If you're being charitable, of course, you may say that this is simply an example of Uncanny Valley moving at its own pace, or that horror works best when it draws things out and builds up the tension. However true that may be, if you're not feeling charitable — perhaps because you're bored out of your mind and tired of exploring the facility and hotel in which the game takes place at a glacial pace — then it'd be very, very easy to throw your hands up in frustration and move on to something that moves a little faster.

Given how complex a lot of modern RPGs can be, there's something refreshing about how straightforward everything is here. Asdivine Hearts won't turn any heads for innovation, but if it's just an old-fashioned RPG adventure you're after, it delivers that in spades.

There are significantly better Metroidvanias on the Vita, and whatever may be gained from the one twist here — the aforementioned double heroines — is more than outweighed by the overall lacklustre performance.

Atelier Firis represents the first Atelier game I’ve ever played that I wouldn’t be able to recommend. For a series that has long been known for meeting a certain level of competence, it’s a surprising letdown.

For better and for worse, it captures the feeling of what it's like to be sitting around a table, rolling dice and moving your token around a board. It's a pretty no-frills simulation, all things considered, but if that's what you're after, this will do the trick.

Touhou Genso Wanderer is a middling dungeon crawler that wants to talk your ear off, and you're better off not giving it a chance to do that.

The story here is exactly what you would expect from one of the creators of The Banner Saga. It is clear enough and interesting enough to keep you reading and coming back for more. The art follows suit and is a beautifully drawn world with characters that manage to convey a lot of emotion on the screen. Cutscenes are few and far between, but are always enjoyable. This is not a great game by any stretch, but you can clearly see the framework for one and with a little less grinding and some more mechanics at play I could see this being a truly special sim. As it stands, it is just a good, fun 9-15 hours depending on how you play.

I first played The Deer God a few months ago, back when it was free on Xbox One as part of Games With Gold — I playing it for about half an hour back then, got bored, and deleted it shortly thereafter. Now that it actually costs money…well, I played it for a lot longer than half an hour, but it's still a pretty boring experience that'll have you freeing up the hard drive space in pretty short order.

If I were to compare Fate/EXTELLA to one specific Warriors game/series, though, it would have to be the One Piece Pirate Warriors games. While Fate/EXTELLA isn't quite as insanely over-the-top, it nonetheless shares with those games a fondness for vivid colours, distinctive characters, and a sense of fun that the Samurai/Dynasty Warriors games sometimes lack.

In general, it passes by in a blur of jumping and shooting, and doesn't give any reason why it's worth your time or money.

I'm not going to pretend that Spellspire is a game for everyone: if you're not obsessed with words and spelling, it probably won't speak to you. Luckily, I am obsessed with words and spelling, which means that I've just found my favourite new game.

I know that a lot of people have already written off the Toukiden series as little more than a Monster Hunter clone. And I get it: you are, after all, hunting monsters. But Toukiden 2 shows that just because the formula may be similar, the execution is on a whole other level. It's a fantastic game, and if you want to hunt monsters in an open world, you don't need to wait around for Monster Hunter World — Toukiden 2 is already here.

As someone who wants a bit of handholding in my games, I'll freely admit that this made it difficult for me to enjoy the game. At the same time, however, I fully recognize…a few things, actually. First, space travel is difficult, so any time you need to think about the physics of it — even in a video game — it's going to get a little challenging. Secondly, and more important, those lunar landing games still appeal to some people, even if they don't appeal to me. I'm just going to assume that that niche will be satisfied with what's on offer in Blue Collar Astronaut, and figure that I don't like it too much because it's not made with someone like me in mind.

Which is how, ultimately, I arrive at the same place as all those people who disliked Valkyria Revolution for very different reasons than me. I may not share in their distaste for the game's move away from turn-based combat, but I definitely agree with them that this game features far too much pointless talk to be engaging. It's quite possible that a judicious and frequent use of the "Skip this scene" feature might uncover a game worth checking out, but that's making players do the work that the game's creators should've done in the first place.

Shu is a very pleasant-looking — some might even say "cute" — game. The characters are delightful, from the adorable main character to all his little friends; even the villains and dangers are liable to make you say, "Awww." Likewise, the music strikes a good balance between being frenetic enough to get you to keep going, while at the same time not being so obtrusive that it harshes the overall friendly vibe. But it's more than just aesthetics. The controls feel fairly tight, which is important considering there's the odd part where you need to move with a bit of urgency. Shu's world is also designed pretty nicely — the levels are fairly lengthy, and they're all full of secrets and treasures just waiting to be uncovered. A well-made platformer that's sure to please people who like those things, and it's pretty darn cute, to boot.

