As a system reaches the end of its life, it tends to have one final flurry of quality titles as it goes. This is that time for the PSP, as the Japan-centric system gets what will likely be its last wave of translated RPGs. Most titles like these are destined to be ignored in their time and rediscovered later, but Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time has two things going for it that others don’t: Vita compatibility (at launch this time!) and a design that’s already detached from the current norm.
The original Orcs Must Die! is a great little game. It is simple enough that you can plan to play for 30 minutes before bed and then look up at the end of Act 1 and realize you have to be up for work in only three hours. Orcs Must Die! 2 captures the very same feeling, and improves on everything that the first entry did. READ MORE
It’s tough to be a console JRPG in the West in this day and age. The genre just doesn’t hold the same industry clout that it did in the 16 and 32-bit eras. So, if nothing else, I commend Aksys for being one of the very few companies out there still dedicated to localizing these games into English. Record of Agarest War 2 is the company’s latest project, and the third title released in the series (all of which have made it to American shelves), and I’m happy we have the chance to play it. READ MORE
At first, Johnny Kung Fu appears to have potential, with its mix of retro electronic-gaming-inspired gameplay and the kung fu combat levels. Unfortunately, it takes less than 15 minutes to realize it squanders this potential by doing absolutely nothing with it. READ MORE
The pitch is an enticing one: how about a deep, downloadable RPG from the creators of Mutant Mudds and Bomb Monkey, with an Animal Crossing-like aesthetic and Paper Mario-inspired active turn-based combat? It seems like those ingredients would come together to make Planet Crashers an attractive package. That may have been the problem, though; with such a strong premise, it seems like there just wasn’t enough thought put into making everything work like it should, and the result is a game with too many rough spots and no clear audience. READ MORE
