Its biggest issue is how safe it plays everything, but anyone wanting a straightforward approach to the JRPG genre will leave more than likely impressed by Alphadia‘s endearing simplicity and nostalgic allure.

There are just too many issues to make this a worthwhile purchase.

My Night Job is an entertaining homage to older video games and the horror genre, but its repetitive nature and lack of replay value hold it back.

Skeleton Boomerang is a challenging 2D platformer with a lovely variety of levels, weapon variations and goofy enemies to battle against. There are times when design decisions negatively impact play, such as the choice to work with a cramped square screen resolution in the widescreen era. There are a few glitches as well, though nothing that likely can’t be ironed out with a patch or two. With that out of the way, you’re left with a charming — and tough — game with an awesome weapon to use in Hunter’s quest against evil.

RWBY: Arrowfell is not a title we would necessarily call wholly bad, but it feels lacking especially when considering that the teams behind it have such a great track record for platformers and fighting titles. It’s hard to tell where things ended up to make it feel so “bleh.” The repetitive nature quickly becomes apparent, the lack of innovation in combat keeping anything from feeling fresh after the first few stages and it just feels like a series so focused around combat would deliver a more fleshed-out experience. RWBY: Arrowfell is a title that will only appeal to fans of the franchise, but even then it won’t offer a stunning gameplay experience or make it worth picking up for the story. At the very least it’s nice to see new interactions between characters, but it’s just a shame the gameplay loop just couldn’t pull through.

Those simply looking for a great game of virtual hockey will find some enjoyment here, but dedicated players who enjoy digging deep into the various modes EA has introduced over the years will be sorely disappointed.

The game isn’t the visual masterpiece one would expect from a AAA production, but it isn’t without its charm. It’s with Wrecking Zone that Sumo Digital stretches their wings thanks to the chaos of destructible environments, but the glaring lack of content and missing features makes it more of a curiosity rather than a fully fleshed out mode.

It's a unique experiment with a lot of depth for those willing to donate the time. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.64]

For series fans, Corpse Party: Blood Drive is simply a must play.

All the clever levels in the world won't do much good, though, after the dozenth aggravating death by hidden trap makes you toss the game aside. [July 2007, p.60]

Sure, it's only $20 for retail, but downloadable services offer beat'm'up experiences much more exciting and varied for a fraction of Pirates Plundarrr's price.

Dark Void winds up being less than the sum of its parts.

Sadly, its invasive microtransaction structure and otherwise lack of engagement as a Metal Gear/stealth entrant is what will likely stand as its greatest downfall — inevitably cancelling out all the goodwill the game creates in its shorter spells. Metal Gear Survive as a whole isn’t the utter abomination many had suspected it would be, but it doesn’t push itself beyond the still-waning status of being tepidly average.

Fans of Neptune and Friends will likely have a great time here. Those who already hate it should run away. For those who aren’t sure? Well, despite its warts, it’s a decent introduction to the series, and a great way to see which side of the line they will fall on.

This is a two-and-a-half-year-old title brought to current-gen consoles with minimum effort at close to full price.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League works on a surface level, but look beneath the surface and there isn’t enough for story, live service, shooter or DC fans to properly enjoy long-term.

The game itself does work as an introduction to the series, giving the briefest of glimpses as to why it’s so popular, and piling on the fan service with countless playable and support characters. Neither good nor bad, it exists. That will be enough for many fans.

Dontnod are capable of so much more than what this latest outing provides — it’s not terrible, but Twin Mirror is a misfire from a developer whose experience and past achievements would have you presume they should know better.

Taxi Chaos is a fun, flawed game that takes a lot of inspiration from Crazy Taxi, but does genuinely improve upon the formula in impressive ways. Freeroam allows players to learn the city to do a better job in the arcade and GPS-less modes, while having NPC fetch quests keeps things fresh and further rewards exploration. The available car selection is hit or miss, but most of the vehicles are fun to use and allow you to have a blast while darting around NYC. The soundtrack and voice work need work, and with post-launch updates planned, we’ll see how all of the issues related to the audio work out in due time. Taxi Chaos needs more polish, but still offers a lot of fun and it’s a must-play for anyone looking for a more modern-feeling version of Crazy Taxi.

I really wanted to like Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier. The Apes world is fascinating and a Telltale-esque game set in that universe has all the makings for an amazing experience. While it’s an awesome idea, Last Frontier’s execution just isn’t there. Hopefully Imaginati Studios and 20th Century Fox don’t give up on this idea, though. Video games are iterative and developers learn from their mistakes. While Last Frontier can’t be recommended on its own merits, its concept has potential and shouldn’t be abandoned.

For a game without any kind of established lineage, this is a very welcome addition to the Vita’s growing JRPG library.

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a series mainly created for fans with the intention of drawing in more interested parties. Tactics is in the same vein, but aims at the fans looking for a way to experience the characters they love in a different environment. Although the story is simply recapping what was in the original show, it offers surprising depth to its combat with fun strategy that makes it an enjoyable romp. The story itself also isn’t terribly long, but offers replayability with a hard mode for players to take on looking for a bigger challenge. There’s also a simple story mode for those wanting to take it easy. Those who haven’t watched Age of Resistance will likely be lost on this title, but those looking to visit Thra and the many Gelfings they remember would enjoy diving into The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics.

Still, it’s worth checking out if the concept intrigues you as and it’s a fine gateway game for those who are intimidated by the survival genre.

Dark Void winds up being less than the sum of its parts.

While it can make for an enjoyable title for younger players who can easily grab some friends and compete in short spans of time, Mario Party: The Top 100 doesn’t have quite enough to keep players coming back to it in the way any other main line entry has been able to over all these years.

There’s certainly worse driving games on the platform, but it’s hard to find a reason why anybody would want to play this revival of a dormant series that was mediocre to begin with and is even weaker over a decade later.

With dozens upon dozens of playable characters, arenas, music, and art pieces to unlock using currency earned in game, Saint Seiya: Soldiers’ Soul, the series’ faithful will have plenty see and do before they are done with this title. Other players will find themselves wanting something with a bit more teeth.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was already a wonderfully unique and challenging title when it originally released, but the Remastered Edition brings that all to the table with even more plus the ability to finally play with friends online. While the character models may still be clearly from many console generations ago, there’s so much wonder and charm put into it that it’s fantastic to play through and enjoy time and time again. It’s a wonder how even years later it still feels as inviting, and somewhat terrifying, to take on new dungeons and challenge whatever comes next. Anyone looking for a seemingly simple but utterly charming action adventure with tons of time to spend taking on dungeons need look no further than Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition.