The plot is compelling, the combat is exciting, and the aesthetics are excellent as always.

Overall, the ways Broken Roads challenged me were fascinating and frustrating, sometimes simultaneously. It definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, though I suspect some will adore it. If you’re the reflective type, it’s sure to get the gears turning. If nothing else, it’s much cheaper than taking Philosophy 101 at a university.

Katana Kami is the worst game I've ever reviewed at RPGFan. While it works from a technical standpoint, the design is as flat and disgusting as a glass of soda that's been sitting out on the dining room table all night and into the morning. The ideas are there. I can almost hear the exciting discussions during the beginning stages of development. On paper, this game sounds tenacious and engrossing, but everything done after those initial meetings was clearly a disaster. I never got a sense of import or consequence. Katana Kami is a black hole that sucks in time and gives nothing back.

Perhaps Ar tonelico Qoga will quench the thirst of many wanting to play a console JRPG, but the game is filled with debilitating flaws. Almost everything that Ar tonelico Qoga provides has been done before in a JRPG; the lack of original content and presence of overused content doesn't leave much to praise.

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.

There's very little to love here, and I'd struggle to recommend the game even to fans of the original. Nippon Ichi is capable of much better than what they've cooked up here.

Dead Island Riptide is essentially what the original should have been. It's lighter on bugs, it's more playable, and it's got prettier graphics. If you were a fan of the original game, have at the sequel, but know that it's not much more than "more Dead Island."

Evoland has to be appreciated for what it is, which is less "game" and more "journey traveled." Nostalgia's a hot selling piece these past few years.

Overall, Redemption Reapers has a sound combat system that isn’t strategically interesting in the early game and a story that never grabbed me. Things start to pick up by the mid-game, but many players won’t be willing to give the game time to redeem itself.

An extremely strange game that begs to be played despite its litany of glaring flaws.

Overall, Dokapon Journey is a refreshing game.

This is a disturbingly conservative action RPG that functions as a museum of bad game design.

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.

Overall, Jikandia: The Timeless Land is a rather disappointing game that pales in comparison to similar titles like Half Minute Hero.

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.

Due to the unique events that take place in this volume, as well as the great post-endgame quests, I do consider Vol.3 the best in the series, though I also enjoyed Vol.2 a great deal.

Dusk Diver 2 isn’t a flawless game, nor the most original. However, it wears its heart on its sleeve and provides a lot of enjoyment if you’re willing to give it a chance. It feels like a homecoming in many respects, even if it’s a series you’re only just now experiencing for the first time. That’s rather special in a way. For action RPG fans looking for a colorfully fun time, Dusk Diver 2 might be worth a look.

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

There’s no denying that Edge of Eternity certainly has a rough quality about it, and I could easily see people viewing its slow beginning as being too much of an obstacle to continue with it. But its robust, tactical-minded nexus battle system, wealth of content, and the eventual pick up of its story gradually warmed me to it. This was clearly a labor of love by the developers, even if it isn’t a perfect product. I enjoyed Edge of Eternity enough that I can only hope that there will be some kind of continuation to Daryon and Selene’s tale in the future… With plenty of Ysoris, of course!

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.

At the end of each character’s storyline is an “Inevitable Dialogue” between the character and someone involved in their traumatic past. As you select the right answers to the questions asked, the characters talk through their experiences and steel their newfound resolve to move forward. The importance placed here on communication only serves to drive the point home: it’s not just what you say but how you say it that determines if the message lands or not. Unfortunately, not all of Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo‘s interesting ideas always land.

A unique little adventure game with loads of style, fun characters, and plenty of charm.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion has many sound strategic ideas, and its commitment to pirate themes runs deep. The combat revolves around using the terrain and ganging up on folk in all the underhanded manner you’d expect from a rag-tag bunch of criminals. The comic strip storyboards work really well, and Flint and the main characters become real personalities throughout the journey, which is a credit to the story design and artists. It’s a shame the game combat and crew systems are not well-explained and that its difficulty and progression systems can be frustrating as they currently stand. For those who like a challenge and don’t mind taking the time to learn some obtuse systems, hoist the mainsail and raise the Jolly Roger: it’s a pirate’s life for you.

If you didn't play the first and you don't mind grinding, you can have fun with White Knight Chronicles 2, but I'd strongly advise that you play its predecessor if you're interested in knowing what's going on.

I went into Best Friend Forever expecting to pet a bunch of dogs and date some cool humans, and in that respect, I was not disappointed. The dogs are good boys and girls who deserve all the love in the world, even when they poop. The humans are a fun and varied bunch whose stories may be on the short side but still have a lot of heart. Sadly, the gameplay did not live up to my expectations, but I would love to see what improvements could be made if Starcolt one day decides to create a sequel. If your love of dogs is stronger than the issues I’ve laid out in this review, then you might want to check out Best Friend Forever. Just do yourself a favor, though, and play it on PC.

Super Neptunia RPG feels like a game that's stuck in limbo, not knowing where it wants to go. There is certainly potential here, but it falls flat of what it wanted to accomplish. I do like the return to a simpler, light-hearted story but I wish the rest of the game didn't have to suffer for it. I always wish the best for Neptunia, but this is one spin-off I'm afraid I must leave in the past.

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.

Save your money (or spend it on "Persona 3," Atlus fans!) and skip this mediocre mess. [Import]