Jade Sayers

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Jade Sayers·Sep 16, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is an altogether fun but often repetitive dungeon crawler let down by its weak cast and uninteresting storyline. Moments spent in the labyrinth dungeons, though initially confusing, are bright spots in an otherwise uninspiring game, giving the opportunity for exploration and presenting an intriguing battle system which allows for plenty of customisation and experimentation.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Apr 9, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2 is a colourful, funny, and interesting game, but it's greatly hindered by a drawn-out, convoluted battle system. Hardcore JRPG fans will get more out of this game than the casual player, but as a whole it just feels far too inaccessible for its own good.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Mar 15, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Attack on Titan 2 is a much improved sequel and such a vast game - you can spend hours playing and it feels like there's still so much to do. Alongside some really solid gameplay, fans of the series will enjoy interacting with beloved characters, and while the storyline isn't going to offer anything new, you'll feel like a valued part of the fight against the giant menace.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Feb 10, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

With such stellar source material, it's a real shame that The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia is so disappointing. What could have been an exciting, funny, and rich game has turned out to be a dull experience, offering nothing to players but repetition with little challenge.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Dec 18, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a wonderful way to spend several hours thanks to a delightfully fun combat system. The standard JRPG storyline means everything feels very familiar, but it's not all bad. Overall, the game's nothing special -- certainly not to look at -- but there's at least plenty of content here, and the title does a decent job of keeping things fresh.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Nov 30, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

While this game is a good addition to the existing lore of the Planet of the Apes franchise, it offers little in terms of actual gameplay. The plot of the game is strong, but it's just not enough to totally carry the experience. Final Frontier feels like a valiant attempt at storytelling in a new environment, but it just doesn't quite stick the landing.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Sep 26, 2017

Critic40/100

Agreement—

Blue Reflection has a lot of interesting ideas, from its plot to the core gameplay, so it's unfortunate that these ideas are left to fester in a pool of mediocrity and drowned in an adventure that feels boring and stale before it's even really begun. The opening scenes show a lot of promise, but none of it is built upon as the game develops. Blue Reflection feels like a tutorial for JRPG beginners - one that even the most inexperienced player would get bored with.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Jun 10, 2017

Critic40/100

Agreement—

Dark Rose Valkyrie offers opportunity for excitement, but ultimately fails to deliver. Weak concepts and a suite of poorly crafted gameplay systems sink an otherwise semi-interesting premise. This is a frustrating and slow slog all the way to the end.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·May 9, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Fans of the otome genre will find a lot to like within Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds. It offers a rich storyline as well as presenting likeable characters within its well-built world. With personalities based on real-life historical figures, the game offers a charming, albeit brief look at an interesting area of Japanese history, as well as the chance to romance some grade-A anime boys.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Apr 3, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Touhou Genso Wanderer can feel like a lot to take on at times. As beginners to the series, a lot of time was spent feeling as if we were on the back foot and had missed chunks of tutorial content. The game's fun enough to begin with but becomes frustrating very quickly, and ultimately doesn't offer enough excitement to sustain any interest that it may have piqued early on.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Oct 28, 2016

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Billed as a horror game, Yomawari: Night Alone ultimately feels like it falls more on the side of tragedy. Sure, it has its jump scares which can get the blood racing, but the town and its supernatural inhabitants just feel a little too charming to be considered a real threat. The story, with its sad undertones, will definitely tug at the heart strings the more that it unfolds - far more frequently than it'll scare you, especially once you become accustomed to the ghost's surprise visits. Yomawari is satisfying in its own weird way, but those looking for a good scare may be disappointed that any potential threat is short-lived.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Aug 31, 2016

Critic30/100

Agreement—

The Huntsman: Winter's Curse's relatively short campaign is a slog, with little variation in the types of enemies presenting themselves. Moreover, the plot is so basic that it offers little in the way of distraction from the terrible mechanics of the game. The only saving grace is that this is an attractive game with its storybook stylisation.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Jun 7, 2016

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Providing a fairly monotonous story with a splash of colour, the characters seem to be the only bright spot in this otherwise dreary role-playing game. That's not to say that the constant rigmarole of finding and slaying isn't fun – it is - but considering what the storyline offers, the grind hardly seems worth it; the narrative's simply not engaging enough to warrant the repetitiveness found throughout Atelier Sophie: Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. If you've played other titles in the series, then this entry will feel like it adds very little to the experiences that you've already had, while leaving a much blander taste.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Mar 29, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

While Nights of Azure is an enjoyable enough ride, it doesn't really possess anything that makes it worth investing a large amount of time in. A lot of the game's extra components, like the inclusion of merchant trading, seem sloppy and poorly thought out, offered as a mere distraction from the rest of the release. Luckily, it's fairly easy to power through combat and see out the story, and doing so is reasonably satisfying, if not a little repetitive at times.

Push Square

Jade Sayers·Feb 17, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Megadimension Neptunia VII stumbles into the same traps that many of its peers have fallen into before, serving up lazy quests and a questionable amount of fan service. Fortunately, it makes up for these shortcomings with boundless energy and endearing characters who provide an enjoyable and light-hearted trip through alternate dimensions. While the game may have benefitted from enhancing some of its mechanics, it's by no means a bad RPG experience – just one that we feel like we've had many times before.