Nick Mangiaracina
This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.
Writing For
MonsterVine
KeenGamerLatest Reviews
Ryza 3 didn’t resonate with me. The excitement of a new series had worn off, I had hit a wall personally. But even still, Ryza 3 was exciting in thinking about the next Atelier game and how the series has evolved. Considering just how big Ryza 3 is, all the...
Tchia had the promise and scope of a well-designed, professional product but was executed like a college class project. Foundationally, Tchia has promise and if I was told this was in development, I would have high hopes for this game. But with the release looming around the corner I can...
Following the tradition of popular Tactical RPG franchises, the central conflict in The Last Spell begins small and becomes large throughout the game. In the beginning, this is a tale about survival. Scraping by, doing what you can see the next day. By the end of the game, the story...
More importantly, Tails is just a standout narrative adventure. Where choices exist, they matter. Questions from the previous game, while not answered directly, are given enough time to become gratifying explanations. Characters I would have already considered to be fleshed out are rounded out even more. I think whatever Backbone...
Fashion Police Squad has its issues, but it’s a very good game. Likewise, some of the things like being unable to change difficulty on the fly or being able to get out of bounds are staples for the genre and decidedly non-issues. More importantly, from a foundational level to the...
Rollerdrome is an incredible game. There’s a lot of frustration involved with the more difficult arenas, aiming for higher scores, and completing challenges but when it hits, it hits so good. I absolutely adore the 70s futuristic aesthetic, the accompanying soundtrack, and the character art. The progression from the first...
At one point in True Colors, the townsfolk will want to cheer up Ethan, Charlotte’s son. One of the characters is interested in LARPing and decides to set up a town-wide LARP session that results in Alex playing a bard to Ethan’s Thaynor the warrior. This felt targeted because the...
The music is unfortunately lovely, which is only unfortunate because of its composer. Pedro Silva, noted abuser and general toxic person, composed the soundtrack. Though Subliminal released a statement regarding their work with Silva, it must still be noted. That said, it is a beautifully composed soundtrack that fits the...
Musically, Death’s Door offers a soundtrack I could and have listened to outside of playing the game. While much of the music is incredible and absolutely sets the tone for what’s happening in the game, the overall soundtrack could be enjoyed on its own. Specifically though, the track Avarice has...
When you’re not making pointless dialogue choices, you’re walking or performing some quick-time event that offers superficial window dressing to the story. I found myself bored with Last Stop, wondering how the same developer that made Virginia managed to make this game. Even artistically, Last Stop felt like a big...
I was so excited to get a game that reminded me of something like Tokyo Xanadu eX+ but with a modern art style and some quality of life functionality. Instead, I received a really messy game that left me incredibly bored throughout most of it. Scarlet Nexus is a mess.
Another big issue I ran into was the promise of Crisbell being able to make big decisions in order to affect the future. Cris Tales even starts you off by making a small decision early on, determining whose house to provide the house healing salve to, changing the future for...
