My most disappointing games of 2020

According to my notes, I played 44 games in 2020. (Yes, I keep notes on the games I play.) Not all to completion, of course, though I did finish a good number of them.

I loved most of them, too, as those of you who follow me on Twitter probably know. Some pleasantly surprised me. And while I can't say I downright hated any of them, I can say a small handful—the ones discussed in this post—disappointed me. Here's why.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

I know, I know—I must be one of the few people in the world who found Animal Crossing: New Horizons disappointing. Especially since it's not like I'm a newcomer to the series. I've played, and loved, every single entry. Yes, even City Folk. Also, I put just under 100 hours into New Horizons before I walked away from it early last summer, so I must've liked a thing or two about it, right?

I did, actually. It's easily the best looking Animal Crossing game around, or at least the cleanest looking. (I personally prefer the chunky, chibi-esque aesthetic of the original release, but I'm odd like that.) Its soundtrack is wonderful, too—though I once again hesitate to flat-out declare it the series' best.

Another feather in Animal Crossing: New Horizons' cap is it gives players more to do than ever before. Loads of people love that, of course, but I can't help but think it's chiefly responsible for souring me on the game. (Also helping matters: the animal villagers in this iteration seem to have less personality and less to say than they did in earlier ones.)

You see, I've long wished the series would go in the opposite direction—streamlining and simplifying things so the overall experience is more tranquil and languid. I know I could just ignore all of the busywork New Horizons throws my way, but that's easier said than done. Plus, it makes up the bulk of the game's content; I get the feeling giving it a cold shoulder might transform what remains into a snooze-fest.

In the end, I decided Animal Crossing: New Horizons just wasn't for me. No hard feelings, and all that. Oh, well. At least I didn't shelve it with my nose wrinkled in disgust like I did with two other games discussed here (Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, in particular).

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends (PS4, Switch)

I guess I should've known 4 Friends would be yet another crappy Bubble Bobble sequel. What was the last acceptable Bubble Bobble title, after all—1996's Bubble Memories?

Regardless, I bought a physical copy of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends hoping for the best. Clearly that didn't pan out. Although it doesn't look awful in early screenshots and video clips, it's dreadfully and depressingly boring when you actually play through it yourself.

Visually, it reminds me of Super Bomberman R. Which is to say it resembles its full-of-character predecessors, but only at a glance. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that most of what made the earlier releases so charming has been power-washed from existence and replaced with dull imitations.

This is true not only of Bub, Bob, and the game's selection of baddies, by the way, but of its backdrops, too. The same component of the classic original release may have been on the stark side, but they were still both colorful and comely. In Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, they're frankly hard to tell apart. How someone could make a new Bubble Bobble without going wild on whimsical backgrounds is beyond me.

Sadly, the gameplay offered up in 4 Friends doesn't even begin to compensate for its uninspired graphics. Controlling the dynamic dragon duo just doesn't feel right. It often feels slow and sluggish—or, the polar opposite of this title's quarter-munching precursor.

Popping bubbles is even worse. The shimmering globules of gas and liquid that traditionally serve as both weapons and stepping stones in this series seem almost unbreakable here. That screwed up my go-to strategies so much that it all but ruined the rest of the game for me.

The only reason I soldiered on and finished Bubble Bobble 4 Friends was that it took me just two hours to reach its credit roll. Had it taken any longer, I surely would've dropped it like a hot potato right around that same milestone.

Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

I played Kirby Mass Attack after playing Hey! Pikmin. This is noteworthy because the two titles boast surprisingly similar gameplay that combines tactical thinking and puzzle solving with side-scrolling platforming. Unfortunately for Kirby Mass Attack, Hey! Pikmin does all of those things better—or at least it does them in ways that are actually fun.

That's too bad, because the idea of Kirby Mass Attack is a good one. Controlling multiple (up to 10) Kirby clones using your system's stylus and touch screen is intriguing—at first. Unfortunately, those intriguing controls lose a lot of their luster over the course of this DS title's overly long stages. The vast majority of them go on and on, as does the adventure that encapsulates them. This one-two combo thoroughly dampened my enthusiasm for Kirby Mass Attack—so much so it took me several months to complete. (And it's only about a 10-hour game.)

The thing is, Kirby Mass Attack could have been so much more compelling. The handful of surfing and tank stages offered up here are not only brilliantly entertaining, but delightfully brief. Sadly, they're the exception, not the rule.

In the end, I doubt I'll ever play through Kirby Mass Attack again. A shame, as every aspect of it suggests it should be a great game. Which it is, I guess; it's just not an enjoyable one.

