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While Chihiro Himukai Always Walks Away has the seeds of some intriguing ideas, it’s ultimately a straightforward iyashikei experience heavy on sexual content. Still, it stands out as uncommonly thoughtful and kind. If a warm, soothing experience with an emphasis on sexuality appeals to you, I think you will enjoy Chihiro Himukai Walks Away.
Mighty Goose is the most fun I've had all year. It’s loud, it’s explosive, and it’s 100% awesome. The game doesn’t take that long to ‘beat’, but comes with a fantastic NG+ mode that dials that 11 all the way to 12. What few niggling issues I have with the game pale in comparison with the fun that I had with it. It’s a blast on your tod, or with a mate, so there is no excuse not to get honking.
I really enjoyed AKIBA'S TRIP: Undead and Undressed which was released on Vita and PS4 before this. Sadly I cannot say the same for AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed, which despite being much "newer" is pretty much a bare-bones remaster of an older game that's aged like bread. While it's not the worst game to have Akiba in the title (see: Akiba's Beat), it's very hard to suggest anyone other than die-hard fans of the series even consider this one. It's dated and repetitive with a little bit of charm, but it's sadly outdone by the previous release. If you haven’t played that already, just go straight to it or watch the anime.
Sun Wukong vs Robot is a mess. It looks bad, sounds worse, and plays pretty poorly to boot. The only reason you would play this is if you were desperate for a Metroidvania and only had a fiver to spend. Even then, the game is not worth that price, especially when some of the best games in the genre can be bought for slightly more off sale, and less on sale. It’s the 10 pence mixup of the gaming world – disappointing, cheap, and it barely registers on the serotonin scale but might give you diabetes all the same. Hard pass.
CAVE are likely the most well-known craft masters of the genre and for good reason. Mushihimesama is not only accessible for newcomers but challenging for pros. It’s addictive, it’s visually unique with its bug theme, and has all the nuance and quirk any good Shmup needs to succeed. I couldn’t say if this is THE game that would convert the non-believers but in terms of pure Shmup action, it still shines brightly. I’d say it is one of the strongest additions to the Nintendo Switch library.
Jeanne at the Clocktower has an interesting premise and does some things well. The novel setting is highly detailed while the story is exciting and dramatic. However, the characters and themes lack depth, so the end result feels like an average fantasy anime. In addition, gratuitous and extreme sexual content further detracted from my experience. I would recommend Jeanne at the Clocktower if you like action-heavy fantasy and the type of sexual content it offers. For this demographic, a score of 7/10 would be appropriate. If like me, that’s not your preference, I’d say to wait for a sale before you consider giving it a look.
While there are some nuances left to be desired in view of the big themes it touches on, Sumire has nonetheless successfully told a thought-provoking, magical yet realistic growing-up story of a young girl living in a little Japanese village. The art is charming, its music is something to die for, and the game has enough compelling elements to make it worthy of more than one playthrough. But more importantly, it is a work that touches the heart.
I like Necromunda: Hired Gun but it is far from being anything other than distinctly average. It has a great Sci-Fi Fantasy atmosphere and some fantastic action within. Sadly it's marred with a lack of innovation, level design issues, glitches throughout, and inconsistent performance. It's worth a look at on sale, and if you enjoy Warhammer titles. Otherwise, there are better, less glitchy alternatives around.
Don’t Forget Me turns out to be a rather baffling game, not because of its puzzles but its story and characters. While the puzzles are perfect for a relaxing play, they are likely to disappoint players who enjoy challenges. As for mystery lovers, the dissatisfaction that lingers on after the mystery closes is likely to put some of them off. And with a story and cast that feel one-dimensional, this title is a hard sell. Thus, even with beautiful pixel art and nice music, this game has not compelled me enough to recommend it in good faith.
Despite the serious performance issues in Disgaea 6, I still strongly enjoyed it. The story and characters were particularly good. I was surprised by this as I didn’t feel the same about most of the recent Disgaea titles. The sheer amount of customization and different aspects of the gameplay was as impressive as ever. As always, there’s a ton to experiment with.
