Adam Vitale's Reviews
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails invokes a feeling of an earlier era of Falcom in some of the best ways. With a charming presentation and commendable gameplay, this is a satisfying game and an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a light-hearted action RPG romp.
Atlas Fallen is an average action RPG with some interesting Momentum combat mechanics, a passable open-world, subpar presentation, and a disappointing narrative.
Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, merging squad-based tactics and classic computer-style roleplaying in an entertaining veneer of cheesy action movies.
While Miasma Chronicles' tactical combat stylings are compelling, an undercooked narrative riddled with cliches, weak characters, and some glitchy behaviors hold this tactical RPG from its potential.
Etrian Odyssey is a great dungeon RPG series, and its transition to PC & Switch is an admirable one, but some interface oddities and a hefty pricepoint raise eyebrows.
Serviceable action combat can't salvage a disappointing narrative and tedious open world.
Many independent RPG creators are inspired by the classics, but few succeed in their genre aspirations in the same way that Mattias Linda has.
FuRyu returns with another RPG that tries to evoke the nostalgia of the classics of yesteryear, but Trinity Trigger's good music and character art cannot salvage a dull RPG that is middling at best, and broken at worst.
Redemption Reapers is a strange, sometimes admirable, and sometimes frustrating tactical RPG. It has several intriguing components conceptually, both in its narrative and mechanics. But in places it falters in execution, leaving behind an uneven though interesting experience.
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is an admirable follow-up to Labyrinth of Refrain, with polished gameplay systems, an intriguing storyline, and a lengthy runtime.
Despite a paper-thin narrative, shallow one-note characters, and a kitchen-sink approach to its many subsystems, Fire Emblem Engage is the best-looking 3D Fire Emblem title with excellent tactical gameplay.
Romancing SaGa is not for everyone, but if it hooks you, it may hook you *hard*.
Batora: Lost Haven is a boring RPG with tedious dialogue and lackluster level design, saved only by adequate combat, respectable art, and a mercifully short runtime.
Despite its rough edges, Asterigos is a solid action RPG with a satisfying story and competent combat.
Despite its various shortcomings, The DioField Chronicle is a refreshing take on strategy RPGs with satisfying gameplay systems and bold narrative design.
Spiders Studio tackles a different sub-genre of RPG with Steelrising, going for a Souls-like experience this time around. While competent, it doesn't achieve much to stand out from the crowd.
Soul Hackers 2 is an adequate, experimental Megaten entry with some bright spots, but it doesn't quite come together as well as I hoped it would.
Between an exceptionally well-written cast, a deeply satisfying combat system, and an amazing adventure that remarkably earns its very long run time, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a JRPG masterpiece.
Rising is a satisfactory introduction to the world of Eiyuden Chronicle, with great characters, writing, and art. However, the game structure and combat have a hard time standing on their own.
Wildermyth's procedurally-generated storytelling is genuinely impressive, and its tactical combat is solid, petting together a novel table-top-like RPG experience.