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So between the new format in order to tell the story, the new alchemy system that lets you learn or modify things on your own terms instead of always needing to follow a recipe and the new battle system that goes much faster, Atelier Ryza: Eternal Darkness & The Secret Hideout is not only the best that Gust have ever given us, but it's an example of what JRPGs should be aspiring to be. These well balanced systems and a wonderfully written story mesh so we'll together that it's almost impossible to put down.
Whether it’s your first time getting to see the glorious adventure of Valvatorez, Fenrir and Fuka, or the third or fourth time, it’s an adventure that doesn’t get old. Because of its initial HD treatment, Disgaea 4 Complete+ feels just as refined as it did upon its original release. While some may find it a little harder to get back into after the vast changes into Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance or the Complete version, for me? It’s going to be really hard to de-thrown this tale of politics and sardines from the throne that it currently sits upon.
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors gets a lot of things right with its presentation, quality action and fun co-op mode. It is that rare fighting game that is both accessible and yet deep as you learn how to best use a character. The updates here are somewhat minimal, which just goes to show how good the original game really was. It is still a great deal of fun for those who have an old-school brawling itch they need to scratch.
Overall, Destiny Connect: is a cute little title that has a decent draw for those new to the RPG scene, but may not have the same draw for the older crowd. The soundtrack is solid and the storyline is rather interesting. Combat is pretty fluid and while there isn’t much of a difficulty, the enemies are pretty interesting and there is a lot of different tactics you can use with the different characters. Although Destiny Connect: Tick Tock Travelers makes for a good introductory RPG, a lot of those looking for another RPG in their larger repertoire may feel let down by the simplicity and “hand holding” that happens. While probably fun for the younger crowd, it may not pass muster for the older crowd.
So as long as you don’t game over because the clock went and struck twelve, MistOver will keep you busy for a lot of hours. Hell, even if you wipe out and decide to go at it all over again, MistOver is worth it. MistOver is honestly a dungeon crawler that fans should look into even if they have a fear with permadeath for characters. Even if they die off, you keep the gear, cursed, but you keep it and slap it onto the next replacement that you’ve hired as a just in case things went south. With plenty of quests, boss fights and environments to explore, the mist awaits you!
Those quibbles aside, Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered is a welcome treat this close to Halloween. Having the likenesses and original voice actors reprising their roles in this game when it first came out was a major win for the development team, and it still puts a smile on my face today. The shooting mechanics are a bit clumsy, but that plays into the collateral damage aspect of the game, which is hilarious at times. Some aspects have aged better than overs, but overall fans of the Ghostbusters franchise will undoubtedly enjoy what this game has to offer.
Sega Ages: Ichidant-R is a pretty cool study in what was, even if what it currently is might not be for everyone. Ideally, this is the kind of game you want to sit down with some friends to play - or better yet just spectate as two newcomers play it with one another for the first time. Having done that with my kids, I can say that this was a particularly entertaining experience. The mix of action and puzzle elements, as well as the variety of games actually makes for a pretty charming and interesting title, even if it is one that does not have a particularly long shelf life after your initial few hours.
Overall, Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travellers is a fun little RPG for a good sunday afternoon or three that can be easily sat down with a cup of tea. Never too hard, it’s really a throwback to an easier time where things were made to look pretty and be relaxing instead of crazy hard and needing mad skills to complete. That all said, it is a cute adventure and is worth exploring.
After a handful of hours, you will have experienced pretty much everything Sega Ages - Columns II: The Voyage Through Time has to offer. What is there is certainly entertaining and as a classic offering, should appeal to people such as myself who have fond memories of this type of game or just enjoy puzzlers in general.
Overall, AeternoBlade II may not be winning any awards, but it shows off a decent progression for the studio that made what could also be a cult classic as many that I’ve spoken too have never heard of it, and those that have, enjoyed it even with its limitations. Changing things up with different characters that have different abilities and a “lighter” storyline than one simply hell bent on revenge, this end of the world tale is worth taking a look at for fans of platforming and metroidvania puzzles.
