2020 – A Year In Review

So eh… yeah, I skipped every possible article this year. COVID terror, lockdown, lot of work, (non-COVID) hospital stay and ultimately moving house made me eat lot of time this year. After all, it’s not so bad to review all of it at once, right?

Ys IX Monstrum Nox (PS4)

As it was my second favorite game of 2019, you’d suspect there’s a very high mark here. From storytelling to quest system, Ys IX is a truly enjoyable Action-RPG that also puts an admirable effort in its (very large) character cast. From Adol to the smallest NPC, everyone you meet in Ys IX has an incredible personality and all this together forms a colorful and memorable new Ys Universe.

Persona 5 Royal (PS4)

This needs no introduction. The very best JRPG of the PS4 generation comes back with added content, but late added content. Sadly enough, I need to wait until you’ve finished the Persona 5 part order to add Su… eh, Kasumi as permanent member. This is a hundred hours of doing it all over, but the other surprise guest in the Royal part might make it worth the trouble.

Sakura Wars (PS4)

Sega more or less ruined the comeback of Sakura Taisen here. It’s more difficult to make a great action game than a decent Strategy-RPG. Sakura Wars PS4 could easily have been a decent SRPG, but in the end became a terrible action game. Combat is horrendous and boring. The dating part was cool though, as well as music, graphics and Tokyo’s historic look. A partially fun game that can be interesting at a reduced price.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

A ray of light in the heart of the COVID scare. SquareEnix did a near perfect job in reviving the most iconic Playstation JRPG. They kept everything that made the legend of FFVII over the years, and didn’t try to tone it down, westernize it or worse, make it look even a tiny bit like FFXV. There’s guenuine RPG gameplay, ridiculous mini-games, fuzzy sidequests, eccentric characters… In other words, Final Fantasy creators have not forgotten what a JRPG is. That alone, is the greatest thing in 2020 gaming.

Death end re;Quest 2 (PS4)

After clearing this game, I do believe it is the beginning of the end and Death of Compile Heart. Death end re;Quest 2 has been utterly tame in its horror aspect, that is to say its main aspect. Illustrations have been toned down and don’t look especially frightening anymore. Gameplay is a sub-version of the previous system, character development is pitifully wrong and story doesn’t even feel like it happens in the same universe as Death end re;Quest 1. I don’t think we can expect anything anymore from a company that wastes half of its time porting old games instead of putting real effort in the new ones.

Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris (PS4)

What went wrong there, seriously? It was the chosen one in the long saga of SAO games and just miserably failed to offer a entertaining experience. SAOAL has a really big and fascinating Xenoblade-like world, but full of tedious mandatory quests, boring combat full of duplicate characters when they absolutely HAD to translate the uniqueness of SAO Underworld. I hear there’s still tons of DLC planned but, seriously, who will even care now? Fairy Tail was so massively superior that they could as well rethink their way of doing stuff and get to something else.

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4)

I’m very glad the consensus went so positive about it. 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is the best and most clever storytelling I’ve seen in quite some time. True, it’s not very difficult and the battle graphics are unimpressive, but the gameplay had something deeply fun into it. The aesthetitics of 80’s Tokyo are as as charming as the characters. A great exclusive I recommend to anyone who’s into Japanese gaming.

Persona 5 Strikers (PS4)

A year with double ration of Persona 5 can’t be that bad. Atlus knew that people wanted more Persona 5 and they gave it : the true and marvelous Persona 5 sequel which brillantly extends the pleasure. OK, you won’t have the stellar turn-based system, but instead you have a stellar Action-RPG system. So there zero reason to complain about the “Warriorization” of P5S. It’s an absolutely fantastic continuation of Persona 5, true the Persona spirit.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War (PS5)

I had been very curious about Black Ops Cold War from the very first teaser. It turned out that Activision delivered exactly what was promised : a fascinating historic experience and a deep dive into the Cold War era. It definitely has one of the greatest (best or second-best I’d say) COD campaign. It’s very innovative including puzzles, infiltration, choices and… sidequests! The multiplayer is enjoyable as well, even though far still from the Battlefield level of awesomeness.

Press Round-up – Autumn 2019

Reviews posted on VGChartz from July to December 2019. Click on the titles to access the reviews.

Catherine Full Body (PSVita)

I kinda forgot this column after summer but then I realized that Catherine had been my only review at that time. So we’re going to do the second half of the year in one article. Catherine Full Body is one of the top games of the year, as a clever mix between visual novel and puzzle game (although its horrible difficulty has been a big problem). Nevertheless, it’s extremely well written and fun. I’d recommend to play it even if it’s just for the story and the multiple endings. The Vita version was very good, a shame it never made it West.

