RPGamer's Reviews
Despite all of its environmental detail, scope, and promise of a wider, more exciting space-faring adventure, The Outer Worlds 2 is a disappointment. While it offers divergence and choice, its paper-thin satire, tonal mishmash, and balancing oddities see the experience crumble under the weight. In addition, the review build’s far too many immersion-destroying bugs, blocked questlines, and other sequence breaks ensure that the game’s issues outweigh its redeeming qualities.
The Lonesome Guild is a game that will find its audience through its visual appeal, but those wanting much deeper gameplay and story may be disappointed.
Wander Stars is a great reminder that episodic RPGs are a fantastic, if rare, thing. At no point does the game outstay its welcome across its ten episodes, and the writing and characters do a wonderful job of bringing players back. The battle system is interesting, though it ultimately plays a bit too safe, which is a shame given how playful the idea of using one’s words is.
Adding new dimensions to the combat, with action elements to blend with the traditional turn-based, as well as redone visuals and voice acting, all reminiscent of the newer Legend of Heroes titles, breathes new depth into the start of Nihon Falcom’s storied franchise.
Disgaea 7 Complete is a demonically good time and a playground for gamers who can’t get enough of seeing big numbers get even bigger. The move up to the Switch 2 remedies the ill performance of the original game, while the added content is sure to please fans who held out for the complete edition.
Ultimately, Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a mixed bag. An excellent Digimon raising and customization system is held back by a shaky combat core, and the game’s interesting yet linear plotline is severely hampered by awkward voice acting and dialogue. There’s parts of the game that are enjoyable, but its flaws hold it back from being truly memorable.
Unfortunately, some interesting story ideas and decent music are thoroughly let down by a self-destructive gameplay loop, incredibly shallow systems, and a horrendously broken battle system.
Despite some flaws, Super Robot Wars Y is a complete joy to play, and it definitely has me wanting to explore more games in this long-running franchise.
The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily can be rough going at times, and especially in the final act of the “Happy Ever After” path, but it’s also an entertaining adventure with plenty of strategic twists all the way through. It’s colorful in more than one sense, as well as modern in its themes and mechanics, and the overall package is cuter than the wrapping on a birthday pipe-bomb.
With Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, Gust has returned to its roots with a title that feels like a perfect blend of the older Atelier games with many modern features. The game looks and plays amazing, boasting a heartfelt story, excellent new game mechanics, and an engaging battle system.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a recommendation for those who love D&D, but they should expect some bumps along the ride.
Consume Me is a heartfelt look at personal struggles, finding courage, and finding compassion in a world obsessed with physical appearance. The game is a difficult, hopeful experience worth playing, reminding anyone going through these motions that they are not alone.
The gameplay is a bit rough around the edges, particularly in difficulty and class balancing, but everything holds up remarkably well. More importantly, the story and themes of Final Fantasy Tactics have aged like fine wine, and the voice acting does wonders at fully fleshing out and finally bringing this classic tale to modern audiences.
While the bones of combat and customization are well executed, the open world element feels tacked on to an abysmal main narrative, and technical issues hold the game back even further. Those who enjoy the mech-fighting genre will certainly find something to enjoy here, but others will find a game that feels incredibly undercooked.
Elohim Eternal II: Son of Man has some good elements, but it is constantly at odds with itself. The combat tries to make the most of what it has and can be climactic, but is entirely optional. The story is too often telegraphed and cookie cutter, with any interesting uses of its setting and building connections to the first game coming far too late to be of any worth.
Tiny Bookshop has such an infectious gameloop that it’s very easy to lose hours to garner just one more sale. Between the game’s excellent writing and its effective gameplay, it’s a game that does so much in such a simple and meaningful way.
Something Classic Games has done a great job identifying what it is that has made classic RPGs so beloved and not only emulating it, but also in adding enough of its own touches to make Quartet a memorable title. The game’s finely-paced and deep narrative, great soundtrack, and well-executed gameplay ensure that it easily keeps the player’s attention.
While there will be those hoping for more of a guided approach or more of a narrative focus, and the console UI may not quite offer the same level of responsiveness and control of the PC version, it by and large works well. Even if some aspects might not be as fleshed out as they could be, there’s still a big game here that will engage its fans for many hours.
A classic it may be, though it never quite manages to be as memorable as its equally punishing predecessor despite coming close. Between its crass difficulty, clashing gameplay systems, and at-times-puzzling implementation, System Shock 2 is a game that aims to take the player’s breath away but winds up running dangerously low on oxygen instead.
While story issues and performance issues on Switch hold it back from reaching greater heights, the depth of the mecha customization and combat is entertaining overall. The entire package is a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s one with just enough not to feel disappointed.