Death by Scrolling is a functional game. It controls well, is feature complete, and is mostly bug-free, but it lacks the spark needed to make it truly compelling. Recent updates have added new content and breathed some life into the experience, but the core remaining so bare still makes it a difficult game to recommend, unless you’re specifically looking for a stripped-down, low-commitment take on the genre.

So would I recommend Starfield? It depends on what you want out of it. If you’re chasing that perfect, seamless space fantasy, the kind where you lose yourself in the stars and never see the boundaries, this won’t get you there. If you’re here for the Bethesda loop, the busywork, the side quests that turn into five more, the slow creep of “one more thing” turning into another hour, this might help pass the time, though there are far better games for it. It barely gives me enough reason to keep going. It almost works, and then it crashes again.

Ultimately, Dosa Divas is aiming to be a snack-sized delight, but like an amuse-bouche, it still needs to offer enough flavour and texture for you to come back for more. You may find yourself leaving this one on the plate.

Capcom deserves credit for preserving these games in a complete package. All versions are here, faithfully presented. For longtime fans, that preservation alone may justify the collection. But I cannot, in good conscience, recommend it to newcomers. The games are intact, and with them come all of their limitations. Once, it felt like an ambitious handheld experiment; now it plays like a trilogy stuck between ideas. Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is an honest time capsule, capturing a series that never found its footing.

My stance on Escape from Ever After is clear. The characters, music, and writing are tons of fun and exude plenty of charm. Unfortunately, the gameplay, especially the mushy controls, sharp difficulty spikes, and maddening puzzles, left me feeling cold. So, despite its potential, Escape from Ever After was a middle-of-the-road Paper Mario-style experience for me.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties left me deeply concerned about the future direction of the Like a Dragon franchise. Since the very first time I played Yakuza Kiwami, this series held a special place in my heart. But if there is one thing that Kiwami 3 lacks, it’s heart. If you’re craving some modern Yakuza action, play any of the recent Dragon Engine brawlers. But if you really want to play Yakuza 3, my suggestion is to go play Yakuza 3 and leave Yakuza Kiwami 3 alone.

There are flashes of brilliance in Cassette Boy; the perspective gimmick applied to a top-down Zelda framework is delightfully novel. The game has a cozy retro aesthetic and a breezy, lo-fi soundtrack. If only the game had not been so slavish to its inspirations, ditched the lackluster combat & levelling system, and leaned into the complexity the shrine puzzles hint at underneath the surface. Instead, I’m left with a game brimming with promise that goes frustratingly unrealized.

I don’t think any of the themes really landed, because there were just too many to tackle in a twelve-hour jaunt, and the song selection made the best part of the game a chore to embrace. The Tenzerk have bold, imaginative design, but after learning a Tenzerk, timing notes and falling into a pattern happens too quickly. For its novelty, I can recommend Steel Century Groove, but as a lasting, packaged deal, I am not sure I would suggest anyone grab this.

Riviera: The Promised Land Remastered is not a bad game, but my taste in games has moved on. It’s probably the perfect game for someone, but I suspect its appeal is limited. Things that were new and exciting to me 20 years ago are now mind-numbingly boring or just annoying. It has taken me almost a full year to finish replaying the game because I quickly grew bored every time I resumed playing. Unfortunately, this is one game I think should have stayed in the past, and it’s a shame that my fond memories of it have been so broken.

This is still a huge, fun to play, absolutely sprawling game in the tradition of classic RPGs of yesteryear, and is really only one of a very few of its kind available on the iPad.

Rue Valley has something to say; in fact, it has some things to say. Unfortunately, philosophical intrigue is mired in inconsequential tongue wagging and book reading, as well as gameplay mechanics that feel left at the side of the road close at the start. While I love the vision and ideas, Rue Valley misfires on the launchpad and never makes it into the stratosphere.

Of the retro titles out there, Shrine’s Legacy is a cut above. Several games like this may feel like cheap-to-develop cash grabs, or like someone made them just to relive the old days but doesn’t know how to make a good game. I’m critical of this style of game. Despite its failings and mediocrity, I enjoyed my time with Shrine’s Legacy. A bit simple, a bit weak, a bit buggy, but full of outstanding map design, charm, and great ideas. I hope the developers find some success and make an even better game in the future. I’ll be waiting.

Overall, I do like Wild Hearts S as a faster and flashier alternative to the games that inspired it. It may not be as newcomer-friendly as Monster Hunter Wilds seems to be, but it’s still a fun time, especially if you’re coming off of that game and looking for something slightly different. It’s a shame that this new Switch 2 version doesn’t offer quite enough to justify the purchase, but if you’re looking for a fun, yet flawed, Monster Hunter clone to play on the go, there’s enough here to scratch that itch.

As it stands, Artis Impact is an audiovisual masterpiece that fails to convey a cohesive narrative or engage the player beyond its spectacular presentation.

As much as I wanted to love Syberia, I was never fully grabbed and, in fact, was repelled by its straightforward and slow puzzles and the story that goes nowhere (and not even fast, at that!). If Amerzone was pure pulpy fun, Syberia is one of those disappointing magazines with an amazing cover illustration.

