Even without any personal nostalgia to draw from, there’s always something enchanting about rural Japanese settings in games. From Persona 4 to Root Letter, Boku no Natsuyasumi to The Kids We Were, it’s not an uncommon backdrop, but one that always comes with its own unique magic. It’s that same …
A decade since the last new game in a series with a dedicated fanbase—and with the bankruptcy of one studio and formation of another in the meantime—there’s some weight on the shoulders of Rune Factory 5. With expectations riding high, it’d be easy to get overly ambitious, to try to …
One of the most common complaints about Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (a divisive game, but one that I personally enjoyed a whole lot, despite its frustrations) is around the inefficiency of makers. These machines let you turn raw materials into all sorts of other things, but at …
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: farming life sims are a perfect way to just chill out. There’s something cathartic and incredibly relaxing about having lots of little tasks to focus your energy on, but with little in the way of time constraints or pressure. In the …
“Don’t try to do everything in one day.” – Misaki, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town A few hours into Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, one of the most striking things about it is just how much stuff there is to do. It’s almost overwhelming at first— …
On Friday, Marvelous and XSEED unveiled a couple of different special editions for Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, as well as introducing the world to “Buffy the Buffalo”, a plushie that’ll be available with certain versions of the game. Just look at this adorable creature: In Europe, Buffy …
In my first few hours with it, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin felt like it was shaping up to be something truly special. A couple of dozen hours later, and it’s one of my favourite games of the year. Here’s why. Sakuna is about as spoilt as any goddess can …
I’ve been eagerly looking forward to Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin for what feels like forever. The concept of an action platformer / farming sim hybrid based on Japanese mythology was enough to get my attention when it was first announced back in 2017, but the way developers Edelweiss have …
Jetskis are fun. Water guns are fun. It follows, then, that a game combining the two would be fun. Enter Kandagawa Jet Girls, a jetski racing game that mixes in a healthy dose of water gun-based shooting action, from the creative minds behind Senran Kagura. I know what you’re thinking: …
After a successful Japanese launch earlier this year, the mash-up of jet ski racing and third-person shooter that is Kandagawa Jet Girls will see a global release on August 25, for PS4 and PC (via Steam). Kandagawa Jet Girls is a cross-media project involving both an anime series and videogame, …
