Preview by Matt S. I’ve had the opportunity to get stuck into the opening chapter of Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream, and I’ve got to say upfront that this game has come as a relief to me. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure of the direction…
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News by Lindsay M. World-renowned singer/songwriter Akiko Shikata will have three songs in Touken Ranbu Warriors (titled Touken Ranbu Musou in Japan), an upcoming game for Nintendo Switch. She is known for her mesmerizing musical compositions, and she is not new to creating music for video games: she’s contributed many…
Read MoreWe love Japanese games, of course, but we also love seeing what is coming out of the rest of Asia. With most Asian game development scenes being emergent, we have set up this award to celebrate some of the most exciting things coming from the most exciting game development markets.…
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again, everyone, where we celebrate the best games of the year. Despite being a heavily disrupted year thanks to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, 2021 produced some incredible games, almost from day one, and as a result, our awards this year has the most variety…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. There was a point where every developer and publisher needed to have their own monster battler game. Pokémon was, and remains, the lord and king of this space, but there were aspirants like Dragon Quest Monsters and Digimon that gave it a fair shake. There was…
Read MoreInterview by Matt S. In just a few weeks, Koei Tecmo is bringing back its own spin on the monster collection-and-battle formula. Monster Rancher may have never had the prominence of Pokémon, or the explosive (if momentary) success of Yokai Watch, but it has plugged along with its own fan…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Blue Reflection: Second Light is my favourite game of 2021. It’s not necessarily the deepest and most profound (though it does have plenty to say!), it’s just that it’s so beautiful, heartfelt, and wholesome. I loved every second with this game and given that it was…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Blue Reflection was such an unfortunately misunderstood game that I never thought we’d get a sequel. It told a heartfelt and wonderfully romantic story of coming of age and companionship between girls. Of acceptance and solidarity. Of dreams lost and social responsibility. Backed with character design…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. (Project Zero is also known as Fatal Frame in America) Koei Tecmo has always produced games with the most beautiful characters, and yet it has been slow to give us camera modes that rival what the likes of Sony have offered. With Project Zero: Maiden of…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. (Project Zero is also known as Fatal Frame in America) Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is one of the most artful and interesting horror games that has ever been produced. One of the big reasons for that is the way that it taps into yurei…
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