I'd wager that while I had fun with the game overall, part of what I'd hoped the game offered at the beginning was a mechanically-dense resource management sim where I have to carefully plan out my actions step-by-step, and while that's certainly how it looks like things will head at the start, in the end the game's actual gameplay mechanics feel like set dressing. It's essentially an excuse to get you out and about driving a Kei truck through a fictional Japanese town. There's nothing wrong with that, and we do cover games that veer towards narrative experiences, but I can't shake the feeling that Promise Mascot Agency wasn't quite what I'd signed up for - even if the end result was an enjoyable romp about reviving a town in its twilight years.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force impressed me far more than I was expecting it to. I was hoping for an experience that wasn’t as dull as the previous game, and I came away with fond memories and hope for the series again. It doesn’t quite reach the highs of the first few Star Ocean games, but it easily is my favorite of the more modern entries of the franchise. I once again look forward to sailing through the ocean of stars.

Episode Prompto is a significant improvement over Episode Gladiolus, and fans of Final Fantasy XV will enjoy the additional light character development. It's still a bit awkward in places both narratively and mechanically, but it works well enough to fill a gap in Final Fantasy XV.

If you're able to put those narrative shortcomings aside, there's a fair bit to like about Darksiders III. When compared to some of the most critically and commercially acclaimed video games of all time, it seems to fall well short, but perhaps that bar was never in reach. Judged on its own merits, Darksiders III combines interesting combat, clever map design, and engaging progression, though you may have to look past a lot of bland environments and go in with expectations in check in order to fully appreciate it.

Demon Gaze II deviates from its predecessor in ways that makes the game a little bit easier to get into if you not typically into dungeon crawlers. While some of the more frustrating elements of the original game have been eliminated, it also leads to a game that is somewhat more bland as a result. Still, Demon Gaze II is an otherwise effective dungeon crawler that is worth a look for both genre veterans and newcomers.

Virgo Vs The Zodiac is quite unique, and for the most part is better for it. Personally, I don’t see how a game that lets you ride an alpaca and purge heretics could’ve gone wrong. The morality system isn’t super complex but it does change what boss fights you can experience, as well as who lives and dies. Meaning the changes aren’t quite enough that I want to get right back into the game but I do plan on experiencing the perhaps more righteous paths myself in the future. The combat is a fun system that requires good timing but doesn’t force you to shake up your tactics on more than a few occasions. For fans of eccentric little rpgs or someone hoping to experience a story with a main character who is less personable than average, Virgo VS The Zodiac is a fun time.

While Warriors All-Stars won’t convert anyone who isn’t already into the Dynasty Warriors formula, it’s a wonderful love letter to fans. Whether it was the appearance of some of my most-beloved franchises or the smattering of familiar references, I found a lot to appreciate during my time in this world.

This is a bloody good RPG, but it's one that's been significantly watered down in an attempt to bring in new players. If you're trying to draw a friend into the world of strategy RPGs, Birthright is ideal. If you're a more experienced RPG fan this might well satisfy, but another version of Fire Emblem Fates might satisfy you more - this one is just a little too simple and easy, and in line with that is a touch lacking in depth.

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is a comfortable and light Action RPG with charm. While it doesn't offer then strongest narrative or the most interesting combat mechanics, it's still an enjoyable romp through a colorful world that's worth a look.

I come away from Ys X: Nordics more than satisfied with its renewed battle mechanics, but unfulfilled with most of the rest of the game that surrounds it. Ship navigation and island exploration never manage to become compelling, and the narrative largely falls flat. If you come to the Ys series primarily for entertaining combat, you'll have a blast - I just wish it was a little less lopsided.

This new alternate storyline is one that long times fans will enjoy but still might leave new players on the out. If you’re looking for a solid brawler with a dramatic story that samples from perhaps one of the most iconic shounen manga you should definitely consider giving Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise a shot.

Gundam Breaker 4 is like watching an old friend rebound from tough times. It may not be as great as its mainline predecessors in some regards, but it is a solid course correction from the last few dire entries. The repetitive stages and diluted weapon options are a noticeable step back, yet so many quality-of-life improvements to this new entry in the gunpla action RPG series make it much a smoother experience to play. While completing the main story took me roughly around 17 hours, I'm just about to reach the 60 hour mark because I keep making entire new gunpla builds to take on the highest difficulty stages on their own. It takes virtual model kit building to the next level and the potential of crafting something truly masterful, or horrific, is only limited by a person’s imagination.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined still encapsulates much of what makes Dragon Quest VII resonant, but with every possible edge sanded off. It succeeds at streamlining a lengthy adventure at the expense of player discovery and friction. Besides being able to reach the credits more quickly, I find it difficult to declare this version as an improvement on what came before.