Mad Rat Dead (PS4, Switch)

OK, this is a weird one to include here. Even weirder than Animal Crossing: New Horizons, in fact. How so? Well, I finished Mad Rat Dead, for starters. Also, I spent more than 10 hours with it along the way. And the cherry on top: I actually enjoyed—even loved—the overall experience.

All that said, Mad Rad Dead, which is one part side-scrolling platformer and one part rhythm game, regularly pissed me off. To the point that I often worried I might break my Switch in half over my knee, or maybe slam it into the nearest wall.

What about Mad Rat Dead caused such aggravation and anger? The gist is that it's difficult. Often brutally and cheaply so. There were numerous occasions during my playthrough when I thought I'd never successfully complete a certain section of a stage. I eventually did, but every time I swore under my breath that hell would freeze over before I'd attempt them again.

Of course, I only got through those seemingly impossible stage sections by using—over and over again—Mad Rat Dead's rewind function. It's a nice option to have, especially in a tough game like this, but it comes with some pitfalls, too. As in, constantly dying and rewinding kills the flow of the game. That wouldn't be such a big deal if this were a typical platformer, but the platforming in Mad Rat Dead is closely tied to the title's background music. Mad Rat Dead is at its best and most enjoyable when you're in a groove, dashing, jumping, and smacking baddies to the beat. That high takes a hit whenever you croak, and if you're anything like me, you'll croak a bunch while playing this quirky Nippon Ichi Software release.

If only Nippon Ichi's developers had thought to, or been able to, include an easy mode. That alone would've made Mad Rat Dead a lot less disappointing for me. Granted, I'm still glad I bought and finished it, and I even have strangely fond memories of the experience, but I'd be more glad if it had been a less halting and harrowing affair.

See also: my most disappointing games of 2019

My 'pleasant surprise' games of 2020

Given my oft-positive attitude toward this hobby, you might assume I approach every video game with the expectation that I'll at least somewhat enjoy it.

In fact, I go into a lot of games with fairly low expectations in that regard.

The games highlighted here are prime examples. For various reasons, I was wary of them before I pressed start for the first time. In the end, though, I adored each one.

What prompted that wariness, and how did I turn it into adoration? Read on for all the juicy details.

Again (DS)

Considering my love of now-defunct game developer CiNG's other releases for the Nintendo DS—Trace Memory, Hotel Dusk: Room 215, and the latter title's sequel, Last Window—you could be forgiven for thinking I've owned a copy of this similar, Kemco-published offering since I first became aware of it.

In reality, I only bought Again a few months ago. I'd previously dragged my feet because numerous folks whose opinions I respect warned me that it doesn't hold a candle to the other CiNG-made mysteries namechecked above.

Although the aforementioned friends were right that Again isn't as stellar as CiNG's earlier efforts, it's still pretty great. The art style and soundtrack aren't as resplendent as the same components are in, say, Hotel Dusk, but they're hardly repulsive. On the contrary, I actually like the J.B. Harold Murder Club vibes Again gives off visually, and the worst I can say about its background music is that it's "fitting."

As such, I'd personally recommend Again to anyone who, like me, enjoyed Hotel Dusk or Last Window, in particular. It lacks some of the brilliance of CiNG's more highly praised products, but it comes close enough to those highs—and provides a few pleasant tweaks of its own—to be well worth your money and time if you've got even a little interest.

Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers (Switch)

Unlike some of the other games discussed here, Destiny Connect intrigued me from the word go. Those positive feelings toward it dissipated in the run-up to its release, though, thanks to several previews that suggested it was a bit of a stinker. Still, I persevered and maintained my pre-order.

Shortly after I got around to putting it through its paces last fall, I nearly sprained my shoulder patting myself on the back for that prescience. Destiny Connect is one of the sweetest RPGs I've ever played. Nearly every aspect of it makes you think wistfully about your childhood—especially if that childhood was spent in the US. It feels vaguely EarthBound-ish in that way.

Does this mean Destiny Connect is an overlooked classic in the making? Not quite. The time-traveling story has its moments, but it also tends toward being disappointingly juvenile. Battles can be fun, due in large part to a customizable robot named Issac, but they can be repetitive, too. Speaking of repetitive, Destiny Connect takes place in and around a single town. As such, you get to know it really well during the 20 or so hours you spend with the game. Some might feel like they get to know it a little too well, if you get my drift.

