Review by Matt S. One of Compile Heart’s more under appreciated games, Fairy Fencer F on the PlayStation 3, was a genuine attempt to do something a little more serious than the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, while not losing the fanbase that Compile Heart games have carefully cultivated over the years.…
Read MoreNews by Matt S. NISA has announced that it will be bringing Touhou Genso Wanderer to PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 early next year (yep, more Vita games into 2017!). This is a roguelike JRRG set in the Touhou Project universe, and it looks like it’s a fairly traditional one.…
Read MorePreview by Pierre-Yves L. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD is a very odd title to localise. This third entry of the spin-off series 7th Dragon 2020 is the first that Sega is taking the chance to bring outside of its Japan. In the game, you’ll dive slightly into the future,…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Do you know what I love so much about the Atelier games? The thing that elevates the series well beyond almost any other JRPG out there, in my estimation? It’s not the combat, though I have witnessed that go from being functional in the Atelier Arland…
Read MoreGame theory by Matt S. In my last art game canon piece I wrote about Nier, which is the game that I would argue has the most valuable, expressive, successful narrative that has been presented in such a way that only games, as non-linear experiences, could achieve. This time around…
Read MoreReview by Nick H. Vanillaware has a well-earned reputation for making some very pretty and memorable games. I still recall when Odin Sphere first arrived on the PlayStation 2 almost nine years ago. If this was simply a matter of bringing that game to modern consoles with touched-up visuals, I…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. It looks like the turn based tactical RPG genre is a good fit with the free-to-play monetisation model. Phantom of the Kill, which plays out very much like a Fire Emblem title does, offers a near endless wealth of content, and marries it with tight and…
Read MoreRetro reflections by Nick H. While strategy games have been around for about as long as games have, one title stands out to me as the first I played on that was a strategy/role-playing hybrid. When Shining Force released on the SEGA Genesis back in 1993 in North America, the…
Read MoreList by Matt S. The Nintendo 3DS has been an absolute powerhouse for the JRPG genre. After a shaky launch, many years ago now, the console rapidly developed into a real home for the genre, with everything from major games from major publishers through to very niche, indie stuff. Why…
Read MoreImpressions by Matt S. Gumi, the Singapore-based localisation specialist, focuses on bringing popular Japanese mobile games out west. This hasn’t always worked. Chain Chronicle, a game I absolutely adored, and kept playing right to the bitter end, was unceremoniously shut down earlier this year after it didn’t get the numbers…
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