PSP owners who want a solid, fun, long-lasting, no-nonsense, traditional turn-based RPG will be served quite well with Crimson Gem Saga.

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

I could go on and on about all of the other bells and whistles, like the importance of spending multitools wisely at upgrade terminals, the incredible procedural generation of the levels and enemies, the more than a dozen modes to play, all of the in-game achievements to earn, and the plentiful secrets, but those are best discovered when you buy this game. If you’ve got a strategic bone in your body, you have to buy this. Go, buy it now. It’s $25 at full price, which might as well be an act of charity considering the quantity and quality of what you’re getting.

After a rocky start, Tales of the Abyss proved to be a truly enjoyable game; possibly the best in the series so far, and a contender in my book for game of the year.

There is primarily great content in Eastward for its low price, and it serves to scratch a lot of itches with its varied inspirations. It’s not without stumbles, but it is an easy recommendation for fans of not just Earthbound, Zelda, or Mario & Luigi, but RPGs in general. Pick it up, have a blast, maybe shed some tears, and spread the word: Eastward is something special.

An excellent opportunity for those who loved the original to play it again, but newbies will need the patience of a saint to survive the complexity of its gameplay.

If you like that neo-Gothic, dark Victorian setting, contrasting grays and sepia with rich, saturated color, you will likely adore this "psychedelic" game. But given the choice, I would recommend checking out Ashen Hawk before Black Butterfly, as the other title doesn't rely on amnesia to weave a tale.

Even though this is not the definitive strategy RPG of our time, like some have labeled games such as Shining Force, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Disgaea, it's pretty damn close.

Disgaea 3 is a game that will last you a while, whether you just want to casually focus on the main story or go all out with post-game content. The fact that it's portable makes it well-suited to quickly pick up and play a level or two or spend a few minutes grinding away.

I can't really fault Duodecim for being what it is: a title that's meant to be played by longtime Final Fantasy fans who really just want to see all their favorite characters together. However, it's undeniable that the game is broken in many ways – incredibly uneven difficulty, obtuse systems, and control issues both in and outside of battle.

Rest assured, fans of the series will love Episode 4 and the constant punishment Telltale doles out to Clem. However, work still needs to be done if those who tell tales want to close the curtains with the same grandeur of Season 1.

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

Rune Factory 4 is a game I did not expect to like as much as I did, proving that it's nice to be wrong about things from time to time. Its addictive blend of farming, fighting, and friend-ing makes for a fun, lighthearted experience that's easy to get lost in for hours at a time.

I am absolutely shocked that such a potentially award-winning game falls short in so many ways. The core is there. The gameplay is there. If Nexon cared a bit more about the quality of the experience, this game would have lasting power.

A technically inferior version of the original Atelier Shallie, but its narrative additions are worth seeking out for hardcore fans.

Overall, Sympathy Kiss is an enjoyable otome experience targeting a demographic not often focused on when it comes to video games: adult women immersed in the workforce. Despite having issues with one story route being potentially triggering, I truly enjoyed the rest of the time I spent playing this game. The other character routes have lovely development! Those looking for a game to provide them with their slice-of-life romance fix should give Sympathy Kiss a chance!

Devil Survivor: Overclocked is a great expansion on an awesome game that offers hours and hours of quality strategy-RPG gameplay.

All in all, Mount and Blade: Warband is a great game, even despite its flaws. The overall concept is satisfying, and with a more heavyweight publisher behind the team at TaleWorlds, this is one game that could be absolutely great.

Eastshade is an original masterpiece that needs to be experienced by everyone at least once in their lifetime.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition shows its age when compared to recent Warriors games, but for Zelda fans, there is no better way to experience a Zelda crossover with your favourite characters.

Bad Apple Wars' lean tale of passionate teenage love in purgatory is, in a word, fine. But fine doesn't leave a lasting impression.

