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.