Matt S. is the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of DDNet. He's been writing about games for over 20 years, including a book, but is perhaps best-known for being the high priest of the Church of Hatsune Miku.
In a world that is as toxic, complex, and fundamentally unpleasant as the one we now live, whimsical, wholesome little things like Tempopo are the escapism we need. It’s a simple puzzle game in many ways, but the sweet, buoyant presentation, and the brilliant way it integrates music into the experience elevate it to something every bit as memorable as…
It’s been quite the year for fans of niche JRPG properties. First, there was the Suikoden collection a month ago, and now it’s Lunar’s turn. Originally released for the Sega Mega CD, the first two titles in the series were pioneering and beloved titles that somehow never converted into something…
I do think that Indiana Jones shouldn’t have persisted as the property…
Danganronpa-style aesthetics and humour combined with Texas Hold ‘Em poker? Why yes,…
It feels like I’ve been asking for a new Ogre Battle title for decades (probably because I have been). No, not Tactics Ogre, though those are also very fine. I do mean Ogre Battle, the JRPG/Real Time Strategy series of just two titles that I was obsessed with back on…
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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…
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We live in a world where we’re all working harder and longer than ever, and what little free time we have really needs to count. I’ve addressed this in opinion pieces in the past that developers aren’t really competing for people’s money any more. Cost of living crisis or not,…
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Some intensely sad news to end the week on. The legendary artist who was instrumental in the development of no fewer than three art forms (manga, anime, video games), Akira Toriyama, has passed away suddenly. He was 68 years old. He was still actively working, and was “in the middle…
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SteelSeries has nailed home entertainment speakers with the SteelSeries Arena 7. Not only are these excellent speakers to set up with your PC, laptop, or game console to enjoy as the “gaming speakers” that they’re being sold as, but they’re also brilliant for the home entertainment system, listening to your…
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“Dune: Awakening, the survival MMO from Conan: Exiles developer Funcom, will “sidestep” religion as a main theme in its “alternate history” world set just before the events of the books.” This headline on Eurogamer, coming one day after I slammed King Arthur: Knights Tale for being developed by a team…
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King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is simultaneously a very fun game to play, and also one of the most irritating things I have ever had to review. Game developers really need to learn that source texts – be that history, literature, or legend, should not be seen as content to use…
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Kashido is one of the more interesting, downright fascinating board games I’ve played in recent years. It comes to us from Japan, and is an abstraction of a significant and cultural part of Japanese food culture. It is a physical board game in Japan, but as far as I can…
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The “roguelike” has become a term applied to so many different games that it’s functionally lost all meaning. Indies, in particular, have embraced it with the same vigour that big AAA developers have embraced unsustainably expensive open worlds. In that context, it’s actually refreshing to play a traditional, classical roguelike…
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After what has felt like delay after delay, the remake of Alone in the Dark is now imminent, and it’s really shaping up to be something special. Featuring major Hollywood talent and top quality presentation, the last remaining question is whether the game does justice to one of the most…
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