The story is tragic and hopeless at times, only to turn around and become hopeful and positive seconds later. The combat is exciting, and I never thought I would be so engaged with the DRPG subgenre after years of not clicking with it. It’s a game that I’m certainly glad that I played, but I do find it difficult to recommend without a few caveats. If you decide to take the dive, be prepared for a notable time investment.

Although not a negative experience, the drop in quality from Episode 1 can't be ignored.

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.

Date Everything! is more than the sum of its individual components. It may not have the best graphics, gameplay, control, or story, but the heart, soul, and addictiveness of Date Everything! cannot be codified into numerical scores and categories. Simply put, Date Everything! rocked my world more than I expected it to; I spent more time playing it than I care to admit. It’s not a game for everyone, but if it’s your cup of tea, you will drink it with gusto.

Long time fans will be pleased with this entry in the Ace Attorney series, and it's a quality game for newcomers as well, although it is not the best entry point for the series. It's definitely what I'd call fan service for those who have stuck by the series, and it's great that fan loyalty pays off for this game.

Shadows of Adam is clearly inspired by the classics but falls short of being a classic itself. The lovely gameplay, with its exceptional balance and enjoyable exploration, kept me engaged, despite the flaccid story and characters.

Piofiore: Fated Memories deserves to be up there with the other otome greats such as Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom and Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~. I would even dare to say, with the unique storytelling structure, nature of its subject matter, and mechanic-related plot twist near the end, it begins encroaching upon Zero Escape territory. Sadly, the comparative lack of quality control holds it back. The fact that the game is fantastic despite these glaring issues is a testament to how strong it is, but it would be wrong to turn a blind eye to these errors all the same. Just as peace in the city of Burlone is tragically built upon mafia-inflicted violence, Piofiore’s errors are a bloody stain on an otherwise pristine experience.

Minor gripes aside, Crown Trick surpassed my expectations and taught me much about what two of my favorite genres can achieve. Though the game is undoubtedly derivative of Hades and other recent roguelites, it establishes a character, charm, and gameplay style all its own that are genuinely standout. Its combat and progression systems are among the deepest and most satisfying I’ve encountered all year, and its turn-based mechanics instill its gameplay with a thoughtfulness I wish other roguelites would emulate. For delivering dozens of hours of the most engaging dungeon-crawling you may find this year, this game truly earns its crown.

Maybe more than any previous Soulsborne title, Elden Ring Nightreign is a game of learning, of trial and error. You run through Limveld again and again, and you figure out which methods work best for you, which places are worth going, and which approach is going to help you be most powerful for the final test. Long before you roll credits, though, you are almost certain to learn these lessons, go through the same tired routines over the same tired plains and landscapes while fighting the same tired enemies just to get wrecked by the final test if the RNG gods don’t favor you. It feels like you’re being forced to learn on someone else’s schedule, and while that works for a little while, eventually you want them to get on with the lesson and deliver some excellent boss fights without the long, repetitive road beforehand.

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.

Friends of Mineral Town has moments where certain features would have benefitted from further modern upgrades, but this is still a satisfying remake of the beloved classics.

Fortunately, Square Enix hasn't merely cashed in on the nostalgia, and has fired on all cylinders to provide these games with a loving upgrade at a outstanding price point.

Neither a very good Etrian game nor a very good Mystery Dungeon game.

As excellent a conclusion as we could hope for.

It's impossible to deny that Rune Factory 3 is the best entry in the series. It has improved in just about every area it possibly could: the battles are more dynamic, the farming isn't monotonous, the characters are deeper and more intriguing, and the dialogue is full of variety.

Lover Pretend is a fun, enjoyable slice-of-life narrative for romance fans with some pleasant character-driven story moments throughout its run. It’s an overall solid visual novel if that’s the kind you’re in the mood for, and it put a smile on my face more often than not when I was playing it. I’d recommend it to otome fans for that reason alone, as it adds another great VN in the sub-genre to the Switch’s already extensive lineup.

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.