Atelier Ryza (PS4)

Third Atelier in just one year. Pretty tough job… Gust had talked big on how they would stop rehashing stuff. That was partially true, as the alchemy and battle system were truly renewed and made even more efficient and interesting. Still, they didn’t fix the flaws on storytelling and character development : most of the cast is downright shallow and the constant childish whining at the beginning was next to unbearable. Although it was arguably a good RPG, I don’t understand the all-out praise about it. Firis or Nelke were 100 times better.

GRIS (PS4)

I burst out in delight when it was announced. More proof that Nintendo is actively giving out subsidies to developers in order to hurt the Playstation brand and hamper the competition as much as they can. Going back to GRIS, it is a visually stunning platformer, with interesting puzzle elements and heart-breaking atmosphere. It’s not very long but you will remember it all your life.

My games of the year 2019 (GoTY 2019)

Best Action game

Devil May Cry 5 (PS4)

After leaving the series for many years, Devil May Cry 5 has been a great pleasure because it is modern and quite nostalgic at the same time. Graphics and animation are splendid, it revives good old memories while improving the gameplay with three fantastic characters and tons of great boss fights.

Runner-up : none

Best Racing game

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (PS4)

True gem of the first Playstation, Crash Team Racing is back to teach a lesson to Mario Kart on how karting is to be made for core gamers. Modern graphics don’t mean the gameplay is changed : it’s as technical, intense and fun as it was 20 years ago.

Runner-up : none

Best Fighting game

Dead or Alive 6 (PS4)

Dead or Alive 6 doesn’t revolutionize anything but by simply keeping unmatched qualities (fair-play, high-precision gameplay, lots of counters), it stays the best one and brings an enjoyable story mode.

Runner-up : none

Best RPG

Ys IX Monstrum Nox (PS4)

With Ys IX Monstrum Nox, Falcom proves once more that they know the true spirit of JRPG. Delightful by its tremendous wealth of characters, Ys IX also conducts is narrative in an efficient way, and eventually concludes on a beautiful epilogue. The action-RPG gameplay is still one of the best in the field, and you can enjoy it through countless boss battles.

Runner-up : Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! Kibô no Meikyu to Tsudoishi Bôkenshatachi (PSVita)

Best Strategy/Puzzle game

Fire Emblem 3 Houses (Switch)

With Fire Emblem Three Houses, the series proves again its mastery in building a enjoyable gameplay architecture and an intense challenge. The changes made to “help” the mainstream audience don’t negatively affect the game, but rather make the though missions even more delighting. Fire Emblem Three Houses takes the genre to new heights.

Runner-up : Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists

Best music

Shin Sakura Taisen (PS4)

While Shin Sakura Taisen kinda fails as an action-RPG, such is not the case of its lovely soundtrack. Character themes are so remarkable that I can never have enough of it. The rest of the tracklist is very good too, especially the few songs by top Japanese idols.

Runner-up : 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4) & Ys IX Monstrum Nox (PS4)

Best narrative

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4)

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim has by far the most complex story I’ve seen this year (and I’m not even done with it). The mix between time travel, alien invasion, conspiracy and betrayal make it a truly fascinating and enjoyable narrative. The way it is told is also innovative since you can choose the order in which you see it.

Runner-up : Ys IX Monstrum Nox (PS4) & Fire Emblem 3 Houses (Switch)

Best design

GRIS (PS4)

GRIS is my indy gem of the year. The use of geometrical form is groundbreaking, the symetry is harmonious, the zooming in/zooming is clever and the quest for primary colors give the impression of an interactive art gallery.

Runner-up : 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4) & Ys IX Monstrum Nox (PS4)

Best graphics

Devil May Cry 5 (PS4)

Devil May Cry 5 is a technical prowess in its intense fighting (especially with V) and in its greater universe : Capcom has given is breathtaking sceneries and a great post-apocalyptic world. Shin Sakura Taisen deserves praise as well, Sega having delivered a truly modern visual novel full of adorable character reactions and impressive mecha scenes.

Runner-up : Shin Sakura Taisen (PS4)

Most disappointing

Atelier Lulua (PS4)

To be honest, Atelier Lulua feels like the con of the year. The “return to Arland” was nothing but a smokescreen. Beloved characters were left out or transformed into late DLC, the Arland lore turned into a few anecdotes while a soporific tale was taking place among shallow protagonists. Let’s hope that Gust has learned all the lesson from this disgrace.

