Etrian Odyssey V is very much what I expected it would be. That means it won't appeal to anyone who has never been interested in this series, but it continues to showcase impressive dungeons and a rewarding sense of exploration. The series hasn't lost its spark of well-realized inspiration, and that's all many need to hear. It certainly managed to ensnare me for the entirety of the experience.

I didn't really know what to expect going into Zwei, but for me, the game quickly became the best surprise of 2017. Fun, quick gameplay, cute characters, and a charming story and world all come together to create a terrific experience that hides its nearly ten year old age surprisingly well. It's not a lengthy game, clocking in at a little over twenty hours, but optional dungeons and a new game plus mode can extend that significantly. While the series doesn't have the same history as Ys and Trails, after playing through Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection, I would happily welcome further adventures through Granvallen.

While South Park: The Fractured But Whole improves on Stick of Truth in a lot of ways, the whole experience feels somehow less grand. Although the game is slightly longer, probably lasting most players 20-30 hours, it doesn't push the boundaries nearly as far as Stick of Truth, and the poor pacing towards the end of the game definitely detracts from the overall experience. That said, there are a huge number of highly memorable moments peppered throughout the game, and it's an experience South Park fans won't want to miss.

Although it won't go down as an especially memorable title, there's a lot of fun to be had with Fire Emblem Warriors. The interesting usage of all the aspects from the tactical RPG series certainly added to some freshness to the standard Musou formula, and it was great to see a lot of the characters given the high-definition treatment and the interactions between them are sure to please a lot of fans.

Golf Story is an easy recommendation for all early Switch adopters out there. Very solid gameplay is well backed up by plenty of humour and a lot of nicely varied entertainment. Though it can be argued that the game doesn't provide anything overly new in its implementation of the game, even those who aren't fans of the sport will find lots of fun throughout.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is an amazing effort, if anything made more impressive by virtue of being a Kickstarter-funded indie game, and is a testament to what a dedicated and talented team can accomplish. It may not lead the pack in gripping narrative, but presents its comic book license in such visually and aurally impressive ways that other games would do well to pay attention. However, its true star is its deep combat system, which offers so many ways to tinker with and improve party efficiency that it just doesn't get old, provided players are up for a traditional turn-based JRPG designed by a western team. It's a game that shouldn't be missed by any fan of the genre, and is sure to attract a whole new wave of attention to its underlying license.

In a year full of JRPGs, God Wars still manages to be a standout. Following Kaguya's story through ancient Japan, dealing with warring factions and angry gods was a fun journey. I found it impressive that for such a lengthy game, the story pacing was well done and I never lost interest in what was happening. In fact, I found myself interested enough as the game progressed that I was researching the people, events, and gods depicted. The gameplay especially shined, with an incredible amount of customization and strategy that has been streamlined out of many console strategy RPGs. The Impurity system was a great addition and helped keep the strategy in this smaller scale game. It's certainly not without flaws, the soundtrack could have used more variety and the limited map size guaranteed that many allies went unused, but the strategy was top notch. Players looking for a mechanically deep strategy RPG with a unique backdrop will not be disappointed.

It's a game that has a lot of promise, but feels cheaply made. There's some great ideas that are overshadowed by gameplay elements that don't add anything meaningful to the overall experience. While I loved the overarching themes and the characters, those elements were outshined by boring, repetitive gameplay, with boring and repetitive tasks that felt directionless most of the time. I can only hope, if a sequel is made, that Gust refocuses on how they want to make the gameplay interesting, because as it stands Blue Reflection lacks meaningful gameplay that doesn't work well with the storytelling it is attempting to provide.

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.

Though it still won't appeal to those who don't like reading lots of text in their games, it's amazing how much an improvement in pacing can do. Mask of Truth takes what Mask of Deception's second half had finally started to do and gives the characters and story the telling they deserve. It must be said that without the slow build-up to put everything in context and build the emotional connection between the characters, the latter parts might not have paid off as well as they did. In the end, it's highly satisfying to be able to say that across its combined fifty-hour total, the Utawarerumono duology has been a hugely rewarding experience with a story that will linger long in the memory.

While my time with Stormblood started off slow, once I got into Doma and met the characters there, things really took hold for me. What initially seemed like a dull liberation story quickly grew into a full-on, worldwide revolution with characters worth caring about. While the party interactions never match up to what was offered in Heavensward, the world building, villain motivations, and general sense of purpose for the heroes quickly took center stage and never let up. The build-up was worth the trip, especially the final boss, and all of it left me excited to see what's next.

