Audra Bowling
While it isn’t a perfect game, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest is a rather unique and clever take on the visual novel genre that combines it with some truly engaging RPG elements. I found myself feeling immensely satisfied with my first playthrough, even if not every path I took ended up being ideal in the end. I found myself already pondering just what decisions I might make differently on a second (or even third one) given how much evolution the title does. That in and of itself is a sign of an enjoyable game to me!
God Wars: Future Past is overall an entertaining SRPG that doesn't stray too far away from its roots.
While it struggles to figure out which audience it actually wants to appeal to, World of Final Fantasy Maxima is an enjoyable spinoff with a wealth of gameplay content.
London Detective Mysteria is far from the worst otome out there, but I wouldn't call it one of the best either. Huge otome visual novel fans will likely get some enjoyment out of this title, but other gamers or those new to the genre might just find it tedious.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux's challenging gameplay might not be for everyone, but those it does appeal to will find a well-crafted dungeon-crawling experience with a thought-provoking narrative.
Overall, while I can't say that God Eater 3 does much to step away from the paths of its predecessors, I enjoyed my time with it. I had fun devising strategies and gathering crafting materials, so much so that I never once backed down from doing even optional missions when playing.
Nightshade is an excellent shinobi-focused otome game with strong character development and growth.
GreedFall does nothing exceedingly harmful in terms of gameplay and its BioWare-esque elements had me enjoying the time I spent playing it. This title is certainly a step in the right direction for Spiders, and I hope that they continue to improve from here. Spiders is an RPG developer with a lot of potential that could very well take BioWare’s WRPG crown one day.
Mercenaries Wings: The False Phoenix is a serviceable SRPG that brings little new to the table but might satisfy an old-school itch.
Cindered Shadows, while not a vital piece of DLC, is an entertaining side story that rewards Fire Emblem: Three Houses players patient enough to partake in it.
A successor to the extremely unique action game El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, The Lost Child is a decently average dungeon crawler that plays it almost too safe.
Langrisser I & II are solid SRPGs for those looking for a well-rounded, old-school challenge.
Planet Stronghold 2 is a nuanced, well-crafted sci-fi RPG/visual novel hybrid that offers a lot of choice and replayability.
Dragon Quest XI S easily earns its title as the definitive edition of an amazing traditional JRPG.
Despite some flaws, Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond is an enjoyably short(er) RPG experience with beautiful visuals and surprising depth.
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen has some flaws, but is an excellent starting point to an epic tale.
Overall, an enjoyable port of a great game.
Steam Prison is an extremely enjoyable visual novel in several respects, especially if you don’t mind romantic undertones in well-crafted fantasy stories. The Switch port includes the Fin Route DLC that was sold separately on PC and some general upgrades to music and art. This probably makes it the “ultimate” version of the title. If you haven’t yet played the game and are an otome fan, it is easy enough to recommend even at its hefty price for the sheer amount of content and replayability you get. However, I’d be hard-pressed to say if it is a sure-fire purchase if you’ve already played another version of the title since you’ve probably seen most of the content before. That said, as far as VNs go, Steam Prison is another solid addition to the Nintendo Switch lineup.
Biomutant is a clever, quirky, and fun title with a ton of player choice.
Overall, I spent well over one hundred twenty hours playing the Switch port of Trails of Cold Steel IV. While I certainly felt that the game dragged at times, it was ultimately still a solid JRPG experience. At times, “the end of saga” might have felt like it was going out with more of a whimper than a roar, but the conclusion of the True Ending more than makes up for the game’s pacing struggles. I’m glad I got the opportunity to experience the ending of the Erebonian story arc, and even with some Switch-specific flaws, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is yet another truly solid addition to the console’s JRPG lineup. If you picked up the Switch’s port of Trails of Cold Steel III, then the fourth game is certainly worth playing on that system as well.