This re-release is simple, but it works. The gameplay is straightforward and that makes for an easy transition to iOS.

Regardless of which starting boon is selected, and which quests are solved differently the second time around, replaying Artifact Adventure doesn't address the repetitive combat or flatness of the characters.

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.

Lazy. Generic. Simple. Nostalgic. A light-hearted throwback to 90s gaming. Depending on your viewpoint, Mimana Iyar Chronicle is any or all of those things.

The overall feeling that endures throughout Conception II is that it's a game that is by no means bad, but also not great.

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.

Thysiastery is a simple title at heart. The roguelike dungeon crawling always has a sense of random luck in mind that can cause a lingering frustration due to how easily a party can be defeated. This frustration can give way to a pleasant surprise when weak party members strive farther than expected, or when that next treasure chest or merchant visit changes everything for the better. The quick-paced combat is always fun to dive into, and the amount of skills gives plenty of viable variety to tinker with in party composition. Charging blindly is not a usual feeling for the typical first-person turn-based dungeon crawler, but the easy replayability found here makes it exciting to explore all the possibilities, and despite a decent amount of trial and error it is a worthwhile chance to take for fans of roguelikes and dungeon crawlers alike.

Having played Nocked! True Tales of Robin Hood for 42 hours across two playthroughs, I was engaged by the mixture of role-playing and resource management, along with the emphasis on the sense of community and cooperation needed to fight against a corrupt institution even when the odds felt overwhelming. The writing isn’t going to win too many awards, and I could’ve done without the unnecessary anachronisms, yet there was still some magic to be found in my journey through the Deepwood.

For those looking for a game to engage their minds over a couple of days or evenings, SwapQuest fits the bill very nicely.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light delivers an RPG that has far more in common with early iterations of the Final Fantasy series than anything after V, and slips in a fair number of direct references to them.

Gamedec certainly doesn’t lack ambition. Its setting is well thought-out and provides a rich tapestry to fall back on when the player’s actual interactions with the world come up a little wanting. While its aesthetics are great, a bit more attention was needed in the audio department, as music is generally only adequate and there are entire sections devoid of music altogether. Voice-overs are likewise notably absent. The all-important investigations struggle to gel during the game’s first half, and while the narrative eventually picks up a bit more, it’s clear there were some missed opportunities here. Overall, Gamedec presents a rich world that would be worth revisiting again, though perhaps with an extra layer of polish needed for its narrative.

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.

Yo-Kai Watch's main story can easily be completed in under twenty hours, though there's quite the meaty postgame for those who are enamored with the gameplay.

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.

The game certainly isn't at the level of the top-end western RPGs and a lot of its gameplay elements have been done in greater depth elsewhere. However, sometimes a lighter game is what's wanted, and for those looking for a less overwhelming experience that's easy to just pick up and play, The Technomancer is a solid and enjoyable experience for the twenty-five or so hours a playthrough lasts.

Legacy of Ys provides a peek at what might have been for JRPGs had Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy not run away with the genre. Ironically, the gameplay in Ys has aged better than these ultimately more successful series originals.

LBX: Little Battlers eXperience is generally a fun game, but has a fair share of missed potential.

Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is an easy way to get into the franchise. Sadly, this version has few noteworthy new features and several bugs, making it not as good as one could have wished for. Nonetheless, it is great news that an iconic PC franchise is getting an enhanced version to reach more RPGamers. Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a recommendation for those who love D&D, but they should expect some bumps along the ride.

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.

Overall, Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden is a similar experience to previous titles. The great artwork and music offer strong groundwork and there are signs of revision taking place, with new mechanics doing some work to differentiate the experience, but they are under-baked and the straightforward gameplay doesn’t offer much excitement. Ultimately, the game works best taken as a chill switching-off experience, but doesn’t do enough to stick long in the memory.

Aside from dropping the popular Friend Safari, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire bring all the improvements and features from X/Y to the world of Ruby/Sapphire as expected. The presentation has minor issues, mechanics retained from Ruby/Sapphire are still not fun, and the diminished difficulty and lack of any draw for newcomers make this a less appealing game than X/Y for those who are picky about which Pokémon titles they play.

Fans of the original Half-Minute Hero will undoubtedly be excited to experience more of the unique franchise, but at the same time, the new additions have a tendency to drag it down a bit.

Those hoping for a solid all-around RPG experience will find Masquerada lacking. However, as a relatively quick narratively-focused experience — clocking in at a bit over ten hours, or more depending on how players approach the combat — the game does an entertaining job.

Saviors of Sapphire Wings is an accessible foray into dungeon-crawling that emphasizes gameplay over stat or party management while mostly avoiding the usual pitfalls of difficulty spikes. The overall presentation is somewhat marred by inconsistencies in graphical style and uneven sound design. However, well-developed characters elevate an otherwise ordinary high-fantasy narrative about a group of heroes who are the world’s second chance at salvation…even if these Wings never truly get off the ground.

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.

Sword of the Necromancer includes a love story with queer characters who can revive monsters to fight alongside, a good variety of items, randomized senarios, and options to customize difficulty, with the promise of adding more content in the near future. Although it doesn’t shine brightly in any aspect, it does a fair job in all departments and proves that crowdfunded campaigns can work.

Warriors of the Nile 2 is a game built for challenging the battle system. The ways one can break the combat builds are myriad, and a record is kept of every time through, with times, skills, and other stats all kept for posterity. Like any good roguelike, the journey is as important as the destination, and far more relevant to the plot. This is just a fun game to mess around with on occasion, regardless of the lack of story. This doesn’t keep me from wishing there was a story to care about, however. If this studio ever decides to produce a third game of the series with a plot, I would happily game like an Egyptian once again.

Undead Darlings: ~no cure for love~ tries to keep a lot of severed limbs in the air. The battle system shows promise but is compromised by balancing issues. The story indulges in tropes without necessarily elevating them. Fans of visual novels and zombie-anime moe comedies will be satisfied, while stricter dungeon-crawling enthusiasts may find much more satisfying treasure elsewhere.