All that said, I'm glad I took a chance on Destiny Connect. Not only that, but I'm fairly sure I'll make my way through it again down the road. I found it unexpectedly winsome, and the soundtrack was far better than it had any right to be. That, combined with its relatively short length, all but ensure at least one future replay.

Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (Switch)

I was thrilled when I heard Disaster Report 4 was coming to the Switch. I'd long wanted to give this much-ballyhooed series a try, but the PS2 has never been my cup of tea and the PSP entry is a Japan-only no-no for me. Then I heard the Switch port was a blurry, choppy mess.

Still, I held my ground. I'm no stranger to games with frame-rate issues, especially, so I could handle whatever Disaster Report 4 dared to throw at me, right? I could, in the end, but I've also got to admit the often-molasses-slow action tested my resolve more than I anticipated.

Thankfully, Disaster Report 4 is far from an action-packed game. The bulk of your time in it is spent walking around sections of the fictitious Hisui City, talking with its citizens, and even helping some of them when you can. You're rarely asked to do anything that requires quick thinking or reflexes, which goes a long way toward making the regular frame-rate drops (some might call them plummets) less aggravating.

Helping matters even more is that the story in Disaster Report 4 is surprisingly captivating. It alone made up for the game's many shortcomings for me, in fact. Which I think says a lot, considering just how janky every other component of this title can be at any given time.

Hey! Pikmin (3DS)

Hey! Pikmin is another of those games that the masses warned me against buying or playing. I tend to ignore such warnings, though, and instead make up my own mind about games that interest me. And Hey! Pikmin interested me from the moment it was revealed, let there be no confusion about that. I know it's not a mainline sequel and strays far from the series' roots, but I liked the look of it and so picked up a copy shortly after its 2017 release.

As is sadly typical of me, I didn't boot it up for the first time until many months later—in early 2020, to be more specific. What I encountered as I ambled my way through its plethora of side-scrolling, puzzle-filled stages made me wonder how Hey! Pikmin could be so hated. Not only does it sound and look great, with graphics that have a lovely watercolor tinge to them, but its gameplay is equal parts engaging and enjoyable. This isn't a fast-paced platformer a la Mario; it's slower, more thoughtful, and that lets you savor everything in a way that's difficult to do when the scenery is racing by as it does in speedier examples of the genre.

Honestly, the only criticism I can hurl at Hey! Pikmin is that it chugs now and then. The slowdown here is nothing like it is in, say, Disaster Report 4, though. Most seasoned game fans will barely notice it.

So, my comment to anyone who has even a passing interesting in Hey! Pikmin—and still has a working 3DS—is to grab a copy and give it a go with an open mind. I think it'll pleasantly surprise you, too.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

I'm one of those annoying cranks who loved the first two Paper Mario games and then hated every additional sequel that came after. As a result, I started The Origami King with the lowest of expectations. Actually, I almost didn't start it, period, as I got it nearly five months after it released—and even then only because my mom bought it for me as a birthday gift.

Paper Mario: The Origami King provides a good first impression, thankfully. Had it not, I would've hustled away from it and never looked back just like I did after spending a disappointing handful of hours with Sticker Star and Super Paper Mario. Which isn't to suggest that the entirety of The Origami King's opening salvo is hunky-dory. Its puzzle-centric, turn-based battles are unique yet annoying early on—and take their sweet time to become anything close to pleasurable. Boss fights are better in this regard, but they also frequently feel like obstacles that need to be overcome rather than events that should be enjoyed.

The good news here is you can avoid the vast majority of non-boss tussles. Doing so allows you to savor every other delightful element of this effervescent RPG, like its jaw-dropping, craft-heavy visuals, its subtly amazing OST, and its witty-as-always between-character banter.

Pokémon Shield (Switch)

Pokémon may seem like a series I'd love to pieces, but the fact is I'd only ever finished two of its many entries—one being the original version of Pokémon Red and the other being Let's Go, Eevee!—before Pokémon Shield came into my life. I've played a few other Pokémon games than this trio, of course, but dropped all of them within a few hours for reasons I couldn't even begin to recount.

Given that and the general online pissiness that preceded Pokémon Shield s launch, I almost passed on this latest mainline release entirely. I can't remember why I eventually did a 180, but I'm glad I did. Shield captivated me from the word go. I found its British-inspired setting enchanting, for starters. I also had a positive reaction to the raid encounters the game introduced.

The aspect of Pokémon Shield that most grabbed me, though, was the new "Wild Area." No joke: I could spend all day in this open-world addition to the series, thanks to the changing weather and similarly dynamic mix of collectible 'mons.

