Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is built for the fans of the series. There were things I enjoyed, like my trial-and-error of finding new Digimon through the evolutionary lines, and things I did not, like the lost item quests. The item was sometimes feet away from the person! The game may never win any awards for its story, but it was a solid romp in a digital atmosphere that reminded me how much I enjoyed the television series when I was younger.

Ultimately, while Pokémon Shield could be considered the best Pokémon game in the series, its repeated flubs keep it from being truly excellent. Shield gives the series a much needed rest by limiting Pokémon availability and move set overlap as well as adding some welcome variety to the game’s progression. It’s truly a joy to play, with ample side activities to break up the otherwise familiar gameplay loop. That being said, Shield is still a Pokémon game; anyone not already a fan or tired of the series won’t find a compelling reason to return here.

Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san! can easily be completed in under two hours, and the online rankings indicate that under ten minutes is readily doable once upgrades have been purchased. The game features multiple endings, though these are anticlimactic involving a tiny interaction based on those initial created character choices. There is a “true ending”, which is achieved by defeating the bosses in numerical order, though this order is only revealed in the text when meeting the bosses for the first time, so it is incredibly unlikely to get the first time. In the end, I’m not even sure if the game was even worth those few hours, and is one best left forgotten.

Ultimately, GreedFall is another step forward for Spiders and is its strongest entry to date. Its previous releases may elicit some skepticism, but GreedFall, while not perfect, is a welcome addition to the gaming canon. It is a fine example of what smaller developers like Spiders can offer to complement the other experiences out there. Even with its faults, RPGamers should welcome GreedFall into their personal collections.

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.

What makes Sparklite noteworthy isn’t so much its gameplay ideas, which will certainly be familiar to fans of the genre. Rather, it does an admirable job of putting an engaging pick-up-and-play spin on a simple formula of roguelike elements fused with classic sensibilities, and becomes something greater than the sum of its parts. It isn’t incredibly lengthy, but each moment feels like progress made toward a larger goal, with plenty of inherent replayability baked right in; a top-tier soundtrack and pixel art presentation are just icing on what’s already a tasty RPG cake.

A Knight’s Quest is a respectable achievement. In terms of pure design, it has an impressive scope that it manages to make good on. Blending three gameplay styles — combat, platforming, and puzzle solving — in a vibrant and vast 3D world is no mean feat, and the game never falters in that regard. However, the hiccups that occur along the way range from inconvenient, like a fast travel system that is locked away until it’s not needed anymore, to downright frustrating, like being locked into an awkward camera angle during a finicky platforming boss fight. Though not perfect, the game is a simple idea given a decent execution, and should appeal to those currently waiting for their next Legend of Zelda fix.

Overall, Little Town Hero is a lot of great ideas mashed together with a solid story, but unpredictable combat, average graphics and forgettable music drag down and tend to overwhelm the best parts. Reducing the randomness of the largest battles or otherwise streamlining these encounters would have noticeably improved the game’s overall flow. As it stands, Little Town Hero is neither especially great nor particularly bad but harmlessly average; with ample patience in the face of bad luck, there’s the sparkle of an enjoyable gem hidden under the game’s false starts.

Ultimately, Conception Plus feels like its skating by on the curiousness of its premise rather than using it to build a strong experience. The Star Children are easily the most interesting thing about the game, but it gets bogged down with gameplay that doesn’t provide any reason to stick around longer than necessary. The characters are given nothing useful to do in a predictable and irreverent main plot, and though the dating sim aspects are more interesting, it’s still hard to call them any better than ok. Conception Plus works best as something to do while having something else going on at the same time, but it’s simply not strong enough to warrant full attention for long stretches of time.

Ultimately, Mary Skelter 2 is more of the same, with an interesting story twist. This isn’t a bad thing for fans of the original, or those who haven’t experienced either game, but may unintentionally scare away those who had technical issues with the first Mary Skelter outing on Vita. Mary Skelter 2 invites those who haven’t yet dived into the series to partake of both the first and second title in one handy package. For those seeking a solid dungeon-crawler on the Nintendo Switch, Mary Skelter 2 gets a hearty recommendation.

At first brush, Destiny Connect by all rights appears to be successful in what it seems to have been created for: provide a cute, fun, and polished throwback game for both modern audiences and those who remember the older console generations fondly. The issues with the game don’t become apparent immediately, but do rear their heads before too long, causing fatigue with the bland, aimless narrative and frustration with the repetitive and simple combat. Time travel is a tricky thing, and in Destiny Connect’s case, the only fond memories I’m left with are the good times I’ve had with the games that were its inspirations.

Warsaw starts well enough. Its eye-catching premise and style do a good job getting players’ initial attention, while the brisk gameplay loop gets players up to speed quickly. However, the loop gets tiresome a short while in, with rather shallow depth and no narrative to support it, and so the experience of the game itself will not linger too long in the memory. But if nothing else, Warsaw still gives encouragement for others to learn more about one of the darker times in history and find further respect for those who fought through it.

