Recent reviews by The Dragon Ace

This is the best digital card game I've played since Hearthstone. Gameplay is intuitive, while still having a good amount of depth. The card collection aspect is a huge barrier to entry though, and it only seems to be getting worse with time. They really need to make some of the older cards accessible to new players.

The first game in the Evil Within series is a bit rough around the edges, especially when it comes to the PC port (60 fps cap is a huge turn off). However, the story beats and overall atmosphere are worth it, especially if you're looking for a grim game with horror elements.

Baldur's Gate 3 is masterpiece that elevates the RPG genre to new heights! The turn-based combat is best-in-class and I really appreciated the cinematic perspective in the conversations and cutscenes. Not to mention the incredible writing, character development, map design, and overall player agency that is present throughout the entire game. It really feels like a spiritual successor to Dragon Age: Origins, one of my all-time favorite games that introduced me to CRPGs. 10/10 in my books!

A tremendous achievement by FromSoftware, that combines the best aspects of all the previous Souls games. My definitive game of the year for 2022!

Huge improvement over Kingmaker in almost all ways. I'm glad Owlcat Games was able to address the major pacing issues of the first game - as I finished Wrath of the Righteous wanting more. Will definitely replay this game at some point, and I'm looking forward to diving into the DLCs.

Pros:
• Great pacing across the entire campaign, with a gripping plot. There are a few time gated events, but I"m glad the time system from Kingmaker was not carried over.
• The Mythic Paths are a great addition that add replayability and even more build variety.
• The writing and alignment choices are done in a consequential matter, giving you many opportunities to role-play and shape your character.
• The companions are excellently written and develop in meaningful ways depending on your choices.
• The parts of the game that are voice acted are well produced.
• Ability to switch between real time and turned based combat with a click of a button.
• Loot is more abundant and is of higher quality.

Cons:
• While the combat difficulty is an improvement over Kingmaker, there are still several combat encounters that are overly tuned. I had to switch to turn based mode for those encounters.
• The side-game which is 'Crusader Mode' this time around, is half-baked once again.
• Optimization isn't great when there are a large amount of actors on the screen.

Neutral:
• If you are unfamiliar with Pathfinder, you may need to do a fair bit of metagaming for builds. I didn't mind it, but it's no doubt a huge barrier of entry to this game.
• Pre-buffing your party before combat encounters is still a huge component of this game. There are Mythic feats that allow you to extend the duration of your buffs though, so I found it to be less of annoyance this time around.
• The default zoom out level is far too close to the ground (fixed with the Toy Box mod).

Expeditions: Rome is a extremely well produced game that delivers on almost all aspects. A strong recommendation for anyone who has a interest in the turn-based tactical genre or anyone who has an affinity for Roman history.

Pros:
• High production values across the board - great writing, excellent voice acting, amazing visuals and environments.
• Enjoyable turn-based combat system with in-depth tactics and unique classes. Positioning and skill usage is crucial.
• Gripping plot line with a satisfying and emotionally moving ending.
• Unique loot, and the ability to upgrade said loot.
• Captures the Roman period superbly.

Cons:
• The siege system isn't engrossing, and is more of a time sync.
• Party limitations on the pacification missions were annoying. I would've preferred the option to roll with my main squad

Best first person battle royale out there, with excellent shooting and movement!

Persona 4 Golden is an amazing mix of a JRPG dungeon crawler and a slice of life anime. Exploring the everyday life of a high school student sounds mundane in theory, but Persona 4 quickly shakes away this sentiment with its focus on character development.

Pros:
• There are a lot of games with amazing characters, but very few games capture that feeling of friendship. Persona 4 excels in this regard. The social links you cultivate which each character are so realistic and down to earth, that they feel like friendships you would have in the real world.
• While the game is not fully voice acted, there are tons of voiced dialogue that are brimming with personality.
• Character portraits are beautifully rendered, and the interface is slick and stylized.
• The overarching plot was captivating throughout the entire game. You are always motivated to get to the next story beat.
• The turn based combat is fun and rewarding, especially if you set your companions to direct control.

Cons:
• The rate at which you accrue (combat) experience is slightly under tuned. You can modify this in the settings though.
• There are optimal choices in the game that lead to better situations or endings. I found it difficult to truly roleplay, knowing that there were “correct” choices in the dialogue.

Pillars of Eternity is a solid cRPG that brings some much needed quality of life changes to the genre.

Despite my playtime with this game, I cannot recommend Pathfinder: Kingmaker in good faith. The first half of the game is promising, but everything after that is a slog to experience. This is a game that would greatly benefit from reducing its overall content by half or more.

Pros:
• The characters, especially the companions you meet, and dialogue accompanying them are well written and interesting.

Cons:
• The story is long, dull, and anticlimactic. There are long stretches with no narrative push, where you are expected to just pass time and manage your kingdom. The last 10 or so hours of the campaign are some of the worst designed missions, with waves of enemies thrown after one another.
• The kingdom management is a chore, and feels more like an afterthought, rather than an integrated system that complements the story or gameplay.
• Parts of the world are flat out blocked or untraversable, until you complete certain story missions much later in the game.
• While the combat can be tactical at times, a lot of it comes down to pre-casting buffs and spells before initiating a fight. Positioning does not play a big enough of a role as I wanted it to.
• Loot is not as diverse as I expect it to be in an RPG of this caliber. I rarely got meaningful upgrades that led me to change my playstyle.