I know a lot of Pokémon fans found Shield (and its companion, Sword) disappointing, but I couldn't have had a better time with it. And that's saying something, as I devoted more than 80 hours to its amiable adventure before calling it a day.

Super Princess Peach (DS)

Technically, my November playthrough of Super Princess Peach wasn't my first. I previously experienced its cheery and colorful world in 2007. Because I didn't much like the game at that time (or, um, in 2011), I quickly erased it from my memory bank.

After randomly encountering some screenshots of it early last year, I decided to give Super Princess Peach another chance. This time around, my response to it couldn't have been more agreeable. I especially appreciated Peach's extensive repertoire of moves. Yes, even the semi-questionable (sexist) "vibe" moves.

Speaking of which, Super Princess Peach simply feels good to play. Controlling Peach is a joy. Watching her bounce and flounce around each pastel-plastered stage is a joy, too. There's a sort of comic-book quality to the visuals here that is beyond charming and puts New Super Mario Bros' comparably uninspired aesthetics to shame.

Although Super Princess Peach can be a bit too straightforward for its own good, I didn't find it to be such a cakewalk as to be boring or not worth my time. The game is fairly Yoshi- or even Kirby-esque in that way—and being analogous to those classics is rarely a negative, in my experience.

See also: my favorite games of 2020 and my favorite games of 2020 that weren't released in 2020

My favorite games of 2020 that weren't actually released in 2020

Although I recently declared Moon, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and Void Terrarium to be my favorite games of 2020, the truth of the matter is I had an even better time with the trio of pre-2020 titles highlighted here.

Combined, I devoted nearly 170 hours to Raging Loop, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, and The World Ends With You. That alone should make it clear just how much I adored them. But why did I adore them? Keep reading to find out.

Raging Loop (PC, PS4, Switch)

Visual novels, VNs to those in the know, can be hard sells for folks who aren't fans of the genre. I know that all too well. It took me a long time to come around to these interactive books myself—and even now my experiences with them tend to be hit or miss.

What made the difference for me and Raging Loop? I'd say its horror-tinged story and rural-Japanese setting played key roles. So did its distinct and well-developed characters. Most important of all, though, was the tension this Kemco-made game introduced at the outset and then steadily built upon over time as its Werewolf-inspired mystery progressed toward its thrilling conclusion.

Will you enjoy Raging Loop if you tend to dislike VNs or scary stuff? I doubt it, to be brutally honest. That said, if it intrigues you at all, I'd highly recommend giving it a try—especially if you come across it during a sale. 

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions (Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch)

Akitoshi Kawazu's SaGa games are known for taking the RPG genre to all sorts of weird and wonderful places, but Scarlet Grace: Ambitions takes the cake in that regard. For starters, although you and your intrepid party explore a world map just like you would if you were playing a standard RPG, that's all you explore in SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. There are towns and dungeons here, but you don't enter them; instead, you peruse their "contents" (for lack of a better word) via a menu. In the former, that can mean chatting up a local or checking out a shop's wares, while in the latter, it typically means engaging in one or more battles.

Speaking of battles, they're both the focus and the highlight of SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. As well they should. They're brilliantly strategic, not to mention addictive. The main hook is that your actions can alter a fight's timeline, and if you manage to defeat a baddie positioned between two (groups of) party members, you're compensated with what can be a tide-turning "United Attack." Your opponents play by the same rules, though, so there's a risk-reward element to this SaGa's turn-based fights that keeps you on your toes.

Beyond these tussles, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions offers those who tackle it a magnificent OST (composed by Kenji Ito), a multitude of recruitable characters, and the kind of impressively—and sometimes befuddlingly—open-ended adventure that has been this series' calling card since day one.

The World Ends With You (DS)

The World Ends With You is the kind of game that makes you wonder what the Dragon Quest and, especially, Final Fantasy series could become if the suits at Square Enix let loose a bit. Almost everything about this action RPG makes you raise your eyebrows in appreciation: the stylized visuals, the modern setting, and the impressively eclectic soundtrack, especially. 

The frantic, dual-screened battles bedazzle, too—though they just as often bewilder. As exhilarating as controlling and otherwise keeping track of two characters can be, it can be exasperating as well. Still, once the fights in The World Ends With You click with you, they almost feel transcendent. When's the last time you said that about Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy—or any other JRPG, really?