Play this if you love the setting and are prepared to sift through repetition for what looks like a diamond. But I’ll warn you now: when you finally dig it up, you’ll realize it’s just a rock. That’s the feeling this game leaves you with. The Outer Worlds 2 is not Obsidian at their best; it might be the worst Obsidian game I’ve ever played. For now, it is a sprawling failure of focus and pacing, a game that is often interesting by accident rather than by design.

The isometric grid muddies the waters instead of providing meaningful depth, the companion and charm systems feel several iterations short of being finished, and the core deck mechanics lack the consistency and design work that make its inspirations so enduring. Shuffle Tactics is brimming with things to unlock but starved for meaningful ways to enjoy them, leaving it less a cohesive “greatest hits album” of roguelite elements and more of a confused compilation of good ideas played out of tune.

Slice-of-life games like Little Problems remind us that life’s little mysteries are story-worthy. I liked the brief snapshots of Little Problems’ setting and the characters in it. I just wish Little Problems were a longer game with a more cohesive storyline, a smoother narrative, deeper character development, less repetitive puzzles, and a stronger detective theme. McGurk, this is not. Hopefully, DLC or a sequel will expand on what Little Problems started.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has some big ideas that never feel fully fleshed out. This game screams “potential,” but the only aspect that really sticks the landing is the town and inhabitants changing as time moves on. I enjoyed witnessing growth, stagnation, and death. The writers have poignant stories to tell and that is TGST’s best quality. Unfortunately, a commendable combat design that runs out of ideas and creativity quickly languishes the entire experience as I, unfortunately, was eager for the developers to wrap things up.

Disgaea 7 is a mixed bag: while it addresses many of the issues present in its predecessor, it also fails to match the sereis’ best games it is trying to emulate. I enjoyed my time with the game, but I’m left wondering where the series can go from here. Disgaea 7 does what it needs to, but I feel the series has exhausted the concept and taken it about as far as possible without a significant shakeup.

Varlet could’ve been another pleasant surprise by FuRyu, similar to The Caligula Effect 2, but sadly, it doesn’t reach that level. There’s some mild enjoyment here if you can temper expectations and be patient, but that isn’t something everyone can or should have to do. I think there’s potential here, should FuRyu decide to explore Varlet further in future game projects, but as it stands now? I’d advise waiting to get Varlet on a discount, even if you think you’re the target audience for it.

Despite not living up to its potential, Hyke: Northern Light(s) still has its charms, and I don’t regret the time I spent hanging out under the stars with Hyke and her friends. Hopefully, if she gets another outing, she will pitch up on more pleasant ground and serve us a meal we can properly enjoy.

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy earns a passing grade, but just barely. Honestly, I did have fun playing through this one… most of the time. But in a market saturated with clever and impressive games of a similar vein (say, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island), there was no way I could allow Fia and her friends a spot on the honor roll. If you can’t get enough of anime-infused dungeon-crawling adventures, the latest in the Mado Monogatari series might be for you.

If you want boobs even more giant, and if you have a vendetta against your square button and your free time, then I’d heartily recommend Edens Zero. If you’ve played any anime action game since the PS2, then you should know there are many better options out there.

Death end re;Quest Code Z is a game that had me constantly questioning who it was for. As a fan of the series, I wasn’t particularly interested in a mystery dungeon roguelike and found myself barely engaging with the combat. I also don’t see mystery dungeon fans being starved enough to pick up Code Z. If they were to stumble across the game, I can’t imagine they’d stick with it due to impenetrable story that is little more than a “What If?” scenario laden with references, hints, and nods galore. As a Death end re;Quest game, Code Z offers the bare minimum of what I expect from the series. While it may not have the lows of its predecessors, it also lacks the emotional highs and rewarding gameplay elements. As Death end re;Quest 3 has been in development for a while now, Code Z serves as little more than a detour. While not particularly bad by any means, Code Z is simply the least interesting entry.

This review may come across as more negative than intended, simply because there’s such a strong baseline to compare it to. No Sleep For Kaname Date has pros than cons for me because I have a preexisting investment in the aspects it carries over the most elegantly from the rest of the series. The cast, puzzles, and humor are undoubtedly its best parts, and the story’s issues are thankfully not so severe as to drag those parts down. I at least recommend it to fans of the series, just with a few asterisks.

I wouldn’t say Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny is a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination, but it could’ve been so much better. It successfully recreates the hectic mecha battles that the Gundam franchise is known for in an interactive format. I had fun playing it, even if I had to step away after every hour or two of play. I can only hope a future Gundam game can capture the true scope of the franchise in its entirety, but as it stands? Now that I’ve played this game, I have a nostalgic urge to rewatch Mobile Suit Gundam SEED again, so I think Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny Remastered made an impression, at the very least.

I’m glad I finally played I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. Its concept very easily draws players in, and to an extent, I even enjoyed banging my head against its opaque puzzles, knowing that each subsequent episodic level would bring a refreshing protagonist and style. Besides an underwhelming finale and some questionable puzzle design, the game is not as misanthropic or depressing as it would seem. Instead, it will always be narratively remarkable as the sole video game in Harlan Ellison’s expansive body of stories, scripts, comics, and teleplays. Ellison passed away in 2018 at the age of 84 but may his morbid and gleeful performance as AM live on for at least another hundred and nine years.

