Game theory by Matt S. In my last art game canon piece I wrote about Nier, which is the game that I would argue has the most valuable, expressive, successful narrative that has been presented in such a way that only games, as non-linear experiences, could achieve. This time around…
Read MoreReview by Nick H. Vanillaware has a well-earned reputation for making some very pretty and memorable games. I still recall when Odin Sphere first arrived on the PlayStation 2 almost nine years ago. If this was simply a matter of bringing that game to modern consoles with touched-up visuals, I…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. It looks like the turn based tactical RPG genre is a good fit with the free-to-play monetisation model. Phantom of the Kill, which plays out very much like a Fire Emblem title does, offers a near endless wealth of content, and marries it with tight and…
Read MoreRetro reflections by Nick H. While strategy games have been around for about as long as games have, one title stands out to me as the first I played on that was a strategy/role-playing hybrid. When Shining Force released on the SEGA Genesis back in 1993 in North America, the…
Read MoreList by Matt S. The Nintendo 3DS has been an absolute powerhouse for the JRPG genre. After a shaky launch, many years ago now, the console rapidly developed into a real home for the genre, with everything from major games from major publishers through to very niche, indie stuff. Why…
Read MoreImpressions by Matt S. Gumi, the Singapore-based localisation specialist, focuses on bringing popular Japanese mobile games out west. This hasn’t always worked. Chain Chronicle, a game I absolutely adored, and kept playing right to the bitter end, was unceremoniously shut down earlier this year after it didn’t get the numbers…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. It’s good that SEGA saw fit to remaster Valkyria Chronicles for the new generation of console hardware. Not because it’s necessarily prettier with this new release; the game was already a timeless masterpiece of art direction on the PlayStation 3, and the PlayStation 4 hasn’t enhanced…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Idea Factory is really running with its Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise. After a rough start, the main series hit on to a formula that made for some really quite entertaining games, and from there, Neptune and her buddies have become prolific stars that the company rolls out…
Read MorePreview by Matt S. It’s not long now until June 21, when Grand Kingdom releases. To give us an early look at it, publisher NISA has provided a demo – sorry, beta – and if the quality of this is any indication of what to expect from the full game,…
Read MoreReview by Matt S Experience Inc. has such a groove going on when it comes to dungeon crawlers. Of course, as a specialist in the genre, you would hope that by now it was able to do the ‘crawler justice, but this developer does far more than that; when you…
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