Kelkelbear

DMC Definitive Edition PS4 - $19.45

Devil May Cry is also celebrating 15 years this year. When Ninja Theory rebooted this classic franchise and took it in their own direction, a lot of fans of the original series were displeased (not just because it was so different, but because DMC4 ended leaving questions unanswered). I however, loved it. 

The graphical style and the reimagining of the Devil May Cry universe in a more modern setting was very well done and had Ninja Theory’s signature touch all over it. The soundtrack is edgy and fit with the time it came out, and the time it was set in, and the gameplay flowed much better than the older, sometimes clunky system from the PS2 days. It was certainly easier than the older games which to some is a complaint, but I feel it made it more accessible to a larger audience.  I want more people to play this one, in the hopes that one day Capcom will continue in this world as well as Classic Dante’s.

Dark Cloud (PS4) - $10.45

The first Level 5 game I ever played, long before they were doing games like Yo-Kai Watch and Professor Layton. I still remember not knowing what to expect when I hired it from the video store. Originally on PS2, this classic got remastered and bought out on PS4 around this time last year.

The story started out surprisingly dark. The soundtrack is playful and gets stuck in your head. The battle system is...a little clunky, but enjoyable once you get around tending to your needs and keeping up weapon maintenance. The characters are cute and charming, it can be a little tedious to keep everyone levelled (and you need to keep everyone levelled) but overall it’s nice to have other characters to use sometimes.

The thing I loved most about this game was the world building aspect. You’re collecting pieces of the villages you go to so you can piece them all back together. You can rebuild however you wish, as long as you use the pieces you collect. You get bonuses for fulfilling the needs of the villagers and making the village better than it was before. I spent hours trying to get each village perfect so I could collect the bonus items which usually gave stat boosts.

Dark Chronicle (PS4) - $10.45

Technically a sequel to Dark Cloud (It’s called Dark Cloud 2 in some countries) but related only by series and developer, Dark Chronicle is another PS2 classic that made it’s way to PS4.

This game improves on Dark Cloud in almost every way. The battle system has been refined so you no longer lose your weapons altogether if they break. There’s now only two characters so you don’t need to put as much time into leveling everyone, though the battles are a little tougher so it can be somewhat difficult to progress at times if you don’t take the time to improve yourself. The graphics and soundtrack have been improved as well. And you can get costumes!! They’re very hard to get, but they change the appearance of your character, which at the time was the best thing to me.

The biggest improvement is the building system. There are more Atla to collect and you now have to craft each component you need before you can make anything so it really speaks to the collector and crafter in me. It allows for a lot more freedom in making things look how you want them to, and I spent even more of time time building in this game than I did in the first.

Rogue Galaxy (PS4) - $10.45

The last of the 3 in the Dark Cloud trilogy that isn’t at all related, Rogue Galaxy came out at the end of the PS2′s life cycle and made it’s way to PS4 a little while after Dark Cloud.

A little more like a traditional RPG than the other two entries as you can have multiple party members at once, even though you still only control one.

Level 5 took the story to the next level with this game. The characters all seem to have a lot more depth to them and you’re now travelling to entirely different planets, which makes all the locales look and feel completely different. Character and ability development makes you actually want to level your team. There’s still a building aspect but in a much smaller way, and it is more directly beneficial to you.

I guarantee you’ll fall in love with all three of these games instantly.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3) - $12.95

I put this one in here because it consumed me so deeply when it first came out. I wasn’t expecting anything from it at all. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to get it, because it came out so soon after XIII, and while I loved XIII, I loved it retrospectively. I still decided to give it a chance, figuring I could just return it if I didn’t like it. I didn’t return it.

It felt instantly fresh and full of hope. The idea of going on an adventure through time to find Lightning and getting to make friends with monsters...I was hooked. The idea that I could eventually get Chocobos or Tonberrys to join my party!? Shit yes. The story was far more gripping than I imagined it would be and the soundtrack was just as stunning as it was for the first game. It got me excited and made me want to play more when I wasn’t playing it. I played it until there was literally nothing left I could do.

Ico/Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3) - $14.95

Both sought after PS2 classics, it was a huge deal when these games were given the HD remaster treatment, as now they were accessible to everyone who had access to the Playstation network (and fundage)

If you’re looking forward to The Last Guardian these are the first two parts in the spiritual trilogy. They’re all separate from each other, but considered a series. 

I hope to stream both of these some time soon, so if you don’t end up buying them, keep an eye out for the stream on my channel!

Persona 4 Golden (Vita) - $8.95

If you needed a reason to own a vita, it’s this game. At $9 it’s a steal!

