Bandai Namco unveiled the second title in its anime soulslike property, Code Vein II, during all the announcements and “Direct” game shows last week. Just recently they sat us down to watch (sadly, not play) a small snippet of the game and it is looking pretty impressive. It’s hard to try and co-exist in a genre that has Elden Ring…
Most people would tell you that of all the Onimusha titles (which are, sadly, too few), Onimusha 2 is the finest. Yes, the third title has Jean Reno, and that is inherently excellent, but as far as realising the creative vision of the series is concerned, Onimusha 2 is where…
I’m not usually one to get invested in Early Access games. I’d…
A few years ago, Devolver Digital and Nomada Studio hit it big…
I’ve had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with Koei Tecmo’s upcoming historical epic, Rise of the Ronin. Supposedly this has been in development from as far back as the original Nioh, and I was a little shocked when I went in expecting something like Nioh, Wo Long, or…
Read More
It is interesting to compare the recently-released remake of Star Ocean The Second Story R with the upcoming Super Mario RPG remake. Both games are undeniably classics, and highly influential – Without Super Mario RPG proving that Mario works as an RPG hero we would never have had Paper Mario…
Read More
Oh I wish the voice actors working on Persona 5 Tactica knew how to pronounce “Marie” properly. Marie is the antagonist of the game (or at least the first chunk of it), and every time any of the cast pronounces her name I want to take a cheese grater to…
Read More
Of the list of licenses that I have always thought would excel with Koei Tecmo’s Musou formula applied to it, Fate is right up there with Sailor Moon, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones. It has everything that a great Musou needs – an excellent range…
Read More
Just a few years ago, the future of the entire Rune Factory series seemed greatly in doubt. The developer had become bankrupt and the rights seemed to have gone with it. Now we’re about to get our third Rune Factory game on the Nintendo Switch, with a remake of the…
Read More
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…
Read More
Nobunaga’s Ambition is more niche than the top strategy games out there that jump to mind immediately when you think about the genre. Civilization and Total War rule the roost, of course. However, there are also the likes of Crusader Kings and Age of Wonders, which have rapidly become major…
Read More
I am surprised that Koei Tecmo and Gust decided to remake Atelier Marie. It is the original Atelier title, so there’s historical value in it, of course, but following the success of the Ryza series, which brought a new legion of fans to the series, I would have bet for…
Read More
The revival of quirky, themed simulators has been wonderful. From the two Two Point titles, to the Jurassic Park builders, and several theme park sims, sim fans have been spoiled for choice in recent years. Bandai Namco has now found an opportunity to play in the space for itself with…
Read More
Deconstructeam is a developer I admire on principle alone. This is a team of people that are committed to building narrative experiences, and using gameplay mechanics as part of the fabric of storytelling. This is, I believe, how games should be, and Essays on Empathy and The Red Strings Club…
Read More