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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic introduction to the Metroidvania genre. Despite a predictable story and graphical oddities, the game's accessibility options, unique gameplay, and thrilling level design make it a great choice for anyone hoping to get into the Metroidvania genre for the first time.
Snowman Story is a short and sweet game where players go on a journey as the titular snowman, Chris. Despite the lackluster gameplay, the game boasts a beautiful art style and with its heartfelt story, it's the perfect way to ring in the Holiday season and pay tribute to the "most wonderful time of the year."
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is an awesome game! It has everything GBVS and fighting game players have been asking for. It has a great story, a huge amount of fun online/offline content, a fantastic online experience with rollback netcode, and excellent presentation. While the RPG mode lacks the gameplay depth the original GBVS used to have, and the replay system does not make innovations, this is a great step in the right direction. If you are looking for a terrific fighting game experience, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is the one for you!
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince displays and waves the banner of its pedigree proudly. It offers the same wonderful tone and gameplay as Dragon Quest with some nice twists. The game also gives fans of Dragon Quest IV, especially some lovely fanservice that ties in properly to the melancholic, yet hopeful, story. The loop of finding new monsters, training them, and synthesizing them is very addicting and streamlined. Making new teams and refining your strategy over time is super engaging. The only things that sully the charm of the series and the satisfying gameplay loop are its rigid structure and incredibly inconsistent performance.
I really liked Super Mario RPG! It's a fun time through and through. Seeing all the zany characters in a gorgeous art style, accompanied by a beautifully rearranged soundtrack really took me back. The combat is engaging and smooth, especially with the updates provided by ArtePiazza. It takes everything that was beloved about the original and keeps it intact while adding minor tweaks to sandpaper down some rough edges. Some may complain that some of the mechanical additions make combat too easy, but I find that they further push the idea of a "beginner's RPG". Super Mario RPG is a beautiful, funny, and diverse experience for any RPG player, mind you.
Persona 5 Tactica is a really fun RPG that brings interesting new characters, addicting gameplay, and a story that delivers lighthearted and dark themes alike. Although the game doesn't exactly move the Persona series forward in a substantial way, Persona 5 Tactica brings an intriguing twist to the gameplay systems that fans come to know and love in a well-rounded RPG that respects the player's time.
Alan Wake 2 is a visual and narrative marvel filled with beautiful environments and horrifying moments that had me on the edge of my seat. The game is only held back by some lacking gameplay and bugs, along with missing features and the lack of a physical version. Despite that, the game is one of the best this year, with moments that any long-time Remedy fan and newcomer alike will enjoy.
Alien Hominid Invasion is a re-imagining on the formula of the original Alien Hominid. Taking the form of a roguelite, the title features a widely customizable gameplay system with beautifully stylized graphics. However, the lack of diversity among objectives in levels can get old quickly, especially with the roguelite style.
CRYMACHINA is an intriguing action RPG with mechanical girls that attempt to become human again in a very distant future. Although such a future is bleak, these androids make CRYMACHINA feel wholesome and hopeful. CRYMACHINA's smooth combat system, stellar Japanese voice acting, and well-rounded offering of single-player content make it a solid game.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails brings a vastly different experience compared to other Trails games, but it's a true Falcom title that will captivate players all the same. From an otherworldly setting with dozens of levels to a simple gameplay system that evolves with progression, Falcom presents a very fun action RPG with high replay value, and intriguing story/lore, and a pleasant cast of characters.
Sea of Stars is a wonderful throwback to classic turn-based RPGs from decades ago. While the main characters and writing are okay at best, there is a level of charm through the combat system, narrative, and world that can't be ignored. Sabotage's latest is an easy recommendation for any fan of classic turn-based titles.
Affogato combines elements of visual novels, popular Japanese RPGs, and anime to create a compelling title. The beautifully drawn illustrations and superb Japanese voice cast make Affogato feel like a high-quality anime or visual novel production. Affogato's Persona-inspired life management systems also allow players to dive deeper into the game's colorful cast of characters as well.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is an incredible detective-mystery game that blends elements and the appeal of Danganronpa with refreshingly new ideas. Investigation and Mystery Labyrinth sequences always hold surprising twists and turns, and the game is bolstered by a diverse cast of bizarre and endearing characters. This title is a must buy for fans of mystery games and the Danganronpa franchise.
Omega Strikers is a great time. Its wide variety of characters and playstyles, alongside the polish of its general gameplay loop, are all extremely well crafted and full of polish. Despite the slow start and lag, coupled with frequent disconnections on mobile and a clunky UX on Switch, the quality of the game itself shines past these issues. The love that has been put into the game will likely keep me playing for a long time to come.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is an awesome strategy RPG that faithfully adapts Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising into one delightful remake. The remake provides a lot of compelling content with addicting gameplay that will keep players busy for tens of hours. Although online functionality is somewhat limited, the single-player content makes Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp a hidden gem on Nintendo Switch in 2023.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection preserves the legacy of this Mega Man series well. These classic games still hold up and this collection keeps every aspect of the games intact; even if some of those aspects haven't aged well. Oodles of extras tie it all together to make a fine addition to any Mega Man fan's collection!
GrimGrimoire OnceMore is a great remaster that brings players back into a magical world crafted by Nippon Ichi Software and Vanillaware. This real-time strategy game features a vibrant artstyle, unique gameplay, and a compelling cast of characters.
"Deluxe", indeed. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe remasters and expands one of the tightest controlling and most power-packed platformers in the series into a polished package of Kirby content. While the main story gets off to a slow start, both plot and gameplay-wise, it builds into something quite special and is capped off with the fresh and fun new Magolor Epilogue chapter.
Persona 3 Portable ages like fine wine as an excellent JRPG that caters to handheld play sessions on Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. The game's iconic style, incredible story, humorous cast, and emotional moments are beautifully remastered for modern platforms. The remaster's new features and quality of life improvements make this version the best way to play Persona 3 right away.
High On Life is a very ambitious game for what it sets out to do. The humor is constant and is always charming. The combat has complexity and the boss battles are filled with charm. Performance issues and some lackluster balancing doesn't ruin the experience. A great addition to Game Pass and I hope Squanch Games continues with quality titles like this.