Trails of Cold Steel II on the PlayStation 4 is definitely recommended for those who haven’t played it, and also works well for those who are looking to get back into the series ahead of Trails of Cold Steel III. The extra voice acting, the high definition graphics, and the turbo speed option make this version much more appealing to replay than the previous ones. Trails of Cold Steel II is an easy recommendation for any JRPG buff, but it’s always worth noting that patience is a virtue with this series. Those who stick with it leave with a feeling of satisfaction and catharsis, but it takes a while to get there.

Dragon Quest III laid the groundwork for a lot of modern Dragon Quest norms, such as class changing, spell and weapon variety, and world building. It’s also a clear product of game development of the era, where game length is inflated by mandatory leveling up paired with little story direction. Leaving it up to the player to figure out where to go and what to do next, as well as how much time to spend beating up foes to acquire all-important spells, is an artifact of NES-era development; whether this is attractive or repulsive is highly subjective and makes the game a problematic recommend. Still, I have no regrets about having gone back and finally having the chance to play, and for Dragon Quest fans who haven’t yet done so, it’s worth a look.

Any Metroidvania title’s bread and butter lies in how much fun it is to explore its environments, constantly unlocking new abilities along the way that make returning to old areas just as full of discoveries as the first time through. While the game certainly isn’t shy about doling out new abilities to maneuver around with, it’s the actual areas themselves that are just not much fun to poke around in, in some cases seeming to stretch out interminably with one lengthy platforming challenge after another. Expertly executed designs, visuals, voiceovers, and musical score still make Indivisible a great joy to behold, but its shortcomings do take away some of the triumph of actually playing it.

Upon revisiting the world of Dragon Quest II after a long hiatus, I still found it enjoyable, yet it no longer feels like the epic tale it was long ago. A world that felt so large in its day now feels both short and sweet and somehow also prolonged with unnecessary backtracking and excessive enemy encounters. Nonetheless, the Nintendo Switch version of Dragon Quest II is a fine-tuned port of an old game, with better graphics, music, and solid gameplay. Fans of the series and retro-enthusiasts may find enjoyment with this title, but newcomers to the series may find some of the story and gameplay elements archaic and outdated.

Minus needing an entire further game to get to the saga’s full conclusion, Trails of Cold Steel III is everything I want from an RPG with a world that fully sucks players in, amazing music and locations in which one can just sit and relax, and a twisting and fascinating story involving incredibly deep characters that are easy to get attached to. Erebonia once again gets some fantastic attention to detail that really brings its complex story and people to life, as the many threads that have been introduced throughout the series further intertwine and begin coming to a head. Combined with a further improved combat system and further quality-of-life improvements, it marks yet another step up for the rightly beloved series. Now all that’s left is just the agonising wait for the fourth and final part of the Cold Steel saga to see how it all ends.

Various Daylife is the kind of game that’s hard to universally recommend playing or avoiding. It’s structured like a game that’s intended to be played in short bursts, but the massive amount of content — a minimum of 30 hours to finish the main story, at least that much again to finish all the content the game has to provide. Anyone playing the title in 10 to 15-minute chunks would require nearly a year to finish fully. For the patient RPGamer, dive in — the story’s interesting and there’s a lot of great ideas to be found in Various Daylife. It’s unfortunate these unique ideas aren’t implemented or supported in better ways.

The combat is solid glue holding together a solid product, offering some fun cooperative shooting and a good amount of interesting items and weapons to build. Gunfire Games has already supported the game with two new modes and hopefully post-launch support will continue. While those who need a constant influx of new loot to parse through may find this game a bit on the slow side, those who are more familiar with games like Dark Souls may feel more at home here. The experience isn’t a perfect one, but there’s plenty to love in Remnant and excitement to be had in its future.

The Surge 2 is like a juicy, metal-plated bone that gamers looking for a well-crafted yet brutal combat experience can really sink their teeth into: it will push them to their limits, hurt and punish in all the right ways, but offers that sweet, sweet payoff when you finally emerge victorious.

While Oninaki had its fair share of ideas that could have potentially made it a gem, it is ultimately undone by weak storytelling that doesn’t do its heavy subject matter justice and combat that is enjoyable at times yet held back by design flaws that hinder the experience. It never quite executes its best ideas in a wholly satisfactory way, resulting in a game that I tried my best to open my heart to, but the game refused to open its own.