This game stole hours upon hours of my life. The story is dark and captivating and the gameplay builds itself around developing relationships with the characters in it. Some of these relationships have the ability to drive the narrative and shape which ending you get, and others simply help your battle stats. It can be a bit grindy in places, but the soundtrack is funky enough that you can kinda just switch off and level for a while.

It’s weird, it’s fun and it’s very Japanese. If you haven’t played any Persona games and are looking for something to give life back to your vita, then grab this! Persona as a series is celebrating 20 years in September

Okami HD (PS3) - $8.95

A much beloved PS2 classic from the now defunct Clover (most of them went on to become Platinum Games), Okami was remastered and released in HD for PS3 a couple of years ago. Okami is 10 years old this September, so why not pick it up and give it a go?

If you haven’t heard of it, Okami is one of the most beautiful games you’ll ever play, and almost always used as a talking point in the videogames as art argument. It looks like an old Japanese watercolour painting, it’s captivating story is steeped in folklore and the soundtrack is beautiful and playful, taking many notes from traditional Japanese music to give the whole game a very authentic folktale feel. It often gets likened to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but having a wolf as the main character is where the similarities end. This game will capture your heart, and even in difficult places you won’t be able to stay mad at it because of how beautiful it is.

All PS1 Final Fantasy games - $7.55

I don’t feel like I really need to talk about these.  Final Fantasy is a juggernaut in the RPG world. Almost all of the older games made their way on to PS1, which means they’re now available stupidly cheap.  Playable on PS3, PSP and PSVita, they all have intricate worlds and stories, interesting characters that you grow to love or hate and each one has a beautiful soundtrack, composed by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu.

Final Fantasy IX pictured because it is my all time favourite Final Fantasy <3

Vagrant Story (PS1) - $4.55

Vagrant Story is a lesser known title from RPG powerhouse, Square-Enix (Squaresoft before their merger with Enix).

This is one I’ve had sitting there to play for a while. The story is hailed as one of Square’s finest, but because it never garnered a lot of attention it never received any sequels or anything like that.

The battle system is kind of like a cross between a hack slash and a tactics game, and it can be pretty difficult at times (at least as far as I’ve played) But I’m super eager to give it another try and experience this story that is so critically acclaimed.

I will most likely stream this one too at some point.

Silent Hill (PS1) - $4.55

Another classic I need to play more of. I played for a couple of hours when I first purchased it years ago, but I am a gigantic wuss and got scared so I turned it off as soon as I died for the first time :<

I know the story in this one is incredible though, and it’s obviously what got the Silent Hill series started, so I’ll be playing through it at some point soon too.

I’ll be streaming this one also, but I’m really not good with horror titles so look out for my unreasonably terrified reactions to a 17 year old game :p

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Vita) - $14.95

I only recently played through this, having borrowed it from a friend. I knew nothing about it, and actually thought it was a puzzle game based on the name and the tell-nothing cover.

What it actually is, is a visual novel style of game with an intensely messed up but intricate and fascinating story. There is a constant air of mystery surrounding the greater picture and it feels very reminiscent of the Phoenix Wright games, where a murder happens, you have to gather evidence and try to piece the story together, then figure out whodunnit.

Another game where you get to make connections with the characters  and as your relationships with them develop you can unlock more abilities to use in the “class trial” segments of the game.

Definitely worth a play if you want something with a good story and you enjoy investigative gameplay.

Bayonetta (PS3) - $7.55

Made by Platinum Games, previously mentioned as the studio founded by ex-Clover staff, Bayonetta is clearly HEAVILY influenced by Devil May Cry (in fact, Devil May Cry and Bayonetta share the same director).

The story is a classic take on the Light vs Darkness theme, but told in a new, interesting and slightly twisted kinda way. Combat is ultra stylised and fast paced, and it hits a good difficulty balance. It’s not too hard but it still provides a decent challenge. I struggled in a few places, and I’m sure on the higher difficulties it can be frustrating and rewarding.  The soundtrack is fantastically fitting. Sexy, seedy and a little twisted in places, just like the game itself.  For less than $8, this game is worth your time.

Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God (Vita) - $8.95

My partner bought me this game for Vita on a whim, purely because we both love Japanese curry, and this looked stupid and cute.

And it is stupid and cute. VERY Japanese Anime. But also super fun, and has a good light-hearted sense of humor.  Some parts of the system can be a little frustrating if you’re not used to this style of game. Every new dungeon starts you back at level 1, and if you die, you lose everything you’re currently carrying. It isn’t all bad though. You have the ability to store excess items at your house in town, and there is a relatively easy dungeon you can keep going back to in order to recover any gear you lost when you died.

The story isn’t fantastic, but as far as RPGs go, it’s fun, cute and quirky and doesn’t require a lot of you mentally or in terms of time invested. This is another game that will happily bulk out your Vita library and give you something more to do.

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Phew, that’s my top recommendations for now.