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Aoi Tori tries to do a lot, but it doesn’t do much particularly well. Plot elements clash and leave the story feeling disjointed. Two of the four routes are just not good overall, and even the two better ones have significant pitfalls. It has a small cast of characters it focuses on, but outside of Mary I seldom found myself actually caring for or about most of them.
Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution’s character interactions and comedy make it worth playing. However, it’s let down by its gameplay, which is occasionally good, often mediocre, and sometimes actively bad. I say this as a long-time fan of Neptunia, which might be the only group that this title appeals to.
SaGa Emerald Beyond is a curious beast of a game. The global release, demo, and marketing would have you believe this is going to be an ideal game for newcomers. It's not. Making this your first SaGa title could easily put you off the franchise for life. It’s a quirky and obscure adventure where many of its mechanics are hidden. It feels completely random at times and you’ll be hours deep into it before you feel semi-competent at the battle system. As much of a “JRPG” as this is, it's not what most gamers would expect from a game of this genre at all. The game requires a lot of attention, experimentation, and tolerance for confusion. It’s tough for me to suggest to anyone who isn’t familiar with SaGa Scarlet Grace, even for those of you coming from Romancing SaGa or SaGa Frontier might not click with this one. Like most of the franchise, this is one you’ll either love or hate, and the fact that there's a demo will be invaluable here to many players.
Once again, Nightdive has released an official, definitive way to play another classic FPS with Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster. It may seem like a basic FPS even by the standards of its original era, but it still looks and feels authentically Star Wars and makes for a fun as heck playthrough.
Mashiroiro Symphony HD -Sana Edition- is a nice addition to -Love is Pure White- and I can certainly see why Sana won a popularity poll. Sana’s route had a lot to measure up to, and while it falls short of some of the -Love is Pure White- routes, it was still a great read.
Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya is a rather low-maintenance game, yet surprisingly addicting at times. A strong presentation, lighthearted tone, and relaxing gameplay loop made it an enjoyable experience. It does drag just a bit in places, and I think Dichroic Purpilion could have implemented a few more tricky mechanics to deal with in order to spice things up, but I think what we ended up with was still solidly fun. What keeps Mystia’s Izakaya from reaching even higher heights isn’t so much in its mistakes, but rather that it doesn’t do a lot that truly goes above and beyond. I still liked a lot of what I ended up playing plenty though! This Nintendo Switch version of the game comes with all six packs of DLC, resulting in a large cast and a lot of additional content that is pretty seamlessly integrated into the game, giving you plenty of options during and after your main playthrough. While the game’s systems are limited in overall scope, there’s no shortage of things to do. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had.
Mashiroiro Symphony HD -Love is Pure White- is a great romance story that explores relationships from all angles rather than just showing the ideal ones. It nicely mixes in comedy, moments of drama, and some great friendships between characters. Supported by some amazing art, it’s worth picking up as long as you’re a fan of these types of stories.
Phantom Fury is a fine homage to the late 90/early 2000s first-person shooter game and a fun game in its own right. The issue is that, compared to Ion Fury and Aftershock, it just doesn’t quite stack up due to how soft combat feels and repetitive enemy and puzzle variety are. Fortunately, it’s not quite as bland as Bombshell, and has a fun and well-paced campaign for any fan of the genre or Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison for at least the one playthrough. The game clocked in for me at just over 14 hours, though this is likely to come down on subsequent playthroughs as there were a few sections where the difficulty spiked quite high. The game is well paced and there is plenty to see and do throughout Shelly’s road trip, but go in knowing the ride is going to be a little bumpy, so put that seatbelt on.
It pains me as a huge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan to have written this review, but in an age where titles like Turtles in Time and Shredder's Revenge exist, Wrath of the Mutants just isn't worth any more than the quick 10-minute play I gave it on those half-broken sticks back at the arcade.
