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If you’re craving a little bit more of that girls’ love story spiced with a unique blend of Esperanto, consider getting Distant Memoraĵo! Simple yet relatable, it presents the difficulties of communication through the use of an unfamiliar language, common misunderstandings, and a cast of cute girls. Comfortably heartfelt, it’s definitely a read that you’ll remember for its unique charms!
Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography can be helpful, but it doesn't quite pull off making learning both effective and fun. It's a nice way to pick up some new vocabulary and supplement your learning if you happen to be a beginner at the right level. It won't, however, teach you certain things you might need at that level or be as effective as more typical learning methods and is best as a supplementary tool. I do feel it could do with more gamification too. With that said, it has a wonderful relaxing atmosphere and it’s a really unique idea. It makes a nice break from the textbooks while still learning and it’s more engaging than typical methods like ANKI flashcards.
For me, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster plays exactly how I remember Dead Rising, but without the annoyances that the original had. Almost all of the changes have been made for the better, and it's an absolute joy to play from start to finish, infinity and beyond. I can see some old school gamers being annoyed at the changes in the game but I feel what they changed would have been very problematic in today's climate. I highly suggest any fans of Dead Rising or even just zombie pop-culture in general pick this up. Even if you just fancy a fun sandbox that rewards experimentation and exploration with an enjoyable and sometimes tongue-in-cheek story with a unique sense of humor, you need to run down to your nearest store, fight off a zombie horde, down a smoothie and grab this game as soon as possible. Your 72 hours start now!
While Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is one of the franchise’s weaker entries, it’s still good fun, and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit improves on everything its predecessor got wrong. Bundle them together in a convenient package finished with polish and extras, and Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is an easy recommendation.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an ambitious change to an old formula that’s stifled by a lot of growing pains. It’s still a decent game, but they wound up pushing the formula too far in some areas, and not far enough in others. The end result is an experience that’s stuck in a rather awkward middle ground. It’s still Zelda, so expect a lot of polish (besides performance) and charm, but this time it felt as if it came at the cost of some much-needed substance. I’m happy that 2D Zelda is finally back, but it’s clear that there’s a lot more work to be done for this format to reach its full potential.
NanoApostle is the epitome of a “pretty good” game. Combat is fun, presentation is well handled, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is one of those games where it does almost everything it sets out to do well but doesn’t quite reach particularly highs at any point either. It sticks to doing what works but rarely gets aggressive with its ambition or does something to truly go off the rails, falling into few pitfalls but also not being as creative as I would hope for a boss rush game. Nonetheless, I had a fun time playing it from start to finish and can definitely give it a recommendation for people interested in a short but relatively dense little action game.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is hands down my favorite EDF title of all those that I’ve played. I have already put so many hours into this title, even setting down Earth Defense Force 6 in its favor. The pick up and play nature and the unadulterated fun just keep me coming back. The art direction and way unlocks work won’t be for everyone, but if you’re already part of the EDF cult you’d be doing a massive disservice in missing out on this title over something like visual style. For parents, this is also a potentially fantastic way to introduce a younger teen audience to the series, and certainly converted my kaiju-loving child into the next generation of the Earth Defense Force.
Metal: Hellsinger VR is an absurdly fun version of the original with the same great mechanics perfectly paired with amazing music. While not perfectly adapted to the medium, experiencing it through VR is well worth your time.
MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a phenomenal package for both casual players and fans alike. There are several high-quality, coveted games here and plenty of bonus content for those of you who only dabble in fighting games, along with some of the strongest online options around. This collection will have you going for “one more match” long into the night.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble plays exactly how people who don't like Beat 'Em Ups would describe the genre. It's bare bones, doesn't do anything original, and gets repetitive very quickly. As a fan product, the game covers the films well, has enough fan-favorite characters, and is somewhat carried by a fun art direction and a fantastic soundtrack. If you love the Karate Kid franchise I would suggest picking this up on a deep sale.
Reynatis is a rather curious experience. Its story is enjoyable, but it has its issues. The gameplay has some great ideas but it sometimes fails to realize them properly. Luckily the combat is frequent and fun. While it's certainly not perfect, I did enjoy playing through Reynatis and I believe others will too. I just wonder about the reasons behind some of the game design decisions made.
Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis: The Answer works brilliantly as an epilogue, bringing the story of Persona 3 Reload to a definitive conclusion. While the frequent battles and exploration may not be for everyone, the structure and gameplay make sure it never feels tedious.
If you’re a fan of the Mana series, I’m confident that you will most likely enjoy Visions of Mana quite a lot. There’s a lot here that feels in line with what the series has to offer, while offering some absolutely gorgeous locales accompanied by a great soundtrack. If you’re like me and you’ve wanted more out of the Mana series in the past, I don’t quite think this game elevates the bar all too much. Still, it’s a gorgeous game that’s still decently fun enough to play much of the time. While I would have liked to see it do more with its potential in terms of combat and story, I still found it a satisfactory adventure. If you’ve never played a game in the Mana series and you want to get into it, this is a fine place to start.
Hollowbody is exactly what I wanted as a fan of survival horror. I will fully admit the early section did rock me somewhat in terms of enjoyment, but by the end of the game, I was eager to jump back in with a higher difficulty to find what I had missed and earn even more bonuses. It's got a thought-provoking story, some genuine scares, and gorgeous visuals all nicely tied together in a short but sweet package. Hollowbody is a quick horror fix that'll no doubt stay with you a lot longer than you might initially think.
There may be some small entertainment value in Together VR, but it's mostly based on the appeal of Mei as a character. The gameplay just isn't engaging and the technical issues certainly don't help either.
While it does have some good points and the adult content has obviously been a focus, Oedo Trigger VR!! just doesn't have good gameplay. Lots of small but important issues bring it down significantly. The movement and shooting are the most important of these, but it could've been better in so many ways. This is even more disappointing since it could have been a good alternative for the somewhat similar Gal*Gun 2 VR, which no longer works with modern VR equipment without workarounds.
I had a great time with Fate/stay Night Remastered. With such a compelling narrative, and truly excellent character writing, it’s easy for me to understand now how Fate became such a widely beloved franchise. The remaster provides a great entry point for people like me who are experiencing this story for the first time. I’m excited to get deeper into the series, and particularly to experience more stories featuring these characters.
Everlasting Flowers - Where there is a will, there is a way is a tepid story with high-quality presentation. It has its moments here and there of solid storytelling and some relatable character moments, but there’s not much to take away from it either. The visual novel medium is one of the more stagnant in the greater landscape of gaming and I appreciate Sprite’s attempts to make a shorter and more cinematic story that breaks somewhat from the typical mold of presentation but it ultimately doesn’t quite have the substance to match its style.
The Expression Amrilato is a visual novel that attempts to illustrate the difficulty of overcoming barriers to mutual understanding. By incorporating Esperanto, a constructed language, as its main vehicle for story progression, it subjects its readers through the same hardships its protagonist Rin goes through as she struggles to express herself in a world that does not understand her words. With the plethora of study material available within the game, it doubles as an amazing way to jumpstart your own journey to learn Esperanto.
BAKERU is a charming, inspired game that’s unfortunately dragged pretty far down by its framerate issues. When working at its best, it’s an especially fun integration of culture and fun platforming mechanics. While it’s let down somewhat by a number of gameplay features feeling underutilized, I ultimately thought what I played was a fun time… But it bears repeating that this is mainly when its technical issues aren’t getting in the way of that enjoyment. I would definitely recommend this game, but maybe wait for a patch or two first.