Chris Shive
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Like a Dragon is a franchise that doesn't suffer from an identity crisis, it fully embraces and revels in it. Before reverting to its original name, it was known in the western world as Yakuza, which is the name many of its older fans still refer to out of habit. Beginning as a beat 'em up in modern day Japan, it has done the opposite of Final Fantasy by going from action to turn based in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and traveled back in time to the Edo period in Like a Dragon: Ishin! Despite some of these drastic changes, there's still enough consistency and common elements throughout each entry where the games maintain their distinct feel and sense of connectivity. As a result, when fans saw Goro Majima's mug on the promotional art of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, no one knew exactly what this would entail, but had confidence it would fit in perfectly in the Like a Dragon universe.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II continues the Calvard story arc set by its predecessor and also reaches the standard of excellence set by it. Whether tackling 4SPG jobs from the bulletin board, grinding for gear or playing minigames in the Märchen Garten or trying to advance through the main story, things never get boring in Trails Through Daybreak II. The roster of characters is varied and interesting, and watching their own history and motivations play out in the context the main story helps make them feel alive. Progressing through the main story campaign is kept interesting through the combined force of a strong narrative and great battle system, but the player can always take a break and use the Märchen Garten as a playground. These factors make The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II not only a great addition to the franchise, but an incredible JRPG in general.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights came out of nowhere to receive critical acclaim just a few years ago. Last year, a sequel was announced: Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, with an early build subsequently released to Steam Early Access soon after. The brief sample of the work in progress that was made available showed a great deal of promise, maintaining the melancholy tone that permeated the challenging metroidvania gameplay of its predecessor. Almost a year later, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is now available in its final form on all announced platforms.
Donkey Kong began his career as the titular villain in the early '80s arcade game. It was over a decade later when he got the starring role as a hero in Donkey Kong Country, which ended up becoming a successful platforming series. Known for 2D gameplay with advanced 3D character models, the distinct art design and compelling gameplay led to many sequels over the years. Donkey Kong Country Returns marked the return of the beloved series in 2010 to the Wii. It was ported to the 3DS three years later as Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D with extra features, and once again, the banana loving ape swings onto a new platform with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins offers the familiar gameplay the series is known for, while also making drastic changes in other areas. Longtime fans of the series will feel at home slaughtering countless enemies by themselves, but the approach to storytelling with the Wanderer character helps make things feel new again. It's interesting to watch the Wanderer's story unfold over the familiar events during the beginning of the Three Kingdoms area. The time period of which the game covers is shorter than previous games, but this allows for greater depth for both the Wanderer's story and the Three Kingdoms. This makes Dynasty Warriors: Origins a good starting point for those who are unfamiliar with the series, as many of the historically-based events will be explained throughout the game, and also a good title for longtime fans who thought Dynasty Warriors was running out of steam. Dynasty Warriors: Origins hits the right balance of familiar gameplay with new ideas, making it a great attempt at revitalizing the franchise.
Fantasian: Neo Dimension is a modern take on the RPG formula. In many ways, it's similar to classic Final Fantasy games, but elements such as the trajectory aspect of battles and the Dimengeon help distinguish it from other titles the developers have previously worked on. The Dimengeon is an especially welcome addition to slow down the interruption that random encounters provide. The battles are enjoyable as they do require strategic planning, though playing on Hard difficulty can result in especially rough difficulty spikes later on. The rewarding battle system is complemented by the fantastic soundtrack and engaging story, reminiscent of some of the best classic RPGs. A couple characters can be grating and sometimes the controls feel like they could use some refinement, but Fantasian: Neo Dimension is a welcome challenge for anyone who is a fan of classic JRPGs.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is how a classic game should be remade. The new graphics style brings Dragon Quest III into the modern era while maintaining the original iconic designs. The quality-of-life improvements also make the 36-year-old game feel modern without sacrificing the core elements of the original experience. There are certain aspects that may not appeal to everyone, such as maintaining the original first-person battle perspective instead of changing it to the more animated one seen in more recent Dragon Quest games, or the omission of the Pachisi minigame. Even with these criticisms, however, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is among the best releases of 2024, reimagining the classic game in a contemporary form without sacrificing any of the original charm.
Shadows of the Damned was originally released in 2011. It was generally well received critically, but didn't quite make a big enough impact to become much more than a cult classic, which isn't an uncommon fate for media with Shadows of the Damned's tone and subject matter. Nevertheless, it's still a fun game for those who are into this sort of thing. It hasn't been incredibly accessible on modern platforms, but that changes with Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, a remastered version with improvements and additional features to make Garcia Hotspur's descent into the demon-infested underworld easily accessible to returning fans and new audiences.
Ys has been around for decades, and in recent years, has been gaining popularity with western audiences. The Ys games (except for Ys Origins) focus on the travels of adventurer Adol Christin and usually his companion Dogi. The premise is that typically Adol ends up in a new area, and by some stroke of luck ends up becoming the only hope of putting an end to some local calamity. Ys X: Nordics presents Adol and Dogi being in this type of situation, except now they have a ship which they can use to explore all the surrounding islands.
G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra brings one of the most popular cartoons of the '80s to life in a retro-inspired beat 'em up. The limited story development and virtually nonexistent dialogue, however, lead to G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra falling short of its potential. What could have been a nostalgic return to real American heroes thwarting Cobra instead feels like just another brawler wearing G.I. Joe cosplay. It's a decent enough beat 'em up that fans of the genre and franchise could find enjoyable, but die-hard fans will likely be disappointed in how bare bones G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra ended up being.