Siliconera
HomepageSiliconera's Reviews
Just as the “Yurukill” in the title Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a portmanteau of the Japanese “Yurusu” (to pardon or forgive) and the English “Kill,” the game itself is a combo of two seemingly incompatible genres. It is a puzzle-solving adventure and a flashy scrolling shooter. The result works far better than one might think at first.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a Musou game that asks a lot of “what ifs.” What if Byleth didn’t come to Garreg Mach as a teacher? What if someone else ended up aiding Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard when the three encountered bandits? What if, instead of a traditional tactical game like Three Houses, Three Hopes was a more active one? The answers to all of them, perhaps not shockingly, are rather fascinating.
Fishing Paradiso is the kind of game you get if you like fishing in Animal Crossing or Story of Seasons.
AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is another fascinating Kotaro Uchikoshi game that builds on the original's foundation.
There are certain otome games in which the romance is absolutely there, but might not always feel like the main focus. For example, Hakuoki is absolutely romantic, but it also a thriller offering an alternate, supernatural take on the Shinsengumi and Bakumatsu period. Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei feels similar, due to it being a Heian period piece offering its own alternate take on the events after the Heiji rebellion.
So it goes with Metal Max Xeno Reborn, where yesteryear’s vehicles of war and destruction are the future-present’s platforms of hope. One could also say the same for the game itself, salvaged over the course of years and redeveloped into something quite different — and much better – than before.
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge feels like a time capsule. You can tell going into it that the people at Tribute Games deeply respected the source material. They did their research, both in terms of watching the show and playing past titles.
Even if Tempest is one of those Switch otome games that dares to be different, in terms of its gameplay, story, and tone. I appreciate what it does, even if that does mean I needed to spend a lot of time with it to unlock routes and endings. It’s just a shame that I encountered so many crashes.
Increased enthusiasm for tactical role-playing games in recent years is leading to a wealth of fun indie experiences in the genre. Dancing Dragon Games, a small JRPG developer, partnered with Dark Deity publisher Freedom Games for its own entry, Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga. It isn’t just an homage, though, offering overlaid tactical systems that make it feel mechanically distinct. The scrappy release isn’t much of a looker (though there’s some nice sprite work!), but the gameplay is what matters, and there’s a lot of thought to it.
Card Shark is a game that made me feel daring, and I was glued to my Switch trying to outsmart my opponents. Yes, every once in a while I’d come across a con I didn’t enjoy as much as the others. But considering the assortment of tricks you learn and the way the challenge grows, it still can feel very satisfying.
Touken Ranbu Warriors is an odd sort of Musou game. It’s a completely single-player experience, for one. Its cast is small, which is surprising given there are over 200 characters in Touken Ranbu proper. While it focuses on historical battles, it chops things up to focus on parts of a whole. It’s a very niche entry in a series that itself is on the edge of the mainstream. Not to mention it is one that simplifies the situation. Perhaps even excessively!
While it might not be the perfect FMV game, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is pretty darn close. With the entwined stories, spectacular acting, and lengthy scenes, it truly is an interactive experience fans of the genre should not miss.
Have you ever looked at a crossword and thought, “This makes me think, but not as much as I’d like?” Perhaps you played a few KenKen puzzles and considered it not your thing due to the use of numbers? Maybe you started getting into puzzle games with Wordle and want to move on to something new like it. Knotwords combines elements from all three into something that feels distinctly refreshing.
However with Seven Pirates H, the latest adventure, it feels lacking compared to the other entries. There is the same level of fanservice people familiar with the series would expect. (I’d say in some ways, it feels pushes the envelope more than past games.) However, there doesn’t seem to be as much content and gameplay as other installments.
There are times when Kickstarter projects will involve “bonus games” as stretch goals. For example, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s crowdfunding campaign led to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is that for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. However, while the Inti Creates bonus game is a compelling and rich title in its own right, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is “just okay” and feels like a clunky collection of fetch quests.
Trek to Yomi, however, is one game very well captured by its trailers. They ask the prospective player, “Do you want to journey through a beautifully realized action-game homage to the chambara samurai films of the 1950s and 60s?” And if your answer to that question after viewing one of the many trailers out now is “Yes” …well, there you go.
Nintendo Switch Sports brings the classic motion sports from the Wii era to the company’s modern console.
Coromon is a game with a lot of promise that builds on the Pokemon formula. Is it perfect? Not quite yet.
Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness refines a gameplay system that was already great, and offers a ton of challenges to keep you busy! And hey, maybe this time, more players will be fortunate enough to discover it.
Despite quibbles, though, Relayer is a solid entry into the canon of mecha-based strategy titles. Kadokawa Games developed an original, endearing sci-fi RPG with a strong character focus. It may be held back by its rougher edges, but anyone with a love of sci-fi anime should give it a look.