The dungeon crawl has been one of the most enduring genres of all. The original Wizardry – the game that essentially launched and popularised the genre, turns 45 next year. It’ll be well and truly ready for a mid-life crisis. In the years since we have seen so many classics – Might & Magic, Etrian Odyssey, Eye of the Beholder,…
Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. With each issue I 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)!…
When I think of Idea Factory otome games, much of what comes…
Apologies for the incorrect date in the header image – Nintendo AU…
What happens when you blend the otome visual novel sub-genre with death games like Danganronpa or Squid Games? Essentially, you get Charade Maniacs. This is Idea Factory’s latest to make its way out west and it’s an intriguing and eclectic thing. I don’t know if this particular fusion of ideas…
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A full disclaimer here: I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. I respect the contribution that the series has made to the history and development of video games, but I do find the characters aggravating, and the aesthetics garish. More simply, I just prefer slower-paced platformers that…
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Immersive work-life otome game Sympathy Kiss is coming west, physically and digitally, for the Nintendo Switch early next year. It first launched in Japan last year, so we haven’t had to wait too long for this localization. Play as a new designer at an app development company, tasked with breaking…
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Back in March, when Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution was announced, I said I expected it to be released in the west despite no official announcement to that effect. Today, Idea Factory International did confirm this to be true: the game will be launching in the west for PlayStation and Nintendo…
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Rain is a common motif in noir. Whether it be the grim, dank, and hostile urban decay of Se7en, or the neon-drenched dystopia of Blade Runner, water is so common to noir that there is, to quote Paul Schrader in his book Notes on Film Noir “an almost Freudian attachment…
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Annapurna Interactive’s annual showcase is always something to look forward to. It publishes (and is now starting to develop) the most interesting games. Some are adorable, some are whacky, and some are heartfelt, but they’re generally pretty solid titles. It’s a bummer, Annapurna seems to be phasing out Nintendo Switch…
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Pikmin is delightful. It’s not Nintendo’s biggest property, but it is one of its most whimsical, and from what I’ve played of Pikmin 4 so far (which is admittedly not that much… it has been a busy week), this new one has lost none of the loving craft that Nintendo’s…
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Adventurers, unite! The King, Princess Penny, and Cash the dog need your help in Dokapon Kingdom: Connect, a hybrid RPG/board game. I’ve been writing about on the regular for months now, leading to its May 2023 release for Nintendo Switch. Soon enough, players will be able to become Dokapon royalty…
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Back in late 2021 Matt reviewed Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All, a brawler that’s at home with its source material. He was quite familiar with the characters, despite them being French; for me, as a child in Canada, they were effectively everywhere at the time (granted, I was in…
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Loop8: Summer Of Gods is too easy to overlook. I know, I put it to a side myself while I was playing much larger and high-profile games (such as Final Fantasy XVI). I do feel like I did this game a disservice, however, as it is different and has the…
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