Tales of Berseria was the moment that Bandai Namco’s long-running Tales series finally started to grow on me. It was the narrative. Berseria’s dark story of tragedy and revenge was a real page turner. Related reading: An interview we did with the developer of Tales of Berseria at the time that the game was released. Tales of Berseria Remastered is…
Nintendo’s decision to revive the Famicom Detective Club series seems to have kick-started a mild rush of new games that are, effectively, mystery visual novels, but have point-and-click elements and light puzzles to keep players interested and intrigued. That’s a good thing. This genre is excellent. And Aksys’ decision to…
I am a firm believer that as many video games, be they…
Nintendo’s timing with its no-pressure comfort food games has been fortuitous. Animal…
The pitch for Republic of Pirates is straightforward enough: It’s a very light Anno, with a pirate theme. That should make it a pretty safe bet for a lot of folks out there, especially when it’s also priced as a very budget-friendly Anno. I’m not usually one to talk about…
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I have no idea why the decision makers at ACQUIRE through that C.A.R.D.S RPG: The Misty Battlefield was a good name for a game. It’s hard to imagine anything more totally and utterly generic, and this entire review is so late after the game’s release precisely because even I overlooked…
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Animation Arts has been around for a little over two decades now, and has a particularly well-regarded reputation for its work in classic point-and-click titles. Most people with a fondness for the genre know the Secret Files trilogy, after all. Monolith is the team’s latest. Sadly, it’s not up to…
Read MoreIt is genuinely impressive that Xuan-Yuan Sword VII has come to the Switch. This is one of the more technically detailed games to have come out of Taiwan, and concessions did need to be made to make it work on the Switch. If all that matters to you is the…
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Shin Megami Tensei V was already a good game. SMT V: Vengeance adds an entirely different narrative route that, while similar enough in the early stages, diverges drastically deeper into the game. The core is still a battle between angels and demons in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo that your protagonist is…
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I missed the original launch of Slave Zero X, but now that there’s a physical edition for consoles, I’ve had the opportunity and excuse to give it a go. In theory, I should like this, since it’s an anime brawler of big action that allows you to mow down hordes…
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I love Democracy 4. My first re-election campaign was a bit dicey, but some quality speeches on the campaign trail got me there. Despite the Australian Commies (AC) party running at an approval rate of only around 35% for much of the term, I was able to get it to…
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Yeo, the one-man-band indie developer from Russia, is going to be remembered as a far better artist than the relatively muted popularity of his games deserves. Fading Afternoon is his new one, and while it’s a retread of a lot of what makes his first, The Friends Of Ringo Ishikawa,…
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I am genuinely surprised by the launch of the two Quintessential Quintuplets games in this “double pack” (Memories of a Quintessential Summer and Five Memories Spent With You). They’ve been published by MAGES, one of the legends of visual novel development. They’ve also been published by Spike Chunsoft, one of…
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Here’s a note for all developers out there: If you’re going to locate your game in a period of history or legend, and especially if it’s one where there isn’t an abundance of choices, then make sure that you actually do something about that period of history or legend. Earlier…
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