Front Mission 1st: Remake is a good time, if not quite a great one. For all its bumps in the road, and in a strange way, perhaps in part because of them, there is immense satisfaction in clearing each stage. Regardless, I’m glad the series is getting some love again, and I’m pretty pleased with Forever Entertainment’s crack at things overall. If their quality of work is maintained going forward, I suspect we’re in for some real treats with the second and third installments.

A delightful RPG experience. Though there are problems around its edges with prolonged battles and a weak overall narrative, its ability to maintain a deck-building card game inside a RPG in inventive ways continually is nothing short of awesome. Once it clicks with you, it’s hard to not stop theorycrafting, experimenting, and optimizing your deck.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness feels like a solid title that got trapped in old gimmicks. It’s beautiful, but empty. There’s nostalgia, but in the wrong places. I still enjoyed much of my time with it, and I’ll even revisit it soon for the bonus dungeons. So many little things hold Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness back, but there’s still something under the flawed surface that’s worth giving a shot.

Despite these technical issues and occasional let-downs with the choice mechanic, Man of Medan represents a bright start for the Dark Pictures Anthology. It delivers almost exactly the same great stuff that Until Dawn did, although it does suffer from sticking to the formula a bit too much. With some polish and further innovation, the rest of the Dark Picture Anthology could be even better than what it follows on from.

Despite the narrative not fully coming together in the end, as well as some repetitive gameplay structure, Crymachina manages to be a compelling RPG. It's possibly my favorite FuRyu title to date, and certainly one of the more interesting ones. Regardless of its uneven nature and short duration, I think it may leave a lasting impression on me - at least a little bit.

Andromeda has a spirit that I don’t want to see squashed by technical failures and a few questionable design decisions. Andromeda is ambitious and above all else it has heart - the deeper I got into the game, the more glued to it I became. Had it been anything less I would’ve sat my controller down and given up, but the journey most certainly made the struggle worth it.

Star Renegades offers a great artstyle and robust combat system for fans of turn-based RPGs and roguelikes. It doesn't have much to tell in terms of an outward storyline, and some of the roguelike elements feel a little thin, but it's a solid experience if you know what you are getting into.

While the subject matter was interesting, giving a reason for such a world to exist, it just wasn’t as thought-provoking as the subtitle “An Ineffable Tale of the Inexpressible Divine Moments of Truth” might suggest, though that could simply be tongue-in-cheek. Everhood Eternity Edition allows more players to experience this tale about doing the right thing, along with more battles for those who enjoy it. I however didn’t feel the need to keep repeating the cycle, and while I found some enjoyment in the later part of the game, it didn’t hit all the right notes for me.

As of right now, Kingdoms of Amalur is a good introduction to a universe that doesn't have any other entries. The fluid combat is brought down a bit by overstuffed quest design and repetitive dungeon areas, and the front-to-back storyline is a little basic, but it offers a solid foundation to a world whose fate is once again uncertain.

Elex is a hard game to genuinely recommend, it does so many important things to only an acceptable level or worse. It's a game that's carried based on the strength of its quest design, or more pessimistically, one that's let down by a general lack of polish and uninteresting combat. It feels like a nice refreshing counterpart to some modern rpgs that treat their quest lists more like chores, but as a complete package, it falls disappointingly short.

The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind is a great nostalgia trip for those that experienced the original main series game. Other than that, though, what it has to offer is outclassed by better, more popular games. However, if you do want to experience the oft-talked about Morrowind setting in a more modern game engine with more modern gameplay mechanics, and are able to look past its flaws, this might be a good time-waster for you.

Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited fits its intent to include a title more suited to novices along with a title more suited to veterans, but Stranger of Sword City is really the reason the dual-pack is worth picking up at all. It's Experience's best game to date, offers a style not seen much elsewhere, and new updates improve it markedly over its original release. Dungeon crawler fans should definitely give it a try, and those new to the genre will at least be able to acclimate a bit.

Experience has the dungeon crawler formula down, and their gradual incline in quality is a promise of great potential for reinvigorating the genre.

