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I wanted to love Wanted: Dead. It has everything I love about that charming AA middle ground from the PS2/3 era, but sadly even at its highest of highs, it still smacks of average. The game has a lot of heart but zero focus, resulting in it trying to do too many things and barely achieving any of them well. I've no doubt this title will get a cult following and I'd be down for a sequel, but as it stands I can't suggest anyone gets involved unless you're craving something a little different wrapped in average and bland paper.
While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor, Chaos;Child is a strong visual novel in its own right–one that builds on and evolves what came before in interesting ways. It’s a shame this release is so lacking in polish, but Chaos;Child’s poignant thematic heart still shines through.
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society satisfies with an engrossing story, great artwork, and compelling dungeon-crawling gameplay. It’s let down by not being much of an improvement over its predecessor and having many of the same problems. Poor yet constant tutorials drag down the pacing and battle mechanics never feel well-considered, although it’s never flat-out poor. If you played the previous Labyrinth game and didn’t like it, this will not convince you otherwise. That said, if you choose to stick with it in spite of its problems, you’ll find a clumsy game with a lot of heart.
From the story to the enemy design and combat, The Callisto Protocol is copy-paste “horror”. I used the quotes around horror because the use of common tropes means that the title fails to provide the most important ingredient in a horror game – fear.
Otoboku: Maidens Are Falling For Me! is a long game, it took me about 30 hours to see every ending and also the little omake scenes that come with getting the endings. It was quite a good game. It hasn’t aged that well in some aspects, but it’s still quite a solid recommendation if you are up for it. It brings forth drama and comedy in a great way and doesn’t refrain from trying something new with the tropes they’ve set out to use.
Demon Queen Melissa has the most interesting combat of any Acerola game I’ve played so far. But unfortunately, that’s not what most people are playing this for. While it’s certainly still enjoyable, and absolutely worth a play, it’s probably my least favorite of all the Acerola games I’ve played so far. If you do find yourself fancying all three of the main heroines, you may well get more out of it than I did. Otherwise, I can’t recommend this over the other Acerola games on the market right now.
Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei shines in many ways, from the impressive art and intricate animation to the immersive voice acting and impassioned music. Its story, which delves into the rich history and culture of the Heian period, has intrinsic educational value. Sadly, despite its lively retelling of Japan’s history, this otome visual novel felt more flashy than brilliant. In the end, of the five romance routes, only two led me on an enjoyable journey while the others bordered more or less on average that even the extra four side characters’ sub-stories could not help save. Thus, unless you are very interested in the history aspect, I would suggest to wait for a sale on Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei.
As both a celebration of the series’ past and as a Strategy RPG in general, Fire Emblem Engage is masterfully and lovingly made. Though the story left much to be desired, addictive and airtight strategy gameplay kept me easily invested the whole way through. Much-needed enhancements to the presentation and its return to more simplified and straightforward structure make this my favorite outing for the series in a long time.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider has a steel-like focus on its demographic: people who either grew up with titles like Shinobi and Strider or people who have taken the dive into retro gaming and want the thrill of something new that feels authentic to the time period. The short run time, use of a lives system, and difficulty that some may feel is cheap may deter some gamers. That said, all in all, the developers have knocked it out of the park once again with some high-octane ninja action with intuitive controls, smooth gameplay, and the kind of pick-up-and-play style hook that the loftier AAA games just don’t have.
Neptunia as a series does seem to suffer when it moves away from its JRPG roots. While Neptunia Sisters VS Sisters has a lot of great points, the more action-oriented gameplay aspects do let it down quite a lot. I’d not suggest rushing out and grabbing it, but Neptunia fans will certainly find a lot to enjoy and this is certainly who it’s aimed at. If you can get past the slow start and the gameplay, the story will make it worth it.
One Piece Odyssey manages to not only be the finest One Piece title released, but it also stands on its legs alone as a damn fine JRPG adventure. It’s riddled with all kinds of franchise fan service, but that only carries a game so far and I don’t think I would have enjoyed playing through the game’s 40-hour+ story if that was all it had. The game managed to smash every expectation I had. While it had some wonky pacing and played it a little safe at times with the genre tropes, I felt fully invested in the game from start to finish. It’s to such a point that this game has rekindled my love of the franchise which had been ebbing to the point I was happy to just play the Musou titles for a story recap. It won’t convince anyone who actively dislikes or shows no interest in One Piece to get invested, but if you have a slight curiosity and a love for JRPGs, the game offers enough to entice and entrap players. If you’re a fan of Luffy and Co, then this is the easiest game recommendation I can make. This is the game I wanted from One Piece: World Seeker and has cemented itself as the absolute gold standard of Anime tie-in titles: no more cheap arena fighting games, please!
