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.…
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I’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…
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Last week, I covered news that the JRPG-inspired Path of the Midnight Sun will be launching in January. I was pretty excited about it. It has a strong concept: taking care outside of battles helps within battles. It’s like an entire game based on self-care! Well, I’ve now had the…
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Siralim 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…
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I’m a big fan of itch.io for the freedom and open platform that it allows for developers to be creative, experimental, and directly canvas the audience for feedback for games that are not yet ready for primetime on Steam and its ilk. In addition, itch.io allows you to be transgressive,…
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Transiruby is a pixelated Metroidvania game developed by Skipmore and Esquadra, two Japanese indie game developers with lengthy development track records, and published by Flyhigh Works to Steam for PS4, Switch, and PC. Now it’s coming to Xbox as well, and will be available from January 25. Transiruby is the…
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I can’t say I’ve heard of any board game featuring cats (I’m not saying they don’t exist), but Quilts & Cats of Calico is just that – a wholesome digital adaptation of Calico, a game about cats and quilting. The game immerses players in a warm, cozy world filled with…
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I’m all about retro graphics lately, especially ones that remind me of cuddling up in my mom’s bed playing Game Boy when I was young. (Technically it was my sister’s, but she was usually willing to share when she wasn’t using it.) Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a story-exploration game…
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There was a statement floating around social media on the weekend stating “JRPGs were made during an era that didn’t have the tools to create action RPGs. Nowadays the average gamer doesn’t want random turn-based combats that don’t make any sense.” I don’t know who said that (I saw a…
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Bless 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…
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