News by Matt S. A couple of new gameplay videos of the upcoming remake of Trials of Mana have surfaced at Gamescom. A lot of us were worried about how this one would go (because that Secret of Mana remake was just a brutal kick in the nuts for how…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Tokyo RPG Factory has, over the span of three titles, developed a distinct voice in its approach to the JRPG. I’m not talking about the team’s commitment to retro-styled gameplay systems and aesthetics, though there’s certainly an element of that. No. The distinctive thread that links…
Read MoreGame Theory by Matt C. One of the most common complaints about the original Dragon Quest Builders—an otherwise excellent game—was the way its story mode impeded the sense of progress. In short, the story was divided into four completely separate chapters, each of which started you from scratch in terms…
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 MoreVideo by Matt S. Oninaki is the latest from Tokyo RPG Factory, published by Square Enix. As with Tokyo RPG Factory’s previous efforts, it’s a retro JRPG throwback with a modern presentation. Also, as with previous titles from the studio, it’s a beautifully melancholic game, with an almost poetic rhythm,…
Read MoreNews by Matt S. Developed by Tokyo RPG Factory (I Am Setsuna, Lost Sphear), and published by Square Enix, Oninaki is one really good looking retro-themed JRPG, from one of the up-and-coming leaders in that particular aesthetic. The full game isn’t out until August 22, but you’ll be able to…
Read MoreBy Matt C. Being an MMO hasn’t stopped Final Fantasy XIV from delivering one of the best stories we’ve seen from the Final Fantasy in a long time. This much has been at least since the game’s relaunch in 2013, and each new expansion has taken it from strength to…
Read MoreRetro by Matt S. Retro collections are all the rage at the moment. Looking at the Nintendo Switch alone, Capcom’s thrown out two, Konami three, SNK’s got one and so does SEGA. Square Enix has also got in on the action with the Collection of Mana package. So allow me…
Read MoreBy Matt C. I can remember, in the first few days of World of Warcraft’s first expansion, logging in before going to school in the mornings. That way, if I was lucky, I might be almost at the front of the login queue when I got home at the end…
Read MoreReview by Harvard L. With the original Dragon Quest Builders, Square Enix had a winning formula on its hands – combining the creative gameplay of Minecraft style voxel-builders with the JRPG breadcrumbing of the no-nonsense Dragon Quest franchise. Rather than being a throwaway spinoff to cash in on a fad-genre,…
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