Shane Boyle

“That being said, whether you buy now or wait for a sale, there’s no denying the quality on display here, with the Secret Trilogy remaining as brilliant today as it did when each instalment was released, and I hope shining a spotlight on what I consider to be a high point for the series results in the next brand new Atelier title takin a few pages out of Ryza’s book.”

“Throes of the Watchmaker is a wonderful addition to an already fantastic package. While I’m not one hundred percent sold on the complete reset of skills, it does at least make narrative sense and allow for an admittedly needed power reset going into the new content, given that the expansion cannot be accessed until you’ve bested the mandatory content from the base game. That minor gripe aside, Throes of the Watchmaker is an exceptional package that highlights and builds upon what was so enjoyable within the base game. The new dungeons and biome are a treat to explore, stuffed with puzzles and engaging combat encounters that rival, and in many cases surpass, the quality already established by the base game, and if this is to be the last we see of Sea of Stars until what is hopefully an inevitable sequel, then this is a hell of a way to bow out.”

“Union of Gnomes is one of the most unexpected treats I’ve had the pleasure of playing this year. It came onto my radar out of nowhere, and while it won’t replace Monster Train 2 as my primary deckbuilder, it’s got enough creativity and replayability that it’s something I’m confident will remain in my rotation for the foreseeable future at least. While it may not be the most visually appealing experience, and its leveling curve could use a little fine-tuning, its robust deckbuilding and focus on resource management in the form of weiners is strong enough to overcome those shortcomings overall. If you’re tired of the heavyweights of the genre and want something a little quirky that really understands the fundamentals of the genre, Union of Gnomes is a worthy addition to any deckbuilding fan’s collection.”

“Sunderfolk’s attempt at bringing the tabletop RPG experience to the living room TV screen is difficult to find fault with. Its clever use of mobile devices does a great job at capturing the tactile nature of true tabletop gaming, resulting in a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the full game night experience. The story may be a little generic, and the standard difficulty option may be a little undertuned, relative to how successful Sunderfolk is in achieving its vision elsewhere. For anyone, like me, who struggles to find the time or motivation to unpack their favourite tabletop behemoth and endure the inevitable setup and breaking down phase, Sunderfolk is a truly wonderful alternative that works better than it has any right to.”

“If I were to score Captain Blood based on emotion, I would probably give it top marks based on the dedication shown by the developers and publisher in putting game preservation first to see this storied development cycle through to completion. Looking at this objectively, however, even in comparison to the games that would have been considered its contemporaries had it been released in 2010, Captain Blood is a barebones exercise in frustration that is difficult to recommend. There are faint glimpses at what could have been in the ship combat sections and the breezy narrative, and the short runtime does help mask some of the frustrations that plague the experience, but on the whole, it’s difficult to argue that Captain Blood wouldn’t have been better left in the depths it was salvaged from.”

“Rogue Waters is a fantastic entry within the rogue-lite and tactical-turn-based strategy genres. Rewarding meta-progression is supported by zany combat that promotes experimentation due to the generous undo feature, allowing for low-stakes trial and error that perfectly suits the slapstick nature of the pirate action. While the naval combat doesn’t feel like it’s fleshed out to its fullest potential, it’s easy to overlook with it being a small part of a much bigger whole that’s generally hard to fault, and if you’re a fan of either genre that Rogue Waters taps into, or, most importantly, a fan of pirates, then Rogue Waters is all but certain to get its hooks into you.”

“Synduality: Echo of Ada had the potential to carve out its own niche by being an accessible extraction shooter available on console. It’s not completely without merit, with its snappy gunplay making for an exciting PvPvE experience and the novel Magus system initially showing a lot of promise. However, a laborious early game grind, and monetization so egregious that I don’t see anyone but the most hardcore of audiences sticking around severely sour the experience. Whether Game Studio can course correct remains to be seen, but early signs point towards yet another live service title that runs the risk of having its lifespan cut short due to excessive grind and greed.”

