Naptec
6/10. Somehow reminds me of Kid Icarus Uprising in its gameplay (albeit much simpler and less polished). You can tell the devs REALLY loves Goldorak/Grendizer, as seen in the localization options (only English, French, Italian and Arabic are available, these guys know their audience). It definitely would've become a cult classic if it released 15 years ago.
On a technical level though, it's a disaster (those fucking loading times...). Especially graphically. I'm not a huge graphics guy but screen tearing happening every other second is definitely jarring. Aside from that, the game's main issue come from the useless, barren, huge open areas you'll spend most of your time on. Traversal is painfully slow and there's not much to do other than collect resources. Imo, the game would've been much better off with more linear levels, because the combat is actually kinda fun, although simple. Imo, the open areas only exists to artificially lengthen the game's lifespan.
On a technical level though, it's a disaster (those fucking loading times...). Especially graphically. I'm not a huge graphics guy but screen tearing happening every other second is definitely jarring. Aside from that, the game's main issue come from the useless, barren, huge open areas you'll spend most of your time on. Traversal is painfully slow and there's not much to do other than collect resources. Imo, the game would've been much better off with more linear levels, because the combat is actually kinda fun, although simple. Imo, the open areas only exists to artificially lengthen the game's lifespan.
2012
One of the few games I would consider to be perfect. It has great gameplay (although the rail shooter segments are kinda inferior to the third-person shooter segments), a pretty good story, great music and some of the funniest dialogues I've seen in a video game. Seriously, Sakurai is an actual comedy genius, and it definitely shows.
The characters deserves a special mention, because the entire cast (except cameo characters like Poseidon) is amazing. Hades is by far the best character, and one of the best villains Nintendo ever cooked.
The game's approach towards difficulty is also one of the best I've seen. You can spend hearts (the game's money) to make missions either easier or harder. The catch is that making levels harder gives you access to new areas, which usually gives you very strong weapons and/or gifts, creating an interesting risk/reward system. In fact, the system was so good Sakurai decided to reuse it in Super Smash Bros.
If you're ever in a position to play 3DS games, this is a must-play. Though keep in mind the controls are notoriously bad, especially for left-handed people. Changing anything from the controls makes it much harder to play, and can actually hurt your hands in some cases (I'm speaking from experience)
If you're still not convinced: the game has a mode where you can spend all your money for a goddess (Palutena or Viridi) to gradually walk up towards the screen until you get a close-on of their face. Peak gaming
The characters deserves a special mention, because the entire cast (except cameo characters like Poseidon) is amazing. Hades is by far the best character, and one of the best villains Nintendo ever cooked.
The game's approach towards difficulty is also one of the best I've seen. You can spend hearts (the game's money) to make missions either easier or harder. The catch is that making levels harder gives you access to new areas, which usually gives you very strong weapons and/or gifts, creating an interesting risk/reward system. In fact, the system was so good Sakurai decided to reuse it in Super Smash Bros.
If you're ever in a position to play 3DS games, this is a must-play. Though keep in mind the controls are notoriously bad, especially for left-handed people. Changing anything from the controls makes it much harder to play, and can actually hurt your hands in some cases (I'm speaking from experience)
If you're still not convinced: the game has a mode where you can spend all your money for a goddess (Palutena or Viridi) to gradually walk up towards the screen until you get a close-on of their face. Peak gaming
Very good DLC. It comes with an additional area (which is mostly there for grinding and Ascended gear tbh), a new dungeon filled with what makes CrossCode itself (which is both a good and a bad thing because that ALSO means the puzzles are back). The dungeon's bosses are also very fun to fight, specifically the final one which is very cool
The added story content is very nice too! However most of it is spoilers territory for the base game, so I won't say anything in case someone clicks here without having finished the game.
TL;DR: it's worth it! Just make sure you get the good ending in the base game
The added story content is very nice too! However most of it is spoilers territory for the base game, so I won't say anything in case someone clicks here without having finished the game.
