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On the whole, I did thoroughly enjoy Axiom Verge, and knowing that there’s a sequel to play too makes me happy. The setting is interesting, as are the characters, and things are well thought out and designed. There’s plenty of fun to be had with this game if you put in the time and effort and the retro aesthetic, while sometimes just a pinch irritating, overall, is quite charming and really succeeds in throwing you back to the era of gaming some of us grew up with.
Schrödinger's Call tells a simple yet profound story with breathtaking beauty, thoughtful meditation on its themes, and a full heart; it’s well worth experiencing for yourself.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book tries to take Yoshi platforming in a different direction from his more traditional previous games, opting for a more puzzle-oriented experience. Alas, actually playing its levels resulted in a few exciting flakes sprinkled over an otherwise bland meal. The ideas are there, but the execution is a lot more miss than hit. It’s still a charming game that has its high points, but there are plenty of consistently better platformers to spend your time and money with on the Switch 2 right now.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is a decent sequel, but perhaps it lacks the weight of being a truly worthy successor. While the streamlined mechanics and expanded scope don't quite deliver that jaw-dropping "wow factor" needed to completely overshadow the original, it remains a thoroughly enjoyable experience. If you loved the original or are a fan of the franchise, it is certainly worth a look. Playable Necrons alone make this worthy of a purchase, and the slightly expanded scope does present the potential of a much bigger game in the future, be it another sequel or even DLC. For me, it will keep me coming back for more and more despite some missteps along that sequel path.
Psyvariar 3 is a fantastic new addition to the series and the shmup genre in general. It’s as close to a gateway game to the franchise as you’ll find outside of Angel at Dusk, and I mean that with all the respect and admiration intended. It is ideal for newcomers who want an easy entry into the genre, and shmup fanatics who want to really test their skills on the greater difficulties. SUCCESS made the right choice in handing the Psyvariar baton over to SophStar developer BananaBytes and Red Art Studio. The game is another feather in their ever-expanding shmup cap, and a title that should be commended for providing an impressive amount of content for a genre that often manages to get by with the bare minimum. It grazes by with near-perfect marks for gameplay, but sadly doesn’t stick the landing when it comes to the presentation.
Yacht Club Games have once again hit it out of the park. While Mina the Hollower’s influences are readily apparent, its gameplay features enough flourishes to stand out from the crowd of nostalgia-driven games that have emerged in the years since their splendid maiden voyage with Shovel Knight. Though the game’s story doesn’t quite live up to everything else in the game, the sense of adventure the experience provides makes up for it, leaving you to handle Tenebrous Isle as you see fit. It manages to capture what made the 8 and 16 bit eras of gaming so captivating, willingly pushing forward with its inventive and distinct ideas for dungeons and areas even with the occasional jaggedness that sometimes accompanies sticking with a particular idea or gimmick. All the while, it doesn’t feel like it depends on nostalgia to succeed, as it still feels fresh, taking the right lessons we’ve learned in the past few decades of game design, to combine the best of old and new into something absolutely worth playing for itself.
Kugayama Shiori’s Death Diary mixes a striking ghostly aesthetic and black comedy with a solid mystery culminating in a satisfying emotional payoff. If you don’t mind or enjoy exploring its maze of choices and branching, it’s a quality read.
NICE TO MEET YOU, AGAIN (Nandome ka no Hajimemashite) tells a focused and thoughtful story punctuated by interesting themes and an emotionally satisfying conclusion. The intermittent focus on sexual content at the expense of the story could be distracting, but I still found NICE TO MEET YOU, AGAIN a worthwhile read.
Bubsy 4D, for better or worse, is a Bubsy game. It still has some of the main irritations that the franchise is known for, but they are thankfully overshadowed by some outstanding gameplay. The platforming and feeling of speed and control are unmatched, and there is nothing quite like a complex platforming section that just comes off as seamless. It’s in these moments you forget you’re playing a game attached to the Bubsy the Bobcat franchise. I genuinely wouldn’t mind more Bubsy games of this quality. It’s been a nice palate cleanser and gave me some of my favorite platforming action I’ve experienced outside of a Nintendo game. Bubsy is always going to irritate, that’s just how he is, but when he has gameplay like this to back him up, I can’t help but love the mischievous, fourth-wall-breaking tyke.
R-Type Dimensions III is a fantastic remake of R-Type III: The Third Lightning. It might not quite be a 1:1 re-release of the game at points, but for the bulk of the experience, it’s one of the better and more friendly ways to experience a notoriously difficult title, thanks to the “Infinite” mode. It doesn’t quite offer the same value as R-Type Dimensions EX due to that compilation remaking 2 games instead of the 1 on offer here, but for die-hard R-Type fans, R-Type Dimensions III offers a solid challenge with enough quality-of-life enhancements to make it worth fighting through those tears and giving in to that infamous “one more go” addiction the series is known for.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire was a really enjoyable, albeit drawn-out, experience that sadly suffers from horrendous performance issues on the Nintendo Switch 2. I loved the art, loved the story, and the action held up for the most part throughout. You might not get as much out of it though if you don’t have a love for the noir genre, or you want something more akin to its tighter “boomer shooter” peers. When Mouse: P.I. For Hire wandered into my office, I knew I was in trouble. The look, the action, it was all there. Hiccups aside, this is one case I was glad I took on, and here’s looking at you kid for the future. All I can say is “Forget it Jack, It’s Mouseberg”.
