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The overall plot of Battlefield Waltz wasn’t amazing. Although, the romance I would say is better than 9 R.I.P., the last Otomate title I reviewed. I’m not sure if this is just how these games were back in 2014, or if Battlefield Waltz just happens to be a more basic otome. If you like otome, I’m sure you’ll get some enjoyment out of it, it truly did grow on me after I got through a few routes. It simply wouldn’t be my top choice from this developer.
Ultimately, Mario & Luigi: Brothership was an immense pain to play. Between trying to constantly time things perfectly and button mashing my way through to inflict damage, plus constantly having to heal when enemies finally stopped attacking, it was not a fun time. I wouldn’t call it a bad game necessarily, I do think some people may enjoy it. If you love button mashing and timing stuff and don’t mind getting very few turns in between your enemies’ attacks, then this may very well be the game for you. But for anyone who wants a fun RPG adventure with an amazing story, atmosphere, charm that actually sucks you in and enjoyable battles that don’t take an eternity and kill your button mashing muscles, this is not the game for you, whatsoever. I feel like if the story, characters and everything else outside of battles, was just better and more worth going through these battles for, I would’ve liked the game a lot more. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be picking up another Mario & Luigi title anytime soon.
Overall, I really enjoyed Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land. I found the full open world setting a joy to explore, the new combat system is fun, and the story is pretty good. The darker tone will be jarring for longtime fans, but I think it is very fitting for this world and character. Yumia is a different kind of alchemist than we are used to, and that is what made this journey even more special. There is plenty to discover as well, my playtime barely cracked the surface of everything that is here to discover. I feel the game is well worth the $69.99 asking price. This is also a great starting point for someone wanting to check out the Atelier series for the first time, since you need no knowledge of any of the previous games to have a good time here.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is a good RPG with a fun combat system, great visuals, and a strong soundtrack. Unfortunately, this game is a prime example of one step forward and two steps back. It definitely improved upon the battle system and overall gameplay, but it’s hampered by a flawed story with a plot hole that’s too big for me to ignore, which is a shame because it had the foundations and the potential to be one of the best in the series. If you liked Trails through Daybreak or are a Trails series veteran, you’ll most likely find something to enjoy in this game, and I do recommend it. If you’re a newcomer to the series, at least play Trails through Daybreak before jumping into this one.
Overall, Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos is a fun game. Each of the stages has unique features, the Dogoos provide a good variety of effects that make each run a bit different, and the game runs well on PlayStation 5. My biggest issue is you can complete the story in 2 hours and this is a $39.99 title. I get you can extend this by doing the extra challenges the game has to offer, but there should’ve been more unlockables or maybe a two-player split-screen mode to give this one a little more value. I can really only recommend this one to the hardcore Neptunia fans out there. This isn’t a bad game, but it doesn’t offer a lot of meat for non fans of the series, but on a good sale there is fun to be had here for them as well.
All and all, I had a pretty good time with Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero. The story and characters are great, and the music is very fitting for the game, overall. If you are a fan of other NIS strategy titles, picking this up is a no brainer at $59.99 price tag, you’re gonna find a lot to love here. This is a good entry point for newcomers as well since the story is self contained and you really need no knowledge of the previous game to have a good time here. Now if you will excuse me, I have some more random levels to attend to.
Overall, I had a great time with Dynasty Warriors: Origins. The new combat is great, the storytelling is much better than previous entries and the music is just a pure joy to listen to. I do miss the fact you cannot use just any character in combat and I hope they add a Free Mode where you can do this in the game at some point down the line. I feel bad for folks that bought these games to play multiplayer as well, since this one is single player only. That being said, I got about 30 hours out of one story path without doing the extra bits, so there is plenty to love here at the $69.99 price tag.