Honorable mentions:

• Again (DS)
• Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers (PS4, Switch)
• Hey! Pikmin (3DS)
• Pokemon Shield (Switch)
• Yomawari: Night Alone (PC, Switch, Vita)

See also: my favorite games of 2019 that weren't released in 2019

My favorite games of 2020: Moon, The Origami King, and Void Terrarium

I've spent most of 2020 ping-ponging between feeling terrified and traumatized. One of the few areas of my life that has bucked that trend over the last 12 or so months has been the time I've devoted to video games.

In fact, I've both played and enjoyed more games in 2020 than I have in many years. The three games I'm highlighting here are my favorites of the 45 or so I put at least some time into this year. Or at least they're my favorites of the games that came out between Jan. 1 and now. (I'll publish a similar post about my favorite games of 2020 that weren't released in 2020 shortly.)

Moon (Switch)

Although I'm a lifelong fan of role-playing games, I'm far from a stickler for tradition. As much as I adore old-school, by-the-numbers JRPGs (think Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light), I also appreciate attempts to deviate from the norm. Onion Games' Moon--previously known as Moon: Remix RPG Adventure--is a perfect example of the second category. So much so I hesitate to call it an RPG. What is Moon then? An adventure game, I guess. But it also features a liberal dose of simulation and puzzle elements.

Regardless, it's wonderful, not to mention wonderfully chill. There's no rushing while playing Moon. Hell, you can't even run while playing Moon. You saunter. You slowly scour Moon's modest surface in an attempt to help both its earthly inhabitants and its apparitional ones. The latter are the souls of creatures slain by a video-game's unhinged hero, while you are a real-world boy sucked into that make-believe world and charged with righting said madman's wrongs through the power of love.

Moon tends toward the obtuse and melancholic, but that just adds to its peculiar charm--as do the game's eclectic background tunes, which--in another delightful twist--you can change at will.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

Although The Origami King is a more than fitting subtitle for this latest Paper Mario adventure, an even better one, in my humblest of opinions, would've been The Origami Odyssey. After all, this entry in Intelligent Systems' long-running RPG series feels like proper, globe-trotting trek. You zip from one eye-poppingly exotic locale to another while attempting to save Princess Peach (amongst other important--and far more interesting--tasks), sometimes via an appropriately recyclable vehicle.

The rest of The Origami King will seem a bit foreign to Paper Mario fans, too. In particular, this title's turn-based tussles are more like puzzles than the select-battle-options-from-a-menu affairs that are typical of the genre. I prefer the tried-and-true myself, though the new method introduced here grew on me by leaps and bounds once I became accustomed to it.

Even if you fall in love with these brainy fights from the word go, though, you're unlikely to consider them a highlight of the experience. Instead, you'll probably reserve that honor for The Origami King's witty text and wondrous soundtrack.

Void Terrarium (PS4, Switch)

Nippon Ichi Software's Void Terrarium does everything it can to turn off potential players. First there's its name, the full version of which is void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium. Then there's its post-apocalyptic aesthetic, which seems more banal than breathtaking, especially early on. There's also its "human Tamagotchi" component, which is just... confounding--again, particularly at first.

And yet I found Void Terrarium utterly captivating. Sure, the desolate environments of this part-time dungeon-crawler can be samey, but if you're anything like me, you'll barely pay attention to them thanks to the game's heart-pounding soundtrack and surprisingly compelling story. Oh, and the robot-battling action on offer here is plenty exhilarating, too. Not bad for a title that started off looking like a real dud, eh?

Honorable mentions:

• Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (PC, PS4, Switch)
• Mad Rat Dead (PS4, Switch)
• Part Time UFO (Mobile, Switch)
• A Short Hike (PC, Switch)

See also: my favorite games of 2020 that weren't released in 2020 as well as my favorite games of 2019 and my favorite games of 2018

A few thoughts on the three games I finished in April, May, and June 2020

Based on the headline of this post, some of you probably are thinking I played fewer games in April, May, and June than I did in January, February, and March.

After all, I only finished three games between April and June, while I finished six games between January and March.

The thing is, I devoted nearly as much time to the trio of titles I beat during the April-to-June quarter as I did to the sextet I conquered during the January-to-March one.

And then there's the fact that I also put more than 20 hours into the original Animal Crossing and about 95 hours into Animal Crossing: New Horizons while tackling the games discussed below.

Even if all of the above weren't true, though, I'd still be happy with my gaming accomplishments (if they can be described as such) of the last few months.

Why? Because I'm pretty sure the three titles I managed to complete between the beginning of April and the end of June will stick with me far beyond this challenging year--something I hope to make clear in the text that follows.  

