Review by Matt S. At its core, Final Fantasy X is a tragic love story, with some pretensions to Shakespearean philosophy and high drama. It’s not always successful in achieving such lofty goals, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the finest Final Fantasy games ever designed. If…
Read MoreReview by Nick H. I have been playing JRPG titles for about as long as I have been gaming. The story lines, character development and sense of progression have all tested my mind rather than my reflexes over the years, and to this day I consider it my favourite genre.…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to discover the Inazuma Eleven franchise. Well, actually, I know why it’s taken me so long to discover the Inazuma Eleven franchise; it’s hasn’t exactly been given the highest profile out of Japan in the past. Because…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. It must be a tough act to follow up the Disgaea games. That series of tactics JRPGs is so finely balanced, complex, and ultimately rewarding that any game made “from the same team as Disgaea” was always going to be exposed to some serious scrutiny from…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Making a comedy game is a challenge. It’s one thing to have jokes in there, but there also needs to be a compelling experience around it that people want to play through from start to finish. After all, the running of a game is generally fairly…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I find it amusing that Final Fantasy X is one of the most fondly remembered games in Square Enix’s near-eternal series, when thematically it shares so much in common with the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, some of the least fondly remembered games in the series. Thematically…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. When it came to the first Dark Souls, I loved the game while not really liking it. As much as that sounds like a contradiction, I can explain. Dark Souls was a brilliant game with near-perfect level design. It featured a truly difficult but rewarding difficulty…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. Tales of Symphonia originally released at a point during which JRPGs were classically turn-based and text-heavy affairs. Aside from the fact that it had considerable marketing behind it, many claim Symphonia was a success because it stood out. It had voice acting, multiplayer co-op, a three…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Being acquired by Tecmo Koei has done the world of good for GUST. After some teething pain with its first Tecmo Koei release, Atelier Ayesha, GUST’s second project under the publisher, Atelier Escha & Logy, is a true masterpiece. It’s intelligent, mature, and faultlessly charming. It’s…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. There was so much that could have ruined Lightning Returns, but as far as I’m concerned Square Enix absolutely nailed everything that it set out to achieve. Let’s say for the sake of argument that the majority of the concerns with the game, based on previews…
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