Stellar Blade very much wants to be a merger of NieR: Automata and the Soulslike formula. It’s a flashy science fiction romp through a decrepit, decaying world, and the ambience is certainly going to be familiar to NieR fans. It’s also undeniably well-made. However, for all the comparisons people have been making to the likes of NieR: Automata and Bayonetta…
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 MoreIt 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 MoreIf 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 MoreJapanese 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 MoreThere 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 MoreThere 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 MoreI 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 MoreIdea 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 MoreI’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 MoreMy only experience of Tomb Raider (before the reboot) was a demo of the first game. I’m about to show my age here, but remember gaming magazines that had demo discs you could load up and play? One of those had a snip of Tomb Raider 1 to play. I…
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