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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.
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is a fine compilation title without the celebratory features, and a rather mixed bag of games on hand. Fortunately, being able to buy them separately rather than strictly in bundles can help you navigate the wheat from the chaff. The lack of online multiplayer harms this package much like the previous one, and I'm still unsure why it required a completely separate 'launcher' when everything but the games are the same.
Live A Live is a fantastic experience that any JRPG fan should try for at least a few chapters before writing off. It's still a unique and fresh title after nearly 2 decades and provides as much emotion in its shorter run time as some 80-plus-hour titles. While I've held back on some of the surprises the game has on offer, rest assured the game has enough diversity and allure to keep anyone engaged. Live a Live is an essential title that has finally broken through the western release barrier.
With a tragic but hopeful story filled with heartfelt emotions and a large cast of complex and loveable characters, Reimei no Gakuen meets several aspects of the kind of plot-heavy otome visual novel I enjoy. And with such a good production quality, from the amazing art to the beautiful BGM, observed throughout this 80-hour long game, I won’t hesitate to say that Reimei no Gakuen is recommended.
If you enjoyed Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche, I’d certainly recommend Kinkoi: Golden Time. While it might not reach the same high points that Golden Loveriche does, it’s consistently great throughout and explores some new characters that we didn’t see enough of the first time.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is a game that wants to evolve the series, but is founded on the flawed principle of trying to fix what wasn’t broken to begin with. For each improvement it makes, there is a new problem present that holds it back from ever reaching its fullest potential. This game was a long time coming, which is why it’s disappointing for me to say that the wait wasn’t entirely worth it.
It's always fun when Kunio leaves the streets to take on other roles. River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is certainly no exception. This is a much stronger outing for the River City franchise than the recent River City Girls Zero. Its overall quality and fun combat have skyrocketed the game firmly into one of my favorites from the franchise. While there isn't enough here to convert the naysayers, anyone who's enjoyed previous titles or even just the genre could find quite a lot to love about this title. Here's hoping that we see even more River City Saga titles in the future.
If you enjoyed Moss, then certainly get Moss: Book II – it’s a true sequel, sticking close but making improvements along the way. If you’ve not played Moss, go and play that, then come back and play Moss: Book II. Just try and play them on a platform with decent tracking.
It's hard to recommend Horgihugh and Friends when I had such high expectations dashed. It's not a bad game per se, but it's full of annoying cheap deaths and the visual department doesn't hit where it needs to. It certainly isn't my "go-to" cute 'em up, but there is certainly is worse on the market. Sorry, Horgi - you're not the best boy.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a brilliant little package for fans and newcomers alike. That said, the latter may have to wade through some of the more basic stuff before they hit on why Klonoa has such a cult following. The graphics and funky physics paint a deceptive picture that the game is "budget" or "cheap", but it's simply a faithful remastering of two titles that are still very much rooted in the late 90s to early 00s. The same titles that have so much heart it would make the Kingdom Hearts crew green with envy. The lack of extras outside of the DLC and the omission of the GBA titles does mean that the title slightly misses the mark, and it isn't the most original title around nowadays, but the cheap price point and overall charm win the day in the end.
If you enjoy pulp horror, you’ll have a lot of fun with Mothmen 1966. I certainly did. It’s a sharp, well-crafted package that nails the style and aesthetic. Mothmen 1966 doesn’t have a lot of depth or nuance, which may not be to everyone’s taste, but this is very much an intentional choice. And if you’re unfamiliar with pulp, Mothmen 1966 is short and accessible: a great introduction that’s worth giving a shot.
Featuring a vibrant animal hospital where the staff are full of zest and trained to tackle a myriad of ailments, Pups & Purrs: Animal Hospital is a casual vet sim that is not just educational for younger players but entertaining for everyone. Most of the medical information presented is nothing new to me, yet that did not stop me from having plenty of fun, laughing, and smiling a lot throughout my 25 hours with the game. There is also something relaxing about playing mini-game after mini-game in an environment filled with bright pastel colors, pleasing chibi 3D character models, festive music, and realistic sound effects. And although things easily feel repetitive as the short main and side stories begin to wrap up, the healing effect I felt upon seeing the healed pets’ smiling faces hardly gets stale. Thus, no matter your age, if you love cute things, are interested in veterinary work, and enjoy playing casual mini-games, then Pups & Purrs: Animal Hospital could be a nice fit for you.
Final Vendetta is a brilliant time capsule of an era currently making a comeback. While it doesn't exactly move the needle in innovation, it does provide fans of the genre a much-needed booster of brawling fun. Deliciously 90s in all the right areas, this is certainly one for the retro enthusiasts who like a bit of a challenge when they roam the mean streets dishing out some justice.
I do not doubt that Remote Life will be a marmite-style title. It’ll have its fans and its haters. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a game I enjoyed that much, but I can appreciate what the developer tried to do.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is one of the best Warriors games available. It implements many of the best features from other Warriors titles, adds in an interesting story told through cut scenes, and backs it up with a ton of systems to grow and customize your characters.