If you're looking for fun, lighthearted RPG-ing with some laughs along the way, DeathSpank won't do you wrong.

Overall, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is a solid package, especially with an MSRP of $29.99. Even though it isn't the definitive version of the game, it is a solid way into the franchise and the best way to experience The After Years.

The game stands out among the crowd with its immediately eye-catching aesthetic and its roguelike mixture of tactics and horror. It’s an oppressive game that teaches the player through repeated failure, granting new insight to use in future encounters. The game’s mechanics may seem simple, but there is a beautifully crafted battle system with all the tools needed to beat the nightmarish enemies and bosses at their own game. While the roguelike elements add in some repetition and grind, I highly recommend Othercide to tactics fans looking for something different. If given proper time and attention, Othercide is an incredibly rewarding tactical RPG that will push players to their limits. It’s difficult and frustrating at times, but it all pays off in the end.

A Telltale-esque title set in suburban America that hints at maturity.

Despite all my complaints, I initially had fun with Dying Light 2. The first quarter of the game was engaging. I think if the rest of the game played like this, I would have way more positive things to say, but the fact is that it’s just not done. This is clearly an unfinished game mired in mismanagement. I don’t blame the developers at all; the leaders and executives behind this work are responsible. What works here is clean and well done, albeit with some boring AAA niceties. After the first quarter or so, though, the game absolutely falls apart in almost every respect. I’m sad for what was produced here, but if I’m being honest, I’m more sad that I invested nearly thirty hours of my own time into this. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

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.

It may sound like Rune Factory 2 is a worthless game, but that's only my tendency to focus on the negative, and it is especially frustrating because the developers made so many avoidable mistakes.

An enjoyable and short-ish adventure game, Whispers of a Machine is well worth a thoughtful playthrough.

Unless you've played a million Dynasty Warriors games or can't stomach Dragon Quest without turn-based gameplay, this is definitely worth playing.

Indivisible takes three different genres and melds them together expertly to create something wholly unique.

Symphonia alone is worth the price of admission.

While I encountered few serious technical problems during my playthrough, I did have one instance where I loaded into a cutscene before I was supposed to with Yuma sitting suspended in a void until the game caught up to me. This didn’t impact my experience but seems worth mentioning. After a pre-launch update, I also noticed a few lines of dialogue seemed to be missing audio, although it was a sporadic occurrence. All in all, I greatly enjoyed my time with Master Detective Archives: Rain Code. As mentioned earlier, it feels like a lost relic of the PlayStation Vita in the best possible way. While the egregious fanservice may be a turn-off to some, for Danganronpa veterans and fans of other narrative adventure titles like the Zero Escape series, I highly recommend taking a trip to Kanai Ward. Just be sure to pack a raincoat.

At the end of the day, though, Dodgeball Academia hits all the right notes to become a smash hit multimedia entity. Not only can I see an animation and comic book or manga series, but I can also picture a plethora of Dodgeball Academia merchandise like stickers, apparel, toys, phone accessories, dodgeballs, and much more. So you should enroll in Dodgeball Academia today and become the sports anime protagonist you’ve always wanted to be.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter took me by surprise, successfully combining blatant inspirations from the big cheeses of action RPGs and reinterpreting them in a fine, nibble-sized package. It looks simultaneously beautiful and intentionally rough, and its combat is challenging but (mostly) fair. I’m not sure it needs to continue doubling in size with its potential third entry—it’s a little fighter, and rat’s good enough.

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.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister takes the mantle of the “most” Dungeons & Dragons video game out there, if not quite the best. Though the game has a modular adventure setup that strongly suggests there will be more stories, this one falls too flat for its 40- to 50-hour length. However, the combat system is merely a few tweaks short of perfection, so I’d still be interested in sending my heroes on another adventure in the realm of Solasta.

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.

Not just another Diablo clone.