“Under Night In-Birth II is a fantastic fighting game experience when you focus solely on the core mechanics and how enjoyable it is to immerse yourself in the depths of its more intricate systems. Examining the package as a whole presents it as one that is perhaps a bit lacking on the content side, with there being a real absence of meaningful offline single-player modes to dive into, which in turn leads to a world that’s difficult to comprehend if you’re coming to this with no prior knowledge of the series. That being said, if you’re a fighting game purist who just wants a new fighting game to master that will offer hours upon hours of fun as you master its many interlocking systems, or you want something simple enough that you can enjoy a few casual rounds with friends here and there, then Under Night In-Birth II fits the bill almost perfectly.”

“While a fairly simplistic affair, Slaps & Beans 2 is an enjoyable slice of beat-’em-up action. Between the love for the source material that pours out of every pixel and the massively entertaining set pieces, Slaps & Beans 2 may not be the deepest offering the genre has to offer, but it’s clear it was never meant to be. Instead, what you get is a history lesson in Bud and Terence’s brand of slapstick comedy and a combat system that’s simple enough to provide hours of fun for the whole family. On that basis, Slaps & Beans 2 is an easy recommendation.”

“While not without issues—the worst offender still being the inadequate tutorials—The Fabulous Fear Machine is an incredibly refreshing spin on the real-time strategy genre. With unexpectedly detailed, if at times slightly questionable, narratives underpinning each of its three campaigns and an art style that looks and feels like nothing else in the genre, The Fabulous Fear Machine does the impossible and makes being evil a whole lot of fun through its fresh gameplay loops and devilishly delightful assortment of legends. If you’ve got a mean streak and have always wanted a safe environment in which to find out what it feels like to have people unquestionably devote themselves to you and your cause, well, firstly, you should be on a watch list somewhere, and secondly, you should absolutely check out The Fabulous Fear Machine.”

“One Military Camp is a solid, if somewhat safe, base builder that makes crafting your own base and developing your own army a genuinely entertaining affair. There’s a real satisfaction to be had in finally landing on the perfect base and developing squads of soldiers that stand the best chance of surviving certain missions. It’s a shame, then, that an overreliance on manually managing your troops and base, and the lack of any interactive missions or battles, leaves it currently feeling like a bit of a missed opportunity, and somewhat half-baked. That being said, with such a solid foundation, there is definitely fun to be had for fans of the genre, and with a few more content updates that would hopefully address some of the quality-of-life issues while fleshing out some of the more passive elements, One Military Camp has the potential to be something special.”

“It’s unfortunate that every positive I've mentioned comes undone at the hands of that dreaded localization. There were stretches of gameplay where I was just grinding, or exploring, and for a moment I’d forget what a mess the translation was, immersed in Xuan-Yuan Sword’s perfectly serviceable gameplay loops. But, this is an RPG, and to this player, world-building, deep characterization, and dense lore that I can immerse myself in is just as important to my enjoyment of an RPG as gameplay is. There will likely be a portion of players who will be able to look past this issue, simply content at being able to play a game that had been out of the reach of Western audiences for so long, and that’s perfectly fine. As I’ve indicated, there’s a solid RPG here somewhere and I have no doubt that this would be a fantastic experience had the port been shown the love and care it deserves. As it stands, though, Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is such a compromised experience that it’s impossible to recommend in its current state.”

“And, I think that word perhaps best sums up Nimbus Infinity as an overall experience. Unremarkable. There’s fun to be had for sure in the frantically paced and enemy-packed combat encounters, but when you take into consideration the fact that you never feel as though you’re piloting an almighty mech and the entirely forgettable nature of the art design and the narrative, it’s hard to make a case as to why Nimbus Infinity is worth spending time with. If you’re okay with playing through a short, breezy five-hour campaign that provides an evening’s worth of decent aerial combat, you might want to dive in, especially considering the budget price point. However, those who are seeking out a meaningful mech experience that succeeds in letting you live out one of the ultimate power fantasies may want to look elsewhere for their thrills.”

