Throgmorton Belmont

“The developers should spend more time improving the interface, as it feels jarring and unintuitive, especially when crafting items. That said, despite its small flaws, Philna Fantasy clearly comes from a team determined to make the best game possible with all the right ideas, and they’re impressively close to hitting that mark.”

“But the story? The story absolutely shines. It’s engrossing, introspective, and often existential. It makes you think. And while it’s not the next Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, it deserves attention for being a truly unforgettable experience.”

“Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 has small issues but feels like a fantastic experience for me as a fan of the trilogy. The story, gameplay, and replayability make it the definitive experience of the three fantastic games where you ride a massive tank and blow up villainy.”

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“Demonschool brings fresh and engaging strategic ideas to the popular Persona-like, school-focused RPG genre, but it’s held back by an overwhelming number of game-breaking bugs that desperately need fixing. After waiting three months for improvements following its initial build, I’m completely baffled that the same problems still plague it.”

“The story continues not too far after the first entry’s conclusion, so sometimes replaying the first before going in is suggested. Overall, it was a satisfying adventure, but with Final Fantasy Tactics taking the spotlight with its less-than-stellar modern release, Rise Eternia 2 certainly won’t be getting the spotlight it may secretly deserve.”

“Koei Tecmo and Gust added yet another page of fantastic alchemy goodness to their long list of ateliers, not just for ongoing fans, but maybe a few new ones looking for another good JRPG to enjoy.”

“Varlet isn’t a game I would recommend to anyone. Even for Japanese high school game enjoyers, there’s just not enough content or reward behind said content to really motivate interest in its pursuit. Every feature in the game feels half-cooked, with the combat system being the only interesting thing, but ultimately falls hard on its face since there’s really no feeling of reward or satisfaction.”

“Wild Hearts S is a fine port, and released at a very good window for those in need of a good progression-based game on the Nintendo Switch 2. Sadly, it won’t likely get any support if the original release is anything to go by, so don’t expect it to be the most long-term solution for multiplayer. Aside from that, and some poor texture qualities scattered throughout the game, Wild Hearts S is a hunt worth taking, especially for those who did not play it in the initial release.”

“While the game could benefit from a map to view where you have been for the constant need to backtrack, there’s not too much to detract from this well-polished and delightful adventure platformer game. I question the decision to clash pixel with HD art. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a game I would recommend to not only fans of the series, but to people interested in having their wish granted for a good adventure game.”

“Despite some minor issues, the adventure itself, in its full package as Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition, is one I’d still recommend to any DnD player.”

“The combination of the enjoyable lighthearted combat, the nearly endless options of productive activities, or even the less important ones like designing your home and island, the co-op features, and the vast world makes Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time the be-all and end-all for all cozy games.”

“Since everything in the DLC is completely separate from the base game and is taken away from you the second you step out of the DLC region, it feels superfluous. That being said, it’s a very unique concept of storytelling and deserves the time if you enjoyed the base game.”

“In the same generation of Metaphor: Refantazio, SaGa Frontier 1 and 2 Remasters, the Suikoden Remasters, and Expedition of 33, it’s very hard to see this being for what it hopes to be. With that being said, I enjoyed my time with it.”

“It would have been nice to have a few things updated like a better way to hot-bar or cast spells, similarly to how it’s possible to quickly use potions. Strangely the lack of modern-day quality of life features such as this manages to only add to this game’s charm as a fantastic time machine, back to when western developers embraced dungeon crawler RPGs”

“I can confidently say Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark is consistently amazing. The utterly lovable two protagonists complement each other with their polarized personalities. The clever yet sometimes perverted humor never fails to make me smile or laugh. The perfect and responsive 2D-pixel platforming gameplay and great co-op implementation make this cleaning a job a hard one not to recommend.”

“While Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection seems like it faces a lot of issues, it manages to still play like a very fun dungeon crawler. Some of these hiccups might even grow on the player, like the very strangely paced combat and proper use of controlling the monsters. The UI is ugly and could use some finesse.”

“Farmagia could have benefited if they made it a turn-based RPG or slowed down the speed of what’s going on. Having nearly 100 monsters plus the monsters you face going at the speed of The Wonderful 101‘s gameplay might not be the most palatable thing for younger kids. Farmagia’s mixture of so many ideas was not the issue, just the execution.”