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Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate – Episode 1 has a fascinating world and engaging mysteries to solve. It hooked me from the start and just kept getting better. While the other games in the wider franchise use time looping, it does it here in a much more interesting way. While I did bring up a few issues, Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate – Episode 1 is a story worth experiencing. I’m looking forward to seeing what Episodes 2 and 3 bring.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is a much better fighting game than it was on its original release. The various gameplay tweaks and the increase to 60fps on current-gen and PC bring this underrated title to life. Unfortunately lackluster online multiplayer and lack of new characters do knock this down somewhat, but if you haven't already owned the original and are newly into JoJo you'd be downright bizarre to sit this title out.
The simple things here are just okay, though they’re fairly standard. On the whole, and whilst I can’t quite put my finger on it, something feels stale with Aeterna Noctis — “Limp” even. What makes metroidvania’s so fun is not merely the challenge but the pace, reward, and sense of impact your upgrades give you. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, Aeterna Noctis tipped the scales heavily in favor of repetitive challenge that rarely feels rewarding to overcome.
Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate Definitive Edition is a strong remastering effort of what is one of the Musou franchise’s best entries. I was overwhelmed by the addictive and plentiful amounts of content on offer, as well as some frantic and varied gameplay. The few cracks that display the game’s age are small potatoes when stacked up to how much of a blast it all is. If you want a quintessential Musou game that is practically never-ending, you’ve come to the right place.
Idol Manager is an enjoyable management simulator with a unique subject matter that hasn’t been seen in the genre before. The story has its moments, and any fan of idols will likely have a chuckle or make a grim nod at least once or twice. Additionally, it has some thoughtful difficulty and gameplay options in its free play mode that adds multiple ways for folks to enjoy a second or third playthrough. It does have some faults, most notably in its UI, but only so far as to be inconvenient. For fans of management sims and/or idol culture, Idol Manager is recommended.
Put together with some suspense here and much humor there, Enigmarella is a mature otome OELVN featuring a peculiar mystery, an angel and devil pair of love interests, and many memorable moments. Whether you walk down the aisle with the angelic fiancé or play with fire with the devilish suitor, there is no lack of differently flavored romance to relish. Characters are also full of life by virtue of their realistic characterizations, animated movements, and excellent voice artists, so much so they brighten up the otherwise uninspiring nautical steampunk world. Barring some minor annoyances with certain aspects of the game system and UI, a rich tale regarding friends and foes, adoration, and animosity nevertheless awaits anyone who is willing to plunge into the world of Enigmarella.
Arcade Paradise is a fantastic attempt at producing a simulation slash compilation title, but unfortunately has a few failings which stop it from being a World Warrior. The lack of punishment should you choose to neglect the Laundromat gives the game a real half-baked feel. Beyond that, the fact there isn't any representation for key arcade genres such as Fighting Games and Rail Shooters puts a downer on anyone whose arcade experience wasn't dominated by Match 3 puzzle games and Missile Command. Arcade Paradise is still a fun title and is an excellent stepping stone to what could be a true arcade gamer's paradise. It's part simulation, part retro, and full neon-soaked good time. Sadly, it just doesn't simulate the arcade experience I had and at times feels as deep as the shallow end of the shower.
Chenso Club comes with the highest of recommendations! Seriously, if you like retro games with a modern flare, get this game! The overwhelming sense of youthful glee that Chenso Club filled me with from the moment things kicked off is something I can’t see being surpassed any time soon. From start to finish, this game was a joy to have experienced.
Cult of the Lamb was one of those games that I just couldn’t put down. I completed it in about seventeen hours, but each time I played it started as intending to play for an hour and then not realizing that hours had passed. The combat is fun and always feels fresh. The base-building aspects give tons of choices in how you grow. More important, Cult of the Lamb ties these together in a way that kept me wanting that next improvement or to defeat the next stage.
If you enjoyed the original Making Lovers, you’ll enjoy Making Lovers After Stories. While it often focuses even more than the original on the comedy, there are still romantic moments here. In the end, it’s just a short collection of follow-up scenes and as long as you go in expecting that, you won’t be disappointed.
Ballads at Midnight is a short and sweet vampire romance OELVN served elegantly with enigmatic darkness, amusing banter, and romantic kisses. Its tale is performed with utmost careful attention to detail from start till end, stringing you along with vividly descriptive writing, dreamy visuals, enchanting music, and moving voice acting. Despite the absence of CGs and the lack of full voice acting, Ballads at Midnight is a delightful little morsel to sink your teeth and time into.
Megaman Battle & Fighters is a recommendation to Megafans who are curious how SNK handled the Megaman license, but I’d recommend waiting for a sale due to the lack of in-game English text.
Featuring a decent number of cities and nice combinations of challenges, Mini Motorways is great when you are craving short bursts of puzzles as dynamic as the road traffic. This strategy simulation game is addicting and a half-an-hour session can easily stretch to a few hours as you attempt to “beat the traffic” and inch closer to yet another high score with “just one more try”. Its soundscape, like the vrooms and ticking of the changing traffic lights, is surprisingly relaxing and adds much intriguing flavor to the sleek minimalistic menu screens. While I do not feel particularly compelled to return to the game regularly for its daily or weekly challenges, my trips to the 14 cities were certainly fun while they lasted.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet was a pleasant surprise. It's budget-priced, and a lot of fun. It’s certainly no epic adventure like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but it’s a great party game that’s kept casual and competitive enough for all ages to play.
Thymesia is a great idea, but it feels like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be its own thing or march to the beat of the Souls Drum. This hampers the product, alongside the loose feeling, lack of feedback in combat, and non-appearance of voice acting. In a post-Elden Ring world, we need to be looking at innovative and unique additions to a genre that has seemingly reached its apex. Sadly Thymesia seems to be solely carried by dated and constructive design, alongside an interesting theme.
Amatsutsumi stands on the strength of its main route. Depending on how you feel about the other heroines and sexual content the journey can be circuitous, but the story of Makoto and the kotodama is worth seeing to the end.
Dark Deity is a flawed game. Its story left me wanting more, and certain game balancing issues decreased my enjoyment at times. However, despite its faults, Dark Deity scratches an itch with its quality base gameplay and unique features that any SRPG enjoyer would be remiss to overlook. In addition, its quality visual-novel style portraits and pixel art are undoubtedly boons for the title. I rate Dark Deity a 7, with the caveat that for folks who aren’t into or haven’t tried SRPGs to do more research before buying. But, if you find yourself in love with the art style, are intrigued by a preview video, or are itching for a Fire Emblem-like experience outside of Nintendo, it’s absolutely worth a try, and a commendable first offering from Sword & Axe.
I enjoyed Digimon Survive as a visual novel and would highly recommend it if that’s all it was. That said, there is some frustration in trying to access all routes, the SRPG combat gets old after a while, and there are a multitude of small issues that do bring the experience down.
At its best, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the peak of Monolith Soft’s sterling record of RPGs. They’ve taken many criticisms of past games in stride and created a game that felt like an evolution in many respects, rather than a compromise. That said, it does end up stumbling into some of the same trappings that have held back past games, while bringing in fresh problems of its own. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, for better and for worse, puts the magic and weirdness of the Xeno series on full display.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise has quite an ironic title considering it just made me appreciate what a flash in the pan the original title was. Everything in this sequel is a step or more back and despite that intoxicating SWERY quirk, this title just isn't enjoyable. I don't think I'd be able to recommend that anyone plays this game. Fans of the original and SWERY enthusiasts may get a few kicks from it, but in my humble opinion, this ranks as his worst work and feels as bad as the consensus about Deadly Premonition 1 is.