Anyone who never liked the Metroidvania entries in the Castlevania series is extremely unlikely to be enthralled by Bloodstained. Koji Igarashi made no intimations of reinventing the wheel in Ritual of the Night, and the game is recognizably from the creator of Symphony of the Night. Playing this game nevertheless reminded me of how much fun a quality Metroidvania can be, and Konami is certainly in no mood to use its own intellectual property for anything other than Pachinko machines lately – plus if it had, something like paying money for additional save slots might have been introduced. Kickstarter-funded games have a decidedly mixed record, but Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is fortunately one of the success stories.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered showcases the definitive version of a game that has withstood the test of time. The story and characters are still engaging, the score sounds as beautiful as ever, and the art-design looks impressive. The game is much more enjoyable with the remaster’s new features, which help alleviate the issues with the archaic controls and the experimental Junction system. Players who had once despised the PlayStation edition due to its sluggish nature may be enticed to give Final Fantasy VIII a second chance with the remastered edition. I surely enjoyed this adventure more on the second go-round.

It took an unusual amount of effort for me to finally play Child of Light, but the game lingers fondly in my memory now that it finally happened. This is a unique and affecting title that is worth seeking out by any who haven’t tried it before. Just be prepared for Ubisoft not to make playing the game an easy task.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening has quickly become my favourite Zelda game to date, and the pacing is a strong reason why I enjoyed it so much. Every time I thought to myself, “I could really use an item to fill a specific need,” there it was. Combat is satisfying and it feels really good to take down a tough boss. Grabbing the Seashell Tuning Fork and trying to dig up all 50 is a fun diversion from the main plot and rewarding to boot. The gameplay is highly accessible, offering both a normal mode for newer players like myself or a more challenging hero mode for veterans. It’s the perfect game for anyone looking for just the right title to dip a toe into the Zelda universe and proves quality top-down RPGs are not a lost art.

River City Girls brought me so much joy, and playing it with my roommate we beat it in two days without taking too many breaks. It’s fantastic to have a couch co-op game that takes all of the classic elements of beat-’em-ups and gives them an upgrade that feels modern and fresh. I can’t remember the last time I played a beat-’em-up that had both a fun and entertaining story, but was also great to play, even with its few frustrations.

Cat Quest II: The Lupus Empire could be easily summarized as more Cat Quest, but that alone wouldn’t encompass how fun the game is or its many improvements. Though built with familiar RPG trappings, between the puntastic writing, fun combat, excellent story pacing, and world building, there’s nothing out there quite like Cat Quest II. With expanded character options, and an even bigger world to explore, there’s really very little not to like about the second romp from The Gentlebros. A full adventure will take players five to ten hours to complete, and the game never overstays its welcome, so be sure not to catnap on this one.

Having played numerous Puzzle Quest offerings, including Nintendo DS and Xbox 360, as well as iOS, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns is the definitive way to play the first adventure, despite the slowdowns and occasional crash. It’s both beginner friendly with improved tutorials as well as veteran compatible with new content.

Astral Chain is a very welcome addition the Nintendo Switch’s library and PlatinumGames’ portfolio. Some areas are stronger than others; the combat and style are both excellent, but platforming sections are less engaging and the game’s doesn’t make full use of its interesting premise and setting by preferring to go into more straightforward anime melodrama. It’s one that’s well worth checking out for RPGamers and non-RPGamers alike.

Not being a fan of card games myself, I approached this game with low expectations. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the game’s addicting nature, compounded by the robust content and fan service. I spent many hours trying to unlock more character cards and scenarios. Super Saiyan 3 Vegito. Various non-canon transformations of Broly. I even got a character card of Bulma, which I immediately added to my main deck. Despite the immense fun factor and extra features, the card game itself isn’t compelling enough to entice those who are unfamiliar with the anime series. However, devout fans of the Dragon Ball series should find plenty of content to feast on here.

At the end of the day, Super Neptunia RPG does quite a few things differently than other titles in the series; a few that improve the experience, a few that make it more frustrating. For those who have previously enjoyed the tales of Neptune and her crew, it’s possibly worth a try, but for those uninitiated, this won’t create any new Nep Nep fans. While I went into this game excited to try a different type of Neptunia, it hardly held my attention for more than a half-hour at a time, requiring a lot more stamina and time than it should to complete a game that clocks in well under twenty hours.

It’s hard to recommend Dandy Dungeon on the strength of any one of its aspects. The gameplay is designed to be repetitive, and does too little to appeal much to either those interested in dungeon-crawling combat or puzzle-solving. The story gels well with the comically exaggerated pixel graphics and silly music, and delivers a good amount of cheekiness, though it’s unfortunately eclipsed by the game’s large amount of grinding. In the end, it’s not a terrible game, but its idiosyncrasies don’t push it beyond average, and may be too much for many gamers to swallow.

It was and still is an absolute must-play for any JRPG fan, and a master class in slow-burn world-building that should be mandatory gaming, and if a modern-hardware remaster puts it into the hands of even more gamers, I can’t help but be all for it. If the original release was already a modern classic, then this improved version is nothing short of a masterpiece.