It’s no surprise to you I’m sure, after you have sat through my gushing praise, that I wholeheartedly recommend The Shell Part II: Purgatorio. In the forty-ish hours I spent reading, I found only one unfortunate reservation, amidst an ocean of qualities worthy of recommendation. The Shell Part II is a testament to the narrative potential of visual novels. I simply will never forget this story. My recommendation is of course contingent on you being ready for the rather oppressive overtones of hopelessness and misery. The Shell Part II is a beautifully written tragedy. It is the emotional equivalent of being skinned alive, and it is the best visual novel I’ve ever read. There is nothing else that has been able to draw such genuine emotion from me, except perhaps Clannad. Though where Clannad draws sadness from the ephemeral joys of life, The Shell Part II draws from a darker place. The sadness I’m left with after The Shell Part II is more akin to the quiet despair of a child understanding for the first time that one day their mother will die. Again, I do mean that as praise. I love this game and wholeheartedly recommend it, I promise.
Amazing Grace -What Color is Your Attribute?- is an enjoyable mystery adventure, with some pleasant romance mixed in along the way. While there are certainly some issues with the mystery requiring suspension of disbelief that will bother some more than others, it worked well with hinting at events, throwing in unexpected twists, and building up to the big reveals.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an amazing experience if you have the patience to deal with its jank and demanding immersion aspects, it holds your hand more than the original does, but its large world, plethora of combat options, and overbearing pawn system may still be a bit much for some players. Performance issues do harm this title, and the rather mediocre story certainly didn’t keep me around. The moment-to-moment gameplay on the other hand certainly still had me climbing on the back of monsters and polishing off side quests long after the 20-odd hour main story. I highly recommend Dragon’s Dogma 2 for gamers who want to get stuck into their adventure and focus on the violence and viscera of fighting mythical beasts, rather than picking attack options or dealing with run-of-the-mill combat.
Rise of the Ronin uses exciting combat and character-driven story scenes to tell the story of one of the most interesting periods of Japanese history. Between slightly different combat and an open world with a ton of extra activities, it doesn't quite fit into the soulslike mold and is a far more accessible game for it.
Princess Peach: Showtime! offers a wide variety of gameplay in exchange for a lack of depth. Short and simple, it’s a fun adventure that anyone can enjoy but will be more suited to younger players.
Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows ~What Beautiful Memories~ is a masterclass on character-driven stories. While the premise of the plot is rather simplistic, it turns a simple journey into an adventure laden with self-discovery and healing. Incredibly vague at times, the sheer amount of effort it puts into its imagery and literary devices form a reading experience that’s as dense as paperback novels yet retaining the colorfully vibrant world that visual novels are able to represent through additional creative assets.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is another excellent installment in the three-part remake of Final Fantasy VII. While I can't say the implementation of an open world was a complete success, the story, characters, and minigames make it absolutely worth playing.
While not a complete triumph, falling down in the same places as many other survival horror titles, and a rather iffy last act to boot, there is still so much to fall in love with in Alone in the Dark (2024). It is a must-play for horror fans and would also make an excellent pool to dip your toe into if you're new to the genre, with the fantastic options on offer to make the game as accessible or as masochistic as you need it to be Alone in the Dark (2024) is exactly what this dormant series needed after the deathblow that was Alone in the Dark: Illumination. It sticks to what made the series famous with classic horror clichés, hammy acting, a great atmosphere, and an engrossing mystery. It's not only a fantastic stand-alone title, but is in the upper echelons of reimaginings, leaning on the original title where it counts, but not enough to make it a crutch. It adds its unique ideas to further the experience and gives gamers a true dark-fantasy horror that would please any avid fans of Lovecraft.
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.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is one of the best remastering jobs I have seen. It's obvious from the second you boot the title up there has been a lot of love and care put into this one. The modern controls could do with some tweaking and the games themselves could be initially daunting for people who didn't grow up with Lara but there is a lot to love in this classic adventure package if you're willing to accept Lara Croft and her quirks. For those who have played the originals to death, there are enough additions and quality-of-life improvements to make this the essential way to now play these titles.
Splatoon 3: Side Order adds that cherry on top of an already sweet package. While I would not say that this is an essential purchase, it will do its job in satisfying those who crave a bit more from Splatoon 3. The roguelike elements of Side Order are somewhat undercooked and didn’t hold my interest as long as I would have liked. However, elements like the new boss battles, the writing, and the music made it worthwhile for at least the one playthrough. Splatoon addicts will also likely be satisfied with a mode that can be engaged with for as long as they feel like. Overall, this is a nice side dish, even if it falls short of being a great entree.