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Battle Axe is a game that contains around 40 minutes of unique content and struggles to keep its gameplay interesting for even half that. It’s boring, repetitive, short, and uninspired. It also comes with a shockingly high entry fee of £25 (or $30 USD), which is beyond egregious for the amount, and quality, of the content on offer. Visuals, controls, music, and big-named contributors are not enough to save Battle Axe from crushing mediocrity.
Nier Replicant is a game I dedicated 80 hours to and I don’t regret it. The game is supremely fun to play. I wouldn’t say it’s addictive but I found myself enchanted by its setting. Every action was seamless and as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Although, mid-air combat definitely felt clunky unless I first locked on to enemies. What was the quintessential highlight of this experience was the music. I can’t understate how fantastic it is and I find myself humming tunes randomly, especially this. I am in love with Kainé and find her tragic tale impactful and meaningful. Each character felt alive and vibrant in a grim way. It’s hard to describe in all honestly so please, do yourself a favor and play this game. Nier Replicant isn’t a flawless masterpiece but what it hits, it nails. The music, the gameplay, and the characters result in my claim that this is a must buy.
Sugar * Style is a rush of silly excitement with a sweet romantic aftertaste. It’s not particularly clever or ambitious, but it isn’t trying to be. And though it has its flaws, the comedy hits hard and fast and the romance is endearing. If you’re looking for something lighthearted and upbeat—and don’t mind a perverted protagonist—Sugar * Style is a solid choice.
I have a love-hate relationship with Poison Control. There is a gem of a game here, but it’s marred by a subpar story, design/gameplay issues, and the less I say about the technical problems, the better! It’s such a shame because the game’s art style, music, and the stories of the girls within the Belles’ Hells are genuinely excellent! I don’t see myself playing this again, but I’m sure that some of you can find some enjoyment out of it. I certainly did, but it came with some huge hurdles to overcome!
Overall Pacer is a good game. It stumbles from time to time with flaccid weapons and a lack of an active online community, but in just about every other category, it does a corker of a job. When compared to other games in the genre, it holds up favorably and if you are a fan of said genre, then, honestly, this is one worth checking out. Heck, this is a pretty damn solid starting point too.
Judgment is a great crime thriller and Kamurocho an amazing place for it to take place in. I enjoyed the story, but I had even more fun just going off and spending time with the wide variety of interesting characters and solving side cases. While there are parts that could be improved, overall I had a great time and feel that most people would.
I enjoyed TASOMACHI: Behind the Twilight, especially the soundtrack. I found it a pleasant way to unwind after a long day. Despite its charm, I don’t think it warrants an unreserved recommendation. The platforming is clumsy and uninspired, and the story is bare-bones. The visuals are attractive but lack the above and beyond quality they’d need to carry the game on their own. If a simple and laid-back experience sounds appealing, I think TASOMACHI is worth a look. If you want substantial platforming or narrative, you should play something else.
Musicus! is an ambitious attempt to explore the meaning of music and its possible roles in our lives through a thoughtful coming of age story set in a vibrant world filled with endearing characters. The execution doesn’t always live up to the ambition though. The pace seriously drags at times, and the drama and ideas can be too heavy-handed. But Musicus! succeeds where it most counts. The big moments are undeniable, and no effort is spared in bringing everything to life in as much detail as possible. Musicus! isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s a worthy sendoff for Overdrive and addition to your catalog.
Unarguably, there is a substantial amount of content found in this short cyberpunk story, from its world to its characters and themes. There is also nice suspense, steady relationship building, and a beautiful yuri romance. Topped with wonderful art and an entrancing soundtrack, Synergia makes for quite an enjoyable and gripping game. Nevertheless, it should be noted that while this title is a visual novel, it does not feature many choice points and endings. The full game can be easily completed within two playthroughs, so those who are expecting to make more decisive choices or see more branchings may be disappointed by this largely linear setup. But if one does not actually mind that, then I say: It's recommended.
