up.
As reductive as it may seem, Mia And The Dragon Princess is just another Wales Interactive FMV drama. Nothing here stands out besides a smidge of animation here, and a bit of foreign language there – oh, and a few minor laughs at some of the idiotic dialogue. There’s a minor level of entertainment you can summon from Mia and Marshanda’s exploits, but once you’ve polished off a first run, you will only bother going back either out of curiosity to see how alternative scenes and endings play out, or for trophies or achievements. At the end of the day, there simply isn’t much here to hold your attention. And like in previous Wales Interactive efforts, a lot of the scenes become skippable, so Mia And The Dragon Princess is another title that can be gorged through like a starving child when he glimpses a box of Celebrations. But unlike Celebrations, it doesn’t have the quantity nor the quality to entice you to keep on feasting, it’ll instead make you feel full all too quickly.
There’s no denying that Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin has its unintentionally awkward moments when it comes to the story, but at its core it’s a solid experience from both a gameplay standpoint and in terms of how it links back to the entire Final Fantasy universe. In fact, fans of the franchise will certainly be blindsided by nostalgia when it comes to music and settings, so I encourage newcomers to the series to try a few of the mainline entries first if they want to get the most out of this one. As for me, I found myself enjoying Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin in the same way that I enjoyed Final Fantasy X-2: preferring combat to story. Simply put, as long as you set your expectations accordingly, you’ll have a good time.
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a solid, addicting, enjoyable game. Yes, there are some annoying shortcomings, but the story and art style are both intricately connected, with the story being surprisingly engaging for a first-person dungeon crawler, and the art style likewise remarkably deep and beautiful for the genre. Exploration is addicting, and character classes can be changed or upgraded as you progress through the game, giving you access to advanced classes. First-person dungeon crawlers can often be a bit of a slog, but Labyrinth of Zangetsu manages to avoid that particular pitfall by being a reasonable length. While the difficulty can, at times, be quite steep, it’s worth the occasional pain and suffering.
Overall, DNF Duel was and still is one of the most aesthetically pleasing games I’ve played in a long time and one of the better ports on the Nintendo Switch, taking everything there was to love about the game while still retaining its sleek gameplay and killer sense of style. Sadly, while the characters and animations still look great, and the game runs like a champ, it took a slight hit in terms of graphical fidelity to be able to run the game at its most optimal on the Switch. Nevertheless, while it may not be an entirely new game, it does a phenomenal job showing that an old dog doesn’t need new tricks to be great. So if big beautiful sprites, bone-crunching combat, and vivid visuals are your cup of tea, don’t be afraid to give DNF Duel a try.
While Square Enix didn’t nail every element of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, they got enough right that I can’t imagine revisiting any other version of any of these games. Some of the greatest RPGs of all time are once again available to players on modern platforms, and that’s a cause for celebration. Whether you’re yearning to reexperience epic journeys from your youth or are just curious about what all the hype is about when it comes to Final Fantasy, this is a collection well worth your time.
I really don’t like having to pick on Mugen Souls as much as I did throughout most of this review. All-in-all, it was a fun JRPG with an entertaining storyline. I also understand that this game is a remake of something that came out a decade ago. And, heck, this game even has every bit of DLC (of which there is a lot) that was released during its initial run included for free! Unfortunately, neither of those things can entirely make up for the game’s misgivings. If you’re a fan of Compile Heart or JRPGs with weird and wacky stories, it might be worth giving a shot. I would, however, caution those out there who only want to spend their time playing RPGs with a bit more… well, quality.
I had hoped I would find another amazing roguelite in Mr. Sun’s Hatbox. But between the hardcore stealth component and the persistent glitches I encountered, I found the game more of a chore than a delight. While there are plenty of folks that may still enjoy the game, it’s a much harder sell until those nagging issues are patched out.
Ultimately, I had a great time with Varney Lake. The story is well told and features a surprising amount of replay value. While I personally didn’t love the mini-games, they don’t do much to detract from the experience. If you’re a fan of tales of woe and love reading good stories, give this one a shot. It’s incredibly affordable and very enjoyable.
It’s already been said once in this review, but it bears repeating. Nuclear Blaze is the equivalent of a brightly lit candle—it’s at its end far too soon, but it’s impossible not to marvel at its splendor while it’s still there. As little as I’ve actually thought about the “firefighting game” genre, I’m all-in if future games are anything like this.
They say that if you come for the king, you best not miss. Which is why I’m so amazed to say that Cassette Beasts not only stood tall in its own right, but managed to knock Pokémon down a notch or two in the process. While it’s true it doesn’t do everything right, and I’m still a little annoyed by how open world it is and how vague the type interactions can be, there’s so much to enjoy here. Throw in a lengthy playthrough and postgame content, and you have a game that’s well worth your money. If you’re at all a fan of the monster collector genre, you need to play this. It’s just that simple.
Ultimately, Arcana of Paradise -The Tower- is still an incredible, mysterious journey, and one of the best deckbuilders I’ve played. And yes, that list also includes the likes of Slay the Spire. So if you’re looking for something unique and don’t mind a little grinding and occasionally unintuitive controls, this is absolutely a game worth your time.
If you’re looking for an adventure that will keep you busy, Afterimage will fit that bill quite nicely. A single playthrough will take you roughly 30 hours to complete. With such a sizable quest, heaps of hidden items to uncover, and multiple endings to unlock, dedicated players can expect the game to keep them busy for weeks on end. Not bad for a Kickstarted project from a tiny Shanghainese studio, right? To call Afterimage ambitious would be an understatement, to put it mildly. Despite its excessive backtracking and hard-to-follow story, Afterimage is hands-down the most enjoyable Metroidvania I’ve played since Hollow Knight. With an engrossing world to explore, superb combat, and a plethora of fun abilities to master, it’s a game that’s almost impossible to put down once it gets its hooks in you. Even if you feel like you’ve had your fill of Soulslike Metroidvanias in recent years, you owe it to yourself to make time for Afterimage.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly may not change much from the first game, but that’s because it doesn’t have to. Perfection was already achieved the first cup around — the second cup tastes just as good. With that being said, the new faces and teas bring a unique flavor to the table, and we’re all the richer for their inclusion. If you’re ready for a cup of something warm to go along with relaxing lo-fi beats and thoughtful conversation, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly has a seat at the bar with your name on it.