When all is said and done, I can’t help but feel disappointed with The Chapter of Markus since it is what closes out the three DLC story expansions for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. I wouldn’t say it’s exceedingly terrible, as at the end of the day, it’s more Eiyuden Chronicle, but it doesn’t live up to its inherent potential either. If you’re already getting the DLC by backing the title, I’d say it’s worth playing. But if you’re debating purchasing the DLC separately, I’d recommend waiting for a hefty discount. As it stands, I just can’t recommend paying the steep full price of around $9 USD for what you get here.

I certainly didn’t dislike my time with Old Skies, but I didn’t love it, either. What a wonderful ending that almost made me forget and forgive the longest fifteen hours I’ve experienced in a game recently. The last chapter is absolute chef’s kiss stuff. Somehow, though, a story with a mysterious organization with limitless resources, a thoughtful ruleset, and time manipulation didn’t excite.

I truly wish Freedom Wars could live up to my expectations. Stories about authoritarian forces with absurd standards of criminality are more necessary than ever. I think we could also use more action games emphasizing vertical environments and mobility. But as it stands, I don’t think I’ll be returning to the Panopticon or working off my sentence any time soon. The prospect sounds more like a prison sentence than a fun time.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has a lot going for it—a compelling mystery, a strong cast of characters, and a nostalgic atmosphere that captures the era perfectly. But the technical issues are hard to ignore. From audio glitches to animation bugs, it feels like the game needed more time in the oven. I’m hopeful that Part 2 will smooth out these rough edges, because there is certainly some potential here. It’s just not quite there yet.

By Afterlove EP’s closing moments, I was happy to take the needle from the vinyl and put the record back in its sleeve. I will file it away in the collection, an imperfect album, with some standout tracks that make the filler worthwhile.

Coridden, while lacking polish, also shines like a diamond with its wealth of ideas, theming, and creative setting. Almost better as a proof-of-concept, my intention isn’t to steer the developers away from success, but to highlight that the hard part’s been done: good game design. All that’s needed is some QA. For you, reader, you may enjoy seeing what’s being chewed on here, but don’t go in expecting a crisp experience.

While it’s still a promising effort by a clearly talented studio, that promise seemingly could take several post-launch patches to show through fully. If you’re at all interested in Eternal Strands, I would personally recommend waiting several months to a year before picking it up.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership has you covered if—and only if—Mario RPG mechanics are your favorite thing and you want the largest mass of them yet. If they aren’t, you’re probably going to struggle to get over the initial five-hour hump before the game truly begins. While I didn’t outright hate most of my time with the game, would I have even seen it through to its conclusion if I weren’t reviewing it, even as a fan of Mario RPGs who wants to see Nintendo make more? Possibly not. Perhaps the best thing to do about Mario & Luigi: Brothership is to hope Nintendo realizes the missteps here and has the resolve to try their hand at the franchise once more instead of abandoning it again.

It’s disappointing to say that Neon Blood is dripping with unrealized potential. Clearly, the developers put effort into the impressive visuals and the quicktime events, but equal effort was not extended to the writing in a game that so heavily depends on its narrative. It’s not like there’s so much cyberpunk-style media that there isn’t room for more, so it’s too bad this one doesn’t come together. Maybe someday, someone will flesh out Neon Blood to make it as human as it is machine.

VED deserves credit for its gorgeous graphics, workable combat, and underlying lore, but there are significant caveats. Although it proposes to take you on a journey between two worlds and at every point in between, the game makes staying on any path difficult, and trying to find the links between them takes more work than it should. You can find a dozen or so hours of playtime with VED, and many more to explore every possible route or action of consequence. (And if you’re on the fence, there is a free prologue, VED: Purification, available on Steam.) Perhaps with a few patches targeting the script and the wonkier translation, this could be something quite pleasant in the genre. But much like Cyrus, you just might find yourself struggling to understand what’s going on in either of its worlds.

Aside from the bears, there’s little to recommend here on the game’s own merits. Great strategy RPGs aren’t hard to come by these days, but it’s generally a time-consuming subgenre, and Crown Wars comes across worse in their shadow. Bearing that in mind, even if you’ve exhausted all other options, you may be better off firing up another run of XCOM, Jagged Alliance, or Fire Emblem.

When all is said and done, the negative headwinds are too strong for Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire to navigate successfully. The earnest story and varied, if simple, setting assets can’t make up for the obtuse systems and vapid, repetitive combat. The raft of graphical glitches and plotting bugs only adds to the terminal altitude loss. For the very committed, there may be enough content and exploration for a week or so. But with many better retro RPGs available, from indie to triple-A, the turbulence on deck is too great to warrant a recommendation to hire Glenn and his crew this time.

Fans of The Case of the Golden Idol will find their itch for more demented mad libs scratched but not sated by The Rise of the Golden Idol. Despite my issues with the game, existing devotees of the Golden Idol will find something to like here. Everyone else should start with the first game and its two expansions, which are better and provide vital context for fully enjoying the sequel.

