Thomas Froehlicher

“Atelier Resleriana possesses strong qualities associated with beloved episodes, and boasts visual progress and prowess, but loses what was brought to the table by Atelier Yumia or even Atelier Ryza 3 in terms of world design, which ultimately makes me question the decision to have two Atelier games debut in the same year.”

“Visually appealing, well paced, full of content, and well balanced in terms of challenge level, it’s a good long-term RPG for those who are ready to invest the time (and a bit of money) in it. Still, a relative lack of effort and freedom in terms of character development places it behind notable competitors in this field like Honkai: Star Rail.”

“Death end re;Quest Code Z marks a stunning comeback for Compile Heart and is a treat for fans of the first game.”

“The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is strikingly similar to Trails into Reverie, in that it comes with a seriously uneven narrative and yet rock-solid overall content.”

“Its approach to fan service is frank, so fans of lewd games might consider it given how scarce overtly sexual content has become on the market; but it's too casual to be an effective point & click title, even if some of puzzles are worthwhile.”

“Wuthering Waves is a fairly good alternative to Genshin Impact, but gameplay improvements are needed.”

“Although Rauniot is shy on its lore and narrative, it still excels at captivating the player with an eerie, haunting world and incredibly tough riddles.”

“There's no world to explore, battles are as hard as they are dull, the narrative barely progresses, and the game as a whole is far too time-consuming for its format.”

“Easier, awkward at times, and much less surprising than prior entries, this sequel is still an effective horror game, but not the hardened experience that I have come to expect from the series.”

“Hollow Cocoon has potential, and is notable for its visuals, but it lacks enough compelling and suspenseful ideas to succeed as a survival-horror title.”

“While Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris was bitter, Sword Art Online Last Recollection turns out to be rather sweet.”

“Furyu's first new gem since The Caligula Effect.”

“Loop8: Summer of Gods had the potential to be a serious outsider with an innovative approach to the JRPG genre, if only it were better executed. Instead, it's such a massive disappointment that it will make me think twice before purchasing a Marvelous game again.”

“Although it only partially fixes Falcom's woes in terms of story pacing, Trails Through Daybreak is nonetheless a journey full of wonders.”

“Kuro no Kiseki represents, at its fullest, that invaluable joy of diving into a new world.”

“It effectively retains what makes the series so enjoyable - including a terrific atmosphere, terrifying opponents, challenging gameplay, and twisted puzzles - while also being dramatically harder than the first two entries.”

“The clever battle system and the fresh ideas introduced by the series deserved far better than this for a sequel.”

“It offers a cool aerial battle experience, and it's not as if the genre is bursting with rival candidates, but you might want to think twice about the content-to-price ratio before jumping in.”

“Behind the peculiar name, Love Live! School Idol Festival - After School Activity - Wai Wai Home Meeting!! is actually a fairly orthodox rhythm game in which you play as the various idols from the series.”

“Compile Heart still seems on the right track, but the Neptunia franchise needs to meet higher standards or it will be quickly left behind by the AA competition.”