When it comes to the Atelier series, combat and synthesis are core gameplay elements. Upcoming Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (first announced during August 2024’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase) is no different, but both elements have been revamped to give the JRPG a new, fresh feel. Today, Gust and Koei Tecmo shared updated gameplay details…
It’s easy to wonder why Square Enix would go to such great effort to remake one of the oldest Dragon Quest titles. After all, the HD-2D engine they’ve applied to Dragon Quest III would have made the SNES trilogy positively sparkle, and those titles are far more renowned for their…
For the first time the now-iconic Yakuza series is on a Nintendo…
Starting a game in the middle of a story arc often means…
There are a lot of big, world-shattering things that go on in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and yet the best parts of it are the interactions between the small, close-knit group of characters that form the core of the story. This was much the same with the two immediate predecessors, but…
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In most cases, I play JRPGs for the narrative. I want to be lost in the characters, setting, plot and world. I like when it’s supported by quality gameplay mechanics, of course, but the frameworks and structures that support that narrative are less of a focus for me than that…
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Sony’s PlayStation Plus Deluxe subscription service has a big lineup of blockbusters. It also has some amazing games that won’t catch nearly as much attention that are well worth your time. This will be an ongoing regular series where we look at some of the gems that sit outside of…
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We do love JRPGs at DDNet, and it has been interesting to see over the years how developers and publishers have tried to create “blockbuster” entries in the genre. Here we talk about that topic – what are the challenges that developers and publishers have when trying to appeal to…
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I’ve barely started with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but I already know two things: firstly, this is a game that I want to take my time and savour, and secondly, it’s probably going to be a pretty thinky game. It’s already thinky, and I’m only one chapter in. Related reading: You…
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If you’re a fan of Square Enix, you’ll probably know the company’s current line-up of upcoming JRPGs, and amongst your Dragon Quests and Final Fantasies is Valkyrie Elysium, releasing as early as September 29 for PS4 and PS5, and on Steam on November 11! But there’s a lot more to…
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There are a couple of different ways that you can approach an apocalypse in art. In most cases, artists depict desperately grim stuff, and that approach makes sense given that in these stories humanity is close to (or experiencing) extinction and mere survival in a harsh, traumatic world is a…
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Square Enix continues on its drive to remake, remaster, or re-release just about every game from its classic library. The next title to get a makeover is Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song. A game that many fans would say is one of the best of the publisher’s best B-tier JRPG property.…
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We’ve seen China grow rapidly as an international game development hub, and one of the most exciting things about that nations’ game development scene is that they seem to be every bit as enamoured with the RPG format as their neighbours in Japan. Codename: Wandering Sword is basically “what if…
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The release of a The Legend of Heroes game is always an exciting event. This series has, over quite some time now, bubbled along as the JRPG for the most committed JRPG fans, with rich worldbuilding, character writing, and classical JRPG combat coming together to produce something that isn’t necessarily…
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