Breathtaking graphics, beautiful soundtrack, poignant ending—unfortunately these are not enough to carry a game through to the end. Silence feels like an ambitious project that got cut short, and it's unfortunate considering the exponential room for growth in the game.

Aside from the above-average graphics and music, this game is as run-of-the-mill as it gets. I'm all in favor of seeing more localizations of otome/"girl's side" games, but not if they're mind-numbing swill like Norn9: Var Commons.

The Dwarves is a game that came out of a Kickstarter campaign, and it's absolutely the type of success you'd hope for as a gamer. It's a fun game with a really good story, thanks to a solid adaptation of good source material. It looks good and it sounds good, and my few frustrations with menu controls and a couple of battles I had a hard time surviving really don't diminish my appreciation for the game as a whole.

For anyone after a great little throwback to the glory days of point-and-click games, The Little Acre might just be your thing. I enjoyed my time with the game but came out disappointed due to its short playtime. I would've been happier had this game been a little bit longer, but this doesn't affect the quality of what's already present. If anything, The Little Acre is a fantastic starting point for Pewter Games Studios. If this is what they can do with a 60-minute game, then I can't wait to see what they can do with more.

Season three is off to a thrilling beginning with a host of questions, answers, dramatic entrances, and believable new characters.

Despite my gripes (including a few frivolous ones I didn't mention), Pokémon Sun and Moon are great games that take X/Y's base and create a vivid new world with its own special culture and unique features.

Despite my gripes (including a few frivolous ones I didn't mention), Pokémon Sun and Moon are great games that take X/Y's base and create a vivid new world with its own special culture and unique features.

The new virtual world of Ainground is just a regular VR game. And this is Hollow Realization's core problem: there is absolutely no motivation to push forward in the game. Kirito and his harem of stereotypes adventure far and wide, but often with no discernable purpose.

With Phantom Brave, NIS was still getting into its SRPG stride and took some chances with both story and gameplay elements rather than milking the success of Disgaea. The more serious, less goofy attempt at narrative falls short, but the unique gameplay elements make this a fun and addicting SRPG in its own right. The PC port of this little gem is worth checking out even if you're not a hardcore NIS fan, particularly if you're looking for an SRPG that offers something just a little different.

If you’re looking for an introduction to isometric RPGs Ember might be the game for you, but if you’re looking for a deeper, more memorable experience, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Filled with quirkiness, wonder, and exploration, Burly Men at Sea is certainly a niche game targeted more towards children and adults who want to be kids again. Not everyone will find it a pleasant journey, but I suspect more will be surprised by its charm than not — even if it does not last.

Xanadu Next is a strong experience from start to finish, and a humble little game that shouldn't be ignored.

Ultimately, Darksiders is a solid action-adventure title, the likes of which we don't see often nowadays. The Warmastered Edition, however, is a disappointingly lackluster re-release, with a number of bugs that weren't present in the original release that serve to hinder the experience. As a series fan, I hope that THQ Nordic eventually releases a patch to address these problems, because the tantalizing possibility of a Darksiders 3 involving all four Horsemen of the Apocalypse theoretically rests on the success of these remasters… but aside from all that, Darksiders is a good enough game to deserve the extra tender love and care.

With a fresh combat system and a lovable cast, Final Fantasy XV excels at its goal of being a title for both fans and newcomers alike.


Even the most hardcore visual novel fan is going to be hard pressed to find enjoyment with this unsatisfying mystery adventure.

While lacking in the traditional gameplay department, if Tyranny is approached as an interactive adventure title with fascinating choices, it will surely satisfy. I'm eager to thrust myself back into the world, perhaps with a more magnanimous bent, if Obsidian will allow.

If you enjoy visual novels, then I can highly recommend Code: Realize. There's a delightful cast of characters to meet, an interesting story to experience and beautiful visuals to take in. The plot rushes over details that could use better explanation, but there are plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting. The dialogue is well written and I enjoyed my time with it from beginning to end. Even if you normally shy away from an otome game, do yourself a favour and pick this one up.