Magical Princess may just be the best example of a raising simulator yet. The story is engaging and works well with the replay mechanic, it gives plenty of time and scenes to get to know the characters, and it nails the gameplay and usability. Combined with top-class audiovisuals and a very reasonable price, it is a must-play.
There’s not a lot of major surprises in Welcome to Cafe Lumière! ~A Dragon Girl Concept Cafe~, as it’s an otherwise somewhat straightforward slice-of-life cafe-based adult visual novel. Still, I found it more enjoyable than I perhaps was expecting, mainly due to a rather fun main heroine who had quite a bit to enjoy. It ends somewhat abruptly for what it is, although it’s already received an (unlocalized at the time of writing) sequel, so if this is to be considered the start of a series, I enjoyed this maiden voyage enough for what it was.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is an absolutely gripping experience with a unique movement system and just enough lessons learned from the genre to keep you coming back for “one more run” until the early hours of the morning. Your first successful run will likely come quicker than in most titles from the genre, but there are plenty of ways to make the game a much tougher and grueling experience should you need to feed your masochistic side. It’s quite sad that the Sands of Time Remake got cancelled, but The Rogue Prince of Persia does a fantastic job of not only healing that wound but offering another standout title not only in the franchise but in the roguelite genre as a whole. All hail the prince!
I love boomer shooters, and I love '80s/'90s media and manga/anime. MULLET MADJACK is just an amalgamation of those things in a larger-than-life product with some loud presentation and an addictive gameplay loop. It manages to combine the random world of roguelites with the moment-to-moment gameplay of the classic first-person shooter. Jack Banhammer is the man, and MULLET MADJACK is an absolute treasure of a game. If you are within its target audience, there is not much this game does wrong outside of only having a very short campaign. If you happen to be on the outside looking in, this is going to look like an absolute smack to the senses, which, in terms of this game, is not the worst thing!
On paper, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, much like every title in the franchise, doesn’t seem too special. Average gameplay is once again a plague on the stronger aspects, but it all just works together and presents an honestly outstanding title that is better than the sum of its parts. Some excellent quality of life changes, extra content to dive into, and a flawless framerate with beautiful HD textures manage to edge out some of the nastier aspects of this remaster, including its propensity to crash towards the later stages of the game. I now wait with bated breath for Blood Omen 1 and 2 to get equally as tasty remasters. Vae Victus.
Pragmata was well worth the long wait. It delivers a fun and unique hybrid gameplay experience, which ties into the emotional journey between Hugh and Diana, their growing familial connection, and their reliance upon one another. The way the multitasking gameplay mechanics tie into their bond works brilliantly. While this is a rather focused and linear experience in some ways, there remains plenty of detail to explore for those willing to dive in.
While there’s plenty to like, Rose Gun Days -Season 1- makes for a bit of a bumpy start to this series. There are the makings of a compelling, thrilling, and thought-provoking political action-drama here, but it takes awhile to hit its stride, by which point it feels like it is already setting itself up for its next season. It’s an enjoyable and worthwhile read for what it is, though it’s not fully realized just yet and has some cracks along the way.
As a port, Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta will get the job done. It’s very no frills, and if you’re a fan of this title, that’s fine. That being said, my thoughts on this game are incredibly mixed. It’s filled with growing pains in both design and narrative intent, ones that would pay off in the superb follow-up in Ys VIII, but here they leave a lot to be desired. While the basic hack-and-slash gameplay is fun, the exploration isn’t quite up to scratch because of the pacebreaking nature of the Unique Actions in conjunction with its generally linear progression structure, and the main story not being interesting enough to maintain my motivation. Bosses fare a lot better, however, being genuinely fun to master and leveraging combat mechanics in ways that are always interesting. Outside of that, the game is inoffensive at worst, but the Memoire iteration disappoints because all it adds is a mediocre iteration of a soundtrack that was originally great. I think this is worth playing for fans of Ys because it gives you a real appreciation for how far the series has come since then, and that alone still makes it an interesting game.
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is a game that frankly doesn’t just tarnish the franchise but outright hurts it. It feels like a cheap cash-in based on a polarizing graphic novel with no love and care for the series it’s representing. Waiting twenty-three years for this to be released feels like a massive slap in the face for fans. There’s only a boring and trite time to be had with this title, where the only good aspects are the soundtrack and the voice acting. The only other accolade I can gift Ascendance is that it has managed to dethrone Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 as the most dislikable title in the franchise. Hopefully, the fanbase can just emulate Raziel and forget this ever happened.