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Gothic 1 Remake is a special title. It bottles all the magic of the original game and has managed to tinker with it enough to keep it authentic but accessible to an entirely new fanbase. It’s still rough as all hell, but this only helps make it captivating. And in a world of gaming where stories are often told through cutscenes, the Gothic Remake makes you tell your own story through its actions, setting, and sense of challenge and immersion. It might be a bit more on the niche side thanks to its rough parts and difficulty, but for you masochists and immersion seekers, Gothic 1 Remake is going to take you right into the Prison Colony, beat you up, steal your ore, and by the Sleeper, you are going to thank it and go back for more!
While Template!! An Angel’s Gift (Tenpure!!) fittingly doesn’t really break the mold of the standard romcom visual novels, it’s very competent in what it does. It features a selection of charming heroines, some sweet romantic moments, and plenty of enjoyable slice-of-life moments in a low-drama story. This is backed by some particularly good use of art. There are a few things I feel it could have done better, but if you’re looking for a relaxed romance story, this will make for a good read.
Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is a frustrating rerelease. I absolutely loved it, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a game, but I’d say exactly the same about the original release. For those like me who already own it, I don’t feel enough was added to make this worth a repurchase. But if you don’t have the original, then it’s more than worth the purchase price. You’re getting a great game with tonnes of content, if with a somewhat lacking online experience by modern standards, at a rather budget price. While it is ironic to say the game may just be the other kind of DOA (dead on arrival), at least regarding its online features, the potential is there. If Koei Tecmo tweaks the multiplayer experience and gives players the chance to match up with solid netcode on the platform of their choice, I will happily come back and eat crow. But as it stands, this re-release simply isn't the best way to bring eyes back onto the franchise, despite being a release of an excellent fighting game.
NEKO-MIMI SWEET HOUSEMATES Vol. 2 (Uchi no Pet Jijou Vol. 2) picks up on what the previous title was able to achieve and dives deeper into its established setting, creating an overall better narrative experience that not only capitalizes on its visual appeal but crafts a sort of identity for itself. Incorporating mortality as a theme through the use of recurring half-animal angels and demons as members of its cast, it tells a story that revolves around loss while maintaining a generally cute aesthetic look powered by Live2D motion. Additionally, the changes it made since Vol. 1 in terms of story direction give much-needed substance to what previously felt like very secondary characters, making it much easier for readers like myself to become invested in the heroines. Although it had a pretty strong showing for this installment, some missed opportunities were still present that were inherited from the prequel. The lack of gravity given to Mint and Master’s relationship for the most part damages how compelling the underlying romantic subplot is between them, which is a shame given how big of a role it played, and continues to play, when it comes to specific consequences in the plot. While a little bit better than before, Master still feels a little bit lacking as a participant in the game’s plot due to how flimsy his motivation feels relative to what spurs him to action. Stronger instances of decision-making from himself as a protagonist would make him a more compelling character to follow, alongside being given a name, perhaps. If you liked the first volume, pick up this next one as well. NEKO-MIMI SWEET HOUSEMATES, despite how silly the title sounds, has improved a lot compared to its previous iteration. It feels like it was finally able to settle into an identity for itself that it’s comfortable with, without necessarily forgoing the initial premise of cute, half-animal girls that it initially set as its market pitch. From what was initially a feel-good visual novel, it now offers a narrative that helps readers appreciate the series beyond its visual appearance. With the current direction it’s taking, I’m excited for what else Animal Herb decides to share with us in the next installments. Cute girls and a pretty good story that offers points to reflect on regarding life, what more can you ask for?
NEKO-MIMI SWEET HOUSEMATES Vol. 1 (Uchi no Pet Jijou Vol. 1) is an interesting start to a series that portrays animal girls with supernatural flairs. Banking on concepts such as mortality and the presence of heaven and hell, it tries to tell a heartwarming story about romance that transcends common conceptions of worldly boundaries. Featuring cute and attractive characters, each veiled with their own degrees of mystery, it presents a pretty interesting premise with a lot of potential for strong, impactful storytelling. Despite its strengths, however, NEKO-MIMI SWEET HOUSEMATES Vol. 1 bumps into a familiar problem that a lot of similar titles encounter: a lack of clear direction. Although the overarching plotline is clear and actually resolves itself rather cleanly, it is compromised by a narrative flow that doesn’t seem to know when to introduce key story elements without disrupting its abundance of slice-of-life scenes. This ultimately undermines the emotional impact of its conclusion, which does a disservice to the appeal of its whole supernatural motif. In the end, the product feels a little bit confused about what it wants to be, failing to fully capture its strengths and missing the opportunity to capitalize on its potential. Given its price point, I can only really recommend NEKO-MIMI SWEET HOUSEMATES Vol. 1 if you’re already well-invested in visual novels that feature similar heroines or generally cute, simplistic storylines. It’s definitely a feel-good title at its core, and while I generally liked what I got from it, it felt a little bit lacking in terms of what it delivered. If the character designs, the Live2D element, and the general synopsis look interesting enough to you, then by all means! Give it a try. But for other people who are just looking for something to read, there might be something else out there that’ll be a bit more to your liking. Perhaps a future sequel can find what this title missed out on.
Maybe it’s a mixture of burnout with the roguelike genre of late or the fact I went in expecting a fusion of two genres I really enjoyed, but River City Saga: Journey to the West just didn’t click with me. It felt too basic in all areas, and what was once a strong leader in the beat 'em up genre is now trailing behind the stronger releases from Dotemu. It’s still pretty serviceable without any particularly massive issues, there just isn’t that special sauce here that I needed to really enjoy my latest Kunio-Kun fix. It’s cheeky, it’s fast-paced, and it's chaotic, but sadly, it feels like a rare miss in the long-running River City series, eclipsed by its much stronger predecessors in the River City Saga spin-off series.
Ova Magica has certain aspects that work brilliantly, such as the character writing, the overall world, and the deep Blob breeding system. But it fails in execution of the gameplay systems and balancing, and lacks in certain aspects, such as farming, romance, and to some extent, battling. Despite a long period in Early Access prior to its eventual 1.0 release, the game still lacks the polish of a fully completed product. And it’s a shame, because there is quite a lot of potential here, and despite quite a few criticisms, I did have fun with it.
Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered is a satisfying end to Utawarerumono’s spin-off series. With a battle system that screams old-school JRPG and an exploration segment that lets you journey through the expansive territory of Yamato, it improves upon the Monochrome Mobius experience to better present the series that fans have known and loved in an alternative way. Although I do have some gripes with the pacing due to its departure from the visual novel format and the compromise in quality of its 3D models, it was still a pleasant experience journeying with Oshtor and the cast in this final title. It’s a little bit hard to recommend to people who aren’t already fans of the series due to how dated the system feels and its direct references to the main trilogy, but it’s definitely a must to pick up for people who are already familiar with the previous titles. As a final message, please do play the main trilogy first before picking up the two-game spin-off. Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered is a title full of love with multiple odes to iconic scenes and memorable characters of the series, and it would be a shame to miss out on all the subtle references they included in the story. As the years continue going by, I hope more people get to experience the games as we finally finish it off after a 22-year long run. Thank you, Utawarerumono!
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.