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Attack on Titan 2 was already a pretty massive game and this Final Battle version only sweetens the pot with tons of new content. You could easily spend 50 or more hours unlocking and exploring everything this game has to offer. If you haven’t picked up the base game I feel this one is well worth the $59.99 price tag. You can upgrade the base version to the Final Battle version for $39.99. I think for the amount of new content here it would be well worth it. The Nintendo Switch version of the game does have some slowdown when lots of Titans and characters are on screen moving at the same time. I didn’t encounter this too often, but on a couple of missions it is very noticeable. I wish they had added a few new mission types to the game as well, just to add a bit of variety. Those are really the only two complaints I can find with this outstanding title. Fans of Attack on Titan, buy this game today. You’ll be very happy you snagged it up. If you aren’t a fan of the series or found the anime’s pacing too slow, you should pick this up as well. I was not a fan of this until I played the first game back in 2016 and I’m very glad I decided to give it a chance.
Rolling Gunner is a Japanese bullet hell shoot ’em up. The game may have limited staying power, as it only has six stages. The four difficulty levels and three ship variants can certainly keep you busy for a while. If you like going for high scores, it will probably keep you busy much longer. I’ve beaten the game on three of the four difficulty modes, and that took two to three hours of total gameplay. The game is available now on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $19.99. There is also a PC version, but it is only available through two Japanese distributors, which you can find out about on the official website. Can you survive the grueling onslaughts of bullets and stop the BAC computer?
Vambrace: Cold Soul is certainly a not an easy game, but I feel like you are rewarded with a pretty good story for putting in the work. Exploring the dungeons and managing very limited resources is both challenging and fun. The multiple endings do encourage you to play through the game more than once, at around 10 hours a run. this makes it well worth the $24.99 price point. If you’re up to the challenge there is a lot to love here, but if you’re a more causal RPG gamer, you may want to pass on this one.
All in all, I can safely say I’m a fan of Dicey Dungeons. I respected Terry Cavanagh after playing VVVVVV, but this adventure is no slouch either. For only $14.99, there’s a ton to experience in the game, and it’s beyond easy to get fully immersed in the art and tunes as hours slip past. My only minor complaint is that this game is not for everyone, and if you’re not patient and ready for the difficulty, Dicey Dungeons can be pretty daunting. But for fans of the rogue genre, this is a must own. Now if you’ll excuse me, I still have tons of challenges and Episodes to beat, as well as all those shiny Steam achievements to collect!
Steins;Gate Elite is for people who have either never experienced Steins;Gate before, people who have never read a Visual Novel, were turned off by their lack of animation or those who want to experience the story in a slightly different way. If you find the anime visuals to be too off-putting, then the original Visual Novel is available on PC, PS3 and the PlayStation Vita. Not only are those available both in physical and digital format, but they are also cheaper than this new $59.99 release. However if you have played the original and are curious about Linear Bounded Phenogram, then you should consider checking this release out as well. No matter which version of Steins;Gate you experience, you’re in for a hell of a ride that can last you a solid 30 hours or more if you try and get every single ending or route.
If you’re a fan of Kill la Kill, you’ll probably be able to get some enjoyment out of Kill la Kill – IF. Just how much enjoyment that may be depends on how much you like janky, fast-paced, and aggressive combat, without much tolerance for patient or defensive playstyles. The story isn’t much to write home about, and the single-player content in general is somewhat lacking, but if you’re willing to dive into online play or find people to play with locally you’ll likely either love the wildness of the fights or find them frustrating and hate them. I personally enjoyed it, and would look forward to potentially getting chances to get more into online play as well as playing offline. It’s poorly balanced and it seems like every character has some kind of ridiculous things they’re able to do, and it may not have any viability for major competition, but I think that’s fine in this case; Kill la Kill simply wouldn’t work as a more balanced, grounded, less crazy game. I totally understand how some would bounce off of it pretty quickly; if you’re interested, I’d recommend that you give the demo a try before dropping $60, and if you enjoy the gameplay, then go ahead and pick it up.
If you are waiting for any negatives, I simply don’t have any. It’s entirely possible that a game of this type will not be for you, and especially when it comes to a monthly subscription. But for those who are enthusiasts of the genre, that is no real barrier to entry. This was simply the perfect release for me, and is now my favorite MMORPG experience of all time. The one issue they might have going forward is how to continue at such a fantastic level. It is a really difficult balance to make a single player story feel so immediate and important in an MMORPG setting. And one casualty of that process is that I now love the First so much, that I don’t even want to go back to the Source. Of course, there are much worse problems to have in a game. And as the story of Shadowbringers continues, there will be more story hooks that will lead us back into the Source. This is a meaty RPG on its own, but the structure of Final Fantasy XIV expansions is always that you get about half of the story up front, and the other half will progress across the next two years leading into the next expansion. Even what is here more than justifies the $39.99 expansion price, but the continuing story also makes it satisfying to keep renewing that $10-$15 a month subscription fee. It’s much more than busy work, they truly care about this game and they always listen to their community. There is just nothing more you could ask for a MMORPG, and this is the new standard for which other developers are going to have to reach for in order to have any chance with us switching over to something new.