Runner-up : Crystar (PS4)

Game of the Year

Fire Emblem 3 Houses (Switch)

The greatest series take the time before delivering their latest installment, in order to maximize the game experience. Fire Emblem is one of those series and it is no coincidence if Fire Emblem Three Houses becomes my GOTY 2019 after Fire Emblem Fates in 2015. Great and rich narrative, wild maps, tons of lovable characters, relevant gameplay tweaks… this new game brings JRPG players to nirvana level of enjoyment.

Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists

Ys IX Monstrum Nox

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim

Most anticipated games of 2018

Fate Extella Link (PS4/PSVita)

How great to see Marvelous keeping Vita version for Fate Extella Link ! PS4 version obviously getting a huge graphical overhaul, it was far from guaranteed. But yes, we’ll be able to fight for the holy Grail in cross-play, with new fun or classy characters like cute Astolfo or sexy Sacthach. There’s even a full Mah-Jong game in the limited edition !!

Girls und Panzers Dream Tank Match (PS4)

Girls und Panzers on PSVita already being a good adaptation, I’m looking forward to experiencing the same sensations in a prettier, smoother and richer PS4 entry. Girls und Panzers Dream Tank Match features all the characters, all the tanks and all the battles from the movie, all this also in multiplayer.

Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet (PS4)

At long last ! Three years… I’ve been waiting 3 years for an SAO game taking place in the fantastic universe of Gun Gale Online, featured in the Phantom Bullet arc. I’m gonna be able to SNIPE at will as Shinon or the original avatar. Because Bamco finally understood that the player wants maximum choice : you’ll have Kirito and his friends plus an original character to create yourself, who’s gonna have its own story. Artworks looks extremely promising and multiplayer should be implemented again. It’s time for SAO to be back on top.

Senran Kagura Burst Renewal (PS4)

Thanks to Senran Kagura Burst Renewal, we’ll almost be able to wipe the series history clean of Nintendo systems. The founding game telling the story of the first two ninja schools is being remade for PS4 in splendid 3D and 60 fps, with redesigned menus.

Shining Resonance Refrain (PS4)

Clearly no one expected Shining Resonance to show up again. And when you think it’s coming back with a whole new scenario in which you have Jenuis and Excella from the start, the hype goes high ! The story would need to be re-written entirely, and I’m curious to see how.

Death End Request (PS4)

Compile Heart is in dire straits. Sales keep dwindling, new ideas and skillfullness lack clearly. Their last hope is Nanameda Kei, Compile’s new star illustrator, and the Galapagos RPG team. Taking place in an MMORPG from where the heroine Shiina cannot escape, Death End Request seems to be the innovative and deep title the company needs, not to mention it respects Compile’s spirit.

Caligula Overdose (PS4)

Yet another remaster with additional content, but this one is interesting : adding to new friends and foes, Caligula Overdose includes an “if story” in which you’re gonna side with the opposing gakushi, and explore their personalities as you did for your allies.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4)

Was it all a bad dream ? I kind remember playing a failed Action-RPG called Valkyria one year ago… Yeah, that was surely a dream. Valkyria Chronicles, the real one, is coming back like it has ever been, in an episode featuring the missions of the Atlantic Federation (you know, the diplomats trying to lure you in the first game) against the Empire in snowy lands. Game system, battle system… everything is inherited from the original Valkyria Chronicles (they understood that it was better not to change anything) and characters seem charismatic. This means a big 14’000¥ collector’s edition for me.

Soul Calibur VI (PS4)

SoulCalibur’s return was sure desired, but less expected. But still we’re gonna be able to cross swords a 6^th time. Namco has mention some ideas about reboot and “simplicity”. Quite not what I want to hear but they did a good job with Tekken, so that should go well…

Catherine Full Body (PS4/PSVita)

This wasn’t expected either, even less on PSVita. Thanks to that handheld version, I’ll be able to experience that strange dating/puzzle game. Vincent, a unresolved young man, spends his days in a bar where a girl called Catherine tries to seduce him. During the night, Vincent is trapped in his dreams, in which he must escape by climbing a sort of Jenga tower ! A clear UFO that will be perfect for commuting.

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4/PSVita)

Let’s say it again, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim has the potential to become the next 2D adventure masterpiece thanks to its incomparable atmosphere. A handful of high-schoolers must act before and after the end of the world, helped by strange mechas. With time and choice parameters, it looks absolutely outstanding.