The few improvements made to Persona 3 Portable cannot begin to make up for how half-hearted this remastering effort feels otherwise. Shoddily redone audiovisual aspects compromise its atmosphere and painstakingly crafted emotional beats. Things that should have been improved simply weren’t. I implore you to play Persona 3 if you haven’t already, it’s one of the most fulfilling and characterful JRPGs ever made. However, don’t make this disappointing version your first experience.
I’d buy this on sale in its current state. Even with all the bugs and issues, I had a great time, but would not be pleased to pay full price. However, provided bugs, typos, and missing translations are fixed, this is a 7/10 game. I had a terrific time with it, but it’s a shame that there are so many issues in the game’s current state. If you are hankering for a nukige, find yourself fancying the art, and don’t mind some serious scuff around the edges, you’ll find yourself with a gem.
For a game this ambitious, I am incredibly impressed with what was accomplished! Sure, it’s quite rough around the edges, but what’s on offer here can’t be understated. Assault Spy is a highly enjoyable action game with quirky characters and an excellent combat system. Though some story and design issues prevent the game from being a truly great title. Even so, the game even continues to receive updates almost two years after its release, which is highly commendable! Whether you’ll enjoy the game or not depends on what kind of a gamer you are. If you enjoy games with a slower pace, you’re probably going to get overwhelmed by the game’s frantic pace. But if you find yourself yearning for a deep combat system that rewards experimentation, I certainly recommend Assault Spy!
With much of the time spent on that transition period from just friends whether new or old and the conversation system simulating it, Fureraba ~Friend to Lover~ feels like something a little different than most visual novels. Even if the comedy doesn’t always land, I think most will enjoy spending their time getting to know these heroines and becoming more than friends. If nothing else, Misaki is just precious — play this and you’ll fall in love with her.
I love Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, so much so that I continue to go back night after night and get stuck in that “1 more” loop that is a true testament to a great game. Yes, I haven’t been able to perfectly follow the narrative and I’m not playing it under the most ideal of circumstances, but I still cannot get enough of it. With that said, it’s not going to be for everyone. It is still at heart a horde, team-based shooter. The more single-player-focused gamer is going to get bored much sooner than others. It’s the bloody marriage of the combat, the random missions, and the sheer presentation of the levels that makes Warhammer 40,000: Darktide such an easy game to recommend to anyone who enjoys shooters. It's an essential purchase for those that “Praise The Emperor”. I love this title and the constantly evolving nature of it means that it is only going to get better!
Overall, I think Maid for Loving You is a good experience for those interested in anime maid culture. For everyone else, it's also a short story about two people finding solace in one another in a tiring world and a developing heart. There are some issues and I do believe the start of the game can be a turn-off for people who aren’t too much into the tropes, but it's worth it for those who can stick through it. Overall, it's a good recommendation for a short, 5-hour journey.
Having the chance to play one of my favorite Final Fantasy experiences, with updated graphics, tweaked combat and in 60FPS on the Playstation 5 and Steam releases was an offer I just couldn’t wait to take up. I’m so happy that it has turned out, for the most part, better than I expected. Due to the original device limitations, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion was always going to feel a little different than a traditional title. This is helped somewhat by Crisis Core always having gone beyond the average handheld title. Surprisingly, it isn’t held back at all by the disjointed gameplay loop and instead presents an addictive and fun condensed adventure with real heart and some wacky Square Enix writing to boot. Dodgy voice dub aside, it’s fantastic that this title is now more wildly available to gamers. Whether you missed it the first time around or played the original, you owe it to yourself to step into Zack Fair’s boots and take the fight to Genesis one more time.
Otome Domain took me about thirteen hours to complete and I enjoyed each one. It has a fun concept that is rare in localized visual novels. The characters are great too. I really enjoyed how it connects their various personality quirks to their own challenges and a serious plot while keeping a fairly light and comedic tone throughout most of the story. Mixing in some touching, dramatic, and romantic moments kept me engaged the entire time.
From the second I launched the game to my current second playthrough of the title, I cannot get enough of this game. I had a feeling this would be a special sequel with how unexpected the original was, but I wasn’t ready for just how good this title would be. I’ve often mentioned the fact to anyone who would listen to how much I love River City Girls from its unique style to its addictive and smooth combat. With this follow-up, WayForward has decided to completely dethrone the first title. This is frankly the perfect sequel. It adds enough while still retaining what I adored about the original. Funky performance and loading issues aside, I can’t find any faults with the girl's latest outing and anyone who may have been burned by the release that was River City Girls Zero should ignore that and join the girls and their cast for what is frankly my personal game of the year, a contender for best in the genre, and just an outright bombastic and fun adventure. Pack your bag River City Girls, you’re getting evicted by the River City Girls (too).