Meghan Sullivan
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IGN Latest Reviews
The malleable quality of Fire Emblem’s weapons-triangle and pairing systems make them a natural fit for the hack n’ slash genre. Even when I could barely tell what was going on on the crowded battlefield and my troops were a little too codependent, I enjoyed directing the action and jumping in to be part of the carnage. And while Fire Emblem Warriors makes poor use of the Fire Emblem universe’s story and history, we still get traces of the relationships between the characters that make it memorable.
Nier: Automata is a crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey full of nutty ideas and awesome gameplay. It may not include the most sensical story or compelling characters, but its frenzied combat -- coupled with beautiful visuals and a stunning soundtrack – make it too much fun to pass up.
World of Final Fantasy is a humorous adventure that is just too cute for words, but its combat and exploration aren’t diverse enough to support a campaign nearly as long as this one. However, I did enjoy it for a long time - more than 30 hours - before it wore out its welcome.
I feel like I’ve touched upon everything I love about Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, and yet I still can’t seem to say enough good things about this amazing remake. Starting from an already-outstanding PlayStation 2 game, Vanillaware went above and beyond to realize its full potential with the addition of more role-playing elements, a near-perfect framerate, stunning graphics, better maps, and a more vigorous combat mechanic. Even after I finished playing, I wanted to go back and explore more areas, fight more enemies and collect more loot. It’s a continuous loop of fun, and I hope it never ends.
Tales of Zestiria doesn’t deviate too far from its competent predecessors, but it’s not a carbon copy, either. It may have linear dungeons and a less-than-stellar story, but it’s open-world exploration, enjoyable customization, and flashy new Armitization feature are enough for it to stand on its own.
In large part, I enjoyed Steins;Gate. Its first half is smartly told, its characters are genuinely likable, and I enjoyed learning about science in humorous ways. I just wish that the dating elements had been more smoothly incorporated into the established narrative and not forced (gruesomely at times) on the player. Sometimes, it’s enough to just be friends.
Type-0’s gritty tone, fast-paced action, and strategic approach to time management is a welcome change of pace from the usual Final Fantasy experience. Though an exasperating camera and clunky mission controls sometimes dampened my fun, I enjoyed meeting the Class Zero cadets and guiding them through battle. There’s definitely no other class quite like them. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Meghan Sullivan is IGN's database master and a huge JRPG fan. Follow her on Twitter.
I give Apotheon high praise for its homage to old-school side-scrolling adventures and its ability to recreate the captivating style of Ancient Greek art. Unfortunately, a ho-hum story and frustrating controls prevent me from doing the same for its moment-to-moment gameplay. No matter how pretty it is, unless it nails the feeling of movement and smooth combat, an action-platformer can’t be much more than an enjoyable diversion.
I did everything I could to overlook Drakengard 3’s shoddy graphics, repetitive gameplay, poor controls, and shallow characters. Alas, this RPG is its own worst enemy. Everything about it feels underdeveloped and cobbled together. If there’s ever another Drakengard, I hope the developers do it justice and invest in smoother technology and a better-written script.