None of the bland gameplay is helped by the fact that the controls feel sluggish overall.

The game looks pretty yet cheap in places, but the simple presentation is easy to digest, especially with the sometimes-deeper concepts addressed in the story. I may not be the right audience for this, but as I watch my daughter delight in playing, it is easy to take a page from the story and appreciate the title for what it is instead of what it is not. Despite all of its issues, it is oddly delightful to spend a day playing in the old LDC helping friends, cooking new recipes, or exploring with a dragon!

Only recommended for the type of people who devour anything from Japan, regardless of quality.

There isn't much here that has not already been done in Japanese RPGs before and if you keep up with the Naruto manga or anime, there is nothing you haven't already read or watched before.

While Calico‘s current state is vastly improved from its initial release thanks to these patches, its initial launch state can’t just be swept under the rug. But the continued effort to improve the game, combined with its welcoming, comforting, and charming nature shining through these unpleasant mats of fur, makes it clear that Peachy Keen Games is a developer with a lot of potential — and I can’t wait to see what they can do in the future with more experience.

While I didn't have huge expectations for Destiny Connect, I feel like the game has settled for simply being average. For a sub-15 hour RPG, revisiting the same places over and over again while posing no challenge struggled to hold my attention for even a third of the time, and the charming art is severely let down by the Switch version's quality. There are so many better examples of beginner RPGs out there that allow kids to customise and experiment much more and give them a robust world to explore. Think Fantasy Life on the 3DS, or any Pokémon game, and you've already got something much more engaging and exciting.

What could have been a gem among point-and-click adventures fails to rise above mediocrity despite its fantastic visuals.

In the end, though, I give Spiders credit for their work on Faery: Legends of Avalon. If they maintain the quality music and dialogue from the game, improve the plot, and fix the controls and world maps, they'll have a decent game on their hands, worth the 1200 MS points. In that case, pick up the first episode of the series. Otherwise, your money is better spent elsewhere.

Since the in-game graphics are weak, and the music is bland, the only chance this game has to win fans is its gameplay.

While part of the fun is in exploration, I just found it very difficult to figure anything out. Add to that a translation that is at times pretty bad and, at points, incomplete (parts of text are just cut off and missing), and you have a game not worth a purchase.

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a game with great promise but poor-to-mediocre performance, depending on your affinity for action-oriented loot hunting and patience for AI and other technical shortcomings that should have been nipped in beta. But with promise comes optimism; Tuque Games has a robust DLC and expansion roadmap planned, so its continued investment in the game could lead to patches ameliorating my gripes. If it does, you’ll find that Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance reaches the lofty heights of its renowned spiritual predecessors. But if Tuque Games neglects these issues, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance will remain a fun but prohibitively frustrating game I can recommend to series devotees and few others.

Deep Labyrinth is every generic action-RPG you've ever played overlaid with what is quite possibly one of the worst control schemes in any DS game.

Mugen Souls Z represents a valiant effort and shows bounding improvements over its predecessor.

This all goes to show that eye candy and excellent music mean nothing if everything else is weak.

Competent, yet forgettable.

Although this game reminded me of plastic people fighting to the death in stiff, catatonic glory, the nostalgia didn't make up for the game's oversimplification of the strategy RPG genre. When compared to games made as far back as 1998, Disciples III simply falls flat on its face.

A welcome enhancement to a BioWare classic that is worth revisiting if you can see past its aged look, but consoles may not be the best format.

While The Council's meager finale is indicative of its inability to meet the lofty expectations it set for itself early on, there's still a lot to like for fans of the genre. Your acceptance and enjoyment of the story's twists and shoddy lore will determine just how much you like it, though.

Once again, I find myself disappointed in a Neptunia spin-off. I always appreciate Compile Heart trying different things with the series, but many don’t turn out well. I have a sudden urge to replay Producing Perfection, the other game in which the CPUs become idols. At least that game was over in three hours and had a lot of fun moments. The terrible combat ruined most of Neptunia Virtual Stars for me, and when I’m not enjoying a Neptunia game, it just makes me sad. The wait for another good Neptunia spin-off continues…

Even with the dime-a-dozen characters and plot, it was still an enjoyable romp on the PSP.

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.