Deadly Premonition Origins (Switch)

I don't think I've ever developed as strong a love-hate relationship with a game as I did during the nearly 30 hours I spent playing Deadly Premonition Origins recently.

On the one hand, I adored its characters, setting, soundtrack, and overarching story. On the other hand, I abhorred its nightmarish, claustrophobic "Other World" segments that forced me to fight never-ending hordes of groaning zombies. And I absolutely loathed the cumbersome, QTE-centric encounters with the game's Raincoat Killer that occasionally popped up during those same passages.

Although part of me thinks I would've enjoyed Deadly Premonition Origins a whole lot more if it had eschewed combat altogether, another part of me thinks it's an integral component of the game. Or at least I think it's integral to the game's off-kilter vibe. As in, I just can't fathom it being quite so breathtakingly bizarre without the aforementioned forays into its bleak and tension-filled alternate reality.

In the end, Deadly Premonition Origins' positive attributes outweighed its negative ones for me. I can't help but feel that won't be true for everybody, though--especially folks who fail to track down the game's more powerful weapons as early on as possible.

That's a real shame, as this janky, surreal jaunt to, through, and around the fictional--and fucked up, if you'll excuse my French--town of Greenvale, Washington, is surprisingly riveting if you can will yourself past its plethora of niggles and nuisances.

Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (Switch)

Although I pre-ordered a physical copy of Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories the moment I was able to do so, I nearly canceled it a couple of times between then and when the game finally came out in early April. The reason? It quickly became clear to me (via online chatter) that the Switch port of this catastrophe-themed adventure was more than a bit rough in both the graphics and frame-rate departments.

I stuck to my guns, though, and now that I've played, finished (after putting about 17 hours into it), and thoroughly enjoyed Disaster Report 4, I'm patting myself on the back for my prescience.

Here's the thing: this Granzella-made, NIS America-published title is rough. There are times when its frame rate slows to a crawl--or worse. And its resolution veers wildly from acceptable to muddy to "did someone smear Vaseline on the screen when I wasn't looking?" and back again. Its localization is iffy, too--as in, it's not always easy to understand what the game's text is trying to convey. (Which is a problem when said text is your only hope--outside of a guide--of figuring out what to do or where to go next.)

So far, so terrible, right? Well, somehow Disaster Report 4 manages to compel, and even impress, despite its multitude of issues. I was especially wowed by how it was able to depict life during and after a disaster--an earthquake, in particular. Or maybe I should say I was wowed by how it seemed to depict life during and after a disaster? I (thankfully) have zero experience with such situations, after all.

Disaster Report 4 sure made me feel like I've experienced them, though. And not just in the obvious ways--like making me worry the ground could collapse beneath my feet or a building might crash down upon my head at any moment. It also regularly pushed me to consider what I would do if I encountered someone in peril, as well as how I might help them--or not--in such a situation. It forced me to deal with the ramifications of my decisions in those circumstances, too.

Another notable and sizable feather in the cap of this admittedly flawed release, as far as I'm concerned: I'm already itching to replay it. If that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions (Switch)

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions is my cup of tea in so many ways. And yet I dragged my feet in terms of both buying and playing it. Its aesthetic was a big part of the problem, I'm embarrassed to admit. Before I started through its adventure myself, I thought it looked rather hideous. Most of the rest of this title was of questionable appeal, too--like its lack of towns and dungeons.

Well, I'm here to tell you all of those misgivings vanished into the ether shortly after I began playing through SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions this past May.

In particular, the game's lack of explorable towns and dungeons proved to be such a positive component that I now wish other JRPGs would take the idea for a spin. It sounds strange--not to mention limiting and boring and just plain wrong--for this type of game, but SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions makes it clear that nixing these role-playing staples is not only an acceptable alternative to the norm, but a preferable one if implemented thoughtfully and with care.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions proves a few other points, too. Like RPGs don't need inns--or even healing items or spells--if they automatically heal party members between battles. Also, a bit of strategic tweaking can go a long way toward making turn-based combat intriguing instead of tedious.

The latter is especially important to SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, or at least it was in my experience. Although battles are a key element of any role-playing game worth its salt, they're particularly vital to this one. Thankfully, the tussles you're tossed into here are deep and thrilling and tough (though not cheaply so), and I never tired of them--or any other aspect of this title, truth be told--during my 97-hour playthrough.

See also: 'A few thoughts on the Romancing SaGa 3 remake'