Digitally Downloaded – Page 279 – Your specialist source of news and reviews for games, anime, manga, film and literature

On (finally) bringing Monster Rancher back

November 19, 2021

Interview/Interviews/JRPG/Koei Tecmo/Monster Rancher

Interview by Matt S. In just a few weeks, Koei Tecmo is bringing back its own spin on the monster collection-and-battle formula. Monster Rancher may have never had the prominence of Pokémon, or the explosive (if momentary) success of Yokai Watch, but it has plugged along with its own fan…

Review: Jurassic World Evolution 2 (Sony PlayStation 5)

November 19, 2021

Frontier Development/Jurassic World Evolution 2/PlayStation 5/PS5 Review/Reviews/simulation

Review by Alex Kidman. Barney the dinosaur is a jerk. I’m not so much talking about the purple monstrosity/kid’s entertainer here (though he is pretty insufferable), but instead Barney the Raptor is just an outright jerk. Wants more Forest, then less. Wants more rocks, and also a live feeder so…

Mercenaries Rebirth: Classic tactics action is always good fun!

November 18, 2021

JRPG/Mercenaries/Tactics RPG/Video/Video review

Video by Matt S. This game landed on us out of nowhere – I didn’t even realise it was on its way until I logged in and saw it sitting there on the Nintendo eShop. I’m glad I did. Having really enjoyed the previous four Mercenaries titles, as no-frills tactics…

Review: Mercenaries Rebirth: Call of the Wild Lynx (Nintendo Switch)

November 18, 2021

Circle/JRPG/Mercenaries/Nintendo Switch/Reviews/Strategy/Switch Review/tactics/Tactics RPG

Review by Matt S. I love the Mercenaries series. I’m under no illusions about them being great games, but I love their no-frills approach to GBA-era tactics JRPG action. We’ll probably never get another Tactics Ogre or Final Fantasy Tactics, so this’ll have to do us. With Mercenaries Rebirth: Call…

Review: Football Manager 2022 Touch (Nintendo Switch)

November 18, 2021

Football Manager/Nintendo Switch/Reviews/Sega/simulation/simulator/Strategy/Switch Review

This happens every year. As the Christmas season arrives, and I finally knock out all the major game release reviews that I need to, I look forward to things easing back a bit and that I can spend a bit of time doing other things (this year in partar I…

The catch-up coffee: Thursday, November 18, 2021

November 17, 2021

catch-up coffee/News

News by Lindsay M.Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)! Meet…

Pokémon Shining Pearl: A side-by-side comparison with the DS original

November 17, 2021

Pokemon/Video/Video review

Video by Matt S. Ever played a game that is so perfectly nostalgic that within seconds it has you drawing the direct, 1:1 comparison to the original? Remakes always stay true to the original – that’s kind of the point to them – but buried under a new aesthetic, Pokémon…

Review: Pokémon Shining Pearl (Nintendo Switch)

November 17, 2021

Game Freak/JRPG/Nintendo/Nintendo Switch/Pokemon/Reviews/Switch Review

Review by Matt S. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl have Piplup as one of the starter Pokémon, and Piplup is the best Pokémon of all. Ergo Diamond and Pearl are pretty darned good games, and remaking them was always going to be the right thing to do. But seriously, I do…

Review: Shin Megami Tensei V (Nintendo Switch)

November 17, 2021

Atlus/JRPG/Nintendo Switch/Reviews/Shin Megami Tensei/Switch Review

Review by Matt S. I’ll be upfront about this: Reviewing Shin Megami Tensei V is going to be a pain because all the good stuff that is really worth talking about falls firmly within spoiler territory. The think piece that I will inevitably write six months from now, when I…

Interesting games on itch.io: November 16

November 16, 2021

Art Game/Indie/itch/itch.io/list/Top 10/top 5

List by Matt S. I’m a big fan of itch.io for the freedom and open platform that it allows for developers to be creative, experimental, and directly canvas the audience for feedback for games that are not yet ready for primetime on Steam and its ilk. In addition, itch.io allows…

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