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I’m so glad Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is actually good. Not just good, but great. I was genuinely terrified after Rune Factory 5, considering the execution and certain design decisions. But the differences are immediately visible, and getting invested in the adventure highlights how different and daring it is. There’s so much to this new game, especially with the new village development options, and it finally feels like we have a worthy successor to Rune Factory 4. 

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma begins with a battle before the two protagonist options Kaguya and Subaru. The one you picked is riding on a white dragon, while the opposing one is on a blight-spreading black one. During the assault, our avatar falls off. They awake in the Spring Village with amnesia. However, even so, they know they are an Earth Dancer and, with the aid of a flying mascot creature that resembles a small Wooly with horns named Woolby, becomes the one person capable of reviving the lands’ gods, restoring the flow of Runes, and saving everyone from the blight. 

I don’t want to say too much more, as I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. However, I really appreciated how the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma story goes. Even though it involves the trademark amnesiac protagonist the series is known for, Marvelous tackled it in such a way that I appreciate the choices made and eventual reveals. It also got me more invested in the adventure, as I prioritized campaign quests over enjoying farming and socializing with the bachelors I might marry.

As in past Rune Factory games, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma involves a mixture of a farming life sim with romance paired with JRPG style gameplay and village management. When in a town, you can interact with characters to befriend and romance them, build up a village, and farm. In addition to bachelors and bachelorettes being folks you can talk to, add to your party for the action-RPG adventures, and marry, the certain important NPCs in each village can be befriended and brought along as an ally. In addition to giving gifts, you can level up your social skills in the skill tree to make options like talking about certain topics, getting meals together, and visiting specific locations means of building up affinity with folks. Farming involves creating the right types of terrain with Woolby, then placing it so you can grow crops suited to the season represented by that village. 

As for the village development, I’m amazed at how compelling it is. Initially, it’s rather freeform. You get a plot in each place for placing fields for planting crops, putting down buildings for businesses or new NPC villager homes, and decorations. However, these elements can improve your avatar’s stats! You get experience for each village for things like number of crops grown or decorative scores! Villagers may be better suited for certain tasks, making swapping ones between cities advantageous to fill gaps in other locations. When villages level up, you can get more space, new recipes, and the freedom to build more. Not to mention, terraforming and deg things so they look pretty is fun. I found myself taking breaks from the main story because of it. Will this quest give me more stuff to shove on this barren plot of land? It will? Hook me up. I’ll cause a mass extinction event for a new kind of lantern for the cafe theme that gives me 0.05% more RP.

However, I will say that sometimes it feels like that is the priority over farming. There are a decent selection of crops, and more open up as you explore areas and find rarer seeds. However the structure is such that farming and caring for monsters don't feel like the focus. Rather, it's often like something you set up and then allow visitors to handle while you take part in the JRPG elements in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.

When outside of a town, we find the action-RPG battles and open world exploration elements in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. Upon heading into the field, there will be jizo statues to tidy up, holes you can roll onigiri into to satisfy a mysterious being’s hunger, targets to hit with your bow and arrow, treasures to find, blight-striken spots to purify with certain Sacred Treasures, frog statues to visit for recipes, shrines to check in at for weapon recipes, hidden hot spring baths, and of course monsters to fight or eventually tame. Rather than actual dungeons, major encounters can involve heading to specific points in the world and dealing with bosses you find there. We gain access to a number of different weapon types, such as varying sorts of swords, and ranged options include a bow and arrow or talismans. The Sacred Treasures from gods involve in-battle uses, as well as making areas able or accessible. And when it comes to boss fights, which are replayable, these larger foes require hitting weaknesses with the right weapons or Sacred Treasure elements to break their guard to do greater damage.

It’s all usually satisfying, especially when it comes to unlocking access to new areas and getting new recipes. Though in the case of the Switch version, there are some issues. The blight involving a fire-spitting flower does experience some frame rate issues when viewed from a distance. There are frame rate problems for some enemies. A few technical hiccups come up in battle as well. I also did experience an occasional bug with the dual blades ultimate that involved my avatar spinning in place for a minute before things automatically corrected, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s patched. I do wish the light platforming wasn't so frustrating though, as there are some times when, even after getting the correct abilities, reaching spots to get last hidden secrets isn't much fun due to the struggle to find footholds and get there.

Heading up into the sky on the back of that white dragon discussed early also involves even more exploration opportunities. These floating islands can involve additional interactions and experiences. That can mean more recipes and side quests. Except in this case, I feel like it made my Earth Dancer character feel special. We can head up there, journeying to these unknown places. We can gain additional rewards because of it. It adds an additional sense of weight and depth to the nature of Azuma. 

But what I really appreciated about the adventuring is both how well it ties in to the range of side quests we collect and the variations we can use when building up a party of characters. All Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma romance options and major NPC characters can be talked to and befriended. Upon hitting the first rank of friendship, they become potential allies. Each one is tied to a different archetype, such as attacker, buffer, debuffer, healer, or tank. So, for example, we initially have characters like the Attacker Murasame, the Tank Iroha, the Healer Mauro, and Iroha’s little sister Suzu, who is a er. I loved how the game encouraged us to talk to everyone, rewarding us with allies for doing so. And since the social options assign the same level of weight to certain interactions that cost us time in place of gifts, we can save those items to sell to maintain our villages. 

Because yes, villages involve maintenance. The management portion involves ensuring healthy populations, money to folks, and happiness. We’re incentivized to care about them due to the quality of life elements. Typically, new seeds and items come from beating enemies, gathering in the wild, and crafting. Building up towns and placing shops, as well as leveling, means gaining access to more seeds we can use, recipes, and development options. Having villagers assigned to jobs like farming, herding monsters, logging, fishing, and mining gets us resources when we get busy with quests or don’t feel like caring for animals and crops.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma restored my faith in the series, thanks to its ambitious sense of scope. There are a lot of tasks to balance in this life sim, farming game, and JRPG, and it feels like there’s much more to do than in past Rune Factory entries. But the same time, it doesn't feel like each of them carries the same weight, as farming can take a backseat to socializing, exploring, and simulation elements. Village management feels more important than farming and caring for livestock, and heading out into the world or sky to explore yields some of more valuable materials and experiences. Rune Factory 4 is my favorite entry in the series, and I think Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is close to being its equal in some ways.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will be available for the Switch, Switch 2, and PC on June 5, 2025. 

The post Review: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Is a Return to Form appeared first on Siliconera.

Anyone else ever worry when a game gets delayed, then delayed again, then delayed even further? I do. It completely shakes my confidence. Especially when the developer behind it hasn’t launched a lot of titles recently and talks ing AI when making things. Simply put, Fantasy Life ended up being one of my absolute favorite 3DS games, and I was terrified about Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time after the delays and the disaster that was Fantasy Life Online. 

I didn’t need to be. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is amazing. My only concern is perhaps maybe that Level-5 tries to do too much with it, but even then it is easy to just… ignore the elements you don’t care for as much and focus on the ones you do. There are like three games worth of games in Fantasy Life i, and all of them are good.

When I say there’s so much to Fantasy Life i, that applies to the story too. Our avatar is an archeologist working alongside Edward to investigate a mysterious dragon skeleton that led their crew to an island spot. Except upon reaching an unusual place, it means the fossil awakens to become Skelegon. So in the past, we’re investigating Mysteria in the past, our home base hub on the outskirts of depths with a mysterious gear somewhere inside in the present, and an additional major landmass known as Ginormosia. Each place has its own mysteries, not to mention gameplay elements, and they all feed into each other.

The Mysteria past location in Fantasy Life i feels most like a traditional action-RPG and Fantasy Life game. Here’s where you’ll pick up the 14 lives. Four of them are classic RPG class roles, which are Hunter (archer), Magician, Mercenary, and Paladin. These are used for the action-RPG combat segments. The gathering jobs are Angler, Farmer, Miner, and Woodcutter, which are tied to fishing, getting crops, mining rocks and ore, and getting wood. Those directly feed into the crafting lives, which are the Alchemist, Artist, Blacksmith, Carpenter, and Tailor. The alchemist can make potions, some accessories, and mounts, the artist works on home decorations, the blacksmith makes weapons and equipment, the carpenter makes furniture, and the tailor makes some decorations and clothing. And since the best way to get equipment for your combat classes is via the Alchemist, Blacksmith, and Tailor roles, all that feeds into each other again. Artist and Farmer are the new roles this time around and, as such, need to be unlocked by actually going through the campaign quests. 

When going through the campaign, tied mostly to the Mysteria part in the past and our hub in the present, it means following storylines that send you to different locations. In the past, you’ll work alongside Rem to go to different islands in Mysteria from the main hub of Eternia, which is your base in the present. There aren’t really traditional dungeons here, as instead you’ll go through woods, caves, fields, and other locations. These will be filled with gathering points for those types of jobs, enemies to fight, and even “bosses” for the combat and gathering roles. For example, a “boss” for a miner might be a major elemental crystal or for a woodcutter would be a tree with angel wings. Aside from having more health than usual, these “foes” will change their weak point, forcing you to search for the “sweet spot” to deal damage when “attacking” to gather. Naturally, there will be enemy bosses as well, which could be a real boss or a bigger and more adept version of lesser foes around you. 

