Despite its B-game charms, it is difficult to recommend Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood outright. Many of its elements feel somewhat incomplete or lacking. Even the competency of the combat only works on a surface level and is unlikely to keep people coming back for more. Still, there is some joy to be had here, even if some of it is unintentional. There may not be a gripping story or numerous engaging gameplay systems, but with the right state of mind there’s a decent, mindless weekend brawl to be had.

A better version of Othercide exists in another universe, one that doesn’t take the least interesting aspects of roguelikes and runs them into the ground. At its core is an interesting tactics game, but its constant need to repeat itself does it no favors. While not a long game, Othercide drags out what little there is to it and then does it all over again. The progression proceeds linearly, throwing few curve balls. The ones it does throw soon become routine, like everything else, as the same missions are repeated on the trip back to the boss. Like the Daughters themselves, players are forced to fight the same battles again and again in the hope that maybe, this time, things will be different.

It's a unique and breezy endeavor, but one with plenty of aggravation along the way.

While it seems a little contradictory with the criticism above and the scores below, I did really enjoy this game… for about eight hours. There is a lot of fun to be had with the class systems and the humor the game provides. Unfortunately the game lasted thrice the length I was willing to smile through and boredom set in for long stretches. I’d encourage anyone with a passing interest in this title to download the demo available on Nintendo’s eShop. It’s quite lengthy, and shows all the game offers. If that gameplay loop with almost zero deviation and zero challenge is something you’re willing to endure, it can be a relaxing break from serious RPGs.

Touken Ranbu Warriors doesn’t feel like a great showcase for either property. The characters are engaging enough, but it fails to make a case for diving deeper into the fight against a faceless HRA that seems to be causing havoc just because. Meanwhile, the simplified variation of Warriors gameplay doesn’t have enough depth or challenge to be at all compelling. The idea of getting the series together appeared to be a good one, but the execution simply cuts too much away.

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.

When it isn't being a frustrating game, Disgaea 5 can be a lot of fun. Once things slow down to grind, however, the story may be the only thing that will keep players going.

Ultimately, Daemon X Machina: Titantic Scion is difficult to recommend. While the bones of combat and customization are well executed, the open world element feels tacked on to an abysmal main narrative, and technical issues hold the game back even further. While these things are forgivable on their own, the full launch price tag feels extremely steep for such an underbaked game that has paid DLC customization options on top of it. Those who enjoy the mech-fighting genre will certainly find something to enjoy here, but others will find a game that feels incredibly undercooked.

I was so excited for a Steven Universe RPG, but I wish the game had been delayed a bit longer so that many of the bugs could have been ironed out. There is potential for a great game that will make any player smile, it's just too bad the bugs overcame the final product in a way that sucked the fun out of it at times. This game has all the trappings of great humour and loveable characters, but it's hard to recommend at this time for fans and non-fans given the end result.

Crimson Alliance is a fairly competent, if completely forgettable game.

At the end of the day, Dead Island: Riptide has a lot of good ideas, especially in its latter half. The combat, while repetitive and often frustrating with the annoying inventory management, still manages to provide exciting encounters. It just seems as if the developer didn't trust players enough to fully immerse them with the survival horror title suggested by the mechanics.

Roguelike mechanics are not a turn-on for me in most instances, and after finishing this I fervently hope not to deal with trap-laden dungeons again for a very long time. It's some kind of testament to Etrian Mystery that I was able to finish it, but not without many irrational bursts of rage at its mechanics.

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.

Loot River has a lot going for it with precise fluid combat and methodical progression. It has had some technically hiccups, many of which have been ironed out with quick fixes, though their presence in the original release is a disappointment. The progression feels stunted with only a slight variation to each map to keep players coming back for more. Loot River‘s mileage will vary, with refreshing timing-based combat it can feel like a fun distraction or a listless drift down the river.

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

Etrange Overlord has a lot of qualities to enjoy. The narrative is fun if a bit nonsensical and predictable, the characters are a blast, and the musical numbers are a nice touch that distinguishes it from its contemporaries. Unfortunately, the lack of a great combat core combined with monotonous gameplay makes the game ultimately difficult to recommend.

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.

Venetica is a tough game to recommend. On one hand, there's a luscious and unique world to explore that is vibrant and astonishing. On the other hand, the story is muddled with poor dialogue and voice acting, and overly-simplistic combat that might not appeal to some.

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.

Mato Anomalies has some good moments but all have caveats. Many quality-of-life features that current turn-based RPGs have are implemented in odd ways, and what new things the game tries tends to fall flat. Combat is enjoyable, but a disjointed user interface and repetitive ability use make it stale sooner rather than later. This is a game that is very dense, with a time-consuming interface and a story that tries way too hard to be something grand, throwing strained dialogue and empty contrivances together to the point where most of the meaning is lost. There’s some fun here, but mostly it is an unintentional headache that is hard to take as seriously as it’s trying to be.

Knights of Pen and Paper is a sweet little throwback to the days of pen and paper gaming, but its simple approach may not be enough to entice every RPGamer. Yes, the combat is simplistic, but it's fast and easy to roll with.

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.

Varlet has a few interesting elements. The story is enjoyable enough to experience, with a welcome cast, and it’s quite enjoyable to listen to. However, the gameplay is ultimately little short of a disaster. While Varlet does a lot wrong, players can still readily get through it. However, the worst failing the game has is that it feels a significant improvement could simply come from excising much of its gameplay.

Most RPGs are meant to be played steadily, but Puzzle Quest 2 is most assuredly not the sort of game to be played at length. In short bursts separated from each other by lengthy periods spent doing something else, the mechanics remain entertaining.

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.

Steel & Steam has considerable potential for however many future installments it sees, but this first one didn't make me happy very often.

Aluna is really an interesting character and it is a shame that she doesn’t get the full showcase in this game. Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards simply plays things too safe in creating a game that is functional but not interesting. No risks were taken with the characters, the story, or the combat leaving a very linear game that is only really noteworthy for its setting of 16th-century Latin America. Even those die-hard enough to travel back in time for the experience are given an unfulfilling trip, consisting of stilted visuals rather than vibrant tapestries. The concept and the background of the game hold so much promise that they make this by-the-numbers, low-risk effort that much more disappointing.

Despite all of its environmental detail, scope, and promise of a wider, more exciting space-faring adventure, The Outer Worlds 2 is a disappointment. While it offers divergence and choice, its paper-thin satire, tonal mishmash, and balancing oddities see the experience crumble under the weight. In addition, the review build’s far too many immersion-destroying bugs, blocked questlines, and other sequence breaks ensure that the game’s issues outweigh its redeeming qualities.