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.

I really wanted to like Shattered – Tale of the Forgotten King, and there are definitely aspects of this game that are praiseworthy, but it wore me down through the constant repetition of fighting the same enemies with the same tactics and the frequent feeling of not knowing where exactly I was or where I was supposed to go. I’m sure there’s more to discover than I did by the time I found my way to a bad ending and the closing credits, but I don’t think I’ll be able to bring myself to dive back in and uncover it.

While Half Past Fate is pleasant, that's really all it has going for it. There's nothing bad about it, but it just doesn't do anything to stand out. I'm always excited to see more diverse protagonists and better representation in video games, but I also want to be engaged by the characters and world through writing and gameplay. The fact that Half Past Fate fails to make any of these things consistently interesting is disappointing.

A slightly below average game tarnished by bugs and glitches to the point where it simply can't be recommended.

I found it addicting when I first played it, and even praised it. Looking back now, it's just a mediocre game with a few redeeming qualities, and too much repetition.

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.

If this game gets patched up enough to render it seamlessly playable, then I would give it another go. But as it currently stands, the game is a challenge for all the wrong reasons, stemming largely from it's crippling system failures.

In the end, The Silver Case oozes style yet completely fails to deliver in substance. It has the bones of an interesting story with an intriguing setting that's never fully explored, but it trips over itself through disjointed narrative that is more tell than show. It may be tempting to attribute this to some deliberate attempt at abstract absurdism, but in truth it's simply a poorly written and executed script. Fans of Suda51 may very well find something to love in The Silver Case's erratic weirdness, but those with a passing interest or who are in search of an engaging visual novel would be better served looking elsewhere.

Probably best reserved for the most diehard fans, but even they should enter with caution.

If the combat and overall gameplay needed an upgrade, they’re in a good spot, but the lacking story is still the most significant issue. Perhaps the developers have learned something from this exercise and Metal Max: Wild West will be the post-apocalyptic RPG of this generation. But for now, Metal Max Xeno Reborn demonstrates that simply slapping the word “Reborn” on a troubled game doesn’t automatically transform it into a masterpiece.

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.

Good for a lighthearted, zany adventure.

At a final length of about six to eight hours, Penny Arcade Episode 3 is a decent value for the money, as long as you keep your expectations in check.

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.

What the developer was trying to do here feels on the cusp of something grand. If different design decisions were made or the dialogue was fleshed out more – if the presentation was more powerful and aligned with the setting – then this could have easily been a positive commentary. Unfortunately, that's not what we got. The tragedy of the colony and its talented inhabitants could have been a story worth telling, but like the colonists that remain on the desolate planet, it's better left undiscovered.

While an improvement upon the series and as adequate a closure as Telltale could muster, Minecraft: Story Mode's finale can only ornament a dying tree. The good news is that the withered green is perennial and came to an early close.

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.

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

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.

The clumsiest Atelier title since Rorona, Atelier Firis lacks the heart, soul, and polish of its predecessors.

I think part of the problem with Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is that the first game was so good and all they had to do was copy the same design. Maybe the same people didn't work on this title, but it's offensively difficult with few options. Difficult games are fine; in fact, I celebrate difficult games. Unfortunately, without giving tools or proper agency, CotM2 deserves as much respect as it gave me, the player. Unless you are the most die-hard classic gaming fan, I can't recommend this title. In fact, even then, buyer beware.

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.

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne attempts to appeal to both casual visual novel fans and Re:ZERO fans but ends up disappointing both. The macabre elements that Re:ZERO fans expect are all but absent, and the result is a dime-a-dozen visual novel that even casual genre fans would gloss over. That said, the interactive gameplay elements, though shallow, are welcome, and the English dub is par excellence. A single playthrough took me about 14 hours, and there is only one ending. However, clear data unlocks some amusing hidden scenarios, so a second playthrough isn’t a total repeat. TPoT is not a bad game, and I actually enjoyed my time with it, but its compromises and a lack of focus keep it from being a good Re:ZERO game.