However, interestingly enough, our base in the present time in Fantasy Life i involves Animal Crossing types of elements. There’s terraforming, to determine how it all looks. We have villagers of sorts, in the restored Strangelings from Ginormosia and the main campaign. We get a home that we can customize. It is based on 24-hour, real world time for flower, crop, and resource gathering. There’s even relationship-building with these allies, which unlocks additional traits and bonuses for when they you while adventuring in the world or crafting. Yes, if you’re not playing with folks online, you can have up to three in your party for adventures at any time. They’ll help when you fight enemies! When you’re gathering, they’ll offer buffs for you, debuffs on the target, or even in if they share that job. Whenever you craft, you can add folks who share that role to the task to boost your skill level and get a possible bonus. 

There’s also open-world style exploring. Like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, heading to Ginormosia means finding towers that unlock new views of the map, conquering shrines with different sorts of challenges to get Strangelings that can be restored into villagers for your hub, more gathering opportunities, enemies to challenge, and even villages to save, as well as additional insights into the overarching story and major characters you’ll encounter in them. And you can jump into this area at any time! It’s even encouraged, since fast traveling back and forth can reset resources in certain areas or make it easier to find certain foes for tasks. However, I noticed that facing enemies in these spots seemed to trigger bugs where suddenly foes will be temporarily invincible, due to being outside their range or getting stuck on different “levels” or “elements” of the environment. That usually rectifies itself after a few seconds. 

The funny thing about Fantasy Life i is, while this is a game that absolutely involves grinding, it never feels like a grind. It respects your time in so many ways. Do you need resources? Once you can bring in NPC allies or work together with other players, it takes far less time to get the materials you need and ends up being more fun. Worried about that crafting minigame? Get enough experience and you can automatically skip it by unlocking certain abilities in the skill tree and adding allies. Need money? There are folks in the past who will offer sidequests with helpful rewards. Getting a lot of Celestia flowers? You can put those toward items in a shop in the present. Ginormosia is getting too easy? Rank things up at a tower. Don’t like how you look? You can change it at any time in the present and “buy” new catalogs to add additional cosmetic options. Just want access to the new jobs without the tutorial quests? You can skip them. Happen upon a gathering spot, group of enemies, or crafting table that needs a job you don’t have equipped? It automatically swaps to the one you need at a push of a button. Want to forge some equipment when you’re in a restaurant with cooking equipment? Any workbench offers access to all crafting Lives’ actions. By finding other people to play with, unlocking Strangeling allies from Ginormosia, and unlocking certain nodes in the skill trees for each job, you can basically customize elements of the experience to your liking. 

There’s also a sense of freedom that comes from reaching certain points in the Fantasy Life i story. Once I got access to Ginormosia, I immediately unlocked all the towers, found all the shrines, and made sure I restored a Strangeling from each crafting and gathering class. After I got the Farmer role unlocked, I spent a lot of time leveling Lives, finishing sidequests, and starting to work on my own little town. It’s like open-world games in that way, as you get this sense of freedom to do what you want and prioritize the elements you enjoy. Yes, you unlock more recipes, Lives, and locations if you follow the campaign. But if you take your time, you’ll find just as much to do without advancing things.

The only real issue I noticed is that Fantasy Life i has a real issue on handheld gaming PCs. This is a problem not only I noticed, but someone else I consulted with as well. It plays amazingly well on high settings! …Until you enter a cutscene. Then everything slows to a crawl. The only way I managed to solve it was to drop down to medium settings, then play around with all of the other features like shadows, anti-aliasing, and such until I found a combination that worked. Once you do go through that, I found it works perfectly and still looks fantastic, so it’s more of a potentially temporary annoyance than anything. 

Again, minor hiccups aside, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is amazing. There's so much to it, and it is easy to prioritize the elements you like best. There’s an endless wealth of content and options, and you could probably spend months enjoying every element. The original Fantasy Life is one of the best 3DS games, and now Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is one of the best titles we’ll see on the Switch and PC. Since Level-5 also confirmed there will be DLC, I also wonder if we’ll see it get even better.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and it will also come to the Switch 2. 

The post Review: Fantasy Life i Turned Out Incredible appeared first on Siliconera.

Strange Scaffold proved itself quite an unusual developer, due to doing unconventional and narratively interesting things with titles like Clickolding and Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3. TMNT: Tactical Takedown is an opportunity to do that with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IP, and it’s surprising just how creative the team got to be. While I do think it isn’t for everyone, due to the way the narrative forces the direction of early encounters and the initial difficulty, but it is a delightful challenge once someone gets settled.

As established ahead of launch, TMNT: Tactical Takedown is set after some definitive events that resulted in both Splinter and Shredder’s deaths. The turtles have grown up a bit, which means they’re on their own paths. For example, at the outset Raphael is sharing an apartment with Casey Jones. However, Karai, the new leader of the Foot Clan, invades with a horde of units to invade the sewer stronghold, recover Shredder’s kabuto, and defeat the turtles. It’s up to the quartet to reunite, regroup, and fight back.

While I do appreciate the direction TMNT: Tactical Takedown takes, I wish the initial approach and introduction worked differently. When the game starts, we following Michelangelo as he starts investigating the Foot Clan incursion into the sewers. Things start with some tutorial style segments showing how each action, be it to move a turtle, deal damage, or move an enemy, uses one some of the up to six points each turtle gets per turn. It also brings up how we get six hearts, losing one for each hit of damage, and that we can only revive twice per level. It shows how stage mutations are designed to encourage forward movement toward goals, with new sections opening up on turns and existing ones disappearing to force you forward. 

However, the downside to this is there are moments when I felt the forced “narrative” direction for levels and Strange Scaffold’s “guiding” us through a level doesn’t allow for as much strategic experimentation. At the outset, Michelangelo, then his brothers, end up overwhelmed by Karai and her soldiers. While I appreciate the structure and concept, it makes it difficult to really experiment and understand characters’ initial movesets. You’re tossed in and not given a chance to experiment with unique movement options, since you need to use skills to get around the field, and test the additional effects that come from proper positioning around foes. The constant movement of the battlefield and overwhelming hordes of enemies also impart a sense of urgency that I felt prevented me from really getting my bearings until I’d actually used three of the turtles. 

Once the turtles start to get their bearings and properly fight back, it feels like Strange Scaffold gets TMNT Tactical Takedown on more solid footing. After you’re able to access the shop and start customizing movesets, I feel like it really opens up and feels fantastic. That extra element of control makes the execution shine. See, I feel like TMNT Tactical Takedown can sometimes feel like Fights in Tight Spaces and Knights in Tight Spaces. Because of the mutation mechanic, a stage might be a more contained area at parts. Knocking an enemy that is especially strong out of bounds might be a wiser choice than outright attacking. Prioritizing attacks and movements based on energy you have left becomes critical. It can be about dealing with the most hazardous opponents first or attempting to use AOE or enemy moment skills for crowd control. 

This is complemented by what ends up being a genuinely fascinating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story, as Strange Scaffold really goes some places with TMNT Tactical Takedown. First, a more futuristic look at what happens with the brothers is a novel approach. The team also did a fantastic job of implementing different characters from the series’ run, including major and minor ones and using them well. I appreciate the decision to split characters up both so we can better focus on what they're capable of on their own in levels and see who they are as individuals in this new installment.

I also love the visual approach. TMNT Tactical Takedown looks like a tabletop RPG. All ally and enemy units look like miniatures, and they’re dropped down on the field and move in ways that resemble those types of actions. The aesthetic is maintained for setpieces and maps too. It suits the situations so well!

TMNT: Tactically Takedown is a delightfully challenging game, once you get settled and accustomed to the pace. It does involve quite a bit of adjustment as the story gets started. I wish there was perhaps a bit more of an opportunity to be introduced to movesets or experiment as a result. But after a few hours spent getting accustomed to the nuances, you’ll find this 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is available for the PC via Steam. 

The post Review: TMNT Tactical Takedown Gets Great After You Settle in appeared first on Siliconera.

We are in the midst of a glut of roguelikes that also involve deck-building mechanics. There’s so much to sort through, likely not enough time or money to play them all, and I know I often see titles that are too clearly doing a little too good of a job “paying homage” to the most popular properties. Not that this wealth of options is a bad thing. The original Monster Train, which is sublime, wouldn’t be here if games like Hand of Fate and Slay the Spire didn’t pave the way and inspire developer Shiny Shoe. Fortunately for us, Monster Train 2 feels as satisfying as its predecessor, with this new game building on everything good from the original and including more strategic options.