It's not exactly Sticker Star, but the change isn't necessarily for the better. Still, despite its flaws, there is fun to be had here.

If Kokurase were a person, I would heartily say that senpai has noticed you. I had a great time with the first episode and want to experience more of the misadventures of Kokurase/Cupid's Helpers. If you enjoy wacky anime hijinks with a quirky cast of characters and lovely music, give this game a shot, especially since the first episode is free.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition offers wonderful escapism and plenty of bang for your buck—provided you’ve never played it before.

Exist Archive is proof you can sometimes have too much of a good thing, and doesn't have enough unique ideas of its own to stand out.

Sure, there's some problems here and there that could use some tuning, but DQB is one of the most interesting and unique titles I've played in a long time.

The Silver Case's uncanny brand of Erotic Grotesque Nonsense absolutely isn't for everyone, but those willing to penetrate its deliberately obtuse shell will find a deeply thoughtful mystery.

I like Corpse Party a lot, just not as a game. Its strong storyline and polished aesthetics would have made it a great visual novel, but the clunky gameplay drags it down from being great to just good. Gameplay is the be all and end all of any game that isn't a visual novel/graphic adventure after all, and in that regard, Corpse Party is a disappointing experience.

Yo-Kai Watch was never about combat even from the onset, yet lighthearted scenarios that parody the mundaneness of life or silly little mini-game diversions can only carry a meaty 30-hour RPG so far. Until Level-5 can figure out how to make the battle system something more than an unwieldy, AI-controlled mess of ghost cats and otherworldly misfits, it seems like Yo-Kai Watch will have to settle with being one of those niche "big in Japan, and Japan alone" fads.

Ultimately, though, I have incredibly mixed feelings about Yo-Kai Watch 2. On one hand, I really wanted to love it because it channels the more outlandish elements of the TV series incredibly well, but I also can't shake the feeling that Yo-Kai Watch 2 is more of a glorified expansion rather than a true sequel.

It's difficult for me to recommend Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors for two reasons. One: as far as RPGs go, there are far more robust RPGs available that offer more satisfying questing experiences. Two: with regard to "sexytime" games, there are plenty of dedicated eroge (translated in English to boot) out there to more deeply fulfill any extreme fetish desires you may have. That being said, this sleazy game certainly had a visceral effect on me and actually had me contemplating the contradictory aspects of myself. However, this experience taught me that my inner monster decidedly prefers the taste of Cannibal Corpse to Criminal Girls.

At the end of the day, I clearly have some complaints about Day of the Tentacle Remastered, but please don't take them as a damning indictment of the game as a whole. It was fun in 1993, and it's fun in 2016, even if you do have to deal with a few frustrating puzzles and controls that aren't the best they could be.

I wanted to like Tokyo Babel so much. I'll admit I haven't seen every ending, but while I really liked the concept and the ideas behind the narrative, I just couldn't bring myself to spend a few more hours trawling through pages of text with a group of characters I hardly cared about.

Episode 3 has been my favorite so far, to the point that I'm somewhat doubtful that Telltale can top it with either of the remaining installments. The bar has been set high this time around, with a perfectly paced plot and just the right balance between action and narrative. My only real complaint concerns a reveal that comes right at the end of the episode.

Evaluating World of Final Fantasy as a complete package feels a little strange because its target audience is so ambiguous. I've been playing Final Fantasy for the majority of my life, and yet it's almost as if WoFF has no idea how to appeal to me as a longtime fan. I love the series for a multitude of reasons, but WoFF's fanservice feels cheap, and does disservice to the original works it references.

Only for the most devoted roguelike fans who want a quick fix.

With a lengthy adventure full of memorable story moments, Dragon Quest VII deserves a spot in every 3DS owner's library.

