Shujinkou is a great cover letter in the history of Rice Games, putting the developer on the radar of RPGamers. The game pays a fair homage to several of its influences such as some Atlus entries and also brings some good new ideas to the table. Learning Japanese is optional, but even for casual players vaguely interested in learning, some words will linger on their minds, and the didactic approach is a great idea. Shujinkou has some flaws that can dismay some players, but the overall experience is great and makes one look forward to the next release of Rice Games.

Pillars is a title that should make old-schoolers happy while still offering a solid core game, story, and a rich setting for new-schoolers.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a game that's definitely worth playing, but there's a lot of room for improvement.

Many of the great franchises of the 90s have burned out or faded away. But now, XCOM is back in a way that plays like a love letter to the original. It may not be stellar, but it has everything to make it feel right with the old fans while at the same time welcoming the newbies with tentacular appendages. That is a rare and wonderful thing.

While I clearly had issues with the actual gameplay parts of The Witcher 2, the story and characters were memorable enough to make it worthwhile, mostly because of how real they felt. While it starts off rough, has a steep learning curve, and offers a lot of places where it can get frustrating, in the end the experience was worth the effort. With a little more polish on the controls and interface, this series can continue to mature into something truly outstanding.

Those with an appreciation for the tabletop games and classic PC games this pays homage to will likely have an enjoyable experience. The learning curve is a bit steep, the seas may get choppy, and the deck can get rather slippery, but with some patience and perseverance, even the greenest sailor can go from lowly deckhand to decorated captain.

Aside from the travel issue, Spirit Tracks is, in every way, a better game than Phantom Hourglass. Sadly, the travel gets so frustrating later in the game that it really drags the whole thing down.

In the end, the real question is whether Pokémon Black offers enough spark to justify buying another Pokémon game. True believers have purchased it already, and the vocal haters will continue their hating despite this review's best efforts. For everyone who's left, the answer is a solid maybe.

The problem comes from the fact that this feels like more of the same, not a step forward. Fallout 4 doesn't break the same new ground Fallout 3 did with its jump to 3D, and its storytelling and intricacy of choice falls short of what New Vegas offered...Fallout 4 just feels safe, even when trying new things.

Nioh 3 feels weighed down by its own scope. There’s a lot of space, and not quite enough content to fill it all adequately. If Nioh as a series was going to move towards an open world, there definitely could have been a better balance between scope and content. This is a game that could have benefited had it traded at least one of the time periods for more unique yokai and more missions. If it had to be this big, the performance issues and eventual repetition indicate it needed a bit more heat and time in the crucible. That said, it does maintain ferocious, ruthless, fast-paced action combat, punctuated by blood-pumping compositions, and it has a generally competent story and world built around it. Just don’t expect it to excel in every dimension.

It is a good game, though, especially if you have some friends around to share it with.

Wildermyth has a lot going for it from its great enemy designs to the calamity structure making each playthrough unique. As enjoyable as each playthrough is, the unbalanced story structure prevents it from being amazing. This can be mitigated by gathering some friends and playing through a scenario with them. The game is a very fun roguelite tactical RPG that introduces some very creative choices, such as the entire Mythic class and transformations. With simple combat that does not get boring even after many sessions, replayability is very high.

Ultimately, Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass is a touching personal story wrapped in good jokes and functional graphics. It won’t win over anyone who’s opposed to grinding or dislikes traditional turn-based battles, but pixel RPG purists should find something to enjoy. Customizing Jimmy personalizes battles while supporting the game’s thematic concerns, while using new powers to explore keeps the old brainmeat flexing. The music’s pretty good too.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a very good game, but it features far too many easily-remedied design flaws to ignore. For players who can look past these flaws, however, a terrific adventure awaits. For all its faults, the game's charming story and loveable cast is one of the most memorable of this console generation. JRPG fans would be remiss to overlook it, but should also be aware that it's far from perfect.

What probably best summarizes The Outer Worlds is that, in spite of my qualms with aspects of it, I still enjoyed my time playing it. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and by the fills a void that feels wider in the wake of many larger western studios losing interest in making dedicated RPG experiences. It’s not the kind of game to stand the test of time and Obsidian has made much better and more interesting games in the past, but there is a pleasant experience to be had. For those looking for that style of single-player RPG will find a lot to like and could do a lot worse.

In a year dominated by sequels to franchise favorites, there was a hope that Starfield would carve its own path to success. While the team at Bethesda should be commended for taking such a big swing, there’s no denying that the game doesn’t feel like a cohesive work. Maybe continued support and future sequels will make something more meaningful out of a work that is clearly deeply enamored with both science fiction and space exploration. Unforunately, this first launch has had far more mixed results than desired.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is unlikely to create masses of new fans for Gwent, and its adventure mode effectively admits this. However, it allows those looking for an entertaining tale to enjoy one without letting CCG elements and other gameplay elements get in the way. Meanwhile, fans of Gwent should appreciate the opportunity to apply the game to a wider adventure and be tested with the special scenarios. To those ends, Thronebreaker is a worthwhile endeavour that will please many, if perhaps not delight.

