Stephan Adamus
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COGConnected Latest Reviews
I loved Demonschool. The tactical JRPG combat system will likely be the make-or-break component for most players. The lack of emphasis on stats is a bold choice that sometimes makes Demonschool feel more like a puzzle game than a strategy JRPG. The battle system won’t be for everyone. But the story, aesthetics, and vibes make Demonschool a real treat for longtime Shin Megami Tensei fans.
The Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a dream come true for Mortal Kombat fans. There are multiple versions of every Mortal Kombat game, up to, and including, Mortal Kombat 4. The package has exhaustive extras, including a long documentary about the history of the series. Almost every game has online play with rollback netcode. And Mortal Kombat Trilogy has its load times and bugs fixed, so players can have every character in one game. My only complaints are minor, and that some of the games are awful. But I’m so glad those awful games are included, for completion’s sake and for nostalgic reasons. If you have any love for Mortal Kombat, the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a must-buy. It’s arguably the best retro game collection of all-time.
I loved Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit. I was worried the gameplay might be a bit simple at first, but the level choice and non-stop gags kept things fresh. Fans of NES games and the Angry Video Game Nerd YouTube series will have a much more rich experience than newcomers, but the game is so well made that modern players will be able to play it with ease. Any AVGN fans who might be hesitant about buying the game, rest assured that it’s a fantastic experience. I’m going to get myself one of the physical NES cartridges.
Once Upon a Katamari has an excellent concept, and excellent gameplay. The problem is that there are lots of Katamari games with the same excellent concept and gameplay. The new online modes and customization options are great ideas, but are very shallow in execution. There just isn’t enough evolution in any of the series’ core ideas. If you’re a player who wants more Katamari levels, then Once Upon a Katamari has that. But if you were excited to create your own Prince character and get lost in endless online battle modes, then I’m sorry to have to share that those aspects are afterthoughts, despite being advertised as key features. As a fan of the series, I can tell there wasn’t the same amount of care and effort in Once Upon a Katamari that went into the series’ classic titles.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga has a lot of content, but it’s still not a very deep game. It’s made for fans of the Ys and Trails series. Its release is timed well to coincide with the release of Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter. But Ys Seven is trapped on the PSP, and the only modern access is as a crappy PC port. It’s amazing that Nihon Falcom has released Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga for their fans. But longtime Trails and Ys fans will find a lot of their favorite characters missing. Hopefully Nihon Falcom will make a proper Ys Seven modern console port soon.
Yooka-Laylee was a platformer I wanted to love, but struggled with because of the controls and camera. Many also hated the backtracking and linear structure. Those issues have been addressed in Yooka Re-Playlee, making it the superior version. I actually really enjoyed unlocking abilities and levels in the original game. And feel like some of the attempts to make it more open, and to have more collectables, don’t work super well. I wish there was a choice to play Yooka Re-Playlee with just the improved visuals, camera, and controls. It would be a dream come true for me if Yooka Re-Playlee offered an in-game choice between an original version and a Replay version. Although flawed, Yooka Re-Playlee is the best version of an excellent N64-style 3D platformer.
I really wanted to love Hotel Barcelona. It has such an interesting presentation and game world. But its gameplay is just plain awful. It has a generic roguelite structure, and controlling Justine feels abysmal. The UI is also an overcluttered eyesore. I hope fans of SWERY and SUDA51 find something to love in Hotel Barcelona. But as it is, I just can’t recommend a game that plays this horribly.
I really tried to note every change in both versions of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. There are so many quality of life improvements, while honoring the original version as much as possible. I’m so proud of Square Enix for including the classic version along with the enhanced version. It’s amazing that the sound novel sections, which have never been in any North American version of Final Fantasy Tactics, are finally officially translated. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a loving remaster of the most beloved strategy JRPG of all time. If you have any love for the genre, it’s a must-play.
The Bubsy series gets by on Looney Tunes style visuals, and 90s ‘tude charm. And even those aspects won’t be for everyone. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is a package of three below-average 2D mascot platformers, and one very early 3D platformer. They’re not good games, and they haven’t aged well. But Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is an incredibly loving and complete package of everything Bubsy. Anyone with nostalgic love for this series will be over the moon. I just don’t think Bubsy’s gonna make any new fans any time soon.
I really enjoyed Shuten Order. The narrative kept me excited to find out the identity of The Founder’s killer. I really enjoyed the structure of every investigation being a different style of visual novel. But the game suffers from many of the issues that plague the visual novel genre. The writing is long-winded, and can be lazy at times. There are lots of bad anime tropes that are going to turn away anyone who isn’t already a visual novel fan. But if you love the genre, Shuten Order is one of my favorite new visual novels in quite a while.