At first, I honestly thought Fire Emblem: Three Houses was going to get a perfect score. There’s a lot of great stuff here, both old and new. Unfortunately, a few minor issues coupled with an ultimately disappointing story kept it from those lofty heights. That said, I’m still very impressed with the game. I spent about 48 hours to beat my Blue Lions campaign, and you can multiply that by 3 to fully beat the game. Then there’s New Game+ which lets you get through the game faster and bring over hard to get items with you. If that wasn’t enough, there’s cool features such as finding spirits that provide weapons and extra experience when you play the game while connected to the internet. And that’s not even talking about the DLC and amiibo functionality. When you factor all those in, you get a lot of game for $59.99. I’m happy I was able to play this latest Fire Emblem, even if it stops short of being perfect. Even then, this easily might be the best Fire Emblem game in a decade. If you’re a returning fan or just like strategy RPGs, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Clocking in at just over 3 hours for a full playthrough (for this reviewer), Vectronom is certainly not a very long game. It is a very engrossing title though and I feel that given the hypnotic, relaxing nature of its levels, it has a relatively high replay value. You can also revisit levels that you were previously unable to obtain the highest scores in and replay them. This is the type of game that you put on when you have a great deal of outside stressors to worry about and just want something to get lost in. There’s no story, no characters, and no great prize at the end of your tale. There’s just you, your cube, and a bumpin’ EDM soundtrack to become entranced in. It may have been relatively short, but for the time that I spent with this one I couldn’t find any glaring flaws. Combined with a relatively low price point of $9.99 USD, I’d say this one’s worth your time if you’re looking for something to play around with in your down time.
In the end, It just didn’t feel like Area 35 tried anything that dramatic in this sequel, just more of the same with some minor upgrades, and taking ideas from games that did it better. TINY METAL was born in the shadow of Advance Wars, and sadly, Full Metal Rumble never steps out of that shadow. I know that sounds harsh, and much as it pains me to say, I don’t know how else the next game can improve without criticism. Because I honestly still like TINY METAL, I just expect much more from it. That said, for $14.99, you get a lot of game for your money. I spent almost 30 hours just on Story mode alone, and there’s a lot more to do, such as Skirmish, Multiplayer and many, many goodies you can unlock with in-game currency. There’s also labs you can find in Story mode to unlock optional side missions. And if you are a perfectionist, each mission has optional conditions you can achieve to get more points. If you’re a fan of strategy games, TINY METAL: Full Metal Rumble might still be worth a look. But if you’re a stickler and want a better adventure, there are far better options available right now.
Bubsy: Paws On Fire! is a simple, but fun game. If you’re a completionist, this one will probably keep you busy for quite some time. You can beat the game in under 10 hours, but it’ll take you much longer if you go for 100%. In most levels, getting the majority of collectibles is fairly easy, but getting them all can be pretty tricky in many cases. This is especially true since you have to get them all in a single run for it to count. Bubsy: Paws On Fire! is available on Steam for $24.99. It is also available on PlayStation 4, and will be launching on the Nintendo Switch on August 29th. Do you have the skills needed to stop Oinker P. Hamm and nab all the shiny collectibles?
After all that I don’t think there’s a whole lot more I can say. After the story is finished you can replay the levels with a higher difficulty. You collect keys and then get to the end, but I never found myself wanting to go back through it. The game works, it just isn’t all that fun. As far as music there really isn’t much to talk about. It’s very painfully okay ambiance. The only issue with it, besides it not feeling inspired, is that you can’t manually adjust the volume in the options menu. Just mute it or have it on full blast. It really feels like a mobile game that was ported to home consoles and the PC just for the sake of it. Even for $5.99 I can’t really recommend it, not for two hours of fairly okay puzzles. There’s just nothing to sink your teeth into.
