Celestia: Chain of Fate is a surprisingly detailed visual novel with more depth in its light fantasy tale than one might initially give it credit for. Plus, it provides a nice dose of romance on the side. Visual novel and otome fans willing to give the game a chance will find an enjoyable time if they stick with it, despite any initial hesitations with the game’s earlier chapters. I hope that “Book 2” releases sooner rather than later, and that’s a telling sign to me as to how much I ultimately enjoyed Celestia: Chain of Fate!

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.

A casual speedrun to just get to the end will run about two hours, but if TOEM is played how it’s “intended,” then expect to get a few hours out of it, while completionists might hit five or more. If content’s your concern, there it is, but if a high-quality, easygoing experience to escape the anxiety of these pandemic times—or whatever ails you—then TOEM works wonders. The world needs more TOEM, and it’s been a pleasure to get to live in this meditative place, even if only for a short while.

The PC version of Ys: Memories of Celceta polishes the blazing fast combat, rocking music, and fun-to-explore environments of the original to a shine and is a must play for fans of the series.

The story intelligently explores themes of grief and maturity while offering some valuable insights into its characters but is told too piecemeal to justify a playthrough alone. With that said, if you’re simply itching for more of Persona 3 Reload’s dungeon crawling or closure for its cast, there is a compelling 30 hours to enjoy behind this expansion’s flawed construction. For anyone curious enough, The Answer awaits.

So while episode 2 is certainly an improvement, the series still has a little ways to go before I say, "Wow." Right now, I'm saying "not bad."

My review of Episode One wasn't as complimentary as I'm used to writing for The Walking Dead, but Episode Two certainly makes up for it with character growth, branching paths, and believable consequences.

Regardless of how essential Forever Entertainment’s updated Front Mission 1st Remake update is, the game itself is a classic. It’s wonderful that it’s now available on a modern platform and that the developers have sparked their own revival for a series that has been mostly dormant for over a decade (Left Alive? Never heard of it). With one game down, it’s easy to look forward to the eventual remakes of Front Mission 2 and 3 and, hopefully, even more to come after those with Forever Entertainment in the cockpit.

It was fun to play, had some great production values, and sported a contemporary anime vibe.

The subtle, though tangible tweaks to Legend of Mana’s presentation, coupled with maintaining its core gameplay elements, flaws and all, has achieved something quite brilliant. Playing this game feels exactly as I remember it. It looks the same, plays the same, and reads the same, even though I am acutely aware that it isn’t. There is no question that players would welcome a gameplay experience more refined by better system upgrades to explore this wondrous world, but Legend of Mana remains enjoyable despite this. If you’re patient with the murky controls, can get lost in the mystifying crafting and pet-rearing systems, and embrace the enchanting world and cast, Legend of Mana will leave a lasting impression from a game that plays like little else.

Despite a slow start, a rough final dungeon, weak side content, and an ambition that surpasses its grasp, Scarlet Nexus manages to excel in the most important area for any game: being fun. Combat never gets old as you tear apart your enemies in glorious style, and the large cast of characters really grows on you. I hope we see more of this gameplay and setting. If you can forgive a few flaws, Scarlet Nexus is a joy to play and has the potential to become a beloved franchise.

While The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is an improvement over its predecessor, it doesn’t match Atelier Yumia’s bold steps forward. A lowered scope and lowered stakes return the franchise to a comfortable position, and that’s not a bad thing per se. It serves as a look back on the franchise. After taking a wild turn on the mobile gacha path, a step back was necessary to recenter the series and continue moving forward with the two Atelier pillars. Ultimately, the game feels like a greatest hits album that is missing a couple of those unique B-sides that stood out and tested the limits of the genre. Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is a fantastic course correction and follow-up to the gacha, sure to appease series veterans, and an excellent starting point for new players to find their footing with the series.

Retro games have been a popular niche market for a while now, and they exist in a whole spectrum from goofy parody to heart-attack serious. And yet Knights of Pen & Paper somehow manages to find a slot in that spectrum that hasn't been filled yet: the fairly humorous take on tabletop gaming.

The changes has its ups and downs, but NIS has produced another fine game. The game has a sluggish start, but it picked up the pace by the end.

With the additional features, and the ability to take it on the go, this is the best way to experience Final Fantasy VII.

It feels antiquated, but give it a chance, and you're likely to enjoy it. Plus, more support for the series means more likelihood that the rest will somehow, someday reach our Falcom-starved fingers.

Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands is a good game whose small development team has big talent. The music alone is worth the price of admission. Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands is an enjoyable, if challenging, 12-15 hour (closer to 20 if you do all the sidequests) romp for those willing to invest in thoroughly learning and experimenting with the play mechanics. Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands is not for everyone, but if it sounds like your jam, you will love it.

Much like the rest of tri-Ace's games, Radiata will certainly form a hardcore cult following, but it might not catch on in the mainstream. There are many unique touches to Radiata that the rest of the role playing genre, or even all games, could learn from, but not everything is executed perfectly.

Yakuza 5 was considered a high-water mark for the series, and it's easy to see why. I've rarely seen a game that packs in so much content, even compared to the other installments of the series which are bursting with side quests and mini games. Though the story loses some of its focus in the final part (a recurring issue with most Yakuza games), it still keeps you engaged from beginning to end. There are laughs, tears, broken faces, and a hell of a lot of dancing. In other words, it's a quintessential Yakuza game that makes for a super-satisfying conclusion to the Yakuza Remastered Collection!

A fantastic game bite-sized roguelike for those who can exercise a little bit of patience.

Though its aesthetic qualities are somewhere between poor and average, the game has excellent gameplay and control, and the game's plot and characters are decent enough to get excited about.

Yakuza Kiwami is a fantastic remake that effortlessly immerses you in the world of Kamurocho, Tokyo.

While FFXV is at times engrossing and beautiful, it can also feel like a pretty, hollow shell. The last quarter of the game feels rushed, as if the developers had to wrap things up under pressure, and that's after waiting over a decade for this to come out. While it is not the stellar titan we hoped for, it's certainly Final Fantasy, and we can all be thankful for that.

Although Episode 2 struggles in terms of pacing, a strong Act 2 to this brief entry makes for a worthwhile venture.

For fans of the genre, VV is a must-play, as it has refreshing ideas that are implemented well. If not for what feels like padding, this game would appropriately find itself shoulder-to-shoulder with the titans of the genre.

Richly detailed and only occasionally derivative, Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is well worth the few hours of your time it will take for a playthrough and a half. Fans of classic sci-fi anime will get a kick out of its presentation, but more than that, this game will appeal to anyone who enjoys a tense ‘bottle episode’ mystery. The Gun-Dog succeeds less as a branching-narrative adventure game and more as a small-scale proof of concept for the greater Stories from Sol narrative series that I truly hope comes to fruition.

If you're a rabid Fire Emblem fan, you'll love this game. It's more of the same style with a new plot with new characters for you to match up, and the added bonus of extra dungeons to try to complete as fast as possible.

Regardless of how the series pans out, as a stand-alone title .hack//G.U. Vol.1//Rebirth is a fun title to play, especially if you're stuck with a PS2 while everyone else spends big money on the next-gen consoles.