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Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is a great way to revisit a visual novel that made quite a splash. For newcomers, it’s easy to hop into and enjoy, even offering the PC “workarounds.” For people who’ve joined the club before, the extra stories and media are enjoyable. The sole downside is that, with all its accessibility, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is difficult to read on the Switch and has an unfriendly UI.
Even though some of its tasks get repetitive, I can’t get over the joy that playing Everyday Today’s Menu for Emiya Family brings me. In a time when “wholesome” is thrown a lot to describe things, it… is genuinely that.
And as the franchise has continued to endure the test of time, each game builds upon the foundation of the first game in many ways. Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny attempts to bring something new to the formula to reinvigorate the series. While there are more than enough quality of life improvements to make this entry arguably the most accessible entry, it greatly suffers in other areas.
Scarlet Nexus is the sort of game where not only will its combat sell it, but the story and spoilers packed into it will too. It is a title where I was constantly thrown by elements. Sometimes it was an exceptionally clever application of a power. It could be a great enemy design. Or maybe a twist would get me. Even when I wasn’t exactly thrilled with how something might work, I found myself wanting to talk about it.
Square Enix’s Mana series, like the SaGa series, is finding new life and respect in recent years, what with the Secret of Mana remake, Collection of Mana localization, and Trials of Mana remake. It’s an opportunity for new appreciation. Fortunately, that means Legend of Mana is getting its own moment on the Switch, PS4, and PC with a remaster. While it doesn’t exactly address every issue present in the original game, it looks amazing and includes some features that might ease frustrations.
FFVII Remake Intergrade is a game full of moments both expected and unexpected. It is packed with people you recognize and, unless you went all in on Compilation of FFVII, don’t. Its fundamental gameplay is tight and does enough that it engages you with what-ifs. What could happen this time and how will things change since Square Enix is able to things out more? And with FF7R INTERmission especially, we’re getting hints of how additional stories could go.
I don’t regret the time I put into this game. A lot of it was predictable but entertaining nonetheless. If the puzzle levels were just a little more balanced. Perhaps a tad shorter and with better riddles to solve, maybe tightened up those issues I mentioned, I’d feel more comfortable recommending this.
Dark Deity is a small game that understands its limitations. It delivers thought-provoking battles, if not necessarily the most balanced ones. It gives players a lot of tactical choice, if not in the most informed way.
And, while it isn’t perfect, DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power on the Switch and its attempt to try and include elements from games from older audience shows an admirable amount of ambition.
Indie games generally hang their hats on one great idea. Is it a compelling, original narrative? Or an aesthetic that you haven’t seen anywhere else? How about a unique game mechanic around which the rest of the game builds? Any of these can work. Just one of these can lift a small-team title above the indie pack. Chicory: A Colorful Tale has all three.
Not every game needs to be remade. That’s fine! Some games are fine as-is. Especially if the ensuing revisitation doesn’t do all that much new. Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World feels like a project that happened because Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap inspired not one, but two good games in the 2010s. So now Asha is back and, while the game is fine, it doesn’t have the same level of improvements and investment.
You can tell when some forms of media are going to hit you hard. The moment I began playing Sumire on the Switch, I suspected it would have the potential to devastate me. And I mean, I was partially right. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt, and haunting game, one where every moment can count, and it can leave you feeling about how much people’s actions can matter.
While I loved every second of replaying Mass Effect for the fourth and definitely not final time, I have that history and nostalgia keeping me through the outdated gameplay. I would recommend anyone jump into this series if they love BioWare RPGs, but I’d have a string of caveats. A lot has not aged well, especially from the first game, even though the first game arguably has the best story of all three. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is an absolutely incredible walk down memory lane, but that’s really all it is.
Makee definitely knew what it wanted Rise Eterna to be. I applaud some of its ideas, like how the developer tried to implement a crafting system and skill tree. But on the whole, it doesn’t offer the same balanced challenges as its contemporaries.
When one of the original selling points of a game was “featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” back in the day, being capable and readily available might be enough. After all, it is still telling a haunting story, making you think both in and out of battle. SMT III Nocturne HD Remaster does what Atlus JRPGs do best, and that’s captivate an audience.
R-Type Final 2 is a satisfying shmup with many challenging, carefully crafted stages. Having so many different ships gives it a ton of replay value, and also gives you many strategic options for how you tackle a given area. I wish it had a more striking, clear visual style so I could appreciate the designs and stages more (and die less to dopey things).
With how long we all waited, a new Pokemon Snap game long felt like a long-shot. But even more unlikely? Living up to what we wanted the game to be. New Pokemon Snap isn’t perfect, but it’s smartly-built and worth the time it asks of you.
Walking away from Resident Evil Village leaves me with mixed feelings. It wasn’t a game that I immediately disliked, and I can’t say that I didn’t have a lot of fun playing it. But a second playthrough made me more aware of pacing issues, and on harder difficulties the general spike that otherwise feels somewhat artificial.
Even with these problems, I had an absolute blast in Enoch, and I still am. The game doesn’t end when the credits roll, and there’s still so much left I can do. Not to mention, I could always re-roll another class.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is a more approachable version of an emotional and thought-provoking RPG. This is a game people might not have known what to do with years ago. Now, following the success of NieR: Automata, it’s presented with additional accessibility options, better looking and smoother gameplay, and additional content that gently builds on what was already there.