Cryptmaster does what it sets out to do capably. Monotony never strikes in this nearly fifteen hour jaunt since the gameplay always changes, though always vocabulary-based. If words are your thing, I cannot think of a single game that does what this game does better. This isn’t a type-as-fast-as-you-can first-person-shooter. Thoughtful, patient play drives success, so sate that frenetic itch you have elsewhere.

Fae Tactics definitely has its flaws, and the glitches I encountered were about as hard to overcome as the many daunting challenges it presents. However, the fact that I rated it so highly in spite of these limitations is a testament to just how nuanced its gameplay mechanics are and how absolutely thrilling the game can be when the right strategy comes together and everything falls into place. If the game can be successfully patched so that the glitches aren’t an issue anymore, then I would easily recommend this title to SRPG fans looking for an undeniable challenge, since Fae Tactics certainly delivers that.

Overall, Echoes of Aetheria is enjoyable but rarely engrossing. Combat can become rather tedious once the player figures out an optimal strategy, and the story is just not the underdog epic to which it aspires. However, the characters will keep many players coming back for more, just to see how everything plays out for them. This is essentially the perfect game for a night in while binge watching your favorite Netflix series. Not every game needs to be Persona 5; sometimes it is enough to do a few things really well and deliver a couple dozen hours of solid gameplay. That is what Echoes of Aetheria has to offer.

Did I still enjoy my time with Tales of Berseria Remastered? Oh yes. In spite of all its flaws, I was still moved to tears and goosebumps multiple times. I don’t even mind all the backtracking because I got to spend more time with the amazing cast. Put simply, the narrative and the characters still carry the load.

With such a compelling tale and well-crafted characters, it's easy to look past the fact that gameplay solely consists of absorbing information and choosing to pass certain things on. Though there are no random puzzles to solve, the main puzzle for the player is clear: are you willing to let a government do this to its citizens? Where are the boundaries of freedom of speech and privacy in such an interconnected world? Is it more important to guarantee the safety of all by being paranoid, or to ensure that everyone has the right to be innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt? If asking difficult questions and finding a way to your own answers sounds like a good time, Orwell is the game for you.

Despite occasionally feeling dated, Yakuza 3 still offers a fun experience for fans of the series.

If the writing in this episode is any indication of what's to come, they will have another hit alongside their previous masterpieces.

What's disappointing is that the game still remains a one or two player experience, despite that the Xbox sports four controller ports.

Blue Reflection: Second Light is a beautiful game in every way. It looks fantastic, plays great, and sounds incredible. It’s challenging, rewarding, and a unique experience through and through. It has a hopeful, positive message and the story is a fun and winding ride. The presentation is top-notch, and the game itself demonstrates what Gust has learned in the past four years from their Atelier games. For those looking for a magical girl JRPG to play, consider checking out the entire series. For fans of the original game and anime, I highly recommend Blue Reflection: Second Light. It is one of Gust’s best games to date and easily the best game in the magical girl media subgenre.

In the end, if you're a fan of RPGs, the kind of person Square Enix wants to pick up this game, you're going to like Final Fantasy III.

Whether or not Class of Heroes 2 is for you depends almost entirely on how much you enjoy dungeon crawlers. It has its warts, but for twenty-five clams, you're still getting an overall solid package with hours and hours of gameplay.

Equal parts guesswork and context-driven logic, piecing together the meanings of these [Ancient] messages creates a rewarding loop.

Few games have left me feeling as uncertain as Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER has. I liked the game and think it’s good, but it left me noticeably unsatisfied. The characters ES88 meets are pretty cool, but their development stopped before their storylines gained any traction. Once the credits rolled, my reaction was, “Huh? That’s it?” I completed the game multiple times, doing everything there was to do, but still felt like something was missing. I hope there is more content in the future to flesh out what Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER started.

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero may not be the most unique JRPG in recent memory, but there’s still not much out there that can capture the specific charm of its gameplay. It’s a delight if you’ve never played a Nippon Ichi RPG or if you’re a veteran, and as one of those veterans, I’m so glad that this series has returned from the dead. Seems to be a theme.