While in the original Monster Train we ran a train right into hell, Monster Train 2 is taking us to Heaven. The Titans are a universal threat, Seraph is a traitor, and we begin with the once-divine Banished angels and demonic Pyreborne dragons making the first push to the top. While we initially learn about the situation from Banished leader Fel, going through runs and pushing yourself unlocks additional clans, like the Lazarus League scientists, Luna Coven witches, Under Legion fungi, and more insights into the current situation. If all goes well and we make smart choices while playing, the new covenant between angels and demons might result in everyone being saved.

The Monster Train formula remains largely unchanged in Monster Train 2, with any new additions layered on top of existing concepts to enhance the core gameplay experience. You start by picking two Clans, which will influence the decks you build, and probably a Pyreheart modifier. Your train features multiple rooms layered one on top of the other. You’ll be building a deck of cards to deal with the hordes trying to stop your train from reaching its destination. You place units in each room to face off during the battle phase, hopefully protecting the fire at the top that ensures your run into the Abyss can continue. A fight starts with an idea of who you’ll face. You’ll then be able to use some of your points to initially assign and even arm the units you’ll place on floor’s room on the train. Every round, enemies that survive combat move up another floor to the fires at the top. You’ll get a chance to pull from your hand to perform spells, arm units, and dispatch new warriors to floors ahead of the next assault. This repeats until the final wave and perhaps an encounter with a more devious boss. Once that opponent is on the field, it will lead to previous rooms it destroys being blocked off as it makes its ascent and special mechanics kicking in to make fending off that greater foe a greater challenge. 

During your turn, it’s possible to place units. (Said units can also gain new traits and be buffed based on events or store purchases between battles.) Once in position, Equipment Cards with armor or weapon traits and buffs could be applied, and Room Cards could influence what happens in a specific room on the train. (For example, a type of sword could allow for multiple hits or you could get more money from defeated units in a room on a floor.) While you might see the same units repeatedly, due to the Clans you pick and cards you’ve unlocked, the Pyre Hearts and their conditions picked at the outset of a run, the Equipment Cards you stock, the Room Cards you find, and the effects from purchases and events mean each playthrough feels different.

The customization applies when picking your path. As you go from one fight to another on your travels, you’ll be able to choose which track to follow. While they will tend to share one nod at the beginning of the journey and end up at the same encounter, the other stops along the way differ. Do you pick a road with a random event, one that could include a crossover guest encounter and a shop, or would one with an opportunity to upgrade a character or make more decisions about the contents of your deck be better for your current strategy? Random events can be unbalanced an unfun and punishing way sometimes, making the perk absolutely not worth the pains tied to it. It’s probably one of the few things that actually bothered me about Monster Train 2, and I hope there is rebalancing in Shiny Shoe’s future. 

And you'll see a lot of those options and runs as you play, as the execution means you won't derail after only one or two bouts. Since your sacred flame at the top of the train will "fight back" against any opponent that reaches it and is pretty sturdy even at the start, an enemy or boss slipping past your defenses and getting up there isn't a guaranteed "game over." You might still make it through another one or two fights before being wiped out. It feels like Shiny Shoe wants you to play long enough to learn from your mistakes or pick up on strategies you might like, so your next attempt has a better chance of going better.

Which is important, as I think anyone who picks up Monster Train 2 will end up playing it for a very long time. There is so much packed into this game. At one point, I ended up earning a wealth of content that I would have expected to be paid DLC (and gladly paid extra to access). The number of additional features, both gameplay-influencing and purely cosmetic, are staggering, and I am so excited about spending a few months trying out different Clan pairings, working on different deck mechanics, and going through the different modes. Yes, there are multiple modes, so if you don’t feel like trying to push yourself to advance the story, you could pick Endless to see how far you can get with no limits or try the Daily Challenge. 

I love Monster Train 2 now, and I suspect I’ll love it even more after putting 50 to 100 hours into it. Shiny Shoe did a fantastic job of keeping everything important in Monster Train, not disrespecting the original experience in any way, and implementing new Clans, card types, encounters, and mechanics that keep it challenging in a manageable way. Even the addition of a story is fascinating, considering the original only featured hints at the series’ lore. I love what the team did here, and Monster Train 2 ended up becoming as essential an entry in an roguelike library as the original.

Monster Train 2 will come to the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 21, 2025. A demo is available on Steam.

The post Review: Monster Train 2 Is as Satisfying as the First Game appeared first on Siliconera.

We’re in the midst of an Onimusha revolution. The original game got a Hell Mode difficulty via a free update. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a new entry arriving in 2026. Now Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny 2 is back via a remaster. It’s a welcome one, since it is an intriguing entry, though I feel it prioritizes quality of life adjustments to controls, combat, and gameplay over visually impressive adjustments.

While on a rampage conquering Japan, an undead Nobunaga Oda who revived himself with the power of demons decimated Yagyu Village. Jubei Yagyu, the clan leader who was away at the time, is the only survivor. As he cuts through the demons still lurking about and takes in the damage, and otherworldly voice calls to him. He then finds his unknown mother is an Oni, he can tap into those powers to absorb the souls of demons. Not only is this now a quest for revenge against Nobunaga, but a mission to find the five Oni Orbs to harness their powers and save the world as a whole from demons. The tone is is very dramatic, yet also silly. Some actor ham it up, of course Oyu ends up being used as fanservice, and it can get over-the-top. Your mileage may vary as to how much you enjoy it or if the execution isn’t for you. This time around, those scenes can be skipped, if you decide you’re just here for the gameplay. 

For those new to Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, the best way I can describe it is feeling a bit like the older Resident Evil games, due to the camera angles, array of potential puzzles and even minigames, the more thoughtful approach to getting through areas instead of just mindlessly hacking and slashing at times, and something of a campy nature. While there will be areas with constantly spawning enemies, which might encourage button-mashing, some of the best encounters involve larger, stronger, more thoughtful altercations. And while a map might make a space look straightforward, Jubei may need more Oni powers or a specific item to advance. 

What made it special at the time, and still helps set Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny apart, is the relationship system. Jubei will encounter Ekei, Kotaro, Magoichi, and Oyu. You can form bonds with them via giving gifts. In response, you might end up seeing additional story scenes with them, you might control them for some parts, and the actual plot might change a bit. It still feels novel now, and it does make the idea of replaying and befriending another person on an ensuing run fun. I also find it important for gaming history, since this came before we started seeing relationship-building as a more common feature in games and the effects of connecting with characters results in changes to the experience.

So the biggest issue I experienced with the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remastermight be that I actually preferred the original tank controls to the updated analog joystick-based movement. This is because of the general structure of the game. There are no large, flowing maps. A single room or corridor in an area can be split into two or three viewpoints, and a location like a town or more open space will have multiple sections tied together. The problem is that pres to move forward in one section could suddenly be the equivalent of pressing back in the next area, sending you back to the previous room when moving between them. Or maybe a bit of forward momentum when attacking enemies will send you into another space with a different perspective, which can mess up your flow. There are also a few areas, such as the mines, where I ended up turned around for a second as the fixed perspectives in spots and similar structure got me turned around. I didn’t experience this issue as much with the original game, as the tank controls ended up being a bit more deliberate. So while I appreciate the option, it doesn’t feel as comfortable and I was glad the original option is there as well. 

While that new control option threw me off sometimes, the other changes are much better. We get more control over Jubei’s Onimusha transformation. In the past, it happened when the gauge filled, and that was that. Now, we get to choose when it triggers after the gauge is full. It’s a huge boon, and I saved it for more critical fights. Also, once you up your arsenal and gain your second weapon, you can don’t need to pause to swap to the other and back. It’s now possible to swap more immediately. I feel like this changes the atmosphere of the game a bit. While it can feel like a game where sometimes you need to think before you strike at times, the new options do lend themselves better to working in combos and swiftly reacting.

Things like this makes it feel like the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster is Capcom’s attempt to make the game more accessible. The option to go between the original and modern control scheme is the obvious one. So is the greater control over weaponry and his other form. But even more obvious is the addition of certain features that make it easier or more challenging. You can go through Easy mode at the outset, if you’re concerned about adjusting to the battle and ally systems. If you’re familiar with the game, Hell is a new difficulty level that means it’s game over if Jubei or your active character gets hit. Also, while it relies on the save point system like the original did for backing up progress, an autosave helps if you do manage to get overwhelmed or need to swiftly stop. 

Quality of life adjustments aside, I do feel like the Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny 2 remaster may not hold up when compared to other remastered titles. It it isn’t as visually impressive, even with the jump to HD. Character models and locations can still look dated due to designs and textures in spots. While it looks better now than it did on the PS2, don’t expect the update to be as stunning as changes in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition or The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster is a valuable one, especially with Way of the Sword on the horizon. There are a lot of gameplay elements that help it stand out, like the ally system and how Oni abilities and adventure elements are tied to progression. The quality of life adjustments are welcome as well. However, the campy nature of the story might not be for everyone, and it isn’t the prettiest remaster I’ve seen in the past few years. It’s well worth playing if you love the series and Capcom’s work, but it might not be for everyone. 