If you have shunned Idea Factory RPGs in the past and/or found the previous Agarest War titles a chore to play, this one's marked improvement may sway you slightly. I recommend at least giving Record of Agarest War 2 a rental because it shows that Idea Factory has the potential to create good stuff.

If you enjoy grinding to unlock classes, and the experience of playing as different classes is more important to you than random loot drops, you could very well have a lot of fun with this game.

There's potential for a fine adventure clutched within ICY's frosty embrace, and a little more time and care could've made this memorable. As it stands, it just feels broken.

It's an action RPG from Spiders: awkward, sloppy, and too small for its own good, but entertaining enough for what it is.

It's fun, but incredibly flawed. As long as it's taken as such, fans of the adventure genre will probably have fun playing it like I did.

With companies like XSEED offering higher quality localizations at the exact same price point, there is absolutely no excuse for the abominable work done here by UFO.

All in all, Half Past Fate: Romantic Distancing is a title that doesn’t do anything wrong in its gameplay or story presentation. Truth be told, it is really only hampered by its brief duration. If you’re looking for a shorter diversionary title with an emphasis on romance development that doesn’t ignore the pandemic experience we’ve all been going through, you might want to look into this cute episodic adventure. Like most rom-coms though, don’t expect it to be insanely memorable afterward.

I did not enjoy playing Hoshigami: Remix. I did not find it fun. I found it irritating, monotonous, and cruel.

Creeping Terror feels like your typical horror movie that one would watch to get a cheap, quick scare but proceed to forget about once it's over.

There are plenty of superior RPGs available, and if you want to see sexy Japanese cartoons, the internet is always there for you.

It's a good game, but not an amazing one, mostly because it's more complicated than it needs to be.

Faith in Destiny is not a good game, and I could not recommend it to anyone.

The people at Muteki Corp. made a game they and their fans would enjoy and there is definitely an audience for it. Unfortunately for anyone else, Dragon Fantasy Book II is often broken, and when it does work, it never transcends being derivative.

So in the final analysis, Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom takes a bunch of decently designed aspects and mangles them into an unfun experience.

If you like a straightforward plot and don't mind Lovecraftian-like animations.

Flower, Sun, and Rain is barely a video game at all. Calling it such is almost too high of praise for a blemish such as this. FSR manages to fail in almost every way, and so completely does it fail that I could scarcely finish half of the adventure.

A finale built for fans that will be hard for newcomers to enjoy.

Rise of the Argonauts is not unplayable. It's just mediocre and marred by countless careless mistakes born out of a lack of inspiration and passion for the product.

I can’t say I was compelled to explore the board with every single character, nor was I enamoured with the story or the writing. If anything, I felt a bit weird playing this after V3. And while the main games are rarely longer than 30 hours, I can see people grinding forever just to get something satisfying out of Danganronpa S. Unless you’re a hardcore fan, I don’t think it’s worth it. But if you’re picking up Danganronpa Decadence, it might be worth a peek.

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.

The Princess Guide could have been so much more if there had been more effort put into it. Instead, we have a mess of a game that needed more time in the oven. My instincts as an Instructor are telling me to ride off into the sunset, leaving this game to its own problems.

Valhalla Knights lacks soul.

Overall, SolSeraph is a huge letdown. It's the lack of variety, the terrible platforming levels, and the forgettable building sections and music that makes the game so frustrating and dull. Given the promise of an ActRaiser successor, I was really excited to see what new stuff ACE Team would bring to the table, but the answer is absolutely nothing. In the process, they've managed to strip away the magic of what made the SNES classic so fun, while doing nothing to evolve or develop the formula. Despite this huge misstep, I really hope we do get a solid ActRaiser-inspired game in the near future.

What's frustrating about Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is that it's a game with a good concept and a battle system that has the potential to be fantastic if refined. What it ends up being, though, is a game with the smallest bit of quality at its core, surrounded by a suite of atrociously subpar elements.

A noble attempt to do something unique in the strategy RPG space that won't appeal to most players.

I can sum up Ragnarok DS in one word: mediocre.

Unfortunately, its few shining points are obscured by a massive dark cloud of flaws. I loved the visual design and the gameplay elements that required me to think a little differently. An RPG I can’t just play on autopilot is certainly intriguing. Sadly, the game’s faults are just too numerous for me to wave off. Try before you buy is the order of the day with The Revenant Prince, so I urge anyone interested in the game to take the available demo for a thorough test drive before committing.