Metal Slug Tactics tends to play it safe while simultaneously encouraging players to not play it safe. With few bells and whistles, everything just feels slightly different, rather than a mind-blowing change in gameplay. Even in an old-school SRPG like Shining Force, characters feel starkly different from each other—except the centaurs—though in this title, everything just kinda runs together. It feels like Metal Slug because it looks like Metal Slug, and the sound effects help in that respect, but in no way does this game evoke frenetic joy like its forebears.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a game that fails to capitalize on its premise. Although the soundtrack and occasional moments of intrigue are commendable, they are overshadowed by poor character development, confusing plot choices, and a lack of polish. The technical issues, combined with the short length and unresolved storylines, make this entry feel rushed and incomplete. Longtime fans of the series might find themselves disheartened, as they may genuinely dislike the narrative choices that diverge from what they loved about the original. While some may find enjoyment in revisiting the world of Life is Strange, for many, this game could feel like a disappointing misstep.

It pains me to say this, but SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky is a subpar Memories: Off game and a mediocre-at-best visual novel. Visual novels live and die by their storylines and characters, which fall flat here. Lovely graphics and Takeshi Abo’s stellar music are not enough to save SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky from being one of 2024’s biggest disappointments.

Card-en-Ciel spoofs so hard, it spoofs itself, and doesn’t have much left to give after that. There’s plenty of entertainment to be found in the game, but it comes at the cost of not having much to offer as a game experience. While hints of cleverness pop up here and there, they’re scant cover for the emptiness in Card-en-Ciel‘s soul. There’s something to be said about self-awareness of one’s limitations, but that doesn’t erase the limitations themselves.

I went into Reynatis with many expectations formed by the previously mentioned Crymachina and The Caligula Effect 2. I expected a jankfest that would narratively punch skyward, seeking to shatter the heavens with razor-sharp words like its predecessors. Instead, the result was middling, and I feel this is due to the dual protagonists having to split the story—and thus split the focus. Reynatis has a bit of an identity crisis, and rather than it feeling like clean cuts on where one ends and the other begins, it’s all blended up into a mess that is both fun and taxing to play, both narratively intriguing and vapid, and both exciting and mundane. My one consolation is that if The Caligula Effect 2 and Crymachina are anything to go off of, a sequel to Reynatis could be one of my favorite games of the year. With that hope in mind, I eagerly look forward to the next strange FuRyu collaboration.

Entertaining for what it is, I don’t think Veritus is going to knock anyone over, but it doesn’t have to. The world was built for sevens, and if you want an old-school game that is reasonably fun, that’s what you get here. I love that the team made such an attempt to change up the formula from most games we see, but I wish more of it felt fun or engrossing. Storytelling’s tricky because going through the motions and delivering a ham-fisted story certainly feels tired, but if it lacks clarity, it’s going to be hard for earnest individuals to buy into your world. Still, Veritus charms, and those chasing nostalgia may actually be met with a tight, creative adventure.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War is a mobile game with mindless, monotonous fun in short gameplay bursts. I wouldn’t recommend playing it for long periods simply because you start feeling the drag pretty quickly. It’s disappointing that the entertaining Northern War side story is such an average game. Lavi and company’s journey deserves the proper treatment of getting a mainline The Legend of Heroes: Trails game. Given the script’s lackluster translation, it’s difficult to recommend this title to anyone because, aside from the Trails fanservice and high-quality new character art, this story has been presented better in another media format. I suggest watching the anime adaptation first, as you’ll get the same story but with actual subtitles that make sense! It’s still the ideal way to experience The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War.

I came away from Adore extremely disappointed. While I still believe that combining monster-collecting mechanics in an action roguelike framework could be effective, this title has too many missteps that prevent it from being enjoyable after a couple hours. Furthermore, the control and presentation issues on Nintendo Switch exacerbate these core design flaws, making for an overall frustrating gameplay experience.

Opening the time capsule that is Baten Kaitos reveals a hodgepodge of gameplay ideas, story beats, and even visual styles from island to island that reaches for the stars but doesn’t land among the clouds. Instead, it crashes back into the earth with the rest of the mortals. Although it is more fallen angel than god, there are definitely parts that shine, such as Mizuti meeting with her family—but they would have shone even brighter if they weren’t lost amidst the game’s weaknesses.

Rhapsody III is a fun and breezy musical RPG that is both cute, simplistic, and amusing. While it’s not the best of the trilogy, it serves as a solid capstone to the Marl Kingdom trilogy. It gives a peek at the often unnecessary and over-the-top mechanical insanity that Nippon Ichi Software later became synonymous with. I can only hope the recent remasters are a teaser for a new entry in the Rhapsody series.

When divorced from that context, the mechanics of Super Mario RPG just aren’t engaging enough on their own to carry an entire game. If Another Crusade had the creative worldbuilding and lovable characters of a game like Bug Fables, it could get away with copying familiar gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately, Another Crusade‘s world is bland and the characters don’t have enough time to shine amidst all the hackneyed attempts at humor that undercut any opportunity for narrative intrigue or personal pathos. There is a solid foundation here to build a truly great RPG, but Another Crusade fails to realize that potential.

Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story has lovely visuals and some solid ideas, but felt like an overlong rough draft in need of editing before going to print. I needed to call upon all my patience and perseverance to get through Bandle Tale. There were even times when I had to step away from the game for a night or two and return to it with a fresh mind. Spurts of fun were flanked by lengthy stretches that dragged, making playtime feel artificially padded. If Bandle Tale were shorter and more tightly focused, it would have been a more pleasurable experience with fewer lulls and more cohesive storytelling. Bandle Tale may not be perfect, but Bandle City and the Yordles are a wellspring of good multimedia material, so I hope to see more Yordle-centered League of Legends material in the future.

Born of Bread adds another entry to my ever-growing list of games that I wanted to love but left me with mixed feelings. It’s clear that a lot of heart went into Born of Bread. I loved the bevy of unique characters inhabiting the game’s world, and the second half of the story was quite engaging. However, Born of Bread‘s confluence of minor flaws, including a lack of convenience features, marred my enjoyment. Born of Bread is not a bad game, but those seeking that magical Paper Mario experience might be better off waiting for the upcoming Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remaster.

Saltsea Chronicles was a bizarre experience for me. I admired the quality of the writing, maturity in language, and world the developers sought to craft, but I was frequently bored and eager for something to happen. I couldn’t even call this game slice-of-life, which one could argue is a genre where nothing ever happens by definition, but at least slice-of-life stories are poignant and heartfelt. Saltsea Chronicles just felt flat to me, but I am certain this game will hit some beautiful notes for folks who are tired of melodrama and intensity.

Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is not only a bad game: it’s a test of patience. Repetition is fine—several successful games lean heavily on gameplay loops—but the loop has to have mental chew and a true sense of customization. I felt like I was spinning my wheels, especially as upgrade points became rarer and upgrades became more expensive for a negligible improvement. Under no circumstances should anyone invest time or money into this game, as it takes a hundred times more than it gives.

Honestly, if you want more Tales of Arise, just go play the base game again. It’s still fun to play and has better storytelling and characterization, along with the added bonus of being a full, complete game all on its own. The only people I can imagine enjoying this DLC are diehard fans who simply want “more” Tales of Arise and spend more time with the characters. If that’s what you’re looking for, you came to the right place, for better or worse.

Thankfully, with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name behind us, RGG is set to forge ahead, blending new gameplay and characters with the distinct sense of humor and flair that made Yakuza so popular in the first place. Sadly, if you’re looking for one last enjoyable adventure with Kazuma Kiryu, I suggest playing Yakuza Kiwami 2 again. You’re going to get almost the same experience but with a much better plot, more intriguing characters, bigger stakes, and, most importantly, an awesome cabaret minigame.

Robotherapy not only falls short of even the most basic of my expectations, it’s completely unremarkable in almost every regard. It fails to capitalize on its premise in any meaningful way, and the story that it does choose to develop struggles with the prohibitively short overall runtime. If you’re looking for a simple pick-me-up, Robotherapy might provide an hour of decent entertainment. But anyone looking for a more substantial experience, this is not it.

Hammerwatch II is stuck in the past, which is a shame, because with some added niceties or more thoughtful design, it has the potential to be as impactful as its predecessor. An unoriginal premise doesn’t have to kill a game’s narrative, but with text walls and inconsequential, filler phrasing, caring about this world is nearly impossible. Being a fan of Hammerwatch, I found this review hard to write. For the first time I can ever remember, I actually put off writing a review, because the idea of hammering (heh) this out brought discomfort. I take no joy in the negativity of this review, but I feel like would-be consumers need the information to make wise purchasing decisions and the developers need the feedback.

Mon-Yu sets out to make the first-person dungeon-crawling genre more approachable and friendly for new players. It does achieve this at some level , but in doing so it removes a lot of what makes the genre appealing in the first place. I can’t recommend this game to someone who wants to get into DRPGs, simply because there isn’t anything noteworthy here that will get its hooks into you. For fans of the genre, stick to Experience, Inc.’s other titles and stay far away from the land of Tir Na Balc.

Silent Hope is a charming, adorable game with pitch-perfect sound design, from its limited voice work (the Princess and the King), suitably adventurous and mysterious music, and dopamine-inducing sound effects. It gets repetitive but has a well-oiled gameplay loop that keeps you on the rails. The limited character builds result in a lack of depth, but the fun of combining the right weapons, runestones, and skills to make huge numbers appear and enemies disappear is always present. Silent Hope is simple in almost all respects, and yet it brings me joy to play it and likely would do even more so for the children in your life.

At the end of the day, Elderand feels more like a game you play in between big releases or to scratch a certain itch, more than a title you might get excited to play. The individual flaws of the game might not be absolute dealbreakers, but they undoubtedly muddy the waters and noticeably drag down the experience. A sale is the only time I would recommend people try out Elderand, but with genre giants like Hollow Knight and Ori and The Will of the Wisps all at a similar price point, Elderand remains a hard sell.

As it stands, Rune Factory 3 Special is a welcome addition to the series’ library mainly because it preserves the original and makes it the most accessible it’s ever been. Players interested in replaying the title or who strongly want to play each game in the series in some form can’t go wrong with Rune Factory 3 Special. But anyone not inclined to play them all is much better off with 4 Special, or even 5. Rune Factory 3 Special includes all the basics that make Rune Factory great, but has less content, fewer player options, and fewer quality-of-life features than the current series standard. It’s especially hard to recommend Rune Factory 3 Special over 4 Special when the only area 3 bests 4 in is graphics, yet 3 still retails for $10 more.