“At the end of the day, though, that’s not the vision the developers had for Adore and that’s fine, as what they have produced is a damn fine spin on the monster taming genre all the same. Look past the repetition, and you’ll find that early simplicity was a complete red herring, as the complexities of team synergy, hidden passives, and the real-time combat suck you in. The core of what’s here is excellent, and while the narrow scope of the moment-to-moment gameplay loops may feel a little limiting, they allow the excellent core combat and surprising depth to shine through. If, like me, you were a little tired of the genre rehashing the same formula for what feels like forever, then Adore, while not without its flaws, will likely feel like a total breath of fresh air.”

“I have similar sentiments when looking at Sword and Fairy Inn 2 as a whole – inoffensive yet uninspired and, unfortunately, boring. From the sloppy localization to the almost complete lack of direct player input that players have come to expect in things such as farming and cooking, it feels a little soulless. There is some satisfaction to be found in watching your tiny business grow into something more substantial, but the fact that you never really do anything to facilitate that growth beyond clicking through menus makes it all feel a touch impersonal. What’s more, is that the Switch is a console already drowning in quality cozy games that already let you live out the virtual life of your dreams, and on that basis alone, Sword and Fairy Inn 2 is a difficult product to recommend.”

“And that’s perhaps the keyword I’d use to describe the package as a whole – fun. Evil Wizard, while not doing anything to reinvent the genre, is just a fun, damn time. Once the writing finds its feet after a shaky opening hour, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to be had, and the combat, while not especially deep, is polished and engaging. In a year where we are absolutely drowning in big-budget affairs that allow us to live out our heroic fantasies in spectacular fashion, it was a joy to take a slight detour and spend a few hours in the company of vitriolic little Wizard who hates the world and everyone around him.”

“Had Decarnation not fumbled with its gameplay, I’d probably be giving this a perfect score. Its disturbing, yet engaging narrative, and top-notch presentation all come together in a way that somehow managed to exceed my already lofty expectations that the preview build had left me with. It’s just a shame, then, that those gameplay issues are so very intrusive. All too often I had my immersion broken and found my interest in continuing through Gloria’s plight waning due to how often Decarnation forces the player into irritating mini-games, or fussy stealth segments. On the whole, though, Decarnation still ends up being more than the sum of its parts, and I can confidently say that it’s worth the time of any horror fan.”

“Showgunners is a violent delight that leans into its setting and premise to great effect. It may not be the deepest tactical RPG out there, which, in turn, removes a lot of the replayability that the genre is known for, but as a 12-15 hour experience that puts spectacle and accessible systems first, it’s a hell of a good time. You could argue that by removing a lot of the class versatility and research systems that genre veterans appreciate, it’s narrowing its appeal somewhat, and I myself don’t see myself ever going back for a repeat playthrough. However, it’s just as easy to argue that by carving its own path and not sticking religiously to genre conventions, Showgunners is opening the door to a whole new world of players looking for something less intimidating as a gateway into the tactical RPG space. It might not have enough meat on the bone to become your next obsession, but if you want to see meat carved from the bone in tactical bloodbaths, Showgunners is absolutely worth experiencing.”

“Homestead Arcana is a welcome addition to the cozy gaming space. A complete lack of combat, interesting magical farming techniques, and rewarding yet tense exploration that focuses on using spells to outwit your opponents rather than destroy, all contribute to an experience that manages to elevate itself and stand out. It may lack the engaging side content that ultimately keeps many around games such as this once the critical path is completed, not every game needs to be a time-devouring behemoth, and some may actually appreciate the breezier experience that Homestead Arcana presents. If you’re looking for a distraction from the genre’s heavy hitters, then the adventures of Billie and Huckleberry are well worth experiencing.”

“Given how ambitious and unique the premise of Inifite Guitars is, it pains me to say that what should be a refreshing marriage of RPG and rhythm-based gameplay has turned out to be a bit of an exercise in tedium that is held back massively by issues with input recognition and repetition. It looks beautiful, and, with a few patches aimed at tightening up the gameplay, this may turn into something that is worth experiencing for that fantastic soundtrack alone, but, as it stands today, Infinite Guitars doesn’t feel like it was quite ready to take to the stage.”