Lord of Arcana, at its core, is a solid title with lots of potential.

It isn’t yet retirement time for the Blade Runner game, but as enhanced versions go, this one takes a solid game and sadly weakens it, much like a Replicant’s limited timespan tragically does to them.

Realms of Ancient Wars is a game. It's not particularly buggy and it's far more playable than last year's Daggerdale debauchery– in fact, you may even enjoy it for a piece of brainless weekend entertainment. But that's it, completely. It's a game. There's nothing memorable about it and you'll likely finish it and forget about it just as quickly as I have. You might pick it up if you can't find something else to play, but that seems unlikely given the flood of similar, better releases.

I really came into this game wanting to like it. As I said in my preview of the alpha version, it showed promise. That promise just never seems to be realized in the final version of the game.

Warriors of the Lost Empire is a game you'll want to like, but only hardcore fans of the hack & slash genre will have a very easy time forgiving its flaws.

Cing produced two of the DS's finest adventure games with Trace Memory and Hotel Dusk: Room 215, but AGAIN was just "meh." It's not a bad game, but it's not great either.

I keep a list of RPGs I want to play, or think I should play, or have to play for the sake of writing a review. Cross Edge was right on the bottom "edge" of the list. Now, I happily "cross" it off the list.

I would love to say that Game of Thrones is a great introduction to George R. R. Martin's world, but that simply isn't the truth. There are quite a few references to A Song of Ice and Fire and only those who are already fans of the series will get a significant amount of joy out of this title. Solid combat and interesting gameplay systems prevent it from being a licensed throwaway, but don't expect a gaming masterpiece if you're not already rooting for one of the lords of the Seven Kingdoms.

Fallout 76 is an underwhelming and disappointing mess, but may have the potential for greatness if Bethesda chooses to support it long-term.

The developers clearly put a lot of love into this game, and in my opinion, it paid off. I spent 40 to 50 very enjoyable hours with Alien Syndrome, and am several hours in with a second character.

At its core, Gomo is best suited for young adventurers who lack the experience to take on badder aliens and higher ransoms.

All-in-all, A Witch's Tale is not only just average aesthetically, but absolutely destroyed by one of the worst battle systems I've encountered in a long time.

If you've already beaten every DS RPG to date and you have plenty of money, then buy this one. If you're into repetitive dungeon-crawling and repetitive fighting to level monsters who are much less interesting than their franchise-based rivals (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh), then give this title a play.

The sad thing is, there are glimmers of something better. The four main characters have the potential to be appealing, with interesting backstories and some good interaction between them. This is aided by some competent performances by their respective voice actors, although undercut by the messy translation. There is a grandeur hiding behind the failure, like finding the gilt edges on some faded theatrical scenery. For all my displeasure, I would like to see this studio approach similar subject matter again, but this time with more respect for the audience. It would take some serious persuasion to bring me back into the fold. I cannot see that happening for a very, very long time.

With more than forty hours of gameplay, a "versus" mode for you to battle friends, and a difficulty that is stout, Valhalla Knights 2 is one of the best buys you're likely to find on the PSP for quite some time.

The gameplay can be cheap, but it does have a good degree of challenge. Technical aspects are weak, but there is some style going for it.

Pretty much everything in Loop8 boils down to building up your stats past an arbitrary barrier by looping and repeating the same dull, boring conversations and tasks ad nauseum. The characters are tropey and uninteresting, the unique premise is squandered by disjointed storytelling, and the combat is devoid of strategy or depth. The only positive thing I can commend the game for is the visuals, which feature a nice mix of detailed 3D models and lovingly crafted 2D background elements. They really nailed the look of an 80’s Japanese island town, but the actual game is such a chore to play that I can’t recommend it to anyone. Spend your summer somewhere other than Ashihara.

In a word: yuck.

Lux-Pain is a decent, and quite lengthy, visual novel for the DS, although it does come with some stipulations. If you prefer your stories completely spoon-fed to you and are averse to digging through database menus to read backstories about everything, then Lux-Pain may not be the right choice for you.

Only an absolute die hard of the genre or the series will enjoy this.

While Epanalepsis succeeds at being thought provoking, most players will be left feeling empty, even after multiple playthroughs.

Since there is no dynamic gameplay to fall back on, the visual novel genre is driven 95% by story, and the stories were below average in this game.