There are many unique mechanics introduced here that have a lot of potential, but between the lack of interesting ways in which said mechanics are used and the terrible controls, they only work to hinder the game. The game is also one of the buggiest games I’ve played; its litany of bugs range from falling through walls, to abilities that don’t work correctly or unintentionally trivialize encounters and obstacles, and even bugs of the game-breaking kind. This is a game with great ideas but horrid execution, both from a technical and a design perspective, and it’s really a shame. Here’s hoping the developers will take what’s good here and execute better on it in the future.

Utawarerumono is a property that deserves greater awareness, but unfortunately Utawarerumono Zan is unlikely to help. It might serve some as a brief reminder of events, but taken in a vacuum neither the storytelling nor gameplay do enough to warrant much attention. At least there is the remake of its first title to look forward to in 2020.

Crystar ends up as a bit of a mixed bag. The interesting ideas, story elements, and audio are let down by generally mediocre gameplay, which is particularly exacerbated when its most repetitive portion is forced upon players for very little story benefit. There’s enough about it that many will find plenty to enjoy, particularly on the narrative side of things, but there may not be too many streams of joyful tears.

I’m an antisocial recluse and took no advantage of the features available by connecting to the Internet, but the presence of such things in addition to the core experience means Wargroove has an enormous amount of content. Even without going through all the internet-enabled content, this game has plenty of material to keep anyone interested in a tactical experience invested. It’s not a game in which every element is effective, especially for those who demand a powerful narrative, but Chucklefish has made something worth investigating for those thinking Nintendo has let Advance Wars sit around without a follow-up for too long.

While Fire Emblem: Three Houses isn’t a perfect game, it comes incredibly close to it. It quickly became my favourite Fire Emblem entry and is quite possibly my favourite TRPG of all time. After finishing the game, all I wanted to do was dive back in and take a different route. Coming from someone who doesn’t replay games, that by itself is a truly telling statement of how excellent the game is. With lovable characters, a deep combat system with great improvements, an interesting story and a beautiful presentation, there’s very little not to adore about this Switch title.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is a mighty callback that brings back a series that was an afterthought. It is a successful return for the series, boasting strong gameplay and an impressive and growing list of available heroes. There are a few missteps and annoyances, but these do not outweigh the positives features this game offers. The game shines when played with friends, but is perfectly fine as a single player action RPG romp. It is an easy game for Marvel fans to pick up and play, but is also enjoyable to those that might not be as familiar with the characters and settings.

Mariage is a game with some decent ideas that are completely undone by execution. The concepts for the battle system are good, but balance is lacking. The idea of carrying over stats to a second generation is enticing, but there is so much grinding that any interest will be sapped long before reaching the end. Mariage‘s adult-oriented material will also narrow its player base somewhat. There’s just not enough good about Mariage to balance out all the issues the game has. Mariage is not an experience players will want to make a long-term commitment to.

I had a good time with Keepers of the Void, and appreciated the feeling of puzzling my way through a dungeon, as well as the spike in boss difficulty by the end. Even though it doesn’t add much, if anything, in terms of lore or storytelling to the game’s world, it’s a dungeon experience that Darksiders III overall benefits from. It doesn’t have many long-term rewards for those that have already cleared the main game, but it’s a worthwhile return trip to the world of Darksiders III nonetheless, even if only for a few hours, and the kind of thing I’d love to see integrated into the base game design for future outings in the franchise.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is outstanding, and the pinnacle of Final Fantasy XIV so far. All of its elements blend beautifully for not only one of the strongest MMORPG experiences going, but one of the strongest RPG experiences full stop. The ability for its gameplay to cater to both players who prefer to play predominantly solo and those who prefer the more communal MMO elements is amazing, and the audio and narrative just further pile on the goodness. For those debating getting into Final Fantasy XIV, the release of Shadowbringers offers an ideal time to do it, with the very best awaiting them at the end.

Citizens of Space is an ambitious game in many ways that delivers an incredible variety of systems both in and out of combat to occupy players. To be sure, the game oozes with creativity at nearly every turn. But it takes a risk in going with a story focused primarily on humor, which unfortunately doesn’t pay off, and is instead overburdened with mostly predictable punchlines and tired, overused phrases. The end result leaves the game without much of a narrative, characters with flat personalities, fights that can drag on for a little too long, and lackluster presentation throughout.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 seems to take the best ingredients of Minecraft, The Sims, Harvest Moon, and The Legend of Zelda, and blend it all together with a sprinkle of the Dragon Quest flavour. And it works magnificently, because it allows Dragon Quest Builders 2 to step out of being a straight clone and become a standout title in its own right. It is a game for both veterans of the series and newcomers alike.

As the fourth game in the Arland sub-series of Atelier games, there were characters and interactions that series’ veterans would get more mileage out of than those who hadn’t played the first three, but at no time did the experience suffer from my lack of background knowledge. Atelier Lulua is both a wonderful game for newcomers and Atelier veterans to enjoy.