Honestly for as dismayed as I was over Mighty No. 9, I am even more surprised at how good Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night turned out. It is a good reminder that no single person can make or break a video game. They are truly a team effort where the directorial vision is important, but cannot compare to the execution needed from a large number of individuals. While not a perfect game, this title easily stands up to its peers as the best offerings of the Metroidvania genre. If you are not into that genre, than this is distinctly not for you. I’ve seen several reviews and opinions from people who don’t like this game, but they also wouldn’t have liked any of the other games in the genre. So it is a niche, but it does that niche better than anything else in the last 10-20 years. My first time clearing the game took me about 25 hours, which is a bit long for the genre, but as I said the castle is particularly large and the alchemy is very deep. Subsequently I have also beaten it on Hard and Nightmare, so all together I’ve spent over 50 hours playing it. That is a whole lot of game for $39.99 asking price, and it was even less for me as a backer. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a great reminder that all is not lost in the realm of backer projects at Kickstarter. There are just some persistent issues that will need to be addressed going forward.
Overall, Ghost 1.0 is a remarkable Metroid-style game that drips with creativity. Strong plot, stronger narrative, a memorable cast, and extraordinary aesthetics allow Ghost 1.0 to stand up to the best the genre can offer. The few flaws in gameplay in regards to difficulty and mechanics do stand out because of how much they contrast with the rest of the game’s polish. The frustration in those moments is real and can’t be ignored. Having said that, Ghost 1.0 will please any fan of the Metroid and the Metroidvania genres, as well as most casual players looking for a solid game full of mystery and action.
I just have a hard time figuring out what the ambition or goal behind this game is. Who was this game for? I honestly don’t know of anyone that would find the writing style funny or would be willing to stick it out for the full length of the game. Personally, I think comedy is better when its balanced with drama. Having a focus on comedy doesn’t mean you have to constantly have an attempt at a joke in every single line of dialogue. It doesn’t help that none of the jokes landed for me. Maybe a small chuckle here and there, but more often than not, I found it annoying. I also don’t think it means you have to forego any sort of real character development. This feels like an episode of some bad “adult” cartoon sitcom but stretched to 30 hours. If you really like that sort of humor, I suppose I can recommend it. $15 is a pretty cheap price, so you might get your money’s worth. For everyone else though, I can’t recommend it.
I have to say, Atelier Lulua ~The Scion of Arland~ is one of the best games in the series. The characters are wonderful, the story while not unique is still very interesting and the combat is a pure joy. I played this one for around 45 hours and could’ve easily gotten more finishing up quests, doing post-game stuff or trying for one of the other endings. If you’re a fan of series, the game is well worth the $59.99 price tag. If you haven’t picked one of these games up in a while, now is the perfect time to jump back into this great franchise.
There’s clearly a lot to love with Nurse Love Syndrome, an all-ages title that conveys the most mature story I’ve read this year. For this review I spent 33 hours reading through all the good endings and knowing its price point sits at $40, I wholeheartedly recommend this title to not just fans of girls’ love but also fans of the medical field, great stories, and cliché romance.
Between the two story modes, hidden items and the bonus modes, Umihara Kawase Fresh! has a solid amount of replay value and if you really enjoyed playing the story mode, the game gives you a lot of reasons to come back to it. Long-time Umihara Kawase fans may find this one a bit weird and even alienating at first with all of the modifications to the gameplay and feel, but change isn’t always a bad thing and I think they did a solid job working with those changes. It’s still an Umihara Kawase title, which means it’s still an enjoyable time despite its flaws. If this is your first time jumping into Umihara Kawase and you find the fishing lure mechanics interesting, I highly recommend you check out some of the older games as well, especially Sayonara Umihara Kawase.
All in all, I exceptionally enjoyed Project Nimbus: Complete Edition. The game flow is perhaps the game’s greatest strength, as it was hard for me to be remotely bored while playing. Most issues are relatively minor and not game-breaking. Truth be told, if the game’s hit detection was a bit better along with better feedback, I would easily rate this four stars. If GameTomo and GameCrafterTeam were to work on any future projects, I would happily keep tabs on them. For $19.99 on PC and Switch, it is well worth the price.
Blazing Chrome is another success story from the folks at JoyMasher. It’s a ton of fun and has surprising longevity. Once you beat the game once, on any difficulty, you’ll unlock all the other goodies the game has to offer. These include new playable characters, a harder difficulty, mirror mode and even a boss rush. That last feature is one I’m shocked I’ve never had in a Contra game before, and it makes perfect sense to include here. While it’s true you can get through Blazing Chrome in a few short hours, it’s time well spent. This is one of the few games I have played more than once just cause I enjoyed it so much, despite no achievements for doing so. Oh and while I didn’t try it out, Blazing Chrome also has local co-op, for the truly faithful Contra experience. While this probably won’t make any fans out of those who hate the genre, it’s a wonderful present to old fans like myself. And for $16.99, it’s a very affordable adventure. I’m pleased by the latest from JoyMasher, and can’t wait to see the next modern retro classic they have up their sleeves!