Gameloft and Disney seem to have found a groove: release free-to-play games in paid Early Access. I mean, why not? Disney Dreamlight Valley sold like hotcakes when it was first launched the same way, and months later is still finding new players while in paid Early Access (in part due to constant updates, like the Scar update from late last…
One of the things that made the truly memorable pixel-era JRPGs like Final Fantasy IV-VI, Chrono Trigger, Secret Of Mana and Dragon Quest IV-VI so special was that they backed the classic turn-based JRPG action that people loved with narratives that were genuinely intelligent and had serious things to say.…
Read MoreI’m obsessed with the paranormal. The older I get, the more interested I am in it. It started as a mortality thing, but has expanded past that into sheer curiousity. I’ll read what I can, watch what I can, listen to what I can. I’m very open to what others…
Read MoreUntil now, Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse had been the one that got away. It was originally Project Zero 4, a Wii-exclusive horror game that brought together Nintendo, Tecmo, and Grasshopper Manufacture (yes, including Goichi Suda), and was a particularly beloved game in that series. But it was…
Read MoreSiralim Ultimate is the biggest and most expansive Siralim game yet. The three predecessors to this indie Pokémon-like offered a relatively modest 300, 600 and 700 monsters to collect and battle. Siralim Ultimate ups the count to 1,200. And that’s just one of many areas where the game aims to…
Read MoreWow did Lover Pretend have the potential to go places. Thankfully it doesn’t, ultimately, but there were more than a few moments on this game’s journey where I felt particularly uncomfortable about some of the flags that it was throwing up despite it being a narrative that is, by developer…
Read MoreDragon Quest Treasures is a very chill, very laid-back game. It doesn’t ask too much of the player, but gives them a wonderful, vibrant world to explore, filled with sparkly treasure to loot. It would never work as a numbered Dragon Quest – it’s too limited for that – but…
Read MoreMay the great vocaloids above bless D3 Publisher for eternity. Without this company and its love of publishing B-grade aesthetics, we wouldn’t have the likes of Onechanbara, School Girl/Zombie Hunter and Earth Defence Force and the games industry would be a much darker place. I mean this quite sincerely, too.…
Read MoreFor the last five days, I’ve found myself quite hooked on a humble minigame collection, called, simply, Advent Calendar. The game does what the name on the box promises – each day you open one new “present” under the virtual tree, and each of those “presents” is a new minigame…
Read MoreBless their hearts, the team at the developer, Siactro, try hard. The people at this developer obviously love early-era 3D platformers. Previous efforts include Toree 3D and Toree 2, and while they’re not great, the love that goes into them is real and obvious. They’re the kind of projects that…
Read MoreI don’t remember a ton about Children of the Corn, but I do remember two things. One, it scared the living daylights out of me (I was way too young). Two, children with glowy eyes will forever relate back to it. Honestly though, thr glowing eyes seem to be where…
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