Legend of Mana was a game that took a little while for me to truly understand. I went in expecting something, and it gave me something completely different. Heck, so different I can’t recall any game quite like it. It is captivating enough to play for hours on end, but it’s also bite-sized enough that short pick up and play sessions are ideal (hurray for Switch players). If deep mechanics and JRPG systems are what you want, Legend of Mana will disappoint. If a string of wonderfully crafted fairy tales set in a phenomenally realized world with secrets hidden around every syllable is your cup of tea, then Legend of Mana is an easy recommendation.
I enjoyed Final Fantasy VII EPISODE INTERmission, in some ways even more than the base game. While it is a shorter experience and doesn’t include all of the same features, it felt more focused. Yuffie is a great character who brought a lot of humor to this INTERmission and who I look forward to seeing in the main series.
I’d recommend Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche. It’s a great character-focused visual novel, with a focus on interesting backstories. Piecing together the history over different routes was really interesting and the characters were endearing. The production value is certainly high too and the humor is on point.
There's not much to say about World's End Club aside from that players need to know what they are getting themselves into. While I feel players are most likely to pick this up due to the directors' previous works, it's probably not what they are looking for. If you are someone who loves slice-of-life with a hint of mystery, then I would recommend World's End Club. But if you are expecting something in the style of Danganronpa and Zero Escape, then I'd say to skip it entirely. Unfortunately, I don't feel this game lives up to Kotaro Uchikoshi and Kazutaka Kodaka's previous works and might be quickly forgotten.
The Blind of the New World captivated me with a beautiful and moving story about the struggle to look out and build connections across different worlds. Exploring the strange and vivid setting through the characters’ eyes as I followed them on their journey was memorable and thought-provoking. The writing is often open-ended, which may not appeal to everyone, and there are occasional errors and inconsistencies. But I felt these paled in comparison to everything the game does well. The Blind of the New World is an experience well worth having, and I highly recommend it.
Overall, the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is possibly worth considering. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 is still a fantastic game, and Sigma 2 is not a bad game, despite being a downgrade. You are still being lugged with Razor’s Edge of course, but that may be a tax worth paying. Unless you’re on Switch. Switch owners should stay far, far away from this collection. Ryu Hyabusa deserved better and we can only hope he gets it on the other platforms.
Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards retains that addictive loop of loot but falters in performance. It’s clear that the game wasn’t properly optimized, at least for the Switch, leading to stutters, crashes, and graphical disappearing acts. The fidelity itself isn’t bad with a clay-like aesthetic and the focus on Inca Mythology felt fresh and was welcomed. While it could have benefited from livelier characters, the narrative sufficed and provided something to chew on as I played. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that gameplay is king here and the experience is worth having, albeit at a discounted price. Its current state doesn’t render it unplayable, but having to sit through crashes shouldn’t happen in a game that never tests the console.
Guilty Gear -Strive- is a fantastic anime fighting game with excellent presentation and some of the best online around. The story is gripping and I found myself approaching it more like an anime. It doesn’t feel like a tacked-on mode for a fighting game. That said, it’s not all positive. It feels like the complete package, but be it a change of the times or a need to push a Season Pass, it feels quite lacking compared to some of the previous games. It’s a shame. The core product is some of the most fun I’ve ever personally had with the series. That said, the amount of content, care, and the eclectic roster within the previous XRD games makes me favor them. For newcomers though there has never been a better title to get you acclimatized to the weird and wacky world of Sol Badguy and friends.
All in all, Sunblaze is a fun, challenging experience. While providing exciting and satisfying gameplay, it isn’t ashamed of allowing players to tune their experience. Accompanied by a good soundtrack and beautiful visuals, this game is a solid experience. It's definitely worth your attention if you’re a fan of hard platformers and stands out as a great example of the genre.
The Persistence has some very real design and technical issues. Despite this, I found it worth dealing with them because it also has an addictive gameplay loop, a fun challenge, and a brilliant atmosphere when playing in VR. I certainly recommend it, but feel it could be much better than it is.