Depending on your perspective, Soul Hackers 2 can be seen as a happy medium between dungeon crawler, RPG, and social simulation. Or it can be seen as being in a sort of no man's land, where it incorporates elements of each while not quite excelling at anything. I come away feeling more toward the latter here, where no singular element of the game really managed to excite me beyond base satisfaction. Soul Hackers 2 is an adequate, experimental Megaten entry with some bright spots, but it doesn't quite all come together as well as I hoped it would.

I found my time with Regalia to be mostly enjoyable, despite some glaring issues that presented themselves to me in what felt like an oversight on the developer’s part. However, knowing this game was kickstarted, it’s an impressive title that gave me hours of enjoyment and things to do. If you’re looking for a game that rings similar to the titles Regalia has drawn inspiration from, or are looking for a hammy homage to the JRPG Regalia might just be for you.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an approachable action RPG with satisfying combat but a narrative that unfortunately left little impression on me. While combat itself is enjoyable, battle variety is somewhat lacking, quests feel typical, and the narrative is forgettable.

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is a wonderful remaster marred by an unoptimized Switch port. While you could argue that they could have gone further in places, like maybe offering players the ability to further customize which parts of the experience they wanted to be presented with old or new graphics, it feels nice that one of my favorite PS1 era JRPGs got so much love. I adore both of the games in this collection from the bottom of my heart, and I’m glad they’re more accessible than ever. I hope the Switch version can be an easier recommendation in the future, especially since the only way to own it physically seems to be on that platform.

All in all, the game is serviceable for what it is, but the tone of the game throws me for a loop, and the dungeon-crawling aspects aren't that interesting to warrant bouncing back and forth from dungeon to school and back again for multiple sessions. While the game is retailing at $50, I still feel that this game is a little too expensive for what it offers. This feels like the perfect game to grab on sale, rather than rushing out to the store and getting it immediately on launch. That said, there's still enough here to satisfy people with a deep urge for dungeon crawling or anime slapstick, I suppose.

When it all comes down to it, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force's Switch port is probably not the best way to play the game, but considering that the performance itself is perfectly fine in most scenarios - especially in handheld mode, you can't go wrong with picking this version up if you're specifically looking for a more relaxed JRPG to play on the go. Ghostlight's first Switch effort is a solid showcase, and if nothing else leaves me excited to see what other titles the company can bring to the platform moving forward.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is incredibly impressive when viewed as the first game project developed and released by Leenzee. It’s ambitiously put together when it comes to the marriage of its various flexible gameplay systems and a game world that’s constructed seamlessly. Its depiction of the late Ming dynasty is fascinating because it isn’t afraid to show the brutal circumstances that loomed over this time period, even when separated from all of the dark fantasy elements that provide flavor to it. I enjoyed my time a lot with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, but its horrid performance and optimization on PC unfortunately damaged my overall enjoyment.

Beast of Winter has a lot of beautiful locations alongisde great artwork, and expands on interesting lore threads that had previously been relegated to text dumps and exposition, as well as a couple interesting boss encounters -- It's a solid afternoon's worth of more Deadfire, but it feels piecemeal and diversionary.

Much of this review probably sounds negative, and that's a shame because World Of Final Fantasy is a fantastic throwback to earlier entries in the series and a damn good RPG in its own right. If you are ok with a 30 FPS cap and an experience that's the same as the PS4 version, then this PC port is perfectly playable. I've yet to encounter any technical bugs in my time with it and the art style makes up for the lack of graphical options in my opinion, just know going in that the port is lacking in several ways. If you are a fan of the franchise and didn't play it when it came out last year on other platforms, you probably won't be disappointed jumping in with this version.

The game itself is solid, but just not quite there enough to be a strong recommendation as of this publishing.

Odyssey suffers in the same way Origins did as it searches for an identity within both the stealth and RPG genres. We obviously deeply appreciate the addition of such RPG mechanics and Odyssey often fines a nice middle ground between the two, but it ultimately isn't consistent enough on either spectrum to fully flesh out what the game could potentially be. If you enjoyed Assassin’s Creed Origins or want a game you easily sink over eighty hours in through exploration alone you will probably enjoy Odyssey, but if you’ve grown tired of the general monotony of the series you might want to wait until Ubisoft does something more innovative with this IP.

While Shining Resonance Refrain may not be mind-blowing, it still has its own charm that I could appreciate.