Final Fantasy XV (PS4)

Final Fantasy XV development is going smoothly according to SquareEnix, who publishes Active Time Reports on a regular basis.There will be an early access version on PC in a few weeks, with only 4 playable characters (not the best ones). Probably SquareEnix will polish the game at this occasion, before hopefully giving all the information on the final version.

Zanki Zero (PS4/PSVita)

Quite austere Survival-RPG, Zanki Zero was back at TGS with new interesting hints. As developers had already shown, the characters should age, and there seem to be some strange resurrection mechanic… Well, the fate of those 8 survivalists is still shrouded in mystery.

The Legend of Heroes Trails of Cold Steel IV (PS4)

Trails of Cold Steel IV is a nightmare for Western fans of The Legend of Heroes (you, actually). The first pictures are potential huge spoilers about Trails of Cold Steel III and they’re being shared everywhere in the world as we speak. But of course, for me and Japanese fans, those informations are highly valuable for knowing what to expect.

Granblue Fantasy Re-link (PS4)

The gameplay video of Granblue Fantasy Relink surprised pretty much everyone. No one expected such high end graphics and exciting action. We should have though, because the people behind this are the geniuses of Platinum Games. Although the talented developer seem to stay on Nintendo’s side, we’ll gladly take such epic heroic-fantasy, especially since it will be in VR too.

I’m also waiting for Persona 5 Dancing Star Night (PS4/PSVita), Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night (PS4/PSVita), Project Lux (PSVR), Ace Combat 7 (PS4), Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (PS4), Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4), Ni no Kuni II Revenant Kingdom (PS4), Code Vein (PS4), Senran Kagura 7EVEN (PS4), World End Syndrome (PSVita) and Bullet Girls Phantasia (PS4/PSVita).

A look back at some E3 2017 videos

Transference (PSVR)

Only game to have drawn my attention during conferences, Transference is a intriguing UGO from Ubisoft. The publisher takes neurological experiences conducted in the late 90’s as base. It was about transferring human emotions into a digital space. By reflecting that in virtual reality, the French company lets us expect a mystical and deeply frightening experience.

Gran Turismo Sport (PS4)

With its Jurassic Park-like music, Gran Turismo Sport comes to reminds us that racing simulation is not just about teraflops. It’s also about impressive racing tracks, joyful atmosphere, great music and lavish show. As many aspects that Sony’s exclusive won’t lack when facing Forza 7.

Code Vein (PS4/XB1/PC)

Not very different from the trailer of last month, Code Vein’s trailer (strangely shown during Microsoft conference, BandaiNamco will have a lot of explaining to do at home) still’s worth a glimpse. It’s kind of a God Eater of darker design and world, with slower but more powerful gameplay. But more than that, the giant leap in graphics and animation is especially exciting.

13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4/PSVita)

Announced two years ago, we still don’t know what 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is for sure. Atlus brings it to E3 without even giving detail on its platforms or its genre… We therefore have to kill time watching this beautiful trailer until the publisher finally reveals everything. The music has a striking sense of grandeur, and the devastated and soulless Earth is intriguing.

Review – Caligula

Furyu isn’t giving up. Despite the flop of Lost Dimension, the small publisher signs again on PSVita with a new original RPG with tactical elements. The decent success of Caligula in Japan (50K copies shipped) and the reception of Lost Dimension in the West (freshly released on PC) urges Atlus to bring it to us under the name of The Caligula Effect.

Caligula’s beginning is pretty sudden : the main character finds himself in an unknown school, in the middle of a ceremony where he doesn’t recognize anybody. Startled, he tries to flee but comes across a student with a grotesque face. He quickly understands that he’s not in the real world any more, and will meet a strange group of students calling themselves the kitakubu. Those young men and girls a little cleverer than the rest, aware that this world they are in is pure illusion, are seeking a way to go back to reality. Kitaku litteraly means “going back home” : great pun since kitakubu generally describes students who don’t belong to any school club, thus going back home directly after class.

Those boys and girls have a special power called Catharsis Effect, metamorphosis that will alter their look almost as much as their enemies. The Catharsis Effect is a symbol of Caligula’s general design, purposely dark because based on layers of grey, all that so as to match with the main themes which are death and illusion. This trance gives them the strength to accomplish their goal : kill μ (pronounce “Mew”), the creator of this false world called Moebius.

