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By no means does Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] bring anything truly revolutionary to the series or even the fighting genre at this point, but it is slick, stylized and plays wonderfully. Fans of the one-on-one fighting genre should find plenty to like here, and this is about as accessible of a new fighter as you will find that on the market, while still having plenty of depth for those who really want to delve in and learn the characters.
Overall, Giraffe and Annika is some light fun that’ll last you about a good four to six hours depending on how much cat artwork that you want to search for. It’s short, sweet, and it never overstays its welcome which is something that a lot of others could learn from as there was a clear and concise story being told. Final verdict? It’s worth checking out!
While Romance of the Three Kingdoms XVI is unlikely to unseat more popular strategy titles like the Civilization series, I think this release has focused on a lot of the best aspects of the series. I prefer the focus on rulers over officers, I appreciate the streamlined monthly commands and combat, even if there were a couple of areas where a bit more micromanagement might have been appreciated. Still, this latest release in the series provides many (many, many) hours of satisfying strategy and simulation for those such as myself who are fans of the setting.
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle provides a pretty good selection of games, many of which are welcome blasts from my past. Plenty of options to tweak the experience were welcome, though perhaps the presentation and generations of consoles represented would have provided a more robust overall package. Fans of old-school brawlers and rough-and-tumble sports should come away entertained.
To conclude, Atelier Shallie: Alchemist of the Dusk Sea was a nice combination of both Ayesha and Escha/Logy. Having larger parties, dual main characters and infinite amount of time to play was a nice change to the series. The story-line and visuals were a little tasteless compare to Escha and Logy, but overall the game was fantastic. I'm giving this game a 8 out of 10.
So overall, while it may not have the same expansive storyline of Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate, Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate is a solid experience which adds some neat quality of life features to the base title that came out over a year ago. Adding in just a few new characters was neat, but it’s the ability to change magics and the smoothness of the experience that really takes the show making the Ultimate add-on a worthy pick up to the original title.
Azur Lane Crosswave – PC Review (February 26, 2020) http://chalgyr.com/2020/02/review-pc-azurlane-crosswave.html Overall, I’d say that Azur Lane Crosswave is a great way to help get the series out there, and while the battles can get a little repetitive, there’s nothing I can really point out as being truly wrong or bad. Although it does feel rather lacking in content, and how much you’ll enjoy this title is rather dependant on how much you like the mobile game, considering that Crosswave basically turned the mobile system into essentially a console type game, I have to say they did rather well, all things considered. ---------- Azur Lane Crosswave – Switch Review (February 24, 2021) https://chalgyr.com/2021/02/review-switch-azurlanecrosswave.html Overall I have to say I really did enjoy my time with Azur Lane Crosswave. While I couldn't really recommend it too heavily to someone not a fan of the series, it definitely should be something to keep on your watchlist to see if it goes on sale. The gameplay is pretty good, albeit with shorter and sparse battles at the beginning, and the game is primarily a visual novel to start, so if you are ok with that, you'll probably like Azur Lane. There's plenty of post game and extra battles to engage in, and the music is really solid. It feels like the game got a graphics and water physics upgrade from the PC port as well. If you do decide to pick this up for the Switch, I suggest playing on a TV if available. Also, go check out the mobile game so we can get more of these.
So overall? Rune Factory 4 Special is basically a must from me and already has a place on my 2020 Games of the Year list. Being made Royalty by proxy has never been this good and while you technically “have” to do the farming and “have” to do exploration, it never feels like you do and the ease of entry just creates a relaxing experience that is fun to play for hours on end as you choose to either befriend or romance the people of the town that you are now in charge of. Don’t want to do either? That’s why there’s exploration and combat for those moments that you just need to get away from it all!
The Yakuza Remastered Collection does an excellent job of bringing three games from last generation to the current gaming systems. We are nearing the end of the PlayStation 4, it seems appropriate for this trio of games to arrive now. We are not looking at a complete reworking of the original titles, but a few quality of life improvements and an improved coat of paint on the visuals is certainly appreciated. Fans of the series won’t find much new here, but they will probably enjoy the newfound polish. Newcomers will want to play these versions, as they are the definitive take on these three games. Packing the three titles together at an attractive price is also a win. These are massive games – cancel any plans you might have for the next few weeks as you undertake these titles, but they are certainly worth it.
Overall I have to say that while I preferred Psikyo Shooting Stars - Bravo over Alpha, they are both amazing packages especially for fans of the style. Coming with different experiences in Bravo, there’s plenty to enjoy right here with some titles that both stick to the norm and others that add in just that little bit more. That is until you get to the last title that just breaks the mold all together and I couldn’t have been happier to have it in the package.