Overall, Battlefield Waltz is a delightful visual novel to immerse yourself in, especially if you’re looking for character-driven romantic fantasies. It doesn’t do anything inherently wrong, save for having a far too-lengthy common route. The robust story map makes for easier replayability, which is fantastic since one route’s progression might make you want to see how another route will affect characters differently. Battlefield Waltz is an otome that fans of the genre should appreciate we finally have localized.

Digimon Survive should have a lot of depth, with partner Digimon evolving and devolving, free-roaming Digimon to recruit, and a vibrant cast of characters who, on the surface, are generally enjoyable. Looking at the game from afar, it truly captures a feeling of desolation and nostalgia. But it comes up just short when it comes to gameplay and story—the two most important things for an SRPG and visual novel hybrid. A “Truthful” path awaits as a New Game+ option, but the gameplay shortcomings, unfortunately, aren’t alleviated with repeat playthroughs. Digimon Survive‘s charms aren’t fleeting by any means, but neither are its disappointments.

At this point, I don't think it's reasonable to recommend playing this particular version of the game, unless you absolutely loathe voice acting (and/or refined graphics, and/or the PSP as a platform).

Moon is not only a great game, but an important piece of video game history that has clearly influenced Japanese developers and even the modern indie scene through games like Toby Fox’s Undertale. On a personal level, I found Moon a delightful experience that continues to hold my heart captive, and I feel justified in calling it a masterpiece. Relatable, smart, funny, and powerful, Moon is everything I wanted it to be during all those years of waiting and more.

If you want something fast and full of action, this probably isn't the game for you. However, if you like turn-based games that reward you for putting a lot of thought into your skill choices and are willing to put up with a significant amount of (game-assisted) level grinding, it's likely that you'll appreciate Etrian Odyssey III.

Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden is a creatively unique gaming experience from both a storytelling and presentation viewpoint. I don’t think the presentation is necessarily for everyone, but those who it does appeal to will most certainly find something enjoyably insightful about the overall experience. This is a game that is both realistic and hopeful in equal measure, tragic and tender all at once. I cared about the four main characters as they continued their quest, and I enjoyed diving into the story with a fantastic narrator to guide me. Based on the reviews of the first two games in the series — The Isle Dragon Roars and The Forsaken Maiden, respectively — by my fellow RPGFan reviewers, it seems as if each Voice of Cards title gets slightly stronger than the one that precedes it. Given how much I came to appreciate The Beasts of Burden, I’m curious to see what the future holds for this clever series.

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.

Soul Sacrifice is what you'd get if you smashed Phantom Dust and Monster Hunter together and added a meaningful plot, and it does what it sets out to do with aplomb.

Long Gone Days is the type of game that can be hard to recommend because the subject material will be too much for some. At the same time, for those its storytelling resonates with, it is a phenomenal RPG with some well-developed gameplay elements. I enjoyed playing the game even though I sometimes had to step away. I genuinely appreciate the all-too-important messages it contains, becoming invested in Rourke’s journey despite myself. Long Gone Days is a genuinely haunting, emotional game that stays with you well after you finish it. I hope many will give it a chance.

World of Horror remains dependent on its writing, visuals, and quantity of randomized events. Once the well runs dry on new encounters, World of Horror loses its luster. Clicking quickly through repeat events reminds oneself that this is a game and not a cursed town in 1980s Japan. That said, completionists and horror enthusiasts will find much replay value as several missions create an air of variability, each with two, three—sometimes four—unique endings. This is a competently made game with much to appreciate, though repeat material and a bogged-down user interface stymie the otherwise delicious mood.

By no means a perfect game, Avowed is an easy recommendation for any RPG lover, especially those invested in Eora. Simplicity is the soup served by Obsidian, and, in doing so, Avowed shines pristinely and with outstanding design. A bit more spice wouldn’t hurt, but over-seasoning risks ruining any stew. That said, the plot and physical world are anything but simple, and that’s where Obsidian has invested its talent. After all, why else are you playing an Obsidian title?