As far as The Legend of Zelda franchise is concerned, Cadence of Hyrule is a definite spin-off, and it has no designs to be anything but. However, the game is far more than just Crypt of the NecroDancer with a Zelda skin slapped on top. The addictive feel of classic Zelda is here in spades, just executed a little differently. To prepare for this review, I cleared normal mode, then started a new game to just try out the additional modes. What was meant as nothing more than a quick foray to test out all available options quickly turned into a second full playthrough. The music, the enemies, the world — it all feels unmistakably Zelda, even if Link now has a bit of added pep in his step.

The combat continues to improve — it’s incredibly fun taking down huge groups of yakuza — and the story and characters really shine. However, at times the rough edges on the detective elements remind the player that this is the first crack at this sort of gameplay. So it’s not a unanimous decision in Judgment‘s favor, but it is still a ton of fun and the inclusion of English voice acting and lack of an intimidating back cannon makes it a great place for newcomers to see what a Yakuza game is all about.

Braveland Trilogy is ultimately a game that is sunk and buoyed by its earlier rough edges and eventual success. While the original Braveland is short and mediocre, the second game Braveland Wizard shows great promise and improves on nearly everything, while the third game Braveland Pirate shines with personality, sparkles with witty dialogue and shows great growth, finally fulfilling the potential glimpsed in the original game. Providing players can bear through the original title, Braveland Trilogy is an entertaining romp through the hexagonal combat made popular in classic Heroes of Might & Magic games.

While those looking for a deep, story-heavy RPG might find Octopath Traveler lacking, the game is a hugely enjoyable modern take on traditional turn-based games of yesteryear with a collection of short story, rather than novel-length, narratives. The graphics represent the pinnacle of pixel art and the score is amazing. This game was pretty much a system-seller for me and well worth every penny and hour spent with it.

As a Nintendo Switch title, The Swords of Ditto hits the mark of being a game you can play for five minutes or five hours and feels right at home in handheld mode. Aside from a mild fatigue from repetition near the end, occasional long load times between zones and the frustratingly designed Nemesis curse, everything about The Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse comes together in one strongly designed package.

Lapis x Labyrinth is for those looking for some straightforward enjoyment. The swift progression through levels and missions, combined with a highly appreciable visual style and polish provides plenty of satisfaction. It won’t do much for those looking for a strong challenge or deep gameplay, but it succeeds in what it sets out to do.

The value is clear to nostalgic fans, who have probably already purchased the game and had fun with it. However, newcomers to Funkotron are more likely to enjoy it for a few hours and move on in search of more variety, a bouncy bass beat in their hearts.

Considering the multitude of Dynasty Warriors-type games out there, Fate/EXTELLA LINK manages to stand out from the crowd with its refined and addicting gameplay and combat. Fan of Musou titles or the Fate series should find plenty of satisfaction with this. Completing every stage of the game’s main story takes about fifteen hours, yet players can spend much more time completing the side missions, unlocking the costumes, and increasing their bond levels with Servants. The game does get repetitive fast, but the fast-paced action and short missions are enough to keep players thoroughly entertained, especially in short bursts.

Final Fantasy XII feels like one of those games that has gotten more appreciation with age, and that feeling is richly deserved. It also feels like one of those games that the Nintendo Switch was built for. The remastered visuals look great on the handheld screen and the controls and UI work nicely, while new features such as the autosave lend themselves to playing it on the system or otherwise add much welcomed quality of life improvements. It has some flaws and a story that feels like it doesn’t quite tell the full tale, but overall it’s an excellent experience that holds up incredibly well.

Fans of games such as older Elder Scrolls titles and even Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will likely find this an enjoyable experience. While Outward lacks the polish of those titles, it shares the vision of making a harsh, open-world experience into something memorable. It makes every victory feel like an accomplishment, and it allows the player to write their own story in a new and unforgiving land. And, for some, that is all they need from their RPGs to feel happily satisfied.

Those looking for a challenging experience with deliberate combat, engaging atmosphere and lore, and meaningful exploration full of rewards, will not be disappointed with this title.

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.

Something about Exist Archive enticed me to keep playing in hopes of learning more about its world, even though that hope receded as time passed. The game also produced a unique occurrence, for never before have I come up against a final boss rendered invisible by a glitch. Despite the existence of multiple endings, I have no plans to revisit this title in the future, not after the myriad frustrations experienced. tri-Ace has done better and hopefully will again.

I think Final Fantasy IX proves that the middle road between a complete remake and simple emulation may be the best path to take to revive older games. Welcome features like autosave and optional cheats let players old and new experience the game on their terms. Final Fantasy IX is an amazing experience, with a fantastic cast and story — it’s truly a masterpiece of the PlayStation era. This upgrade means that fans don’t have to wait years to experience it again without all the pitfalls of the original.

