JRPG.moe's Reviews
Lost Dimension has an interesting premise that the character writing can’t quite support, although the unique, possibly unintended tone that paints Sho as a complete sociopath certainly doesn’t hurt. The tactical turn-based combat is competent and the changing traitors force players to experiment with different psychic abilities.
The strange structure and difficulty curve means that newcomers to this style of RPG might not make it much further than the tutorials. While there’s some fun Touhou flavour for the items and gear (I was pleasantly surprised when a status effect temporarily turned everything into creepy “yukkuri” heads), it never really elevates the game from being more than another Mystery Dungeon clone.
The lack of cynicism makes The Longest Five Minutes a likeable enough journey into the past. The writing isn’t particularly funny or profound, but the game presents its story in a novel way that moves at a brisk pace and is backed up by a great musical score. That’s worthy of at least five minutes of fame.
The split release makes it feels like a collection of epilogues rather than the second half of a story and emphasises just how similar the routes are. The strengths of the original visual novel are still here: a large cast of samurai to pursue, plenty of action and plot twists if you're not there for the romance and some welcome glimpses at life in this interesting time period. If you can stomach parts of the story, it makes for a fascinating follow-up to Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds.
With some interesting combat mechanics and wide range of creatures to collect, The Lost Child makes for a passable, if not particularly compelling JRPG. Were it not for a dearth of dungeon crawlers on the Nintendo Switch, this is a tale you could easily skip.
While the presentation is nice, all the repetition makes it feel like the original mobile game was stretched out to the point where a lot of the emotional impact is lost.
The multiplayer issues, short and forgettable story, and the removal of so many Pokémon, moves and mechanics all add up to make Pokémon Sword and Shield a rare disappointment for the series.
The game certainly has an original premise and the interesting systems of character customisation made for some unique and challenging battles. I just can’t help but wish there was a bit more meat on these bones.
Super Robot Wars X puts a bit of a fantastical spin on the usual formula, although despite all the mystical monsters and super robot sorcerers, it doesn’t have quite the same magic as other entries.
The utterly unremarkable gameplay makes this fable tough to recommend, even if it perfectly captures a sense of childlike innocence through the storybook visuals and tone.
What’s seen as a shallow musical genre is turned into something that’s bizarrely complex; there’s a lot of depth to the turn-based combat if you manage to wrap your head around its idiosyncrasies. Omega Quntet still falls victim to the seedy baggage that follows idols everywhere, but there are some surprising digs at the industry before it devolves into repetitive sugary sweetness. It’s a collection of dissonant ideas that’s difficult to recommend, but there are rare moments where it’s all in tune.
Mary Skelter aims to shock players, but it doesn't take long to fall into a familiar formula with both repetitive dungeons and event scenes dragging on for too long. Even the tense Nightmare encounters can't stop it from becoming a bog-standard dungeon crawler with a bit of a bloody twist.
Penny-Punching Princess has pretty pixel art, but plenty of problems. While perfectly playable, the game reveals itself to be predictable and punishing, preventing progress with painful pitfalls and pure repetition.
The tacky VR integration in this instalment sure isn't a big leap forward for the series and the changes to the battle system make for a game that's lacking in challenge. The new characters are entertaining and some of the jokes land, but it never comes together into anything satisfying.
The dungeon dives are dull, but Sorcery Saga at least has some flavour in the goofy items and ridiculous soundtrack. The light storyline and simple spelunking makes it a decent entry point for those curious about the genre who might be intimidated by other roguelikes. Sorcery Saga fails to innovate or challenge, but barring a few unfortunate jokes and costumes it’s at least a cute tribute to a more innocent time for Compile’s RPGs.
Even for returning fans, this is just a retread of the same plot of Mask of Deception, a short tale that doesn’t leave much left but the grind of optional missions. Sure, there’s some fun to be had in taking out armies with a colossal sparrow, but it’s something that might be more palatable at a lower price point.
Some players might be able to put up with the annoying difficulty spikes and the barrages of personal questions to reach the rare highs, but getting that far may very well drive you to madness.
The plot is largely uninteresting and the characters are annoying, especially on the only route that most people will play through. The game pokes fun at RPG conventions, but it also plays them completely straight. The sole innovation lies in the fairy and fury systems, which work well together, but it isn't enough to keep the battles from blurring into an unmemorable mess.
The lame jokes and mean-spirited fanservice did little to hold my interest. For all of its forced irreverence, Mugen Souls Z is surprisingly dull; there's a heap to do but it all feels so hollow.
The open-ended structure is interesting, but the boring missions and lack of interaction between the extended cast make it an experiment that doesn't quite work out, especially when the inclusion of the Sega Hard Girls themselves feels like wasted potential. For as brainless as it is, the battle system is fun and the game flows well. It's forgettable, but at least you'll get some laughs out of it.