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Ryza is back and, well, good news! If you liked her debut adventure, then you’re going to also love Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. It does a lot of what made the original game great. We have characters who are easy to love and face realistic problems. We have lots of materials to gather and things to make. There’s also more intrigue, since there are multiple ruins to explore. It’s also a lot more active than before though, with a new progression system for recipes, which might not be exactly what you’re looking for.
The world is vivid, and the density of details is on scale with the sort of thing you might find hidden in flavor text or within a franchise’s extended universe, rather than its core content. Despite this, it’s approachable, and the incentive to gather and implement information emphasizes the importance of details which can sometimes be considered tools rather than trivia.
If you missed the DLC in the original release, it’s a nice thing to check out on a return trip. Knives Chau and Wallace Wells both feel like they’re not for newbies, which makes sense. And hey, maybe a new platform will let you coax friends and family into playing your fun game with you?
I am seriously envious of my friends playing this game who aren’t having issues (mostly PC players), because I see glimpses of the greatness Cyberpunk 2077 has in store. Once CD Projekt Red works through these crashing and glitching issues, and maybe moves the console version of the game into at least a beta phase, it could be fantastic. I, for one, am looking forward to replaying the game with all new choices when Cyberpunk 2077 is fit for console launch.
Super Meat Boy Forever is miles apart from Super Meat Boy in terms of gameplay. That said, the charm that captivated gamers ten years ago is still present. It might even be more potent this time around.
From a preservation standpoint, Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend does everything people would need. You have all three games easily accessible in a single compilation. You can hop in without much effort, go through each one, and perhaps go through things a little more swiftly than you normally would.
Monster Sanctuary is a game that feels satisfying and rewarding. When you earn more skill points, get a new monster, or find a new Explore Ability, it opens up more of a sufficiently large world to explore.
Basically, with Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack, you are getting the game for its two RPGs. Rhythmic Adventure 1 is okay enough, I suppose. You can see it set a precedent and, insensitive depiction aside, has its moments. Rhythmic Adventure 2 is genuinely enjoyable, cool, and moves at a great pace.
Pretty Princess Party is one of those games where the target audience is definitely little ones, but it falls into a unique position where elements of it might appeal to other people too. Basically, it isn’t only about simplistic minigames and dressing up. It’s about building up your repertoire so you can customize a castle.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 had a leg up from the start of the project. It’s simple: Puyo Puyo Tetris was already very fun. What do you add? What do you change? There are things that can go wrong along the way, but ultimately there’s still Puyo Puyo Tetris in there.
Ubisoft Quebec has created an incredibly fun (and funny) open world experience for the realm of the Grecian gods. It has its own combat style, narrative style, dungeon-crawling style, and, yes, art style. And it’s delightful.
I have a suspicion that it isn’t a game that will click with everybody. This includes people who would love it but might be turned away by the first few punishing hours. For that reason, it could be an easy game to miss. The franchise also struggles for visibility in the West, which doesn’t help matters at all. If you’ve enjoyed Mystery Dungeon games before, this is a game worth looking into.
Unreal Life is a special sort of adventure game. It’s hauntingly beautiful, with a story that is more touching than you might expect. Especially when some of its primary cast members are an amnesiac young woman, an AI traffic light, and a anthropomorphic penguin.
I suppose it sort of feels like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a dream game. It’s the ideal of what people might want to happen in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s world. You’re given free rein over multiple characters from this installment, each with their own sort of playstyle and capabilities.
Robotics;Notes Elite is an immersive visual novel that does its best to bring you into a world where it really feels like a group of teenagers can not only build an impressive mech, but make a difference in the world.
Touhou Spell Bubble is something special. I’d call it the best Touhou Project spin-off to be localized and one of the best Puzzle Bubble games in years. I do wish it included some Side Stories at the outset and some elements are intimidating. However, it’s so unusual and unique. I can’t say I’ve played any puzzle game like it.
There’s a sense that Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a game that wants to repay longtime fans for their commitment. The music and cutscenes draw from a deep well of nostalgia without relying on it. That said, fans looking for a game that advances the story might be disappointed.
Overall, Ubisoft has created a very entertaining Vikings game, one that will only get better with patches for the visual weirdness. As long as you don’t expect Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to be like past AC games where the Order is tantamount to everything the main character does, AC fans will find plenty to enjoy.
I think the best way I can describe Bugsnax is that it has strong launch day energy. This is absolutely the game people grab as a fun, quick palette cleanser as they move from, say, a Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales to a Demon’s Souls.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a game that grows on you. People accustomed to farming simulations like Story of Seasons or even Rune Factory will find themselves forced to suddenly pay way more attention to the process of growing crops than before, then be patient since it will be in-game years before you “get good” at growing crops. Folks coming in because the combat seems satisfying will have to understand this is a game where constantly revisiting areas and keeping up with farming will be necessary to make any sort of significant progress. And everyone will have to deal with the fact that the lighting system and fonts will sometimes make you strain your eyes as you try to get things done.