Games to Try (Volume One)
Written on August 30, 2022
The Last Remnant
Originally released on the Xbox 360 in 2008, this was Square Enix's first attempt to use a new approach to what they called "a worldwide strategy". To fall in line with that, this is the company's first game to use the Unreal Engine, specifically Unreal Engine 3. Despite being made with the global market in mind it scored higher with Japanese critics as opposed to Western critics, with Famitsu giving the game a 38/40.
You play Rush Sykes on a journey to find his sister after she gets kidnapped, leading him into an ongoing war between the city-state of Athlum and a character known as the Conqueror. Vying for power as people search for items of power that can only be used by one person known in the world as remnants. The search increases in frequency as it's found that the more remnants that stay dormant, the more they corrupt the land.
The game in The Last Remnant is a unique and streamlined take on the JRPG formula. The game is split between world map menus and instanced gameplay segments. Going through the world as you navigate menus, allows for travel time to places to be very small. This also allows for the actual gameplay segments to be quite focused in terms of how they are built. A majority of the content in the game is side content that you can miss, so you are recommended to play through what you want.
Combat in The Last Remnant is a bit unique as you command squads that you can build in parties, the game calls these unions. Unions can have one to five units that you can assign on your own. Each union has a certain amount of strategies that it cycles through for each turn. Things like "Charge!", "Attack with Mystic Arts!", "Recover your Health!", and many more. These battle actions are determined by the construction of your unions. It's quite a fun loop and I enjoy that each battle starts you at max health so each fight is a unique challenge each time.
I would highly recommend The Last Remnant if you want a unique and streamlined JRPG utilizing an engine not seen being used in Japan all too often. It's not the best story but it has enough gameplay systems to hold your attention at least for a bit. Not to mention with the 20$ price tag that the Remastered version is offered for, you get a pretty quality 60-hour-long JRPG.
The Last Remnant itself has a bit of a rocky history on store shelves as of recently. In September of 2018, Square Enix announced that they would be remastering the game in Unreal Engine 4. The Remaster itself updates the graphics and fixes some bugs. However, after this announcement Square Enix delisted the original listing of the game on Steam.
If you wish to play this game on a PC, you will need to most likely pirate it. The Remastered version is the only available version able to be bought. However, here are all the store pages for the game on all platforms.
Official Website - Playstation - EShop - Google Play - App Store
Xanadu Next
Originally released for the N-Gage in June 2005 and on PC in October 2005, by developer publisher Nihon Falcom. It is a spinoff of the game, Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu. A series that sort of built the foundation for games like Y's and Legend of Zelda with its mix of real-time combat and dungeon crawling. Xanadu Next continues that legacy by being a short but sweet top-down dungeon crawler. I will be talking about the PC Version here.
You are put in the shoes of a man who is hired to investigate Harlech Island and after a streak of bad luck is mortally wounded in a fight. In the process of getting revived his soul is tied to the island. To leave you must go on a quest to find the Dragon Slayer, a sword that will release the ties that bind you to Harlech Island.
The story of Xanadu Next is quite light as the bulk of the game is put into its simple yet fulfilling top-down action. Similar to Diablo, it plays like a typical top-down RPG. The main loop revolves around grinding and upping your stats. The one thing that makes grinding unique in Xanadu Next is the fact that every weapon has passives and skills, using a weapon for long enough gives you that passive and allows you to use its skill with other weapons.
Another thing that makes Xanadu Next unique is the fact that you have control of your camera. Allowing for the dungeons to be designed for exploration and little secrets that you can only see from certain angles. My first run of this game had me realizing that looking around can do a lot for your progress. Not to mention that the small little puzzles in each place are very fun to solve.
One final thing to talk about is the soundtrack. Even if this game does not interest you, I beg you to at least give the soundtrack a listen. Nihon Falcom pulled no stops with this game's original soundtrack. Each track is something great and personally made it something I couldn't forget even today.
Xanadu Next is only available on PC through Steam, it's quite cheap and I'd recommend it for anyone who wants a short but sweet ARPG. If you wish to play this game, here are the store pages so you don't have to go searching.
Dragon Marked for Death
Developed and published by Inti-Creates, Dragon Marked for Death is a 2D side-scrolling co-op action RPG. Released originally for the Nintendo Switch in January 2019. Released for PC on April 2020 and PS4 on July 2020.
Taking the role of the marked people in the Dragonblood Clan. A clan stuck in a terrible battle. Those that are marked are given supernatural powers to fight back in a futile attempt for life. Fight back against the Divine Family before they end you. The story of the Dragonblood Clan fighting back begins with you.
This is a co-op hub-based game like Monster Hunter and Phantasy Star Online. Before you start you must choose a character, voice, and color.
There are six characters, with only four to start. Empress, the game's poster girl with a dragon for an arm. Allowing her to shoot fire and grapple around maps with it. Warrior, a brick wall of a man with a dragon as a torso. Allowing for him to shield and tackle his way through maps. Shinobi, is a man with a dragon for legs, allowing him to dash on the ground and in the air. Witch, a lady with a dragon for hair. Wielding a wand and book she's able to weave spells to traverse and attack. These are the four characters that are included in the base roster of the game.
Oracle and Bandit are the characters that unlock after completing the game and doing some post-game quests. Oracle is a character that attacks with weapons that can be summoned by using another button. She can also cast, however unlike Witch, she focuses much more on support magic over offensive magic. Bandit is a character that has a lot of mobility, similar to Shinobi, using many relics to traverse the various maps of the game.
Dragon Marked for Death is a game that I wish I knew more people had. As a single-player game, it is very fun. However, like any game that focuses on a co-op aspect, I feel like, with a friend or three, it would be much better with a group. Though with a Steam Charts 24-hour peak of 14 players, as of the date I post this article, you will probably need to convince someone to join in with you. With a full price of 40$ for all its content, it is a bit of a sell.
Here's the weirdest thing about Dragon Marked for Death. Its original release on the Nintendo Switch was split like a Pokemon game. Two editions, each is 14.99$ and includes two characters each. Frontline Fighters, which includes Empress and Warrior, and Advanced Attackers, which includes Shinobi and Witch. To grab all the content on Switch you will need both editions and the DLC Season Pass which includes Bandit. The Steam, PS4, and physical edition of the Switch version all include everything.
If you wish to play this game, here are all the store pages so you don't have to go searching.
Official Website - Frontline Fighters (EShop) - Advanced Attackers (EShop) - NSW on Amazon - Playstation - Steam