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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.
Suzukuri Dungeon: Karin in the Mountain is a title I enjoyed a lot, but it has some major flaws. Fairly basic dungeon gameplay, obtuse requirements to proceed, and the occasional technical issue don’t help. Still, if you can put up with these, there are a lot of great moments with the characters. It was worth it for me, but your mileage may vary, especially if you’re not already a Koihime Musou fan.
Aspyr’s remaster is the best way to play Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, an average but charming game, if just for the simple fact they fixed the horrid camera system. Outside of the great combat, the gameplay is nothing special, but the Star Wars atmosphere helps to carry the experience. You can choose to ignore the iffy bounty system too if you just want to plod on through this 7 to 10-hour romp as the original Mandalorian badass.
Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the Witch wasn’t entirely what I expected going into it, but I came away satisfied. While it takes a while to hit its stride and has some odd parts here and there that don’t always click, I think it does a good job of handling several of its core themes and delivering emotional payoff. What matters most to me in a story is if there is something that I was able to get attached to and resonate with, and I absolutely found that here. The story is largely well-paced with a cast of characters I grew to care about, and it features several scenes I found to be surprisingly emotionally gripping. It might not be the most original story, but what it lacks in novelty, it largely makes up for how well-executed much of it is once the ball gets rolling. If a small-town story with personal struggle and bits of magic, fantasy, folklore, romance, growing up, and occasional silliness sounds like something you might even at all enjoy, I can definitely recommend this tale.
I have always had a love for SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, but it’s hard to turn around and say it is truly a “good” game due to its lack of polish. The difficult SNK style of gameplay along with the balancing and budget issues don’t give newcomers the smoothest of rides either, especially compared to the many alternatives on the market nowadays. Still, while it’s not comparable to the best modern fighters or even the beloved Capcom vs. SNK 2, you can still have a lot of fun with it. It’s a quirky look at a dark time for not only SNK but also fighting games in general, and it is interesting to see what SNK could do with such an eclectic pick of Capcom characters. Less-than-stellar presentation aside, this game is still a curiosity that has the potential for fun if you’re a little more invested in the fighting game genre than the casual gamer. The online netcode is smooth and the diverse roster carries the game. As long as you’re willing to wade through the more mediocre aspects of the game, you are treated with a great re-release of a quirky, curious, and budget fighting game time capsule.
Himegashima Island is a slow adventure with charming characters and a relaxed atmosphere. I found myself surprised at how invested I was in the stories of the islanders and the gameplay. There are certainly many areas where it could be improved, but these are mostly minor issues. I enjoyed the 21 hours I spent experiencing a relaxing summer as Kokomi.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is easily my favorite TMNT game in recent years, standing side by side with the mighty Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Roguelikes aren’t for everyone by their very nature. Not everyone likes to lose and start again, but if you can look past that and embrace it, you’ll find a constantly rewarding challenge worthy of the moniker of master.