One conclusion that I think everyone can agree on is this: Salt and Sanctuary is one heck of a game.

I wouldn't say that Oceanhorn is flawless, mind you. It's a little stingy when it comes to save points, which is kind of annoying if you want to, you know, save your game, rather than just putting your Vita to sleep. And also… Actually, that's it. That's my only major problem with Oceanhorn. It's tailor-made for the mobile experience, and it's about as exceptional an RPG as I've ever played on the Vita.

At first I wasn't sure about Tiny Rails, but once I started playing it and progressing, I was hooked. It's simple, fun, and very addicting. The visuals and overall presentation make this a joy to play. Those looking for nonstop action or hardcore game play found in many other games on Steam, may not find Tiny Rails to their liking. But, those looking for an involving challenge and enjoy simulation games will find something to like here. I may not be the biggest fan of Sim games, but I can recommend giving Tiny Rails a try!

Plague Road looks great, and that, in itself, is an accomplishment. But it's also the sort of thing that can be appreciated in screenshots — since once you get to playing, you may find that it ruins the overall experience.

A broken game with crappy controls, no autosave, and a bunch of nonsensical puzzles. In other words, you'd be wise to avoid Mr. Pumpkin Adventure at any and all costs.

If you aren't a part of that coveted 2-year-old demographic (or at least know someone that age), you probably won't get too much out of this game, though it's interesting to consider how similar It's Spring Again is to artsy games like Hohokum, Eufloria, or Flower. Obviously they all have more content, but if you were to stretch It's Spring Again out for a longer period of time and take out the narrator, it'd be tough to tell the difference. And, if nothing else, if you want to see a 100% in your trophy list and want to achieve that with only a few dollars and a couple of minutes spent on it, then at approximately $2 and 10-15 minutes, respectively, It's Spring Again will absolutely do the trick.

As frustrating as Ninja Usagimaru: Two Tails of Adventure can be, I don’t detest this game anywhere near as much as The Witness, for the simple reason that there’s not nearly as much here to detest. It never aspires to be anything more than a simple puzzle game that you can play on the go, albeit one that will make you want to throw your handheld of choice out a bus window. I can’t say it appeals to me, but if you’re after a brain-twister that’s easy to pick up and put down, then I could see it kind of doing the trick.

Now, I admit that I’m clearly not the target audience here. The tender story of a young woman coming to terms with her sexuality while also figuring out her career path isn’t the kind of thing I’d normally read, and Asuka’s not compelling enough a character to win me over. All that said, I’m glad it exists for people who do like those stories, and if you want a slow-moving visual novel that’s more character-driven than many of its contemporaries, you could do a lot worse than to pick up Nurse Love Addiction.

It shouldn’t be too surprising, I suppose, that Fairune got its start as a mobile title — with its basic mechanics and relative lack of plot, it feels like the sort of game you can hop into and out of with minimal difficulty. And, let’s be honest, there’s certainly a place for pick-up-and-play games on the Vita and the 3DS. But there’s a difference between being able to pick up a game and immediately start playing it, and a game being so undemanding it barely feels worth it. Fairune falls into the latter category.

Active Soccer 2 DX obviously has its share of flaws, but it has plenty of good points, too. Even though it’s lacking in bells and whistles, it’s still a solid game — which, when you think about it, is more than can be said for any other soccer game on the Vita.

As it stands, I’m not sure it’s worth playing for most people. Quibbles about terminology notwithstanding, Polara is, at its core, an endless runner; whether you’ll want to play it depends entirely on whether you need another one of those in your life. It’s a pleasant enough diversion to have on your Vita or your 3DS, but it’s certainly not something you absolutely have to play.

What’s especially annoying about that is that I know for a fact that these games can be better, since the first two SAO games on Vita were decent. You wouldn’t think that such rapid regression would be possible, but Accel World VS Sword Art Online is proof that it absolutely is.

It’s another stellar entry in a franchise that’s full of them, and if you’re after an RPG that pushes the Vita to its limits (without ever breaking them), it’s a definite must-play.