I 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 MoreList by Matt S. We’re through the bulk of the year now, and certainly, all the major JRPGs of 2021 have been released. As a whole, this year has been absolutely incredible for the genre. Indeed, I’d even go as far as to say it’s one of the best ever,…
Read MoreInterview by Matt S. In just a few weeks, Koei Tecmo is bringing back its own spin on the monster collection-and-battle formula. Monster Rancher may have never had the prominence of Pokémon, or the explosive (if momentary) success of Yokai Watch, but it has plugged along with its own fan…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. This game landed on us out of nowhere – I didn’t even realise it was on its way until I logged in and saw it sitting there on the Nintendo eShop. I’m glad I did. Having really enjoyed the previous four Mercenaries titles, as no-frills tactics…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I love the Mercenaries series. I’m under no illusions about them being great games, but I love their no-frills approach to GBA-era tactics JRPG action. We’ll probably never get another Tactics Ogre or Final Fantasy Tactics, so this’ll have to do us. With Mercenaries Rebirth: Call…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl have Piplup as one of the starter Pokémon, and Piplup is the best Pokémon of all. Ergo Diamond and Pearl are pretty darned good games, and remaking them was always going to be the right thing to do. But seriously, I do…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I’ll be upfront about this: Reviewing Shin Megami Tensei V is going to be a pain because all the good stuff that is really worth talking about falls firmly within spoiler territory. The think piece that I will inevitably write six months from now, when I…
Read MoreVideos by Matt S. Over on YouTube, we try and fit in at least a couple of streams each week, mostly to give you the first hour or so of various interesting, quirky or different games. We’re still figuring out the exact schedule for these, but in the meantime, don’t…
Read MorePreview by Matt S. Dark Souls was one of those rare things; not only was it an excellent game, but it also entered the lexicon. “The Dark Souls of XXXX” became a favoured turn of phrases for anyone who was stretching to describe a particularly challenging example of a genre…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Blue Reflection: Second Light is my favourite game of 2021. It’s not necessarily the deepest and most profound (though it does have plenty to say!), it’s just that it’s so beautiful, heartfelt, and wholesome. I loved every second with this game and given that it was…
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