Shane R. Moyer
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The Plucky Squire is the story of Jot and his friends fighting an evil wizard, partying with a good wizard, rescuing friendly critters and creatures, and exploring a space they never knew existed. The transitioning from a 2D plane to a 3D one has been done before, but rarely, as well as The Plucky Squire, does it. The transition is smooth and quick and makes sense within the context of the adventure. It adds more to the game as well, allowing players a space away from the book that most of the game takes place in.
Dungeons of Hinterberg does a lot of things right. It features a story that shows the protagonist growing within themselves, albeit slowly, and embraces its casual atmosphere with wide-open arms. Players that enjoy that slower side of gaming will find some interesting moments while exploring and playing through the story. The rest will have to find something buried in the game's combat to keep their interest, though that may prove too difficult. Still, those players looking for something easy that never moves too fast and ambles on at a comfortable pace will enjoy Dungeons of Hinterberg for the qualities it fully embraces.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance offers a lot for players, both old and new; an impressive enhanced art style, multiple story paths, and a definitive sense of the series progressing from what it once was. There may not be a ton of new things to justify purchasing the game again, but the additions that are here are excellent at keeping fans intrigued about what's going to happen next. Long-time fans will likely already know what they're getting into, as the game hasn't changed its turn-based combat and capture loops in a while. Still, those same fans have kept these games going until now, and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is another in a long line of enjoyable titles in the long-running series.
Indika hits incredibly high levels of zaniness and suspense and mixes the two so well that it creates a sought-after experience. Players will want to keep playing just to know how it ends, and most storytellers would love to hear that is their listeners' motivation. The game dips its toes in both the surreal and real in equal measure, and winds up being an enjoyable tale even through the most boring walking simulator-like parts. Odd Meter is doing interactive story-telling right, and Indika is a tale that will delight many and have them questioning everything.
Pepper Grinder does a good job of making players feel like their skills are progressing as they play through the game. It does sometimes feel like a grind, but there are enjoyable aspects to Pepper's adventure that should be tried. The drilling as a travel tool is neat, and the boss monster's designs and fights are entertaining, but the fun seems to fizzle out a little too quickly. Still, despite this and the game's sometimes frustrating controls, Ahr Ech set out to create something a bit different. And while some aspects come up short, some players will find things worth drilling through to discover.
Despite the plethora of side missions distracting from the main quest, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth still brings a decently poignant story to the forefront of the series. The turn-based combat might not be enjoyable for everyone, but it certainly will entertain fans of a variety of genres and game types. The game has a knack for keeping a player's interest, which is something extremely difficult in this day and age. It uses its craziness in such masterful and fun ways that most players won’t be able to help themselves from smiling and laughing along with Ichiban Kasuga and the rest of the cast in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Persona 5 Tactica is a step in a different direction than previous games, and even with the fatigue from multiple Persona games settling in over the last few years, it still manages to tell an intriguing story and it does nail the Alice in Wonderland vibe it sometimes feels like it's going for. A player's enjoyment may ultimately come down to how he or she feels about the character's new look and the game's more confined spaces in both combat, character skills, and personas alike. There is an enjoyable and interesting tale to be told in Persona 5 Tactica for those willing to join the Phantom Thieves once again.
In a field crowded with competitors, Achilles: Legends Untold does everything it can to set itself apart from the pack. A story setting that hasn’t been explored as much in the isometric combat arena, a fighting system that flows very smoothly using whichever weapon a player wants, and large areas to explore and fight in. A large skill tree adds complexity as well, and there isn’t much to complain about in the looks department. It will need all of this and more to go up against the big names of the genre, but this scrappy action RPG fighter has a bigger punch than most players will be expecting.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is something special, though. Its complexity is intimidating, but sticking with it and learning has such a high reward threshold that it's hard to not recommend the sequel to even the most casual gamers out there. It has heart, it has style, and it has the multi-year effort of a studio that obviously loves its source material. The mind-blowing size of the game itself and everything contained within is a testament to Larian Studios' dedication to its craft and commitment to bringing something incredible to the gaming public. The blend of the various Dungeon & Dragons systems into the game is almost flawless in its execution, and the math and storytelling combo does a one-two punch on almost every other RPG game out there. High quality and astoundingly fun, Baldur’s Gate 3 may just become the kind of game that old and new fans can agree is something extraordinary.
Every moment in Dave the Diver feels unique the first time through. The constant changing of side-missions, the cutscenes when upgrading weapons or fish dishes, and the eccentric cast of characters, all blend together so well into a game that, when viewed just from the surface, might seem shallow. But players willing to dive into the meat of the game will find even more enjoyment than they bargained for, especially with its official 1.0 release. It’s a single-player adventure with heart, good music (‘Hot Pepper Tuna’ will likely end up on a lot of people's personal playlists), and a cast of characters that feel right at home around The Blue Hole. Its eccentricities make it memorable, and Dave might be the kindest and most fun adventuring protagonist players encounter in the world of video games this year.