True story: It was just the other day that I saw the entire Where’s Wally (I know it’s called “Where’s Waldo” elsewhere, but it’s Wally here) collection on sale. They must have done a reprint. I bought the lot of them. I have fond memories of spending hour upon hour…
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Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is nothing if not ambitious, with multiple stories that converge and diverge in support of an almost breathtakingly epic-in-scope narrative. Meanwhile, the game works hard to connect you to a huge range of characters while throwing system after system at you. You’ve got Atelier-like map exploration…
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When you think about the most influential games of all time, your brain will reach for Goldeneye, Doom, Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros., Smash Bros and Super International Cricket (no? Just me?). You’re probably not going to cite Torneko’s Mystery Dungeon, though. Probably because the game was never actually released…
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Brigandine is one of those cult franchises that you don’t really expect to be on any development radar, but every so often someone dusts it off because there is a tiny core out there and there’s not much else really scratching the itch. The original Brigandine was a PlayStation 1…
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“Cry to save the world,” “’Classmate’ (i.e. breed) to save the world,” “Defeat a person’s deviances (sorry ‘distorted desires’) to save the world,” “Sing to save the world.” The JRPG genre is positively filled with these abstract ideas of turning a certain emotion or action into a mechanic to build…
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Miyamoto Musashi is a great protagonist for a video game like Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Musashi is famous for his prowess with the sword, with the historical figure being undefeated after more than 60 bouts. He also authored books on martial arts, and is considered a martial arts legend.…
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Elden Ring is an incredible game, and I already have a very in-depth review covering why I consider it to be a genuine masterpiece within the “games-as-art” canon. I’m not going to re-litigate that in reviewing the Switch 2 release of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition. Everything that applied to that…
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Why, FromSoftware. Why? The Duskbloods is so damn intriguing, and having played it during the network test, I’m even more intrigued. Richly, evocatively urban gothic, like a Dracula or Jekyll and Hyde gone even darker, Duskbloods has all the potential in the world to be something I connect with even…
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I have wanted to get back into Final Fantasy XIV for quite some time. I am a massive fan of everything it offers, from the art direction to the scope of the world and adventures that are held within it. I love the way that it handles narrative within the…
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It’s been three years since the last Fire Emblem (Engage). In a world of annualised franchises, that’s almost quaint, given how commercially successful the series is for Nintendo, but I’m very glad that Intelligent Systems is given the time to explore what it can achieve with its property. Fortune’s Weave…
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