Nick Mangiaracina
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KeenGamerLatest Reviews
Fairy Tail 2 looks about as great as an anime game can look but with the gameplay, it was death by a thousand cuts. No one thing Fairy Tail 2 does is bad, but there are a bunch of little things that really ruined the experience for me. I really...
I’m not sure if my initial impressions are the reason why or if we’re witnessing greatness initially locked away on a non-gaming platform but Fantasian is a surprisingly great experience. Between the characters and their growth, the interesting and winding narrative, and the fun combat, Fantasian is one of the...
Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn’t a perfect game but, hot damn, it’s a great one. I feel at home in Thedas, I like the people that live there and the care that Bioware puts into writing these characters. Imperfect companions and story beats that help us understand not just what’s...
Unfortunately, the greatest looking characters in the world couldn’t cover up for the low-stakes narrative. While mechanically Life is Strange: Double Exposure is very cool and aesthetically a beautiful beast, I just walked away from the story feeling let down. Maxine Caulfield is a favorite character of mine and I...
Black Tabby Games had a vision and executed it with great aplomb. Often you’ll play a visual novel that has other gameplay elements placed in as if the designers had no confidence in the narrative presented, unsure that they can keep the player engaged. Slay the Princess – The Pristine...
I like the improvements Yuke’s made to the first game. While they could have phoned in the development of World Brothers 2, I was greeted instead with a completely new story, lots of new brothers, and enough enemy variety to keep me entertained through the end. I was pretty impressed...
For all its faults, I think Visions of Mana is a pretty good game. It went down easy and there was a lot to do. Likewise, the visuals and music make it the modern Mana game that’s precisely what’s required to become invested in the series. Unfortunately, especially in a...
Bloomtown: A Different Story was a great playthrough and I’m really glad I got the chance to play it. Some of the pitfalls in its design are very apparent and while some of the puzzle design and moment-to-moment combat wasn’t stellar, I think it’s overall a very worthwhile experience.
I had a really good time playing Yars Rising and importantly, it didn’t break the time bank. Having cruised through the main game in less than 10 hours, I managed to get over 80% of the collectibles while finishing the game in time for the embargo. Furthermore, if the game...
Even without the DLC, Vampire Survivors has an extreme amount of content to unlock within the game. Free updates alone have added in modifiers for the base game and a ton of weapon combos, unions, stage variances, and things to collect. The DLC not only includes a separate side-story but...
While I love genre-bending and mash-ups, I was pretty disappointed with Demon’s Mirror. What should have been a mix of two great genres ended up becoming a tedious and frustrating chore. The art style is mimicking Slay the Spire and is uninspired. I found myself immediately put-off from most of...
With all the changes, the extra story, and the ability to play on a console that won’t melt in your hands while pushing its modest graphics, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a worthwhile endeavor. As a long time fan of the series, I’m glad I got to experience the...
