Video by Matt S. I never thought we’d get a new Bravely Default game. I had just assumed that Square Enix was done with the mini-series after the 3DS titles, when those games were very much built as 3DS titles. And yet, here we are, playing a new Bravely Default…
Read MoreWith Nioh and its sequel getting new-gen re-releases on PlayStation 5 this past week, I have been once again musing on the differences between Japanese and western games and, specifically, the way that yokai and the concept of Huakki Yagyo applies to the way that JRPGs are designed. In short,…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the latest in a long-running series of action JRPGs that I have had a complex relationship with over the years… but this one? Wow, do I love this one. Nihon Falcom has knocked it out of the park and then some.…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Nintendo’s first big release of the year is a port of Super Mario 3D World… with Bowser’s Fury – an all-new mini-adventure that’s a real value-add for anyone who played the Wii U original. The game’s still a while away from release, but I had the…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Koei Tecmo and its JRPG specialist developer, Gust, had a lot to prove with Atelier Ryza 2. This is the first time that any single protagonist in the Atelier series has been given a direct sequel, and doing so was going to necessitate that Gust take…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Persona 5 Strikers is right around the corner now, and we’ve had the opportunity to get hands-on with the game. It. Is. Amazing. Right off the bat the game is the most brilliant mix of both Warriors and Persona and shows just how far Koei is…
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 MoreVideo by Matt S. We all know that Japanese and western video games are fundamentally different. But narrowing down the stylistic and aesthetic reasons for those differences is worth thinking about, because they say a lot about the respective art cultures too. For one good example, explored in this video:…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. The Nintendo Switch has ended up becoming quite the home for digital board games. It does make sense given the console is portable and has multiplayer built right into the device with the Joycons allowing two people to play instantly. What’s great to see is just…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. I’ve been playing a lot of retro and retro-styled games recently, and it has reminded me that in a lot of ways pixel art is the perfect aesthetic for video games. The way it inspires the imagination is like a good book, and adds to the…
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