As flawed as it may be, I find it impossible to hate Hero Must Die—I just hope that the developers can have another chance to make a follow-up. They more than proved that the concept could work, and there are some real makings for a truly fantastic RPG. What we’re left with here might not be a must play in its own right, but is absolutely the type of unique experience you won’t likely forget. My time with Hero Must Die was always fated to be short-lived, but it will certainly live on in my memories.

Shuten Order is a frustrating game to enjoy. The writing team at Too Kyo Games clearly has a lot of ambition, and I respect the kind of game Shuten wants to be. Every route felt hampered by something, held back by execution that didn’t match the full potential. Despite everything, it lands with such a tremendous note that I think it’s worth experiencing this at some point. Your mileage may vary on whether you find the core routes to be predictable, depending on how invested you are in ADV games, but I do respect what they were going for. What it lacks in cohesion, it makes up for in spirit. If you can get past the blemishes, and there are a lot to look past, I can see a certain kind of person really getting a lot out of Shuten Order.

In its current state after the first major post-launch update, Assassin's Creed Shadows is worth your time handheld on Switch 2 all things considered. If you already own it on another platform, I recommend it on Switch 2 to play on the go and complement the TV experience you get elsewhere. I hope to see some of the performance issues when playing docked addressed and will be revisiting this for the Claws of Awaji expansion in the future.

Langrisser I & II is like a studio adding color to a classic Hollywood movie from the golden age. It's not necessarily better now than it was, but a touch up might make it more appealing to some. In the end, the remakes of the first two Langrisser games don't quite add anything to make them automatically better than their original counterparts - it's more just a different take on the original games. It's not a really high effort remake, but since the first Langrisser games are already good, it would've taken a lot of effort to make the games really awful.

If you're going to play Death end re;Quest, then I suppose this port is technically the best version of the game as of right now - but that's by a very, very slim margin. You're not really gaining much from this port, other than the option to play it on your computer, and with keyboard and mouse if you can manage to memorize your mapped controls and can deal with the infuriating mouse camera. As a port it's incredibly disappointing, but at least PC only users can play it, and if you were only planning on playing it with a controller at 1080p/60FPS, you're probably not going to notice the ports glaring faults. The port performs well, and I'd wager for 90% of users the state of it will be enough. It's just disappointing that it launched in such a barebones state.

Vampire: the Masquerade - Shadows of New York is a good game to spend an evening with. On those Sundays where you have all day to relax or those randomly dreary days when any kind of chore feels like too much. That’s when this game will feel just right. Getting both endings doesn’t take long, so it’s easy to play and move on. The main word that comes to mind is: simple. Some parts are good, others tiring. It works as a way to get into some of the worldbuilding involved with Vampire the Masquerade games, but as a standalone visual novel I don’t think it will appeal to the masses.

Scarlet Nexus is an easy game to enjoy and a hard one to hate. It’s so unabashedly earnest about everything it set out to do that even with my issues I couldn’t help but reflect fondly back on my time playing. Most of what it tries to accomplish is done so adequately or successfully, which means a majority of what I had to discuss were parts that broke me out of the vibes presented to me. The combat is free form and incredibly creative, the visuals might be some of the finest to ever come from Bandai Namco, and the story is dense yet largely satisfying. There is fantastic framework in place now for a sequel, and I hope it sells enough so this team can continue to flesh out their vision.

I came away from Trails Through Daybreak with many unanswered questions and mysterious hints dropped in the game's last moments. Despite my issues with some of the characters, Almata, and the underlying Xipha system, I still enjoyed my time at Calvard, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and I am eager to return. The Trails series is one of my favorite long-form fictional works, and I look forward to the months and years' worth of discussions and seeing how all the new teases and hints end up paying off in Daybreak II, Kai no Kiseki, and beyond.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and the White Guardian is a decent game that is good for short bursts of gameplay. If you're a longtime Atelier fan, this likely has more meaning for you, seeing your favourite characters come together for another adventure. For people not familiar with the series, there's not a lot here to hook you.

As a dungeon crawler, Operation Babel is basically more-of-the-same. It's a competent entry into the genre, even if it's not a terribly interesting one. Fans of dungeon crawlers won't mind adding it to their collection, but it certainly doesn't stand out from the rest.

