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Despite my issues with the game, I mostly enjoyed Velocity 2X. I can respect FuturLab for taking a chance with a complex control scheme, even if it didn’t entirely work. Coupled with a interesting plot and captivating characters, I’d still recommend this for fans of both genres. For $19.99, you get at least 10 hours of gameplay, and tons of extra stuff you can unlock. Just don’t go into it expecting a standard SHMUP or platformer, cause in many ways this feels more like a puzzle game. That said, I am glad this indie finally made the Switch, and I’m eager to see what else Curve Digital and the team have up their sleeves next time.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a pure joy on every level. This game excels in every area that I feel like Western gaming completely fails. It balances amazing gameplay and storytelling seamlessly. This is why it’s so damn good. If you’ve never played a Yakuza game before, you can jump right in at this one with no problem. There is a huge optional story recap at the front of the game that will catch you up to speed. I spent about 30 hours with this one and there is still a ton of stuff to see and do. The bonus content here is crazy, from the Majima side story to the ability to play the 2-player arcade games straight from the main menus. That’s right folks, you and a friend can play Virtual On or Virtua Fighter 2 right from the main menu. This game is worth every penny of the $49.99 price tag and I would recommend this to anyone that loves a good story or open world games. If I could give this bad boy 6 out of 5 stars, I would!
Overall, it’s not like the game has any huge, glaring issues. At the same time, I don’t think this has much to offer people, especially if they really like card games. People that like card games tend to like things like building their own decks and thinking of different strategies, but there’s nothing like that here. It took me about 15 hours to beat, and costs $20. It’s not a bad game, it’s not a great game, it’s just mediocre. I could see this being appealing as a beginner’s card game for kids, or those that feel a bit intimidated by more complex card games at least.
The environments and especially their backgrounds are very nice to look at, and the story plus lots of lore and vague hints add tons of depth. However, it also creates an information overload problem for players. The first game had this issue too but not as much. I spent about 50 hours in the Eg-Lana ruins on this Indiana Jones-style adventure. La-Mulana 2 is available on Steam for $24.99. The game will also be coming to consoles, with physical editions in the plans, too. Can you survive the very deadly Eg-Lana ruins, or will they be your grave?
Trying to sum up everything about Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a tumultuous ordeal. Just know it’s an excellent strategy-RPG that is consistently engaging, challenging, and full of depth, vital for the game’s 30+ hour campaign and full $60 price point. Its full of genre-blending combat, likable characters, and potent storytelling that click well together. You don’t need any prior familiarity with the series to enjoy what’s going on. Despite a large learning curve, if you’re a strategy game greenhorn or no, Valkyria Chronicles 4 might just win the battle for your heart.
All in all Unavowed was a really fun experience that I’m planning on going through multiple times just to see how things play out. I’m currently on my second playthough and have a total of 9 hours in the game, which is really good for the $14.99 price tag. I would definitely recommend that anyone and everyone picks this game up. I had a blast and the story/character interactions genuinely brought tears to my eyes on a number of occasions, and made me laugh even more. It’s definitely a must play!
I end with mixed feelings for 2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL. On the one hand, I love the visual design for the game, and really grew to appreciate the character of Turing. That said, I feel all the other characters were hasty sketches instead of fully fleshed out characters. Combined with a gender discussion that usually feels like it’s condescending or attacking heterosexual characters, it’s hard to be fully enthused by things. I realize my opinion is only one side of the coin, and I know there are legitimate complaints by the LGBTQ community. Life can be difficult for everyone, especially a community that is often cruelly marginalized. That said, I feel there are much better ways to make your plight heard besides yelling at other people. For $20.64, you’ll get at least 10 hours of content and a compelling story, but it’s bogged down by some questionable decisions by the developers. I wish I could wholeheartedly recommend this for what it does well, but as it is, I feel it’s only targeting a very niche community of gamers. Here’s hoping future projects by MidBoss use more honey and less vinegar.
