I don’t think anyone could have truly predicted the success of Atelier Ryza. It found just the right balance between classic Atelier‘s slice-of-life touch and a more streamlined approach to game design that did away with some of the series’ more arcane ideas—as I said when I reviewed it, it’s …
The line between a soothing, relaxing puzzle game is often a thin one. The design of the puzzle obviously contributes most to that, but the right setting and atmosphere can create a relaxing experience out of even the most obtuse puzzles. The Pillar: Puzzle Escape is a good example of …
Games that use shadows as a key aspect of the game design aren’t exactly a rarity, from the shadow-based platforming of Contrast to the shadow puppet puzzles of Shadowmatic, but it’s still a concept with so much untapped potential. Case in point: NEXT Studios’ Iris.Fall, a game that brings its …
Kowloon Highschool Chronicle, a PS2 first-person dungeon crawler from Atlus that’s never been released outside Japan, is finally making its Western debut next month, with a Switch release planned for February 4 thanks to Arc System Works. Originally released for PlayStation 2 in 2004, Kowloon Highschool Chronicle puts players in …
Ocean’s Heart is a game that overtly and deliberately puts its Legend of Zelda front and centre. It’s explicitly made for an audience who loves A Link to the Past and wants more of what made that game special. It’s a loving tribute to one of the most revered games …
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest combines visual novel, RPG, and comic book influences for a fascinating exploration of environmentalism and Polish werewolf folklore. In 2016, the Polish government announced plans to triple the logging limit for Bialowieza Forest, one of the largest remaining primeval forests in Europe …
Square Enix has announced a free demo for Balan Wonderworld, giving folks a chance to try out the game ahead of its launch later this year. The demo will be available from January 28, and is available on all platforms that the game is coming to: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, …
The Nokia 3.4 smartphone is now available in New Zealand at a recommended retail price of $299, offering a cheaper option for a phone that still packs a triple camera, decent performance, and long battery life. The Nokia 3.4 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 Mobile Platform, boasting a 70 …
GPD WIN3, the latest generation of the GPD Technology’s series of handheld gaming PCs, opened its IndieGoGo campaign last week, giving early adopters a chance to pre-order the system at a reduced price. The GPD WIN3 is a handheld Windows 10 gaming device with a Switch-like form factor, promising “AAA-level” …
For all the deserved anger and frustration directed at 2020, it was, at least, a year full of great videogames—delivering both some welcome distractions from the real world, and some thoughtful reflections on it. From Final Fantasy VII Remake turning a masterpiece out of a concept that seemed doomed to …
