Review by Matt S. I have a voracious appetite for tactics JRPGs. Especially if they look and feel like Fire Emblem. I’ve never forgotten just how much I fell in love with the first Fire Emblem to be released in English (the on the Game Boy Advance, and I swear…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I know it’s a kitschy joke these days, but developers do continue to be inspired to create “the Dark Souls of XXXX.” So influential is that masterpiece that it has become a reference point across the entire industry. Black Legend is an effort to be the…
Read MoreNews by Matt S. Tactics JRPG fans are going to really want to check this one out: Nippon Ichi in Japan has revealed the latest trailer for Disgaea 6, and it is looking really, really good. Disgaea is an oddball series of tactics JRPGs that are all about going way,…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Rideon Japan is one of those super-indie developers from Japan that really fly under the radar, but the company has actually been around for a long time now – it was founded back in 2004! Now it has over a half dozen games on Nintendo Switch,…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I’ve already reviewed Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia on Nintendo Switch, which I did when it launched on the console earlier in the year. This PlayStation 4 (playable on PS5) release includes some quality of life improvements based on player feedback, but is functionally the same…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Over a number of years now, Japanese developer, Rideon, has steadily built up a quality little property for itself in the Mercenaries tactics series. Mercenaries Blaze is the fifth in the series, and while it’s still not of the standard of the premium examples of the…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Transformers: Battlegrounds is one of the best things to happen to the property in years. That’s not entirely a glowing recommendation, since the Transformers property has been driven into the dirt thanks to those movies and games from publishers like Activision, so the bar has been…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I wanted to like this game so much. And not just because one of the characters has a bare midriff, underboob AND dangerously low-rise underwear (the holy trifecta of good art design, if you ask me). No. Tears of Avia clearly does try, and it doesn’t…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. It’s fascinating to see what a difference a console release can make. Earlier this year I first played Banner of the Maid when it released on PC in English. I had a fine time with it, but as a Final Fantasy Tactics-like JRPG, I felt like…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. There is a lot to admire about Othercide. It boasts a strong concept, an incredible aesthetic, and some excellent moment-to-moment gameplay. Unfortunately, it’s also yet another victim of the industry’s obsession with giving players content over having the confidence to allow what should be a fairly…
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