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.
Bandai Namco unveiled the second title in its anime soulslike property, Code Vein II, during all the announcements and “Direct” game shows last week. Just recently they sat us down to watch (sadly, not play) a small snippet of the game and it is looking pretty impressive. It’s hard to try and co-exist in a genre that has Elden Ring…
It’s incredible to think that Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is 13 years old at this point. It feels like it was just yesterday that it was turning heads as a new spin on the JRPG genre and a brilliant homage to Final Fantasy in particular (Flying Fairy as the subtitle…
To put this review very simply: The Nintendo Switch is my favourite…
It’s been a difficult few years for Level-5, from the highs of…
One common discussion point around retro gaming is whether these classics “age,” and, by that definition, become less enjoyable to play today. So this month we take a close look at that, particularly through the lens of the Game Boy, and discuss whether the majority of Game Boy games are…
Read More
Pikmin is delightful. It’s not Nintendo’s biggest property, but it is one of its most whimsical, and from what I’ve played of Pikmin 4 so far (which is admittedly not that much… it has been a busy week), this new one has lost none of the loving craft that Nintendo’s…
Read More
With Final Fantasy XVI still very fresh in mind, the podcast crew sat down to talk about it. There is a lot to talk about with regard to this game, but perhaps the most interesting theme it has running through it is how well it handles war as a subject.…
Read More
Loop8: Summer Of Gods is too easy to overlook. I know, I put it to a side myself while I was playing much larger and high-profile games (such as Final Fantasy XVI). I do feel like I did this game a disservice, however, as it is different and has the…
Read More
If you’re a fan of JRPGs then brace yourself because July is going to be one very intense month. There are plenty of other games releasing, of course, but the JRPG calendar is particularly packed and, for people that perhaps found Final Fantasy XVI a little untraditional for their tastes,…
Read More
Something old and something new for discussion in this month’s podcast! We kick things off as we always do with a look at all the games releasing in July. If you’re a fan of Japanese games – and JRPGs in particular – steel yourself because the month is going to…
Read More
Nobunaga’s Ambition is more niche than the top strategy games out there that jump to mind immediately when you think about the genre. Civilization and Total War rule the roost, of course. However, there are also the likes of Crusader Kings and Age of Wonders, which have rapidly become major…
Read More
With 16 titles across 40 years, there are very few properties that have had the kind of longevity that Koei Tecmo’s Nobunaga’s Ambition has enjoyed. While it might not be the world’s most popular and accessible strategy series – that goes to either Civilization or Total War – the commitment…
Read More
Final Fantasy XVI is a spectacular blockbuster that is also so much more than a simple “AAA-game”. Where most blockbusters aim to manipulate the player’s emotions but have little ambition beyond that, Final Fantasy XVI dares to challenge players with a narrative of depth and poignancy. It is the rarest…
Read More
Once, many years ago, I read an argument that the enduring popularity of Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons in its homeland in Japan has to do with a very real desire for a “sea change” or “tree change” among Japanese urban populations. If this is true (and I believe there is…
Read More