Enotria: The Last Song is a very promising debut from a new development studio, and an impressive benchmark to compare future releases to. In a crowded Soulslike market, Enotria distinguishes itself with its unique setting and impressive production values. Combat is satisfying, despite carrying the baggage of a few too many systems with it, most of which can however be safely placed on the backburner. The real star of the show, however, is the level design, which creates a series of showstopper moments that permeate the game’s full runtime and never let a dull moment arise. With its optional story mode, the game offers something for every type of skill level, becoming an easy recommendation for players of all types looking to get into the genre.

Starbites ultimately sits firmly in the middle of the RPG spectrum, never really approaching either end of it. There are plenty of enjoyable moments involving the character interactions or when the combat and exploration get into a good rhythm, but it never really takes that extra step needed to stick in the memory. Nonetheless, it’s an enjoyable enough way to spend the time, and there’s a strong base for IKINAGAMES to be able to build upon going forward.

Fossil Fighters does not have top-notch graphics and sound or a big name to call its own. Its quality lies in entertaining battles and having many addictive things to do. Its prominent use of dinosaurs is also a plus.

In the end, No Place for Bravery lives or dies based on the strength of its combat system. Other aspects like its graphics, music, and storytelling are passable without being outright noteworthy, but an action RPG must nail its combat, and here the game falters. With multiple issues all undermining the core battle mechanics, the game’s overall lasting impression is easily soured. Just like its protagonist, No Place for Bravery attempts to swoop in for the kill but ends up getting routinely smacked in the face instead.

Atelier Annie is a game that shouldn't be missed, especially if players are looking for a good laugh and some challenging tasks. Just be prepared to work hard, or else you might receive a beating from Pepe for slacking off!

Inazuma Eleven 3 feels like a fitting end for this set of always absurd but highly entertaining footballing adventures. There still lots of fun, but it's a second case of more of the same without the same level of amusing craziness that the story of the second game compensated with, and it's hard to see where the series can build any further without some substantial overhaul.

Pandora's Reflection has some flashes of enjoyment, but these aren't strong enough to hold up the game without support, which is sadly lacking.

Mario Golf: Super Rush provides some of the gaming experience expected from Nintendo, with a sleek presentation and tight gameplay. There is no disputing this is an enjoyable, albeit brief, single-player golf game that provides the framework for a compelling gameplay experience. The lack of content — number of courses, weak online play, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Adventure mode — is the real problem here. Mario sports and golf fans alike will find something to like, however briefly. RPGamers looking for a proper golf-RPG hybrid are still stuck on their old courses.

While Monster Racers is an enjoyable way to while away a car trip or fill the time between longer, more substantial games, it is ultimately an inessential addition to most game libraries.

For those looking for a unique, dread-filled experience in the RPG realm, Vampyr offers a type of game seldom seen. But much like the streets of 1918 London, expect a few bumps along the way.

The most painful aspect of Pocket RPG is the fact that the developers were clearly onto something with this game's design.

Despite its flaws Rainbow Moon is a decent option for fans of the SRPG genre at a very approachable initial price.

Shining Resonance Refrain pivots between enjoyable and very dull moments. For every good aspect, there is another that undoes it, while everything else is strictly mediocre. If players are in desperate need of an action JRPG and have somehow managed to exhaust all other options, then Shining Resonance Refrain may fill part of the void. However, it certainly isn’t the glorious return that series fans have been hoping for.

When Project X Zone arrived, I was eager and immediately threw it into my 3DS expecting a glorious time. When at last I finished it over seventy hours later, my stance had become a mixed bag.

Digimon Survive is billed as a visual novel with strategic battles and delivers exactly what it promises. While the story is excellent and the art is pretty good, the gameplay doesn’t do justice to the game. Nevertheless, Digimon Survive is still recommended to fans of the franchise and those who enjoy a good story, with the warning that there’s scarce engagment with exploration and a repetitive battle system that tempers enjoyment.