Othercide is an interesting twist on the tactical RPG genre with a striking artstyle, adding in roguelike elements to questionable effect. Not everything comes together well mechanically, it's a little bit repetitive, and I think the narrative elements could have benefitted from just a tad more outward direction. It's certainly a unique game, which may be worth checking it out if you like trying new and different styles even if the execution is spotty in places.

Besides a few odd choices that don't affect the overall quality, Return to PopoloCrois is a nice, simple, and short RPG.

It's certainly not the deepest Tactical RPG that I've played, nor the absolute best Visual Novel that I've read, but Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen brings more than enough to the table to be worthy of your time. It may have taken entirely too long for the entire series to make its way over, but I'm glad that it has - and that more and more players will have the chance to start it. Utawarerumono is a great, charming series, and one that is more than deserving of a closer look. This remake might not stand the test of time quite as much as its sequels, but don't let that stop you from getting into the series - it's one that I can't recommend enough.

Redemption Reapers is a strange, sometimes interesting, and sometimes frustrating tactical RPG. It has several intriguing components conceptually, both in its narrative and mechanics. But, in places, it falters in execution, leaving behind an uneven though interesting experience.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy is a solid Mystery Dungeon game with a good amount of content. It, unfortunately, sticks to a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop and, even with a few challenge dungeons with unique rulesets, can get a little stale. I still enjoyed my time with Chocobo, and Mystery Dungeon fans will find something to enjoy here, but the appeal to a broader Final Fantasy fanbase might be a bit more narrow.

Narrative nitpicks and shortfalls aside, Stellar Blade is an action RPG that excels where it matters most: Looking gorgeous and facilitating supremely satisfying combat interactions. Bolstered by the capable fusion of its inspirations, its weaknesses keep it from transcending them. But those willing to make their peace with those disappointments will find a nearly stellar experience.

It is far superior to its original PSP version, but it only takes a small step as a sequel. The series needs to take a leap if it wants to compete. Fans should definitely pick this up, but newcomers would be better off testing the waters with God Eater Resurrection first.

While Minoria is far from perfect, it does show a lot of promise for future titles. Minoria is not connected to the Momodora for a few reasons, but it’s clear Bombservice wanted to try some new things within the Metroidvania framework and it succeeds in some aspects but needs work in others. If anything, Minoria makes me excited for a Minoria 2, where a lot of the wrinkles are ironed out and all of the gameplay mechanics gel together better.

Despite its flaws, SD Gundam Battle Alliance provides a fairly unique experience in just being a challenging game in general. This is one of the few games in Gundam that heavily encourages multiplayer co-op. I hope it finds a healthy community in all the platforms it is released on, because this is not a great experience if you are intending to play it only alone. There are certainly problems on a fundamental level besides its oddly tuned balance; the AI partners and camera often perform poorly, while some of its environments are straight up borderline visually unnavigable. Yet, I am left impressed with how technical the gameplay is and how carefully Artdink designed the game’s framework to emphasize teamwork and synergy above all throughout fun Gundam crossover stages. It’s not perfect, but I am thankful that this kind of game can still exist.

If you can manage the noticeable gameplay design flaws and the eyesore that is the user interface, Romancing SaGa 2 is still an excellent experience culminating in a highly eccentric entry for the series. Thanks to its sheer density of content, I would still recommend giving this one a try, regardless of the platform you go with.

The Alliance Alive tries to make improvements on its predecessor, but only to a certain level of success. It still gets bogged down by a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop, and the expanded story focus is merely adequate. However, the game can be comforting if you are longing for an RPG that feels like the ones of the days past.

Silent Hope is a decent budget title that can scratch your itch for a quick action RPG. If Diablo IV's price is a bit too steep to pull the trigger on and you want a quick fix, Silent Hope will satisfy you. While Silent Hope's light story and simple gameplay may not be the most exciting, it's a charming game that can still hook you with its gameplay loop.

Ys Seven is not a bad game but it misses the highs of what makes the Ys series great. It disappointingly conforms to more ordinary JRPG stylings and structure which work to blend the game in with its peers rather than distinguishing it from the crowd. The PC port is done well enough, and Ys Seven will work to whet your appetite for more with Ys VIII coming up on the horizon.

There is a decent game lurking beneath Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Its experimental, numerous half-baked ideas in the shift to a turn-based RPG drag it down from being an excellent experience, but the core ideas are solid enough on paper that they could be amazing if given a future chance. After all, this is the first time the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio development team has embarked on this wild idea to transform this long-running series into something it has never been before. I do disagree that this title can serve as a newcomer’s first foray into the Yakuza series. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is not outstanding, but its vision of what an RPG would look like set in today’s world is fascinating. I played the entire game with Japanese audio and I must say, Ichiban’s voice performance in the finale of his game is phenomenal.

