I’ve been excited for a return to Forgotten Valley since Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life was announced; I remember playing the original, though barely. At that point in time (2003) it was still branded as Harvest Moon. Of the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons titles, it stands out for one reason: characters age, so you follow the farm through generations.…
What can I say about GoldenEye 007? It’s more than a cult classic – a cult obsession maybe? Either way, since it was released in 1997 it’s been a beloved game for literally millions of people. Back in September, it was announced that the game would be coming to Nintendo…
I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering…
SteamWorld has, over the past decade, built up to become a highly…
There are a couple of different ways that you can approach an apocalypse in art. In most cases, artists depict desperately grim stuff, and that approach makes sense given that in these stories humanity is close to (or experiencing) extinction and mere survival in a harsh, traumatic world is a…
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Mr. Prepper is so disappointing. It could have been something spectacular, given that it weaves a story that is so steadfastly critical of America, but instead it collapses in a whimper that never realises its mechanical ambitions nor delivers on its thematic premise. Combined, those two failings make it frustrating…
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I’ve struggled with the Mario Sports titles in recent years. I’ve enjoyed them enough, but as someone who loved the earlier games because they were arcade sports games with Mario added, the increasing focus on powerups and specials has made these games a little too gimmicky for their own good.…
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There aren’t many combinations that are more specifically “me” than Fire Emblem and Koei Tecmo’s Warriors (Musou) formula. One is my favourite tactical JRPG series of all time. The other is my favourite action brawler formula. Both series’ love their fan service and beautiful people, and both have persisted on…
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The developers of Pinku Kult Hex Mortis are on to a good thing. The creative vision is exceptionally strong, and the blend of Halloween-aesthetic horror, mystery and RPG is an intriguing one. If only the execution wasn’t so maddingly pedestrian. Pinku Kult is set in a dark and foreboding metropolis…
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The Future You’ve Been Dreaming Of is a voyeurism simulation, and coming from developer qureate, we all knew what that would involve upfront. As the developer has so brazenly shown with Duel Princess and Livestream Escape From Hotel Izanami, qureate’s teams likes the fan service to be heavy and unabashed.…
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Card Shark is what happens when you take the act of cheating at gambling and make it cultured. Devolver Digital has the most incredible knack for finding games that are just plain good fun to publish, and this is a very good example of that ability. It can be infuriating,…
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve had one hell of a day. Luckily, there’s a bright spot: a new trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, along with a release date, and also information on some new characters and Pokémon. The new Pokémon is where it’s at, though –…
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Piofiore: Fated Memories is one of the most powerful, provocative, and interesting visual novels that you will ever play. It tells a story of a woman and three rival mafia factions, and it goes places. Now, thanks to Aksys, we have a release date for the sequel, Piofiore: Episodio 1926.…
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Ogre is a classic board game that has been around in some form or another since the ‘70s. It is fondly remembered in the same way that the likes of Hero Quest or earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons are: for older players, these are the kinds of games that…
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