RPGamer's Reviews
There are interesting ideas and some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, but they can’t smooth over the grating music and inconsistent gameplay of Game Over: A Musical RPG??.
Blue Prince asks players to look past the wire frame and into something more cohesive. Regardless of how many “Best Games of the Year” lists it makes it onto, it’s unlikely that anything else this confident and original will even be part of the conversation.
Blades of Fire is an impressive and solid action RPG that executes soundly on its foundational ethos, which lends itself extremely well to its combat and lore. Unfortunately, the game’s remarkable aspects are somewhat undermined by its scope, level design, and some janky gameplay and presentation elements.
Creature Keeper demonstrates a promising foundation, but it requires considerable refinement to truly realize its potential and become a consistently enjoyable adventure.
For those looking for an enjoyable retro adventure, Geo Mythica should fit the bill well. The combat ultimately won’t be for everyone, especially as it gets more chaotic to weave around towards the latter portions of the game, but there’s always a fun journey lying underneath it.
Peglin is easily one of my new favourite games. It’s cleverly designed, every playthrough feels different, and there is a comedic chaos to all the insanity that is happening throughout the game.
There is a lot for otome fans to enjoy with Battlefield Waltz, particularly in its presentation and its wonderful cast of characters. While the game offers a very long Common Route, it makes up for this by offering players some wonderful growth within each love interest’s storyline.
Even for those who had already played the original, those touches ensure it’s a delight to play, and the new epilogue is very much in keeping of what fans of the series have come to expect. Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Definitive Edition is exactly that, and another excellent late addition to the Switch’s bulging library.
The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- is a wonderful experience where adventure and tactical RPG have been mixed in ideal proportions to deliver an engaging tale. The sheer number of endings ensures dedicated players will have their fill, while the quality of these endings is assured to satisfy those who have less time to spare and can’t afford to clear multiple routes.
It’s good, honest work on the developer’s behalf, and depending on who you are or where you are in your life, you could very well walk away from the game feeling better about the steps you’ve taken to get to where you are now. Despite its issues, I found myself respecting the game for what it was, and I enjoyed playing through it, even as someone who is not a big fan of puzzle games.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a journey that blasts the senses from beginning to end. The melancholic and bleak moments are balanced by the characters' perseverance, which makes their triumphs shine much brighter. There's a profound sense of style and substance that only expands as more of the world is uncovered. What results is a true work of art that ties its brilliant components together into a complete package, which is awe inspiring to come from a freshman developer.
Although the game has some smaller issues in its localization and the lack of extra content, it’s a wonderful game where it’s easy to lose time while playing it because it wants you to get to know everyone in such a deep and intimate way. This is definitely one café worth hanging out at and spending time in.
While these remasters are welcome on new platforms, the effort regarding how much was remastered is a bit of a debatable point. Regardless of Konami’s bare-bones efforts, both games still hold their own as being must-play classics.
Although the game adheres to a strict philosophy of medieval realism — and, as such, includes some trying sections, particularly for certain builds — there is just nothing else quite like it. Steeped in historical fact, and allowing for a deep level of role-playing immersion, the continuation of Henry of Skalitz’s tale is a masterclass of storytelling filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, many of whom are pulled straight from the pages of history.
Dice ‘n Goblins offers players a mixture of dungeon-crawling and turn-based combat that blends strategy and luck through its use of dice and skills. On the whole, it provides a largely fun experience with well-put together dungeons and a combat system that gives players plenty of ways to cater the dice to particular strategies.
Despite the lack of bells of whistles to make it feel unique, the game deserves reward for how it utilizes its strengths. Dark Deity 2 is like picking up comfort food in that it’s perfectly enjoyable as something easy to digest for tactical fans.
As a parkour potion princess leaping through her open world, Yumia fills the alchemist role while stretching the mold, offering something new, much like many other aspects of her game. As the Alchemist of Memories, she offers an excellent start to what I hope will continue to be a fun new trilogy, or longer, for Atelier fans to enjoy.
AI LIMIT doesn’t quite reach the same heights as its inspirations and is held back by some notable technical issues. However, some small but key innovations in the combat system and an enthralling setting more than make up for the game’s shortcomings to make the game an enjoyable and worthwhile experience overall.
All in all, The First Berserker delivers an uncompromisingly tight combat experience that is further buoyed by an interesting, if somewhat unevenly paced, plot and a gorgeous presentation that is equal parts relentlessly grim and oppressive.
It’s a blast to play, reducing a lot of the friction in the RPG mechanics while gaining strides in the action department. It feels good in the hands in ways that its contemporaries don’t, zipping the player all around the map.