Atlus Game Reviews
Raidou or die
Given its vast PS2-era catalogue, Atlus' decision to revive Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army is a bit of a strange one. Something of an experimental foray into the realm of action RPGs, it's not necessarily a game that springs to mind when looking back on the developer's most prolific console generation. But maybe...
Review Metaphor: ReFantazio (PS5) - Brilliant, Memorable RPG Is One of Atlus' Finest Works
More than meets the eye
Spearheaded by a trio of veteran developers best known for their outstanding work on the Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantazio is the dawn of a brand new IP from Atlus. In its structure and mechanics, it feels comfortingly familiar, but in its fantastical setting and bold style — both in terms of visuals and audio — it...
Mini Review Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis (PS5) - Expensive Expansion Is a Flawed Affair
SEES the day
Episode Aigis is an epilogue to Persona 3 Reload — a remake of the additional scenario that first appeared in Persona 3 FES on the PS2. Much like Reload itself, this expansion is pretty much a one-to-one recreation in terms of core narrative and structure, but it's bolstered by all of the remake's quality of life and combat system...
Review Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (PS5) - Combat-Heavy RPG Gets a Major Overhaul
Fiendishly tough
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an enhanced re-release of Atlus' 2021 dungeon-crawling RPG, originally exclusive to Nintendo Switch, and makes its long-awaited debut on PS5 and PS4. It takes a great game and makes it even better with a slew of essential quality-of-life improvements, a glossy graphical upgrade, and a new...
Review Unicorn Overlord (PS5) - An Utterly Brilliant Strategy RPG
Follow the white horse
Vanillaware doesn't miss. We've been spouting that line for ages, but with the arrival of Unicorn Overlord, it rings truer than ever before. Following up on the superb 13 Sentinels was never going to be easy, but the Japanese studio has somehow manged to produce an equally excellent game three years later — and it's not even...
Review Persona 3 Reload (PS5) - A Stunning Remake of a Classic RPG, Polished to Near Perfection
Brilliant in blue
It's difficult to replay older Persona games after Persona 5. They still tell engrossing character-driven stories, but with Persona 5 — and Persona 5 Royal in particular — Atlus evolved the series' core gameplay loop to such an extent that previous titles can feel clunky and monotonous by comparison. And so we have Persona 3...
Review Persona 5 Tactica (PS5) - Quality Combat Sends the Phantom Thieves Out in Style... Hopefully
One last hurrah
From turn-based to Musou to tactical, Atlus isn't at all interested in resting on its laurels when crafting the gameplay systems fuelling the Persona 5 series. It's impressive how the developer is able to reinvent those familiar mechanics and character abilities in a new light, making them fresh once more for a different take on...
Review Persona 4 Golden (PS4) - An Utterly Engrossing RPG, and That's the Truth
A golden oldie
Persona 4 Golden was one of the PS Vita's defining games. An expanded version of the PS2's Persona 4, which first released in 2008, Golden is widely regarded as one of the best JRPGs out there — and it's still easy to see why. Many would argue that Atlus' series truly came into its own with Persona 4. It took the blueprint behind...
Review Persona 3 Portable (PS4) - Brooding JRPG Is Still Superb
Oh baby baby baby baby
In its potent mix of dungeon crawling and daily life management, Persona 3 established the formula that Atlus' series is now so well known for. Originally a PS2 title from 2006, the role-playing game was re-released not once, but twice. Its first reincarnation was Persona 3 FES in 2007 — an expanded version with gameplay...
Mini Review Persona 5 Royal (PS5) - Still One of the Best JRPGs Ever Made, Despite PS4 Disrespect
Persona 5 Royalties
Let's get right into it: Persona 5 would not be the success story that it is without the PS4. And with that in mind, the complete lack of an upgrade path for existing PS4 players is a slap in the face. It doesn't matter if you've already paid full price for Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal on Sony's last-gen system — SEGA and...
Review Soul Hackers 2 (PS5) - SMT on a Budget
Ringo star
Soul Hackers 2 is a lot like Shin Megami Tensei and its increasingly popular spin-off series Persona. It has the enjoyable turn-based combat, demons we've all come to know and love, and vast dungeons to explore. It also tells a fairly entertaining story complete with a spin on social links, character interactions, and hangout spots. The...
Review Persona 5 Strikers (PS4) - A Must-Play for Fans of Persona 5
Honour among Phantom Thieves
Republished on Wednesday 29th December, 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of January 2022's PS Plus lineup. The original text follows. Before we get started, let's make one thing clear: Persona 5 Strikers is a direct sequel to Persona 5. It is not the kind of action game...
Hell is whenever
18 years removed from its original release on PlayStation 2, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne still has a lot to offer hardcore RPG fans. In fact, its heavy focus on dungeon crawling and monster management is perhaps even more unique today than it was almost two decades ago, especially when it's placed side-by-side with modern Atlus...
Review 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - Excellent Visual Novel Is a Mind-Bending Experience
Lucky for some
Wow, what a ride 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is. Vanillaware — the talented Japanese developer behind impressive action games like Dragon's Crown Pro and Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir — is back, and it's trying something totally new with its latest release. 13 Sentinels is primarily a visual novel with some very light puzzle solving,...