Mario + Rabbids is an incredibly welcome surprise. I assumed that a game starring Rabbids would become grating long before completion, but my fears turned out to be unsubstantiated. Beep-0 is a great lead character, and the Rabbids' hijinks are dialed back to a level that works. This is a fun take on a tactical RPG; the simplification of hit percentages worked especially well. The game isn't without fault — greater variety in characters and levels along with more meaningful customization would be welcome — but most of the issues are minor in comparison to how much fun the game is to play. Hopefully Mario + Rabbids marks the beginning of a new series and a sequel will take these ideas further.

Overall, I loved my time with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and while there are imperfections in the game, they are equally a part of its charm. Kasuga Ichiban has taken over the reins of the series from Kazuma Kiryu, and Kasuga and his companions provide a moving and memorable experience throughout. While the combat has its flaws, I cannot wait to see how RGG Studios will evolve it with the next installment. There is so much to love in Like a Dragon, and I’m excited to see what happens to Kasuga and friends in their next adventure.

While Keep Driving has its flaws, I can’t deny how addicted I was to the game overall. With short playthroughs that clock anywhere between an hour or two, I became obsessed with obtaining all of the endings, trying different hitchhiker skills, and just enjoying the ride through pixilated backgrounds with my Swedish indie pop in the CD player. While the game’s story is minimal, it’s a point in its favour as it allows the player to create their own road trip adventure. Even though elements struggle — the writing needs another editing pass and the awkward UI made for some sticky situations — there is a lot to love that kept me coming back for more.

There are a few things done unusually well in this specific title, namely a story the player should actually care about, an even and consistent pace that was missing in Dragon Quest IV, less need to level grind, a party-forming mechanic that gives the player several diverse options to consider, and an overall experience that develops and changes over the course of the game, flowing naturally with the plot and maintaining a fresh feel for the battle system.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a solid game all around, with a fun and always evolving combat system, a well-crafted world with tons of secrets to find, and a sober soundtrack accompanying its traversal acting as the title’s highlights. A word of caution should be given regarding the difficulty, since both regular enemies and bosses can prove to be quite hard to beat, especially during the final act. The story doesn’t shine for its originality but still manages to be well worth uncovering thanks to its characters and setting, making this bleak but ultimately endearing Metroidvania a strong recommendation for anyone that is up for the challenge.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a good JRPG held back by the poor design decisions made for the battle system. Straddling the line between the turn-based system of its DS forefather Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn and the full action-based system of its PS4 sequel Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom does the game no favors, but for those that can successfully battle the familiars more than the system, there’s a great deal of fun to have with this game. With a solid story and an amazing, beautiful world to explore, the White Witch on Switch is a port that many JRPG fans will enjoy, especially those like me who are getting to play this for the first time.

Though this might seem like a gripe, Darksiders II is not a bad game. Its mechanics are tightly crafted and there are plenty of exciting battles and twisted puzzles to work through. But don't be surprised if everything feels very familiar, and don't feel ashamed if you're inclined to simply turn it off. After all, you've probably played this game a hundred times before.

The plot is full of holes, inconsistencies, and unbelievable character actions and reactions. There are some creative moments late in the game where SMTIV presents the alignments and philosophies in a fascinating, new way, but for the most part the plot, characters, and morals fail to come together as part of a coherent setting.

Kingdom Hearts III is most assuredly one for the fans. For those who have enjoyed the past entries, the issues have already proven themselves to be readily surmountable and the way the game wraps up the lingering plot points will be very much appreciated. However, for those who haven’t yet been sold on the series, it’s a much more varied proposition. The disconnect between the final quarter and the rest of the game is jarring, and the gameplay, while certainly enjoyable, doesn’t offer much to distinguish itself from many other action RPGs.

When Ender Lilies came out, it was a game that captured that side-scrolling feeling perfectly. Ender Magnolia hits all the notes as well, but it follows a game that was more original with a more engaging story. When crafting a sequel, one would hope that a new title would retain some of the spirit of the original work, but for Ender Magnolia, it feels more like a DLC than its own experience. Still, fans of Ender Lilies who want a new world to explore should check out Ender Magnolia.

Cassette Beats is generally a good game that takes the classic Pokémon formula and tries to iterate upon it in almost all areas. For the most part, the ideas are indeed a step up from the first few Pokémon generations, but the execution doesn’t quite come off in the pace of battles and its more obscure puzzles. The double-battle nature of the game and the beast customization offers players a great deal of strategy to engage with while listening to an excellent soundtrack. With such a broad open-world setting, RPGamers will likely find themselves immersed far beyond the fifteen hours of mainline content the game has to offer.