Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is not only the first 3D installment in there series but also marks the first 3DS game. The transition to 3D is as graceful as it could've been I suppose but that doesn't mean it's perfect. The core fundamentals of the Layton gameplay style we have become accustom to for the last four games remain largely the same, but have been turned on their head in such a minor way that it can throw anyone off. Previously the main visuals resided on the bottom screen of the DS while in this entry the main visuals find their home on the top screen, also the navigation has been completely overhauled as movement has been changed from tapping corners of the screen to instead tapping locales on the map. This in of itself is not a fault of the game in anyway and functionally works as intended but leaping from four games that function that exact same way into a new take on the control scheme is sure to throw anyone off. Also this game tries to mix up the Layton formula further by adding things such as on rail horse back riding, and dungeon crawling which is actually a welcome addition in my eyes to help break up the regular point and click and puzzle solving. Going back to the visuals for a second, while seeing the wonderful and zany character designs of Layton portrayed in 3D certainly is novel, I can't help but feel in this entry that some of the 2D artwork lose some of it's finer detail in translation. It's certainly not game breaking or ruins the rest of the series for me but I will kind of miss the illustrated character portraits from the first four entries. The story this time around tries to give us an emotional look back on the life of Layton much in a similar vain to Unwound Future, and while there are certainly some emotionally impactful stuff in here, a lot of it kinda falls flat thanks to the inconsistent pacing throughout the entirety of the story. I will say however my favorite chapters in the game are the ones where we get to live in the shoes of a teenage Layton as he attends school and lives in his small village, in fact I wouldn't mind a whole game like that but I digress. The main plot twist at the end of the game is perhaps the most predictable out of the whole series, certainly doesn't mean it's bad, in fact I quite liked it, but you can definitely see it coming a mile away. All in All Miracle Mask isn't the most smooth transition to 3D i've ever seen but it isn't a failure by any means. It is still up there as one of the better Professor Layton titles, and I strongly recommend it to any fan of the series who may have missed out on it on release as it certainly does not disappoint.

It Takes Two is the first Hazelight game i've had the joy of experiencing and it did not disappoint. I heard so many good things about their previous games however I had always put off playing them for one reason or another. But when my significant other suggested to pickup their newest release I decided what the heck and give it a try and I'm glad I did. For about two generations now I've been asking for another good couch co-op experience from the days of my youth with good co-op PS1 and PS2 titles and this game took me back to that feeling the entire length of the game. What I really enjoy about the gameplay in particular is that it constantly mixes up the formula chapter to chapter. Every new arc in the story comes with new mechanics for each of the players to solve different kinds of puzzles which results in always keeping stuff fresh. Despite this there are some chapters which shine far more than others, my least favorite out of all the chapters has to be the Garden segment of the game, because while it does have it's own unique set of mechanics and puzzles to solve, felt a little run of the mill compared to the rest of the game's offerings. Despite it's occasional low points the game is still packed full of adrenaline pumping sequences of quick cooperative puzzle solving that will surely keep most anyone entertained. On top of the solid gameplay provided is a realistic story about the hardships of a relationship and how two people can start to grow their separate ways... that is until a magical book named Dr. Hakim shows up to try to mend the broken relationship of both protagonists May and Cody not only or their sake but for the sake of their daughter. The story of a divorcing couple of parents reigniting their passion and coming together once again certainly isn't new, but it's this game's approach to the subject matter, and the dark comedy sprinkled in that keeps you coming back for more. All in all It Takes Two is a perfect game to play with a significant other, or friend that will leave you feeling satisfied at the conclusion, and I can't wait to give Hazelight's other offerings a go!

NieR Replicant is definitely a worthy re-release of the original in just about every way. When It was initially announced two things made me nervous, the lack of the Father Protagonist and it seemingly being Automata wearing the original game's skin. Thankfully I can say that it is neither of those. Firstly I was hesitant on the Brother Protagonist because, despite it being the original main character, I had come to love the Father Protagonist due to his relationship with his daughter being more relatable to me than an older brother and a younger sister. I had also come to love Jamieson Price's voice work in the original release as the protagonist so having a whole new dynamic, and a whole new voice for the main character made me nervous. Thankfully I can say despite the minor characterization differences between the two protagonists, the Brother's story is still very engaging and as a character is very enjoyable. And if you were curious the core of the story is completely unchanged as well so it made me glad to see all the story beats still present and then some. The second concern came from my fear that they were going to try and Automata-fy the original game, because if you know me I really did not enjoy Automata, but I am glad to say after completing the game there was nothing to worry about. The game play is certainly more refined and quicker paced than the original release but still retains that level of simplicity and easiness to master that I really enjoy, and I wouldn't want it any other way. This re-release is not perfect however as the some of the re-recordings of the soundtrack's music feels a little lacking in some places with songs such as Shadowlord. I also wish there was at least an option to play the father, but that's just a minor nitpick to say the very least. The new content added to this re-release also had me concerned but I can say with confidence that I am left satisfied with all the additions that the team made to the story, to not get into spoilers. I see this as a true return to form for the series, and I hope that if and when NieR 3 happens they approach it the same way they approached the new content and gameplay for this rerelease.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter is the first game in the prequel trilogy for the series and it wastes no time letting you know how much more expansive and immersive the world has gotten since it's inception. This map and it's characters feel incredibly lived in, and full of personality. That's the first thing I noticed starting this game and it's what hooked me immediately, and that's what I must really applaud this game for. Out of all the Layton entries, this game has one of the most interesting and engaging introduction chapters out of the series thus far, and quickly it became my favorite entries. HOWEVER, this changed over the course of the game's story. As the game creeped closer and closer to it's conclusion I quickly realized that the ending felt incredibly rushed. It felt like it moved a breakneck pace from Layton and crew not clear on what was going on in the town to having it all pretty much figured out in the span of like a chapter which felt kinda off considering the mysteries felt more gradually revealed in previous games. Despite this it didn't hamper my experience at all as I still found the origin story of Luke and Layton's friendship to be incredibly compelling as watching Luke start off as a weary and cynical shut in, blossom into an excited and cheerful boy felt natural, and heartwarming. The gameplay remained mostly the same however I felt there was slightly less puzzle variety out of previous entries, but that could just be me. The focus seemed to be mostly on math puzzles and less on logic puzzles which sucked for me considering I'm not good at math, like at all. Despite this I really enjoyed my time with Last Specter, and I'm excited to see the overarching mystery of Descole play out for the remaining 2 games in the main series.

Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn is perhaps one of the best experiences that the Intelligent Systems team have composed. The story is a direct sequel to Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, that takes the world, characters, and politics set up in that game and expands upon it all greatly in a grandiose and exciting adventure. It almost feels like Path of Radiance acts as an extended prologue to this game's story which is impressive considering that PoR is it's own epic story. The story in this game takes ton of characters and concepts from the previous entry and takes them in crazy an unique directions I never expected them too. The gameplay on the other hand is relatively the same as PoR's while tweaking a couple minor things and mechanics such as the UI and Award EXP which was fine by me considering that the gameplay loop of PoR was pretty addicting and fun. Of course there could always be little quality of life things they could've fixed here and there but it was nothing that took away from the experience. Unlike the previous game however, the story is broken up into 4 acts with 3 separate playable teams of units each with their strengths and weaknesses. Personally I would have preferred if we had stuck with Ike and his comrades for the length of this game, but playing as Team Micaiah, and Team Elencia wasn't the end of the world. It's just that Ike's chapters felt more engaging and interesting to me personally, but I can see how people would prefer Micaiah's story. I can say with complete certainty though that this game handles the multiple teams concept better than how Fire Emblem Echoes did, as I found every team in this game were comprised interesting and fun primary characters, unlike Echoes where I found Celica a complete bore as a character (Alm was awesome however.) All in all I think the Radiant duology are some of the best Fire Emblem games you can play, it's just a shame that games are an absurd amount of money on the secondary market. Hopefully one day Nintendo will see fit to re-release both games in a collection or perhaps give them the Echoes treatment so more people get to enjoy these great games.

The Unwound Future is perhaps one of the best puzzle games I have played in recent memory. The puzzle selection is just superb, the environments to explore are amazingly detailed for a regular DS title and it's all amplified by the wonderfully zany and cartoony world that Professor Layton and crew inhabit. The story this time around takes some emotionally impactful twists and turns i'd never to expect to see in this particular series. The best way I could describe the unwound future is that it's both parts gleeful, and sad and does both with grace. The twist at the end of this game is perhaps the most unbelievable out of the bunch but by this point it's to be expected, and it works perfectly to convey a resonant and impactful story that will surely leave you thinking about the events that just unfolded for years to come. My only major complaint is that i'm not 100% on board with how Layton acts so dismissive around Flora, but it seems like i'm not the only one of that opinion. Otherwise this is an excellent journey and great way to cap off the original trilogy of the Layton Series. Next is the Prequel trilogy, and i'm really curious how they will approach the story from that angle.

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance is very interesting and unique entry in the series out of the few I have played as of writing this review. As chapter 1 of the Saga of Ike, and the plight of the Laguz, the game's themes and subject matter feel more mature and profound when compared to some of the other entries. The world of Tellius is wrapped in lots of gray morality, and complex issues that really bring the world to life as you watch the various factions that make up the world share intricate politics between each other. The gameplay is also very fun to play through, as there are various little quirks and design flaws in the AI that allow for a fun and sometimes exploitable way to take down certain maps without feeling broken. There are of course somethings that the game can improve on such as stream lining some of the menus, as well as making certain mechanics more clear to the player. There is also the issue of this game's translation being a little bizarre at times. This game tackles a lot of adult and mature themes, but the wind can really be taken out of a scene when school yard insults are being tossed around every two seconds, but it's not the end of the world as none of the key plot points, or story is lost in translation. My biggest gripe with the game is that the pacing towards the end feels so disjointed and off balance in an otherwise well paced adventure. Perhaps it had to do with the looming thought of the Wii being unveiled right around the corner that led to them rushing the end, or maybe the feeling of making the game's run time a little too long. What ever the reason the last 9 or so chapters felt kind of like a chore to get through, however there were some stand out moments for sure. I cannot wait to see what adventures Ike and the Greil Mercenaries get up to in the next game as I'm sure it'll be exciting.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is a great follow up to the Curious Village that improves upon some of the issues I had it. Firstly I feel like the story is a lot more engaging in many ways than it's predecessor, especially when it comes to the big twist at the end which was my biggest issue with Curious Village. There is also a lot more variety in the puzzle selection with this entry which allows for a more interesting game play session every time you boot up a save. This game is not without it's flaws however, as the start of the story felt incredibly slow, especially when in comparison to the previous entry. Despite this once the story gets going, you are in for a great time full of mystery, intrigue and heartbreak. I can't wait to see what the next entry holds as I can only see it going up from here!