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

I don't have too much more to say about this game: it's extremely short, with an incomprehensible plot and frustrating puzzles, but also has quite a bit of charm and a wonderfully gothic ambience. Because of this, I'd probably only recommend it to a hardcore fan of the Gothic Lolita style or Alice in Wonderland. I spent approximately $2 during a Steam sale to buy this title, as I generally enjoy the aesthetic; Alicemare was worth every penny, though not a whole lot more. Alas!

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.

Frankly, with the hundreds of other great JRPGs to play, it's hard for me to recommend spending the money and time to play this one

All-in-all Trinity Universe swims the seas of mediocrity. Whilst it's not a bad game, it doesn't try very hard to appeal to a large audience.

I simply cannot recommend Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York, because it's asking full price for what feels like half a game. I wanted to like this game because its graphics, sound, and general vibe reflect the kind of vampire story that appeals to me. Unfortunately, what I experienced was a massive heap of squandered potential that left me feeling cold and dead inside. I hate to say it, but Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York earns the dubious distinction of being my biggest disappointment from 2019.

The game feels broken at times and often gives the impression that the developers were rushed, or stopped caring halfway through. There also seems to be a lot of heart put into the game, but during several instances, the development feels blatantly careless.

Frankly, this is not a great visual novel. There definitely are noticeable flaws, and overall, the script needs one or two solid overhauls. But the game contains some potential, and it managed to hold some of my interest. While I cannot recommend Part 1 as a stand-alone entry, Perseverance may be able to reach its missed potential in Part 2.

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.

I always like to support indie developers and stand up for the little guy, but I can't when a product is as unsatisfying as The Curse of Slate Rock Manor. The one silver lining in this unsatisfying haunted house trip is the professional quality voice acting from non-professionals. But seriously, 125% completion in a mere two hours? Shallow plot and characters? Mismatched visual styles? No skin-crawling creeps or jump-out-of-your-seat startles? Sorry, I'm not buying it.

There are better visual novels and better RPGs out there than Fate/Extra, and with similar themes to boot, so skip this title and play The World Ends With You; Chaos Rings; or 9 Persons, 9 Hours, 9 Doors instead.

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.

So Disney published an RPG with some innovative mini-games utilizing the DS to its full extent. Unfortunately, the rest of the game was garbage.

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 I weren’t playing Robotics;Notes DaSH for review, I would have thrown in the towel on my relationship with the SciADV series about an hour in. The overstuffed run time mixed with the distasteful interactions with the cast leaves me leery of continuing the series. Of course, if Mages can get back to what they do well, with mind-bending plots and intriguing characters, they might get me back. Maybe.

Most of us, however, will find Two Worlds II boring, mindless, and dull, requiring (and consisting of) such little thought that it should have a warning label.

Most of us, however, will find Two Worlds II boring, mindless, and dull, requiring (and consisting of) such little thought that it should have a warning label.

While Episode 3 improves on Episode 2 in terms of plausibility and points of interest, this is likely due to the structure of the script, and less about any conscious improvements Telltale has made, especially with regard to how quickly they put out Episode 3.

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.

While Venetica is completely playable, I never would have beaten it without a review assignment. Gamers deserve a little more incentive than the bare pleasure of leveling up and hoarding loot to no real end. Even if that's your only ambition, there are much more attractive and fun venues for it. The developers seem to have infused Venetica with at least a portion of their hearts, and I hate to see passion so wasted. Then again, I could be wrong, and Venetica is the dreary result of pure industry.

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

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.

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

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.

Might & Magic Heroes VI's entire experience is driven by repetitious, mechanical tactics; it should be reserved for those with masochistic tendencies. The average gamer should definitely pass this up.

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…

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.

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.

Though quirky, The Cave took an opportunity to revive a beloved classic and squandered it. I have to wonder if Schafer and Gilbert were active participants in this game's development, because the final product does not match what the gaming community has come to expect from these original thinkers.