In a narrative sense, Act IV is most likely the calm before the storm in Act V, and falls perfectly in line with the five-act structure often used to analyze Shakespeare (the section of falling action). The best adventures are ones where the location — physically and mentally — one begins and where one ends up are shockingly, violently different. Kentucky Route Zero embodies this notion as the characters (and the player) disappear into the night.

Virginia is an intensely intimate, powerful and thought-provoking experience masquerading as an homage to supernatural detective thrillers, and it is one of the most important games of 2016.

I feel a little cheated by the quick ending, which I suppose hints at a glimmer of enjoyment.

Part 4 dismantles the player's reliance on rewinding and introduces a debatably better mechanic in its place. Without the revive feature, it would be difficult to complete the game by simply selective rewinding, and I'm glad they decided against it. With so many more creative puzzles and tricky events to resolve, Sorcery! Part 4 definitely provides a resounding finale to the series.

Much like Psycho-Pass: The Movie, Mandatory Happiness is a slightly disposable, yet ultimately enjoyable look at another facet of the Psycho-Pass universe.

My final score would have been considerably higher had the game ended when it was first given the opportunity.

Episode 2 improves on its predecessor in terms of plot and pacing as well as offering a potentially MAJOR fork in it's story, though how true this statement is remains to be determined by future installments.

If you’re looking for a game that pulls you in for the long haul, Muv-Luv is the game for you.

It certainly has its unique charm.

Competent, yet forgettable.

Even though Mankind Divided's story doesn't quite reach the same heights as its predecessor, the overall package is still an undeniably strong follow-up to one of the best cyberpunk RPGs of the past decade.

A little more love could've made Mandatory Happiness an essential visual novel, but as it stands, it's still a pretty good cyberpunk adventure.

Cold Steel II is staunchly traditional in most ways but also exceptionally attentive to all of the details that make classic, story-driven RPGs so wonderful when they're done right.

It's hard not to be charmed by OZMAFIA!!'s out-there concept and larger-than-life characters. It's got a beauty contest in which you compete against a sunhat-clad duck, for goodness' sake.

The Eyes of Ara succeeds in providing just the right balance of difficulty in its puzzles while expertly weaving them into the environment.

On its own, Neverwinter is a very solid and very enjoyable MMO — with its free price point, there's no reason that you shouldn't be giving it a chance.

It's certainly an acquired taste, but I can't think of a better experience I've had with a handheld in a long time. Shiren the Wanderer is an early contender for my overall game of the year, and it's going to take a lot to pull me out of the dungeon.

A documentary in game form that allows the player to experience historical events authentically in a way no film could.

Oxenfree is an extremely well put-together horror game from a new developer, and one that I can find very little fault with. Night School Studios might just be 2016's class valedictorians, and any fan of Telltale games and suspense fiction simply must give this one a go.

A slow start to what will hopefully be a memorable series. Casual fans of Batman and/or the genre should be pleased.

Blyts' first graphic adventure holds immense promise for the future.

Although still intended for kids, the plot is more satisfying for all ages.

Ara Fell is a solid example of what RPGMaker games can be, and while it never wows it's certainly a lot of fun.

A brief, somber, and quietly beautiful journey that occasionally stumbles to resonate emotionally.

Dark Fear is an intriguing yet frustrating horror adventure that delivers on the aesthetics but needs work on its substance.

Whether or not it was intentional, The Technomancer has the charm of a thoroughly enjoyable SyFy Channel original series; it’s pretty cheesy, but it’s also entertaining.

Adventures of Mana is nostalgic in the best way possible, offering you a solid adventure, clever puzzles, and a breathtaking soundtrack.

Zero Time Dilemma is the weakest entry in the series but still worth a gander to find out how it all ends/begins/continues.

Magical Eyes isn't the worst visual novel on Steam by far, but there's plenty more out there that are more deserving of your time.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD rewards those who are dedicated to its unique brand of role-playing and feeds the rest to the dragons.

Bland ancillary elements can't derail Grand Kingdom's razor-sharp focus on inventive tactics gameplay.