Monochrome Mobius may not be a game for everyone — or even many people. It is clearly written for Utawarerumono fans, and in changing its design philosophy from a visual novel with occasional tactical combat to a full-fledged RPG, it likely loses many of those fans as well. It also has glaring flaws in its pacing and writing and could use a graphical upgrade. But it is a solid proof of concept for what an Utawarerumono RPG could be, and I see a lot of potential in Aquaplus’ future as an RPG developer if they wish to pursue it.

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is a rather interesting game to review. On the one hand, I am perhaps too lenient towards the English translation by rating it as I have, but there’s still a solid RPG experience at the game’s core. I admit to being entertained by the English script for all the wrong reasons, but I became engrossed by it. The clues of “something better” within the plot proved both frustrating and enough to keep me speculating. It’s a shame the game couldn’t have been translated more adequately because I can see where the title could have appealed to those wanting a thoughtful, solidly set-up traditional RPG. Despite this game’s flaws, I still want to see more Xuan-Yuan Sword titles released in the West. But, of the ones that have gotten localized thus far, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is the more substantial title despite its action RPG leanings. Unfortunately, some things are lost in translation in this remaster, making the journey to the East a conflict at best.

Cross Tails may not be one of the best tactical RPGs I’ve ever played, but it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for a developer and publisher who are often accused of churning out generic, by-the-numbers games lacking in creativity. A dime-a-dozen plot and poor translation let the story down, but Cross Tails makes up for it with unique mechanics and a solid battle system that provides a moderate challenge.

SOULVARS is best described as a “tsundere” game. Its mechanics are tough and intimidating at first, but investing a little time and effort getting to know it opens its heart. You get out of it what you put into it. Beyond its 10–15 hour main campaign (depending on the difficulty level), there is post-game content. Sadly, the disappointing story and characters are a mountain of unrealized potential that could have been so much better. If you are the kind of RPG fan who favors gameplay over story and characters, then SOULVARS may be worth a look.

Alas, Final Fantasy III will likely never be anyone’s favorite Final Fantasy. While it is a significant entry in the series, other games do what it does better. Final Fantasy V has a better job system, Final Fantasy I better captures the sense of four randos going on an adventure, Final Fantasy XIV takes the Crystal Tower and absolutely runs with it… I could go on. I can’t say that I had a bad experience playing the Pixel Remaster, but unless you’re a completionist who simply must play every Final Fantasy, I can’t in good conscience recommend it, either. Still, there’s value in learning about your roots, if only for the lessons to be gleaned from them.

If there’s entertainment to be found in the schadenfreude of watching your characters retch as they eat the disgusting food you serve them, it wears off quickly, leaving a solid — if frustrating — roguelike as the bulk of Monster Menu. While there are some great ideas at play, those ideas don’t automatically coalesce into a fun or enjoyable experience. Some may appreciate the challenge, but that’s the only hook beyond the thin main gimmick. Like a plate of grubs, Monster Menu may fill you up, but there’s no guarantee it will make you happy.

Historians (my, aren’t we getting lofty) will sing praises for what Final Fantasy II did for RPGs of the era and today; without a doubt, the developers pushed boundaries and tested new ideas. My take is this: respect the game and its developers for the time they were working and the chances they took to innovate on design. However, acknowledge that this isn’t something most people will want to enjoy in today’s gaming landscape for purely narrative or gameplay reasons. Final Fantasy II may be an important game, but not necessarily fun.

What a heart-wrenching disappointment. Dungeon Drafters opens strong, but fails to use what makes it great to create a fun experience for the player. This goes far beyond “git gud.” Dungeon Drafters provides an illusion of choice, and with this many options, that’s borderline cruel. Allowing this amount of customization but requiring players to play a certain way is like hanging a steak out in front of a dog and never letting them eat it.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is a harrowing combination of unimaginative, tired game design and stale writing. I hate tearing the game down because I believe the developers worked hard on it, but this is a League of Legends game that is going to attract fans of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA). While this $30, 15-hour game feels like 45 hours to complete, that’s $2 per hour of pain. I couldn’t wait for the game to be over, and if I weren’t reviewing it, I would have quit by the fifth hour. I don’t care how much of a League of Legends fan you are, attractive pixel art and decent boss battles aren’t enough to justify this investment.

I appreciate Infinite Guitars ambitiously shooting for the moon, even though it missed by a mile. The game’s aesthetics are spectacular, and I loved the dynamically adjustable difficulty levels, but the iffy controls and poorly put-together plot crippled my overall enjoyment. Another round of copy editing to peruse the script and tighten up the writing would have elevated the game into “you gotta check this out!” territory. Infinite Guitars has also been extremely buggy and glitchy since its release. Though multiple patches have been released and continue to come through (Nikko Nikko has been exceptionally responsive to player feedback regarding bugs), Infinite Guitars could have used more development and QC time before its stage debut. Should Nikko Nikko expand the Infinite Guitars concept into future games, I expect more polish, improved storytelling, and would like to see the evolution of Infinite Guitars into “Infinite Rock Band” featuring additional characters who play instruments other than guitar.