In all, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a really solid strategy game. The pacing will not be for everyone, but the character progression and slower, more thoughtful approach to gameplay works well with this darkly themed fantasy title. It does not really bring anything new to the table, but what the game does, it does pretty well.
Overall, Big Ant Studios and Bigben Interactive’s AO Tennis 2 is a great title. With the only real issue being the load times, playing either singles or doubles for any amount of time whether a quick set or a couple of them is great fun either against the CPU, your friends, or the scary people online that make things look way too easy like Ryouma in the Prince of Tennis.
To conclude, Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemist of the Dusk Sky is a fantastic addition to, not only the Dusk trilogy, but to the entirety of the Atelier line-up. Bringing in a dual point of view makes things more interesting. Plus, the though of a second play-through with a completely different person the second time around makes it more exciting. A great place to start for any newcomers to the series of alchemy. I'm giving this game a 8.5 out of 10.
Overall, since the stages are procedurally generated there is a lot of replayability, and the different abilities from the different characters are really nice for keeping you coming back for another serving. The graphics are rather reminiscent of overcooked and the soundtrack is pretty decent. With monster filled levels, the meat of Nom Nom Apocalypse is definitely fighting through the hordes of mutant food monsters and throwing yourself out of the frying pan and into the fire. Facing off against the big bosses are fun, and every run feels a little bit different from the last. Nom Nom Apocalypse is a quirky top-down shooter that, while maybe not going too far outside the box in terms of gameplay, certainly has a delicious draw to it.
Overall, Code Shifters, while short, is a fun platformer with plenty of replayability with the difficulty options and a whole other game inside of it. Touching on the issue of crunch time with its narrative while also giving us plenty to see and do within the different coded aspects of the game was a fun approach to why would need to cross some rather extreme terrains. Adding in that upgrades are only granted to doing your absolute best, and there’s more than enough to test those that excel at the style.
Arc of Alchemist really is more than the sum of its parts. The gameplay is stable and works for a time since it never evolves, the town building elements are really only there as a way to limit how fast you get new equipment, and there’s loads of story to experience as long as you remember to go back to the base to see it. Compared to a lot of Compile Heart titles, this is truly a short and sweet one but it’s also one that could potentially become something if they stick with it. It was fun and again, without spoilers, with how it finishes I’m hoping for a sequel that could continue the tale and hopefully add other refinements. The only thing that I’ve got to wonder though is… why did they call it Arc of Alchemist when there’s ZERO alchemy in it.
Overall, I enjoyed my playthrough, even though I yelled at the game a ton. It has some faults that need addressing like the input issues (which might not actually be the fault of the developer) and an improved combat system. It's still a fun take on the platforming genre and as such, Bookbound Brigade earns a 7 out of 10 in my books.
To conclude, I am happy to be able to replay this trilogy again. Hoping with the added bonuses and enhanced gameplay it would make Ayesha a joy to play. Unfortunately, the game is still as lacking to me as it was back on the PS3. Visually, more pleasing to the eye and am extremely happy they gave us the option to fast forward over most parts of the game. However, falls short with bland characters and a weak storytelling. I am giving this game a score of 6.5 out of 10.
Ultimately I would have to call Orangeblood rather lacking as a package deal. There are tons of concepts there that could really rule, but just get pummelled and that ain’t cool. A game with a focus on music and hip-hop, should have some rhymes that just don’t stop. Instead what we get is some sub-par translations, I swear I’ve seen better in MTL stations. While combat and gameplay provides something unique, it just isn’t quite enough to get a winning streak. So while Orangeblood is definitely worth trekking, it certainly needs some quality checking. So while a somewhat subpar score I’m contriving, I really do hope these devs keep on striving. Peace out homes.
All in all The Last Autumn is a fantastic addition, both in lore and in gameplay, to the Frostpunk base game; capable enough for newer players to jump in and get a solid feel for it while having more than enough content for seasoned players, The Last Autumn is worth every penny. While I would like to see better optimization in the long haul, The Last Autumn is still an engaging and gorgeous experience. Managing the new mechanics in lieu of managing your settlement's temperatures is smartly done, the new buildings are gorgeous and help with the overall narrative, and as its base game before it, provides players with a weird sensation of both relaxation and tension. The Last Autumn smartly expands the lore of Frostpunk and is a must-play expansion.