TL;DR: it's worth it! Just make sure you get the good ending in the base game
2018
My favorite indie game so far, and the one who reignited my love for action RPGs. It just has everything I like: lovable characters (Emilie #1 btw), fast-paced combat, a good story, cool dungeons and a kickass soundtrack. The platforming can be a bit hard because of its top-down 2D nature, and the puzzles can be completely absurd at times (especially in the endgame), but trust me, it's completely worth it.
2019
The best non-Nintendo Switch exclusive. The combat is amazing and lets you do some very cool stuff, although it can take a while to get used to due to the unusual controls. The graphics are also super impressive for a Switch game. I don't usually take graphics into account when reviewing games, but Astral Chain could easily pass off as a PS4 game honestly.
The story is basically every single cyberpunk tropes you can possibly think of bundled up together, which is fine if you don't think about it much, but it does suck than some out-of-game stuff is required to read if you want to get the full picture.
The story is basically every single cyberpunk tropes you can possibly think of bundled up together, which is fine if you don't think about it much, but it does suck than some out-of-game stuff is required to read if you want to get the full picture.
I played this game competitively since basically month 1. I'd give this game a 9/10 offline, and a 3/10 online.
Offline, the game is amazing. It's the Super Smash Bros we all know and love, except you get tons of options for casual play, including like 90 different characters. While this a bit too many MUs to realistically remember for the average tournament player, the roster is still surprisingly well balanced, which is a genuine feat. There's also tons of customization options for casual players who just want endless chaos.
Online though, the game lowkey sucks (keep in mind most of my online experience comes from competitive play). The added input delay makes punishes and movement feel much more sluggish compared to offline, while also making stuff harder to react to. This makes zoners even more annoying than usual, and generally leads to soul-numbing games. The problem is further exacerbated in Quickplay, which is the game's ranked system. As usual, ranked is a terrible experience; however the ranking system (GSP) is also completely fake. While it looks functional enough on paper, the big issue is that winning or losing GSP feels completely arbitrary. On top of that, it's also been artificially inflated, meaning you'll passively gain GSP for not playing the game (but it also doesn't help your progression to Elite Smash). The matchmaking is also quite bad, as it can potentially make you play on a different ruleset than the one requested, which is extremely infuriating when it happens. Worst of all, GSP can be very easily gained by cheesing with specific rulesets and quitting mid-game (which makes both players not lose or win any GSP). While the game is supposed to punish the latter, that system is extremely easy to get around, and as such quitters usually go unpunished. In some cases, the game actually punishes the one who stayed and played to the end!
TL;DR: game is amazing, but the netcode is one of the worst I've seen in recent years. While you CAN get good by only playing online, be prepared for one of the worst onlineexperiences in modern gaming
Offline, the game is amazing. It's the Super Smash Bros we all know and love, except you get tons of options for casual play, including like 90 different characters. While this a bit too many MUs to realistically remember for the average tournament player, the roster is still surprisingly well balanced, which is a genuine feat. There's also tons of customization options for casual players who just want endless chaos.
Online though, the game lowkey sucks (keep in mind most of my online experience comes from competitive play). The added input delay makes punishes and movement feel much more sluggish compared to offline, while also making stuff harder to react to. This makes zoners even more annoying than usual, and generally leads to soul-numbing games. The problem is further exacerbated in Quickplay, which is the game's ranked system. As usual, ranked is a terrible experience; however the ranking system (GSP) is also completely fake. While it looks functional enough on paper, the big issue is that winning or losing GSP feels completely arbitrary. On top of that, it's also been artificially inflated, meaning you'll passively gain GSP for not playing the game (but it also doesn't help your progression to Elite Smash). The matchmaking is also quite bad, as it can potentially make you play on a different ruleset than the one requested, which is extremely infuriating when it happens. Worst of all, GSP can be very easily gained by cheesing with specific rulesets and quitting mid-game (which makes both players not lose or win any GSP). While the game is supposed to punish the latter, that system is extremely easy to get around, and as such quitters usually go unpunished. In some cases, the game actually punishes the one who stayed and played to the end!
