Stranger in Sword City is a brutal and uncompromising experience that’s well worth overcoming. It features some interesting gameplay ideas along with a terrific art style and an OST to match. If not for its few notable flaws, it could have easily been the best dungeon crawler on the Vita.
Despite its age, Melty Blood is a deep and engrossing fighter with a lot to offer. Whether it’ll have a lasting place in this ever shifting anime fighters market is unclear but I’m glad to see it finally released in the States all the same.
Despite the lackluster dungeon designs and rather pedestrian difficulty, the gorgeous art style and a greater emphasis on its story and characters makes Ray Gigant stand out amongst its peers.
[D]espite all odds, [Drinkbox Studios has] managed to craft a title featuring a fantastic world that begs to be explored, and a combat engine that’s intuitive and the finest use of touch controls since Tearaway. It’s simply the best title to come out for the Vita in some time, and one worth adding to the library of every Vita owner.
PopoloCrois follows in the footsteps of other hybrid genre JRPGs like the Atelier series, and instead of alchemy mixes in a heavy dose of a farming instead. While the farming aspect of this hybrid title is compelling enough, the dull combat and a snail’s pace holds it back from greatness.
Bravely Second is a title that builds on the success of its predecessor without taking too many risks. There are only a handful of new mechanics and ideas present here, but as the original was brimming with so much innovation, I have a hard time holding it against the sequel for upholding the precedents made by its predecessor. In turn, it also stands amongst the best JRPGs on offer for the 3DS.
A gaming experience that's more polished and exciting than I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing and one I'll be sure to continue to play for the foreseeable future
Score Rush Extended is very much a one trick pony, but that one trick is a tried and true classic and still enjoyable all these years later. Even though I personally prefer to play bullet hell shooters with mechanics that put a twist to the genre to keep things interesting, the simple and satisfying action, along with its modest asking price, makes Score Rush Extended well worth looking into if you have an itch to dodge a screen full of bullets.
Gust’s first foray on the PS4 with their flagship Atelier title is a rousing success, and even though I lament the removal of the time limit mechanic from the series, it still proves one of the strongest entries the franchise has had to date, and one of the best RPGs available on the PS4.
It's an absolute joy to play and one that I believe will stand head and shoulders above the rest of the anime fighting game crowd for some time to come.
Zero Time Dilemma is a triumph in storytelling and world building with some of the most complex and yet satisfying narrative ever to grace a videogame. Whether this is the final entry to the Zero Escape series or not, the developers can rest easy knowing that they’ve managed to craft one of the finest visual novel series of all time.
From its solid character customization to its strategic and enjoyable combat, it’s yet another great JRPG to grace the 3DS.
Grand Kingdom features a vibrant and charming art style along with a surprisingly well implemented multiplayer mode. However, the lackluster story and repetitive combat that sits at the very core of the experience holds the game back from greatness.
There’s a lot of new interest and goodwill rolling JJBA’s way in the last few years and I truly wish that this was competent fighter that I could point to get the gamer crowd interested in this legendary manga/anime series. However, the shallow, uninteresting combat, boring story mode and the lack of a local multiplayer mode makes this one hard to recommend, even to the most diehard of fans.
As a fan of the Gundam series, seeing all the different mobile suits with their signature moves duking it out should have been a dream come true. However, a dull single player campaign and a complete lack of online multiplayer makes Extreme VS-Force very difficult to recommend.
What I was hoping for when I booted up Shiren the Wanderer was another anomaly – a title in the roguelike genre that I would enjoy, and that wasn’t what I found. Instead, what I got was a fairly standard entry in the genre- crafted well by a developer that’s been making these kinds of games for years, and even though I did not find the title to my tastes, I could easily see why someone else might.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has a firm grasp on what made the original title so iconic- providing some of the best variety in how a player could approach every objective and making each of them feel just as fun and satisfying as the other.
A game that deserves to be on the radar of everyone who has ever in their lifetime enjoyed a single JRPG – just be sure to play the original first.
With improved visuals, new mechanics, and a more intuitive design- Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice already has a lot going for it. Factor in a story filled with intrigue that’s as exciting to watch unfold as the best of what the series has to offer thus far and you’re left with an exceptional visual novel and a return to form for the series as a whole.
Despite its flaws, God Eater 2 Rage Burst is a pretty fun game to play, with a fun cast of characters and a fast paced combat engine. If it had a larger player base on the PC for the multiplayer component to thrive, it would have been an easy game to recommend. However, as it stands now, I can only speak of this title as a single player experience and as such, its leaves much to be desired.