Review by Matt S. It feels fitting that my last review of the year would be of a JRPG. As a year where the JRPG not only sustained its healthy niche, but pushed right back into the mainstream gaming community, 2017 has been one where I haven’t stopped playing very,…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I’ve been more than critical of Kemco JRPGs in the past. They’re generally poor efforts, with unbalanced gameplay systems, uninspired level and character design, and ridiculously, laughably derivative narratives. But I’ve said all along that I really love Kemco’s commitment to classic JRPGs, and I’ve just…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. 2017 has been the year of real resurgence of the JRPG genre, right back into the mainstream’s mindset. Within that, one definite trend has been the emergence of the “Persona-like” as a distinct genre – games that feature slice-of-life narratives that follow a group of youth…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I actually came to the PlayStation 3 relatively late into its life cycle. It really was a remarkably expensive console at first, especially for a young guy at time struggling on the kind of incomes that young professionals earn in Australia. Related reading: Matt’s review of…
Read MoreList by Matt S. I know this is going to be a big call to make, but 2017 has been the greatest year for the JRPG genre ever. Other years have certainly produced some excellent games, of course they have, but what has really made 2017 stand out is the…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Star Ocean 4 was one of my favourite games back on the PlayStation 3, so it has been so exciting getting back into the game with this full HD remaster on PS4. The game looks incredible, and plays as well as it ever did. To give…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I don’t think I’ve played a game that manages to misfire on tone quite as much as Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I preface this review by saying that on a fundamental level it’s an incredibly enjoyable game, and, as the first true big-budget JRPG on the Nintendo…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I have played some truly dismal games in my time, but I can usually appreciate a dismal game if it is trying to do something. A game like Skylight Freerange, for example, at least wanted to be something genuinely different and original. I can give it…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Nintendo and Game Freak don’t have to do much to create a best-selling Pokemon game. The franchise has such a loyal fanbase, and those fans are so committed to the basic principles of the game, that the risks involved in trying to evolve the basic game…
Read MoreReview by Pierre-Yves L. Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection (Zwei II in Japan) is a fun and well designed action JRPG that has just been localised and release, finally, well after its original release in its homeland (2009). Voice acted for the first time as an added bonus to the localisation,…
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