Uninspired slop. MKA had quite a bit of promise, and we were extremely excited to play the game based on interviews with the staff members, but issues with the control scheme and gameplay functionality killed what we were hoping would come about in Mage Knight: Apocalypse.

One of the worst RPG experiences on the PSP, and one of the worst RPGs of the past few years. The terrible story, bland battle system, and the atrocious load times and slow down makes this Strategy RPG unbearable. And because of this, Spectral Souls is like eating your grandmother's fruitcake. It looks appetizing on the outside, but as you put it into your mouth, it's stale and hard to swallow.

In the end, Daggerdale is a passable hack and slash that seems like it needed another few months in the oven before release.

Zoids Assault is a bland, uninspiring game that will keep the interest of very few gamers after the first battle or two.

The game is obviously not Harvest Moon as we know it or even a "real" Harvest Moon game, but even when taken on its own merits and values, it's simply a throwaway game.

Don't go near this game.

There's not much I can say about Arc of Alchemist given its short runtime; there's just not a lot for me to work with. It's a very mediocre game with few redeeming qualities. Compile Heart is toying with my feelings once again.

Operation Darkness isn't so bad as to be unplayable, but it gives no motivation for the completion of more than a few hours of play.

InuYasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel is a dud.

Did I enjoy being scared? Yeah, I did. I don’t understand people who watch a horror movie, laugh at it the whole time, and then talk about how the movie just wasn’t scary. If you allow yourself to be scared, this game creates some reliable tension. Unfortunately, the entire premise is essentially the theft of what Hideo Kojima’s team created, and nothing is built on top of that. As if the mind-shatteringly awful ending wasn’t bad enough, the final achievement is titled “See the names of Gods.” This is awarded for seeing the credits. I’m just going to leave that there and let you finish my final thoughts on your own.

Often, even if a game is flawed, there will still be an audience who can appreciate what it has to offer and look past its flaws. I would be hard-pressed to identify any such audience for Agarest: Generations of War.

With so many high-quality mainstream and indie titles on the gaming landscape this season, PSP RPG players would be best advised to skip Mimana Iyar Chronicle in favor of something better like Valkyria Chronicles 2 or Hexyz Force.

All in all, it's decent to play, and Compile Heart is trying to improve, but they need more common sense in refining basic gameplay elements.

I'll admit, the game did grow on me and I actually liked it more than I expected to for its 19 hour duration, but it is not a game I can recommend at full price; especially with so many better and higher profile titles releasing this season. That being said, if you find Last Rebellion for $12 or less in the bargain bin, it's not a terrible purchase.

There was nothing fun, enjoyable, or remotely redeeming about this game at all. The experience was akin to having a root canal.

I can see no reason why anyone would want to play this game to completion. In its present form, the game is terrible.

Stay very far away from this port. Virtually any other port will do, but not this one.

Only recommended for those who read this review and still want to buy the game anyway.

Time & Eternity is by far one of the worst RPGs I have ever played, and even when accounting for different tastes, I cannot recommend it to anyone. At best, a select few may enjoy the game's sense of humor, but I'm convinced that the gameplay is so broken that almost anyone will regret purchasing this game.

If Arcania: The Complete Tale is a product, then it's a worthless one, the sort of game a hundred monkeys sitting at a hundred PCs might create if given enough time. I've rarely encountered a game with such disregard for the power of the human imagination, and I hope no one encourages this by playing Arcania: The Complete Tale.

Do yourself a favor, pass on the PSP port of this game and go find a copy of the PS2 version. Mana Khemia is a cute, enjoyable game - just not on the PSP.

Aethereus isn't about the story, the graphics, or the music; it's about gameplay. I won't fault Aethereus for not being something other than what it tries to be, but with questing this anonymous and combat this dysfunctional, I can't recommend it to anyone.

A very rough attempt at a survival stealth game that squanders an exciting setting and intriguing cast of characters.

A broken 3D graphic adventure.

Concluding thoughts: you have to be feeling starved for an RPG on the Wii to want to play this game.

A great RPG at a great price.

If you played the original, this installment will often feel like more of the same, but with the original MUA being so great, even those times are a lot of fun.

I liked the game, and I think it's worth a look, but it may not be for everyone. Try the demo for yourself and see if it's right for you.