Rune Factory 4 Special delivers a wealth of content in a charming and engaging package that should keep newcomers and long-time fans happy for dozens upon dozens of hours.
Thanks to the choppy framerate, horrible combat, and forgettable characters and story, Arc of Alchemist fails to elicit anything more than a shrug and a sigh. Unless you're a hardcore Idea Factory and Compile Heart fan, stay far, far away from this one.
Outside of some technical hiccups and some boring fetch quests, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's colorful presentation and over-the-top battles should appeal to hardcore fans and baby-faced newcomers alike.
Darksiders Genesis provides a short burst of demon-crunching carnage for hardcore fans of the franchise, but the overall experience is easily eclipsed by other, deeper, more engaging action-RPGs.
Shenmue IIII pushes its epic story forward while holding firmly onto dated concepts, game design, and narrative presentation, but it will likely please die-hard fans of the series. Everyone else, meanwhile, might wonder what all the fuss is about.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout feels like a massive step backward, both in terms of gameplay and story. Although GUST attempted to inject some real-world themes into this tale, it's unfortunately just more of the same.
Nihon Falcom has delivered yet another stellar entry in the Trails of Cold Steel series. If you're a newcomer, you'll need to start at the beginning to genuinely appreciate the whole package. However, if you're a long-time fan of the franchise, then you'll love every thrilling second of it.
Although it attempts to try some new things to set it apart from other Soulslike games, Code Vein ultimately feels like just another wannabe in an increasingly crowded genre. But anime fans who love attractive, moody vampires will adore it.
Despite some technical problems that ultimately sour the experience, The Surge 2 delivers a solid action-RPG adventure that's powered by its dystopian setting and unique combat system.
