Matt S. is the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of DDNet. He's been writing about games for over 20 years, including a book, but is perhaps best-known for being the high priest of the Church of Hatsune Miku.
Nintendo’s timing with its no-pressure comfort food games has been fortuitous. Animal Crossing landed at almost the exact moment that people around the world were desperate for some no-stress escapism from COVID-19. Now, Pokémon Pokopia launches right at the time that America massively escalates global tensions by committing war crimes in Iran. Millions of copies have already been sold. Clearly,…
For people who enjoyed the vibes of Monster Hunter, but found the challenging, highly technical action combat to be overwhelming, Capcom came up with the Monster Hunter Stories series. The first two were enjoyable, but with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, Capcom has landed on something really special indeed.…
Just when I think my love for the work of Hamster Corporation…
Before I fully launch into my review of Fatal Frame II: Crimson…
Goichi Suda and his team at Grasshopper Manufacture have carved out a very specific niche. Starting with the likes of Killer7, No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw, the developer has mastered the grindhouse aesthetic and where most of the time “kitsch” is a pejorative term, with Goichi Suda, it’s a…
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Just a few weeks ago I was saying how impressive it was that Square Enix managed to squeeze Final Fantasy VII Remake onto the Switch 2, at such a quality fidelity. Now it’s Koei Tecmo’s turn: I didn’t think Dynasty Warriors: Origins could work on the Switch 2. But it…
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Dragon Quest VII did need a reimagining. I don’t say this as a criticism, as it is my favourite Dragon Quest of all time. But it is undeniable that it is a massive, weighty, lengthy thing, to the point of being inaccessible. Making some small concessions and compromises to that…
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To start this review with something very personal: My father passed away last week. It’s been difficult, to put it mildly. The reason I bring it up is that Dad absolutely loved Ten-Pin Bowling. Had his own ball, ball bag (I had no idea they made bowling ball bags), shoes,…
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Having not played the original Code Vein, I have no idea whether Code Vein II is effective in building on it, or whether the two games are related at all. What I do know is that Code Vein II is an excellent soulslike. One that starts quite slowly, but has…
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It’s incredible that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergarde plays so well on the Nintendo Switch 2. Much like how having The Witcher 3 playable in a handheld format with the Switch felt like some kind of wizardry, this has the same effect, with the one difference being that it felt…
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Lached Up Games serves a very specific niche with its quirky and colourful visual novels. Is there much of an audience for fanservicey visual novels filled with Australian humour about genderswapping (and now, with Help! I’m Turning Into A Mermaid!, species swapping)? Probably not. But for the people who do…
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People who play board games are familiar with Dominion. It is considered the “gateway drug” to deckbuilding card games (and was indeed the first example of one), being both light and accessible and very good at showcasing the basic mechanics of this particular genre. It has sold millions and millions…
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There’s light, there’s lighter, and then there’s the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro Ultralight Wireless mouse. I’d go as far as to say that “Ultralight” is probably underselling it. It doesn’t actually feel like there is anything in this mouse, at all, and yet it does its job, very well, both…
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Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights is a little bonkers, and that makes it delightful. The very concept of the thing is silly, funny, and charming: Cecilia is the third princess in a family that, generally, hates her. She’s also meant to be “unlucky” but has a mysterious…
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