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It’d be nice to see some more varied textures on the level walls as you progress through the game, but as previously noted, the wonderful level designs, interesting encounters and well-implemented mechanics more than make up for this slight aesthetic shortcoming — and as a result, The Citadel is a fun, engaging and highly memorable experience that is well worth taking the time to blast your way through.
On the whole, bugs aside, I enjoyed my time with Night Delivery. It provides an interesting and compelling story that keeps you guessing until the end — and, unlike a lot of other indie horror games from the last couple of years, it actually provides a satisfying conclusion to the whole thing rather than just fizzling out ambiguously with an unspoken invitation for you to consider “but what did it MEAN?!”
While I will miss delving into the Labyrinth of Time and kicking the snot out of multiple incarnations of Chronodia in this version, I do still have a copy of the PSP version where I can do that any time I want. So while it’s a shame that newcomers to the first Final Fantasy won’t have the opportunity to take part in those enjoyable endgame jaunts, the main game is completely intact — and, with a couple of tweaks, very enjoyable to engage with. Plus, for under a tenner when bought solus, it’s a good deal.
If you enjoy classic ’90s-style management gameplay, this should be high on your shopping list. And if you’re new to what can be a potentially daunting genre, Idol Manager is an accessible way to get involved; its good humour, slick presentation and enjoyable blend of scripted and emergent narrative all keep things constantly engaging and interesting. And as any veteran of the management sim’s golden age will tell you — that’s a sure-fire recipe for a game that will keep you up until the small hours.
While I’ve been mostly critical here, the game is an absolute treat to play through when taken on its own terms — but ultimately, it lays down the groundwork for something even greater. Fingers crossed this IP makes a return at some point in the future!
I could easily go on about Samurai Warriors 5 for another two thousand words at this point, but for the sake of your sanity I will cut that there and simply say that this is one of the best Warriors games for a very long time — not to mention a great starting point for those new to the series. And who knows? It might even kick off a fascination with the real history of Japan — you certainly wouldn’t be the first to draw inspiration from Samurai Warriors in this way!
Overall though, the game is a genuinely pleasant experience that I have been really enjoying both on my own and with friends.
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a well-presented game that is full of the typical Nintendo and Sega charm, and is a fun game to bust out when you just fancy some simple, straightforward arcade-style fun for which you don’t have to think too hard. This isn’t a game you’re going to be playing for months at a time — but it is one you may just find yourself wanting to get down off the shelf now and again the next time you fancy seeing Daisy in a leotard.
It’s hard to really see who Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is aimed at. People that were put off by some of the issues in Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed aren’t going to play its even jankier predecessor, and £34.99 is a steep asking price even for someone that might be interested in trying this out. If you’re desperate to see the series’ origins, then this might be worthwhile — just go in with appropriately low expectations!
Should you buy a copy if you already have Delicious! Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire? Sure! You get more puzzles, more girls, more outfits and some new music — albeit not nearly enough of the latter. Plus, y’know, it’s a fiver; that’s pocket change these days.
Despite my occasional irritation at the characters’ decisions and responses throughout the narrative, I enjoyed Scarlet Nexus. It could have just done with a little more refinement; if you’re going to include “Social Link”-style systems, for heaven’s sake make sure they aren’t disconnecting the player from the bigger story at play!
With its very likeable cast, distinctive and memorable heroine, beautiful presentation and compelling narrative setup, BUSTAFELLOWS should be on the shopping list of every visual novel enthusiast — not just otome fans.
All this isn’t to say that the game isn’t worth playing. Whether you are a fan of the original or you are experiencing it for the first time, Skyward Sword HD is a Zelda game worth playing as much as any other. However, it doesn’t wipe away the issues that the original had completely. The various quality of life issues that are implemented in this version only serve to highlight the issues that plagued the original — and the fact that some of those issues require more than a simple “quick fix” provided by a remaster like this to resolve.
Ultimately, Cris Tales ended up fixing few of the issues that I had with the game’s demo back in 2019, while also adding a few more thanks to the Switch port. I can’t imagine the currently average story getting much better at the end, and most of the ideas and gameplay mechanics presented at the start end up going nowhere. It’s a shame, as there was a lot of potential there — hopefully some of the more glaring technical issues can be fixed in a post-launch patch, at least.
Because despite the game’s many flaws, Kodaka proves that he continues to make brave and bold decisions in his creations, and has still delivered a title true to his vision. While featuring an extremely constrained plot, its surprising focus on love and its excellent take on the FMV genre was a thrill to experience. I simply want even more — and for Kodaka to have the opportunity to iron out the few nitpicks I’ve mentioned above.
Whether you like to blast through a game’s story as quickly as possible or take your time mastering every possible mechanic along the way, there’s something to like in Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. So if you’ve passed this installment in the series by up until now, I’d encourage you to give it a go — particularly if you’re one of the series’ many new fans who came along with the introduction of Ryza. You won’t be disappointed!
It’s absolutely fantastic, and should be considered an essential purchase for any discering shoot ’em up fan — particularly if you enjoy the Star Soldier series. Now we just need to find someone up for publishing a nice physical release of that Switch version!
It’s silly, sexy fun that is the perfect game to enjoy in the summer months — particularly if you have any sort of rose-tinted nostalgia for the ’90s. So what are you waiting for? There are ladies to uncov– I mean, boxes to pack!
There’s plenty to do in Mario Golf: Super Rush, then. And while it may not be a game you’ll want to play every day once you’ve beaten the Golf Adventure mode, there’s enough here to keep things interesting for many solo and group play sessions. And with the prospect of free updates down the line, the future looks bright for this one — here’s hoping the online community takes to it in the long term.
Mario Golf: Super Rush’s adventure mode probably won’t take you a long time to clear — likely somewhere around the 6-10 hour mark, depending on how many times you have to retry the tougher challenges — but it’s a great introduction to what the game has to offer, and a perfect example of how Nintendo is willing to infuse one of the most slow-paced, potentially boring sports in the world with a sense of energy, personality and dynamism.