Layton Brothers: Mystery Room wants to be a point-and-click adventure game, but since you can never do anything incorrectly, it feels less like an adventure and more like a hidden object game.

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.

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.

Blue Reflection's combination of suggestive imagery with childish, performative femininity makes it difficult to ascertain just who its audience is meant to be; it reads like a game about women by someone who's never spoken to a woman before. In short, it's boring, unambitious, and in a year filled with outstanding RPGs, your time is best spent elsewhere.

Cyanide obviously care very much for the source material, and their earnest desire to do right by the Sisyphean task of a celebratory Lovecraft adaptation is hard to fault. I may have struggled with the poor stealth segments, but I did feel compelled by its campy cast and cosmic intrigue to see the game through to completion — something that can't be said of Infogrames' or Bethesda's attempts. Cyanide's take on Call of Cthulhu is undoubtedly the best yet, for better or worse.

Valhalla Knights lacks soul.

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

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.

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.

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.

I was honestly really let down by The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, but it's not a terrible experience by any means. The artwork is really gorgeous and with a bit more work and in a different medium, I think the story can be enjoyed by many. As it is now, though, Liar Princess is an easily forgettable experience. As an experiment from Nippon Ichi, it's definitely different and more appealing than some of their other properties, but even style can't hide a lacklustre and undemanding bore.

A disappointing and boring fantasy romance game that has potential but fails to fulfill the most basic expectations of a visual novel.

I don’t ever want to be frustrated or overwhelmed with a game like Alchemic Cutie, and I applaud the amount of content that’s available here, but it feels like this jar is jam-packed to the point where the glass is cracking. While other contemporaries offer a variety of activities that benefit your progression, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to carry on in Alchemic Cutie once you’ve beaten the story. Unless you really like that pink-coloured jelly with the bear ears and you want to keep them forever.

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.

That pervasive feeling of emptiness more or less encapsulates Egglia in a nutshell — er, eggshell. Lovely art and localization aside, it just feels like there isn't much game here. I have an aversion to mobile games precisely because so many are built around waiting for things to happen (or worse, paying money to make them happen faster). I hoped Egglia, backed by an experienced team of talented creators, might buck that trend. It doesn't. I was right to be wary.

The tired jokes, excessive grinding, high battle encounter rate, laborious progression, and unappealing graphics became unbearable after one weekend. I also have nothing to say about the utterly forgettable music and sound effects. A clever concept can only take a game so far, and unfortunately Healer's Quest lacks the accoutrements to rise beyond mediocrity.

Yet another game to add to the pile of mediocre, free-engine made RPGs.

While I can’t say I’m invested in Coop’s tired journey through his senior year in high school, I may be enticed enough to take the next episodes for a spin. But that would only be the case if the second half of Freakpocalypse maintains its quality in my memory. For all I know, I was lulled into a stupor or a kind of Stockholm Syndrome. One of the costs of reviewing for a site like RPGFan is that we try to finish every single game we review, and this one put me to the test.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters is pretty, but it's not the next Steins;Gate.

Wanderlust has few redeeming moments and is ultimately hard to recommend.

Episode 2 is a short, disappointing excursion into what's shaping up to be an arduous five-episode series. I can't decide if Episode 2 is worse than Episode 1, or if the formula is wearing on me already.

Fallen Legion has some innovative ideas that shake up the action RPG formula a bit, but the lackluster execution fails to capitalize on its promise.

The interminable length of the game, the halting progression, and the deluge of in-game items and resources caused me fall to my knees and wail to the heavens, "Is this necessary!?" Ultimately, Langrisser for mobile is utterly and thoroughly unnecessary.

