The Caligula Effect is one of the most criminally underrated games of recent memory. A deeply intelligent JRPG that turns the familiar “save the world” premise completely on its head, that takes a more nuanced and thought-provoking approach to moral philosophy than just about any other game ever made, that …
You could be forgiven for never having heard of Xuan Yuan Sword, given that, until now, it’s had almost no international presence—a couple of poorly-translated multilingual Steam releases and Asia-region versions with English language support being the full extent. But this is a series with a long and storied history …
Mary Skelter Finale brings Compile Heart’s provocative trilogy to a close as it adds a unique, multi-party twist on the classic dungeon crawl. At a time when pop culture is particularly interested in reinterpretations of classic fairy tale characters, few works stand out like Mary Skelter. Its decidedly fetishistic tone …
Blue Reflection was, easily, one of the most mesmerising games of the last generation. Intimate, heartfelt introspection on depression and trauma, seen through the empowering lens of the magical girl genre and the utter, absolute beauty of Mel Kishida’s character designs is a recipe for something truly special. It’s also …
There are few developers who are as consistent as Otomate when it comes to thoughtfully pushing the boundaries of the stories videogames can tell. The framework of an otome game is perfect for exploring the depths of the human soul at its best and worst, and Otomate has long made …
There’s nothing quite like El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. Sure, a stylish action game that goes heavy on the religious imagery makes the likes of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta an obvious point of reference—indeed, director Sawaki Takeyasu worked on the original Devil May Cry as a character designer—but …
This is not a drill—Chocobo Racing is back! Chocobo GP, a brand new entry in the Final Fantasy kart racing spinoff, is making its way to Switch next year. Square Enix announced the new game during a surprise Nintendo Direct this morning, alongside a handful of other announcments. Chocobo GP …
For just shy of 20 years, WarioWare has been down the delightfully absurd corner of Nintendo’s repertoire with frantic medleys of bizarre “microgames”: bite-sized minigames, each lasting only a couple of seconds, played in rapid succession to hilarious outcomes. WarioWare: Get It Together continues that legacy, but with a big …
Deathloop is the latest in an increasingly rare breed of games that value focus above everything else. Arkane’s latest immersive sim adapts the freeform design philosophies of its longer and larger triple-A contemporaries into a laser-focused experience more concerned with minutiae than grand vistas. The game’s shorter length (compared to …
A bold fresh start for the series, Tales of Arise masterfully turns JRPG familiarities into an incisive reflection on imperial oppression. Rebellious uprisings against oppressive, imperial regimes are a JRPG staple. Slave revolts and underground resistance movements are about as familiar to the genre as fighting gods and amnesiac, spiky-haired …