Songbringer was a fun time, first and foremost. It didn't change how I look at indie games or set my world on fire, but I had fun during most of my playthrough. However, I also see little reason to invest time in it after the credits have rolled — very few games get a second run-through from me these days. It isn't a game free of faults: the narrative was never more than window dressing, and the game's randomly-generated aspect really required some better guidance for essential gameplay systems. However, the main component, the game's combat, works well and is downright satisfying. Anybody with even a passing interest in classic experiences will likely find something of value here, and some will even discover a second home that they'll return to again and again.

Ys VIII puts players back in the shoes of Adol as he sets off on his new adventure. It brings a first class, action-packed and responsive combat system Falcom fans expect, and keeps a high-energy pace throughout the adventure. It also surprises fans with an increased focus on story that pays off with a generally engaging narrative with great pacing, and a cast of simple but varied characters that will keep players interested. Though it doesn't match the technical prowess of other games with a similar visual style, it nevertheless manages to create a highly immersive world and engaging exploration through a wide array of different and interesting environments, a strong soundtrack, and Metroidvania-inspired exploration.

Despite the fact that Undertale didn't tick all my boxes, it was still an enjoyable game. Its visuals and music brought to mind some of my most cherished memories from my formative years, and are top-notch even for games that try to evoke that retro vibe. Its narrative is tongue-in-cheek and consistantly sends surprises the player's way. The game excels at asking players to enjoy it in ways that are incongruous with the traditional way RPGs are designed. Unfortunately, those looking for a more traditional experience may feel short-changed here. The lion's share of the game's character, lore, and emotional impact is experienced by challenging yourself to play the entire game in a completely different fashion.

At twenty-some hours to completion, Children of Zodiarcs can feel like a long row to hoe. The weight of the story drags it down a bit, as it increasingly becomes obvious that the only character who isn't fundamentally broken in some fashion is the weird foreign kid who only appears in the side story. Everyone else is a bundle of neurotic fears and psychotic motivations, shaken hard and unleashed on an unsuspecting narrative. But negatives for characters aren't always negatives for the game as a whole, and Zodiarcs puts it all together well. It's a good game, and I'm glad to have finished it, but I cannot stop wondering if certain points weren't actually branching paths or plot flags in disguise, if there weren't some way to eke out a happier ending from it all. That may be wishful thinking on my part, but it's a small hope nonetheles. In a city as messed up as Torus, we need all the hope we can get.

Viking isn't the most refined game, with limited camera control, repetitive graphics that lack detail, and a lack of high-production presentation. It nevertheless succeeds in immersing the player in its world through an intriguing main story focused on local politics and motivations and driven by realistic struggles and constraints. Viking effectively impresses upon the player its main themes about the illusion of choice and the binding chains of circumstance, and also offers a multitude of poignant side-stories and strong character development. To top it off, the game features a unique combination of combat mechanics and abilities that allow creativity and enable some very interesting and satisfying strategies, as well as a novel take in timed and deliberate progress and out-of-combat party maintenance. Players looking to take part in a realistic and historically-inspired world with an engaging politically-driven story should look past the game's lack of technical polish and definitely pick up Expeditions: Viking.

Yakuza Kiwami is a very modest remaster with very little new content. What is new is swell, but it's nothing groundbreaking or even necessary. It's more like nice little bonuses to a game that hasn't entirely aged well story-wise and graphically. Still, it was nice to come back and see where the series started without all the rough edges of the original PlayStation 2 release. I will say that Kiwami made me love the first Yakuza a touch more than I did when I originally played it years ago. As a crazed fangirl for the series, even though Kiwami is a solid effort, it still doesn't hold a candle to later games in the franchise.

Many times while playing Ever Oasis I wanted to improve my settlement, which is an addictive pastime. Tracking down all the recruitable characters is a task that must be pursued into the post-game period, and I'd like to continue doing so. The game isn't all about building up the oasis though, and the combat engine isn't enough on its own to entice players. This is still a charming title though, and worth investigation by the many players who haven't attempted it yet.

I can't deny that the fifty or so hours spent playing Valkyria Revolution had some fun times. The litany of problems present made it more enticing to stay in an endless loop of free missions rather than return to the story though, and even when doing that I kept finding issues quality improvement should have spotted. If this is the best Sega could do to revive the Valkyria franchise, no wonder it's been dormant for years.

