Nick Mangiaracina

“Fans of Western RPGs, Dungeons & Dragons RPGs, and CRPGs will find much to enjoy about Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition. Players new to the game and preferring to play on console, this is the only way to play it, and it’s a deal considering how much content is in this game. But if you’re on PC, a modded version of the original might be better.”

“Those looking for experimental games made with minimal budgets and offering deep human stories and experiences, Camille and Laura is the game for you. Camille and Laura is short and sweet.”

“Many Nights a Whisper offers a contemplative experience that acts as a meditation that might help you in your own life. Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbor have worked together to forge a masterpiece that can be experienced in a single sitting. Don’t pass this up.”

“Mechabellum is an onion with many layers, but once you get to the core of the gameplay, you really begin to understand what’s going on in every battle. And depending on the match you’re in, you can really start to see the pitfalls of its design. And even still, I cannot stop playing, warts and all.”

“I’m impressed by Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog. It’s a great story with fun twists, lots of incredible art, and a few simple but rewarding puzzles. I never felt too encumbered or lost running around the JFS Gun-Dog. And the story culminated in a very interesting way that had me excited for future entries in the series.”

“While Waiting is a cute, fun, and simple pick-up and play style game. A perfect title for handheld gaming that offers some replayability. The art style is very cute and the objectives are usually pretty interesting. While Waiting is most assuredly a well-crafted game I think most people would find enjoyable.”

“Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 offers a brand new story, and lots of new brothers and enemies. While the online community leaves a lot to be desired, World Brothers 2’s improvements over the first game remain significant enough to recommend.”

“I think if you even have an inkling that Bloomtown: A Different Story is your jam, you owe it to yourself to try it out.”

“Demon’s Mirror didn’t vibe with me, and while I appreciate the effort to mix up these two gameplay styles, the friction between the two left me annoyed and drained.”

“Overall, I have to say I’m pretty disappointed with Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash. The game is quite good looking and has a lot of fanfare for fans of the Uma Musume series but provides an extremely hollow experience full of basic UX missteps and a complete lack of depth. Golshi’s Grand Adventure 2 isn’t enough to save this game and the price tag for what’s being provided is absolutely absurd.”

“While I can’t recommend Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer, the game is simply too novel a concept to not talk about and at the very least, deserves your attention. What you choose to do with this knowledge now is up to you.”

“Games should exist and designers should always make games but Gordian Quest offers nothing new and does nothing exceptionally well.”

“Goodbye Volcano High tells the tale of eight high school students living out what's possibly the end of their existence and determining what is important to them as they face the end.”

“LISA: Definitive Edition takes all the good and bad of the original game, improves on it, and makes it more accessible for a new generation of people to experience.”

“There’s a fine balance struck in The Last Spell between Tactical RPG and roguelike. I think Ishtar Games did an excellent job adapting the genre to a roguelike. Initially hesitant at first, The Last Spell won me over with its fast paced battles, hero customization, and light town-management gameplay.”

“Interconnected stories between games are always going to be fun to me. Anyone who enjoyed Backbone will most assuredly love the world being explored in Tails. I hope they continue this trend because Eggnut has created a very interesting world to explore.”

“Minute of Islands is an incredibly stunning game with a timely narrative, minimal gameplay, and small platforming puzzles.”

“I’ve always said that the best and most interesting games are being made at the experimental level in game jams and Essays on Empathy proves that.”

“While I have my grievances, of which there are many, I still really loved playing Element TD 2 and know I’ll be sinking a lot of time into it in the future, especially if any of my issues are resolved.”

“Super Seducer 3 would be good fun to play with a couple of friends on a boring night or to make fun of with some lady friends. Other than that though, my hope is that any particularly lonely gamers don’t use Super Seducer 3 as a blueprint for finding companionship.”