RPGamer's Reviews
Though newcomers can jump in here, Mary Skelter Finale is one for fans of the series and dense dungeon-crawlers in general. It will definitely satisfy some, but those passing by with simply a casual interest will find it a slog.
Super Cane Magic ZERO is simply too precious, too uniquely itself, to be appreciated by everyone.
True Colors offers a story that hits a multitude of emotions and it does it wearing its heart on its sleeve. Everything about the game is compelling, from its wonderfully amazing cast of characters to the difficult decisions, to even the unfolding mystery.
The Forgotten City is an easy recommendation for those who place more emphasis on storytelling than action combat. It is an engaging mystery set in an intriguing location, and the time loop mechanic makes it quite forgiving of mistakes, even going so far as to encourage players at times to break the Golden Rule themselves to trigger the next jump back in time.
The characters and writing just sucked me in and when one case ends, the desire to jump straight into the next is palpable. It’s a hearty recommendation for existing fans of the Ace Attorney series and anyone else interested in jumping into a new series of adventure mysteries in general.
While I appreciate Too Kyo Games’ experimenting with gameplay in a visual novel, the execution leaves a lot to be desired, and it drags down an otherwise interesting premise.
Though the deck-builder is running the risk of being overexposed, Roguebook has enough interesting ideas at play to make it a worthwhile investment of time. It’s not likely to replace Slay the Spire or Monster Train for fans, but it carves out enough of its own niche that I can see it existing side-by-side.
It’s obvious that the game comes from a place of love, and it is clear how much passion Midgar Studio has, but Edge of Eternity feels like a case where the developers have set their sights too far. There are lots of elements that could be interesting if given the proper care and attention, but in their current state most of them feel superficial and end up cluttering up the whole experience.
For those looking for playable murder mysteries, Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind are easily recommended. Though neither game requires too much hard thinking on the part of the player, both feature entertaining stories and characters, with enough interaction and drip-feeding of clues to remain engaging throughout.
New Pokémon Snap is sure to please fans of the original and has a good balance of gameplay suitable for players of any age, meaning those who grew up with the original Pokémon Snap have a sequel worthy of being handed down to the next generation as well.
Emily is Away <3 is a great addition to this series and its fusing of nostalgia and teen angst is both masterful and emotionally exhausting.
In the end, it’s absolutely an enjoyable experience thanks to the way the character interactions work with its setting and themes, but doesn’t have enough to stand out from its niche.
The game begins with its best foot forward, an under-explained puzzle that’s fun to parse out. But once the puzzle pieces fall into place, the drive to see it to the end starts to fall away too.
Translating mouse-driven games to a controller experience brings with it a variety of challenges, including expectations of the users. Thankfully Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption manages to make the jump with an excellent agility stat and climbing skill.
This story is beautiful, thoughtful, and even uncomfortable at times, and the two endings are very different but equally important. A Summer’s End is easily one of the best visual novels I have played in a long time and its story is going to follow me easily for the rest of my life.
When judged simply on how successful it is in providing a horror game as rich in atmosphere as it is in enjoyable inventory-based and traditional puzzles, the game effortlessly scores high marks.
For those interested in trying out a social manipulation game before diving into something as depressing as Papers, Please or for anyone who’s skirted visual novels in the past due to the deep time investment typically required, Headliner: NoviNews is a low-commitment entry point.
Even after having completed the game, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of Paradise Killer. The concept of an open-world murder mystery is very intriguing, and the world offers enough piecemeal rewards to spur on thorough exploration. But the flip-side of that same coin is the potential to severely hamstring the pacing of the already difficult-to-navigate narrative.
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 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.