There were a few times where I genuinely enjoyed Dissidia Final Fantasy NT — the online mode can be great, the game looks amazing, and I loved getting to grips with new characters. But at the same time, I've never come away from a game feeling as vexed and frustrated as I did with this one. I kept pushing through battles trying to find something to hook onto, something that I'd really fall in love with. This makes Dissidia NT an exasperating experience; so much of the game sounds good on paper, but in execution, it falls so far short that it left me feeling angry rather than satisfying the Final Fantasy and fighting game fan in me. If Square Enix are serious about making this truly competitive in the world of esports, they've got a long way to go to make this an enjoyable romp. I'm keeping my hopes up, but I'll be much more cautious if I return to battle.

Being a budget eShop title, Knights of Justice clocks in between 3-6 hours, but I'd had more than enough of it long before I completed its (incredibly frustrating) final battle. And that's a shame: I adore River City's cartoonish sprites and unique action RPG spin on the beat 'em up genre, and I genuinely enjoyed much of Knights of Justice's combat when I wasn't battling its inventory system or making up for lost time from unfair deaths. What could've been a breezy send-up is instead hampered by multiple terrible systems. Skip this one and wait for River City: Rival Showdown instead.

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

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.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like RPGFans are stuck waiting a little longer for a killer app on the Vita. Conceptually sound but riddled with technical flaws and a lack of polish, this game is a perfect example of the adage "good idea, bad execution."

I really, really wanted to love New Genesis. It has a solid and fun core, but the game fails to build on it and falls flat in the end. Those problems are compounded by the horrid lag and issues at launch, but what MMO doesn’t have issues at launch? I can’t totally fault them for it, but it seems they were unprepared. This game feels like it needed another 6 to 12 months in the oven before it was ready. In short, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is a potentially incredible and enjoyable MMO that is ruined by archaic gameplay systems, poor monetization practices, and a total lack of content. Hopefully, in the future, a lot of these things will be fixed, but at launch, New Genesis is what it is: a game released in 2021 that’s stuck in bad practices from 2012.

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.

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'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.

Conception II overrelies on eccentricity to mask its unexciting game mechanics.

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

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

An uninspired sequel that feels like it was rushed out the door.

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.

When I had heard about Crossworlds after sleuthing about on 1C's website, I couldn't wait for September. Now that I've played the game, I'm horrified. Was Armored Princess luck? I'd like not to think so, but if Crossworlds is any indication of the kind of work we can expect from future installments, I'll be dusting my Sega Genesis off for another go at nostalgia.

Cladun: This is an RPG certainly has novelty, but the novelty is not enough to overcome the game's shortcomings.

Don't go near this game.

For fans of Fairy Tail, I recommend turning on a podcast and smashing some monsters with your favourite Fairy Tail characters while filling up various experience bars. Not a fan of Fairy Tail? Then I don’t see much to keep you around. Some of Gust’s charm and design comes through, but not enough to make the game stand on its own. The story is likely to be almost incomprehensible without prior knowledge, and corners are cut in all aspects, from the environments and quests to the combat. I enjoyed my time with Fairy Tail less than I thought I would, but I sincerely hope Gust gets another chance at making a licensed RPG, just without all the budget cuts.

Unfortunately, I simply can’t recommend Chinatown Detective Agency. I wanted to love it, the premise is up my alley, and the setting immediately won me over. But it’s so bogged down by technical issues and design decisions that I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Amira’s a likable protagonist, and some of the puzzles will stick with me, but the problems eclipsed any enjoyment I could have experienced.

D3 struck gold once, which is fantastic. Aside from the titans of the gaming industry, many developers have trouble creating a truly innovative title that's also good, old-fashioned fun. That was Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. However, after two major mistakes with what's essentially the same design, one has to wonder if they should throw in the towel on this franchise.

While it is the strongest version of The Caligula Effect, it is hard to recommend Overdose to anyone but the most hardcore of fans given its flaws.

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.

Perhaps in the course of the nearly 30 hour romp I had through Final Fantasy II, I missed some mystical item that magically makes the game fun and so I was never able to actually appreciate the full worth of the game.