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy does exactly what it sets out to do. It provides a fan service filled, over the top fighter anyone can pick up and play. This is pretty much what I expected this title to be from the day that they announced it. I thought the girls’ outfits were all outstanding and I really had a good time playing through the crazy story with each set of girls. I do think this one is a little light on content. A few more gameplay modes or some other extras wouldn’t have hurt this one a bit. If you are an SNK fan and you want to see some of the leading ladies in a very unusual environment, then this one is well worth the $49.99 price tag. I think casual fighting fans would have a great time with this one as well, since it is really easy just to pick up and play. In the end this may be for the casual fighting fan, but I still feel that it’s better than your average anime fighter!
I just have a really hard time recommending this. Even if you really like sim games like this, there’s so much better options out there. Even for a child, a lot of the game is so repetitive, and the game is so long that I don’t think it would hold their attention. For older folks looking for perhaps more robust games out there, I’d give this a hard pass. That’s especially considering the game is $60, which is far too much for a game this lacking. The game is pretty long too, probably about 30-40 hours, but it has such a paltry amount of content. There’s far better out there for far less money.
2018 has been a great year for retro-style exploratory platformers, as seen with Celeste and Dead Cells. The Messenger continues that trend with aplomb with smooth controls, great presentation, and plenty of challenging and exciting levels to explore. It’s much more fair than its inspirations, but you will still die a lot (my final count clocked in at well over 300 and I payed over 1000 gems). If you love classic gaming with new twists, be sure to spread the message that The Messenger is another indie keeper.
The game world doesn’t really come alive as much as it could. Side missions in particular start to become a matter of rinse and repeat, with some bizarrely sending you back to fight at a location that you just recently cleared out in a previous mission or side mission. There are enough places in the world that this shouldn’t be necessary. Defiance 2050 is essentially a remake of the original Defiance on a new engine, including the missions that were themed around the TV series that aired on the Syfy channel before it got cancelled. Defiance 2050 is available as a free-to-play game on Steam, and via Trion Worlds’ own launcher, called Glyph. There are of course in-app purchases as well. Do you have enough bravado to take on hellbugs, raiders, or even both at the same time to save the world?
In closing, I had a fantastic time with Old School Musical. It’s quirky, different, full of humor and charm. For $12.99 you’re getting a hell of a bargain, providing at least 10 hours of gameplay, and that’s without trying to get high scores on all the songs in Arcade mode. La Moutarde wasn’t on my radar before, but they certainly are now. If you own a Switch or game on Steam, Old School Musical is rhythm game you should not miss. Go help Tib and Rob save the day; you won’t regret it.
Since I am a big fan of the franchise, I had a ton of fun with Senran Kagura: Reflexions and I honestly cannot wait until they add the other girls. These include Yomi, Yumi, Murasaki and Ryona, and I will certainly need to spend quality time with my beansprout for sure! Anyways, I think your enjoyment of this title will depend on if you are a fan or not. If you are a fan, then you will definitely want to check this one out ,and if Asuka is your favorite gal, then it goes without saying you should own this. The game is really short, you can beat it in about 3 or 4 hours. You will get some extra mileage out of it by seeing all of Asuka’s different reactions and unlocking all the different accessories and such. I still feel it is well worth the $9.99 price point and if the upcoming gals are your cup of tea, you will certainly want to add those as well. While this one may not be for series newcomers, fans will find a lot here to love, Asuka included!
When A Magical High School Girl is fair, it’s fun. It’s a solid game for the price of $14.99 with some caveats that I mentioned above. It’s a good doujin rogue-like RPG and I did enjoy my 25 hours with the title. Hopefully we will see more games from illuCollab and Sekai Games in the future.
For $39.99 Blade Strangers is the kind of game where you will know right away whether or not it is for you. It’s not a hardcore fighting game which is fine since it’s really not trying to be one. This is just a fun little game to appreciate some of the lesser known characters in gaming and give them some spotlight. For that, Blade Strangers is a lot of fun, however that does mean its audience will likely end up being very limited. While it can provide a few solid hours of fun, its lasting value will depend on how much you enjoy the characters featured here. If you are someone who really enjoys Code of Princess or Umihara Kawase, you should check this one out and can probably add half a star to the review score.
