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There is a point where a homage becomes a flat-out copy, and sadly, Tanzia simply doesn't seem to care that it's so brazen in its "influences."
I'll be committed to Train Sim World for quite some time, I suspect. Give me some DLC train routes through Asia (especially Japan), and I'll be all the happier. Give me one or two routes of the Sydney network and I'll buy them just to gloat to Sydney Trains that it is possible to deliver passengers to their stops without a three hour delay. I'm oddly proud of my virtual train driving skills.
Cosmic Star Heroine is a nostalgic experience that is worth playing if you are a fan of the 16-bit JRPG era. The cast is full of wonderful characters, the plot interesting and the battle system engaging. The whole game is wrapped up in a ten-twelve hour experience which was the perfect length to see the story out.
At the end of the day, Banner Saga 3 is the appropriate swan song of the trilogy; hopeful, mournful, and utterly breathtaking.
Not only is it hugely enjoyable in its own right, focused as it is one one of the most dramatic moments in living memory, but it has also managed to completely upstage an Academy Award-winning film that looked at the same moment in history.
Mary Skelter: Nightmares shows Compile Heart moving a little away from its otaku-pandering roots and more towards an orthodox standard of JRPG design – and despite being the studio's first attempt at trying a new style, it's surprising how much of it works.
It would be nice to see the world of Code of Princess explored in greater depth in the context of a more narrative-driven experience. There's enough material there for a "proper" JRPG, and the characters are certainly an appealing, amusing bunch.
There's plenty to like about Element. The game's stated goal was to distil down the strategy game to something that still felt grand and "complete" in scope, but was playable for a few minutes at a time. It achieves that, and at the same time gives players a compelling look at a theme that is quite pressing, as the world looks towards an era of depleted resources. But it's also hard to push past the feeling that there should have been more to this one.
Zaccaria Pinball is also a very expensive way to play bad pinball. You get better quality tables with more recognisable designs and franchises in either Pinball FX 3 or The Pinball Arcade, and so, while pinball fanatics like myself might find Zaccaria Pinball curious from a historical perspective, and as a way of remembering what the B-tier of the industry looked like, it's hard to imagine too many other people playing this over the other options.
For a first attempt at a kart racer, All-Star Fruit Racing shows that the team behind it is talented, and they know how to make a genuinely fun game.
The games here aren't necessarily terrible, but none of the games are on par with the essential experiences found in the first collection.
The first of the two Mega Man X Legacy Collections contains four amazing masterpieces of platforming goodness. While it does not contain as many games as the original collection, the games here are all well worth your time, if not to revisit games from a bygone era, then to experience what all the fuss was about.
Path of Motus is proof of the very concepts it preaches throughout.
It's a good lesson for approaching Semblance, too; you'll need an open mind and some flexible thinking in order to overcome its ingenious (if sometimes frustrating) puzzles. Between that design creativity and the sheer stylistic beauty of it, Semblance is a game that'll stick in my mind for a long time.
If you're able to settle into Realms of Arkania's rhythm and allow it to engage with your imagination, there is an awful lot of nostalgic joy to derive from something so wonderfully classic as this.
As a puzzler, Yuso is definitely a mixed bag.
Vertical Strike is a super low budget and cheap little game, designed to give fans of the occasional dogfight a quick rush. Thanks to its tight and efficient mechanics, and the steady and enjoyable approach that it has to difficulty escalation, it achieves what it sets out to. Nothing more, and nothing less.
Hand of Fate 2 will be most rewarding to those who like a lot of risk with their reward.
What players will find with Figment is a game that paces itself well to create a world that tackles the inner demons of its protagonist in a way that is simultaneously light hearted and without trivialising the seriousness of the themes. If for no other reason, you should look at this one for its art direction alone. It really is gorgeous.
One Strike is mildly fun, but woefully ill equipped to provide any long term value.