Reviews by Adam Vitale
Banishers: Ghost of New Eden's excellent characters and storytelling are diminished by its mundane world structure and repetitive combat.
review by Adam Vitale on 12 February, 2024
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 14 January, 2024
Tales of Arise - Beyond The Dawn is conceptually an interesting epilogue, but stale questing and trite plotting leave me apathetic to this unexpected expansion.
review by Adam Vitale on 08 November, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 23 October, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 20 October, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 15 September, 2023
Atlas Fallen is an average action RPG with some interesting Momentum combat mechanics, a passable open-world, subpar presentation, and a disappointing narrative.
review by Adam Vitale on 09 August, 2023
Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, merging squad-based tactics and classic computer-style roleplaying in an entertaining veneer of cheesy action movies.
review by Adam Vitale on 16 July, 2023
While Miasma Chronicles' combat stylings are compelling, an undercooked narrative riddled with cliches, weak characters, and some glitchy behaviors hold this tactical RPG from its potential.
review by Adam Vitale on 18 June, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 01 June, 2023
Serviceable action combat can't salvage a disappointing narrative and trivial open world.
review by Adam Vitale on 29 May, 2023
Many independent RPG creators are inspired by the classics, but few succeed in their genre aspirations in the same way that Mattias Linda has.
review by Adam Vitale on 12 May, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 25 April, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 26 February, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 18 February, 2023
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.
review by Adam Vitale on 17 January, 2023
Romancing SaGa is not for everyone, but if it hooks you, it may hook you *hard*.
review by Adam Vitale on 17 January, 2023
Despite its rough edges, Asterigos is a solid action RPG with a satisfying story and competent combat.
review by Adam Vitale on 27 October, 2022
Batora: Lost Haven is a boring RPG with tedious dialogue and lackluster level design, saved only by adequate combat, respectable art, and a mercifully short runtime.
review by Adam Vitale on 27 October, 2022
Despite its various shortcomings, The DioField Chronicle is a refreshing take on strategy RPGs with satisfying gameplay systems and bold narrative design.
review by Adam Vitale on 01 October, 2022
Spiders Studio tackles a different sub-genre of RPG with Steelrising, going for a Souls-like experience this time around. While competent, it doesn't achieve much to stand out from the crowd.
review by Adam Vitale on 07 September, 2022
Soul Hackers 2 is an adequate, experimental Megaten entry with some bright spots, but it doesn't quite come together as well as I hoped it would.
review by Adam Vitale on 18 August, 2022
Rising is a respectable introduction to the world of Eiyuden Chronicle, with great characters, writing, and art. However, the game structure and combat have a hard time standing on their own.
review by Adam Vitale on 10 May, 2022
Wildermyth's procedurally-generated storytelling is genuinely impressive, and its tactical combat is solid, petting together a novel table-top-like RPG experience.
review by Adam Vitale on 13 December, 2021
Dungeon Encounters is a certain type of RPG for a certain type of person. If you are a numbers-nerd who favors battles over story, this might be for you.
review by Adam Vitale on 05 December, 2021