I don’t feel like Nelke was the best version of itself, especially when players are reminded that this cheaply made game doesn’t exemplify what makes the Atelier series great. Nelke lacks the spark and unfortunately reminded me that perhaps my love of the series has truly come to an end.

Zanki Zero doesn’t offer as wide of an appeal as it could, but it will still likely be able to find a dedicated following that appreciates the layers of challenge it offers.

SteamWorld Quest is an excellent fifteen-hour adventure filled with humor, well-designed gameplay, and vibrant, detailed graphics that make the relatable characters and world around them just pop. While this game might be on the radar for current fans of the SteamWorld universe, it should pique the interest of many fans of well-written, visually pretty RPGs as well. I’m delighted I got a chance to play this and now find myself interested in digging into the rest of Image & Form’s other titles.

The right person can find some level of enjoyment with Dragon Marked for Death. Unfortunately, the right person is likely somebody who has supplied a group of their own friends with copies of the game to join in on-line co-op, or else just has a hankering for stat-tuning and mission grinding. To the average gamer, the game’s repetitive nature in the face of its overall lack of multiplayer alternatives will spell anathema. Online games aren’t designed to put their best face forward when played solo, and it sadly seems this game’s timer is already ticking dangerously close towards its expiration date.

Playing through Final Fantasy VII, it’s easy to see why it was the game in the series selected to be remade. There are some fundamental issues in its overall story and it certainly hasn’t stood the test of time as well as many other titles have, but it still provides a strong base with its engaging cast and it’s easy to see how its steampunk designs would look much better with today’s technology. Final Fantasy VII is worth checking out and offers plenty of entertaining moments, but it’s going to be appreciated by those looking at it with rose-tinted nostalgia far more than anyone picking it up for the first time.

The Princess Guide provides some moments of enjoyment, but overall the game does very little to endear the player. It feels like the game goes out of its way to obscure anything that might add depth, while some amusing conversations can only distract momentarily from the egregious waste of its premise. Though The Princess Guide at least avoids some of the pitfalls of frustration, it simply doesn’t have have much to recommend it.

Ultimately, there are many issues with The Caligula Effect: Overdose. There were many things in the game that I truly wanted to like, but unfortunately they do not save it from being a poor title. In its entirety, The Caligula Effect: Overdose is an underwhelming and mediocre experience from beginning to end.

I can truthfully say that Mary Skelter: Nightmares is the very first game I have ever played in which giving a woman multiple meatless pancakes demonstrably raised her affection for my character. I can also truthfully say that it exceeds the level of quality seen in my previous experiences with Idea Factory and Compile Heart. That comes with the significant caveat of a point where the game refused to recognize I had the critical item for progression, until after about 150 tries it finally allowed me through. Cranking the quality up from completely wretched to only somewhat wretched isn’t all that much of an accomplishment though, and leaves me no wiser than before about how these companies remain in business.

God Eater 3 is certainly not a bad time, and there’s easily thirty hours of enjoyment to be had going through its seventy story missions along with all of its optional missions, including several challenges unlocked once the credits roll. However, coming into the context of Monster Hunter: World doing so much to advance its series, God Eater 3’s approach of simply offering more of the same without doing anything to expand on what made it such a strong challenger is a disappointment. It still has its positives, but they’ve all been seen before.

I cared more for these characters and the world than I ever did in previous Assassin’s Creed games, and I think that’s part of why this reboot is so successful. Playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey left me feeling valiant and triumphant as I worked my way up the cultist food chain, and and I was always excited to see what Kassandra was off to discover next.

While it is far from perfect, Death end re;Quest has some refreshingly honest qualities about itself. On a story level, it promises a twisted trip of mystery and conspiracy, and delivers on this and more in spades. The narrative is presented well in terms of both audio and visuals, with a high-quality localization to top it off. However, its gameplay stumbles with good ideas that weren’t given enough time and balance to gel into something special. It may even be a tad too lengthy, as quantity slightly edges out quality towards the very end. At times spooky, at times brutal or corny, on the whole this rabbit hole is one that casual and hardcore fans alike should feel comfortable diving into.

While Onimusha: Warlords may be an older game, I believe it has stood the test of time fairly well, and has gotten me interested in checking out the later entries. The game is thoroughly enjoyable the whole way through with very few dull moments. Overall the game, albeit a short one, provides a great experience that culminates into a strong title.

Perhaps the most affirming praise to offer Slay the Spire is that instead of writing about it, I would prefer to be playing it instead. The game has an addictive quality where all the little choices made can pay off in big ways down the road. The combat is straightforward enough for anyone to grasp while also offering incredible depth, and the simple act of deck-building is entertaining in and of itself. Where the game needs to exceed it does so by multiple degrees, more than enough to outweigh the minor quibbles it garners after hours of play. Any opportunity to even try the game should be greeted with enthusiastic expediency.

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.

