Perhaps one day gamers outside Japan will be able to appreciate the full scope of this series, which takes time to develop pieces of its world in detail. Until then, at least the two Trails in the Sky games show how rewarding the series can be, and the upcoming Cold Steel shows that more is on the way for non-Japanese speakers.

For those who just want to spend plenty of hours going around showing other ships who's boss, Rebel Galaxy is an ideal proposition. However, those looking for anything particularly substantial in other aspects are unlikely to find much depth lying in wait. Considering the size of its development team, Double Damage Games has found a good, if nowhere near universal, amount of appeal.

While the game isn’t without flaws in terms of the level of recycling from the previous game, it still passes its charisma check without much effort.

Moco Moco Friends shines in a way that many games do not with its completely genuine approach to storytelling, and I loved it for that alone. While it may not be the most complex RPG I've played, it has a ton of heart, and sometimes that can go a long way.

At the end of the day, Legend of Legacy provides a satisfying experience, with plenty to explore, and lots of challenging combat to experience.

While not a revelatory experience that changed my life, the time spent with Stella Glow was fun most of the time.

The problem comes from the fact that this feels like more of the same, not a step forward. Fallout 4 doesn't break the same new ground Fallout 3 did with its jump to 3D, and its storytelling and intricacy of choice falls short of what New Vegas offered...Fallout 4 just feels safe, even when trying new things.

It's a shame that Tales of Zestiria didn't come together better, because the core of the game is easily the best the series has ever produced. Players looking for great combat won't be disappointed, but the disappointing story, tedious equipment system, and a number of other minor irritations all conspire to bring the whole experience down.

If I am being frank, I was expecting a fan-servicey mess from Dragon Quest Heroes. What I got instead was a game that borrowed the Dysnasty Warriors formula and transformed it into something that is distinctively Dragon Quest in so many ways.

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

At first I was enraged when I started to get killed all the time. Then I figured out how to just grind, and the game became easy again until the final boss demanded further statistic embellishment to take down. Now that I have experienced the entirety of a Kemco title, I too understand why this constantly-reviled publisher gets so much flak. Maybe other games under the Kemco banner are better: it wouldn't be hard.

At the end of the day, Re: Hollow Fragment is lazy in every sense of the word, and just isn't worth the dollars that Bandai Namco is asking for.

Undertale is a delightful, heartfelt game.

Etrian Untold 2 delivers the same kind of experience the first Etrian Untold did, but with further refinement.

For all of its small charms on the screen, the play of the game is an exercise in bashing one's head on a wall of monsters in the hopes that the random number gods smile upon the player and allow passage. And the reward for that is only to repeat the process again until the shallow and unsatisfying conclusion is reached.

In the end, I had a great time with Grandia II. Though there are some issues, the gameplay is such that these are much more easily forgiven than they otherwise might've been. Those who have yet to check out the game have a prime opportunity to enjoy its excellent combat system with the Anniversary Edition.

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.

Evoland 2 came up with a good way of integrating its graphical changes into the narrative, and succeeds at being a full-fledged game that shifts between the eras of RPGs.

Gamers who appreciate DRAGON: A Game about a Dragon's visuals will probably appreciate its humorous writing and gentle exploration while forgiving its brevity and roughness.

At present, Celestian Tales: Old North is a bit of an odd bag, feeling more like a prologue to something bigger than a full title standing on its own.

This game is for those who love constant story beats, and don't mind a ton of it.

All in all, Lost Dimension is a fun and worthwhile experience. Despite the finale lacking punch, the story and premise are on the whole very interesting and ably supported by an engaging and enjoyable battle system. It's just a bit of a disappointment after the fascinating setup that the game doesn't quite seem to have enough behind it to get that one final push towards greatness.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will probably go down in history as one of the greatest comeback successes in video game history, so it's great to see it followed up with such an ambitious and exciting first expansion.

Pillars is a title that should make old-schoolers happy while still offering a solid core game, story, and a rich setting for new-schoolers.

I had paid no attention to Swords and Darkness prior to downloading it and starting the adventure. By the time I was done, all the repetitive thumping of the Y button I had done was starting to take a toll of my hand, and the anticlimax at the conclusion was a relief because it meant the game was over.

Xenoblade Chronicles is a phenomenal RPG that hasn't been given the most extensive port that one would hope for, but is still impressive for being scaled down to a handheld.

I felt no real desire to spend any more time in Lord of Magna, and will likely forget most of what I experienced in a few months. While it's not quite at the level to warrant George Carlin's famous comparison to the act of viewing a golf game, getting anywhere near that area is not an accomplishment a developer should ever want.

The Awakened Fate Ultimatum draws heavily on tired anime humor and noodling about transcending one's fate. Perhaps a smack with a cake pan or a high-intensity training montage would have fuelled its own will to power.