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

I could not have dreamed of a game like Dragon's Crown in my younger years, mostly because it could not have existed on anything but modern hardware. It's a little odd that the game hides its best features under an inconspicuous, slow-paced introductory period, but everything beyond the first few hours is excellent.

Overall, I came away from Dark Deity 2 impressed. As far as it is a sequel, it’s an improvement from the original Dark Deity in many ways, which is saying something since I enjoyed that title, too! It’s a solid indie SRPG offering much replayability and player experimentation. I wouldn’t oppose a third game in this series, especially if it keeps this positive momentum. Instead of being viewed as just a Fire Emblem homage, Dark Deity 2 proves that it’s a labor of love with its own merit.

An incredibly fun, enjoyable game. I know, however, that GameArts is a much more capable developer than what they demonstrate through their latest release in the series. [JPN Import]

Ys Origin is a great place to start if you're new to the series like I am. It offers some replayability and the chance to explore the world of Ys, tempting you to delve into the rest of the series. If you already own the PC version, there's not really any reason to pick up this port, as there are hardly any changes. However, I can safely say this is the perfect time to get into Ys; with Ys VIII releasing sometime this year, and the easy accessibility of the rest of the series both on Steam and PSN, you'd be doing yourself a disservice passing up this solid series.

Throughout my Relayer playthrough, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, even the overly long battles near the end. It’s a challenging, fun, and charming game with a lot of great systems and unit design. Relayer is a game that I’d recommend to anime, mecha, and SRPG fans alike. Though it’s a little on the long side, it feels completely worth the time investment. The game has a solid ending, and after the credits roll, an entire post-game opens up with 35 more episodes of content covering the aftermath of the game’s events. Relayer is a game that continually upended my expectations. It ended up being far more vast than I thought, and I eagerly look forward to a sequel.

It takes a while for things to start up, but once it gets going, it becomes quite addicting.

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.

All in all, it's the best control I've seen in an action-RPG for a handheld game. I'm serious.

The gameplay has been innovated in certain areas but falls short in others, but fans of "Disgaea's" goofy story and "Phantom Brave's" more complex experience system will both find something to enjoy in Makai Kingdom.

If you can persevere through the first 5-10 or so confusing, trope-ridden hours, there are some great character relationships and an absurd/epic story to discover.

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.

The Tengu’s Disciple offers enough fresh content to satisfy any fan of Nioh 2, but not so much to feel like a bargain. What is likely a bargain is the $20 season pass that will grant customers all three pieces of DLC when each is released. Of course, we don’t know if the future DLC will be worth the purchase, but if they’re anything like The Tengu’s Disciple, then fans can rest easy in the investment.

Vultures – Scavengers of Death proves that strategy and horror can coexist and even thrive when paired together. The uncertainty derived from hit percentages and fog of war complements the tense exploration and foreboding atmosphere of the carefully crafted horror locations. I’d love to give a firm recommendation to survival horror fans and turn-based strategy veterans alike, but only under the condition that you wait for the technical issues to be ironed out. There is a real diamond in the rough here, but only if you wait for the cleanup crew to wipe away the blood and viscera first.

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale could easily be considered the definitive King Arthur game and likely among the greatest modern media on the subject, especially since there’s little competition. It’s also a top-notch tactical RPG with an unexpectedly compelling story. The gameplay is solid on all levels, especially if you’re looking for a tactical challenge and love using fancy abilities in battle. My playthrough of King Arthur: Knight’s Tale alone took over 50 hours, so there’s plenty to keep you busy, but you can expect even more bloody adventures to come. The king is dead; long live the (new?) king!

The Oracle has shown me that Phoenix Online is in it to win it, and is working to make this series something special. Therefore, I feel no compunction whatsoever in recommending it to any discerning adventure fan.

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.