But before reaching μ, you’ll need to defeat the fearsome gakushi who approve this world and help keeping it running by composing music. Μ is a female AI singer who lures students by singing. Every villain, every dungeon has its own music. And not some random music because Caligula is actually making a allegory of Hatsune Miku : every track is made of Vocaloid music. For this, Furyu has made a deal with famous Vocaloid artists like CosMo@暴走P and 蝶々P who had work on Project Diva F. Distorted Happiness by CosMo@暴走P has actually accents close to its Sadistic Music Factory in Project Diva F. That gives to Atlus’s game a powerful soundtrack that makes fights dynamic, notably Sin and Cosmo Dancer. Even more impressively, the lyrics actually fit the personality of the boss. The only black mark on Caligula’s musical record is that it chooses the slowest rhythm at the beginning, which doesn’t help getting into the game.

But Caligula’s greatest quality is its remarkably well written story. It deals with extremely serious topics (illness, loneliness, professional future…), but the point is the thinking behind it, because Caligula calls out to the player through the debates between the heroes and the gakushi. Those conversations ask relevant questions : do virtual worlds and social networks cut us from reality too much? Is reality necessarily better that fiction? Caligula does an impressive job raising those social issues and it’s fascinating from back to front. Despite the weak graphics, the general direction is clever enough (very good camera work for example) to deliver a great narrative. The somewhat disturbing design here again gives a strong effect to the events, and makes the game unique. You will remember it all your life.

Like any Persona-like, all our friends have their own story divided in various chapters throughout the game. Those might be side stories, they’re as well told if not better than the main scenario for they include huge surprises and a certain suspense. Like in the rest of the narrative, the clever writing goes along with an equally clever use of humor : the jokes that the characters are throwing at each other are excellent. Beside the main characters, the game allows you to recruit any NPC in your party, feature already used by the developer Aquria for Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment for example. But given those NPCs are duplicates of your own partners in terms of abilities, that option quickly turns out to be meaningless.

Progression system is where Furyu’s system gets far less impressive. Dungeons come one after another is a very linear way, without any side-quest or activity to unwind. That lack of overall content wouldn’t be bothering if Caligula had interesting dungeons or a good game structure, which is unfortunately not the case. Caligula is in fact a corridor-game plagued with uninspired level design and very unclear maps. Those maps are often nothing more that a long chain of battles before reaching the boss. It’s pretty easy to get lost in those areas, and to lose patience because of the great number of enemies in the tiny corridors. The very last stage is symptomatic of this : it features nearly identical sectors with no clear landmark, driving you crazy in no time. I mean, I’m OK with mazes and searching in JRPGs, but progression here was more tiring than motivating. Tech performance makes things worse because of excessively long loadings, outdated modeling, painful frame-rate and unacceptable freezes for an 1.05 version…

With such tiresome progression, Caligula had better provide enjoyable fighting. It indeed really succeeds in that department, Furyu giving us here an ATB/turn-based system capable of chaining attacks like you’ve never seen. First important thing : it shows you the future. When choosing your next move, you have an indication of what type of behavior the enemy will take, allowing you to adapt your strategy. Depending on the type of offensive coming, you’ll have to choose from different counters to get the upper hand. Once you’ve started a counterattack, you can build complex combos by throwing opponents in the air (and then use moves with aerial bonuses) or onto the ground (and launch moves effective against downed enemies). On the other hand, the timing to chain powerful moves is tricky and you’ll have to adjust the start of your turn on the ATB line to get your attack bonus. Fortunately, the time stops at this moment so that you can think and decide carefully. By the way, you can stop the action manually anytime if you want to take classy screenshots.

Last but not least, all enemies have a “risk” level that makes them increasingly dangerous. But it’s first and foremost an important gameplay leverage because your attacks benefit from the risk level of the opponent in front of you : Mifue for example will only be able to use her moves if the enemy is of risk 2,3 or more. Similarly, some overdrive attacks can be used only when the enemy has reached risk level 5, the highest. Building the perfect is thoroughly enjoyable and you never get enough of it, all the more true that the game grants you some little appraisal (Cool, Stylish, etc.) like Devil May Cry in its time. As much as the battle system is brilliant, the challenge isn’t always satisfying as bosses lack aggressiveness. Actually, only groups of enemies are tricky to defeat.

Caligula is as fascinating as it is wobbly in its structure and technics. That’s the kind of game you will inevitably remember for its writing/artistic qualities and innovating features features, despite having raged on the irritating dungeons. A rather good Persona-like all things considered, and a definite step forward for Furyu, who said they are working on that base for a future title.