James Paley
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COGConnectedLatest Reviews
Disgaea games are pure quicksand. You might think you’re playing an approachable turn-based strategy RPG. But you’ll be up to your armpits in the muck before you know it. Indeed, I need to tread carefully, lest I get lost in 2000 words of systems-based minutiae. Instead, let’s approach Disgaea 7...
Eternights
Eternights is a game that wears many hats. Sort of. You get quick glimpses into several different subgenres, little bites of many pies. I was kept on my toes, yes. But the game never quite commits to any one idea. On the other hand, what I saw of the dating...
RPG stories tend to feel pretty cut-and-dried in a lot of ways. A group of plucky youths get together and kill a god, or someone who thinks they’re a god. There’s an even pluckier companion with mascot potential tagging along. You’re on a walking tour through a series of fantastic...
FPS games don’t have nearly enough magic, I’ve always said. Why not swap out that AR-15 for a trusty fireball? Train your soldiers in the mystical arts! Anyways, Immortals of Aveum solves that problem for me. It’s a first-person shooter with 1000% more magic beams, bolts, and missiles. The spells...
This game might not be for you. It absolutely wasn’t for me, in spite of its fascinating premise and snappy writing. LISA: Definitive Edition is a clever, cruel, well-crafted game that I couldn’t stand. It turns out that I have no patience for this specific sort of emotional landscape. I...
Pikmin 4
At long last, a new Pikmin game has arrived. As a newcomer to the series, I can’t speak to the game’s new features with the necessary authority. I can, however, provide an outsider’s perspective on the experience. For those of you also new to this franchise, welcome! Pikmin 4 is...
Some games were just meant for the Nintendo DS. The dual screens and the touch controls were the perfect canvas for all sorts of RPGs. I honestly thought the Etrian Odyssey series would never work on a different platform. But I’m always happy to be proven wrong. Between the portability...
Terra Nil
Terra Nil is a relaxing strategy game with an optimistic vision. What if it was actually possible to fix a devastated planet? You know, bring back the greenery, the biodiversity, and the animal life? While Earth might require a bit more work, you can at least fix this tiny version...
A good roguelike should have charm, challenge, and some sort of drip-fed progress. Have A Nice Death succeeds in two of these areas for sure. Maybe I’ve been forever ruined by Hades, but I’ve come to expect more give-and-take from my roguelikes. Even if it’s an illusion, I want to...
Rhythm games are cool and all, but what if they had RPG elements? Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is here to answer this question. It turns out rhythm games get much cooler when you add this one little twist to the formula. While it’s already fun to practice and eventually master...
Lone Ruin
I have a complicated history with roguelite games. They’re an absolute blast when done right, and an exhausting slog when done wrong. Lone Ruin has all the trappings of an excellent roguelite title. The trouble is, there’s just not enough game here to work with. It’s an appetizer that fancies...
Dragon Quest is a franchise built on simplicity. You can draw a straight line from DQ1 all the way to 11. The monsters, the music, and the general vibe have all persisted in some form since the 80s. Which I love! It’s a testament to their quality that each new...