The Banner Saga 2 is a superb tactical RPG, standing shoulder to shoulder with the best that the genre has to offer.

If you ever wanted a partner who is willing to do everything to make you happy, ignoring their own happiness, this is a sob story for you.

Blood and Wine isn't going to change anyone's mind about Wild Hunt, and that's both a blessing and a curse. The new story content is a bit drab, but it is more adventuring with everyone's favorite monster slayer.

Between its endless backtracking, lengthy, unskippable cutscenes and space battles in which nothing happens, this feels like a five hour game that was padded out to five-times its length, with some ridiculous cleavage grafted onto it in an attempt to distract. Integrity and Faithlessness is not a game that respects or deserves your time, and perhaps Star Ocean is a series that's ready to be jettisoned from the airlock.

Whether you prefer your RPGing in single-player, multiplayer, or both, there's something for everyone to enjoy in Grand Kingdom.

Sometimes brutal, but always fun, Overfall will give you hours worth of roguelite enjoyment.

Idol enthusiasts will ascend to J-pop nirvana, while the rest of us will find TMS to be a perfect appetizer to tide us over until Persona 5.

Chapters is a solid game, but the gameplay rarely engages and the ending of the story leaves too much unsaid. Still, there is plenty of intrigue and a fantastic cast of characters driven by a superb script and delightful voice acting.

Anima: Gate of Memories is a game filled with potential that it generally fails to execute.

Minecraft: Story Mode continues to make strides toward a respectable gaming experience for its targeted audience.

Not the jump forward I was expecting for this series, but a light and entertaining RPG nonetheless.

Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir shows what is possible when a grand idea is not hampered by hardware limitations.

A walking simulator-esque introspective visit into a young man's life.

A quirky and fun adventure that could go far with a few little tweaks.

A ridiculously compelling opening that turns into a tragic waste of potential.

Still, Part 3 contains all the elements that not only make Part 1 & 2 great, but also the essence of choose your own adventures, albeit twisted in further permutations. Fans of the genre should definitely proceed down this path.

Combine the combat enmeshed with the story and the sense of place – this world feels like it exists in a history book somewhere – and Banner Saga 2 deftly carries on the sigil of the first title.

Conquest is very lucky that its gameplay and localization are so excellent, because its tired story leaves much to be desired.

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered polishes up one of the best strategy games in recent memory and brings it to a new console.

Truly, Grim Dawn represents the modern gamer's slot machine, where three cherries are a set item drop and three 7's are a jackpot of a story that never comes to fruition.

A fairly brief game that's worth the time to play, but only if you can find answers for when you get stuck.

Bravely Second redeems the worst sins of Bravely Default and is an entertaining homage to the classic turn-based RPGs of yesteryear.

The ultimate downfall of Michonne's tale is that the writers attempted to shoehorn what should have been a ten-hour narrative into three hours.

A short adventure worthy of the breezy gamer's attention — once multiplayer is fixed.

If you enjoy action RPGs and seeing the different ways a story can play out based on your experience, Stories: The Path of Destinies is an easy choice.

An excellent addition to the Souls series and a huge improvement on Dark Souls II.

Stranger of Sword City is a competent dungeon crawler with teeth.

While it starts off fun, Nights of Azure gets boring very quickly and never seems to fully utilize its array of other features.

A solid point-and-click which is a worthwhile purchase for fans of the genre.

The simulation and visual novel elements are great, but the RPG elements are not.

Still a great Zelda game even if aspects of it haven't aged as well as others.

Although still intended for kids, the beginning promises more creativity.

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but Salt and Sanctuary is truly inspired.

In terms of quality versus quantity, Episode 2 doesn't improve upon Episode 1 in any regard other than artistic direction. In fact, any sort of wonder or anticipation is now completely gone, since the hope that Episode 1 might just be setting up some cool new direction for the series is lost now that we're two-thirds of the way through.