Shogi is an excellent, if under-appreciated game in the west. Real Time Battle Shogi makes Shogi an action e-sports thing, and while it might sound beyond strange on paper, in action this thing is remarkably compelling… even if it’s difficult to get a game going online. Even if you can’t…
Read MoreI have a sneaking suspicion that Monark will be one of my favourite games of 2022. It is, of course, very early to be calling that, but the talent behind it is sublime: you’ve got the deep-thinking creator Hayashi Fuyuki, who turned a silly concept (“power-up by crying”) into a…
Read MoreThis happens every year. As the Christmas season arrives, and I finally knock out all the major game release reviews that I need to, I look forward to things easing back a bit and that I can spend a bit of time doing other things (this year in partar I…
Read MoreHistory lesson time! There’s actually a really good reason that Crawlco Block Knockers, a pervy puzzle game with plenty of nudity in it, is quite the appropriate Nintendo console release (I have no idea how eastasiasoft gets away with this, given the previously-released Waifu Uncovered pushes real boundaries on what…
Read MoreWhat a wonderful thing 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is. Developer, Vanillaware, is known for its quality 2D action games, from Dragon’s Crown through to Odin Sphere, but in general, those games are about the stunning visual engines and tight action. The developer has never been known as a storyteller in…
Read MoreWell then. Waifu Uncovered is certainly a thing. A thing I never expected Nintendo to allow, in this state, onto the Switch. Publisher eastasiasoft certainly deserves credit for somehow making that happen. To stop beating around the bush, Waifu Uncovered is strip SHMUP, and while it doesn’t go quite as…
Read MoreFire Emblem has traditionally been known for three things. Firstly, everyone knows the characters of Fire Emblem. Everyone has their favourites. They’re usually gorgeous and sexy, and that’s just great. Secondly, Fire Emblem is known for its expansive, epic narrative arcs. Thirdly, it’s known for a remorseless difficulty and permadeath…
Read MoreWith all due respect to the PlayStation Vita (and as everyone who knows me knows, I have a lot of respect for the PlayStation Vita), when it came to rendering “realistic” people, the console hit its limits. When it came to abstract visuals, such as games like Oreshika, the PlayStation…
Read MoreFire Emblem and Koei Tecmo’s Musou (Warriors) franchise have always been a perfect marriage. It’s just taken too long for the marriage to actually be consummated. I’m sure some might find the mix odd; after all, the Fire Emblem games are careful tactics titles while the Warriors games are pure…
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