A lot of time has passed since 2009, and I find it harder to unreservedly gush about games now than then. Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story was an unexpected delight when I first played it, while now the game is less surprising and more familiar. That doesn’t detract from its quality in any way, and anyone who missed it the first time and has even the slightest inkling of interest should immediately track down a copy. There really hasn’t been an outright bad Mario and Luigi game, but this one lays a worthy claim to being the strongest of all.

It’s a lovely place to spend time in, but My Time at Portia overestimates just how long players will want to spend there. Crafting, collecting resources, and interacting with the townsfolk is all a lot of fun and a very appealing prospect but by the time I was around two-thirds of the way through main missions I was more than ready to be done. The artificial extension of the main story as players have to wait for NPCs to decide to do something is nothing but an annoyance, while the combat is generally unappealing. In the end, it’s a game that has some incredibly strong points that was very enjoyable for the majority of the time spent with it, but the significant weaknesses mean it’s not a universal recommendation.

Marenian Tavern Story: Patty and the Hungry God is a spiritual successor to the developer’s previous Adventure Bar titles; while no previous knowledge of the series is required, it may motivate those who previously overlooked titles to give them a second look. While I’d not heard of the series before playing Tavern Story, my enjoyment of this game was such that I purchased Adventure Bar Story for 3DS immediately upon completion! While Tavern Story might never reach the level of fandom that the Atelier series enjoys, its entry into the crafting RPG sub-genre should not go unnoticed.

Despite concerns about the battle system and general interaction, YIIK is well worth a look. In under thirty hours, it introduces a cast of characters and an uncaring universe that use a poppy, hallucinogenic ‘90s to speak to contemporary issues, bounce off games past, and just hang out, man. The narrative takes risks with the later acts and Alex’s unlikeability, but if it clicks it’s potent stuff. The audio/visual experience works exceptionally well for this mood, elevating YIIK into the ranks of games that may not be for everyone, but will be there for someone who needs it. Come for the surreal take on contemporary Americana, stay for the chill music, and maybe even learn something.

I can’t think of any other games in which I deliberately shrank my protagonists so that they could each fit in a stack between two other creatures, so World of Final Fantasy Maxima definitely gets credit for exploiting an unseen niche. Actually playing it was also entertaining, though every time I progressed with the overall narrative frustration resulted. Square Enix’s track record in recent years has been a highly mixed bag of quality, and World of Final Fantasy Maxima fits right in.

Yo-kai Watch 3 will offer most RPGamers plenty of hours of fun. The game makes good use of the 3DS’s dual-screen in its final entry on the system with Yo-kai Watch 4 already confirmed as a Switch title. There are some annoyances, mostly related to a bit of unnecessary padding and a few potential roadblocks, and there’s a bit of sense of quantity over quality in some of its side content, but its general upbeat attitude towards everything is very welcome and on the whole successful.

The constant gratification of loot and bite-size gameplay chunks of Book of Demons make it inherently easy and gratifying to pick up and play — a good first step for this ambitious undertaking. But the game, though having a clean and perfectly adequate presentation, doesn’t do very much to put its best foot forward to wow the player presentation-wise, and the finger-numbing clicky gameplay might be just a bit too underwhelming for some to ride this train all the way to its final stop.

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is the kind of mash-up property that by all rights should have the right ingredients to hit that sweet spot. By all accounts, the original property actually does manage to do just that. But the digital adaptation lacks on several fronts, not the least of which is the unfortunate underusage of the occult element of its namesake. The grindy battle system with little enemy and environmental variety is also nothing to write home about. Cthulhu Tactics sounds like an intriguing mix of its two titular elements, but fails to deliver on the promise of either.

For those looking for an investigative adventure, The Council is worth checking out. It makes good use of its setting to create the initial intrigue, even if it veers away from it a bit too much at the end. The use of RPG and skill elements gives players a sense of progress as Louis learns more about the situation and becomes more adept at dealing with the other characters. While not all-powerful, The Council certainly has some interesting things to say.

For what is supposed to be the next step forward for Pokémon, Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu! feels like it has taken a few steps back. While there are aspects of the game I do enjoy, there are also glaring issues that I cannot just ignore. Ultimately, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! needlessly simplifies core mechanics in a series that does not require such streamlining.

The Long Journey Home doesn’t outstay its welcome. A successful journey should take most players around ten hours, which is a good length for those who just want to get home and enjoy the accomplishment while the gameplay cycle remains enjoyable. Meanwhile, the way the universe is generated with seeds means that those who are interested in seeing everything the game has to offer as well as find new challenges have many reasons to keep coming back. It never offers the most in-depth or exciting gameplay moments, but the overall experience of The Long Journey Home is an enjoyable one.

It’s difficult to recommend Sacred Earth – Promise as a standalone title, though certain aspects are definitely laudable. Perhaps once sequels are created to flesh out the world more it will be seen as the precursor to a venerable series. I enjoyed many of the witty lines and appreciated the combat’s intentions, but this is not the rare indie title which will immediately garner acclaim from everyone.

