Michael Merchant

“Overall, Of Ash & Steel is a really fun game held back by some technical and mechanical issues. For fans of Gothic and Risen, you will definitely find a lot to enjoy with Of Ash & Steel. For those looking for a more modern action RPG with a lot of hand holding, you may want to set the game on easy and use walkthrough. Good luck out there and may the One guide you!”

“Anima: Gate of Memories is decent, and I did enjoy my time with it overall. But the repetitive combat and clunky mechanics hold it back from being truly fun. I do think though that most people who decide to pick it up will enjoy it especially for the current price. The story is interesting, the world is varied, the graphics overhaul is well done, but with the remaster you aren’t getting much new content just a collection with a face lift.”

“Overall, there is a lot of fun to be had in Cladun X3. This hack and slash looter is full of different items, gear, and customization that can keep someone who enjoys this genre occupied for hours on end. There are enough changes in terms of the structure of progression and enough of the original foundation of Cladun to keep players, both returning and new, happy with this entry.”

“The whole experience of Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club almost feels like playing through an interactive Peanuts movie, which fans will probably love! I can definitely see kids who enjoy the movies having a blast running around town as Snoopy, collecting hidden treasures, and solving cases!”

“Castle of Heart: Retold reimagines the 2018 indie game with revamped visuals, smoother combat, and richer story that delivers a thrilling 5-6 hour adventure. While Svaran’s curse-fueled quest is fun, a slight leaning to a more Metroidvania elements could have elevated this solid platformer even further!”

“Fretless is a fun experience! I enjoyed my time with the game and if you are a fan of musical based games and turn based RPGs, I believe you will also enjoy this hidden gem.”

“I certainly don’t think that Mizuchi is for everyone. If you are a fan of Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese culture, visual novels, and don’t mind sexual themes in games you will find value in Mizuchi. The presentation in terms of visuals and the music fits perfectly with each event. The overall length is also a highlight, I would say that the initial read is about 4-5 hours and subsequential reads to see all of the additional endings skipping through all repeated conversations could make the full visual novel easily 10-12 hours. There is definitely value for the money spent. For visual novel fans, I think Mizuchi is an excellent addition to your library and is worth playing through multiple times to see the complete story and all possible outcomes for Linh.”

“The mix of a twin stick shooter with real-time strategy elements is fun and engaging. Missions are varied and the game play loop is satisfying but somewhat repetitive as you progress trying to complete each campaign. There is also co-op with up to three friends but as of writing this I didn’t get a chance to give that mode a try.”

“Overall, it’s a fun game, especially if you have someone you can play with! Hopefully, the implementation of online co-op will be coming sooner rather than later to have an easier time teaming up with other warriors.”

“Overall, Touhou Spell Carnival turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure how they would blend bullet-hell mechanics with RPG elements and strike a balance, but they managed to pull it off. Fortunately, the game offers difficulty levels that make it easier to experience the story without getting stuck replaying challenging levels repeatedly. However, for me, the real highlight was embracing the challenge. My enjoyment came from overcoming the difficulty, mastering my characters’ moves and abilities, and optimizing my team composition.”

“Goblin Slayer Another Adventurer: Nightmare Feast delivers a solid tactical RPG experience. It achieves what it sets out to do, offering an engaging, albeit straightforward, story. Fans of the Goblin Slayer franchise will likely appreciate the narrative and character interactions more than newcomers, as familiarity with the source material enhances the experience.”

“ASKA has a pretty decent foundation. The mechanics are all there, it has a good system with the villagers and a built-in co-op as well. With a little bit more fine-tuning over the next few months, I think that ASKA can hold its own against some of the more established survival games out there currently. With a current price of $25, I can see people wanting to wait just a bit longer for the developers to polish the game just a bit more and add more things to explore and fill out the world before investing their time.”