As a whole, I’d feel bad not saying this: Nioh 2 is one of the best games you could play this year, and a weak narrative in its trilogy of DLC won’t change that. The First Samurai might disappoint but this is still Nioh 2 and, in a way, that’s enough.

Mario & Luigi Brothership is the biggest and boldest the series has ever been, with some novel battle mechanics and colorful presentation. However, an overstuffed runtime and exhausting pacing severely dilute the experience in both narrative and gameplay. Had Brothership been a snappier, more compact entry, it could have been one of the best in the series, but as it is, we're left with an enjoyable game that overstays its welcome once again.

Before the Storm tackles its themes with grace and provides an amazing exploration of female friendships and relationships with an emotional depth that is rare to come across. Many moments are heart-wrenching and in line with the primary thing that made the original so widely beloved: the emotional, real, and relatable experiences of its characters. Just like the original, it has its good share of flaws; but also just like the original, there are moments and characters so human that you can’t help but connect with them on a deeply personal level. Just like real people, Before the Storm’s final episode is a flawed but at times beautiful thing. Overall, even though I have a stronger personal connection to the first season, I dare say Before the Storm is the better of the two and it’s absolutely worth playing.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden does do enough to stand out on its own, mostly due to the narrative. If you weren’t impressed with the first faux tabletop experience, the minor combat changes won’t be enough to persuade you. Likely, due to the closeness to its antecedent, there aren’t enough improvements in this entry to really qualify it as being notably better than the first. Nonetheless, it is a complementary experience that fans of the first are likely to enjoy just as much.

I may not have personally enjoyed the writing much, but it’s not inherently bad--it’s just not my sense of humor. There may be sticking points and frustrations in terms of the gameplay, but the core of the battle system is solid. Perhaps being episodic will work to Nuchallenger’s advantages, so they can take what they’ve learned from this first episode and make a truly great second one.

For someone who isn’t a fan of the original Disgaea games, I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed my time with Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded. It’s not the best remaster I’ve seen and the challenge can be overly frustrating at times, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had in its simple-to-learn, hard-to-master mechanics and charming characters.

Despite some early mistrust due to the game’s agricultural aspects, I ended up enjoying my time with Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin — at least the first two-thirds of it. It wasn’t breaking any new ground gameplay-wise, with combat that was just enjoyable enough to make up for its repetitive nature. The narrative was decent, though those looking for a deep storytelling may dislike the aimless self-motivation the game requires of its players. The farming aspects are so simply integrated that they only added to the overall experience, never detracted. What did take away from my enjoyment in the end, however, was the sudden and severe prolonging of the game, just when the credit roll started to feel inevitable. It’s a solid and certainly unique game that can be quite enjoyable when approached with the right expectations.

All-in-all, Operation Abyss' PC port is nothing fancy, but it doesn't need to be. It's a solid an functional port that gets the job done with a couple odd quirks.

If there was a succinct way to sum up Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, it’d be a celebration of Kiryu’s legacy. There are subtle callbacks of his past adventures that don’t intrude on the central themes and internal struggles that he faces as the title connects the past to the present. While it may not be his grandest adventure, Like A Dragon Gaiden sets an important milestone for the Dragon of Dojima. We’ll meet him again in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but Gaiden establishes an essential foundation and roadmap in what’s next for this legendary character.

All in all, the PC port is simple but sufficient for a first person dungeon-crawler. Performance at windowed resolutions might be problematic for some but hopefully NISA can investigate those issues. Picture Gate implementation is a fun addition that probably should have been explained better.

Despite these qualms, those who are fans of Gust’s library will love what Blue Reflection offers. It's clear the developers had a lot of fun experimenting with this game, and one can hope this inventiveness will extend to their future catalog.

A great conclusion to the Zero Escape series. Its incredible storytelling through fragmented scenes fittingly structures the entire plot as a puzzle that the player pieces together one at a time. Several characters we've come to hate and love throughout the series now have a conclusive explanation to the situations they faced in the other games. While some of its flaws may leave some areas feeling half-baked, Zero Time Dilemma will be something that won't be leaving our minds anytime soon.

