RPGamer's Reviews
Players looking to simply loot, slash, shoot, and fireball their way through dungeons will not be disappointed. However, those looking for an exceptionally deep experience won’t feel fulfilled.
Having 28 different characters with very distinctive visual traits, Battle Hunters offers many ways to join forces and defeat enemies. If story isn’t an important consideration, this game is definitely a good choice with its fun battle system.
Warsaw may be a diamond in the rough for some: its nuanced battle system together with the tough resource management are the highlights of the experience, but some may be put off by the high difficulty that can be tempered with both experience in the game’s mechanics and a sprinkling of luck.
Robotics;Notes DaSH is absolutely one for those who are already fans of the Science Adventure series rather than anything that’s going to convert anyone, though the fact that DasH is bundled with Elite makes it easier to provide a combined recommendation. It’s very enjoyable to be able to spend more time with the characters, while the excitement of its true route helps it become a very satisfying visual novel experience.
The main draw is learning from and experimenting with the multiple mechanics of Noita‘s gameplay, the cause of exciting triumphs but also of frustrating losses.
For those who’ve stuck with Class VII through thick and thin over three games, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is the crowning achievement to an exceptionally well-written story with plenty of tears and laughter mixed together into a timeless package.
Fans of visual novels and zombie-anime moe comedies will be satisfied, while stricter dungeon-crawling enthusiasts may find much more satisfying treasure elsewhere.
In Hades, Supergiant Games has crafted an exemplar of both the action and rogue-lite genres, while pushing narrative in a way that even non-fans can appreciate.
The main problem with Re-Reckoning is that it’s just not a very good rerelease. [...] The sheer amount of technical issues on the PlayStation 4 version dwarf those improvements, and the multiple bugs make for a frustrating and unpredictable experience.
Fantasy of Expedition is ambitious for its attempt to combine elements from real-time strategy games, roguelikes, RPGs, idle games, clicker games, and 16-bit nostalgia. However, the resulting product feels time-consuming and not rewarding in its power creep or challenge.
Best Friend Forever has fantastic humour and charm in its writing and presentation without a doubt. Honestly, my main bulk of fun came from the dog-training simulator because I needed Titan the Maltese to be the best of the best. I found the dating sim elements lacking, and while I do think that they belong in the game, fleshing them out more would have created a home-run.
While Robotics;Notes certainly doesn’t attain the same incredible level of Steins;Gate, it nonetheless offers a highly engaging tale with plenty of interesting threads.
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos has no fear of pointing out the absurdity within conventional fantastic stories while offering an enjoyable game with many possibilities that can invite players to have more than one playthrough.
Due to an erratic AI and far too many glaring technincal issues, Necromunda: Underhive Wars will appeal to a very narrow audience who cannot get enough of XCOM-style games.
Players who are in search for a satisfying first-person dungeon-crawling experience will find themselves at home with Vaporum: Lockdown. Surrounding a somewhat by-the-numbers story is an enjoyable combat system that keeps a constant sense of progression and multiple puzzles that will test anyone’s mettle, all immersed in a steampunk-inspired setting.
Though the game has some flaws and is starting to show its age, the fast paced combat system and compelling trifecta of stories mean Origin remains a strong title in the Ys series.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered presents players with an enjoyably short yet not overtly memorable single player experience with enough restrictions and issues to multiplayer matchmaking that only the most dedicated of fans will want to overcome.
For those who enjoy, or at least aren’t put off by, the copious near-nudity, lewd imagery, and colourful characters, Crystal stands out as one of the better dungeon crawlers on the Switch. Just maybe don’t play it in public.
The lack of depth isn’t too much of a detriment as the game is short enough to ever feel tired. Better yet, what is there is good, a foundation with easy room to be expanded upon and a strong demonstration of Cold Symmetry’s understanding of core concepts that are the strength of the genre. Mortal Shell is a exemplary use of limited resources to make a tight, fun game, even if it only takes a weekend to beat.
The game is absolutely one of this year’s standout RPGs, and it’s particularly refreshing to see that in something that brings both unique combat and storytelling to the table. Vanillaware has outdone itself here.