Casting all of the positives aside, however, Gurumin 3D suffers from near game breaking technical issues — including the eye-bogging 3D function that nearly defeats its own purpose. The story of Parin is probably better played on Steam or, if you still have it handy, your PSP. While the whole experience is present and able to be enjoyed, the disastrous technical issues severely harm this port.
In conclusion, Gearbox’s attempt at a little bit of fan service is acceptable. Retro shooter enthusiasts will relive their glory days in the World Tour edition of Duke Nukem 3D, and the curious will probably come away with a positive experience.
As a game, Zenith functions just enough to play. Its sloppy controls and buggy mechanics coupled with its sound issues and childish dialogue leave what little hope the story had to offer lost.
With its updated visuals matching the majority of aesthetically pleasing RPGs on the 3DS (its style heralds Dragon Warrior), Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past gives fans the RPG experience they’ve been searching for while baptizing newer gamers into the Dragon Quest/Warrior family.
My time spent with Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor wasn’t always spectacular, and I often found myself not wanting to continue in my quest to un-curse myself and escape the daily redundancies of being a spaceport janitor.
7th Dragon Code: VFD is a brave leap by SEGA to reestablish itself in the west. While the game doesn’t offer a battle system with variety (and one that grows tiresome rather rapidly), the strong narrative and immersing atmosphere make the game worth a look.
when I look back at my overall experience with Halcyon 6 Starbase Commader, I can’t help but nod at the enjoyment I had with the game. Its elements weren’t all original, particularly with the blatant X-Com base set up, but the game’s character helped set it apart. With enjoyable gameplay split between space and ground, battling your foes in Halcyon 6 is engrossing and loads of fun.
Among the Sleep is a very short experience that thrives on its ability to craft an interesting narrative while not needing to burden the scenario with words. Like a piece of art, Among the Sleep should be examined and thought about.
Attack on Titan offers players an incredible amount of content. With numerous game modes, an intriguing story, unique gameplay, interesting characters, and a plethora of side quests/objectives, Attack on Titan is loaded with well over 70 hours of gameplay (and that's probably on the low end of estimates).
Aegis of Earth is a tricky game to consider. The overall experience is actually a fairly solid one, even allowing the various issues I’ve previously mentioned. For its relatively cheap price tag, you’re given hours upon hours of gameplay and a pretty challenging experience.
When I think about my brief time with Bastion, I can only remember positives. Sure, falling off the maps was a frequent endeavor, but that was always my fault and sloppiness. Yes, sometimes aiming weapons became a chore, but often it was, again, my fault. The controls were pretty tight, and the areas were brief enough where the autosave feature (which I believe only activated once you landed back in the Bastion) worked well. The soundtrack was fine, but the narration by, essentially, the only speaking character (though Zia speaks at the end) was phenomenal. I highly recommend trying this indie title because the narrative alone is worth the enjoyable toil. With plenty of gameplay, a myriad choice in town features, and a solid voice performance by the awesome narrator, Bastion is worthy of the risk.
For $19.99, the HD Remaster of Resident Evil 5 is probably worth your money. The game comes with all released DLC and game modes, so the value of gameplay per dollar is pretty nice. Resident Evil 5 isn’t a terrible game by any stretch, but time could be spent doing any number of other things, including purchasing/playing a game that you actually enjoy.
Layers of Fear offers horror fans the opportunity to delve into the mindset of an artist descending into insanity.
If you're interested in an emotionally charged puzzler for less than $20 (before tax), then NERO (Nothing Ever Remains Obscure) could be a solid buy.
Honestly, I am Setsuna may be the best RPG I play this year (Trails of Cold Steel is excluded because it released last year). With its simple title, emotional story (try to get through it without feeling something), perfect soundtrack, enjoyable battle system, and pretty aesthetics, I am Setsuna is an admittedly short title with a few flaws that, on the whole, succeeds.
Tom vs. the Armies of Hell is a jumble of failed and successful attempts at a game. For $12.99, the price seems a little steep for the myriad problems I ran across. The difficulty and alleged skill involved in completing this game may be worth it for some who enjoy a hard time, and there is an easy mode for those who just want to experience the entertaining story.
I want to like Anima: Gate of Memories – and, to some extent, I do – but the character flaws and clichés, the shaky combat system, and the absolutely droll and horrific dialogue (YouTube the Reading Ergo) pull down a title that, with a little more polish or a more experienced development team, could have succeeded on multiple levels.
Ziggurat is not perfect by any means, but it does its job well and provides one hell of a time.
Full Mojo Rampage is an entertaining and successful top-down stick shooter. I found minimal to no mechanical issues, and the game always ran smoothly for me. Controls were tight, and the ability to level up after a death (as well as the options to customize your character stats and weapons) were great.
With solid combat, enjoyable exploration, and in depth characterization, Mind Zero breathes fresh air into a potentially stale formula.