Ray Gigant is an interesting mesh of dungeon crawling and visual novel elements. The combat is unique and the presentation is great for the genre, but the repetitive nature, lack of challenge, and disappointing conclusion prevent the game from reaching excellence.

Miasma Chronicles is a demanding but well-balanced tactical RPG that should scratch the itch of XCOM fans or anyone seeking a modest challenge. It's disappointing that the narrative elements don't hold up on their end, because they easily detract from an otherwise satisfying game.

Valkyrie Elysium is an okay game with a fun battle system. Its biggest strength is that it’s fun to play when there are enemies on-screen. Everything else about it is relatively lackluster. This new take on the Valkyrie series is a solid gameplay foundation while leaving a lot of room for improvement in many other areas. Still, I think the developers at Soleil have done a decent job as newcomers taking their own interpretation of the series. I don’t think I’d want Valkyrie Elysium to completely overtake the Valkyrie Profile series moving forward, though I’d be happy with a peaceful co-existence as each strives to improve themselves - given that Square Enix greenlights more Valkyrie titles, of course.

Reflecting back on the series' now ten-year history in the West, Tamsoft has made the best Neptunia spin-offs. Much like the other Tamsoft spin-offs, Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is nothing special, but it's also not a poor game outright. It's a decent action game without a lot of depth, but its simplicity allows it to be fun in small bursts. Neptunia and Senran Kagura fans will most likely find this game an enjoyable addition to the family of both series. I played on PlayStation 4, but the game is also coming to Nintendo Switch and PC next year, so even more fans will be able to check the game out.

The Surge 2 makes several smart gameplay refinements from its predecessor that polish up some rough edges, and environmental design & traversal have improved considerably. However, the lack of enemy variety, disappointing boss encounters, and overreliance on blocking prevent The Surge 2 from making the full next step into being a great action RPG.

Fuga 3 is still a great game, but it's hard not to wonder exactly what the point of it all was. Fuga was a daring and highly focused release, and at the time Fuga 2 felt like a similarly tight experience relying on the knowledge that players had already grown accustomed to the gameplay. Yet Fuga 3, in it's attempts to expand its scope feels like it just misses the mark. What should have been a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy feels like a coda to a performance whose curtains had already fallen years ago.

I’m conflicted about Dissidia Final Fantasy NT because I think it looks fantastic and makes good on its total makeover to a thrilling 3vs3 fighting game. Each character is different enough to make them all worth checking out. My problems with its netcode is a hard thing to overcome though; some characters that have strict timings on their mechanics are almost impossible to fully utilize online; these include Sephiroth’s dash cancels, Squall’s trigger on his bravery attacks, Jecht’s very brief window to parry attacks, and so forth. Plus, there’s just not much else to it if you’re not planning to play it online with others a lot. Offline NT fighters can go through its slim excuse for a story and then play Gauntlet endlessly to unlock more treasure and gil to buy more things from the shop I suppose.

While I appreciate their attempt to modernize the experience, this one doesn't seem so much as a love letter to the fans as much as an attempt to fix what wasn't broken. It won’t do anything to hurt a person’s enjoyment of the original, especially my own, but it’s altogether a lackluster effort for something that could have been so much more. In the end, you may be better off investing in the SNES Classic and trying it out that way instead.

I went into Dark Envoy curious about the title, but I came away apathetic and annoyed. There are some interesting class & skill systems in place, but tedious encounter design, a sluggish narrative, forgettable characters, and a multitude of performance issues, all make this title a difficult RPG to recommend.

Coromon is a game filled with potential but past sinking sands and perplexing puzzles it starts to fall flat. Fans of the genre will be delighted by the levels of customization thanks to the potential system and easy skill switching. Though, once you beat the roughly twenty-three or so hour campaign you'll find little to do. While some elements are stated to be getting worked on, two months after release, the game is still the same. Hopefully those who are waiting on the delayed Switch and mobile release will get them at the same time as any major updates to the game. For the PC and budget gamer, however, this is still a fine choice, and there is an accessible demo letting you play the start of the game. The shake-ups do let Coromon stand on its own and create an enjoyable experience, but it could’ve evolved to be something a little more.

Wintertide Miracles just feels like the light fluffy snow on Christmas Day--pretty and charming, but ultimately fleeting and a pain to move through. If you’re really wanting more time with your favorite Code: Realize characters after Bouquet of Rainbows, then Wintertide Miracles might be worth your time. However, don’t expect anything of the same caliber as the previous games.

