(s) Archive

This review is for those who are satisfied with Elden Ring’s base game and are not sure if a return to The Lands Between is necessary. If you’ve done multiple playthroughs, love everything FromSoftware has done, and have already done some prep for the DLC, you know you’re buying it. Shockingly, not everyone has the… Read More »

Forspoken is a gaming oddity. It didn’t sell well and there are quite a few people with negative opinions about it (some formed before it was even released), but there’s undoubtedly potential within the action RPG, and it’s even enjoyable to play. Our own Izzy Parsons gave excellent insight into the main Forspoken game with their review. Now, players… Read More »

Eight months after Horizon Zero Dawn’s release, Guerrilla Games surprised us with The Frozen Wilds, a DLC expansion that gave players a new area to explore, new machines to conquer, and a storyline centered around the lesser-known Banuk tribe. It was a great addition to the game that included some visual and gameplay improvements. When… Read More »

Fire Emblem Engage is an enjoyable SRPG with incredibly polished gameplay mechanics, but is its pricey expansion pass worth the extra cost? To answer that question, I’d like to talk more about the fourth and final expansion pack: the side-adventure Fell Xenologue campaign that tasks players with diving into an alternate reality of the FE Engage world where enemies are friends and… Read More »

I was thoroughly impressed by indie RPG Numina’s first part when I reviewed it for RPGFan in 2022. So I was eager to see whether Part II could capture the same charm and magic while closing out the tale of Shawn, his guardian spirit, and their friends. I ultimately uncovered a gaming experience that is more than the sum of its… Read More »

Marvel’s Midnight Suns was a pleasant surprise at the end of 2022, and the card-based SRPG quickly became one of my favorite games that year thanks to its stellar writing and fun gameplay mechanics. Now that the first of its planned character and story DLC add-ons is out, I was eager to find out if that… Read More »

Sometimes, a return trip can be comforting. Players of the dungeon-crawling visual novel Boyfriend Dungeon have a chance to experience that comfort firsthand with its Secret Weapons expansion, heading back to Verona Beach to hang out with weapon friends/suitors. Are the new additions from this free DLC worth more time with the game? If you… Read More »

Ahead of Lost Judgment’s September release last year, SEGA revealed that the game would receive a handful of DLC packs along with a season pass. Some of this DLC was perhaps expected, such as a new fighting style and different skins for your canine companion. But the most interesting item on the list of paid… Read More »

Masato Kato returns to the beloved game Chrono Cross with Complex Dream, a crossover event in the free-to-play traditional RPG Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space. The question gamers will inevitably ask is if it’s a venture worth traveling to different dimensions for, or is it one that can simply be ignored? I… Read More »

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Even if your knowledge of Spider-Man lore is limited, you’re probably familiar with that iconic quote from the comics and various films starring the superhero web-slinger. The PS4/PS5 exclusive DLC for Marvel’s Avengers featuring Peter Parker is aptly titled With Great Power, but does it ultimately live up to… Read More »

“Wakanda! Your king fights for you!” …but is it a battle worth fighting, or one he should’ve been on the sidelines for? The latest expansion for action RPG Marvel’s Avengers, Black Panther – War for Wakanda is arguably the strongest DLC for the title yet, even if it still has some flaws. Fans who already… Read More »

Despite some flaws, I was pleasantly surprised by the choice-heavy narrative and more action-heavy gameplay of GreedFall when the RPG came out in 2019. Now, players have the chance to take on once more the role of a colonist from a plague-riddled old world and return to the often bewitching and dangerous Teer Fradee in the expansion… Read More »

Yuffie Kisaragi may be the last character I thought would be the star of some DLC for Final Fantasy VII Remake. In the original game, Yuffie was an optional character who didn’t have much of a backstory, and what little there was, was tucked away in a sidequest. She was just the chirpy, cheeky materia thief. And while the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII attempted to flesh her out, it didn’t compare to the attention her fellow optional friend, Vincent Valentine, got.

Monster Train is probably one of the few modern roguelike deckbuilders to truly stand toe-to-toe with Slay the Spire or even surpass it. I glorified it in my review of the base game, and true to my word, I put over 100 hours into the game after finishing my review. After a bit of a hiatus, I’ve… Read More »

A great piece of DLC can do wonders to revitalize an older RPG. At their best, they can inspire you to replay the entire game, beginning to end, trying out new builds and making different choices from your original playthrough. Earlier in 2020, The Outer World‘s first DLC, Peril on Gorgon, drew me into a… Read More »

Not even ten minutes into the long-awaited DLC for CrossCode, titled A New Home, I found myself crying. Watching Lea return to the in-game MMORPG CrossWorlds — seven months after being forcibly logged out by Instatainment, the MMO owners — and being greeted by her friends with hugs and banter touched me and caught me off guard.… Read More »

Nioh 2 has shown such incredible breadth and depth in terms of setting, combat, and map construction that it could easily serve as instructional material for a course on game design. To date, I have played few games that create such a strong sense of place with immersive combat. The first DLC expanded upon this quality design,… Read More »

As a free story DLC campaign for a less-than-perfect game, Marvel’s Avengers‘ Taking A.I.M. could either stand out as a compelling continuation or be bogged down by repetitive game mechanics. So, do Kate Bishop’s arrows fly true in this DLC, or do they narrowly miss their mark? The answer to that question depends on your perspective and… Read More »

Nioh 2: Darkness in the Capital has a tragically simple and uninspired name, which is just as well because the content in this second outing of DLC is about the same. I’m going to sound like a spoiled brat here because, yes, I did have fun with the new DLC, but was it up to… Read More »

Returning to Galar for a third go, I was a bit reluctant to jump into The Crown Tundra for the first time. While The Isle of Armor had some great ideas, there were still a few things I was concerned about. And in many ways, the second part of Pokémon Sword & Shield‘s Season Pass… Read More »

To date, I believe Nioh 2 has the single best combat implementation of the Dark Souls formula. You can debate about level design, enemy AI, and quality of secrets, but without a doubt, Nioh 2‘s combat adds a satisfying layer of meat to an already incredible recipe. The Tengu’s Disciple feels like a seamless addition… Read More »

When The Outer Worlds was released last year, I felt it was the perfect remedy for those who felt burned by what Bethesda was doing with the Fallout franchise. The combination of player choice, meaningful decisions, endearing companions, and fantastic world-building combined to make a game that I deeply enjoyed. Now, Peril on Gorgon, the first DLC for The Outer Worlds, has been released, giving us a new reason to explore the solar system of Halcyon colony. Does it deliver a fresh gameplay experience? Or is it simply more of the same (which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing)?

As an alternate historical take on the French Revolution, Banner of the Maid was a novel concept stacked atop a solid tactical RPG. While the original game had a decisive ending which wrapped up most of what it started, it did leave the door open for a sequel. The Banner of the Maid: The Oriental… Read More »

The Isle of Armor, as an environment, is exactly what I wanted from the Wild Area in the base game.

Cindered Shadows is a side story that feels self-contained and, while not necessarily vital to the base Fire Emblem: Three Houses, helps further flesh out its plot.