There are so many more wonderful things I would love to talk about in Newton and the Apple Tree, but without getting into spoiler territory I really can’t. This is one of the best visual novels I’ve read in a long time. Its fantastic story is both humorous and emotional, and will have you questioning what you would’ve done in Syuji’s shoes well after you finish it. I mean how much would you give up for the one you love? Other than the need for more musical numbers my only other minor complaint is I wish the font size was a bit bigger. I think the team is working on a fix for this but it’s not out at the time of this review. The game will set you back $39.99 and is worth every penny of it. The game is heavily edited on Steam, but you can go to PantyPress.com and download a free patch to uncensor the game. There is of course the 18+ patch which restores all of the cut content or you can go for the 17+ patch which leaves out the CG for the H scenes but restores all the dialogue. I would recommend this game for all fans of visual novels or eroge. It’s truly one of the best to come along in a long time. If you’ve never played a game like this, now is the perfect time to start. Playing this will start you off on the right foot in the genre.
To say that Freedom Planet was worth the wait would be a massive understatement. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to get into this wonderful game on my Nintendo Switch. Not only does it play well, it is full of colorful SNES inspired visuals and has a pumping soundtrack that makes every stage fresh. It’s fun to play on the go or at home, and in many ways I feel it’s better than some of the games which inspired it. While it does get a bit difficult at times, it’s nothing most gamers can’t push through with a little patience. GalaxyTrail has done a fantastic job, and I can’t wait for the sequel. If you enjoy classic platformers with tons of style and substance, look no further than Freedom Planet.
All in all, I felt Code of Princess EX was a big improvement over the 3DS game of years ago. The improved graphics and framerate really make this feel like a different game and there is plenty of content there to keep you bashing enemies for hours. I think my biggest problem with this title is still the same though. The combat just feels really stiff at times and the CPU controlled opponents always seem to have an edge in hitting you before you can strike them. Some may think this one is a bit overpriced at the $49.99 for the physical edition, but I have to tell you, Nicalis put a lot of love into it. It comes with reversible cover art, full color manual and a mini OST, so I feel like it is well worth the price. This game is by no means a bad game, but I still feel like it could use more polish. I really hope Nicalis decides to make a full on sequel to this. Based on how much better this is than the original, that would be something to behold. It took about 6 hours to complete the main quest and I spent a ton of time messing around with the characters I unlocked in the other modes. If you didn’t like the original release, there is nothing here that will change your mind. However, If you loved this on the 3DS or are a hard core fan of beat-em-ups, then it would be well worth picking up.
In the end, I don’t know if the bomb or chicken came first, and I don’t care. They are delightful when mixed together, and Bomb Chicken is a true gem. It’s a colorful and challenging game that is full of personality, and it’s truly a one of a kind. It plays marvelously on the Nintendo Switch, and is a good contender for one of the best indies I’ve played in 2018. Nitrome have done great work with this one, and I find myself eagerly anticipating whatever they hatch next.
So, I ended up really glad that I took the time to go through this game, and a lot of time it was. By the time I finished the True Ending I was just shy of 110 hours of gameplay. That is before I’ve even gone back and done entirely optional things like finishing all the Side Quests and getting H’aanit a full compliment of super rare boss summons. Is it worth the full price of a new game, $59.99? Even with the retro style graphics, that is without a question the case. Not only is there many hours of great gameplay, but there is actually quite a bit of innovation in combat that makes this not just an exercise in nostalgia. Not only does this game restore some of the faith I had in the developer/publisher, but it also makes me care a little less that Kingdom Hearts is not really for me and perhaps Final Fantasy XVI won’t be either. I now have Octopath Traveler and Dragon Quest as my staple franchises from this company, and that is enough to keep me happy. Bring on a sequel, now it will be a game that I pre-order the moment it’s announced.