Overall, A Knight’s Quest is a great throwback to the first days of 3D adventuring upon the PC and both Nintendo and Sony’s platforms for the time. Even if there’s an issue with the speed in which you can travel around the lands, there’s a great balance of gameplay and combat elements alongside the nostalgia that it imbues as Rusty tries to save the lands from the issues that he set into motion.
Fans of the JRPG genre are the target audience here, especially those who have an appreciation for titles from a couple of generations back. The good news is, this is a genre that generally ages rather well, and Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds is a welcome throwback to that era. Still, a bit more effort put into developing the characters and steering away from some of the overly familiar tropes of the genre would have gone a long ways toward making Legrand Legacy a more memorable overall experience. It is fun while you play it, but falls short of the unforgettable games of the past it tries to emulate.
Despite the randomly generated dungeons, there is not much in the way of replay value to be had in Children of Morta. The storyline is linear and it is a somewhat short game. That being said, the journey through that first time is delightful, due in large part to fantastic visuals and also the interesting family dynamics found in both the gameplay and the narrative. The rogue-lite elements work well here, encouraging progress without being terribly punitive. Fans of the action-RPG genre should definitely give Children of Morta a look.
Northgard is an accessible strategy game on consoles, and that in and of itself makes it appealing for those who might be new to the genre. The brightly colored visuals are appealing, even if the rest of the presentation is relatively average, but where Northgard really starts to shine is in its surprisingly depth of strategy the longer your session runs. Weather, different clans and a variety of ways to claim victory help to make for varied, entertaining sessions well worth a play.
I was a huge fan of the first and I’m just as much of a fan of the second. Not content to simply recycle the elements that made the first so great, Mary Skelter 2 makes new strides in order to be different enough that it’s not simply more of the same. With both being able to be played essentially side by side? This is the perfect package for any dungeon crawling RPG enthusiast!
The slower pacing and somewhat lacking early tutorials give Frostpunk a somewhat high barrier of entry. Do not go in thinking you will be successful right off of the bat. This is a challenging game with some uneven difficulty spikes that can feel punishing and even unfair at times, but the capability to rebound is almost always there, so long as you respond quickly and decisively. Frostpunk will not be for everyone, but fans of survival or city-building games really owe it to themselves to give this one a try now that it has made its way from PC to console.
The Legend of Heroes - Trails of Cold Steel 3 is the perfect continuation for the series. With the first two chapters telling their story to completion it could be hard to see where things go next with the same protagonist but with his new direction in life? It works really well. From learning in the classrooms and the battlefield to teaching students about both, the only thing left is to wait for Trails of Cold Steel 4 and not spoil it for yourselves as it was released last year and it could be some time before we get our hands on it.
Devil’s Hunt feels dated and it probably could have done with a bit more polish to add in what this style of title needs the most. Oomph. You need to be able to feel the power behind your hits. The story is cheesy and that would have been fine as I love a good dose of cheese, but without a system to back it up and actually make it fun going between those doses of cheesiness? It gets really hard to want to continue as it just becomes a mindless and un-entertaining trek forward.
So performance issues aside, Dragon Star Varnir was definitely a breath of fresh air from Compile Heart and Idea Factory. Settling in with a darker storyline and one hell of a combat system, the characters are all well written and the voice acting was damned near flawless with generally secondary voice actors taking the main stage. I would definitely like to see more experiences like this down the line that rely less on super comedic shenanigans and instead something much more serious.
Fight'N Rage is a lot of fun, and will definitely tickle the nostalgia in games like me that grew up on arcade style beat 'em up games like Streets of Rage, Final Fight, Double Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more. The visuals and music as spot-on, and the branching paths with multiple endings and unlockables provide some pretty solid replay value. Unfortunately the combat itself is still a bit too shallow for my liking, some of the stages can feel a bit cheap / frustrating as well. Brawler fans owe it to themselves to give this one a try.