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.
Octopath Traveler 0 isn’t really Octopath Traveler. It’s good. It’s even excellent, frequently and for long stretches of time. But it’s not Octopath Traveler for this very simple reason: Both the original Octopath Traveler and its sequel told the stories of eight (“Octo”) different people, who would eventually come together (“All roads that you travel on, if you will, lead…
I don’t often write about films these days, but I recently saw something at the Japan Film Festival in Australia that was powerful, profound, and haunting enough that it has since occupied all my thinking. Kokuho, directed by one of Japan’s most noteworthy art film directors, Lee Sang-il, is, as…
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is a good headset. This is by…
Disclaimer: I’m making this quick disclaimer so it’s clear and up-front. I…
Welcome to the March episode of the Digitally Uploaded podcast – your go-to destination for everything video gaming. It’s a big month. It’s a Final Fantasy month! We start by chatting about the big games coming out this month, including Fitness Boxing featuring Hatsune Miku, the retro Top Racer Collection…
Read More
Game Freak and the Pokemon Company have announced the next two new Pokemon games. Which is great because I could use the boost in traffic from liking a Pokemon game too much (I still get comments that are not fit for public consumption on my review of Pokemon Violet and…
Read More
It has always surprised me that there have been relatively few spinoffs from the Story of Seasons (formerly Harvest Moon) property. This is a beloved series that stretches right back to the SNES, and it has a lot going for it – charming characters, cute animals, and a wholesome joy…
Read More
If the promise of JRPG-style hijinks across a painstakingly-recreated Shibuya sounds good to you, then you’ll want to pay close attention to Reynatis, the latest FuRyu special that NISA will publish out west. FuRyu continues to be the Japanese studio for creative ideas. If The Caligula Effect and Monark struck…
Read More
Japanese developer METASLA has announced Sea Fantasy for both PCs and consoles. It won’t be out until early 2025, but we’ve immediately added it to our “to watch” list, because it looks like a wonderful modern take on the classic Legend of the River King concept. It is an open…
Read More
There is an inherent contradiction at the heart of Dicefolk. It’s not a bad contradiction by any means, but it is one that, at first, gives the game an odd and offbeat vibe that’s difficult to get along with. As you plug along from there, however, Dicefolk’s charms start to…
Read More
There is a moment in the original Final Fantasy VII where, after hours of scrapping around an ugly, horrible city, the party breaks out into the wider world, and it’s one of the defining moments of the game. Suddenly, an adventure that seemed narrow in scope became huge and expansive:…
Read More
I know DDNet’s been relatively quiet this week. I’ve had a Dee Dee Zine to get ready, as well as an absolutely massive JRPG to review (you’ll see soon enough). However, I do have a “fun” little rant for you all to enjoy. One that I didn’t think I’d ever…
Read More
Idea Factory and Otomate have brought us some incredible flights of fantasy over the years. There are the historical dramas, allowing us to hang out with and romance the Shinsengumi or Beinke. Then there’s the bright and bubbly Cupid Parasite, where you play as Cupid herself, or the almost brutally…
Read More
I’m starting to get a little peeved at Nintendo for not remaking Fire Emblem (as in the first Fire Emblem to be released in the West; the one with Lyn). Not only is there a game there that would desperately benefit from modern production values (Lyn and her lovely dress…
Read More