The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster will come to the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 23, 2025. The original version of the game is available on the PS2. 

The post Review: Onimusha 2 Remaster Prioritizes Quality of Life Additions appeared first on Siliconera.

The Gloomhaven-like Sunderfolk certainly feels geared toward community nights. The app that acts as a controller is free and available on every device. It’s as easy to stream a version for sessions over distances as it is to gather a group of people at a home for a campaign. All of its characters can fill niches and work well together on quests. Of course, this does mean that you really do need to get the whole band together for a proper party.

Arden is a peaceful town filled with various anthropomorphic animals living together. The brightstone, a fixture of the community, helps with its protection, and each player is one of six heroes who helps protect the people living there with various skills. This is a very real danger, given the opposing shadowstone can corrupt unprotected individuals. After an unusual assault by orcs that involved parts of town being destroyed and the brightstone assaulted, it’s up to the crew of four to rally, then take on missions to help deal with these new threats.

Sunderfolk is a turn-based tactical game like Gloomhaven, as I mentioned before. Each of the six classes in the game fills a specific role, and these can be combined to help achieve goals. For my campaign, I controlled an Arcanist crow that could move themselves and others around the board to more quickly reach or complete objectives and cast spells. My Pyromancer could burn places on the grid, then walk on that to power themselves up for attacks or hope enemies would walk there and take damage. My ally controlled the tank-y Berserker polar bear, who would draw ire, deal melee damage, and push people (allies and enemies alike) around. Our crew was rounded out by the deer Ranger archer, who could half enemies in tracks or help speed up our own movement. Weapons and items could affect their stats, we could pick up to three skills to equip, and decks of cards could positively or negatively affect actions from those skills. 

Each mission can feature varying objectives, and additional ones can come up as your group achieves goals. For example, one early case involves removing barrel bombs from a bridge. Another involves rescuing two merchants who got attacked outside of town by first reaching them, then protecting them as they make their way back to Arden’s gates. So success doesn’t always stem from “killing everything.” There can even be puzzle elements to these quests, with labels applied ahead of taking them so you can pick the types you like. One early example is reaching and rescuing a kidnapped bug, then interacting with it during the mission to ensure it runs to the exit of a cave. All allies act on their turn, with each person handling movement in the app on their phone and selecting actions and items, and enemies or NPCs take turns after that. 

The Sunderfolk app works quite well! I did find actually moving characters a little finicky, since you’re drawing lines in a blank space on the screen. It works, but you might find you’ll run out of space quickly if you’re on a phone and not a tablet. Information is clearly organized, and it’s very easy to parse your actions and cards in decks to make informed decisions about your build. Likewise, since there are no timers of any kind, it is very easy to coordinate with fellow players to decide on how to approach each turn, and there’s even a way to bring up a cursor on the communal map and screen to more precisely point out possible moves, enemies to target, or places to investigate.

In between missions and major story segments, Sunderfolk gives players time to interact with the townsfolk they protect. Every character can engage in three conversations during these downtime periods, as well as manage their own equipment, get new cards, swap items with other campaign characters at the post office, and rebuild facilities in town. Each playable has one character they’re tied to via friendship or relation. That person, and all others, have a relationship level. As it grows, you can get gifts. (Those gift conversations don’t use up one of your three conversations per rest period.) These discussions also unlock supplemental missions, which can help provide quests to take to advance time until the next story task starts.

The most important observation gleaned from Sunderfolk sessions is this is a game absolutely made for a full group of four. It’s fine with two people! Someone playing alone could probably enjoy it just fine. But with the time the town socializing segments take and the nature of the experience, I feel like it you don’t get the full measure of it unless there’s a full crew. 

I really enjoyed playing Sunderfolk, and I would love to go through a second time with a larger group and different characters. Though honestly, I’d also be equally happy to go again with the same avatar (I love my Pyromancer) and make different choices. It’s a lot of fun, and the nature of its additional objectives, varying missions between the campaign quests, and possible party compositions means it is the type of title that could be worth replaying with different folks or on varying difficulties. Sunderfolk works quite well and I’d recommend a it for a series of game nights.

Sunderfolk is available on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the controller app is available on Android and Apple iOS devices.

The post Review: Sunderfolk Is Made for (Adventuring) Parties appeared first on Siliconera.

I’m going to start this off by stating the obvious, which is that Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is the Power Stone and Capcom vs SNK compilation. After spending hours with it, I feel like anyone buying it most likely will do so because it’s an easy way to experience those major titles again. This isn’t to say the other fighters aren’t also great, as I feel Project Justice, Plasma Sword, and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper are games worthy of celebrating and replaying too. (Especially Project Justice!) But this latest collection does feel like a showcase for certain titles, and it does it well. 

Like the original Capcom Fighting Collection, the games in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 hail from about the same period of time. All the titles appear from the second half of the 90s to the early 2000s. The focus just feels different. While Darkstalkers and Street Fighter spin-offs populated the original, with a touch of Cyberbots and Red Earth for good measure, this feels more like a celebration of other IPs and crossovers. Both Power Stone and Power Stone 2 are highlights! Capcom vs SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro and Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 packs in icons from both companies’ properties! Capcom Fighting Evolution, thought not a highlight, still can involve a fun time with Darkstalkers, Red Earth, and Street Fighters. If I had the power and freedom to adjust the roster, I think I would have swapped either that or even Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein to ensure Rival Schools: United by Fate had been included to Project Justice, which I love. Meanwhile, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper almost feels tossed in so Capcom could go, “Hey! There’s a Street Fighter too!” 

In of picks, I think Capcom Fighting Collection 2 hosts a roster that is even stronger than the original compilation. There’s a better range of titles here, so you can really see and appreciate the different styles Capcom experimented with over the years. Power Stone and Power Stone 2 still feel fantastic and look great too, due to their mechanics and the filters available. Both the Capcom vs SNK feel solid. I even found Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper a valuable contribution, since you can then see how entries like Plasma Sword or Project Justice differ or compare the movesets of Street Fighter characters in the crossovers to their behaviors in an original entry. I will say that I think Capcom Fighting Evolution is the weakest inclusion, and its flaws regarding character design, moveset, and other gameplay choices seem even more obvious when the much better Capcom vs SNK entries are on-hand. 

While the range of people playing ahead of launch was small and I largely played against one other individuals, I found online multiplayer worked wonderfully. Power Stone 2 is the entry I spent the most time playing online and, while I’m not sure I noticed the rollback netcode as much there, I did experience seamless and enjoyable matches. I especially had fun with Project Justice and appreciated how well it worked. 

I also appreciated that Capcom Fighting Collection 2 continued to show Capcom’s efforts to ensure the games are accessible and we’re able to learn more about the work that went into them. Training Mode returns from the first compilation, allowing someone to take their time and learn about both game mechanics and how to master certain characters in controlled environments. It still works well and makes it easier to prepare for ranked fights or harder difficulties. Likewise, there is a Game Difficulty option in the Game Settings again for single-player experiences, which can help. One-button special moves also return as a customization option, and I feel like that’s handy for both newcomers or people who might have difficulty with some of the more complicated inputs due to extenuating circumstances. It’s a level of approachability that suits a collection designed to reach out to as many people as possible.

Oh, and the Museum is still great. There’s concept art. You can check out character designs. You can see the marquee cards for games that appeared in arcades. A jukebox feature lets you listen to tracks from the games, organized by title. Everything is really visible. It’s easy to zoom in and check on details. We already know Capcom is good at handling this type of section based on all past compilations, and it’s exactly what you’d expect here again.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is great for many reasons, ranging from being a means of preserving fantastic games, easily play Power Stone, and reminding people the Rival Schools series existed. The roster of games available is sound, though I’m not a fan of Capcom Fighting Evolution. The online component seemed stable under the conditions I tested it and like a boon for accessibility. Not only that, but the actual accessibility features that make it more inviting for beginners and allow us insights into development via the Museum are lovely. I suppose it’d be appropriate to call this a sensible collection that fills missing gaps when it comes to accessing Capcom’s library.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 will be available on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 16, 2025. 

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Labyrinth of the Demon King is like happening upon a lost PlayStation cult classic. It’s a dive into the types of horrors and uncertainties that came from the fogs of early Silent Hill and the dungeons of FromSoftware’s King’s Field. In more ways than one, I’d say, as it also seems to pick up on the quirks that come from playing such titles. It’s like finding a lost artifact from a timeline that didn’t exist, where the person lucky enough to find it keeps going on so captivated by the design that the direction doesn’t always matter.

