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Overall, Super Cane Magic ZERO feels like a good game that could have been great. I still enjoyed my time with it, but I feel like if the gameplay was just smoothed out a little more then it would be in my top games list. As it is right now, I still recommend the game for its $19.99 price point. Especially if you have 4 friends for the couch co-op. Me and my friends had an absolute blast. I got about 9 hours of enjoyment out of it, and I’m sure you can get more by going back and finding secrets, as well as playing the minigames with a few friends.
However, thanks to the game’s structure, it will be difficult for newcomers or players from outside of the genre to truly get into it, particularly those who would rather do longer game sessions or enjoy more varied play. The price tag of $59.99 further compounds the issue, being yet another barrier of entry. In the end, I enjoyed DAEMON X MACHINA, but this comes from the perspective of someone who always was interested in the genre. Depending on if you are a fan or not, I recommend waiting on a price drop. For me personally, I hope the release revitalizes the genre so we can see even more Mecha games.
Overall, I still rather enjoyed Exception, despite its missteps. It’s not perfect, but then again, it’s also a really impressive effort for a first time developer. Traxmaster Software has put a ton of ambition and style into the game, and none of that goes away just because of the problems I recounted. For $14.99, I got roughly five to six hours out of the game, and that’s also pretty good for a platformer. Best of all, there’s a tremendous twist in the game, and that helped make this a truly memorable adventure. Sure, Exception isn’t perfect, but it’s also a game I recommend platformer fans check out. Here’s hoping the next one by Traxmaster Software learns from this title, and makes an even more stellar next game.
While I do feel the gameplay in Crystar is simple, the story and aesthetics truly make this a one-of-a-kind title. I really want to gush about all the great twists and turns in the story and about how these characters grow as the game progresses, but that’s all spoilers and I think everyone should play this one for themselves. I played around 30 hours and completed all of the main story. I did feel that making you run some of the latter stages three times with just a few story changes was a bit much, but there was a good payout on in the end so I can let that slide a bit. I feel like this game is well worth the $59 price tag if you’re into games with a deep and meaningful story. I feel like this one might get buried by bigger releases this generation, but I hope people don’t overlook it. Crystar is a very special title that I feel everyone should give a shot.
I did truly enjoy Luminous Avenger iX, but I can’t help but feel it wasn’t consistently awesome in every regard. The plot left more questions than it answered, and while the combat was definitely a lot of fun, I wanted more of it. Perhaps that’s because the last game had two protagonists instead of just one, but regardless there should have been something more to keep me playing. I managed to beat the entire game in a little over 3 hours, though I spent another 2 and change to try and find a secret ending. While I didn’t succeed in unlocking any new endings, there is still a bit of replay value. Those who like to tinker can unlock a lot of customization options, and truly hardcore fans can try and get an S+ for each stage. There’s also the aforementioned Special Missions, which are basically remixed forms of stages with harder boss fights. For $14.99, you still get an amazing game with Luminous Avenger iX. I just hope that the next adventure does more to explain the setting of this title, as well as to expand on the areas the series already excels.
Astral Chain is one of my favourite games that I’ve played recently, largely because of its combat system. It’s incredibly fast-paced, satisfying, and deep, especially when you get comfortable enough with the system to start going out of your way to explore it. There are so many options at your disposal, and none of them feel bad to use or extraneous, even if certain things feel a bit cumbersome at first. That isn’t to say that the game is perfect, considering the somewhat ill-advised stealth segments, unreliable Chain Jump, and woefully underutilized motorcycle, but I think the stellar combat makes up for those shortcomings. If you enjoyed the gameplay in the other work of Hideki Kamiya – such as Bayonetta and Devil May Cry – or Taura’s previous work Nier: Automata, Astral Chain will likely be right up your alley. It’s well worth the $59.99 USD for the over 30 hours and counting it’s offered me so far, and it’ll be much more before I find everything hidden in the various stages. Even if some of the more auxiliary mechanics may fall short, Astral Chain is still one of the best action games I’ve played in quite some time.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to completely beat Creature in the Well. I gave it an old college try, clocking in 5+ hours, but when I got stuck in two separate dungeons due to incredibly difficult Creature fights, I eventually gave up. Which is unfortunate, because there’s a lot of things I really admire about Creature in the Well, especially considering it only costs $14.99. I’d say as a first effort from Flight School, this is a great success. If they can just improve on the flow of their next game while tweaking the difficulty to better accommodate players, then I’ll be very happy. As it is, I hope I can eventually beat the Creature and discover the secrets of this fascinating world.
