DENNIS GAGLIARDOTTO
RIME Review
There are times when a game comes out - whether it's highly anticipated, a sleeper hit, an Indie darling, etc. - that simply takes your breath away and renders one speechless. The last couples of years alone has seen releases that do just this, both big and small, that have made it no better time to be playing video games. So many fantastic games have achieved this through a collective effort of polishing and making all aspects of the game feel whole and complement each other equally without sacrificing anything in return. RIME can now be added to this list as a stunning game with an incredible atmosphere, impeccable score, and world to explore as you find out who you are while experiencing the wonder and beauty Tequila Works has crafted with their new title.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception Review
Imagine waking up one day in the middle of nowhere, where it's cold, snowing, the woods are endless, and you're surrounded by are the chirps of birds, the rustling of the trees and the sounds of your footsteps. You don't even know your own name or what to do in the situation except your basic human functions. Utawarerumono - which means The One Being Sung in Japanese - puts you in the shoes of an unnamed man in this exact position where he must find out why he woke up there, how he ended up in that position, and journey back into the discovery of who he is along the way.
Akiba's Beat Review
Akihabara. It's a beautiful city that no matter how many times games take us there virtually, it'll always be a sight to see. It's especially a treat to gamers who tend to lean more towards Japanese developed titles that step away from the typical Western FPS and shoot-em-ups we see more and more of from developers. Akiba's Beat brings us just there to Akihabara, and brings the universe of Akiba's Trip with it, being a successor to it. It may have not been immediately obvious thanks to the 180 approach Akiba's Beat takes and has virtually no similarity to Akiba's Trip, but it still holds its own, even if all the magic and quirkiness of Akiba's Trip is mostly gone from Akiba's Beat, for better or for worse.
Outlast II Review
Outlast II sees the return of the instant classic that shook the gaming community years back with the original release of Outlast from Indie studio Red Barrels. Just like the original, Outlast II lets the world know that the Horror genre is not dead - far from it. Red Barrels brings with its sequel another incredible entry and a game that will be remembered for quite some time, just like its predecessor.
Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy Review
The sequel to NIS America's Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy, arrives exclusively on the PlayStation Vita nearly two years later and brings with it a brand new mission in the heart of Tokyo, where otherworldly monsters known as Variants have crossed over into our dimension and have begun to wreak havoc. It is up to you, a high school student unbeknownst of the powers you hold, to form a team of others like you and help save Tokyo from a potential demise.
The Caligula Effect Review
The Caligula Effect sees Persona's prestigious writer Tadashi Satomi at the helm taking on this new JRPG adventure set in the virtual setting of Mobius, where players will awaken and realize their lives are a lie and that they must escape a music-filled landscape of corrupted individuals or be destined to remain there forever. Given ATLUS's quality of localization and Tadashi Satomi's credibility, get ready to go on another unique adventure with a stunning art style along the way.