Labyrinth of the Demon King stars a samurai who followed Lord Takeda Nobumitsu faithfully. So much so that even when the titular demon king betrayed the ruler and slaughtered everyone, this one warrior decided to dedicate the rest of his life to revenge in Nobumitsu’s name. However, getting to the boss isn’t so simple, as first the towers where his underlings remain must be ascended and bested. Only after taking on those burdens can the ashigaru face the demon king.

In of appearance and execution, Labyrinth of the Demon King feels like a mix of both Silent Hill and King’s Field. Color is sapped from the land, with shades of grey and sepia depicting every scene. Fog covers everything, making it appear otherworldly. While it absolutely draws from older titles and uses a minimalistic approach to character models, building designs, and textures used, it actually ends up looking absolutely appropriate and period-accurate in execution. Still screenshots don’t do it justice, as so much of the ambiance relies on the lens dirt filter, fog, and supplemental animations you might not even realize help set the stage. Even the 4:3 aspect ratio is preserved.

This applies to enemies as well. When figures are at their most obscured, especially in cinematic segments, they’re most horrifying. The details are vague when you get close or examine them. It’s only when you for all the filters and additional effects that these layer upon the design and invoke your imagination to enhance the potential horrors tied to them.

As mentioned earlier, Labyrinth of the Demon King truly pulls inspiration from the design of games like Silent Hill and King’s Field, and that applies to the lack of quality of life features. Things will automatically unequip without warning. Getting through menus, equipping items, and saving is cumbersome. Text can be difficult to read when engaging in conversations. While audio cues will come up for some segments, there will be certain types of opponents that you won’t realize are even around as a possible threat until they attack you. (I’m talking about you, foot-sized, creepy tube-centipede-worms with a head made entirely of a giant bitey mouth that appear out of nowhere and take a bit out of your health with no warning.) Actually parrying is pretty easy, as is dealing damage to foes. However, I did find sometimes and in some circumstances that I’d suddenly switch to a dodging side-step instead of a jump. Then there was the time when I went into the start menu, but moving left and right in it was also making my character move back and forth.

While some decisions seem intentionally cumbersome, I do appreciate other ways in which Labyrinth of the Demon King stays true to older games. There’s no hand-holding. You’re left to figure things out on your own. (I didn’t find any of the puzzles too difficult.) Opponents can be quite challenging, with the bosses actually requiring a player to be fairly well-versed with the dodging and parrying system to survive situations. A stamina system is at play that limits the length of possible combos. Though I feel like the save point system should be abandoned in favor of save anywhere options for accessibility sake, the return to form here and search for shrines to pray at feel quite appropriate.

There are times when I wish the Labyrinth of the Demon King gameplay might be a little more responsive or certain elements a little less fiddly, but the aesthetic and graphics are always on-point. It is fantastic about establishing ambiance. So even when I didn’t feel completely captivated by other elements, I felt compelled to keep playing to see what new areas and enemies might look like. One thing is for certain, and that is this game is a love letter to the fifth console generation.

Labyrinth of the Demon King is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

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You don’t just forget the loss of a loved one, and that kind of trauma can compel you to head into potentially dangerous situations in search of answers. 7’scarlet is the the sort of otome game that broaches that idea, with a missing person’s case compelling the people left behind to return to a childhood home town in search of answers and insights into a rather mysterious place. What’s remarkable here is, even almost 10 years after its debut in 2016, this otome game still feels fresh upon its Switch debut.  

Years ago, Ichiko Hanamaki and her family used to live in the town of Okunezato. She doesn’t much about that time, which makes it even worse when her brother Hanate disappears after returning there for a visit a year before. Since a summer vacation is coming up and her childhood friend and classmate Hino is heading back for a meeting of the Okunezato Supernatural Club, she takes the opportunity to him and find answers. However, the prospect of a brief job at the Fuurinkan Hotel offers a chance to spend even more time in town investigating and possibly falling in love with a shocking number of men she’s met before and doesn’t , and Ichiko seizes it in the hopes of discovering the truth.

7’scarlet always ended up being an otome game that balances both a mystery of sorts with dating sim elements, and that didn’t change for the Switch release. Depending on the guy you’re pursuing, you essentially learn more about a particular mystery or element of the game. Some of them are the most basic and deal with potential threats to Ichiko’s life. Others are more detailed and offer insights into the supernatural urban legend tied to alleged Revenants roaming the streets of Okunezato and murdering the innocent each year. Maybe you’ll also find out what happens to Hanate. Depending on the person you pursue, the possibilities of actual romance and answers may vary. In general, it’s pretty well-written, though Ichiko herself is one of those heroines that suffers from a rather malleable personality that varied based on what type of role Idea Factory needed her to fill in that storyline. 

The art is also generally pretty great, and the UI is quite clear. There are a pretty decent array of CGs scattered throughout most routes, though one of the six doesn’t feel like it gets the same treatment as the others. Most of the storylines do feature moments that showcase a connection gradually growing and forming between Ichiko and the chosen partner, so I didn’t feel like there were too many shocks from a route suddenly being romantic after no signs telegraphed throughout the story. Appropriately enough, there are some possible bad ends and dangerous outcomes, which fits given this is a young woman heading off to try and solve a missing person’s case on her own in a town known for unexplained yearly murders. 

Given this is a very straightforward port, the same problems present in the Vita and PC versions of 7’scarlet remain in the Switch version of the otome game. Primarily, it’s the way the mystery is handled. There are only some routes that fully cover what’s going on in Okunezato and with Ichiko and her brother Hanate. The others are still fulfilling in their own way, but given the mystery of his disappearance, her departing the town as a child, and the rumor about Revenants that return to the village, it’s really a letdown when things don’t cover those mysteries. I feel like the Toa and Yuzuki handle things best. The final route, though it should be most fulfilling, is sort of the worst, even though it does provide all of the answers. 

Honestly, that last route is probably the one I like least because of the execution. It’s a pity, since it feels like all of 7’scarlet’s story is building up to it! But then when you get there, it isn’t as well developed as the other love interests’ storyline. Even the relationship doesn’t feel as authentic as a result, which is especially troublesome given you’d need to get over some of the connotations associated with it.  

While there may be some unfulfilling moments in 7’scarlet, depending on the route, as a whole it’s an enjoyable and often otherworldly otome game. Given how unusual its storyline can get and the twists and revelations that come after chasing after certain love interests, it’s definitely one that stands out among other Aksys, Otomate, and Idea Factory works. I’m glad it’s gotten a Switch release so even more people can experience and appreciate it.

7’scarlet will come to the Nintendo Switch on May 15, 2025, and it is also available on the Vita and PC worldwide. 

The post Review: 7’scarlet Gets Great When Its Mysteries Are Solved appeared first on Siliconera.

There are times when I sometimes feel like DOOM: The Dark Ages might be one of the more accessible and inviting installments, yet at the same time could be too focused on prior releases' reveals and details. The gameplay is tight and encourages diverse strategies that use every item in your arsenal and the Chapters’ locations are expansive and littered with secrets, which might make it inviting enough even if you don’t know the whole backstory ahead of experiencing the newest game. While I do think I had a bit of a better time with DOOM Eternal, this is still a delight.

I missed the 2016 DOOM installment and, while DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel, it heavily relies upon knowledge of DOOM and DOOM Eternal. After all, it begins on Argent D’Nur with the Night Sentinels requesting Bishop Kreed Maykr dispatch the Doom Slayer to Khalim to face the forces of Hells attacking. Hell’s Prince Ahzrak. However, it’s clear the Doom Slayer is under Maykr control, with a rather notable piece of technology on his chest pointing to a degree of control, and we learn about this new threat, the fate of an organization, and the familiar figure’s beginnings along the way. A very brief four sentences set the stage before we’re plunged into protecting Khalim, and I felt id Software often assumed I’d be familiar with characters and situations. 

To start, the execution and implementation of DOOM: The Dark Ages is downright perfect. It welcomes players from both ends of the spectrum. There are six difficulty levels, as well as some settings in options that can be adjust. So Aspiring Slayer feels like a somewhat easy experience that lets someone newer to the series or perhaps with less experience with the genre still cut through enemies, learn the mechanics, and feel powerful thanks to damage modifiers, parry windows, less aggressive enemies, and things like aim assist. Meanwhile, Ultra-Nightmare difficulty is available from the very outset and essentially punishes you for any lapse in awareness or mistake. Enemies are savage, know exactly where you are, and hunt you down, you don’t get any saves, you need to find Life Sigils to recover, the parry window is shorter, and if you die the campaign is completely over. You can also swap to different ones at any time as you play, in case you need more (or less) of a challenge. Couple this with tutorials that are well implemented as new weapons and mechanics are introduced and Chapters set up so enemies susceptible to them appear for you to gain experience.

