Robin Baird's Reviews
Overall, I had a blast playing Oninaki and not only enjoyed the gameplay and story, but the art style and music in-game is also top-notch. I did find the story to be mostly predictable; however, there were also a few moments which surprised me. In fact, at one point I thought I had come to the end of the game but it turned out it was just the end of that section. The combat can be a bit challenging to get the hang of, even on the easier difficulties, but it's well worth the effort.
I’ve enjoyed playing Diablo 2 Resurrected and getting to experience the story in a visually updated way. The tweaks they made to get everything working on the console also helped a lot as it gave me far more flexibility in what abilities I had at my disposal. D2R is ideal for anyone who likes dungeon crawlers and doesn’t want everything to be explained or to be told where to go all of the time.
Final Fantasy VII is a game which has stood the test of time well.
Etrian Odyssey V is a fun and interesting game for anyone who likes a bit of challenge and isn’t put off by having to create your own maps. There’s a good balance between explaining enough to get the player started in figuring things out and leaving a lot to be discovered. The combat system is also deep and allows for a lot of customization and strategic choices.
The mystery of what is really going on in Oakmont, and with lead character Charles Reed, kept drawing me in and often kept me playing far longer then I intended to.
For fans of tactical RPGs Regalia of Men and Monarchs is a must buy. The combat can be challenging and frustrating at times though there is a story mode available for people who would like a bit of a simpler game experience. Regalia had far more story and content in general than I was expecting going into the game and everything is executed really well.
Overall, I had a lot more fun in Albion Online than I would have expected because I generally don't enjoy sandbox games a whole lot. They seem to have struck a wonderful balance between pointing player towards activities and letting them wander and find adventures on their own.
We finally have the remastered Final Fantasy VIII fans have been waiting for. They gameplay is there exactly as it was previously and it’s a fun trip through a crazy timey-wimey story. But how does the remaster hold up decades later?
The content of Wrath Classic is still great and has held up over time really well. However, the many issues and bugs of the launch have dulled the experience, particularly for players on very high-population servers or players who were hoping to join friends already on high-population servers. I’m hopeful that as we move through phase one and into phase two Blizzard will continue to polish things up and get everything righted. However, their history of solid Classic launches has been a bit tarnished with this one.
Overall A Pixel Story is a ton of fun and aside from some minor glitches here and there it was a delight to play. Though I do recommend taking breaks if you’re struggling with any of the puzzles because it can get quite frustrating.
Metronomicon Slay the Dance Floor is a ton of fun and I hope to see more rhythm RPGs in the future. The soundtrack is also top notch and I often had various songs stuck in my head long after I stopped playing. For anyone who likes RPGs and Rhythm games, this is one you won't want to pass up.
Reignited is a very well done remaster and was well worth the time and effort put in by the developers. Everything looks, feels, and sounds as if it could have come out this year as a brand new game. All three games are fun though the first and second are the strongest entries in the series. As platformers go these games aren't incredibly challenging, but there are some spots which can be fairly difficult especially when trying to 100% the games.
I've only really scratched the surface of things which are going on in this game and trust me I haven't covered everything by far. This game has a ton to offer to both new CRPG players and players who have been around the genre for a while.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a fun romp through some of the episode settings in the series. Although many old characters make appearances, there isn't a whole lot of interaction or story development in-game. This might Battle Through Time a bit harder to get into for players who weren't avid fans of the game. However, if you like old-style action RPG games, this will probably be right up your ally.
The art and setting of Inner Chains in incredibly beautiful and detailed, I often would stop and just look around everywhere there was an overlook because everything was so breathtaking. There’s so much detail in every part of the game it’s impressive. Unfortunately, all this detail might be a reason I had some issues with the performance of the game. My computer isn’t top of the line anymore, it’s a few years old at this point, but it also isn’t a toaster and there were a lot of areas where the background would be flickering. In addition to this, I had significant drops in FPS while playing where things would suddenly grind to a bit of a halt.
Kingdom Under Fire 2 has gotten off to a solid start, and I honestly had a ton of fun playing. Unfortunately, for me, the gender locked classes are a pretty big deal, and having issues with finding groups to do things can be frustrating.
One of the first things I noticed about World of Final Fantasy is it exudes copious amounts of cuteness. From the adorable chibi versions of monsters which have been staples of Final Fantasy games for decades to the main two characters in the story everything is just adorable and sweet. Of course, since it’s also a Final Fantasy game it’s also filled with danger and a bad guy trying to do bad things, but also being adorable while doing it. This is our World of Final Fantasy Review.
Overall Valkyria Revolution is an interesting and fun game, but it does take a while to really get going. The introduction and early chapters are really the low points of the game so if you can make it through those you should be good. I had no real issues with anything in terms of anything not working correctly or performing badly. There are however a lot of loading screens and they can sometimes feel like they take forever, but none were very long. For anyone who enjoys action RPGs with a heavy focus on storytelling, this game will be a winner.
Overall Anamorphine is a touching and interesting story which is infinitely relatable. I wish the storytelling had been a bit more varied and I hadn't had my issue with motion sickness. All of that said, if you enjoy narrative exploration games this is a good one to check out.
Anthem is a fun game that has some weird oversights built into it. On the upside, BioWare has been quick to respond to issues and especially bugs in game which is hopeful for the future longevity of the game. Currently, if you play with the mindset of just wanting experience the game and take your time with it, it’ll likely be a fun experience. However, if you tend to have the mindset of needing to be max level NOW and have all the best gear NOW it will probably not be fun.