Latest Reviews
Wild Hearts S
Overall, I do like Wild Hearts S as a faster and flashier alternative to the games that inspired it. It may not be as newcomer-friendly as Monster Hunter Wilds seems to be, but it’s still a fun time, especially if you’re coming off of that game and looking for something...
Wild Arms 2
As a very JRPG-ish JRPG, Wild ARMs 2 gets a lot right with its forward-thinking design sensibilities and its (mostly) evergreen aesthetics and soundtrack. The bulk of the story drags on, with the latter half particularly dragged down by the stiff and vague translation, but it redeems itself with some...
Artis Impact
To add insult to injury, the game rushes to a ham-fisted and unsatisfying narrative conclusion that raises more questions than answers. The game attempts to encourage replays through optional sidequests that reveal more about the world, but I don’t think it would be worth trudging through the shoddy translation and...
The way Legends: Z-A pulls from the traditional mainline games and Legends: Arceus but ultimately doesn’t incorporate the best elements of either is similarly unsatisfying. Still, a vacation must be truly catastrophic to be considered “bad,” and Legends: Z-A is plenty fun with its real-time battles and Rogue Mega-Evolved raids....
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a nostalgic fanservice game for Falcom’s PSP era. I happen to love both Ys and The Legend of Heroes: Trails, so indulging in this missing localized title was a true delight. It might only appeal to diehard Falcom fans or those...
You know what? My grandma was right. Some things don’t need to change. But I can always go back and recreate that moment any time I want with the original. Maybe this new version of Dragon Quest I isn’t for me, but the new Dragon Quest II sure is, and...
Play this if you love the setting and are prepared to sift through repetition for what looks like a diamond. But I’ll warn you now: when you finally dig it up, you’ll realize it’s just a rock. That’s the feeling this game leaves you with. The Outer Worlds 2 is...
Yet for all that content, the foundation Shuffle Tactics ultimately rests on is shaky. The isometric grid muddies the waters instead of providing meaningful depth, the companion and charm systems feel several iterations short of being finished, and the core deck mechanics lack the consistency and design work that make...
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has some big ideas that never feel fully fleshed out. This game screams “potential,” but the only aspect that really sticks the landing is the town and inhabitants changing as time moves on. I enjoyed witnessing growth, stagnation, and death. The writers...
Absolum
Absolum is what’s on the tin: a beat ‘em up with level progression, equipment, and spells. Runs can get samey, but Dotemu have done a commendable job of not overwhelming players, while adding just enough to runs to keep us from getting bored. Though not revolutionary, Absolum is worth any...
Lucy Dreaming
Lucy Dreaming represents an astounding achievement when you consider the size of the development team and the results they achieved. Playing feels like chancing upon long-forgotten memories of better days. Despite this, the game pushes forwards, making these narrative adventures no longer just abandoned nocturnes summoning dreams of the past,...
Disgaea 7 is a mixed bag: while it addresses many of the issues present in its predecessor, it also fails to match the sereis’ best games it is trying to emulate. I enjoyed my time with the game, but I’m left wondering where the series can go from here. Disgaea...
