Gamer Escape
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This is one of those games I absolutely think everyone should experience. Do play the original first if you haven’t, because that was also an amazing experience, and it’s entirely worth the 200-300 hours you might end up spending to play both. I don’t regret one minute of it and I don’t think you will either. Even certain upcoming AAA-budget titles that I am still eagerly awaiting are going to have to pull out all the stops to match what I just experienced.
The Stone of Madness isn’t perfect by any means, but its successes readily outweigh its missteps. Its emphasis on real-time stealth and simultaneous control over three distinct characters at a time work to create some very hectic gameplay situations, naturally encouraging the player to learn and improve. Infusing this rewarding gameplay with a striking art style and a tinge of dark humor makes for a unique experience worth looking into, even if the controls can be clunky and the guards can be a little too good at catching up with you when you make a mistake.
I think if you’re a fan of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series and just want to see more of the characters and play an easy action game without using much brain power, this may satisfy that itch. But for those looking for more out of the titles they choose to spend $40 on, this three-hour escapade may not be for you.
At the end of the day, I have to follow my heart. I absolutely had a blast, even as a fan of the genre who wishes that things had been done differently in a number of areas. Whether you’re a long time fan or new to the series, I have to recommend checking this out.
If you can tolerate the game seeming to actively want to test your patience, the story has its moments and may be worth experiencing, but that’s a pretty big if.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a beloved tribute to a cherished franchise in video game form. It easily stands alongside some of the more standout titles that have emerged in the genre as of late, and everyone involved shows their reverence for MMPR in every frame. Anyone worried about the quality of this game can rest easy, as this is something I can happily point to as a great example of a good beat-em-up. I had a morphenomenal time with Rita’s Rewind, and I’m sure anyone fires this up will feel the same way. This game is far from a headache, so go-go give this one a shot.
I was relieved to find a fun and funky game that just wants to have fun and let the player wade in its weirdness. It might have its annoyances (of which there are a few), but Antonblast is a fine example of a solid indie action platformer. It doesn’t hit many of the heights of its influences and contemporaries, but is a game that’s worth plowing through in its own right. If you can handle some of the rougher aspects of the game, this is something that I can reccommend. Platformer junkies, indie fans, and people who enjoy weird and wacky platformers will find Antonblast be something worth blasting through.
This compilation is easily one of the best I’ve played and experienced in quite a while. Which makes for an easy reccommendation for anyone interested in doing a deep dive into one of the premier lynchpins of the industry.
For fans of the franchise who aren’t usually RPG fans, this one is going to be fun. Tactical RPG fans who don’t generally play run-and-gun platformers are going to have fun with it. And if you’re a fan of both? This is a must-buy. It’s a sign of how you can do interesting things in a familiar space with novel implementation.
In a way, Life is Strange: Double Exposure felt like returning home. While it doesn’t quite overshadow the original, it delivers more of what made the series so special in the first place while having its own identity.
Really, Hella Remastered is probably the best example of a video game that knows that it’s a video game and runs with it to the point where it almost falls off a cliff. The involvement and expertise of Mikami and Suda prevents it from careening towards the ground, but it’s still a solid game at the end of the day. The gameplay has aged surprisingly well, and the visuals have finally outgrown the limitations of its seventh generation console bretheren. Just be sure to leave any high brow notions at the door and enjoy the ride.
The successful execution of these elements is almost enough to distract you from the game’s highly basic and low-impact gameplay for a while, but not entirely. Even with the introduction of more minigames and narrative situations, the game remains a highly consistent experience for better and worse. Still, if Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town looks like a game for you, chances are good you’ll have a great time settling in and immersing yourself in its simplistic charm.
Atlus clearly decided to mark their 35th anniversary with a bang. With Metaphor, they took one of their most fan-favorite formulas and transitioned it to an engaging, top-notch fantasy experience, with only a few, quite minor, stumbles along the way. JRPG fans the world over will delight in this well-crafted experience, even if a few of the most die-hard Persona fans might find issues with the battle system.
If it weren’t clear by this point, I did not care for Card-en-Ciel as an aggregate. Not because it’s a bad game, because the core game parts are actually pretty good… but every single part around that game makes me not want to bother engaging with it any further. I like the ideas on display but I also do not want to play this game. The annoying stuff makes it feel actively hostile and unappealing. It’s easier to just not.
Still, at the end of the day this is an approachable and enjoyable entry into a genre that doesn’t really get a lot of love these days. If they manage to optimize things enough to fix the performance issues you could probably consider it a 9 from me, but as it is I can only mostly recommend it.
What we have is still a beautiful experience with both heart-warming and -rending moments. A game that is just as solidly built as Nomada's previous work, with some new twists that show them sticking a few toes out of their comfort zone. But it's impossible to not compare it to Gris, a game that still rings in my mind to this day, and I don't think Neva quite reaches the same heights.
Celestia: Chain of Fate has a bland story that throws the most important elements of the genre out the window. It strips you of your feelings of connection and accomplishment with your love interest due to there not being dedicated routes, and even the base story does a poor job of standing on its own. The characters can be fun to get to know, as long as you keep your expectations of them low. Add on to that the visuals and music are nothing to write home about and it’s just one big chore. Honestly, there are so many titles out there for the same price tag that I’d suggest leaving this one for the Steam sale or something.
While not every pack is loaded with hit after hit, Naughty Pack brings enough solid content to players that some might excuse the fact that they’re leaning into reliable properties. It may not be an evolution of the concept, but it is a fun and goofy aside to the main games that will satisfy those looking for a little spice in their party game repritoire. My hope is that this will be a jumping off point for more spicy shenanigans in the future.
There’s an awful lot of content and mechanical ambition in Outlaws with its reputation system, and it’s fun enough to experience most of it, but it still isn’t able to prevent things from blending together once you’ve spent an extended amount of time with Kay and her crew.
Overall, Love, Ghostie is exactly what it looks like on the tin: An adorable little slice of life full of charming characters you’ll get to know over the course of your adventure. While it doesn’t take long at all to reach the credits, the real fun comes from seeing all the various combinations, which greatly increases the run time. It’s not especially deep or demanding, but not everything needs to be that way. It’s cozy, and sometimes that’s precisely what one needs.