While 2016’s DOOM and DOOM Eternal seemed a little faster pace, I found I benefitted more by leaning into the Doom Slayer’s more thoughtful and methodical movements in DOOM: The Dark Ages. This isn’t to say that you can’t move fast. I adored a strike carried out with the shield that lets you lock onto an enemy and essentially dash and smash into them to deal massive damage and perhaps even collateral damage to entities around it. Once you’ve set up an enemy for a finishing blow, you can tap a button to zip in and smash. Also, depending on the difficulty and your abilities, you could probably rush in if you want! But there ended up being so many moments when taking my time, analyzing the situation, and responding before immediately reacting and rushing in worked toward my benefit. Letting enemies come to me meant I could use melee hits, including the finisher that would force it to drop all types of necessary ammo. Parrying some ranged blasts could send them back, dealing more damage in a single counter than I could by wasting a few bullets or direct hits. 

Another thing id Software nailed with DOOM: The Dark Ages involved making each type of weapon feel different and important. It is to your benefit to not rely on one type of attack, since swapping between them often is the best approach for not only dealing with hordes, but even with certain heavier types of foes. In some cases, you’ll need to use a standard gun, such as a Shotgun or Shredder, to superheat a shield and use a Shield Saw to destroy the enemy. Or when there’s a larger foe that can take more hits surrounded by Zombies and Soldiers, using a Shield Saw to stun them, swapping to the Accelerator for a faster rate of fire, then jumping in with a melee Power Gauntlet strike to ensure it drops ammo you need. And since bringing up the weapon wheel to swap guns is also easy, it could be just as handy to use an Accelerator to get rid of enemies with Energy Shields, then swap to something like Pulverizer to take out larger groups. The recoil feels good on the PS5, the is fine, and the speakers in the controller chime in with sounds taken from the assault. And the execution means every attack feels different, so there’s a faster pace with the Flail than the Power Gauntlet, and you could feel the weight of the Mace. The only complaint I have is that, unless I did feel like I needed ammo, I sometimes was so satisfied with the guns and Shield Saw that I didn't resort to melee. Melee does work well and can be another effective option in the arsenal, but the shooting is so punchy and shield so useful that it sometimes can't compare.

In addition to those typical means of assaulting foes, DOOM: The Dark Ages includes the ability to fight off foes in an Atlan mech or ride a Mecha Dragon. While I liked the concept behind both, especially the dragon, I feared they’d be a bit of a gimmick ahead of launch that wouldn’t mesh with what we expect from a DOOM game. Now that I’ve played, I still think the concept behind the Mecha Dragon is incredibly cool and I get why they would feel important for a sense of progress and scale, but these segments didn’t really click with me. It is fine and doesn’t ruin the experience since they aren’t a major focus in stages, but I recommend tempering your expectations for them and not expecting too much. I feel like the more diverse gameplay in Chapters spoiled me a bit. I got so used to setting the pace and choosing between varied types of assaults. So while these are totally serviceable, especially since they are rather infrequent, I didn’t find them as much fun.

What I will say is I appreciated the spectacle of them, as well as the settings for all the chapters. I love the mash-up between medieval armor, weaponry, and elements alongside the advanced relics, technology, and guns. They go together so well, I found myself sometimes finding the many types of collectibles scattered throughout Chapters because I’d occasionally take in my surroundings and explore set pieces once I’d eliminated demons. It’s especially impressive when in outdoor settings and seeing titanic demons facing off against one another. They’re massive, and again I’d stop and watch their reign of terror or fights against equally gargantuan foes or dragons. Also, as you’d expect, the soundtrack is great and filled with metal that amps up at appropriate moments. 

Another perk to it is the layout and size of each Chapter makes replaying an attractive prospect. There are multiple types of collectibles, such as Codex Entries or Skins, that can be hidden away. Spaces can have multiple layers to them, inviting you to drop down into spots or explore to see if you can reach certain spots. A map can be checked, in case you’re looking for assistance or trying to suss out a secret. I also found the level design meant there would be a natural flow even if I did venture off the beaten path, which I appreciated. It’s very well thought out.

DOOM: The Dark Ages feels packed with situations that test a player and challenge them to use every element in their arsenal. Not to mention, it’s also quite accessible and filled with collectibles that make it worth replaying Chapters in its story. However, I do feel like it is geared toward people who played DOOM and DOOM Eternal, with a narrative that sometimes necessitates prior knowledge of the storyline since 2016. Also, the mecha dragon and Atlan mech sections don’t leave the sort of grand impression one might expect.

DOOM: The Dark Ages will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 15, 2025. 

The post Review: DOOM: The Dark Ages Builds on DOOM and DOOM Eternal appeared first on Siliconera.

What we end up getting when a company releases a remaster of a game varies. Sometimes, there are only some improved textures and HD enhancements. We might get a new or updated localization, if it involves a Japanese release. If we’re really lucky, the alterations will be so extensive that it might feel more like a remake. That’s what’s happened with Bethesda and Virtuos’ The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, as the remaster is so comprehensive and detailed that the experience often feels entirely new.

Oblivion Remastered begins with a player’s imprisoned avatar being tasked with a royal mission to get the fallen Emperor Uriel Septim VII’s Amulet of Kings to Blades Grandmaster Jauffre, while also dealing with the invasion of Oblivion’s Daedra as a result of the ruler’s death. We must forge our own path through Cyrodiil and find a way to save it and Tamriel. It's... fine. I'm not a huge fan of the main game's campaign and preferred supplemental missions in the past, and I found it remained true here. As a very welcome bonus, the remaster of Oblivion includes the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions. While Knights of the Nine is totally fine, I always really enjoyed the Greymarch campaign in Shivering Isles and found returning to it a welcome premise.

As a refresher, Oblivion Remastered is an open-world action-RPG like other The Elder Scrolls games, filled with mainline and side quests to undertake. You can go through in either the first or third-person perspective, using melee, ranged, and magical attacks to cut through foes. There’s also crafting, with players able to use skills such as Alchemy to make potions and Armorer to repair equipment. There are also ample opportunities to do some roleplaying, with factions to like the Dark Brotherhood or Fighters, Mages, and Thieves Guilds and ways to pretend you’re a merchant by combining Mercantile and Speechcraft when buying and selling.

When first heading into Oblivion Remastered, the most obvious change in the remaster is the visuals. This is a stunning game that looks more like Skyrim than its original release. Environments are gorgeous. Buildings look realistic. Monsters and opponents are updated, and I appreciated how much more they look like more recent installments’ counterparts. All NPCs look different, often for the better, and the voice acting and lip sync looks so much more realistic and better. As someone who always prioritized the third-person perspective in The Elder Scrolls games, the camera settings are vastly improved. Everything just looks and sounds great. This even applies to player characters, since we get so many more options in the creator as well as updated original ones.

But once you start really getting into Oblivion Remastered, it’s evident how much fine-tuning Bethesda and Virtuos put into the remaster. I’ve always prioritized ranged weapons and magic in The Elder Scrolls series, and I could tell right away how much better things felt. I noticed magicka regenerated at a better pace, which I appreciated and left me feeling more secure early in my adventure. Also, archery feels like it got a major buff. The controller’s aim assist is great, and arrows both do more damage at a faster pace. Also, again, I felt more comfortable as an archer because I could get arrows from fallen enemies instead of worrying they’d be lost. There are lots of perk adjustments, and I especially noticed this when using alchemy and when I’d see greater chances of my arrows paralyzing enemies. 

There are even entirely new elements that make The Elder Scrolls IV more accessible in Oblivion Remastered. The best example of this is Clairvoyance. It’s a spell added for this release and pulled from Skyrim, and it helps you find your way in case you get lost by showing a line to your direction. The tutorial ended up being adjusted as well, so it also tells you how to use it. If someone has issues with the camera and is sensitive to motion-sickness when playing titles with a first-person perspective, I could see the camera motion option assisting with that. You can also add aim assist, as I mentioned before, and adjust how sensitive that is. Also, bless the developers for adding a text and subtitle font size options, as the medium and large options for both are so helpful.

Speaking of which, I think what I love most about Oblivion Remastered is how Bethesda and Virtuos used the remaster as an opportunity to add all of the Skyrim quality of life adjustments. We can sprint now! Sprinting is so great. And if you’re using any skill, it’s going to help you get experience to level up, which is so efficient. Skyrim’s horseback riding, health regeneration, and over-encumbered rules are in effect for the sake of convenience and ease of play too. This means you’re automatically swapped to the third-person perspective when you ride, to help you better take into what’s around you. Your health will regenerate when combat is over. If you are carrying too much, you can still move. The remaster’s HUD and difficulty levels also match the more recent release. In addition to being more efficient and working better, I feel it’s a big help for people who got into the series after The Elder Scrolls V debuted. 

Even if you don’t count Oblivion among your favorite The Elder Scrolls games, Oblivion Remastered is a triumph and sets a high bar for what we should expect from a video game remaster. While the game will play exactly as you would expect, it looks, sounds, and perhaps even feels smoother than ever before. Given how different the world looks and quality of life adjustments and changes based on Skyrim, it still might feel like a whole new experience this time around.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Review: Oblivion Remastered Is a Stunning Remaster appeared first on Siliconera.

