Natsuki Chronicles is a bright, vibrant shoot-’em-up from Qute Corporation, the studio behind gems like Ginga Force and Eschatos. It joins the trend of more story-driven shmups, with a story mode that’s surprisingly involved and full of drama, and also adds a layer of character progression that you don’t typically …
A few years ago, I would have told you that a flawless online experience for a fighting wasn’t possible, and certainly not for one as fast-paced and technical as Guilty Gear. Netcode tech has improved over the years, especially with increased take-up of a rollback framework rather than delay-based, and …
Bravely Default II does a great job of scratching that classic JRPG itch, while also quietly, cleverly subverting genre tropes and conventions. When it comes to JRPGs, few things are as familiar and timeless as a story about fated heroes, chosen by destiny and foretold in prophecy to appear right …
Progear. There’s a lot to like about Capcom Arcade Stadium, and I’ll get to those in a moment, but first we need to talk about Progear. Originally released for arcades in 2001, this game is an important part of the legacy of the danmaku masters at Cave. It was their …
Marchen Forest: Mylne and the Forest Gift starts out as the rather innocent, if a little surreal, story of a young apprentice alchemist. Living and training with her grandfather, her life is a mostly carefree one; gathering ingredients for potion-mixing is about the extent of her responsibilities, which mostly involves …
Earlier today, Nintendo held its first full Nintendo Direct in a long time. Nintendo’s coverage more recently has been focused on in-depth coverage of specific games (like last September’s Monster Hunter Direct) or “Nintendo Direct Minis” focusing on third-party games, Nintendo Direct February 2021 was a big one: almost an …
Need a fresh dose of turn-based tactics? Shores Unknown, a tactical RPG in a viking-inspired setting and taking influence from both Western and Japanese RPG classics is now available on Steam Early Access. Taking place in a world ruled by the iron fist of the Crown and plagued by perpetual …
Astrologaster is one of the funniest games I’ve played in a long time. The real-life story of Simon Forman is bizarre and comical enough on its own, but when you tell it through a Blackadder-style historical sitcom complete with plenty of Shakespearean innuendo and earnest choral renditions of some truly …
There’s a lot going on in Project Starship X. Even by shoot-’em-up standards, it’s a game of sensory overload, full of bright colours and flashing lights, overwhelming attack patterns, and eccentric character designs. In contrast to the precision and mastery that a finely-crafted bullet hell demands, this is a game …
You know those light reflection puzzles that often crop up in action adventure games, where you have to move and rotate mirrors in order to reflect a beam of light? Solas 128 takes that concept and expands it out to a whole game, with a dose of colour theory, interlocking …