I do not care for sports games, and yet I adored Pyre. It's one of those games where in the hands of an amateur developer, the idea could have been flimsy and the execution awkward. Supergiant Games constantly shows passion and innovation with each of its titles, and doesn't seem to be afraid to go back to the drawing board when something isn't quite working. Pyre is essentially the high fantasy version of Space Jam, only the Reader is not Michael Jordan and no one from the NBA had their powers stolen, yet the team has heart, soul, and is made of a bunch of rag-tag misfits. It's easy to root for the little guys.

Keeping a quick pace helps to emphasise Fallen Legion's strengths and mitigate its weaknesses. There are times where the game's interesting flavour can't quite mask the lack of substance in certain areas, but despite this it remained enjoyable to play throughout. It's certainly a title worth checking out, and should provide a good few evenings worth of entertainment. Plenty of neat ideas and an interesting, if underutilised, world mark a solid debut title for the developer and put it in good standing for future titles.

Its combination of inspirations means Tokyo Xanadu may sit in an odd place for RPGamers. The deliberate pacing of the story more in line with The Legend of Heroes focus may frustrate those who want a pure action RPG. However, coming from the other direction, I very much appreciated how the game divided its time between the great charm that one expects from Nihon Falcom's narrative and quick but highly enjoyable dungeon experiences. The game is another excellent showcase of the PlayStation Vita, and the latest strong offering from a developer whose reputation is deservedly at its peak.

Cladun Returns boasts great dungeon crawling with countless options for customization and optimization to take on any situation. It features a ~25 hour story campaign as well as endless side content. While combat is simple, the controls are responsive and the dungeon design is fun and increasingly challenging. Unfortunately, the game overall comes off as one-dimensional in this respect. It lacks any semblance of a narrative, and the small piecemeal levels and lack of a cohesive world don't offer much in terms of exploration or immersion. It is also graphically unsuitable for the PlayStation 4 and large TV displays. Those looking for a pure dungeon crawl with both roguelike and standard dungeons will find that Cladun Returns delivers way more than its fair share. Players looking for a more immersive, story-driven classic RPG experience should look elsewhere.

Mercenaries Saga 3 is just about as enjoyable as its predecessor, though the slight difficulty increase would make me place 3 above 2 by a narrow margin if forced to choose. I also remember the lead mercenary's name of Marion Balbastre thanks to its constant repetition by one character, though whether this is a positive I can't really evaluate. Both of these games offer entertaining packages to be found by rooting around in the 3DS's digital library, and deserve to be experienced by more people.

River City: Knights of Justice succeeds in many ways as a retro piece of nostalgia, but it fails at having enough variety to keep it engaging. It lacks the humour of the previous games in the series by instead amping up the cheesy factor, and while that's fine and dandy, I wish it hadn't been so straight-laced in its approach. While I am glad the game clocks in around six hours, I feel like the amount of repetition and padding is still a large issue in Knights of Justice. While it's fun to transplant a series into a new setting, it's hard not to expect that more be done with it. Knights of Justice is a simple, straight-forward title that is mostly unremarkable. There isn't enough here that makes it different from other River City Ransom titles and that really is the true shame in all of this.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a game worth experiencing, be it for the first time or just for the first time in a decade. While there are touch-ups in the visual and music departments, the biggest positive change is the added Zodiac Job System, which provides unique license boards to characters by locking them into jobs. The meat of the game hasn't changed noticeably, which is by and large a good thing, with a story that is well-paced and engaging if not particularly novel or as well fleshed out as it could have been. The Active Dimension Battle system also remains unchanged, and will continue to be a divisive factor among players. Ultimately, experiencing what the game has to offer, including its wealth of secrets and content intended to extend the endgame, is absolutely worth its learning curve.

This is not the type of tactical game likely to attract anyone who doesn't normally like the style. It's good enough to get some recognition though, and is certainly worth the effort to find on the eShop. I wasn't blown away and can't remember the names of any characters right now, but eagerly plowed through it when I had the chance because the combat was addictive. That's more of a recommendation than many other games will ever get from me.

I played some of the original Final Fantasy Adventure but never completed it. Now that I've played Adventures of Mana, I don't think playing the original again will ever be necessary. Square Enix originally made this version for mobile phones, which perhaps explains why not much was changed. It's still a minimally-altered rendition of something I wasn't enthralled with in the first place. Many others have much more affection for the original than I do, and will doubtless be overjoyed that Square Enix allows them to play it on a modern platform without rendering any memories of how to progress inaccurate through alterations. Those hoping for something more akin to certain acclaimed later installments of the series, or a title that plays in a fashion better taking advantage of the Vita's capabilities, will be disappointed.