Overall, I think The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a pretty fun game. I don’t believe it’s the most memorable or outstanding entry in the series ever, nor do I think it has as much as replay value as some other titles. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it for what it was, and if you want some new gameplay outside the norm for Zelda, or you want to check out some brand new traditional Zelda dungeons, then I do highly recommend the game for fans of the franchise. I also think it’s a great game for anyone who likes adventure games which are relatively simple and easy to pick-up and play on a whim. I spent over 30 hours on this one and I’m glad I had a chance to play it.
Overall, I had a great time with Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution. The story was great, I love the new characters, and even if the combat hasn’t changed from the last game, it’s still a lot of fun. I spent about 30 hours with this one and completed the main story. You could invest a lot more time in this if you wanted to do both of the towers and all of the fights in the battle arena, so I feel like it is well worth the $49.99 price tag. I do think it’s a bummer the swimsuits are once again locked to the Special Edition release at $69.99, they should allow you to purchase these separately and I hope they do at some point. Still, Neptunia fans will find a lot to love here, and this is also a good jumping in point for new fans on the Xbox as well.
I truly went into this thinking it would be a fun farming game for fall. Even after I was disappointed and regretted asking for it in those first 20 minutes of gameplay, I still thought I could at least get through a full game year and then make my judgments after I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, the main two glitches in this game made it the most frustrating, impossible disaster I have ever reviewed. Now, I wanted to give the developers the benefit of the doubt, but then I went and looked up how long the game had been in Early Access on Steam. This game came out as an Early Access title in early 2017 and now over seven years later it’s finally received a full retail release, and they’re charging $29.99 for brand new console versions of the game. Sure, they may fix these issues later and it can become a game worth playing. Truthfully, I loved the atmosphere and I thought Orange Season was a very attractive game visually. I also had fun with the fishing gameplay. But the fact that after seven years of testing and polishing, this is the game they’re charging 30 bucks for, is utterly ridiculous. I refuse to waste anymore time giving this game and the developers the benefit of the doubt and I cannot recommend Orange Season whatsoever. I believe fans of cozy games or farming sims specifically are better off spending their money elsewhere.
Ys X: Nordics is a very fun action game with loveable characters and a soundtrack that’s sure to have one or two tracks that’ll stick in your mind. The Cross Action System allows for players to enact beautiful destruction and is sure to be a hit with action fans. It has a story that does enough to capture your attention and keep it through the duration of the game, and is a perfect starting point for those new to the Ys series. The naval gameplay does need some polish, but Falcom gave an excellent first attempt. While the game was hampered by some technical and visual issues, this should not deter you from playing this game. Longtime fans of the Ys series, as well as newcomers, will find a lot to enjoy in this game. I certainly had a lot of fun playing through it.
Overall I think Thunder Ray is a decent game for players who enjoy this genre of game. The difficulty here was a bit too much for me personally, but I know a lot of players really enjoy a challenge in a game like this. Still, I think the price tag is a bit much for what you get here, so I would wait for a sale before stepping in the ring.
When I went into this, upon looking up how long the game was – seeing as it’s already out in Japan – I was expecting it to be a bit longer than it actually is. But with so many different love interests and multiple endings for all of them, it still has quite a lot of content. I spent over 35 hours on this otome and completed six different routes, plus unlocked various alternate endings. I still have a couple more routes to go. In the end though, 9 R.I.P. was a fun time. It’s nowhere near the spiciest otome you can play, but the atmosphere and music is fantastic. If otome are your thing, you’ll enjoy yourself. I do believe it’s worth the price of admission. 9 R.I.P. releases on the Nintendo Switch Oct. 15, 2024.
Emio – The Smiling Man was a comfortable, familiar experience that both benefited from that familiarity and suffered from it. I loved revisiting this world and the characters, and the overall excellent writing was engaging and entertaining; however, retaining the same point-and-click nature of the previous games lead to some frustrating play sessions and unintuitive courses of action. The presentation was gorgeous, with beautiful background art, detailed and emotive sprites, excellent voice work and an amazing soundtrack. It took me roughly 20 hours to finish the game, and while the Fukuyama’s Report Card extra does give some minor incentive to replay for a higher grade, there isn’t much else, which makes it slightly more difficult to recommend at the $50 price tag, especially since you can get the twin pack of the first two games for only a few dollars more. To be clear, I really enjoyed my time with Emio, and if you liked the previous Famicom Detective games or really enjoy mystery visual novels, then this is a surefire title to grab. Due to its dated gameplay and shorter length, if you’re more of a casual enjoyer, I’d wait for it to go on sale. If you’re unsure where you stand, there’s a free demo available so you can test the waters yourself.
DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia is a truly head-scratching game. A game that looks and plays no different from its predecessors. All the while presenting fans with very underdeveloped and uninspired routes. While the Live2D models look great and the voice acting is phenomenal, it just can’t carry the weight that is everything else. Even the True Ending, which is some of the writing team’s best work, can’t save this. Ren deserves better. The reader deserves better. Especially when the company is asking for the same amount of money as the triple pack that came before it. If you do happen to own this title, please work your way to the true ending to get your money’s worth. The fact that only 9% of readers, at the time of writing, have seen it drives me insane. Otherwise consider waiting for a sale.
Ultimately, I truly enjoyed the time I spent on Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid. It was fitting to play this game slowly throughout the month of August and it was definitely the carefree summer adventure I was looking for. One last thing I’d like to mention, while on the normal time speed, the game days can seem to move a bit too fast to accomplish much. Despite that, I really do suggest enjoying the game at your own pace and playing it as carefree as possible. A new game plus mode is included, where you can transfer your sticker energy and quests you’ve already completed over to a new path. I wouldn’t worry about getting everything possible done in one playthrough. Also, the game has a $15 DLC expansion with more to do and some extra story revolving around a radio station. Unfortunately, I don’t yet have that DLC and can’t tell you whether or not it’s worth the cost. But, if a relaxing slice-of-life summer adventure in a Japanese town back in 1999 sounds like a fun time to you, then I do highly recommend this game. I should also mention that while I did spend 32 hours on the game, I spent most days on the relaxed time speed. So, your playtime with this one may vary and you’ll have to decide for yourself if you think it’s worth $40 for the base game.
Despite my few nitpicks I had a great time with Visions of Mana. The story is fantastic and watching these characters grow as the adventure went on was pure joy. The world felt full and there were lots of hidden things to find while exploring each map. The combat is fun and having all the different classes for each character gave it lots of variety. While it took me around 30 hours to complete the main quest I left a lot undone with this one. There were plenty of upgrades, monsters and even a post story that I still need to get to. I feel this one is well worth the $59.99 price tag to fans of the series and newcomers alike.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Tokyo Xanadu eX+. It played just as great as I remember and the new additions really helped me get into these great characters that much more. I love the new music tracks and voice acting is top notch as well. Players just picking up Tokyo Xanadu eX+ should snag this version up ASAP. If you own a previous release of this version, I don’t think the new localization is enough to justify a purchase on its own, but the game does come with all the previous DLC, making it somewhat of a good value at $49.99.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is an outstanding RPG and an exciting start to the Calvard arc. It has a mature story that’s accessible to newcomers, interesting characters, beautiful visuals, a stellar soundtrack, a unique hybrid combat system that caters to both action and turn-based fans, and an exceptional localization made with care and respect. Combine all these elements and you get an experience that is sure to grip you and not let go. It was so close to perfection, but the barebones Field Battle mode and lack of minigames held it back from that exclusive class. I highly recommend this game to long time Trails fans and even newcomers who love RPGs. This was an unforgettable experience and I’m definitely looking forward to the next game in Van’s story.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance took an excellent release and just made it better. The new areas are great, new demons spice up the already crazy roster you could obtain and the Vengeance story path really shows off the game’s characters in a new light. This game is well worth the $59.99 price tag for anyone who doesn’t own the initial release, and even if you do I still think there is enough new content here to warrant a purchase. Now if you will excuse me, I have some post-game demons to round up!