Street Fighter: Duel isn’t a terrible game by mobile gacha RPG standards, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish it just had been that much more as a diehard fan of Street Fighter and RPGs in general. On the plus side, playing the game for free is plausible if you choose to go that route, but it’s definitely a trial in patience. Still, I have fun playing Street Fighter: Duel in little bursts at a time, and it’s certainly keeping my attention on the series as we enthusiastically await the next main fighting game installment from it. Unfortunately, that’s all we can ask of Street Fighter: Duel because it is undoubtedly not Street Fighter 6.

I recommend Trinity Trigger to fans of old-school action RPGs; the combat is fun, the visuals are a delight, and its ambiance is unique. Unfortunately, other areas were either lacking or led to frustration, and I’m not sure if all the design decisions complement each other. My biggest ire is the pacing and delivery of the story; what’s there is fine, but it felt mediocre because I’d lost engagement. However, combat and exploration are the main selling points of this game, so many of you will be able to look past its flaws to enjoy what’s on offer. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a diamond in the rough, but I’ve had less fun with more polished games. It’s a short game, roughly 20 hours, and with more and more people looking for something that isn’t an 80-hour investment, Trinity Trigger is a quick play. I’ll praise it for crafting its own identity and not relying too much on the tropes and gameplay elements from its source inspiration, but don’t expect a modern classic.

Overall, Redemption Reapers has a sound combat system that isn’t strategically interesting in the early game and a story that never grabbed me. Things start to pick up by the mid-game, but many players won’t be willing to give the game time to redeem itself.

I don’t doubt that some folks are going to fall in love with the breezy vibes Mr. Saitou delivers; not every game needs a gigantic demon boss or world-ending evil. For what Mr. Saitou appears to be trying to do, though, I can’t say the satisfying ending justifies the journey. If more of the conversations or relationships I had with the characters had more texture, I would say otherwise, but I spent too much time having directionless interactions. If nothing else, Mr. Saitou has heart and something to say, and if that’s worth two hours of your time, you may be the audience.

Though the beautiful anime-style art may entice fans of traditional JRPGs, the game has more in common with management sims. The meat of the game is in managing resources and building up your fleet, while the story and characters leave much to be desired. If intricate systems and pouring over market predictions are your cup of tea, then climb up on deck. Otherwise, I recommend keeping your feet planted on solid ground.

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo offers some fun in drawing up a horror story from Japanese superstitions. Unfortunately, it leans too heavily on the comedy, even though the jokes are appreciated. When the game dangles the possibility or even the appearance of some agency for the player, it would have been more exciting to make the player feel as though they’re really making choices or feel invested in the horror elements. If there’s anything to take away from this experience, it’s that murder is typically wrong, but a chicken dressed as a greaser is way cool.

I think those looking for a great RPG will find one in Tales of Symphonia. However, for those looking to play it via Tales of Symphonia Remastered, I just cannot recommend it in its current state on Nintendo Switch. For fans of the original, or Tales fans in general, this “remaster” will likely be a stack of disappointment, from framerate inadequacies to performance issues to audiovisual hiccups. Newcomers may find value in this “remaster” on PS4 or Xbox because the original Tales of Symphonia has heart, and Tales of Symphonia Remastered is its most readily available version. However, it is the unfortunate truth that they will still be playing a compromised version. This “remaster” does not cut it by modern standards, especially when it looks worse, sounds worse, and plays worse than a game 20 years its senior.

There is an audience for One Piece Odyssey. Sometimes, in the middle of an exciting battle or while revisiting some of my favorite locations from the original series, I think I could be part of that audience. I’ve been a fan of the property for over 20 years and still read the manga every week. I’m not the world’s biggest One Piece fan, but I’m certainly an enduring one. But the repetition made the game a struggle to complete. As amazing as the game feels to start, it trudges across the finish line. A more patient player, or one whose love for One Piece is far more enthusiastic than mine, might be able to see past the repetition for the loving nostalgia underneath. For non-fans, or those of us looking for something meatier, One Piece Odyssey is more filler than killer.

We Are The Caretakers is a reminder of just how much work it takes to properly bring something from a cool concept to an actual functioning game. I have no doubt that Heart Shaped Game’s intentions were noble, and their courage to venture into relatively unexplored territory in gaming deserves its due credit. But when looking at the bigger picture and judging the game for what it is, not what it is supposed to be, We Are The Caretakers is simply beyond the pale.

Aka isn’t particularly expensive, but I still find myself unable to recommend it due to its many issues. In the end, I ask myself whether I would be satisfied if I had bought the game for myself instead of receiving a review code. Unfortunately, the answer is no.

There’s a certain novelty to Hooked on You that makes it easy to recommend to Dead by Daylight superfans, particularly those that are into the lore. For your casual Dead by Daylight fan, or dating simulator fan, there’s just not enough meat on the bone here. The writing isn’t bad in the moments where the script isn’t stuffed to the gills with jokes, but the occasional shining moments don’t add up to a compelling narrative, leading to an ultimately forgettable experience.