Review Persona 5 Royal - The Best JRPG on PS4 Just Got Even Better
Style is permanent
Persona 5 stole our hearts back in 2017. It was crowned Push Square's Game of the Year, and it remains one of the greatest role-playing titles available on PlayStation 4. It's impressive, then, that Persona 5 Royal makes the original pretty much redundant. This enhanced re-release is hands down the best way to experience the tale...
Review Catherine: Full Body - The Definitive Catherine Experience
Like a fine wine
A whole eight years after its original release on PlayStation 3, Catherine remains a unique experience. A mix of visual novel-style storytelling and often hellish puzzle solving, it's a game that's aged surprisingly well. Catherine: Full Body enhances the visuals, expands the story, adds to the already sublime soundtrack, and brings...
Review Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight - A Startling Reminder of How Much We Love Persona 3
Lotus juiced
Let's cut straight to the point: playing Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight has made us desperate for some kind of enhanced re-release of Persona 3 on PlayStation 4. The game's moody tone is brilliantly recreated in this dance-'em-up spin-off, and we'd absolutely love to revisit its blue-hued world in glorious high definition. Please don't...
Review Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight - Slick, Stylish, and Oh So Satisfying
Wake up, get down
If you've played Persona 5 then you'll already know that the Phantom Thieves have some sick moves, but they've been saving their best for Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Yep, the disco spin-off craze that started with Vita title Persona 4 Dancing All Night has carried through to Atlus' latest mainline release, and so we're left to...
Review Dragon's Crown Pro (PS4)
Allow this heart to beat again
One of the best side-scrolling beat-'em-ups of the last decade is back, but not with a bang. Dragon's Crown Pro offers a welcome return to the beautifully drawn fantasy world of Hydeland, but those who have already sunk hours upon hours into Vanillaware's brilliantly old school romp -- either on PlayStation 3 or PS...
Review Rock of Ages II: Bigger and Boulder (PS4)
Boulder dash
Rock of Ages II: Bigger and Boulder is one of those games that, on paper, sounds like it shouldn’t work. A sequel to 2011’s Rock of Ages on PlayStation 3, this title is a blend of tower defence and physics-based racing/platforming, all under an aesthetic that immediately brings to mind Terry Gilliam’s Monty Python animations. If...
Review The Caligula Effect (PS Vita)
μ got a friend in me
When a game features a story written by Persona veteran Tadashi Satomi it’s difficult not to get a bit hyped for it. The Caligula Effect is an ambitious sounding action role-playing game set in a high school with over 500 non-playable characters to befriend and a very unique battle system. Sadly, if you were hoping for a game...
Steal yourself
Persona 5 is a difficult game to review – not because of its quality or lack thereof, but because it's such an intricate release. It's a role-playing title made up of many different parts, and explaining each and every one of them in detail would take way too long. With that in mind, we'll try to be brief: Persona 5 is a Japanese...
Review Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir (PS4)
By Odin's beard
Odin Sphere looked fantastic back on the PlayStation 2 when it released in 2007, but almost a decade later on PlayStation 4, it looks even better. A stunning side scrolling action role-playing game from Vanillaware, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is a superb remake that oozes quality. The care and attention that's been pumped into this...
Review Persona 4 Dancing All Night (PS Vita)
A beary good time
What a versatile bunch the Persona 4 gang are! Having already appeared in an RPG, a dungeon crawler, and a couple of fighting games, it's clear that they're willing to give anything a go. In their latest outing – Persona 4 Dancing All Night – they're probably furthest from their shadow bashing wheelhouse, but as luck would have...
Review Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition (PS4)
Life’s abyss and then you die
As far as unrepresented settings in video games go, 19th Century Chile is right up near the top, so it's nice to see such an unexpected backdrop used in Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition. In this unconventional genre mash-up on PlayStation 4, you'll find a roguelike role-playing game that not only has a unique...
Review Lost Dimension (PS Vita)
Trust issues
With a doomsday timer set on the world, the villain known as The End summons 11 gifted members known as S.E.A.L.E.D. team to the Pillar – a mysterious structure that's appeared out of nowhere – in order to defeat him. However, he's planted traitors among the group. It's up to protagonist Sho Kasugai and his allies to determine who...
Review Citizens of Earth (PlayStation 4)
Recruit 'em all
It's not every day that a developer fails to fund its game through Kickstarter, but still gets picked up by a publisher of legendary stature like Atlus. However, this is the exact route taken by Eden Industries with its SNES-inspired Citizens of Earth, which borrows heavily from Ape and HAL Laboratory's cult classic, EarthBound. With...
Review Rollers of the Realm (PlayStation 4)
They see me rollin'
There are some unusual mash-ups of game genres out there that are either smashing successes or faltering failures. There are RPG third-person shooters like Mass Effect, hack-‘n’-slash action RPGs such as Darksiders II, and then there’s something like Destiny, an MMORPG open world first-person…well, you get the gist of...
Review Daylight (PlayStation 4)
Low battery life
Daylight is the procedurally generated horror game from Zombie Studios, the indie outfit best known for free-to-play first-person shooter Blacklight Retribution. It has the distinction of being the first game released using the new – and largely impressive – Unreal Engine 4, making this an attractive proposition for visual...
Review Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars (PlayStation Vita)
Born to try
Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is one of the strangest games that you’ll ever play. Its premise – which, in essence, revolves around mating – provides an odd starting point, but get past this and you’ll find a surprisingly enjoyable excursion that’s only really let down by repetition and some unnecessarily sexual...
