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.

It becomes frustrating that every single time you’ll be forced to stop and select a Door Flower, or a Ladder Flower, manually. There must’ve been a better way to handle this. Maybe I’m blowing this out of proportion. Perhaps it’s a bit of a nitpick – it certainly doesn’t erase everything that the game does so well. I’d still give Undernauts a hearty recommendation to anyone already familiar with the genre, and I’d likely do the same for anyone looking to get into DRPGs as a whole. In the end, it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the game much at all; it’s just incredibly frustrating that problems that feel like they should be easy enough to fix are holding back what would otherwise be the perfect game to introduce players to my favorite genre of RPGs. It still more than earns my recommendation, I just hope that Experience can polish out these few remaining rough edges down the line.

Even if there isn't any real reason to continue playing the game after the credits roll, it's hard to deny that I had a wonderful time with Little Noah; and in a sea of similar games that aim to challenge players to perform their absolute best, sometimes it's nice to just sit down and play a game that aims to make the players feel powerful. Little Noah: Scion of Paradise strikes that balance without making the game feel unengaging, and that's by no means an easy feat. Perhaps Cygames' planned updates will offer something for those players that might still ache for a real challenge, but even if they don't end up delivering on that promise it's almost impossible to avoid falling for Little Noah's charms.

In my preview from PAX West, I described Lost Eidolons as “if Dragon Age and Fire Emblem had a child” and after sinking a lot more time into it, I still stand by that remark. It’s an impressive first foray for indie Ocean Drive Studio that has resulted in a title that will speak to SRPG fans and intrigue those who are more allured by more gear and stat-forward RPGs. While it may not land all the time with too many loading screens, a weaker narrative, and character models lacking emotion, thanks to the richness of its mechanics and solid tactical experience, the experience is still one that will appeal to tactical diehards. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

Romancing SaGa is not for everyone, and nor should it be. But if you want to try something new and different from typical JRPGs, give it a shot, and maybe you'll end up addicted to it.

Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters is the first Neptunia game in a long time that I really enjoyed playing. Like every other spin-off title, this entry in the series isn't going to convince anyone who hasn't played the series to jump in. However, I believe this game is on the right track for a return to a future mainline entry. It has the feel of one when it comes to its story and portrayal of the characters. Just like mk2, the CPU Candidates have revived my hope for the series once again. For any Neptunia fan, I believe this is a must-play entry in the series. For everyone else not invested in the series, this will likely not do anything for you.

I come away from Trinity Trigger largely apathetic. It's a simple game with some nostalgic charm, but irritating ally behavior, tedious weapon/rune systems, and a mundane plot make it an easy pass, especially as a single-player game. If you have a local friend to play with, Trinity Trigger may offer an easygoing 20-hour experience you can play together, but otherwise there's not much to latch onto here.

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.

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.

I really enjoyed my short but sweet time with Small Saga, of about seven hours, with my only disappointment being the lack of any difficulty without having to intentionally handicap myself. That and the Australian possum saying “yall” instead of “youse”. It’s a great little game filled with nice visuals, and mostly funny writing although the tone becomes less humorous further on. If you want a pint-sized adventure to enjoy with a similar-sized beverage, Small Saga is one to play.

Enshrouded is undeniably a game to play with friends, as I struggled a bit playing by myself, but the way the world is crafted, and the way the expansive environments are filled with interesting points of interest is wonderful. The crafting and building system could use some work, but they are minute changes and quality-of-life fixes that only detract from the experience a little bit. Despite this, the detail put into the world and environments was enough to convince me that there's something magical going on here, and I could personally see myself losing days of my life to exploring Enshrouded's wilds. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

Soul Covenant is one of those games that is frustratingly close to delivering what I wanted it to. RPG progression, while basic, would be engaging if the game had enough content outside of the main story to compliment it through its runtime; the story could've been so much more with more scenes to sell it. Despite it all, Soul Covenant managed to recapture at least some of the feelings I remembered from Soul Sacrifice - but in a way that makes the whole package all the more disappointing. I believe the team had the capabilities to deliver something truly special here. It's just a shame that what they ultimately released is such a mixed bag.

Megaton Musashi W: Wired is unexpectedly, and surprisingly, one of the best action RPGs in 2024. It offers a lengthy main storyline filled with amusing characters, a plethora of rich in-depth customization mechanics to supplement its compelling gameplay, multiple modes that all serve to enhance what makes it fun, and a ton of smartly designed navigation functions that lead to a smooth experience in moving around its dozens upon dozens of menus. While the narrative stumbles at the finish line, it is undeniable that Megaton Musashi W: Wired is one of the most fully-featured video games in the modern era that is filled to the brim with stuff to do and it is all fun as hell.

Your enjoyment of Mahoyo will heavily rely on its narrative and characters. Despite lacking multiple routes found in later Nasu works, such as Tsukihime and Fate, Mahoyo's story remains highly engaging and is truly worth the long wait in English. If you're into the Nasuverse, do yourself a favor and give this game a read.

In the end, I had a fantastic time with the Astlibra: Cave of the Phantom Mist. The price tag of $9.99 is a complete steal for the amount of content it offers. However, I would only recommend this title to players who really enjoyed the original; newcomers who haven’t played the original might not find it as compelling.

Slay the Princess was a brilliant experience last year on PC, and one I considered on par in many ways with Disco Elysium narratively. With Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut, Black Tabby Games and Serenity Forge have improved upon, added to, and enhanced the core experience enough to have among my favorite games of the year, and one I recommend to anyone interested in well-written stories and compelling horror games.

For players who grew up loving ’90s anime or those fascinated by experimental mechanics in RPGs, Wander Stars is worth experiencing. It may not fully deliver on the limitless potential of words, but when it hits, it feels as satisfying as the perfect sentence – or punch - landing exactly where it should.

What I get out of Stray Children, more than anything else, is that the people at Onion Games are some of the brightest creative voices in the business. There’s a subtextual plea in how this game was designed to understand them. Stray Children wants you to get the appeal of what used to make games like this so special, and that sincerity is infectious. I’ve seen so many retro revivals fail to understand why people liked games of the '90s. There was an excitement in partaking in the boom of a brand-new art form, and that excitement has understandably waned in the last 30 years. Stray Children takes that feeling and does something beautiful with it.

Towerborne is a game that’s integrally different from Stoic’s previous work in nearly every way, but you can still feel the studio’s unique voice and personality come through in so much of the world-building and writing. It is a rock-solid beat ‘em up that can take you a long way, especially with friends, but ultimately, I hope the studio gets a chance to return to this world again, because there’s truly a spark of something even more special still hidden in the foundation.