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If you’re here for romance I suspect you may be disappointed. There isn’t enough strength in the romantic writing for me to recommend it on that basis. Really Please Be Happy is more story than yuri. I was pleased and engaged by the experience but I do think it’s important to go in with the appropriate expectations. Please Be Happy is light, but it isn’t disposable. If you’re looking for a relaxed slice-of-life story with some thoughtful exploration of purpose and identity, with a small helping of romance, then I think Please Be Happy is a safe bet. If nothing else the wonderful art and music justify the price tag in my book.
Final Fantasy XVI crafts a deep world with plenty to explore, builds a multi-faceted story with characters that kept me playing for hours on end, and blew me away with awe at the visuals at times. Adding a genuinely fun customizable combat system kept the fun going the entire time too. And if you’ve not had enough at the end of the journey, it even adds in a few extras for New Game+. While I do have a lot of nostalgia for the older Final Fantasy titles, I feel this is the best one in the series yet.
Gravity Circuit is a damn good time. Although it doesn't really do anything particularly original, it molds concepts taken from its many inspirations in fresh and smart ways. It wears its heart on its sleeve and is better off for doing so. From the moment I first took control of Kai in the tutorial, I knew the game was gonna be something great. After the hours it took to beat it, the game has thoroughly proven me right. It's brisk, immeasurably satisfying, and one of the best platformers I've played all year.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a fun if simple title. Despite major differences, I can see how it led to titles such as Atelier Ryza, Ayesha, or Sophie. The remake has done a great job of bringing it to modern audiences, but it still shows its age. Taking it for what it is though, a look back at the origins and initially a PlayStation 1 title, there's still a lot of enjoyment to be had. Just don't expect an epic JRPG tale where you save the world here. You are but a simple alchemist, helping her friends and the townspeople.
Queen Of The Otaku: There Can Only Be One puts forward an interesting idea, takes it to a dark place, and caters well to certain fetishes. It’s a rather limited title, but it does quite a lot for a fairly low price. If you enjoy the themes here and aren’t looking for much of a story, it’s not top-tier, but certainly not a bad title to pick up.
Sonic Origins Plus is an okay, but ultimately superfluous expansion to an already good collection. The addition of Amy is a net positive and a nice primer ahead of her playable appearance in the upcoming Sonic Superstars. Knuckles finally becoming playable in Sonic CD also feels like it fulfills an age-old promise, but in his case, it feels like too little too late. The Game Gear titles themselves are nice to see again, but many of them have little lingering novelty. Their shoddy sound emulation is also somewhat disappointing. If you don't own Sonic Origins, go with the Plus version. But if you do, this will really only appeal to the most diehard of Sonic fans.
Glitches and annoyances aside, Aliens: Dark Descent is a fantastic experience for any fan of the Aliens franchise. A much higher level of care is clearly on show here than in some previous titles, and that helps stave away the annoyances mentioned in this review. It's a tough-as-hell game that feels immensely rewarding when things go right and you manage to achieve a victory over the Xenomorph scum with little to no injury. It rewards planning and keeps you on edge with the constant reminder that even the basic Xenomorph can ruin your day if not taken with the utmost caution.
Overall, I feel that Street Fighter 6 is an amazing fighting game that has a lot to offer both newcomers to the franchise and veterans alike. The gameplay is incredibly fun and is the most accessible the series has ever been. There’s sure to be something to like about the game for everybody. Whether you’ve been playing the game for years or you’re a newcomer, there’s no better time for people to jump into the series and start playing one of the best fighting games in recent years.
So, should you give Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & the Monster Seal a shot? My general verdict is yes, but if you’re looking for a deep narrative to get immersed in and complex characters to explore, you’d be better off looking almost anywhere else. If you’re looking to ogle some anime girls with a thin veneer of deniability in the presence of gameplay, there are better options for you. But, if you’re looking for a well-crafted and engaging DRPG set against a serviceably fun story and world, with a panty shot thrown in every few hours to keep things fresh, congratulations. You are the target audience, Dungeon Travelers 2 sees you, it understands you, you are loved, you are valid. Go wild.
Nukitashi could easily be dismissed as an overly-sexual visual novel meant to be played one-handed. Those playing it will instead discover plenty of adult scenes, but a surprising depth of story behind it. I expect that Nukitashi will be well-regarded by most, but between the humor and writing, it may not be a hit with everyone. Still, I certainly feel it’s very worth playing—as long as you play the 18+ version.
The big question heading into Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection was whether Atlus could successfully translate the series' one-of-a-kind gameplay onto more conventional hardware. To me, they’ve answered back with a resounding and confident yes. These are excellent remasters that show that Atlus has carefully considered what to bring over and what to ditch in the transition away from dual-screen hardware. They look sharper than ever, they sound nicer, and despite not having a second screen, they arguably even play smoother. If nothing else, this collection definitively proves that Etrian Odyssey’s future is not jeopardized by its lack of two screens. Having said that, this collection as a whole is still a tough sell. If it was just Etrian Odyssey III, I could recommend it in a heartbeat—it’s one of the best DRPGs around. The first two games, however, I do not hold the same charity for. They aren’t bad, but they are massively unrefined and unsophisticated compared to what came after. Despite being good remasters, you’re still better off playing their 3DS remakes. Their novelty just doesn’t linger for long, and with the eye-popping price tag attached to Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, I’d want something more than that. If prospective buyers are willing to accept that, then they’ll have a solid time with the humble origins of one of the best DRPG franchises around.