It’s a good game on its own merits, but pales just a bit when compared to its forebears; the added Dark Souls combat mechanics aren’t a problem, but what feels like slight moves away from the Zelda-esque puzzle solving and Metroidvania-style exploration are noticeable.

Mercenaries Wings: The False Phoenix is another small step forward as Rideon continues to slowly refine what is already a very strong base. It has great combat that incorporates ample customization and depth without being intimidating or getting bogged down with needless subsystems that ultimately add little. While the story may not match the heights of the genre, the characters are likable and it’s well-paced to keep moving toward the next mission. Simply put, Mercenaries Wings is strategy RPG comfort food for any RPGamers hungry for a fix.

OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes is a decent supplement to the cartoon series. It appears to achieve what it set out to do, but never sets its sights particularly high. There’s some good fun to be had and plenty of enjoyable moments, but it’s not a game that’s likely to stick in the memory for very long.

While it’s not as polished in its graphics, it’s an enjoyable game that’s more accessible to newer fans of the genre, yet with deep enough combat systems and a difficulty slider that might make the dungeon crawler expert take notice as well. Stormseeker Games has put forth a strong debut title and will be worth keeping an eye on from this point forward.

Weird enemies, fast combat, and tank customization don’t save Metal Max Xeno from being an unbalanced disaster. The game also manages to end on a particularly poor note with an ill-conceived boss-rush followed by a monstrous final battle that requires expertly tuned tanks not needed anywhere else in the story. I spent nearly as much time trying to beat the final boss as I did on the rest of the game. It’s just another in a host of bad design decisions. There are some interesting parts that could have formed the basis of a good game — the tank battles against giant monsters festooned with cannons are fun — but those parts are buried by all the other terrible decisions.

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.

It took me about five hours to reach the final mission of Moonfall Ultimate, only to be confronted with what appeared to be a glitched set of mission instructions at the end. I tried going through the game again using a different class, and encountered the same glitch, except this time I ignored the text and just plowed through everything as best I could. There are plenty of hack and slash titles available, and this one doesn’t stand out in any particularly positive way.

For as simple as a game it is, the game runs fine on the Switch. The draw distances of the levels and the pop-in is noticeable but really doesn’t impede gameplay in any meaningful way. The music and sound design is as bland as they come, leaving so little an impression that all that’s left is the admittedly fun creature design. But engaging with enemies isn’t entertaining and the levels offer no fun secrets to explore. Hyakki Castle promises an interesting premise but can deliver on little else besides some pretty loading screen concept art.

For those who missed The World Ends with You originally, the Nintendo Switch version is a great way to see what all the fuss was about. Its gameplay, style, characters, and story are still perfectly fresh even ten years following its original release. Meanwhile, those wanting to try it again will find plenty to like about its adjusted gameplay and particularly some of the new ideas brought about in A New Day. The new conclusion doesn’t offer the answers to story questions that existing fans will have, but if Final Remix provides the success the game deserves, perhaps those answers will come.

Overall, The Greater Good is a decent enough game, with graphics being the main mark that often hinders the game rather than helping it. They simply didn’t work at times as I didn’t know where to go because a rock formation that seemed part of the background graphics was actually something to jump on, or the entrance to a tavern was between two other background images. Other than that, the battle system is tried and true, with a decent amount of strategy raising the difficulty. The story has an interesting premise, sees a satisfying conclusion, and even has a small epilogue.

Cosmic Star Heroine is far more than a simple send-up of some of the genre’s most beloved classics. It may imitate a similar art style and plot development, but it shows a good amount of innovation in some key areas. Particularly its combat system is packed with new and interesting ideas that require a good deal of attention paid during even rote battles. The variety of combat systems end up being as much of a drawback as an advantage late in the game, though, when lengthy skirmishes seem needlessly protracted. What still remains is a fun, if not terribly demanding galactic romp to save the cosmos alongside a crew of colorful, if not terribly deep pals.

Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption couldn’t get everything absolutely perfect, but no game ever really does. Instead, it got a whole lot of things just right, which was enough to counterbalance most issues. I am looking forward to seeing what the Coles do with their next endeavor into this world.

Valkyria Chronicles is considered one of the greatest RPGs of the last generation, so this true sequel coming ten years later always had some lofty expectations to look up to. The combat significantly improves upon the original and RPGamers that value interesting, strategic battles will be extremely pleased with Valkyria Chronicles 4. However, it doesn’t quite manage to emulate the same interesting, thought-provoking plot that dealt with delicate themes in a mature manner. Nevertheless, while the narrative of VC4 doesn’t reach those lofty heights, sixty hours quickly disappeared in the course of playing it. Perhaps that’s more indicative of its quality than comparing it to something it’s not.