There is a problem when you make something subversive: how do you back it up with a sequel? If the sequel is too familiar and follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, it is no longer subversive by definition. It has lost its creative identity. This is unfortunately the case with Labyrinth of Galleria, the sequel to Labyrinth of Refrain:…
Koei Tecmo is no stranger to the classic Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The entire Dynasty Warriors series is, of course, based on that classic text. In many ways, it’s what makes Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty such a captivating game, because it’s such a different creative take on…
Gosh Ryza’s gorgeous. Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the…
Odencat isn’t exactly a household name, but this Japanese studio, behind the…
I know this is a nice problem to have, but there are just so many games that 2022 has thrown up that deserve awards at the end of the year. It has been a monstrously good year for video games, especially if you like Japanese games, and The DioField Chronicle…
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While Game Freak continues to try and innovate within the Pokémon property, and find its next hit evolution (sorry for the pun, I couldn’t resist), there is still a loud demand for the “classical” monster-collecting formula. I feel that myself – I often find myself booting up my 3DS for…
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Digimon Survive was a bit of a surprise as it wasn’t quite the “tactics RPG” that we were told we would be getting. Instead, this game leans very heavily into visual novel territory, and for some reason this has put people right off it. (Check out our review here) But,…
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Admittedly I wasn’t following Digimon Survive too closely in the leadup to release, however, I did know it was going to be a tactics JRPG featuring collectible monsters. That in itself was exciting given that I have fond memories of Pokémon Conquest back on the DS. What I was not…
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I absolutely love Sword and Fairy: Together Forever. The seventh game in the series (only the second to be localised into English), Sword and Fairy is to China what Final Fantasy is to Japan, and it really feels like that too, offering a gorgeous and culturally interesting wuxia epic. It’s…
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If it wasn’t for a compromised localisation, Sword and Fairy 7 – Sword and Fairy: Together Forever in the west – would be right up there with Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as the best RPG of the year. In a year that has been almost painfully dense with…
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Prinny Presents NIS Classics is a series I can really get behind. Bringing older generations of games to current consoles is never a bad thing for a couple of reasons. One, archiving! Two, it introduces new players to the games that influenced what they may currently be playing. For example,…
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There are a lot of big, world-shattering things that go on in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and yet the best parts of it are the interactions between the small, close-knit group of characters that form the core of the story. This was much the same with the two immediate predecessors, but…
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In most cases, I play JRPGs for the narrative. I want to be lost in the characters, setting, plot and world. I like when it’s supported by quality gameplay mechanics, of course, but the frameworks and structures that support that narrative are less of a focus for me than that…
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Sony’s PlayStation Plus Deluxe subscription service has a big lineup of blockbusters. It also has some amazing games that won’t catch nearly as much attention that are well worth your time. This will be an ongoing regular series where we look at some of the gems that sit outside of…
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