Adam Vitale's Reviews
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an approachable action RPG with satisfying combat but a narrative that unfortunately left little impression on me. While combat itself is enjoyable, battle variety is somewhat lacking, quests feel typical, and the narrative is forgettable.
While the Vengeance re-release doesn't fundamentally change what Shin Megami Tensei V is, numerous adjustments and improvements allow SMTV to be the best version of itself.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a good re-release of a good game, and adjustments made only improve upon it in small but substantial ways. It's an easy recommendation for general audiences and RPG fans. Now, where's my Luigi in Waffle Kingdom RPG?
While there is room to improve and some blemishes throughout, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has excellent presentation & nostalgic charm, and I cannot overstate enough how glad I am that it exists.
Banishers: Ghost of New Eden's excellent characters and storytelling are diminished by its mundane world structure and repetitive combat.
While Wandering Sword may appear to be an imitation at first glance, this entertaining Wuxia-style adventure is one of the most unique RPGs I've ever played, despite stumbles in localization and polish.
Tales of Arise - Beyond The Dawn is conceptually an interesting epilogue, but stale questing and trite plotting leave me apathetic to this unexpected expansion.
While Dark Envoy has some interesting class and skill systems, this CRPG's tedious encounter design, forgettable characters, sluggish narrative, and bevy of performance issues make it a difficult game to recommend.
Despite the narrative not fully coming together in the end, as well as some repetitive gameplay structure, Crymachina manages to be a compelling RPG. Regardless of its uneven nature and short duration, I think it may leave a lasting impression on me - at least a little bit.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails invokes a feeling of an earlier era of Falcom in some of the best ways. With a charming presentation and commendable gameplay, this is a satisfying game and an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a light-hearted action RPG romp.
Atlas Fallen is an average action RPG with some interesting Momentum combat mechanics, a passable open-world, subpar presentation, and a disappointing narrative.
Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, merging squad-based tactics and classic computer-style roleplaying in an entertaining veneer of cheesy action movies.
While Miasma Chronicles' tactical combat stylings are compelling, an undercooked narrative riddled with cliches, weak characters, and some glitchy behaviors hold this tactical RPG from its potential.
Etrian Odyssey is a great dungeon RPG series, and its transition to PC & Switch is an admirable one, but some interface oddities and a hefty pricepoint raise eyebrows.
Serviceable action combat can't salvage a disappointing narrative and tedious open world.
Many independent RPG creators are inspired by the classics, but few succeed in their genre aspirations in the same way that Mattias Linda has.
FuRyu returns with another RPG that tries to evoke the nostalgia of the classics of yesteryear, but Trinity Trigger's good music and character art cannot salvage a dull RPG that is middling at best, and broken at worst.
Redemption Reapers is a strange, sometimes admirable, and sometimes frustrating tactical RPG. It has several intriguing components conceptually, both in its narrative and mechanics. But in places it falters in execution, leaving behind an uneven though interesting experience.
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is an admirable follow-up to Labyrinth of Refrain, with polished gameplay systems, an intriguing storyline, and a lengthy runtime.
Despite a paper-thin narrative, shallow one-note characters, and a kitchen-sink approach to its many subsystems, Fire Emblem Engage is the best-looking 3D Fire Emblem title with excellent tactical gameplay.