The Devil in Me brings a very uneven first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology to a close, and I’m left a little ambivalent from the experience. I enjoyed all four of these games to some extent, and I’m curious as to what they’ll do with the next game, Directive 8020. But it’s clear after playing The Devil in Me that Supermassive needs to give these games a little more breathing room. While it’s certainly impressive that they’ve maintained a yearly release schedule for the Anthology, games like The Quarry show that these experiences could be made so much more. I genuinely hope that The Dark Pictures one day become truly great horror games rather than just novelties.

Though I was excited for this game to move off of Apple Arcade because I don’t do well playing games on a phone, this is one offering that could have stayed there.

In the end, I am happy with much of my time spent on Potion Permit, but I’m equally pleased to be done with it. Though there was no obvious ending, I can set it aside for now, feeling satisfaction at the good I did in Moonbury. Despite a pretty graphical veneer, a brief and lovely soundtrack, and solid sound design, it can’t compensate for the buggy, cumbersome gameplay and an average collection of stories. Still, if you’re patient and enough patches come, there’s a ton of charm and some unique ideas in Potion Permit to enjoy, and I hope MassHive refines their approach for future entries in this world.

Airoheart is a pale imitation of the game it strives to be and could have benefited from more polish and flair. Unfortunately, any glimmers of potential are buried under flawed design and general mediocrity. The biggest flaw is undoubtedly Airoheart’s lack of identity. In its effort to be Zelda, Airoheart never had a chance to be Airoheart.

At the outset, I was raving about Potionomics. I had modest expectations going into this title, given its cartoony aesthetic and cliché plot, but I love fantasy-based shopkeep games like Recettear, so I gave it a go. Again, I could not believe just how complex and deep the varied systems flowed together. Building a deck based on relationships I made was always exciting, just as seeing the interest increase with each sale was. Unfortunately, the bag of tricks emptied halfway through this fifty-hour investment, leaving me eager to exit the whole affair.

Escape Academy is far from a stellar title, but it’s enjoyable if appreciated for what it is. The creators have released a “road map” for future updates and DLC, which is always nice to see. Would-be purchasers may take heart in knowing that there’s more life to be injected if escape room puzzle solving evokes an interest. As for me, I’ll quietly look forward to these updates, but I’m in no way chomping at the bit.

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness is a hot mess of a game. I respect that rules from Made in Abyss’s world and mythos translated into the game mechanics, but that made for a wholly unappealing play experience. While I wouldn’t recommend playing Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, I would definitely recommend checking out the Made in Abyss anime or manga to see why it’s highly regarded.

I wish I liked The Outbound Ghost more than I do, but I am glad games like it exist. There will always be genres and ideas that big publishers and developers don’t see as viable, and the indie space is a perfect place to explore them. I don’t recommend The Outbound Ghost at this time, but I hope the developers continue to improve it with patches and continue to make games in genres they care about. While there is a lot of promise here, The Outbound Ghost just doesn’t reach its potential.

The balancing act RGG plays with its titles is a tricky tightrope to walk, and they usually knock it out of the park. That they failed to do so here is just disappointing. Nonetheless, the fact that this game came to Steam might—might—mean we can see more titles in the future, and there’s a lot of potential here. If they can build a more compelling mystery, be more thoughtful about the serious issues they want to address, and fix the detective elements, they might be onto something special here. Most people seem to think they already are. Maybe next time, I can too.

Overall, RuinsMagus has enjoyable combat and lovable characters, but it fails to create an immersive world for players to dive into. Additionally, while the combat mechanics are sound, a lack of enemy variety means players won’t have to evolve their strategy much after the first hour. For VR JRPG fans, RuinsMagus is worth a look, as it’s one of the only JRPGs available on VR platforms. For general VR enthusiasts, there isn’t too much to get excited about. If you’re looking for a cozy game with bubbly characters in a fantasy world, might be a good choice. Just don’t expect a deep RPG experience or a gripping story.

Ni no Kuni II is still an excellent game. In most respects, I find it superior to the original, with fewer barriers between the player and the game itself. It’s packed with quality-of-life features, cool subsystems, and interesting side content to conquer. Unfortunately, the Switch version is the worst way to experience a fantastic game. For most players, the original will provide the best experience. There’s no new content to speak of here, and the visual setbacks make taking advantage of the Switch’s form factor a dicey prospect. You should absolutely play Ni no Kuni II. But you probably shouldn’t play it on the Switch.

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is a wonderful little treat, and I’m glad it received a modern port. The game is blissfully short and quickly paced – coming in at around 12-13 hours – but it’s not without its faults. With extremely easy combat, an absurdly uneven encounter rate, and heavily reused maps for dungeons, the game operates almost exclusively on its charm. With how short it is, overlooking its flaws is easy as players zip from one location to the next, listen to musical numbers about how great frogs are, and learn the meaning of true courage as they help Cornet rescue the love of her life. Rhapsody is definitely worth playing, though it’s little more than nostalgic novelty some twenty years later.

In no way would I ever recommend Hard West 2, but I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed myself. I just wish it didn’t come with a heaping bowl of curses. The developers should swallow their pride and listen intently to their customers, as I am sure I am not alone in my grievances. The team is clearly full of talented people who know how to create a good game, as long as they don’t get in their own way. As for me, I’m in need of some whiskey after this ordeal.