As the first entry in the Professor Layton saga, The Curious Village is both a unique, interesting, yet simplistic take on the Point and Click genre of games. It's presentation as a cartoony European adventure in a mysterious and hidden Bavarian styled town is incredibly cozy and enjoyable. This combined with the folk-y accordion soundtrack carries the game for the most part. The story is a little simplistic, but engaging none the less, however the major twist on what the secret of the village is left me with a kind of odd and sour feeling and is probably my least favorite part of the game. The puzzles were fun enough to playthrough, but some puzzles felt too similar to others thus making some of the later ones too easy. All in all Professor Layton as a series has a fun cast of characters and a good enough formula that can easily be improved on, so I can't wait to see what the series has in store next.

Ichiban Kasuga had big shoes to fill taking the place of Kazuma Kiryu as series protagonist, and he does it with flying colors. Ichiban is a more goofy, and rambunctious character than Kiryu but his morals, and beliefs align in a way that feels natural and non invasive to long time fans of franchise. The game play takes a huge shift into turn based combat as a series first, as opposed to it's action game roots, and it pulls it off with flying colors. The way Ichiban's love of Dragon Quest and desire to become a fantasy like hero as an explanation for the game play shift is genius, and fits the tone of the game well. And while this game definitely takes the goofy angle to the next extreme, it doesn't take away from the series staple heartfelt and dramatic moments. My major complaints with this game is that it takes a while to truly get started. It feels like it meanders a little bit too much in the middle, but once it picks back up you're in for a ride. Also there is a really high difficulty spike towards the end of the game which is a little ridiculous, even for an JRPG vet such as myself. The level pacing could've been a lot better, but at the end of the day the grinding wasn't the worst i've ever experiences. All together, Yakuza 7 (Like a Dragon) is a perfect start to a new beginning, and I can't wait to see what zany adventures lie ahead for Kasuga.

A competent sequel to the brilliant Persona 5. This game from a story perspective does little new, and is rather predictable. Despite this it is still an enjoyable time listening to the cast of characters go through fun scenarios, especially with the new characters that join the Phantom Thieves. From a gameplay standpoint it feels less like a warriors game and more of a regular action game ala DMC, and Bayonetta (with less depth of course.) If you were a fan of Persona 5, and Persona 5 Royal this game still provides more than enough entertainment value for the price of entry.

Metal Wolf Chaos is as ridiculous as it's reputation makes it seem. The story is complete and utter nonsense, yet it's immensely enjoyable. In between the absurdist lines of dialogue in the script are some pretty funny jabs at the American political system that are just as relevant now as it was then which makes it all the more amusing. The gameplay for the XD re-release is also a ton of fun, I ran into 0 frame issues, and the controls were snappy. I wasn't expecting this game to be very good, but I was very pleasantly surprised!

Hitman 3 is an excellent conclusion to a brilliant reboot trilogy to a beloved series. Hitman 3 takes all the strengths from the previous 2 entries and blends it together into a wonderfully orchestrated experience of mayhem. With that said there are some issues with this game. Namely a level in this game feels particularly on rails (no pun intended) and it left me wanting a little more. Getting one of the 6 level slots of this game dedicated to essentially what feels like a playable cutscene felt a little unfortunate, but despite this, the other missions are a blast to playthrough. You will notice coming from Hitman 2 that there are a considerable lack of the number of Mission Stories/Opportunities per level leaving the player to use their creativity if they want different ways to take out their targets. This may be an issue to some, but for others who didn't like the hand holding nature of the reboots may find this as a welcome change. I felt indifferent about it as I usually play both story missions, and try my own approaches. All in all the game is a great way to cap off the series for the time being and I see it going down in franchise history as a fan favorite.

An awesome follow-up to the first game in this reboot series. It takes the gameplay of 2016, and perfects it ever so slightly to allow for a more seamless, and smooth experience. The level design as well takes a major step up thanks to it being developed all in 1 cycle instead of being broken up into an episodic release like the first reboot. Also the story takes some interesting directions, and truly expands the Hitman mythos. I'd highly recommend this game to anyone who loves to mess around in a sandbox like environment, and looking through every nook and cranny in a level. My one major complaint with the game still persists however, and that is the heavy reliance on being always online. For the longevity of this game (i'm talking many years down the line) I don't see the online thing working out well in their favor. Overall this game is a great package, and I can't wait to see what IO Interactive does next! And remember, no one is untouchable.