TL;DR: game is amazing, but the netcode is one of the worst I've seen in recent years. While you CAN get good by only playing online, be prepared for one of the worst onlineexperiences in modern gaming
The best RPG the 3DS has to offer. Its turn-based combat is quite refreshing, and I had fun trying to maximize my combos and try to kill everything in one turn. The story also excellent and has great pacing (drags a bit in the midgame, but nothing too big), while most notably managing to do time travel without making the story a comvoluted mess. If you find yourself in a position to play 3DS games, I strongly suggest you at least give this game a go.
One part I'm not a fan of, though, is the content added in Perfect Chronology. In my opinion, it kinda lessens the original ending while also making the new ending a bit too convoluted for me. You can also easily tell what was in the original and what was in Perfect Chronology (this comes from a European player who couldn't get his hands on the original release on DS)
One part I'm not a fan of, though, is the content added in Perfect Chronology. In my opinion, it kinda lessens the original ending while also making the new ending a bit too convoluted for me. You can also easily tell what was in the original and what was in Perfect Chronology (this comes from a European player who couldn't get his hands on the original release on DS)
2016
This review contains spoilers
This game is completely carried by its story and characters, and that's perfectly OK because the story is THAT good. Like, aside from (unpopular opinion alert) Magilou, who I find annoying at times, I legit can't think of any party member I actually dislike. That's genuinely impressive. I won't say anything about the story to prevent spoilers, but be prepared for the ending, which is very sad.
In terms of actual gameplay, it's a bit bland (not that the dungeons helps it in that regard) but still enjoyable enough for me to go through the whole game
In terms of actual gameplay, it's a bit bland (not that the dungeons helps it in that regard) but still enjoyable enough for me to go through the whole game
2022
Behold, the world's most overhyped indie game. Still a good game, got some nice vibes to it and I enjoyed its aesthetics and story, but make sure you temper your expectations when playing this game because the overhype is very real with this game
Kind of a weird case because when you separate Ys 1 and Ys 2, they're both mid tier games, but when you combine them it becomes one of the best games in the series. Funny how that works
A classic which aged surprisingly well for a 1987 RPG. Sure, its age can be seen in some parts (bosses in Ys 1, dungeons in Ys 2), but if you can look past that, then you get an absolute gem. Be warned though, the combat system is quite divisive (you either love it or hate it, no in-between), so I can't recommend it to just about anyone, but I still really like it
A classic which aged surprisingly well for a 1987 RPG. Sure, its age can be seen in some parts (bosses in Ys 1, dungeons in Ys 2), but if you can look past that, then you get an absolute gem. Be warned though, the combat system is quite divisive (you either love it or hate it, no in-between), so I can't recommend it to just about anyone, but I still really like it
The single best game ever made, remastered for PC and modern platforms (PS4, Xbox One and Switch at the time of writing)! The controls, while simple, leads to some very creative puzzles, and the story should be familiar to anyone who played the Ace Attorney series. Not because they're connected, but in its general vibes
TL;DR: An absolute must-play for every passionate video game enthusiasts
TL;DR: An absolute must-play for every passionate video game enthusiasts
2016
Man, this game's on some shit. Probably the most nonsensical fighting game I've ever played, I can't possibly give it a higher rating than 2 starss in good faith. That said, I highly recommend you check this game out because it truly is a unique experience
2005
One of the best games I've played, personally reminded me of Dark Souls. Not because of the combat or the difficulty, but because of the atmosphere and the way Xanadu Next delivers its story (it's via items you actively have to seek out while exploring). Thankfully, it remains still very good.
Special mention to the final dungeon which is one of the best I've played. 10/10, would get lost in again
FOR STEAM DECK USERS: Make sure to set one of your trackpads to a mouse. This will make menuing MUCH easier, while still keeping the combat somewhat comfortable to use.
Special mention to the final dungeon which is one of the best I've played. 10/10, would get lost in again
FOR STEAM DECK USERS: Make sure to set one of your trackpads to a mouse. This will make menuing MUCH easier, while still keeping the combat somewhat comfortable to use.