Rain-Slick 4 feels like a good place to end the series, and anything further would only cause things to stagnate. The game never feels like time wasted, which is a rarer statement these days. Those who have enjoyed Zeboyd's previous efforts will not be disappointed here and will find a game that offers great appeal to RPGamers of all generations. Zeboyd Games continues to show improved mastery of turn-based battle systems, and it will be interesting to see which direction its next game takes things.

Overall, Touhou Genso Wanderer is a solid game with no interest in appealing to anyone beyond its niche audience. Devoted fans of Touhou will enjoy seeing some lesser-used characters in action, while fans of roguelikes can easily ignore the story and focus on the challenge of the gameplay. But if you're neither one of those things, it's probably not worth the full price.

Unfortunately, while the original game really had a fairly interesting story, this game fell a little short of it.

Though none of its constituent parts are world-beaters, the feelings they exude make Giraffe and Annika greater than their basic sum. It’s a game that’s ideal for both youngsters and those needing to spend some hours just relaxing or getting some warm, fuzzy feelings.

The battles are addictively fun with deep tactics, challenging gameplay, and imaginative maps and objects. S.T.E.A.M. does lack somewhat with its story and characterization, but its strong combat makes up for it, and the game's aesthetics suit its decidedly absurd premise.

Mystery Dungeon fans will see a few familiar aspects, but constant safety nets and easy combat will not hold the attention of the challenge-seeking for long.

Affogato was an entertaining romp for me to end my summer gaming season with, and while I had some hang-ups with the late-game battle maps, I only experienced one major bug–in the final boss battle of all places. That bug failed to occur on the second attempt, and overall I’ve enjoyed my time with this game. Like a fresh sip of caffe latte on a cool morning, it’s been a good pick-me-up for the rest of the season.

River City: Tokyo Rumble came to me at a perfect time when I needed both a pick-me-up and a throwback, and it was successful for those reasons alone. While the game is quite easy, even on Normal, I still think it was a blast to play — repetition, silliness and all. River City: Tokyo Rumble feels like a safe game in every regard, but I don't feel like that should be held against it. There's nothing more satisfying than kicking some punk gangsters and chewing bubblegum.

Front Mission is a venerable SRPG series that appears to be turning a corner in the West. Front Mission 1st: Remake is a solid effort at remaking the first game in the series without modifying too much of what makes this game a classic. With announced remakes of Front Mission 2 and 3 forthcoming, it is an exciting time to be a Front Mission fan. While more effort could have been taken in actually modernizing and upgrading the game’s mechanics for modern sensibilities, Front Mission 1st: Remake preserves the integrity and depth of the original’s complex systems, even if these metal joints are starting to feel a bit rusty.

The list of things that I had yet to unlock after going through the campaign show that Absolver is intended to have some long legs. Unfortunately, during those first few hours it doesn't provide anywhere near enough reason to actually stick around. The single-player feels mostly meaningless and the few flashes of interesting aspects are quickly lost in the labyrinth that is Adal.

Cladun X3 has so many customization options that it is easy to get lost and difficult to find ways to get the full extent of their capabilities. This creates a lack of balance between dungeons, as players are forced to either flee to survive or too overpowered to matter. There’s more strategy and balance in the exciting boss fights, but they are too infrequent to save the fluctuating difficulty. As it is, loot hounds will be happy with the constantly evolving magic circles and equipment, but the unbalanced progression and uneven presentation will not do this quirky dungeon crawler any favours in finding more than a niche audience.

It's cute and I can see certain subsets of gamers becoming addicted to treasure hunting and meeting all of the residents, but there are no new discoveries to be found here.

There’s a solid narrative foundation that can be built upon in The Divine Force. D.U.M.A is an overall delight that provides the best aspects of the narrative as well as the most interesting features in combat and Bohld’or is an excellent antagonist that ties in perfectly to hammer home the intriguing themes. This foundation is weakened by the many gripes with the execution. For a game with the theme of evolution, many of the game’s systems are stuck in the past or never grew to be competent, creating an uneven experience that by the end makes it frustrating to finish.