It has its flaws and its entire premise will have more mileage with some than others, but fans of the genre will find something to like here.

Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force manages to succeed despite itself, though not without some misfires along the way.

If you are into this series because of the story, The Banner Saga 2 is a much stronger offering than the first game, and it will keep you guessing from start to finish.

Star Ocean 5 is an all-around solid JRPG that has a tendency to play it safe, an unusual move for a developer known for trying really weird things. It rarely stands out in any meaningful way, but still remains thoroughly enjoyable.

7th Dragon III doesn't try to break new ground or provide a deep meaningful story. What it does do is entertain players thoroughly through its lengthy adventure and a plethora of classes and skills to toy with.

Unepic is not a perfect game by any means. Its tongue-in-cheek premise isn't everybody's cup of tea, and it doesn't particularly break any new ground. Instead what we get is a competent, if slightly linear, Metroidvania-style RPG that knows how to pace itself to keep the player engaged.

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.

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to this game is to play the demo. You will experience everything the game has to offer in it and you will know very quickly whether you can stomach the fan service.

Overall, Atelier Sophie is a mixed bag with many ideas that will hopefully be refined in future installments of the Mysterious series.

It probably won't be a sales blockbuster, but Grand Kingdom deserves to be experienced by the tactical audience.

Regardless of what-ifs, Revelation does its job well as the game half-way between the two main campaigns that answers unexplored questions.

The Count Lucanor covers a lot of material for its brevity. Experienced puzzlers may not appreciate the familiar nature of the puzzles, even with the novelty of the light and stealth systems to modify them.

The remake does an amazing job of appealing to both newcomers and veterans by offering two versions of the game. Those who were bothered by the technical issues in the original version can enjoy the remake with all its new features, while those who want more of a challenge can still enjoy the no-frills Classic Mode.

Overall, The Huntsman: Winter's Curse comes off as an interesting little title that fills a spot for those wanting something fairly short and easy to get into.

For a series that sparkles with personality, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is a hard game to recommend when it feels like an inferior cut-and-paste job of Neptunia U.

Though its new content is disappointingly shallow, the rerelease of Valkyria Chronicles is well worth a purchase for any who missed out on its first time around.

This isn't a good tactical game, and I'm hard-pressed to actually recommend it to anyone with standards.

The game is straightforward to get into and adds new aspects at an engaging pace without becoming bogged down in too much repetition. However, its lack of challenge will make it almost trivial and what depth is present likely won't be enough for dungeon-crawler veterans. Experience has them covered elsewhere though.

If this is to be the last of the classic Dark Souls titles, then Dark Souls III is a great way to finish the trilogy.

Moon Hunters is a gem, and deserves to be a memorable constellation in the indie games scene.

The writing is as tongue-in-cheek as it is serious, the characters are delightful but two-faced, and the world that Spearhead Games has crafted is a complete joy to explore.

Although it's not going to win over those who struggled to get into Bravely Default from the early going, Bravely Second should hold great appeal for everyone else.

Ultimately, Birthright is an excellent tactical game with a lackluster story.

Ultimately, Salt and Sanctuary goes beyond simply aping the trademark difficulty of the Souls games. It has a lot to offer those looking to pass the time until the next Dark Souls release, as well as those willing to dive even deeper down the rabbit-hole.

As an action RPG it doesn't do enough to be memorable, as the simplicity of its gameplay is definitely going to be a turn off for some. However, there's a huge amount of promise in this game, and the world-building and characters really highlight the potential that Gust was aiming towards.

Enjoyment of Siralim seems highly dependent on how much grind and padding one would be able to handle.

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

Its combat stays consistently interesting and most other aspects are on par with Awakening, which is plenty to make it a fine tactical title worthy of investigation by anyone intrigued. When the rest of the game is considered, it feels as if Intelligent Systems tossed in just about every notion to cross the development team's mind, which makes applauding its ambition easier than considering everything a rousing success.