MonsterVine
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Latest Reviews
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is perhaps the silliest Like a Dragon title yet, and I mean that in the best way possible. The story and characters are wonderfully goofy, the gameplay is tight and exciting, and the wild amount of side content is something to behold. Yet...
Swann sits in her car begrudgingly listening to her mother drone on about how she never comes to visit. It’s unlikely anything is getting through, Swann has something a little more pressing on her mind. As she hangs up frustrated with her mother, a feeling I can relate to all...
Players will essentially have two load-outs that they’ll be able to switch from on the fly, and depending on your build, they can be vastly different from one another. To give you an idea of how different they can be. My first load-out was 100% magic with a wand in...
Mysteries, individual cases, and the overarching story are both exciting and satisfying. I was pretty upset by where the story went but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Even just replaying the opening scene, I was immediately shown the breadcrumbs for what the story would...
But if you’re willing to put up with that sort of ongoing pressure on your health and sanity (oh, how very meta), it is, at least, an intriguing experiment and a certainly unconventional game in a genre that usually tends to be more about 360 noscopes and sick kills than...
And if you’re like me and you decide to think too much about what’s happening on screen, one of the objectives in every single level is to simply do nothing. In fact, you can just leave the game running if you prefer and our protagonist will simply wait, as they’re...
Otherwise, the visual style is a delight. The locales are colorful, your avatar is incredibly cute, and the beloved characters you’re surrounded by are adorable. Hello Kitty Island Adventure doesn’t feel derivative of other similar titles because of how clearly it takes from the cutesy Sanrio aesthetic, from the charming...
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD feels antiquated and outdated, which would be acceptable in a more appropriately priced port. But instead, it’s a full priced game, offering only updated graphics and the removal of motion controls to justify that price. Beyond that, the platforming simply feels too imprecise for what’s...
Cuisineer
Ultimately, Cuisineer is a cozy experience that offers some simple roguelike combat and management gameplay. Neither is particularly great on their own, but together they do create an engaging, if ultimately shallow, experience. I can’t recommend this to anyone who loves a challenging and deep roguelike, but if you enjoy...
The 3D models look good and serve as a suitable translation from the pixel art of the original Phantom Brave, and The Lost Hero does have a lot of fun special attack animations. The Confriend ones stand out in particular, with the designs of Marona’s fusions looking cool. The voice...
Now, I’m conflicted. I dig Tales of Graces f and the Remastered version offers some very nice quality-of-life features. And truthfully, if we go back to the original Wii release and then look at the Remastered version, it’s a night and day difference. I refuse to be a fence sitter,...
The voice acting is more of a mixed bag, with some lines working and others feeling stilted and awkward. Regardless, the story works because of all the characters and they’re normally portrayed decently enough for the awkward moments to not detract from the experience. Visually, Dynasty Warriors Origins looks solid...