Nightdive are synonymous with fantastic remasters but to my knowledge, this is the first from-the-ground-up remake they have produced and Shodan be praised, did they knock it out of the park! System Shock isn’t a game for everyone as previously stated. It doesn’t have the flexible character builds of its sequel nor is it a more linear digestible experience like its spiritual successors. What it does offer is a hardcore, sci-fi horror game with a level of immersion that only comes around every so often. Fans of Prey (2016) will certainly find a lot to love here, along with gamers looking for a challenge. You will get lost, you will die, and you’ll spend more than enough time scratching your head at some of the more obscure objectives and puzzles. But if you stick with it, you’ll come out of the other side fulfilled and with an even greater appreciation of just how much of a landmark title System Shock was and still is.
No number of superlatives can do this game proper justice, so I’ll cut to the chase: this game is nothing short of a masterwork that must be played. By all accounts, it is as much of an accomplishment as its predecessor. Like the game that came before it, it’s by no means perfect, but the number of new and creative things it does far outweighs that and turns it into something more important. Better still is that just about every new thing it does is well-conceived, fleshed out, and fun most of all. Even in moments of frustration or when things started to slow down, I was never anything less than enchanted by all of the new things it was doing. It’s like the game cast a spell that I was all too happy to be under. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom embodies what it means to be an outstanding video game.
Loop8: Summer of Gods has an interesting concept and some great characters that give a good reason to play it. My first impressions were actually quite positive and if my review was based on the first ten hours, it would probably be a 7/10 due to the great character moments and idea of growing stronger through loops. Unfortunately, the issues with gameplay and systems that came to light over the full forty-five hours it took to complete, and the method of storytelling make it difficult to outright recommend.
I found very little to enjoy during my time with Lorena and the Land of Ruins. Through and through, it’s a very poorly made game that can’t really do any of the things it sets out to do well at all. Gunplay is poor because of an appalling lack of polish and bad game balance. Platforming is weightless, unsatisfying, and thoughtless. Then there’s the game’s moe aesthetic, which is completely ruined by incohesive, wooden, and massively dated visuals. The only thing I’d say is sort of a saving grace is the rather novel speedrunning element, but that’s only if you’re willing to put up with the many warts of gameplay. Lorena may be a treasure hunter, but all you’ll find in this game are duds.
All in, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is exactly what I expected when it was announced as "Boomer Shooter" and that is a damn good thing. When it comes to this franchise, you usually have to go into it expecting certain levels of jank much like Necromunda: Hired Gun. Fortunately, here the developers have put out a jank-free, high-quality product that should bring Boomers and Gen Z kids together in a bloody ballet in the glorious name of the Emperor.
With an engaging plot that kept me hooked as it slowly revealed more and more, Tamayura Mirai is worth the read. There’s less of a focus on the moments spent together here than most moege, but it’s an interesting adventure that leads to romance.
Providing you with sufficient tools and plenty of puppers to play with, Pupperazzi presents a neat little sandbox environment where you can try your hands at dog photography. In my 8-hour stint as a pupperazzo, I played fetch with the dogs, dressed them up in fashionable costumes, and took numerous photographs of them while they danced, cried, or slept. The novelty and fun of various systems and mechanics in place, such as dogNET and the camera lenses and films you can use wore off quickly for me. Yet I find myself not at all opposed to visiting the same few areas again just to watch the dogs do their everyday dog things, be it riding a moped or performing sick stunts on a skateboard. Ultimately, there may not be much fanciful stuff to do or places to explore, but there is much love, joy, and comfort to be found through the pure-hearted dogs, upbeat music, and laid-back atmosphere in Pupperazzi.
Transporting players to 17th-century Europe, The Spanish Privateer brings forth a historical fiction that combines eventful seafaring life and heartening friends-to-lovers romance. Although the storytelling is dull at times due to too much telling and little showing, the story itself is filled with interesting and unexpected events that keep the momentum and curiosity going. The three male love interests you can pursue in this otome visual novel each has his unique personality and backstory. Regardless of who you choose to romance — the strict quartermaster, the eloquent lutist, or the genial captain — there is always somewhere new to be explored and something more to be discovered about the crew. The visual and audio aspects may not be this indie title’s top strengths, but if you enjoy historical pirate stories with romance brewing steadily over time, then The Spanish Privateer could be the port to your next fresh journey.
DNF Duel is a fine addition to the rosters of fighting games on the Nintendo Switch. I can only hope that crossplay comes in the future alongside the number of updates and support Arc System Works has promised the other versions. It's a bit of a niche franchise when compared to stuff like Dragon Ball Z and may not quite have the appeal for more casual fans. That said, fans of the genre who fancy an anime fighter with a bit of a difference will find that DNF Duel stands in its league.