The roguelike genre’s gotten crowded over the last few years, which means I’m always delighted when a title comes up that feels like it does tread new ground. While StarVaders does feel a bit familiar, given we’re once again building a deck, taking turns on a grid to strategically wipe out enemies, and hopefully surviving an alien apocalypse, its welcoming nature, variety, and wealth of options for wiping out enemies mean it’s quite a promising prospect.

Aliens are attacking earth. Things begin with Roxy fixing up a Gunner mech right as the assault begins. She vows to protect her loved ones and everyone else she can, now that she has a suit that lets her do it. But she’s only one of multiple pilots with units standing by. Each person and their mech, be it Gunner, Stinger, or Keeper, employs different tactics and uses different types of artifacts and cards to push back against invading enemies. 

StarVader feels like it mixes up a lot of different types of genres, but in action I would say it reminds me most of a hybrid of Into the Breach and Mega Man Battle Network. There is a grid ahead of you with advancing aliens. If they get too close to the bottom of the grid (or certain criteria are met in some circumstances), they can start generating Doom. If you reach five Doom in a run, you’re all done. Success is tied to knowing which missions to take from the map, based on the assessments and potential rewards, building up your deck of cards showing the types of actions and movements to perform, and knowing when it is an acceptable time to basically overheat.

When a turn starts in StarVader, five cards will be dealt to you from your deck. These can include ones that shoot, fire bombs, deal damage, allow you to move, provide buffs, summon a , or involve an array of different types of tactical actions. You will be able to see the areas where enemy attacks will hit on their turn. It is up to you to immediately mitigate that damage by moving or defeating the foe that would hit you, while also taking out as many advancing enemies as you can before their turn. While foes will typically wait to act until their turn, there will be some enemies that respond and move whenever you move, so you need to take that into as well. 

Now, here’s when Heat comes into play. All of these characters are in mechs. Every action you perform generates an amount of Heat. So a simple movement or fire card will cause one Heat to be added to your gauge, but more advanced or upgraded actions could increase it by more than that. (Likewise, you will occasionally get cards that give you an edge for a turn by causing ones in a certain category, like with “Fire” in the name, to generate no Heat.) If you Overheat by performing an action when that gauge is full, you can still perform that move and have your turn automatically end after! However, for the rest of that match the card will be Burned and inaccessible.

A thing I really appreciated about this design direction is that StarVaders uses a risk/reward system to help frame gameplay, rather than leaving a person concerned about a mech and pilot’s health. Overheating can be advantageous in certain situations and, as long as you don’t go through your deck and need to reshuffle the discards back in, you don’t need to worry about the Burned cards. Getting hit by an enemy attack adds Junk cards to the discard, which are essentially blanks that take up space and do nothing. So you’re really able to focus on tearing through the increasingly numerous hordes of invaders and challenging bosses and prioritize the Doom they generate. Even if a situation gets sticky, being willing to push yourself could mean you’ll still brute force your way through a bad situation. I honestly felt it helped mitigate an occasional issue I’d have with RNG in roguelikes and sometimes a string of bad luck in options and deals ruining a run. Especially since you can reset three times in a match if the problem came down to human error.

This isn’t to say that won’t happen. I did have one string of bad luck. But StarVaders seems like a pretty fair tactical roguelike. Especially since it grows with you. Winning means more enemies, new pilots, and opportunities to boost levels. Losing means more knowledge, more opportunities to strengthen yourself, and again more to do. I really felt a sense of growth as I played, so much so that by the time I did hit the difficulties and runs that would provide more of a challenge, I developed enough knowledge of the game and experience with card and mech types I liked to brainstorm possible approaches. In fact, I think the fact that it did involve factoring in different sorts of “classes” with bullet types, ranges, and the Heat gauge meant I was more likely to play differently each time, adding more replay value.

Also, I just generally love the ambiance around StarVaders. Yes, there is the same type of end of the world feeling as games like Into the Breach and Kaiju Wars. However, it also has the same sort of anime-esque flavor as something like Megaton Musashi. So even though it’s bleak, it is also hopeful and vibrant. Roxy’s story is a strong start, since we see how dire the situation is as she immediately heads out moments after preparing her Gunner. After I unlocked the Invasion difficulty, it suggested there’s some alternate reality and timeline elements going on. I do wish there were a few more story segments, since these people seem so colorful and detailed, but what is here lets us focus on gameplay more.

I had absolutely no idea I’d enjoy StarVaders as much as I would, and it definitely adds something to the ever-growing roguelike genre. It’s compelling, but inviting. You’re given opportunities to learn, but it will absolutely challenge you once you’ve gotten accustomed to its nuances. There are plenty of options when developing your deck, making the prospect of additional playthroughs promising. Fans of the genre should check it out.

StarVaders is available for PCs via Steam. A demo is available on itch.io.

The post Review: StarVaders Mixes Deckbuilding With Mech Tactics appeared first on Siliconera.

The lack of new Breath of Fire games is downright criminal. Worse, it’s also not really easy to find entries on more modern platforms. Sure, the first two games are in the Nintendo Switch Online SNES library, but that also means dealing with the Breath of Fire II localization. I always felt like Breath of Fire IV is one of the more memorable entries, and the GOG release proves the PC version still holds up well.

With Breath of Fire IV, Capcom created a story filled with political intrigue, legendary dragons, and the kind of unstoppable villain that seems difficult to properly defeat. Kingdoms are on edge, due a shaky peace with the Fou Empire and tentative alliances between everyone opposed to them. The problem is, Princess Nina of Wyndia can’t afford to sit back and wait for situations to grow more stable. Her elder sister Elina vanished while on a peacekeeping and morale-boosting journey. To avoid inciting any ill will, Nina heads out alone with the Woren leader Cray in search of answers, finding an amnesiac young man with a tie to dragons in the process. However, even with her efforts, current happenings in the Fou Empire will make conflicts unavoidable.

The Breath of Fire series has always been interesting in how it will always involve protagonists named Ryu and Nina, often with similar sorts of circumstances, who are unique individuals going through unrelated situations each time. (Think of it like Final Fantasy, in a way.) I always loved what Breath of Fire IV did with its story, and the GOG release proves it holds up. By offering these differing viewpoints showing Nina, Ryu, and Fou-Lu’s perspectives at points, we’re offered a well-rounded take on events and get a better grasp of what’s going on in the world. Not to mention, in general, Breath of Fire IV doesn’t shy away from dark scenarios. The stark contrasts between it and other JRPGs of the period and, in some ways, entries in the series helps it stand out.

As for gameplay, Capcom tried some things to set Breath of Fire IV apart from other turn-based JRPGs, and I feel like the combat system still holds up as a result. Our characters can end up feeling very unique, even from ones others might build up when playing the game, because of the Masters system that returned from Breath of Fire III. This allows our units to apprentice under designated Master NPCs to gain abilities and increase stats. So if you want Scias to learn how to Steal, you need Stoll to be his Master. Doing so would also provide an Agility boost in stat growth. While it will be in certain allies’ natures to naturally be associated with certain stats, such as Ershin getting high defense, it allows a sense of freedom I really appreciate about the entry. Especially with Ryu, since you really need to rely on the Master system to build him up into the protagonist you need, due to his other abilities being tied to dragons.

The actual turn-based combat offers some appreciated strategic elements as well. Yes, it does entail selecting actions, then watching as folks take their turns when going up against enemies. However there are some elements that make things a bit more involved. One is that you can execute combos. These can be tied to magic attacks and skills, which can be used by all allies who learn them if you have enough people participate by using qualifying attacks during a single turn, and can be character specific. So Scias could use Ice Sword if you have say Nina use one of her wind spells and Ershin use Blizzard by using a melee skill after that. So there can be a bit of planning to make use of good ally combinations to ensure the three people in-battle work together while the ones not present rest and defend in the back. I really feel like it holds up well because of the combination of the customization and plotting who will be around and active.

When you’re not training and fighting, Breath of Fire IV features a bit of a different progression system for exploration than you might expect. For example, you’ll move along dotted lines on a map and find places you can enter with “?” marks or that are designated spots. There are quite a few puzzles, some of them actually challenging and with mechanics that can involve swapping between characters. 

The important thing to note about the GOG release of Breath of Fire IV is that the Capcom game not only runs, it runs incredibly well. I played it on both a Windows laptop and the Lenovo Legion Go, and in each case it worked flawlessly. The presentation is great. The audio sounded good. The rendering options are fantastic. It works incredibly well, so there’s no need for any concern about if it holds up. I also do see what GOG meant when it said the Marlok crane minigame is improved, as it seemed like the shadows were a bit clearer and my accuracy ended up being a bit better when loading crates onto the ship. In of execution, Capcom and GOG start us off in a good place.

