Review by Matt S. Every so often there comes a game that you just want to root for. A game that has come from a place of such overwhelming positivity and good will that the idea of criticising it feels wrong, because to criticise it would be akin to throwing kittens…
Read MoreReview by Matt C. By now, there’s a certain comfortable rhythm to Final Fantasy XIV’s expansions. You know what to expect: a new arc of the game’s ever-expanding story, six new zones, a couple of new jobs, a new dungeon every other level and two more “expert” ones at the…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Video games based on the Olympics have always been patchy in quality. In trying to recreate as many sports from the Games as possible, the developer rarely does better than to turn them into mini-games, and often those don’t do a very good job of representing…
Read MoreFire Emblem has traditionally been known for three things. Firstly, everyone knows the characters of Fire Emblem. Everyone has their favourites. They’re usually gorgeous and sexy, and that’s just great. Secondly, Fire Emblem is known for its expansive, epic narrative arcs. Thirdly, it’s known for a remorseless difficulty and permadeath…
Read MoreReview by James T. The year is 2008. Twitter has just exploded into the stratosphere, Instagram doesn’t exist, people still used their phones to actually call people and fans, are eagerly awaiting the release of Half Life 2: Episode Three. It’s a crazy time. But maybe most important of all,…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. No. No. No. No. Nononononononono. No. Hit-Point is a great developer when working on cute cat and frog casual interaction games (play Neko Atsume if you haven’t before), but purveyors of utter trash when it comes to JRPGs. Kemco, meanwhile, is the publisher of the aforementioned trash.…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Fan service takes many forms. We often talk about it in terms of lovely ladies and men that strip down to their underthings, but really, that’s just one (admittedly common) example of it. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is another kind of fan service.…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. If multiplayer is so important to your game that it’s the first option that pops up on the main menu, then it’s not a good look if there is never a single match to find. Skulls of the Shogun has been doing the rounds on other…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Tsunako is a rare genius. Best known for her work for Compile Heart with the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, I can’t think of many character artists out there with a better grasp of light-hearted, charming fan service than Tsunako. Date A Live, both as an anime property…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. When I think about what defines Kill la Kill, I think of relentless energy – a hyperactive, kinetic, punk-like mashup of explosive, over-the-top action. If that sounds like it’s the perfect material for a fighting game, you’d be right, but it’s harder to pull off that…
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