I spent over 40 hours with Omega Labyrinth Life and had a blast. While the game isn’t perfect, the dungeon crawling is fun and the over the top aesthetics really make this stand out. I completed the main story during my playthrough, but there were two 100 level dungeons I have yet to explore. If you love Rogue-Like Dungeon Crawlers that have tons of Ecchi, you should pick up the game today at the $59.99 price tag. I know that sounds pretty steep, but there is a lot of content here. If you’re a casual fan of this genre this is a good title to get your toes wet with, since I didn’t think the difficultly was too steep for anyone to enjoy. I hope D3 Publisher figures out a way to bring us the sequel. If it’s as good as this one, we’re missing out on something great.
There are minor tweaks to the graphics, but you can still tell that this was a previous-generation game. But, it still looks great enough to not be a nuisance. All the old voice acting is still great and the new scenes are even better; Rin is definitely the highlight. So, Full Body is definitely the definitive edition of Catherine. Even if all the changes weren’t entirely additive, it would have been a shame if the original game was stuck on the previous generation. It was a really good game that got even better with the new edition, so I can’t recommend it enough. If you are at all interested, it is well worth the $60 asking price. It is true that a single playthrough of the story is only around 10 hours. But Catherine: Full Body is a game that is built with the express intent of playing it multiple times for the different story sequences, and also for endless replayability if you love the puzzles. It’s also a good reminder that some very interesting and daring games are hiding there, just outside of the limelight of the mainstream. It’s worth giving them a shot, not only to get a fresh experience, but also to support developers who take risks.
While not entirely disappointing for the $60, there’s simply too many problems here and there that I can give this game more than an “okay”, and a “maybe” if you’re a fan of the characters in the game. They have a lot of characters coming as DLC and that means a lot of opportunities to push even more patches out, so hopefully, one day we’ll get a game I could say is “fantastic”. I felt no desire to jump nor use force while playing.
Oninaki could have been extraordinary. Artistic beauty, ingenious ideas, solid voice acting, and a story foundation open to endless potential, is utterly diminished by flat storytelling, zero character development, overall lack of narrative depth, gameplay design missteps, and lazy 3-D aesthetics. Perhaps a more generous reviewer would have scored Oninaki higher, but I cannot simply overlook the game’s compounding faults. It’s truly unfortunate, as there are glimmers of pure magic within and a little more would have made a remarkable impact. To experience all Oninaki has to offer and to find all of those moments of brilliance, be prepared to spend 30 hours or more to do so. It will take patience, as grind and fatigue will undoubtedly appear. Nonetheless, I personally found the experience worthwhile. Yet, if a more robust effort were made, Oninaki could have been a masterpiece; refined gameplay that matches its creativeness and a story that should have conveyed perceptions, ideas, and questions that challenge how one perceives life itself. So much potential untapped, I wanted to love this game so much more.
In the end, the developers have made a decent game. It is by far not the best but certainly not the worst. With over 20 hours of main content to go through, with even more side content to pull through, the $59.99 price tag is dependent on how you value your purchase. In terms of raw content, it is definitely worth it. As far as quality content goes, however, I recommend waiting for a small drop before purchasing. For fans of the developer, it will most likely be satisfactory. Yet, for those unfamiliar with their style, it might be a more difficult bar to pass.
All in all, I really enjoyed Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution. Even with its flaws, it’s easily the best video game in the series to date. There’s a ton to keep you busy, and I’ve easily spent 30-40 hours already just for the sake of this review. The biggest issue I have with it is that it doesn’t do enough to court players unfamiliar with the nuance and newfound complexity of the game. Things like the Forbidden and Limited List are also confusing, in that they aren’t the most recent version, but instead seem a mishmash of previous lists. But if you can look past that sort of thing, you get a lot of bang for your buck for only $39.99. If you’re a fan of the series and are eager for an excuse to dive in and test out new deck ideas, then you’ll enjoy the game. Just be ready to spend a long time grinding for the cards you need.
