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I think The Lament of a Lifeless Star has some interesting ideas about what it might mean to live past the end of the world. Unfortunately, the execution is uneven and most of The Lament of a Lifeless Star’s runtime is squandered on tropes and trivialities. The final act is better, but it’s too little too late to redeem the overall experience.
If you want to see a busty ninja or two humiliated and violated by all manner of creatures, Taimanin Asagi has its issues, but is something you might appreciate. It has its charms, especially when it comes to the artwork. Just don't go into it expecting much in the way of story or the same standards as modern visual novels.
Secret Agent is worth reading, but certainly isn’t going in my top recommendations. It’s a pity as I was quite excited to read ensemble’s first localized work and the concept is an interesting one. Unfortunately, some routes are notably better than others and the romance with the heroines while certainly good at points, wasn’t amazing either.
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, while being a more focused and polished product than the original, comes off worse due to the lack of individuality and abysmal pacing. The baffling choice of only 2 firearms, the poor enemy selection, and the lack of general atmosphere outweigh the more coherent plot and consistent visuals. The game is an okay time for fans of the original Daymare but it won't convert any new fans and certainly doesn't even come close to being in the ring with the blockbuster horrors of the year like Dead Space or Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Loop8: Summer of Gods has an interesting concept and some great characters that give a good reason to play it. My first impressions were actually quite positive and if my review was based on the first ten hours, it would probably be a 7/10 due to the great character moments and idea of growing stronger through loops. Unfortunately, the issues with gameplay and systems that came to light over the full forty-five hours it took to complete, and the method of storytelling make it difficult to outright recommend.
Aside from its impressive hand-drawn animation, Curse of the Sea Rats is at its best a mediocre game that does little to stand out from the innumerable alternatives. At its worst, it’s tedious, grating, and unfun. Maybe if you love traditional animation and rats you’ll find something to enjoy here, but I’d wait for a discount before considering Curse of the Sea Rats.
I enjoyed the final chapters of Beta-Sixdouze and it certainly added to the lore of the series well, but it felt like a long and tiresome journey to get there at times. It has plenty of good moments sprinkled throughout, but between the technical issues and the moments of tedium, it’s difficult to outright recommend this visual novel. It did feel like somewhat of a letdown, as Alpha-Nighthawk was quite good.
There are certainly some positive elements to Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star. It encourages progress, uses unlocks well, and demonstrates stretches in an easy-to-follow manner. Sadly, the issues with the core gameplay and the price point make it difficult to recommend. For some casual exercise and at a lower price-point, then it might be worth picking up, especially if you’re a fan of Fist of the North Star. But there are better options out there.
I wanted to love Wanted: Dead. It has everything I love about that charming AA middle ground from the PS2/3 era, but sadly even at its highest of highs, it still smacks of average. The game has a lot of heart but zero focus, resulting in it trying to do too many things and barely achieving any of them well. I've no doubt this title will get a cult following and I'd be down for a sequel, but as it stands I can't suggest anyone gets involved unless you're craving something a little different wrapped in average and bland paper.
From the story to the enemy design and combat, The Callisto Protocol is copy-paste “horror”. I used the quotes around horror because the use of common tropes means that the title fails to provide the most important ingredient in a horror game – fear.
I’d buy this on sale in its current state. Even with all the bugs and issues, I had a great time, but would not be pleased to pay full price. However, provided bugs, typos, and missing translations are fixed, this is a 7/10 game. I had a terrific time with it, but it’s a shame that there are so many issues in the game’s current state. If you are hankering for a nukige, find yourself fancying the art, and don’t mind some serious scuff around the edges, you’ll find yourself with a gem.
Front Mission 1st Remake is a bizarre title. It is a true remake rather than a remaster, but all the effort has still gone into the visual side of things rather than tweaking the gameplay to make it more in line with the modern era of gaming. It’s a slow-paced title with painful RNG that really isn’t too interested in providing more than a basic SRPG experience with customizable mechs. It’s great to see the series back once again. With a remake of further titles planned, I can only hope this serves as a stepping stone to provide players with a much more fun and engaging title in the future. Unfortunately, as it stands, Front Mission 1st Remake is a pretty title that while offers some fun, really doesn’t stand out in any real meaningful way compared to its many, many peers.
I needed to love Gungrave G.O.R.E. It's exactly my kind of thing as a sequel to two of my favorite "AA" titles from the PS2 era. Full of shooting and over-the-top anime action scenes, this game was penned to be my niche experience of the year. Unfortunately, it lacks the soul of the previous games. Instead, it has been padded out to an unenjoyable slog, where the endearing jank because egregious and the simple yet engaging gameplay is spread that thin it reaches new levels of repetition and annoyance. Fans of Gungrave will find enjoyment here. It just needs to be in small doses. Otherwise, the realization that this is kind of a cheap, soulless cash-in kicks in too quickly and you're left wishing the series hadn't been resurrected.
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.
It's hard to say that Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising isn't worth the small asking price of £12.99 when it feels more like an indie Metroidvania than a taster of what's to come in Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising - at least from a world-building aspect. On the other hand, I just didn't find too much of the game enjoyable. It mostly boils down to inane tasks held together with weak combat and shallow exploration, along with very light city-building aspects. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising manages to land firmly as a middle-of-the-road title for me. While not a horrible game by any standard, it just did nothing to convert me to its cause. Unless you're extremely hyped for the main event, it might be worth picking up on a sale out of curiosity at best.
Maglam Lord is a game I really want to like. It has strong aesthetics, a cute premise, and a deep weapon customization system. It’s the elements around them that I’m not that fond of. A good JRPG needs a good story to encourage you to see it through to the end, but its plot and characters are sadly not that great. The camera issues during combat also didn't help matters much. Don't get me wrong, this game isn't a poor showing and I’m sure there’s someone out there who will gel with this title and have a great time, but I can’t say I’m among them.
The House of the Dead: Remake is utterly disappointing. While the addition of Horde Mode is a net positive, it’s brought down by ugly visuals, poor performance, and worse controls. In my entire time with the game, not once did I ever feel the heavy weight of the game’s faults lifted so I could enjoy myself. There is some brilliance to be seen here, but that’s courtesy of what the original game was, not what the remake mostly fails to uphold. The House of the Dead is better enjoyed elsewhere.
Big Bang Pro Wrestling is a curiosity from the Neo Geo Pocket Color. While it looks nice, it hasn't aged quite as well as previous releases on the Neo Geo Pocket Colour Selection Volume 1 or the more recent SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters Clash. This title is more for die-hard fans of the console or someone struggling for a wrestling fix on the Nintendo Switch, though there are alternatives such as Arcade Action Wrestling. Sadly this game is more Legend than Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani is mainly bogged down by average writing that did not do enough justice to the enchanting world of Sakuratani and its cast of charming characters. Aksys Games’ translation quality is a mixed bag as well. Despite that, my 45 to 50 hours spent with this otome visual novel has been mostly enjoyable. If you fancy some supernatural romance with the ayakashi, entertaining stories rich in Japanese mythology, and pleasant culturally hybrid music to pass your time with, then you may like what Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani has to offer.
If someone was to ask me how I’d describe Labyrinth Legend in a single word, it would be: underwhelming. This is a button-mashy dungeon crawler with next to no depth. The game feels clunky to play, and the content here simply isn’t interesting enough to hold much attention. That being said though, the music had me bopping along like a mad man. It’s almost worth a look just for that.