Latest Reviews
Update, February 26th, 2023: After we published this review, Critical Games issued a patch that resolved text speed issues mentioned in our original review. As a result, we have amended some text and scores.
Wild Hearts
This review was originally published on February 13th as a non-scored review in progress. In addition to final scores, we have updated some details above, mainly involving the story.
Memory is a funny thing. It can distort our perceptions of our lives, and our experiences aren’t ever really what we remember. Even when the specifics of a memory fade away, though, the feeling of the moment remains. Octopath Traveler II captures the feeling of those memories beautifully, and it’s...
Playing Like a Dragon: Ishin! took me back to the feeling I had when I first played Yakuza 0, which is not a bad thing! Though it isn’t the pinnacle of the series, Ishin delivers a pure Yakuza experience that will delight both long-time and new fans. It’s an expertly told melodrama punctuated with moments of genuinely...
All in all, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth holds up remarkably well in 2023. The game’s mix of 2D platforming and RPG mechanics wouldn’t be out of place in today’s indie scene, and ditto for its slightly opaque nature. Valkyrie Profile hails from a time when games weren’t afraid to have mysteries,...
There is an audience for One Piece Odyssey. Sometimes, in the middle of an exciting battle or while revisiting some of my favorite locations from the original series, I think I could be part of that audience. I’ve been a fan of the property for over 20 years and still...
Despite weaker writing than I’ve come to expect from the series, Fire Emblem Engage’s gameplay is so good that the game is a blast from start to finish, and I’m already thinking of ideas for my third playthrough. If you like Fire Emblem’s gameplay at all, Fire Emblem Engage is...
Still, minor quibbles aside, SEASON: A letter to the future is a beautiful and ethereal gaming experience about what is both permanent and impermanent in our lives. I was satisfied with the conclusion my particular journey took, finding the game to be genuinely moving and inspiring in unexpected ways. SEASON: A letter to...
I appreciate how the story so succinctly ties up its loose ends, and the epilogue makes the journey worth it. However, I did feel that the game’s pacing could drag on at specific points with several “fake out” endings, which are a storytelling mechanic I dislike. Honestly though? I forgot...
A Space for the Unbound is a pleasant surprise to me in many ways. I started out with a preconceived notion of what it would be about, only to have that turned on its head in a rather alarming way. The tale it tells instead is genuinely haunting and upsetting, but...
Forspoken
Forspoken is a far better and more compelling game than I had feared, but it also doesn’t reach the heights I dreamt of. There is a lot of fun to be had exploring Athia and the main quest keeps things interesting even when you get bored with the open-world checklist....
Between the fun gameplay, charming writing, retro presentation, and banging soundtrack, River City Girls 2 feels like it takes everything from the first game and does a little bit more and a little bit better. More moves, more characters, online co-op, and better gameplay variety are just a few of...