Horgihugh accomplishes what it sets out it do, in that it provides its players with a no-nonsense, action-packed experience. The 16-bit stylizing and the cutesy anthropomorphic aesthetic add plenty of charm, furthering its appeal to a wider audience. Yet, with a forgettable story, missteps in its gameplay; controls, lack of innovation, and limited number of levels; and with achieving high-scores or going for perfect playthroughs as the only reasons for replay, the overall experience lacks enough punch to take it beyond average territory. The price tag of about $12 (original price) is steep for what the game provides and unless you’re an avid fan of SHMUPs, charming aesthetics, or you’re looking for a solid entry point into the genre, you may want to give this a pass. If that price were to ever drop by half or more, then I would whole-heartedly recommend the purchase to anyone interested. PiXEL has provided an acceptable first release, as Horgihugh is, overall, a fun experience throughout. They’ve impressed me enough that I’ll be keeping an eye on PiXEL in the future.
Buying these games individually might’ve been a hard sell for some due to the almost non-existent story and generally very low run-time. The whole collection is a great value, though. For $20, you get three amazing platformers, and 20 hours worth of playtime, minimum.
While World End Syndrome may have some strange and unnecessary elements and somewhat lackluster romance arcs, the mystery and presentation are both excellent. There are also some cute references to other Arc System Works properties sprinkled throughout, but for the most part not overused. The amount of inconsequential events as you explore the town are nice for seeing character interactions, but I found there were too many of them, and I would’ve preferred to see a greater number of more substantial events for your chosen route, which goes back to the problem of not enough time being given for the romance to develop. That being said, it’s a good mystery story with some supernatural elements and romance, and if that sounds like something you’d be interested in, I’d recommend it, especially if you enjoy the demo. It’s not particularly long, listed on VNDB in the “medium” 10-30 hour category, and I believe my playthrough came out to around 20-25 hours, not bad for $39.99 USD. Even if the romance isn’t fantastic and it seems like there’s a lot of wasted time, it’s an engaging mystery story with beautiful visuals.
Pawarumi has an interesting combat system that takes a little getting used to, but it’s fun once you do. Having to always restart from the beginning of the game upon death makes it certainly more repetitive, though. However, its greatest flaw may be that it handles difficulty in a much more punishing way than Rolling Gunner does. That game is a bullet hell, and yet much less grueling than Pawarumi. If you don’t like punishing difficulty, then you will likely want to pass on this game. If you’re a fan of the genre and harder games in general, then it may be a good fit for you. I’ve spent about 4-5 hours blasting through foes so far across two difficulty levels. The game is available on the Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Xbox One for $14.99. Do you have what it takes to get all three story endings, and uncover a dark secret?
If this were just a review of the first ninety percent of Unruly Heroes I’d give it a higher score. It’s enjoyable and challenging enough to keep wanting to see what’s next. However, the perfect storm of problems near the end left a bad taste in my mouth. It’s still a fun experience, one that lasted almost seven hours for me, though one that comes with a big asterisk. If having friends along for the ride helps, there is local and online co-op, inexplicably called “Player Vs Player” in-game, for up to four people (though I couldn’t find anyone to try it with). At $20 across all storefronts, I’d recommend it as long as you’re patient enough to make it through the endgame.
I had put off reading The Song of Saya for years and I can safely say I was missing out one the most thought-provoking and well-written visual novels of all time. This is one of the most gory and violent games out there, but none of this is done for shock value, it all has a point. I know some of the more extreme elements here such as cannibalism and rape will turn off many readers, but for those willing to take the plunge you will find something much deeper here. This is a very short visual novel clocking in at around 6 hours, but it is worth every penny of the $19.99 asking price. In fact I am very tempted to order the Limited Physical Edition over on JList for $24.99 + shipping just have to a physical copy and the amazing soundtrack. If you’ve not read this one and can get past its very disturbing aspects, you find a one of kind experience that will leave you with the question – how far would you go for love?
Control is a game with an enjoyable variant of standard third-person shooter gameplay, an excellently unsettling atmosphere and setting, a big but not overwhelming world to explore, and surprisingly fun and charming collectibles to find. However, it’s held back by an underwhelming crafting system, some particularly frustrating boss fights, and sometimes-severe performance issues, at least on an original PS4. The length and amount of content is respectable for $60 USD – I’d estimate my playthrough took 20-25 hours for the main story – and there’s still things to do once you finish the story missions, mainly cleaning up any side missions you have left and the few postgame missions, or just exploring more of the Oldest House and finding more collectibles. If you like Metroidvanias and you want one with its own special brand of weirdness, I’d definitely recommend Control.