I will say that as much as I enjoyed Breath of Fire IV and getting to play it on PC again thanks to the GOG Dreamlist initiative, actually getting it to run right is finicky on a Steam Deck or handheld gaming PC like a Lenovo Legion Go! The page notes there is controller . However, there are these minor issues in getting it running right. For example, to actually “start,” the start button on a controller probably won’t work. I had to press the left analog stick for the “confirm” action. There is key rebinding in the options, but I couldn’t get it to work right. Prior to the latest hotfix, I experienced an issue where I couldn’t get Nina to leave the North Desert Crash site, as she’d keep re-entering it even after I exited it via the world map. So while the game did work flawlessly on my Legion Go, issues like that mean it might be best to play it on a laptop so you do get access to keyboard inputs if controller is leaving you a little flummoxed as to why it isn’t working right.

However, this is something that could be a moot point by the time people read this review. It seems GOG gets quite responsive about these things. Case in point is a rendering patch. Days after Breath of Fire IV launched on GOG Dreamlist on April 25, 2025, the company shared a hotfix that allowed people to choose between bilinear and point sampled options, so you could determine if you wanted to smoothed effect or clearer spritework. So the is absolutely there, and since two hotfixes already launched, it is possible that we’ll see other controller issues adjusted. 

While I feel like there’s something lovable about most Breath of Fire games, Breath of Fire IV can feel like one of the most memorable ones due to its story and Capcom’s gameplay decisions. So much so that I feel like even without some light enhancements, it holds up well for its age. The extra work GOG put on on compatibility and features helps Breath of Fire IV feel even more worthwhile, even though using a controller with it can feel a bit frustrating as you first find your footing.

Breath of Fire IV is available for PC via GOG, and it is also available on the original PlayStation.

The post Review: Breath of Fire IV Remains a Delight on PC appeared first on Siliconera.

City management can be a stressful type of sim, which means a popular category in that sphere ends up being town-building games that come across as more relaxed and cozy. Like you build up a borough, but it’s also no big deal if you make some mistakes or prioritize aesthetics. Tranquil Isle is that type of game, and it’s totally fine! It’s a serviceable sim that is quite casual, but it does end up being a complete sandbox and maybe not super memorable.

There’s no story to Tranquil Isle. The only goal is to place the buildings you earn and unlock and watch numbers go up. There’s no need to worry about population criteria or (major) resource requirements. You start a Classic or Sandbox run by picking a size space you want to inhabit and an environmental theme. Then, you place items. Sandbox is a literal empty expanse that lets you do what you want, when you want, without worrying about hitting score milestones to enable growth or get new buildings to place. Classic is the more limiting of the two, since there will be some resource elements to it and you need to be more aware of your overall “score” for your island. 

In Tranquil Isle Classic mode, once you hit a milestone tier, you are given new buildings and items to place on the island or access to additional landmasses in this town-building simulation. After hitting each one, a pop-up will offer a choice. So, as an easy example that isn’t any sort of spoiler, the first option in the tutorial comes up after placing the 10-point Town Center.  Since you hit the 10-point milestone after that, it offers you a choice between three base five-point Houses and two base 14-point foragers or three houses and one 20-point farm. Once a choice is made, the next milestone becomes 35 points, and you need to use the Town Center you have and the new buildings you picked to reach that tier. 

However, those points are just a starter example. Bonuses kick in based on placement due to buffs. Likewise, placing multiple types of certain types of buildings near each other can decrease points. This affects new and old placements, so you need to constantly be aware of what you have, what you’re doing, and how you want to shift things around. Each building has a sphere of influence around it, which is shown when you first place it. Also, when you place any building, UI will show noting how the score of it and buildings near where it might go change based on the buffs and debuffs. This means even at the outset, you need to sort of determine where you’d want commercial, residential, and industrial spaces. You can only delete a building when you’re in Sandbox mode, so you need to really be cautious.

However, there’s also a bit of a no stress option. Reaching score milestones isn’t difficult. As long as you play around with the choices, it’s pretty easy to reach them no matter which building reward you pick. Sandbox mode is also always an option. If you’re in a Classic run and having trouble hitting some milestones, you can choose to save that island you’re working on one and reopen it in Sandbox. That way you can continue development just for fun. It really helped emphasize the idea that Tranquil Isle is indeed tranquil, and you can opt out of the more strict demands of the town-building game at any time.

I do wish that, visually, there was a bit more to Tranquil Isle. There are only a handful of themes, and the additional options for building designs typically only do something minor like offer a few different roof colors. Since the optimal way to play is zoomed out, it’s difficult to tell a difference. If you do zoom in, you can see little people and animals wandering around, which is fine, but it isn’t as graphically impressive or offer a style as unique as some similar simulations. Because of the design direction and general gameplay, I sort of felt like while I had a good time, I wasn’t as memorable as some similar town-building games I played.

Tranquil Isle is enjoyable and can be a leisurely way to relax while developing an island. It’s a low-key town-building game for sure. However, while I enjoyed myself and it runs fine, this sim doesn’t really stand out. It might not be as memorable and eye-catching as other titles in the genre, which I think will keep it from becoming a “classic.”

Tranquil Isle is available for PCs. 

The post Review: Tranquil Isle Is a Completely Relaxed Town-Building Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Holo Indie games based on Hololive Vtubers are at their best when it feels like anyone could go into a title, have fun with it, and not feel excluded based on what’s going on. Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth, on the other hand, pushes that a little. While it is pretty approachable in of gameplay, due to being a run-and-gun platformer and Mega Man-like, some gameplay decisions and a heavy focus on the Holoearth Hololive Alternative lore with no explanation keep it from being as approachable as other projects based on Cover’s performers. 

Okay, this is going to get complicated for a second. Bear with me. 

Shirakami Fubuki is a Hololive Vtuber whose lore involves her being a white fox. She’s often paired with fellow Hololive Gamers unit member Ookami Mio, who is a black wolf. So this is a game about Fubuki, in a way, with major appearances from Mio.

Except it isn’t just those two. It’s the Yamato Phantasia versions of those two individuals that are part of the Holoearth and Hololive Alternative projects. In that storyline, Fubuki and Mio are essentially gods who help protect Yamato from corruption. The two end up being tasked with erasing corruption and protecting people. While usually they are limited to that realm, the events in Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth involve other potential alternate realities being affected, with the Vtubers from the companies being notable, notorious, or godly figures in need of assistance or salvation from an unexpected corruption.

Once you really get into it, the story doesn’t matter much. But there’s still an expectation that you know exactly who these people are, why it matters that Vtubers are in specific locations, and such. This is a Holo Indie game where you will miss out without prior knowledge about the performers involved and their official backstories.

This ties into the Mega Man-like element of Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth. While the first stage sees Fubuki summoned into action to help Yamato, the first boss is actually a version of Houshou Marine. When Marine gets sucked through a portal after Fubuki saves her (by beating her up), we end up tasked with going to multiple stages set in various worlds with different Hololive Vtuber bosses in each one. Every one of them involves small and large enemies, usually with projectile attacks, as we have Fubuki run, jump, use special weapons, find collectibles for certain attacks, and get through 2D stages. While her default weapon is the Murasamemaru melee sword, she does get additional types of attacks that allow for some ranged options.

Those other weapons are the other way in which Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth feels very Mega Man-like. Like in Capcom’s series, defeating a boss means getting a weapon associated with them. It’s a neat concept, and I love when games do that! However, I feel it’s a missed opportunity here. There is no strategy to it. So while these can be helpful when getting through stages, it doesn’t mean we have a situation where after beating Marine, you should really go to the Frozen Theme Park because Yukihana Lamy is weak against Captain Marine’s Gun. You can tackle any stage in any order because there is no recommended progression that makes you feel smart for ensuring you faced certain folks at specific times. 

Another shame is that Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth is so short. The good part is, it doesn’t wear out its welcome. Every one of the six locations does feel unique. The spritework is good. But… there are only six stages really! And six major boss fights. (The last one is quite substantial, however!) I spent three hours with it, as I felt like I needed to go through quite a bit to ensure I saw it all, but I honestly probably would have been done in about two hours. 

I will say that I appreciate the update that launched back on April 18, 2025. I did feel the boss difficulty was a bit much in some spots and dropped down to easy during this review. Since then, PEPOSOFT did some rebalancing that made it more manageable. I also found the Boss Rush mode and gave it a try, which helps mitigate the fact that the game is so short a tad. The team mentioned an Extra mode and new game plus option are also in development, which again will help.

I’m a fan of Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth, especially if I drop down to the easy difficulty level to really enjoy myself. It’s an entertaining Mega Man-like game wearing a Hololive Vtuber skin. I do think it is at its best if someone really enjoys both that type of game and Cover’s performers. If not, then the length, fact that the weapons from each boss don’t feature any strategic element, and injection of Holoearth and Hololive lore with no explanation could be too high a barrier to jump.

Fubuki: Zero in on Holoearth is available on PCs, and a demo is out.

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