Learning to Manage Chaos serves as an introduction to what should be a brilliant story. It introduces the main characters and the setting, but leaves out more in-depth explanations and details. It's backed by terrific art and an emotive soundtrack, but its short length holds it back. I look forward to playing episode two when it is released, but you may want to hold out on a purchase until Dysfunctional Systems is released in its entirety.

Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness is by no means a bad game; it just happens to be an uninteresting one. Five games into the series, it's become far too predictable.

I didn't love this chapter quite as much as I loved the first, but I'd still happily recommend it to anyone who likes point 'n' click adventure games.

Great mysteries are hard to write, and there are many more failures in the genre than there are successes. Despite some stumbles in the final chapter, I still consider The Raven to be a success.

As of this writing, the price is the same on PC and Vita, so if you've got a computer that can handle it, that's how I'd recommend playing it. But if you don't, grab this one on Vita and look past its issues to the great game lying underneath.

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.

Thoughtful in execution, The Dream Machine avoids falling for clichéd pitfalls oft seen in point-and-clicks.

As I said before, The Millennium Girl offers a fantastic opportunity for new players to dip their toes into Etrian Odyssey, as it provides the familiar sorts of characters we have grown to love in JRPGs while keeping intact the extremely strong foundations of the original game.

Many who pick up Epic Quest for the 4 Crystals will have to put far more into the game than they’ll ever get back out of it.

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.

I had a wonderful time playing Valdis Story. Time and time again it exceeded my expectations, and it's a privilege that I was able to play and review it. Just when I thought I had seen the greatest boss or most intense challenge, it threw another one at me.

The console version is the definitive, Director's Cut edition of this game, and if the online requirements or auction houses on the PC version held you back from buying that version or enjoying it, you can rejoice along with me that they are gone this time around.

If you've enjoyed the Mario & Luigi series in the past, buying this entry is a no-brainer, and if you've never played the series, now's a great time to start.

Everlove: Rose may have its issues, but my time with it left positive thoughts. It doesn't do anything clever or groundbreaking with the visual novel formula or its own storyline and lore, but I enjoyed my time with it. The different ways the story plays out held my interest as I explored the possibilities, and that is worthy praise as for any choice-driven visual novel.

Sweet Fuse is not the most emotionally arresting visual novel I've played, but it executes on everything it promises to deliver.

Don't let the game's lengthy localization period deter you from experiencing the latest chapter in the Tales universe. Xillia's likeable cast, frenetic combat, and enjoyable storyline make this one of the best entries in the franchise, though its emaciated side content leaves something to be desired.

It's not a terrible game per se, but it regrettably uses the veneer of 16-bit nostalgia as a license to simply not care.

Muramasa Rebirth is a gorgeous, action-packed, fairly lengthy adventure that looks, sounds, and plays better than ever.

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.

Dragon's Crown is an amazing co-op experienced slightly hampered by a rather nasty UI and baffling obfuscation of its best feature.

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.

Face Noir is a game I can easily recommend. It executes well on every level (save the voice acting), and offers great puzzles, enjoyable characters, fabulous art design, and a fun (if pulpy) noir plotline. If you're interested in the Depression-era setting and enjoy a solid point-and-click adventure, you should absolutely check this one out.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing has several highs and lows. Although certainly of a breed with Diablo and others, it offers a genuinely unique experience that isn't entirely meaty, but will keep players entertained for ten hours or so, save the disheartening final bits. I'm glad I played Van Helsing, and I'd recommend it to any fan of the hack-n-slash sub-genre if they've exhausted other entries. Unfortunately, with such polished and well-designed champions in the ring, this quality contender may only be recognized for its hat.

Given all of that, if you enjoy point & click adventures, it's easy for me to suggest that you'd like this game. If you are also the type of person who watches shows like Castle or Rosemary & Thyme, "easy" changes to "no-brainer." The only thing about it that I don't like is that the other two chapters haven't already been released.

At this point, my feelings on the game should be clear. Shin Megami Tensei IV is not only one of the best RPGs to come out this year, it's also proof that Atlus has not lost its touch with the main Shin Megami Tensei series. Despite how radically different it is from the Persona series, this post-apocalyptic adventure is no less engrossing. Strap on your gauntlet and hop to it, Samurai.

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.

If you're looking for something new in your RPGs, then give 99 Spirits a shot. The puzzle-style battles are fun and interesting and allow you to forgive the less interesting aspects of the game.

It's difficult to know whether to recommend it or not. The core mechanics of the game are all there, and they are fantastic — good enough that if I didn't have to grind the same darn dungeons over and over again just to get enough gold to use my experience points, this would be Editor's Choice stuff. But the design decision to cater to In-App Purchases simply has to be taken into account, and it hurts this game — hurts it badly, in my opinion.