Toronto-based indie studio BancyCo has created a new IP, Neo Harbor Rescue Squad. The paramedic action drama title is a long jump from the developer’s first game, adventure horror hit Home. Don’t expect any scares here — unless you find even a hint of injury frightening. Neo Harbor Rescue Squad combines traits of popular medical-themed games and fast-paced minigames with…
I find the concept of the succubus to be fascinating. As a symbol of the sheer terror with which Christianity views sexuality, the succubus is surprisingly important in terms of understanding the religion. Meanwhile, the contrast between desirability and danger inherent within the creature makes it evergreen content for both…
Read MorePolish off those game of the year trophies, because God of War: Ragnarök is almost certainly going to win a bunch of them. Whether it deserves them, though, is another matter entirely. People are going to love it because this is a massive, visually stunning, and viscerally entertaining game. However,…
Read MoreIt feels almost ironic that Bayonetta, one of the most grandiose action properties in gaming (if not the series that takes the crown), would somehow end up being exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. This is a series where the action, creatures, humour, narratives and setpieces are so fundamentally big on…
Read MoreMad Head Games has been around since 2011, and it has been a wild ride that led to its acquisition by Saber Interactive and, through that, becoming a part of Embracer Group in 2020. Now the team is gearing up for its first big game under its new owners, and…
Read MoreHere’s a free tip for developers and publishers: “Souls” means something in video gaming now. We may or may not like it, but people see that combination of letters and think something very specific. Soulstice is not actually one of these games (blessedly, given that this year has already been…
Read MoreAlmost a decade ago, Sony published The Last Of Us on PlayStation 3. The sheer hyperbole that the game got was, in retrospect, silly. Empire even went as far as to say that the very cinematic game was comparable to Citizen Kane. Of course, since then, Sony alone has published…
Read MoreOne of the challenges I have with Koei Tecmo’s Warriors franchise is determining the pecking order of the various games within the series. If you asked me to rank the Final Fantasy series, for example, there’s a clear upper echelon (Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VIII), but…
Read MoreLollipop Chainsaw is one of the best games ever made. A collaboration between Goichi Suda, James Gunn (yes, the Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy director), and producer, Yoshimi Yasuda, the game is a subversive grindhouse brawler about a cheerleader taking on an army of zombies, and it is…
Read MoreWe all know wuxia, right? The beautifully elegant form of Chinese martial art cinema (and other forms) that have dance-like, gravity-defying choreographed fights? Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and all the rest of them? That’s what Code: To Jin Yong is looking to capture and… well I hate to nosedive into…
Read MorePreview: Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes has had me singing “Hilda, Hilda” until my throat is sore
There aren’t many combinations that are more specifically “me” than Fire Emblem and Koei Tecmo’s Warriors (Musou) formula. One is my favourite tactical JRPG series of all time. The other is my favourite action brawler formula. Both series’ love their fan service and beautiful people, and both have persisted on…
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