While the plot and its characters did not necessarily engage me, the Servan system has a lot of untapped potential just waiting to be realized.

Persona 3 Reload for Switch 2 should've been the easiest win for Atlus, but it is lacking in some key areas. If you've not played it before and mostly play docked on Switch 2, it is a good but conservative port, and P3R remains worth your time. The real issue is how Persona 3 Reload for Switch 2 doesn't feel great to play at all right now on the go, the real draw of this new port. Had Atlus included all DLC, it would've been a good excuse to replay the game with different costume and music options, or even made it so those who played the base game last year could experience Episode Aigis on the go.

Episode Ardyn is fine, but it’s held back by repetitive gameplay that doesn’t really live up to Episode Ignis or Prompto. Unfortunately, the only thing really worth going in for here is the story and how it expands on FFXV universe lore.

For anyone who prefers pure farming and enjoys the Story of Seasons franchise, this can still be a game for you. Everything that the series is well-known for is present in this game. However, it doesn't seem like the series has really taken any real steps forward since I last played a Story of Seasons game back in 2007. For now, I think I'll stick to Rune Factory.

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness is certainly not a game for everyone. It is a challenging balancing act between being faithful to Made in Abyss and being a “fun” video game. It does an admirable job in implementing the “systems” and “rules” of Made in Abyss’s world into a game, but the overall result just feels underwhelming in its presentation and execution. Fans of Made in Abyss will enjoy Binary Star Falling into Darkness if they are seeking the hardcore survival aspect of being a Cave Raider in that world, but it has little to offer for complete newcomers.

I wish I could be coming away from Biomutant recommending it to other players. In fact, before starting it I was damn near certain that I’d enjoy it, but it sadly didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s charming and has a great suite of RPG mechanics and customisation, but it’s also surprisingly generic in most of its mission design and has combat that is unique but unsatisfying. I had some fun with it, and I’m sure others will too, but I walked away from it mostly feeling nothing, which is the biggest shame of all.

I jive a lot of what Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin sets out to achieve conceptually as it juggles between tight fast-paced action RPG combat and thorough rice farming mechanics. Edelweiss unfortunately fumbles on key areas to an otherwise charming title. Platforming is a hassle most of the time, especially in later areas. Every system feels a step too steep into resource micromanagement, and it made me feel as if I was always playing on a tight schedule rather than being able to progress at my leisure. I wish I loved this game more, because there is a lot of heart, but sadly I came away merely lukewarm from the experience.

Despite everything, I greatly enjoyed my time with Utawrerumono Zan. However, I can't gloss over the title's numerous faults. It's not worth $60, except for the most of ardent of fans. Maybe if a followup title were to happen down the line adapting Mask of Truth as well, it would be worth it. As it stands, even if you're an Utawarerumono fan, it's hard to recommend anything other than to wait for the game's price to drop. It's a solid game at its center, and I'd have no trouble recommending it on a sale, but as a full-price release, it just doesn't make much sense.

For all its ambition, Forspoken doesn't bring much new to the genre, and instead falls into various pitfalls common with open-world games. While the combat is serviceable and fun in spurts, the game's narrative, characters, and exploration all come up short. It's too bad it seems like Forspoken won't get a second chance, because I think there is some potential sitting dormant underneath all the imperfections, but it looks like Frey's journey will remain a missed opportunity.

If you’ve played the original recently, I wouldn't suggest playing this port straight away, but for newcomers it is absolutely the best version, that I can definitely recommend it as a beginner friendly RPG. As a fan of the original I’m glad I got to play it again with much better visuals and fun new features, but they failed to tune some of the annoyances to make my jaunt more jolly.

It's still Utawarerumono, and if my experience playing the games on Vita are anything to go by - blurry graphics probably won't ruin your experience - I still have to hope that these issues will get patched up in the coming weeks. I certainly hope they do.

It's still Utawarerumono, and if my experience playing the games on Vita are anything to go by - blurry graphics probably won't ruin your experience - I still have to hope that these issues will get patched up in the coming weeks. I certainly hope they do.

At the end of the day, Nepenthe is charming enough to invest an hour or two playing it and just experiencing its strangeness. It’s doesn’t feel quite complete in places and is far from perfect, but it has moxy, and moxy is what is going to entertain you some weekend afternoon in the future.