Deiland is a mobile remake with all the potential to flourish. Regrettably, it struggles to find its footing on consoles, retaining the quirks from being on the phone. The characters are largely robotic and bland, following stereotypes with no attempt to innovate. The game plays it safe but does so in exchange for substance. Still, I must commend Arco because I quite liked his character. His child innocence was evident and his speech patterns were distinct to his age. Chibig clearly has very talented developers on the team. The writers know how to create lore and build curiosity amongst gamers. There’s charm hidden beneath all the RNG but it’s also overshadowed. This game won’t fill any void a fan might have for the slice-of-life genre. Like I mentioned, I do believe the streamlined mechanics make it an ideal introduction to newcomers
Journey of the Gods had some very enjoyable moments. Taking a ride on the back of a flying golem, hatching an item bird and some of the boss fights were particularly enjoyable. The constant upgrades and gains in ability were praiseworthy too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite make up for the poor combat, minimal story, and occasional technical issues. There’s certainly fun to be had with this virtual reality game, but it’s not a must-buy.
I enjoyed the tone of Vaporum Lockdown. The story was fantastic and it’s been a good while since I was this immersed into a dungeon crawler. I think the lack of replay value does somewhat hurt it a little and the presentation could stand to be improved a little bit but I wholeheartedly recommend Vaporum Lockdown to anyone remotely curious in a more narrative-focused dungeon crawler.
Sakura Sakura offers fun comedy and a few touching moments but is a derivative and uneven experience. The protagonists are uninspired, some heroines don’t have much depth, and the impact of the big moments is hit or miss. It might be worth playing, particularly if you like harem anime since the game draws on those tropes. Given the $34.99 price tag, I’d wait for it to go on sale though.
All in all 30XX is shaping up to be everything the original title was and more. While a little thin on content and glitch/bug heavy, this can be reasonably forgiven due to it being in Alpha state. I have no doubt that this title is going to great places and would suggest any Megaman or Roguelike fan take advantage of the Early Access program and get in early. Even though there isn't a whole lot here right now, it's constantly updating and is certainly my current MegAddiction.
All in all the NeoGeo Pocket Colour Selection Vol.1 is a fascinating, if not slightly unbalanced look into the history of SNK and its short-lived foray into handheld gaming. What is commendable is the dedication to getting fighting games working well on their handheld project, but also putting out stuff like Dark Arms which was quite unexpected for the market at that time. While this is a A+ emulation collection with some nice extras, filling it with 6 fighting games really puts this title into a niche. If you’re a fan of SNK/NeoGeo history and curious about the Pocket this is an easy purchase. On the other hand for people less versed or not interested in fighting games, it’s a rather pricey lesson in death by excess. It’s a quality product – just laser-pointed directly at a certain audience.
Root Film tells a gripping and engaging tale of mystery. I was at the edge of my seat, trying to figure out how they’d explain cases. Though it is worth noting that I did feel like there are leaps of logic. Furthermore, two parts were easily predicted. I wouldn’t hold that against Root Film for the fact that the journey was fun. It’s full of laughs and physical comedy. The banter alone is worth the price of admission.
Fallen Legion Revenants feels like a game that actively fights itself. There’s a lot of potential here but it’s squandered by superficial ideas. Prolonging the combat with damage sponge bosses is a cheap way of doing it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind when this is the case. It’s the tedium of the system as a whole that has me scratching my head. Sadly, none of the potential this franchise has was realized with this entry.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a mixed bag, to say the least. Its strengths don’t necessarily lie in its qualities as a game, but its inclusion in a genre that is inherently addictive. The formula the genre uses has been refined and mastered to the point it has become quite the potent drug, and Olive Town can administer that narcotic effectively when it wants to. The issue is, I found it didn’t have any staying power. I was hooked whilst I was playing, but once I put it down, it was a real struggle to pick it back up. There were just too many niggling little issues that hindered my enjoyment long term. As far as farming-sims go, this one is passable and worth checking out if you have exhausted other, better games in the genre.
JRPG fanatics need to add Persona 5 Royal to their collection. The character development and fearlessness to jump into dark and mature topics were appreciated. It took standard tropes and turned them all in their head. It’s visually stunning, and the music causes an ear orgasm. Atlus really paid attention and polished this four-year-old diamond, making it utterly and beautifully radiant. With the vanilla Persona 5 costing less, is it worth buying an enhanced version? Yes – all the extra content is amazing, and the quality of life additions make Persona 5 Royal the definitive version.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest may have a run-time shorter than its title, it might fumble some of the characters, but it absolutely nails the landing. As someone who is relatively new to Visual Novels, it has opened my eyes to the potential of the genre, the scope in which the genre can encompass, and kept me engaged cover to cover. If you want less anime tiddies, and more gritty, grimdark monster mashing, then I cannot recommend this title enough.